Dangerous (Element Preservers Series, Book 1)

by Alycia Linwood

“Great,” I said sarcastically. “Now we can go back to being one happy family.”

  “Ria, is something wrong? Are things fine at the university?” he said. Yeah, there always had to be something wrong when I was trying to point out the obvious.

  “No, everything’s fine,” I said.

  “Is that worthless magic disease carrier bothering you again?” he asked.

  “No, Adrian’s not bothering me,” I said, glancing down at Adrian who watched me curiously. We both nearly burst out laughing. Ah, if only my father knew.

  “Good,” my father said. “Mom says hi.”

  “Umm yeah,” I said. “Bye, Dad.”

  I didn’t wait for him to say anything; I simply ended the call. So now I could reach my brother and actually talk to him. Great. Adrian observed me while I played with the phone in my hand.

  “Call whoever you want to call,” he suddenly said.

  “I’m not sure it will be a pleasant call,” I said. “And I’m not really sure what to ask.”

  “Just do it,” he said, reaching up and placing his hand on my face. “Or you’ll think about it until the chance is gone.”

  I took his hand and moved it away from my face. Maybe he was right. It was hard to guess when Oliver would disappear again, so I found his number in my contacts and pressed the button. Oliver answered on the third ring.

  “What do you want, little sister?” he said.

  “I want to ask you something,” I said, wondering was I doing the right thing. Oh, well, only one way to find out.

  “Shoot.”

  “Am I adopted?” It was the question that bothered me the most, because that would be a perfect explanation for me getting the disease. I was almost sure my parents would lie to me about it even if I asked. Oliver had no reason to do it.

  “Unfortunately, sis, you’re not.” He laughed. “Anything else?”

  He seemed sure of it. Shit. It wasn’t that then.

  “What do you know about our great-grandfather?” I asked.

  “Aah, you know,” he said. “I can’t believe they told you about the deal. Have you been dating someone inappropriate?”

  “That’s none of your business,” I said coldly. “Just tell me is that shit true.”

  “Yes, it is,” he said. “Luckily for us the old guy was living in different times. Marriage meant something then. You can still fuck your boy and nothing will happen.”

  “You’re such an asshole,” I muttered.

  “You know it, yet you called,” he said.

  “Yeah, I don’t know what I was thinking,” I said. Could I ask him about the disease?

  “Anything else?” he asked impatiently. He probably had some hot girl waiting for him. I had no doubt about that. He was really handsome for an annoying guy.

  “Are you sure our family has a pure element?” I asked, holding my breath for the answer. Just the answer didn’t come.

  “Oliver?”

  “Yeah,” he said hastily. Something was wrong. Very wrong.

  “Uh huh,” I said, hoping he’d notice that I didn’t quite believe him.

  “I assure you. Just don’t bother our parents with it, understand? You mustn’t ask them such a silly question. Dad could get a heart attack.” He laughed. “Look, sis, I’m going to come to see you as soon as I can. Love you, bye.”

  And with that he hung up. I was still trying to get through what he’d said. But if he’d said he was coming and that I shouldn’t tell my parents, then it had to be something serious. Maybe this disease wasn’t a result of some weird mutation or my bad luck after all. And he also believed someone was listening to our conversation.

  “Well, it looks like my family has a secret and I shouldn’t talk about it with them,” I said. “Apparently, my disease didn’t come by accident.”

  “Of course it didn’t,” Adrian said.

  “And my brother’s coming here,” I said it and still didn’t believe it. What was he going to do? Kill me? Yeah, I believed that more than I believed he’d actually help me.

  “Damn, I don’t know my own family,” I said, tears threatening to come out. Adrian touched my arm, and I looked into his gray-blue eyes. I realized his eyes weren’t as cold as they usually seemed to me. There was something else there, something I couldn’t quite identify… I shook my head. This conversation with my brother was making me see things.

