Chapter 35
For the next few days, I barely saw Nick. Sam, on the other hand, became my constant companion. Bel had him working with me on defensive moves, and I was finally showing improvement. I could actually slip between the corridor and Earth when and where I wanted. That was pretty much it, but I was calling it a win. Thankfully, I did a lot better with the aetherweaving lessons where Sam let me try to mind-fuck him over and over. Most times, it worked. Sometimes, he figured out how to block me and I had to come up with something new.
In only a few weeks, the guys said I'd become one hell of a force to be reckoned with. I figured that was a compliment. I mean, who doesn't want to be the super-special badass paranormal heroine? I was definitely enjoying this. From Luke's sexy blue eyes to Sam's magenta and black punk hair, these skills clearly had a few tangible benefits. Then there were the other things, like learning how to manipulate the systems. I couldn't create money out of thin air – nor cyberspace. There wasn't any aether to manipulate. What I could do was call my bank and speak to an aether-filled human.
That was how Luke worked his miracles. The trick was in the voice, to be soft and soothing, almost hypnotic. Once I had them drawn in, even over great distances, I could alter their inner aether enough to make things start happening. It was almost like I could hear the resonance and just had to change it a little. After I did that, I could convince people to do almost anything I wanted. I practiced by getting myself a wonderful black credit card – which wasn't black – and VIP access to my favorite museum in New York. Not that I could use either while under house arrest, but Luke said I'd earned an A for that lesson.
Then, five days after Nick had locked himself away in the gold room, he casually trotted down the stairs to join us at lunch. All conversation paused as the four of us looked up at him in shock. Without saying a word, he marched to the end of the table and leaned on it. Only then did the smile touch his lips.
"I got it."
That was it. He didn't say what he had or how he'd done it, but we all knew. Somehow, Nick had finally figured out what it would take to keep the veils from pointing at me. If he was right, then this meant I'd no longer be restricted to the confines of his house. I could finally be free – without needing to worry about angels showing up to steal me away.
"How?" Luke asked, keeping it just as simple.
Nick's smile grew a little more. "The veils point to her because she's a magnet. She's drawing aether in faster than it can balance out. Like water going down a drain, the suction causes a funnel from the void, so all we have to do is block her pull on the world around her."
I was nodding enthusiastically, thrilled to hear it was something so simple. Right up until I looked at the guys on either side of me, that is. Bel's mouth was parted in shock, Sam's eyes were bulging, and Luke was slowly shaking his head. With a heavy sigh, I realized that a simple answer did not mean a simple solution.
"So how do we fix me?" I asked.
Nick waggled a finger in my direction. "We shield that hot little body."
"Won't work," Luke said. "Our shields aren't airtight. We have to let oxygen and aether leak through or we'd be powerless."
"Right. But put a few layers around her and the amount able to pass through will be normal. No more than water through multiple layers of cloth," he shrugged. "- or such. We just need to slow her pull on the world."
Finally, Sam found his tongue. "But she's pulling that much aether in? What the hell is she?"
"A Muse," Nick told him. "And like all Muses before her, she's unique. We just happened to get the one that's a walking, talking aether vacuum. I don't know how – or exactly what – she's doing yet, but it seems that something about Sia draws free aether to her. Look at how Gabriel's clung to her across multiple veils. It's like she's the magnet and the force of life is made of iron filings."
"No." Bel didn't move or throw a fit. He just dumped that word into the room so hard everyone else shut up immediately. "For all you know, sealing her off could kill her. If that much aether is running to her, who's to say she doesn't need it. You're not killing our Muse."
"We'll test it first," Nick assured him.
Bel just shook his head once. "Too much of a risk. We all know Sia's powerful. The things she can do? No human has managed half of what she's learned in her first month. Maybe she's like the kid in that movie and made of special force stuff."
"Midichlorians," Sam explained to the rest of us. "I let him watch Star Wars – and Bel, she's not Anakin. This isn't a movie and she's not exactly made of aether. If we try the shields and she feels anything at all, we'll pull them off."
