Chapter 21

Anxiety.



When I opened my eyes later on, I wished that I was still asleep. My whole body was so sore that every time I moved, my heart started thumping loudly reminding about the girl with purple hair. There was an odd burning taste in my mouth, and bright, beautiful hazel eyes were looking directly at me.
"Why do you always get yourself in so much trouble?" Nathaniel asked, sitting on the chair next to the bed. I noticed that I wasn't in the hospital, but in his apartment, the room I used to use as our bedroom. Everything came back to me in an instant. Tron had either moved or wasn’t at home. Anthony’s girlfriend must have broken into the house. I had no idea how she knew I would show up there.
"What happened? I remembered Roberto?" I asked, ignoring the excruciating pain in my body. I knew Nathaniel too well; he was barely controlling himself.
"You were late, and he was driving around, waiting for my phone call. I had no idea that he cast a spell on your vehicle. Apparently, trolls use their own magic, only when they think it's necessary. He seemed concerned, so he followed his own lead. God, I think I need to give him a raise," Nathaniel said, shaking his head. "He was there just in time to get that witch off you. Then he called me." 
I chose not to say anything. I didn't even know that Roberto could use magic. The bright white light must have come from him. The witch was just about to slash my throat.  
"You didn't take me to the hospital?" I asked, partly glad and partly worried that maybe she cursed me or something. 
"I took care of your minor cuts, and you’ll be aching for few days. Roberto didn't think it was necessary to take you to the hospital," Nathaniel muttered, obviously not happy that he thought it was wise to keep me in the apartment. There was something more to it. He was always so overbearing and overprotective. 
 I went over what happened inside Tron’s house. Nathaniel already knew about Anthony. None of us could figure out how his girlfriend managed to get inside Tron’s home. I thought Nathaniel of all people would keep in touch with Tron. They had worked together to save me when Craig nearly burned me alive.
"He doesn’t approve of me having a relationship with you. He made it completely clear. This has something to do with the fact that your power goes wild around me," Nathaniel added bitterly. Tron had warned me to stay away from Nathaniel from the very beginning. He believed we weren’t meant to be.
"Let's just forget about it for now. Grandpa Fred’s still missing, and we’re not any closer to finding grandma’s murderer," I said, throwing my covers off and stepping on the floor. I tried to ignore the pain that shuddered throughout my entire body.
"Julia. You should have told me that you wanted to see Tron. I would have come with you, but that’s beside the point now. I don't think you can afford to pursue this case any further. Someone just tried to kill you. That letter addressed to Barbra clearly states that she promised to give your hand to another elf. Presumably to a pure-blooded elf. That’s how this normally works." 
I didn't want to believe that Grandma would do such a thing. She wasn't stuck in the middle of a seventeenth century drama anymore, and I had things under control. Sure, she didn't approve of the fact that I had chosen a half vampire, but she wouldn't have known who I was going to marry twenty years later. This contract was ludicrous.
His phone started ringing while we were discussing other options. When he glanced at the screen he told me he had to answer it.
It was time to speak to my parents about the letter. They had a right to know. Nathaniel had managed to convince Dad to stay away from the case, but for how long?
Mum had been worried about the fact that the wedding had to be postponed. Now I needed to let her know we’d made up. Dad was still pretty much overwhelmed with the number of times we’d broken up. I didn't need to confuse them anymore. For the next couple of minutes, I was forced to listen to rapid French. The only word I managed to pick up on was factory and money. Nathaniel was talking about his business. 
"I need to go; one of my suppliers is panicking. There are some transport issues in Calais," he said as soon as he hung up. 
“That's fine. I need to go home and take a shower anyway."
"I'll drop you on the way. Michael will be keeping an eye on you from now on. You can't take any chances, especially after what happened with that witch." 
Nathaniel had already made up his mind. I didn't need a bodyguard, but I was a little anxious knowing Jasper was still out there, hunting for me. Nathaniel didn't know I’d already made an arrangement with Michael.
"Michael? As in Kelsie’s boyfriend?" I asked, just to be sure. 
"Yes, you two already know each other and I think he’s proven to me that he can be trusted," Nathaniel said. 
In plain and simple English, it was either Michael or a bodyguard that Nathaniel would have picked.  
"Okay." 
It was pointless arguing about it. I gathered my things, and we left his apartment. I thanked Roberto for saving my life, but he smiled and said that he was only doing his job. Nathaniel was on the phone most of the time and I kept thinking about that stupid contract.
Anthony’s partner had found me in Tron’s house. I had no idea how to get in touch with him. Nathaniel kissed me and then dropped me home around four in the afternoon. His energy was darker than normal, and he didn't seem himself. I didn't ask him what was wrong, in case it had something to do with work. He promised to call as soon as he was free. I couldn't stop thinking about this stupid letter. I locked the door, then created protective charms around the doors and windows before I stripped off and headed to the shower.
I had multiple scratches and bruises down my arms and face. My back was sore as hell, and whenever I needed to bend, pain shot down my entire left side. I failed to ask Roberto what happened to the witch. I hoped she wasn't dead, but nothing was ever guaranteed when it came to trolls’ magic.  