  Chapter 17

  I'd learned, or at least I hoped I'd learned, one more chapter of the book and then I was too tired and too annoyed to continue. Adrian was more than happy when I threw the book away from me.

  “Are you finally done?” he asked, picking up the book from where it had fallen. “Because if you’re not, then I just might throw this out of the window.”

  “I’m done.” I laughed. “I can’t believe you actually did this for me.”

  “Yeah, me neither.” He smiled. “But now you have to do something for me.”

  “Alright, as long as it doesn’t involve sex,” I said, and he gave me a disappointed look, which faded in a second.

  “I want you to come somewhere with me,” he said.

  “Where?” I narrowed my eyes at him. I just couldn’t help but be suspicious about it.

  “Don’t you trust me?” There was a playful smile on his lips.

  “Of course not,” I said.

  “It would be more fun if you didn’t know.”

  “You’re just afraid I’d refuse.”

  “Alright, I need you to help me do something half-illegal,” he said.

  “Half-illegal?” I gave him a doubtful look. “There’s no such a thing as half-illegal.”

  “Sure there is.” He smiled. “It’s when something is illegal, but you consider it to be perfectly legal.”

  “So it is illegal.” I frowned. “I should have known.”

  “Whatever.” He shrugged. “You’re coming with me.”

  “You can’t make me,” I said, getting annoyed. “Just tell me what the hell it is.”

  “I need to get my father’s journal,” he said.

  “Wait, what’s illegal in that?”

  “It’s somewhere in the Council’s quarters,” he said. “It was among the few things that survived the fire. They took it as evidence and refused to return it to me.”

  “Don’t tell me you’re trying to break into the Council’s best kept building,” I said, remembering what my father had once said about the security.

  “There isn’t any other thing to do,” he said. “Besides, now I have you to help me. And you’ll help me because my father’s journal could maybe give you some answers.”

  “Why would your father’s journal give me answers?” I raised an eyebrow. Did he really think I was so stupid to believe it? Tricking me into something wasn’t a nice thing at all.

  “Because my father might have known someone from your family, and there’s a list of names in that journal that includes everyone he met who had the magic disease,” he said, his face completely serious. Maybe he wasn’t lying. Maybe.

  “No way,” I said. “They would have come for everyone on that list if it really existed.”

  “Well, it’s not exactly written for everyone to see,” he said. “You need to know what you are looking for to find it. No one from the Council noticed it, or they’d have arrested many people. But they were suspicious enough of it to keep it there.”

  “And why do you want it now?” I asked suspiciously. He could have paid someone to go with him to get the journal and wouldn’t have to explain anything, so why look for it now?

  “Because you appeared,” he said. “I want to know are there more benefits of you being around and how we can use it. Maybe my parents didn’t keep their elements, but they were in the same situation as us and maybe that can help us.”

  “Alright, so the journal might be useful,” I said. “But the Council is like two hours from here.”

  “So what?” he said. “We have time.”

  “You know something that I don’t
, so you better spill it out.” I crossed my arms.

  “There are special guests from another country visiting the Council’s building tonight,” he said and winked at me.

  “Let me guess,” I said, “they are extremely important guests who need a lot of security. But they still won’t leave anything else unprotected. There are cameras and alarms, you know.”

  “Oh, but they’ll stop working.” He smiled. I shook my head. That was completely insane. We couldn’t pull off such a thing. I wasn’t some super spy or a master thief, and neither was he… as far as I knew.

  “You’re crazy,” I said.

  “Look, you’ll only have to create a diversion,” he said. “I’ll take care of everything else.”

  “Diversion?” I gaped at him. “I can’t do that!”

  “Yes, you can,” he said. “You’re pretty enough to do that.”

  “Pretty, huh?”

  “Be charming, seduce a guard, ask him to take you to the ballroom because you got lost, and when you get there, faint,” he said it like he was giving me a shopping list.

  “No, I can’t! Besides, the guy will recognize me, and I can’t just pretend to faint!” I said. “I’m not an actress.”

