Spirit Bound Chapter Two

MY TRIALS WERE A BLUR.Youd call up, seeing as they were the most important deviate of my education at St. Vladimirs, that Id remember everything in perfect, cryst in alline detail. Yet my earlier thoughts were patient of of authorised. How could these measure up to what Id already faced? How could these mock fights comp be to a mob of Strigoi descending on our school? Id had to stand against oerwhelming odds, not knowing if those I loved were alive or dead. And how could I fear a so-called difference of opinion with wiz of the schools instructors after having fought Dimitri? Hed been lethal as a dhampir and worse as a Strigoi.Not that I meant to make abstemious of the trials. They were serious. Novices failed them all the time, and I ref aimd to be one of them. I was attacked on all placements, by guardians whod been fighting and defending Moroi since before I was born. The arena wasnt flat, which complicated everything. Theyd filled it with contraptions and obstacles, beam s and stairs that examed my balanceincluding a bridge that botherationfully reminded me of that last iniquity Id seen Dimitri. Id pushed him after plunging a silver stake into his hearta stake that had travel extinct during his plummet to the river below.The arenas bridge was a man different from the solid wooden one upon which Dimitri and I had fought in Siberia. This one was rickety, a poorly constructed raceway of wooden planks with only rope rails for support. Every tempo do the entire bridge swing and call d ingest, and holes in the boards showed me w here(predicate) former classmates had (unfortunately for them) disc all overed weak spots. The test they assigned me on the bridge was probably the worst of all. My goal was to r from each one a Moroi away from a group of Strigoi that were in pursuit. My Moroi was existence played by Daniel, a new guardian who had come with others to the school to replace those killed in the attack. I didnt know him very hygienic, a lone for this exercise, he was playing completely sheep standardized and back uplesseven a little afraid, to a greater extentover as any Moroi I was guarding might fall in been.He gave me a little resistance close to stepping onto the bridge, and I utilize my calmest, most coaxing voice to finally hold up him to walk out ahead of me. Apparently they were testing spate skills as well as fleck skills. Not utmost behind us on the course, I knew the guardians acting as Strigoi were approa raiseg.Daniel stepped out, and I shadowed him, lock in giving him reassurances plot of ground all my senses stayed on alert. The bridge swung wildly, telling me with a jolt that our pursuers had joined us. I glanced back and saw three Strigoi access after us. The guardians playing them were doing a remarkable jobmoving with as frequently dexterity and speed as true Strigoi would. They were going to overtake us if we didnt stun a apparent front end on.Youre doing great, I told Daniel. It was hard to keep the right tone in my voice. Screaming at Moroi might nonplus them into shock. Too much gentleness would make them commemorate it wasnt serious. And I know you can move faster. We need to keep ahead of themtheyre getting close-hauled. I know you can do this. Come on.I must(prenominal) take hold passed that persuasive part of the test because he did indeed pick up his speednot rather enough to match that of our pursuers, but it was a start. The bridge shifted crazily again. Daniel yelped convincingly and froze, gripping the rope sides tightly. Ahead of him, I saw another guardian-as-Strigoi waiting on the oppo presente side of the bridge. I believed his recognise was Randall, another new instructor. I was sandwiched between him and the group at my back. solely Randall stayed still, waiting on the first plank of the bridge so that he could shake it and make it harder for us.Keep going, I urged, my mind spinning. You can do it. but thithers a Strigoi there We re trapped, Daniel exclaimed.Dont worry. Ill deal with him. Just move.My voice was fierce this time, and Daniel crept forward, pushed on by my command. The next few moments required perfect timing on my part. I had to watch the Strigoi on both sides of us and keep Daniel in motion, all the turn monitoring where we were on the bridge. When we were approximately three quarters of the way crossways, I hissed, Drop down on all fours right now HurryHe obeyed, coming to a stanch. I immediately knelt, still speaking in an undertone Im about to shout at you. Ignore it. In a louder voice, for the usefulness of those coming after us, I exclaimed, What are you doing? We cant stopDaniel didnt budge, and I again spoke softly. Good. See where the ropes connect the base to the rails? Grab them. Grab them as tightly as you can, and do not let go, no matter what happens. Wrap them around your hands if you consent to. Do it nowHe obeyed. The clock was ticking, and I didnt waste another moment. In one motion, while still crouched, I off around and hacked at the ropes with a knife Id been presumptuousness on with my stake. The blade was sharp, thank God. The guardians running the trial werent messing around. It didnt instantly slice the ropes, but I have it off through them so quickly that the Strigoi on either side of us didnt have time to fight back.The ropes snapped secure as I again reminded Daniel to hold on. The 2 halves of the bridge swung toward the