BLOOD LINE

Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 19
CHAPTER 20
CHAPTER 21
CHAPTER 22
CHAPTER 23
CHAPTER 24
CHAPTER 25
CHAPTER 26
CHAPTER 27
Acknowledgements
Bloodlines
RAZORBILL
Published by the Penguin Group
Penguin Young Readers Group
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Copyright (c) 2011 Richelle Mead
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ISBN : 978-1-101-53554-7
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For Katie, Morganna,
and other fans of Adrian.
CHAPTER 1
I COULDN’T BREATHE.
There was a hand covering my mouth and another
shaking my shoulder, startling me out of a heavy sleep. A
thousand frantic thoughts dashed through my mind in the
space of a single heartbeat. It was happening. My worst
nightmare was coming true.
They’re here! They’ve come for me!
My eyes blinked, staring wildly around the dark room until
my father’s face came into focus. I stilled my thrashing,
thoroughly confused. He let go and stepped back to regard
me coldly. I sat up in the bed, my heart still pounding.
“Dad?”
“Sydney. You wouldn’t wake up.”
Naturally, that was his only apology for scaring me to
death.
“You need to get dressed and make yourself
presentable,” he continued. “Quickly and quietly. Meet me
downstairs in the study.”
I felt my eyes widen but didn’t hesitate with a response.
There was only one acceptable answer. “Yes, sir. Of
course.”
“I’ll go wake your sister.” He turned for the door, and I
leapt out of bed.
“Zoe?” I exclaimed. “What do you need her for?”
“Shh,” he chastised. “Hurry up and get ready. And
remember—be quiet. Don’t wake your mother.”
He shut the door without another word, leaving me
staring. The panic that had only just subsided began to
surge within me again. What did he need Zoe for? A latenight
wake-up meant Alchemist business, and she had
nothing to do with that. Technically, neither did I anymore,
not since I’d been put on indefinite suspension for bad
behavior this summer. What if that’s what this was about?
What if I was finally being taken to a re-education center
and Zoe was replacing me?
For a moment, the world swam around me, and I caught
hold of my bed to steady myself. Re-education centers.
They were the stuff of nightmares for young Alchemists like
me, mysterious places where those who grew too close to
vampires were dragged off to learn the errors of their ways.
What exactly went on there was a secret, one I never
wanted to find out. I was pretty sure “re-education” was a
nice way of saying “brainwashing.” I’d only ever seen one
person who had come back, and honestly, he’d seemed
like half a person after that. There’d been an almost
zombielike quality to him, and I didn’t even want to think
about what they might have done to make him that way.
My father’s urging to hurry up echoed back through my
mind, and I tried to shake off my fears. Remembering his
other warning, I also made sure I moved silently. My mother
was a light sleeper. Normally, it wouldn’t matter if she
caught us going off on Alchemist errands, but lately, she
hadn’t been feeling so kindly toward her husband’s (and
daughter’s) employers. Ever since angry Alchemists had
deposited me on my parents’ doorstep last month, this
household had held all the warmth of a prison camp.
Terrible arguments had gone down between my parents,
and my sister Zoe and I often found ourselves tiptoeing
around.
Zoe.
Why does he need Zoe?
The question burned through me as I scurried to get
ready. I knew what “presentable” meant. Throwing on jeans
and a T-shirt was out of the question. Instead, I tugged on
gray slacks and a crisp, white button-down shirt. A darker,
charcoal gray cardigan went over it, which I cinched neatly
at my waist with a black belt. A small gold cross—the one I
always wore around my neck—was the only ornamentation I
ever bothered with.
My hair was a slightly bigger problem. Even after only two
hours of sleep, it was already going in every direction. I
smoothed it down as best I could and then coated it with a
thick layer of hair spray in the hopes that it would get me
through whatever was to come. A light dusting of powder
was the only makeup I put on. I had no time for anything
more.
The entire process took me all of six minutes, which
might have been a new record for me. I sprinted down the
stairs in perfect silence, careful, again, to avoid waking my
mother. The living room was dark, but light spilled out past
the not-quiteshut door of my father’s study. Taking that as
an invitation, I pushed the door open and slipped inside. A
hushed conversation stopped at my entrance. My father
eyed me from head to toe and showed his approval at my
appearance in the way he knew best: by simply withholding
criticism.
“Sydney,” he said brusquely. “I believe you know Donna
Stanton.”
The formidable Alchemist stood near the window, arms
crossed, looking as tough and lean as I remembered. I’d
spent a lot of time with Stanton recently, though I would
hardly say we were friends—especially since certain
actions of mine had ended up putting the two of us under a
sort of “vampire house arrest.” If she harbored any
resentment toward me, she didn’t show it, though. She
nodded to me in polite greeting, her face all business.
Three other Alchemists were there as well, all men. They
were introduced to me as Barnes, Michaelson, and
Horowitz. Barnes and Michaelson were my father and
Stanton’s age. Horowitz was younger, mid-twenties, and
was setting up a tattooist’s tools. All of them were dressed
like me, wearing business casual clothing in nondescript
colors. Our goal was always to look nice but not attract
notice. The Alchemists had been playing Men in Black for
centuries, long before humans dreamed of life on other
worlds. When the light hit their faces the right way, each
Alchemist displayed a lily tattoo identical to mine.
Again, my unease grew. Was this some kind of
interrogation? An assessment to see if my decision to help
a renegade half-vampire girl meant my loyalties had
changed? I crossed my arms over my chest and schooled
my face to neutrality, hoping I looked cool and confident. If I
still had a chance to plead my case, I intended to present a
solid one.
Before anyone could utter another word, Zoe entered.
She shut the door behind her and peered around in terror,
her eyes wide. Our father’s study was huge—he’d built an
addition on to our house for it—and it easily held all the
occupants. But as I watched my sister take in the scene, I
knew she felt stifled and trapped. I met her eyes and tried to
send a silent message of sympathy. It must have worked
because she scurried to my side, looking only fractionally
less afraid.
“Zoe,” said my father. He let her name hang in the air in
this way he had, making it clear to both of us that he was
disappointed. I could immediately guess why. She wore
jeans and an old sweatshirt and had her brown hair in two
cute but sloppy braids. By any other person’s standards,
she would have been “presentable”—but not by his. I felt her
cower against me, and I tried to make myself taller and
more protective. After making sure his condemnation was
felt, our father introduced Zoe to the others. Stanton gave
her the same polite nod she’d given me and then turned
toward my father.
“I don’t understand, Jared,” said Stanton. “Which one of
them are you going to use?”
“Well, that’s the problem,” my father said. “Zoe was
requested … but I’m not sure she’s ready. In fact, I know
she isn’t. She’s only had the most basic of training. But in
light of Sydney’s recent … experiences …”
My mind immediately began to pull the pieces together.
First, and most importantly, it seemed I wasn’t going to be
sent to a re-education center. Not yet, at least. This was
about something else. My earlier suspicion was correct.
There was some mission or task afoot, and someone
wanted to sub in Zoe because she, unlike certain other
members of her family, had no history of betraying the
Alchemists. My father was right that she’d only received
basic instruction. Our jobs were hereditary, and I had been
chosen years ago as the next Alchemist in the Sage family.
My older sister, Carly, had been passed over and was now
away at college and too old. He’d taught Zoe as backup
instead, in the event something happened to me, like a car
accident or vampire mauling.
I stepped forward, not knowing what I was going to say
until I spoke. The only thing I knew for sure was that I could
not let Zoe get sucked into the Alchemists’ schemes. I
feared for her safety more than I did going to a re-education
center—and I was pretty afraid of that. “I spoke to a
committee about my actions after they happened,” I said. “I
was under the impression that they understood why I did the
things I did. I’m fully qualified to serve in whatever way you
need—much more so than my sister. I have real-world
experience. I know this job inside and out.”
“A little too much real-world experience, if memory
serves,” said Stanton dryly.
“I for one would like to hear these ‘reasons’ again,” said
Barnes, using his fingers to make air quotes. “I’m not
thrilled about tossing a half-trained girl out there, but I also
find it hard to believe someone who aided a vampire
criminal is ‘fully qualified to serve.’” More pretentious air
quotes.
I smiled back pleasantly, masking my anger. If I showed
my true emotions, it wouldn’t help my case. “I understand,
sir. But Rose Hathaway was eventually proven innocent of
the crime she’d been accused of. So, I wasn’t technically
aiding a criminal. My actions eventually helped find the real
murderer.”
“Be that as it may, we—and you—didn’t know she was
‘innocent’ at the time,” he said.
“I know,” I said. “But I believed she was.”
Barnes snorted. “And there’s the problem. You should’ve
believed what the Alchemists told you, not run off with your
own far-fetched theories. At the very least, you should’ve
taken what evidence you’d gathered to your superiors.”
Evidence? How could I explain that it wasn’t evidence
that had driven me to help Rose so much as a feeling in my
gut that she was telling the truth? But that was something I
knew they’d never understand. All of us were trained to
believe the worst of her kind. Telling them that I had seen
truth and honesty in her wouldn’t help my cause here.
Telling them that I’d been blackmailed into helping her by
another vampire was an even worse explanation. There
was only one argument that the Alchemists might possibly
be able to comprehend.
“I … I didn’t tell anyone because I wanted to get all the
credit for it. I was hoping that if I uncovered it, I could get a
promotion and a better assignment.”
It took every ounce of self-control I had to say that lie
straight-faced. I felt humiliated at making such an
admission. As though ambition would really drive me to
such extreme behaviors! It made me feel slimy and shallow.
But, as I’d suspected, this was something the other
Alchemists could understand.
Michaelson snorted. “Misguided, but not entirely
unexpected for her age.”
The other men shared equally condescending looks,
even my father. Only Stanton looked doubtful, but then,
she’d witnessed more of the fiasco than they had.
My father glanced among the others, waiting for further
comment. When none came, he shrugged. “If no one has
any objections, then, I’d rather we use Sydney. Not that I
even entirely understand what you need her for.” There was
a slightly accusing tone in his voice over not having been
filled in yet. Jared Sage didn’t like to be left out of the loop.
“I have no problem with using the older girl,” said Barnes.
“But keep the younger one around until the others get here,
in case they have any objections.” I wondered how many
“others” would be joining us. My father’s study was no
stadium. Also, the more people who came, the more
important this case probably was. My skin grew cold as I
wondered what the assignment could possibly be. I’d seen
the Alchemists cover up major disasters with only one or
two people. How colossal would something have to be to
require this much help?
Horowitz spoke up for the first time. “What do you want
me to do?”
“Re-ink Sydney,” said Stanton decisively. “Even if she
doesn’t go, it won’t hurt to have the spells reinforced. No
point in inking Zoe until we know what we’re doing with her.”
My eyes flicked to my sister’s noticeably bare—and pale
—cheeks. Yes. As long as there was no lily there, she was
free. Once the tattoo was emblazoned on your skin, there
was no going back. You belonged to the Alchemists.
The reality of that had only hit me in the last year or so. I’d
certainly never realized it while growing up. My father had
dazzled me from a very young age about the rightness of
our duty. I still believed in that rightness but wished he’d
also mentioned just how much of my life it would consume.
Horowitz had set up a folding table on the far side of my
father’s study. He patted it and gave me a friendly smile.
“Step right up,” he told me. “Get your ticket.”
Barnes shot him a disapproving look. “Please. You could
show a little respect for this ritual, David.”
Horowitz merely shrugged. He helped me lie down, and
though I was too afraid of the others to openly smile back, I
hoped my gratitude showed in my eyes. Another smile from
him told me he understood. Turning my head, I watched as
Barnes reverently set a black briefcase on a side table. The
other Alchemists gathered around and clasped their hands
together in front of them. He must be the hierophant, I
realized. Most of what the Alchemists did was rooted in
science, but a few tasks required divine assistance. After
all, our core mission to protect humanity was rooted in the
belief that vampires were unnatural and went against God’s
plan. That’s why hierophants—our priests—worked side by
side with our scientists.
“Oh Lord,” he intoned, closing his eyes. “Bless these
elixirs. Remove the taint of the evil they carry so that their
life-giving power shines through purely to us, your servants.”
He opened the briefcase and removed four small vials,
each filled with dark red liquid. Labels that I couldn’t read
marked each one. With a steady hand and practiced eye,
Barnes poured precise amounts from each vial into a larger
bottle. When he’d used all four, he produced a tiny packet
of powder that he emptied into the rest of the mix. I felt a
tingle in the air, and the bottle’s contents turned to gold. He
handed the bottle to Horowitz, who stood ready with a
needle. Everyone relaxed, the ceremonial part complete.
I obediently turned away, exposing my cheek. A moment
later, Horowitz’s shadow fell over me. “This will sting a little,
but nothing like when you originally got it. It’s just a touchup,”
he explained kindly.
“I know,” I said. I’d been re-inked before. “Thanks.”
The needle pricked my skin, and I tried not to wince. It did
sting, but like he’d said, Horowitz wasn’t creating a new
tattoo. He was simply injecting small amounts of the ink into
my existing tattoo, recharging its power. I took this as a
good sign. Zoe might not be out of danger yet, but surely
they wouldn’t go to the trouble of re-inking me if they were
just going to send me to a re-education center.
“Can you brief us on what’s happening while we’re
waiting?” asked my father. “All I was told was that you
needed a teen girl.” The way he said it made it sound like a
disposable role. I fought back a wave of anger at my father.
That’s all we were to him.
“We have a situation,” I heard Stanton say. Finally, I’d get
some answers. “With the Moroi.”
I breathed a small sigh of relief. Better them than the
Strigoi. Any “situation” the Alchemists faced always
involved one of the vampire races, and I’d take the living,
non-killing ones any day. They almost seemed human at
times (though I’d never tell anyone here that) and lived and
died like we did. Strigoi, however, were twisted freaks of
nature. They were undead, murderous vampires created
either when a Strigoi forcibly made a victim drink its blood
or when a Moroi purposely took the life of another through
blood drinking. A situation with the Strigoi usually ended
with someone dead.
All sorts of possible scenarios played through my mind
as I considered what issue had prompted action from the
Alchemists tonight: a human who had noticed someone
with fangs, a feeder who had escaped and gone public, a
Moroi treated by human doctors…. Those were the kinds of
problems we Alchemists faced the most, ones I had been
trained to handle and cover up with ease. Why they would
need “a teenage girl” for any of those, however, was a
mystery.
“You know that they elected their girl queen last month,”
said Barnes. I could practically see him rolling his eyes.
Everyone in the room murmured affirmatively. Of course
they knew about that. The Alchemists paid careful attention
to the political goings-on of the Moroi. Knowing what
vampires were doing was crucial to keeping them secret
from the rest of humanity—and keeping the rest of humanity
safe from them. That was our purpose, to protect our
brethren. Know thy enemy was taken very seriously with us.
The girl the Moroi had elected queen, Vasilisa Dragomir,
was eighteen, just like me.
“Don’t tense,” said Horowitz gently.
I hadn’t realized I had been. I tried to relax, but thinking of
Vasilisa Dragomir made me think of Rose Hathaway.
Uneasily, I wondered if maybe I shouldn’t have been so
quick to assume I was out of trouble here. Mercifully,
Barnes simply kept going with the story, not mentioning my
indirect connection to the girl queen and her associates.
“Well, as shocking as that is to us, it’s been just as
shocking to some of their own people. There’s been a lot of
protests and dissidence. No one’s tried to attack the
Dragomir girl, but that’s probably because she’s so well
guarded. Her enemies, it seems, have therefore found a
work-around: her sister.”
“Jill,” I said, speaking before I could stop myself. Horowitz
tsked me for moving, and I immediately regretted drawing
attention to myself and my knowledge of the Moroi.
Nevertheless, an image of Jillian Mastrano flashed into my
mind, tall and annoyingly slim like all Moroi, with big, pale
green eyes that always seemed nervous. And she had
good reason to be. At fifteen, Jill had discovered she was
Vasilisa’s illegitimate sister, making her the only other
member of their royal family’s line. She too was tied to the
mess I’d gotten myself into this summer.
“You know their laws,” continued Stanton, after a moment
of awkward silence. Her tone conveyed what we all thought
of Moroi laws. An elected monarch? It made no sense, but
what else could one expect from unnatural beings like
vampires? “And Vasilisa must have one family member in
order to hold her throne. Therefore, her enemies have
decided if they can’t directly remove her, they’ll remove her
family.”
A chill ran down my spine at the unspoken meaning, and I
again commented without thinking. “Did something happen
to Jill?” This time, I’d at least chosen a moment when
Horowitz was refilling his needle, so there was no danger of
messing up the tattoo.
I bit my lip to prevent myself from saying anything else,
imagining the chastisement in my father’s eyes. Showing
concern for a Moroi was the last thing I wanted to do,
considering my uncertain status. I didn’t have any strong
attachment to Jill, but the thought of someone trying to kill a
fifteen-year-old girl—the same age as Zoe—was appalling,
no matter what race she belonged to.
“That’s what’s unclear,” Stanton mused. “She was
attacked, we know that much, but we can’t tell if she
received any real injury. Regardless, she’s fine now, but the
attempt happened at their own Court, indicating they have
traitors at high levels.”
Barnes snorted in disgust. “What can you expect? How
their ridiculous race has managed to survive as long as
they have without turning on each other is beyond me.”
There were mutters of agreement.
“Ridiculous or not, though, we cannot have them in civil
war,” said Stanton. “Some Moroi have acted out in protest,
enough that they’ve caught the attention of human media.
We can’t allow that. We need their government stable, and
that means ensuring this girl’s safety. Maybe they can’t trust
themselves, but they can trust us.”
There was no use in my pointing out that the Moroi didn’t
really trust the Alchemists. But, since we had no interest in
killing off the Moroi monarch or her family, I supposed that
made us more trustworthy than some.
“We need to make the girl disappear,” said Michaelson.
“At least until the Moroi can undo the law that makes
Vasilisa’s throne so precarious. Hiding Mastrano with her
own people isn’t safe at the moment, so we need to
conceal her among humans.” Disdain dripped from his
words. “But it’s imperative she also remains concealed
from humans. Our race cannot know theirs exists.”
“After consultation with the guardians, we’ve chosen a
location we all believe will be safe for her—both from Moroi
and Strigoi,” said Stanton. “However, to make sure she—
and those with her—remain undetected, we’re going to
need Alchemists on hand, dedicated solely to her needs in
case any complications come up.”
My father scoffed. “That’s a waste of our resources. Not
to mention unbearable for whoever has to stay with her.”
I had a bad feeling about what was coming.
“This is where Sydney comes in,” said Stanton. “We’d
like her to be one of the Alchemists that accompanies
Jillian into hiding.”
“What?” exclaimed my father. “You can’t be serious.”
“Why not?” Stanton’s tone was calm and level. “They’re
close in age, so being together won’t raise suspicion. And
Sydney already knows the girl. Surely spending time with
her won’t be as ‘unbearable’ as it might be for other
Alchemists.”
The subtext was loud and clear. I wasn’t free of my past,
not yet. Horowitz paused and lifted the needle, allowing me
the chance to speak. My mind raced. Some response was
expected. I didn’t want to sound too upset by the plan. I
needed to restore my good name among the Alchemists
and show my willingness to follow orders. That being said, I
also didn’t want to sound as though I were too comfortable
with vampires or their half-human counterparts, the
dhampirs.
“Spending time with any of them is never fun,” I said
carefully, keeping my voice cool and haughty. “Doesn’t
matter how much you do it. But I’ll do whatever’s necessary
to keep us—and everyone else—safe.” I didn’t need to
explain that “everyone” meant humans.
“There, you see, Jared?” Barnes sounded pleased with
the answer. “The girl knows her duty. We’ve made a
number of arrangements already that should make things
run smoothly, and we certainly wouldn’t send her there
alone—especially since the Moroi girl won’t be alone
either.”
“What do you mean?” My father still didn’t sound happy
about any of this, and I wondered what was upsetting him
the most. Did he truly think I might be in danger? Or was he
simply worried that spending more time with the Moroi
would turn my loyalties even more? “How many of them are
coming?”
“They’re sending a dhampir,” said Michaelson. “One of
their guardians, which I really don’t have a problem with.
The location we’ve chosen should be Strigoi free, but if it’s
not, better they fight those monsters than us.” The
guardians were specially trained dhampirs who served as
bodyguards.
“There you are,” Horowitz told me, stepping back. “You
can sit up.”
I obeyed and resisted the urge to touch my cheek. The
only thing I felt from his work was the needle’s sting, but I
knew powerful magic was working its way through me,
magic that would give me a superhuman immune system
and prevent me from speaking about vampire affairs to
ordinary humans. I tried not to think about the other part,
about where that magic came from. The tattoos were a
necessary evil.
The others were still standing, not paying attention to me
—well, except for Zoe. She still looked confused and afraid
and kept glancing anxiously my way.
“There also may be another Moroi coming along,”
continued Stanton. “Honestly, I’m not sure why, but they
were very insistent he be with Mastrano. We told them the
fewer of them we had to hide, the better, but … well, they
seemed to think it was necessary and said they’d make
arrangements for him there. I think he’s some Ivashkov.
Irrelevant.”
“Where is there?” asked my father. “Where do you want
to send her?”
Excellent question. I’d been wondering the same thing.
My first full-time job with the Alchemists had sent me
halfway around the world, to Russia. If the Alchemists were
intent on hiding Jill, there was no telling what remote
location they’d send her to. For a moment, I dared to hope
we might end up in my dream city: Rome. Legendary works
of art and Italian food seemed like a good way to offset
paperwork and vampires.
“Palm Springs,” said Barnes.
“Palm Springs?” I echoed. That was not what I’d been
expecting. When I thought of Palm Springs, I thought of
movie stars and golf courses. Not exactly a Roman holiday,
but not the Arctic either.
A small, wry smile tugged at Stanton’s lips. “It’s in the
desert and receives a lot of sunlight. Completely
undesirable for Strigoi.”
“Wouldn’t it be undesirable for Moroi too?” I asked,
thinking ahead. Moroi didn’t incinerate in the sun like
Strigoi, but excessive exposure to it still made Moroi weak
and sick.
“Well, yes,” admitted Stanton. “But a little discomfort is
worth the safety it provides. So long as the Moroi spend
most of their time inside, it won’t be a problem. Plus, it’ll
discourage other Moroi from coming and—”
The sound of a car door opening and slamming outside
the window caught everyone’s attention. “Ah,” said
Michaelson. “There are the others. I’ll let them in.”
He slipped out of the study and presumably headed
toward the front door to admit whoever had arrived.
Moments later, I heard a new voice speaking as
Michaelson returned to us.
“Well, Dad couldn’t make it, so he just sent me,” the new
voice was saying.
The study door opened, and my heart stopped.
No, I thought. Anyone but him.
“Jared,” said the newcomer, catching sight of my father.
“Great to see you again.”
My father, who had barely spared me a glance all night,
actually smiled. “Keith! I’d been wondering how you’ve
been.” The two of them shook hands, and a wave of disgust
rolled through me.
“This is Keith Darnell,” said Michaelson, introducing him
to the others.
“Tom Darnell’s son?” asked Barnes, impressed. Tom
Darnell was a legendary leader among the Alchemists.
“The same,” said Keith cheerfully. He was about five
years older than me, with blond hair a shade lighter than
mine. I knew a lot of girls thought he was attractive. Me? I
found him vile. He was pretty much the last person I’d
expected to see here.
“And I believe you know the Sage sisters,” added
Michaelson.
Keith turned his blue eyes first to Zoe, eyes that were just
fractionally different from each other in color. One eye,
made of glass, stared blankly ahead and didn’t move at all.
The other one winked at her as his grin widened.
He can still wink, I thought furiously. That annoying,
stupid, condescending wink! But then, why wouldn’t he?
We’d all heard about the accident he’d had this year, an
accident that had cost him an eye. He’d still survived with
one good one, but somehow, in my mind, I’d thought the
loss of an eye would stop that infuriating winking.
“Little Zoe! Look at you, all grown up,” he said fondly. I’m
not a violent person, not by any means, but I suddenly
wanted to hit him for looking at my sister that way.
She managed a smile for him, clearly relieved to see a
familiar face here. When Keith turned toward me, however,
all that charm and friendliness vanished. The feeling was
mutual.
The burning, black hatred building up inside of me was
so overwhelming that it took me a moment to formulate any
sort of response. “Hello, Keith,” I said stiffly.
Keith didn’t even attempt to match my forced civility. He
immediately turned toward the senior Alchemists. “What is
she doing here?”
“We know you requested Zoe,” said Stanton levelly, “but
after consideration, we decided it would be best if Sydney
fulfill this role. Her experience dwarfs any concerns about
her past actions.”
“No,” said Keith swiftly, turning that steely blue gaze back
on me. “There is no way she can come, no way I’m trusting
some twisted vamp lover to screw this up for all of us.
We’re taking her sister.”
CHAPTER 2
A COUPLE OF PEOPLE GASPED, no doubt over Keith’s
use of the term “vamp lover.” Neither word was that terrible
in and of itself, but together … well, they represented an
idea that was pretty much anathema to all that the
Alchemists stood for. We fought to protect humans from
vampires. Being in league with those creatures was about
the vilest thing any of us could be accused of. Even while
questioning me earlier, the other Alchemists had been very
careful with their choice of language.
Keith’s usage was almost obscene. Horowitz looked
angry on my behalf and opened his mouth as though he
might make an equally biting retort. After a quick glance at
Zoe and me, he seemed to reconsider, and stayed silent.
Michaelson, however, couldn’t help himself from muttering,
“Protect us all.” He made the sign against evil.
Yet it wasn’t Keith’s name-calling that really set me off
(though that did certainly send a chill through me). It was
Stanton’s earlier offhand comment. We know you
requested Zoe.
Keith had requested Zoe for this assignment? My resolve
to keep her out of it grew by leaps and bounds. The thought
of her going off with him made me clench my fists.
Everyone here might think Keith Darnell was some kind of
poster child, but I knew better. No girl—let alone my sister
—should be left alone with him.
“Keith,” said Stanton, a gentle warning in her voice. “I can
respect your feelings, but you aren’t in a position to make
that call.”
He flushed. “Palm Springs is my post! I have every right
to dictate what goes on in my territory.”
“I can understand why you’d feel that way,” said my father.
Unbelievable. If Zoe or I had questioned authority like Keith
had, our father wouldn’t have hesitated to tell us our
“rights”—or rather, he’d tell us that we had none. Keith had
stayed with my family one summer—young Alchemists
sometimes did that while training—and my father had
grown to regard him like the son he’d never had. Even then,
there’d been a double standard between Keith and us.
Time and distance apparently hadn’t diminished that.
“Palm Springs may be your post,” said Stanton, “but this
assignment is coming from places in the organization that
are far above your reach. You’re essential for coordination,
yes, but you are by no means the ultimate authority here.”
Unlike me, I suspected Stanton had smacked a few people
in her day, and I think she wanted to do that to Keith now. It
was funny that she would become my defender, since I’d
been pretty sure she didn’t buy my story about using Rose
to advance my career.
Keith visibly calmed himself, wisely realizing a childish
outburst wasn’t going to get him anywhere. “I understand.
But I’m simply worried about the success of this mission. I
know both of the Sage girls. Even before Sydney’s
‘incident,’ I had serious concerns about her. I figured she’d
grow out of them, though, so I didn’t bother saying anything
at the time. I see now I was wrong. Back then, I actually
thought Zoe would have been a far better choice for the
family position. No offense, Jared.” He gave my father what
was probably supposed to be a charming smile.
Meanwhile, it was getting harder and harder to hide my
incredulity. “Zoe was eleven when you stayed with us,” I
said. “How in the world could you have drawn those
conclusions?” I didn’t buy for an instant that he’d had
“concerns” about me back then. No—scratch that. He’d
probably had concerns the last day he stayed with us, when
I confronted him about a dirty secret he’d been hiding. That,
I was almost certain, was what all of this was about. He
wanted me silenced. My adventures with Rose were simply
an excuse to get me out of the way.
“Zoe was always advanced for her age,” Keith said.
“Sometimes you can just tell.”
“Zoe’s never seen a Strigoi, let alone a Moroi! She’d
probably freeze up if she did. That’s true of most
Alchemists,” I pointed out. “Whoever you send is going to
have to be able to stand being around them, and no matter
what you think of my reasons, I’m used to them. I don’t like
them, but I know how to tolerate them. Zoe hasn’t had
anything but the most basic of instruction—and that’s all
been in our home. Everyone keeps saying this is a serious
assignment. Do you really want to risk its outcome because
of inexperience and unsubstantiated fears?” I finished,
proud of myself for staying calm and making such a
reasoned argument.
Barnes shifted uneasily. “But if Keith had doubts years
ago …”
“Zoe’s training is still probably enough to get by,” said my
father.
Five minutes ago, my father had endorsed me going
instead of her! Was anyone here even listening to me? It
was like I was invisible now that Keith was here. Horowitz
had been busily cleaning and putting away his tattooing
tools but looked up to scoff at Barnes’s remark.
“You said the magic words: ‘years ago.’ Keith couldn’t
have been much older than these girls are now.” Horowitz
shut his tool case and leaned casually against the wall,
arms crossed. “I don’t doubt you, Keith. Not exactly. But I’m
not really sure you can base your opinion of her off
memories from when you were all children.”
By Horowitz’s logic, he was saying I was still a child, but I
didn’t care. He’d delivered his comments in an effortless,
easy way that nonetheless left Keith looking like an idiot.
Keith knew it, too, and turned bright red.
“I concur,” said Stanton, who was clearly getting
impatient. “Sydney wants this badly, and few would,
considering it means she’ll actually have to live with a
vampire.”
Want it badly? Not exactly. But I did want to protect Zoe
at all costs and restore my credibility. If it meant thwarting
Keith Darnell along the way, then so much the—
“Wait,” I said, replaying Stanton’s words. “Did you say
live with a vampire?”
“Yes,” said Stanton. “Even if she’s in hiding, the Moroi girl
still has to have some semblance of a normal life. We
figured we’d kill two birds with one stone and enroll her in a
private boarding school. Take care of her education and
lodging. We would make arrangements for you to be her
roommate.”
“Wouldn’t that mean … wouldn’t that mean I’d have to go
to school?” I asked, feeling a little puzzled now. “I already
graduated.” High school, at least. I’d made it clear a
number of times to my father that I’d love to go to college.
He’d made it equally clear that he didn’t feel there was a
need.
“You see?” said Keith, jumping on the opportunity. “She’s
too old. Zoe’s a better age match.”
“Sydney can pass for a senior. She’s the right age.”
Stanton gave me a once-over. “Besides, you were
homeschooled, right? This’ll be a new experience for you.
You can see what you were missing.”
“It would probably be easy for you,” said my father
grudgingly. “Your education was superior to anything they
can offer.” Nice backhanded compliment, Dad.
I was afraid to show how uneasy this deal was making
me. My resolve to look out for Zoe and myself hadn’t
changed, but the complications just kept growing. Repeat
high school. Live with a vampire. Keep her in witness
protection. And even though I’d talked up how comfortable I
was around vampires, the thought of sharing a room with
one—even a seemingly benign one like Jill—was
unnerving. Another woe occurred to me.
“Would you be an undercover student too?” I asked
Keith. The idea of lending him class notes made me
nauseous again.
“Of course not,” he said, sounding insulted. “I’m too old.
I’ll be the Local Area Mission Liaison.” I was willing to bet
he’d just made that title up on the spot. “My job is to help
coordinate the assignment and report back to our
superiors. And I’m not going to do it if she’s the one there.”
He looked from face to face as he spoke that last line, but
there was no question who she was. Me.
“Then don’t,” said Stanton bluntly. “Sydney is going.
That’s my decision, and I’ll argue it to any higher authority
you want to take it to. If you are so against her placement,
Mr. Darnell, I will personally see that you are transferred out
of Palm Springs and don’t have to deal with her at all.”
All eyes swiveled to Keith, and he hesitated. She’d
caught him in a trap, I realized. I had to imagine that with its
climate, Palm Springs didn’t see a lot of vampire action.
Keith’s job there was probably pretty easy, whereas when
I’d worked in St. Petersburg, I’d been constantly having to
do damage control. That place was a vampire haven, as
were some of the other places in Europe and Asia my
father had taken me to visit. Don’t even get me started
about Prague. If Keith were transferred, he took the risk of
not only getting a bigger workload but also of being in a
much worse location. Because although Palm Springs
wasn’t desirable for vampires, it sounded kind of awesome
for humans.
Keith’s face confirmed as much. He didn’t want to leave
Palm Springs. “What if she goes there, and I have reason
to suspect her of treason again?”
“Then report her,” said Horowitz, shifting restlessly. He
obviously wasn’t impressed with Keith. “The same as you
would anyone.”
“I can increase some of Zoe’s training in the meantime,”
said my father, almost as an apology to Keith. It was clear
whose side my father was on. It wasn’t mine. It wasn’t even
Zoe’s, really. “Then, if you find fault with Sydney, we can
replace her.”
I bristled at the thought of Keith being the one to decide if
I had faults, but that didn’t bother me nearly as much as the
thought of Zoe still being tied to this. If my father was
keeping her on standby, then she wasn’t out of danger yet.
The Alchemists could still have their hooks in her—as could
Keith. I vowed then that no matter what it took, even if I had
to handfeed him grapes, I would make sure Keith had no
reason to doubt my loyalties.
“Fine,” he said, the word seeming to cause him a lot of
pain. “Sydney can go … for now. But I’ll be watching you.”
He fixed his gaze on me. “And I’m not going to cover for
you. You’ll be responsible for keeping that vampire girl in
line and getting her to her feedings.”
“Feedings?” I asked blankly. Of course. Jill would need
blood. For a moment, all my confidence wavered. It was
easy to talk about hanging out with vampires when none
were around. Easier still when you didn’t think about what it
was that made vampires who they were. Blood. That
terrible, unnatural need that fueled their existence. An awful
thought sprang into my mind, vanishing as quickly as it
came. Am I supposed to give her my blood? No. That was
ridiculous. That was a line the Alchemists would never
cross. Swallowing, I tried to conceal my brief moment of
panic. “How do you plan on feeding her?”
Stanton nodded to Keith. “Would you explain?” I think she
was giving him a chance to feel important, as a way of
making up for his earlier defeat. He ran with it.
“There’s only one Moroi we know of living in Palm
Springs,” said Keith. As he spoke, I noticed that his tousled
blond hair was practically coated in gel. It gave his hair a
slimy shine that I didn’t think was attractive in the least.
Also, I didn’t trust any guy who used more styling products
than I did. “And if you ask me, he’s crazy. But he’s harmless
crazy—inasmuch as any of them are harmless. He’s this
old recluse who lives outside the city. He’s got this hang-up
about the Moroi government and doesn’t associate with
any of them, so he isn’t going to tell anyone you guys are
there. Most importantly, he’s got a feeder he’s willing to
share.”
I frowned. “Do we really want Jill hanging out with some
anti-government Moroi? The whole purpose is to keep
them stable. If we introduce her to some rebel, how do we
know he won’t try to use her?”
“That’s an excellent point,” said Michaelson, seeming
surprised to admit as much.
I hadn’t meant to undermine Keith. My mind had just
jumped ahead in this way it had, spotting a potential
problem and pointing it out. From the look he gave me,
though, it was like I was purposely trying to discredit his
statement and make him look bad.
“We won’t tell him who she is, obviously,” he said, a glint
of anger in his good eye. “That would be stupid. And he’s
not part of any faction. He’s not part of anything. He’s
convinced the Moroi and their guardians let him down, so
he wants nothing to do with any of them. I’ve passed a story
to him about how Jill’s family has the same antisocial
feelings, so he’s sympathetic.”
“You’re right to be wary, Sydney,” said Stanton. There
was a look of approval in her eyes, like she was pleased at
having defended me. That approval meant a lot to me,
considering how fierce she often seemed. “We can’t
assume anything about any of them. Although we also
checked out this Moroi with Abe Mazur, who concurs he’s
harmless enough.”
“Abe Mazur?” scoffed Michaelson. He scratched at his
graying beard. “Yes. I’m sure he’d be an expert on who’s
harmless or not.”
My heart lurched at the name, but I tried not to show it. Do
not react, do not react, I ordered my face. After a deep
breath, I asked very, very carefully, “Is Abe Mazur the Moroi
who’s going with Jill? I’ve met him before … but I thought
you said it was an Ivashkov who was going.” If Abe Mazur
was in residence in Palm Springs, that would alter things
significantly.
Michaelson scoffed. “No, we’d never send you off with
Abe Mazur. He’s simply been helping with the organization
of this plan.”
“What’s so bad about Abe Mazur?” asked Keith. “I don’t
know who he is.”
I studied Keith very closely as he spoke, looking for
some trace of deception. But, no. His face was all
innocence, openly curious. His blue eyes—or eye, rather—
held a rare look of confusion, contrasting with the usual
know-it-all arrogance. Abe’s name meant nothing to him. I
exhaled a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding.
“A scoundrel,” said Stanton flatly. “He knows far too much
about things he shouldn’t. He’s useful, but I don’t trust him.”
A scoundrel? That was an understatement. Abe Mazur
was a Moroi whose nickname in Russia—zmey, the
serpent—said it all. Abe had done a number of favors for
me, ones I’d had to pay back at considerable risk to myself.
Part of that payback had been helping Rose escape. Well,
he’d called it payback; I called it blackmail. I had no desire
to cross paths with him again, mostly because I was afraid
of what he’d ask for next. The frustrating part was that there
was no one I could go to for help. My superiors wouldn’t
react well to learning that, in addition to all my other solo
activities with vampires, I was making side deals with them.
“None of them are to be trusted,” my father pointed out.
He made the Alchemist sign against evil, drawing a cross
on his left shoulder with his right hand.
“Yes, well, Mazur’s worse than most,” said Michaelson.
He stifled a yawn, reminding all of us that it was the middle
of the night. “Are we all set, then?”
There were murmurs of assent. Keith’s stormy
expression displayed how unhappy he was at not getting
his way, but he made no more attempts to stop me from
going. “I guess we can leave anytime now,” he said.
It took me a second to realize that the “we” meant him
and me. “Right now?” I asked in disbelief.
He shrugged. “The vampires are going to be on their way
soon. We need to make sure everything’s set up for them. If
we switch off driving, we can be there by tomorrow
afternoon.”
“Great,” I said stiffly. A road trip with Keith. Ugh. But what
else could I say? I had no choice in this, and even if I did, I
was in no position to turn down anything the Alchemists
asked of me now. I’d played every card I had tonight, and I
had to believe being with Keith was better than a reeducation
center. Besides, I’d just fought a hard battle to
prove myself and spare Zoe. I had to continue showing I
was up for anything.
My father sent me off to pack with the same briskness
he’d ordered me to make myself presentable earlier. I left
the others talking and scurried quietly up to my room, still
conscious of my sleeping mother. I was an expert in
packing quickly and efficiently, thanks to surprise trips my
father had sprung on me throughout my childhood. In fact, I
always had a bag of toiletries packed and ready to go. The
problem wasn’t so much in speed as it was in wondering
how much to pack. The length of time for this assignment
hadn’t been specified, and I had the uneasy feeling that no
one actually knew. Were we talking about a few weeks? An
entire school year? I’d heard someone mention the Moroi
wanting to repeal the law that endangered Jill, but that
seemed like the kind of legal process that could take a
while. To make things worse, I didn’t even know what to
wear to high school. The only thing I was certain of was that
the weather would be hot. I ended up packing ten of my
lightest outfits and hoped I’d be able to do laundry.
“Sydney?”
I was putting my laptop in a messenger bag when Zoe
appeared in my doorway. She’d redone her braids so that
they were neater, and I wondered if it had been an attempt
to impress our father. “Hey,” I said, smiling at her. She
slipped into the room and shut the door behind her. I was
glad she’d come to say goodbye. I would miss her and
wanted her to know that—
“Why did you do that to me?” she demanded before I
could get a word out. “Do you know how humiliated I am?”
I was taken aback, speechless for a few moments. “I …
what are you talking about? I was trying to—”
“You made me sound incompetent!” she said. I was
astonished to see the glint of tears in her eyes. “You went
on and on about how I didn’t have any experience and
couldn’t handle doing what you and Dad do! I looked like an
idiot in front of all those Alchemists. And Keith.”
“Keith Darnell is no one you need to worry about
impressing,” I said quickly, trying to control my temper.
Seeing her stormy face, I sighed and replayed the
conversation in the study. I hadn’t been trying to make Zoe
look bad so much as do whatever I could to make sure I
was the one sent away. I’d had no clue she would take it
like this. “Look, I wasn’t trying to embarrass you. I was trying
to protect you.”
She gave a harsh laugh, and the anger sounded weird
coming from someone as gentle as Zoe. “Is that what you
call it? You even said yourself that you were trying to get a
promotion!”
I grimaced. Yes, I had said that. But I could hardly tell her
the truth. No human knew the truth about why I’d helped
Rose. Lying to my own kind—especially my sister—pained
me, but there was nothing I could do. As usual, I felt trapped
in the middle. So, I dodged the comment.
“You were never intended to be an Alchemist,” I said.
“There are better things for you out there.”
“Because I’m not as smart as you?” she asked.
“Because I don’t speak five languages?”
“That has nothing to do with it,” I snapped. “Zoe, you’re
wonderful, and you’d probably make a great Alchemist! But
believe me, the Alchemist life … you don’t want any part of
it.” I wanted to tell her that she’d hate it. I wanted to tell her
that she’d never be responsible for her own future or get to
make her own decisions again. But my sense of duty
prevented me, and I stayed silent.
“I’d do it,” she said. “I’d help protect us from vampires …
if Dad wanted me to.” Her voice wavered a little, and I
suddenly wondered what was really fueling her desire to be
an Alchemist.
“If you want to get close to Dad, find another way. The
Alchemist cause might be a good one, but once you’re in it,
they own you.” I wished I could explain to her how it felt. “You
don’t want this life.”
“Because you want it all for yourself?” she demanded.
She was a few inches shorter than me but filled with so
much fury and fierceness right now that she seemed to take
up the room.
“No! I don’t—you don’t understand,” I finally said. I wanted
to throw my hands up in exasperation but held back, as
always.
The look she gave me nearly turned me to ice. “Oh, I think
I understand perfectly.” She turned around abruptly and
hurried out the door, still managing to move quietly. Her fear
of our father overpowered her anger at me.
I stared at where she’d been standing and felt terrible.
How could she have thought I was really trying to steal all
the glory and make her look bad? Because that’s exactly
what you said, a voice inside me pointed out. I supposed it
was true, but I’d never expected her to be offended. I’d
never known she had any interest in being one of the
Alchemists. Even now, I wondered if her desire was more
about being a part of something and proving herself to our
father than it was about really wishing she’d been chosen
for this task.
Whatever her reasons, there was nothing to be done for
it now. I might not like the heavy-handed way the Alchemists
had dealt with me, but I still fiercely believed in what they
were doing to protect humans from vampires. And I
definitely believed in keeping Jill safe from her own people
if it meant avoiding a massive civil war. I could do this job
and do it well. And Zoe—she would be free to pursue
whatever she wanted in life.
“What took you so long?” my father asked when I
returned to the study. My conversation with Zoe had
delayed me a couple minutes, which was two minutes too
long for him. I didn’t attempt to answer.
“I’m ready to go whenever you are,” Keith told me. His
mood had shifted while I was upstairs. Friendliness oozed
from him now, so strongly that it was a wonder everyone
didn’t recognize it as fake. He’d apparently decided to try a
more pleasant attitude around me, either in the hopes of
impressing the others or sucking up to me so that I wouldn’t
reveal what I knew about him. Yet even as he wore that
plastic smile, there was a stiffness in his posture and the
way he crossed his arms that told me—if no else—that he
was no happier about being thrown together than I was. “I
can even do most of the driving.”
“I don’t mind doing my share,” I said, trying to avoid
glancing at his glass eye. I also wasn’t comfortable being
driven by someone with faulty depth perception.
“I’d like to speak to Sydney in private before she goes, if
that’s all right,” my father said.
No one had a problem with that, and he led me into the
kitchen, shutting the door behind us. We stood quietly for a
few moments, simply facing each other with arms crossed. I
suddenly dared to hope that maybe he’d come to tell me he
was sorry for how things had been between us this last
month, that he forgave me and loved me. Honestly, I
would’ve been happy if he’d simply wanted a private,
fatherly goodbye.
He peered down at me intently, his brown eyes so
identical to mine. I hoped mine never had such a cold look
in them. “I don’t have to tell you how important this is for you,
for all of us.”
So much for fatherly affection.
“No, sir,” I said. “You don’t.”
“I don’t know if you can undo the disgrace you brought
down on us by running off with them, but this is a step in the
right direction. Do not mess this up. You’re being tested.
Follow your orders. Keep the Moroi girl out of trouble.” He
sighed and ran a hand through his dark blond hair, which I’d
also inherited. Strange, I thought, that we had so many
things in common … yet were so completely different.
“Thank God Keith is with you. Follow his lead. He knows
what he’s doing.”
I stiffened. There was that note of pride in his voice
again, like Keith was the greatest thing walking the earth.
My father had seen to it that my training was thorough, but
when Keith had stayed with us, my father had taken him on
trips and lessons I’d never been part of. My sisters and I
had been furious. We’d always suspected that our father
regretted having only daughters, and that had been proof.
But it wasn’t jealousy that made my blood boil and teeth
clench now.
For a moment, I thought, What if I tell him what I know?
What will he think of his golden boy then? But staring into
my father’s hard eyes, I answered my own question: No
one would believe me. That was immediately followed by
the memory of another voice and a girl’s frightened,
pleading face staring at me with big brown eyes. Don’t tell,
Sydney. Whatever you do, don’t tell what Keith did. Don’t
tell anyone. I couldn’t betray her like that.
My father was still waiting for an answer. I swallowed and
nodded. “Yes, sir.”
He raised his eyebrows, clearly pleased, and gave me a
rough pat on the shoulder. It was the closest he’d come to
real affection in a while. I flinched, both from surprise and
because of how rigid I was with frustration. “Good.” He
moved toward the kitchen door and then paused to glance
back at me. “Maybe there’s hope for you yet.”
CHAPTER 3
THE DRIVE TO PALM SPRINGS WAS AGONY.
I was exhausted from being dragged out of bed, and
even when Keith took over the wheel, I couldn’t fall asleep. I
had too much on my mind: Zoe, my reputation, the mission
at hand…. My thoughts spun in circles. I just wanted to fix all
the problems in my life. Keith’s driving did nothing to make
me less anxious.
I was also upset because my father hadn’t let me say
goodbye to my mom. He’d gone on and on about how we
should just let her sleep, but I knew the truth. He was afraid
that if she knew I was leaving, she’d try to stop us. She’d
been furious after my last mission: I’d gone halfway around
the world alone, only to be returned with no clue as to what
my future held. My mom had thought the Alchemists had
used me badly and had told my dad it was just as well they
seemed to be done with me. I don’t know if she really
could’ve stood in the way of tonight’s plans, but I didn’t want
to take my chances in case Zoe got sent instead of me. I
certainly hadn’t expected a warm and fuzzy farewell from
him, but it felt strange leaving on such unsettled terms with
my sister and mother.
When dawn came, briefly turning the desert landscape of
Nevada into a blazing sea of red and copper, I gave up on
sleep altogether and decided to just power through. I
bought a twenty-four-ounce cup of coffee from a gas station
and assured Keith I could drive us the rest of the way. He
gladly gave up the wheel, but rather than sleep, he bought
coffee as well and chatted me up for the remaining hours.
He was still going strong with his new we’re-friends attitude,
almost making me wish for his earlier animosity. I was
determined not to give him any cause to doubt me, so I
worked hard to smile and nod appropriately. It was kind of
hard to do while constantly gritting my teeth.
Some of the conversation wasn’t so bad. I could handle
business talk, and we had plenty of details to still work out.
He told me all he knew about the school, and I ate up his
description of my future home. Amberwood Preparatory
School was apparently a prestigious place, and I idly
wondered if maybe I could treat it as pretend college. By
Alchemist standards, I knew all I needed for my job, but
something in me always burned for more and more
knowledge. I’d had to learn to content myself with my own
reading and research, but still, college—or even just being
around those who knew more and had something to teach
me—had long been a fantasy of mine.
As a “senior,” I would have off-campus privileges, and
one of our first orders of business—after securing fake IDs
—was to get me a car. Knowing I wouldn’t be trapped at a
boarding school made things a bit more bearable, even
though it was obvious that half of Keith’s enthusiasm for
getting me my own transportation was to make sure I could
shoulder any work that came along with the job.
Keith also enlightened me about something I hadn’t
realized—but probably should have. “You and that Jill girl
are being enrolled as sisters,” he said.
“What?” It was a measure of my self-control that my hold
on the car never wavered. Living with a vampire was one
thing—but being related to one? “Why?” I demanded.
I saw him shrug in my periphery. “Why not? It explains
why you’ll be around her so much—and is a good excuse
for you to be roommates. Normally, the school doesn’t pair
students who are different ages, but … well … your
‘parents’ promised a hefty donation that made them
change their normal policy.”
I was so stunned that I didn’t even have my normal gut
reaction to slap him when he concluded with his selfsatisfied
chuckle. I’d known we’d be living together … but
sisters? It was … weird. No, not just that. Outlandish.
“That’s crazy,” I said at last, still too shocked to come up
with a more eloquent response.
“It’s just on paper,” he said.
True. But something about being cast as a vampire
relative threw my whole order off. I prided myself on the way
I’d learned to behave around vampires, but part of that
came from the strict belief that I was an outsider, a
business associate distinct and removed. Playacting as
Jill’s sister destroyed those lines. It brought about a
familiarity that I wasn’t sure I was ready for.
“Living with one of them shouldn’t be so bad for you,”
Keith commented, drumming his fingers against the
window in a way that put my nerves on edge. Something
about the too-casual way he spoke made me think he was
leading me into a trap. “You’re used to it.”
“Hardly,” I said, choosing my words carefully. “I was with
them for a week at most. And actually, most of my time was
spent with dhampirs.”
“Same difference,” he replied dismissively. “If anything,
the dhampirs are worse. They’re abominations. Not human,
but not full vampires. Products of unnatural unions.”
I didn’t respond right away and instead pretended to be
deeply interested in the road ahead. What he said was
true, by Alchemist teaching. I’d been raised believing that
both races of vampires, Moroi and Strigoi, were dark and
wrong. They needed blood to survive. What kind of person
drank from another? It was disgusting, and just thinking
about how I’d soon be ferrying Moroi to their feedings
made me ill.
But the dhampirs … that was a trickier matter. Or at
least, it was for me now. The dhampirs were half human
and half vampire, created at a time when the two races had
mingled freely. Over the centuries, vampires had pulled
away from humans, and both of our races now agreed that
those kinds of unions were taboo. The dhampir race had
persisted against all odds, however, in spite of the fact that
dhampirs couldn’t reproduce with each other. They could
with Moroi or humans, and plenty of Moroi were up to the
task.
“Right?” asked Keith.
I realized he was staring at me, waiting for me to agree
with him about dhampirs being abominations—or maybe
he was hoping I would disagree. Regardless, I’d been quiet
for too long.
“Right,” I said. I mustered the standard Alchemist
rhetoric. “In some ways, they’re worse than the Moroi. Their
race was never meant to exist.”
“You scared me there for a second,” Keith said. I was
watching the road but had a sneaking suspicion he’d just
winked at me. “I thought you were going to defend them. I
should’ve known better than to believe the stories about
you. I can totally get why you’d want to gamble at the glory—
but man, that had to have been harsh, trying to work with
one of them.”
I couldn’t explain how once you’d spent a little time with
Rose Hathaway, it was easy to forget she was a dhampir.
Even physically, dhampirs and humans were virtually
indistinguishable. Rose was so full of life and passion that
sometimes she seemed more human than I was. Rose
certainly wouldn’t have meekly accepted this job with a
simpering, “Yes, sir.” Not like me.
Rose hadn’t even accepted being locked in jail, with the
weight of the Moroi government against her. Abe Mazur’s
blackmail had been a catalyst that spurred me to help her,
but I’d also never believed that Rose had committed the
murder they’d accused her of. That certainty, along with our
fragile friendship, had driven me to break Alchemist rules to
help Rose and her dhampir boyfriend, the formidable
Dimitri Belikov, elude the authorities. Throughout it all, I’d
watched Rose with a kind of wonder as she battled the
world. I couldn’t envy someone who wasn’t human, but I
could certainly envy her strength—and refusal to back
down, no matter what.
But again, I could hardly tell Keith any of that. And I still
didn’t believe for an instant, despite his sunny act, that he
was suddenly okay with me coming along.
I gave a small shrug. “I thought it was worth the risk.”
“Well,” he said, seeing I wasn’t going to offer anything
more. “The next time you decide to go rogue with vampires
and dhampirs, get a little backup so you don’t get in as
much trouble.”
I scoffed. “I have no intention of going rogue again.” That,
at least, was the truth.
We reached Palm Springs late in the afternoon and got
to work immediately with our tasks. I was dying for sleep by
that point, and even Keith—despite his talkativeness—
looked a little worn around the edges. But we’d gotten the
word that Jill and her entourage were arriving tomorrow,
leaving very little time to put the remaining details in place.
A visit to Amberwood Prep revealed that my “family” was
expanding. Apparently, the dhampir coming with Jill was
enrolling as well and would be playing our brother. Keith
was also going to be our brother. When I questioned that,
he explained that we needed someone local to act as our
legal guardian should Jill or any of us need to be pulled
from school or granted some privilege. Since our fictitious
parents lived out of state, getting results from him would be
faster. I couldn’t fault the logic, even though I found being
related to him more repulsive than having dhampirs or
vampires in the family. And that was saying a lot.
Later on, a driver’s license from a reputable fake ID
maker declared that I was now Sydney Katherine Melrose,
from South Dakota. We chose South Dakota because we
figured the locals didn’t see too many licenses from that
state and wouldn’t be able to spot any flaws in it. Not that I
expected there to be. The Alchemists didn’t associate with
people who did second-rate work. I also liked the picture of
Mount Rushmore on the license. It was one of the few
places in the United States that I’d never been.
The day wrapped up with what I had most been looking
forward to: a trip to a car dealer. Keith and I did almost as
much haggling with each other as we did with the
salesman. I’d been raised to be practical and keep my
emotions in check, but I loved cars. That was one of the few
legacies I’d picked up from my mom. She was a mechanic,
and some of my best childhood memories were of working
in the garage with her.
I especially had a weakness for sports cars and vintage
cars, the kinds with big engines that I knew were bad for the
environment—but that I guiltily loved anyway. Those were
out of the question for this job, though. Keith argued that I
needed something that could hold everyone, as well as any
cargo—and that wouldn’t attract a lot of attention. Once
more, I conceded to his reasoning like a good little
Alchemist.
“But I don’t see why it has to be a station wagon,” I told
him.
Our shopping had led us down to a new Subaru Outback
that met most of his requirements. My car instincts told me
the Subaru would do what I needed. It would handle well
and had a decent engine, for what it was. And yet …
“I feel like a soccer mom,” I said. “I’m too young for that.”
“Soccer moms drive vans,” Keith told me. “And there’s
nothing wrong with soccer.”
I scowled. “Does it have to be brown, though?”
It did, unless we wanted a used one. As much as I
would’ve liked something in blue or red, the newness took
precedence. My fastidious nature didn’t like the idea of
driving “someone else’s” car. I wanted it to be mine—shiny,
new, and clean. So, we made the deal, and I, Sydney
Melrose, became the proud owner of a brown station
wagon. I named it Latte, hoping my love of coffee would
soon transfer to the car.
Once our errands were done, Keith left me for his
apartment in downtown Palm Springs. He offered to let me
stay there as well, but I’d politely refused and gotten a hotel
room, grateful for the Alchemists’ deep pockets. Honestly, I
would’ve paid with my own money to save me from
sleeping under the same roof as Keith Darnell.
I ordered a light dinner up to my room, relishing the alone
time after all those hours in the car with Keith. Then I
changed into pajamas and decided to call my mom. Even
though I was glad to be free of my dad’s disapproval for a
while, I would miss having her around.
“Those are good cars,” she told me after I began the call
by explaining my trip to the dealership. My mother had
always been a free spirit, which was an unlikely match for
someone like my dad. While he’d been teaching me
chemical equations, she’d showed me how to change my
own oil. Alchemists didn’t have to marry other Alchemists,
but I was baffled by whatever forces had drawn my parents
together. Maybe my father had been less uptight when he
was younger.
“I guess,” I said, knowing I sounded sullen. My mother
was one of the few people I could be anything less than
perfect or content around. She was a big advocate of
letting your feelings out. “I think I’m just annoyed that I didn’t
have much say in it.”
“Annoyed? I’m furious that he didn’t even talk to me
about it,” she huffed. “I can’t believe he just smuggled you
out like that! You’re my daughter, not some commodity that
he can just move around.” For a moment, my mother
reminded me weirdly of Rose—both possessed that
unflinching tendency to say what was on their minds. That
ability seemed strange and exotic to me, but sometimes—
when I thought about my own carefully controlled and
reserved nature—I wondered if maybe I was the weird one.
“He didn’t know all the details,” I said, automatically
defending him. With my father’s temper, if my parents were
mad at each other, then life at home would be unpleasant
for Zoe—not to mention my mom. Better to ensure peace.
“They hadn’t told him everything.”
“I hate them sometimes.” There was a growl in my mom’s
voice. “Sometimes I hate him too.”
I wasn’t sure what to say to that. I resented my father,
sure, but he was still my father. A lot of the hard choices he
made were because of the Alchemists, and I knew that no
matter how stifled I felt sometimes, the Alchemists’ job was
important. Humans had to be protected from the existence
of vampires. Knowing vampires existed would create a
panic. Worse, it could drive some weak-willed humans into
becoming slaves to the Strigoi in exchange for immortality
and the eventual corruption of their souls. It happened more
often than we liked to admit.
“It’s fine, Mom,” I said soothingly. “I’m fine. I’m not in
trouble anymore, and I’m in the U.S. even.” Actually, I wasn’t
sure if the “trouble” part was really true, but I thought the
latter would soothe her. Stanton had told me to keep our
location in Palm Springs secret, but giving up that we were
domestic wouldn’t hurt too much and might make my mom
think I had an easier job ahead of me than I likely did. She
and I talked a little bit more before hanging up, and she told
me she’d heard from my sister Carly. All was well with her
at college, which I was relieved to hear. I wanted
desperately to find out about Zoe as well but resisted
asking to talk to her. I was afraid that if she got on the
phone, I’d find out she was still mad at me. Or, worse, that
she wouldn’t speak to me at all.
I went to bed feeling melancholy, wishing I could have
poured out all my fears and insecurities to my mom. Wasn’t
that what normal mothers and daughters did? I knew she
would’ve welcomed it. I was the one who had trouble letting
myself go, too wrapped up in Alchemist secrets to be a
normal teenager.
After a long sleep, and with the morning sunlight
streaming through my window, I felt a little better. I had a job
to do, and having purpose shifted me out of feeling sorry for
myself. I remembered that I was doing this for Zoe, for
Moroi and humans alike. It allowed me to center myself and
push my insecurities aside—at least, for now.
I picked up Keith around noon and drove us outside of
the city to meet Jill and the recluse Moroi who’d be helping
us. Keith had a lot to say about the guy, whose name was
Clarence Donahue. Clarence had lived in Palm Springs for
three years, ever since the death of his niece in Los
Angeles, which had apparently had quite a traumatic effect
on the man. Keith had met him a couple of times on past
jobs and kept making jokes about Clarence’s tenuous grip
on sanity.
“He’s a few pints short of a blood bank, you know?” Keith
said, chuckling to himself. I bet he’d been waiting days to
use that line.
The jokes were in poor taste—and stupid to boot—but
as we got closer and closer to Clarence’s home, Keith
eventually became very quiet and nervous. Something
occurred to me.
“How many Moroi have you met?” I asked as we pulled
off the main road and turned into a long and winding
driveway. The house was straight out of a Gothic movie,
boxy and made of gray bricks that were completely at odds
with most of the Palm Springs architecture we’d scene. The
only reminder that we were in southern California was the
ubiquitous palm trees surrounding the house. It was a weird
juxtaposition.
“Enough,” said Keith evasively. “I can handle being
around them.”
The confidence in his tone sounded forced. I realized that
despite his brashness about this job, his comments on the
Moroi and dhampir races, and his judgment of my actions,
Keith was actually very, very uncomfortable with the idea of
being around non-humans. It was understandable. Most
Alchemists were. A large part of our job didn’t even involve
interacting with the vampiric world—it was the human world
that needed tending. Records had to be covered up,
witnesses bribed. The majority of Alchemists had very little
contact with our subjects, meaning most Alchemists’
knowledge came from the stories and teachings passed
down through the families. Keith had said he’d met
Clarence but made no mention of spending time with other
Moroi or dhampirs—certainly not a group, like we were
about to face.
I was no more excited to hang around vampires than he
was, but I realized it didn’t scare me nearly as much as it
once would have. Rose and her companions had given me
a tough skin. I’d even been to the Moroi Royal Court, a
place few Alchemists had ever visited. If I’d walked away
from the heart of their civilization intact, I was certain I could
handle whatever was inside this house. Admittedly, it
would’ve been a little easier if Clarence’s house didn’t look
so much like a creepy haunted manor from a horror movie.
We walked up to the door, presenting a united front in our
stylish, formal Alchemist attire. Whatever his faults, Keith
cleaned up well. He wore khaki pants with a white button-up
shirt and navy silk tie. The shirt had short sleeves, though I
doubted that was helping much in the heat. It was early
September, and the temperature had been pushing ninety
when I left my hotel. I was equally hot in a brown skirt, tights,
and a cap-sleeved blouse scattered with tan flowers.
Belatedly, I realized we kind of matched.
Keith lifted his hand to knock at the door, but it opened
before he could do anything. I flinched, a bit unnerved
despite the assurances I’d just given myself.
The guy who opened the door looked just as surprised to
see us. He held a cigarette pack in one hand and
appeared as though he’d been heading outside to smoke.
He paused and gave us a once-over.
“So. Are you guys here to convert me or sell me siding?”
The disarming comment was enough to help me shake
off my anxiety. The speaker was a Moroi guy, a little older
than me, with dark brown hair that had undoubtedly been
painstakingly styled to look messy. Unlike Keith’s
ridiculously over-gelled attempts, this guy had actually done
it in a way that looked good. Like all Moroi, he was pale
and had a tall, lean build. Emerald green eyes studied us
from a face that could have been sculpted by one of the
classical artists I so admired. Shocked, I dismissed the
comparison as soon as it popped into my head. This was a
vampire, after all. It was ridiculous to admire him the way I
would some hot human guy.
“Mr. Ivashkov,” I said politely. “It’s nice to see you again.”
He frowned and studied me from his greater height. “I
know you. How do I know you?”
“We—” I started to say “met” but realized that wasn’t
quite right since we hadn’t been formally introduced the last
time I had seen him. He’d simply been present when
Stanton and I had been hauled to the Moroi Court for
questioning. “We ran into each other last month. At your
Court.”
Recognition lit his eyes. “Right. The Alchemist.” He
thought for a moment and then surprised me when he
pulled up my name. With everything else that had been
going on when I was at the Moroi Court, I hadn’t expected
to make an impression. “Sydney Sage.”
I nodded, trying not to look flustered at the recognition.
Then I realized Keith had frozen up beside me. He’d
claimed he could “handle” being around Moroi, but
apparently, that meant staring gape-mouthed and not
saying a word. Keeping a pleasant smile on, I said, “Keith,
this is Adrian Ivashkov. Adrian, this is my colleague, Keith
Darnell.”
Adrian held out his hand, but Keith didn’t shake it.
Whether that was because Keith was still shell-shocked or
because he simply didn’t want to touch a vampire, I couldn’t
say. Adrian didn’t seem to mind. He dropped his hand and
took out a lighter, stepping past us as he did. He nodded
toward the doorway.
“They’re waiting for you. Go on in.” Adrian leaned close
to Keith’s ear and spoke in an ominous voice. “If. You.
Dare.” He poked Keith’s shoulder and gave a “Muhahaha”
kind of monster laugh.
Keith nearly leapt ten feet in the air. Adrian chuckled and
strolled off down a garden path, lighting his cigarette as he
walked. I glared after him—though it had been kind of funny
—and nudged Keith toward the door. “Come on,” I said.
The coolness of air conditioning brushed against me.
If nothing else, Keith seemed to have come alive. “What
was that about?” he demanded as we stepped into the
house. “He nearly attacked me!”
I shut the door. “It was about you looking like an idiot. And
he didn’t do a thing to you. Could you have acted any more
terrified? They know we don’t like them, and you looked like
you were ready to bolt.”
Admittedly, I kind of liked seeing Keith caught off guard,
but human solidarity left no question about which side I was
on.
“I did not,” argued Keith, though he was obviously
embarrassed. We walked down a long hallway with dark
wood floors and trim that seemed to absorb all light. “God,
what is wrong with these people? Oh, I know. They aren’t
people.”
“Hush,” I said, a bit shocked at the vehemence in his
voice. “They’re right in there. Can’t you hear them?”
Heavy French doors met us at the end of the hall. The
glass was frosted and stained, obscuring what was inside,
but a low murmur of voices could still be heard. I knocked
on the door and waited until a voice called an entry. The
anger on Keith’s face vanished as the two of us exchanged
brief, commiserating looks. This was it. The beginning.
We stepped through.
When I saw who was inside, I had to stop my jaw from
dropping like Keith’s had earlier.
For a moment, I couldn’t breathe. I’d mocked Keith for
being afraid around vampires and dhampirs, but now, faceto-
face with a group of them, I suddenly felt trapped. The
walls threatened to close in on me, and all I could think
about were fangs and blood. My world reeled—and not just
because of the group’s size.
Abe Mazur was here.
Breathe, Sydney. Breathe, I told myself. It wasn’t easy,
though. Abe represented a thousand fears for me, a
thousand entanglements I’d gotten myself into.
Slowly, my surroundings crystallized, and I regained
control. Abe wasn’t the only one here, after all, and I made
myself focus on the others and ignore him.
Three other people sat in the room with him, two of whom
I recognized. The unknown, an elderly Moroi with thinning
hair and a big white mustache, had to be our host,
Clarence.
“Sydney!” That was Jill Mastrano, her eyes lighting up
with delight. I liked Jill, but I hadn’t thought I’d made enough
of an impression on the girl to warrant such a welcome. Jill
almost looked like she would run up and hug me, and I
prayed that she wouldn’t. I didn’t need Keith to see that.
More importantly, I didn’t need Keith reporting about that.
Beside Jill was a dhampir, one I knew in the same way I
knew Adrian—that is, I’d seen him but had never been
introduced. Eddie Castile had also been present when I
was questioned at the Royal Court and, if memory served,
had been in some trouble of his own. For all intents and
purposes, he looked human, with an athletic body and face
that had spent a lot of time in the sun. His hair was a sandy
brown, and his hazel eyes regarded me and Keith in a
friendly—but wary—way. That’s how it was with guardians.
They were always on alert, always watching for the next
threat. In some ways, I found it reassuring.
My survey of the room soon returned me to Abe, who had
been watching and seemed amused by my obvious
avoidance of him. A sly smile spread over his features.
“Why, Miss Sage,” he said slowly. “Aren’t you going to
say hello to me?”
CHAPTER 4
ABE HAD THE KIND OF APPEARANCE that could leave
many people speechless, even if they knew nothing about
him.
Oblivious to the heat outside, the Moroi man was
dressed in a full suit and tie. The suit was white, at least, but
it still looked like it would be warm. His shirt and tie were
purple, as was the rose tucked into his pocket. Gold
glittered in his ears and at his throat. He was originally from
Turkey and had more color to him than most Moroi but was
still paler than humans like me and Keith. Abe’s complexion
actually reminded me of a tanned person who’d been sick
for a while.
“Hello,” I said stiffly.
His smile split into a full grin. “So nice to see you again.”
“Always a pleasure.” My lie sounded robotic, but
hopefully it was better than sounding afraid.
“No, no,” he said. “The pleasure’s all mine.”
“If you say so,” I said. This amused him further.
Keith had frozen up again, so I strode over to the old
Moroi man and extended my hand so that at least one of us
would look like we had manners. “Are you Mr. Donahue?
I’m Sydney Sage.”
Clarence smiled and clasped my hand in his wrinkled
one. I didn’t flinch, even though the urge was there. Unlike
most Moroi I’d met, he didn’t conceal his fangs when he
smiled, which almost made my facade crack. Another
reminder that no matter how human they seemed at times,
these were still vampires.
“I am so pleased to meet you,” he said. “I’ve heard
wonderful things about you.”
“Oh?” I asked, arching an eyebrow and wondering who’d
been talking about me.
Clarence nodded emphatically. “You are welcome in my
home. It’s delightful to have so much company.”
Introductions were made for everyone else. Eddie and
Jill were a little reserved, but both friendly. Keith didn’t
shake any hands, but he at least stopped acting like a
drooling fool. He took a chair when offered and put on an
arrogant expression, which was probably supposed to look
like confidence. I hoped he wouldn’t embarrass us.
“I’m sorry,” said Abe, leaning forward. His dark eyes
glittered. “Did you say your name was Keith Darnell?”
“Yes,” said Keith. He studied Abe curiously, no doubt
recalling the Alchemists’ conversation back in Salt Lake
City. Even through the bravado Keith was attempting to put
on, I could see a sliver of unease. Abe had that effect.
“Why?”
“No reason,” said Abe. His eyes flicked to me and then
to Keith. “It just sounds familiar, that’s all.”
“My father’s a very important man among the
Alchemists,” said Keith loftily. He’d relaxed a little, probably
thinking the stories about Abe were overrated. Fool.
“You’ve undoubtedly heard of him.”
“Undoubtedly,” said Abe. “I’m sure that’s what it is.” He
spoke so casually that no one would suspect he wasn’t
telling the truth. Only I knew the real reason Abe knew who
Keith was, but I certainly didn’t want that revealed. I also
didn’t want Abe dropping any more hints, which I suspected
he was doing just to irk me.
I tried to steer the subject away—and get some answers
for myself. “I wasn’t aware you were joining us, Mr. Mazur.”
The sweetness in my voice matched his.
“Please,” he said. “You know you can call me Abe. And I
won’t be staying, unfortunately. I simply came along to
make sure this group arrived safely—and to meet Clarence
in person.”
“That’s very nice of you,” I said dryly, sincerely doubting
Abe’s motives were as simple as that. If I’d learned
anything, it was that things were never simple when Abe
Mazur was involved. He was a puppet master of sorts. He
not only wanted to observe things, he also wanted to control
them.
