Gemstone Academy

Chapter 20

I practically ran to the meeting room that night. Blair and Zoey were having difficulties keeping up with me. I guess they just couldn't walk as fast as me. That wasn't my problem.

"Why are you in such a hurry?" Zoey asked from behind me.

"Because I want to know what's going on!" I called back. "The sooner we get there the quicker I get to know."

"Oh, you can't fool us," Blair panted. "You just want to see Dario."

"What makes you say that?" I asked. She wasn't wrong, I just wanted to know what her reasonings were.

"Obviously you like the guy. Why else would you keep talking to someone who's already drank your blood once."

"Twice."

"What?!" They both asked in shock.

"Oh relax, he didn't bite me this time. He just drank the blood from the paper cut on my finger. I don't think I would even call it drinking, I mean, it was barely a sip."

"But you let him take more of your blood?" Blair asked to clarify.

I didn't get to answer her because we had arrived at the meeting room. Thank goodness too, because I didn't want to answer that question. Yes, I let him, but why did I let him? I had a feeling it was because I wanted to feel his lips on my skin, but I quickly pushed that thought out of my head.

The room we were meeting in was the same room we went in last time when we met the mythical creatures. However, unlike last time, all of the mythical creatures were sitting around a rectangular table. Dario sat at the end of the table. A chair in between him and Victoria was open. I assumed the chair was for me and sat down.

The room was silent. I didn't like the bad vibes everyone seemed to be giving off. Actually, I was mainly getting bad vibes from Dario. I had a feeling everyone else was fidgeting because of Dario's odd, silent behavior.

I looked around the table to see who else was here. On the other side of Victoria, sat Humphrey and next to him sat Sapphire, who was examining her nails. She didn't seem to care about whatever was going on. Next to Sapphire was Zoey who was whispering quietly to Blair next to her. Across from Blair, sat the demon twins, Argento and Alessandro. Next to them was the wizard Magius, and then Adrijana sat in between him and Dario. Faye and Felicity sat on top of the table in front of Dario. The chair at the other end of the table across from Dario was empty.

"Okay, so, what's going on?" Blair asked. Ugh. Of course she would be the one to break the silence.

"We are waiting for one more," Dario said irritated, not looking at her. One more? But who?

About a minute later the door to the meeting room opened, and Lazarus came in. Well. I wasn't expecting that.

"Welcome, Lar, take a seat," Dario said.

"What's going on, Pale Face?" Lazarus asked. Pale face? Well that's kind of rude. Dario wasn't that pale.

"We've got some news that you may want to know."

"Oh, you're actually going to tell me something? Wow, does this mean the world is going to end?"

"Very funny, Lar. And no, I figured little Liz here would tell you afterwards anyway, So I'm having her save her breath."

"My name's Elizabeth," I said exasperated. Why did Dario refuse to call me by my actual name?

Lazarus leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table. "So then, what's going on?"