Ghost Slayers

Chapter Thirty-five

By Relm

Sylphiel and Filia were still talking about the bullet when Lina and Zelgadis came into the lab.

"Mister Zelgadis! You're awake!" Sylphiel exclaimed in shock. She hadn't been expecting them to show up so soon. After what had happened to Zelgadis Sylphiel had expected the ghostly librarian would still be unconscious for quite some time.

"How are you feeling?" Filia got up to look Zelgadis over. "Lift up your shirt." She ordered him.

"Filia!" Lina protested almost angrily.

"Well I was the one that pulled that bullet out. Is it so strange to want to see the wound?" Filia shot back with a raised eyebrow.

"You know damned well the wound healed up on its own. So why the hell would you want to see it for?" Lina barked feeling just a bit annoyed by Filia's forwardness.

Filia smiled a half smirk. "Oh, so that's it. You don't want me to look at your boyfriend's half naked torso."

Right away Zelgadis blushed at Filia's suggestion while Lina just rolled her eyes.

"Of course you would have to go there." Lina shook her head. "He's fine. A little tired and wobbly but I'm pretty sure that's understandable given the circumstances."

"How are you feeling Miss Lina?" Sylphiel asked while getting Lina a chair to sit on.

"Oh I'm fine." Lina lied.

"You look exhausted." Sylphiel narrowed her eyes at her.

"Well I did take a little nap..." Lina half mumbled under her breathe. She wasn't intending to say it out loud but perhaps she was too tired as she seemed to lose her sense of inner monologue.

Now this got Filia glaring. "Lina you were supposed to call one of us to watch Zelgadis if you couldn't. Why the heck would you go to sleep for?"

"I wasn't trying to sleep..." Lina grumbled. "I just closed my eyes for a second I swear!"

"Miss Lina you should go get some sleep." Sylphiel suggested while frowning. As usual Lina brought out the worrier in the green eyed Ghost Slayer.

"I agree. Lina you almost fell down the stairs twice coming up here." Zelgadis chided. "You need some sleep."

"What I need is some food. I'm starving." Lina protested and her stomach grumbled in agreement.

"You're always hungry." Filia rolled her eyes.

"What did you two find on the bullet?" Lina asked while looking at said bullet from her chair.

"Not much." Sylphiel let out a sigh. "The bullet is clean but deformed. It looks like well what a bullet looks like when it's removed from a body. But it has nothing on it like blood or gunpowder."

"Did Slimer lick it?" Lina asked with a raised eyebrow.

Slimer smiled a not so innocent smile in his defence. The petri dishes in his mouth oozed out onto the floor.

"No." Filia was quick to answer. "More likely the bullet got clean when all of Zelgadis' blood disappeared."

Lina frowned while thinking. "If it was just a case of a ghost stopping a bullet the bullet would be intact and normal. But because it made Zel bleed and the bullet didn't keep its original shape it suggests Zelgadis isn't a ghost... This just tells me Zel's not a ghost. Which is what we've been thinking for a while now anyway."

"Sorry Miss Lina. I know you were hoping we'd find something." Sylphiel apologized.

"Don't be. I figured we wouldn't get anything useful from the bullet. It's just one mystery after another around here." Lina let out a long sigh.

"But isn't things like mysteries that make life fun?" Xellos commented with a mischievous smile. The professor had been quiet up until now content with just watching. However he was never one who liked to be ignored.

Upon hearing Xellos speak right away Zelgadis removed his belt. The ghostly librarian didn't say anything as he walked over to the professor. He didn't even look at Xellos. No Zelgadis just walked right over to him and hit him as hard as he could with his belt.

"OWWWWW!" Xellos shrieked while disappearing. He reappeared behind Filia whom he hid behind. "Why did you do that for?"

"That's for almost getting Lina killed." Zelgadis replied while crossing his arms. Though he didn't like to admit it, he greatly enjoyed causing pain in the professor.

"Do it again!" Filia requested in a very excited tone.

"Filia you're supposed to protect me!" Xellos whined.

"No I don't and get away from me!" Filia looked at him with disgust.

"If Zel wants to beat you senseless then who are we to stop him? Because we can't." Lina reminded him.

Zelgadis flashed Xellos a devious smile.

...