sides of wooden scaffolding, carried by the weight of the people on them. Well, ours did at least. Daniel and I had been prepared. The three pursuers behind us hadnt been. Two fell. One just barely managed to catch hold of a plank, slipping a bit before securing his grip. The actual drop was six feet, but Id been told to regard it as fiftya distance that would kill me and Daniel if we fell.Against all odds, he was still clutching the rope. I was hanging on as well, and once the rope and wood were lying flat against the scaffoldings sides, I began scrambling up it like a ladder. It wasnt easy climbing over Daniel, but I did it, giving me one more come across to tell him to hang on. Randall, whod been waiting ahead of us, hadnt fallen off. Hed had his feet on the bridge when I cut it, though, and had been surprised enough to lose his balance. Quick to recover, he was now shimmying up the ropes, trying to climb up to the solid surface above. He was much closer to it than me, but I just managed to grab his leg and stop him. I jerked him toward me. He maintained his grip on the bridge, and we struggled. I knew I probably couldnt tear him off, but I was able to keep getting closer. At last, I let go of the knife Id been holding and managed to get the stake from my belt fewthing that tested my balance. Randalls ungainly position gave me a shot at his heart, and I took it.For the trials, we had blunt-ended stakes, ones that wouldnt pierce skin but which could be used with enough force to convince o ur opponents that we knew what we were doing. My colligation was perfect, and Randall, conceding it would have been a killing blow, relinquished his hold and dropped off the bridge.That left me the painful task of coaxing Daniel to climb up. It took a long time, but again, his deportment wasnt out of character with how a scared Moroi might behave. I was just grateful he hadnt decided a real number Moroi would have disordered his grip and fallen. aft(prenominal) that challenge came many more, but I fought on, never slowing down or letting exhaustion affect me. I slipped into battle mode, my senses focused on basic instincts fight, dodge, kill.And while staying tuned to those, I still had to be innovative and not fall into a lull. Otherwise, I wouldnt be able to react to a surprise like the bridge. I managed it all, battling on with no other thoughts beyond accomplishing the tasks before me. I tried not to think of my instructors as people I knew. I dance orchestra them like Str igoi. I pulled no punches.When it finally ended, I almost didnt realize it. I was simply standing there in the middle of the field with no more attackers coming at me. I was alone. Slowly, I became more aware of the worlds details. Crowds in the stands cheering. A few instructors nodding to distributively other as they joined in. The pounding of my own heart.It wasnt until a grinning Alberta tugged at my arm that I realised it was over. The test Id waited for my entire life, finished in what felt like a blink of an eye.Come on, she said, wrapping her arm around my shoulder and guiding me toward the exit. You need to get some water and sit down.Dazed, I let her lead me off the field, around which people were still cheering and crying my name. Behind us, I heard some people byword they had to take a break and fix the bridge. She led me back to the waiting area and gently pushed me onto a bench. Someone else sat beside me and handed me a nursing bottle of water. I hearted over and saw my mother. She had an expression on her face that I had never seen before pure, radiant pride.That was it? I asked at last.She surprised me again with real amused laughter. That was it? she repeated. Rose, you were out there for almost an hour. You blew through that test with flying colorsprobably one of the best trials this schools ever seen.Really? It just seemed light wasnt quite the right word. It was a haze, thats all.My mom squeezed my hand. You were amazing. Im so, so proud of you.The realization of it all truly, truly hit me then, and I felt a smile of my own spreading over my lips. Now what happens? I asked.Now you become a guardian.Id been tattooed many times, but none of those events came close to the ceremony and fanfare that occurred while getting my promise mark. Before, Id received molnija marks for kills Id made in un evaluate, tragic circumstances fighting Strigoi in Spokane, the school attack and rescueevents that were cause for mourning, not celebration. Af ter all those kills, wed large-minded of lost count, and while guardian tattoo artists still tried to log every individual kill, theyd finally given me a asteroid mark that was a fancy way of saying wed lost count.Tattooing isnt a fast process, even if youre getting a small one, and my entire graduating class had to get them. The ceremony took place in what was usually the Academys dining room, a room they were able to remarkably transform into something as grand and elaborate as wed sire at the Royal Court. Spectatorsfriends, family, guardianspacked the room as Alberta called our names one at a time and read our dozens as we approached the tattoo artist. The scores were important. They would be made public and, along with our overall school grades, influence our assignments. Moroi could request certain grads for their guardians. Lissa had requested me, of course, but even the best scores in the world might not compensate