Page 43 of The Elementalist
“Good.”
“Now what?” I asked.
“Still trying to come up with something.” She scowled at the painted markings.
“Better do it quick,” I said. “I think we’re going to have company soon.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Reprieve
“TheFarringtons?” she screamed, once I finished explaining what Piper said. “Are you serious?”
“Yeah. At least, that’s what he said. Could’ve been lying… though I didn’t really get that feeling from him. That, and he went for a knife. No sense lying to a guy you’re intending to kill.”
“Great.” She looked around at her glowing enclosure. “I ran into this thing like a complete idiot. Now what? I guess I just sit here until the Farringtons come to collect me? Ugh.”
“Don’t you know the rules?” I smirked. “The dame who gets involved with a private eye is almost always kidnapped.”
Crystal frowned. “Real life isn’t a cliché… and why did you call me a ‘dame?’”
I shrugged. “Going with the shtick.”
She resumed pacing.
“However… I’m going to try and change the script,” I said. “I don’t really want you to be kidnapped. Or killed, since this is real life and all.”
“Great. I don’t like either one of those options, either. So, umm, what are you planning to do, Mr. Detective? Stick around and shoot icicles at anyone who tries to kidnap me?”
I studied the floor, eyeballing the stone under me. After some quick visualization, I widened my stance and projected my willpower into the earth, pushing rock and soil aside. A bowl formed between my feet, deepening in response to my desires. It grew to a pit as wide as a phone booth, then burrowed downward. I opened a passage like a giant U-bend from a sink drain, bringing the other end up into the area walled off by magic.
Directly under Crystal.
Oops.
She fell, but caught herself on the edge, armpit deep in the floor. As soon as she realized what I’d done, she let go. As if afraid the tunnel would close at any second, she scrambled up out the other end as I stepped aside, covered in dirt, but overjoyed. She even hugged me.
“Now for the hard part,” I muttered.
“Dealing with the Farringtons?”
“No. I’m hoping we can get out of here before they show up. I meant those people upstairs. If destroying Piper and Derek—and the other vampires in this place—didn’t break the curse on them, we’re going to have to put them down, too.”
“Oh. Yeah.” She sighed. “That sucks. But we won’t necessarily have to destroy them. While I admit it’s the most likely outcome, there’s noguaranteethey’ll be evil. We should hurry, I can hear that one girl screaming her head off.”
“Which one?”
“I think it’s the redhead. She sounds angry. Her father must be in the Navy.”
“How can you tell?” I asked.
“Just making a sailor joke. She’s swearing up a storm.” Crystal hurried to the stairs. “Can’t say I blame her. I’d be pissed off if someone chained me to a radiator, too… not that they could.”
“Oh? Okay, I have to ask...” I jogged up behind her.
“I have a way with locks.”
“You’re just full of surprises.”