He smiled winningly. “Well, I always aim to help others in
need.”
“Yeah,” a new voice suddenly said. “That’s exactly what
comes to mind when I think of you, old man.”
I hadn’t thought anyone could shock me more than Abe,
but I was wrong. “Rose?” The name came out as a question
from my lips, even though there could be no doubt about
who this newcomer was. There was only one Rose
Hathaway, after all.
“Hey, Sydney,” she said, giving me a small, crooked
smile as she entered the room. Her flashing, dark eyes
were friendly, but they were also assessing everything in
the room, much as Eddie’s gaze was. It was a guardian
thing. Rose was about my height and dressed very casually
in jeans and a red tank top. But, as always, there was
something exotic and dangerous about her beauty that
made her stand out from everyone else. She was like a
tropical flower in this dark, stuffy room. One that could kill
you. I’d never seen her mother, but it was easy to tell that
some of her looks came from Abe’s Turkish influence, like
her long, dark brown hair. In the dim lighting, that hair
looked nearly black. Her eyes rested on Keith, and she
nodded politely. “Hey, other Alchemist.”
Keith stared at her wide-eyed, but whether that was a
reaction to us being further outnumbered or simply a
response to Rose’s extraordinary nature, I couldn’t say. “II’m
Keith,” he stammered at last.
“Rose Hathaway,” she told him. His eyes bugged even
more as he recognized the name. She strode across the
room, toward Clarence, and I noted that half of her allure
was simply in the way she dominated her surroundings. Her
expression softened as she regarded the elderly man. “I
checked the house’s perimeter like you asked. It’s about as
safe as you can make it, though your back door’s lock
should probably be replaced.”
“Are you sure?” asked Clarence in disbelief. “It’s brand
new.”
“Maybe when this house was built,” came yet another
new voice. Looking over to the doorway, I realized now that
someone else had been with Rose when she arrived, but
I’d been too startled by her to notice. Again, that was a
Rose thing. She always drew the attention. “It’s been rusted
since we moved here.”
This newcomer was a Moroi, which set me on edge
again. That brought the count up to four Moroi and two
dhampirs. I was trying very hard not to adopt Keith’s
attitude—especially since I already knew some of the
people here—but it was hard to shake that overwhelming
sense of Us and Them. Moroi aged like humans, and at a
guess, I thought this new guy was close to my age, maybe
Keith’s at most. He had nice features, I supposed, with
black curling hair and gray eyes. The smile he offered
seemed sincere, though there was a slight sense of
uneasiness in the way he stood. His gaze was fixed on
Keith and me, intrigued, and I wondered if maybe he didn’t
spend a lot of time with humans. Most Moroi didn’t, though
they didn’t share the same fears about our race as we did
about theirs. But then, ours didn’t use theirs as food.
“I’m Lee Donahue,” he said, extending his hand. Once
again, Keith didn’t take it, but I did and introduced us.
Lee looked back and forth between me and Keith, face
full of wonder. “Alchemists, right? I’ve never met one of you.
The tattoos you guys have are beautiful,” he said, eyeing
the gold lily on my cheek. “I’ve heard about what they can
do.”
“Donahue?” asked Keith. He glanced between Lee and
Clarence. “Are you related?”
Lee gave Clarence an indulgent look. “Father and son.”
Keith frowned. “But you don’t live here, do you?” I was
surprised that this, of all things, would draw him out. Maybe
he didn’t like the idea that his intel was faulty. He was Palm
Springs’ Alchemist, after all, and he’d believed Clarence
was the only Moroi in the area.
“Not regularly, no,” said Lee. “I go to college in LA, but my
schedule’s just part-time this semester. So, I want to try to
spend more time with Dad.”
Abe glanced at Rose. “You see that?” he said. “Now
that’s devotion.” She rolled her eyes at him.
Keith looked like he had more questions about this, but
Clarence’s mind was still back in the conversation. “I
could’ve sworn I had that lock replaced.”
“Well, I can replace it soon for you if you want,” said Lee.
“Can’t be that hard.”
“I think it’s fine.” Clarence rose unsteadily to his feet. “I’m
going to take a look.”
Lee hurried to his side and shot us an apologetic look.
“Does it have to be right now?” When it appeared that it
did, Lee said, “I’ll go with you.” I got the impression that
Clarence frequently followed his whims, and Lee was used
to it.
I used the Donahues’ absence to get some answers I’d
been dying to know. I turned to Jill. “You didn’t have any
problems getting here, did you? No more, um, incidents?”
“We ran into a couple dissidents before we left Court,”
said Rose, a dangerous note in her voice. “Nothing we
couldn’t handle. The rest was uneventful.”
“And it’s going to stay that way,” said Eddie matter-offactly.
He crossed his arms over his chest. “At least if I have
anything to do with it.”
I glanced between them, puzzled. “I was told there’d be a
dhampir along … did they decide to send two?”
“Rose invited herself along,” said Abe. “Just to make
sure the rest of us didn’t miss anything. Eddie’s the one
who will be joining you at Amberwood.”
Rose scowled. “I should be the one staying. I should be
Jill’s roommate. No offense, Sydney. We need you for the
paperwork, but I’m the one who’s gotta kick anyone’s ass
who gives Jill trouble.”
I certainly wasn’t going to argue against that.
“No,” said Jill, with surprising intensity. She’d been quiet
and hesitant the last time I’d seen her, but her eyes grew
fierce at the thought of being a burden to Rose. “You need
to stay with Lissa and keep her safe. I’ve got Eddie, and
besides, no one even knows I’m here. Nothing else is going
to happen.”
The look in Rose’s eyes said she was skeptical. I also
suspected she didn’t truly believe anyone could protect
either Vasilisa or Jill as well as she could. That was saying
something, considering the young queen was surrounded in
bodyguards. But even Rose couldn’t be everywhere at
once, and she must have had to choose. Her words made
me turn my attention back to Jill.
“What did happen?” I asked. “Were you hurt? We heard
stories about an attack but no confirmation.”
There was a heavy pause in the room. Everyone except
Keith and me seemed distinctly uncomfortable. Well, we
were uncomfortable—but for other reasons.
“I’m fine,” said Jill at last, after a sharp look from Rose.
“There was an attack, yeah, but none of us were hurt. I
mean, not seriously. We were in the middle of a royal
dinner when we were attacked by Moroi—like, Moroi
assassins. They made it look like they were going for Lis—
for the queen, but instead came for me.” She hesitated and
dropped her eyes, letting her long, curly brown hair fall
forward. “I was saved, though, and the guardians rounded
them up.” There was a nervous energy to Jill that I
remembered from before. It was cute and made her seem
very much like the shy teenager she was.
“But we don’t think they’re all gone, which is why we have
to stay away from Court,” explained Eddie. Even as he
directed his words to Keith and me, he radiated a
protectiveness toward Jill, daring anyone to challenge the
girl he was in charge of keeping safe. “And we don’t know
where the traitors in our own ranks are. So, until then, here
we all are.”
“Hopefully not for long,” said Keith. I gave him a warning
look, and he seemed to realize his comment could be
perceived as rude. “I mean, this place can’t be all that fun
for you guys, with the sun and everything.”
“It’s safe,” said Eddie. “That’s what counts.”
Clarence and Lee returned, and there was no more
mention of Jill’s background or the attack. As far as father
and son knew, Jill, Eddie, and Adrian had simply fallen out
of favor with important royal Moroi and were in exile here.
The two Moroi men didn’t know who Jill really was and
believed that the Alchemists were helping her due to Abe’s
influence. It was a web of lies but a necessary one. Even if
Clarence was in self-imposed exile, we couldn’t risk him (or
Lee now) accidentally letting outsiders know the queen’s
sister was holed up here.
Eddie glanced over at the older Moroi. “You said you’ve
never heard of any Strigoi being around here, right?”
Clarence’s eyes went unfocused for a moment as his
thoughts turned inward. “No … but there are worse things
than Strigoi …”
Lee groaned. “Dad, please. Not that.”
Rose and Eddie were on their feet in an instant, and it
was a wonder they didn’t pull out weapons. “What are you
talking about?” demanded Rose.
“What other dangers are there?” asked Eddie, his voice
like steel.
Lee was actually blushing. “Nothing … please. It’s a
delusion of his, that’s all.”
‘“Delusion?’” asked Clarence, narrowing his eyes at his
son. “Was your cousin’s death a delusion? Is the fact that
those high-ups at Court let Tamara go unavenged a
delusion?”
My mind spun back to a conversation I’d had with Keith in
the car. I gave Clarence what I hoped was a reassuring
look. “Tamara was your niece, right? What happened to
her, sir?”
“She was killed,” he said. There was a dramatic pause.
“By vampire hunters.”
“I’m sorry, by what?” I asked, certain I’d misheard.
“Vampire hunters,” repeated Clarence. Everyone in the
room looked as surprised as I felt, which was a small relief.
Even some of Rose and Eddie’s fierceness wavered. “Oh,
you won’t find that anywhere—not even in your records. We
were living in Los Angeles when they got her. I reported it to
the guardians, demanded they hunt the culprits down. Do
you know what they said?” He peered at each person in
turn. “Do you?”
“No,” said Jill meekly. “What did they say?” Lee sighed
and looked miserable.
Clarence snorted. “They said there was no such thing.
That there was no evidence to support my claim. They ruled
it a Strigoi killing and said there was nothing anyone could
do, that I should be grateful she wasn’t turned.”
I looked at Keith, who again seemed startled by this
story. He apparently didn’t know Clarence as well as he’d
claimed. Keith had known the old man had a hang-up
involving his niece, but not the extent of it. Keith gave me a
small shrug that seemed to say, See? What did I tell you?
Crazy.
“The guardians are very thorough,” said Eddie. His tone
and words were both clearly chosen with care, striving not
to offend. He sat back down next to Jill. “I’m sure they had
their reasons.”
“Reasons?” asked Clarence. “If you consider denial and
living a delusional life reasons, then I suppose so. They just
don’t want to accept that vampire hunters are out there. But
tell me this. If my Tamara was killed by Strigoi, why did they
cut her throat? It was cut cleanly with a blade.” He made a
slashing motion under his chin. Jill flinched and cowered
into her chair. Rose, Eddie, and Abe also looked taken
aback, which surprised me because I didn’t think anything
would make that group squeamish. “Why not use fangs?
Makes it easier to drink. I pointed that out to the guardians,
and they said that since about half of her blood had been
drunk, it was obviously a Strigoi. But I say a vampire hunter
did it and made it look like they took her blood. Strigoi
would have no reason to use a knife.”
Rose started to speak, paused, and then began again. “It
is strange,” she said calmly. I had a feeling she’d probably
been about to blurt out how ridiculous this conspiracy theory
was, but had thought better of it. “But I’m sure there’s
another explanation, Mr. Donahue.”
I wondered if mentioning that the Alchemists had no
records of vampire hunters—not in several centuries, at
least—would be helpful or not. Keith suddenly took the
conversation in an unexpected direction. He met
Clarence’s gaze levelly.
“It might seem strange for Strigoi, but they do all sorts of
vicious things for no reason. I know from personal
experience.”
My stomach sank. Oh no. All eyes turned to Keith.
“Oh?” asked Abe, smoothing his black goatee. “What
happened?”
Keith pointed to his glass eye. “I was attacked by Strigoi
earlier this year. They beat me up and ripped out my eye.
Then they left me.”
Eddie frowned. “Without drinking or killing? That is really
weird. That doesn’t sound like normal Strigoi behavior.”
“I’m not sure you can really expect Strigoi to do anything
‘normal,’” pointed out Abe. I gritted my teeth, wishing he
wouldn’t engage Keith in this. Please don’t ask about the
eye, I thought. Let it go. That was too much to expect, of
course, because Abe’s next question was, “They only took
the one eye? They didn’t try for both?”
“Excuse me.” I rose before Keith could answer. I couldn’t
sit through this conversation and listen to Abe bait Keith,
simply for the fun of tormenting me. I needed to escape. “I
… I don’t feel well. I’m going to get some air.”
“Of course, of course,” said Clarence, looking as though
he wanted to rise as well. “Should I have my housekeeper
get you some water? I can ring the bell—”
“No, no,” I said, moving toward the door. “I just … I just
need a minute.”
I hurried out and heard Abe saying, “Such delicate
sensibilities. You’d think she wouldn’t be so squeamish,
considering her profession. But you, young man, seem like
you can handle talking about blood …”
Abe’s ego-stroking worked, and Keith launched into the
one story I most definitely didn’t want to hear. I went back
down the dark hallway and emerged outside. The fresh air
was welcome, even if it was more than twenty degrees
warmer than what I’d come from. I took a deep, steadying
breath, forcing myself to stay calm. Everything was going to
be okay. Abe would be leaving soon. Keith would return to
his own apartment. I would go back to Amberwood with Jill
and Eddie, who really didn’t seem like bad companions,
considering who I could have ended up with.
With no real destination in mind, I decided to walk around
and scope out Clarence’s home—more like an estate,
really. I picked a side of the house at random and walked
around, admiring the detailed sculpting of the house’s
exterior. Even if it was hopelessly out of place in the
southern California landscape, it was still impressive. I had
always loved studying architecture—a subject my father
thought was pointless—and was impressed by my
surroundings. Glancing around, I noted that the grounds
didn’t match the rest of what we’d driven through to get
here. A lot of the land in this region had gone brown from
summer and lack of rain, but Clarence had clearly spent a
fortune to keep his sprawling yard lush and green. Nonnative
trees—beautiful and full of flowers—were artfully
arranged to make walking paths and courtyards.
After several minutes of my nature stroll, I turned around
and headed back toward the front of the house. I came to a
stop when I heard someone.
“Where are you?” a voice asked. Abe. Great. He was
looking for me.
“Over here,” I just barely heard Adrian say. His voice
came from the far side of the house, opposite the side I
was on. I heard someone walk across the gravel driveway,
the footsteps coming to a halt when they reached what I
gauged to be the back door where Abe stood.
I bit my lip and stayed where I was, concealed by the
house. I was almost afraid to breathe. With their hearing,
Moroi could pick up the tiniest detail.
“Were you ever coming back?” asked Abe, amused.
“Didn’t see the point,” was Adrian’s laconic response.
“The point is politeness. You could have made an effort
to meet the Alchemists.”
“They don’t want to meet me. Especially the guy.” There
was concealed laughter in Adrian’s voice. “You should have
seen his face when I ran into him at the door. I wish I’d had
a cape on. The girl’s at least got some nerve.”
“Nevertheless, they play a crucial role in your stay here—
and Jill’s. You know how important it is that she remain
safe.”
“Yeah, I get that. And I get why she’s here. What I don’t
get is why I’m here.”
“Don’t you?” asked Abe. “I’d assume it’s obvious to both
Jill and you. You have to stay near her.”
There was a pause. “That’s what everyone says … but
I’m still not sure it’s necessary. I don’t think she needs me
close by, no matter what Rose and Lissa claim.”
“You have something better to do?”
“That’s not the point.” Adrian sounded annoyed, and I
was glad that I wasn’t the only one Abe had that effect on.
“That’s exactly the point,” Abe said. “You were wasting
away at Court, drowning in your own self-pity—among other
things. Here, you have a chance to be useful.”
“To you.”
“To yourself as well. This is an opportunity for you to
make something of your life.”
“Except you won’t tell me what it is I’m supposed to do!”
said Adrian irritably. “Aside from Jill, what is this great task
you have for me?”
“Listen. Listen and watch.” I could perfectly picture Abe
stroking his chin in that mastermind way of his again as he
spoke. “Watch everyone—Clarence, Lee, the Alchemists,
Jill and Eddie. Pay attention to every word, every detail,
and report it to me later. It may all be useful.”
“I don’t know that that really clears things up.”
“You have potential, Adrian. Too much potential to waste.
I’m very sorry for what happened with Rose, but you have to
move on. Maybe things don’t make sense now, but they will
later. Trust me.”
I almost felt bad for Adrian. Abe had once told me to trust
him too, and look how things had turned out.
I waited until the two Moroi returned inside and then
followed a minute later. In the living room, Keith was still
wearing his cocky attitude but looked relieved to have me
back. We discussed more details and worked out a
schedule for feedings, one I was in charge of maintaining
since I’d have to drive Jill (and Eddie, since he didn’t want
to let her out of his sight) back and forth to Clarence’s.
“How are you going to get to feedings?” I asked Adrian.
After hearing his conversation with Abe, I was now more
curious than ever about his role here.
Adrian was standing against the wall, on the opposite
side of the room. His arms were crossed defensively, and
there was a rigidness to his posture that conflicted with the
lazy smile he wore. I couldn’t be sure, but it looked as
though he was purposely positioning himself as far from
Rose as possible. “By walking down the hall.”
Seeing my puzzled look, Clarence explained, “Adrian will
be staying here with me. It will be nice to have someone
else in these old walls.”
“Oh,” I said. To myself, I muttered, “How very Secret
Garden.”
“Hmm?” asked Adrian, tilting his head toward me.
I flinched. Their hearing was good. “Nothing. I was just
thinking of a book I read.”
“Oh,” said Adrian dismissively, glancing away. The way
he said the word seemed to be a condemnation of books
everywhere.
“Don’t forget me,” said Lee, grinning at his father. “I told
you I’ll be around more.”
“Maybe young Adrian here will keep you out of trouble,
then,” declared Clarence.
No one said anything to that, but I saw Adrian’s friends
exchange a few amused glances.
Keith didn’t look nearly as freaked out as he had when
we’d arrived, but there was a new air of impatience and
irritability in him that I didn’t quite understand. “Well,” he
said, after clearing his throat. “I need to get home and take
care of some business. And since you’re my ride, Sydney
…”
He left the words hanging but looked at me meaningfully.
From what I’d learned, I was more convinced than ever that
Palm Springs was the least active vampire area anywhere.
I couldn’t honestly figure out what “business” Keith would
have to take care of, but we had to leave here sooner or
later. Eddie and Jill went to gather their luggage, and Rose
used the opportunity to pull me aside.
“How have you been?” she asked in a low voice. Her
smile was genuine. “I’ve been worried about you, ever
since … well, you know. No one would tell me what
happened to you.” The last time I’d seen her, I’d been held
prisoner in a hotel by guardians while the Moroi tried to
figure out how big my role had been in Rose’s escape.
“I was in a little trouble at first,” I said. “But it’s past.” What
was a small lie between friends? Rose was so strong that I
couldn’t stand the thought of looking weak in front of her. I
didn’t want her to know that I still lived in fear of the
Alchemists, forced to do whatever it took to get back in
their good graces.
“I’m glad,” she said. “They told me originally it was your
sister that was going to be here.”
Those words reminded me again how Zoe could replace
me at any moment. “It was a mix-up.”
Rose nodded. “Well, I feel a little better with you here, but
it’s still hard … I still feel like I should protect Jill. But I need
to protect Lissa too. They think Jill’s the easier target, but
they’re still going after Lissa.” The inner turmoil shone in her
dark eyes, and I felt a pang of pity. This was what I’d had
trouble explaining to the other Alchemists, how dhampirs
and vampires could seem so human at times. “It’s been
crazy, you know. Ever since Lissa took the throne? I thought
I’d finally get to relax with Dimitri.” Her smile broadened. “I
should’ve known nothing’s ever simple with us. We’ve spent
all our time looking out for Lissa and Jill.”
“Jill will be okay. As long as the dissidents don’t know
she’s here, it should all be easy. Boring, even.”
She was still smiling, but her smile had dimmed a little. “I
hope so. If you only knew what had happened …” Her
expression changed as some memory seized her. I started
to insist she tell me what had happened, but she shifted the
subject before I could. “We’re working on changing the law
—the one that says Lissa needs one family member in
order to stay queen. Once that’s done, both she and Jill will
be out of danger. But that just means those who want to
take out Jill are more insane than ever, because they know
the clock’s ticking.”
“How long?” I asked. “How long will it take to change the
law?”
“I don’t know. A few months, maybe? Legal stuff … well,
it’s not my thing. Not the details of it, at least.” She
grimaced briefly and then became battle tough again. She
tossed her hair over one shoulder. “Crazy people who want
to hurt my friends? That is my thing, and believe me, I know
how to deal with it.”
“I remember,” I said. It was weird. I thought of Rose as
one of the strongest people I knew, yet it seemed as though
she needed my assurance. “Look, you go do what you do,
and I’ll do what I do. I’ll make sure Jill blends in. You guys
got her out without anyone knowing. She’s off the grid now.”
“I hope so,” Rose repeated, voice grim. “Because if
she’s not, your little group here doesn’t stand a chance
against those crazy rebels.”
CHAPTER 5
AND ON THAT NOTE, Rose left me so she could tell the
others goodbye.
Her words left me chilled. For half a second, I wanted to
demand a reassessment of this mission. I wanted to insist
that they send no less than a dozen guardians here with Jill,
in the event her attackers came back. Soon, I dismissed
that thought. One of the key parts of this plan working was
simply not attracting attention. So long as her whereabouts
were secret, Jill was safer if she blended in. A squadron of
guardians would hardly be discreet and could attract notice
from the larger Moroi community. We were doing the right
thing. So long as no one knew we were here, all would be
well.
Surely if I told myself that often enough, it would become
true.
Yet why Rose’s ominous statement? Why Eddie’s
presence? Had this mission really been bumped from
“inconvenient” to “life-threatening”?
Knowing how close Jill and Rose were, I kind of
expected their goodbye to be more tearful. Instead, it was
Adrian whom Jill had the most difficulty leaving. She flung
herself at him in a giant hug, fingers clinging to his shirt. The
young Moroi girl had remained quiet for most of the visit,
simply watching the rest of us in that curious, nervous way
of hers. The most I’d heard her talk was when Lee had tried
to draw her out earlier. Her goodbye display seemed to
surprise Adrian too, though the snarky look he’d worn on
his face softened into something like affection as he
awkwardly patted her shoulder.
“There, there, Jailbait. I’ll see you again soon.”
“I wish you were coming with us,” she said in a small
voice.
He crooked her a grin. “No, you don’t. Maybe the rest of
them can get away with playing back-to-school, but I’d be
thrown out on my first day. At least here, I won’t corrupt
anyone … unless it’s Clarence and his liquor cabinet.”
“I’ll be in touch,” promised Jill.
His smile twitched, and he gave her a knowing look that
was both amused and rueful. “So will I.”
This small moment between them was odd. With his
flippant, arrogant nature and her sweet shyness, they
seemed like an unlikely pair of friends. Yet there was
obvious affection between them. It didn’t seem romantic but
had a definite intensity I couldn’t quite understand. I
remembered the conversation I’d overheard between Abe
and Adrian, where Abe had said it was imperative Adrian
stay near Jill. Something told me there was a connection
between that and what I was witnessing now, but I didn’t
have enough information to put it all together. I filed this
mystery away for later.
I was sad to leave Rose but glad that our departure
meant parting ways with Abe and Keith. Abe left with his
typically cryptic remarks and a knowing look for me that I
didn’t appreciate. I dropped Keith off at his place before
going on to Amberwood, and he told me he’d keep me
updated. Honestly, I wondered what exactly he had to
update me on, since I was doing most of the work around
here. As far as I could tell, he really had nothing to do
except lounge around in his downtown apartment. Still, it
was worth it to be rid of him. I never thought I’d be so happy
to drive off with a vampire and a dhampir.
Jill still seemed troubled during the car ride to the school.
Eddie, sensing this, tried to soothe her. He peered back at
her from the passenger seat.
“We’ll see Adrian soon.”
“I know,” she said with a sigh.
“And nothing else bad is going to happen. You’re safe.
They can’t find you here.”
“I know that too,” she said.
“How bad was it?” I asked. “The attack, I mean. No one’s
getting into details.” Out of the corner of my eye, I saw
Eddie glance back at Jill again.
“Bad enough,” he said grimly. “But everyone’s okay now;
that’s what matters.”
Neither of them said any more, and I quickly picked up on
the hint that no more details would be forthcoming. They
acted as though the attack had been no big deal, that it was
done and over with, but they were being too evasive.
Something had happened that I didn’t know about—that the
Alchemists likely didn’t know about—something that they
were working to keep secret. My guess was that it had to
do with Adrian being here. He had mentioned an “obvious
reason” for coming to Palm Springs, and then Abe had
hinted at some ulterior motive that Adrian himself didn’t
know about. It was all kind of annoying, seeing as I was
risking my life here. How did they expect me to adequately
do my job if they insisted on making this a tangle of
secrets?
Alchemists dealt in secrets, and despite my rocky past, I
was still Alchemist enough to resent being denied answers.
Fortunately, I was also Alchemist enough to hunt those
answers down myself.
Of course, I knew grilling Jill and Eddie right away wasn’t
going to get me anywhere. I needed to play it friendly and
get them to relax around me. They might not harbor the
secret belief that humans were creatures of darkness, but
that didn’t mean they trusted me yet. I didn’t blame them.
After all, I certainly didn’t trust them either.
It was well into evening when we arrived at Amberwood.
Keith and I had scoped out the school earlier, but Eddie
and Jill took it in with wide eyes. Whereas Clarence’s home
had seemed old-fashioned, the school was bright and
modern, consisting of stucco buildings that were so typical
of California and southwest architecture. Palm trees skirted
along lush green lawns. In the fading light, students were
still strolling, in pairs and groups, along the many walking
paths that wove throughout the grounds.
We’d picked up fast food along the way, but the late hour
meant Jill and I had to split from Eddie. At eighteen, with a
car and “parental permission,” I had a lot of freedom to
come and go, but I had to answer to curfew just like
everyone else when night came. Eddie was uneasy about
leaving Jill, particularly when he realized how far away from
her he’d be.
Amberwood Prep’s sprawling grounds were divided into
three campuses: East, West, and Central. East Campus
housed the girls’ dorm while West contained the boys’.
Central, the largest of the three, was where the
administrative, academic, and recreational facilities were.
The campuses were about a mile apart from each other
and served by a shuttle bus that ran throughout the day,
though walking was always an option for those who could
stand the heat.
Eddie had to have known he couldn’t stay in the girls’
dorm, though I suspected that if he had his way, he would
have slept at the foot of Jill’s bed like a loyal dog. Watching
the two of them was kind of amazing. I’d never observed a
guardian-Moroi pairing before. When I’d been with Rose
and Dimitri, they’d been simply trying to keep themselves
alive—plus, they were both dhampirs. Now, I was finally
able to see the system in action and understood why
dhampirs trained so hard. You’d have to, to remain that
vigilant. Even in the most mundane moments, Eddie always
watched our surroundings. Nothing escaped his notice.
“How good is the security system here?” he demanded
when we stepped inside the girls’ dorm. He’d insisted on
seeing it before going to his own. The lobby was quiet at
this hour, and only a couple of students wandered through
with boxes and suitcases as they finished last-minute
move-ins. They gave us curious looks as they passed, and I
had to quell the knot of anxiety rising in me. Considering
everything else going on for me, high school social life
shouldn’t scare me—but it did. The Alchemists didn’t cover
that in their lessons.
“Security’s good enough,” I said, keeping my voice low
as I turned back to Eddie. “They aren’t worried about
vampire assassins, but they certainly want their students
safe. I know there are security guards that patrol the
grounds at night.”
Eddie eyed the dorm matron, a stout, gray-haired woman
who supervised the lobby from her desk. “Do you think she
has any kind of combat training? Do you think she could
subdue an intruder?”
“I bet she could wrestle down a guy sneaking into a girl’s
room,” joked Jill. She rested a hand on his arm, making him
jump. “Relax. This place is safe.”
In some ways, Eddie’s concern was comforting and
made me feel secure. At the same time, I couldn’t help but
think again about why he was so watchful. He’d been there
for the attack that no one would tell me about. He knew the
threats because he’d seen them firsthand. If he was this on
edge, even now, then how much danger were we still in?
The Alchemists had led me to believe that once we were
hidden here at Amberwood, all would be well and it would
just become a waiting game. I’d had that very conversation
with Rose and tried to convince her of the same. Eddie’s
attitude was concerning.
The dorm room I shared with Jill was small by my
standards. I’d always had my own room growing up and
never had to worry about sharing space or closets. During
my time in St. Petersburg, I’d even had my own apartment.
Still, our one window had a sweeping view of the dorm’s
back courtyard. Everything inside the room was airy and
bright, with maple-finished furniture that looked new: beds,
desks, and dressers. I had no experience with dorm rooms
—but I could only assume by Jill’s reaction that we’d gotten
a good one. She swore that the room was larger than the
one she’d had at her Moroi school, St. Vladimir’s
Academy, and was quite happy.
I half-wondered if she thought our room was big simply
because we had so little to put in it. Neither of us had been
able to do much packing with such swift departures. The
furniture gave everything a warm, golden feel, but without
personal decorations or other touches, the room could’ve
come straight from a catalog. The dorm matron, Mrs.
Weathers, had been astonished when she saw us and our
minimal luggage. The girls I’d observed moving in earlier
had arrived with cars packed to bursting. I hoped we didn’t
look suspicious.
Jill paused to stare out the window as we got ready for
bed. “It’s so dry here,” she murmured, more to herself than
me. “They keep the lawn green, but it’s so strange not to
feel the moisture in the air.” She glanced over at me
sheepishly. “I’m a water user.”
“I know,” I said, not sure what else to add. She was
referring to the magical abilities all Moroi possessed. Each
Moroi specialized in one of the elements, either the
physical four—earth, air, water, and fire—or the more
intangible and psychic element of spirit. Hardly anyone
wielded that last one, though I’d heard Adrian was one of
the few. If Jill couldn’t access her magic easily, I wasn’t
going to be disappointed. Magic was one of those things,
like the blood drinking, that served as a slap-in-the-face
reminder that these people I was laughing and eating with
were not human.
If I wasn’t still exhausted from the drive with Keith, I
probably would’ve lain awake agonizing over the fact that I
was sleeping close to a vampire. When I’d first met Rose, I
hadn’t even been able to stay in the same room with her.
Our hectic escape together had changed that a little, and by
the end, I’d been able to let my guard down. Now, some of
that old fear came back in the darkness. Vampire,
vampire. Sternly, I told myself it was just Jill. I had nothing to
worry about. Eventually, fatigue triumphed fear, and I slept.
When morning came, I couldn’t help looking in the mirror
to make sure I had no bite marks or other sign of vampire
harm. When I’d finished, I immediately felt foolish. With the
difficulty Jill was currently having waking up, it made no
sense to imagine her sneaking up on me in the night. As it
was, I had a hard time getting her out the door in time for
orientation. She was groggy, with bloodshot eyes, and kept
complaining about a headache. I guessed I didn’t have to
worry about nighttime attacks from my roommate.
Nonetheless, she managed to get up and around. We left
our dorm and found Eddie, gathering with other new
students near a fountain on Central Campus. Most of the
crowd appeared to be freshmen like Jill. Only a few were
the same age as me and Eddie, and I was surprised to see
him easily chatting with those around him. With how vigilant
he’d been the day before, I would’ve expected him to be
more on guard, less capable of normal social interaction—
but he fit right in. As we walked up, however, I caught him
glance around stealthily at his surroundings. He might be
playing a student, like me—but he was still a dhampir.
He was just telling us about how he hadn’t met his
roommate yet when a smiling guy with bright blue eyes and
reddish hair strode up to them.
“Hey there,” he said. Up close, I could see a smattering
of freckles. “Are you Eddie Melrose?”
“Yes, I’m—” Eddie had spun around with that guardian
efficiency, ready to take on this potential threat. When he
saw the newcomer, Eddie went perfectly still. His eyes
widened slightly, and whatever he’d been about to say
faded away.
“I’m Micah Vallence. I’m your roommate—also your
orientation leader.” He nodded toward the other mingling
students and grinned. “But I wanted to come say hi first
since I just got here this morning. My mom pushed our
vacation to the limits.”
Eddie was still staring at Micah as though he’d seen a
ghost. I studied Micah too, wondering what I was missing.
He seemed normal to me. Whatever was going on, Jill was
also out of the loop because she was regarding Micah with
a perfectly ordinary expression too, no alarm or surprise.
“Nice to meet you,” said Eddie at last. “These are my, uh,
sisters—Jill and Sydney.”
Micah smiled at each of us in turn. He had a manner
about him that made me feel easy, and I could see why
he’d been drafted as an orientation leader. I wondered why
Eddie was reacting so strangely.
“What grades are you in?” he asked us.
“Senior,” I said. Remembering the cover story, I added,
“Eddie and I are twins.”
“I’m a freshman,” said Jill.
Looking over our “family,” I noticed that Eddie and I could
probably pass for siblings pretty easily. Our coloring was
similar, and of course, there was the fact that we both
looked human. While a human wouldn’t necessarily look at
Jill and say “vampire!” she still possessed certain features
that marked her as unusual. Her build and paleness were
definite contrasts to me and Eddie.
If Micah noticed the lack of family resemblance, he didn’t
let on. “Nervous about starting high school?” he asked Jill.
She shook her head and smiled back. “I’m ready for the
challenge.”
“Well, if you need anything, let me know,” he said. “For
now, I’ve gotta get this party started. Talk to you guys later.”
From the way his attention focused solely on her, it was
obvious that the “if you need anything” was directed at Jill,
and her blush showed that she knew too. She smiled,
holding his gaze a moment, and then looked away shyly. I
would’ve found it cute, if not for the alarming prospect it
presented. Jill was in a school full of humans. It was
absolutely out of the question for her to date one, and guys
like Micah couldn’t be encouraged. Eddie didn’t appear to
care about the comment, but it seemed to be more
because he was still troubled about Micah in general.
Micah called our group to attention and began the
orientation. The first part of it was simply a tour of the
grounds. We followed him around, in and out of air
conditioning, as he showed us the important buildings. He
explained the shuttle system, and we rode it up to West
Campus, which was almost a mirror of East. Boys and girls
were allowed in each other’s dorms, with limitations, and he
explained those rules as well, which caused some
grumbling. Recalling the formidable Mrs. Weathers, I felt
sorry for any boy that tried to break her dorm rules.
Both dorms had their own cafeterias, where any student
was welcome to eat, and our orientation group had lunch
while we were still on West Campus. Micah joined my
“siblings” and me, going out of his way to talk to each of us.
Eddie responded politely, nodding and asking questions,
but his eyes still looked vaguely haunted. Jill was shy at
first, but once Micah starting joking around with her, she
eventually warmed up to him.
How funny, I thought, that it was easier for Eddie and Jill
to adapt to this situation than it was for me. They were in a
strange environment, with a different race, but were still
among familiar things, like cafeterias and lockers. They
slipped right into the roles and procedures with no difficulty.
Meanwhile, despite having traveled and lived all over the
world, I felt out of place in what was for everyone else an
ordinary setting.
Regardless, it didn’t take me long to figure out how the
school ran. Alchemists were trained to observe and adapt,
and even though school was foreign to me, I quickly picked
up on the routine. I wasn’t afraid to talk to people either—I
was used to striking up conversations with strangers and
explaining my way out of situations. One thing, however, I
knew I would have to work on.
“I heard her family might be moving to Anchorage.” We
were at orientation lunch, and a couple of freshmen girls
sitting near me were discussing a friend of theirs who
hadn’t shown up today.
The other girl’s eyes widened. “Seriously? I would die if I
had to move there.”
“I don’t know,” I mused, moving my food around my plate.
“With all the sun and UV rays here, it seems like Anchorage
might actually provide a longer life span. You don’t need as
much sunblock, so it’s a more economical choice as well.”
I’d thought my comment was helpful, but when I looked
up, I was met with gaping stares. It was obvious from the
looks the girls were giving me that I probably couldn’t have
picked a weirder comment.
“I guess I shouldn’t say everything that comes to mind,” I
murmured to Eddie. I was used to being direct in social
situations, but it occurred to me that simply saying “Yeah,
totally!” would’ve probably been the correct response. I’d
had few friends my own age and was out of practice.
Eddie grinned at me. “I don’t know, sis. You’re pretty
entertaining as you are. Keep it up.”
After lunch, our group returned to Central Campus, where
we parted ways to meet with academic advisors and plan
our class schedules. When I sat down with my advisor, a
cheery young woman named Molly, I wasn’t surprised to
see that the Alchemists had sent along academic records
from a fictitious school in South Dakota. They were even
fairly consistent with what I had studied in my
homeschooling.
“Your grades and tests have placed you in our most
advanced math and English classes,” Molly said. “If you do
well in them, you can receive college credit.” Too bad
there’s no chance I’ll get to go to college, I thought with a
sigh. She flipped through a few pages in my file. “Now, I
don’t see any records of foreign language here. It’s an
Amberwood requirement that everyone learn at least one
language.”
Oops. The Alchemists had messed up there in faking my
records. I’d actually studied a number of languages. My
father had made sure I had lessons from an early age,
since an Alchemist never knew where he or she might end
up. Scanning Amberwood’s list of offered languages, I
hesitated and wondered if I should lie. Then I decided I
really didn’t want to sit through conjugations and tenses I’d
already learned.
“I already know all of these,” I told Molly.
Molly regarded me skeptically. “All of these? There are
five languages here.”
I nodded and added helpfully, “But I only studied
Japanese for two years. So I suppose I could learn more.”
Molly still didn’t seem to buy this. “Would you be willing to
take proficiency tests?”
And so, I ended up spending the rest of my afternoon
laboring over foreign languages. It wasn’t how I wanted to
spend my day, but I supposed it would pay off later—the
tests were a breeze.
When I finally finished all five languages three hours later,
Molly hurried me out to get fitted for my uniform. Most of the
other new students had long gone through already, and she
was concerned that I might have already missed the
woman doing the fittings. I moved as fast as I could without
running down the halls and nearly bumped into two girls
rounding a corner.
“Oh!” I exclaimed, feeling like an idiot. “I’m sorry—I’m late
for my fitting—”
One of them laughed good-naturedly. She was darkskinned
with an athletic build and wavy black hair. “Don’t
worry about it,” she said. “We just walked past the room.
She’s still there.”
The other girl had blond hair a shade lighter than mine
that she wore in a high ponytail. Both of them had the easy
assurance of those who knew their way around this world.
These weren’t new students.
“Mrs. Delaney always takes longer than she thinks she
will with the fittings,” the blond girl said knowingly. “Every
year, it’s—” Her jaw dropped, her words freezing up for a
few moments. “Where … where did you get that?”
I had no clue what she meant, but the other girl soon
noticed and leaned closer to me. “That’s amazing! Is that
what they’re doing this year?”
“Your tattoo,” explained the blonde. I must have still
looked clueless. “Where’d you get it?”
“Oh. That.” My fingers absentmindedly touched my
cheek. “In, um, South Dakota. Where I’m from.”
Both girls looked disappointed. “I guess that’s why I’ve
never seen it,” said the dark-haired girl. “I thought
Nevermore was doing something new.”
“Nevermore?” I asked.
The girls exchanged silent glances, and some message
passed between them. “You’re new, right? What’s your
name?” asked the blond girl. “I’m Julia. This is Kristin.”
“Sydney,” I said, still mystified.
Julia was smiling again. “Have lunch with us at East
tomorrow, okay? We’ll explain everything.”
“Everything about what?” I asked.
“It’s a long story. Just get to Delaney for now,” added
Kristin, starting to move away. “She’ll stay late, but not
forever.”
When they were gone, I continued on my way—much
more slowly—wondering what that had been about. Had I
just made friends? I really wasn’t sure how one went about
it in a school like this, but that whole exchange had seemed
pretty weird.
Mrs. Delaney was just packing up when I arrived. “What
size do you wear, dear?” she asked, catching sight of me in
the doorway.
“Two.”
A number of articles were produced: skirts, pants,
blouses, and sweaters. I doubted the sweaters would see
much wear, unless a freak apocalyptic blizzard hit Palm
Springs. Amberwood wasn’t particularly fussy about which
ensemble students wore, as long as it came from the
approved pool of fashion. The colors were burgundy, dark
gray, and white, which I actually thought looked kind of nice
together.
Watching me button a white blouse, Mrs. Delaney tsked,
“I think you need a size four.”
I froze mid-button. “I wear a two.”
“Oh, yes, you can fit into them, but look at the arms and
the skirt length. I think you’ll be more comfortable in a four.
Try these.” She handed over a new stack and then laughed.
“Don’t look so mortified, girl! A four’s nothing. You’re still a
twig.” She patted her ample stomach. “We could fit three of
you into my clothes!”
Despite my many protests, I was still sent away with the
size-four clothing. I rode back to my dorm, dejected, and
found Jill lying on her bed and reading. She sat up at my
arrival.
“Hey, I wondered what had happened to you.”
“Got delayed,” I said with a sigh. “Are you feeling better?”
“Yeah. A lot.” Jill watched as I put away the uniforms.
“They’re pretty terrible, right? We didn’t have uniforms at St.
Vladimir’s. It’s going to be so boring wearing the same
thing every day.” I didn’t want to tell her that as an
Alchemist, I might have worn an outfit like this anyway.
“What size did you get?” I asked, to change the subject. I
was kind of a glutton for punishment.
“Two.”
A twinge of annoyance shot through me as I hung my
uniforms in the closet beside hers. I felt huge by
comparison. How were all those Moroi so skinny?
Genetics? Low-carb blood diet? Maybe it was just because
they were all so tall. All I knew was that whenever I spent
time around them, I felt frumpy and awkward and wanted to
eat less.
When I finished unpacking, Jill and I compared
schedules. Not surprisingly, considering the difference in
grades, we had almost nothing in common. The only thing
we shared was a multi-grade PE class. All students were
required to take it every semester, since fitness was
considered part of a well-rounded student’s experience.
Maybe I could lose a few pounds and get back into my
normal size.
Jill smiled and handed my schedule back. “Eddie went
and demanded to be in our PE class since it’s pretty much
the only one we could share. It conflicts with his Spanish
class, though, and they wouldn’t let him. I don’t think he can
handle going the whole school day without seeing that I’m
alive. Oh, and Micah’s with us in PE.”
I’d stalked off to my bed, still irritated about the uniforms.
Jill’s words caught my attention. “Hey, do you know why
Eddie seemed weirded out around Micah?”
Jill shook her head. “No, I didn’t get a chance to ask, but I
noticed it too—especially at first. Later—while you were
testing—and we were waiting for uniforms, Eddie seemed
to chill out. A little. Every once in a while, I’d see him giving
Micah a strange look, though.”
“You don’t think he thinks Micah’s dangerous, do you?”
Jill shrugged. “He didn’t seem dangerous to me, but I’m
no guardian. If Eddie did think he was some kind of threat,
it seems like he’d be acting differently. More aggressive.
He mostly seems nervous around Micah. Almost—but not
quite—afraid. And that’s weirdest of all because guardians
never look scared. Not that Eddie’s technically a guardian.
But you know what I mean.”
“I do,” I said, smiling despite my grumpy intentions. That
cute, rambling nature cheered me up a little. “What do you
mean Eddie’s technically not a guardian? Isn’t he
assigned to protect you here?”
“Yeah, he is,” said Jill, toying with one of her light brown
curls. “But … well, it’s kind of weird. He got in some trouble
with the guardians for helping Rose and for, um, killing a
guy.”
“He killed a Moroi that attacked Vasilisa, right?” It had
come up at my interrogation.
“Yeah,” said Jill, lost in her own memories. “It was selfdefense—
well, and defense of Lissa, but everyone was
shocked at him killing a Moroi. Guardians aren’t supposed
to do that, but then, you know, Moroi aren’t supposed to
attack each other either. Anyway, he was put on
suspension. No one knew what to do with him. When I got
… attacked, Eddie helped protect me. Later, Lissa said it
was stupid to keep him off duty when he could be helpful
and that considering Moroi were behind this attack too, she
said everyone was going to have to get used to the idea of
Moroi being the enemy. Hans—the guardian in charge at
Court—finally agreed and sent Eddie here with me, but I
think officially, Eddie’s not restored yet. It’s weird.” Jill had
delivered the whole speech without pausing and now
stopped to catch a breath.
“Well, I’m sure it’ll be sorted out,” I said, trying to be
reassuring. “And it seems like he’ll get points for keeping a
princess alive.”
Jill looked at me sharply. “I’m no princess.”
I frowned and tried to remember the complexities of
Moroi law. “The prince or princess is the oldest member of
a family. Since Vasilisa’s queen, the title rolls over to you,
right?”
“On paper,” said Jill, looking away. Her tone was hard to
read, an odd mixture of what seemed like bitterness and
sorrow. “I’m not a princess, not really. I’m just someone who
happens to be related to the queen.”
Jill’s mother had briefly been mistress to Eric Dragomir,
Vasilisa’s father, and had kept Jill’s existence a secret for
years. It had only come out recently, and I’d played a big
role in helping Rose track Jill down. With all the fallout in my
own life, as well as the emphasis on Jill’s safety, I hadn’t
spent much time wondering how she had adapted to her
new status. That had to be a serious lifestyle change.
“I’m sure there’s more to it than that,” I said gently. I
wondered if I was going to be spending a lot of time playing
therapist to Jill during this assignment. The prospect of
actually comforting a vampire still seemed so strange to
me. “I mean, you’re obviously important. Everyone’s gone
to a lot of trouble to keep you safe here.”
“But is it for me?” asked Jill. “Or is it to help Lissa keep
the throne? She’s hardly spoken to me since she found out
we were sisters.”
This conversation was steering into uncomfortable
waters, into interpersonal matters that I didn’t really know
how to deal with. I couldn’t imagine being in either Vasilisa
or Jill’s place. The only thing I felt certain of was that it
couldn’t be easy for any of them.
“I’m sure she cares about you,” I said, though not really
sure at all. “But it’s probably strange for her—especially
with all the other changes in her life too. Give it time. Focus
on the important things first—staying here and staying
alive.”
“You’re right,” said Jill. She lay back on her bed and
stared up at the ceiling. “I’m nervous about tomorrow, about
being around everyone, in classes all day. What if they
notice? What if someone finds out the truth about me?”
“You did fine at orientation,” I assured her. “Just don’t
show your fangs. And besides, I’m pretty good at
convincing people they didn’t see what they think they saw.”
The grateful expression on her face reminded me
uncomfortably of Zoe. They were so alike in many ways, shy
and uncertain—yet intensely fierce and desperately wanting
to prove themselves. I’d tried to protect Zoe—and only
failed in her eyes. Now, being here for Jill made me feel
conflicted. In some ways, I could make up for what I hadn’t
been able to do for Zoe. Yet even as I thought that, some
inner voice kept saying, Jill is not your sister. She’s a
vampire. This is business.
“Thanks, Sydney. I’m glad you’re here.” She smiled, and
the guilt only twisted further inside me. “You know, I’m kind
of jealous of Adrian. He thinks it’s so boring at Clarence’s,
but he doesn’t have to worry about meeting new people or
getting used to a new school. He just gets to hang out,
watch TV, play pool with Lee, sleep in … it sounds
amazing.” She sighed.
“I suppose,” I said, a little surprised at the detail. “How do
you know all that? Have you … have you talked to him since
we left?” Even as I said that, the idea seemed unlikely. I’d
been with her most of the day.
The smile dropped from her face. “Oh no. I mean, I just
figure that’s what’s going on. He mentioned some of it
earlier, that’s all. Sorry. I’m being melodramatic and
rambling. Thanks for listening to me … it really does make
me feel better.”
I smiled tightly and said nothing. I still couldn’t get over
the fact that I was starting to feel so warmly toward a
vampire. First Rose, now Jill? It didn’t matter how likable
she was. I had to keep our relationship professional so that
no Alchemist could accuse me of getting attached. Keith’s
words echoed in my head: vamp lover …
That’s ridiculous, I thought. There was nothing wrong with
being nice to those in my care. It was normal, a far cry from
“getting too close” to them. Right? Pushing my worries
aside, I concentrated on finishing unpacking and thinking
about our new life here. I sincerely hoped tomorrow would
go as smoothly as I’d assured Jill it would.
Unfortunately, it didn’t.
CHAPTER 6
TO BE FAIR, THE DAY STARTED OFF GREAT.
Sunlight was streaming in through the windows when we
woke up, and I could already feel the heat even though it
was early morning. I chose my lightest ensemble from the
uniform selection: a gray skirt, paired with a short-sleeved
white blouse. “Simple jewelry” was allowed, so I kept the
gold cross on. My hair was having one of its difficult days—
which seemed to be more often than not in this new
climate. I wished I could pull it in a ponytail, like Jill did with
hers, but it had too many layers to do that neatly. Eyeing
where they hit my shoulders at different lengths, I wondered
if maybe it was time to grow it out.
After a breakfast neither of us really ate, we rode the
shuttle bus up to Central Campus, which was suddenly
packed with people. Only about a third of the students were
boarders. The rest were locals, and they had all turned out
today. Jill barely spoke throughout the entire ride and
seemed to be sick again. It was hard to say, but I thought
she looked paler than usual. Her eyes were bloodshot once
more, heavy with dark circles. I’d woken up once in the
night and seen her fast asleep, so I wasn’t entirely sure
what the problem was. Those dark circles were actually the
first flaw I’d ever seen in any Moroi’s skin—it was always
perfect, porcelain. No wonder she could usually sleep in
late. She didn’t have to bother with the powder and
concealer I used.
As the morning progressed, Jill kept biting her lip and
looking worriedly around. Maybe she was just nervous
about immersing herself in a world populated entirely with
humans. She didn’t seem at all concerned about the
logistics of getting to the right rooms and completing work.
That was the aspect that still scared me a little. Just get
from one class to another, I told myself. That’s all you have
to do.
My first class was ancient history. Eddie was in it too,
and he practically ran me down when he saw me. “Is she
okay? Have you seen her?”
“Well, we share a room, so yeah.” We sat down at
neighboring desks. I smiled at Eddie. “Relax. She’s fine.
She seemed nervous, but I can’t really blame her.”
He nodded but still looked uncertain. He gave his full
attention to the front of the room when the teacher stepped
up, but there was a restlessness about Eddie as he sat
there, like he could just barely stop himself from springing
up to go check on Jill.
“Welcome, welcome.” Our instructor was a fortysomething
woman with white-streaked, wiry black hair and
enough nervous energy to rival Eddie—and if her giant
coffee cup was any indication, it wasn’t hard to figure out
why. I was also a little jealous and wished we were allowed
to have beverages in class—particularly since the dorm
cafeteria didn’t serve coffee. I didn’t know how I was going
to survive the next few months with caffeine-free days. Her
wardrobe favored argyle. “I am Ms. Terwilliger, your
illustrious guide on the wondrous journey that is ancient
history.” She spoke in a sweeping, grandiose voice that
made a few of my classmates break into snickers. She
gestured to a young man who’d been sitting behind her,
near the large desk. He’d been watching the class with a
bored expression, but when she turned to him, he perked
up. “And this is my co-guide, Trey, whom I believe some of
you may know. Trey is my student aide for this period, so
he’ll mostly be skulking in corners and filing papers. But you
should be nice to him since he may very well be the one
entering your grades into my computer.”
Trey gave a small wave and grinned at some of his
friends. He had deeply tanned skin and black hair whose
length flirted with the dress code’s rules. The neatly
pressed Amberwood uniform gave him the illusion of all
business, but there was a mischievous glint in his dark
eyes that made me think he didn’t really take being an aide
seriously.
“Now,” continued Ms. Terwilliger. “History is important
because it teaches us about the past. And by learning
about the past, you come to understand the present, so that
you may make educated decisions about the future.”
She paused dramatically to let those words sink in. Once
she was convinced we were awed, she moved over to a
laptop that was wired up to a projector. She pushed a few
keys, and an image of a white-pillared building appeared
on the screen at the front of the room.
“Now, then. Can anyone tell me what this is?”
“A temple?” someone called out.
“Very good, Mr.—?”
“Robinson,” the boy supplied.
Ms. Terwilliger produced a clipboard and scanned a list.
“Ah, there you are. Robinson. Stephanie.”
“Stephan,” corrected the boy, flushing as some of his
friends giggled.
Ms. Terwilliger pushed her glasses up her nose and
squinted. “So you are. Thank goodness. I was just thinking
how difficult your life must be with such a name. My
apologies. I broke my glasses in a freak croquet accident
this weekend, forcing me to bring my old ones today. So,
Stephan-not-Stephanie, you’re correct. It’s a temple. Can
you be more specific?”
Stephan shook his head.
“Can anyone else offer any insight?”
When only silence met Ms. Terwilliger, I took a deep
breath and raised my hand. Time to see what it was like to
be a real student. She nodded toward me.
“It’s the Parthenon, ma’am.”
“Indeed it is,” she said. “And your name is?”
“Sydney.”
“Sydney …” She checked the clipboard and looked up in
astonishment. “Sydney Melbourne? My goodness. You
don’t sound Australian.”
“Er, it’s Sydney Melrose, ma’am,” I corrected.
Ms. Terwilliger scowled and handed the clipboard to
Trey, who seemed to think my name was the funniest thing
ever. “You take over, Mr. Juarez. Your youthful eyes are
better than mine. If I keep at this, I’ll keep turning boys into
girls and perfectly nice young ladies into the descendants
of criminals. So.” Ms. Terwilliger focused back on me. “The
Parthenon. Do you know anything about it?”
The others were watching me, mostly with friendly
curiosity, but I still felt the pressure of being the center of
attention. Focusing solely on Ms. Terwilliger, I said, “It’s part
of the Acropolis, ma’am. In Athens. It was built in the fifth
century BC.”
“No need to call me ‘ma’am,’” Ms. Terwilliger told me.
“Though it is refreshing to get a bit of respect for a change.
And brilliantly answered.”
She glanced over the rest of the room. “Now, tell me this.
Why on earth should we care about Athens or anything that
took place over fifteen hundred years ago? How can that
be relevant to us today?”
More silence and shifting eyes. When the unbearable
quiet dragged on for what felt like hours, I started to raise
my hand again. Ms. Terwilliger didn’t notice and glanced
back at Trey, who was resting his feet on the teacher’s
desk. The boy instantly dropped his legs and straightened
up.
“Mr. Juarez,” declared Ms. Terwilliger. “Time to earn your
keep. You took this class last year. Can you tell them why
the events of ancient Athens are relevant to us today? If you
don’t, then I’m going to have to call on Miss Melbourne
again. She looks like she knows the answer, and think how
embarrassing that will be for you.”
Trey’s eyes flicked to me and then back to the teacher.
“Her name is Melrose, not Melbourne. And democracy was
founded in Athens in the sixth century. A lot of the
procedures they set into place are still in effect with our
government today.”
Ms. Terwilliger clasped her hand over her heart
dramatically. “You were paying attention last year! Well,
almost. Your date is off.” Her gaze fell on me. “I bet you
know the date democracy was started in Athens.”
“The fifth century,” I answered immediately.
That earned me a smile from the teacher and a glare
from Trey. The rest of the class proceeded in much the
same way. Ms. Terwilliger continued on with her flamboyant
style and highlighted a number of important times and
places that we were going to study in more detail. I found I
could answer any question she asked. Some part of me
said I should ration myself, but I couldn’t help it. If no one
knew the answer, I felt compelled to provide it. And each
time I did, Ms. Terwilliger would say, “Trey, did you know
that?” I winced. I really didn’t want to make enemies on my
first day. The other students watched me curiously when I
spoke, which made me a little self-conscious. I also saw a
few of them exchange knowing looks each time I answered,
as though they were in on some secret I wasn’t. That
concerned me more than irritating Trey did. Did it sound
like I was showing off? I was too unsure of the social
politics here to understand what was normal and what
wasn’t. This was an academically competitive school.
Surely it wasn’t a bad thing to be educated?
Ms. Terwilliger left us with an assignment to read the first
two chapters of our textbook. The others groaned, but I was
excited. I loved history, specifically the history of art and
architecture. My homeschooling had been aggressive and
well rounded, but that particular subject wasn’t one my
father had thought we needed to spend a lot of time on. I’d
had to study it on my own time, and it was both startling and
luxurious to think I now had a class whose sole purpose
was to learn about this and that my knowledge would be
valued—by the teacher, at least.
I parted ways with Eddie after that and went off to AP
Chemistry. While I was waiting for class to start, Trey slid
into a desk beside me.
“So, Miss Melbourne,” he said, imitating Ms. Terwilliger’s
voice. “When will you be starting up your own history
class?”
I was sorry Ms. Terwilliger had picked on him, but I didn’t
like his tone. “Are you actually taking this class? Or are you
going to lounge around some more and pretend to be
helping the teacher?”
This brought a grin to his face. “Oh, I’m in this one,
unfortunately. And I was Ms. T’s best student last year. If
you’re as good at chemistry as you are in history, then I’m
nabbing you for a lab partner. I’ll be able to take the whole
semester off.”
Chemistry was a crucial part of the Alchemists’ trade,
and I doubted there was anything in this class I didn’t
already know. The Alchemists had arisen in the Middle
Ages as “magical scientists” trying to turn lead into gold.
From those early experiments, they’d gone on to discover
the special properties of vampire blood and how it reacted
with other substances, eventually branching out into the
crusade to keep vampires and humans separate from one
another. That earlier scientific background, and our current
work with vampire blood, made chemistry one of the main
subjects of my childhood education. I’d received my first
chemistry set when I was six. When other kids were
practicing the alphabet, my father was grilling me with acid
and base flash cards.
Unable to admit as much to Trey, I averted my eyes and
casually brushed hair from my face. “I’m okay in it.”
His gaze moved to my cheek, and a look of
understanding came over him. “Ah. So that’s it.”
“What’s it?” I asked.
He pointed to my face. “Your tattoo. That’s what it does,
huh?”
In moving my hair, I’d revealed the gold lily. “What do you
mean?” I asked.
“You don’t have to play coy with me,” he said, rolling his
dark eyes. “I get it. I mean, it seems like cheating to me, but
I guess not everyone cares about honor. Pretty ballsy to
have it on your face, though. They’re against the dress
code, you know—not that that stops anyone.”
I shifted and let my hair fall back into place. “I know. I
meant to put makeup on it and forgot. But what do you
mean about cheating?”
He simply shook his head in a way that clearly said I’d
been dismissed. I sat there feeling helpless, wondering
what I’d done wrong. Soon, my confusion was replaced by
dismay as our instructor gave us an introduction to the
class and its setup. I had a chemistry set back in my room
that was more extensive than Amberwood’s. Oh well. I
supposed a little elementary review wouldn’t hurt me.
My other classes progressed in a similar way. I was on
top of all my subjects and found myself answering every
question. This got me in good with my teachers, but I
couldn’t gauge the rest of my classmates’ reactions. I still
saw a lot of rueful head shakes and intrigued expressions
—but only Trey actually condemned. I didn’t know if I should
hold back or not.
I ran into Kristin and Julia a couple of times, and they
reminded me to join them for lunch. I did, finding them
sitting in a corner table in East’s cafeteria. They waved me
over, and as I wove through the rows of tables, I did a quick
scan, hoping to see Jill. I hadn’t run into her all day, but that
wasn’t too shocking, considering our schedules.
Presumably, she was eating over at the other cafeteria,
maybe with Eddie or Micah.
Kristin and Julia were friendly, chatting me up about how
my first day had gone and imparting wisdom about certain
teachers they’d had before. They were seniors like me, and
we shared a couple classes. We spent most of lunch
exchanging basic info, like where we were all from. It wasn’t
until lunch was winding down that I began to get answers to
some of the questions that had been bugging me all day.
Although it required wading through still more questions
first.
“So,” said Kristin, leaning across the table. “Does it just
give you a super memory? Or does it like, I don’t know,
actually change your brain and make you smarter?”
Julia rolled her eyes. “It can’t make you smarter. It’s gotta
be memory. What I want to know is, how long does it last?”
I glanced back and forth between them, more confused
than ever. “Whatever you’re talking about can’t be making
me smarter, because I’m so lost right now.”
Kristin laughed at that. “Your tattoo. I heard you
answering all the hardest questions in math. And a friend of
mine is in your history class and said you were dominating
there too. We’re trying to figure out how the tattoo helps
you.”
“Helps me … answer questions?” I asked. Their faces
confirmed as much. “It doesn’t. That stuff … that’s just, well,
me. I just know the answers.”
“No one’s that smart,” argued Julia.
“It’s not that crazy. I’m no genius. I guess I’ve just learned
a lot. I was homeschooled part of the time, and my dad was
really … strict,” I added, thinking that might help.
“Oh,” said Kristin, toying with a long braid. I’d noticed she
wore her dark hair in very practical ways while blond Julia’s
was always teased and tousled. “I guess that could be it …
but then, what does your tattoo do?”
“It doesn’t do anything,” I said. Yet even as I spoke the
words, I felt a slight tingle in my flesh. The tattoo had a kind
of magic in it that stopped me from speaking about
anything Alchemist-related to those who weren’t part of the
inner circle. This was the tattoo stopping me from saying
too much, not that there was any need. “I just thought it was
cool.”
“Oh,” said Julia. Both girls looked inexplicably
disappointed.
“Why on earth would you think the tattoo is making me
smart?” I asked.
The warning bell interrupted further conversation,
reminding us all it was time to get to our next class. There
was a pause as Kristin and Julia considered something.
Kristin seemed to be the leader of the two because she
was the one who gave a decisive nod. I had the distinct
feeling I was being assessed.
“Okay,” she said finally, giving me a big smile. “We’ll fill
you in more on everything later.”
We set up a time to hang out and study later, then parted
ways. My impression was that more socialization than
studying would go on, which was fine with me, but I made a
mental note to get my homework done first. The rest of the
day went quickly, and I received a note in one class from
Molly the advisor. As expected, I’d passed out of all of my
language courses, and she wanted me to come by and
discuss matters during the last period, when I technically
had no class. This meant that my school day would officially
wrap up with PE.
I changed into my assigned gym clothes, shorts and an
Amberwood T-shirt, and trekked outside into the hot sun
with the others. I’d felt a little of the heat ducking between
classes today, but it wasn’t until I actually had to stand
outside for any length of time that I really and truly
appreciated the fact that we were out in the desert.
Glancing around at my classmates, who were guys and
girls of all grades, I saw that I wasn’t the only one sweating. I
rarely burned but reminded myself to pick up sunscreen to
be safe. Jill would need it too.
Jill!
I peered around. I’d nearly forgotten that Jill was
supposed to be in the same class. Except, where was she?
There was no sign of her. When our instructor, Miss
Carson, called attendance, she didn’t even say Jill’s name.
I wondered if there’d been a last-minute schedule change.
Miss Carson believed in jumping right into the action. We
were divided into teams for volleyball, and I found myself
standing beside Micah. His fair, freckled complexion was
growing pink, and I almost wanted to suggest sunscreen to
him as well. He gave me one of his friendly smiles.
“Hey,” I said. “You haven’t seen my sister today, have
you? Jill?”
“No,” he said. A slight frown crossed his forehead.
“Eddie was looking for her at lunch. He figured she was
eating with you over at your dorm.”
I shook my head, a queasy feeling welling in my stomach.
What was going on? Nightmare scenarios flashed through
my mind. I’d thought Eddie was overreacting with his
vigilance, but had something happened to Jill? Was it
possible that, despite all our planning, one of Jill’s enemies
had slipped in and stolen her out from under us? Was I
going to have to tell the Alchemists—and my father—that
we’d lost Jill on the first day? Panic flashed through me. If I
wasn’t about to be sent to a re-education center before, I
definitely was on my way to one now.
“Are you okay?” Micah asked, studying me. “Is Jill okay?”
“I don’t know,” I said. “Excuse me.” I broke out of my team
formation and jogged over to where Miss Carson was
supervising.
“Yes?” she asked me.
“I’m sorry to bother you, ma’am, but I’m worried about my
sister. Jill Melrose. I’m Sydney. She’s supposed to be in
here. Do you know if she changed classes?”
“Ah, yes. Melrose. I got a note from the office, just before
class, that she wouldn’t be attending today.”
“Did they say why?”
Miss Carson shook her head apologetically and barked
an order to some guy who was slacking off. I rejoined my
team, mind spinning. Well, at least someone had seen Jill
today, but why on earth would she not be attending?
“Is she okay?” Micah asked me.
“I … I guess. Miss Carson seemed to know she wouldn’t
be in class but doesn’t know why.”
“Is there anything I can do?” he asked. “To help her? Er,
you guys?”
“No, thanks. That’s nice of you to ask.” I wished there was
a clock around. “I’ll check on her as soon as class is over.”
A thought suddenly occurred to me. “But Micah? Don’t say
anything to Eddie.”
Micah gave me a curious look. “Why not?”
“He’s overprotective. He’ll worry when it’s probably
nothing.”
Also, he’ll tear the school apart looking for her.
When class ended, I quickly showered and changed
clothes before heading to the administrative building. I was
desperate to run back to the dorm first to see if Jill was
there, but I couldn’t be late for the appointment. As I walked
down a hallway to Molly’s office, I passed by the main one
—and an idea came to me. I stopped in to talk to the
attendance secretary before going to my appointment.
“Jill Melrose,” the secretary said, nodding. “She was sent
back to her dorm.”
“Sent back?” I exclaimed. “What does that mean?”
“I’m not at liberty to say.” Melodramatic much?
Annoyed and more confused than ever, I went to Molly’s
office, taking comfort in the fact that even if Jill’s absence
was mysterious, at least it was sanctioned by the school.
Molly told me I could either take another elective or engage
in some kind of independent study in place of a language, if
I got a teacher to sponsor me. An idea popped into my
head.
“Can I check in with you tomorrow?” I asked. “I need to
talk to someone first.”
“Sure,” said Molly. “Just decide soon. You can go back to
your dorm now, but we can’t have you wandering around
every day during this time.”
I assured her she’d have an answer soon and headed
back. The shuttle bus didn’t run very often during classes,
so I just walked the mile back. It only took fifteen minutes
but felt twice as long in the heat. When I finally reached the
dorm room, relief flooded me. Hanging out in our room as if
nothing strange had happened was Jill.
“You’re all right!”
Jill was lying on the bed, reading her book again. She
looked up morosely. “Yeah. Kind of.”
I sat down on my own bed and kicked off my shoes.
“What happened? I had a panic attack when you weren’t in
class. If Eddie knew—”
Jill sat bolt upright. “No, don’t tell Eddie. He’ll freak out.”
“Okay, okay. But tell me what happened. They said you
got sent here?”
“Yeah.” Jill made a face. “Because I was kicked out of my
first class.”
I was speechless. I couldn’t imagine what sweet, shy Jill
could have possibly done to warrant that. Oh, God. I hope
she didn’t bite someone. I was the one everyone expected
to have trouble fitting into a school schedule. Jill should
have been a pro.
“What were you kicked out for?”
Jill sighed. “For having a hangover.”
More speechlessness. “What?”
“I was sick. Ms. Chang—my teacher—took one look at
me and said she could spot a hangover a mile away. She
sent me to the office for breaking school rules. I told them I
was just sick, but she kept saying she knew. The principal
finally said there was no way to prove that’s why I was sick,
so I didn’t get punished, but I wasn’t allowed to go to the
rest of my classes. I had to stay here for the rest of the
school day.”
“That’s … that’s idiotic!” I shot to my feet and began
pacing. Now that I’d recovered from my initial disbelief, I
was simply outraged. “I was with you last night. You slept
here. I should know. I woke up once, and you were out cold.
How can Ms. Chang even make an accusation like that?
She had no proof! The school didn’t either. They had no
right to send you out of class. I should go to the office right
now! No, I’m going to talk to Keith and the Alchemists and
have our ‘parents’ file a complaint.”
“No, wait, Sydney.” Jill jumped up and caught ahold of my
arm, as though afraid I would march out then and there.
“Please. Don’t. Just let it go. I don’t want to cause any more
trouble. I didn’t get any bad marks. I wasn’t really punished.”
“You’re behind in your classes,” I said. “That’s
punishment enough.”
Jill shook her head, eyes wide. She was afraid, I
realized, but I had no idea why she wouldn’t want me to tell.
She was the victim here. “No, it’s fine. I’ll catch up. There
are no long-term consequences. Please don’t make a big
deal out of this. The other teachers probably just thought I
was sick. They probably don’t even know about the
accusations.”
“It’s not right, though,” I growled. “I can do something
about it. It’s what I’m here for, to help you.”
“No,” said Jill adamantly. “Please. Let it go. If you really
want to help …” She averted her eyes.
“What?” I asked, still filled with righteous fury. “What do
you need? Name it.”
Jill looked back up. “I need you … I need you to take me
to Adrian.”
CHAPTER 7
“ADRIAN?” I SAID IN SURPRISE. “What’s he have to do
with any of this?”
Jill simply shook her head and looked at me
beseechingly. “Please. Just take me to him.”
“But we’ll be back there in a couple days for your
feeding.”
“I know,” said Jill. “But I need to see him now. He’s the
only one who will understand.”
I found that hard to believe. “You’re saying I wouldn’t? Or
that even Eddie wouldn’t?”
She groaned. “No. You can’t tell Eddie. He’ll flip out.”
I tried not to frown as I mulled everything over. Why would
Jill need to see Adrian after this mishap at school? Adrian
couldn’t do anything to help that I couldn’t. As an Alchemist,
I was in the best position to file a complaint. Did Jill just
want moral support? I remembered how Jill had hugged
Adrian goodbye and suddenly wondered if she had a crush
on him. Because surely, if Jill needed to feel protected by
someone, Eddie would be a better source to turn to. Or
would he? Eddie was likely to go throwing office desks
around in his outrage. Keeping this from him might not be a
bad idea.
“Okay,” I said at last. “Let’s go.”
I signed us out for off-campus travel, which took a little
finagling. Mrs. Weathers was quick to point out that Jill had
been banished to her dorm for the rest of the school day. I
was equally quick to point out that classes were almost
done, technically meaning the school day was almost
finished. Mrs. Weathers couldn’t fault the logic but still
made us wait the full ten minutes until the last bell rang. Jill
sat there, tapping her foot anxiously against the chair.
We drove the half hour to Clarence’s estate in the hills,
saying little. I didn’t really know what kind of small talk to
make. “How was your first day of school?” was hardly an
appropriate topic. And anyway, each time I thought about it,
I just grew angrier. I couldn’t believe any teacher would have
the audacity to accuse Jill of drinking and having a
hangover. There was really no way to prove something like
that, and besides, you could tell after spending five minutes
with her that it was impossible.
A middle-aged human woman greeted us at the door.
Her name was Dorothy, and she was Clarence’s
housekeeper and feeder. Dorothy was pleasant enough, if
a little distracted, and wore a stiff gray dress with a high
collar to hide the bite marks on her neck. I smiled back at
her and maintained my professional mode but couldn’t help
a shudder when I thought about what she was. How could
anyone do that? How could anyone offer their blood up
willingly like that? My stomach lurched, and I found myself
keeping my distance from her. I didn’t even want to
accidentally brush her arm when I walked past.
