Night World : Dark Angel Chapter 16

Gillian stood as if her degree Celsius-powdered body had been turned to ice. Because it was the worst, theabsolute worst that she could possibly mother imagined.He killed a kid.The belittled girl who disappeargond a year ago, she utter. On Hilkrest Road. The virtuoso shed thoughtof-completely irration all(prenominal)y-when shed heard the crying.I was doing a spell, Gary give tongue to. A strong atomic number 53 I was a quick learner. It was a fire elemental spell-so Iwas bring out in the woods. In the snow, where nothing would burn. And so she showed up chasing her dog.He was stark(a) into the distance, his face dead white. Looking not haunting, but haunted. AndGillian knew he wasnt with her at that moment he was far away(p), with Paula.They broke the circle. It all happened so fast. The fire was everywhere-just one white flash, likelightning. And indeed it was gone. He paused. The dog got away. But not her.Gillian shut her eyes, trying not to imagine it. Oh, God. And then , as something twisted inside her, Oh, Gary I put her body in my car. I was going to take her to the hospital. But she was dead. And I wasconfused.So finally I stopped the car. And I buried her in the snow.GaryI went al-Qaeda. indeed I went to a party. That was the kind of guy I was, you see. A partyin guy.Everything was about good times and me, me, me. That was even what being a mesmerise was about. Forthe first time thither was emotion in his voice, and Gillian recognized it. Self-hatred.And at the party, I got really, really drunk.Oh. Suddenly Gillian understood. You never told anybody.On the way back home I wrapped my car around a tree. And that was it. He laughed, but it wasnt alaugh. Suddenly Im in Neverland. Cant pour forth to anybody, domiciliatet touch anybody, but sure can seeeverything. I watched the search for her, you know. They passed about a foot away from her body.Gillian gulped and looked away. Something had twisted and broken inside her, some idea of justice t hatwould never be put back to readher. But this was no time to think about that.It hadnt really been his fault but what did that matter? You played the come about you got striket. And Garyhad played his badly. Hed started out with everything-good looks, obvious brains, and witch powerenough to choke a horse-and hed blown it.Didnt matter. They had to go on from here.She looked up at him. Gary, you have to tell me where she is.Silence.Gary, dont you see? Thats your marginal business. Her family doesnt know Gillian stopped andswallowed. When she went on, her voice wobbled. Whether shes alive or dead. Dont you think theyought to know that?A long pause. Then he state, like a stubborn child, I dont want to go anywhere.Like a frightened child, Gillian thought. But she didnt look away from him. Gary, they deserve toknow, she said softly. Once theyre at peace-He almost shouted, What if in that respect isnt any peace for me? non frightened, terrified.What if there isnt anywhere for me to go? What if they wont take me?Gillian shook her head. Her tears overflowed again. And she didnt have any answers for him. I dontknow. But it doesnt change what wevegot to do. Ill cheque with you, though, if you want. Im your cousin, Gary. Then, very quietly, she said,Take me to her.He stood for a long moment-the longest of Gillians life. He was looking at something in the night sky thatshe couldnt see, and his eyes were utterly bleak.Then he looked at her and slowly nodded.Here? David bent and touched the snow. He looked up at Gillian. His dark eyes were young- a littlescared. But his some(prenominal)er was set.Yes. Right there.Its a pretty strange mastermind to do it.I know. But we dont have any choice.David got to motion with the shovel. Gillian pushed and mounded snow into walls. She tried to think scarceof how shed done this in childhood, about how easy and interesting it had been then. She kept at it untilDavid said, I found her.Gillian stepped back, brushing off her slee ves and mittens.It was a clear day, and the afternoon cheer was brilliant in a cold blue sky. The small clearing waspeaceful, almost a haven. Untouched except for a welt in the snow where a ground mouse had tunneled.Gillian took a couple of deep breaths, fists clenched, and then she turned to look.David hadnt uncovered much. A scrap of charred red wool muffler. He was kneeling beside the shallowtrench hed made.Gillian was crying again. She ignored it. She said, It was the last day before Christmas vacation, so wetook the day off from school. We were playing hooky in the woods. We decided to shake up a snow fort.And then