I didn't need to be at work until Thursday. I made some food and sat down in the darkness wondering if I’d turned into a paranoid freak. Jasper wasn't dead. I was certain of it. I had hit him pretty hard, but Michael failed to find the body. It was clear from the very beginning the black magic messed with his head. He was freaking psycho.
I was sparkling like a Christmas tree, feeling that something was wrong. Nathaniel was acting kind of strange again and it worried me.  
I stretched my legs, pulling my tender muscles, thinking about my grandmother’s friends within the Association, when my phone started vibrating. Kelsie’s name was flashing on the screen. 
"You won't believe what happened to me yesterday," I told her. 
"Let me guess, you blew up your apartment?" she chuckled. I rolled my eyes. Of course, I had done this before.
"No, I was attacked in Tron’s house. Anthony’s girlfriend wanted to stick a knife in my throat." 
"What? You’re kidding." 
I sighed. "No, unfortunately I'm not. Roberto saved my arse. That girl, Anthony’s partner, went crazy, blaming me for what happened."
"You’re lucky he was around. God, when this will stop?" she muttered, probably reading my thoughts.
"Probably never. Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. I have some news, too. I'm texting you the address now. Meet me there in two hours… oh, and bring Ella." 
"What? Why?" 
"What do you mean, why? You asked me to get in touch with my friend in Scandinavia." 
"Yeah, sorry," I said, finally remembering our conversation in the car. After what happened I completely forgot about it. "Okay, I'm waiting for the address. I’ll pick her up on the way. Kelsie hung up and a minute later I received the text message. I checked Google maps and then dressed as quickly as I could. My excess magic surged down my back, and on top of that I had a splitting headache. I hadn't seen Ella since the funeral, and was worried she might be upset with me, because I hadn't made any progress, still having no information about Alex.
 I picked up my car keys and left my apartment on that gloomy Wednesday evening. Nathaniel didn't say I couldn't visit Ella. He couldn't possibly expect me to stay locked up in the house. Besides, I was going to be with Kelsie and Michael.
 The car park was empty, but my fingertips were beaming with light. I shoved my hands into my pockets and ran to my car. My heart was pounding loudly as I drove away from my street. 
These few words of encouragement didn't make me feel any better. Jasper was waiting for one small error. There was no way he would just give up on kidnapping me. The traffic tonight was horrendous, but eventually I made it to Ella’s house. We didn't have much time and I didn't want to be late for our meeting with Kelsie. 
Mrs. Jenkins opened the door. 
"Julia, how good to see you. How’ve you been? I'm so sorry about your grandmother." 
I smiled, keeping my hands behind me.  
"Thank you, Mrs. Jenkins. I'm okay, coping," I said. We chatted for a bit and then I went upstairs. Kelsie had never rushed me to do anything, so this was probably important. I used to come to visit Ella after work, worrying about my early days in the office, complaining about Jasper. Then, no one had ever tried to kill me, stab me or steal my power. I was much more relaxed then.
My best friend, Ella was sitting in front of a laptop. She had dyed her hair dark brown. 
"Hey, chicken," I said.  
"Hey, Julia. Is everything all right?"
"Yes, I'm fine. Kelsie called. She mentioned that she had a friend in Scandinavia who worked with the royal family. She wants to meet, and she asked me to bring you." 
Ella went a little pale. We hadn't brought up the issue of her blood since that trip to the registry office, and now I showed up without warning, wanting her to come with me to discuss the fact that she wasn't even human. I’d yet to reveal to her that Tron was back, too.
 "Okay. I’ve thought about it… you know. I’ve been going crazy, thinking the girls at work would notice I was magical," she said, putting her jacket on. “Maybe Kelsie will have some answers.”
I drove, using another spell to navigate me to the address Kelsie had given me. We were stuck in a traffic jam for about half an hour. I asked Ella to text Kelsie telling her we were running late. 
We reached Peckham, a part of the city that I had never visited before. I decided to leave the car on the street. Kelsie wanted us to meet in The Hunter’s Head; she’d mentioned it was a bar.
I promised Nathaniel that I was going to be responsible and walking through dodgy streets in the dark was the exact opposite. Luckily no one stopped us, and we managed to find the obscure bar within twenty minutes.
"Are you sure you have the right place?" Ella asked, when we heard a terrifying scream a few streets away. I sensed a strong current of powers near us. It was like a mass of paranormals were gathered in one place, throwing magical spells towards each other.
A group of bikers started whistling when we passed by, shouting some sexual remarks. We hurried inside, trying not to pay attention to any of them or the dodgy screams in the alleys. I needed to remember that I had Ella with me and I had to keep her safe. Kelsie had chosen a paranormal location, where humans were kept away for a reason.
 The bar was small with a couple of tables in the back, playing old-school music. I spotted Kelsie instantly. She was sitting with someone, and Michael was at the bar, keeping an eye on everything.
When we approached I felt instantly calm, less anxious. My excess magic wasn't bothering me anymore. It took me a moment to realise that I was facing a white fairy, the most pure-blooded kind. No wonder Kelsie picked this location. This white fairy was one of the few still alive.