Dorothy escorted us back to the room we’d all been
sitting in the day before. There was no sign of Clarence, but
Adrian was lying on a plush green couch, watching a TV
that had been cleverly concealed inside an ornate wooden
cabinet last time. When he saw us, he turned the TV off with
a remote control and sat up. Dorothy excused herself and
shut the French doors behind her.
“Well, this is a nice surprise,” he said. He looked us over.
Jill had changed into her normal clothes during her isolation
today, but I still had on the Amberwood blouse and skirt.
“Sage, aren’t you guys supposed to have uniforms? This
looks like what you usually wear.”
“Cute,” I said, suppressing an eye roll.
Adrian gave me a mock bow. “Careful. You almost
smiled.” He reached for a bottle of brandy sitting on a
nearby table. Small glasses were arranged around it, and
he poured himself a generous amount. “You guys want
one?”
“It’s the middle of the afternoon,” I said incredulously. Not
that it’d really matter for me what time of day it was.
“I’ve got a wicked hangover,” he declared, giving us a
mock toast. “This is just the thing to cure it.”
“Adrian, I need to talk to you,” said Jill earnestly.
He looked over at her, the smirk fading from his face.
“What’s up, Jailbait?”
Jill glanced uneasily at me. “Would you mind …”
I took the hint and tried not to let on how irritated I was by
all the secrets. “Sure. I’ll just … I’ll just go outside again.” I
didn’t like the idea of being exiled, but no way was I going
to wander the halls of the old house. I’d face the heat.
I hadn’t gotten very far down the hall when someone
stepped out in front of me. I let out a small scream and
nearly jumped three feet in the air. A heartbeat later, I
realized it was Lee—not that it reassured me much. No
matter how ostensibly friendly I was with this group, old
defenses inside me kicked up at being alone with a new
vampire. Running into him didn’t help matters either
because my brain processed it as an attack! Lee just stood
there, staring at me. From the expression on his face, he
was just as startled to find me in his house—though
perhaps not quite as alarmed about it as I was.
“Sydney?” asked Lee. “What are you doing here?”
Within moments, my fear became embarrassment, like
I’d been caught prowling. “Oh … I’m here with Jill. She had
kind of a rough day and needed to talk to Adrian. I wanted
to give them some privacy and was going to just … uh, go
outside.”
Lee’s confusion transformed into a smile. “You don’t
have to do that. No need for exile. Come on, I was going to
get a snack in the kitchen.” My face must have shown
abject horror because he laughed. “Not the human kind.”
I blushed and followed along with him. “Sorry,” I said. “It’s
instinct.”
“No problem. You Alchemists are kind of jumpy, you
know.”
“Yeah.” I laughed uncomfortably. “I know.”
“I’ve always wanted to meet one of you, but you guys
certainly aren’t what I expected.” He opened the door to a
spacious kitchen. The rest of the house might be antique
and gloomy, but inside here, everything was bright and
modern. “If it makes you feel any better, you’re not as bad
as Keith. He was here earlier today and was so nervous, he
literally kept looking over his shoulder.” Lee paused
thoughtfully. “I think it might have been because Adrian kept
laughing like a mad scientist at those old black-and-white
movies he was watching.”
I came to an abrupt stop. “Keith was here—today? What
for?”
“You’d have to ask Dad. That’s who he talked to the
most.” Lee opened the refrigerator and produced a can of
Coke. “Want one?”
“I—uh, no. Too much sugar.”
He grabbed another can. “Diet?”
I hesitated only a moment before taking it. “Sure.
Thanks.” I hadn’t intended to eat or drink anything in this
house, but the can seemed safe enough. It was sealed and
looked like it had come straight from a human grocery
store, not some vampiric cauldron. I opened it and took a
sip as my mind spun. “You have no idea at all what it was
about?”
“Huh?” Lee had added an apple to his menu and hoisted
himself up so he sat on the counter. “Oh, Keith? No. But if I
had to guess, it was about me. Like he was trying to figure
out if I’m staying here or not.” He took a giant bite into the
apple, and I wondered if having fangs made that harder at
all.
“He just likes his facts straight,” I said neutrally. As much
as I disliked Keith, I still wanted a unified human front. I
wasn’t entirely inaccurate, though. I was pretty sure Keith
felt undermined at learning there was one extra Moroi in
“his territory” and was now making sure he was in on
everything. Part of it was good Alchemist business, sure,
but most was probably Keith’s wounded pride.
Lee didn’t seem to think much of it and kept chewing his
apple, though I could feel his eyes studying me. “You said
Jill had a bad day? Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, I think so. I mean, I don’t know. I’m not even sure
how things got messed up. She wanted to see Adrian for
some reason. Maybe he can help.”
“He’s Moroi,” said Lee pragmatically. “Maybe it’s just
something only he could understand—something you and
Eddie couldn’t. No offense.”
“None taken,” I said. It was only natural that Jill and I
would have distinct differences—I was a human, and she
was a vampire, after all. We couldn’t be more different if we
tried, and in fact, I kind of preferred it that way. “You go to
college … in Los Angeles? A human school?” It wasn’t that
weird a behavior for Moroi. Sometimes they stuck together
in their own communities; sometimes they tried to blend
into large human cities.
Lee nodded. “Yup. And it was hard for me at first too. I
mean, even without others obviously knowing you’re a
vampire … well, there’s just a sense of otherness you’re
always aware of. I eventually adjusted … but I know what
she’s going through.”
“Poor Jill,” I said, suddenly realizing I’d come at this
situation all wrong. Most of my energy had been fixed on
the school believing Jill’s illness was a hangover. I
should’ve focused on why she was sick in the first place.
Anxiety over this new life change had to be taking its toll. I’d
battled my own uneasiness, trying to figure out friendships
and social cues—but at least I was still dealing with my own
race. “I didn’t really think about what she’s going through.”
“Do you want me to talk to her?” asked Lee. He set the
apple core aside. “Not that I’m sure I have that much
wisdom to share.”
“Anything might help,” I said honestly.
A silence fell between us, and I began to feel uneasy.
Lee seemed very friendly, but my old fears were too
ingrained. Part of me felt like he didn’t so much want to get
to know me as study me. Alchemists were clearly a novelty
to him. “Do you mind me asking … the tattoo. It gives you
special powers, right?”
It was nearly a repeat of the conversation at school,
except Lee actually knew the truth behind it. I
absentmindedly touched my cheek. “Not powers, exactly.
There’s compulsion in it to keep us from talking about what
we do. And I get a good immune system out of it. But the
rest? I’m nothing special.”
“Fascinating,” he murmured. I looked away uneasily and
tried to casually brush my hair back into my face.
Adrian stuck his head in just then. All his earlier humor
was gone. “Ah, there you are. Can I talk to you in private for
a sec?”
The question was directed to me, and Lee jumped off the
counter. “I’ll take the cue. Is Jill still in the den?” Adrian
nodded, and Lee glanced at me questioningly. “Do you
want me to … ?”
I nodded. “That’d be great. Thank you.”
Lee left, and Adrian glanced back at me curiously. “What
was that about?”
“Oh, we thought Lee might be able to help Jill with her
problems,” I explained. “Since he can relate.”
“Problems?”
“Yeah, you know. Adjusting to living with humans.”
“Oh,” said Adrian. He produced a pack of cigarettes and,
to my complete astonishment, lit up right in front of me.
“That. Yeah, I guess that’s good. But that’s not what I
wanted to talk to you about. I need you to get me out of this
place.”
I was startled. This wasn’t about Jill?
“Out of Palm Springs?” I asked.
“No! Out of this place.” He gestured around him. “It’s like
living in a retirement home! Clarence is taking a nap right
now, and he eats at five. It’s so boring.”
“You’ve only been here for two days.”
“And that’s more than enough. The only thing keeping me
alive is that he keeps a hefty supply of liquor on hand. But at
the rate I’m going, that’ll be gone by the weekend. Jesus
Christ, I’m climbing the walls.” His eyes fell on the cross at
my neck. “Oh. Sorry. No offense to Jesus.”
I was still too baffled by the unexpected topic to feel much
offense. “What about Lee? He’s here, right?”
“Yes,” agreed Adrian. “Sometimes. But he’s busy with …
hell, I don’t know. School stuff. He’s going back to Los
Angeles tomorrow, and that’ll be another boring night for
me. Besides …” He looked around conspiratorially. “Lee’s
nice enough, but he’s not … well, he’s not really into having
fun. Not the way I am.”
“That might be a good thing,” I pointed out.
“No morality lectures, Sage. And hey, like I said, I like him
okay, but he’s not here enough. When he is, he keeps to
himself. He’s always checking himself out in the mirror,
even more than I do. I heard him worrying about gray hair
the other day.”
I didn’t care about Lee’s eccentricities. “Where would
you even want to go? You don’t want …” A very unpleasant
thought came to me. “You don’t want to enroll at
Amberwood, do you?”
“What, and play 21 Jump Street with the rest of you? No,
thank you.”
“Twenty-one what?”
“Never mind. Look.” He put out the cigarette—on the
counter—which I thought was kind of ridiculous since he’d
hardly smoked any of it. Why bother with such a filthy habit if
you weren’t going to use it all? “I need my own place, okay?
You guys make things happen. Can’t you get me some
swank bachelor’s pad like Keith has downtown so I can
party with all the rich vacationers? Drinking alone is sad
and pathetic. I need people. Even human people.”
“No,” I said. “I’m not authorized to do that. You aren’t …
well, you aren’t really my responsibility. We’re just taking
care of Jill—and Eddie, since he’s her bodyguard.”
Adrian scowled. “What about a car? Can you do that?”
I shook my head.
“What about your car? What if I drop you guys back off at
the school and then borrow it for a while?”
“No,” I said swiftly. That was probably the craziest
suggestion he could’ve made. Latte was my baby. I
certainly wasn’t about to lend it out to a heavy drinker—
especially to one who also happened to be a vampire. If
there was ever a vampire who seemed particularly
irresponsible, it was Adrian Ivashkov.
“You’re killing me here, Sage!”
“I’m not doing anything.”
“Exactly my point.”
“Look,” I said, growing irritated. “I told you. You’re not my
responsibility. Talk to Abe if you want things changed. Isn’t
he the reason you’re here?”
Adrian’s annoyance and self-pity shifted to wariness.
“What do you know about that?”
Right. He didn’t know I’d overheard their conversation.
“I mean, he’s the one who brought you guys here and
made the arrangements with Clarence, right?” I hoped that
would be convincing enough—and maybe yield me a little
information on what Abe’s master plan was.
“Yes,” Adrian said, after several seconds of intense
scrutiny. “But Abe wants me to stay in this tomb. If I got my
own place, we’d have to keep it secret from him.”
I scoffed. “Then I’m definitely not helping, even if I could.
You couldn’t pay me to cross Abe.”
I could see Adrian bracing for another argument and
decided to make my exit. Turning my back on him and any
further protests, I headed out of the kitchen and back to the
living room. There, I found Jill and Lee talking, and she
wore the first genuine smile I’d seen in a while. She
laughed at some comment he made and then looked up at
my entrance.
“Hey, Sydney,” she said.
“Hey,” I said. “Are you about ready to go?”
“Is it time?” she asked. Both she and Lee looked
disappointed, but then she answered her own question. “I
guess it is. You probably have homework, and Eddie’s
probably worried already.”
Adrian entered the room behind me, looking pouty. Jill
glanced at him, and for a moment, her gaze turned inward,
like her mind had gone somewhere else. Then she turned
back to me. “Yeah,” she said. “We should go. I hope we can
talk later, Lee.”
“Me too,” he said, standing up. “I’ll be around here, off
and on.”
Jill hugged Adrian goodbye, clearly reluctant to be
leaving him too. With Lee, she’d looked mostly like she was
sad to leave something that had just gotten interesting. With
Adrian, there was more of a sense like she wasn’t sure how
she was going to get by. Her next scheduled feeding was in
two days, and Adrian was encouraging, telling her she was
strong enough to get through the next school day. Despite
how much he kept annoying me, I was moved by his
compassion for the younger girl. Anyone who was that nice
to Jill couldn’t be that bad. He was starting to surprise me.
“You look better,” I told her as we drove toward Vista
Azul.
“Talking to Adrian … to both of them … it was helpful.”
“Do you think you’ll be okay tomorrow?”
“Yeah.” Jill sighed and leaned back against the seat. “It
was just nerves. That, and I didn’t eat much breakfast.”
“Jill …” I bit my lip, hesitant to plunge forward.
Confrontation wasn’t my strong suit, particularly with
awkward personal topics. “You and Adrian …”
Jill gave me a wary look. “What about us?”
“Is there anything … I mean, are you guys … ?”
“No!” Out of the corner of her eye, I saw Jill turn bright
pink. It was the most color I had ever seen in a vampire’s
face. “Why would you say that?”
“Well. You were sick this morning. And then really
adamant about seeing Adrian. You’re always sad to leave
him too …”
Jill gaped. “Do you think I’m pregnant?”
“Not exactly,” I said, realizing it was kind of a nonsensical
answer. “I mean, maybe. I don’t know. I’m just considering
all the possibilities …”
“Well, don’t consider that one! There’s nothing going on
between us. Nothing. We’re friends. He’d never be
interested in me.” She said it with a dismal certainty—and
maybe even a little wistfully.
“That’s not true,” I said, fumbling to undo the damage. “I
mean, you’re younger, yeah, but you’re cute …” Yes, this
was a terrible conversation. I was just babbling now.
“Don’t,” said Jill. “Don’t tell me I’m nice and pretty and
have a lot to offer. Or whatever. None of that matters. Not
when he’s still hung up on her.”
“Her? Oh. Rose.”
I’d nearly forgotten. The trip to Court had been the first
time I’d seen Adrian in person, but I’d actually seen him
once before on security camera footage when he’d been at
a casino with Rose. The two of them had dated, though I
wasn’t entirely sure how serious the relationship had been.
When I’d helped Rose and Dimitri escape, the chemistry
between those two had been off the charts, even if they’d
both been in denial of it. Even I’d been able to spot it a mile
away, and I knew next to nothing about romance. Seeing as
Rose and Dimitri were officially a couple now, I had to
assume things with Adrian hadn’t ended well.
“Yeah. Rose.” Jill sighed and stared vacantly ahead.
“She’s all he sees when he closes his eyes. Flashing dark
eyes and a body full of fire and energy. No matter how
much he tries to forget her, no matter how much he drinks
… she’s always there. He can’t escape her.”
Jill’s voice dripped with astonishing bitterness. I might
have written it off as jealousy, except that she talked as
though she’d been personally been wronged by Rose too.
“Jill? Are you okay?”
“Huh? Oh.” Jill shook her head, like she was shaking off
the cobwebs of a dream. “Yeah, fine. Sorry. It’s been a
weird day. I’m a little out of it. Didn’t you say we could pick
up some things?” A sign for the next exit advertised a
shopping center.
I rolled with the change in subject, glad to be away from
personal matters, though I was still pretty confused. “Uh,
yeah. We need sunscreen. And maybe we can get a little
TV for the room.”
“That’d be great,” said Jill.
I left it at that and took the next exit. Neither of us spoke
about Adrian for the rest of the night.
CHAPTER 8
“ARE YOU GOING TO EAT THAT?” asked Eddie.
Eddie might not have known about all the shenanigans
that went down with Jill on the first day of school, but not
seeing her all day had unnerved him. So, when she and I
came downstairs for the second day, we found him waiting
in our dorm lobby, ready to go with us to breakfast.
I pushed my plate and its half a bagel across the table.
He’d already polished off a bagel of his own, as well as
pancakes and bacon, but was quick to accept my offering.
Maybe he was an unnatural hybrid creature, but from what I
could tell, his appetite was the same as any human
teenage guy.
“How are you feeling?” he asked Jill, once he’d
swallowed a mouthful of bagel. Since he’d eventually hear
she hadn’t been in class, we’d simply told Eddie that Jill
had been sick from nerves yesterday. The hangover
allegations still infuriated me, but Jill insisted on letting them
go.
“Fine,” she said. “A lot better.”
I didn’t comment on that but secretly had my doubts. Jill
did look better this morning, but she’d hardly had a solid
night’s sleep.
In fact, she’d woken in the middle of the night, screaming.
I’d leapt out of my bed, expecting no less than a hundred
Strigoi or Moroi assassins to come bursting through our
window. But when I’d looked over, there’d only been Jill,
thrashing and screaming in her sleep. I’d hurried over and
finally woken her up with some difficulty. She’d sat up
gasping, drenched in sweat, and clutching her chest. Once
she’d calmed down, she’d told me it was only a nightmare,
but there’d been something in her eyes … the echo of
something real. I knew because it reminded me of the
many times I’d woken up thinking the Alchemists were
coming to take me to the re-education centers.
She’d insisted she was fine, and when morning came,
the only acknowledgment she gave of her nightmare was to
insist that we not mention it to Eddie.
“It’s only going to worry him,” she said. “And besides, it’s
not a big deal.”
I conceded that point, but when I tried to ask what had
happened, she brushed me off and wouldn’t talk about it.
Now, at breakfast, there was a definite edge to her, but
for all I knew, it had more to do with finally facing her first
day in a human school. “I still can’t get over how different I
am from everyone,” she said in a low voice. “I mean, for one
thing, I’m taller than almost every girl here!” It was true. It
wasn’t uncommon for Moroi women to push six feet in
height. Jill wasn’t quite there, but her long, slim build gave
the illusion of being taller than she was. “And I’m really
bony.”
“You are not,” I said.
“I’m too skinny—compared to them,” Jill argued.
“Everyone’s got something,” countered Eddie. “That girl
over there has a ton of freckles. That guy shaved his head.
There’s no such thing as ‘normal.’”
Jill still looked dubious but doggedly went off to class
when the first warning bell rang, promising to meet Eddie
for lunch and me in PE.
I made it to my history class a few minutes early. Ms.
Terwilliger stood at her desk, shuffling some papers
around, and I hesitantly approached.
“Ma’am?”
She glanced up at me, pushing her glasses up her nose
as she did. “Hmm? Oh, I remember you. Miss Melbourne.”
“Melrose,” I corrected.
“Are you sure? I could’ve sworn you were named after
someplace in Australia.”
“Well, my first name is Sydney,” I said, not sure if I should
be encouraging her.
“Ah. Then I’m not crazy. Not yet, at least. What can I do
for you, Miss Melrose?”
“I wanted to ask you … well, you see, I have a gap in my
schedule because I passed out of the language
requirement. I wondered if maybe you needed another
teacher aide … like Trey.” The aforementioned Trey was
already there, sitting at a desk allotted to him and collating
papers. He glanced up at the mention of his name and
eyed me warily. “It’s last period, ma’am. So, if there was
any extra work you needed …”
Her eyes studied me for several moments before she
answered. I’d made sure to cover up my tattoo today, but it
felt like she was staring right through to it. “I don’t need
another teacher aide,” she said bluntly. Trey smirked. “Mr.
Juarez, despite his many limitations, is more than capable
of sorting all my stacks of paper.” His smirk disappeared at
the backhanded compliment.
I nodded and started to turn away, disappointed. “Okay. I
understand.”
“No, no. I don’t think you do. You see, I’m writing a book.”
She paused, and I realized she was waiting for me to look
impressed. “On heretical religion and magic in the Greco-
Roman world. I’ve lectured on it at Carlton College before.
Fascinating subject.”
Trey stifled a cough.
“Now, I could really use a research assistant to help me
track down certain information, run errands for me, that sort
of thing. Would you be interested in that?”
I gaped. “Yes, ma’am. I would be.”
“For you to get credit for an independent study, you’d
have to do some project alongside it … research and a
paper of your own. Not nearly the length of my book, of
course. Is there anything from that era that interests you?”
“Er, yes.” I could hardly believe it. “Classical art and
architecture. I’d love to study it more.”
Now she looked impressed. “Really? Then it seems
we’re a perfect match. Or, well, nearly. Pity you don’t know
Latin.”
“Well …” I averted my eyes. “I, um, actually … I can read
Latin.” I dared a glance back at her. Rather than impressed,
she mostly looked stunned.
“Well, then. How about that.” She gave a rueful head
shake. “I’m afraid to ask about Greek.” The bell rang. “Go
ahead and take your seat, then come find me at the end of
the day. Last period is also my planning period, so we’ll
have plenty of time to talk and fill out the appropriate
paperwork.”
I returned to my desk and received an approving fist
bump from Eddie. “Nice work. You don’t have to take a real
class. Of course, if she’s got you reading Latin, maybe it’ll
be worse than a real class.”
“I like Latin,” I said with absolute seriousness. “It’s fun.”
Eddie shook his head and said in a very, very low voice:
“I can’t believe you think we’re the strange ones.”
Trey’s comments for me in my next class were less
complimentary. “Wow, you sure have Terwilliger wrapped
around your finger.” He nodded toward our chemistry
instructor. “Are you going to go tell her that you split atoms
in your free time? Do you have a reactor back in your
room?”
“There’s nothing wrong with—” I cut myself off, unsure
what to say. I’d nearly said “being smart,” but that sounded
egotistical. “There’s nothing wrong with knowing things,” I
said at last.
“Sure,” he agreed. “When it’s legitimate knowledge.”
I remembered the crazy conversation with Kristin and
Julia yesterday. Because I’d had to take Jill to Adrian, I’d
missed the study session and couldn’t follow up on my
tattoo questions. Still, I at least now knew where Trey’s
disdain was coming from—even though it seemed absurd.
No one else at school had specifically mentioned my tattoo
being special, but a number of people had approached me
already, asking where I’d gotten it. They’d been
disappointed when I said South Dakota.
“Look, I don’t know where this idea’s coming from about
my tattoo making me smart, but if that’s what you think, well
… don’t. It’s just a tattoo.”
“It’s gold,” he argued.
“So?” I asked. “It’s just special ink. I don’t get why people
would believe it has some mystical properties. Who
believes in that stuff?”
He snorted. “Half this school does. How are you so
smart, then?”
Was I really that much of a freak when it came to
academics that people had to turn to supernatural
explanations? I went with my stock answer. “I was
homeschooled.”
“Oh,” said Trey thoughtfully. “That would explain it.”
I sighed.
“I bet your homeschooling didn’t do much in the way of
PE, though,” he added. “What are you going to do about
your sport requirement?”
“I don’t know; I hadn’t thought about it,” I said, feeling a
little uneasy. I could handle Amberwood’s academics in my
sleep. But its athletics? Unclear.
“Well, you better decide soon; the deadline’s coming up.
Don’t look so worried,” he added. “Maybe they’ll let you
start a Latin club instead.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked, not liking the
tone. “I’ve played sports.”
He shrugged. “If you say so. You don’t seem like the
athletic type. You seem too … neat.”
I wasn’t entirely sure if that was a compliment or not.
“What’s your sport?”
Trey held his chin up, looking very pleased with himself.
“Football. A real man’s sport.”
A guy sitting nearby overheard him and glanced back.
“Too bad you won’t make quarterback, Juarez. You came
so close last year. Looks like you’re going to graduate
without fulfilling yet another dream.”
I’d thought Trey didn’t like me—but as he turned his
attention to the other guy, it was like the temperature
dropped ten degrees. I realized in that moment that Trey
just liked giving me a hard time. But this other guy? Trey
completely despised him.
“I don’t remember you even being in the running, Slade,”
returned Trey, eyes hard. “What makes you think you’re
going to take it this year?”
Slade—it wasn’t clear to me if that was his first or last
name—exchanged knowing glances with a couple friends.
“Just a feeling.” They turned away, and Trey scowled.
“Great,” he muttered. “Slade finally got the money for one.
You want to know about tattoos? Go talk to him.”
My thirty-second impression told me Slade was no one I
wanted to talk to, but Trey provided no additional
explanation. Class soon started, but as I tried to focus on
the lesson, all I could think about was Amberwood’s
apparent obsession with tattoos. What did it mean?
When PE came, I was relieved to see Jill in the locker
room. The Moroi girl gave me a weary smile as we walked
outside. “How’s your day been?” I asked.
“Fine,” Jill said. “Not great. Not terrible. I haven’t really
gotten to know many people.” She didn’t say it, but Jill’s
tone implied, “See? I told you I would stand out.”
Yet as the class started, I realized that the problem was
that Jill didn’t stand out. She avoided eye contact, letting
her nerves get the best of her, and made no effort to talk to
people. No one openly shunned her, but with the vibes she
gave off, no one went out of their way to talk to her either. I
certainly wasn’t the most social person in the world, but I
still smiled and tried to chat with my classmates as we did
more volleyball drills. It was enough to foster the sparks of
friendship.
I also soon noticed another problem. The class had been
divided into four teams, playing two concurrent matches. Jill
was in the other game, but I still occasionally caught sight of
her. She looked miserable and tired within ten minutes,
without even having done much in the game. Her reaction
time was bad too. A number of balls went past her, and
those she did notice were met with clumsy maneuvers.
Some of her teammates exchanged frustrated looks behind
her back.
I returned to my own game, worried for her, just as the
opposing team spiked the ball into a zone that wasn’t well
guarded by my team. I didn’t have the reaction time that,
say, a dhampir had, but in that split second, my brain knew I
could block the ball if I made a hard and fast move. Doing
so went against my natural instincts, the ones that said,
Don’t do anything that will hurt or get you dirty. I’d always
carefully reasoned through my actions, never acting on
impulse. Not this time. I was going to stop that ball. I dove
for it, hitting it into range of another teammate who was
able to then spike it back over the net and out of danger.
The volley pushed me to a hard landing on my knees. It was
ungraceful and jarred my teeth, but I’d stopped the
opposition from scoring. My teammates cheered, and I was
surprised to find myself laughing. I’d always been trained
that everything I did had to have a greater, practical
purpose. Sports were sort of antithetical to the Alchemist
way of life, because they were just for fun. But maybe fun
wasn’t so bad once in a while.
“Nice, Melrose,” said Miss Carson, strolling by. “If you
want to defer your sport until winter and be on the volleyball
team, come talk to me later.”
“Well done,” said Micah, and offered me his hand. I
shook my head and stood up on my own. I was dismayed to
see a scrape on one of my legs but was still grinning from
ear to ear. If anyone had told me two weeks ago that I’d be
so happy about rolling around in the dirt, I wouldn’t have
believed it. “She doesn’t give out compliments very often.”
It was true. Miss Carson had already been on Jill a
number of times and was now halting our game to correct a
teammate’s sloppy form. I took advantage of the break to
watch Jill, whose game was still in action. Micah followed
my gaze.
“Doesn’t run in the family, huh?” he asked
sympathetically.
“No,” I murmured. My smile faded. I felt a pang of guilt in
my chest over exalting so much in my own triumph when Jill
was obviously struggling. It didn’t seem fair.
Jill still looked exhausted, and her curly hair was
drenched in sweat. Pink spots had appeared on her
cheeks, giving her a feverish look, and it seemed to take all
her effort to remain upright. It was strange that Jill would
have so much difficulty. I’d overheard a brief conversation in
which she and Eddie had discussed combat and defensive
moves, giving me the impression that Jill was fairly athletic.
She and Eddie had even talked about practicing later that
night and—
“The sun,” I groaned.
“Huh?” asked Micah.
I’d mentioned my concerns about the sun to Stanton, but
she’d dismissed them. She’d just advised that Jill be
careful to stay inside—which Jill did. Except, of course,
when school requirements made her take a class that kept
her outside. Forcing her to play sports out in the full blaze of
the Palm Springs sun was cruel. It was a wonder she was
still standing.
I sighed, making a mental note to call the Alchemists
later. “We’re going to have to get her a doctor’s note.”
“What are you talking about?” asked Micah. The game
was back on, and he shifted into position beside me.
“Oh. Jill. She’s … she’s sensitive to the sun. Kind of like
an allergic thing.”
As though on cue, we heard Miss Carson exclaim from
the other court: “Melrose Junior! Are you blind? Did you not
see that coming right toward you?”
Jill swayed on her feet but took the criticism meekly.
Micah watched them with a frown, and as soon as Miss
Carson was off picking on someone else, he darted out of
formation and ran over to Jill’s game. I hastily tried to cover
both his and my own positions. Micah ran up to a guy
beside Jill, whispered something, and pointed back at me.
A moment later, the guy ran over to my team and Micah
took the spot beside Jill.
As class continued, I realized what was happening.
Micah was good at volleyball—very good. So much so that
he was able to defend his spot and Jill’s. Without seeing
any blatant blunders, Miss Carson kept her attention
elsewhere, and Jill’s team grew a little less hostile toward
her. When the game ended, Micah caught hold of Jill’s arm
and quickly walked her over to a shaded spot. From the
way she staggered, he seemed to be all that was holding
her upright.
I was about to join them when I heard loud voices beside
me.
“I’m getting it tonight. The guy I talked to swears it’s
gonna be badass.” It was Slade, the guy who’d sparred
with Trey earlier. I hadn’t realized it out in the sun in the
middle of the game, but he was the player Micah had
swapped places with. “It better be,” continued Slade, “for
how much he’s charging me.”
Two of Slade’s friends joined him as they began heading
toward the locker room. “When are tryouts, Slade?” one of
his friends asked. In chemistry, I’d learned Slade’s first
name was Greg, but everyone seemed to refer to him by
his last name, even teachers.
“Friday,” Slade said. “I’m going to kill. Like totally destroy
them. I’m gonna rip Juarez’s spine out and make him eat
it.”
Charming, I thought, watching them go. My initial
assessment of Slade had been correct. I turned toward Jill
and Micah and saw that he’d gotten ahold of a water bottle
for her. They seemed okay for the moment, so I caught
Miss Carson’s attention as she walked by.
“My sister gets sick in the sun,” I said. “This is really hard
on her.”
“Lots of kids have trouble in the heat at first,” said Miss
Carson knowingly. “They just need to toughen up. You
handled yourself okay.”
“Yeah, well, she and I are pretty different,” I said dryly. If
only she knew. “I don’t think she’s going to ‘toughen up.’”
“Nothing I can do,” said Miss Carson. “If I let her sit out,
do you have any idea how many other kids would suddenly
‘feel tired in the sun’? Unless she’s got a doctor’s note,
she’s got to stick it out.”
I thanked her and went to join Jill and Micah. As I
approached, I heard Micah saying, “Get cleaned up, and I’ll
walk you to your next class. We can’t have you fainting in
the halls.” He paused and considered. “Of course, I’m totally
happy to catch you if you do faint.”
Jill was understandably dazed but was with it enough to
thank him. She told him she’d meet him soon and walked to
the girls’ locker room with me. I eyed the grin on Micah’s
face, and a troubling thought occurred to me. Jill seemed
stressed enough so I decided not to say anything, but my
concern grew when we left for last period. Micah walked
with Jill, as promised, and told her that later, when evening
came, he’d tutor her in volleyball if she wanted.
As we stood outside the classroom, a girl with long red
hair and a haughty attitude walked by, trailed by an
entourage of other girls. She paused when she saw Micah
and tossed her hair over one shoulder, flashing him a big
smile. “Hey, Micah.”
Micah was engrossed with Jill and barely glanced in the
other girl’s direction. “Oh, hey, Laurel.” He walked away,
and Laurel watched him go, her expression turning dark.
She shot a dangerous look at Jill, whipped her long hair
over her shoulder, and stormed off.
Uh-oh, I thought as I watched her stalk down the hall. Is
that going to come back and haunt us? It was one of those
moments when I could have used a lesson in social cues.
I went to Ms. Terwilliger’s classroom afterward and spent
most of that initial meeting setting up the semester’s goals
and outlining what I’d be doing for her. I was in store for a
lot of reading and translation, which suited me just fine. It
also appeared as though half of my job would be keeping
her organized—something else I excelled at. The time flew
by, and as soon as I was free, I hurried off to find Eddie. He
was waiting with a group of other boys at the shuttle stop to
go back to their dorm.
When he saw me, his response was the usual: “Is Jill
okay?”
“Fine … well, kind of. Can we talk somewhere?”
Eddie’s face darkened, no doubt thinking there was a
legion of Strigoi on their way to hunt Jill. We stepped back
inside one of the academic buildings, finding chairs in a
private corner that enjoyed the full force of air conditioning. I
gave him a quick update on Jill and her sunny PE
misadventures.
“I didn’t think it would be this bad,” said Eddie grimly,
echoing my thoughts. “Thank God Micah was there. Is there
anything you can do?”
“Yeah, we should be able to get something from our
‘parents’ or a doctor.” As much as I hated to, I added,
“Keith might be able to expedite it.”
“Good,” said Eddie fiercely. “We can’t have her getting
beat up out there. I’ll go talk to that teacher myself, if that’s
what it takes.”
I hid a smile. “Well, hopefully it won’t come to that. But
there is something else … nothing dangerous,” I amended
quickly, seeing that warrior look cross his face again. “Just
something …” I tried not to say the words that were popping
into my mind. Horrifying. Wrong. “Concerning. I think … I
think Micah likes Jill.”
Eddie’s face went very still. “Of course he likes her.
She’s nice. He’s nice. He likes everyone.”
“That’s not what I mean, and you know it. He likes her. In
the more-than-friends way. What are we going to do about
that?”
Eddie stared off across the hall for a few moments
before turning back to me. “Why do we have to do
anything?”
“How can you ask that?” I exclaimed, shocked by the
response. “You know why. Humans and vampires can’t be
together! It’s disgusting and wrong.” The words flew out of
my mouth before I could stop them. “Even a dhampir like
you should know that.”
He smiled ruefully. ‘“Even a dhampir like me?’”
I supposed I’d been a little insulting, but it couldn’t be
helped. Alchemists—myself included—never believed
dhampirs and Moroi worried enough about the same
problems we did. They might acknowledge a taboo like
this, but years of training said that only we humans really
took it seriously. That was why the Alchemist job was so
important. If we didn’t look after these matters, who would?
“I mean it,” I told him. “This is something all of us agree
on.” His smile faded. “Yeah, it is.”
Even Rose and Dimitri, who had a high tolerance for
craziness, had been shocked at meeting the Keepers,
rogue Moroi who intermingled freely with dhampirs and
humans. It was a taboo the three of us shared, and we’d
worked hard to tolerate the custom while with the Keepers.
They lived hidden in the Appalachian Mountains and had
provided excellent refuge when Rose was on the run.
Ignoring their savage ways had been an acceptable price
for the security they’d offered us.
“Can you talk to him?” I asked. “I don’t think Jill has any
strong feelings. She’s got too many other things going on.
She probably knows better anyway … but it’d still be best if
you could discourage him. We can stop this before she
gets involved.”
“What do you expect me to say?” Eddie asked. He
sounded at a loss, which struck me as funny, considering
he’d been ready to go make all sorts of demands to Miss
Carson on Jill’s behalf.
“I don’t know. Play the big brother card. Act protective.
Say she’s too young.”
I expected Eddie to agree, but he once more averted his
eyes. “I don’t know if we should say anything.”
“What? Are you insane? Do you think it’s okay to—”
“No, no.” He sighed. “I’m not advocating it. But look at it
this way. Jill’s stuck in a school full of humans. It’s not fair
that she be banned from hanging out with any guys.”
“I think Micah wants to do more than hang out.”
“Well, why shouldn’t she get to go on a date now and
then? Or go to a dance? She should get to do all the normal
things a girl her age does. She’s already had her life
radically changed. We shouldn’t make it any harder.”
I eyed him in disbelief, trying to figure out why he was so
laid back about this. Admittedly, he didn’t face the same
consequences I did. If my superiors found out I was
“encouraging” human and vampire dating, it’d be more
evidence against me and my alleged bias. After all, my
reputation wasn’t yet restored with the Alchemists. Still, I
knew Eddie’s people didn’t like the idea of dating, either.
So what was the problem? A strange answer suddenly
came to me. “I feel like you just don’t want to confront
Micah.”
Eddie looked right at me. “It’s complicated,” he said.
Something in his face told me I’d hit the mark. “Why don’t
you talk to Jill? She knows the rules. She’ll understand that
she can be with him without getting serious.”
“I think it’s a bad idea,” I said, still unable to believe he
was taking this stance. “We’re creating a gray area here
that’s eventually going to cause confusion. We should keep
it black and white and ban her from dating while she’s
here.”
That wry smile returned. “Everything’s black and white
with you Alchemists, isn’t it? Do you think you can really
stop her from doing anything? You should know better.
Even your childhood couldn’t have been that abnormal.”
With that slap in the face, Eddie stalked off, leaving me
aghast. What had just happened? How could Eddie—who
was so adamant about doing the right thing for Jill—be
okay with her casually dating Micah? There was something
weird going on here, something connected to Micah,
though I couldn’t figure out what. Well, I refused to let this
matter go. It was too important. I’d talk to Jill and make sure
she knew right from wrong. If necessary, I’d also talk to
Micah—though I still felt that conversation would be better
coming from Eddie.
And, I realized, thinking of how I had to go hunt down a
doctor’s note, there was one more source I could appeal to,
one that had a lot of influence over Jill.
Adrian.
Looked like I’d be paying him another visit.
CHAPTER 9
CONSIDERING I WAS ONLY SUPPOSED to visit
Clarence’s twice a week for feedings, I was kind of amazed
that I seemed to be here practically every day. Not only that,
this was my first time visiting the estate alone. Before, I’d
been with Keith or Jill and had a very well-defined goal.
Now, I was on my own. I hadn’t realized how much that
would freak me out until I was approaching the house,
which became even more looming and dark than usual.
There’s nothing to be afraid of, I told myself. You’ve
been with a vampire and dhampir all week. You should be
used to it. Besides, really, the scariest thing about this
place was the old house itself. Clarence and Lee weren’t all
that intimidating, and Adrian … well, Adrian was pretty
much the least scary vampire I’d ever met. He was too
bratty for me to feel any real fear, and actually … as much
as I hated to admit it, I kind of looked forward to seeing him.
It made no sense, but something about his infuriating nature
made me forget about my other worries. Weirdly, I felt like I
could relax around him.
Dorothy escorted me in, and I expected to be taken to
the sitting room again. Instead, the housekeeper led me
through a few twists and turns of the dark halls, finally
landing in a billiards room that looked like it could have
been straight out of Clue. More dark wood lined the room,
and stained glass windows let in filtered sunlight. Most of
the room’s illumination came from a hanging light centered
over a rich green pool table. Adrian was lining up a shot as
I shut the door behind me.
“Oh,” he said, knocking a red ball into a hole. “It’s you.”
“You were expecting someone else?” I asked. “Am I
interrupting your social calendar?” I made a big show of
glancing around the empty room. “I don’t want to keep you
from the mob of fans beating down your door.”
“Hey, a guy can hope. I mean, it’s not impossible that a
car full of scantily clad sorority girls might break down
outside and need my help.”
“That’s true,” I said. “Maybe I can put a sign out front that
says, ‘ATTENTION ALL GIRLS: FREE HELP HERE.’”
“‘ATTENTION ALL HOT GIRLS,’” he corrected,
straightening up.
“Right,” I said, trying not to roll my eyes. “That’s an
important distinction.”
He pointed at me with the pool stick. “Speaking of hot, I
like that uniform.”
This time, I did roll my eyes. After Adrian had teased me
last time about my uniform looking like my normal clothes,
I’d made sure to change out of it before coming today. Now
I wore dark jeans and a black-and-white printed blouse with
a ruffled collar. I should have known the outfit change
wouldn’t save me from his snark.
“Are you the only one here?” I asked, noting his solo
game.
“Nah. Clarence is around doing … I don’t know. Old man
stuff. And I think Lee’s fixing that lock before he heads to
LA. It’s kind of funny. He seems upset that he needs to use
tools. He keeps thinking the strength of his own hands
should be more than enough.”
I couldn’t help a smile. “I don’t suppose you offered to
help?”
“Sage,” Adrian declared. “These hands don’t do manual
labor.” He knocked another ball into a hole. “You want to
play?”
“What? With you?”
“No, with Clarence.” He sighed at my dumbfounded look.
“Yes, of course with me.”
“No. I need to talk to you about Jill.”
He was silent for a few moments and then returned to the
game as though nothing had happened. “She wasn’t sick
today.” He said that with certainty, though there was a funny,
bitter tone to his words.
“No. Well, not in the same way. She got sick out in the
sun during PE. I’m going to see Keith after this to see if we
can get a medical excuse.” I’d actually tried calling him
earlier, with no luck. “But that’s not why I’m here. There’s a
guy who likes Jill—a human guy.”
“Have Castile rough him up.”
I leaned back against the wall and sighed. “That’s the
thing. I asked him to. Well, not rough him up, exactly. It’s
Eddie’s roommate. I asked Eddie to tell him to back off and
make up some reason for staying away from Jill—like that
she’s too young.” Fearing Adrian would be as lax as Eddie
in this, I asked, “You understand why it’s important, right?
No Moroi and human dating?”
He was watching the table, not me. “Yup, I’m with you
there, Sage. But I still don’t see the problem.”
“Eddie won’t do it. He says he doesn’t think Jill should be
denied the chance to date and go to dances. That it’s okay
if she and Micah hang out, so long as it doesn’t get
serious.”
Adrian was good at hiding his feelings, but this looked
like it’d caught him by surprise. He straightened up and
spun the base of the pool stick on the floor as he thought.
“That is weird. I mean, I get the logic, and there’s something
to it. She shouldn’t be forced into isolation while she’s here.
I’m just surprised Castile came up with it.”
“Yeah, but that’s a hard concept to live by. Where do you
draw the ‘casual’ line? Honestly, I get this feeling Eddie just
didn’t want to confront Micah—the roommate. Which is
crazy, because Eddie doesn’t seem like the type to be
afraid of anything. What is there about Micah that would
make Eddie so uneasy?”
“Is Micah some big, hulking guy?”
“No,” I said. “He’s built, I guess. Good at sports. Really
friendly and easygoing—not the type you’d have to be
afraid would turn on you if you warned him away from your
sister.”
“Then you can talk to him. Or just talk to Jailbait and
explain things to her.” Adrian seemed satisfied he’d solved
the matter and knocked in the last ball.
“That was my plan. I just wanted to make sure you’d back
me. Jill listens to you, and I thought it’d be easier if she
knew you agreed with me. Not that I even know how she
feels. For all I know, this is all overkill.”
“Can’t hurt to be too careful with her,” said Adrian. He
stared off, lost in his own thoughts. “And I’ll let her know how
I feel about it.”
“Thank you,” I said, kind of surprised at how easy this had
been.
His green eyes danced mischievously. “Now will you play
a round with me?”
“I don’t really—”
The door opened, and Lee walked in, dressed casually
in jeans and a T-shirt. He was carrying a screwdriver. “Hey,
Sydney. I thought I saw your car out there.” He glanced
around. “Is, uh, Jill with you?”
“Not today,” I said. New insight struck me as I recalled
that Lee attended school in Los Angeles. “Lee, have you
ever dated a human girl at your school?”
Adrian arched an eyebrow. “Are you asking him out,
Sage?”
I scowled. “No!”
Lee turned thoughtful. “No, not really. I have some human
friends, and we go out as a group and hang out … but I’ve
never done more than that. LA’s a big place, though. There
are Moroi girls around, if you know where to look.”
Adrian perked up. “Oh?”
My hope that Lee might tell Jill he too had to avoid dating
faded. “Well, that would make your dating situation much
easier than Jill’s.”
“What do you mean?” asked Lee.
I recapped everything to him about Micah and Eddie.
Lee nodded along thoughtfully.
“That is hard,” he admitted.
“Can we go back to the part about Moroi girls hanging
out in LA?” asked Adrian hopefully. “Can you direct me to
some of the … oh, let’s say, more open-minded ones?”
Lee’s attention was on me, however. His easy smile
grew uncertain, and he glanced at his feet. “This might
seem kind of weird … but I mean, I wouldn’t mind asking Jill
out.”
Adrian was on that before I could even think of a
response. “What, do you mean like on a date? You son of a
bitch! She’s only fifteen.” You never would’ve guessed he’d
been talking about easy Moroi girls only moments before.
“Adrian,” I said. “I’m guessing Lee’s definition of a date is
a little different than yours.”
“Sorry, Sage. You’ve got to trust me when it comes to
dating definitions. Last I checked, you aren’t an expert in
social matters. I mean, when was the last time you were
even on a date?” It was just another of the witty barbs he
tossed around so easily, but it stung a little. Was my lack of
social experience that obvious?
“But,” I added, ignoring Adrian’s question, “there is an
age difference.” I honestly had no idea how old Lee was.
His being in college gave me some clue, but Clarence
seemed awfully old. Having a child late in life wasn’t that
weird, though, for humans or Moroi.
“There is,” said Lee. “I’m nineteen. Not a huge gap—but
big enough. I shouldn’t have said anything.” He looked
embarrassed, and I felt both sorry for him and confused for
myself. Matchmaking wasn’t in the Alchemist handbook.
“Why would you want to ask her out?” I asked. “I mean,
she’s great. But are you just doing this to distract her from
Micah and give her a safe dating alternative? Or do you,
um, like her?”
“Of course he likes her,” said Adrian, quick to defend
Jill’s honor.
I had a feeling that there was really no good way for Lee
to answer at this point. If he expressed interest in her,
Adrian’s bizarre chivalric instincts were going to kick in. If
Lee wasn’t interested, Adrian would no doubt demand to
know why Lee didn’t want to marry her then and there. It
was one of those fascinating—but weird—quirks of
Adrian’s personality.
“I like her,” said Lee bluntly. “I’ve only talked to her a
couple of times, but … well, I’d really like to get to know her
better.”
Adrian scoffed, and I shot him a glare. “Once again,” I
said. “I think you guys have different definitions for the same
words.”
“Not true,” said Adrian. “All guys mean the same thing
when they want to ‘get to know a girl better.’ You’re a wellbred
young lady, so I understand why you’d be too innocent
to understand. Good thing you’ve got me here to interpret.”
I turned back to Lee, not even bothering to respond to
Adrian. “I think it’s fine if you go out with her.”
“Assuming she’d even be interested,” said Lee, looking
uncertain.
I remembered her smile when he’d stopped to talk to her
yesterday. That had seemed pretty promising. But then, so
had her enthusiasm over Micah. “I bet she would.”
“So you’re just going to let her go off alone?” asked
Adrian, giving me a look that told me not to question him.
This time, his concern was legitimate. I shared it. Jill was in
Palm Springs to be safe. She was enrolled at Amberwood
because it was also safe. Suddenly going out with a guy we
hardly knew would not meet either Alchemist or guardian
protocols for safety.
“Well, she can’t even leave campus,” I said, thinking
aloud. “Not without me.”
“Whoa,” said Adrian, “if you get to come along as a
chaperone, so do I.”
“If we both do, then Eddie will want to as well,” I pointed
out. “Doesn’t sound like much of a date.”
“So?” Adrian’s brief moment of seriousness and concern
had vanished in the face of what he saw as social fun. How
could anyone’s mood flip so quickly? “Think of it as less of
a date than a faux-family outing. One that will entertain me
while protecting her virtue.”
I put my hands on my hips and turned toward him. This
seemed to amuse him more. “Adrian, we’re focusing on Jill
here. This isn’t about your personal entertainment.”
“Not true,” he said, green eyes sparkling. “Everything’s
about my personal entertainment. The world is my stage.
Keep it up—you’re becoming a star performer in the show.”
Lee glanced between us with a comically helpless look.
“Do you guys want to be alone?”
I flushed. “Sorry.” Adrian made no apologies, of course.
“Look,” said Lee, who kind of seemed like he was
beginning to regret bringing this up at all. “I like her. If it
means bringing your whole group so I can be with her, then
that’s fine.”
“Maybe it’s better this way,” I mused. “Maybe if we do
more things as a group—aside from her feedings—she
won’t be in danger of wanting to go out with a human guy.”
Who we didn’t even know for sure that she was interested
in. We didn’t even know if she was interested in Lee either.
We were being awfully heavy-handed with her love life, I
realized.
“This is kind of what I wanted before,” Adrian said to me.
“Just more of a social life.”
I thought back to yesterday’s conversation, in which he’d
demanded I find him lodging. “That’s not quite what you
asked for.”
“If you want to get out more,” said Lee, “you should come
back to LA with me tonight. I’ll be back here after class
tomorrow anyway, so it’d just be a quick trip.”
Adrian brightened so much that I wondered if Lee had
suggested it to try to smooth over any tension remaining
about his interest in Jill. “Will you introduce me to those
girls?” asked Adrian.
“Unbelievable,” I said. Adrian’s double standard was
ridiculous.
I didn’t notice the door opening until Keith was
completely in the room. I was never exactly happy to see
him, but it was good luck that he was suddenly here, right
when I needed to talk to him about Jill and her problems
with PE. My best plan had been to show up at his
apartment and hope to catch him there. He’d saved me the
trouble.
Keith looked at all three of us—but he didn’t share our
smiles. No winks or pretty boy charm from him today. “I saw
your car out there, Sydney,” he said sternly, turning to me.
“What are you doing here?”
“I had to talk to Adrian,” I said. “Did you get my
message? I tried calling earlier.”
“I’ve been busy,” he said crisply. His expression was
hard, his tone chilling the room. Adrian and Lee had lost
their smiles, and both now looked confused as they tried to
figure out why Keith was so annoyed. I shared their
curiosity. “Let’s talk. In private.”
I suddenly felt like a naughty child without knowing why.
“Sure,” I said. “I … I was just leaving anyway.” I moved to
join Keith at the door.
“Wait,” said Lee. “What about—” Adrian nudged him and
shook his head, murmuring something I couldn’t hear. Lee
stayed quiet.
“See you around,” said Adrian cheerfully. “Don’t worry—
I’ll remember what we talked about.”
“Thanks,” I said. “See you guys later.”
Keith left without a word, and I followed him out of the
house and into the late-afternoon heat. The temperature
had gone down since the ill-fated PE class but not by much.
Keith trudged through the gravel driveway, coming to a halt
beside Latte. His car was parked nearby.
“That was rude,” I told him. “You didn’t even say goodbye
to them.”
“Sorry if I don’t bring out my best manners for vampires,”
snapped Keith. “I’m not as close to them as you are.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I demanded, crossing
my arms. Staring him down, I felt all my old animosity
bubble up. It was hard to believe that I’d been laughing just
a minute ago.
Keith sneered. “Just that you seemed awfully cozy with
them in there—hanging out, having a good time. I didn’t
know this was where you spent your free time after school.”
“How dare you! I came here on business,” I growled.
“Yeah, I could tell.”
“I did. I had to talk to Adrian about Jill.”
“I don’t recall him being her guardian.”
“He cares about her,” I argued. “Just like any of us would
for a friend.”
“Friend? They’re not like us at all,” said Keith. “They’re
godless and unnatural, and you have no business being
friends with any of them.”
I wanted to shout back that from what I’d observed, Lee
was a hundred times more decent of a person than Keith
would ever be. Even Adrian was. It was only at the last
second that my training kicked in. Don’t raise a fuss. Don’t
contradict your superiors. No matter how much I hated it,
Keith was in charge here. I took a deep breath.
“It was hardly fraternizing. I simply came by to talk to
Adrian, and Lee happened to be here. It wasn’t like we’d all
been planning some big party.” Best not to mention the
group date plan.
“Why didn’t you just call Adrian if you had a question?
You called me.”
Because being face-to-face with him is less sickening
than being around you.
“It was important. And when I couldn’t get ahold of you, I
figured I’d have to drive over to your place anyway.”
Hoping to shift away from my “bad behavior,” I jumped in
and recapped everything that had happened today,
including Jill’s sun exposure and Micah’s attentions.
“Of course she can’t date him,” he exclaimed, after I’d
explained about Micah. “You have to put a stop to that.”
“I’m trying. And Adrian and Lee said they’d help.”
“Oh, well, I feel a lot better now.” Keith shook his head.
“Don’t be naive, Sydney. I told you. They don’t care about
this stuff as much as we do.”
“I think they do,” I argued. “Adrian seemed to get it, and
he has a lot of influence over Jill.”
“Well, he’s not the one the Alchemists are going to come
after and send off to re-education for playing around with
vampires when she should be disciplining them.”
I could only stare. I wasn’t sure which part of what he’d
just said was more offensive: the well-worn insinuation that I
was a “vamp lover” or that I was capable of “disciplining”
any of them. I should’ve known his false friendliness
wouldn’t last.
“I’m doing my job here,” I said, still keeping my voice
level. “And from what I can see, I’m doing more work than
you, since I’m the one who’s been putting out fires all
week.”
I knew it was an illusion, seeing as the glass eye couldn’t
really stare, but I felt like he was glaring at me with both
eyes. “I’m doing plenty. Don’t even think to criticize me.”
“What were you doing here?” I asked, suddenly realizing
how weird that was. He’d accused me of “socializing” but
had never explained his motives.
“I had to see Clarence, not that it’s any of your business.”
I wanted more details but refused to let on how curious I
was. He’d been here yesterday too, according to Lee. “Will
you call the school tomorrow and get Jill excused from
PE?”
Keith gave me a long and heavy look. “No.”
“What? Why not?”
“Because being out in the sun won’t kill her.”
Again, I bit down on my anger and tried for the diplomacy
I’d been schooled in. “Keith, you didn’t see her. Maybe it
won’t kill her, but it was miserable for her. She was in
agony.”
“I don’t really care if they’re miserable or not,” Keith said.
“And neither should you. Our job is to keep her alive. There
was no mention of making sure she’s happy and
comfortable.”
“I wouldn’t think anyone would have to tell us,” I said,
aghast. Why was he so upset? “I’d think being sensitive
human beings, we could just do it.”
“Well, now you can. You can either get someone above
us to issue a note to the school or you can give her ice
baths after gym class. I really don’t care what you do, but
maybe it’ll keep you busy enough that you’ll stop coming
over here unannounced and throwing yourself at creatures
of darkness. Don’t let me hear about this happening again.”
“You are unbelievable,” I said. I was too upset and at a
loss for words to manage anything more eloquent.
“I’m looking out for your soul,” he said loftily. “It’s the least
I can do for your dad. Too bad you aren’t more like your
sisters.”
Keith turned his back on me and unlocked the car door
without another word. He got in and drove off, leaving me
staring. Tears threatened my eyes, and I swallowed them
back. I felt like an idiot—but not because of his
accusations. I didn’t believe for an instant that I’d done
anything wrong by coming over here. No, I was mad—mad
at myself—because I’d let him walk away with the last word
and because I hadn’t had the nerve to say anything back. I’d
stayed silent, just like everyone always told me to.
I kicked the gravel in my anger, sending a spray of it into
the air. A few small rocks hit my car, and I winced. “Sorry.”
“Would he accuse you of being evil for talking to an
inanimate object?”
I spun around, heart racing. Adrian was leaning against
the house, smoking. “Where did you come from?” I
demanded. Even though I knew everything there was to
know about vampires, it was hard to shake superstitious
fears of them appearing out of thin air.
“Other door,” he explained. “I went out to smoke and
overheard the commotion.”
“It’s rude to eavesdrop,” I said, knowing I sounded
unbearably prim but unable to stop myself.
“It’s rude to be an asshole like that.” Adrian nodded
toward where Keith had driven away. “Are you going to be
able to get Jill out of class?”
I sighed, suddenly feeling tired. “Yeah, I should be able
to. It’ll just take a little longer while I get some other
Alchemist to be our fake parents. Would’ve been a lot
faster if Keith had done it.”
“Thanks for looking out for her, Sage. You’re okay. For a
human.”
I almost laughed. “Thanks.”
“You can say it too, you know.”
I walked over to Latte and paused. “Say what?”
“That I’m okay … for a vampire,” he explained.
I shook my head, still smiling. “You’ll have a hard time
getting any Alchemist to admit that. But I can say you’re
okay for an irreverent party boy with occasional moments of
brilliance.”
“Brilliant? You think I’m brilliant?” He threw his hands
skyward. “You hear that, world? Sage says I’m brilliant.”
“That’s not what I said!”
He dropped the cigarette and stamped it out, giving me
a devil-may-care grin. “Thanks for the ego boost. I’m going
to go tell Clarence and Lee all about your high opinion.”
“Hey, I didn’t—”
But he was already gone. As I drove away, I decided the
Alchemists needed an entire department devoted to
handling Adrian Ivashkov.
When I got back to my dorm room, I found Jill sitting
surrounded in textbooks and papers, undoubtedly trying to
catch up from yesterday.
“Wow,” I said, thinking of the homework that waited for
me too. “You’ve got a whole command center set up.”
Rather than smile at my joke, Jill looked up with an icy
gaze. “Do you think,” she said, “that maybe next time you
want to mess with my dating life, you could talk to me first?”
I was speechless. Adrian had said he’d talk to Jill. I just
hadn’t realized it’d be so quickly.
“You don’t have to go behind my back to keep me away
from Micah,” she added. “I’m not stupid. I know I can’t date
a human.”
So Adrian had apparently told her that much.
“And,” Jill continued, still in that cold tone, “you don’t have
to set me up with the only eligible Moroi within a hundred
miles in order to keep me out of trouble.”
Okay … Adrian had apparently told her everything. I
would’ve expected more discretion from him, especially
with the Lee part.
“We … we weren’t setting you up,” I said lamely. “Lee
wanted to ask you out anyway.”
“But rather than talk to me, he asked permission from you
guys! You don’t control my life.”
“I know that,” I said. “We weren’t trying to!” How had this
just blown up right in front of me? “Lee acted on his own.”
“Just like you did when you went to talk to Adrian behind
my back.” Her eyes glittered with angry tears, daring me to
deny it. I couldn’t and only now realized the wrongness of
what I’d done. Ever since she found out she was royal, Jill
had watched other people dictate her life for her. Maybe my
intentions to get Adrian to talk to her about Micah were
good, but I’d addressed them in the wrong way.
“You’re right,” I said. “I’m sorry that I—”
“Forget it,” she said, slipping a pair of headphones on. “I
don’t want to hear any more. You made me look stupid in
front of both Adrian and Lee. Not that they’ll even think twice
about me in Los Angeles tonight.” She waved a hand at me
and looked down at the book in front of her. “I’m done with
you.”
Whether she couldn’t hear me because of the music or
simply because she’d now chosen to ignore me, I couldn’t
say. All I knew was that I once again found myself
comparing her to Zoe. Just like with Zoe, I’d tried to do
something good for Jill, and it had backfired. Just like with
Zoe, I’d ended up hurting and humiliating the one I’d tried to
protect.
Sorry, Sage. Last I checked, you aren’t an expert in
social matters.
That, I thought bitterly, was the saddest part of all—that
Adrian Ivashkov was right.
CHAPTER 10
MY PHONE RANG JUST THEN, saving me from the
awkwardness of figuring out what to do about Jill. I
answered without bothering to check the caller ID.
“Miss Melbourne? Your services are needed
immediately.”
“Ma’am?” I asked in surprise. Ms. Terwilliger’s frantic
voice was not what I’d been expecting. “What’s wrong?”
“I need you to get me a caramel sauce cappuccino from
Spencer’s. There is absolutely no way I can finish
translating this document if you don’t.”
There were a million responses I could make to that,
none of which were very polite, so I went with the obvious
point of logic.
“I don’t think I can,” I said.
“You have off-campus privileges, don’t you?”
“Well, yes, ma’am, but it’s almost campus curfew. I don’t
know where Spencer’s is, but I don’t think I can make it
back in time.”
“Nonsense. Who’s running your dorm? That Weathers
woman? I’ll call down and get you an exception. I’m working
in one of the library offices. Meet me there.”
Despite my personal devotion to coffee, getting an
“exception” to the school’s curfew seemed kind of
excessive for an errand like this. I didn’t like to bend the
rules. On the other hand, I was Ms. Terwilliger’s assistant.
Wasn’t this part of my job description? All the old Alchemist
instincts to follow orders kicked in.
“Well, yes, ma’am, I suppose I—”
She disconnected, and I stared at the phone in
astonishment. “I have to go,” I told Jill. “Hopefully I’ll be back
soon. Maybe very soon since I’ll be surprised if she
remembers to call Mrs. Weathers.” She didn’t look up. With
a shrug, I packed my laptop and some homework, just in
case Ms. Terwilliger thought of something else for me to
do. With coffee on the line, my teacher’s memory was good,
and I found I did indeed have clearance to leave when I
went downstairs. Mrs. Weathers even gave me directions
to Spencer’s, a coffee shop that was a few miles away. I
got the cappuccino, wondering if I’d be reimbursed, and
picked up something for myself as well. The library staff at
Amberwood gave me a hard time about carrying in
beverages when I returned, but when I explained my errand,
they waved me on through to the back offices. Apparently,
Ms. Terwilliger’s addiction was well known.
The library was surprisingly busy, and I quickly deduced
why. After a certain point each night, guys and girls were
banned from each other’s dorms. The library was open
later, so this was the place to go to hang out with the
opposite sex. Lots of people were just there to study too,
including Julia and Kristin.
“Sydney! Over here!” called Kristin in a stage whisper.
“Break free of Terwilliger,” added Julia. “You can do it.”
I held up the coffee as I passed them. “Are you kidding? If
she doesn’t get her caffeine soon, there’ll be no escaping
her. I’ll come back if I can.”
As I continued walking through, I saw a small cluster of
students gathered around someone—and heard a familiar
and annoying voice. Greg Slade’s.
Curious in spite of myself, I walked over to the edge of
the crowd. Slade was showing off something on his upper
arm: a tattoo.
The design itself was nothing special. It was an eagle in
flight, the kind of generic art all tattoo shops had in stock
and copied en masse. What caught my attention was the
color. It was all done in a rich, metallic silver. Metallics like
that weren’t easy to pull off, not with that sheen and
intensity. I knew the chemicals that went into my own gold
tattoo, and the formula was complex and composed of
several rare ingredients.
Slade made a halfhearted effort to keep his voice low—
tattoos were forbidden around here, after all—but it was
clear he was enjoying the attention. I observed quietly, glad
others were asking some of my questions for me. Of
course, those questions only left me with more questions.
“That’s brighter than the ones they used to do,” one of his
friends noted.
Slade tilted his arm so the light caught it. “Something
new. They say these are better than the ones from last year.
Not sure if that’s true, but it wasn’t cheap, I can tell you that.”
The friend who’d spoken grinned. “You’ll find out at
tryouts.”
Laurel—the red-haired girl who’d been interested in
Micah—stretched out her leg beside Slade, revealing a
slim ankle adorned with a faded butterfly tattoo. No
metallics there. “I might get mine touched up, maybe for
homecoming if I can get the money from my parents. Do
you know if the celestial ones are better this year too?” She
tossed back her hair as she spoke. From what I’d observed
in my brief time at Amberwood, Laurel was very vain about
her hair and made sure to throw it around at least every ten
minutes.
Slade shrugged. “Didn’t ask.”
Laurel noticed me watching. “Oh, hey. Aren’t you vampire
girl’s sister?”
My heart stopped. “Vampire?”
“Vampire?” echoed Slade.
How did she find out? What am I going to do? I had just
begun making a list of the Alchemists I had to call when one
of Laurel’s friends snickered.
Laurel looked at them and laughed haughtily, then turned
back to me. “That’s what we’ve decided to call her. No one
human could possibly have skin that pale.”
I nearly sagged in relief. It was a joke—one that hit
painfully close to the truth, but a joke nonetheless. Still,
Laurel didn’t seem like someone to cross, and it’d be
better for all of us if it was a joke soon forgotten. I
admittedly blurted out the first distracting comment that
came to mind. “Hey, stranger things have happened. When
I first saw you, I didn’t think anyone could have hair that long
or that red. But you don’t hear me talking about extensions
or dye.”
Slade nearly doubled over with laugher. “I knew it! I knew
it was fake!”
Laurel flushed nearly as red as her hair. “It is not! It’s
real!”
“Miss Melbourne?”
I jumped at the voice behind me and found Ms.
Terwilliger there, watching me with bemusement. “You
aren’t getting credit for chatting, especially when my
coffee’s on the line. Come on.”
I skulked away, though hardly anyone noticed. Laurel’s
friends were having too much fun teasing her. I hoped I had
diffused the vampire jokes. Meanwhile, I couldn’t get the
image of Greg’s tattoo out of my mind. I let my thoughts
wander to the mystery of what components would be
needed for that silver color. I almost had it figured out—at
least, I had one possibility figured out—and wished I had
access to Alchemist ingredients to do some experiments.
Ms. Terwilliger took the coffee gratefully when we reached
a small workroom.
“Thank God,” she said, after taking a long sip. She
nodded at mine. “Is that a backup one? Excellent thinking.”
“No, ma’am,” I said. “It’s mine. Do you want me to start in
on those?” A familiar stack of books sat on the table, ones
I’d seen in her classroom. They were core parts of her
research, and she’d told me I’d eventually need to outline
and document them for her. I reached for the top one, but
she stopped me.
“No,” she said, moving toward a large briefcase. She
rifled through papers and assorted office supplies, finally
digging out an old leather book. “Do this one instead.”
I took the book. “Can I work out there?” I was hoping if I
went back to the main study area, I could talk to Kristin and
Julia.
Ms. Terwilliger considered. “The library won’t let you have
the coffee. You should probably leave it in here.”
I waffled, debating whether my desire to talk to Kristin
and Julia outweighed the likelihood that Ms. Terwilliger
would drink my coffee before I got back. I decided to take
the risk and bid my coffee a painful farewell as I hauled my
books and gear back out to the library.
Julia eyed Ms. Terwilliger’s beat-up book with disdain.
“Isn’t that just on the internet somewhere?”
“Probably not. I’m guessing no one’s even looked at this
since before the internet was invented.” I opened the cover.
Dust fluttered out. “Way before.”
Kristin had math homework open in front of her but didn’t
look particularly interested in it. She tapped a pen
absentmindedly against the textbook’s cover. “So you saw
Slade’s tattoo?”
“Hard not to,” I said, getting out my laptop. I glanced
across the screen. “He’s still showing it off.”
“He’s wanted one for a while but never had the money,”
explained Julia. “Last year, all the big athletes had them.
Well, except for Trey Juarez.”
“Trey almost doesn’t need one,” pointed out Kristin. “He’s
that good.”
“He will now—if he wants to keep up with Slade,” said
Julia.
Kristin shook her head. “He still won’t do it. He’s against
them. He tried reporting them to Mr. Green last year, but no
one believed him.”
I looked back and forth between them, more lost than
ever. “Are we still talking about tattoos? About Trey
‘needing’ one or not?”
“You really haven’t found out yet?” asked Julia.
“It’s my second day,” I pointed out with frustration.
Remembering I was in a library, I spoke more softly. “The
only people who have really talked about them are Trey and
you guys—and you haven’t said much of anything.”
They had the grace to look embarrassed by that, at least.
Kristin opened her mouth, paused, and then seemed to
change what she was going to say. “You’re sure yours
doesn’t do anything?”
“Positive,” I lied. “How is that even possible?”
Julia cast a glance around the library and twisted in her
chair. She rolled her shirt up a little, exposing her lower
back—and a faded tattoo of a swallow in flight. Satisfied
that I’d seen it, she turned back around. “I got this last
spring break—and it was the best spring break ever.”
“Because of the tattoo?” I asked skeptically.
“When I got it, it didn’t look like this. It was metallic … not
like yours. Or Slade’s. More like …”
“Copper,” provided Kristin.
Julia thought about it and nodded. “Yeah, like reddishgoldish.
The color only lasted a week, and while it did, it
was amazing. Like, I have never felt that good. It was
inhumanly good. The best high ever.”
“I swear, there’s some kind of drug in those celestials,”
said Kristin. She was trying to sound disapproving, but I
thought I detected a note of envy.
“If you had one, you’d understand,” Julia told her.
“Celestials … I heard that girl over there talk about them,”
I said.
“Laurel?” asked Julia. “Yeah, that’s what they call the
copper ones. Because they make you feel out of this
world.” She looked almost embarrassed about her
enthusiasm. “Stupid name, huh?”
“Is that what Slade’s does?” I asked, stunned at what was
unfolding before me.
“No, he’s got a steel one,” said Kristin. “Those give you a
big athletic boost. Like, you’re stronger, faster. Stuff like
that. They last longer than the celestials—more like two
weeks. Sometimes three, but the effect fades. They call
them steel because they’re tough, I guess. And maybe
because there’s steel in them.”
Not steel, I thought. A silver compound. The art of using
metal to bind certain properties in skin was one the
Alchemists had perfected a long time ago. Gold was the
absolute best, which was why we used it. Other metals—
when formulated in the proper ways—achieved similar
effects, but neither silver nor copper would bind the way
gold could. The copper tattoo was easy to understand. Any
number of feel-good substances or drugs could be
combined with that for a short-term effect. The silver one
was more difficult for me to understand—or rather, the
effects of the silver one. What they were describing
sounded like some kind of athletic steroid. Would silver
hold that? I’d have to check.
“How many people have these?” I asked them,
awestruck. I couldn’t believe that such complicated tattoos
were so popular here. It was also beginning to sink in just
how wealthy the student body here really was. The
materials alone would cost a fortune, let alone any of the
alleged side effects.
“Everyone,” said Julia.
Kristin scowled. “Not everyone. I’ve almost got enough
saved up, though.”
“I’d say half the school’s at least tried a celestial,” said
Julia, flashing her friend a comforting look. “You can get
them touched up again later—but it still costs money.”
“Half the school?” I repeated incredulously. I looked
around, wondering how many shirts and pants concealed
tattoos. “This is crazy. I can’t believe a tattoo can do any of
that.” I hoped I was doing an okay job of hiding how much I
really knew.
“Get a celestial,” said Julia with a grin. “Then you’ll
believe.”
“Where do you get them?”
“It’s a place called Nevermore,” said Kristin. “They’re
selective, though, and don’t give them out easily.” Not that
selective, I thought, if half the school had them. “They got a
lot more cautious after Trey tried to turn them in.” There was
Trey’s name again. It now made sense that he’d been so
disdainful of my tattoo when we met. But I wondered why he
cared so much—enough to try to get them shut down. That
wasn’t just a casual disagreement.
“I guess he thinks it’s unfair?” I offered diplomatically.
“I think he’s just jealous that he can’t afford one,” said
Julia. “He’s got a tattoo, you know. It’s a sun on his back.
But it’s just a regular black one—not gold like yours. I’ve
never seen anything like yours.”
“So that’s why you thought mine made me smart,” I said.
“That could’ve been really useful during finals,” said Julia
wistfully. “You’re sure that’s not why you know so much?”
I smiled, despite how appalled I was by what I’d just
learned. “I wish. It might make getting through this book
easier. Which,” I added, glancing at the clock. “I should get
to.” It was on Greco-Roman priests and magicians, a kind
of grimoire detailing the kinds of spells and rituals they’d
worked with. It wasn’t terrible reading material, but it was
long. I’d thought Ms. Terwilliger’s research was more
focused on mainstream religions in that era, so the book
seemed like a weird choice. Maybe she was hoping to
include a section on alternative magical practices.