He thrust one dark arm toward me. "And what happens to her, huh?"
"Bel?" I asked. "If I need aether to live, and there's no free aether on Daemin..." I shrugged, unable to figure out how to ask my question but hoping he understood. "Isn't it better to test this here?"
His jaw clenched hard, the muscles bulging to prove it. "What if it's like suffocating? What if it hurts when they do that to you?"
"I'm pretty tough, big guy." I looked over to Nick. "If all it takes are a few shields, then can't we layer them up one by one, checking to see if I feel weak or weird in between?"
"That's basically what I was thinking," he agreed. "Put yours on the inner layer, then add mine over it, then Luke's."
"I can shield, too," Sam offered.
Nick just lifted a hand. "If three isn't enough, then we'll add you and Beelzebub. I just don't like the idea of you two having anything draining your defenses."
I pushed back from the table. "So let's do this. I'm so ready to get out of this house."
Nick dropped his head but I could still hear his chuckle. "Dove, setting a shield on something, especially something that moves, is going to take a little work – on your part. This is probably going to take all day."
I just shrugged. "The sooner we start, the sooner we're done, right?"
Stepping back, Nick gestured toward the hall that led into the office. "I'm ready when you are. I figure we know your shield doesn't cause problems, so we'll put mine over it and see if the veils react. Then we can give it a few hours before putting Luke's on."
As I passed around the back of the guys, I patted Bel's shoulder. "And if there are any problems, I'll scream 'pineapple,' ok?"
It was supposed to have been a joke, a reference to using a safe word for dangerous play. I just didn't think about the fact that Bel still wasn't quite caught up on modern culture. Most days, he did pretty good, but the nuances often passed him by. This was one of those times.
He caught my wrist. "I don't like this, Sia. I don't like the idea of you hurting. Satan brought me here to keep you safe."
"I know," I assured him, patting his hand with my free one. "But Nick won't hurt me, either. He's already promised to keep me safe."
"If not, I will rip his wings off. I swear it."
He was so adamant that I wanted to laugh in his face. I also didn't want to hurt his feelings, so I quickly bent and planted a kiss on his cheek to keep control of my smiling mouth. "You're a good hero, Bel, but I'm going to be just fine. I have no intention of being babysat for the rest of my life. Think of this like losing my Muse virginity. Just a little pinch, then it's all over."
With a wink, I hurried out of the room, hearing the others chuckle softly at my analogy. Even Bel. Clearly, there were some types of pain they didn't mind a woman suffering through. In my opinion, this was definitely in that category, because if I couldn't leave the house, I'd never be able to protect my friends.
∞∞∞
The shield I'd been using in the corridor and as defense in Bel's lessons wasn't the same thing Nick had me make this time. Unlike that one, this shield was more dense and required less conscious thought. In many ways, building it was more like making a sprite. I had to imagine the form, believe in it completely, and then will it to live.
The whole point was to create something that would survive on its own without me needing to constantly direct it. The trick was tying it back to me so it didn't simply expire after a few hours. My first attempt was a tragic failure.
The second was better. The seventeenth was finally determined to be good enough. Then, Nick had me remove it and remake it at least ten more times until little more than a thought had me encased in a layer of microscopic little Sia symbols. These, however, spun on themselves like millions of little gears, making my shield into a truly resilient barrier that was nearly invisible. After a few minutes inside it, the thing was no more bothersome than trying to look around my own nose.
Then Nick put his on top. That was a little strange. The moment it closed around me, my ears popped and it felt like the pressure changed. Sitting behind Nick's desk, Luke was staring intently at the map, leaned over to get the best view of the veil bubbles. For a moment he tensed, but it didn't last long. With a sigh, he leaned closer and shook his head.
"It's better, but there's still a peak pointing at the house. About half as big as it used to be, though."
Nick waved that off. "Not really surprised. She's been increasing in power for a while now, and I assumed two layers wouldn't be enough. At least the second shield is making a difference."