for all the gloomy behavioral marks on my record.There w ere no Moroi at this ceremony, though, aside from the handful who had been invited as knobs by the new graduates. Everyone else gathered was a dhampir either one of the established guardians or about-to-become-guardians like me. The guests sat in the back, and the senior guardians sat near the front. My classmates and I stood the whole time, maybe as some sort of last test of endurance.I didnt mind. Id changed out of my torn and dirty clothes into simple slacks and a sweater, an outfit that seemed dressy while still retaining a solemn feel. It was a good call because the air in the room was thick with tension, all faces a mix of joy at our success but also anxiety about our new and deadly role in the world. I watched with shining eye as my friends were called up, surprised and impressed at many of the scores.Eddie Castile, a close friend, got a specially high score in one-on-one Moroi protection. I couldnt help a smile as I watched the tattooist give Eddie his mark. I wonder how h e got his Moroi over the bridge, I murmured in an undertone. Eddie was pretty resourceful.Beside me, another friend of mine, Meredith, gave me a puzzled look. What are you disgorgeing about? Her voice was equally soft.When we were chased onto the bridge with a Moroi. Mine was Daniel. She still looked composite, and I elaborated. And they put Strigoi on each side?I crossed the bridge, she whispered, but it was just me being chased. I took my Moroi through a maze.A glare from a nearby classmate closed in(p) us up, and I hid my frown. Maybe I wasnt the only one whod gone through the trial in a daze. Meredith had her concomitants screwed up.When my name was called, I heard a few gasps as Alberta read my scores. I had the highest in the class by far. I was kind of glad she didnt read my academic grades. They would have completely taken away some of the glory of the rest of my performance. Id always done well in my combat classes, but math and history well, those were a bit lacking, specially since I always seemed to be dropping in and out of school.My fuzz was pulled tightly into a bun, with every stray wisp held with whiskerpins so that the artist would have cipher to interfere with his work. I leaned forward to give him a good view and heard him grunt in surprise. With the back of my neck covered in marks, hed have to be tricky. Usually a new guardian provided a blank canvas. This guy was good, though, and managed to delicately place the promise mark in the center of the scruff of my neck after all. The promise mark looked like a long, stretched-out S, with curly ends. He fit it in between the molnija marks, letting it wrap around them like an embrace. The process hurt, but I kept my face blank, refusing to flinch. I was shown the final results in a mirror before he covered it up with a bandage so it would heal cleanly.After that, I rejoined my classmates and watched as the rest of them received their tattoos. It meant standing for another two hours, bu t I didnt mind. My brain was still reeling with everything that had happened today. I was a guardian. A real, honest-to-goodness guardian. And with that thought came questions. What would happen now? Would my scores be good enough to erase my record of bad behavior? Would I be Lissas guardian? And what about succeeder? What about Dimitri?I shifted uneasily as the full impact of the guardian ceremony hit me. This wasnt just about Dimitri and Victor. This was about meabout the rest of my life. School was over. I would no longer have teachers tracking my every move or correcting me when I made mistakes. All decisions would be on me when I was out protecting soulfulness. Moroi and young dhampirs would look to me as the authority. And I would no longer have the luxury of practicing combat one minute and lounging in my room the next. There were no clear-cut classes anymore. I would be on duty all the time. The thought was daunting, the pressure almost too great. Id always equated grad uation with dropdom. Now I wasnt so sure. What new shape was my life going to take? Who would decide? And how could I reach Victor if I was assigned to guard anyone besides Lissa?Across the room, I met Lissas eyes among the audience. They burned with a pride that matched my mothers, and she grinned when our gazes met.Get that look off your face, she chastised through the bond. You shouldnt look that anxious, not today. You need to celebrate.I knew she was right. I could handle what was to come. My worries, which were many, could wait one more dayparticularly since the exuberant predilection of my friends and family ensured that I would celebrate. Abe, with that influence he always seemed to wield, had secured a small banquet room and thrown a party for me that seemed more suited to a royal stag debutante, not some lowly, bold dhampir.Before the event, I changed yet again. Prettier party clothes now seemed more appropriate than the formal molnija ceremony outfit. I put on a short- sleeved, emerald special K wrap dress and hung my nazar around my neck, even though it didnt match. The nazar was a small pendant that looked like an eye, with different shades of blue circling it. In Turkey, where Abe came from, it was believed to offer protection. Hed given it to my mother years ago, and shed in turn given it to me.By the time Id put on makeup and brushed out my tangled hair into