Bloodlines Chapter Fourteen

FROM HIMSELF?I couldnt help it. The joke was bulge before I could stop it.No. She perched on the margin of the put out and bit her lower lip. mayhap rescue isnt the rightly word. merely we have to go locomote him. Hes trapped in Los Angeles.I rubbed my eyeb wholly 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 fore put forward from my bedside table and groaned when I read the display.Jill, its not even six yet. I started to question if Adrian was even awake this primordial however then remembered he was likely on a nocturnal schedule. Left to their own devices, Moroi went to bed around what was late morning for the rest of us.I sock, she give tongue to in a minuscular voice. Im sorry. I wouldnt ask if it wasnt important. He got a ride in that location finishing night because he inadequacyed to see those those Moroi girls again. Lee was supposed to be in LA too, so Adrian figured he could win a ride home. Only, he kindlet get ahold of Lee, so now he nominatet get top. Adrian, that is. Hes abandon and hung over.I started to lie certify down. I dont have a lot of sympathy for that. Maybe hell learn a lesson.Sydney, please.I put an arm over my eyes. Maybe if I looked like I was asleep, shed 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 wasnt a super-light sleeper, solely I still wouldve noticed her phone ring.Jill looked away from me. Frowning, I sat up.Jill? How do you know any of this?Please, she whispered. Cant we just go get him?Not until you tell me whats sledding on. A weird recovering was crawling along my skin. Id felt for a while that I was being excluded from any(prenominal)thing big, and now, I suddenly knew I was about to find out what the Moroi had been hiding from me.You cant tell, she said, finally meeting my eyes again.I tapped the tattoo on my cheek. I can hardly tell a nyone anything as it is.No, not anyone. Not the Alchemists. Not Keith. Not any some otherwise(a) Moroi or dhampirs who dont 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 clock Id spent with vampires, Id 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 machine-accessible to her welfare. For half a secondly, I considered lying to her and straight dismissed the idea. I couldnt do it. If I was going to keep her secret, I would keep it. If I wasnt going to keep it, then I would let her know up front.I wont tell, I said. I cogitate the words surprised me as much as her. She studied me in the dim light and must(prenominal) have at last decided I was telling the truth. She gave a slow nod.Adrian and I are bound. Like, with a savour 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 save one who came for me, but he wasnt fast enough. This man, he Jill touched a spot in the center of her chest and shuddered. He stabbed me. He he killed me. Thats when Adrian came along. He used posting to heal me and bring me back, and now were 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 make us feel weak. Signs of spirit use had been recorded over the centuries , but no one had in reality realized it was its own element. Those events had been written off as random magical phenomena. It was barely recently, when Vasilisa Dragomir had exposed herself, that spirit had been rediscovered, along with its myriad psychic effects. She and rosaceous had had a spirit bond, the only modern one we had enter. Healing was one of spirits most illustrious 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 shades. So much began to come together. Like how Jill always knew everything about Adrian, even when he claimed he hadnt told her.She nodded. I dont want to. Believe me. But I cant help it. Rose said in time, Ill learn the control to keep his traces out, but I cant do it now. And he has so much, Sydney. So much feeling. He feels everything so strong ly love, grief, anger. His emotions are up and down, all over the place. What happened between him and Rose it rupture him apart. Its hard to stay think on me sometimes with all of that going on in him. At least its only some of the time. I cant really control when it happens.I didnt narrate it but wondered if some of those volatile feelings were part of spirits tendency to place its users insane. Or maybe it was just part of Adrians innate personality. All irrelevant, for now.But he cant feel you, right? Its only one way? I asked. Rose had been able to read Vasilisas 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 couldnt take anything for granted.Right, she agreed.Thats how thats how you always know things about him. Like my visits. And when he wanted pizza. Thats why hes here, what Abe wanted him here for.Jill frowned. Abe? No, it was kind of a group choice for Adrian to come along. Rose an d 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 Clarences 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 cave in surely I understand something first, I said. Explain how he ended up in Los Angeles and why hes 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 wasnt going to be received well.He, um, leftover Clarences last night. Because he was bored. He hitchhiked into town to laurel 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 show 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 hes awake. And he wants to go home. To Clarences.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. Its 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 supporting his sex life? What was he thinking? He knows youre there, that youre living everything he does, but he never stops to oh God. The first day of school. Ms. Chang was right, wasnt 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 couldve tested like blood or anything to prove thats 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 much light in the room as the sun rose higher, and I could see the signs again. The sickly paleness and bloodshot eyes. I wouldnt have been surprised if her head and stomach hurt too. I dropped my hand and shook my head in disgust. He can stay there.SydneyHe deserves it. I know you feel something for him. Whether it was sisterly or romantic affection, it really didnt matter. But you cant baby him and run to every need and bay he sends to you.Hes not asking me, not exactly, she said. I can just feel that he wants it.Well, he shouldve 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.Hes in agony, she said.Thats how life is, I said.Im in agony.I sighed. Jill No, Im serious. And its not just the hangover. I mean, yeah, part of its the hangover. And as long as hes sick and not taking anything, then so am I Plus his thoughts. Ugh. Jill rested her forehead in her hands. I cant get rid of h ow unhappy he is. Its like like a hammer banging in my head. I cant get away from it. I cant do anything else except think about how miserable he is And that makes me miserable. Or think Im miserable. I dont know. She sighed. Please, Sydney. Can we go?Do you know where he is? I asked.Yes.All right, then. Ill go. I slid over to the edge of the bed. She stood up with me.Ill 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, shed overhear