La Dolce Vita

By Seniya

J is for Jealousy

Part Two

Jealousy is the tie that binds, and binds, and binds.
Helen Rowland

Caleb was having a difficult time trying to impress the seriousness of the situation upon the guardians. The first problem was that Will had disappeared to the top of the roof, and seemed to be in a foul manner to begin with. Then, when he finally managed to get Cornelia and Irma alone (another hardship, given the needy nature of their male companions), Cornelia expressed that she was quite elated about being kidnapped. Irma supported her one hundred percent.

"Your logic is flawed to the extreme, Cornelia. We cannot let him take you." Caleb said, still taken aback by the suggestion the girl had just made. Earth females were truly the strangest creatures he'd ever encountered.

They had managed to slip out of the noise and lights in the auditorium into a deserted hallway crowded with metal lockers. Still, Caleb wasn't sure that he'd heard her right.

"I mean it Caleb," Cornelia, crossed her arms and pouted, a face he'd come to recognise as a precursor to her getting her way. "I'm gonna let him take me. If I'm in the castle, I can talk to Elyon and then we can get her out."

"Who said blondes were dumb?" Irma grinned, "Seriously, best plan ever."

"No!" Caleb wanted to shake her, to push logic into her stubborn yellow head. "There is no promise that he will bring you to Elyon. He may take you and kill you in order to frighten her, he may use you as a pawn to ensure that she does his bidding. We do not know why he has taken her – the exact reason for the capture of his sister after all these years."

"Or, he could let me stay with her and then we can escape. I am the most powerful guardian. You don't know what I'm capable of." Her hands were on her hips now. The way her head moved reminded Caleb of an angry garden hen.

Irma, however, seemed moved by Caleb's argument. She had mostly been jesting in the beginning it seemed. He still had difficulty understanding the "sarcasm" language, of which Irma was fluent. "Actually, Cornflake – maybe you shouldn't. We don't want you to get killed. I mean, where'd we find another blonde bitch to replace you so late in the year?" She tried to smile, "and what if he figures out you're a guardian? That probably won't end well."

"I don't care." Cornelia flipped her hair over her shoulder and walked away. "I'm not going to stop him if he wants to take me."

Caleb could feel the beginnings of a headache by the time he finally found the time to go talk to Will on the roof. Irma had given him much less trouble than Cornelia. She'd even suggested that she set off a contraption called the "fire alarm" and a water system in the ceiling to clear out the students. Cornelia however, remained dead set against being rescued.

Up on the roof was freezing, although he blamed the way his skin shuddered on the inadequacy of the Earth-fabrics. His dragon skinned coat would have kept him much warmer.

Will was the only person on the roof, of course. She was hunched over a railing on one side, with the sword propped up next to her – leaving the entire right side unattended. Caleb felt his annoyance grow, but tried to reign it in since he really could not handle another moody guardian on this night. "You should stand in the middle." She startled a little when she heard his voice, which annoyed him even more now he realised how easily someone could have attacked her. "That way, you can see all around you."

"Oh." She mumbled, but settled back into her original position, completely ignoring his advice.

A few moments passed before she spoke again, "the sword can kinda pick up portals. I haven't perfected it yet, but I can at least tell when one opens if it's next to me."

Caleb nodded. He hadn't known that. Will wasn't known for her communication skills. "Cornelia wants Cedric to take her."

That got her attention. She stood up ramrod straight and frowned. "What?"

"She believes that she can rescue Elyon if she's inside the castle."

Will shook her head, "no, that's stupid. He could kill her. She can't take on Phobos or Cedric by herself." She stuck her lip between her teeth, chewing it mercilessly. "I'll handle it. There's no stopping Cornelia when she gets an idea in her head."

Then she was back at her post, watching the near deserted streets below them with the same disinterest that she regarded everything. Caleb looked at her for a while, as if that could help him to infiltrate the thoughts in the sanctuary of her mind.

She looked different tonight, he noticed. More … adult. Almost like how she did was she was transformed, except darker because of the smoky colours around her eyes. She was beautiful, he thought, but didn't dare tell her because of the reaction he knew such a confession would garner. Will wasn't like other girls who basked and preened in compliments. He didn't know how to get through to her – if that was in fact what he wanted to do.

Caleb stared a moment longer at the way the dull starlight danced off the curls in her hair. He found he was mesmerised by the way her neck sloped softly downwards and curved into freckled shoulders.

He realised then, after a half a minute of staring, that Will had done it. She'd somehow managed to accomplish just what he'd sworn she wouldn't. She'd crawled under his skin and settled there. Damn.

"Are you cold?" He almost cringed at how stupid he sounded. It was made worse when Will, still frowning, looked up at him and scoffed, "no."

She was lying. Caleb could see the goosebumps on her exposed shoulders and back. He watched as tangible puffs of breath appeared and disappeared at her nose, and the way she clenched her jaw to stop it from trembling. Before he fully realised what he was doing, he'd pulled off the stupid, flimsy jacket that HayLin had given him, and draped it about her shoulders.