Regardless, who was I to question? If she asked, I’d do it.
I outlasted both Kristin and Julia in the library, since I had
to stay as long as Ms. Terwilliger stayed, which was until
the library closed. She seemed pleased that I’d gotten so
far with the notes and told me she’d like the whole book
completed in three days.
“Yes, ma’am,” I said automatically, as if I didn’t have any
other classes at this school. Why did I always agree without
thinking?
I returned to East Campus, bleary-eyed from all the work
I’d done and exhausted over the thought of the homework
remaining. Jill was fast asleep, which I took as a small
blessing. I wouldn’t have to face her accusing stare or
figure out how to handle the awkward silence. I got ready
for bed quickly and quietly and fell asleep almost as soon
as I hit the pillow.
I woke at around three to the sound of crying. Shaking off
my sleepy haze, I was able to make out Jill sitting up in her
bed, her face buried in her hands. Great, shaking sobs
racked her body.
“Jill?” I asked uncertainly. “What’s wrong?”
In the faint light coming in from outside, I saw Jill raise her
head and look at me. Unable to answer, she shook her
head and began crying once more, this time more loudly. I
got up and came to sit on the edge of her bed. I couldn’t
quite bring myself to hug or touch her for comfort.
Nonetheless, I felt terrible. I knew this had to be my fault.
“Jill, I’m so sorry. I never should have gone to see Adrian.
When Lee mentioned you, I should’ve just stopped it there
and told him to talk to you if he was interested. I should’ve
just talked to you in the first place …” The words came out
in a jumble. When I looked at her, all I could think of was
Zoe and her horrible accusations on the night I’d left.
Somehow, my help always backfired.
Jill sniffled and managed to get out a few words before
breaking down again. “It’s not … it’s not that …”
I stared helplessly at her tears, frustrated at myself.
Kristin and Julia thought I was superhumanly smart. Yet I
guaranteed one of them would’ve been able to comfort Jill
a hundred times better than I could. I reached out my hand
and nearly patted her arm—but pulled back at the last
moment. No, I couldn’t do that. That Alchemist voice in me,
the voice that always warned me to keep my distance from
vampires, wouldn’t let me touch one in a way that was so
personal.
“Then what is it?” I asked at last.
She shook her head. “It’s not … I can’t tell … you wouldn’t
understand.”
With Jill, I thought, any number of things could be wrong.
The uncertainty of her royal status. The threats against her.
Being sent away from all her family and friends, trapped
among humans in the perpetual sun. I really didn’t know
where to start. Last night, there had been a chilling,
desperate terror in her eyes when she woke up. But this
was different. This was sorrow. This was from the heart.
“What can I do to help?” I asked at last.
It took her a few moments to pull herself together. “You’re
already doing plenty,” she managed. “We all appreciate it
—really. Especially after what Keith said to you.” Was there
nothing Adrian hadn’t told her? “And I’m sorry—I’m sorry I
was so bitchy to you earlier. You didn’t deserve that. You
were just trying to help.”
“No … don’t apologize. I messed up.”
“You don’t have to worry, you know,” she added. “About
Micah. I understand. I only want to be his friend.”
I was pretty sure that I still wasn’t doing a great job at
making her feel better. But I had to admit, apologizing to
me at least seemed to be distracting her from whatever
had woken her to so much pain.
“I know,” I said. “I should never have worried about you.”
She assured me again that she was fine, with no more
explanation about why she’d woken up crying. I felt like I
should have done more to help, but instead, I made my way
back to my own bed. I didn’t hear any more sobs for the
rest of the night, but once, when I woke up a couple hours
later, I stole a glance at her. Her features were just barely
discernible in the early light. She lay there, eyes wide open
and staring off into nothingness, a haunted look on her face.
CHAPTER 11
BEFORE CLASS THE NEXT DAY, I left a message with
someone at the Alchemists’ office, telling them I needed
“Mr. and Mrs. Melrose” to send a note excusing Jill from PE
—or at least from outdoor activities. I hoped they’d move
quickly on this. The Alchemists were fast when they wanted
to be, but they sometimes had odd ideas of what took
priority. I hoped they didn’t have the same attitude toward
Jill’s misery as Keith did.
But I knew not to expect any action that day, so Jill had to
suffer through another PE class—and I had to suffer through
watching her suffer. What was really terrible was that Jill
didn’t whine or try to get out of anything. She didn’t even
show any sign of last night’s breakdown. She came in with
determination and optimism, as though maybe this would
be the day the sun wouldn’t affect her. Yet, before long, she
began to wane just as she had last time. She looked sick
and tired, and my own performance faltered a little because
I kept watching her, afraid she’d pass out.
Micah was the saving grace. Once again, he fearlessly
switched teams—this time from the very start of class. He
covered for her just as he had last time, allowing her to
escape the notice of teacher and classmates—well, except
for Laurel, who seemed to notice—and get annoyed by—
everything he did. Her eyes flicked angrily between him and
Jill, and she kept flinging her hair over her shoulder to get
his attention. I was a little amused to note that Micah’s
attention remained solely on keeping the ball away from Jill.
Micah also jumped immediately to her side when class
ended and had a water bottle ready, which she accepted
gratefully. I was grateful too, but seeing his concern for her
dredged up all my old worries. She was good to her word,
however. She returned his attentions in a friendly way, but
you definitely couldn’t call it flirting. He made no secret of
his intentions, though, and I still worried that it would be
better if she didn’t have to deal with them. I’d meant it when
I said I trusted her, but I couldn’t help but think it’d be a lot
easier on everyone if he laid off in his advances. This would
require A Talk.
Dreading what I had to do, I caught up with Micah outside
the locker rooms. We were both waiting for Jill to finish up,
and I took advantage of the alone time with him.
“Hey, Micah,” I said, “I need to talk to you …”
“Hey,” he returned brightly. His blue eyes were wide and
excited. “I had an idea I wanted to run past you. If you guys
aren’t able to get a note for her, maybe you could see about
getting her schedule switched around? If she took PE first
period, it wouldn’t be nearly as hot out yet. Maybe it
wouldn’t be as hard on her. I mean, she seems like she’d
like to participate in some of this stuff.”
“She would,” I said slowly. “And that’s a really good idea.”
“I know some people who work in the office. I’ll ask them
to run some options and see if it’s even possible with the
rest of her classes.” He faked a pout. “I’ll be sad not to have
her in class, but it’d be worth it to know she’s not so
miserable.”
“Yeah,” I agreed weakly, suddenly feeling at a loss. He
really had come up with a good idea. He was even
unselfish enough to give up the chance to be with her in
order to promote the greater good. How could I have “the
talk” with him now? How could I suddenly say, “Leave my
sister alone,” when he was going out of his way to be so
nice? I was as bad as Eddie, avoiding confrontation with
Micah. This guy was too likable for his own good.
Before I could manage a response, Micah then went off
in an unexpected direction. “You really should get her to a
doctor, though. I don’t think she has a sun allergy.”
“Oh?” I asked in surprise. “Have you not been watching
her suffer through class each day?”
“No, no, believe me, she’s definitely got an issue with the
sun,” he assured me quickly. “But she might be
misdiagnosed. I read up on sun allergies, and people
usually get rashes with them. This overall weakness she
gets … I don’t know. I think it might be something else.”
Oh no. “Like what?”
“I don’t know,” he mused. “But I’ll keep researching
theories and let you know.”
Wonderful.
PE also gave me my first glimpse at one of
Amberwood’s metallic tattoos in action. Greg Slade was
impossible not to watch during class, and I wasn’t the only
one who got distracted. Just as Kristin and Julia had said,
he really was faster and stronger. He made dives no one
else was quick enough to react to. When he hit the ball, it
was a wonder we didn’t hear a sonic boom shortly
thereafter. This earned him praise at first, but soon, I
noticed something. There was a sloppy edge to his game.
He was filled with ability, yes, but sometimes it was
unfocused. Those powerful hits didn’t always help because
he’d blast the ball out of bounds. And in running to make a
shot, he rarely considered those around him. When a guy
from my English class got knocked down flat on his back,
simply for being in the path of Slade and the ball, Miss
Carson stopped the game and roared her displeasure
about Slade’s aggression. He took it in with a sulky smirk.
“Too bad Eddie’s not in this class,” Jill said afterward.
“He’d be a total match for Slade.”
“Maybe it’s better no one notices,” I remarked. Eddie,
from what I’d heard, was already a shining star in his PE
class. It was part of a dhampir’s natural athleticism, and I
knew he was actually working hard not to be too good at
everything.
I checked in with Ms. Terwilliger after PE, happy to find
my teacher fully stocked with coffee of her own. I spent most
of the period going through the book and taking notes on
my laptop. Partway through, she came over to check my
work.
“You’re very organized,” she said, looking over my
shoulder. “Headings and subheadings and subsubheadings.”
“Thank you,” I said. Jared Sage had been very particular
in teaching his children research skills.
Ms. Terwilliger took a sip of coffee and continued
reading the screen. “You didn’t list the ritual and spell
steps,” she pointed out moments later. “You just summarize
them in a couple lines.”
Well, yes, that was the point of note-taking. “I cite all the
page numbers,” I said. “If you need to check the actual
components, there’s an easy reference.”
“No … go back and put all the steps and ingredients in
your notes. I want to be able to have them all in one place.”
You do have them in one place, I wanted to say. In the
book. Notes were about condensing the material, not
retyping the original text word for word. But Ms. Terwilliger
had already wandered away, staring at her filing cabinet
absentmindedly as she muttered to herself about a
misplaced folder. With a sigh, I flipped back to the
beginning of the book, trying not to think about how this was
going to set me back. At least I was only doing this for
credit and not a grade.
I stayed past the late bell in an effort to make up some
lost time. When I got back to my room, I had to wake up Jill,
who was sound asleep after her exhausting day.
“Good news,” I told her as she blinked at me with sleepy
eyes. “It’s feeding day.”
Definitely words I never thought I’d say.
I also didn’t think I’d be excited for it. And sure, I certainly
wasn’t thrilled about the idea of Jill biting into Dorothy’s
neck. I was, however, feeling pretty bad for Jill and was
glad she’d get some nourishment. Being on such a limited
supply of blood had to make things doubly hard for her.
We met up with Eddie downstairs when it was time to go.
He looked Jill over worriedly. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” she said with a smile. She looked nowhere
near as bad as she had earlier. I shuddered to think what
Eddie would’ve done if he’d actually been in our class and
seen her at her worst.
“Why is this still going on?” he asked me. “Weren’t you
going to talk to Keith?”
“We’re a little delayed,” I said evasively, leading them to
where Latte was parked in the student lot. “We’ll make it
happen.” If the Alchemists didn’t come through with the
note, I was going to try to act on Micah’s suggestion and
get her switched into morning PE.
“We know you will,” said Jill. I could just barely pick out
the sympathy in her voice, reminding me that she knew
about my fight with Keith yesterday. I hoped she wouldn’t
mention it in front of Eddie and was saved when she
switched to a more random and surprising topic. “Do you
think we can pick up some pizza along the way? Adrian
doesn’t want any more of Dorothy’s cooking.”
“How terrible for him,” remarked Eddie, getting into the
backseat and letting Jill ride shotgun. “Having a personal
chef on hand to make him whatever he wants. I don’t know
how he gets by.”
I laughed, but Jill seemed outraged on Adrian’s behalf.
“It’s not the same! She cooks really super-gourmet stuff.”
“Still waiting for the problem,” said Eddie.
“She tries to also make it really healthy. She says it’s
better for Clarence. So, there’s never any salt and pepper
or butter.” Jeez, how often did she and Adrian talk?
“There’s no flavor or anything. It’s driving him crazy.”
“Everything seems to be driving him crazy,” I remarked,
remembering his plea for new lodging. “And he can’t have it
too bad. Didn’t he go to LA last night?” Jill’s only answer
was a frown.
Nonetheless, I had a feeling we’d be hanging out at
Clarence’s for a while, and I personally didn’t want to eat
anything prepared in that house. So, it was more for selfish
reasons that I agreed to stop at a takeout place en route
and buy a few pizzas. Adrian’s face was radiant when we
entered the sitting room, which—pool games aside—
seemed to be his primary hangout at Clarence’s.
“Jailbait,” he declared, leaping up. “You’re a saint. A
goddess, even.”
“Hey,” I said, “I’m the one who paid for them.”
Adrian carried off one of the boxes to the couch, much to
Dorothy’s dismay. She hurried off muttering about plates
and napkins. Adrian gave me a conciliatory nod.
“You’re okay too, Sage,” he said.
“Well, well, what have we here?” Clarence came tottering
into the room. I hadn’t noticed before, but he used a cane to
get around. It had a crystal snake head on top, which was
both impressive and scary. Just the kind of thing you’d
picture for an old vampire. “Looks like a party.”
Lee was with him, greeting us with smiles and nods. His
eyes lingered briefly on Jill, and he made a point of sitting
near her—but not too near. Jill perked up more than she
had in days. Everyone was just starting to dive into the
pizza when Dorothy appeared in the doorway with a new
guest. I felt my eyes widen. It was Keith.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, keeping my voice
neutral.
He winked. “Came to check in on everybody and make
sure all’s well. That’s my job—to look after everyone.”
Keith was chipper and friendly as he helped himself to
the pizza, with no indication of the fight we’d gotten into last
time. He smiled and talked to everyone as though they
were all best friends, leaving me totally bewildered. No one
else seemed to think anything odd about his behavior—but
then, why would they? None of them had my history with
Keith.
No—that wasn’t quite true. Despite being deep in
conversation with Eddie, Adrian paused to give me a
curious look, silently asking about yesterday’s fight. He
glanced at Keith and then back to me. I shrugged
helplessly, letting him know I was just as confused by the
change of heart. Maybe Keith regretted his outburst from
yesterday. Of course, that would’ve been much easier to
accept if it had come with, oh, an apology.
I nibbled on a piece of cheese pizza, but mostly I
observed the others. Jill was animatedly recounting her first
couple of days to Adrian, noticeably leaving out any of the
negative parts. He listened to her indulgently, nodding and
interjecting with occasional witty quips. Some of the stuff
she told him was pretty basic, and I was surprised it hadn’t
come up in their phone conversations. Maybe he just had
so much to say at those times that there’d been no chance
for her. As it was, he made no mention of his boredom or
other grievances.
Clarence occasionally chatted with Eddie and Lee, but
his eyes constantly strayed to Jill. There was a wistful look
in his gaze, and I remembered that his niece had only been
a little older than Jill. I wondered if perhaps part of the
reason he’d been so willing to take us all on was in an effort
to reclaim some part of the family life that had been lost to
him.
Keith had sat down near me, at first making me
uncomfortable but then later giving me a reason to pick his
brain. Seeing the others engaged in conversation, I asked
him softly, “Have you ever heard of knockoff Alchemist
tattoos making it into the general population?”
He gave me a startled look in return. “I don’t even know
what that means.”
“At Amberwood, there’s this trend. There’s apparently
someplace in town that gives metallic tattoos, and they
have special properties—kind of like ours. Some just kind
of give off a high. Others kind of have a steroid effect.”
He frowned. “They’re not bound with gold, are they?”
“No. Silver and copper. So, they don’t last. Probably so
the people giving them can make more money.”
“But they can’t be ours, then,” he argued. “We haven’t
used those metals for tattoos in centuries.”
“Yeah, but someone may be using Alchemist technology
to create these.”
“Just to get people high?” he asked. “I wouldn’t even
know how you’d go about that with metallic agents.”
“I have some ideas,” I said.
“And let me guess. They involve narcotic mixtures.” When
I nodded, he sighed and gave me a look like I was ten
years old. “Sydney, it’s most likely someone’s found a
crude tattooing method that’s like ours but has no
connection. If so, there’s nothing we can do about it. Drugs
happen. Bad things happen. If it isn’t mixed with Alchemist
business, then it isn’t our business.”
“But what if it is connected to Alchemist business?” I
asked.
He groaned. “See? This is why I was worried about you
coming, this tendency you have of running off with tangents
and wild theories.”
“I don’t—”
“Please don’t embarrass me,” he hissed, casting a
glance at the others. “Not with them, not with our superiors.”
His rebuke silenced me, mostly from surprise. What did
he mean about this “tendency” I had? Was he actually
suggesting he had made some deep psychological
analysis of me years ago? The idea that I would embarrass
him was ludicrous … and yet his words planted a seed of
doubt in me. Maybe the tattoos at Amberwood were just an
unrelated fad.
“How’s PE?” Adrian’s words dragged me from my own
thoughts. He was still getting the summary of school from
Jill. She made a face at the question.
“Not great,” she admitted, giving a recap of some of the
worse moments. Eddie shot me a meaningful look, similar
to the one from earlier.
“You can’t go on like that,” exclaimed Lee. “The sun
around here’s brutal.”
“I agree,” said Keith, of all people. “Sydney, why didn’t
you tell me how bad it was?”
I think my jaw hit the floor. “I did! That’s why I was trying to
get you to contact the school.”
“You didn’t really give me the whole story.” He flashed
one of his sugary smiles at Jill. “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of
this for you. I’ll get in touch with school officials—and the
Alchemists.”
“I already talked to them,” I argued.
But I might as well have not said anything. Keith had
already switched topics and was talking to Clarence about
something irrelevant. Where had this about-face come
from? Yesterday, Jill’s discomfort had been low priority.
Today, Keith was her knight in shining armor. And in the
process, he was suggesting that I was the one who’d
screwed up. That’s his plan, I realized. He doesn’t want me
here. He never has. And then something even worse
occurred to me.
He’s going to use this to start building a case against
me.
Across the room, Adrian caught my eye again. He knew.
He’d been eavesdropping when I talked to Keith in the
driveway. Adrian started to speak, and I knew he was going
to call Keith out on his lie. It was gallant but not what I
wanted. I would deal with Keith myself.
“How was LA?” I asked quickly before Adrian had a
chance to say anything. He looked at me curiously, no
doubt wondering why I wouldn’t let him be a witness to my
case. “You went there with Lee last night, right?”
Adrian looked confused, but a grin smoothed over his
face. “Yeah,” he said at last. “It was great. Lee showed me
college life.”
Lee laughed. “I wouldn’t go that far. I don’t know where
you were half the night.”
Adrian got this look on his face that was somehow
charming but made me want to slap him at the same time.
“We parted ways. I was getting to know some of the other
Moroi in the area.”
Even Eddie couldn’t stay silent at that. “Oh, is that what
you call it?”
Jill abruptly stood up. “I’m going to get my blood now. Is
that okay?”
There was a moment of awkward silence, largely
because I don’t think anyone really knew who she was
asking permission from. “Of course, my dear,” said
Clarence, stepping into his role as host. “I believe Dorothy’s
in the kitchen.”
Jill gave a curt nod and hurried out of the room. The rest
of us exchanged puzzled glances.
“Is something wrong?” asked Lee, looking worried.
“Should I … should I go talk to her?”
“She’s still just stressed,” I said, not daring to mention the
screaming or crying episodes.
“I thought of something that might be fun for her … for all
of us to do,” he said tentatively. He glanced around and
then settled his gaze on me. I guess I was the designated
mother here. “If you think it’s okay. I mean … it’s kind of
silly, but I thought we could go mini-golfing in the evening.
They’ve got all these fountains and pools on the course.
She’s a water user, right? She must be missing it out here.”
“She does,” said Eddie, frowning. “She mentioned it
yesterday.”
I shivered. Keith had been texting on his phone and froze.
No matter our differences, we still shared a core of similar
training, and both of us were uneasy with the idea of Moroi
magic.
“She’d probably like that a lot,” said Adrian. He sounded
reluctant to admit it. I think he was still uneasy with the idea
of Lee being interested in Jill, no matter how friendly the
two guys were. Lee’s idea was both innocent and
conscientious. Hard to find fault with.
Lee tilted his head thoughtfully. “You have a later curfew
on the weekends, right? Do you want to go tonight?”
It was Friday, granting us an extra hour extension at our
dorm. “I’m game,” said Adrian. “Literally and figuratively.”
“If Jill’s there, I’m there,” said Eddie.
They looked at me. I was trapped. I wanted to go back
and catch up on homework. Saying that sounded pathetic,
though, and I supposed I had to represent as Jill’s only
female chaperone. Besides, I reminded myself, this
assignment wasn’t about me and my academics, no matter
how much I pretended it was. It was about Jill.
“I can go,” I said slowly. Thinking that this sounded very
much like fraternizing with vampires, I glanced uneasily at
Keith. He’d gone back to texting now that magic wasn’t
being discussed. “Keith?” I asked by way of permission.
He looked up. “Huh? Oh, I can’t go. I have to be
somewhere.”
I tried not to grimace. He’d misread me and thought I was
inviting him. On the bright side, he also wasn’t objecting to
the rest of us going.
“Ah, how nice,” said Clarence. “An outing for you young
people. Perhaps you’ll share a glass of wine with me first?”
Dorothy was just entering with a bottle of red wine, Jill
trailing behind her. Clarence smiled at Adrian. “I know you’d
like a glass.”
Adrian’s expression said he most definitely would.
Instead, Adrian took a deep breath and shook his head. “I’d
better not.”
“You should,” said Jill gently. Even after a short drink of
blood, she looked full of life and energy.
“Can’t,” he said.
“It’s the weekend,” she told him. “It’s not that big of a deal.
Especially if you’re careful.”
The two locked gazes and then at last, he said, “All right.
Pour me a glass.”
“Pour me one too, please,” said Keith.
“Really?” I asked him. “I didn’t know you drank.”
“I’m twenty-one,” he countered.
Adrian accepted his from Dorothy. “Somehow, I’m
thinking that’s not Sage’s concern. I thought Alchemists
avoided alcohol the same way they do primary colors.”
I glanced down. I was wearing gray. Keith was wearing
brown.
“One glass won’t hurt,” said Keith.
I didn’t argue with him. It wasn’t my place to babysit
Keith. And the Alchemists didn’t have rules against drinking
per se. We had strong religious beliefs about what it meant
to live a good and pure lifestyle, and drinking was generally
looked down upon. Was it forbidden? No. It was a custom,
one I considered important. If he didn’t, I guessed that was
his choice.
Keith was just bringing the glass to his lips when Adrian
said, “Mmm. O positive, my favorite.”
Keith sprayed out the wine he’d just drunk and promptly
started coughing. I was relieved that none got on me. Jill
burst into giggles, and Clarence stared at his glass
wonderingly.
“Is it? I thought it was a cabernet sauvignon.”
“So it is,” said Adrian, straight-faced. “My mistake.”
Keith gave Adrian a tight smile, like he too thought it was
a funny joke, but I wasn’t fooled. Keith was mad at having
been mocked, and no matter how friendly he pretended to
be with everyone, his views against vampires and
dhampirs were as harsh as they’d ever been. Of course,
Adrian probably wasn’t helping matters any. I thought it was
pretty funny, honestly, and worked to hide my smile so that
Keith wouldn’t get mad at me again. It was hard to do
because shortly thereafter, Adrian flashed me a secret,
knowing smile that seemed to say, That’s payback for
earlier.
Eddie glanced at Jill. “I’m glad you got your blood today. I
know you’ve been wanting to learn some defense moves,
but I wanted to wait until you were back up to strength.”
Jill lit up. “Can we do it tomorrow?”
“Of course,” he said, looking nearly as delighted by this
as she did.
Keith frowned. “Why should she learn to fight when she’s
got you around?”
Eddie shrugged. “Because she wants to, and she should
have every edge she can get.” He didn’t specifically
mention the attempts on her life—not in front of Lee and
Clarence—but the rest of us understood.
“I thought Moroi weren’t good at fighting, though,” said
Keith.
“Mostly because they haven’t trained for it. They aren’t as
strong as us, sure, but their reflexes are better than yours,”
explained Eddie. “It’s just a matter of learning the skills and
having a good teacher.”
“Like you?” I teased.
“I’m not bad,” he said modestly. “I can train anyone who
wants to learn.” He elbowed Adrian, who was reaching for
the wine and a refill. “Even this guy.”
“No, thank you,” said Adrian. “These hands don’t sully
themselves with fighting.”
“Or with manual labor,” I remarked, recalling past
comments of his.
“Exactly,” he said. “But maybe you should have Castile
show you how to throw a punch, Sage. It might come in
handy. Seems like a skill a plucky young woman like
yourself should possess.”
“Well, thanks for the vote of confidence, but I’m not really
sure when I’d need it,” I said.
“Of course she needs to learn!”
Clarence’s exclamation caught all of us by surprise. I’d
actually thought he was dozing off since he’d had his eyes
closed moments ago. But now, he was leaning forward with
a zealous expression. I cringed under the intensity of his
stare.
“You must learn to protect yourself!” He pointed at me,
then moved on to Jill. “And you. Promise me you’ll learn to
defend yourself. Promise me.”
Jill’s light green eyes went wide with shock. She tried to
give him a reassuring smile, though it was tinged with
uneasiness.
“Of course, Mr. Donahue. I’m trying to. And until then, I’ve
got Eddie to protect me from Strigoi.”
“Not Strigoi!” His voice dropped to a whisper. “The
vampire hunters.”
None of us said anything. Lee looked mortified.
Clarence squeezed his wineglass so tightly that I worried
it would break. “No one talked about this back then—about
defending ourselves. Maybe if Tamara had learned
something, she wouldn’t have been killed. It’s not too late
for you—for either of you.”
“Dad, we’ve been over this,” said Lee.
Clarence ignored him. The old man’s gaze flicked
between me and Jill, and I wondered if he even knew I was
human. Or maybe it didn’t matter. Maybe he just had a
slightly deranged protective instinct toward all girls the
same age as Tamara. I kind of expected Keith to tactlessly
point out that there were no such things as vampire hunters,
but he was uncharacteristically quiet. Eddie was the one
who finally spoke, his words soothing and kind. He so often
gave off the impression of a do-or-die warrior that it was
surprising to realize he was actually very compassionate.
“Don’t worry,” said Eddie. “I’ll help them. I’ll keep them
safe and make sure nothing bad happens to them, okay?”
Clarence still looked agitated but focused on Eddie
hopefully. “You promise? You won’t let them kill Tamara
again?”
“I promise,” said Eddie, in no way indicating how weird
the request was.
Clarence studied Eddie a few more seconds and then
nodded. “You’re a good boy.” He reached for the wine
bottle and topped off his glass. “More?” he asked Adrian,
as though nothing had happened.
“Yes, please,” said Adrian, holding out his glass.
We continued the conversation as though nothing had
happened, but the shadow of Clarence’s words continued
to hang over me.
CHAPTER 12
WHEN WE LEFT on our group date or family outing or
whatever it was, Lee couldn’t stop apologizing for his
father.
“I’m sorry,” he said, slumping miserably in the backseat
of Latte. “There’s no reasoning with him anymore. We tried
to tell him that Tamara was killed by Strigoi, but he won’t
believe it. He doesn’t want to. He can’t take revenge on a
Strigoi. They’re immortal. Invincible. But some human
vampire hunter? Somehow, in his head, that’s something
he can go after. And if he can’t, then he can focus his
energy on how the guardians won’t go after these
nonexistent vampire hunters.”
I just barely heard Eddie mutter, “Strigoi aren’t that
invincible.”
In the rearview mirror, I saw Jill’s face filled with
compassion. She was seated between Lee and Eddie.
“Even if it’s a fantasy, maybe it’s better this way,” she
suggested. “It gives him comfort. I mean, kind of. Having
something tangible to hate is what gets him through.
Otherwise he’d just give in to despair. He’s not hurting
anyone with his theories. I think he’s sweet.” She caught her
breath in that way she did when she’d said a whole lot all at
once.
My eyes were back on the road, but I could swear Lee
was smiling. “That’s nice of you,” he told her. “I know he
likes having you around. Turn right up here.”
That was to me. Lee had been giving me directions ever
since we left Clarence’s. We were just outside of Palm
Springs proper, nearing the very impressive-looking Desert
Gods Golf Course and Resort. Further guidance from him
led us to the Mega-Fun Mini-Golf Center, which was
adjacent to the resort. I searched for a parking spot and
heard Jill gasp when she caught sight of the golf course’s
crowning glory. There, in the center of a cluster of gaudily
decorated putting greens, was a huge fake mountain with
an artificial waterfall spouting from its top.
“A waterfall!” she exclaimed. “It’s amazing.”
“Well,” said Lee, “I wouldn’t go that far. It’s made of water
that’s been pumped over and over and has God only knows
what in it. I mean, I wouldn’t try to drink or swim in it.”
Before I even had the car to a stop, Adrian was out the
door, lighting a cigarette. We’d gotten in an argument on
the way over, despite me telling him three times that Latte
was a strictly no-smoking car. The rest of us soon got out
as well, and I wondered what I’d signed up for here as we
strolled toward the entrance.
“I’ve actually never been mini-golfing,” I remarked.
Lee came to a halt and stared. “Never?”
“Never.”
“How does that happen?” asked Adrian. “How is it
possible that you’ve never played mini-golf?”
“I had kind of an unusual childhood,” I said at last.
Even Eddie looked incredulous. “You? I was practically
raised at an isolated school in the middle of nowhere
Montana, and even I’ve played mini-golf.”
Saying I was homeschooled was no excuse this time, so
I just let it go. Really, it just came down to having a
childhood more focused on chemical equations than on fun
and recreation.
Once we started playing, I soon got the hang of it. My first
few attempts were pretty bad, but I soon understood the
weight of the club and how the angles on each course could
be maneuvered. From there, it was pretty simple to
calculate distance and force to make accurate shots.
“Unbelievable. If you’d been playing since you were a
child, you’d be a pro by now,” Eddie told me as I knocked
my ball into a gaping dragon’s mouth. The ball rolled out the
back, down a tube, bounced off a wall, and into the hole.
“How’d you do that?”
I shrugged. “It’s simple geometry. You’re not that bad
either,” I pointed out, watching him make his shot. “How do
you do it?”
“I just line it up and putt.”
“Very scientific.”
“I just rely on natural talent,” said Adrian, strolling up to the
start of the Dragon’s Lair. “When you have such a wealth of
it to draw from, the danger comes from having too much.”
“That makes no sense whatsoever,” said Eddie.
Adrian’s response was to pause and take out a silver
flask from his inner coat pocket. He unscrewed it and took
a quick drink before leaning in to line up his shot.
“What was that?” I exclaimed. “You can’t have alcohol out
here.”
“You heard Jailbait earlier,” he countered. “It’s the
weekend.”
He lined up his ball and shot. The ball went directly for the
dragon’s eye, bounced off it, and shot back toward Adrian.
It rolled and came to a stop at his feet, nearly where it had
started.
“Natural talent, huh?” asked Eddie.
I leaned forward. “I think you broke the dragon’s eye.”
“Just like Keith,” said Adrian. “I figured you’d appreciate
that, Sage.”
I gave him a sharp look, wondering if there was any
hidden meaning behind that. Mostly, Adrian seemed
amused by his own wit. Eddie mistook my expression.
“That was inappropriate,” he told Adrian.
“Sorry, Dad.” Adrian shot again and managed not to
maim any statues this time. A couple more shots, and he
sank the ball. “There we go. Three.”
“Four,” said Eddie and I in unison.
Adrian looked at us incredulously. “It was three.”
“You’re forgetting about your first one,” I said. “The one
where you blinded the dragon.”
“That was just the warm-up,” Adrian argued. He put on a
smile I think he hoped would charm me. “Come on, Sage.
You understand how my mind works. You said I was
brilliant, remember?”
Eddie glanced at me in surprise. “You did?”
“No! I never said that.” Adrian’s smile was infuriating.
“Stop telling people that.”
Since I was in charge of the scorecard, his play was
logged as four, despite his many further protests. I started
to move forward, but Eddie held out a hand to stop me, his
hazel eyes gazing over my shoulder.
“Hold up,” he said. “We need to wait for Jill and Lee.”
I followed his gaze. The two of them had been in deep
conversation since we arrived, so much so that they’d
slowed and lagged behind the rest of us. Even during his
bantering with Adrian and me, Eddie had continually
checked on her—and our surroundings. It was kind of
amazing the way he could multitask. Thus far, Jill and Lee
had only been one hole behind us. Now it was nearly two,
and that was too far for Eddie to keep her in his sight. So,
we waited while the oblivious couple meandered their way
toward the Dragon’s Lair.
Adrian took another drink from his flask and shook his
head in awe. “You had nothing to worry about, Sage. She
went right for him.”
“No thanks to you,” I snapped. “I can’t believe you told her
every detail of my visit that night. She was so mad at me for
interfering behind her back with you, Lee, and Micah.”
“I hardly told her anything,” argued Adrian. “I just told her
to stay away from that human guy.”
Eddie glanced between our faces. “Micah?”
I shifted uncomfortably. Eddie didn’t know about how I’d
gone proactive. “Remember when I wanted you to say
something to him? And you wouldn’t?” I proceeded to tell
him how I’d then sought out Adrian’s help and found out
about Lee’s interest in Jill. Eddie was aghast.
“How could you not tell me any of this?” he demanded.
“Well,” I said, wondering if everything I did was going to
result in the wrath of a Moroi or dhampir, “it didn’t involve
you.”
“Jill’s safety does! If some guy likes her, I need to know.”
Adrian chuckled. “Should Sage have passed you a note
in class?”
“Lee’s fine,” I said. “He obviously adores her, and it’s not
like she’ll ever be alone with him.”
“We don’t know for sure that he’s fine,” said Eddie.
“Whereas Micah’s a hundred percent okay? Did you do
a background check or something?” I asked.
“No,” said Eddie, looking embarrassed. “I just know. It’s a
feeling I get about him. There’s no problem with him
spending time with Jill.”
“Except that he’s human.”
“They wouldn’t have gotten serious.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Enough, you two,” interrupted Adrian. Jill and Lee had
finally reached the start of the Dragon’s Lair, meaning we
could move on. Adrian lowered his voice. “Your argument’s
useless. I mean, look at them. That human boy doesn’t
enter into it.”
I looked. Adrian was right. Jill and Lee were clearly
enthralled with each other. Some guilty part of me
wondered if I should be a doing a better job of looking out
for Jill. I was so relieved that she was interested in a Moroi
that I hadn’t stopped to wonder if she should even be dating
anyone. Was fifteen old enough? I hadn’t dated at fifteen.
I’d actually, well, never dated.
“There is an age difference between them,” I admitted,
more to myself.
Adrian scoffed. “Believe me, I’ve seen age differences.
Theirs is nothing.”
He walked off, and a few moments later, Eddie and I
went to join him. Eddie maintained his simultaneous vigil of
Jill, but this time, I got the impression the danger he was
watching out for was right beside her. Adrian’s laughter
rang out ahead of us.
“Sage!” he called. “You have got to see this.”
Eddie and I reached the next green and stared in
astonishment. Then I burst out laughing.
We had reached Dracula’s Castle.
A huge, multi-towered black castle guarded the hole
some distance away. A tunnel was cut out through the
center of it with a narrow bridge meant for the ball to go
over. If the ball fell off the sides before getting through the
castle, it was returned back to the starting point. An
animatronic Count Dracula stood off to the castle’s side.
He was pure white, with red eyes, pointed ears, and
slicked-back hair. He jerkily kept raising his arms to show
off a batlike cape. Nearby, a speaker blasted eerie organ
music.
I couldn’t stop laughing. Adrian and Eddie looked at me
as though they’d never seen me before.
“I don’t think I’ve ever heard her laugh,” Eddie told him.
“Certainly not the reaction I was expecting,” mused
Adrian. “I’d been counting on abject terror, judging from
past Alchemist behavior. I didn’t think you liked vampires.”
Still grinning, I watched Dracula raise his cape up and
down. “This isn’t a vampire. Not a real one. And that’s what
makes it so funny. It’s pure Hollywood camp. Real vampires
are terrifying and unnatural. This? This is hilarious.”
It was clear from their expressions that neither really
understood why this would appeal to my sense of humor so
much. Adrian did, however, offer to take a picture with my
cell phone when I asked him. I posed by Dracula and put on
a big smile. Adrian managed to snap the shot just as
Dracula was raising his cape. When I viewed the picture, I
was pleased to see it had come out perfectly. Even my hair
looked good.
Adrian gave the picture a nod of approval before handing
me the phone. “Okay, even I can admit that’s pretty cute.”
I found myself overanalyzing the comment. What had he
meant in saying even he could admit it? That I was cute for
a human? Or that I had just met some kind of Adrian hot-girl
criteria? Moments later, I had to forcibly stop thinking about
it. Let it go, Sydney. It’s a compliment. Accept it.
We played through the rest of the course, finally finishing
off with the waterfall itself. That was a particularly
challenging hole, and I took my time lining up the shot—not
that I needed to. I was beating everyone pretty handily.
Eddie was the only one who came close. It was clear Jill
and Lee didn’t even have their attention on the game, and
as for Adrian and his natural talent … well, they were very
solidly in last place.
Eddie, Adrian, and I were still ahead of the other two, so
we waited for them by the waterfall. Jill practically ran to it
when she had the chance, gazing up at it with enchanted
eyes. “Oh,” she breathed. “This is wonderful. I haven’t seen
this much water in days.”
“Remember what I said about the toxicity,” teased Lee.
But it was clear he found her reaction endearing. As I
glanced at the other two guys, I saw that they shared the
same feelings. Well, not exactly the same. Adrian’s
affection was clearly brotherly. Eddie’s? It was hard to read,
kind of a mix of the other two. Maybe it was a kind of
guardian fondness.
Jill made a gesture to the waterfall, and suddenly, part of
it broke off from the tumbling cascade. The chunk of water
shaped itself into a braid, then twisted high into the air,
making spirals before shattering into a million drops that
misted over us all. I had been staring wide-eyed and frozen,
but those drops hitting me shocked me awake.
“Jill,” I said in a voice I barely recognized as my own.
“Don’t do that again.”
Jill, eyes bright, barely spared me a glance as she made
another piece of water dance in the air. “No one’s around to
see, Sydney.”
That wasn’t what had me so upset. That wasn’t what filled
me with so much panic that I could barely breathe. The
world was doing that thing where it started to spin, and I
worried I was going to faint. Stark, cold fear ran through me,
fear at the unknown. The unnatural. The laws of my world
had just been broken. This was vampire magic, something
foreign and inaccessible to humans—inaccessible
because it was forbidden, something no mortal was meant
to delve into. I had only once seen magic used, when two
spirit users had turned on each other, and I never wanted to
see it again. One had forced the plants of the earth to do
her bidding while the other telekinetically hurled objects
meant to kill. It had been terrifying, and even though I hadn’t
been the target, I’d felt trapped and overwhelmed in the
face of such otherworldly power. It was a reminder that
these weren’t fun, easy people to hang out with. These
were creatures wholly different from me.
“Stop it,” I said, feeling the panic rise. I was afraid of the
magic, afraid it would touch me, afraid of what it might do to
me. “Don’t do it anymore!”
Jill didn’t even hear me. She grinned at Lee. “You’re air,
right? Can you create fog over the water?”
Lee stuffed his hands in his pockets and looked away.
“Ah, well, it’s probably not a good idea. I mean, we’re in
public …”
“Come on,” she pleaded. “It won’t take any effort for you
at all.”
He actually appeared nervous. “Nah, not right now.”
“Not you too.” She laughed. Above her and in front of her,
that demon water was still spinning, spinning, spinning …
“Jill,” said Adrian, a harsher note in his voice than I’d ever
heard before. In fact, I couldn’t recall him ever addressing
her by her actual name. “Stop.”
It was all he said, but it was like a wave of something
went through Jill. She flinched, and the water spirals
disappeared, falling away in droplets. “Fine,” she said,
looking confused.
There was a moment of awkwardness, and then Eddie
said, “We should hurry. We’re going to be pushing curfew.”
Lee and Jill set out to make their shots and soon were
laughing and flirting again. Eddie continued watching them
in his concerned way. Only Adrian paid any attention to me.
He was the only one who really understood what had
happened, I realized. His green eyes studied me, with no
trace of their usual bitter humor. I wasn’t fooled, though. I
knew there had to be some witty quip coming, mocking my
reaction.
“Are you okay?” he asked quietly.
“I’m fine,” I said, turning from him. I didn’t want him to see
my face. He’d already seen too much, seen my fear. I didn’t
want any of them to know how afraid of them I was. I heard
him take a few steps toward me.
“Sage—”
“Leave me alone,” I snapped back. I hurried off toward
the course’s exit, certain he wouldn’t follow me. I was right. I
waited for them to finish the game, using the alone time to
calm myself down. By the time they caught up to me, I was
fairly certain I had wiped most of the emotions from my
face. Adrian still watched me with concern, which I didn’t
like, but at least he didn’t say anything else about my
breakdown.
Surprising to no one, the final score showed that I had
won and Adrian had lost. Lee had come in third, which
seemed to trouble him. “I used to be a lot better,” he
muttered, frowning. “I used to be perfect at this game.”
Considering he’d spent most of the time paying attention to
Jill, I thought third was a pretty respectable performance.
I dropped him and Adrian off first and then just barely got
Eddie, Jill, and me back to Amberwood on time. I was
more or less back to normal by then, not that anyone
would’ve noticed. Jill was floating on a cloud as we went
into our dorm room, talking nonstop about Lee.
“I had no idea he’d traveled so much! He’s maybe been
more places than you, Sydney. He keeps telling me that
he’ll take me to all of them, that we’ll spend the rest of our
lives traveling and doing whatever we want. And he’s taking
all sorts of classes in college because he’s not sure what
he wants to major in. Well, not all sorts this semester. He’s
got a light schedule so that he can spend more time with
his father. And that’s good for me. For us, I mean.”
I stifled a yawn and nodded wearily. “That’s great.”
She paused from where she’d been searching her
dresser for pajamas. “I’m sorry, by the way.”
I froze. I didn’t want an apology for the magic. I didn’t
even want to remember it had happened.
“For yelling at you the other night,” she continued. “You
didn’t set me up with Lee. I should never have accused you
of interfering. He really has liked me all along, and, well …
he’s really great.”
I let out the breath I’d been holding and attempted a weak
smile. “I’m glad you’re happy.”
She returned cheerfully to her tasks and to talking about
Lee until I left to go down to the bathroom. Before brushing
my teeth, I stood in front of the sink and washed my hands
and arms over and over, scrubbing as hard as I could to
wash away the magical drops of water I swore I could still
feel on my skin.
CHAPTER 13
MY CELL PHONE RANG at the crack of dawn the next
morning. I was already up, being an early riser, but Jill rolled
over in bed and put her pillow over her head.
“Make it stop,” she groaned.
I answered and found Eddie on the other end of the line.
“I’m downstairs,” he said. “Ready to practice some selfdefense
before it gets too hot.”
“You’re going to have to do it without me,” I said. I had a
feeling Eddie was taking his promise to Clarence about
training us very seriously. I felt no such obligation. “I’ve got a
ton of homework to do. That, and I’m sure Ms. Terwilliger’s
going to make me do a coffee run today.”
“Well, then send Jill down,” said Eddie.
I glanced over to the cocoon of blankets on her bed.
“That might be easier said than done.”
Surprisingly, she managed to rouse herself enough to
brush her teeth, take aspirin for a headache, and throw on
some workout clothes. She bid me farewell, and I promised
to check on them later. Not long after that, Ms. Terwilliger
called with her coffee demand, and I prepared myself for
another day of trying to fit in my own work with hers.
I drove over to Spencer’s and didn’t even notice Trey until
I was standing right in front of him.
“Ms. Terwilliger’s?” he asked, pointing to the caramel
sauce cappuccino.
“Huh?” I looked up. Trey was my cashier. “You work
here?”
He nodded. “Gotta make spending money somehow.”
I handed him some cash, noting that he’d charged me
half price. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but you don’t look
so great,” I told him. He looked tired and worn out around
the edges. Closer inspection showed bruises and cuts as
well.
“Yeah, well, I had kind of a rough day yesterday.”
I hesitated. That was a leading comment, but there was
no one in line behind me. “What happened?” I asked,
knowing it was expected.
Trey scowled. “That asshole Greg Slade wreaked havoc
in football tryouts yesterday. I mean, the results aren’t up
yet, but it’s pretty obvious he’s going to get quarterback. He
was like a machine, just plowing guys over.” He extended
his left hand, which had some bandage-wrapped fingers.
“He stepped on my hand too.”
I winced, remembering Slade’s out-of-control athleticism
in PE. The politics of high school football and who was
quarterback weren’t that important to me. True, I felt sorry
for Trey, but it was the source behind the tattoos that
intrigued me. Keith’s warnings about not causing trouble
rang back to me, but I was unable to stop myself.
“I know about the tattoos,” I said. “Julia and Kristin told
me about them. And I get now why you were suspicious of
mine—but it’s not what you think. Really.”
“That’s not what I’ve heard. Most people think you’re just
saying that because you don’t want to tell where you got it.”
I was a little taken aback by that. I was pretty sure Julia
and Kristin had believed me. Were they actually spreading
around the opposite? “I had no idea.”
He shrugged, a small smile on his lips. “Don’t worry. I
believe you. There’s something kind of naively charming
about you. You don’t seem like the cheating type.”
“Hey,” I scolded. “I’m not naive.”
“It was a compliment.”
“How long have these tattoos been around?” I asked,
deciding it was best to move in. “I heard since last year.”
He handed me my coffee, thinking. “Yeah, but it was the
end of last year. School year, I mean.”
“And they come from a placed called Nevermore?”
“As far as I know.” Trey eyed me suspiciously. “Why?”
“Just curious,” I said sweetly.
A couple of college kids dressed like rich hobos got in
line behind me and regarded us impatiently. “Can we get
some service here?”
Trey gave them a stiff smile and then rolled his eyes at
me as I moved away. “See you around, Melbourne.”
I headed back to Amberwood and delivered Ms.
Terwilliger’s coffee. I wasn’t in the mood to stay leashed to
her all day, so I asked if I could go elsewhere if I kept my
cell phone handy. She agreed. The library had too much
activity and—ironically—noise for me today. I wanted the
solitude of my room.
As I was cutting across the lawn to catch the shuttle, I
spotted some familiar figures behind a cluster of trees. I
changed direction and found Jill and Eddie squaring off in a
small clearing. Micah sat cross-legged on the ground,
watching avidly. He waved at me as I approached.
“I didn’t realize your brother was a kung-fu master,” he
remarked.
“It’s not kung fu,” said Eddie gruffly, never taking his eyes
off Jill.
“Same difference,” said Micah. “It’s still pretty badass.”
Eddie feinted, like he was going to strike at Jill’s side.
She responded fairly quickly with a block, though not quite
fast enough to match him. Had he been serious, he would
have hit her. Still, he seemed pleased with her response
time.
“Good. That would deflect part of a hit, though you’d still
feel it. Best is if you can duck and dodge altogether, but
that takes a little more work.”
Jill nodded obediently. “When can we work on that?”
Eddie regarded her with pride. That expression softened
after a few moments of study. “Not today. Too much sun.”
Jill started to protest and then stopped herself. She had
that worn-out-from-the-light look again and was sweating
heavily. She glanced up at the sky for a moment, as though
begging it to give us some cloud cover. It remained
unresponsive, so she nodded at Eddie.
“All right. But we’re doing this tomorrow at the same
time? Or earlier maybe. Or maybe tonight! Could we do
both? Practice tonight when the sun’s going down and then
again in the morning? Would you mind?”
Eddie grinned, amused at her enthusiasm. “Whatever
you want.”
Smiling back, Jill sat down beside me, getting into as
much shade as possible. Eddie regarded me expectantly.
“What?” I asked.
“Aren’t you supposed to learn to throw a punch?”
I scoffed. “No. When would I ever need to do that?”
Jill nudged me. “Do it, Sydney!”
Reluctantly, I allowed Eddie to give me a quick lesson on
throwing a punch without injuring my hand in the process. I
barely paid attention and felt like I was mostly providing
entertainment for the others. When Eddie finished with me,
Micah asked, “Hey, would you mind showing me some
ninja moves too?”
“They have nothing to do with ninjas,” protested Eddie,
still smiling. “Come on up.”
Micah leapt to his feet, and Eddie walked him through
some rudimentary steps. More than anything, it seemed
like Eddie was sizing up Micah and his capabilities. After a
while, Eddie grew comfortable and let Micah practice some
offensive moves to get rid of an attacker.
“Hey,” protested Jill when Eddie landed a kick on Micah.
Micah shrugged it off in a guy kind of way. “No fair. You
wouldn’t hit me when we were practicing.”
Eddie was caught off guard enough that Micah actually
got a hit in. Eddie gave him a look of grudging respect and
then said to Jill, “That was different.”
“Because I’m a girl?” she demanded. “You never held
back with Rose.”
“Who’s Rose?” asked Micah.
“Another friend,” explained Eddie. To Jill, he said: “And
Rose has had years more experience than you.”
“She’s had more than Micah too. You were going easy
on me.”
Eddie flushed and kept his eyes on Micah. “Was not,” he
said.
“Were too,” she muttered. As the boys sparred again,
she said quietly to me, “How am I ever going to learn if he’s
afraid of breaking me?”
I watched the guys, analyzing what I knew of Eddie so far.
“I think it’s more complicated than that. I think he also just
believes you shouldn’t have to take the risk—that if he’s
doing a good enough job, you shouldn’t have to defend
yourself.”
“He’s doing a great job. You should have seen him at the
attack.” Her face got that haunted look it did whenever the
attack that had driven her into hiding was mentioned. “But I
still need to learn.” She lowered her voice even more. “I
really want to learn to use my magic to fight too, not that I’ll
get much practice in this desert.”
I shuddered, recalling her display from the night before.
“There’ll be time,” I said vaguely.
I stood up, saying I had to go get some work done. Micah
asked Eddie and Jill if they wanted to get lunch. Eddie said
yes immediately. Jill looked to me for help.
“It’s just lunch,” said Eddie meaningfully. I knew he still
thought Micah was harmless. I didn’t know, but after seeing
how infatuated Jill was with Lee, I figured Micah would have
to make some pretty aggressive moves to get anywhere.
“I’m sure it’s fine,” I said.
Jill looked relieved, and the group headed off. I spent the
day finishing off that miserable book for Ms. Terwilliger. I
still thought having to copy the archaic spells and rituals
verbatim was a waste of time. The only point I could see for
it was that if she ever did need to reference them for her
research, she would have an easy computer file to check
and not risk damage to the ancient book.
It was evening by the time I finished that and my other
homework. Jill still wasn’t back, and I decided to use the
opportunity to check on something that had been bothering
me. Earlier in the day, Jill had mentioned Eddie defending
her in the attack. I’d felt from the beginning that there was
something strange about that initial attack, something that
they weren’t telling me. So, I logged onto the Alchemists’
network and pulled up everything we had on the Moroi
rebels.
Naturally, it was all documented. We had to keep track of
important events among the Moroi, and this ranked pretty
high. Somehow, the Alchemists had gotten pictures of the
Moroi Court, with protesters lined up outside one of the
administrative buildings. Dhampir guardians were easy to
pick out as they mingled and kept order. To my surprise, I
recognized Dimitri Belikov—Rose’s boyfriend—among
those doing crowd control. He was easy to spot since he
was almost always taller than everyone around him.
Dhampirs look very human, and even I could admit that he
was pretty good-looking. There was a rugged
handsomeness to him, and even in a still photograph, I
could see a fierceness as he watched the crowd.
Other protest pictures confirmed what I knew. By far,
most people supported the young queen. Those against
her were a minority—but a loud and dangerous one. A
video from a human news show in Denver showed two
Moroi guys nearly getting in a bar fight. They were shouting
about queens and justice, most of which wouldn’t make
sense to a human observer. What made this video special
was that the guy who’d filmed it—some random human with
a cell phone camera—claimed he’d seen fangs on both
men in the argument. The videographer had submitted his
recording claiming he’d witnessed a vampire fight, but no
one gave it much credibility. It was too grainy for anything to
show up. Still, it was a reminder of what could happen if the
Moroi situation spun out of control.
A status check showed me that Queen Vasilisa was
indeed trying to get a law passed so that her rule was no
longer dependent on there being at least one other person
in her royal family. Alchemist experts guessed it would take
three months, which was about what Rose had said. The
number loomed in my head like a ticking time bomb. We
needed to keep Jill safe for three months. And for three
months, Vasilisa’s enemies would be trying harder than
ever to get to Jill. If Jill died, Vasilisa’s rule would end—
along with her attempts to fix the system.
Yet none of this was what had really driven me to
research. I wanted to know about Jill’s initial attack, the one
that no one talked about. What I found wasn’t much help. No
Alchemists had been there at the time, of course, so our
information was based on what Moroi sources had
reported. All we knew was that “the queen’s sister had
been viciously and severely attacked—but had made a full
recovery.” From what I’d observed, that was certainly true.
Jill showed no signs of injury, and the attack had occurred a
week before she came to Palm Springs. Was that enough
time to heal from a “vicious and severe” attack? And was
an attack like that enough to make her wake screaming?
I didn’t know but still couldn’t shake my suspicions. When
Jill came home later, she was in such a good mood that I
couldn’t bear to interrogate her. I also remembered too late
that I’d meant to research the case of Clarence’s niece and
her bizarre death by throat-slitting. Jill’s situation had
distracted me. I let the matter go and called it an early night.
Tomorrow, I thought drowsily. I’ll do it all tomorrow.
Tomorrow came much more quickly than I expected. I
was woken out of a heavy sleep by someone shaking me,
and for a split second, the old nightmare was there, the one
about Alchemists carrying me away in the night.
Recognizing Jill, I just barely stopped myself from
screaming.
“Hey, hey,” I scolded. There was light outside, but it was
purplish. Barely after sunrise. “What’s going on? What’s the
matter?”
Jill looked at me, face grim and eyes wide with fear. “It’s
Adrian. You have to rescue him.”
CHAPTER 14
“FROM HIMSELF?”
I couldn’t help it. The joke was out before I could stop it.
“No.” She perched on the edge of the bed and bit her
lower lip. “Maybe ‘rescue’ isn’t the right word. But we have
to go get him. He’s trapped in Los Angeles.”
I rubbed my eyes as I sat up and then waited a few
moments, just in case this was all a dream. Nope. Nothing
changed. I picked up my cell phone from my bedside table
and groaned when I read the display.
“Jill, it’s not even six yet.” I started to question if Adrian
was even awake this early but then remembered he was
probably on a nocturnal schedule. Left to their own devices,
Moroi went to bed around what was late morning for the
rest of us.
“I know,” she said in a small voice. “I’m sorry. I wouldn’t
ask if it wasn’t important. He got a ride there last night
because he wanted to see those … those Moroi girls
again. Lee was supposed to be in LA too, so Adrian
figured he could get a ride home. Only, he can’t get ahold of
Lee, so now he can’t get back. Adrian, that is. He’s
stranded and hung over.”
I started to lie back down. “I don’t have a lot of sympathy
for that. Maybe he’ll learn a lesson.”
“Sydney, please.”
I put an arm over my eyes. Maybe if I looked like I was
asleep, she’d leave me alone. A question suddenly popped
into my head, and I jerked my arm away.
“How do you know any of this? Did he call?” I wasn’t a
super-light sleeper, but I still would’ve heard her phone ring.
Jill looked away from me. Frowning, I sat up.
“Jill? How do you know any of this?”
“Please,” she whispered. “Can’t we just go get him?”
“Not until you tell me what’s going on.” A weird feeling
was crawling along my skin. I’d felt for a while that I was
being excluded from something big, and now, I suddenly
knew I was about to find out what the Moroi had been
hiding from me.
“You can’t tell,” she said, finally meeting my eyes again.
I tapped the tattoo on my cheek. “I can hardly tell anyone
anything as it is.”
“No, not anyone. Not the Alchemists. Not Keith. Not any
other Moroi or dhampirs who don’t already know.”
Not tell the Alchemists? That would be a problem.
Among all the other craziness in my life, no matter how
much my assignments infuriated me or how much time I’d
spent with vampires, I’d never questioned who my loyalty
was to. I had to tell the Alchemists if something was going
on with Jill and the others. It was my duty to them, to
humanity.
Of course, part of my duty to the Alchemists was looking
after Jill, and whatever was plaguing her now obviously was
connected to her welfare. For half a second, I considered
lying to her and immediately dismissed the idea. I couldn’t
do it. If I was going to keep her secret, I would keep it. If I
wasn’t going to keep it, then I would let her know up front.
“I won’t tell,” I said. I think the words surprised me as
much as her. She studied me in the dim light and must have
at last decided I was telling the truth. She gave a slow nod.
“Adrian and I are bound. Like, with a spirit bond.”
I felt my eyes widen in disbelief. “How did that—”
Everything suddenly clicked together, the missing pieces.
“The attack. You—you—”
“Died,” said Jill bluntly. “There was so much confusion
when the Moroi assassins came. Everyone thought they
were coming for Lissa, so most of the guardians went to
surround her. Eddie was the only one who came for me, but
he wasn’t fast enough. This man, he …” Jill touched a spot
in the center of her chest and shuddered. “He stabbed me.
He … he killed me. That’s when Adrian came along. He
used spirit to heal me and bring me back, and now we’re
bound. Everything happened so fast. No one there even
realized what he did.”
My mind was reeling. A spirit bond. Spirit was a troubling
element to the Alchemists, mostly because we had so few
records of it. Our world was documents and knowledge, so
any gap made us feel weak. Signs of spirit use had been
recorded over the centuries, but no one had really realized
it was its own element. Those events had been written off
as random magical phenomena. It was only recently, when
Vasilisa Dragomir had exposed herself, that spirit had
been rediscovered, along with its myriad psychic effects.
She and Rose had had a spirit bond, the only modern one
we had documented. Healing was one of spirit’s most
notable attributes, and Vasilisa had brought Rose back
from a car accident. It had forged a psychic connection
between them, one that had only been shattered when
Rose had had a second near-death experience.
“You can see in his head,” I breathed. “His thoughts. His
feelings.” So much began to come together. Like how Jill
always knew everything about Adrian, even when he
claimed he hadn’t told her.
She nodded. “I don’t want to. Believe me. But I can’t help
it. Rose said in time, I’ll learn the control to keep his
feelings out, but I can’t do it now. And he has so much,
Sydney. So much feeling. He feels everything so strongly—
love, grief, anger. His emotions are up and down, all over
the place. What happened between him and Rose … it
tears him apart. It’s hard to stay focused on me sometimes
with all of that going on in him. At least it’s only some of the
time. I can’t really control when it happens.”
I didn’t say it but wondered if some of those volatile
feelings were part of spirit’s tendency to drive its users
insane. Or maybe it was just part of Adrian’s innate
personality. All irrelevant, for now.
“But he can’t feel you, right? It’s only one way?” I asked.
Rose had been able to read Vasilisa’s thoughts and see
her experiences in everyday life—but not the other way
around. I assumed it was the same now, but with spirit, one
couldn’t take anything for granted.
“Right,” she agreed.
“That’s how … that’s how you always know things about
him. Like my visits. And when he wanted pizza. That’s why
he’s here, what Abe wanted him here for.”
Jill frowned. “Abe? No, it was kind of a group choice for
Adrian to come along. Rose and Lissa thought it would be
best if we were together while we were getting used to the
bond, and I wanted him nearby too. What made you think
Abe was involved?”
“Er, nothing,” I said. Abe instructing Adrian to stay at
Clarence’s must not have been something Jill observed. “I
was just mixed up about something.”
“Can we go now?” she begged. “I answered your
questions.”
“Let me make sure I understand something first,” I said.
“Explain how he ended up in Los Angeles and why he’s
stuck.”
Jill clasped her hands together and looked away again, a
habit I was coming to associate with when she had
information that she knew wasn’t going to be received well.
“He, um, left Clarence’s last night. Because he was
bored. He hitchhiked into town—to Palm Springs—and
ended up partying with some people who were going to LA.
So, he went with them. And while he was in a club, he found
those girls—some Moroi girls—and so he went home with
them. And then he spent the night and kind of passed out.
Until now. Now he’s awake. And he wants to go home. To
Clarence’s.”
With all this talk of clubbing and girls, an unsettling
thought was building in my mind. “Jill, just how much of that
did you actually experience?”
She was still avoiding my gaze. “It’s not important.”
“It is to me,” I said. The night Jill had woken in tears …
that had been when Adrian was with those girls too. Was
she living his sex life? “What was he thinking? He knows
you’re there, that you’re living everything he does, but he
never stops to—oh God. The first day of school. Ms. Chang
was right, wasn’t she? You were hung over. Vicariously, at
least.” And almost every other morning, she woke up
feeling semi-sick—because Adrian was hung over too.
Jill nodded. “There was nothing physical they could’ve
tested—like blood or anything—to prove that’s what it was,
but yeah. I might as well have had one. I certainly felt like it.
It was awful.”
I reached out and turned her face toward mine so that
she had to look at me. “And you are now too.” There was
more light in the room as the sun rose higher, and I could
see the signs again. The sickly paleness and bloodshot
eyes. I wouldn’t have been surprised if her head and
stomach hurt too. I dropped my hand and shook my head in
disgust. “He can stay there.”
“Sydney!”
“He deserves it. I know you feel … something … for him.”
Whether it was sisterly or romantic affection, it really didn’t
matter. “But you can’t baby him and run to every need and
request he sends to you.”
“He’s not asking me, not exactly,” she said. “I can just feel
that he wants it.”
“Well, he should’ve thought of that before he got himself
into this mess. He can figure out his own way back.”
“His cell phone died.”
“He can borrow one from his new ‘friends.’”
“He’s in agony,” she said.
“That’s how life is,” I said.
“I’m in agony.”
I sighed. “Jill—”
“No, I’m serious. And it’s not just the hangover. I mean,
yeah, part of it’s the hangover. And as long as he’s sick and
not taking anything, then so am I! Plus … his thoughts.
Ugh.” Jill rested her forehead in her hands. “I can’t get rid of
how unhappy he is. It’s like … like a hammer banging in my
head. I can’t get away from it. I can’t do anything else
except think about how miserable he is! And that makes
me miserable. Or think I’m miserable. I don’t know.” She
sighed. “Please, Sydney. Can we go?”
“Do you know where he is?” I asked.
“Yes.”
“All right, then. I’ll go.” I slid over to the edge of the bed.
She stood up with me.
“I’ll come too.”
“No,” I said. “You go back to bed. Take some aspirin and
see if you can make yourself feel better.” I also had a few
things I wanted to say to Adrian in private. Admittedly, if she
was constantly connected to him, she’d “overhear” our
conversation, but it’d be a lot easier to tell him what I
wanted to when she wasn’t actually there in the flesh,
looking at me with those big eyes.
“But how will you—”
“I don’t want you getting sick in the car. Just call me if
something changes or if he leaves or whatever.”
Jill’s further protests were halfhearted, either because
she didn’t feel up to them or was just willing to be grateful
for anyone “rescuing” Adrian. She didn’t have an exact
address, but she had a very vivid description of the condo
he was at, which was right next door to a notable hotel.
When I looked it up, I saw the hotel was actually in Long
Beach, meaning I’d have to go past Los Angeles proper. I
had a two-hour drive ahead of me. Coffee would be
required.
It was a pretty day, at least, and there was almost no
traffic out so early on a Sunday. Looking at the sun and blue
skies, I kept thinking about how nice it would be if I were
making this drive in a convertible, with the top down. It
would also be nice if I had been making this drive for any
other reason besides retrieving a stranded vampire party
boy.
I was still having a hard time wrapping my mind around
the idea that Jill and Adrian were spirit bound. The notion of
someone bringing another back from the dead was not one
that meshed well with my religious beliefs. It was just as
troubling as another of spirit’s feats: restoring Strigoi. We
had two documented cases of that happening too, two
Strigoi magically changed by spirit users back to their
original form. One was a woman named Sonya Karp. The
other was Dimitri Belikov. Between that and all this
resurrection, spirit was really starting to freak me out. That
much power just didn’t seem right.
I reached Long Beach right on schedule and had no
problem finding the condo complex. It was right across the
street from an oceanfront hotel called the Cascadia. Since
Jill hadn’t called with a change of location, I assumed
Adrian was still holed up. Street parking was easy to find at
this time of day, and I paused outside to stare at the bluegray
expanse of the Pacific on the western horizon. It was
breathtaking, especially after my first week in the desert of
Palm Springs. I almost wished Jill had come. Maybe being
near so much water would have made her feel better.
The condos were in a peach stucco building with three
floors, two units on each floor. From Adrian’s memories, Jill
remembered going to the top of the building and turning
right. I retraced those steps and came to a blue door with a
heavy brass knocker. I knocked.
When no answer came after almost a minute, I tried
again more loudly. I was nearly on the verge of a third
attempt when I heard the lock unclick. The door opened a
crack, and a girl peeked out.
She was clearly Moroi, with a skinny runway model build
and pale, perfect skin that seemed particularly irritating
today, considering I was pretty sure a pimple was going to
break out on my forehead soon. She was my age, maybe a
little older, with sleek black hair and deep blue eyes. She
looked like some otherworldly doll. She was also halfasleep.
“Yeah?” She looked me over. “Are you selling
something?” Next to this tall, perfect Moroi, I suddenly felt
self-conscious and frumpy in my linen skirt and button-down
top.
“Is Adrian here?”
“Who?”
“Adrian. Tall. Brown hair. Green eyes.”
She frowned. “Do you mean Jet?”
“I … I’m not sure. Does he smoke like a chimney?”
The girl nodded sagely. “Yup. You must mean Jet.” She
glanced behind her and yelled, “Hey, Jet! There’s some
saleswoman here to see you.”
“Send her out,” called a familiar voice.
The Moroi opened the door wider and beckoned me in.
“He’s on the balcony.”
I walked through a living room that served as a cautionary
tale of what would ever happen if Jill and I lost all sense of
housekeeping and self-respect. The place was a disaster.
A girl disaster. Laundry piles littered the floor, and dirty
dishes covered every square inch that wasn’t occupied by
empty beer bottles. A knocked-over bottle of nail polish had
created a bubblegum pink splotch on the carpet. On the
couch, tangled in blankets, a blond Moroi girl peered at me
drowsily and then went back to sleep.
Stepping around everything, I made my way to Adrian
through a patio door. He stood on a balcony, leaning
against its railing, his back to me. The morning air was
warm and clear, so naturally, he was trying to ruin it by
smoking.
“Tell me this, Sage,” he said, without turning back to face
me. “Why the hell would someone put a building near the
beach but not have the balconies face the water? They
were built to look at hills behind us. Unless the neighbors
start doing something interesting, I’m ready to declare this
structure a total waste.”
I crossed my arms and glared at his back. “I’m so glad
I’ve got your valuable opinion on that. I’ll be sure and note it
when I file my complaint to the city council for their
inadequate ocean views.”
He turned around, the hint of a smile twisting his lips.
“What are you doing here? I figured you’d be in church or
something.”
“What do you think? I’m here because of the pleas of a
fifteen-year-old girl who doesn’t deserve what you put her
through.”
Any trace of a smile vanished. “Oh. She told you.” He
turned back around.
“Yes, and you all should have told me sooner! This is
serious … monumental.”
“And no doubt something the Alchemists would love to
study.” I could envision his sneer perfectly.
“I promised her I wouldn’t tell. But you still should’ve filled
me in. It’s kind of important information to have since I’m
the one who has to babysit all of you.”
‘“Babysit’ is kind of an extreme term, Sage.”
“Considering the current scenario? No, not really.”
Adrian said nothing, and I gave him a quick assessment.
He wore high-quality, dark-washed jeans and a red cotton
shirt that must have been slept in, judging from the wrinkles.
His feet were bare.
“Did you bring a coat?” I asked.
“No.”
I went back inside and did a search among the clutter.
The blond Moroi girl was fast asleep, and the one who’d let
me in was sprawled on an unmade bed in another room. I
finally found Adrian’s socks and shoes tossed in a corner. I
rushed to retrieve them, then headed back outside and
dropped them next to him on the balcony.
“Put those on. We’re leaving.”
“You aren’t my mom.”
“No, yours is serving a sentence for perjury and theft, if
memory serves.”
It was a mean, mean thing to say, but it was also the truth.
And it got his attention.
Adrian’s head whipped around. Anger glinted in the
depths of his green eyes, the first I’d ever truly seen in him.
“Don’t you ever mention her again. You have no idea what
you’re talking about.”
His anger was a little intimidating, but I held my ground.
“Actually, I was the one in charge of tracking down the
records she stole.”
“She had her reasons,” he said through gritted teeth.
“You’re so willing to defend someone who was convicted
of a crime, yet you don’t have any consideration for Jill—
who’s done nothing.”
“I have plenty of consideration for her!” He paused to light
a cigarette with trembling hands, and I suspected he was
also trying to get a grip on his emotions. “I think about her
all the time. How could I not? She’s there … I can’t feel it,
but she’s always there, always listening to things in my
head, listening to things I don’t even want to hear. Feeling
things I don’t want to feel.” He inhaled on the cigarette and
turned to look at the view, though I doubted he actually saw
it.
“If you’re so aware of her, then how come you do stuff like
this?” I gestured around us. “How could you drink when you
know it affects her too? How could you do”—I grimaced
—”whatever you did with those girls, knowing she could
‘see’ it? She’s fifteen.”
“I know, I know,” he said. “I didn’t know about the drinking
—not at first. When she came over after school and told me
that day, I stopped. I really did. But then … when you guys
were over on Friday, she told me to go ahead since it was
the weekend. I guess she wasn’t as worried about getting
sick. So, I said to myself, ‘I’ll just have a couple.’ Only last
night, it turned into more than that. And then things got kind
of crazy, and I ended up here and—what am I doing? I don’t
have to justify my actions to you.”
“I don’t think you can justify them to anyone.” I was furious,
my blood boiling.
“You’re one to talk, Sage.” He pointed an accusing
finger. “At least I take action. You? You let the world go by
without you. You stand there while that asshole Keith treats
you like crap and just smile and nod. You have no spine.
You don’t fight back. Even old Abe seems to push you
around. Was Rose right that he’s got something on you? Or
is he just someone else you won’t fight back against?”
I worked hard not to let him know just how deeply those
words struck me. “You don’t know the first thing about me,
Adrian Ivashkov. I fight back plenty.”
“You could’ve fooled me.”
I gave him a tight smile. “I just don’t make a spectacle of
myself when I do it. It’s called being responsible.”
“Sure. Whatever helps you sleep at night.”
I threw up my hands. “Well, that’s the thing: I don’t sleep
at night anymore because I have to come save you from
your own idiocy. Can we leave now? Please?”
As an answer, he put out the cigarette and began putting
on his socks and shoes. He looked up at me as he did, the
anger totally gone. His moods were changed as easily as
flipping a light switch.
“You have to get me out of there. Out of Clarence’s.” His
voice was level and serious. “He’s a nice enough guy, but
I’m going to go crazy if I stay there.”
