What had changed? The question preoccupied her throughout the police questions, the majority of which were answered by Raiden and Lisa. When they had asked her, she had just stared at the police officers with a blank expression of shock, and they had evidently decided to work around her seeing as they had plenty of other resources to work with.
Miss Gregor, the head mistress of the academy, came to stand with them during the questions, showing the school’s support and interest in the attempted abduction, and Paris had burst out of the crowd of students and wrapped herself around Lia, rocking slightly either to comfort herself, or offer it.
What had changed? The answer was: so much. She had started working at the club, gained a boyfriend and a new housemate in one weekend. She even, technically, had her first pet, if fairies could be considered pets. Her grandmother’s ghost had compared it to a cat…
What had her grandmother’s ghost said? The protection spell was failing. What protection spell?
Paris’ phone rang, and she let go of Lia in order to answer it.
Raiden stepped in, pulling Lia against him, and she put her arms around his waist, resting her cheek against his chest, the warmth of his body and the steady beat of his heart beneath her ear comforting. He continued to answer questions and give contact details, his voice a rumble in his chest to Lia. She let it wash over her, calming her.
The protection spell was failing, her grandmother had said. She had always warded Lia as she left the house. Lia had not continued to ward herself, thinking her grandmother’s habit to be part of the paranoia that had kept her housebound for most of Lia’s life. And yet, since she was no longer warded, she had come to the attention of a werewolf and a vampire.
The police released them, and Paris returned with Cael in tow.
“Alright, let’s go,” Raiden led them to the Ute. The traffic had cleared during the time it had taken to speak with the police, and he pulled out without difficulty.
“I don’t think we have been formally introduced,” Raiden said, meeting Cael’s eyes in the rear-view mirror. “I am Raiden.”
“Cael,” the blonde man was petulant.
“Nice to meet you,” Raiden’s tone was almost parental in its tolerance.
“Yeah.”
“The police told Miss Gregor that they think it has something to do with the young women who have been disappearing,” Paris said. “That is just… terrifying. What do you think they do with the women?”
A muscle in Raiden’s jaw clenched.
“Sex slaves,” Cael drawled with enjoyment.
“No way.”
“Well, I doubt they are stealing pretty young women in order to educate them,” Cael pointed out. Lia glanced over her shoulder at him, and he grinned widely and lifted his eyebrows at her. “Do you, Cecelia?”
“What do you think?” Lia asked Raiden under her breath, knowing that he would hear her.
He flicked her a look. “I think it is a good idea if you take that teacher’s suggestion, and take tomorrow off, Lia, until we know more. You too Paris,” he looked into the rear-view. “I am sure Brock would agree with me.”
“Works for me,” Paris replied. “I would be happy to stay in my room with my honey until they catch whoever is stealing women around this city. That is just… creepy. That they came so close to taking Lia is just so, so frightening. If you hadn’t been there, Raiden…” She left it open.
“Lia was holding her own,” Raiden murmured, his tone thoughtful, and Lia looked up at him. What had he seen? She suspected that they would be having a lengthy conversation about exactly that when they got back to her house.
“If we miss too many days, we will be dropped,” Lia cautioned said to Paris, to change the subject.
“What does it matter anyway?” Paris sulked. “Final year, and they have already cast the roles for the end of year display. Predictably, we are scenery again. Not going to land a role in a company as a flower. It is time for plan B.”
“What is plan B?” Cael asked her intrigued.
“Convince my BFF in the front seat to quit school and do the audition rounds with me,” Paris used the toe of her foot to nudge the back of Lia’s chair.
“Do you have any other skills?” Raiden wondered as he turned into suburbia.
“Besides arabesques and plies? Nope. Like most dancers, I transferred from high school to dance school when I got accepted at the academy,” Paris told him. “Whilst I technically have my high school certificate, all the subjects were dance orientated.”
“Same,” Lia sighed.
“So, it is dance or lift trays for the rest of my life,” Paris finished glumly.
“You could take a course, or go back to high school?” Raiden suggested.
“Oh, yeah, I can see my parents gleefully supporting me for another few years,” Paris snorted. “They have wanted me to quit dance since I started.”
“I don’t have the finances,” Lia shrugged. “No parents. Did you finish high school?” She asked him.
“Yes, and uni,” Raiden pulled into the driveway. “I studied engineering.”
“Oh,” she flicked him a look under her eyelashes. He was older, better connected, had more money, and a far better education. What was he doing with her? How could he be serious about her? And yet, here they were, together, she thought. And they were together.
“But you don’t work in the field?” She asked him when he opened her door and helped her down.
“No,” he was amused. “A friend went into sign writing and graphic designing, and we ended up going into business together, and then, of course, I flip houses.”
“Life doesn’t always go to plan,” Cael observed as they entered the house.
“True,” Raiden agreed. He waited until Paris and Cael walked down the hall, chatting between them, Paris’ laughter spilling out brightly in response to something the blonde man said before he turned into his bedroom, and then drew Lia into her bedroom. “Lia, when Brock comes, I have to go for an hour or so. I will come back. and we will make that dinner, eh?”
“Okay,” she hesitated. She suspected that he intended to go and speak with Elior about Lucian. “Raiden, about what you said about Lucian being responsible… I really don’t…”
“Lucian is a petty crook,” Raiden said firmly. “Who hides what he is behind fine suits and expensive cars. He took a fancy to you, and he does not like being told no. Don’t worry, Lia, I will just have a word with Elior and make sure the message is passed along to Lucian that if he is behind this attempt to abduct you, he will have to deal with me.”
“Raiden,” she drew in a deep breath.
The roar of a motorbike pulling up outside distracted him. “It is Brock,” he kissed her. “I will just go have a word with him and make sure he doesn’t park behind me. I will be back soon, Lia.”
Before she could say anything further, he was out the front door. She sighed. She heard the rise and fall of their voices as she unpacked her dance bag. She took her dirty washing down to the laundry and put it into the machine.
“Hey,” Brock stopped in the door of the laundry. “Raiden’s just going out for a short time, Lia. I will be here, and I guess Cael is, though I am not sure how useful he will be in a fight… Not that we are expecting a fight,” he added hastily. “But, you know, so you feel safe.”
“Okay, thanks Brock. I will just go to my room and do some stuff. I won’t leave the house.” She wanted to go to the turret room and see if the book had any information on what protection spell her grandmother’s ghost referred to. “Maybe have a shower,” she added so that if he or Paris, or even Cael, poked their head into the room, they would not panic at not seeing her there.
“Alright.”