All at once, she was surrounded by his smell, although it was significantly overwhelmed by the stronger perfume of mothballs and HayLin's attic. "Caleb … take your jacket back."

"But you are cold."

"I'm not cold." She had already pulled it off and shoved it back into his chest. "Take it."

"Why are you .."

"Caleb, seriously, I need to concentrate on watching out for Cedric." She seemed annoyed again, but he could see how her cheeks had reddened, and he somehow knew her heart was racing.

"You don't always need to be this way, Will."

"What way?" She snapped, trying to regain control of her feelings.

"So strong. All of the time."

"Tough luck for you." Will did meet his gaze then, "because I am strong. All of the time."

He was about to reply, he could feel another one of their arguments approaching but the moment was interrupted when the Blade of Kandrakar made a loud noise as it fell onto the concrete roof. Will ran towards her weapon, and caught it just as it began to shake on the ground, as though it were being pulled by an invisible string. "A portal opened. That's probably Cedric."

Caleb nodded, "I'll go tell Irma to get the others out."

There were more than a few complaints from the high schoolers when the fire alarms came on and the auditorium was suddenly drenched in water from the sprinkler system in the roof. Still, it took a little more than five minutes for the place to clear out completely and then another three minutes for Irma and Cornelia to convince their dates they were traumatised and going home early.

Then, there was the waiting.

It was a good fifteen minutes before Irma finally muttered just what was on everyone's minds. "Hell, I don't think he's coming." Her voice echoed a couple times off the empty auditorium walls. Now, the entire place was soaked, including the food, the chairs and (sadly) the sound system.

"It can't be easy for him to walk through town like a giant snake." Will shrugged. "I definitely know a portal opened up though."

"Maybe he changed his mind and he don't want Corny no more."

"We gotta give him at least another half an hour." Will replied.

"What if he wants to kidnap her tonight, when she's asleep." Irma sounded almost optimistic.

"You all can stop talking about me like I'm not right behind you." She really meant Irma, because she still wasn't talking to Will. One did not forgive the messing up of your face in a few hours. "We'll wait it out." The blonde said, "then I'm going home. I've got better things to do that stand –"

"Wait, did you hear that?" Caleb interrupted the conversation. His face was creased as though he was concentrating on something – although, none of the others could place it. "I don't hear anything." Irma said finally, but as soon as she closed her mouth, the auditorium doors were pulled apart, and Cedric, incredibly tall, green and scaly, slithered in.

Immediately, Will turned towards Cornelia and knocked her in the back of her head with the hilt of her sword. The blonde swayed for an instant before collapsing on the floor. "Damn, Will, twice in one day." Will ignored Irma's commentary and instead told Caleb, "get her out of here, we'll get rid of him."

Caleb opened his mouth to protest, but Will had already transformed herself and Irma and the first barrage of ice-water was already headed towards the snake – so for once, he did as he was told, and hoisted Cornelia onto his shoulder and hurried them along the school's empty corridors.

Back inside, Cedric was not so easily moved. The first couple of water attacks did little more than annoy him and then when Will zapped him a couple times he became even more irate. "I need more water!" Irma finally decided.

Will definitely agreed. "Can we bust open the sprinklers some more?"

Irma shrugged, "I ain't no plumber."

Will shook her head and aimed her sword at ceiling. She concentrated and sent a short burst of energy towards the sky, knocking a hole in the roof and breaking open some of the pipes. It worked ... in a way. In addition to more water, the was also more concrete, which hit Cedric on the head. He'd had definitely been through enough at that point.

He slithered along the wet floor as best as he could, but it was slippery and he often had to stop to regain his balance when he went too fast. Sensing their advantage, Irma and Will led him around in erratic patterns until he finally threw himself in their direction. They managed to hit the floor in time to avoid a direct collision, but the wall behind them shook a great deal, and a few more pieces of concrete were loosened from the ceiling.

"God, it ain't worth it to save Cornelia!" Irma mumbled, she'd landed on her stomach pretty hard and was now completely winded.

"Come on," Will was feeling pretty awful as well, "we've almost got him."

"No, no we don't." Irma rolled onto her back and groaned. Across from them, Cedric was also swaying slightly, although he seemed to have regained his senses infinitely faster. Will was dizzy and her blood was pounded a terrible rhythm in her ears. She really wanted to stay on that floor forever, but still pushed herself upright, using her sword as a prop. It really wasn't clear in her mind exactly where she'd summon enough energy from to hit Cedric with anything stronger than a small zap – but she would have to try.

Cedric howled a curse in a language Will didn't understand. Comprehension was irrelevant, his voice was so inhuman, it was terrifying regardless. "Please work," It took a large amount of effort for Will to grip her sword with both hands and aim it a Cedric, who even now was crawling towards with with murder written in his yellow eyes.

"Remember what I told you, take the energy from around you. Not from within."