we found the body. David got up and gently put a hand on her elbow. Its a weird story, butits break away than the truth.And what can they suspect us of? We never even knew Paula Belizer. Theyll know she was murderedbecause she was buried. But they wont know how she died. Theyll think somebody tried to burn thebody to get rid of it.David put his arm around her wais t, and she leaned into him. They stood that way for a few minutes,steadying each other.It was strange how natural that was, now. David had agreed to help her with all this without a momentshesitation and Gillian hadnt been surprised. Shed expected it. He was her soulmate. They stood together.At last, he said quietly, Ready?Yes.As they left the clearing, David added even more quietly, Is he here?No. I havent seen him since he showed me the place. He just-disappeared. He wont talk to me either.David held her tighter.Mr. Belizer came at dusk, after most of the police had left.It was almost too dark to see. David had been urging Gillian away for an hour. So had Gillians parents.They were there, both of them, huddling close and touching her whenever they could. Davids father andstepmother were on the other side of David.Yeah, Gillian thought. Its been a rough last few days on everybody.But here they all were David, pale but calm Gillian, shaky but standing the parents, bewildered buttryi ng to cope. Not comprehending how their kids could have found so much spat in such a short time.At least nobody seemed to suspect them of having blemish Paula Belizer.And now, here was Paulas dad. Alone. Come to look at the last resting place of his lady friend-eventhough the coroner had already taken his daughter away.The police let him go up to the clearing with a flashlight.Gillian tugged at Davids hand.He resisted a second, then let her tow him. Gillian heard murmurs as they went. What are you doing,following that poor man. My God, thats- ghoulish. But none of the parents actually grabbed them to stop them.They ended up a little distance behind Mr. Belizer. Gillian moved to see his face.Now here was the thing. She didnt know about spirits. She wasnt sure what needful to be done torelease Gary from the between-place. Did she need to talk to Paulas dad? Explain that she had thefeeling whoever had done it was sorry, even if they could never tell him themselves?It might get her l ocked up. Showing too much interest in a crime, too much knowledge. But, strangely,that didnt scare her as much as shed have thought. She was Garys cousin, and his debts were herssomehow. And things had to be put right.As she stood hesitating, Mr. Belizer fell to his knees in the trampled snow.Oh, God. That hurt. If strong arms hadnt been attribute Gillian up, she might have fallen, too.David held her and pressed his face into her hair. But Gillian kept looking at the kneeling man.He was crying. Shed never seen a man his age cry, and it hurt in a way that was scary. But there wassomething else in his face. Something like relief peace.Kneeling there, with his overcoat spread around him, Mr. Belizer said, I know my daughter is in abetter place. Whoever did this, I forgive them.A shock like cold lightning went through Gillian, and then a spreading warmth. She was crying suddenly.Hard. separate falling straight down from her eyes. But she was filled with a hope that seemed to lift her whole body.And then David move in his breath sharply, andshe realized hed increase his head. He was staring at something above Mr. Belizer.Gary Fargeon was hovering there. like an Angel.He was crying. And saying something over and over. Gillian caught -sorry, Im so sorryForgiveness asked for and given. If not exactly in that order.Thats it, Gillian thought. Her knees began to tremble.David whispered huskily, Can you see that, too?Yes. Can you?Nobody else seemed to see it. Mr. Belizer was getting up now. He was walking past them, away.David was still staring. So thats what he looks like. No wonder you thought-He didnt finish, but Gillian knew. Thought he was an angel.But why was Gary still here? Wasnt the forgiveness enough to release him? Or was there somethingelse that needed to be done?Gary turned his head and looked at her. His cheeks were wet. Come in a little farther, he said. I haveto say something.Gillian untangled from David, and then pulled at him. He came, jaw still sagg ing. They followed Garypast a thicket and into another clearing. As the trees and the darkness closed around them, they seemedsuddenly far away from the police noise and bustle.Gillian guessed even as Gary sank down to face them. But she let him say it.You have to forgive me, too.I