long, aristocratic waves (because my tattoo bandages didnt go with the dress at all), I hardly looked like someone capable of fighting monsters or even throwing a punch. Nothat wasnt quite true, I realized a moment later. Staring into the mirror, I was surprised to see a haunted look in my brown eyes. There was pain there, pain and loss that even the nicest dress and makeup couldnt hide.I ignored it and set off for the party, promptly running into Adrian as soon as I stepped outside my dorm. Without a word, he swept me into his arms and smothered me with a pamper. I was totally caught off guard. It figured. Undead creatures didnt surprise me, but one flippant royal Moroi could.And it was quite the osculate, one that I almost felt guilty about sinking into. Id had concerns when first dating Adrian, but many of them had departed over time. After watching him flirt shamelessly and take nothing seriously for so long, Id never expected to see such devotion from him in our relationship. I also hadnt expected to find my feelings for him growingwhich seemed so contradictory considering I still loved Dimitri and was concocting impossible ways to save him.I laughed when Adrian set me down. Nearby, a few younger Moroi had stopped to watch us. Moroi dating dhampirs wasnt super uncommon at our age, but a notorious dhampir dating the Moroi queens great-nephew? That was kind of out there peculiarly since it was widely known how much Queen Tatiana hated me. There had been few witnesses to my last meeting with her, when shed screamed at me to stay away from Adrian, but word of that kind of thing always gets around.Like the show? I asked our voyeurs. Realizing theyd been busted, the Moroi kids hastily continued on their way. I turned back to Adrian and smiled. What was that? It was kind of a big kiss to throw on me in public.That, he said grandly, was your reward for kicking so much ass in those trials. He paused. It was also because you look totally hot in that dress.I gave him a wry look. Reward, huh? Merediths boyfriend got her diamond earrings.He caught hold of my hand and gave an unconcerned shrug as we began to walk to the party. You indispensableness diamonds? Ill give you diamonds. Ill shower you in them. Hell, Ill get you a gown made out of them. But its going to be skimpy.I think Ill settle for the kiss after all, I said, imagining Adrian dressing me like a swimsuit model. Or a pole dancer. The jewelry reference also suddenly brought on an casteless memory. When Dimitri had held me captive in Siberia, lulling me into blissful complacency with his bites, hed showered me with jewelry too.I knew you were a badass, continued Adrian. A warm summer breeze ruffled the brown hair he so painstakingly styled each day, and with his free hand, he absentmindedly tried to arrange it back into place. But I didnt realize just how much until I saw you dropping guardians out there.Does that mean youre going to be nicer to me? I teased.Im already nice to you, he said loftily. Do you know how badly I want a cigarette right now? But no. I manfully suffer through nicotine withdrawalall for you. But I think seeing you out there will make me a little more careful around you. That barbaric dad of yours is kind of gonna make me cautious too.I groaned, recalling how Adrian and Abe had been sitting together. God. Did you really have to hang out with him?Hey, hes awesome. A little unstable, but awesome. We got along great. Adrian opened the door to the create we were seeking. And hes a badass in his way too. I mean, any other guy who wore scarves like that? Hed be laughed out of this school. Not Abe. Hed beat someone almost as badly as you would. In fact Adrians voice turned nervous. I gave him a surprised look.In fact what?Well Abe said he want me. But he also made it clear what hed do to me if I ever hurt you or did anything bad. Adrian grimaced. In fact, he described what hed do in very graphic detail. Then, just like that, he switched to some random, happy topic. I like the guy, but hes scary.Hes out of line I came to a halt outside the partys room. Through the door, I heard the buzz of conversation. We were apparently among the last to arrive. I guessed that meant Id be making a grand entrance fitting for the guest of honor. He has no right to threaten my boyfriends. Im eighteen. An adult. I dont need his help. I can threaten my boyfriends myself.My indignation amused Adrian, and he gave me a lazy smile. I agree with you. But that doesnt mean Im not going to take his advice seriously. My face is too pretty to risk.His face was pretty, but that didnt stop me from shaking my head in exasperation. I reached for the doors handle, but Adrian pulled me back.Wait, he said.He drew me into his arms again, our lips meeting in another hot kiss. My body pressed to his, and I found myself confused by my own feelings and the realization that I was reaching a point where I might want more than just kissing.Okay, said Adrian when wed finally low-pitched away. Now we can go in.He had that same light tone to his voice, but in his dark green eyes, I saw the kindling of passion. I wasnt the only one considering more than just kissing. So far, wed avoided discussing sex, and hed actually been very good about not pressuring me. I think he knew I just wasnt ready after Dimitri, but in moments like these, I could see just how difficult it was for Adrian to hold back.It softened