  “You could be. No one will recognize you if we buy you a wig, use some fancy make-up and maybe buy contacts in color,” he said. “Come on, we don’t have time to waste.”

  “No, I’m not going,” I said. He got closer to me and his gray-blue eyes were like ice, making me shiver.

  “Fine,” he said. “I’ll go alone. But when they catch me, you’re on your own, sweetheart.”

  He went for the door, not looking back. I stood there for a moment, calculating his chances of doing this on his own. Crap. I needed him more than he needed me. He’d be just fine, but I wouldn’t.

  “Wait,” I said, already regretting my decision. “I’m coming with you.”

  It turned out Adrian had a really nice black Lamborghini parked outside the university, and soon we started the craziest journey of my life. I should have probably left a message to Michael, but I didn’t know what to say, because I was sure he’d come looking for me if I’d told him I was tired or something. He’d surely come to give me a kiss before going to sleep. And thinking about it only made me feel guiltier.

  “Nice car,” I said over the music, which Adrian had turned on as soon as we got inside. He didn’t say anything, but the corners of his lips went up into a smile. My Audi had stayed at home since I’d figured I wouldn’t need it. It was much easier to walk or get a taxi anyway, but Adrian didn’t really have a home, so I guess he didn’t have where to leave the car.

  “Do you have a house somewhere?” I asked. “I mean, do you have a place where you plan to live after university?”

  “No,” he said. “I could buy one, I guess. But why bother when no one expects me to live that long.”

  “Magic disease doesn’t kill,” I said, more to myself than to him.

  “No, but people do,” he said, glancing at me. There was a sad look in his eyes, which again seemed warmer somehow. I blinked and it was gone.

  “Do you really think… they would kill you even if you didn’t do anything?”

  “Yes,” he said. “Alan will want to have a family soon and he can’t have that with me around.”

  “Wait, can’t he quit or something?” I said. “Maybe they could give you someone else. And he isn’t really forbidden to have a family, right?”

  “He can’t quit. It’s for life,” he said. “Of course, no one expects magic disease carriers not to give in to the disease. And tell me, a few months ago, would you have accepted that you and your children live with someone who has the magic disease?”

  “No,” I admitted. “I wouldn’t even accept it now. I mean, we’re like exceptions, right? Having any kind of an element is much better than having none.”

  And really, if I felt like this while I still had my element, then how would I feel without it and without Adrian’s help? I couldn’t even imagine not having my element at all. I was still freaked that I’d wake up one morning and it would be gone.

  We hadn’t talked much for the rest of our trip. On our way, we only stopped at a few shops and bought the things we needed. I got a wig that reminded me of Paula’s hair because it was blond and curly. Finally I’d have a curly hair! It took me a while to stop laughing, which wasn’t easy, considering that we bought green contact lenses and a red dress which showed way too much skin for my liking. I couldn’t recognize the woman that was staring at me from the mirror when I’d finished applying heavy make-up.

  “I look like a freaking porn star,” I said, twirling around so Adrian could see me.

  “You look hot.” He smiled. “But I prefer the original.”

  “I suppose you don’t have one of those fancy voice changers from movies,” I said, turning back at the mirror. Damn, this whole make-up mask I wore on my face made me itchy, but I didn’t want my black mascara or my bright red lipstick to get smeared. And I hoped that red gloves I was wearing would prevent me from touching my face. Yeah, I needed gloves because we couldn’t afford to leave any prints.

  “Nah, nothing like that. But you can change your accent a bit,” he said, observing me so carefully that I felt warmth coming into my cheeks.

  “It would sound fake,” I said and frowned. “Stop staring at my butt!”

  “It’s a nice butt,” he said, and I turned around and flipped him off. He just gave me one of his arrogant smiles.

  “Where did the ‘I’m going to kill you and steal your element’ thing go?” I asked.

  “Well, you’re more interesting to me now than you were then,” he said. “But that doesn’t mean you’re completely safe.”

