Post by StoryGirl83 on May 4, 2011 16:54:21 GMT -5
Chapter Eighteen – Boundaries Not Crossed
Toby felt his pocket vibrating. He stood and started out of the room pulling out his phone.
“Where are you going?” Brianna asked.
“I imagine wherever CT wants me to be going,” Toby replied without stopping.
Brianna shrugged and turned back to the rest of the room. Her gaze stopped on Max. “He didn’t want your help?”
Max shrugged with a smug look. “Apparently I’m only one step up from you.”
Aka giggled. “Which means, I beat you both out.”
Brianna rolled her eyes.
Seth frowned. “What’s the matter with your friend?”
“Let’s just say it’s ill advised for him to use magical transportation unless it is directed by someone else.”
“So he can transport magically?” Wyatt questioned as blue and white orbs filled the room and turned into Chris.
Chris looked around the room at the three friends there. His eyes stopped on Aka. “You’re the girl who warned us about the anti-orb zone.”
Aka smiled and nodded. “Of course. You’re the half elder. You were with two other witches, I believe. I see you got your orbing all fixed.”
“Actually, it was messed up when that all started, but it was fixed in the end.” When she opened her mouth to ask he shook his head. “It’s kind of a long story. Demons seem to like trying to get rid of our powers.”
Aka nodded, a look of understanding on her face. “I have many a demon and warlock try to rid me of mine as well. Sure, they want me dead, but they really don’t want me having my power. My own mother tried to drown me at birth. I dark orbed out of there and have never returned to her.”
“Can’t say I blame you,” Chris retorted. “So what did I miss?”
“The fact that you were being followed for one,” Max snorted.
Chris frowned. “Excuse me?”
“CT and I located the demons and we followed them,” Max informed him. With a scowl he added. “And followed them and followed them. Why did it take you so many stops to get to your cousin’s house?”
Chris looked at him with narrow eyes. Then, something clicked in his mind. “Was it you that Hope saw next door?”
Max frowned. “What are you talking about? Nobody saw . . . Oh!”
“What?” Chris asked, walking toward Max. “Do you know who was over there?”
“I was,” CT announced as he entered the room. “I’m sorry for worrying your cousins.”
“Why’d you stick around after I left?” Max asked.
“And I was supposed to leave how?” CT wanted to know. “As soon as I did I was followed by those stupid rent-a-spy demons. They are rather unorganized with the Spy Master gone, which,” he turned to Wyatt and Chris, “I understand we have you and your family to thank for that one, but they are still bothersome. That’s why I called Toby to come get me. It was the only way to elude them. I’m getting pretty tired of this, so I really need to find out how they are tracking me.”
Brianna nodded. “I’ll get on it in the morning. Did you happen to check on . . . our friend while you and Max were out?”
CT shook his head. “We didn’t have time to do that. Besides I am persona non grata when it comes to her.”
Aka chuckled. “She does love Max though.”
CT shot Max an amused look. “They all do. I think it’s the snarl or his surly manner.”
Wyatt frowned at them. “You know what, I’m not going to ask. While you were busy spying on my brother and my cousins, did you learn anything useful about these demons.”
“I learned that they really don’t want to be seen.” CT glanced out into the hall. “I wonder what’s taking Toby.”
“Never mind that,” Max dismissed. “Has anyone actually seen these demons do anything other than watch? Because right now I am inclined to give them the benefit of the doubt.”
All eyes shifted to Max. Aka’s mouth dropped. “Are you kidding me? If you had seen what I saw, you would not be so easy about it.”
“No offence, Akalia,” Max scowled at her, “but all you saw was three demons walking into a restaurant with extremely dark auras.”
“You’ve met your brother, River, right?”
Max rolled his eyes.
“His aura is pale grey compared to theirs.”
“Grey?” Brianna frowned.
“You know what I mean,” Aka returned.
Brianna inclined her head. “That’s true.”
“But they haven’t done anything,” Max protested.
“And we need to keep them from doing something,” Aka insisted. “We need to do something before someone gets killed.”
“And have you kill someone who could turn out like CT’s dad?”
“Stop!” CT called out, putting his hand up. “Max, we both saw them. I don’t know exactly what they are up to, but I saw them. It was my impression that you were paying attention, but I guess not. These guys are not like my dad. They could never be like my dad. For starters they are demons, one hundred percent, full dead on demons. And I realize that doesn’t mean a whole lot when it comes to you, but you are not normal for a demon, Max. You know that.”
“And what did I miss, CT?”
CT walked over to him and whispered something in his ear. Max’s eyes widened as CT continued to talk. When CT moved away Max looked at him stunned. “Are you quite serious?”
CT nodded. “Any more arguments?”
Max shook his head. “I understand.”
CT glanced backward toward the door. “I told Toby to take care of something, but I would have thought he would be back by now. I wonder when he’ll be back.”
“What’s he doing?” Aka asked.
“Just taking care of a little trouble those demons caused.”
Wyatt looked at him surprised. “Does that mean we will not have to?”
CT shook his head. “He’s not dealing with them, just the aftermath of something they did. It seems that they put poison on the money they used to pay at a local café.”
“And everyone is going to be okay?” Chris wanted to know.
CT sighed. “Hopefully. You’ll have to ask Toby when he gets back.”
As if on cue, Toby entered the room, ranting. “I don’t know how you do it, CT. I truly don’t.”
CT raised an eyebrow and stood to greet his friend.
“Your family is the most self-centered, idiotic . . . “
As soon as Toby started the sentence CT moved to intercept him, covering his mouth with his hand. “Lay off on that, okay. Besides, this isn’t about my family. This is about those demons and what they might be about to do.”
Toby sighed.
“And don’t talk that way about my family,” CT ordered. “I don’t know who you ran into or what you think happened, but there’s more to it, there’s more to them, than one encounter indicates.”
Toby blew out a breath. “Fine.”
“Did you take care of the people at the café?”
Toby nodded. “They’ll be fine. It worries me though.”
“How’s that?”
“If they are willing to do something so obvious, it seems to me they are either suicidal or they don’t intend to come back.”
CT frowned. “Are you sure?”
“Not even remotely, but it seems likely.”
CT nodded. “We need to find them before then if that’s the case. You heard what they said.”
“You mean besides, the ‘we’ll kill you’ part?”
“Was that the message of the day?” CT chuckled. “It’s always changing.”
“You think it’s funny that the underworld wants you dead?” Seth asked, confused. “Why?”
CT shrugged. “Because tomorrow they’ll change their minds. I am a somewhat of a fascination to certain factions down there.” He waved his hand dismissively. “It’s no matter.”
“If they’re going to go into hiding, then we need to find them now,” Chris suggested, “or we need to give this up. Either way we need to make a choice.”