Dark Vision (Ballad of the Seer, Book Two)

Chapter 22 - Midnight Meeting

The moon was almost full in in the sky overhead, providing the only light in the school parking lot, as Duncan waited for the mysterious informant. All he could see were dark silhouettes in the dim moonlight. He shivered as a gust of wind blew through the lot, making it feel colder. He stuffed his hands into his pockets. The back of his hand brushed against his father's necklace. He clutched it in his hand, holding it tightly, praying that this wasn't a trap, like he assumed it was. He desperately wanted this to be real.

He searched the shadows around the black blob of the school building for any sign of movement. There was none.

"I wasn't sure that you would show." a distinctly female voice said behind him.

Duncan spun around to see a familiar face staring back at him. "Jade?" Duncan asked, curiously. Even in the dim light he recognized the Seer girl that helped the warlocks to torture his father for so long. She stood just a few feet in front of him, her arms crossed over her chest. Half of her face was hidden in the shadow created by her hair. Her eyes looked black, making her appear more like the warlocks that she worked for. "You are not who I was expecting." he told her.

"Why?" she asked.

"I was expecting someone more important."

She smirked. "Don't tell me that you're still sore just because I manipulated your mind into thinking that I was your little girlfriend."

"That and the fact that you tried to make my dad kill me." he replied.

Jade narrowed her eyes at him, a small smile playing at the corners of her mouth. "How is Lily, by the way?"

"She's fine." he said. "Apart from the torture that your boss is putting her through."

"My boss?" She placed her hands on her hips and gave him a curious look. "And just who do you think that I work for?"

"Sebastian Caine."

Jade barked out a surprised laugh. "Are you kidding? I'd never work for that psycho."

"You worked for that psycho's equally psycho dad." Duncan reminded her.

"I only did that because . . . ." She stopped speaking and shook her head. "Y'know what, that's none of your business. Besides, Maxwell was a saint compared to his son."

"Hell must be freezing over, because I actually agree with you." he said. "But that doesn't explain why you're here, where Sebastian could easily find you."

"All you need to know is that I escaped from the warlocks and I want to help you."

"Why should I believe you?" he asked.

Jade raised her brow and the silver ring there glinted in the moonlight. "Because I haven't done anything to you, yet. Despite the fact that I told you to come alone."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Really," she said, dubiously. She snapped her fingers and the all of the lights in the parking lot came on, illuminating everything. She looked over at Lily, peeking around the corner of the school building. The shadows no longer concealed her. Jade then turned her eyes to the grove of trees by the entrance to the football field where Jack had been crouching. He and Lily moved to stand on either side of Duncan. Lily glared at the other girl. She looked like she was ready to pounce on her. "You should know better than to try and fool a Seer." Jade told them. She then looked to Lily with a smug smile. "Especially, you."

Lily lifted her hand, poised to blast Jade, but Duncan grabbed her wrist to stop her. He laced his fingers with hers, holding her hand tightly by his side. She turned her eyes to him, her lips pressed into a hard line, not looking very pleased. We need her, he thought, knowing she would hear. She huffed, sending steam from her nostrils, like a bull in a cartoon. If it wasn't for her stern expression he would have laughed.