The Dark Artifices: Lady of Los Angeles

Chapter 10

“Just me, or did he get really weird really fast?” Jules asked.

     “He was always weird, just different kinds of it”, Emma answered. They strode past expensive shops that were in the same neighborhood as Malcolm’s place.

     Warm winds came from the ocean. A smell of sea salt came from the same direction.

     The small shops changed to motor stores down the road. Emma stopped I front of one of them. A motorbike was on display in one of the windows.

     “That must have some great power”, Emma mumbled.

     Jules looks at the bike then at Emma and frowns. “You can’t be serious.”

     “Why not?”

     “First, because Arthur won’t let anybody come near the Institute with that killing machine.” Emma rolls her eyes at him as he continues. “Second, it’s a killing machine!”

     “It’s not. And instead of taking that gross bus next time we can take the bike.”

     “I’m not going anywhere near that thing”, he says and backs away from the window as if the glass between him and the bike wasn’t enough.

     “You’re such a coward”, she said.

     They took the bus home and this time Emma tried not to take too deep breaths.

When they entered the Institute it was all quiet.

     Emma could see how worried that made Jules. “They’re probably in the training room. Diana is probably here too.”

     He exhaled. “Probably. We should go there too.”

They went to their rooms to change their clothes and met up again outside the training room. Sounds of talking came from the room.

     “Hear? They’re here”, Emma said. Jules smiled in response.

     She opened the door and saw the Blackthorn children in various corners of the room. Tiberius reading on the windowsill, close to him was Olivia practicing fencing on her own. Drusilla was kicking a dummy. Octavian sat with their tutor Diana Wrayburn. They were studying. Cristina saw them as they entered. A big smile on her face as usual. Her hair fell over her shoulders like black water. Emma’s light hair was long as well, but she usually kept it in a braid. 

     “Hey, where were you?”

     Jules answered her. “We were out for a walk.”

     “Well, you’re here now. Wanna spar, Jules?”

     “Later maybe. I’m gonna train with Emma now.”

     Emma felt a spark in her heart. They were parabatai, but she’d felt as if he’d chosen Cristina over her for the last couple of weeks. This easy choice made her feel special.

    

They fenced and sparred for what felt like hours. Emma complained at him for not using enough power or enough speed. When Jules finally gave up and lay down on the floor panting the rest of the group had gone to eat lunch. Only Emma and Jules were left.

     “I give up!” Jules called out to the ceiling.

     “You’re too lazy.”

     He raised his head off the floor and glared at her. “I’m lazy and I’m proud of it.”

     “Wanna go and eat something.”

     As an answer Jules sprang up.

 

They were alone in the kitchen as the others had already eaten. They ate bowls of yoghurt since they were too exhausted to do anything else.

     “So what are you up to this afternoon?” Jules asked with his mouth full of strawberry yoghurt.

     “Nothing, really”, she said and shrugged.

     “What happened to your plans with Dylan?”

     Emma stopped eating and cursed. “Shit! I forgot.” The clock on the wall showed 4 o’clock.  

     “When were you meeting him?”

     She started washing her bowl and put away the yoghurt. “Don’t know. Gotta text him.”

     She ran up the stairs to her room where her phone was. When she looked a texts she saw 4 new from Dylan.

11:04

Hey, when do you wanna hang out?

13:48

We said Monday afternoon, right?

14:55

I’m starting to seem really clingy.

15:43

Okay, if you see this tell me when you wanna meet.

She felt guilty when she saw those messages.

     “Knock, knock.” She spun around and saw Jules in the doorway. The bowl of yoghurt was still in his hands. He put it down on her desk.

     “No, no. you don’t leave your dishes in here. Unlike yours, my room will be tidy.”

     “I’ll bring it with me when I leave. Has he texted?”

     “Yeah, since this morning.”

     “You don’t think he’s a little clingy?”

     “Well, I told him I’d see him today.

     She started texting him back. 

Hello! Sorry I never texted you back. What about 5 o´clock??

     “You’re still gonna meet him?” He looked at the phone over her shoulder.

     She sighed and looked at him. “I know you don’t like him-“

     He laughed as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Don’t like him? He’s a mundane!”

     She glared at him. “I like him and that’s what counts.”

     “Fine, go to the mundane.” He left the room without the half-finished bowl of yoghurt

Another chapter!! Yay!

Okay, this is a really short author’s note or whatever it’s called. The thing is, I’m not very good at these. Some people write long ones, I write mini ones.

   Good night/day/morning/…