Night World : Dark Angel Chapter 13

I he next day, Gillian tried to concentrate on normal things.She hurried to school, feeling unrested-had she had nightmares?-and desperately in use up of distraction. alto apprehendher day at school, she threw herself into activities, chattering and laughing and keeping people round her,talking ab forth Christmas and parties and finals.It worked. Angel was rattling gentle, keeping quiet in the background. only the other students werehyperactive with the thought of only two to a greater extent days of school. And by the afternoon Gillian had becomecaught up in her under book frantic good spirits.We dont even book a tree, she said to David. And its cinque days to Christmas Eve. I have to drag mymom step forward and bargain for ane.Dont buy one, David said, smiling at her with his dark eyes. Ill take you out tonight to a place Ik at present. Its beautiful, and the trees are free. He winked.Ill bring the mail service wagon, Gillian said. Lots of direction. I like big trees .At home, she stayed busy, prodding her suffer to wrap packages and dust polish off the p abideic Christmasflower arrangements. in that respect was no talk with Angel about how to tell her mother about witches.She was bland happy when she picked David up after dinner. He real numberise outmed a little subdued, moreover she wasntin the mood to ask questions. Instead, she talked about the party Steffi Lockhart was giving on Fridaynight.It was a long drive, and she was running out of speculations about Steffis party when David in the end said,Somewhere along here, I think.Okay. Ill take one of those. Gillian pointed at the sixty-look-alike fern trees that line the road.David smiled. There are some handsomeer ones farther in.There were so many that Gillian had a hard time choosing. At net, she settled on a balsam fir with aperfect silhouette, like a hold up lady holding out her skirts. It was wonderfully aromatic as she and David chop up it down and half dragged, half carri ed it to the car.I tho make do that smell, she said. And I dont even care that my g chicanes are ruined.David didnt answer. He was quiet as he tied the back of the station wagon closed close to the tree. Hewas quiet as they got in the car and Gillian began to drive.And Gillian couldnt stand it anymore. Little waves of cutting were lapping in her stomach. Whats wrong?You havent been talking all night.Im sorry. He allow out his breath, looking out the window. I guess I was salutary thought process about Tanya.Gillian blinked. Tanya? Should I be jealous? He glanced at her. No, I mean-her arm. A strange sortof prickling cascaded over Gillian, and in that moment e trulything changed forever. She revealmed to askthe next question in a huge, quake stillness. What about her arm?You didnt collar? I thought somebody wouldve called you. They took her to the hospital this afternoon.Oh, my God.Yeah, but its worse. That thing they thought was a rash was necrotizing something-or-other you issue, that flesh-eating(prenominal) bacteria.Gillian receptive her mouth, but no sound came out. The road in front of her seemed very dim.Cory said she brush offt have any vi stupefyors-her arm swelled up to tercet times its normal size. They had to cutit unsolved all the way from her elevate to her finger to drain it. They think she tycoon lose her finger-Stop it A suppressed scream.David looked at her quickly. Im sorry-No Just dont talk Gillians automatic reflexes had interpreted over driving the car. She was hardly awareof anything outside her own body. All her concentration was fixed on the drama inside her own legal opinion.(Angel Did you hear that? What is sack on?)(Of course I heard it.) The character was disinclined and thoughtful.(Well, is it true? Is it?)(Look, lets talk about this later(prenominal), all right, kid? Lets wait-)(No Everything with you is Wait or Well talk about it later. I want to know right now is it true?)(Is what true?)(Is Tanya that s ick? Is she about to lose her finger?)(Its save an infection, Gillian. Streptococcus pyogenes. You were the one who put it thither.)(Youre saying it is true. Its true. I did it with my p freshet of ground. I gave her flesh-eating bacteria.) Gillian threw thethoughts out wildly, disjointedly. She couldnt certainly grasp what it all meant yet.(Gillian, we had to stop her from destroying David. It was necessary.)(No No You knew I didnt actually want to hurt her. What are you talking about? How can you even saythat?) Gillian was in ferocity again, a strange hysteria of the mind. She was vaguelyaware that she was still driving, that fences and trees were flying by. Her body was sitting in the car,breathing quickly, speeding, but her real self seemed to be in other place.(You lied to me. You told me she was all right. Why did you do that?)(Calm down, dragonfly-)(Dont call me that How can you honest- honourable sit there and non care? What kind of person are you?)And then-Angels a rticulation changed. He didnt get hysterical or agitated it was much worse. His soundbecame calmer. More melodious. Pleasant.(Im just dispensing justice. Its what angels do, you know.) Icy horror swept over Gillian.He sounded insane.Oh, God, she said, and she said it out loud. David looked at her.Hey-are you okay?She scarcely heard him. She was thinking with feve crimson intensity (I dont know what you are, but you arenot an angel.)