  “Thank you very much,” I said. “That’s really comforting to hear a moment before I go out to help you and risk everything.”

  “Nothing bad will happen,” he said, taking a step forward and getting a hold of my hand. “And if it does, run like hell and get out of there.”

  “You bet I will.”

  “Good,” he said, taking my other hand. “Are you sure you’re feeling good enough not to kill someone accidentally in the next hour or two?”

  “Yes,” I said, realizing that I wasn’t only risking being caught, but also risking doing something horrible. I panicked, and Adrian noticed it.

  “It will be alright,” he said reassuringly. “No one is supposed to have any strong feelings at the ball, and you’ve spent enough time with me. Besides, those are not university students who lose control of their element so easily. But if the alarm goes off or people start to panic, just get out.”

  I took a deep breath, trying to clear my mind of all bad thoughts. I wasn’t going to do anything hard, except pretend I was someone else at some stupid party. It shouldn’t be different from a few formal parties I had gone to with my parents. I could do it.

  “Let’s do this,” I said, adrenaline surging through my body. I had no idea what Adrian was planning to do, except that he would wear all black. He was definitely risking more than I was, but he didn’t want me to worry about it, so I didn't.

  I was walking down the hall of a nicely decorated part of an old building. There were lots of lights everywhere and there were vases with flowers in almost every corner, making me wonder who the idiot who had put them there was. My black high heels were already making my feet ache because I had had to walk to the building; we'd had to leave the car farther from there so it wouldn’t be suspicious. And yeah, who’d forget that kind of a car?

  It hadn’t been hard to get inside of the building since there was actually some kind of an exposition open to the public in the lobby. I wondered why they hadn’t closed it because of the special event that was being held upstairs, but I guess that would have drawn even bigger attention. There were definitely no signs of any kind of thing happening in the other part of the building, but it was a huge building; big enough to both hide the important stuff and host huge balls or exposit
ions.

  Of course, there was a guard at my side as soon as I stepped into the nonpublic area. And he had a gun tucked into his belt. I averted my eyes from the gun and smiled at him.

  “Miss, you shouldn’t be here,” he said politely. “This is not a public area.”

  “Oh, really?” I said, batting my eyelashes at him, which felt a bit heavy under who knows how many layers of the black mascara. “But I really wanted to see the ballroom. They say it’s amazing.”

  “Yes, it is,” he said, clearly uncomfortable. “But you need to have a special invitation to get there.”

  “And how do I get one?” I said, biting down on my lip slightly. The guy’s face was getting redder and redder. He couldn’t have been much older than 21 and he wasn’t exactly the hottest guy, but he was cute… if you closed one eye maybe. Somehow bribing him seemed like an easier thing, but that would have been suspicious.

  “Umm, it’s not like that,” he said. I touched his shoulder.

  “Come on, I’m not a threat,” I said in the sweetest voice I could manage. “I just want to see it. You can come with me. It will only take a minute.”

  “Miss, I can’t…” he said. “There are… some people there right now.”

  “Perfect! Then you can let me have a peek and everyone will think I’m just another guest,” I said, moving my hair out of the way and giving him a better view of my cleavage. The control he had on his element faltered, and the familiar pull of fire made me anxious to start moving as soon as possible. I was really glad he wasn’t gay, so I leaned forward, close enough to whisper into his ear.

  “Please,” I breathed. “You won’t regret it.”

  My hand ‘accidentally’ brushed against his groin, and he suddenly smiled at me like he knew all my secrets. He moved away from me, reaching for the earpiece and taking it out. Great, one thing less to do.

  “Come on, sweetheart,” he said, suddenly looking too sure of himself. He must have thought I was genuinely interested in him and that had made him feel all brave and happy. Gosh, the guy was an idiot. I wondered how he had gotten a job here because I’d expected the men here to be well-trained and professional. But then again, I wasn’t about to complain; not when I planned to do something dangerous.