While the others were in the lab Amelia was sitting by herself in the office waiting for the phone to ring. Since she had been sitting there for quite a while and nothing was happening Amelia was spending the time reading a magazine. At that very moment Amelia was very much occupied with one of those lifestyle quizzes that most fashion magazines contained. This particular one rated you on how trendy you were. She was almost at the end of the quiz when her cell phone rang. Since she had been so invested in the quiz the sound of her cell phone was unexpected and it made the youngest Ghost Slayer jump.

"Hello?" Amelia answered the phone with a shaky voice.

"Hey sis it's me." Naga/Gracia's voice almost sang over the phone. As usual the busty starlet sounded very pleased with herself.

"Oh! Hi Gracia. You scared me when you called!"

"Yeah that's nice, so who did you get?" Naga/Gracia as usual brushed off Amelia's comments and went straight to what she was calling about in an almost rude fashion.

"What do you mean?" Amelia asked not completely following her sister's train of thought.

"Earlier I asked you to get me a date, remember?" Naga/Gracia reminded her in a snobbish voice. "Who did you get me? Is he cute? I want details!"

"Well he's tall... and around your age..." Amelia trailed off. She didn't know how to describe Val without letting on that she thought he was scary.

"Is he cute? Or more importantly is he rich?"

"Ah... um... he's an English literature professor at Sailune University."

"A professor? Oh god... you set me up with a dull boring dud didn't you?"

"He's not boring I swear!" Amelia was quick to respond. 'He's too scary to be boring...' She mentally added.

"Okay so he's not boring and clearly not rich... but at least he's got a stable job. Well money isn't everything as long as he's got the looks! Because if you set me up with a poor ugly geek then I wouldn't be happy." Her voice was almost threatening.

A sweatdrop trailed down the side of Amelia's head after hearing her sister's comment. 'Sis you're so shallow...' She thought to herself while shaking her head. "Well he's not ugly that's for sure... But he's not my type..."

"OHOHOHOHOHOHOH! Of course not! You like puppies and kittens while I like tigers and wolves. I like real men!"

"He's not a puppy I can guarantee you that."

The tone of Amelia's voice tipped Naga/Gracia off that there was something wrong with this mystery date. "What's wrong with him? Does he have a horn on his head? Or scars on his face?"

"There's nothing wrong with him I swear!" Amelia insisted. "He's got short aqua hair, amber eyes and no scars or horns to speak off. He's muscular but he might... be... a tad short for you."

"I wanted a tall man dear sister." Naga/Gracia's voice didn't sound impressed.

"He is tall! But almost all guys are too short for you. If anything he's going to be either your height or just a little bit shorter."

"How short?"

"An inch or two at most."

"Alright I'll let that slide. So he's cute?"

"I happen to know the students rate him as one of the two most handsome professors at the school."

"Who is the other one?"

"Mister Xellos."

"Oh I remember him. Isn't he your co-worker Filia's boyfriend?"

"No, and never say that in front of Filia!" Amelia threatened her.

"So if it's not Xellos then who is he?"

"His name is Val. He's going to meet you at the theatre like you asked."

"Val... why haven't I met this handsome devil before?"

"I guess fate just... never had your paths cross before?" Amelia let out a nervous giggle.

"OHOHOHOHOHOH! How true is that! Thank you sissy love you lots!" And with that Naga/Gracia hung up the phone.

Even though the phone conversation was over Amelia still felt the dread sloshing around her stomach. She hated it when her sister put her in these sort of situations. 'I forgot to tell her about the lie we told Val!' Amelia mentally cursed. 'If Mister Val brings up 'stealing' her away from Mister Xellos and she doesn't know what she's talking about Mister Val is going to be so angry with me.'

Feeling defeated no matter what the scenario would be Amelia went back to her magazine quiz. However it had lost its previous lure.

...

Gourry let out a heavy sigh as he looked at the mountain of paperwork looming from his desk. The day which hadn't proved be a good one to start with was getting worse and worse as time went on. Since spilling coffee on the boss Gourry had made blunder after blunder resulting with more work being piled on him as punishment. Since Gourry wasn't the type to speed through paper work it was very likely he wasn't going to get out of the station for a long time.

As more people left the pages of the evil book on Gourry's desk glowed as the misty hand waited impatiently. It was going to have its victim and it would be tonight. It will not be delayed any longer. Waiting was something this creature had become accustomed to but this was different. The more victims it took the closer it got to its goal.