“As opposed to your excellent behavior when you aren’t
there?” I glanced back into the condo. “Maybe your two
groupies have room for you.”
“Hey, show some respect. They’re real people with
names. Carla and Krissy.” He frowned. “Or was it Missy?”
I sighed. “I told you before, I don’t have any control over
your living arrangement. How hard is it for you to go get
your own place? Why do you need me?”
“Because I have almost no money, Sage. My old man cut
me off. He gives me an allowance that’s barely enough for
cigarettes.”
I considered suggesting he quit, but that probably
wouldn’t be a useful turn in the conversation. “I’m sorry. I
really am. If I think of something, I’ll let you know. Besides,
doesn’t Abe want you to stay there?” I decided to come
clean. “I overheard you two on the first day. How he wanted
you to do something for him.”
Adrian straightened up, shoes secured. “Yeah, I don’t
know what that’s all about. Did you hear how totally vague
he was too? I think he’s just trying to screw with me, keep
me busy because somewhere in that messed-up heart of
his, he feels bad about what happened with—”
Adrian shut his mouth, but I could hear the unspoken
name: Rose. A terrible sadness crossed his features, and
his eyes looked lost and haunted. I remembered when I’d
been in the car with Jill, and she’d slipped into a tirade
about Rose, about how the memory of her tormented
Adrian. Knowing what I knew now about the bond, I had a
feeling there’d been very little of Jill in those words. That
had been a direct line to Adrian. Looking at him, I could
barely understand the scope of that pain, nor did I know
how to help. I just knew that I suddenly understood a tiny bit
better why he would want to drown his sorrows so much, not
that that made it any healthier.
“Adrian,” I said awkwardly, “I’m—”
“Forget it,” he said. “You don’t know what it’s like to love
someone like that, then to have that love thrown back in
your face—”
An ear-splitting scream suddenly pierced the air. Adrian
flinched more than me, proving the downside of vampire
hearing: annoying sounds were that much more annoying.
As one, we hurried back inside the condo. The blond girl
was sitting upright on the couch, as startled as we were.
The other girl, the one who had let me in, stood in the
doorway to the bedroom, pale as death, a cell phone
clutched in her hand.
“What’s the matter?” I asked.
She opened her mouth to speak and then did a double
take at me, seeming to remember that I was human.
“It’s okay, Carla,” said Adrian. “She knows about us. You
can trust her.”
That was all Carla needed. She threw herself into
Adrian’s arms and began crying uncontrollably. “Oh, Jet,”
she said between sobs. “I can’t believe it happened to her.
How did this happen?”
“What happened?” asked the other Moroi girl, rising
unsteadily to her feet. Like Adrian, she looked like she’d
slept in her clothes. I dared to hope that Jill hadn’t been
subjected to as much as indecency as I’d originally
imagined.
“Tell us what happened, Carla,” said Adrian in a gentle
voice I’d only ever heard him use around with Jill.
“I’m Krissy,” she sniffed. “And our friend—our friend.” She
wiped at her eyes as more tears came to her eyes. “I just
got the call. Our friend—another Moroi who goes to our
college—she’s dead.” Krissy looked up at the other girl,
whom I guessed was Carla now. “It was Melody. She was
killed by Strigoi last night.”
Carla gasped and began crying, triggering more tears
from Krissy. I met Adrian’s eyes, both of us aghast. Even if
we had no idea who this Melody was, a Strigoi killing was
still a terrible, tragic thing. Immediately, my Alchemist mind
kicked into action. I needed to make sure the crime scene
was secure and the murder kept secret from humans.
“Where?” I asked. “Where did it happen?”
“West Hollywood,” said Carla. “Out behind some club.”
I relaxed a little, though I was still shaken by the tragedy
of it all. That was a busy, populated region, one that would
definitely be on the Alchemists’ radar. If any humans had
found out, the Alchemists would have long since taken care
of it.
“At least they didn’t turn her,” said Carla forlornly. “She
can rest in peace. Of course, those monsters still couldn’t
rest without mutilating her body.”
I stared, feeling cold all over. “What do you mean?”
She rubbed her nose on Adrian’s shirt. “Melody. They
didn’t just drink from her. They slit her throat too.”
CHAPTER 15
ADRIAN SLEPT for a lot of the way back to Palm Springs.
Apparently, his late-night partying with Carla and Krissy had
resulted in very little rest. Thinking about it made me
uncomfortable. Thinking about Jill experiencing it through
him made me ill.
There’d been little we could do for Carla and Krissy
except offer our sympathies. Strigoi attacks happened. It
was tragic and terrible, but the only way most Moroi could
protect themselves was to exercise caution, keep their
whereabouts secure, and stay with guardians if possible.
For non-royal Moroi living and going to school in the world
like Carla and Krissy were, guardians weren’t an option.
Plenty of Moroi got by like that; they just had to be careful.
The two of them thought the circumstances surrounding
their friend’s death were awful. That was true. They were.
But neither girl thought much past that or felt there was
anything odd about the throat-slitting. I wouldn’t have either
if I hadn’t heard Clarence’s account of his niece’s death.
I brought Adrian back to Amberwood with me and signed
him in briefly as a guest, figuring Jill would feel better about
seeing him in the flesh. Sure enough, she was already
waiting for us in the dorm when we arrived. She hugged
him and flashed me a grateful look. Eddie was with her,
and though he said nothing, there was a look of
exasperation on his face that said I wasn’t the only one who
thought Adrian had behaved ridiculously.
“I was so worried,” Jill said.
Adrian ruffled her hair, which made her duck away.
“Nothing to worry about, Jailbait. So long as the wrinkles
come out of this shirt, there’s no harm done.”
No harm done, I thought, feeling anger kindle within me.
No harm except Jill has to watch Adrian hook up with
other girls and endure his drinking binges. It didn’t matter
if Lee had supplanted her old crush on Adrian. She was just
too young to witness anything like that. Adrian had been
selfish.
“Now,” Adrian continued, “if Sage would be kind enough
to keep playing chauffeur, I’ll take us all out to lunch.”
“I thought you didn’t have any money,” I pointed out.
“I said I don’t have very much money.”
Jill and Eddie exchanged looks. “We, um, were going to
meet Micah for lunch,” Jill said.
“Bring him along,” said Adrian. “He can meet the family.”
Micah showed up shortly thereafter and was happy to
meet our other “brother.” He shook Adrian’s hand and
smiled. “Now I see some family resemblance. I was starting
to wonder if Jill was adopted, but you two kind of look like
each other.”
“So does our mailman back in North Dakota,” said
Adrian.
“South,” I corrected. Fortunately, Micah didn’t seem to
think there was anything weird about the slip.
“Right,” said Adrian. He studied Micah thoughtfully.
“There’s something familiar about you. Have we met?”
Micah shook his head. “I’ve never been to South
Dakota.”
I was pretty sure I heard Adrian murmur, “That makes two
of us.”
“We should go,” said Eddie hastily, moving toward our
dorm’s door. “I’ve got some homework to catch up on later.”
I frowned, puzzled by the attitude change. Eddie wasn’t a
bad student by any means, but it had been obvious to me
since coming to Amberwood that he didn’t take the same
interest in the school that I did. This was a repeated year for
him, and he was content to just play along and only do what
was necessary to stay in good standing.
If anyone else thought his behavior was odd, they didn’t
show it. Micah was already talking to Jill about something,
and Adrian still looked like he was trying to place Micah.
Adrian’s generous offer to buy lunch only extended to fast
food, so our meal was quick. After a week of dorm food,
though, I appreciated the change, and Adrian had long
since made his views clear on Dorothy’s “healthy” cooking.
“You should’ve just gotten a kids’ meal,” Adrian told me,
pointing to my half-eaten burger and fries. “You could have
saved me a lot of money. And gotten a toy.”
‘“A lot’ is kind of an exaggeration,” I said. “Besides, now
you have leftovers to help get you by.”
He rolled his eyes and stole a fry off my plate. “You’re the
one who should take the leftovers home. How do you even
function on so little food?” he demanded. “One of these
days, you’re just going to blow away.”
“Stop it,” I said.
“Just telling it like it is,” he said with a shrug. “You could
stand to gain about ten pounds.”
I stared at him incredulously, too shocked to even come
up with a response. What did a Moroi know about weight
gain? They had perfect figures. They didn’t know what it
was like to look in the mirror and see inadequacy, to never
feel good enough. It was effortless for them, whereas no
matter how hard I worked, I never seemed to match their
inhuman perfection.
Adrian’s eyes drifted over to where Jill, Eddie, and Micah
were animatedly talking about practicing more self-defense
together.
“They’re kind of cute,” said Adrian in a voice pitched just
for my ears. He played with his straw as he studied the
group. “Maybe Castile was on to something about letting
her date at the school.”
“Adrian,” I groaned.
“Kidding,” he said. “Lee would probably challenge him to
a duel. He couldn’t stop talking about her, you know. When
we got back from mini-golfing, Lee just kept going on with,
‘When can we all go out again?’ And yet, he dropped off
the face of the earth when he was in LA and I needed him.”
“Had you made plans to meet up?” I asked. “Had he
agreed to take you home?”
“No,” Adrian admitted. “But what else was he really
doing?”
Just then, a gray-haired man passed by, bumping into
Jill’s chair as he balanced a tray of burgers and sodas.
Nothing spilled, but Eddie jumped to his feet with lightning
speed, ready to fly across the table and defend her. The
man backed up and mumbled an apology.
Adrian shook his head in amazement. “Just send him as
a chaperone with whoever she goes out with, and we’ll
never have to worry.”
Knowing what I knew now about Adrian and Jill’s bond, I
was able to regard Eddie’s protectiveness in a different
light. Oh, sure, I knew his guardian training had instilled that
nature into him, but there always seemed to be something
a little stronger there. Something almost … personal. At
first, I’d wondered if maybe it was because Jill was just part
of his larger circle of friends, like Rose. Now, I kept thinking
it might go further than that. Jill had said Eddie had been
the only one to try to protect her the night of the attack. He’d
failed, most likely through timing and not because of a lack
of skill.
But what kind of mark must that have left on him? He was
someone whose sole purpose in life was to defend others
—and he’d had to watch someone die on his watch. Now
that Adrian had brought her back to life, was it almost like a
second chance for Eddie? An opportunity to redeem
himself? Maybe that’s why he was so vigilant.
“You look confused,” said Adrian.
I shook my head and sighed. “I think I’m just overthinking
things.”
He nodded solemnly. “That’s why I try to never do it.”
An earlier question popped into my head. “Hey, how
come you told those girls your name was Jet?”
“Standard practice if you don’t want chicks to find you
later, Sage. Besides, I figured I was protecting our
operation here.”
“Yeah, but why Jet? Why not … I don’t know … Travis or
John?”
Adrian gave me a look that said I was wasting his time.
“Because Jet sounds badass.”
After lunch, we returned Adrian to Clarence’s, and the
rest of us went back to Amberwood. Jill and Micah went off
to do their own thing, and I convinced Eddie to go to the
library with me. There, we staked out a table, and I brought
out my laptop.
“So, we found out something interesting when I picked up
Adrian today,” I told Eddie, keeping my voice library soft.
Eddie gave me a wry look. “I’m guessing the whole
experience of picking up Adrian was interesting—at least
from what Jill told me.”
“It could’ve been worse,” I speculated. “At least he was
dressed when I got there. And there were only two other
Moroi there. I didn’t stumble into a sorority house full of
them or anything.”
That made him laugh. “You might have had a harder time
getting Adrian out of there if that was the case.”
My laptop screen flared to life, and I began the
complicated process of logging into the Alchemists’ megasecure
database.
“Well, as we were leaving, the girls he was with found out
that a friend of theirs was killed by Strigoi the other night.”
All humor vanished from Eddie’s face. His eyes went
hard. “Where?”
“In LA, not here,” I added. I should’ve known better than to
open up the conversation like that without clearly stating
beforehand that he didn’t need to be on the lookout for
Strigoi on campus. “As far as we know, everyone’s right—
Strigoi don’t want to hang out in Palm Springs.”
Eddie became about one percent less tense.
“Here’s the thing,” I continued. “This Moroi girl—this
friend of theirs—was allegedly killed like Clarence’s niece.”
Eddie’s eyebrows rose. “With the slit throat?”
I nodded.
“That’s weird. Are you sure that’s what happened—to
either of them? I mean, we’re just going off of Clarence’s
report, right?” Eddie drummed a pencil against the table as
he pondered this. “Clarence is nice enough, but come on.
We all know he’s not quite there.”
“That’s why I brought you here. And why I wanted to check
this database. We keep track of most Strigoi-related
deaths.”
Eddie peered over my shoulder as I brought up an entry
on Tamara Donahue from five years ago. Sure enough,
she’d been found with a cut throat. Another search on
Melody Croft—Krissy and Carla’s friend—also turned up a
report from last night. My people had been on the scene
and quick to log the information. Melody too had had her
throat slit. There had been other reported Strigoi murders in
LA—it was a big city, after all—but only two matched this
profile.
“Are you still thinking about what Clarence said—about
vampire hunters?” Eddie asked me.
“I don’t know. I just thought it was worth checking these
out.”
“Guardians weighed in on both of these cases,” said
Eddie, pointing at the screen. “They also declared them
Strigoi attacks—there was blood taken from both girls.
That’s what a Strigoi does. I don’t know what a vampire
hunter does, but I just don’t see drinking blood as part of
their goal.”
“I wouldn’t think so either. But neither of these girls was
drained.”
“Strigoi don’t always finish drinking from their victims.
Especially if they’re interrupted. This girl Melody was killed
near a club, right? I mean, if her killer heard someone
coming, they’d just take off.”
“I suppose. But what about the throat-slitting?”
Eddie shrugged. “We have tons of accounts of Strigoi
doing crazy things. Just look at Keith and his eye. They’re
evil. You can’t apply logic to them.”
“Um, let’s leave his eye out of this.” Keith wasn’t a case I
wanted brought up. I sat back in my chair and sighed.
“There’s just something bugging me about all the killings.
The half-drinking. The throat-slitting. They’re both strange
things happening together. And I don’t like strange things.”
“Then you’re in the wrong profession,” said Eddie, his
smile returning.
I smiled back, my mind still turning everything over. “I
suppose so.”
When I didn’t say anything else, he gave me a surprised
look. “You’re not actually … you don’t think there are
vampire hunters, do you?”
“No, not really. We have no evidence to think they exist.”
“But …” Eddie prompted.
“But,” I said. “Doesn’t the idea freak you out a little? I
mean, right now, you know who to look out for. Other Moroi.
Strigoi. They stand out. But a human vampire hunter?” I
gestured to the students gathered and working in the
library. “You wouldn’t know who’s a threat.”
Eddie shook his head. “It’s pretty easy, actually. I just
treat everyone as a threat.”
I couldn’t decide if that made me feel better or not.
When I returned to my dorm later, Mrs. Weathers flagged
me down. “Ms. Terwilliger dropped something off for you.”
“She brought me something?” I asked in surprise. “It’s
not money, is it?” So far, none of my coffee purchases had
been reimbursed.
By way of answer, Mrs. Weathers handed over a leathercovered
book. At first, I thought it was the one I’d just
finished. Then I looked more closely at the cover and read
Volume 2. A yellow sticky note attached to the book had
Ms. Terwilliger’s spidery writing on it: Next. I sighed and
thanked Mrs. Weathers. I’d do any task my teacher asked
of me, but I was kind of hoping she’d assign me a book that
was more of a historical account than recipes for spells.
As I was walking down my hall, I heard a few
exclamations of alarm from the far end. I could see an open
door and a few people huddled around it. Hurrying past my
own room, I went to see what the problem was. It was Julia
and Kristin’s room. Although I wasn’t sure I really had the
right, I pushed my way past some of the frightened
onlookers. No one stopped me.
I found Kristin lying on her bed, twitching violently. She
was sweating profusely, and her pupils were so large, there
was hardly any discernible iris. Julia sat near her on the
bed, as did a couple girls I didn’t know so well. She looked
up at my approach, her face filled with fear.
“Kristin?” I cried. “Kristin, are you okay?” When no
response came, I turned to the others. “What’s the matter
with her?”
Julia anxiously refolded a wet cloth and placed it on
Kristin’s forehead. “We don’t know. She’s been like this
since this morning.”
I stared incredulously. “Then she needs to see a doctor!
We need to call someone now. I’ll get Mrs. Weathers—”
“No!” Julia jumped up and caught hold of my arm. “You
can’t. The reason she’s like this … well, we think it’s
because of the tattoo.”
“Tattoo?”
One of the other girls caught hold of Kristin’s wrist and
turned it so that I could see the inside. There, tattooed in
glittering coppery ink on her dusky skin, was a daisy. I
remembered Kristin pining for a celestial tattoo, but last I
knew, she couldn’t afford it. “When did she get this?”
“Earlier today,” said Julia. She looked abashed. “I lent
her the money.”
I stared at that sparkling flower, so pretty and seemingly
harmless. I had no doubt it was what was causing this fit.
Whatever was mixed with the ink to provide the high wasn’t
reacting correctly with her system.
“She needs a doctor,” I said firmly.
“You can’t. We’ll have to tell them about the tattoos,” said
the girl who had been holding Kristin’s hand. “No one
believed Trey, but if they saw something like this … well,
everything at Nevermore could be shut down.”
Good! I thought. But to my astonishment, her words were
met with nods from the other gathered girls. Were they
crazy? How many of them had those ridiculous tattoos?
And was protecting them really more important than
Kristin’s life?
Julia swallowed and sat back down on the edge of the
bed. “We were hoping this might pass. Maybe she needs a
little time to adjust.”
Kristin moaned. One of her legs trembled like it was
having a muscle spasm and then stilled. Her eyes and their
large pupils stared off blankly, and her breathing was
shallow.
“She’s had all day!” I pointed out. “You guys, she could
die.”
“How do you know?” asked Julia in astonishment.
I didn’t, not for sure. But every once in a while, Alchemist
tattoos didn’t take either. In ninety-nine percent of the
cases, human bodies accepted the vampire blood used in
an Alchemist tattoo, allowing its properties to infuse with
our own, kind of like a low-grade dhampir. We gained good
stamina and long life, though hardly got the amazing
physical abilities dhampirs received. The blood was too
diluted for that. Even so, there was always the occasional
person who got sick from an Alchemist tattoo. The blood
poisoned them. It was made worse because the gold and
other chemicals worked to keep the blood infused in the
skin, so it never had a chance to leave. Those left untreated
died.
Vampire blood wouldn’t cause a euphoric high, so I
didn’t believe there was any in this tattoo. But the treatment
we used for Alchemist tattoos relied on breaking down the
metallic components of the tattoo in order to release the
blood, allowing the body then to clear it naturally. I had to
assume the same principle would work here. Only, I didn’t
know the exact formula for the Alchemist compound and
wasn’t even sure it would break down copper like it did
gold.
I bit my lip, thinking, and finally made a decision. “I’ll be
right back,” I told them, racing to my room. All the while, an
inner voice chastised me for foolishness. I had no business
attempting what I was about to. I should go straight to Mrs.
Weathers.
Instead, I opened my room door and found Jill with her
laptop. “Hey, Sydney,” she said, smiling. “I’m IM-ing with
Lee and—” She did a double take. “What’s wrong?”
I turned on my own laptop and set it on the bed. While it
booted up, I reached for a small metal suitcase I’d carefully
packed but never expected to use. “Can you go get me
some water? Quickly?”
Jill hesitated only a moment before nodding. “Be right
back,” she said, jumping off her bed.
While she was gone, I unlocked the case with a key I
always kept on me. Inside it were small amounts of dozens
of Alchemist compounds, the kinds of substances we
mixed together and used as part of our jobs. Some
ingredients—like the ones I used to dissolve Strigoi bodies
—I had lots of. Others, I had only a sampling of. My laptop
finished booting up, and I logged onto the Alchemist
database. A few searches and I soon had the formula for
anti-tattoo treatment pulled up.
Jill returned then, carrying a cup brimming with water. “Is
this enough? If we were in any other climate, I could’ve
pulled it straight from the air.”
“It’s fine,” I said, glad the climate had kept her from
magic.
I scanned the formula, analyzing which ingredients did
what. I mentally deleted the ones I was certain were specific
to gold. A couple I didn’t even have, but I was pretty sure
they were simply for skin comfort and weren’t requisite. I
began pulling out ingredients from my kit, carefully
measuring them—though still moving as quickly as
possible—into another cup. I made substitutions where
necessary and added an ingredient I was certain would
break down copper, though the amount required was only a
guess on my part. When I finished, I took the water from Jill
and added the same amount that was in the original
instructions. The final result was a liquid that reminded me
of iodine.
I lifted it up and felt a little like a mad scientist. Jill had
watched me without comment the entire time, sensing the
urgency. Her face was filled with concern, but she was
biting back all the questions I knew she had. She followed
me when I left the room and headed back to Kristin’s. More
girls were there than before, and it was honestly a wonder
Mrs. Weathers didn’t just hear the racket. For a group so
intent on protecting their precious tattoos, they weren’t
being particularly covert.
I returned to Kristin’s bedside, finding her unchanged.
“Expose her wrist again, and hold her arm as still as
possible for me.” I didn’t direct the command to anyone but
put enough force into it that I felt certain someone would
obey. I was right. “If this doesn’t work, we get a doctor.” My
voice left no room for argument.
Julia looked paler than Jill but gave a weak a nod of
acceptance. I took the washcloth she’d been using and
dipped it into my cup. I’d never actually seen this done and
had to guess about how to apply it. I made a silent prayer
and then pressed the washcloth against the tattoo on
Kristin’s wrist.
She let out a strangled cry, and her whole body bucked
up. A couple nearby girls instinctively helped hold her down.
Tendrils of smoke curled up from where I was holding the
washcloth against her, and I smelled a sharp, acrid odor.
Waiting what I hoped was an acceptable amount of time, I
finally removed the washcloth.
The pretty little daisy was mutating before our eyes. Its
clean lines began to run and blur. The coppery color began
to shift, darkening into a bluish green. Before long, the
design was unrecognizable. It was an amorphous blob.
Around it, red welts appeared on her skin, though they
seemed to be more of a superficial irritation than anything
dire.
Still, the whole thing looked terrible, and I stared in horror.
What had I done?
Everyone else was silent, no one knowing what to do. A
couple minutes passed, but they felt like hours. Abruptly,
Kristin stopped twitching. Her breathing still seemed
labored, but she blinked, her eyes focusing as though
suddenly seeing the world for the first time. Her pupils were
still huge, but she managed to look around and at last focus
on me.
“Sydney,” gasped out Kristin. “Thank you.”
CHAPTER 16
I EXPLAINED AWAY my chemistry experiment by saying
that it was just a substance I had on hand from when I
received my tattoo, in the event I had an allergic reaction. I
certainly didn’t let on that I’d mixed it myself. I think they
would’ve bought that cover story, if not for the fact that a few
days later, I was able to get ahold of a formula that helped
treat the chemical burns on Kristin’s skin. The mixture did
nothing for the ink stain—that seemed to be permanent,
barring some tattoo laser removal—but her welts did fade a
little bit.
After that, word got around that Sydney Melrose was the
new on-site pharmacist. Because I had extra left over from
Kristin, I gave the remainder of the skin cream to a girl with
severe acne since it worked on that as well. That probably
didn’t do me any favors. People approached me for all
sorts of things and even offered to pay me. Some requests
were pointless, like cures for headaches. Those people I
simply told to buy some aspirin. Other requests were out of
my power and nothing I wanted to deal with, like birth
control.
Aside from the weird requests, I actually didn’t mind the
increase in my daily social interaction. I was used to people
needing things from me, so that was familiar territory.
Some people just wanted to know more about me as a
person, which was new and more enjoyable than I’d
expected. And still others wanted … different things from
me.
“Sydney.”
I was waiting for my English class to start and was
startled to see one of Greg Slade’s friends standing over
my desk. His name was Bryan, and although I didn’t know
much about him, he’d never come across as obnoxious as
Slade, which was a point in Bryan’s favor.
“Yes?” I asked, wondering if he wanted to borrow notes
from me.
He had shaggy brown hair that seemed to be purposely
grown unkempt and was actually kind of cute. He ran a
hand over it as he picked his words. “Do you know anything
about silent films?”
“Sure,” I said. “The first ones were developed in the late
nineteenth century and sometimes had live musical
accompaniment, though it wasn’t until the 1920s that sound
become truly incorporated into films, eventually making
silent ones obsolete in cinema.”
Bryan gaped, as though that was more than he’d been
expecting. “Oh. Okay. Well, um, there’s a silent film festival
downtown next week. Do you think you’d want to go?”
I shook my head. “No, I don’t think so. I respect it as an
art form but really don’t get much out of watching them.”
“Huh. Okay.” He smoothed his hair back again, and I
could almost see him groping for thoughts. Why on earth
was he asking me about silent films? “What about Starship
30? It opens Friday. Do you want to see that?”
“I don’t really like sci-fi either,” I said. It was true, I found it
completely implausible.
Bryan looked ready to rip that shaggy hair out. “Is there
any movie out there you want to see?”
I ran through a mental list of current entertainment. “No.
Not really.” The bell rang, and with a shake of his head,
Bryan slunk back to his desk. “That was weird,” I muttered.
“He has bad taste in movies.” Glancing beside me, I was
startled to see Julia with her head down on her desk while
she shook with silent laughter. “What?”
“That,” she gasped. “That was hilarious.”
“What?” I said again. “Why?”
“Sydney, he was asking you out!”
I replayed the conversation. “No, he wasn’t. He was
asking me about cinema.”
She was laughing so hard that she had to wipe away a
tear. “So he could find out what you wanted to see and take
you out!”
“Well, why didn’t he just say that?”
“You are so adorably oblivious,” she said. “I hope I’m
around the day you actually notice someone is interested in
you.” I continued to be mystified, and she spent the rest of
class bursting out with spontaneous giggles.
While I became an object of fascination, Jill’s popularity
fell. Part of it was her own shyness. She was still so
conscious and worried about being different that she
assumed everyone else was aware of her otherness too.
She continued holding back from connecting with people
out of fear, making her come across as aloof. Surprisingly
making this worse, Jill’s “doctor’s note” had finally come
through from the Alchemists. The school wouldn’t put her
into a different elective that was already in progress.
Freshmen weren’t allowed to be teacher’s aides like Trey.
After consultation with Miss Carson, they’d finally decided
that Jill would participate in all indoor PE activities and do
“alternate assignments” when we were outdoors. This
usually meant writing reports on things like the history of
softball. Unfortunately, sitting out half the time only managed
to isolate Jill more.
Micah continued to dote on her, even in the face of
adversity.
“Lee texted me this morning,” she told me at lunch one
day. “He wants to take me out to dinner this weekend. Do
you think … I mean, I know you guys would have to go too
…” She glanced uncertainly between Eddie and me.
“Who’s Lee?” asked Micah. He had just sat down with
our group.
A few moments of awkward silence fell. “Oh,” said Jill,
averting her eyes. “He’s this, um, guy we know. He doesn’t
go here. He goes to college. In Los Angeles.”
Micah processed this. “He asked you on a date?”
“Yeah … we actually went out before. I guess we’re, well,
kind of dating.”
“Not seriously,” piped in Eddie. I wasn’t sure if he was
saying this to spare Micah’s feelings or if it was some
protective way to stop Jill from getting too close to anyone.
Micah was good at hiding his emotions, I’d give him that.
After a bit more thought, he finally gave Jill a smile that only
seemed slightly forced. “Well, that’s great. I hope I can meet
him.” After that, the conversation turned to the upcoming
football game, and no one mentioned Lee again.
Finding out about Lee changed how Micah acted around
Jill, but he still hung out with us all the time. Maybe it was in
the hopes that Lee and Jill would break up. Or it could’ve
simply been because Micah and Eddie spent a lot of time
together, and Eddie was one of Jill’s few friends. But the
problem wasn’t Micah. It was Laurel.
I didn’t think Micah would’ve been interested in Laurel
even if Jill hadn’t been in the picture, but Laurel still saw Jill
as a threat—and went out of her way to make her
miserable. Laurel spread rumors about her and made
pointed comments in the halls and during class about Jill’s
pale skin, height, and skinniness—Jill’s biggest
insecurities.
Once or twice, I heard the name vampire girl whispered
in the halls. It made my blood run cold, no matter how many
times I reminded myself it was a joke.
“Jill isn’t what’s keeping Laurel and Micah apart,” I
remarked to Julia and Kristin one day. They were amused
by my continued efforts to apply logic and rationality to
social behaviors in the school. “I don’t understand. He just
doesn’t like Laurel.”
“Yeah, but it’s easier for her to think Jill’s the problem,
when really, Laurel’s just a bitch and Micah knows it,”
explained Julia. Ever since the awkward encounter with
Bryan, she and Kristin had taken it upon themselves to try
to educate me in the ways “normal” humans behaved.
“Plus, Laurel just likes having someone to pick on,” said
Kristin. She rarely spoke about the tattoo but had been
serious and sober ever since.
“Okay,” I said, trying to follow the logic, “but I was the one
who called her out about dying her hair. She’s hardly said a
word to me.”
Kristin smiled. “No fun picking on you. You talk back. Jill
doesn’t defend herself much and doesn’t have many
people to stick up for her either. She’s an easy target.”
One positive thing did happen, at least. Adrian was
staying on good behavior after the Los Angeles mishap,
though I had to wonder how long it would last. Based on
what I gathered from Jill, he was still bored and unhappy.
Lee’s schedule was erratic, and it wasn’t his job to look
after Adrian anyway. There didn’t seem to be any good
solution for her, really. If Adrian gave in to his vices, she
suffered the effects of his hangovers and “romantic
interludes.” If he didn’t, then he was miserable, and that
attitude slowly trickled into her as well. The only hope they
had was that Jill would eventually learn the control to block
him out of her mind, but from what Rose had told her, that
could take a very long time.
When the next feeding came around, I was disappointed
to see Keith’s car parked in Clarence’s driveway. If he
wasn’t going to actually do anything active to help this
assignment, I kind of wished he’d just stay away from it
altogether. He apparently thought these “supervising” visits
counted as work and continued to justify his presence.
Except when we met up with Adrian in the living room, Keith
was nowhere in sight. Neither was Clarence.
“Where are they?” I asked Adrian.
Adrian was lounging on the couch and put down a book
he’d been reading. I had a feeling reading was a rare
activity for him and almost felt bad for the interruption. He
stifled a yawn. There was no alcohol in sight, but I did see
what looked like three empty cans of energy drink.
He shrugged. “I don’t know. Off talking somewhere. Your
friend’s got a sick sense of humor. I think he’s feeding
Clarence’s paranoia about vampire hunters.”
I glanced uneasily at Lee, who had immediately begun
talking to Jill. Both were so caught up in each other, they
didn’t even realize what the rest of us were discussing. I
knew how much the vampire hunter talk bothered Lee. He
wouldn’t appreciate Keith encouraging it.
“Does Clarence know about the killing in LA?” asked
Eddie. There was no reason Keith wouldn’t, since it was
open Alchemist knowledge, but I wasn’t sure if he would’ve
made the connection to Clarence or not.
“He hasn’t mentioned it,” said Adrian. “I swear Keith’s
just doing it because he’s bored or something. Even I
haven’t sunk that low.”
“Is that what you’ve been doing instead?” I asked. I sat
down across from him and pointed at the energy drinks.
“Hey, it’s not vodka or brandy or … well, anything good.”
Adrian sighed and upended one can, drinking the last few
drops. “So give me some credit.”
Eddie glanced at the cans. “Didn’t Jill say she had
trouble sleeping last night?”
“Adrian,” I said with a groan. Eddie was right. I’d noticed
Jill tossing and turning constantly. Vicarious caffeine would
certainly explain it.
“Hey, I’m trying,” Adrian said. “If you could get me out of
here, Sage, then I wouldn’t be forced to drown my sorrows
in taurine and ginseng.”
“She can’t, Adrian, and you know it,” said Eddie. “Can’t
you … I don’t know. Find a hobby or something?”
“Being charming is my hobby,” said Adrian obstinately.
“I’m the life of a party—even without drinking. I wasn’t meant
to be alone.”
“You could get a job,” said Eddie, settling into a corner
chair. He smiled, amused by his own wit. “Solve both your
problems—make some money and be around people.”
Adrian scowled. “Careful, Castile. There’s only one
comedian in this family.”
I straightened up. “That’s actually not a bad idea.”
“It’s a terrible idea,” said Adrian, glancing between me
and Eddie.
“Why?” I asked. “Is this the part where you tell us your
hands don’t do manual labor?”
“It’s more like the part where I don’t have anything to offer
society,” he countered.
“I could help you,” I offered.
“Are you going to do the work and give me the
paycheck?” Adrian asked hopefully. “Because that actually
could help.”
“I can give you a ride to your interviews,” I said. “And I can
make you a resume that would get you any job.” I eyed him
and reconsidered. “Well, within reason.”
Adrian stretched back out. “Sorry, Sage. Just not feeling
it.”
Clarence and Keith entered just then. Clarence’s face
was exuberant. “Thank you, thank you,” he was saying. “It’s
so nice to talk to someone who understands my concerns
about the hunters.”
I hadn’t been aware that Keith understood anything
except his own self-serving nature. Lee’s face darkened
when he realized Keith was furthering the old man’s
irrationality. Nonetheless, the Moroi withheld the comments
he undoubtedly wanted to make. It was the first time I’d
seen any sort of dark emotion on Lee’s face. Looked like
Keith could bring down even the most cheerful person.
Clarence was happy to see us, as was Dorothy. Humans
who gave blood to vampires weren’t just disgusting
because of the act itself. What was also appalling was the
addiction that resulted. Vampires released endorphins into
those they drank from, endorphins that created a
pleasurable sort of high. Human feeders who lived among
Moroi spent their entire days in that high, becoming heavily
dependent on it. Someone like Dorothy, who had lived only
with Clarence for years, hadn’t experienced enough bites to
really get addicted. Now, with Jill and Adrian around,
Dorothy was getting an increased amount of endorphins in
her daily life. Her eyes lit up when she saw Jill, showing she
was eager for more.
“Hey, Sage,” said Adrian. “I don’t want an interview, but
do you think you could give me a ride to get some
cigarettes?”
I started to tell him I wasn’t going to help with such a filthy
habit and then noticed him looking meaningfully at Dorothy.
Was he trying to get me out of here? I wondered. Give me
an excuse to not be around for the feeding? From what I
understood, Moroi normally didn’t hide their feedings from
each other. Jill and Dorothy just usually left the room for my
comfort. I knew they’d probably do it again but decided I’d
take the opportunity to get away. Of course, I glanced at
Keith for confirmation, expecting him to protest. He merely
shrugged. It looked like I was the last thing on his mind.
“Okay,” I said, standing up. “Let’s go.”
In the car, Adrian turned to me.
“I changed my mind,” he said. “I’ll take you up on helping
me get a job.”
I almost swerved into oncoming traffic. Few things from
him could have surprised me more—and he said pretty
surprising things on a regular basis. “That was fast. Are you
serious?”
“As much as I ever am. Will you still help me?”
“I suppose so, though there’s only so much I can do. I
can’t actually get you the job.” I ran down my mental list of
what I knew about Adrian. “I don’t suppose you have any
idea of what you’d actually like to do?”
“I want something entertaining,” he said. He thought
some more. “And I want to make lots of money—but do as
little work as possible.”
“Lovely,” I muttered. “That narrows it down.”
We reached downtown, and I managed a flawless
parallel-parking job that didn’t impress him nearly as much
as it should have. We were right in front of a convenience
store, and I stood outside while he went in. Evening
shadows were falling. I was off campus all the time, but so
far, my trips had all been to Clarence’s, mini-golf courses,
and fast-food joints. It turned out that the city of Palm
Springs was really pretty. Boutiques and restaurants lined
the streets, and I could’ve spent hours people-watching.
Retirees in golfing getups strolled alongside young
glamorous socialites. I knew a lot of celebrities came here
too, but I wasn’t in tune enough with the entertainment world
to know who was who.
“Man,” said Adrian, emerging from the store. “They
raised the price on my normal brand. I had to buy some
crappy one.”
“You know,” I said. “Quitting would also be a really great
way to save some—”
I froze as I spotted something down the street. Three
blocks away, through the leaves of some palm trees, I could
just barely make out a sign that read Nevermore in ornate
Gothic lettering. That was the place. The source of the
tattoos running rampant through Amberwood. Ever since
Kristin’s incident, I’d wanted to delve into this more but
hadn’t been sure how. Now I had my chance.
For a moment, I remembered Keith telling me not to get
involved with anything that might raise attention or cause
trouble. Then I thought about the way Kristin had looked
during her overdose. This was my opportunity to actually do
something. I made a decision.
“Adrian,” I said. “I need your help.”
I pulled him toward the tattoo parlor, filling him in on the
situation. For a moment, he seemed so interested in highinducing
tattoos that I thought he’d want one. When I told
him about Kristin, though, his enthusiasm faded.
“Even if it’s not Alchemist technology, they’re still doing
something dangerous,” I explained. “Not just to Kristin.
What Slade and those guys are doing—using the steroids
to be better at football—is just as bad. People are getting
hurt.” I thought, suddenly, of Trey’s cuts and bruises.
A small alley separated the tattoo parlor from a
neighboring restaurant, and we stopped just before it. A
door opened inside the alley, on the parlor side, and a man
stepped out and lit a cigarette. He’d taken only two steps
when another man stuck his head out the side door and
called, “How long are you going to be gone?” I could see
shelves and tables behind him.
“Just running down to the store,” said the man with the
cigarette. “I’ll be back in ten.”
The other guy went back inside, shutting the door. A few
moments later, we saw him through the window at the front
of the store, tidying up something on the counter.
“I have to get back there,” I said to Adrian. “Into that
door.”
He arched an eyebrow. “What, like sneaking in? How
very black ops of you. And oh, you know—dangerous and
foolish.”
“I know,” I said, surprised at how calm I sounded as I
admitted that. “But I have to know something, and this may
be my only chance.”
“Then I’ll go with you in case that guy comes back,” he
said with a sigh. “Never let it be said Adrian Ivashkov
doesn’t help damsels in distress. Besides, did you see
him? He looked like some insane biker. They both did.”
“I don’t want you to—wait.” Inspiration hit. “You talk to the
guy inside.”
“Huh?”
“Go in the front. Distract him so that I can look around.
Talk to him about … I don’t know. You’ll think of something.”
We quickly hashed out a plan. I sent Adrian on his way
while I ducked into the alley and approached the door. I
pulled the handle and found it—locked.
“Of course,” I muttered. What business would leave a
remote door like this exposed and unlocked? My brilliant
plan started to crumble until I remembered I had my
Alchemist “essentials” in my purse.
My full kit was rarely needed, high school acne crises
aside, so it was usually kept at home. But Alchemists were
always on call, no matter where they were, to cover up
vampire sightings. And so, we always kept a couple of
things on us at all times. One was the substance that could
dissolve a Strigoi body in under a minute. The other was
almost equally efficient at dissolving metal.
It was a type of acid, and I kept it in a protected vial in my
purse. Quickly, I fished it out and unscrewed the top. A
bitter scent hit me and made me wrinkle my nose. With the
bottle’s glass dropper, I very carefully leaned down and
placed a few drops right in the center of the lock. I
immediately stepped back as a white mist rose up from the
contact. Within thirty seconds, it had all dissipated, and
there was a hole in the middle of the door’s handle. One of
the nice things about this stuff, which we called quickfire,
was that its reaction occurred extremely fast. It was now
inert and posed no danger to my skin. I pushed down on the
handle, and it released.
I only opened the door a crack, just to ascertain that there
was no one else around. Nope. Empty. I crept inside and
quietly shut the door behind me, fastening an inside bolt to
make sure it stayed locked. As I’d seen from the outside,
the place was a storage room, filled with all sorts of tools of
the tattoo trade. Three doorways surrounded me. One led
to a bathroom, one to a darkened room, and another to the
store’s front and main counter. Light spilled in from that
doorway, and I could hear Adrian’s voice.
“My friend’s got one,” he was saying. “I’ve seen it, and he
said this is the place he got it. Come on, don’t play me.”
“Sorry,” came the gruff response. “No idea what you’re
talking about.”
I slowly began scanning the cupboards and drawers,
reading labels and looking for anything suspicious. There
were a lot of supplies and not much time.
“Is it a money thing?” asked Adrian. “Because I’ve got
enough. Just tell me how much it costs.”
There was a long pause, and I hoped Adrian wouldn’t be
asked to show any cash since the last of his money had
gone to promoting cancer.
“I don’t know,” the guy said at last. “If I was able to do this
copper tattoo you’re talking about—and I’m not saying I can
—you probably couldn’t afford it.”
“I’m telling you,” said Adrian. “Just name your price.”
“What is it you’re interested in exactly?” the man asked
slowly. “Just the color?”
“I think we both know,” said Adrian cunningly. “I want the
color. I want the ‘bonus effects.’ And I want it to look
badass. You probably can’t even do the design I want.”
“That’s the least of your worries,” said the guy. “I’ve been
doing this for years. I can draw anything you want.”
“Yeah? Can you draw a skeleton riding a motorcycle with
flames coming out of it? And I want a pirate hat on the
skeleton. And a parrot on his shoulder. A skeleton parrot.
Or maybe a ninja skeleton parrot? No, that would be
overkill. But it’d be cool if the biker skeleton could be
shooting some ninja throwing stars. That are on fire.”
Meanwhile, I’d still seen no sign of what I needed, but
there were a million nooks and crannies left to explore.
Panic began to rise in me. I was going to run out of time.
Then, seeing the darkened room, I hurried over to it. With a
quick glance toward the store’s front, I flipped on the light
and held my breath. No one must have noticed anything
because the conversation continued where it had left off.
“That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard,” said the
tattooist.
“That’s not what the ladies are going to say,” said Adrian.
“Look, kid,” said the guy. “It’s not even about money. It’s
about availability. That’s a lot of ink you’re talking about,
and I don’t have that much in stock.”
“Well, when will your supplier deliver next?” asked
Adrian.
I stared in awe at what I had found: I was in the room
where the tattooing took place. There was a lounging chair
—much more comfortable than the table I’d received my
tattoo on—and a small side table covered with what
appeared to be freshly used implements.
“I’ve already got some people wait-listed ahead of you. I
don’t know when there’ll be more.”
“Can you call me when you know?” Adrian asked. “I’ll
give you my info. My name’s Jet Steele.”
If not for my own tense situation, I would’ve groaned. Jet
Steele? Really? Before I could think much more about it, I
finally found what I’d been looking for. The tattoo gun on the
table had its own ink container, but sitting nearby were
several smaller vials. All of them were empty, but some still
had enough metallic residue of their former ingredients to
tip me off. Without even thinking twice, I quickly began
recapping them and putting them in my purse. Nearby, I
noticed some sealed vials full of dark liquid. I froze for a
moment. Carefully, I picked one up, opened it, and took a
sniff.
It was what I’d feared.
I screwed the lid back on and added those vials to my
purse.
Just then, I heard a rattling behind me. Someone was
trying to open the back door. I’d bolted it behind me,
however, and it didn’t give. Still, it meant my time for
snooping was up. I was just zipping up my purse when I
heard the store’s front door open.
“Joey, why’s the back door locked?” an angry voice
demanded.
“It’s always locked.”
“No, the bolt was on. From the inside. It wasn’t when I
left.”
Cue my exit. I flipped off the light and began hurrying
back through the storage room.
“Wait!” exclaimed Adrian. There was an anxious note to
his voice, like he was trying to get someone’s attention. I
had the uneasy feeling that the two guys who worked here
were headed back behind the counter to investigate. “I
need to know something else about the tattoo. Can the
parrot also be wearing a pirate’s hat? Like a miniature
one?”
“In a minute. We have to check something.” The voice
was louder than before. Closer.
My hands fumbled as I unlatched the bolt. I managed it
and opened the door, hurrying out just as I heard voices
behind me. Without pausing to glance back, I shut the door
and ran out the alley and up the street, back toward where
I’d parked. I was pretty sure the guys hadn’t gotten a good
look at me. I think I’d just been a figure darting out the door.
Still, I was grateful for the crowds of people on the street. I
was able to blend in as I turned my attention to my car and
unlocked the door. My hands were sweaty and shaking as I
fumbled with the keys.
I wanted badly to look behind me but was afraid of
attracting the attention of the two men, if they were out
searching the street. As long as they had no reason to
suspect me—
A hand suddenly grabbed my arm and jerked me away. I
gasped.
“It’s me,” said a voice.
Adrian. I breathed a sigh of relief.
“Don’t look back,” he said calmly. “Just get in the car.”
I obeyed. Once we were both safely inside, I took a deep
breath, overwhelmed by the pounding of my heart. Fearborn
adrenaline surged in my chest, so strongly it hurt. I
closed my eyes and leaned back.
“That was too close,” I said. “And you did good, by the
way.”
“I know,” he said proudly. “And actually, I kind of want that
tattoo now. Did you find what you were looking for?”
I opened my eyes and sighed. “I did. And a whole lot
more.”
“So, what is it? They’re putting drugs in tattoos?”
“Worse,” I said. “They’re using vampire blood.”
CHAPTER 17
MY DISCOVERY KICKED the tattoo problem up to a whole
new level. Before, I’d just thought I was fighting against
people using techniques similar to Alchemist methods to
expose Amberwood to drugs. It had been a moral issue.
Now, with blood on the line—it was an Alchemist issue. Our
whole purpose was to protect humans from the existence of
vampires. If someone was illicitly putting vampire blood into
humans, they’d crossed the line we worked hard, every day,
to maintain.
I knew I should immediately report this. If someone had
gotten their hands on vampire blood, the Alchemists
needed to send a force here and investigate. If I followed
the normal chain of command, I supposed the thing would
be to tell Keith and let him tell our superiors. If he did,
however, I had no doubt he’d claim all the credit for
uncovering this. I couldn’t let that happen—and not because
I wanted the glory for myself. Too many Alchemists
erroneously believed Keith was an upstanding person. I
didn’t want to fuel that.
But before I did anything, I needed to figure out the rest of
the vials’ contents. I could make guesses at the metallic
residues but wasn’t sure if, like the blood, they came
straight from the Alchemist catalog or were just knockoffs.
And if they were our formulas, it wasn’t obvious at a glance
which were which. The silver powder in one vial, for
example, could have been a few different Alchemist
compounds. I had the means to do some experiments and
figure it out, but one substance eluded me. It was clear,
slightly thick liquid that had no discernable odor. My guess
was that it was the narcotic used in the celestial tattoos.
Vampire blood wouldn’t cause that high, though it would
absolutely explain the crazy athleticism of the so-called
steel tattoos. So, I began running what experiments I could,
while going on with the normal routines of school.
We were playing basketball inside in PE this week, so
Jill was participating—and being subjected to Laurel’s
biting comments. I kept hearing her say things like, “You’d
think she’d be a lot better since she’s so tall. She can
practically touch the basket without jumping. Or maybe she
should turn into a bat and fly up there.”
I winced. I had to keep telling myself not to make a big
deal of the jokes, but every time I heard one, panic seized
me. I had to hide it, though. If I wanted to help Jill, I needed
the teasing stopped as a whole—not just the vampire stuff.
Drawing more attention to those comments wouldn’t help.
Micah tried to comfort Jill after each attack, which clearly
infuriated Laurel more. Laurel’s weren’t the only comments
reaching my ears. Since my raid of the tattoo parlor, I’d
been hearing a fair amount of interesting information from
Slade and his friends.
“Well, did he say when?” Miss Carson was taking
attendance, and Slade was interrogating a guy named Tim
about a recent trip to the parlor.
Tim shook his head. “No. They’re having some trouble
with their shipment. It sounds like the supplier’s got it but
doesn’t want to give it up for the same price.”
“Damn it,” growled Slade. “I need a touch-up.”
“Hey,” said Tim. “What about me? I don’t even have my
first one.”
It wasn’t the first comment I’d overheard from someone
who already had a celestial and needed a touch-up.
Addiction in action.
Jill’s face was hard when PE ended, and I had the feeling
she was trying not to cry. I tried talking to her in the locker
room, but she simply shook her head and headed off for the
showers. I was about to go there myself when I heard a
shriek. Those of us who were still by the lockers raced to
the shower room to see what was happening.
Laurel jerked the curtain back from her stall and came
running out, oblivious to the fact that she was naked. I
gaped. Her skin was covered in a fine sheen of ice. Water
droplets from the shower had frozen solid on her skin and in
her hair, though in the steamy heat of the rest of the room,
they were already starting to melt. I glanced over to the
shower itself and noticed that the water coming out of the
faucet was also frozen solid.
Laurel’s screams brought Miss Carson running in—
shocked as the rest of us at the seemingly impossible thing
we’d just witnessed. She finally declared it was some kind
of freak problem with the pipes and the water heater. That
was typical of my fellow humans. They’d always reach for
far-fetched scientific explanations before delving into
fantastic ones.
But I had no problem with that. It made my job easier.
Miss Carson tried to get Laurel to go into a different
shower to get the ice off, but she refused. She waited for it
all to melt and then toweled herself off. Her hair was
atrocious when she finally left for her next class, and I
smirked. I guessed there’d be no hair-tossing today.
“Jill,” I called, catching sight of her trying to blend in to the
group of girls leaving the locker room. She glanced guiltily
over her shoulder but didn’t otherwise acknowledge that
she’d heard me. I followed close behind her. “Jill!” I called
out again. She was definitely avoiding me.
In the hall, Jill spotted Micah and hurried over to him.
Smart. She knew I wouldn’t ask any dangerous questions
with him around.
She managed to avoid me for the rest of the day, but I
staked out our room until she finally came home, just before
curfew.
“Jill,” I exclaimed as soon as she walked through the
door. “What were you thinking?”
She threw her books down and turned toward me. I had a
feeling I wasn’t the only one who’d been preparing a
speech today.
“I was thinking I’m sick of listening to Laurel and her
friends talk about me.”
“So you froze her shower?” I asked. “How is that going to
stop her? It’s not like you can claim credit for it.”
Jill shrugged. “It made me feel better.”
“That’s your excuse?” I could hardly believe it. Jill had
always seemed so reasonable. She’d survived becoming a
princess and dying with a clear head. This was what broke
her. “Do you know what you risked? We’re trying to not
attract attention here!”
“Miss Carson didn’t think it was weird.”
“Miss Carson came up with a flimsy excuse to reassure
herself! That’s what people do. All it’s going to take is
some janitor investigating and saying pipes don’t randomly
freeze—especially in Palm Springs!”
“So what?” Jill demanded. “What then? Is their next leap
going to be that it was vampire magic?”
“Of course not,” I said. “But people are going to talk.
You’ve raised their suspicions.”
She eyed me carefully. “Is that what’s really upsetting
you? Or is it that I used magic at all?”
“Isn’t it the same thing?”
“No. I mean, you’re upset that I used magic because you
don’t like magic. You don’t like anything to do with
vampires. I think this is personal. I know what you think of
us.”
I groaned. “Jill, I do like you. You’re right that magic
makes me a little uneasy.” Okay, a lot uneasy. “But my
personal feelings aren’t what’s going to make people
wonder what could have caused water to freeze like that.”
“It isn’t right that she can keep doing that!”
“I know. But you have to be better than her.”
Jill sat on the bed and sighed. Like that, her anger
seemed to melt into despair. “I hate it here. I want to go
back to St. Vladimir’s. Or Court. Or Michigan. Anywhere but
here.” She looked at me pleadingly. “Hasn’t there been any
news about when I can go back?”
“No,” I said, unwilling to tell her it might be a while.
“Everyone’s having a great time here,” she said. “You
love it. You have tons of friends.”
“I don’t—”
“Eddie likes it too. He’s got Micah and some other guys
in their dorm to hang out with. Plus, he’s got me to look
after, which gives him a purpose.” I’d never thought of it like
that but realized she was right. “But me? What do I have?
Nothing except this stupid bond that just makes me more
depressed because I have to listen to Adrian feel sorry for
himself.”
“I’m taking Adrian job-hunting tomorrow,” I said, not sure
if that would really help.
Jill nodded bleakly. “I know. His life’ll probably be great
now too.”
She was sinking into melodrama and her own self-pity,
but in light of everything, I kind of felt like she was entitled to
it right now.
“You have Lee,” I said.
That brought a smile to her face. “I know. He’s great. I like
him a lot, and I can’t believe … I mean, it just seems crazy
that he’d like me too.”
“Not that crazy.”
Her brightness faded. “Did you know Lee told me he
thinks I can be a model? He says I’ve got the figure human
fashion designers really like and knows this designer
downtown who’s looking for models. But when I told Eddie,
he said it was a terrible idea because I can’t risk having my
picture taken. He said if it leaked out, others could find me.”
“That’s true,” I said. “On all counts. You do have a
model’s figure—but it’d be too dangerous.”
She sighed, looking defeated. “See? Nothing works out
for me.”
“I’m sorry, Jill. I really am. I know it’s hard. All I can ask is
that you keep trying to stay strong. You’ve done really great
so far. Just hang in there a little longer, okay? Just keep
thinking of Lee.”
My words sounded hollow, even to me. I almost
wondered if I should bring her along with Adrian and me but
finally decided against it. I didn’t think Adrian needed any
distractions. I also wasn’t sure how interesting it would be
for her. If she was really that eager to watch Adrian go
through job interviews, she could “listen in” through the
bond.
I met up with Adrian after school the next day, and for the
first time in ages, neither Lee nor Keith was around the old
house. Clarence was, however, and he practically ran me
down when I entered.
“Did you hear?” he demanded. “Did you hear about that
poor girl?”
“What girl?” I asked.
“The one killed in Los Angeles a couple weeks ago.”
“Oh, yeah,” I said, relieved there was no new death. “It
was tragic. We’re lucky there are no Strigoi here.”
He gave me a surprisingly knowing look. “It wasn’t
Strigoi! Haven’t you paid attention? It was them. The
vampire hunters.”
“But they drank her blood, sir. Didn’t you say vampire
hunters are human? No human would have any reason to
drink Moroi blood.”
He turned away from me and paced the living room. I
glanced around, wondering where Adrian was.
“Everyone keeps saying that!” said Clarence. “As though
I don’t already know that. I can’t explain why they do what
they do. They’re a strange lot. They worship the sun and
have weird beliefs about evil and honor—more unusual
than even your beliefs.” Well, that was something. At least
he knew I was human. Sometimes I wasn’t sure. “They also
have strange views on which vampires should die. They kill
all Strigoi without question. With Moroi and dhampirs,
they’re more selective.”
“You sure know a lot about them,” I said.
“I’ve made it my business to, ever since Tamara.” He
sighed and suddenly seemed very, very old. “At least Keith
believes me.”
I kept my face expressionless. “Oh?”
Clarence nodded. “He’s a good young man. You should
give him a chance.”
My control slipped, and I knew I was scowling. “I’ll try, sir.”
Adrian entered just then, much to my relief. Being alone
with Clarence was freaky enough without him actually
praising Keith Darnell.
“Ready?” I asked.
“You bet,” said Adrian. “I can’t wait to be a productive
member of society.”
I gave his outfit a once-over and had to bite off any
comments. It was nice, but of course, his clothes always
were. Jill had claimed I had an expensive wardrobe, but
Adrian’s blew mine away. Today he wore black jeans and a
burgundy button-down shirt. The shirt looked like it was
some sort of silk blend, and he wore it loose and
unbuttoned. His hair was carefully styled to look like he’d
just rolled out of bed. Too bad he didn’t have my hair’s
texture. My hair did that without any styling at all.
I had to admit, he looked great—but he didn’t look like he
was going to a job interview. He looked like he was about
to go clubbing. This left me kind of conflicted. I found myself
admiring him nonetheless and was again reminded of that
impression I got from him sometimes, like he was some
kind of work of art. It was a little disconcerting, particularly
since I had to keep telling myself that vampires were not
attractive in the same way humans were. Fortunately, the
practical part of me soon took over, chastising me that it
didn’t matter if he looked good or not. What mattered was
that he looked inappropriate for job interviews. I shouldn’t
have been surprised, though. This was Adrian Ivashkov.
“So what’s on the agenda?” he asked me once we were
on the road. “I really think ‘Chairman Ivashkov’ has a nice
ring to it.”
“There’s a folder in the backseat with our itinerary,
Chairman.”
Adrian twisted around and retrieved the folder. After a
quick scan of it, he declared, “You get points for variety,
Sage. But I don’t think any of these are going to keep me in
the lifestyle I’m accustomed to.”
“Your resume’s in the back. I did my best, but we’re
operating within limited parameters here.”
He flipped through the papers and found the resume.
“Wow. I was an educational assistant at St. Vladimir’s?”
I shrugged. “It was the closest you had to a job.”
“And Lissa was my supervisor, huh? I hope she gives me
a good referral.”
When Vasilisa and Rose were still in school, Adrian had
lived there and worked with Vasilisa on learning spirit.
“Educational assistant” was kind of a stretch, but it made
him sound like he could multitask and show up for work on
time.
He shut the folder and leaned back against the seat,
closing his eyes. “How’s Jailbait? She seemed down the
last time I saw her.”
I considered lying but figured he’d probably find out the
truth eventually, either from her directly or through his own
deductions. Adrian’s judgment might be questionable, but
I’d discovered he was excellent at reading people. Eddie
claimed it came from being a spirit user and had
mentioned something about auras, which I wasn’t quite
sure I believed in. The Alchemists had no hard evidence
that they were real.
“Not good,” I said, giving him the full report as we drove.
“That shower thing was hilarious,” he said when I
finished.
“It was irresponsible! Why can’t anyone see that?”
“But that bitch had it coming.”
I sighed. “Have you guys forgotten why you’re here? You
of all people! You saw her die. Don’t you get how important
it is for her to stay safe and keep a low profile?”
Adrian was quiet for several moments, and when I
glanced over, his face was uncharacteristically serious. “I
know. But I don’t want her to be miserable either. She …
she doesn’t deserve it. Not like the rest of us.”
“I don’t think we do either.”
“Maybe you don’t,” he said with a small smile. “What with
your pure lifestyle and all. I don’t know. Jill’s just so …
innocent. It’s why I saved her, you know. I mean, part of it.”
I shivered. “When she died?”
He nodded, a troubled look in his eyes. “When I saw her
there, bloody and not moving … I didn’t think about the
consequences of what I was doing. I just knew I had to save
her. She had to live. I acted without question, not even
knowing for sure if I could do it.”
“It was brave of you.”
“Maybe. I don’t know. I do know she’s gone through a lot.
I don’t want her to go through any more.”
“Neither do I.” I was touched at the concern. He kept
surprising me in weird ways. Sometimes it was hard to
imagine Adrian really caring about anything, but a softer
side of him surfaced when he talked about Jill. “I’ll do what I
can. I know I should talk to her more … be more of a friend
or even a fake sister. It’s just …”
He eyed me. “Is it really so terrible being around us?”
I blushed. “No,” I said. “But … it’s complicated. I’ve been
taught certain things my entire life. Those are hard to
shake.”
“The greatest changes in history have come because
people were able to shake off what others told them to do.”
He looked away from me, out the window.
The statement annoyed me. It sounded good, of course.
It was the kind of thing people said all the time without really
understanding the implications. Be yourself, fight the
system! But people who said them—people like Adrian—
hadn’t lived my life. They hadn’t grown up in a system of
beliefs so rigid, it was like being imprisoned. They hadn’t
been forced to give up their ability to think for themselves or
make their own choices. His words didn’t just annoy me, I
realized. They made me angry. They made me jealous.
I scoffed and threw out a comment worthy of him. “Should
I add motivational speaker to your resume?”
“If the pay’s right, I’m in. Oh.” He straightened up. “I finally
placed him. That Micah guy you’re so worried about.”
“Placed him?”
“Yeah. Why he looks so familiar. Micah’s a dead ringer
for Mason Ashford.”
“Who?”
“A dhampir that went to St. Vladimir’s. He dated Rose for
a while.” Adrian scoffed and rested his cheek against the
glass. “Well, inasmuch as anyone ever dated her. She was
crazy for Belikov, even then. Just like she was when we
dated. Don’t know if Ashford ever knew or if she was able
to fool him the whole time. I hope so. Poor bastard.”
I frowned. “Why do you say that?”
“He died. Well, was killed, I should say. Did you know
about that? A bunch of them were captured by Strigoi last
year. Rose and Castile made it out. Ashford didn’t.”
“No,” I said, making a mental note to look into this. “I
didn’t. Eddie was there too?”
“Yup. Physically, at least. The Strigoi kept feeding off
him, so he was useless for most of it. You want to talk about
emotional damage? Look no further.”
“Poor Eddie,” I said. Suddenly, a lot about the dhampir
was beginning to make sense to me.
We arrived at the first place, a law firm that was looking
for an office assistant. The title sounded more glamorous
than it really was and would probably involve a lot of the
same errands Trey and I ran for Ms. Terwilliger. But out of
the three positions I’d found, this one also had the most
potential for future advancement.
The firm was obviously doing well, judging from the lobby
we waited in. Orchids grew in giant, well-placed vases, and
there was even a fountain in the middle of the room. Three
others waited in the lobby with us. One was a very nicely
dressed woman in her forties. Opposite her was a man
about the same age, sitting with a much younger woman
whose lowcut blouse would’ve gotten her thrown out of
Amberwood. Each time I looked at her, I wanted to cover
her cleavage up with a cardigan. The three of them
obviously knew each other, however, because they kept
making eye contact and trading glares.
Adrian studied each of them in turn and then turned to
me. “This law firm,” he said in a low voice. “It specializes in
divorce, doesn’t it?”
“Yes,” I said.
He nodded and took a few moments to process the
information. Then, to my horror, he leaned over me and
said to the older woman, “He was a fool, clearly. You’re a
stunning, classy woman. Just wait. He’ll be sorry.”
“Adrian!” I exclaimed.
The woman flinched in surprise but didn’t look entirely
offended. Meanwhile, on the other side of the room, the
younger woman straightened up from where she’d been
cuddling against the man.
“Sorry?” she demanded. “What’s that supposed to
mean?”
I willed the earth to swallow me up and save me.
Fortunately, the next-best thing came when the receptionist
called the threesome in to meet with a lawyer.
“Really?” I asked when they were gone. “Did you have to
say that?”
“I speak my mind, Sage. Don’t you believe in telling the
truth?”
“Of course I do. But there’s a time and place! Not with
perfect strangers who are obviously in a bad situation.”
“Whatever,” he said, looking extremely pleased with
himself. “I totally made that lady’s day.”
Just then, a woman in a black suit and very high heels
emerged from an inner office. “I’m Janet McCade, the
office manager,” she said. She glanced between the two of
us uncertainly, and then she decided on me. “You must be
Adrian.”
The name mistake was understandable, but the mix-up
didn’t bode well for him. My assessment of his clubbing
outfit had been correct. My brown skirt and ivory blouse
apparently seemed more appropriate for an interview.
“This is Adrian,” I said, pointing. “I’m just his sister, here
for moral support.”
“Very kind of you,” said Janet, looking a little perplexed.
“Well, then. Shall we go talk, Adrian?”
“You bet,” he said, standing. He started to follow her, and
I jumped up.
“Adrian,” I whispered, catching his sleeve. “You want to
tell the truth? Do it in there. Do not embellish or make up
crazy claims that you were a district attorney.”
“Got it,” he said. “This is going to be a breeze.”
If by breeze he meant fast, then he was right. He
emerged from the office door five minutes later.
“I don’t suppose,” I said, once we were in the car, “that
she just gave you the job based on looks alone?”
Adrian had been staring off but now flashed me a big
smile. “Why, Sage, you sweet talker.”
“That’s not what I meant! What happened?”
He shrugged. “I told the truth.”
“Adrian!”
“I’m serious. She asked me what my greatest strength
was. I said getting along with people.”
“That’s not bad,” I admitted.
“Then she asked what my greatest weakness was. And I
said, ‘Where should I start?’”
“Adrian!”
“Stop saying my name like that. I told her the truth. By the
time I was on the fourth one, she told me I could go.”
I groaned and resisted the urge to beat my head on the
steering wheel. “I should’ve coached you. That’s a standard
trick question. You’re supposed to answer with things like ‘I
get too devoted to my work’ or ‘I’m a perfectionist.’”
He snorted and crossed his arms. “That’s total bullshit.
Who’d say something like that?”
“People who get jobs.”
Since we had extra time now, I did my best to prep him
with answers before the next interview. It was actually at
Spencer’s, and I’d gotten Trey to pull a few strings. While
Adrian was interviewing in the back, I got a table and some
coffee. Trey came to visit me after about fifteen minutes.
“Is that really your brother?” he demanded.
“Yes,” I said, hoping I sounded convincing.
“When you said he was looking for a job, I pictured a
male version of you. I figured he’d want to color code the
cups or something.”
“What’s your point?” I asked.
Trey shook his head. “My point is that you’d better keep
looking. I was just back there and overhead him talking with
my manager. She was explaining the cleanup he would
have to do each night. Then he said something about his
hands and manual labor.”
I wasn’t the swearing type, but in that moment, I wished I
was.
The last interview was at a trendy bar downtown. I’d
taken it on faith that Adrian probably knew every drink in the
world and had made up a fake credential for the resume,
claiming he’d taken a bartending class. I stayed in the car
for this one and sent him in alone, figuring he had the best
chance here. At the very least, his outfit would be
appropriate. When he came out in ten minutes, I was
aghast.
“How?” I demanded. “How could you have screwed this
one up?”
“When I got in, they said the manager was on the phone
and would be a few minutes. So, I sat down and ordered a
drink.”
This time, I did lean my forehead against the steering
wheel. “What did you order?”
“A martini.”
“A martini.” I lifted my head. “You ordered a martini
before a job interview.”
“It’s a bar, Sage. I figured they’d be cool with it.”
“No, you didn’t!” I exclaimed. The volume of my voice
surprised both of us, and he cringed a little. “You aren’t
stupid, no matter how much you pretend to be! You know
you can’t do that. You did it to screw around with them. You
did it to screw around with me! That’s what this has all been
about. You haven’t taken any of this seriously. You wasted
these people’s time and mine, just because you had
nothing better to do!”
“That’s not true,” he said, though he sounded uncertain. “I
do want a job … just not these jobs.”
“You’re in no position to pick and choose. You want out of
Clarence’s? These were your tickets. You should’ve been
able to get any of them if you’d just put in a little effort.
You’re charming when you want to be. You could’ve talked
yourself into a job.” I started the car. “I’m done with this.”
“You don’t understand,” he said.
“I understand that you’re going through a tough time. I
understand that you’re hurting.” I refused to look at him and
gave all my attention to the road. “But that doesn’t give you
the right to play around with other people’s lives. Try taking
care of your own for a change.”
He made no response until we were back at Clarence’s,
and even then, I didn’t want to hear it.
“Sage—” he began.
“Get out,” I said.
He hesitated like he might disagree but finally conceded
with a swift nod. He left the car and strode toward the
house, lighting a cigarette as he went. Fury and frustration
burned within me. How could one person continually send
me on such emotional highs and lows? Whenever I was
starting to like him and feel like we were actually
connecting, he would go and do something like this. I was a
fool to ever start letting myself feel friendly toward him. Had
I really thought he was a work of art earlier? More like a
piece of work.
My feelings were still churning when I arrived back at
Amberwood. I particularly cringed at the thought of running
into Jill in our room. I had no doubt she’d know everything
that had happened with Adrian, and I had no desire to hear
her defend him.
But when I walked into my dorm, I never made it past the
front desk. Mrs. Weathers was in the lobby, along with
Eddie and a campus security officer. Micah hovered
nearby, face pale. My heart stopped. Eddie sprinted toward
me, panic written all over him.
“There you are! I couldn’t get ahold of you or Keith.”
“M-my phone was off.” I looked over at Mrs. Weathers
and the officer and saw the same worry on their faces as
his. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s Jill,” said Eddie grimly. “She’s missing.”
CHAPTER 18
“WHAT DO YOU MEAN ‘MISSING’?” I asked.
“She was supposed to meet us a couple hours ago,”
Eddie said, exchanging glances with Micah. “I thought
maybe she was with you.”
“I haven’t seen her since PE.” I was trying hard not to kick
into panic mode yet. There were too many variables at play
and not enough evidence to start thinking crazy Moroi
dissidents had kidnapped her. “This is a really big place—I
mean, three campuses. Are you sure she isn’t just holed up
studying somewhere?”
“We’ve done a pretty exhaustive search,” said the
security officer. “And teachers and workers are on alert
looking for her. No sightings yet.”
“And she isn’t answering her cell phone,” added Eddie.
I finally let true fear overtake me, and my face must have
shown it. The officer’s expression softened. “Don’t worry.
I’m sure she’ll turn up.” It was the kind of conciliatory thing
people in his profession had to say to family members. “But
do you have any other ideas of where she might be?”
“What about your other brothers?” asked Micah.
I’d been afraid it would come to that. I was almost one
hundred percent sure she wasn’t with Keith, but he should
still probably be notified about her disappearance. It wasn’t
something I looked forward to because I knew there’d be a
lecture in it for me. It would also be a sign of my failure in
the eyes of other Alchemists. I should have stayed by Jill’s
side. That was my job, right? Instead, I’d—foolishly—been
helping someone run errands. Not just anyone—a vampire.
That’s how the Alchemists would see it. Vamp lover.
“I was just with Adrian,” I said slowly. “I suppose she
could’ve somehow gotten to Clarence’s and waited for him.
I didn’t actually go inside.”
“I tried Adrian too,” said Eddie. “No answer.”
“Sorry,” I said. “We were doing his interviews, so he must
have turned his phone off. Do you want to try him again?” I
certainly didn’t want to.
Eddie stepped aside to call Adrian while I talked with
Mrs. Weathers and the officer. Micah paced around,
looking worried, and I felt guilty for always wanting to keep
him from Jill. The race thing was a problem, but he really
did care about her. I told the officer all the places Jill liked to
frequent on campus. They confirmed that they’d already
checked them all.
“You got ahold of him?” I asked when Eddie returned.
He nodded. “She’s not there. I feel kind of bad, though.
He’s pretty worried now. Maybe we should’ve waited to tell
him.”
“No … actually, it might be a good thing.” I met Eddie’s
eyes and saw a spark of understanding. Adrian’s emotions
seemed to intrude on Jill when they were running strong. If
he was panicked enough, she’d hopefully realize people
were concerned and show back up. That was assuming
she was just hiding out or had gone somewhere we couldn’t
find. I tried not to consider the alternative: that something
had happened where she couldn’t contact us.
“Sometimes students just sneak off,” said the officer. “It’s
inevitable. Usually they try to sneak back in before curfew.