forgive you, Gillian said.You have to be sure. I did some terrible things to you. I tried to warp you, damage your soul.I know, Gillian said steadily. But you did some good things, too. You helped me-grow up.Hed helped her conquer her fears. Gain self-confidence. transgress her heritage. And find her soulmate.And hed been close to her in a way that she would probably never be with anyone else ever again.You know what? Gillian was on the verge of tears again. Im going to mislay you.He stood facing her. He was shining just dimly. His eyes were dark and bruised looking, but his lipswere smiling. And he was more beautiful than she had ever seen him.Things are going to work out, you know, he said softly. For you. Your moms going to get better.Gillian nodded. I think so, too. And I checked on Tanya and Kim. Theyre going to be all right.Tanyas still got all her fingers. I know. You should go see Melusine. You could helpthem a lot with Circle Daybreak. And they can help you deal with the Night World.Yes. All right.And you might want to talk to Daryl at school. Shes got a secret that Kim was spreading rumors aboutlast year. Its that-And-Gary Gillian held up her hand. I dont want to know. Someday, if Daryl wants to tell me hersecret, she can do it herself. But if not-okay. I have to deal on my own, now.Shed already thought about school, all last night while shed been lying alone in her room. Things weregoing to change, obviously. It was surprisingly easy to separate out which friends mattered.Amanda the Cheerleader and Steffi the Singer and J.Z. the Model were all right. No better and noworse than any of the less popular girls. She wouldnt mind if they still liked her.Daryl-who was not Dar yl the Rich Girl anymore, but just Daryl-was better than all right. The sort thatmight turn out to be a real friend. And of course there was Amy. She owed Amy a lot.As for the others-Tanya and Kim and Cory and Bruce and Macon-Gillian didnt really want to knowthem. If she never went to another Popular Party, that was fine.And I dont want to know if J.Z. really tried to kill herself, either, she said now.Gary shut his mouth. Then his eyes actuallyseemed to twinkle. Youre going to do all right. And then, for the first time, he looked at David.They stared at each other for a moment. Not hostile. Just looking.When Gary turned back to Gillian he said very quietly, One last thing. I didnt change my mind aboutkilling him because I couldnt go through with it. I did it because I didnt want you to hate me forever.Oh.Gillian put out her hand. So did he. Their fingers were close together, blurring into each other butthey couldnt touch. They never would.And then suddenly, Gary looked startled. He turned to look up and behind him.At the dark, starlit sky.Gillian couldnt see anything. But she could feel something. A sort of rushing. Something was coming.And Gary was lifted toward it like a flip over on the wind.His hand was still stretched toward her, but he was in the air. Weightless. Bobbing. And as Gillianwatched, his startled expression melted into something like awe.And then joy. Joy and recognition.Ive got to go, he said wonderingly.Gillian was staring at the sky. She still couldnt see anything. Not the tunnel, not the meadow. Did hemean he had to go to the between-place?And then she saw the light.It was the color of sunlight on snow. That brilliant, but not painful to look at. It seemed to shimmer withevery color in the universe, but all together the colors made white.Gary-But something was happening. He was moving without moving. Rushing away in some direction shecouldnt point to. Getting smaller. Fading. She was losing him.Goodbye, Gary, she whispered.And the light was going, too. But just before it went, it seemed to take on a shape. It looked somethinglike huge white wings enfolding him.For the briefest instant, Gillian felt enfolded, too. By power and peace and love.And then the light was gone. Gary was gone. And everything was still.Did you see that? Gillian whispered through the put up in her throat.I think so. David was staring, his eyes big with awe and wonder.Maybe some angels are real.He was still staring upward. Then he drew in his breath. Look The stars-But it wasnt stars, although it looked like star-dust. Crystalline points of light, frozen beauty sifting down.The air was full of it.But there arent any cloudsThere are now, David said. Even as he said it,the stars were covered. Gillian felt a cool touch on her cheek.Like a kiss.And it was ordinary snow, just an ordinary miracle. She and David stood hand in hand, watching it falllike a blessing in the night.The End