Daughter of Chaos

Chapter Thirty-Six

In the vestibule, I hesitated. The school was a labyrinth of classrooms, hallways, and staircases. It had always seemed corny to me when I was a student there, to be studying Witchcraft in something that could have been a Gothic mansion. Now, I realized there were countless places that Rochelle could have hidden my parents. Taking the crystal out of my pocket, I drew it close to my face.

It was hard to see, but after a moment, I recognized the gruesome image of a gargoyle. Trinity's roof was covered with the creepy things, adding to its odd appearance and to its façade as a religious school. I knew my way to the roof; it was a favorite spot for all the students when they wanted to practice big, flashy spells. I headed for the janitor's staircase at the back of the building, trying to come up with a plan. I knew Rochelle wanted me dead, and I hoped that if I offered to fight her, my parents could get away. That is, if she hadn't already done anything to them. I crept up the stairs, waiting for Rochelle to attack me from above.

I was surprised when I reached the roof unharmed. As I opened the door onto the roof, I was hit with a wave of freezing air. While I was in Greece, fall had deepened, and the crisp night air around me bit at my cheeks and made me think of winter. Drawing in a deep breath of cold air, I crept onto the roof, my eyes darting around, looking for recognizable shapes in the darkness.

A muffled sound drew my eyes to the western side of the roof. My parents were pressed up against the wall, bound and gagged with air and floating a foot off the ground. Mom's eyes looked panicked when she spotted me, and she shook her head frantically. Dad's head lolled to one side. I fought back the fear that he was already dead and headed across the roof, not caring if I made an easy target for Rochelle.

My hands started to spark. With a single word, I directed the energy out toward my parents, slashing through their invisible bonds. The red sparks flared for an instant when they hit Rochelle's spell, but then my parents dropped to the roof, released.

"Darlena, run!" Mom coughed.

I rushed to her and hugged her tight. "Are you okay?" I was so grateful to see her, but I knew we didn't have time for a long reunion. "What's wrong with Dad?"

She shook her head and didn't answer. "You have to get out of here, now. She's just waiting to kill you."

I flexed my fingers, feeling the power that still flowed through me. "Let her try."

"I thought you'd never ask." Rochelle stepped out from behind a vent and took a step toward me. Before I could even react, she raised her hands and sent a blast of Black energy surging across the roof. I jumped at the last minute, but the bolt passed close enough that I could hear the hiss it made when it hit the stone behind me. It took all my self-control not to fling myself at her.

Instead, I turned to my mom. "You have to get out of here, now. Can you manage Dad?" My father was still unconscious, but Mom nodded and reached over to pull him up. She struggled for a minute under his weight, but finally she stood, Dad leaning against her body. He let out a soft groan, and relief surged through me. He wasn't dead!

"I can manage." Her voice shook, and tears welled up in her eyes. "But what about you?"

"I have to handle this." I crouched in front of her, shielding her from Rochelle's view, but no attack came.

"But I want to help you! Two Greens together—"

I interrupted her. "Mom, I'm a Red. I can't explain now, but I promise I'll tell you later."

She recoiled as if I'd slapped her. "A Red?" Fear and revulsion were plain on her face, and I sighed. If I survived, we'd have a lot to talk about, and I didn't think it would be any easier to tell her the truth for a second time. Silently, I cursed Rochelle; couldn't she have left my parents' memories alone?