our conversation, but itd be a lot easier to tell him what I wanted to when she wasnt actually there in the flesh, looking at me with those big eyes.But how will you I dont want you getting sick in the car. Just call me if something changes or if he leaves or whatever.Jills further protests were halfhearted, either because she didnt feel up to them or was just willing to be grateful fo r anyone rescuing Adrian. She didnt have an exact address, but she had a very vivid description of the condo he was at, which was right beside door to a notable hotel. When I looked it up, I saw the hotel was actually in Long Beach, meaning Id 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 bring another back from the dead was not one that meshed well with my religious beliefs. It was just as troubling as another of spirits feats restoring Strigoi. We had two d ocumented 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 didnt seem right.I reached Long Beach right on schedule and had no problem purpose the condo complex. It was right across the street from an oceanfront hotel called the Cascadia. Since Jill hadnt 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 blue-gray 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 beautify building with three floors, two units on each floor. From Adrians memories, Jill rem embered 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 confining 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 half-asleep.yea? 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. brownish hair. Green eyes.She frowned. Do you mean Jet?I Im not sure. Does he smoke like a chimney?The gi rl nodded sagely. Yup. You must mean Jet. She glanced throne her and yelled, Hey, Jet Theres some saleswoman here to see you.Send her out, called a familiar voice.The Moroi opened the door wider and beckoned me in. Hes 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 wasnt occupied by empty beer bottles. A knocked-over bottle of pillory 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 up and clear, so naturally, he was trying to ruin it by smoking.Tell me this, Sag e, he said, without turning back to face me. wherefore 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, Im ready to advance this structure a total waste.I crossed my arms and glared at his back. Im so glad Ive got your valuable opinion on that. Ill 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 youd be in church or something.What do you think? Im here because of the pleas of a fifteen-year-old girl who doesnt 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 woul dnt tell. But you still shouldve filled me in. Its kind of important information to have since Im 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 at heart and did a search among the clutter. The blond Moroi girl was fast asleep, and the one whod let me in was sprawled on an unmade bed in another room. I finally found Adrians 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. Were leaving.You arent 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.Adrians head wh ipped around. Anger glinted in the depths of his green eyes, the first Id ever truly seen in him. Dont you ever mention her again. You have no idea what youre 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.Youre so willing to defend someone who was convicted of a crime, yet you dont have any consideration for Jill whos 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? Shes there I cant feel it, but shes always there, always listening to things in my head, listening to things I dont even want to hear. Feeling things I dont want to feel. He inhaled on the cigarette and turned to look at the view, though I doubted he actually saw it.If youre so aware of her, then how com e 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? Shes fifteen.I know, I know, he said. I didnt 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 wasnt as worried about getting sick. So, I said to myself, Ill 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 dont have to justify my actions to you.I dont think you can justify them to anyone. I was furious, my blood boiling.Youre 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 dont fight back. Even old Abe seems to push you around. Was Rose right that hes got something on you? Or is he just someone else you wont fight back against?I worked hard not to let him know just how deeply those words struck me. You dont know the first thing about me, Adrian Ivashkov. I fight back plenty.You couldve fooled me.I gave him a tight smile. I just dont make a spectacle of myself when I do it. Its called being responsible.Sure. Whatever helps you sleep at night.I threw up my hands. Well, thats the thing I dont 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 place 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 Clarences. His voice was level and serious. Hes a nice enough guy, but Im going to go crazy if I stay there.As debate to your excellent behavior when you arent there? I glanced back into the condo. Maybe your two groupies have room for you.Hey, show some respect. Theyre real people with names. Carla and Krissy. He frowned. Or was it Missy?I sighed. I told you before, I dont 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 thats barely enough for cigarettes.I considered suggesting he quit, but that probably wouldnt be a useful turn in the conversation. Im sorry. I really am. If I think of something, Ill let you know. Besides, doesnt 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 dont know what thats all about. Did you hear how totally vague he was too? I think hes just trying to screw with me, keep me busy beca use 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 Id been in the car with Jill, and shed 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 thered 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, Im Forget it, he said. You dont know what its 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.Whats the matter? I asked.She opened her mouth to speak and then did a double take at me, seem to remember that I was human.Its okay, Carla, said Adrian. She knows about us. You can trust her.That was all Carla needed. She threw herself into Adrians arms and began crying uncontrollably. Oh, Jet, she said between sobs. I cant 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 shed slept in her clothes. I dared to hope that Jill hadnt been subjected to as much as indecency as Id originally imagined.Tell us what happened, Carla, said Adrian in a gentle voice Id only ever heard him us e around with Jill.Im 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 shes 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 Adrians eyes, twain 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 i t.At least they didnt turn her, said Carla forlornly. She can rest in peace. Of course, those monsters still couldnt rest without mutilating her body. I stared, feeling cold all over. What do you mean?She rubbed her nose on Adrians shirt. Melody. They didnt just drink from her. They slit her throat too.