"Yeah, but..." Luke glanced over to me. "How are you feeling, Sia?"
Lifting my arms, I let them flop back down. "Fine. I mean, I can see Nick's shield in front of my eyes, and that's going to take a bit to get used to, but that's my only complaint."
"Can you still make sprites?"
I immediately conjured one up, a pretty little blue butterfly. I half expected the thing to stick to the transparent layer clinging to my skin, but after flapping for a few seconds, it made its way out without any hesitation. When it reached the other side of the room, I unmade it and pulled the aether back. That's where we found the first problem.
The aether didn't just return like it always had. The moment it reached me, it began to waft, hesitating in the microscopic gap between Nick's shield and mine. I wasn't the only one who noticed. Nick and Luke both sighed.
"It's fine," I assured them. "I'll just make sure I'm charged up before I go anywhere an angel could be. That way, if refueling takes longer, I'll have plenty of extra stockpiled and available. We can do this, guys."
"Yeah," Luke grumbled, "but how much slower will it be with a third or even fourth shield on you?"
"I'll learn. I haven't had this crazy ability long enough to take it for granted, so it won't even be hard. Besides, if there's ever a need, we probably won't have to worry about the shields, right? If I need that much aether that fast, then the angels will already know where I am."
Luke cocked his head at Nick. "She has a point. We should probably build in an emergency escape hatch for her, so she can remove our shields herself."
"Sure, we can do that, but she just wants out of the house," Nick reminded him, mostly joking. "I'm pretty sure she'd agree to just about anything if we'd let her do something normal for a few hours."
"Maybe if this works, we should." Leaning back, Luke kicked his feet up on the desk. "Maybe take her out and spoil her? Find someplace where there are enough people around that no angel would start anything, and, well... I bet she's a cute drunk."
Nick's smile was slowly growing. "Would also help to see if she can hold her shield while she's a little tipsy."
"I am so down with that," I agreed. "And y'all have all been so busy watching over me, you've missed out on the zillions of easy college girls. Kinda like a win for everyone." I paused. "Except you, Nick. You're all mine."
"I am," he agreed. "But I'm not sure the guys will have time to do much besides keep an eye on you. Some of us are working here, dove."
"I'm trying to say you don't have to! Nick, it's been weeks and all four of y'all have done nothing but take care of me. I'm starting to feel a little guilty here."
Slyly, Luke looked over. "We were hoping it felt more like pampered."
"Definitely pampered." I waved toward the kitchen. "I can't remember the last time I had to make coffee. I figure the only way y'all could spoil me any more would be to give me foot rubs after a hard day of doing, um, nothing."
"Learning to control aether," Nick corrected. "And for your information, most people struggle a bit more than you have."
"Muses, you mean?"
"And demons." He grabbed both arms of the chair and leaned in toward me. "Believe it or not, we have to actually learn this stuff, too. Every time someone comes up with a new way to do anything, the rest of us go back to school." Then he pressed a quick peck on my lips.
I couldn't help but smile. It was a natural reaction to him – and to knowing I wasn't doing as bad as I'd feared. "So do y'all live in shields like this all the time?"
Both of them shook their heads, but Nick answered, "Typically, we only throw on shields like these when we expect the worst. Even if you can't feel it, you'll start to itch after a while. Not literally, but no different than the urge to kick your shoes off when you get home. Your body will get tired of even the most comfortable constraints eventually."
"But it's like a second skin, right?" I looked down at my bare arm, which looked the exact same as it always had unless I focused really hard to see the magical shapes shimmering just over it. "I mean, I can take a piss in this thing and not make a mess, right?"
That made both of them laugh. "Yes," Luke groaned. "And eat, and pick your nose, and anything else disgusting you want to do..." He flashed me a devious little smile. "Like, Nick, for example."
He meant sex. "Really?" I asked. "So it's not like a full body condom or something?"
"It is not," Nick told me. "The only thing that shield blocks you from is aether or an aether-generated attack. Granted, if Michael decides to start throwing fancy magic bolts at you, you won't need to worry, but that's pretty much all it will keep out."