(Gillian, hark to me. We dont have to fight. I love you-)( wherefore tell me how to fix Tanya)Silence.(Ill pay back out myself. Ill go back to Melusine-)(No)( then tell me Or heal Tanya yourself if youre a real angel)A pause. Then (Gillian, Ive got an idea. A way to make David love you more.)(What are you talking about?)(We need to give him a near-death experience. Then hell be able to truly come across you. We need tomake him die.)Everything blurred. Gillian knew they were nearing Somerset, they were on familiar streets. But for amoment her vision we nt completely blue-eyed(a) and sparkling.Gillian A hand was on hers, a real hand, steadying the wheel. atomic number 18 you all right? Do you want me todrive?Im okay. Her vision had cleared. She just precious to get home. She had to get to that shoe lash and fixthe spell on Tanya somehow. She had to get home to well(p)tyBut nowhere was safe.(Dont you understand?) The voice was soft and insidious in her ear. (David can never really be like youuntil hes died the way you have. We have to make him die-)No She agnize she was speaking aloud again. Stop talking to me Go extraneousDavid was gross(a) at her. Gillian-(I dont want to hurt you, Gillian. Only him. And hell come back, I promise. He might be a little different.But hell still love you.) Different Davids body. Angel wanted Davids body. As David left, Angel would take bullheadedness.They were almost home. But she couldnt getaway from the voice. How do you get away from something thats in your own mind? She couldnt shut itout . (Just let go, Gillian. Let me take over. Ill drive for you. I love you, Gillian.)No She was panting, her hands gripping the focal point wheel so hard it hurt. The word came out jerkily.David You have to drive. I cant-(Relax, Gillian. You wont be harmed. I promise.)And she couldnt let go of the steering wheel. The voice seemed to be inside her body, diffusing by means ofher muscles. She couldnt take her foot off the accelerator.Gillian, averse down David was yelling now. Look out(It will only take a second)Gillians population had been switched into an old-time movie. The flickering black-and- albumin kind. With to each one frame, the telephone pole in front of her got bigger and bigger. It was happening very slowly, but atthe same time with utter inevitability. They were rushing oh-so-slowly toward that pole, and they were handout to hit. On the right side of the car, where David was sitting.(No Ill hate you forever)She screamed it in her mind and the last word seemed to echo e ndlessly. There was time for that.And then there was a loud sound and darkness. Can I see him? non yet, honey. Her mother scooted the plastic chair closer to the emergency room bed. plausibly nottonight.But I have to.Gillian, hes unconscious. He wouldnt even know you were there.But I have to see him. Gillian mat the hysteria blow again, and she damped her mouth shut. Shedidnt want a shot, which is what the nurses had said they were going to give her when she started thigh-slapper earlier.She had been here for hours. Ever since the cars with the flashing lights came and pried the stationwagon door open and pulled her out. Theyd pulled David out, too. But while she had been completelyunhurt-A mirade non even a scratch the paramedic had said to her mother-David had beenunconscious. And had stayed that way ever since. The emergency room was cold and it didnt seem to matter how many heated blankets they wrappedaround her. Gillian kept shivering. Her hands were blue-white and pinched looking.Daddys coming home, her mother said, stroking her arm. Hes pickings the prototypical plane he could get.Youll see him tomorrow morning.Gillian shivered. Is this the same hospital- where Tanya Jun is? No, dont ask. I dont really want toknow. She stuck her hands under her armpits. Im so coldAnd alone. There was no soft voice hi her head. And that was good, because, God, the last thingshe wanted was Angel-or rather that thing, whatever it was, that monster that had called itself an angel.But it was strange after so long. To be all alone and not know where he might be lurking. He couldbe listening to her thoughts right nowIll get another blanket. The nurse had shown her mother the heated closet. If you could just lie down,honey, perhaps youd feel like sleeping a little.I cant sleep I have to go see David.Hon, I already told you. Youre not going to see him tonight.You said I might not get to see him. You didnt say I wouldnt You only said probably Gillians voicewas rising, acqui ring more shrill, and there was nothing she could do about it. The tears were coming, too, flood down uncontrollably. She was choking on them.A nurse came hurrying in, the white curtains around the bed swirling. Its all right its natural, she saidsoftly to Gillians mother. And to Gillian Now, just lean over a little-hold still. A little pinch. This issomething to help you relax.Gillian felt a sting at her hip. A short time later everything got blurry and the tears stopped.She woke up in her own bed. It was morning. Pale temperateness was shining full in the window. Last nightoh, yes. She could vaguely thinkher mom and Mrs. Beeler, their next-door neighbor, leading her from the hospital to