Hopefully that’s just the case now. If she doesn’t show up
then—well, then we’ll call the police.”
He walked off to radio the rest of security for a status
check, and we thanked him for his help. Mrs. Weathers
returned to the front desk, but it was clear she was worried
and agitated. She came across as gruff sometimes, but I
had the feeling she actually cared about her students.
Micah left us to find a few friends of his who worked on
campus, in case they’d seen anything.
That left Eddie and me. Without conferring, we turned
toward some chairs in the lobby. Like me, I think he wanted
to stake out the door in order to see Jill the instant she
showed up.
“I shouldn’t have left her,” he said.
“You had to,” I said reasonably. “You can’t be with her in
classes or her room.”
“This place was a bad idea. It’s too big. Too hard to
secure.” He sighed. “I can’t believe this.”
“No … it was a good idea. Jill needs some semblance of
a normal life. You could’ve locked her in a room
somewhere and cut her off from all interaction, but what
good would that do? She needs to go to school and be with
people.”
“She hasn’t done much of that, though.”
“No,” I admitted. “She’s had a rough time with it. I kept
hoping it’d get better.”
“I just wanted her to be happy.”
“Me too.” I straightened up as something alarming hit me.
“You don’t think … you don’t think she would’ve run away
and gone back to her mom, do you? Or Court or
somewhere?”
His face grew even more bleak. “I hope not. Do you think
things have been that bad?”
I thought about our fight after the shower incident. “I don’t
know. Maybe.”
Eddie buried his face in his hands. “I can’t believe this,”
he repeated. “I failed.”
When it came to Jill, Eddie was usually all fierceness and
anger. I’d never seen him so close to depression. I’d been
living with the fear of my own failure since coming to Palm
Springs but only now realized that Eddie had just as much
on the line. I recalled Adrian’s words about Eddie and his
friend Mason, how Eddie felt responsible. If Jill didn’t come
back, would this be history repeating itself? Would she be
someone else he’d lost? I’d thought this mission might be
redemption for him. Instead, it could turn into Mason all over
again.
“You didn’t fail,” I said. “You’ve been in charge of
protecting her, and you’ve done that. You can’t control her
happiness. If anything, I’m to blame. I gave her a lecture for
the shower incident.”
“Yeah, but I destroyed her hopes when I told her the
modeling idea Lee had wouldn’t work.”
“But you were right about—Lee!” I gasped. “That’s it.
That’s where she is. She’s with Lee, I’m certain of it. Do you
have his number?”
Eddie groaned. “I’m such an idiot,” he said, taking out his
cell phone and scanning for the number. “I should’ve thought
of that.”
I touched the cross around my neck, saying a silent
prayer that this would all be solved easily. As long as it
meant Jill was alive and well, I could’ve handled her and
Lee eloping.
“Hey, Lee? It’s Eddie. Is Jill with you?”
There was a pause as Lee responded. Eddie’s body
language answered the question before I heard another
word. His posture relaxed, and relief flooded his features.
“Okay,” said Eddie a few moments later. “Well, get her
back here. Now. Everyone’s looking for her.” Another
pause. Eddie’s face hardened. “We can talk about that
later.” He disconnected and turned to me. “She’s okay.”
“Thank God,” I breathed. I stood up, only then realizing
how tense I’d been. “I’ll be right back.”
I found Mrs. Weathers and the security officer and
relayed the news. The officer immediately spread the word
to his colleagues and soon left. To my surprise, Mrs.
Weathers almost looked like she was on the verge of tears.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“Yes, yes.” She turned flustered, embarrassed at being
so emotional. “I was just so worried. I—I didn’t want to say
anything and scare you all, but every time a student’s
missing … well, a few years ago, another girl disappeared.
We thought she’d just sneaked off—like Matt said, it
happens. But it turned out …” Mrs. Weathers grimaced and
looked away. “I shouldn’t be telling you this.”
As if she could stop with that kind of intro. “No, please.
Tell me.”
She sighed. “The police found her a couple days later—
dead. She’d been abducted and killed. It was terrible, and
they never caught her killer. Now I just think of that whenever
someone disappears. It’s never happened again, of
course. But something like that scars you.”
I could imagine so. And as I returned to Eddie, I thought
about him and Mason again. It seemed like everyone was
carrying baggage from past events. I certainly was. Now
that Jill’s safety wasn’t a concern, all I kept thinking was:
What will the Alchemists say? What will my father say?
Eddie was just hanging up his phone again when I
approached.
“I called Micah to tell him everything’s okay,” he
explained. “He was really worried.”
All signs of Mrs. Weathers’s past trauma vanished the
instant that Jill and Lee walked through the door. Jill actually
looked upbeat until she saw all of our faces. She came to a
halt. Beside her, Lee already looked grim. I think he knew
what was coming.
Eddie and I hurried forward but didn’t have a chance to
speak right away. Mrs. Weathers immediately demanded
to know where they’d been. Rather than cover it up, Jill
confessed and told the truth: she and Lee had gone off
campus, into Palm Springs. She was careful to make sure
Lee didn’t get accused of any kidnapping charges,
swearing he didn’t know she could only leave with
approved family members. I confirmed this—though Lee
was hardly off the hook in my opinion.
“Will you wait outside?” I asked him politely. “I’d like to
speak to you privately later.”
Lee started to obey, flashing Jill a look of apology. He
lightly brushed her hand in farewell and turned away. It was
Mrs. Weathers who stopped him.
“Wait,” she said, peering at him curiously. “Do I know
you?”
Lee looked startled. “I don’t think so. I’ve never been here
before.”
“There’s something familiar about you,” she insisted. Her
frown deepened a few moments more. At last, she
shrugged. “It can’t be. I must be mistaken.”
Lee nodded, met Jill’s eyes in sympathy again, and left.
Mrs. Weathers wasn’t done with Jill. She launched into a
lecture about how dangerous and irresponsible they’d
been. “If you were going to sneak off and break rules, you
could’ve at least confided in your siblings. They’ve been
scared to death for you.” It was almost funny, her advising
on “responsible” rule-breaking. Considering how panicked
I’d been, I couldn’t find anything amusing just then. She also
told Jill that she’d be written up and punished.
“For now,” said Mrs. Weathers, “you are confined to your
room for the rest of the night. Come see me after breakfast,
and we’ll find out if the principal thinks this warrants
suspension.”
“Excuse me,” said Eddie. “Can we have a few minutes
alone here with her before she goes upstairs? I’d like to talk
to her.”
Mrs. Weathers hesitated, apparently wanting Jill’s
punishment immediately enforced. Then she gave Eddie a
double take. The look on his face was hard and angry, and I
think Mrs. Weathers knew there was punishment of a
different sort coming from Jill’s big brother.
“Five minutes,” said Mrs. Weathers, tapping her watch.
“Then up you go.”
“Don’t,” said Jill, the instant we were alone. Her face was
a mixture of fear and defiance. “I know what I did was
wrong. I don’t need a lecture from you guys.”
“Don’t you?” I asked. “Because if you knew it was wrong,
you wouldn’t have done it!”
Jill crossed her arms over her chest. “I had to get out of
here. On my own terms. And not with you guys.”
The comment rolled right off of me. It sounded young and
petty. But to my surprise, Eddie actually looked hurt.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” he asked.
“It means that I just wanted to be away from this place
without you always telling me what I’m doing wrong.” That
was directed to me. “And you jumping at every shadow.”
That, of course, was to Eddie.
“I just want to protect you,” he said, looking hurt. “I’m not
trying to smother you, but I can’t have anything happen to
you. Not again.”
“I’m in more danger from Laurel than any assassins!” Jill
exclaimed. “Do you know what she did today? We were
working in the computer lab, and she ‘accidentally’ tripped
over my power cord. I lost half my work and didn’t finish in
time, so now I’m going to get a lower grade.”
A lesson on backing up work probably wouldn’t be useful
just then. “Look, that’s really terrible,” I said. “But it’s not in
the same category as getting yourself killed. Not by a long
shot. Where exactly did you go?”
For a moment, she looked as though she wasn’t going to
give up the info. Finally, she said, “Lee took me to Salton
Sea.” Seeing our blank looks, she added, “It’s a lake
outside of town. It was wonderful.” An almost-dreamy
expression crossed her features. “I haven’t been around
that much water in so long. Then we went downtown and
just walked around, shopping and eating ice cream. He
took me to that boutique, with the designer who’s looking
for models and—”
“Jill,” I interrupted. “I don’t care how awesome your day
was. You scared us. Don’t you get that?”
“Lee shouldn’t have done this,” growled Eddie.
“Don’t blame him,” said Jill. “I talked him into it—I made
him think you guys wouldn’t mind. And he doesn’t know the
real reason I’m here or the danger.”
“Maybe dating was a bad idea,” I muttered.
“Lee’s the best thing that’s happened to me here!” she
said angrily. “I deserve to be able to go out and have fun
like you guys.”
‘“Fun’? That’s kind of an exaggeration,” I said, recalling
my afternoon with Adrian.
Jill needed a target for her frustration, and I won the
honor. “Doesn’t seem like it to me. You’re always gone.
And when you aren’t, you just tell me what I’m doing wrong.
It’s like you’re my mom.”
I’d been wading through all of this calmly, but suddenly,
something about that comment made me snap. My finely
tuned control shattered.
“You know what? I kind of feel that way too. Because as
far as I can tell, I am the only one in this group behaving like
an adult. You think I’m out there having fun? All I’m doing is
babysitting you guys and cleaning up your messes. I spent
my afternoon—wasted my afternoon—driving Adrian
around so that he could blow off the interviews that I set up.
Then I get here and have to deal with the aftermath of your
‘field trip.’ I get that Laurel’s a pain—although maybe if
Micah had been warned off from the beginning, these
problems with her never would’ve happened.” I directed that
last comment at Eddie. “I don’t get why I’m the only one who
sees how serious everything is. Vampire-human dating.
Your lives on the line. These aren’t the kinds of things you
can screw around with! And yet … somehow, you all still do.
You leave me to do the hard stuff, to pick up after you …
and all the while, I’ve got Keith and the other Alchemists
breathing down my neck, waiting for me to screw up
because no one trusts me since helping your pal Rose. You
think this is fun? You want to live my life? Then do it. Step
right up, and you start taking responsibility for a change.”
I hadn’t yelled, but my volume had certainly gone up. I’d
pretty much delivered my speech without taking a breath
and now paused for some oxygen. Eddie and Jill stared at
me, wide-eyed, as though they didn’t recognize me.
Mrs. Weathers returned to us just then. “That’s enough for
tonight. You need to go upstairs now,” she told Jill.
Jill nodded, still a little stunned, and hurried away without
saying goodbye to any of us. Mrs. Weathers walked her to
the stairs, and Eddie turned to me. His face was pale and
solemn.
“You’re right,” he said. “I haven’t been pulling my share.”
I sighed, suddenly feeling exhausted. “You’re not as bad
as they are.”
He shook his head. “Still. You might be right about Micah.
Maybe he’ll keep some distance if I talk to him, and then
Laurel will lay off Jill. I’ll ask him tonight. But …” He frowned,
choosing his words carefully. “Try not to be too hard on
Adrian and Jill. This is stressful for her, and sometimes I
think a little of Adrian’s personality is leaking into her
through the bond. I’m sure that’s why she ran off today. It’s
something he’d do in her situation.”
“No one forced her to do it,” I said. “Least of all Adrian.
The fact that she coaxed Lee and didn’t tell us shows that
she knew it was wrong. That’s free will. And Adrian has no
such excuses.”
“Yeah … but he’s Adrian,” said Eddie lamely.
“Sometimes I don’t know how much of what he does is him
and how much is spirit.”
“Spirit users can take antidepressants, can’t they? If he’s
worried about it becoming a problem, then he needs to
step up and take charge. He has a choice. He’s not
helpless. There are no victims here.”
Eddie studied me for several seconds. “And I thought I
had a harsh view on life.”
“You have a harsh life,” I corrected. “But yours is built
around the idea that you always have to take care of other
people. I was raised to believe that’s necessary sometimes
but that everyone still needs to try to take care of
themselves.”
“And yet here you are.”
“Tell me about it. You want to come talk to Lee with me?”
All apology vanished from Eddie’s face. “Yes,” he said
fiercely.
We found Lee sitting on a bench outside, looking
miserable. He jumped up when we approached. “You guys,
I’m so sorry! I shouldn’t have done it. She just sounded so
sad and so lost that I wanted to—”
“You know how protective we are of her,” I said. “How
could you have not thought that this would worry us?”
“And she’s a minor,” said Eddie. “You can’t just take her
away and do whatever you want with her!”
I admit, I was a little surprised that the threat to Jill’s virtue
was what he chose to bring up. Don’t get me wrong—I was
also conscious of her age. But after he saw her literally die,
it seemed like Eddie would be worried about more than
making out.
Lee’s gray eyes went wide. “Nothing happened! I would
never do anything like that to her. I promise! I’d never take
advantage of someone so trusting. I can’t ruin this. She
means more to me than any other girl I’ve dated. I want us
to be together forever.”
I thought being “together forever” was extreme at their
ages, but there was a sincerity in his eyes that was
touching. It still didn’t excuse what he’d done. He took our
lecturing seriously and promised there would never be a
repeat.
“But please … can I still see her when you’re around?
Can we still do group things?”
Eddie and I exchanged glances. “If she’s even allowed to
leave campus after this,” I said. “I really don’t know what’s
going to happen.”
Lee left after a few more apologies, and Eddie also
returned to his dorm. I was walking upstairs when my phone
rang. Glancing down, I was startled to see my parents’
number in Salt Lake City on the caller ID.
“Hello?” I asked. For a frantic moment, I hoped it was
Zoe.
“Sydney.”
My father. My stomach filled with dread.
“We need to talk about what’s happened.”
Panic shot through me. How had he found out about Jill’s
disappearance already? Keith jumped out as the obvious
culprit. But how had Keith found out? Had he been at
Clarence’s when Eddie called Adrian? Despite his flaws, I
couldn’t imagine Adrian telling Keith what had happened.
“Talk about what?” I asked, playing for time.
“Your behavior. Keith called me last night, and I must say,
I’m very disappointed.”
“Last night?” This wasn’t about Jill’s disappearance. So
what was it about?
“You’re supposed to be coordinating efforts for that
Moroi girl to blend in. You aren’t supposed to be out
socializing with them and having a good time! I could hardly
believe it when Keith said you took them out bowling.”
“It was mini-golf, and Keith okayed it! I asked him first.”
“And then I hear you’re helping all these other vampires
run errands and whatnot. Your duty is only to the girl, and
that is to do only what’s necessary for her survival—which I
also hear you aren’t doing. Keith tells me there was an
incident where you didn’t properly handle her difficulties in
the sun?”
“I reported that immediately!” I cried. I’d known Keith was
planning to use that against me. “Keith—” I paused, thinking
about the best way to handle this. “Misunderstood my initial
report.” Keith had blown off my initial report, but telling my
father his protege had lied would just put my father’s
defenses up. He wouldn’t believe me. “And Keith’s one to
talk! He’s always hanging out with Clarence and won’t say
why.”
“Probably to make sure he remains stable. I understand
the old man isn’t all there.”
“He’s obsessed with vampire hunters,” I explained. “He
thinks there are humans out there that killed his niece.”
“Well,” said my father, “there are some humans out there
who catch on to the vampire world, those whom we can’t
dissuade. Hardly hunters. Keith’s doing his duty by
enlightening Clarence. You, however, are misguided.”
“That’s not a fair comparison!”
“Honestly, I blame myself,” he said. Somehow I doubted
that. “I shouldn’t have let you go. You weren’t ready—not
after what you went through. Being with these vampires is
confusing you. That’s why I’m recalling you.”
“What?”
“If I had my way, it’d be right now. Unfortunately, Zoe
won’t be ready for another two weeks. The Alchemists want
her to undergo some testing before she gets her tattoo.
Once she does, we’ll send her in your place and get you …
some help.”
“Dad! This is crazy. I’m doing fine here. Please, don’t
send Zoe—”
“I’m sorry, Sydney,” he said. “You’ve left me no choice.
Please don’t get into trouble in your remaining time.”
He disconnected, and I stood in the hall, my heart
sinking. Two weeks! Two weeks and they were sending
Zoe. And me … where were they sending me? I didn’t want
to think about it, but I knew. I needed to stop this from
happening. Wheels were already in motion. The tattoos, I
suddenly thought. If I could finish my tests on the stolen
substances and find out info about the blood supplier, I
would earn the Alchemists’ regard—hopefully enough to
take away the taint that Keith had put on me.
And why had he done it? Why now? I knew he’d never
wanted me along. Maybe he had just been biding his time,
building up evidence against me until he could get me
ousted in one fell swoop. I wouldn’t let him, though. I’d bust
open this tattoo case and prove who the stellar Alchemist
was. I had enough evidence now to get their attention and
would simply turn in what I had if nothing new came to light
within a week.
The decision filled me with resolve, but I still had trouble
sleeping when I went to bed later. My father’s threat hung
over me, as did my fear of the re-education centers.
After about an hour of tossing and turning I finally dozed
off. But even that was fitful and troubled. I woke up after only
a few hours and then had to fall asleep all over again.
This time, I dreamed.
In the dream, I stood in Clarence’s living room.
Everything was neat and in place, the dark wood and
antique furniture giving the space its usual ominous feel.
The details were surprisingly vivid, and it was like I could
even smell the dusty books and leather on the furniture.
“Huh. It worked. Wasn’t sure if it would with a human.”
I spun around and found Adrian leaning against the wall.
He hadn’t been there a moment ago, and I had a flash of
that childhood fear of vampires appearing out of nowhere.
Then I remembered this was a dream, and these kinds of
things happened.
“What weren’t you sure about?” I asked.
He gestured around him. “If I could reach you. Bring you
here into this dream.” I didn’t quite follow what he meant
and said nothing. He arched an eyebrow. “You don’t know,
do you? Where you are?”
“At Clarence’s,” I said reasonably. “Well, in reality I’m
asleep in my bed. This is just a dream.”
“You’re half right,” he said. “This is a spirit dream. This is
real.”
I frowned. A spirit dream. Since most of our information
about spirit was sketchy, we had hardly anything on spirit
dreams. I’d learned most of what I knew about them from
Rose, who had been frequently visited by Adrian in them.
According to her, the dreamer and the spirit user were
actually together, in a meeting of the minds, communicating
across long distances. It was hard for me to fully grasp that,
but I’d seen Rose wake up with information she wouldn’t
have otherwise had. Still, I had no evidence to suggest I
was really in a spirit dream now.
“This is just a regular dream,” I countered.
“Are you sure?” he asked. “Look around. Concentrate.
Doesn’t it feel different? Like a dream … but not like a
dream. Not quite like real life either. Call it what you want,
but the next time we see each other in the waking world, I’ll
be able to tell you exactly what happened here.”
I looked around the room, studying it as he’d suggested.
Again, I was struck by the vividness of even the smallest
details. It certainly felt real, but dreams often did … right?
You usually never knew you were dreaming until you woke
up. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, trying to still
my mind. And like that, I felt it. I understood what he meant.
Not quite like a dream. Not quite like real life. My eyes flew
open.
“Stop it,” I cried, backing away from him. “Make it end.
Get me out of here.”
Because in accepting that this really was a spirit dream,
I’d had to acknowledge something else: I was surrounded
in vampire magic. My mind was ensnared in it. I felt
claustrophobic. The magic was pressing on me, crushing
the air.
“Please.” My voice grew more and more frantic. “Please
let me go.”
Adrian straightened up, looking surprised. “Whoa, Sage.
Calm down. You’re okay.”
“No. I’m not. I don’t want this. I don’t want the magic
touching me.”
“It won’t hurt you,” he said. “It’s nothing.”
“It’s wrong,” I whispered. “Adrian, stop it.”
He reached out a hand, like he might try to comfort me,
and then thought better of it. “It won’t hurt you,” he repeated.
“Just hear me out, and then I’ll dissolve it. I promise.”
Even in the dream, my pulse was racing. I wrapped my
arms around myself and backed up against the wall, trying
to make myself small. “Okay,” I whispered. “Hurry.”
“I just wanted to say …” He stuffed his hands in his
pockets and glanced away uncomfortably before looking at
me again. Were his eyes greener here than in real life? Or
was it just my imagination? “I wanted to … I wanted to
apologize.”
“For what?” I asked. I couldn’t process anything beyond
my own terror.
“For what I did. You were right. I wasted your time and
your work today.”
I forced my mind to dredge up memories from this
afternoon. “Thank you,” I said simply.
“I don’t know why I do these things,” he added. “I just can’t
help it.”
I was still terrified, still suffocating in the magic
surrounding me. Somehow, I managed to echo my earlier
conversation with Eddie.
“You can take control of yourself,” I said. “You aren’t a
victim.”
Adrian had been gazing off, troubled by his thoughts. He
suddenly jerked his gaze back to me. “Just like Rose.”
“What?”
Adrian held out his hand, and a thorny red rose suddenly
materialized there. I gasped and tried to back up farther.
He twirled the stem around, careful not to prick his fingers.
“She said that. That I was playing the victim. Am I really
that pathetic?”
The rose wilted and crumpled before my eyes, turning to
dust and then vanishing altogether. I made the sign against
evil on my shoulder and tried to remember what we were
talking about.
“Pathetic‘s not the word I’d use,” I said.
“What word would you use?”
My mind was blanking. “I don’t know. Confused?”
He smiled. “That’s an understatement.”
“I’ll check a dictionary when I wake up and get back to
you. Can you please end this?”
The smile faded to an expression of amazement. “You
really are that scared, aren’t you?” I let my silence answer
for me. “Okay, one more thing, then. I thought of another
way I can get out of Clarence’s and get some money. I was
reading about college and financial aid. If I took classes
somewhere, do you think I could get enough to live on?”
This was a concrete question I could deal with. “It’s
possible. But I think it’s too late. Classes have started
everywhere.”
“I found a place on the internet. Carlton. A college on the
other side of town that hasn’t started yet. But I’d still have to
act fast, and … that’s what I don’t know how to do. The
paperwork. The procedures. But that’s your specialty,
right?”
“Sad but true,” I said. Some part of me thought Carlton
sounded familiar, but I couldn’t place it.
He took a deep breath. “Will you help me? I know it’s
making you babysit again, but I don’t know where to start. I
promise I’ll meet you halfway, though. Tell me what I need to
do, and I will.”
Babysit. He’d been talking to Jill or Eddie or both. That
was reasonable, though. He’d want to know that she was
okay. I could only imagine how my tirade had been
paraphrased.
“You were in college before,” I said, recalling his record.
I’d scoured it when putting together the ill-fated resume.
“You dropped out.”
Adrian nodded. “I did.”
“How do I know you won’t this time? How do I know you
aren’t just wasting my time again?”
“You don’t know, Sage,” he admitted. “And I don’t blame
you. All I can ask is that you give me another chance. That
you try to believe me when I say I’ll follow through. That you
believe I’m serious. That you trust me.”
Long moments stretched out between us. I’d relaxed
slightly, without even realizing it, though I remained up
against the wall. I studied him, wishing I was better at
reading people. His eyes were that green in real life, I
decided. I just usually didn’t look at them so closely.
“Okay,” I said. “I trust you.”
Total shock filled his features. “You do?”
I was no better at reading people than I had been ten
seconds ago, but in that moment, I suddenly gained a flash
of understanding into the mystery that was Adrian Ivashkov.
People didn’t believe in him very often. They had low
expectations of him, so he did as well. Even Eddie had sort
of written him off: He’s Adrian. As though there was nothing
to be done for it.
I also suddenly realized that, as unlikely as it seemed,
Adrian and I had a lot in common. Both of us were
constantly boxed in by others’ expectations. It didn’t matter
that people expected everything of me and nothing of him.
We were still the same, both of us constantly trying to break
out of the lines that others had defined for us and be our
own person. Adrian Ivashkov—flippant, vampire party boy
—was more like me than anyone else I knew. The thought
was so startling that I couldn’t even answer him right away.
“I do,” I said at last. “I’ll help you.” I shivered. The fear of
the dream returned, and I just wanted this to be over. I
would’ve agreed to anything to be back in my non-magical
bed. “But not here. Please—will you send me back? Or end
this? Or whatever it is?”
He nodded slowly, still looking stunned. The room began
to fade, its colors and lines melting like a painting left in the
rain. Soon, all dimmed to black, and I found myself waking
up in my dorm room bed. As I did, I just barely caught the
sound of his voice in my mind:
Thank you, Sage.
CHAPTER 19
IF I’D HAD TROUBLE SLEEPING BEFORE, Adrian’s
dream only made things worse. Even though I was safely
back in my own bed, I couldn’t shake the feeling of violation.
I imagined that my skin was crawling with the taint of magic.
I’d been so anxious to get out of the dream that I’d only halfrealized
what I’d been agreeing to. I respected Adrian’s
desire to go to college but now wondered if I should really
be helping with that after my father’s chastisement about
“getting friendly” with vampires.
I wasn’t in the greatest of moods when I finally got up a
few hours later. The tension in our room was thick as Jill
and I prepared for school. Jill’s defiance from yesterday
was gone, and she kept watching me nervously when she
thought I didn’t notice. At first, I figured my outburst from last
night had made her uneasy. But as we walked out of the
room for breakfast, I knew there was more to it.
“What?” I asked bluntly, breaking the silence at last.
“What do you want to ask me?”
Jill gave me another wary glance as we joined the rush of
other girls heading downstairs. “Um, something happened
yesterday.”
A lot of things happened yesterday, I thought. That was
my overtired, bitter self talking, and I knew that wasn’t what
she was leading up to.
“Such as?” I asked.
“Well … I was starting to tell you about how Lee took me
to that store. That clothing boutique where he knew the
owner? Her name’s Lia DiStefano. We talked, and she, uh,
offered me a job. Kind of.”
“The modeling job?” We reached the cafeteria’s food
line, though I had little appetite. I selected a yogurt, which
looked sad and lonely in the middle of my otherwise empty
tray. “We talked about that. It’s not safe.”
Still, it was ironic that a random visit could land Jill a job
when three formal interviews had failed for Adrian.
“This isn’t for posed pictures that would be in a magazine
or anything, though. It’s a runway show of local designers.
We told her this story that we’re part of a religion that has
rules about photos and identity. Lia said she’d actually
been thinking of having her models wear half masks. Like
the kind you wear at a masquerade? Between that and the
lighting and the movement … well, it’d be hard to identify
me if any candid shots got out. It’s just a onetime event, but
I’d have to see her beforehand for fittings … and to
practice. She’d pay me too, but I’d need rides to get there
and parental permission.”
We sat down, and I spent an unnecessary amount of time
stirring my yogurt as I mulled over her words. I could feel her
gaze on me as I thought.
“It’s kind of silly, I guess,” she continued when I didn’t
answer. “I mean, I don’t have any experience. And I don’t
even know why she’d want me. Maybe it’s some gimmick
she’s going for. Weird models or something.”
I finally ate a bite of yogurt and then looked up at her.
“You’re not weird, Jill. You really do have the ideal body
type for modeling. It’s hard to find. For humans, at least.”
Once again, I tried not to think about how hard it was for us
humans to live up to Moroi perfection. I tried not to think
about how, years ago, my dad had criticized my figure and
said, “If those monsters can do it, why not you?”
“But you still think it’s a terrible idea,” she said.
I didn’t respond. I knew what Jill wanted, but she couldn’t
bring herself to directly ask me for it. And I couldn’t easily
give it to her yet. I was still too upset about yesterday and
not feeling kindly toward any favors. On the other hand, I
couldn’t tell her no either. Not yet. Despite how
irresponsibly she’d behaved, her words about how
miserable her life was here had hit me hard. This was
something positive and good that would fill her time. It was
also a much-needed ego boost. Laurel had thrived on using
Jill’s unusual features against her; it would do Jill good to
see that others viewed them positively. She needed to
realize she was special and wonderful. I didn’t know
whether to curse or thank Lee for this opportunity.
“I don’t think we can decide anything until we go talk to
Mrs. Weathers,” I told her at last. I glanced at a nearby
clock. “In fact, we need to meet with her now.”
I took a few more bites of my yogurt before throwing it
away. Jill took a donut to go. When we returned to our
lobby, we found out a delivery had arrived for Jill: a bouquet
of perfect red roses and an apologetic note from Lee. Jill
melted, her face filling with adoration at the gesture. Even I
admired the romance of it, though a snarky part of me said
maybe Lee should’ve sent flowers to Eddie and me
instead. We were the ones he needed to apologize to.
Regardless, the flowers were quickly forgotten when we sat
down in Mrs. Weathers’s office and learned the verdict on
Jill.
“I spoke to the principal. You aren’t being suspended,”
she told Jill. “But for the next month, you are restricted to
your dorm when not in class. You are to report to me
immediately after classes end so that I know you’re here.
You may go to the cafeteria for meals—but only your
dorm’s. Not the one on West Campus. The only exceptions
to this policy are if an assignment or teacher requires you
to go elsewhere outside of school hours, like the library.”
We both nodded, and for a moment, I was simply
relieved that Jill hadn’t been expelled or anything like that.
Then the real problem hit me like a slap in the face. I’d told
Jill this meeting would impact any modeling decisions, but
there was something much worse on the line.
“If she’s grounded to the dorm, then she can’t leave the
school,” I said.
Mrs. Weathers gave me a wry smile. “Yes, Miss Melrose.
That is what ‘grounded’ generally means.”
“She has to, ma’am,” I argued. “We have family
gatherings twice a week.” Ideally, we had them more than
that, but I was hoping a lowball number might buy us
freedom. It was absolutely essential Jill get blood, and two
days a week was about the minimum a vampire could
survive on.
“I’m sorry. Rules are rules, and in breaking them, your
sister has lost the privilege of functions like that.”
“They’re religious,” I said. I hated to play the religion card,
but that was something the school would have a hard time
countering. And hey, it had apparently worked on the
fashion designer. “We go to church as a family on those
days—us and our brothers.”
Mrs. Weathers’s face showed me I had indeed gained
ground. “We’d need a signed letter from your parents,” she
said finally.
Great. That had worked so well in PE.
“What about our brother? He’s our legal guardian here.”
Surely even Keith couldn’t drag his feet on this, not with
blood on the line.
She considered this. “Yes. That might be acceptable.”
“I’m sorry,” I told Jill when we walked outside to catch the
shuttle. “About the modeling. We’re going to have a hard
enough time getting you permission to leave for feedings.”
Jill nodded, making no effort to hide her disappointment.
“When’s the show?” I asked, thinking maybe she could
do it when her punishment was over.
“In two weeks.”
So much for that idea. “I’m sorry,” I repeated.
To my surprise, Jill actually laughed. “You have no reason
to be. Not after what I did. I’m the one who’s sorry. And I’m
sorry about Adrian too—about the interviews.”
“That’s something you have no reason to be sorry about.”
It struck me again how easily everyone made excuses for
him. She proved this with her next comment.
“He can’t help it. It’s how he is.”
He can help it, I thought. Instead, I said, “Just hang in
there, okay? I’ll get Keith to sign off on our religious
experiences.”
She smiled. “Thanks, Sydney.”
We usually parted ways when the bus reached Central
Campus, but she held back once we got off. I could see
again that she wanted to tell me something but was having
trouble getting the courage.
“Yes?” I asked.
“I … just wanted to tell you I really am sorry for giving you
so much grief. You do a lot for us. Really. And you being
upset, it’s because … well, I know you care. Which is more
than I can say for other people back at Court.”
“That’s not true,” I said. “They care. They went to a lot of
trouble to get you here and keep you safe.”
“I still feel like it was more for Lissa than for me,” she said
sadly. “And my mom didn’t put up much of a fight when they
said they were going to send me away.”
“They want you safe,” I told her. “That means making hard
choices—hard for them too.”
Jill nodded, but I don’t know if she believed me. I gave
Eddie the morning report when I reached history. His face
displayed a range of emotions with each new development
in the story.
“You think Keith will write the note?” he asked in a low
voice.
“He has to. The whole point of us being here is to keep
her alive. Starving her to death kind of defeats the
purpose.”
I didn’t bother telling Eddie that I was in trouble with my
father and the Alchemists and that in two weeks, there was
a good chance I might not even be around. Eddie was
clearly upset over Jill’s situation already, and I didn’t want
him to have one more thing to worry about.
When I met up with Ms. Terwilliger at the end of the day, I
turned in the last of the notes I’d made for her on the old
books. As I was settling myself at a desk, I noticed a folder
of articles sitting on a table. Carlton College was printed
on the folder in embossed gold letters. I remembered now
why I’d thought the name was familiar when Adrian had
mentioned it in the dream.
“Ms. Terwilliger … didn’t you say you knew people at
Carlton College?”
She glanced up from her computer. “Hmm? Oh yes. I
should think so. I play poker with half of the history faculty. I
even teach there in the summers. History, that is. Not
poker.”
“I don’t suppose you know anybody in admissions, do
you?” I asked.
“Not so much. I suppose I know people who know people
there.” She turned her attention back to the screen. I said
nothing, and after several moments, she looked back at
me. “Why do you ask?”
“No reason.”
“Of course there’s a reason. Are you interested in
attending? Goodness knows you’d probably get more out
of there than here. My class being the exception, of course.”
“No, ma’am,” I said. “But my brother wants to attend. He
heard classes haven’t started yet but isn’t sure if he can get
in on such short notice.”
“It’s very short notice,” agreed Ms. Terwilliger. She
scrutinized me carefully. “Would you like me to make some
inquiries?”
“Oh. Oh no, ma’am. I was just hoping to get some names
I could contact. I’d never ask you to do something like that.”
Her eyebrows rose. “Why ever not?”
I was at a loss. She was so difficult to understand
sometimes. “Because … you have no reason to.”
“I’d do it as a favor to you.”
I couldn’t muster a response for that and simply stared.
She smiled and pushed her glasses up her nose.
“That’s impossible for you to believe, isn’t it? That
someone would do a favor for you.”
“I … well, that is …” I trailed off, still unsure what to say.
“You’re my teacher. Your job is to, well, teach me. That’s it.”
“And your job,” she said, “is to report to this room during
last period for whatever mundane tasks I have for you and
then turn in a paper at the end of the semester. You are not
in any way required to fetch me coffee, show up after hours,
organize my life, or completely rearrange your own to meet
my ridiculous requests.”
“I … I don’t mind,” I said. “And it all needs doing.”
She chuckled. “Yes. And you insist on going above and
beyond in your tasks, don’t you? No matter how
inconvenient for you.”
I shrugged. “I like to do a good job, ma’am.”
“You do an excellent job. Far better than you need to. And
you do it without complaint. Therefore, the least I can do is
make a few phone calls on your behalf.” She laughed
again. “That startles you most of all, doesn’t it? Having
someone praise you.”
“Oh no,” I said lamely. “I mean, it happens.”
She took off her glasses to look at me more intently. The
laughter was gone. “No, I’m thinking it doesn’t. I don’t know
your particular situation, but I have known a lot of students
like you—ones whose parents ship them off like this. While
I appreciate the concern for higher education, I find that
more often than not, a bigger piece of students coming
here is that their parents simply don’t have the time or
inclination to be involved with—or even pay attention to—
their children’s lives.”
We were dealing with one of those interpersonal areas
that made me uncomfortable, particularly because there
was an unexpected element of truth in them. “It’s more
complicated than that, ma’am.”
“I’m sure it is,” she replied. Her expression turned fierce,
making her look far different from the scattered teacher I
knew. “But listen to me when I say this. You are an
exceptional, talented, and brilliant young woman. Do not
ever let anyone make you feel like you’re less. Do not ever
let anyone make you feel invisible. Do not let anyone—not
even a teacher who constantly sends you for coffee—push
you around.” She put her glasses back on and began
randomly lifting up pieces of papers. At last, she found a
pen and grinned triumphantly. “Now, then. What is your
brother’s name?”
“Adrian, ma’am.”
“Right, then.” She took out a piece of paper and carefully
wrote down the name. “Adrian Melbourne.”
“Melrose, ma’am.”
“Right. Of course.” She scribbled out her mistake and
muttered to herself, “I’m just glad his first name’s not
Hobart.” When she was finished, she leaned back casually
in her chair. “Now that you mention it, there is one thing I’d
like you to do.”
“Name it,” I said.
“I want you to make one of the spells from that first book.”
“I’m sorry. Did you say, make a spell?”
Ms. Terwilliger waved a hand. “Oh, don’t worry. I’m not
asking you to wave a wand or do an animal sacrifice. But
I’m terribly intrigued by how complex some of the formulas
and steps of the spells were. I have to wonder, did people
actually follow them in such painstaking detail? Some of
these are quite complicated.”
“I know,” I said dryly. “I typed them all out.”
“Exactly. So, I want you to make one. Follow the steps.
See how long it takes. See if half the measurements they
ask for are even possible. Then write up the data in a
report. That part, I know you excel at.”
I didn’t know what to say. Ms. Terwilliger wasn’t actually
asking me to use magic, certainly not in the same way
vampires did. Such a thing wasn’t even possible. Magic
was not the province of humans. It was unnatural and went
against the ways of the universe. What the Alchemists did
was based on science and chemistry. The tattoos had
magic, but it was us bending vampire magic to our wills—
not using it ourselves. The closest we came to anything
supernatural was the blessings we called down on our
potions. She was only asking me to reenact a spell. It
wasn’t real. There was no harm. And yet … why did I feel so
uneasy? I felt like I was being asked to lie or steal.
“What’s the matter?” she asked.
For a moment, I considered using religion again but then
dismissed it. That excuse had come up too often today,
though this time, it was actually semi-legitimate. “Nothing,
ma’am. It just seems weird.”
She picked up the first leather book and flipped to the
middle. “Here. Do this one—an incineration amulet. It’s
complicated, but at least you’ll have an arts and crafts
project when you’re done. Most of these ingredients should
be easy to come by, too.”
I took the book from her and scanned it. “Where am I
going to get nettle?”
“Ask Mr. Carnes. He has a garden outside his
classroom. I’m sure you can buy the rest. And you know,
you can give me receipts. I’ll pay you back whenever I send
you out to get something. You must’ve spent a fortune on
coffee.”
I felt a little better when I saw how random the ingredients
were. Nettle. Agate. A piece of silk. There wasn’t really
even anything flammable. This was nonsense. With a nod, I
told her I’d start soon.
In the meantime, I typed up an official letter to
Amberwood on Keith’s behalf. It explained that our religious
beliefs required family church attendance twice a week and
that Jill needed to be excused from her punishment during
those times. It also promised that Jill would check in with
Mrs. Weathers both before and after the family trips. When I
finished, I was rather pleased with my work and felt that I’d
made Keith sound far more eloquent than he deserved.
I called him up when school ended and gave a brief
rundown on what had happened with Jill. Naturally, I got the
blame.
“You’re supposed to keep an eye on her, Sydney!” Keith
exclaimed.
“I’m also supposed to be undercover as a student here,
and I can’t be with her every second of the day.” It wasn’t
worth mentioning that I’d actually been out with Adrian when
Jill had run away—not that Keith could do any more to me.
He’d already done his damage.
“And so I have to suffer the consequences,” he said in a
world-weary voice. “I’m the one who gets put out for your
incompetence.”
“Put out? You don’t have to do anything except sign the
letter I wrote for you. Are you home right now? Or will you
be? I’ll drive it over to you.”
I figured he’d jump all over the offer, seeing how annoyed
he seemed to be by the matter. So, it was a surprise when
he said, “No, you don’t have to do that. I’ll come to you.”
“It’s not a problem. I can be at your place in less than ten
minutes.” I didn’t want him to have any more reason than
necessary to go on and on about how I was
inconveniencing him—or complain to the Alchemists.
“No,” said Keith, with surprising intensity. “I’ll come to
you. I’m leaving right now. Meet you at the main office?”
“Okay,” I said, totally puzzled at this change of heart. Did
he want to check up on me or something? Demand an
inspection? “See you soon.”
I was already on Central Campus, so it took no time at all
to reach the main office. I sat outside on an ornate stone
bench with a good view of the visitors parking lot and
waited. It was hot out, as usual, but being in the shade
actually made it pretty pleasant. The bench was situated in
a little clearing filled with flowering plants and a sign that
read The Kelly Hayes Memorial Garden. It looked new.
“Hey, Sydney!”
Kristin and Julia were walking out of the building and
waved at me. They came and sat down beside me to ask
what I was doing.
“I’m waiting for my brother.”
“Is he cute?” asked Kristin hopefully.
“No,” I said. “Not at all.”
“Yes, he is,” countered Julia. “I saw him in your dorm last
weekend. When you all went out for lunch.”
It took me a second to realize she meant Adrian. “Oh.
Different brother. They don’t have a lot in common.”
“Is it true your sister’s in big trouble?” asked Julia.
I shrugged. “Only a little trouble. She can’t leave campus,
except for family stuff. It could be worse. Although … it did
cost her a modeling job, so she’s sad about that.”
“Modeling for who?” asked Kristin.
I racked my brain. “Lia DiStefano. There’s some show in
two weeks, and she wanted Jill to walk in it. But Jill can’t
practice because she has to stay here.”
Their eyes went wide.
“Lia’s clothes are amazing!” said Julia. “Jill has to do it.
She might get free stuff.”
“I told you. She can’t.”
Kristin tilted her head thoughtfully. “But what if it was for
school? Like some kind of career or vocational thing?” She
turned to Julia. “Is there still a sewing club?”
“I think so,” said Julia, nodding eagerly. “That’s a good
idea. Does Jill have an activity?” Along with a sport,
Amberwood also required its well-rounded students to
participate in hobbies and activities outside of class.
“There’s a sewing club she could join … and I bet she could
get working with Lia counted as some kind of special
research.”
In attempting to fix a loose thread on her cardigan the
other day, Jill had nearly unraveled the entire sweater. “I
don’t think that’s really Jill’s thing.”
“Doesn’t matter,” said Kristin. “Most of the people in it
can’t sew anyway. But every year, the club volunteers with
local designers. Miss Yamani would totally let walking in the
show count as volunteering. She loves Lia DiStefano.”
“And they’d have to let her go,” said Julia, face full of
triumph. “Because it’d be for school.”
“Interesting,” I said, wondering if there was any chance of
it working. “I’ll tell Jill.” A familiar blue car pulled into the
driveway, and I stood up. “There he is.”
Keith parked and got out, scanning around for me. Kristin
gave a small sound of approval. “He’s not bad.”
“Believe me,” I said, walking forward. “You want nothing
to do with him.”
Keith gave the girls what was probably supposed to be a
charming smile and even winked at them. The instant they
were gone, his smile dropped. Impatience radiated off of
him, and it was a wonder he didn’t tap his foot.
“Let’s make this fast,” he said.
“If you’re in such a rush, you should have just let me come
by when you had more time.” I took out a binder containing
the letter and handed it over with a pen. Keith signed
without even looking at it and handed it back.
“Need anything else?” he asked.
“No.”
“Don’t mess up again,” he said, opening the car door. “I
don’t have time to keep covering for you.”
“Does it matter?” I challenged him. “You’ve already done
your best to get rid of me.”
He gave me a cold smile. “You shouldn’t have crossed
me. Not now, not back then.” With a wink, he turned around
and began to leave. I stared, unable to believe the audacity.
It was the first time he’d directly referenced what went down
years ago.
“Well, that’s the thing,” I shouted at his retreating figure. “I
didn’t cross you back then. You got off easy. It’s not going to
happen again. You think I’m worried about you? I’m the one
you need to be scared of.”
Keith came to a halt and then slowly turned around, his
face awash with disbelief. I didn’t blame him. I was kind of
surprised myself. I couldn’t ever remember a time I’d so
openly countered someone in a higher position of authority,
certainly not someone who had so much power to affect my
situation.
“Watch it,” he said at last. “I can make your life
miserable.”
I gave him an icy smile. “You already have, and that’s why
I’ve got the advantage. You’ve done your worst—but you
haven’t seen what I can do yet.”
It was a big bluff on my part, especially since I was pretty
sure he could still do worse. For all I knew, he could get Zoe
out here tomorrow. He could get me sent to a re-education
center in a heartbeat.
But if I went down? So would he.
He stared at me for a few moments, at a loss. I don’t
know if I actually scared him or if he decided not to dignify
me with an answer, but he finally turned and left for good.
Furious, I went inside to deliver the letter to the office. The
front desk secretary, Mrs. Dawson, stamped it and then
made a copy for me to give to Mrs. Weathers. As she
handed it to me, I asked, “Who’s Kelly Hayes?”
Mrs. Dawson’s usually dimpled face grew sad. “That
poor girl. She was a student here a few years ago.”
My memory clicked. “Is she the one Mrs. Weathers
mentioned? Who went missing?”
Mrs. Dawson nodded. “It was terrible. She was such a
sweet girl too. So young. She didn’t deserve to die like that.
She didn’t deserve to die at all.”
I hated to ask but had to. “How did she die? I mean, I
know she was murdered, but I never heard any details.”
“Probably just as well. It’s pretty gruesome.” Mrs. Dawson
peered around, as though afraid she’d get in trouble for
gossiping with a student. She leaned over the counter
toward me, face grave. “The poor thing bled to death. She
had her throat cut.”
CHAPTER 20
I ALMOST ASKED, “Are you serious?” But let’s face it: that
probably wasn’t the kind of thing she would joke about,
especially considering how grave her face looked. Other
questions popped into my head, but I held back on those as
well. They weren’t that weird, but I didn’t want to draw
attention to myself by showing unusual interest in a grisly
murder. Instead, I simply thanked Mrs. Dawson for her help
with the letter and returned to East Campus.
Mrs. Weathers was at her desk when I entered the dorm.
I brought her the letter, which she read over twice before
tucking it away in her filing cabinet. “All right,” she said.
“Just make sure your sister signs in and out each time.”
“I will, ma’am. Thank you.” I hesitated, torn over whether
to go or ask the questions Mrs. Dawson’s information had
triggered. I decided to stay. “Mrs. Weathers … ever since
Jill disappeared, I just keep thinking about that girl you told
me about. The one who died. I keep thinking that could’ve
been Jill.”
Mrs. Dawson’s face softened. “Jill’s fine. I shouldn’t have
told you that. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“Is it true that girl’s throat was slit?”
“Yes.” She shook her head sadly. “Terrible. Simply
terrible. I don’t know who does that kind of thing.”
“Did they ever find out why it happened? I mean, was
there anything unusual about her?”
“Unusual? No, not really. I mean, she was a lovely girl.
Smart, pretty, popular. A good—no, great—athlete. Had
friends, a boyfriend. But nothing that would especially make
her stand out as a target. Of course, people who do awful
things like that probably don’t need a reason.”
“True,” I murmured.
I walked up to my room, wishing Mrs. Weathers had
elaborated a little more on how pretty Kelly was. What I
really wanted to know was if Kelly had been Moroi. If she
had, I’d hoped Mrs. Weathers might comment on how tall or
pale she was. By both Clarence’s and the Alchemists’
accounts, no Moroi on record had lived in the Palm Springs
area. That didn’t mean someone couldn’t slip through the
cracks, however. I’d have to find the answer myself. If Kelly
had been Moroi, then we had three young Moroi women
killed in the same way in southern California within a
relatively short time span. Clarence might argue for his
vampire hunter theory, but to me, this pattern screamed
Strigoi.
Jill was in our room, serving out her house arrest. The
more time passed, the less angry I felt toward her. Having
the feeding issue fixed helped. I would’ve been a lot more
upset if we’d been unable to get her off campus.
“What’s wrong?” she asked me, looking up from her
laptop.
“Why do you think anything’s wrong?”
She smiled. “You’ve got that look. It’s this tiny frown you
get between your eyebrows when you’re trying to figure
something out.”
I shook my head. “It’s nothing.”
“You know,” she said, “maybe all these responsibilities
you have wouldn’t be as bad if you talked them out and got
help from other people.”
“It’s not quite like that. It’s just something I’m trying to
puzzle out.”
“Tell me,” she entreated. “You can trust me.”
It wasn’t a matter of trust. It was a matter of unnecessarily
worrying Jill. Mrs. Weathers had feared she would scare
me, but if someone was killing Moroi girls, I wasn’t in
danger. Looking at Jill and her unwavering gaze, I decided
if she could handle living with the knowledge that her own
people were trying to kill her, she could handle this. I gave
her a brief summary of what I knew.
“You don’t know if Kelly was Moroi, though,” she said,
once I’d finished.
“No. That’s the crucial piece here.” I sat cross-legged on
my bed with my own laptop. “I’m going to check our records
and local newspapers to see if I can find a picture of her. All
I learned from Mrs. Weathers is that Kelly was a star
athlete.”
“Which may mean she’s not Moroi,” said Jill. “I mean,
look at how terrible I perform in this sun. What happens if
she’s not? You’ve got a lot of theories hinging on her being
Moroi. But what if she was human? What then? Can we
ignore it? It could still be the same person … but what
would it mean if the murderer had killed two Moroi and one
human?”
Jill had a point. “I don’t know,” I said.
My search didn’t take long. The Alchemists had no
record of the murder, but then, they wouldn’t if Kelly had
been human. Lots of newspapers had stories about her, but
I couldn’t find any pictures.
“What about a yearbook?” asked Jill. “Someone must
keep them around.”
“That’s actually pretty brilliant,” I said.
“See? I told you I’m useful.”
I smiled at her and then remembered something. “Oh,
I’ve got good news for you. Maybe.” I briefly recapped
Kristin and Julia’s “plan” about Jill joining the sewing club.
Jill brightened but was still cautious. “You really think that
would work?”
“Only one way to find out.”
“I’ve never touched a sewing machine in my life,” she
said.
“I guess this is your chance to learn,” I told her. “Or maybe
the other girls will be happy to just keep you around as their
in-class model.”
Jill smirked. “How do you know only girls sign up for
that?”
“I don’t,” I admitted. “Just playing off gender stereotypes, I
guess.”
My cell phone rang, and Ms. Terwilliger’s number flashed
on the display. I answered, bracing for a coffee run.
“Miss Melbourne?” she said. “If you and your brother can
be at Carlton within an hour, you can speak to someone in
the registrar’s office before they close. Can you manage
that?”
I looked at the time and took it on faith Adrian wasn’t
doing anything important. “Um, yes. Yes, of course, ma’am.
Thank you. Thank you very much.”
“The man you’ll want to talk to is named Wes Regan.”
She paused. “And could you bring me a cappuccino on
your way back?”
I assured her I could and then called Adrian with
instructions to be ready for me. Quickly, I changed out of my
uniform and into a blouse and twill skirt. Glancing at my
reflection, I realized he was right. There really wasn’t a lot of
difference between Amberwood attire and my normal
wardrobe.
“I wish I could go,” said Jill wistfully. “I’d like to see Adrian
again.”
“Don’t you kind of see him every day in a way?”
“True,” she said. “Although I can’t always get into his
head when I want to yet. It just happens randomly. And
anyway, it’s not the same. He can’t talk back to me through
the bond.”
I nearly replied that it sounded better than being around
him in person but figured that wouldn’t be helpful.
Adrian was ready to go when I reached Clarence’s,
excited and eager for action. “You just missed your friend,”
he said as he got into Latte.
“Who?”
“Keith.”
I made a face. “He’s not really my friend.”
“Oh, you think? Most of us figured that out on day one,
Sage.”
I felt a little bad about that. Some part of me knew that I
shouldn’t let my personal feelings for Keith mix with
business. We were co-workers of sorts and should’ve been
presenting a united, professional front. At the same time, I
was kind of glad these people—even if they were vampires
and dhampirs—didn’t think I was friendly with Keith. I didn’t
want them thinking he and I had much in common. I certainly
didn’t want to have a lot in common with him.
The full meaning of Adrian’s words suddenly hit me.
“Wait. He was just here?”
“A half hour ago.”
He must have come straight from the school. I was lucky
to have missed him. Something told me he wouldn’t
approve of me furthering Adrian’s education.
“What was he here for?”
“Dunno. I think he was checking on Clarence. The old guy
hasn’t been feeling well.” Adrian pulled a pack of cigarettes
out of his pocket. “Do you mind?”
“Yes,” I replied. “What’s wrong with Clarence?”
“I don’t know, but he’s been resting a lot, which makes
things even more boring. I mean, he wasn’t the greatest
conversationalist, but some of his crazy stories were
interesting.” Adrian turned wistful. “Especially with scotch.”
“Keep me updated on how he’s doing,” I murmured. I
wondered if perhaps that was why Keith had been in such a
hurry earlier. If Clarence was seriously ill, we were going to
have to make arrangements with a Moroi doctor. That
would complicate our setup here in Palm Springs because
we’d either have to move Clarence or bring in someone. If
Keith was working on it, then I shouldn’t have concerned
myself … but I just didn’t trust him to do a good job with
anything.
“I don’t know how you put up with him,” said Adrian. “I
used to think you were weak and just didn’t fight back …
but now, honestly, I think you’re actually pretty tough. It takes
a hell of a lot of strength to not complain and lash out. I don’t
have that self-control.”
“You’ve got more than you think,” I said, a little flustered
by the compliment. I was down on myself so much for what I
saw as not pushing back sometimes that it had never
occurred to me that took its own strength. I was even more
surprised that it would take Adrian to point this out to me.
“I’m always walking a line. My dad—and the Alchemists—
are really big on obedience and following the directions of
your superiors. I’m kind of in a double bind because I’m on
shaky ground with them, so it’s extra important for me to not
make a fuss.”
“Because of Rose?” His tone was carefully controlled.
I nodded. “Yup. What I did was tantamount to treason in
their eyes.”
“I don’t know what ‘tantamount’ means, but it sounds
pretty serious.” I could see him studying me out of the
corner of his eye. “Was it worth it?”
“So far.” It was easy to say that since Zoe had no tattoo
yet and I hadn’t seen a re-education center. If those things
changed, so might my answers. “It was the right thing to do.
I guess that justified dramatic action.”
“I broke a lot of rules to help Rose too,” he said, a
troubled tone in his voice. “I did it out of love. Misguided
love, but love nonetheless. I don’t know if that’s as noble as
your reasons, particularly since she was in love with
someone else. Most of my ‘dramatic actions’ haven’t been
for any cause. Most of them have been to annoy my
parents.”
I actually found myself a little jealous of that. I couldn’t
fathom purposely trying to get a reaction from my dad—
though I’d certainly wanted to. “I think love’s a noble
reason,” I told him. I was speaking objectively, of course. I’d
never been in love and had no point of reference to really
judge. Based on what I’d observed in others, I assumed it
was an amazing thing … but for now, I was too busy with my
job to notice its absence. I wondered if I should be
disappointed by that. “And I think you have plenty of time to
do other noble things.”
He chuckled. “Never thought my biggest cheerleader
would be someone who thought I was evil and unnatural.”
That made two of us.
Hesitantly, I managed to ask a question that had been
burning inside me. “Do you still love her? Rose?” Along with
not knowing what it felt like to be in love, I also didn’t know
how long it took to recover from love.
Adrian’s smile faded. His gaze turned inward. “Yes. No.
It’s hard to get over someone like that. She had a huge
effect on me, both good and bad. That’s hard to move past.
I try not to think about her much in terms of love and hate.
Mostly I’m trying to get on with my life. With mixed results,
unfortunately.”
We soon reached the college. Wes Regan was a big
man with a salt-and-pepper beard who worked in Carlton’s
registration office. Ms. Terwilliger had tutored Wes’s niece
for free one summer, and Wes felt he owed her a favor.
“Here’s the deal,” he said once we were seated across
from him. Adrian was wearing khaki pants and a sagecolored
button-down shirt that would’ve been great for job
interviews. A little too late. “I can’t just enroll you. College
applications are long and require transcripts, and there’s
no way you can swing one in two days. What I can do is get
you in as an auditor.”
“Like with the IRS?” asked Adrian.
“No. Auditing means you’re attending the class and
doing the work but not getting a grade for it.”
Adrian opened his mouth to speak, and I could only
imagine what comment he had about doing work for no
credit. I quickly interrupted him.
“And then what?”
“Then, if you can throw together an application in, oh, a
week or two—and are accepted—I can retroactively
change you to student status.”
“What about financial aid?” asked Adrian, leaning
forward. “Can I get some money for this?”
“If you qualify,” said Wes. “But you can’t really file for it
until you’ve been accepted.”
Adrian slumped back, and I was able to guess his
thoughts. If getting enrolled would take a couple of weeks,
there’d undoubtedly be a delay with the financial aid filing
too. Adrian was looking at a month or more of living with
Clarence, and that was probably optimistic. I half-expected
Adrian to get up and nix everything. Instead, a resolute
expression crossed his face. He nodded.
“Okay. Let’s get started with this auditing thing.”
I was impressed.
I was also jealous when Wes brought out the course
catalog. I’d been able to lull myself into contentment with
Amberwood’s classes, but looking at real college offerings
showed me the two schools were worlds away. The history
classes were more focused and in depth than anything I
could have imagined. Adrian had no interest in those,
however. He immediately honed in on the art department.
He ended up signing up for two introductory courses in
oil painting and in watercolors. They met three times a
week and were conveniently back-to-back.
“That’ll make it easier if I’m busing in,” he explained as
we were leaving.
I gave him a startled look. “You’re taking the bus?”
He seemed amused by my astonishment. “What else?
Classes are in the daytime. You can’t take me.”
I thought about Clarence’s remote house. “Where on
earth would you catch the bus?”
“There’s a stop about a half mile away. It transfers to
another bus that goes to Carlton. The whole trip takes
about an hour.”
I confess, it left me speechless. I was amazed that Adrian
had researched that much, let alone was willing to go to all
that trouble. Yet on the ride back, he never uttered one word
of complaint about how inconvenient it would be or how
long he’d have to wait to move out of Clarence’s.
When I arrived back at Amberwood, I was excited to tell
Jill the news about Adrian’s collegiate success—not that
she needed me to tell her. With the bond, she would
probably know more than I did. Still, she always worried
about him and would undoubtedly be pleased to see
something go well for him.
Jill wasn’t in our room when I returned, but a note
informed me she was studying elsewhere in the dorm. The
only bright part of her punishment was that it limited where
she could be at any time. I decided to use this opportunity
to go make Ms. Terwilliger’s crazy amulet. I’d accrued most
of the necessary ingredients, and along with compliance
from the biology teacher, Ms. Terwilliger had secured me
access to one of the chemistry labs. No one was there this
time of night, and it gave me plenty of space and quiet to
mix up the concoction.
As we’d noted, the instructions were extremely detailed
and—in my opinion—superfluous. It wasn’t enough to just
measure out the nettle leaves. The instructions called for
them “to rest for an hour,” during which time I was supposed
to say to them, “into thee, flame I imbue” every ten minutes. I
also had to boil the agate stone “to infuse it with heat.” The
rest of the instructions were similar, and I knew there was
no way Ms. Terwilliger would actually know if I followed
everything to the letter—particularly the chants. Still, the
whole purpose of this stunt was to report on what it was like
to be an ancient practitioner. So, I followed everything
dutifully and concentrated so hard on performing every step
perfectly that I soon fell into a lull where nothing existed
except the spell.
I finished over two hours later and was surprised at how
exhausted I felt. The final result certainly didn’t seem to
justify all the energy I’d expended. I was left with a leather
cord from which hung a silk pouch filled with leaves and
rocks. I carted it and my notes back to my dorm room,
intending to write up my report for Ms. Terwilliger so that I
could put this assignment behind me. When I reached my
room, I gasped when I saw the door. Someone had taken
red paint and drawn bats and fanged faces all over it.
Scrawled across the front, in big blocky letters, were the
words
VAMP GIRL
Full of panic, I burst into the room. Jill was there—along
with Mrs. Weathers and another teacher I didn’t know. They
were going through all of our things. I stared in disbelief.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
Jill shook her head, face mortified, and couldn’t answer.
I’d apparently arrived at the end of the search because Mrs.
Weathers and her associate soon finished up and walked
to the door. I was glad I’d taken my Alchemist supplies with
me to the lab tonight. The kit contained a few measuring
tools I had thought I might need. I certainly didn’t want to
explain why I owned a collection of chemicals to dorm
authorities.
“Well,” said Mrs. Weathers sternly. “There doesn’t
appear to be anything here, but I may do another spot
check later—so don’t get any ideas. You’re already in
enough trouble without adding yet another charge to it.” She
sighed and shook her head at Jill. “I’m very disappointed in
you, Miss Melrose.”
Jill blanched. “I’m telling you, it’s all a mistake!”
“Let’s hope so,” said Mrs. Weathers ominously. “Let’s
hope so. I’ve half a mind to make you clean up that
vandalism outside, but in light of no hard proof … well, we’ll
have the janitors take care of it tomorrow.”
Once our visitors were gone, I immediately demanded,
“What happened?”
Jill collapsed backward onto her bed and groaned.
“Laurel happened.”
I sat down. “Explain.”
“Well, I called the library to see if they had those
yearbooks in—the ones about Kelly Hayes? Turns out they
do normally have them, but they’ve all been checked out by
the newspaper staff for some Amberwood anniversary
edition. And you’ll never believe who’s heading that project:
Laurel.”
“You’re right,” I said. “I never would have guessed that.
Isn’t she in Freshman English?” Laurel was a senior.
“Yup.”
“I guess everyone needs an activity,” I muttered.
Jill nodded. “Anyway, Miss Yamani was in the building,
so I went to ask her about joining the sewing club and
working for Lia. She was really excited and said she’d
make it happen.”
“Well, that’s something,” I said cautiously, still unsure how
this was leading up to vandalism and a search of our room.
“As I was coming back, I passed Laurel in the hall. I
decided to take a chance … I approached her and said
look, I know we’ve had our differences but I could really use
some help. Then I explained that I needed the yearbooks
and asked if I could borrow them just for the night and that
I’d get them back to her right away.”
To this, I said nothing. It was certainly a noble and brave
thing for Jill to do, particularly after I’d encouraged her to be
better than Laurel. Unfortunately, I didn’t think Laurel would
reciprocate the adult behavior. I was right.
“She told me in … well, very explicit terms that I’d never
get those yearbooks.” Jill scowled. “She told me a few
other things too. Then I, um, called her a raving bitch. I
probably shouldn’t have, but, well, she deserved it! Anyway,
she went to Mrs. Weathers with a bottle of … I don’t know. I
think it was raspberry schnapps. She claimed I sold it to her
and had more in my room. Mrs. Weathers couldn’t punish
me without harder evidence, but after Ms. Chang’s
hangover accusation on the first day, Mrs. Weathers
decided that was enough for a room search.”
I shook my head in disbelief, anger growing within my
chest. “For such an elite, prestigious place, this school sure
is quick to jump on any accusations that come up! I mean,
they believe anything anyone says about you. And where
did the paint outside come from?”
Tears of frustration glinted in her eyes. “Oh, Laurel, of
course. Or, well, one of her friends. It happened while
Laurel was talking to Mrs. Weathers, so of course she’s got
an alibi. You don’t think … you don’t think anyone’s on to
anything, do you? You said before it’s just a mean joke …
and humans don’t even believe in us … right?”
“Right,” I said automatically.
But I was beginning to wonder. Ever since that phone call
with my father, when he’d mentioned that there were
humans who suspected and wouldn’t be silenced, I’d
wondered if I’d been too quick to dismiss Laurel’s teasing.
Had she simply found a cruel joke to run with? Or was she
one of those humans who suspected about the vampire
world and might make a lot of noise about it? I doubted
anyone would believe her, but we couldn’t risk attracting
attention from someone who would.
Is it possible she really thinks Jill is a vampire?
Jill’s forlorn expression turned angry. “Maybe I should do
something about Laurel. There are other ways to get back
at her besides freezing water.”
“No,” I said quickly. “Don’t lower yourself to that. Revenge
is petty, and you’re better than that.” Plus, I thought, any
more supernatural activity, and Laurel might realize her
taunts have more backing than she originally thought.
Jill gave me a sad smile. “You keep saying that. But don’t
you think something needs to be done about Laurel?”
Oh yes. I definitely did. This had gone too far, and I’d
been wrong to let it slide. Jill was right that there were other
ways to get back at someone. And I was right that revenge
was petty and nothing that Jill should sully herself with. That
was why I was going to do it.
“I’ll take care of it,” I told her. “I—I’ll have the Alchemists
issue a complaint from our parents.”
She looked dubious. “You think that’ll fix things?”
“Positive,” I said. Because that complaint was going to
pack an extra punch. A glance at the time told me it was too
late to go back to the lab. No problem. I simply set my
alarm extra early, with the intent to get up and head back
there before classes started.
I had one more experiment in my future, and Laurel was
going to be my guinea pig.
CHAPTER 21
MIXING WHAT I NEEDED TO was easy. Getting it to
where I needed took a couple of days. I first had to pay
attention to what kind of shampoo Laurel used in the PE
showers. The school provided shampoo and conditioner, of
course, but she wouldn’t trust her precious hair with
anything so commonplace. Once I knew her brand, I hunted
it down at a local beauty supply store and emptied its
expensive contents down the drain. I filled bottles with my
homemade concoction instead.
The next step was switching it with Laurel’s own bottle. I
recruited Kristin for this. Her locker was next to Laurel’s in
PE, and she was more than willing to help me out. Part of it
was that she shared our dislike of Laurel. But also, ever
since I’d saved her from the tattoo reaction, Kristin had
made it clear that she was indebted to me and had my
back in whatever I needed. I didn’t like the idea of her
owing me, but her assistance did come in handy. She
found a moment when Laurel looked away from her
unlocked locker and covertly made the switch. We then
simply had to wait for the next time Laurel used the
shampoo to see the results of my handiwork.
Meanwhile, my other lab experiment wasn’t receiving
quite the reaction I’d expected. Ms. Terwilliger accepted my
report but not the amulet.
“I have no use for it,” she remarked, glancing up from the
papers I’d handed her.
“Well … I certainly don’t either, ma’am.”
She set the papers down. “This is all true? You followed
every step precisely? I’d certainly have no way of knowing if
you’d, ah, fudged some of the details.”
I shook my head. “Nope. I followed every step.”
“Well, then. It looks like you have yourself a fire-making
charm.”
“Ma’am,” I said, by way of protest.
She grinned. “What do the directions say? Throw it and
recite the last incantation? Do you know it?”
‘“Into flame, into flame,’” I said promptly. After having
typed the spell initially for her notes and then re-creating it,
it was hard not to have picked it all up. According to the
book—which was an English translation of a Latin text—the
language didn’t matter so long as the words’ meaning was
clear.
“Well, there you go. Give it a try one of these days and
see what happens. Just don’t light any school property on
fire. Because that’s not safe.”
I held up the amulet by the string. “But this isn’t real. This
is nonsense. It’s a bunch of junk thrown together in a bag.”
She shrugged. “Who are we to question the ancients?”
I stared, trying to figure out if she was joking. I’d known
she was eccentric from day one, but she’d still always
come across as a serious scholar. “You can’t believe that.
Magic like this … it’s not real.” Without thinking, I added,
“Even if it was, ma’am, it’s not for humans to mess around
with powers like that.”
Ms. Terwilliger was silent for several moments. “You truly
believe that?”
I fingered the cross around my neck. “It’s how I was
raised.”
“Understood. Well, then, you may do what you like with
the amulet. Throw it away, donate it, experiment with it.
Regardless, this report’s what I need for my book. Thank
you for putting in the time—as always, you’ve done more
than was required.”
I put the amulet in my purse when I left, not really sure
what to do. It was useless … and yet, it had also cost me a
lot of time. I was disappointed it wasn’t going to have a
more meaningful purpose in her research. All that effort
gone to waste.
The last of my projects showed development the next
day, however. In AP Chemistry, Greg Slade and some of
his friends scurried into class just as the bell rang. Our
teacher gave them a warning look, but they didn’t even
notice. Slade was preening over his eagle tattoo, baring it
for everyone to see. The ink was gleaming silver again.
Next to him, one of his friends was also proudly showing off
another silver tattoo. It was a pair of stylized crossed
daggers, which was only slightly less tacky than the eagle.
This was the same friend who had been worrying earlier
this week that he wouldn’t be able to get a tattoo.
Apparently, things had worked out with the supplier.
Interesting. Part of holding off on reporting to the
Alchemists had been to see if Nevermore would replenish
what I’d stolen.
“It’s amazing,” Slade’s friend said. “The rush.”
“I know.” Slade gave him a fist bump. “Just in time for
tomorrow.”
Trey was watching them, his expression dark. “What’s
tomorrow?” I whispered to him.
He eyed them contemptuously for a few more moments
before turning back to me. “Do you live under a rock? It’s
our first home game.”
“Of course,” I said. My high school experience wouldn’t
be complete without the quintessential football hype.
“A lot of good it’ll do me,” he muttered.
“Your bandages are off,” I pointed out.
“Yeah, but Coach is still making me take it easy. Plus, I’m
kind of deadweight now.” He nodded toward Slade and his
friend. “How come they don’t get in trouble for those?
They’re not making any effort to hide them. This school has
no discipline anymore. We’re practically in anarchy.”
I smiled. “Practically.”
“Your brother should be on the team, you know. I’ve seen
him in PE. He could be a star athlete if he bothered trying
out for anything.”
“He doesn’t like drawing attention to himself,” I explained.
“But he’ll probably go watch the game.”
“Are you going to go to the game?”
“Probably not.”
Trey arched an eyebrow. “Hot date?”
“No! But I’m just … well, not into watching sports. And I
feel like I should stay with Jill.”
“You won’t even go to cheer me on?”
“You don’t need my cheers.”
Trey gave me a disappointed look as a response.
“Maybe it’s just as well,” he said. “Since you really wouldn’t
get to see me performing to my full level of awesomeness.”
“That is a shame,” I agreed.
“Oh, stop with the sarcasm already.” He sighed. “My
dad’s going to be the most upset. There are family
expectations.”
Well, that was something I could relate to. “Is he a football
player too?”
“Nah, it’s less about football itself than keeping yourself in
peak physical shape. Excelling. Ready to be called upon in
a moment’s notice. Being the best on the team’s been a
way to keep him proud—until these tattoos started.”
“You’re good without any tattoo help. He should still be
proud,” I said.
“You don’t know my father.”
“No, but I think I know someone just like him.” I smiled.
“You know, maybe I do need to go to a football game after
all.” Trey simply smiled back, and class started.
The day passed calmly, but Jill ran up to me as soon as I
entered the locker room for PE.
“I heard from Lia! She asked if I could come by tonight.
She’s had regular practices with the other models but
thought I could use a special session of my own since I
don’t have any experience. Of course, the thing is, I … you
know, need a ride. Do you think … I mean, could you …”
“Sure,” I said. “It’s what I’m here for.”