There wasn't time to wonder how Nerissa could still be talking to her. Really, it wasn't as though she wanted to ask, since the sound of the startlingly calm voice was almost like a lighthouse to a ship lost in the storm.

"Where? There's nothing to get energy from."

"Take it from him."

Will barely had time to process the concept before Cedric was on her, right in her face, with his humongous arms wrapped around her waist. She tried to scream, but the noise wouldn't come. His hot breath burned her cheeks while he squeezed the air from out of her lungs. It took every bit of strength from within her to latch on to his scaly fingers. Will wasn't certain what she was looking for – but there was something there. She was immediately in tune with the warmth that flowed on the inside of the beast's body. She could feel every synapse as it jolted to life with each passing second. Those were like sirens, calling to her. Will heeded the call – burning when it answered her and started to crawl into her own body.

"That's it."

It was the single most exhilarating feeling she'd ever had in her life. She felt so – alive. Every muscle and bone in her body was suddenly awake, rattling and shaking because it felt so full. She could run to the moon and back if she felt like it – and still she took more.

"Take it. It's yours."

Will held onto Cedric's hands until his eyes rolled into the back of his head and his fingers loosened from around her waist. He wasn't breathing, she could tell, but his heart was still beating slowly. Will was shaking, she'd taken too much, she realised and all that energy inside of her was now struggling to get out.

"Will?" Irma, now upright, watched her wandering around the floor with wide eyes. She walked towards her with her arms outstretched, but didn't come too close, as though she was unsure of what to do. "Don't ..." Her voice didn't seem like it was hers, but Will had to warn Irma off. "Don't touch me!"

Her hair floated about her face like a static induced red halo. There was a low hissing sound that leapt from her skin every few seconds, when the drops of water from the still leaking roof touched her – but Will couldn't stop that.

"I-I have to get rid of this," Will told Irma. Her heart was racing so fast, much too fast. This would kill her. Was that Nerissa's plan all along?

"No child, let it go."

She did. She pointed her hand towards an undisturbed wall and pushed the energy out of her body. The force of the impact left a massive hole in the wall, that was blackened about the edges. The energy had also gotten some trees outside, those, Will could see, were now on fire.

Now, Irma came forward and pressed gentle hands on her face. "Hey, hey, are you okay? You're freezing!"

Her skin was like ice and she was trembling. Will felt sick and drained, she wanted to curl up and let her body sort itself right out. "Get … my sword, I've got to send him back."

Irma looked hesitant to leave, but even she could understand what would happen if her dad found a giant snake knocked out in the school's auditorium.

"I'm here!" The overly cheerful voice could only belong to one person. True to form, HayLin popped in through the new hole in the wall. "Aww, shucks, did I miss everything?" She stomped her feet a little in frustration. "Will are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine." Irma returned right then with the sword in her hands. Will hadn't noticed before, but she was pretty scratched up.

Somehow, she managed to get a portal open to Meridian. HayLin transformed and essentially blew, kicked and rolled Cedric back home with a giant gust of wind and her overeager arms and legs. Then, when they heard the first sirens, and the guardian of air took her red headed friend into her arms and flew her out of the wrecked school auditorium, while Irma did her best to limp her way back to the Silver Dragon.

"Thanks for the lift, HayLin." Will mumbled once she was settled on her mother's porch. "I owe you one."

"You don't owe me." HayLin said, and then mustered up some courage and blurted out, "what happened Will?" Will, still dizzy and sick, transformed back into her human form and frowned. "I forgot my guitar case on the roof. That's probably gone now."

"Will?"

"I've got a headache HayLin. But I'll … um, tell you tomorrow. I promise." The little Asian girl looked unconvinced, but didn't question it any more. "All right. Tomorrow then."

She stayed a little while longer and watched Will stumble into her house before she turned around and went home.

Susan was already asleep on the sofa with the television blinking mutely in front of her when Will walked in. That was just fine by Will, who wanted nothing more than a long night's sleep. As she prepared to walk upstairs, a letter, crumpled up on the floor next to the phone in the entry way caught her attention. It was strange really, because for all her flaws, her mother didn't leave paper lying around.

Will bent and picked it up. It had been sent to Susan by her dad's parole officer in Austin. There were a lot of formalities, but what it essentially said was that her father had been released from Bastrop Correctional Institution in Texas sometime last month. He'd been released early because he was a first time offender and there were some overcrowding issues. Blah, blah, blah.

The next paragraph urged her mother to call the parole officer as soon as possible, to discuss the custody of their child/ward, "Wilhelmina Chanel Vandom". It ended there, but Will knew exactly what that meant. It was a simple fact that explained the expensive dress and the fancy make up.

Her father wasn't coming back for her.

Author: Woot woot! Another chapter! Pretty pleased with myself! Thanks for the support so far guys. I've really appreciated every kind word. Next is K is for Kin. Aww, Phobos saga is almost up. Tell me how you feel about the Will and Caleb thing, not you CxC shippers, should I do more romance or less, I'm curious how you guys feel about that.

Anyway, thanks again! Reviews are always welcomed.