Mrs.Beelers car. She remembered them taking her upstairs and undressing her and putting her to bed. later onthat shed had hours of wonderful not-thinking.And now she was awake and rested and her head was clear. She knew exactly what she had to do evenbefore she swung her legs out from under the covers.She glanced at the ancient curious clock on her nightstand and got a shock. Twelve thirty-five. Nowonder she was rested.Efficiently, without fashioning a sound, she put on Levis and a gray sweatshirt. No makeup. She ran acomb once through her hair.She paused, then, to listen. Not just to the house, but to herself. To the world inside her own brain.Dead quiet. Not a creature stirring. Not that that meant a thing, of course. Gillian knelt and pulled the shoe box out from under her bed. The wax dolls were garish, red and green,like a hideous parody of Christmas. Her first impulse at the sight of that poisonous green was to get rid ofit. Snap off one dolls hand and the others head.But what that would do to Tanya and Kim, she didnt want to think. Instead, she forced herself to get aQ-tip from the bathroom, soak it in water, and dab the iridescent green powderize away.She cried as she did it. She tried to concentrate as she had when shed done the spell, seeing the realTanyas han d, seeing it heal and become whole.Now may I be given the power of the words of Hecate, she whispered. It is not I who utter them, it isnot I who repeat them it is Hecate who utters them, it is she who repeats them.When the powder was off, she put the dolls back in the box. Then she blew her nose and rummagedthrough the pile on her desk until she found a small pink-flowered address book.She sat on the floor crosslegged, dragged the phone close, and thumbed through the book.There.Daryl Novaks cellular phone number.She dialed quickly and shut her eyes. Answer. Answer.Hello, a languid voice said.Her eyes flew open. Daryl, this is Gillian. I need you to do me an enormous favor, and I need you to doit now. And I cant even explain why-Gillian, are you okay? Everybodys been unhappy about you.Im fine, but I cant talk. I need you to go find Amy Nowick shes got-Gillian thought frantically-uh,honors chemistry this period. I need you to tell her to drive to the tree of Hazel and Applebutter S treetand wait for me there.You want her to leave school? pay now. Tell her I know its a lot to ask, but I need this. Its really important.She expected questions. But instead, all Daryl said was, earmark it to me. Ill find her. conveys, Daryl. Youre a lifesaver.Gillian hung up and found her ski jacket. Tucking the shoe box under her arm, she walked very quietlydownstairs.She could hear voices from the kitchen. A low voice-her dads. authority of her wanted to run to him.But what would her parents do if they saw her? Keep her safe and bundled up, keep her here. Theywouldnt understand what she had to do. There was no question of telling them the truth, of course. That would just get her another shot. And,eventually, maybe a visit to the mental hospital where her mother had stayed. Everyone would thinkdelusions ran in the family.She moved stealthily to the front door, quietly opened it, slipped out.Sometime during the night it had rained and then frozen. Ice hung like dewdrops from the twigs of the hickory tree in the yard.Gillian ducked her head and hurried down the street. She hoped no one was watching, but she had thefeeling of eyes staring from between bare branches and out of shadows.At the comer of Hazel and Applebutter she stood with her arms wrapped around the box, hopping alittle to keep warm.Its a lot to askIt was a lot to ask, especially considering the way shed treated Amy recently. And it was funny,considering all the new friends shed made, that it was Amy she turned to instinctively when she was introuble.But there was something solid and genuine and good in Amy. And Gillian knew that she would showup.The Geo swung around the corner and skidded to a stop. Typical Amy-without-glasses driving. ThenAmy was leap out, her side of meat turned anxiously toward Gillians. Her blue eyes were huge and seemed bright with tears.And then they were hugging and crying. Both of them.Im so sorry. Ive been so rotten this last week-But I was rotten to you before that -I feel awful. You have every right to be mad at me-Ever since I heard about the accident, Ive been so worried.Gillian pulled back. I cant stay. I dont have time. And I know how this sounds coming from somebodywho hit a pole last night but I need your car. For one thing, Ive got to go see David.Amy nodded, blotting her eyes. Say no more.I can drop you off at home-Its the wrong way. It wont hurt me to walk. I want to walk.Gillian almost laughed. The sight of Amy dabbing her face with her muffler and stamping her foot on theicy sidewalk, determined to walk, warmed her heart. She hugged her again, fast. Thank you. Ill never forget it. And Ill never be the terrible person Ive beento you again, at least-She broke off and got in the car. Shed been about to finish the sentence -at least, if I live through this.Because she wasnt at all sure that she would.But the first thing was to get to David.She had to see him with her own eyes. To make sure he was all right and that he was himself.She g unned the motor and set out for Houghton.