“Thank you, Sydney!” She threw her arms around me,
much to my astonishment. “I know you don’t have any
reason to help me after everything I’ve done, but—”
“It’s fine, it’s fine,” I said, awkwardly patting her on the
shoulder. I took a steadying breath. Think of it as Jill
hugging me. Not as a vampire hugging me. “I’m glad to
help.”
“Would you two like to be alone?” sneered Laurel,
striding in with her entourage. “I always knew there was
something weird about your family.”
Jill and I split apart, and she blushed, which only made
them laugh more. “God, I hate them,” she said when they
were out of earshot. “I really want to get them back.”
“Patience,” I murmured. “They’ll get what’s coming to
them someday.” Eyeing Laurel’s locker, I thought that
“someday” might come sooner rather than later.
Jill shook her head in amazement. “I don’t know how you
can be so forgiving, Sydney. Everything just rolls right off of
you.”
I smiled, wondering what Jill would think if she knew the
truth—that I wasn’t quite as “forgiving” as I appeared. And
not just when it came to Laurel. If Jill wanted to think of me
that way, so be it. Of course, my facade as a kindly, turnthe-
other-cheek person was shattered when Laurel’s
shriek’s filled the locker room at the end of class an hour
later.
It was almost a repeat of the ice incident. Laurel came
tearing out of the shower, wrapped in a towel. She ran to
the mirror in horror, holding her hair up to it.
“What’s wrong?” asked one of her friends.
“Can’t you see it?” cried Laurel. “There’s something
wrong … it doesn’t feel right. It’s oil … or I don’t know!” She
took out a blow dryer and dried a section while the rest of
us watched with interest. After a few minutes, the long
strands were dry, but it was hard to tell. It really was like her
hair was coated in oil or grease, like she hadn’t washed it
in weeks. That normally gleaming, bouncy hair now hung in
lank, ugly coils. The color was also off a little. The bright,
flaming red now had a sickly yellow hue.
“It smells weird too,” she exclaimed.
“Wash it again,” suggested another friend.
Laurel did that, but it wasn’t going to help. Even when she
figured out that her shampoo was causing the problem, the
stuff I’d made wasn’t going to come out of her hair easily.
Water would continue fueling the reaction, and it was going
to take many, many scrubbings before she fixed the
problem.
Jill gave me astonished look. “Sydney?” she whispered,
a million questions in my name.
“Patience,” I assured her. “This is just the first act.”
That evening, I drove Jill down to Lia DiStefano’s
boutique. Eddie went with us, of course. Lia was only a few
years older than me and nearly a foot shorter. Despite her
tiny size, there was something big and forceful about her
personality as she confronted us. The shop was filled with
elegant gowns and dresses, though she herself was
dressed ultra-casual, in ripped jeans and an oversized
peasant blouse. She flipped on the closed sign on her door
and then confronted us with hands on her hips.
“So, Jillian Melrose,” she began. “We have less than two
weeks to turn you into a model.” Her eyes fell on me. “And
you’re going to help.”
“Me?” I exclaimed. “I’m just the ride.”
“Not if you want your sister to shine in my show.” She
stared back up at Jill, the difference in their heights almost
comical. “You have to eat, drink, and breathe modeling if
you’re going to pull this off. And you have to do it all—in
these.”
With a flourish, Lia grabbed a nearby shoe box and
produced a pair of glittery purple shoes with heels that had
to be at least five inches high. Jill and I stared.
“Isn’t she tall enough already?” I asked at last.
Lia snorted and thrust the shoes at Jill. “These aren’t for
the show. But once you master these, you’ll be ready for
anything.”
Jill took them gingerly, holding them up to study them.
The heels reminded me of the silver stakes Eddie and
Rose used to kill Strigoi. If Jill really wanted to be prepared
for any situation, she could just keep these around. Selfconscious
of our scrutiny, she finally kicked off her brown
flats and fastened the many elaborate straps of the purple
shoes. Once they were on, she slowly straightened up—
and nearly fell over. I hastily jumped to catch her.
Lia nodded in approval. “See? This is what I was talking
about. Sisterly teamwork. It’s up to you to make sure she
doesn’t fall and break her neck before my show.”
Jill shot me a look of panic that I suspect was reflected
on my own face. I started to suggest that Eddie be Jill’s
spotter, but he had discreetly moved off to the side of the
shop to watch and seemed to have escaped Lia’s notice.
Apparently, his protective services had limits.
While Jill simply attempted not to topple over, I helped
Lia clear space in the store’s center. Lia then spent the next
hour or so demonstrating how to properly walk for fashion,
with emphasis on posture and stride in order to display
clothing to its best effect. Most of those fine details were
lost on Jill, though, who struggled to simply walk across the
room without falling. Grace and beauty weren’t concerns as
much as staying upright.
Nonetheless, when I glanced over at Eddie, he was
watching Jill with a rapt look on his face, as though every
step she were taking was pure magic. Catching my eye, he
immediately resumed his wary, protective guardian face.
I did my best to offer Jill words of encouragement—and
yes, stop her from falling and breaking her neck. Halfway
through the session, we heard a knock at the glass door.
Lia started to scowl and then recognized the face on the
other side of the door. She brightened and went to unlock it.
“Mr. Donahue,” she said, letting Lee in. “Come to see
how your starlet’s doing?”
Lee smiled, his gray eyes instantly seeking out Jill. Jill
met his gaze, grinning just as widely. Lee hadn’t been
around at the last feeding, and although they talked
constantly on the phone and IM, I knew she had been pining
to see him. A glance at Eddie’s face showed me he wasn’t
nearly as delighted by Lee’s presence.
“I already know how she’s doing,” said Lee. “She’s
perfect.”
Lia snorted. “I wouldn’t go that far.”
“Hey,” I said, inspiration striking me. “Lee, do you want to
be in charge of keeping Jill from breaking her neck? I need
to run an errand.” Unsurprisingly, Lee was more than willing,
and I knew I didn’t need to fear for her safety with Eddie on
watch.
I left them, hurrying two streets over to Nevermore. Ever
since I’d heard Slade and his friends confirm the tattooists
were in business again, I’d wanted to pay an in-person trip.
Not a covert one, though. My stolen goods had already
yielded their evidence. Except for the clear liquid, I had
identified all the other substances in the vials. All the
metallics were exact matches for Alchemist compounds,
meaning these people either had an Alchemist connection
or were stealing. Either way, my case got stronger and
stronger. I just hoped it’d be enough to redeem me and
keep Zoe out of here, particularly since the clock was
ticking on her arrival. We were almost a week away from
when my father had said she’d be replacing me.
My plan was to see how willing Nevermore was to give
me a tattoo. I wanted to know what warnings (if any) they
gave out and how easy it was in the first place. Adrian’s
conversation hadn’t yielded much info, but probably his onfire-
biker-skelet-on-with-a-parrot tattoo request hadn’t done
much to help his credibility. I was armed with cash today,
which I hoped would get me somewhere.
As it was, I never needed to flash any. As soon as I
walked in, the guy behind the counter—the same one
Adrian had spoken to—looked relieved.
“Thank God,” he said. “Please tell me you have more.
These kids are driving me crazy. When we got into this … I
had no idea it was gonna get this big. The money’s good,
but Christ. It’s crazy to keep up with.”
I kept my confusion off of my face, wondering what in the
world he was talking about. He was acting as though I was
in on his scheme here, which made no sense. But then his
eyes flashed to my cheek, and suddenly, I understood.
My lily tattoo.
It was uncovered, since school was over. And I knew
then, with absolute certainty, that whomever he was working
with to get his supplies was also an Alchemist. He’d
assumed my tattoo made me an ally.
“I don’t have anything with me,” I said.
His face fell. “But the demand—”
“You lost the other batch,” I said haughtily. “You let it get
stolen right out from underneath you. Do you know how
much trouble we go to in order to get that?”
“I already explained that to your friend!” he exclaimed.
“He said he understood. He said he’d taken care of the
problem and that we didn’t have to worry anymore.”
There was a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.
“Yeah, well, he doesn’t speak for all of us, and we’re not
sure we want to continue. You were compromised.”
“We’re careful,” he argued. “That theft wasn’t our fault!
Now, come on. You have to help us. Didn’t he tell you?
There’s a huge demand for tomorrow because those
private school kids have a game. If we can deliver, we’ll
make double the money.”
I gave him my best icy smile. “We’ll discuss it among
ourselves and get back to you.”
With that, I turned around and began to leave. “Wait,” he
called. I spared him a haughty glance. “Can you make that
person stop calling?”
“What person?” I asked, wondering if he meant some
persistent Amberwood student.
“The one with the weird voice who keeps asking if any
tall, pale people are showing up around here. Ones that
look like vampires. I figured it was someone you knew.”
Tall, pale people? I didn’t like the sound of that but kept
my face blank. “Sorry. Don’t know what you’re talking about.
Must have been a prank.”
I left, making a mental note to investigate that further. If
someone was inquiring about people who looked like
vampires, that was a problem. It wasn’t, however, the
immediate problem. My mind raced as I processed what
else the tattooist had told me. There was an Alchemist
supplying Nevermore. In some ways, that shouldn’t be a
surprise. How else were they going to get ahold of vampire
blood and all the metals necessary for their tattoos? And
apparently, this rogue Alchemist had “taken care of the
problem” that led to the theft of their supplies. When had my
father called saying I was being pulled because of Keith’s
reports?
Right after I’d broken into Nevermore.
I knew who the rogue Alchemist was.
And I knew that I had been “the problem.” Keith had taken
care of me, making moves to get me out of Palm Springs
and bring in someone new and inexperienced who wouldn’t
interfere with his illicit tattoo operation. It was why he’d
wanted Zoe in the first place.
I was aghast. I didn’t have a great opinion of Keith
Darnell, not by any means. But never, never had I thought
he’d stoop to this level. He was an immoral person, but
he’d still been raised with the same principles I had about
humans and vampires. For him to abandon those beliefs
and expose innocents to the dire side effects of vampire
blood for his own material gain … well, it was more than a
betrayal of the Alchemists. It was a betrayal of the whole
human race.
My hand was on my cell phone, ready to call Stanton.
That’s all it would take. One call with the kind of news I had,
and Alchemists would swoop in on Palm Springs—and on
Keith. But what if there was no hard evidence to connect
Keith? It was possible another Alchemist might go in and
play the same game I had, getting the tattooist to think that
they were part of Keith’s team. Keith was the one I wanted
to bust, however. I wanted to ensure that there was no way
he could slip out of this.
I made my decision, and rather than the Alchemists, I
called Adrian.
When I arrived back at Lia’s shop, I found the training
session winding down. Lia was giving Jill some last-minute
instructions while Eddie and Lee lingered nearby. Eddie
took one look at my face and instantly knew something was
wrong.
“What’s the matter?”
“Nothing,” I said blandly. “Just a problem I’m going to fix
soon. Lee, would you mind taking Jill and Eddie back to the
school? I have a couple errands I need to run.”
Eddie frowned. “Are you okay? Do you need someone to
protect you?”
“I’ll have someone.” I reconsidered, seeing as I was
about to meet up with Adrian. “Well, kind of. Anyway, I’m not
in trouble. Your job’s to keep an eye on Jill, remember?
Thanks, Lee,” I added, seeing him nod. A thought suddenly
struck me. “Wait … I thought this was one of the days you
had a night class. Are we keeping you … or … well, what
days do you have class?”
I hadn’t thought much about it, only noticing that some
days Lee was around and other days he was in Los
Angeles. But in looking back, there was no real pattern. I
saw realization light Eddie’s face as well.
“That’s true,” he said, eyeing Lee suspiciously. “What
kind of schedule are you on?”
Lee opened his mouth, and I sensed a ready story
coming. Then he stopped and cast an anxious look at Jill,
who was still talking to Lia. His face fell. “Please don’t tell
her,” he whispered.
“Tell her what?” I asked, keeping my voice low as well.
“I’m not in college. I mean—I was. But not this semester. I
wanted some time off but … didn’t want to disappoint my
dad. So, I told him I was just going part-time, which is why I
was around more.”
“What do you do in LA during all that time, then?” asked
Eddie. That was an excellent question, I realized.
“I still have friends there, and I need to keep my cover.”
Lee sighed. “It’s stupid, I know. Please—let me be the one
to tell her. I wanted so badly to impress her and to prove
myself to her. She’s wonderful. She just caught me at a bad
time.”
Eddie and I exchanged glances. “I won’t tell,” I said. “But
you really should let her know. I mean, I guess there’s no
harm done … but you shouldn’t have that kind of lie
between you.”
Lee looked miserable. “I know. Thank you.”
When he stepped aside, Eddie shook his head at me. “I
don’t like him lying. Not at all.”
“Lee trying to save face is the least weird thing going on
here,” I said.
I found out then that Jill could walk from one side of the
store to the other and back without falling over. It wasn’t
pretty, but it was a start. She was still a long ways from
looking anything like the runway models I saw on TV, but
considering she hadn’t been able to stand in the shoes at
first, I supposed she’d made considerable progress. She
started to take off the heels, but Lia stopped her.
“No. I told you. You have to wear these shoes all the time.
Practice, practice, practice. Wear them home. Wear them
everywhere.” She turned to me. “And you—”
“I know. Make sure she doesn’t break her neck,” I said.
“She’s not going to be able to wear those all the time,
though. Our school has a dress code.”
“What if they were in a different color?” asked Lia.
“I don’t think it’s just the color,” Jill said apologetically. “I
think it’s the stiletto part. But I promise to wear them outside
of class and practice in our room.”
That was good enough for Lia, and after a few more
words of advice, she sent us on our way. We promised to
practice and come back in two days. I told Jill I’d meet up
with her later, but I don’t know if she heard. She was so
caught up in the idea of Lee driving her home that pretty
much everything else went past her.
I drove over to Clarence’s and was met at the door by
Adrian. “Wow,” I said, impressed at his initiative. “I didn’t
expect you to be ready so quickly.”
“I’m not,” he said. “I need you to see something right
now.”
I frowned. “Okay.” Adrian led me deeper into the house,
beyond where I normally went, which made me nervous.
“Are you sure this can’t wait? This thing we’ve got to do is
kind of urgent …”
“So is this. How did Clarence seem the last time you saw
him?”
“Weird.”
“But health-wise?”
I thought about it. “Well, I know he’s been tired. But
usually he seemed okay.”
“Yeah, well, he’s not ‘okay’ now. It’s gone beyond just
tired. He’s weak, dizzy, and confined to his bed.” We
reached a closed wooden door, and Adrian stopped.
“Do you know what caused it?” I asked, alarmed. I’d
been worried about the complications of a sick Moroi but
hadn’t expected to deal with it so soon.
“I have a pretty good idea,” said Adrian, with surprising
fierceness. “Your boy Keith.”
“Stop saying stuff like that. He’s not ‘my boy,’” I
exclaimed. “He’s ruining my life!”
Adrian opened the door, revealing a large, ornate
canopied bed. Walking into a Moroi bedroom wasn’t
something I was comfortable with, but Adrian’s
commanding look was too powerful. I followed him in and
gasped when I saw Clarence lying on the bed.
“Not just yours,” said Adrian, pointing at the old man.
Clarence’s eyes fluttered at the sound of our voices and
then closed again as he shifted into sleep. It wasn’t his
eyes that held my attention, though. It was the pale, sickly
pallor of his skin—that, and the bloody wound on
Clarence’s neck. It was small, made with just one prick, like
it had come from a surgical instrument. Adrian looked at
me expectantly.
“Well, Sage? Do you have any idea why Keith would be
draining Clarence’s blood?”
I swallowed, scarcely able to believe what I was seeing.
Here was the last piece. I knew that Keith had been
supplying the tattooists, and now I knew where Keith was
getting his “supplies.”
“Yes,” I said at last, my voice small. “I have a very good
idea.”
CHAPTER 22
CLARENCE DIDN’T WANT to talk to us about what had
happened. In fact, he adamantly denied anything was
wrong, claiming he’d scratched his neck while shaving.
“Mr. Donahue,” I said as gently as I could, “this was made
by a surgical tool. And it didn’t happen until Keith visited.”
“No, no,” Clarence managed in a weak voice. “It has
nothing to do with him.”
Dorothy stuck her head in just then, carrying a glass of
juice. We’d called for her shortly after my arrival tonight. For
blood loss, the remedies were the same for Moroi and
human alike: sugar and fluids. She offered the glass to him
with a straw, her lined face filled with concern. I continued
my pleas as he drank.
“Tell us what your deal is,” I begged. “What’s the
arrangement? What’s he giving you for your blood?” When
Clarence remained silent, I tried another tactic. “People are
being hurt. He’s giving out your blood indiscriminately.”
That got a reaction. “No,” said Clarence. “He’s using my
blood and saliva to heal people. To heal sick humans.”
Saliva? I nearly groaned. Of course. The mysterious clear
liquid. Now I knew what gave the celestial tattoos their
addictive high. Gross.
Adrian and I exchanged glances. Healing certainly was a
use for vampire blood. The tattoo I wore was proof of that,
and the Alchemists had worked long trying to duplicate
some of the blood’s properties for wider medicinal use. So
far, there was no way to synthetically reproduce it, and
using real blood simply wasn’t practical.
“He lied,” I replied. “He’s selling it to rich teenagers to
help them with sports. What did he promise you for it? A cut
of the money?”
Adrian glanced around the opulent room. “He doesn’t
need money. The only thing he needs is what the guardians
wouldn’t give him. Justice for Tamara, right?”
Surprised, I turned back to Clarence and saw Adrian’s
words confirmed on the old Moroi’s face. “He … he’s been
investigating the vampire hunters for me,” he said slowly.
“He says he’s close. Close to finding them out.”
I shook my head, wanting to kick myself for not having
figured out sooner that Clarence was the blood source. It
explained why Keith was always unexpectedly here—and
why he got so upset when I showed up without warning. My
“fraternizing with vampires” had had nothing to do with it.
“Sir, I guarantee the only thing he’s investigating is how to
spend the money he’s been making.”
“No … no … he’s going to help me find the hunters who
killed Tamara …”
I stood up. I couldn’t stand to hear any more. “Get him
some real food, and see what he’ll eat,” I told Dorothy. “If
he’s only weak from blood loss, he just needs time.”
I nodded for Adrian to follow me out. As we walked
toward the living room, I remarked, “Well, there are good
and bad sides to this. At least we can be confident Keith’s
got a fresh supply of blood for us to bust him with. I’m just
sorry Clarence had to get hit so—”
I froze as I entered the living room. I’d simply wanted to
go there because it would be a familiar place to discuss
our plans, one that was less creepy than Clarence’s
bedroom. Considering how my imagination often ran wild
while I was in this old house, I’d found that few things came
as a surprise. But never in my wildest dreams had I
imagined the living room would be transformed into an art
gallery.
Easels and canvas were set up all around the room.
Even the pool table was covered by a big roll of paper. The
pictures varied wildly in their content. Some simply had
splashes of color thrown on them. Some possessed
astonishingly realistic depictions of objects and people. An
assortment of watercolors and oil paints sat around amidst
the art.
For a moment, all thoughts of Clarence and Keith
disappeared from my head. “What is this?”
“Homework,” Adrian said.
“Didn’t you … didn’t you just start your classes? How
could they have assigned this much?”
He walked over to a canvas showing a swirling red line
traced over a black cloud and lightly tested to see if the
paint was dry. Studying it, I tried to decide if I really was
seeing a cloud. There was almost something
anthropomorphic about it.
“Of course they didn’t give us this much, Sage. But I had
to make sure I nailed my first assignment. Takes a lot of
tries before you hit perfection.” He paused to reconsider
that. “Well, except for my parents. They got it on the first try.”
I couldn’t help a smile. After watching Adrian’s moods
oscillate so wildly in the last couple weeks, it was nice to
see them on the upswing. “Well, this is kind of amazing,” I
admitted. “What are they? I mean, I get that one.” I pointed
to a painting of a woman’s eye, brown and long-lashed, and
then to another one of roses. “But the others are open to,
um, slightly more creative interpretation.”
“Are they?” asked Adrian, turning back to the smoky
painting with the red streak. “I figured it was obvious. This
one is Love. Don’t you see it?”
I shrugged. “Maybe I don’t have an artistic enough mind.”
“Maybe,” he agreed. “Once we bust your buddy Keith,
we’ll discuss my genius art all you want.”
“Right,” I said, growing serious again. “We need to
search his place for evidence. I figured the best way to do
that is if I lure him out and you break in while he’s gone. To
get through the lock—”
Adrian waved me off. “I can pick a lock. How do you think
I got into my parents’ liquor cabinet in middle school?”
“Should’ve guessed,” I said dryly. “Make sure you look
everywhere, not just in obvious places. He could have
compartments hidden in the walls or in furniture. You want
to find vials of blood or metallic liquid or even the tool that
pierced Clarence.”
“Got it.” We hashed out a few more details—including
who he should call when he found something—and were
about to leave when he asked, “Sage, why’d you pick me to
be your partner in crime in this?”
I thought about it. “Process of elimination, I guess. Jill’s
supposed to be kept out of trouble. Eddie’d be a good
asset, but he needed to go back with her and Lee.
Besides, I already knew you didn’t have any moral qualms
about breaking and entering.”
“That’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me,” he
declared with a grin.
We headed out to Keith’s after that. All the lights were on
in the first floor of his building, dashing a last-minute hope
I’d had that maybe I wouldn’t have to lure him out. I would’ve
actually liked to help with the search. I dropped Adrian off
and then drove to a twenty-four-hour restaurant that was
outside the opposite side of town. I figured it would be
perfect for keeping Keith away from his home. The driving
time alone would provide Adrian with extra searching time,
though it meant Adrian had to wait outside for a while until
Keith left. Once I finally arrived, I got a table, ordered coffee,
and dialed Keith’s number.
“Hello?”
“Keith, it’s me. I need to talk to you.”
“So talk,” he said. He sounded smug and confident, no
doubt happy at pulling off the last-minute tattoo sale.
“Not on the phone. I need you to meet me.”
“At Amberwood?” he asked in surprise. “Isn’t it after
hours?” It was indeed, but that was a problem for later.
“I’m not at school. I’m at Margaret’s Diner, that place out
by the highway.”
Long silence. Then: “Well, if you’re already out past
curfew, then just come here.”
“No,” I said firmly. “You come to me.”
“Why should I?”
I hesitated only briefly before playing the card I knew
would get him, the one thing that would make him drive out
here and not raise suspicions about the tattoos.
“It’s about Carly.”
“What about her?” he asked after a moment’s pause.
“You know exactly what.”
After a second’s pause, Keith relented and hung up. I
noticed that I had a voice mail from earlier in the day that I
hadn’t heard come in. I called and listened.
“Sydney, this is Wes Regan from Carlton College. Just
wanted to go over a couple things with you. First, I’m afraid I
have some bad news. It doesn’t look like I’m going to be
able to retroactively admit your brother from auditor status. I
can enroll him next semester for sure if he stays in good
standing, but the only way he can keep taking classes now
is if he continues to do so as an auditor. He won’t be able
to get financial aid as a result, and in fact, you’ll actually
need to pay the auditing fee soon if he’s going to stay in the
classes. If he wants to drop altogether, we can do that too.
Just call me and let me know what you’d like to do.”
I stared at the phone in dismay when the message was
over. There went our dreams of sliding Adrian into fully
enrolled student status, not to mention his dreams of getting
financial aid and moving out of Clarence’s. The next
semester probably started in January, so Adrian was facing
four more months at Clarence’s. Adrian would also be
facing four more months of bus-riding and taking classes
without college credit.
But were the credits and financial aid really the most
important things here? I thought back to how excited Adrian
had been after only a couple classes, how he’d thrown
himself into the art. His face had been radiant when he
stood in his “gallery.” Jill’s words also echoed through my
mind, about how the art had given him something to
channel his feelings into and made the bond easier for her
to cope with. Those classes were good for both of them.
How much was an auditing fee? I wasn’t sure but knew it
wasn’t as much as tuition. It was also a onetime cost that I
could probably slide into my expenses without raising the
attention of the Alchemists. Adrian needed those classes,
of that I was certain. If he knew financial aid wasn’t an
option this semester, there was a good chance he’d just
drop them altogether. I couldn’t allow that. He’d known there
might be “a delay” while the financial aid came together. If I
could keep him going to Carlton a little longer, then maybe
he’d get invested enough in the art that he’d stay on, even
when the truth came out. It was a sneaky thing to do, but it
would benefit him—and Jill—in the end.
I dialed back Wes Regan’s office, knowing I’d get his
voice mail. I left him a message saying that I’d drop off a
check for the auditing fee and that Adrian would stay on
until he could be enrolled next semester. I hung up, saying a
silent prayer that it would take a while for Adrian to find out
any of this.
The waitress kept giving me the evil eye over just having
coffee, so I finally ordered a piece of pie to go. She had just
set the carton down on my table when an irritated Keith
entered the restaurant. He stood in the doorway, looking
around impatiently until he saw me.
“Okay, what’s going on?” he demanded, making a big
show of sitting down. “What’s so important that you felt the
need to break school rules and drag me halfway across
town?”
For a moment, I froze up. Looking into Keith’s eyes—real
and artificial—triggered all the conflicting feelings I’d had
about him this last year. Fear and anxiety over what I was
trying to pull off warred with the deep hate I’d long carried.
Baser instincts wanted me to make him suffer, to throw
something at him. Like the pie. Or a chair. Or a baseball
bat.
“I—”
Before I could say another word, my phone chimed. I
looked down and read a text message from Adrian: GOT
IT. CALL MADE. ONE HOUR.
I slipped the phone into my purse and exhaled. It had
taken Keith twenty minutes to get here, and during that
time, Adrian had been dutifully searching the apartment.
He’d apparently been successful. Now it was up to me to
delay Keith until reinforcements showed up. One hour was
actually a lot less time than I’d expected. I’d given Adrian
Stanton’s phone number, and she would’ve dispatched
whatever Alchemists were closest. I’d figured that would
mean Los Angeles, but it was hard to say with the scope of
our jobs. If there were Alchemists on the east side of the
city, they’d get here very quickly. It was also possible they
could cut time by simply flying a private jet in.
“What’s that?” asked Keith irritably. “A text from one of
your vampire friends?”
“You can stop the act,” I said. “I know you don’t really care
about me ‘getting too close’ to them.” I hadn’t intended this
to be the topic that distracted him, but I’d take it.
“Of course I do. I worry about your soul.”
“Is that why you called my dad?” I asked. “Is that the
reason you wanted me out of Palm Springs?”
“It’s for your own good,” he said, putting on that holierthan-
thou air. “Do you know how wrong it was that you even
wanted this job in the first place? No Alchemist would. But
you, you practically begged for it.”
“Yeah,” I said, feeling my anger rise. “So Zoe wouldn’t
have to do it.”
“Tell yourself that if you want. I know the truth. You like
these creatures.”
“Why does it have to be so cut-and-dried? In your view, I
either have to hate them or be in league with them. There’s
a middle ground, you know. I can still be loyal to the
Alchemists and on friendly terms with vampires and
dhampirs.”
Keith looked at me like I was ten years old. “Sydney,
you’re such an innocent. You don’t understand the ways of
the world like I do.” I knew all about his “ways of the world”
and would’ve said as much if the waitress hadn’t come by
to take his drink order just then. When she was gone, Keith
continued his spiel. “I mean, how do you even know you’re
feeling the way you do? Vampires can compel, you know.
They use mind control. Spirit users like Adrian are really
good at it. For all we know, he’s been using his powers to
endear himself to you.”
I thought of all the times I’d wanted to shake some sense
into Adrian. “He’s not doing a very good job, then.”
We bickered back and forth about this, and for once, I
was glad of Keith’s obstinacy and refusal to see reason.
The longer he argued with me, the more time the
Alchemists had to get to his apartment. If Stanton had told
Adrian one hour, she probably meant it. Still, it was best to
be safe.
My breaking point came when Keith said, “You should be
glad I’m looking out for you like this. This is about more than
vampires, you know. I’m teaching you life lessons. You
memorize books but don’t understand people. You don’t
know how to connect to them. You’re going to carry this
same naive attitude with you into the real world, thinking
everyone means well, and someone—some guy, probably
—will just take advantage of you.”
“Well,” I snapped, “you’d know all about that, wouldn’t
you?”
Keith snorted. “I have no interest in you, rest easy.”
“I’m not talking about me! I’m talking about Carly.” So.
Here it was. The original purpose of our meeting.
“What’s she have to do with anything?” Keith kept his
tone steady, but I saw it. The slightest flicker of anxiety in
his eye.
“I know what happened between you guys. I know what
you did to her.”
He became very interested in stirring ice around with his
straw. “I didn’t do anything to her. I have no idea what you’re
talking about.”
“You know exactly what I’m talking about! She told me.
She came to me afterward.” I leaned forward, feeling
confident. “What do you think my dad would do if he found
out? What would yours do?”
Keith looked up sharply. “If you’re so certain something
terrible happened, then why doesn’t your dad already
know? Huh? Maybe because Carly knows there’s nothing
to tattle on. Anything we did, she wanted to, believe me.”
“You are such a liar,” I hissed. “I know what you did. You
raped her. And you will never suffer enough for it. You
should’ve lost both of your eyes.”
He stiffened at the reference to his eyes. “That’s harsh.
And has nothing to do with any of this. What the hell’s
happened to you, Sydney? How’d you turn into such a
bitch? Maybe making you associate with vampires and
dhampirs has caused more damage than we realized. First
thing tomorrow, I’m going to call Stanton and ask that they
pull you now. No waiting until the end of the week. You need
to be away from this dark influence.” He shook his head
and gave me a look both condescending and pitying. “No,
you need to be re-educated, period. It should’ve happened
a long time ago, as soon as they caught you busting out
that murderer.”
“Don’t change the topic.” I spoke haughtily, though he’d
again woken a sliver of fear in me. What if Adrian and I
failed? What if the Alchemists listened to Keith and hauled
me away? He’d never have to worry about me again in a
re-education center. “This isn’t about me. We were talking
about Carly.”
Keith rolled his eyes in annoyance. “I’m done talking
about your slutty sister.”
That was when my earlier impulse to throw something at
him won out. Lucky for him, it was only my coffee and not a
chair. Also lucky for him: the coffee had cooled
considerably. There was still a lot of it left, and it managed
to splash everywhere, drenching his unfortunate choice of a
white shirt. He stared at me in astonishment, sputtering to
get his words out.
“You bitch!” he said, standing up.
As he started moving toward the door, I realized that my
temper might have just blown the plan. I hurried over and
caught hold of his arm.
“Wait, Keith. I-I’m sorry. Don’t go.”
He jerked his arm away and glared at me. “It’s too late for
you. You had your chance and blew it.”
I grabbed him again. “No, no. Wait. There’s still lots we
have to talk about.”
He opened his mouth with some snippy remark and then
promptly shut it. He studied me for several seconds, his
face growing serious. “Are you trying to keep me here?
What’s going on?” When I couldn’t muster a response, he
pulled away and stormed out the door. I quickly ran back to
the table and tossed a twenty on it. I grabbed the pie and
told the bewildered waitress to keep the change.
The clock in my car told me I had twenty minutes until the
Alchemists were supposed to show up at Keith’s. That was
also the time it would take to get back there. I drove right
behind him, making no effort to hide my presence. It was no
secret now that something was going on, something I’d
lured him away from home for. I blessed every red light that
stopped us, praying he wouldn’t arrive too early. If he did,
Adrian and I were going to have to delay him. It wouldn’t be
impossible, but it also wasn’t something I wanted to do.
We finally made it back. Keith pulled into his building’s
tiny lot, and I parked uncaringly in a fire zone out front. I was
only steps behind him as he ran to the door, but he hardly
seemed to notice. His attention was on the lit-up windows
of his building and the dark silhouettes barely discernible
beyond the heavy drapes. He burst in through the door, and
I followed a moment later, nearly running into him as he
came to a complete standstill.
I didn’t know the three suited men there with Adrian, but I
knew they were Alchemists. They had that cold, polished
feel that we all strove for, and their cheeks were
emblazoned with gold lilies. One was going through Keith’s
kitchen cupboards. Another had a notepad and was talking
to Adrian, who was leaning against the wall and smoking.
He smiled when he saw me.
The third Alchemist was kneeling on the floor in the living
room near a small storage cupboard in the wall. A tacky
painting of a shirtless woman’s back lay nearby, which
apparently had been used to hide the compartment. Its
wooden door had clearly been forcibly opened, and various
contents were strewn haphazardly around—with a few
exceptions. The Alchemist was going to great pains to sort
one pile of objects: metal tubes and needles used to drain
blood, along with vials of blood and small packets of silvery
powder. He looked up at our sudden entrance and fixed
Keith with a cool smile.
“Ah, so glad you’re here, Mr. Darnell. We were hoping we
could take you with us for some questioning.”
Keith’s face fell.
CHAPTER 23
“WHAT DID YOU DO?”
I was sitting on the end of a row of seats at Jill’s fashion
show almost a week later, in downtown Palm Springs,
waiting for things to start. I hadn’t even known Trey was at
the show and was startled to suddenly find him kneeling
beside me.
“What exactly are you referring to?” I asked him. “There
are about a million things I can take credit for.”
He scoffed and kept his voice pitched low, which wasn’t
too necessary with the dull roar of conversation around us.
Several hundred had turned out to see the show.
“I’m talking about Slade and friends, and you know it,”
Trey said. “They’ve been really upset about something this
week. They keep complaining about those stupid tattoos.”
He looked at me meaningfully.
“What?” I asked, putting on a face of innocence. “Why do
you think this has anything to do with me?”
“Are you saying it doesn’t?” he asked, not fooled in the
least.
I could feel a traitorous smile playing over my lips. After
raiding Keith’s apartment, the Alchemists had made sure
his tattooist partners no longer had the means to administer
illicit tattoos. There’d also been no more talk of Zoe
replacing me. It had taken days before Slade and his
friends had realized their connection to performanceenhancing
ink was gone. I’d been observing their furtive
conversations with amusement this week but hadn’t
realized Trey had noticed as well.
“Let’s just say that Slade may soon no longer be the
superstar he’s been,” I said. “Hope you’re ready to step up
and take his place.”
Trey studied me a few moments more, apparently hoping
I’d add something else. When I didn’t, he simply shook his
head and chuckled. “Anytime you need coffee, Melbourne,
you come see me.”
“Noted,” I said. I gestured toward the still-growing crowd.
“What are you doing here anyway? I didn’t realize you were
interested in today’s hottest fashions.”
“I’m not,” he agreed. “But I’ve got a couple of friends
working on the show.”
“Girlfriends?” I asked slyly.
He rolled his eyes. “Friends who are girls. I have no time
for silly female distractions.”
“Really? I figured that’s why you got your tattoo. I hear
women go for that kind of thing.”
Trey stiffened. “What are you talking about?”
I remembered that Kristin and Julia had mentioned how
strange it was that Trey had a tattoo of his own and Eddie
had later mentioned seeing it on Trey’s lower back in the
locker room. Eddie had said it looked like a multi-rayed sun
made of very ordinary ink. I’d been waiting for a chance to
tease Trey about it.
“Don’t play coy. I know about your sunshine. How come
you always give me such a hard time, huh?”
“I …”
He was truly at a loss. More than that. He looked
uncomfortable, worried—like this was something he hadn’t
wanted me to know about. That was weird. It wasn’t that big
a deal. I was about to question him more when Adrian
suddenly made his way to us through the crowd. Trey took
one look at Adrian’s stormy face and immediately got to his
feet. I could understand his reaction. Adrian’s expression
would’ve intimidated me too.
“Well,” said Trey uneasily. “Thanks again. I’ll catch you
later.”
I murmured a goodbye and watched as Adrian slipped
past me. Micah sat beside me, then Eddie, and then two
empty seats we’d saved. Adrian sat down in one of them,
ignoring Eddie’s greeting. Moments later, Lee came
hurrying in and took the other seat. He looked troubled
about something but still managed to be friendlier than
Adrian. Adrian stared stonily ahead, and my good mood
plummeted. Somehow, without knowing why, I had a feeling
I was the reason for his dark mood.
We had no time to pursue it, though. The lights went
down and the show began. It was emceed by a local
newscaster, who introduced the five designers showing
tonight. Jill’s designer was third, and watching the others go
before her made the anticipation that much more intense.
This was worlds away from the practice sessions I’d seen
before. The lights and the music took everything to a more
professional level, and the other models seemed so much
older and seasoned. I began to share Jill’s earlier anxiety,
that maybe she was out of her league.
Then Lia DiStefano’s turn came. Jill was one of her first
models and emerged wearing a flowing, silvery evening
gown made of some fabric that seemed to defy gravity. A
half mask of pearls and silver covered up her part of her
face, obscuring her identity to those who didn’t know better.
I would’ve expected them to tone down her vampire
features a little, to possibly give her a little more humanlike
color. Instead, they’d played up her unusual looks, putting a
luminescent powder on her skin that enhanced her
paleness in a way that made her look otherworldly. Every
single curl had been arranged into place, artfully falling
around her and bedecked with tiny glittering jewels.
Her walk had improved vastly since that first practice.
She’d practically slept in those high heels and had gone
beyond simply not trying to fall over. There was a new
confidence and purpose that hadn’t been there before.
Every once in a while, I’d catch a faint glimpse of
nervousness in her eyes or an adjustment in her stride as
she managed the tall silver heels. I doubted anyone else
noticed those things, however. Anyone who didn’t know Jill
and her traits well would see nothing but a strong, ethereal
woman striding down the catwalk. Amazing. If she could
transform this much with only a little encouragement, what
more was to come?
Glancing at the guys beside me, I saw similar feelings
mirrored in their faces. Adrian’s was filled with that brotherly
pride he often had for her, all traces of his earlier bad mood
vanished. Micah and Lee both displayed pure, unfiltered
adoration. To my surprise, Eddie’s expression was adoring
too, along with something else. It was almost … worshipful.
This was it, I realized. In coming out as this beautiful, largerthan-
life goddess-like creature, Jill was giving flesh to all of
Eddie’s idealistic, protective fantasies. She was the perfect
princess now, with her dutiful knight waiting to serve.
She appeared two more times in Lia’s line, stunning
each time, though never quite matching that initial debut in
the silver dress. I watched the rest of the show with only half
an eye. My pride and affection for Jill were too distracting,
and honestly, most of the clothes I saw tonight were way too
flashy for my tastes.
There was a reception after the show, where guests,
designers, and models could mingle over refreshments. My
little group found a corner near the hors d’oeuvres to wait
for Jill, who had yet to make an appearance. Lee carried an
enormous bouquet of white lilies. Adrian watched a
waitress go by with a tray full of champagne glasses. His
eyes were filled with longing, but he made no moves to stop
her. I was proud and relieved. Jill, balance, and alcohol
were not things we wanted to mix.
When the waitress was gone, Adrian turned to me, and I
finally saw that earlier anger return. And, as I’d suspected, it
was directed toward me.
“When were you going to tell me?” he asked.
It was as enigmatic as Trey’s earlier opening line. “Tell
you what?”
“That the financial aid isn’t going to come through! I
talked to the registrar’s office, and they said you knew.”
I sighed. “I wasn’t keeping it from you, exactly. I just didn’t
have a chance to tell you yet. There were kind of a lot of
other things going on.” Okay, I actually had been putting it
off, for exactly this reason. Well, not exactly. I hadn’t
anticipated he would get so worked up about it.
“You apparently had enough time to pay the auditing fee,
though. And enough money. But not enough to fund new
lodging.”
I think what was more upsetting about this than the topic
was the insinuation that I had somehow chosen to act in a
way that would inconvenience him. Like I’d purposely
subject myself to this if there’d been some way to avoid it.
“A onetime payment was easy to slip in,” I told him.
“Month-to-month rent? Not so much.”
“Then why bother at all?” he exclaimed. “The whole point
of this was to get me money to get out of Clarence’s! I
wouldn’t be taking these stupid classes otherwise. You
think I want to ride the bus for hours each day?”
“Those classes are good for you,” I countered, feeling my
own temper rise. I hadn’t wanted to lose control, not here
and certainly not with our friends witnessing everything. Yet I
was appalled at Adrian’s reaction. Couldn’t he see how
good it was for him to do something useful? I’d seen his
face when he showed me his paintings. They’d given him a
healthy channel to deal with Rose, not to mention a sense
of purpose for him. And besides, it killed me to see how
casually he could just toss aside those “stupid” classes. It
was another reminder of the unfairness of the world, how I
couldn’t have what others took for granted.
He scowled. “‘Good for me?’ Come on, stop being my
mom again! It isn’t your job to tell me how to live my life. If I
want your advice, I’ll ask for it.”
“Right,” I said, putting my hands on my hips. “It’s not my
job to tell you how to live your life—just my job to make it as
easy as possible for you. Because God knows you can’t
suffer through anything that’s a little inconvenient. What
happened to all those things you told me? About being
serious about improving your life? When you asked me to
believe in you?”
“Come on, you guys,” said Eddie uneasily. “This isn’t the
time or place.”
Adrian ignored him. “You have no problem making Jill’s
life as easy as possible.”
“That is my job,” I growled back. “And she’s still a girl. I
wouldn’t think an adult like you would need taking care of
the same way!”
Adrian’s eyes were filled with emerald fire as he glared
down at me, and then his gaze focused on something
behind me. I turned and saw Jill approaching. She was
back in the silver gown, her expression full of radiant
happiness—happiness that plummeted as she got closer
and realized there was an altercation going on. By the time
she was standing next to me, all her excitement from a
moment ago had been replaced by worry and concern.
“What’s happening?” she asked, looking between Adrian
and me. Of course, she had to already know because of the
bond. It was a wonder his dark feelings hadn’t messed up
her performance.
“Nothing,” I said flatly.
“Well,” said Adrian. “It depends how you define ‘nothing.’
I mean, if you consider lying and—”
“Stop it!” I cried, raising my voice in spite of my best
effort. The room was too noisy for most to notice, but a
couple people standing nearby glanced at us curiously.
“Just stop it, Adrian. Can you please not ruin this for her?
Can’t you just for one night pretend there are other people
in the world who matter besides you?”
“Ruin it for her?” he exclaimed. “How the hell can you say
that? You know what I’ve done for her! I’ve done everything
for her! I’ve given up everything for her!”
“Really?” I asked. “Because from what I can tell, it doesn’t
seem like—”
I caught sight of Jill’s face and promptly cut myself off.
Behind the mask, her eyes had gone wide with dismay at
the accusations Adrian and I were slinging back and forth.
I’d just told Adrian he was selfish and not thinking of Jill, yet
here I was, continuing to engage with him on her big night,
in front of her and our friends. It didn’t matter if I was right—
and I felt certain I was. This was no time to be having this
discussion. I shouldn’t have let Adrian bait me into this, and
if he didn’t have the sense to stop things before they got
worse, then I would.
“I’m leaving,” I said. I forced as sincere a smile as I could
for Jill, who now looked on the verge of tears. “You were
amazing tonight. Really.”
“Sydney—”
“It’s okay,” I told her. “I’ve got some things to do.” I groped
for what they would actually be. “I need to, um, clean up the
stuff Keith left behind. Can you get her and Eddie back to
Amberwood?” This was directed to Micah and Lee. I knew
one of them would step up. I felt no need to make any such
provisions for Adrian. I honestly didn’t care what became of
him tonight.
“Of course,” said Lee and Micah in unison. After a
moment, though, Lee frowned. “Why do you need to clean
up Keith’s stuff?”
“Long story,” I muttered. “Let’s just say he left town and
won’t be back anytime soon. Maybe never.” Inexplicably,
Lee seemed bothered by this. Maybe during all the time
Keith had spent at Clarence’s, the two guys had become
friends. If so, Lee owed me.
Jill still looked upset. “I thought we were all going out to
celebrate?”
“You can if you want,” I said. “As long as Eddie’s with
you, I really don’t care.” I reached awkwardly to Jill. I almost
wanted to hug her, but she was so elaborate and
magnificent in her clothing and makeup that I was afraid of
ruining her. I settled for a halfhearted pat on the shoulder. “I
meant it. You were breathtaking.”
I hurried away, half-afraid that either Adrian or I would
crack and say something stupid to the other. I had to get
myself out of there. My hope now was that Adrian would
have enough sense to let the topic go and not make this
night any worse for Jill. I didn’t know why the fight with him
upset me so much. He and I had been bickering nearly
since we’d met. What was one more quarrel? It’s because
we’d been getting along, I realized. I still didn’t think of him
in human terms, but somewhere along the way, I’d come to
regard him as a little less of a monster.
“Sydney?”
I was stopped by an unexpected source: Laurel. She had
touched my arm as I passed by a group of girls from
Amberwood. I must have looked really mad because when I
fixed my gaze on her, she actually flinched. That had to be a
first.
“What?” I asked.
She swallowed and stepped away from her friends, eyes
wide and desperate. A fedora covered most of her hair,
which—I’d heard—she still hadn’t been able to restore to
normal. “I heard … I heard you might be able to help me.
With my hair,” she said.
That was another favor Kristin had done me. After letting
Laurel suffer for a few days, I’d had Kristin put out the word
that Sydney Melrose—with her dorm room pharmacy—
might be able to fix what was wrong. I’d also made sure,
however, that it was understood that Laurel wasn’t my
favorite person and that it would take a lot to convince me.
“Maybe,” I said. I tried to keep my face hard, which wasn’t
difficult since I was still so upset over Adrian.
“Please,” she said. “I’ll do whatever you want if you can
help me! I’ve tried everything on my hair, and nothing
works.” To my astonishment, she shoved some yearbooks
at me. “Here. You wanted these, right? Take them. Take
whatever you want.”
Another five days of scrubbing with heavy detergent
would actually fix her, but I certainly wasn’t going to tell her. I
took the yearbooks. “If I help you,” I said, “you need to leave
my sister alone. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” she said quickly.
“I don’t think you do. No more stunts, bullying, or talking
about her behind her back. You don’t have to be her best
friend, but I don’t want you interfering with her anymore.
Stay out of her life.” I paused. “Well, except to offer an
apology.”
Laurel was nodding along with everything I said. “Yes,
yes! I’ll apologize right now!”
I lifted my eyes to where Jill was standing with her
admirers, Lee’s flowers in her arms. “No. Don’t make this
night any weirder for her. Tomorrow’s soon enough.”
“I will,” said Laurel. “I promise. Just tell me what to do.
How to fix this.”
I hadn’t expected Laurel to approach me tonight, but I
had been expecting her one of these days. So, I already
had the small bottle of antidote ready in my purse. I
retrieved it, and her eyes nearly popped out of her head as I
held it in front of her.
“One dose is all you need. Use it just like shampoo. Then
you’ll have to re-dye it.” She reached for the bottle, and I
jerked it back. “I mean it. Your harassment of Jill ends now.
If I give this to you, I will not hear one more word about you
giving her a hard time. No more grief if she talks to Micah.
No more vampire jokes. No more calling Nevermore and
asking about tall, pale people.”
She gaped. “No more what? I never called anyone!”
I hesitated. When the tattooist had mentioned someone
calling and asking about people who looked like vampires,
I’d assumed it was Laurel running with the vampire joke.
From the baffled look on her face now, I no longer thought
that was true. “Well, if I hear about any of the other stuff
continuing, then what happened to your hair will be nothing
in comparison to what happens next. Nothing. Do you
understand me?”
She nodded shakily. “P-perfectly.”
I handed her the bottle. “Don’t forget.”
Laurel started to turn away and then cast another uneasy
glance at me. “You know, you can be scary as hell
sometimes.”
I wondered if the Alchemists had had any idea what I’d
be doing when it came to this job. At least this settled one
thing. Laurel’s desperation convinced me the vampire
jokes had only been a tactic. She didn’t really believe any of
them were true. It did, however, raise the unnerving
question about who had asked about vampires at
Nevermore.
When I was finally out of the building and heading toward
my car, I decided I really would go to Keith’s. Someone
needed to sort through his belongings, and it seemed like a
safe way to avoid the others. I still had a couple of hours
before curfew at Amberwood.
Keith’s apartment hadn’t been disturbed since the
Alchemists had raided it. The telltale signs from before
were there, where we’d discovered his stash of Clarence’s
blood and silver supplies. The Alchemists had done little
more than retrieve the essentials they needed and had left
the rest of his belongings behind. My hope in coming
tonight had been to get ahold of his other ingredients, the
ones not used to manufacture illicit tattoos. It was always
handy to have extra amounts of those chemicals on hand,
be it for destroying Strigoi bodies or making dorm room
chemistry experiments.
No such luck. Even if his other supplies hadn’t been
illegal, the Alchemists had apparently decided to confiscate
all chemicals and ingredients. Since I was here, though, I
decided to see if any of his other possessions were items
that would be of use to me. Keith certainly hadn’t held back
in using his illicit funds to furnish the apartment with every
comfort of home. Scratch that. I doubted his home had
anything like this: a California-king-sized bed, giant flatscreen
TV, a theater-worthy sound system, and enough
food to throw parties every night for the next month. I
peered through cupboard after cupboard, appalled at how
much of that food was junk food. Still, maybe it’d be worth
taking some of it back for Jill and Eddie, so I bagged up the
more portable sweets for them, organizing by color and
size.
I wondered also about the practicality of hauling the TV
back to Amberwood. It seemed like a waste to leave it for
the Alchemists’ repo crew, though I could already imagine
Mrs. Weathers’s expression if she saw us dragging it up
the stairs. I wasn’t even sure Jill and I had a wall big enough
to hold it. I sat down in Keith’s recliner to ponder the TV
issue. Even the recliner was top of the line. The luxurious
leather felt like butter, and I practically sank into the
cushions. Too bad there was no room for it in Ms.
Terwilliger’s room. I could see her relaxing back in it while
drinking cappuccino and reading old documents.
Well, whatever became of the rest of Keith’s stuff, it was
going to require the rental of a moving truck because Latte
certainly couldn’t handle the TV, chair, or most of the other
things. Once this was decided, there was no reason for me
to stay any longer tonight, but I hated to go back. I was
afraid of seeing Jill. There was no reaction of hers I
welcomed. If she was still sad from the argument, that
would make me feel guilty. If she tried to defend Adrian, that
would upset me too.
I sighed. This chair was so ridiculously comfortable, I
might as well enjoy it a little longer. I dug into my messenger
bag, looking for homework, and remembered the
yearbooks. Kelly Hayes. I’d had almost no time to think
about her or the murders, not with all the drama surrounding
Keith and the tattoos. Kelly had been a junior when she
died, and I had a yearbook for each of her years at
Amberwood.
Even as a freshman, Kelly took lots of space in the
yearbook. I remembered Mrs. Weathers saying Kelly was a
good athlete. No kidding. Kelly had participated in nearly
every sport Amberwood offered and been exceptional at all
of them. She’d made varsity teams during her first year and
won all sorts of awards. One thing I also immediately
discovered was that Kelly was definitely not a Moroi. That
much was obvious, even in black and white, and confirmed
in the sophomore-year color spread in the middle. She had
a very human build and tanned skin that clearly loved the
sun.
I was skimming the index of the junior yearbook when I
heard a knock at the door. For a moment, I didn’t want to
answer. For all I knew, it was some loser friend Keith had
made while here, looking to eat his food and watch TV.
Then I worried it could be something Alchemist related. I
found the Kelly tribute section I’d been seeking and set the
yearbook down before tentatively approaching the door.
Looking out the peephole, I caught sight of a familiar face.
“Lee?” I asked, opening the door.
He gave me a sheepish smile. “Hey. Sorry to bug you
here.”
“What are you doing here?” I exclaimed, beckoning him
inside. “Why aren’t you back with the others?”
He followed me into the living room. “I—I needed to talk
to you. When you said you were coming here, it made me
wonder if what my father had said was true. That Keith isn’t
here anymore?”
I sat back down on the recliner. Lee took a spot on the
nearby loveseat. “Yup. Keith’s gone. He was, uh,
reassigned.” Keith was off being punished somewhere,
and I said good riddance.
Lee glanced around, taking in the expensive furnishings.
“This is a nice place.” His eyes fell on the cabinet that had
held the alchemy supplies. Its door still hung precariously
from its hinges, and I hadn’t bothered tidying up where the
Alchemists had cleaned out its other contents.
“Was this …” Lee frowned. “Was this place broken into?”
“Not exactly,” I said. “Keith, um, just needed to find
something in a hurry before he left.”
Lee wrung his hands and looked around some more
before turning back to me. “And he’s not coming back?”
“Probably not.”
Lee’s face fell, which surprised me. I’d always gotten the
impression he didn’t like Keith. “Will another Alchemist be
replacing him?”
“I don’t know,” I said. There was still some debate on that.
Turning Keith in had stopped me from being replaced by
Zoe, and Stanton was now considering just having me fill in
as the local Alchemist since the duties were light. “If
someone does, it may be a while.”
“So you’re the only Alchemist in the area,” he repeated,
sounding sadder still.
I shrugged. “There are some in Los Angeles.”
That inexplicably perked him up a little. “Really? Could
you tell me their—”
Lee stopped as his focus dropped to the open yearbook
lying at my feet. “Oh,” I said, scooping it up. “Just a
research project I’m doing on—”
“Kelly Hayes.” The cheerful look was gone.
“Yeah. Have you heard of her?” I reached for a nearby
piece of scrap paper, intending to use it as a bookmark for
the tribute section.
“You might say that,” he replied.
I started to ask what he meant, and that’s when I saw it.
The spread they’d done in honor of Kelly had pictures from
all parts of her high school life. Unsurprisingly, most of them
were pictures of her playing sports. There were a few from
other areas of her social and academic worlds, including
one of her at the prom. She wore a stunning blue satin
dress that made the most of her athletic figure and was
giving the camera a big grin as she wrapped an arm
around her dashing, tuxedo-clad date.
Lee.
I jerked my head up and looked at Lee, who was now
regarding me with an unreadable expression. I turned back
to the picture, scrutinizing it carefully. What was remarkable
wasn’t that Lee was in the picture—though, believe me, I
hadn’t figured out what was going on with that yet. What
had me hung up was the timing. This yearbook was five
years old. Lee would’ve been fourteen at the time, and the
guy looking back at me with Kelly was certainly not that
young. The Lee in the picture looked exactly like the
nineteen-year-old sitting across from me, which was
impossible. Moroi had no special immortality. They aged
like humans. I looked back up, wondering if I should be
asking if he had a brother.
Lee saved me from questioning, though. He simply
regarded me with a sad look and shook his head. “Shit. I
hadn’t wanted it to happen like this.”
And then, he took out a knife.
CHAPTER 24
IT’S WEIRD how you react in moments of immediate
danger. Part of me was pure panic, complete with racing
heart and rapid breathing. That hollow feeling, the one that
felt like a hole had opened in my chest, returned. Another
part of me was able to still inexplicably think along logical
lines, mostly something like, Yup, that’s the kind of knife
that could slit a throat. The rest of me? Well, the rest of me
was just confused.
I stayed where I was and kept my voice low and even.
“Lee, what’s going on? What is this?”
He shook his head. “Don’t pretend. I know you know.
You’re too smart. I knew you’d figure it out, but I just didn’t
expect you to do it so soon.”
My mind spun. Once again, someone thought I was
smarter than I was. I supposed I should be flattered by his
faith in my intelligence, but the truth was, I didn’t know what
was going on yet. I didn’t know if betraying that would help
or hinder me, though. I decided to play cool for as long as I
reasonably could here.
“That’s you in the picture,” I said, careful not to make it a
question.
“Of course,” he said.
“You haven’t aged.” I dared a quick look at the picture,
just to ascertain that for myself. It still baffled me. Only
Strigoi were ageless, staying immortal at the age they’d
turned. “That’s … that’s impossible. You’re Moroi.”
“Oh, I’ve aged,” he said bitterly. “Not a lot. Not enough
that you can really spot it, but believe me, I can. It’s not like
how it used to be.”
I was still clueless, still not sure of how we had reached a
point where Lee—starry-eyed and lovesick for Jill—was
suddenly threatening me with a knife. Nor did I understand
how he looked exactly the same as he did in a five-year-old
picture. There was only one terrible thing I was beginning to
be certain of.
“You … killed Kelly Hayes.” The fear in my chest
intensified. I lifted my gaze from the blade to look into his
eyes. “But surely … surely not Melody … or Tamara …”
He nodded. “And Dina. But you wouldn’t know her, would
you? She was only human, and you don’t keep track of
human deaths. Only vampires.”
It was hard not to look at the knife again. All I kept
thinking about was how sharp it was and how close it was
to me. One swipe, and I’d end up just like those other girls,
my life bleeding away before me. I groped desperately for
something to say, wishing again I’d learned the social skills
that came so easily to others.
“Tamara was your cousin,” I managed. “Why would you
kill your own cousin?”
A moment of regret flashed across his features. “I didn’t
want to—I mean, I did … but, well, I wasn’t myself when I
came back. I just knew I had to be awakened again.
Tamara was there at the wrong place and the wrong time. I
went for the first Moroi I could get … but it didn’t work.
That’s when I tried the others. I thought for sure one of them
would do it. Human, dhampir, Moroi … none of them
worked.”
There was a terrible desperation in his voice, and
despite my fear, some part of me wanted to help him … but
I was hopelessly lost. “Lee, I’m sorry. I don’t understand,
why you’d need to ‘try others.’ Please put the knife down,
and let’s talk. Maybe I can help you.”
He gave me a sad smile. “You can. I didn’t want it to be
you, though. I wanted it to be Keith. He certainly deserves to
die more than you do. And Jill … well, Jill likes you. I wanted
to respect that and spare you.”
“You still can,” I said. “She—she wouldn’t want you to do
this. She’d be upset if she knew—”
Suddenly, Lee was on me, pinning me to the chair with
the knife at my throat. “You don’t know!” he cried. “She
doesn’t know. But she will, and she’ll be glad. She’ll thank
me, and we’ll be young and together forever. You’re my
chance. The others didn’t work, but you …” He trailed the
knife’s blade near my tattoo. “You’re special. Your blood is
magic. I need an Alchemist, and you’re my only chance
now.”
“What … chance … are you talking about?” I gasped out.
“My chance for immortality!” he cried. “God, Sydney. You
can’t even imagine it. What it’s like to have that and then
lose it. To have infinite strength and power … to not age, to
know you’ll live forever. And then, gone! Taken away from
me. If I ever find that bastard spirit user who did this to me,
I’ll kill him. I’ll kill him and I’ll drink from him since after
tonight, I’ll be whole once more. I’ll be reawakened.”
A chill ran down my spine. In light of everything, you would
have thought I’d already be at maximum terror level. Nope.
Turns out there was still more to come. Because with those
words, I began to put together a fragile theory of what he
might be talking about. “Awakened” was a term used in the
vampire world, under very special circumstances.
“You used to be Strigoi,” I whispered, not even sure if I
believed it myself.
He pulled back slightly, gray eyes wide and glittering
feverishly. “I used to be a god! And I will be again. I swear it.
I’m sorry, I really am. I’m sorry it’s you and not Keith. I’m
sorry you found out about Kelly. If you hadn’t, I could have
found another Alchemist in LA. But don’t you see? I have no
other options now …” The knife was still at my throat. “I
need your blood. I can’t go on like this … not as a mortal
Moroi. I have to be changed back.”
A knock sounded at the door.
“Not a word,” Lee hissed. “They’ll go away.”
Seconds later, the knock repeated, followed by: “Sage, I
know you’re in there. I saw your car. I know you’re pissed
off, but just listen to me.”
Dingdong, distraction calling.
“Adrian!” I screamed, jumping up from the chair. I made
no attempt to disarm Lee. My only goal was safety. I
pushed past him before he could react, heading for the
door, but he was more prepared than I’d expected. He
leapt toward me and tackled me to the ground, the knife
catching me in the arm as I fell. I yelped in pain as I felt the
tip of the blade dig into my skin. I struggled against him,
only succeeding in making the knife tear into me more.
The door suddenly opened, and I was grateful that I’d left
it unlocked after letting Lee in. Adrian entered, coming to a
standstill as he took in the scene.
“Don’t come closer,” warned Lee, pushing the knife
against my throat again. I could feel warm blood oozing
from my arm. “Shut the door. Then … sit down and put your
hands behind your head. I’ll kill her if you don’t.”
“He’s going to do it anyway—ahh!” My words were cut off
as the knife pierced my skin, not enough to kill me yet but
enough to cause pain.
“Okay, okay,” said Adrian, holding up his hands. He
looked more sober and serious than I’d ever seen. When
he was settled on the floor, hands behind his head as
directed, he said gently, “Lee, I don’t know what you’re
doing, but you need to stop it now before it goes any
further. You don’t have a gun. You can’t really hold us both
here under the threat of a knife.”
“It’s worked before,” Lee said. Still keeping the knife on
me, he reached into his coat pocket with his other hand and
produced a pair of handcuffs. That was unexpected. He slid
them over to Adrian. “Put these on.” When Adrian didn’t
react right away, Lee pushed on the knife until I yelped.
“Now!”
Adrian put the handcuffs on.
“I’d meant them for her, but you coming by might be a
good thing,” said Lee. “I’ll probably be hungry once I’m
reawakened.”
Adrian arched an eyebrow. “Reawakened?”
“He used to be Strigoi,” I managed to say. “He’s been
killing girls—slitting their throats—to try to become one
again.”
“Be quiet,” snapped Lee.
“Why would you cut their throats?” asked Adrian. “You
have fangs.”
“Because it didn’t work! I did use my fangs. I drank from
them … but it didn’t work. I didn’t reawaken again. So then I
had to cover my trail. The guardians can tell, you know.
Moroi and Strigoi bites? I needed the knife to subdue them
anyway, so then I cut their necks to hide the trail … make
them think it was a crazy Strigoi. Or a vampire hunter.”
I could see Adrian processing all this. I don’t know if he
believed it or not, but he had the potential to roll with crazy
ideas regardless. “If the others didn’t work, then Sydney
won’t either.”
“She has to,” said Lee fervently. He shifted so that I was
rolled onto my back, still pinned by his greater body weight.
“Her blood’s special. I know it is. And if it doesn’t … I’ll get
help. I’ll get help reawakening, and then I’ll awaken Jill so
we can always be together.”
Adrian jumped to his feet, full of a surprising fury. “Jill?
Don’t hurt her! Don’t even touch her!”
“Sit down,” barked Lee. Adrian obeyed. “I wouldn’t hurt
her. I love her. That’s why I’m going to make sure she stays
exactly the way she is. Forever. I’ll awaken her after I’m
reawakened.”
I tried to catch Adrian’s eye, wondering if I could pass
some silent message. If we both surged at Lee together—
even with Adrian cuffed—then maybe we had a chance at
subduing him. Lee was seconds away from tearing into my
throat, I was certain, in the hopes that … what? That he
could drink my blood and become Strigoi?
“Lee,” I said in a small voice. Too much movement in my
throat would result in a bite from the knife. “It didn’t work
with the other girls. I don’t think the fact that I’m an
Alchemist matters. Whatever that spirit user did to save you
… you can’t go back now. It doesn’t matter whose blood
you drink.”
“He didn’t save me!” roared Lee. “He ruined my life. I’ve
been trying to get it back for six years. I was almost ready
for the last resort … until you and Keith came along. And
I’ve still got that last option left. I don’t want it to come to
that, though. For all our sakes.”
I wasn’t the last resort? Honestly, I didn’t really see how
any other alternative plans here could be much worse for
me. Meanwhile, Adrian still wasn’t looking in my direction,
which frustrated me—until I realized what he was trying to
do.
“This is a mistake,” he told Lee. “Look at me, and tell me
you really want to do this to her.”
Cuffed or not, Adrian didn’t have the speed and strength
of a dhampir, someone who could leap over and disarm
Lee before the knife could do its damage. Adrian also
didn’t have the power to wield a physical element, say, like
fire, one that could be used as a concrete weapon. Adrian
did, however, have the ability to compel. Compulsion was
an innate ability all vampires had and one that spirit users
in particular were adept at. Unfortunately, it worked best
with eye contact, and Lee wasn’t playing ball. His attention
was all on me, blocking Adrian’s efforts.
“I made my decision a long time ago,” said Lee. With his
free hand, he dabbed his fingers in the bloody patch on my
arm. He brought his fingertips to his lips, a look of grim
resignation on his face. He licked the blood from his hand,
which wasn’t nearly as gross to me as it would’ve been
under other circumstances. With so much going on right
now, it was honestly no more terrible than the rest and just
rolled off of me.
A look of total shock and surprise crossed Lee’s features
… soon turning to disgust.
“No,” he gasped. He repeated the motion, rubbing more
blood on his fingers and licking it. “There’s something …
there’s something wrong …”
He leaned his mouth to my neck, and I whimpered,
fearing the inevitable. But it wasn’t his teeth I felt, only the
lightest brushing of his lips and tongue at the wound he’d
created, like some sort of perverse kiss. He jerked back
immediately, staring at me in horror.
“What’s wrong with you?” he whispered. “What’s wrong
with your blood?” He made a third attempt to taste my
blood but was unable to finish. He scowled. “I can’t do it. I
can’t stomach any of it. Why?”
Neither Adrian nor I had an answer. Lee sagged in
defeat for a moment, and I suddenly allowed myself to think
he might just give up and call all this madness off. With a
deep breath, he straightened up, new resolve in his eyes. I
tensed, half-expecting him to say he was going to try to
drink Adrian now, even though a Moroi—two, if you counted
Melody—had apparently been on the menu of his past
failures.
Instead, Lee pulled his cell phone out of his pocket, still
keeping the knife at my throat and preventing me from
attempting any sort of escape. He dialed a number and
waited for an answer.
“Dawn? It’s Lee. Yes … yes, I know. Well, I have two for
you, ready and waiting. A Moroi and an Alchemist. No—not
the old man. Yes. Yes, still alive. It has to be tonight. They
know about me. You can have them … but you know the
deal. You know what I want … yes. Uh-huh. Okay.” Lee
rattled off our address and disconnected. A pleased smile
crossed his face. “We’re lucky. They’re east of LA, so it
won’t take them long to get here—especially since they
don’t care much about speed limits.”
“Who are ‘they’?” asked Adrian. “I remember you calling
some Dawn lady in LA. I thought she was one of your hot
college friends?”
“They’re the makers of destiny,” said Lee dreamily.
“How delightfully enigmatic and nonsensical,” muttered
Adrian.
Lee glared and then carefully studied Adrian. “Take off
your tie.”
I realized I’d spent so much time with Adrian now that I
was ready for some comment like, “Oh, glad to know things
aren’t so formal anymore.” Apparently, the situation was
dire enough—and the knife at my throat serious enough—
that Adrian didn’t argue. He’d handcuffed his wrists in front
of him and, after some complex maneuvering with his
hands, was finally able to undo the tie he’d donned for Jill’s
show. He tossed it over.
“Careful,” Adrian said. “It’s silk.” So, not completely
devoid of snark.
Lee rolled me over to my stomach, finally freeing me of
the knife but giving me no time to react. With remarkable
skill, he soon had my hands tied behind my back with
Adrian’s tie. Doing so required some pulling and
restraining of my arms, which hurt quite a bit after the
stabbing. He backed off when finished, allowing me to
gingerly sit up, but an experimental tug of the tie showed
that I wasn’t going to undo those knots anytime soon.
Uneasily, I wondered how many girls he’d tied up before in
his sick attempt to become Strigoi.
Weird, awkward silence fell as we waited for Lee’s
“makers of destiny” to show up. The minutes ticked by, and
I frantically tried to figure out what to do. How long did we
have until the people he’d called arrived? From what he’d
told me, I’d guess at least an hour. Feeling bold, I finally
attempted communication with Adrian, again hoping
maybe we could covertly team up on Lee—even though our
success rate had just become that much lower with both our
sets of hands bound.
“How did you even get here?” I asked.
Adrian’s gaze was fixed on Lee, still hoping for direct eye
contact, but he did spare a quick, wry glance at me. “Same
way I get around everywhere, Sage. The bus.”
“Why?”
“Because I don’t have a car.”
“Adrian!” Amazing. Even with our lives in danger, he
could still infuriate me.
He shrugged and returned his focus to Lee, even though
his words were obviously for me. “To apologize. Because I
was a total asshole to you at Jailbait’s show. Not long after
you left, I knew I had to come find you.” He paused
eloquently and glanced around. “No good deed goes
unpunished, I guess.”
I suddenly felt at a loss. Lee turning psychopathic
certainly wasn’t my fault, but it troubled me that Adrian was
now in this situation because he’d come to apologize to
me. “It’s okay. You weren’t … um, that bad,” I said lamely,
hoping to make him feel better.
A small smile played over his lips. “You’re a terrible liar,
Sage, but I’m still touched you’d attempt it for my sake. A
for effort.”
“Yeah, well, what happened back there seems kind of
small, in light of the current situation,” I muttered. “It’s easy
to forgive.”
Lee’s frown had been growing as he listened to us. “Do
the others know you’re here?” he asked Adrian.
“No,” said Adrian. “I said I was going back to
Clarence’s.”
I didn’t know if he was lying or not. For a moment, I didn’t
think it would matter. The others had heard me say I was
coming here, but none of them would have any reason to
come seeking us.
No reason, except the bond.
I caught my breath and met Adrian’s eyes. He looked
away, perhaps for fear of betraying what I’d just realized. It
didn’t matter if the gang had known where I was earlier. If
Jill was connected to Adrian, she would know now. And she
would know that we were in trouble. But that was assuming
it was one of the times when she could see into his mind.
They’d both admitted it was inconsistent and that high
emotion could bring it out. Well, if this didn’t count as a
highly emotional situation, I couldn’t think what would. Even
if she realized what was happening, there were a lot of if’s
involved. Jill would have to get here, and she couldn’t do it
alone. Calling the police would bring the fastest response,
but she might hesitate if she knew this was vampire
business. She’d need Eddie. How long would it take to get
him if they were back in their dorms?
I didn’t know. I just knew that we had to stay alive
because if we did, one way or another, Jill would get help
here. Only, I no longer knew our odds of survival. Adrian
and I were both confined, trapped with a guy who wasn’t
afraid to kill with a knife and who desperately wanted to
become a Strigoi again. That was a bad combination, and
it threatened to get worse …
“Who’s coming, Lee?” I asked. “Who did you call?” When
he didn’t answer, I made the next logical leap. “Strigoi. You
have Strigoi coming.”
“It’s the only way,” he said, tossing his knife from hand to
hand. “The only way left now. I’m sorry. I can’t be like this
anymore. I can’t be mortal anymore. Too much time has
already passed.”
