Twilit Mage

Chapter 30: A Thief in the Night

The topic of sneaking into the lab didn't come up in conversation afterwards. Raoul didn't text her either, and for a few blessed, wonderful days Mercury almost wondered if he had given up on the plot entirely. Maybe Bonnie had talked him out of hit, she thought feebly. She might have changed her mind and refused to collaborate, or maybe Raoul had changed his mind by himself after hearing the details. Maybe he hadn't been serious about the whole thing in the first place, and she had fallen for a joke. Knowing Raoul, that wasn't impossible.

For a few precious days she almost got her hopes up, but just as she was about to go to sleep on the fourth day her phone finally lit up with the message she had been dreading.

m gonna do it now! u know hte way right?

She could ignore it, she knew.

Raoul had allowed her to. She didn't have to come. She could just comfortably stay here in her room while he did all the sneaking, hope that it all went well, and if it went out of hand, she would never be associated with it. At least, not immediately. Georgiana might suspect her, she thought, just by virtue of them both being Twilit. As might Ms. Solstice. But neither of them had any proof. They couldn't do anything to her based on suspicions. She could claim she had been sleeping already, and no one would be able to question her alibi.

But...in what world was that fair?

Raoul was doing something dangerous out there. He was risking everything he had to help her, and she was supposed to lie in bed and pretend it had nothing to do with her? That went against everything she had ever stood for. Raoul would get in trouble for her if she didn't do anything. Bigger trouble than he thought or hoped for or feared. If he went in there by himself, no one could know what might happen.

She had to stop him. And now.

Mercury jumped to her feet, slipping out of her pajamas and throwing on jeans and the nearest shirt she could find, not even caring if she put it on backwards. Slipping into her shoes, she grabbed her phone and hurried out of her room and down through the corridors, careful to not make a noise.

Then she was in front of the library building, the one that hosted the teachers' offices and labs in the basement, and suddenly hesitation grabbed her and caught her from behind.

What was she doing? Was this really supposed to work? If she didn't get to Raoul in time...if someone caught her on the way to him...what would that make her?

Glowing green eyes flashed through her mind, floating, whipping wisps of shadowy black hair and a cold, merciless voice. If Ms. Solstice caught her...what would she do? If she ended up caught by the half-demon, could she expect so much as an ounce of humanity?

But if she turned away here, she thought, then Raoul might be caught. Raoul might be the one who had to deal with the demon's wrath, the smoldering glare and the undoubtedly draconic punishment.

And honestly that thought was much worse than getting in trouble herself.

Pushing open the door, Mercury slid inside, hurrying noiselessly through the dark hallway, keeping close to the wall as she recalled the way to the laboratory in her mind. She could barely see a thing. Her ears were tuned to the sharpest point, picking up the smallest noise, the tiniest sound over the frantic thudding of her heartbeat in her ears, so loud that she wondered if people outside could hear it. Her eyes darted from side to side, searching for possible hiding spots in case someone appeared. But nothing happened. Nobody appeared. The hallway was empty.

After what felt like an eternity she reached the staircase, guiding its way down into complete and utter darkness. Mercury swallowed and took a deep breath. Her hands reached for the railing, slowly guiding her down into the dark unknown.