"Gotcha. And have I proven I'm stable enough for the next layer yet?"
They shared a look. For a moment, I half expected Nick to give me some remark about patience and making sure things were working the way they wanted, but then Luke shrugged. Nick tilted his head a bit, and in whatever silent conversation they were having, it clearly looked like I was winning. Nick's next words confirmed it.
"We might as well. I can't think of anything that would happen to her now that she wouldn't have felt when we first sealed her off. Beelzebub's just being paranoid."
"Ok, then I'll add a few extra protections and see if that does anything," Luke said as he tilted his head back and closed his eyes.
Luke's shield felt nothing like Nick's. It was lighter, for one thing. I hadn't realized that binding aether had a weight, just like I didn't really notice my shirt did, until I experienced something new to compare it to, and Luke's shield was definitely new. It clung to me, pushing the inner two shields a little closer and, for a brief moment, there was a feeling of shivering all across my body. The only thing I could think was that the shields inside were contracting to fit beneath it. Then it sealed and, like before, my ears popped.
Immediately, both guys jerked their heads up. The feel of the atmosphere around me was different. Subtle, but not the same as it had been before, and it seemed I wasn't the only one who'd noticed. Then, Luke bent to check the aether map on Nick's desk. The problem was he didn't say anything.
"Well?" I asked.
"It's gone," Luke breathed. "At least I think it's gone, and if it's not, it's so small I can't really see it. Nick, come look."
But before Nick even made it across the room, the study's door burst open and Bel was there. His eyes immediately went to me. "Sia? Are you ok?"
"I'm fine," I assured him. "Completely ok, even if I'm encased in strange demon magic. Why?"
His lips curled slightly. "Because we felt that."
Nick chuckled, sounding almost relieved. "Well, come tell me if you can see it." And he gestured to the map.
Bel moved that way, bent, and just stared for a little while too long. "It's like she's gone," he finally breathed.
"Yeah..." Nick agreed. "Like she just vanished off the face of the map." He tossed a smile over his shoulder at me. "Evidently, three really is the magic number for you."
"So I can leave the house?" I asked.
Luke was nodding. Bel looked confused. Nick? He just looked at me for way too long before he couldn't keep his face calm anymore. A grin took over his face.
"Yes, dove. Give it a little time, but if you're still fine and not devouring the shields for their aether, then yes, we'll take you to Mac's tonight. How's that?"
"Yes!" I hissed, jumping up from the chair. "I love y'all to death, but I'm so sick of this house. I just want to put on some makeup, find something cute to wear, and go somewhere that other girls will be checking out my man, so I can hang all over him in public without needing to worry about seeing those nasty fairy trees again."
"Nothing wrong with fairy trees," Nick assured me.
I just lifted a finger up between us. "I'm sure that's true for you, but I can still die, and I'm not really interested in something that wants to eat me, thank you very much."
Sam chuckled from the doorway. "And that sounds like it's working. So she's off the map?"
"Yep," Luke said.
"Good because..." Sam jerked his thumb toward the back door. "Seems we have some angels sitting in the corridor watching the yard."
I groaned – and it wasn't playful. Hearing that hit me harder than it should've. If there were angels watching the house, then I wasn't really free. I was trapped, and so long as those green-eyed creeps kept me locked away, I couldn't fight back. I couldn't really do anything until I learned how to control these abilities more, and to do that, I needed to figure out a way around them.
"Let them look," Nick said. "Luke's protections prevent them from looking inside the house – even on that side of the corridor – and we can just slip from here. They'll never even know we're gone."
Wait. Did that mean what I think it did? "So we're still going out? Even with angels so close?"
"Angels are always close," Nick told me. "The trick is to take a path they don't expect."
"Besides," Luke added, "if they're here watching for you, then they won't be there watching us."
Sam flashed me a devious smile. "Which means we all need to fill up, because it sounds like Sia's finally being released from jail."