Of course. Moroi could become Strigoi in one of two
ways. One was by drinking the blood of another person and
killing them in the process. Lee had tried that, using every
combination of victims he could get ahold of, and had
failed. That left him with one last desperate option:
conversion by another Strigoi. Usually, it happened by
force, when a Strigoi killed someone and then fed their own
blood back to the victim. That was what Lee wanted done
to him now, trading our lives to the Strigoi who would
convert him. And then he wanted to do it to Jill, out of some
crazy misguided love …
“But it’s not worth it,” I said, desperation and fear making
me bold. “It’s not worth the cost of killing innocents and
endangering your soul.”
Lee’s gaze fell on me, and there was a look of such
chilling indifference in it that I had a hard time connecting
this person before me to the one I’d smiled indulgently on
as he courted Jill.
“Isn’t it, Sydney? How would you know? You’ve deprived
yourself of enjoyment for most of your life. You’re aloof from
others. You’ve never let yourself be selfish, and look where
it’s got you. Your ‘morals’ have left you with a short, strict
life. Can you tell me now, just before you’re about to die,
that you don’t wish you’d maybe allowed yourself a little
more fun?”
“But the immortal soul—”
“What do I care about that?” he demanded. “Why bother
living some miserable regimented life in this world, in the
hopes that maybe our souls go on in some heavenly realm,
when I can take control now—ensure that I live forever in
this world, with all of its pleasures, staying strong and young
forever? That’s real. That’s something I can put my faith in.”
“It’s wrong,” I said. “It’s not worth it.”
“You wouldn’t say that if you’d experienced what I have. If
you’d been Strigoi, you never would’ve wanted to lose that
either.”
“How did you lose it?” asked Adrian. “What spirit user
saved you?”
Lee snorted. “You mean robbed me. I don’t know. It all
happened so fast. But as soon as I find him I’ll—ahh!”
A yearbook is not the greatest of weapons, particularly
one the size of Amberwood’s, but in a pinch—and with
surprise—it’ll do.
I’d noted earlier that I wasn’t going to be able to undo the
knots in the tie anytime soon. That was true. It had taken me
this whole time, but I’d done it. For whatever reason, knotmaking
was a useful skill in the Alchemist curriculum, one
I’d practiced growing up with my father. As soon as I was
free of Adrian’s tie, I reached for the first thing I could:
Kelly’s junior yearbook. I sprang up and slammed it into
Lee’s head. He cringed back at the impact, dropping the
knife as he did, and I used the opportunity to sprint across
the living room and grab Adrian’s arm. He needed no help
from me and was already trying to get to his feet.
We didn’t get far before Lee was right back on us. The
knife had slid somewhere unseen, and he simply relied on
his own strength. He caught hold of me and ripped me from
Adrian, one hand on my wounded arm and one in my hair,
causing me to stumble. Adrian came after us, doing his
best to hit Lee, even with bound hands. We weren’t the
most efficient fighting force, but if we could just momentarily
delay Lee, there was a chance we might make it out of
here.
Lee was distracted by both of us, trying to fight and fend
us off at the same time. Unbidden, Eddie’s lesson came
back to me, about how a well-placed punch could cause
serious damage to someone stronger than you. Sizing up
the situation in seconds, I decided I had an opening. I
closed my hand the way Eddie had taught me in that quick
lesson, positioning my body in a way that would direct the
weight in an efficient way. I swung.
“Ow!”
I yelled in pain as my fist made contact. If this was the
“safe” way to punch, I couldn’t imagine how much a sloppy
one hurt. Fortunately, it seemed to cause just as much—if
not more—pain to Lee. He fell backward, hitting the comfy
chair in a way that made him lose his balance and collapse
to the ground. I was stunned at what I had done, but Adrian
was still in motion. He nudged me to the door, taking
advantage of Lee’s temporary disorientation.
“Come on, Sage. This is it.”
We hurried to the door, ready to make our escape while
Lee shouted profanities at us. I reached for the knob, but
the door opened before I could touch it.
And two Strigoi entered the room.
CHAPTER 25
I HAD MOCKED KEITH when we first came to Palm
Springs, teasing him for freezing up around Moroi. But as I
stood there now, face-to-face with the stuff of nightmares, I
knew exactly how he felt. I had no right to judge anyone for
losing all rational thought when confronted with their
greatest fears.
That being said, if Keith was here, I think he would’ve
understood why Moroi weren’t as big a deal to me
anymore. Because when compared to Strigoi? Well,
suddenly the little differences between humans and Moroi
became negligible. Only one difference mattered, the
difference between the living and the dead. It was the line
that divided us, the line that Adrian and I firmly stood
together on one side of—facing those who stood on the
other.
I had seen Strigoi before. Back then, I hadn’t been
immediately threatened by them. Plus, I’d had Rose and
Dimitri on hand, ready to protect me. Now? There was no
one here to save us. Just ourselves.
There were only two of them, but it might as well have
been two hundred. Strigoi operated at such a different level
than the rest of us that it didn’t take very many of them to tip
the odds. They were both women, and they looked as
though they’d been in their twenties when they became
Strigoi. How long ago that was, I couldn’t guess. Lee had
zealously gone on and on about how being Strigoi meant
you were “forever young.” Yet in looking at these two
monsters, I didn’t really think of them that way. Sure, they
had the superficial appearance of youth, but it was marred
with evil and decay. Their skin might be wrinkle free, but it
was a sickly white, far whiter than any Moroi. The redringed
eyes that leered out at us didn’t sparkle with life and
energy, but rather an unholy sort of reanimation. These
people weren’t right. They weren’t natural.
“Charming,” said one, her blond hair in a pixie cut. Her
facial structure made me think she’d been a dhampir or
human before being turned. She was eyeing us the same
way I’d often seen my family’s cat watch birds. “And exactly
as described.”
“They’re soooo pretty,” crooned the other, a lascivious
smile on her face. Her height said she had once been
Moroi. “I don’t know which one I want first.”
The blonde gave a warning look. “We’ll share.”
“Like last time,” agreed the other, tossing a mane of curly
black hair over one shoulder.
“No,” said the first. “Last time you made both kills. That
wasn’t sharing.”
“But I let you feed from both afterward.”
Before she could counter back, Lee suddenly recovered
himself and staggered forward to the blond Strigoi. “Wait,
wait. Dawn. You promised me. You promised you’d
awaken me first before you do anything.”
The two Strigoi turned their attention to Lee. I was still
frozen, still unable to move or really react while being so
close to these creatures of hell. But somehow, through the
thick and overwhelming terror surrounding me, I still
managed to feel small and unexpected pity for Lee. There
was a little hate there too, of course, considering the
situation. But mostly I felt terribly sorry for someone who
truly believed his life was meaningless unless he sacrificed
his soul for hollow immortality. Not only that, I felt sorry for
him for actually thinking he could trust these creatures to
give him what he wanted. Because as I studied them, it was
perfectly clear to me that they were deciding whether or not
to make this a three-course meal. Lee, I suspected, was
the only one who didn’t realize this.
“Please,” he said. “You promised. Save me. Restore me
to how I was.”
I also couldn’t help but notice the small red patch on his
face where I’d hit him. I allowed myself to feel a bit of pride
over that but wasn’t cocky enough to think I possessed any
noteworthy fighting skills to battle my way out of this
situation. The Strigoi were too close, and our exits were too
few.
“I know where more are,” he added, beginning to look
uneasy that his “saviors” weren’t immediately jumping in to
make his dreams come true. “One’s young—a dhampir.”
“I haven’t had a dhampir in a while,” said the curly-haired
Strigoi, almost wistfully.
Dawn sighed. “I don’t really care, Jacqueline. If you want
to awaken him, go for it. I just want these two. He doesn’t
matter to me.”
“I get the dhampir all to myself, then,” warned Jacqueline.
“Fine, fine,” said Dawn. “Just hurry up.”
Lee turned so radiant, so happy … it was sickening.
“Thank you,” he said. “Thank you so much! I’ve been waiting
so long for this that I can’t believe it’s—ahh!”
Jacqueline moved so quickly that I hardly saw it happen
at all. One moment she was standing in the doorway, the
next she had Lee pinned against the recliner. Lee gave out
a semi-muffled scream as she bit into his neck, a scream
that soon quieted. Dawn shut the door and nudged us
forward. I flinched at her touch.
“Well,” she said with amusement. “Let’s get a good
view.”
Neither Adrian nor I responded. We simply moved into
the living room. I dared a glance at him but could discern
little. He was so good at hiding his true feelings in general
that I supposed I shouldn’t be surprised he could mask
abject terror just as easily. He offered me no
encouragement with either his expression or words, which I
actually found kind of refreshing. Because really, I didn’t
see any good end to this situation.
Up close, forced to watch Jacqueline’s attack, I could
now see the blissful expression that had settled over Lee’s
face. It was the most awful thing I’d ever witnessed. I
wanted to squeeze my eyes shut or turn away, but some
force beyond me kept me staring at the grisly spectacle. I’d
never seen any vampire feed, Moroi or Strigoi, but I now
understood why feeders like Dorothy could so willingly sign
up for their lifestyles. Endorphins were being released into
Lee’s bloodstream, endorphins so strong that they blinded
him to the fact that he was having his life drained away. He
instead existed in a joyous state, lost in a chemical high. Or
maybe he was just thinking about how happy he’d be once
he was a Strigoi again, if it was possible to have any sort of
conscious thought under these circumstances.
I lost track of how long it took to drain Lee. Each moment
was agonizing for me, as though I was taking the pain Lee
should have been feeling. The process seemed to last
forever, and yet there was also a weird sense of speed to
it. It felt wrong that someone’s body could be drained in so
short a time. Jacqueline drank steadily, pausing only once
to remark, “His blood’s not as good as I expected.”
“Then stop,” suggested Dawn, who was starting to look
bored. “Just let him die and have these two with me.”
Jacqueline looked as though she was actually
considering it, again reminding me what a fool Lee had
been to put his trust in these two. After a few minutes, she
shrugged. “I’m almost done. And I really want him to get me
that dhampir.”
Jacqueline resumed drinking, but as she’d said, it didn’t
take much longer. By this point, Lee was nearly as pale as
the Strigoi, and there was a strange, stretched quality to his
skin. He was perfectly still now. His face seemed frozen in
a grin that was nearly as much shock as it was joy.
Jacqueline lifted her face and wiped off her mouth,
surveying her victim with pleasure. She then pushed up her
shirtsleeve and rested her nails on his wrist. Before she
could tear her own flesh, however, she caught sight of
something.
“Ah, much neater.” She stepped away and leaned down,
retrieving Lee’s knife. It had slid under the love seat in our
altercation. Jacqueline took it and effortlessly slashed her
wrist, causing deep red blood to well out. Part of my brain
didn’t think their blood should look so similar to mine. It
should be black. Or acidic.
She placed her bleeding wrist against Lee’s mouth and
tipped Lee’s head back so that gravity could help the blood
flow. Every horror I’d witnessed tonight had been worse
than the last. Death was terrible—but it was also part of
nature. This? This was no part of nature’s plan. I was about
to witness the world’s greatest sin, the corruption of the soul
through black magic to reanimate the dead. It made me
feel dirty all over, and I wished I could run away. I didn’t want
to see this. I didn’t want to see the guy I’d once regarded as
something like a friend suddenly rise up as some
perversion of nature.
A touch to my hand made me jump. It was Adrian. His
eyes were on Lee and Jacqueline, but his hand had caught
hold of mine and squeezed it, even though he was still
cuffed. I was surprised at the warmth of his skin. Even
though I knew Moroi were as living and warm-blooded as
me, my irrational fears always expected them to be cold.
Equally surprising was the sudden comfort and connection
in that touch. It wasn’t the kind of touch that said, Hey, I’ve
got a plan, so hang in there because we’re going to get out
of this. It was more like the kind of touch that simply said,
You aren’t alone. It was really the only thing he could offer.
And in that moment, it was enough.
Then, something strange happened. Or rather, didn’t
happen.
Jacqueline’s blood was pouring steadily into Lee’s
mouth, and while we didn’t have many documented cases
of Strigoi conversions, I knew the basics. The victim’s
blood was drained, and then the killing Strigoi fed his or her
blood back into the deceased. I didn’t know exactly how
long it took to work—it certainly didn’t require all of the
Strigoi’s blood—but at some point, Lee should be stirring
and getting up as one of the walking dead.
Jacqueline’s cool, smug expression began to change to
curiosity and then became outright confusion. She glanced
questioningly at Dawn.
“What’s taking so long?” Dawn asked.
“I don’t know,” Jacqueline said, turning back to Lee. With
her free hand, she nudged Lee’s shoulder as though that
might serve as a wake-up call. Nothing happened.
“Haven’t you done this before?” asked Dawn.
“Of course,” snapped Jacqueline. “It didn’t take nearly
this long. He should be up and moving around. Something’s
wrong.” I remembered Lee’s words, describing how all his
desperate attempts at taking innocent lives hadn’t
converted him back. I only knew a little about spirit—and
even less about it restoring Strigoi—but something told me
there was no force on earth that would ever turn Lee Strigoi
again.
Another long minute passed as we watched and waited.
At last, disgusted, Jacqueline backed away from the
recliner and rolled up her sleeve. She glared at Lee’s
motionless body. “Something’s wrong,” she repeated. “And
I don’t want to waste any more blood figuring out what it is.
Besides, my cut’s already healing.”
I wanted nothing more than for Dawn and Jacqueline to
forget I existed, but the next words slipped out of my mouth
before I could stop them. The scientist in me was too
caught up in a revelation. “He was restored—and it affected
him permanently. The spirit magic left some kind of mark,
and now he can’t be turned again.”
Both Strigoi looked at me. I cringed under those red
eyes.
“I never believed any of those spirit stories,” said Dawn.
Jacqueline, however, was still clearly puzzled by her
failure. “There was something wrong with him, though. I
can’t explain it … but the whole time, he didn’t feel right.
Didn’t taste right.”
“Forget him,” said Dawn. “He had his chance. He got
what he wanted, and now I’m moving on.”
I saw my death in her eyes and tried to reach for my
cross. “God protect me,” I said, just as she lunged forward.
Against all odds, Adrian was there to stop her—or, well,
try to stop her. Mostly, he just got in her way. He didn’t have
the speed or reaction time to effectively block her and was
especially clumsy with his cuffed hands. I think he’d just
seen what I had, that she was going to attack, and had
preemptively moved in front of me in some noble but illfated
attempt at protection.
And ill-fated it was. With one smooth motion, she shoved
him aside in a way that looked effortless but knocked him
halfway across the room. My breath caught. He hit the floor,
and I started to scream. Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain
against my throat. Without a pause, Dawn had promptly
grabbed me and nearly lifted me off my feet to get access
to my neck. I mustered another frantic prayer as that pain
spread, but within seconds, both prayer and pain
disappeared from my brain. They were replaced by a
sweet, sweet feeling of contentment and bliss and wonder. I
had no thoughts, except that I was suddenly existing in the
happiest, most exquisite state imaginable. I wanted more.
More, more, more. I wanted to drown in it, to forget myself,
to forget everything around me—
“Ugh,” I cried out as I suddenly and unexpectedly hit the
floor. Still in that blissful haze, I felt no pain—yet.
Just as quickly as she’d grabbed me, Dawn had
dropped and pushed me away. Instinctively, I reached out
an arm to break my fall but failed. I was too weak and
disoriented and sprawled ungracefully on the carpet.
Dawn’s fingers were touching her lips, a look of outrage
twisting her already-horrific features.
“What,” she demanded, “was that?”
My brain wasn’t working properly yet. I’d only had a brief
taste of endorphin, but it was still enough to leave me
addled. I had no answer for her.
“What’s wrong?” exclaimed Jacqueline, striding forward.
She looked from me to Dawn in confusion.
Dawn scowled and then spit onto the floor. It was red
from my blood. Disgusting.
“Her blood … it was terrible. Inedible. Foul.” She spit
again.
Jacqueline’s eyes widened. “Just like the other one.
See? I told you.”
“No.” Dawn shook her head. “There’s no way it could be
the same. You would never have been able to drink that
much of her.” She spit again. “It didn’t just taste weird or
bad … it was like it’s tainted.” Seeing Jacqueline’s
skeptical look, Dawn punched her on the arm. “Don’t
believe me? Try her yourself.”
Jacqueline took a step toward me, hesitant. Then Dawn
spit again, and I think that somehow convinced the other
Strigoi that she wanted no part of me. “I don’t want another
mediocre meal. Damn it. This is becoming absurd.”
Jacqueline glanced at Adrian, who was standing perfectly
still. “At least we’ve still got him.”
“If he’s not ruined too,” Dawn muttered.
My senses were coming back to me, and for half a
second, I wondered if there was some insane way we might
survive this. Maybe the Strigoi would write us off as bad
meals. But no. Even as I allowed myself to hope that, I also
knew that even if they didn’t feed off of us, we weren’t going
to leave here alive. They had no reason to simply walk off.
They’d kill us for sport before they left.
With that same remarkable speed, Jacqueline sprang
toward Adrian. “Time to find out.”
I screamed as Jacqueline pinned Adrian against the wall
and bit his neck. She only did so for a few seconds, just to
get a taste. Jacqueline lifted her head up, pausing and
savoring the blood. A slow smile spread over her face,
showing her bloody fangs.
“This one’s good. Very good. Makes up for the other.”
She trailed her fingers down his cheek. “Such a shame,
though. He’s so cute.”
Dawn stalked toward them. “Let me try before you take it
all!”
Jacqueline ignored her and was leaning back toward
Adrian, who had gone all glassy-eyed. Meanwhile, I was
free enough of the endorphins that I was thinking clearly
again. No one was paying attention to me. I tried to stand
and felt the world sway. Staying low, I managed to crawl
toward my purse, lying forgotten near the living room’s
edge. Jacqueline had drunk from Adrian again, but only
briefly before Dawn pulled her away and demanded a turn
so that she could wash the taste of my blood out of her
mouth.
Startling myself with how fast I moved, I rustled through
my cavernous purse, looking desperately for anything that
might help. Some cold, logical part of me said there was no
way we could get out of this, but there was also no way I
could just sit there and watch them drain Adrian. I had to
fight. I had to try to save him, just as he’d tried for me. It
didn’t matter if the effort failed or if I died. Somehow, I had
to try.
Some Alchemists carried guns, but not me. My purse
was huge, full of more stuff than I really needed, but nothing
in the contents resembled a weapon. Even if it did, most
weapons were futile against Strigoi. A gun would slow them
down but not kill them. Only silver stakes, decapitation, and
fire could kill a Strigoi.
Fire …
My hand closed around the amulet I’d made for Ms.
Terwilliger. I’d shoved it in my purse when she gave it to
me, unsure what I should do with it. I could only assume
blood loss and scattered thoughts made me draw it out
now and consider the possibility of using it. Even the idea
was ridiculous. You couldn’t use something that didn’t work!
It was a trinket, a worthless bag of rocks and leaves. There
was no magic here, and I was a fool to even think along
those lines.
And yet, it was a bag of rocks.
Not a heavy one, but surely enough to get someone’s
attention if it hit her in the head. It was the best I had. The
only thing I had to slow Adrian’s death. Drawing back my
arm, I aimed at Dawn and threw, reciting the foolish
incantation like a battle cry: “Into flame, into flame!”
It was a good shot. Miss Carson would have been proud.
But I had no chance to admire my athletic skills because I
was too distracted by the fact that Dawn had caught on fire.
My jaw dropped as I stared at the impossible. It wasn’t a
huge fire. It wasn’t like her entire body was engulfed in
flames. But where the amulet had struck her, a small blaze
ignited, spreading rapidly through her hair. She screamed
and began frantically patting her head. Strigoi feared fire,
and for a moment, Jacqueline recoiled. Then, with grim
determination, she released Adrian and grabbed a throw
blanket. She wrapped it around Dawn’s head, smothering
the flames.
“What the hell?” Dawn demanded when she emerged.
She immediately began charging toward me in her anger. I
knew then the only thing I’d accomplished was to speed up
my own death.
Dawn grabbed ahold of me and slammed my head
against the wall. My world reeled, and I felt nauseous. She
reached for me again but froze when the door suddenly
burst open. Eddie appeared in the doorway, a silver stake
in his hand.
What was truly amazing about what followed was the
speed. There was no pausing, no long moments to assess
the situation, and no snarky banter between combatants.
Eddie simply charged in and went for Jacqueline.
Jacqueline responded with equal quickness, rushing
forward to meet her one worthy foe here.
After she’d released him, Adrian had slumped to the
floor, still in the throes of the Strigoi endorphins. Keeping
low to the ground, I scurried over to his side and helped
drag him back to the “safety” of the far side of the living
room while Eddie clashed with the Strigoi. I spared them
only a moment’s glance, just enough to take in the deadly
dancelike nature of their maneuvering. Both Strigoi were
trying to get a grip on Eddie, probably in the hopes of
breaking his neck, but were careful to stay away from the
bite of his silver stake.
I looked down at Adrian, who was dangerously pale and
whose pupils had reduced to the size of pinpoints. I had
only a sketchy impression of how much Jacqueline had
drunk from him and didn’t know if Adrian’s state was more
from blood loss or endorphins.
“I’m fine, Sage,” he muttered, blinking as though the light
hurt. “Quite the high, though. Makes the stuff I’ve used seem
pretty soft-core.” He blinked, as though fighting to wake up.
His pupils dilated to a more normal size and then seemed
to focus on me. “Good God. Are you okay?”
“I will be,” I said, starting to stand. Yet even as I spoke, a
wave of dizziness hit me, and I swayed. Adrian did his best
to support me, though it was pretty awkward with his bound
hands. We leaned against each other, and I almost laughed
at how ridiculous the situation was, both of us trying to help
the other when neither of us was in any condition to do it.
Then something caught my eye that chased all other
thoughts away.
“Jill,” I whispered.
Adrian immediately followed my gaze to where Jill had
just appeared in the living room’s entry. I wasn’t surprised
to see her. The only way Eddie could be here was if Jill had
told him what was happening to Adrian through the spirit
bond. Standing there, with her eyes flashing, she looked
like some fierce, battle-ready goddess as she watched
Eddie spar with the Strigoi. It was both inspiring and
frightening. Adrian shared my thoughts.
“No, no, Jailbait,” he murmured. “Do not do anything
stupid. Castile needs to handle this.”
“She knows how to fight,” I said.
Adrian frowned. “But she doesn’t have a weapon.
Without one, she’s just a featherweight in this.”
He was right, of course. And while I certainly didn’t want
Jill endangering her life, I couldn’t help but think if she were
properly equipped, she might be able to do something. At
the very least, a distraction might be a benefit. Eddie was
holding his ground all right against the two Strigoi, but he
wasn’t making any progress against them either. He could
use help. And we needed to make sure Jill didn’t rush into
this with only her wits to defend her.
Inspiration hit me, and I managed to stay on my feet. The
world was spinning even more than before, but—despite
Adrian’s protests—I managed to stagger to the kitchen. I
just barely was able to get to the sink and flip the faucet on
before my legs gave out underneath me. I caught hold of the
counter’s edge, using it to keep me upright.
“Jill!” I yelled.
She turned toward my shout, saw the running water, and
instantly knew what to do. She lifted her hand. The stream
coming from the faucet suddenly shifted, shooting out of the
sink and across the living room. It went to Jill, who collected
a large amount of it between her hands and magically
forced the water into a long cylindrical shape. It held itself in
the air like that, a rippling but seemingly solid club of water.
Gripping it, she hurried toward the fight and swung her
weapon of water into Jacqueline’s back. Drops flew off of
the “club,” but it held on to its rigidity enough for her to get a
second hit in before completely exploding into a spray of
water.
Jacqueline spun around, her hand swinging out to strike
Jill. Jill had expected as much and dropped to the floor,
dodging in exactly the way I’d seen Eddie teach her. She
scurried backward, out of Jacqueline’s way, and the Strigoi
pursued—giving Eddie an exposed shot on her back.
Eddie took the opportunity, evading Dawn, and plunged his
stake into Jacqueline’s back. I’d never given it much
thought before, but if shoved hard enough, a stake could
pierce someone’s heart just as easily from the back as the
chest. Jacqueline went rigid, and Eddie jerked his stake
out, just managing to avoid the full force of a strike from
Dawn. She still caught him a little, and he stumbled briefly
before quickly regaining his footing and setting his sights
on her. Jill was forgotten and hurried over to us in the
kitchen.
“Are you okay?” she exclaimed, peering at both of us.
That fierce look was gone. She was now just an ordinary
girl concerned for her friends. “Oh my God. I was so worried
about you both. The emotions were so strong. I couldn’t get
a fix on what was happening, just that something was
horribly wrong.”
I dragged my gaze to Eddie, who was dancing around
with Dawn. “We have to help him—”
I took two steps away from the counter and started to fall.
Both Jill and Adrian reached out to catch me.
“Jesus, Sage,” he exclaimed. “You’re in bad shape.”
“Not as bad as you,” I protested, still worried about
helping Eddie. “They drank more from you—”
“Yeah, but I don’t have a bleeding arm wound,” he
pointed out. “Or a possible concussion.”
It was true. In all the excitement, I was so full of adrenaline
that I’d all but forgotten about where Lee had stabbed me.
No wonder I was so dizzy. Or maybe that was from getting
my head smacked into the wall. It was anyone’s guess at
this point.
“Here,” said Adrian gently. He reached for my arms with
his cuffed hands. “I can take care of this.”
A slow, tingling warmth spread through my skin. At first,
Adrian’s touch was comforting, like an embrace. I felt my
tension and pain begin to ease. All was right in the world.
He was in control. He was taking care of me.
He was using his magic on me.
“No!” I shrieked, pulling away from him with a strength I
didn’t know I had. The horror and full realization of what was
happening to me was too powerful. “Don’t touch me! Don’t
touch me with your magic!”
“Sage, you’ll feel better, believe me,” he said, reaching
toward me again.
I backed away, clinging to the edge of the counter for
support. The fleeting memory of that warmth and comfort
was being dwarfed by the terror I’d carried my entire life for
vampire magic. “No, no, no. No magic! Not on me! The
tattoo will heal me! I’m strong!”
“Sage—”
“Stop, Adrian,” said Jill. She approached me tentatively.
“It’s okay, Sydney. He won’t heal you. I promise.”
“No magic,” I whispered.
“For God’s sake,” growled Adrian. “This is superstitious
bullshit.”
“No magic,” Jill said firmly. She took off the button-up
shirt she’d been wearing over a T-shirt. “Come here, and I’ll
use this to wrap it so that you don’t lose any more bl—”
An earsplitting shriek jerked us all back toward the living
room. Eddie had made his kill, driving his stake right into
the middle of Dawn’s chest. In my brief scuffle with Adrian
and Jill, Dawn must have gotten some shots in on Eddie
because there was a large red mark on one side of his
face, and his lip was bleeding. The expression in his eyes
was hard and triumphant, however, as he pulled the stake
out and watched Dawn fall.
Through all the confusion and horror, basic Alchemist
instincts took over. The danger was gone. There were
procedures that needed to be followed.
“The bodies,” I said. “We have to destroy them. There’s a
vial in my purse.”
“Whoa, whoa,” said Adrian as both he and Jill restrained
me. “Stay where you’re at. Castile can get it. The only place
you’re going is to a doctor.”
I didn’t move but immediately argued with that last
statement. “No! No doctors. At least, you have to—you
have to get an Alchemist one. My purse has the numbers
—” “Go get her purse,” Adrian told Jill, “before she has a fit
here. I’ll bind the arm.” I gave him a warning look. “Without
magic. Which, by the way, could make this ten times
easier.”
“I’ll heal on my own,” I said, watching as Jill retrieved my
purse.
“You realize,” added Adrian, “you’re going to have to get
over your dieting fixation and consume some major
calories to fight the blood loss. Sugar and fluids, just like
Clarence. Good thing someone bagged up all this candy on
the counter.”
Eddie walked over to Jill, and she paused as he asked if
she was okay. She assured him she was, and although
Eddie looked like he could kill about fifty more Strigoi, there
was also a look in his eyes … something I couldn’t believe
I’d never noticed before. Something I was going to have to
think about.
“Damn it,” said Adrian, fumbling with bandages. “Eddie,
go search Lee’s body and see if there’s a key for these
goddamned handcuffs.”
Jill had been caught up in talking to Eddie but froze at the
words “Lee’s body.” Her face went so pale, she could have
been one of the dead. In all the confusion, she hadn’t
noticed Lee’s body in the chair. There’d been too much
movement with the Strigoi, too much distraction by the
threat they presented. She took a few steps toward the
living room, and that’s when she saw him. Her mouth
opened, but no sound came out right away. Then she sped
forward and grabbed his hands, shrieking.
“No,” she cried. “No, no, no.” She shook him, as though
that would wake him. In a flash, Eddie was by her side, his
arms around her as he murmured nonsensical things to
soothe her. She didn’t hear him. Her whole world was Lee.
I felt tears spring to my eyes and hated that they were
there. Lee had tried to kill me and then had summoned
others to kill me. He’d left a trail of innocents in his wake. I
should be glad he was gone, but still, I felt sad. He had
loved Jill, in his insane way, and from the pain on her face,
it was clear she’d loved him too. The spirit bond hadn’t
shown her his death or role in our capture. Right now, she
simply thought he was a victim of Strigoi. Soon enough,
she’d learn the truth about his motives. I didn’t know if that
would ease her pain or not. I was guessing not.
Weirdly, an image of Adrian’s Love painting came back
to me. I thought of the jagged red streak, slashing through
the blackness, ripping it apart. Staring at Jill and her
inconsolable pain, I suddenly understood his art a little bit
better.
CHAPTER 26
IT TOOK DAYS for me to finally get the whole story, both
about Lee and about how Eddie and Jill had come to the
rescue that night.
Once I had Lee as the missing piece, it was easy to
connect the murders of Tamara, Kelly, Melody, and Dina,
the human girl he’d mentioned. All of them had been killed
within the last five years, in either Los Angeles or Palm
Springs, and many had documented evidence of knowing
him. They weren’t random victims. What little we could find
out about Lee’s history came from Clarence, though even
that was muddled. By our best guesses, Lee had been
turned forcibly into a Strigoi about fifteen years ago. He’d
spent ten years that way until a spirit user restored him,
much to Lee’s dismay. Clarence hadn’t had all his wits
about him even then and hadn’t questioned how his son
had returned home after ten years without aging. He
evaded answering our questions about Lee being a Strigoi,
and we didn’t know if Clarence simply hadn’t known or was
in denial. Likewise, it was unclear if Clarence knew his own
son was behind Tamara’s death. The far-fetched vampire
hunter theory was probably easier for him to stomach than
the murderous truth about his son.
Investigations into Lee’s college in Los Angeles showed
he hadn’t actually been enrolled there since before he
became Strigoi. When he’d become Moroi again, he’d
used college as an excuse to stay in Los Angeles, where
he could more easily pursue victims—and we suspected
there were more of them than we had records for. From
what we’d observed, he’d apparently tried to drink from a
few of each race, in the hopes that one of them would be
“the one” to make him a Strigoi again.
Further research into Kelly Hayes had uncovered
something I should have thought of right away. She was a
dhampir. She’d looked human, but that stellar sports record
was the tip-off. Lee had stumbled onto her when visiting his
father five years ago. Getting the drop on a dhampir wasn’t
easy, which was why Lee seemed to have gone to the effort
of dating her and luring her in.
None of us knew anything about the “bastard spirit user”
who’d converted him, though that was of interest to both the
Alchemists and the Moroi. There were very few spirit users
on record, and with there still being so much unknown about
their powers, everyone wanted to learn more. Clarence was
adamant that he knew nothing about this mystery spirit
user, and I believed him.
Alchemists were in and out of Palm Springs all week,
cleaning up the mess and interviewing everyone who’d
been involved. I met with a number of them, telling my story
over and over, and finally had my last debriefing with
Stanton over lunch one Saturday. I’d kind of had a perverse
interest in knowing what had happened to Keith but
decided not to bring it up in light of everything else going
on. He wasn’t here, which was all I cared about.
“Lee’s autopsy revealed nothing that wasn’t ordinary
Moroi, according to their doctors,” Stanton told me between
bites of linguine carbonara. Eating and discussing dead
bodies weren’t mutually exclusive, apparently. “But then,
something … magical likely wouldn’t show up anyway.”
“But there must be something special about him,” I said. I
was simply moving my own food around the plate. “The fact
that his aging slowed was proof enough—but the rest? I
mean, he drank from so many victims. And then I saw what
Jacqueline did to him. That should have worked. All the
correct procedures were followed.”
It amazed me that I could speak so clinically about this,
that I could sound so detached. Really, though, it was just
that second-nature Alchemist mode taking over. Inside me,
the events of that night had left a permanent mark. When I
closed my eyes at bedtime, I kept seeing Lee’s death and
Jacqueline feeding him the blood. Lee, who’d brought Jill
flowers and taken us all mini-golfing.
Stanton nodded thoughtfully. “Which suggests that those
who are restored from being Strigoi are immune to ever
being turned again.”
We sat in silence for a moment, letting the weight of
those words settle over us.
“That’s huge,” I said at last. Talk about an
understatement. Lee presented a number of mysteries. He
had begun aging once he became a Moroi again, but at a
much slower rate. Why? We weren’t sure, but that alone
was a monumental discovery, as was my suspicion that he
could no longer use Moroi magic. I’d been too freaked out
to notice anything strange about Lee’s behavior when Jill
had asked him to create fog while we were golfing, but
looking back, it occurred to me he’d actually looked
nervous about her requests. And the rest … the fact that
something had changed in him, protected him, however
unwillingly, from becoming Strigoi? Yeah. “Huge” was an
understatement.
“Very,” Stanton agreed. “Half our mission is to stop
humans from choosing to sacrifice their souls for
immortality. If there was a way to harness this magic, figure
out what protected Lee … well. The effects would be farreaching.”
“To the Moroi as well,” I pointed out. I knew that among
them and the dhampirs, being forcefully turned Strigoi was
often considered a fate worse than death. If there was
some magical way to protect themselves, it would mean a
lot since they encountered Strigoi far more than we did. We
could be talking about some kind of magical vaccine.
“Of course,” said Stanton, though her tone implied she
wasn’t nearly as concerned about that race’s benefits. “It
might even be possible to prevent the future creation of all
Strigoi. There’s also the mystery of your blood. You said
the Strigoi didn’t like it. That could be a type of protection
too.”
I shivered at the memory. “Maybe. It all happened so fast
… it’s hard to say. And it was certainly no protection from
the Strigoi wanting to snap my neck.”
Stanton nodded. “It’s certainly something to look into
eventually. But first we have to figure out what exactly
happened to Lee.”
“Well,” I said, “spirit has to be a key player, right? Lee
was restored by a spirit user.”
A waiter came by, and Stanton waved her plate away.
“Exactly. Unfortunately, we have a very limited quantity of
spirit users to work with. Vasilisa Dragomir hardly has the
time to experiment with her powers. Sonya Karp has
volunteered to help, which is excellent news, especially
since she’s a former Strigoi herself. At the very least, we
can observe the slowed aging firsthand. She’s only
available for a short while, and the Moroi haven’t answered
my request yet for some other useful individuals. But if we
had another spirit user on hand, one with no other
obligations to distract him from helping us full-time …”
She looked at me meaningfully.
“Adrian?” I asked.
“Do you think he’d help research this? Some magical
way to protect against Strigoi conversion? Like I said,
between Sonya and the others, he’d have help,” she added
quickly. “I’ve spoken to the Moroi, and they’re putting
together a small group with expertise on Strigoi. They plan
on sending them out soon. We just need Adrian to help.”
“Wow. You guys move fast,” I murmured.
At the words “Adrian” and “research,” my mind had put
together images of him in a lab, wearing a white coat, bent
over test tubes and beakers. I knew that the actual research
wouldn’t look anything like that, but it was a hard picture to
shake. It was also hard to imagine Adrian seriously focused
on anything. Except, I kept having that nagging thought that
Adrian would focus if he only had something worth caring
about. Was this important enough?
I really wasn’t sure. It was too hard to guess what
purpose might be noble enough to get Adrian’s attention.
But I was pretty sure I knew some less-than-noble perks
that might get him on board.
“If you can get him his own place, I bet he’d do it,” I said
finally. “He wants out of Clarence Donahue’s pretty badly.”
Stanton’s eyebrows rose. She hadn’t expected this.
“Well. That’s not a huge request, I suppose. And actually,
we’re already paying the bill for Keith’s old apartment since
he took out a year-long lease. Mr. Ivashkov could simply
move into there, except …”
“Except what?”
Stanton gave a small shrug. “I was going to offer it to you.
After much discussion, we’ve decided to simply make you
the Alchemist on point here, in light of Keith’s … unfortunate
departure. You could leave Amberwood, move into his
apartment, and simply oversee activities from there.”
I frowned. “But I thought you wanted someone with Jill all
the time.”
“We do. And we’ve actually found a better choice—no
offense. The Moroi were able to locate a dhampir girl Jill’s
age, who could not only serve as Jill’s roommate but also
as a bodyguard. She’ll be joining the researchers who are
coming out. You don’t have to pose as a student anymore.”
The world reeled. Alchemist schemes and plans, always
in motion. A lot had been decided in this week, it seemed. I
considered what this meant. No more homework, no more
high school politics. Freedom to come and go when I
wanted. But it also meant removing myself from the friends
I’d made—Trey, Kristin, Julia. I’d still see Eddie and Jill, but
not to the same extent. And if I was on my own, would the
Alchemists—or my father—help fund college classes?
Unlikely.
“Do I have to leave?” I asked Stanton. “Can I give the
apartment to Adrian and stay on at Amberwood for a
while? At least until we figure out if we can get another
place for me?”
Stanton didn’t bother hiding her surprise. “I didn’t expect
you’d want to stay on. I figured you’d especially be happy to
no longer room with a vampire.”
And like that, all the fears and pressure I’d faced before
coming to Palm Springs descended on me. Vamp lover. I
was an idiot. I should’ve been jumping at the chance to get
away from Jill. Any other Alchemist would. In offering to
stay, I was likely putting myself under suspicion again. How
could I explain that there was so much more to my choice
than just a change of roommate?
“Oh,” I said, keeping a neutral face. “When you said you
were getting Jill a dhampir her own age, I figured she’d be
the roommate and I wouldn’t have to room with Jill anymore.
I thought I’d have my own in the dorm.”
“That can probably be arranged …”
“And honestly, after some of the things that have
happened, I’d feel better still keeping an eye on Jill. It’ll be
easier if I’m at the school. Besides, if it takes an apartment
to make Adrian happy and work on this Strigoi mystery,
then that’s what we need to do. I can wait.”
Stanton studied me for several long seconds, breaking
the silence only when the waiter dropped the bill off. “That’s
very professional of you. I’ll look into the arrangements.”
“Thank you,” I said. A happy feeling welled up in me, and I
almost smiled, picturing Adrian’s face when he heard about
his new place.
“There’s just one more thing I don’t understand,”
remarked Stanton. “When we investigated the apartment,
we saw some fire damage. But none of you who were there
reported any.”
I put on a contrived frown. “Honestly … so much of it’s a
blur with the blood loss and the biting … I’m not really sure.
Keith had some candles. I don’t know if one got lit … or I
don’t know. All I keep thinking about is those teeth and how
terrible it was when I was bit—”
“Yes, yes,” said Stanton. My excuse was flimsy, but even
she wasn’t entirely impervious to the thought of being fed
on by a vampire. It was pretty much an Alchemist’s worse
nightmare, and I was entitled to my trauma. “Well, don’t
worry about it. That fire is the least of our worries.”
It wasn’t the least of my worries. And when I got back to
campus later that day, I finally dealt with it and hunted Ms.
Terwilliger down where she was working in one of the
library offices.
“You knew,” I said, shutting the door. All thoughts of
student-teacher protocol vanished from my head. I’d been
sitting on my anger for a week and could now finally let it
out. I’d spent my life being taught to respect sources of
authority, but now one of those had just betrayed me.
“Everything you made me do … copying those spell books,
making that amulet ‘just to see what it was like’!” I shook my
head. “It was all a lie. You knew … you knew it was … real.”
Ms. Terwilliger took off her glasses and peered at me
carefully. “Ah, so I take it you tried it?”
“How could you do that to me?” I exclaimed. “You have no
idea how I feel about magic and the supernatural!”
“Oh,” she said dryly. “I do actually. I know all about your
organization.” She tapped her cheek, mirroring the one my
tattoo was on. “I know why your ‘sister’ is excused from
outdoor activities and why your ‘brother’ excels in sports.
I’m very informed about the various forces at work in our
world, those hidden from most human eyes. Don’t worry, my
dear. I’m certainly not going to tell anyone. Vampires aren’t
my concern.”
“Why?” I asked, deciding not to acknowledge her outing
everything I strove to keep secret. “Why me? Why did you
make me do that—especially if you claim you know how I
feel?”
“Mmm … a couple of reasons. Vampires, as you know,
wield a sort of internal magic. They connect with the
elements on a very basic, almost effortless level. Humans,
however, have no such connection.”
“Humans aren’t supposed to use magic,” I said coldly.
“You made me do something that violated my beliefs.”
“For humans to do magic,” she continued, as though I
hadn’t spoken, “we must wrest it from the world. It doesn’t
come so easily. Sure, vampires use spells and ingredients
occasionally, but nothing like what we must do. Their magic
goes from the inside out. Ours comes from the outside in. It
takes so much effort, so much concentration and exact
calculation … well, most humans don’t have the patience or
skill. But someone like you? You’ve been grilled in those
painstaking techniques since the time you could talk.”
“So that’s all it takes to use magic? An ability to organize
and measure?” I didn’t bother hiding my scorn.
“Of course not.” She laughed. “There is a certain natural
talent needed as well. An instinct that combines with
discipline. I sensed it in you. You see, I have some
proficiency myself. It gives me coven status but is still
relatively small. You? I can feel a wellspring of power in you,
and my little experiment proved as much.”
I felt cold all over. “That’s a lie,” I said. “Vampires use
magic. Not humans. Not me.”
“That amulet didn’t light itself on fire,” she said. “Don’t
deny what you are. And now that we’ve determined as
much, we can move on. Your innate power might be greater
than mine, but I can get you started in basic magical
training.”
I couldn’t believe I was hearing this. It wasn’t real. It was
like something from a movie because no way was this my
life. “No,” I exclaimed. “You’re … you’re crazy! Magic’s not
real, and I don’t have any! It’s unnatural and wrong. I won’t
endanger my soul.”
“So much denial for such a good scientist,” she mused.
“I’m serious,” I said, barely recognizing my own voice. “I
want nothing to do with your occult studies. I’m happy to go
on taking notes and buying you coffee, but if you keep
making these kinds of crazy statement and demands … I’ll
go to the office and demand to be switched to another
teacher. Believe me, when it comes to working
bureaucracy and administrative staff, that is something I
have innate power in.”
She almost smiled, but then it faded. “You mean that.
You’d really reject this amazing potential—this discovery—
that you have?”
I didn’t answer.
“So be it.” She sighed. “It’s a loss. And a waste. But you
have my word that I won’t bring it up again unless you do.”
“That,” I said vehemently, “is not going to happen.”
Ms. Terwilliger merely shrugged by way of answer. “Well,
then. Since you’re here, you might as well go get me some
coffee.”
I moved toward the door and then thought of something.
“Were you the one calling Nevermore and asking about
vampires?”
“Why in the world would I do that?” she asked. “I already
know where to find them.” Great, I thought. Another
mystery.
I made it to the cafeteria later that day just as Eddie, Jill,
and Micah were finishing dinner. Jill was understandably
having a difficult time adjusting to Lee’s death and all the
revelations we’d uncovered—including his desire to make
her his undead queen. Both Eddie and I had talked to her
as much as we could, but Micah seemed to have the
greatest soothing effect on her. I think it was because he
never openly addressed the topic. He knew Lee had died
but thought it was an accident and naturally knew none of
the vampiric connections. While Eddie and I constantly tried
our hand at being amateur psychologists, Micah simply
tried to distract her and make her happy.
“We have to go,” he said apologetically when I sat down.
“Rachel Walker is going to give us a lesson on one of the
sewing machines.”
Eddie shook his head at him. “I still don’t know why you
signed up for sewing club.” That wasn’t true, of course. We
both knew exactly why Micah had joined.
Jill’s face wore the grave look it had had since Lee’s
death—a look she would carry for a while, I suspected—but
the ghost of a smile flickered over her lips. “I think Micah
has the makings of a real fashion designer. Maybe I’ll walk
in his show one day.”
I shook my head, hiding my own smile. “No modeling of
any kind, not for a while.” After the show, Lia and other
designers had gotten in touch, all wanting to work with Jill
again. We’d had to refuse in order to protect her identity
here, but it had made Jill sad to have to do it.
Jill nodded. “I know, I know.” She stood up with Micah. “I’ll
see you back in our room later, Sydney. I’d like to talk some
more.”
I nodded. “Absolutely.”
Eddie and I watched them hurry off. I sighed.
“That’s going to be a problem,” I told him.
“Maybe,” he agreed. “But she knows what she can and
can’t do with him. She’s smart. She’ll be responsible.”
“But he doesn’t know,” I said. “I feel like Micah’s fallen for
her too much already.” I eyed Eddie carefully. “Among other
people.”
Eddie was still watching Micah and Jill, so it took him a
moment to pick up on my meaning. He jerked his gaze
back to me. “Huh?”
“Eddie, I’m not going to claim to be any expert in
romance, but even I can tell that you’re crazy about Jill.”
He promptly looked away, though his flush betrayed him.
“That’s not true.”
“I’ve seen it all along, but it wasn’t until that night at
Keith’s that I really understood what I was seeing. I saw how
you looked at her. I know how you feel about her. So, what I
want to know is: how come we have to keep worrying about
Micah at all? Why aren’t you just asking her out and saving
us all a lot of trouble?”
“Because she’s my sister,” he said wryly.
“Eddie! I’m serious.”
He made a face, took a deep breath, and then turned
back toward me. “Because she can do better than me. You
want to talk about social rules? Well, where we come from,
Moroi and dhampirs don’t have serious relationships.”
“Yeah, but that’s like a class thing,” I said. “It’s not quite
the same as humans and vampires.”
“Maybe not, but with her, it might as well be. She’s not
just any Moroi. She’s royal. A princess. And you’ve seen
how she is! Smart and strong and beautiful. She’s destined
for great things, and one of them isn’t being involved with a
controversial guardian like me. Her bloodline’s regal. Hell, I
don’t even know who my dad is. Dating her is not even
possible. My job is to protect her. To keep her safe. That’s
where all my attention needs to be.”
“And so you think she deserves being with a human
instead?” I asked incredulously. “Dancing the line of a
taboo upheld by both our races?”
“It’s not ideal,” he admitted. “But she can still have a fun
social life and—”
“What if it was another guy?” I interrupted. “What if some
other human asked her out, and they simply went on a
casual date? Would you be okay with that?”
He didn’t answer, and I knew my hunch was correct.
“This is about more than you not feeling worthy of Jill,” I
said. “This is about Micah too, isn’t it? About how he
reminds you of Mason.”
Eddie blanched. “How do you know about that?”
“Adrian told me.”
“Damn him,” said Eddie. “Why can’t he be as oblivious
as he pretends?”
I smiled at that. “You don’t owe Micah anything. You
certainly don’t owe him Jill. He’s not Mason, no matter how
much they look alike.”
“It’s more than looks,” said Eddie, growing pensive. “It’s
the way they act too. Micah’s the same—outgoing,
optimistic, excited. That’s how Mason was. There are too
few people like that in the world: people who are genuinely
good. Mason was taken away from the world too soon. I
won’t let that happen to Micah.”
“Micah’s not in danger,” I said gently.
“But he deserves good things. And even if he’s human,
he’s still one of the best matches I know of for Jill. They
deserve each other. They both deserve good things.”
“And so, you’re going to let yourself suffer as a result?
Because you’re so in love with Jill and convinced that she
deserves some prince that you aren’t? And because you
feel it’s your duty to support all the Masons in the world?” I
shook my head. “Eddie, that’s crazy. Even you have to see
that.”
“Maybe,” he admitted. “But I feel like it’s the right thing to
do.”
“Right? It’s the masochistic thing to do! You’re
encouraging the girl you want to be with one of your best
friends.”
“I want her to be happy. It’s worth sacrificing myself.”
“It makes no sense.”
Eddie gave me a small smile and a gentle pat on the arm
before turning toward an approaching shuttle bus.
“Remember when you said you were no expert in
romance? Well, you were right.”
CHAPTER 27
I THINK ADRIAN would have agreed to anything to get his
own place. He didn’t waste any time in moving his few
possessions over to Keith’s old apartment, much to
Clarence’s dismay. I had to admit, I felt kind of bad for the
old man. He’d grown fond of Adrian, and losing him right
after Lee was especially tough. Clarence still opened his
home and feeder to our group but refused to believe
anything we told him about Lee and Strigoi. Even once he
accepted Lee was dead, Clarence continued blaming
vampire hunters.
Shortly after his move, I went to check on Adrian. Word
had come to us that the “research party” from the Moroi
was due to arrive in town that day, and we’d decided to
meet with them first before bringing in Jill and Eddie. Like
before, Abe was apparently escorting the newcomers, who
included Sonya and Jill’s new roommate. I had the
impression there might be others with them but hadn’t
heard the details yet.
“Whoa,” I said when Adrian let me into his apartment.
He’d only been there a couple days, but the
transformation was startling. With the exception of the TV,
none of the original furniture remained. It was all different,
and even the apartment’s layout had changed. The
decorating scheme was new as well, and the scent of fresh
paint hung heavy in the air.
“Yellow, huh?” I asked, staring at the living room walls.
“It’s called ‘Goldenrod,’” he corrected. “And it’s supposed
to be cheerful and calming.”
I started to point out that those two traits didn’t seem like
they’d go together but then decided against it. The color,
slightly obnoxious though it was, completely transformed
the living room. Between that and the blinds that had
replaced Keith’s heavy drapes, the room was now filled
with color and light that went a long way to obscure the
memory of the battle. I shuddered, recalling it. Even if the
apartment hadn’t been needed to buy Adrian’s help, I
wasn’t sure I could’ve accepted it and stayed here. The
memory of Lee’s death—and the two Strigoi women’s—
was too strong.
“How did you afford new furniture?” I asked. The
Alchemists had given him the place, but there was no other
stipend involved.
“I sold the old stuff,” Adrian said, seeming very pleased
by this. “That recliner …” He faltered, a troubled look briefly
crossing his features. I wondered if he too could imagine
Lee’s life bleeding away in that chair. “That recliner was
worth a lot. It was appallingly overpriced, even by my
standards. But I got enough for it to replace the rest. It’s
used, but what choice did I have?”
“It’s nice,” I said, running my hand along an overstuffed
plaid sofa. It looked ghastly with the walls but appeared to
be in good shape. Plus, much like the brightness of the
yellow, the clashing furniture helped diminish the memories
of what had happened. “You must have done some savvy
shopping. I’m guessing you don’t buy a lot of used stuff.”
“Try never,” he said. “You have no idea the things I’ve had
to lower myself to.” His pleased smile dimmed as he
regarded me carefully. “How are you holding up?”
I shrugged. “Fine. Why wouldn’t I be? What happened to
me isn’t nearly as bad as what Jill went through.”
He crossed his arms. “I don’t know. Jill didn’t watch a guy
die in front of her. And let’s not forget that same guy wanted
to kill you only moments before in order to rise again from
the dead.”
Those were things that had definitely been on my mind a
lot in the last week, things that were going to take a while to
get over. Sometimes, I didn’t feel anything at all. Other
times, the reality of what had happened descended on me
so swiftly and heavily that I couldn’t breathe. Strigoi
nightmares had replaced the ones of re-education centers.
“I’m actually better with it than you might think,” I said
slowly, gazing off at nothing particular. “Like, it’s terrible
about Lee and what he did, but I feel I can get over it in
time. Do you know what I keep thinking about the most,
though?”
“What?” asked Adrian gently.
The words seemed to come forth without my control. I
hadn’t expected to say them to anyone, certainly not to him.
“Lee telling me I was wasting my life and staying aloof
from people. And then, during that last meeting with Keith,
he told me that I was naive, that I didn’t understand the
world. And it’s true to a certain extent. I mean, not what he
said about you guys being evil … but well, I was naive. I
should’ve been more careful with Jill. I believed the best of
Lee when I should’ve been more wary. I’m not a fighter like
Eddie, but I am an observer of the world … or so I like to
think. But I failed. I’m no good with people.”
“Sage, your first mistake in all of this is listening to
anything Keith Darnell says. The guy’s an idiot, an asshole,
and a dozen other words that aren’t suitable for a lady like
yourself.”
“See?” I said. “You just admitted it, that I’m some kind of
untouchable, pure soul.”
“I never said any such thing,” he countered. “My point is
that you’re leagues above Keith, and what happened with
Lee was dumb, ridiculous bad luck. And remember, none
of us saw it coming either. You weren’t alone. It casts no
reflection on you. Or …” His eyebrows rose. “Maybe it
does. Didn’t you say that Lee considered killing Keith for
Alchemist blood?”
“Yeah … but Keith left too soon.”
“Well, there you go. Even a psychopath recognized your
worth enough to want to kill someone else first.”
I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “That doesn’t make
me feel better.”
Adrian shrugged. “My earlier point remains. You’re a
solid person, Sage. You’re easy on the eyes, if a little
skinny, and your ability to memorize useless information is
going to totally hook in some guy. Put Keith and Lee out of
your head because they have nothing to do with your
future.”
“Skinny?” I asked, hoping I wasn’t blushing. I also hoped
if I sounded outraged enough, he wouldn’t notice how much
the other comment had disarmed me. Easy on the eyes.
Not exactly the same as being told I was hotness incarnate
or drop-dead gorgeous. But after a lifetime of having my
appearance judged as “acceptable,” it was a heady
compliment—especially coming from him.
“I just tell it like it is.”
I almost laughed. “Yes. Yes, you do. Now tell me about a
different subject, please. I’m tired of this one.”
“Sure thing.” Adrian infuriated me sometimes, but I had to
admit, I loved his short attention span. It made dodging
uncomfortable topics so much easier. Or so I thought. “Do
you smell that?”
An image of the bodies flashed into my head, and for a
moment, all I could think he meant was the smell of decay.
Then I sniffed more deeply. “I smell the paint, and … wait …
is that pine?”
He looked impressed. “Damn straight. Pine-scented
cleaner. As in, I cleaned.” He gestured to the kitchen
dramatically. “With these hands, these hands that don’t do
manual labor.”
I stared off into the kitchen. “What did you use it on? The
cupboards?”
“The cupboards are fine. I cleaned the floor and the
counter.” I must have looked more puzzled than amazed
because he added, “I even got down on my knees.”
“You used pine cleaner on the floor and counters?” I
asked. The floor was ceramic tile; the counters were
granite.
Adrian frowned. “Yeah, so?”
He seemed so proud to have actually scrubbed
something for once in his life that I couldn’t bring myself to
tell him pine cleaner was generally only used on wood. I
gave him an encouraging smile. “Well, it looks great. I need
you to come over and clean my new dorm room now. It’s
covered in dust.”
“No way, Sage. My own housecleaning’s bad enough.”
“But is it worth it? If you’d stayed at Clarence’s, you had a
live-in cook and cleaner.”
“It’s definitely worth it. I’ve never really, truly had my own
place. I kind of did at Court … but it might as well have
been an over-glorified dorm room. This? This is great.
Even with the housecleaning. Thank you.”
The comic look of horror he’d worn while discussing
housecleaning had been traded away for utter seriousness
now as those green eyes weighed me. I suddenly felt
uncomfortable under the scrutiny and was reminded of the
spirit dream, where I’d questioned if his eyes really were
that green in real life.
“For what?” I asked.
“For this—I know you must have twisted some Alchemist
arms.” I hadn’t told him that I’d actually passed on taking the
place for myself. “And for everything else. For not giving up
on me, even when I was being a major asshole. And, you
know, for that saving my life thing.”
I looked away. “I didn’t do anything. That was Eddie—
and Jill. They’re the ones who saved you.”
“Not sure I would’ve been alive for their rescue if you
hadn’t set that bitch on fire. How did you do that?”
“It was nothing,” I protested. “Just a, uh, chemical reaction
from the Alchemist bag of tricks.”
Those eyes studied me again, weighing the truth of my
words. I’m not sure he believed me, but he let it go. “Well,
from the look on her face, your aim was right on. And then
you got backhanded for it. Anyone who takes a hit for
Adrian Ivashkov deserves some credit.”
I turned my back to him, still shy with the praise—and
nervous about the fire reference—and walked over to the
window. “Yeah, well, you can rest easy that it was a selfish
act. You have no idea what a pain it is to file paperwork for
a dead Moroi.”
He laughed, and it was one of the few times I’d heard him
laugh with genuine humor and warmth—and not because of
something twisted or sarcastic. “Okay, Sage. If you say so.
You know, you’re a lot spunkier than when I first met you.”
“Really? All the adjectives in the world at your
disposable, and you pick ‘spunky’?” Banter I could handle.
So long as I focused on that, I didn’t have to think about the
meaning behind the words or how my heartbeat had
increased just a little. “Just so you know, you’re a little more
stable than when I met you.”
He came over to stand by me. “Well, don’t tell anyone,
but I think getting away from Court was a good thing. This
weather sucks, but Palm Springs might be good for me—it
and all the wonders it contains. You guys. Art classes. Pine
cleaner.”
I couldn’t help a grin and looked up at him. I’d been halfjoking,
but it was true: he had changed remarkably since
we’d met. There was still a hurting man inside, one who
bore the scars of what Rose and Dimitri had done to him,
but I could see the signs of healing. He was steadier and
stronger, and if he could just continue to hold the course,
with no more crises for a while, a remarkable
transformation might truly happen.
It took several seconds of silence for me to realize that I’d
been staring at him while my mind spun out its thoughts.
And, actually, he was staring at me, with a look of wonder.
“My God, Sage. Your eyes. How have I never noticed
them?”
That uncomfortable feeling was spreading over me
again. “What about them?”
“The color,” he breathed. “When you stand in the light.
They’re amazing … like molten gold. I could paint those …”
He reached toward me but then pulled back. “They’re
beautiful. You’re beautiful.”
Something in the way he was looking at me froze me up
and made my stomach do flip-flops, though I couldn’t quite
articulate why. I only knew that he looked as though he was
seeing me for the very first time … and it scared me. I’d
been able to brush off his easy, joking compliments, but this
intensity was something different altogether, something I
didn’t know how to react to. When he looked at me like this,
I believed that he thought my eyes were beautiful—that I
was beautiful. It was more than I was ready for. Flustered, I
took a step backward, out of the sunlight, needing to get
away from the energy of his gaze. I’d heard spirit could
send him off on weird tangents but had no clue if that’s what
this was. I was saved from my feeble attempts to muster a
witty comment when a knock at the door made both of us
jump.
Adrian blinked, and some of that rapture faded. His lips
twisted into one of his sly smiles, and it was as though
nothing weird had happened. “Showtime, huh?”
I nodded, reeling with a confusing mix of relief,
nervousness, and … excitement. Except, I wasn’t entirely
sure if those feelings were from Adrian or our impending
visitors. All I knew was that suddenly, I was able to breathe
more easily than I had a few moments ago.
He walked across the living room and opened the door
with a flourish. Abe swept in, resplendent in a gray and
yellow suit that coordinated bafflingly well with Adrian’s
paint job. A wide grin broke out over the older Moroi’s face.
“Adrian, Sydney … so lovely to see you again. I believe
one of you already knows this young lady?” He moved past
us, revealing a lean dhampir girl with auburn hair and big
blue eyes filled with suspicion.
“Hello, Angeline,” I said.
When they’d told me Angeline Dawes was going to be
Jill’s new roommate, I thought it was the most ridiculous
thing I’d ever heard. Angeline was one of the Keepers, that
separatist group of Moroi, dhampirs, and humans who lived
in the wilds of West Virginia. They wanted nothing to do
with the “civilization” of any of our races and had a number
of bizarre customs, not the least of which was their
abominable tolerance for interracial romance.
Later, when I’d thought about it, I decided Angeline might
not be such a bad choice. She was the same age as Jill,
possibly giving Jill a closer connection than I could manage.
Angeline, while not trained the way a guardian like Eddie
was, still could hold her own in a fight. If anyone came for
Jill, they’d have their work cut out for them getting through
Angeline. And with the aversion Angeline’s people had
toward “tainted” Moroi, she would have no reason to further
the politics of some rival faction.
As I studied her and her threadbare clothes, I wondered,
though, just how well she was going to adapt to being away
from the Keepers. She wore a cocky look on her face that
I’d seen when visiting her community, but here it was
underscored with some nervousness as she took in
Adrian’s place. After living in the woods her entire life, this
small apartment with its TV and plaid sofa was probably the
height of modern luxury.
“Angeline,” said Abe. “This is Adrian Ivashkov.”
Adrian extended his hand, turning on that natural charm.
“A pleasure.”
She took his hand after a moment’s hesitation. “Nice to
meet you,” she said in her odd southern accent. She
studied him for a few more seconds. “You look too pretty to
be useful.”
I gasped in spite of myself. Adrian chuckled and shook
her hand.
“Truer words were never spoken,” he said.
Abe glanced over at me. I probably had a look of terror
on my face because I was already imagining the damage
control I’d have to do with Angeline saying or doing
something completely wrong at Amberwood.
“Sydney will undoubtedly want to … debrief you on what
to expect before you begin school,” said Abe
diplomatically.
“Undoubtedly,” I repeated.
Adrian had stepped away from Angeline but was still
grinning. “Let Jailbait do it. Better yet, let Castile. It’ll be
good for him.”
Abe shut the door but not before I got a glimpse behind
him to the empty hallway. “It’s not just the two of you, is it?” I
asked. “I heard there were others. Sonya’s one, right?”
Abe nodded. “They’ll be right up. They’re parking the car.
Street parking’s terrible around here.”
Adrian looked over at me, hit by revelation. “Hey, do I
inherit Keith’s car too?”
“Afraid not,” I said. “It belonged to his dad. He took it
back.” Adrian’s face fell.
Abe stuffed his hands in his pockets and strolled casually
around the living room. Angeline remained where she was.
I think she was still sizing up the situation.
“Ah, yes,” mused Abe. “The late, great Mr. Darnell. That
boy’s really been beset with tragedy, hasn’t he? Such a
hard life.” He paused and turned to Adrian. “But you, at
least, seem to have benefited from his downfall.”
“Hey,” said Adrian. “I earned this, so don’t give me any
grief about bailing on Clarence. I know you wanted me to
stay there for some weird reason but—”
“And you did,” said Abe simply.
Adrian frowned. “Huh?”
“You did exactly what I wanted. I’d suspected something
odd was going on with Clarence Donahue, that he might be
selling his blood. I’d hoped keeping you on hand would
uncover the plot.” Abe stroked his chin in that mastermind
way of his. “Of course, I had no idea Mr. Darnell was
involved. Nor did I expect you and young Sydney to team up
to unravel it all.”
“I’d hardly go that far,” I said dryly. A strange thought
occurred to me. “Why would you care if Keith and Clarence
were selling vampire blood? I mean, we Alchemists have
reasons for not wanting that … but why would you feel that
way?”
A surprised glint flashed in Adrian’s eyes, followed by
insight. He eyed Abe carefully. “Maybe because he doesn’t
want the competition.”
My jaw nearly dropped open. It was no secret to anyone,
Alchemist or Moroi, that Abe Mazur trafficked in illegal
goods. That he might be moving large amounts of vampire
blood to willing humans had never occurred to me. But as I
studied him longer, I realized it should have.
“Now, now,” said Abe, never breaking a sweat, “no need
to bring up unpleasant topics.”
“Unpleasant?” I exclaimed. “If you’re involved in anything
that—”
Abe held up a hand to stop me. “Enough, please.
Because if that sentence ends with you saying you’ll talk to
the Alchemists, then by all means, let’s get them out here
and discuss all sorts of mysteries. Say, for example, like
how Mr. Darnell lost his eye.”
I froze.
“Strigoi took it,” said Adrian impatiently.
“Oh, come now,” said Abe, a smile twisting his lips. “My
faith in you was just being restored. Since when do Strigoi
do such precision maiming? Very artful maiming, I might
add. Not that anyone probably ever noticed. Wasted talent,
I tell you.”
“What are you saying?” asked Adrian aghast. “It wasn’t
Strigoi? Are you saying someone cut his eye out on
purpose? Are you saying that you—” Words failed him, and
he simply looked back and forth between me and Abe.
“That’s it, isn’t it? Your devil’s bargain. But why?”
I cringed as three sets of eyes stared at me, but there
was no way I could acknowledge what Adrian was starting
to put together. Maybe I could have told him if we were
alone. Maybe. But I couldn’t tell him while Abe looked so
smug and certainly not with an outsider like Angeline
standing there.
I couldn’t tell Adrian how I’d found my sister Carly a few
years ago, after a date with Keith. It was when he’d still
been living with us and just before she went off to college.
She hadn’t wanted to go out with him, but our father loved
Keith and had insisted. Keith was his golden boy and could
do no wrong. Keith believed that too, which was why he
hadn’t been able to take no for an answer when he and
Carly were alone. She’d come to me afterward, creeping
into my bedroom late at night and sobbing while I’d held
her. My instant reaction was to tell our parents, but Carly had
been too afraid—especially of our father. I was young and
nearly as scared as she was, ready to agree with whatever
she wanted. Carly had made me promise I wouldn’t tell our
parents, so I sank my efforts into assuring her that it wasn’t
her fault. The whole time, she told me, Keith had kept telling
her how beautiful she was and how she’d left him no
choice, that it was impossible for him to take his eyes off of
her. I finally convinced her that she’d done nothing wrong,
that she hadn’t led him on—but she still held me to my
promise to stay silent.
It was one of the biggest regrets of my life. I’d hated my
silence but not nearly as much as I hated Keith for thinking
he could rape someone as sweet and gentle as Carly and
get away with it. It wasn’t until much later, when I had my first
assignment and met Abe Mazur, that I’d realized there were
other ways Keith might pay that would allow me to keep my
promise to her. So, I’d made my deal with the devil, not
caring that it bound me—or that I was stooping to barbaric
levels of revenge. Abe had staged a fake Strigoi attack and
cut out one of Keith’s eyes earlier this year. In return, I’d
become Abe’s sort-of “retainer Alchemist.” It was part of
what had driven me to help Rose with her jail break. I was in
his debt.
In some ways, I reflected bitterly, maybe I’d done Keith a
favor. With only one eye left, maybe he wouldn’t find it so
“impossible” to keep it off uninterested young women in the
future.
No, I certainly couldn’t tell Adrian any of that, but he was
still looking at me, a million questions on his face as he
tried to figure out what in the world would have reduced me
to hiring Abe as a hit man.
Laurel’s words suddenly rang back to me. You know, you
can be scary as hell sometimes.
I swallowed. “Remember when you asked me to trust
you?”
“Yes …” said Adrian.
“I need you to do the same for me.”
Long moments followed. I couldn’t bring myself to look at
Abe because I knew he’d be smirking.
“‘Spunky’ was kind of an understatement,” Adrian said.
After what felt like forever, he slowly nodded. “Okay. I do
trust you, Sage. I trust that you have good reasons for the
things you do.”
There was no snark, no sarcasm. He was deadly
earnest, and for a moment, I wondered how I could have
earned his trust so intently. I had a weird flash to the
moments just before Abe had arrived, when Adrian had
spoken of painting me and my feelings had been a jumble.
“Thank you,” I said.
“What,” demanded Angeline, “are you guys talking
about?”
“Nothing of interest, I assure you,” said Abe, who was
really enjoying this all too much. “Life lessons, character
development, unpaid debts. That sort of thing.”
“Unpaid?” I surprised myself by taking a step forward and
fixing him with a glare. “I’ve paid that debt a hundred times
over. I don’t owe you anything anymore. My loyalty is only to
the Alchemists now. Not you. We’re finished.”
Abe was still smiling, but he wavered slightly. I think my
standing up for myself had caught him off-guard. “Well, that
remains to be—ah.” More knocking. “Here’s the rest of our
party.” He hurried to the door.
Adrian took a few steps toward me. “Not bad, Sage. I
think you just scared old man Mazur.”
I felt a smile of my own begin to form. “I don’t know about
that, but it felt kind of good.”
“You should backtalk people more often,” he said. We
grinned at each other, and as he regarded me fondly, I felt
that same queasy feeling return. He probably wasn’t
experiencing that exact sensation, but there was an easy,
bright mood about him. Rare—and very appealing. He
nodded toward where Abe was opening the door. “It’s
Sonya.”
Spirit users could sense each other when they were
close enough, even behind closed doors. And sure enough,
when the door opened, Sonya Karp strode in like a queen,
tall and elegant. With her red hair swept into a bun, the
Moroi woman could have been Angeline’s older sister.
Sonya smiled at us all, though I couldn’t help a shiver as I
thought back to the first time I’d met her. She hadn’t been
nearly so pretty or charming then. She’d been red-eyed and
trying to kill us.
Sonya was a Strigoi who’d been restored back to a
Moroi, which really made her the ideal choice to work with
Adrian on figuring out how to use spirit to prevent people
from being turned.
Sonya hugged Adrian and was walking over to me when
someone else appeared in the doorway. In retrospect, I
shouldn’t have been surprised at who it was. After all, if we
wanted to figure out what special spirit magic in Lee had
stopped him from being turned again, then we needed all
the data possible. And if one restored Strigoi was good,
then two were better.
Adrian paled and went perfectly still as he stared at the
newcomer, and in that moment, all my high hopes for him
came crashing down. Earlier, I’d been certain that if Adrian
could just stay away from his past and any traumatic events,
he’d be able to find a purpose and steady himself. Well, it
looked like his past had found him, and if this didn’t qualify
as a traumatic event, I didn’t know what did.
Adrian’s new research partner stepped through the door,
and I knew the uneasy peace we’d just established in Palm
Springs was about to shatter.
Dimitri Belikov had arrived.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
STARTING MY FIRST NEW SERIES in four years—even
one set in a familiar world—has been one of the most
difficult tasks of my writing career. I couldn’t have done it
without the help and support of many, many people. First,
thank you to Jesse McGatha, who initially gave me the idea
to create the Alchemists. Little did I know what would
become of them! Many thanks also to Jay, for constantly
giving me “make it work!” encouragement on those days
when everything seemed lost. Your support helped me find
my way.
On the publishing side of things, I’m indebted to my
amazing agent, Jim McCarthy, who always makes sure
everything works out in the end. Thanks for helping get
these books out! Thank you also to editors Jocelyn Davies
and Ben Schrank for their constant vigilance and guidance
in this new venture. And finally, much gratitude goes out to
all of the many Vampire Academy fans around the world
who inspired me to keep writing about Moroi and Strigoi.