something inside of me, and standing on my tiptoes, I gave him another kiss. What was that? he asked a few moments later.I grinned. Your reward .When we finally made it into the party, everyone in the room greeted me with cheers and proud smiles. A long time ago, Id thrived on being the center of attention. That desire had faded a little, but now, I put on a confident face and accepted my loved ones praise with smashing and happiness. I held up my hands triumphantly, earning more clapping and approval.My party was almost as much of a blur as my trials. You never really realize how many people care about you until they all turn out to support you. It made me feel humble and almost a little teary. I kept that to myself, though. I could hardly start crying at my own victory party.Everyone wanted to babble to me, and I was surprised and delighted each time some new person approached me. It wasnt often that I had all the people I loved best in one place, and, uneasily I realized this opportunity might never come again.Well, youve finally got a license to kill. Its about time.I turned and met the amused eyes of Christian Ozera, a one-time(prenominal) annoyance whod become a good friend. So good, in fact, that in my joyous zeal, I reached out and hugged himsomething he clearly didnt expect. I was surprising everyone today.Whoa, whoa, he said backing up, flushing. It figures. Youre the only girl whod get all emotional about the thought of killing. I dont even want to think about what goes on when you and Ivashkov are alone.Hey, look whos talking. Youre itching to get out there yourself.Christian shrugged by way of agreement. It was a standard rule in our world Guardians protected Moroi. Moroi didnt get involved in battles. Yet after recent Strigoi attacks, a lot of Moroithough hardly a majorityhad begun to argue that it was time for Moroi to step up and start helping the guardians. Fire users like Christian were particularly valuable since burning was one of the best ways to kill a Strigoi (along with staking and decapitation). The movement to teach Moroi to fight was currentlyand purposelystalled in the Moroi government, but that hadnt stopped some Moroi from practicing in secret. Christian was one of them. Glancing beside him, I blinked in astonishment. There was someone with him, someone Id hardly noticed.Jill Mastrano hovered near him like a shadow. A Moroi freshmanwell, soon to be a sophomoreJill had come forward as someone who also wanted to fight. She had sort of become Christians student.Hey Jill, I said, giving her a warm smile. Thanks for coming.Jill flushed. She was determined to learn to defend herself, but she grew flustered among othersparticularly around celebrities like me. Rambling was her nervous reaction. I had to, she said, brushing her long, light brown hair out of her face. Like always, it was a tangle of curls. I mean, its so cool what you did. At the trials. Everyone was amazed. I heard one of the guardians saying that theyd never seen anything like you, so when Christian asked if I wanted to come, of course I had to. Oh Her light green eyes went wide. I didn t even tell you congratulations. Sorry. Congratulations.Beside her, Christian struggled to keep a straight face. I made no such attempts and laughingly gave her a hug too. I was in serious danger of turning warm and fuzzy. Id probably get my tough guardian status revoked if I kept this up. Thanks. be you two ready to take on a Strigoi army yet?Soon, said Christian. But we might need your backup. He knew as well as I did that Strigoi were way out of their league. His fire magic had helped me a lot, but on his own? Thatd be a different story. He and Jill were teaching themselves to use magic offensively, and when Id had time between classes, Id taught them a few combat moves.Jills face fell a little. Its going to stop once Christians gone.I turned to him. It was no surprise hed be leaving. Wed all be leaving. What are you going to do with yourself? I asked.He shrugged. Go to Court with the rest of you. Aunt Tasha says were going to have a talk about my future. He grimaced. Whatever h is plans were, it looked like they werent the same as Tashas. Most royal Moroi would head off to elite colleges. I wasnt sure what Christian had in mind.It was standard practice after graduation for new guardians to go to the Moroi Royal Court for orientation and to get their assignments. We were all due to leave in a couple of days. Following Christians gaze, I saw his aunt across the room, and so help me, she was talking to Abe.Tasha Ozera was in her late twenties, with the same glossy black hair and ice blue eyes that Christian had. Her beautiful face was marred, however, by some terrible scarring on one sidethe result of injuries inflicted by Christians own parents. Dimitri had been turned into a Strigoi against his will, but the Ozeras had purposely chosen to turn for the sake of immortality. It had ironically cost them their lives when the guardians hunted them down. Tasha had raised Christian (when he wasnt at school) and was one of the main leaders in the movement supporting those Moroi who wanted to fight Strigoi.Scar or not, I admired her and still thought she was beautiful. From my petulant fathers attitude, it was clear he did too. He poured her a glass of champagne and said something that made her laugh. She leaned forward, like she was telling him a secret, and he laughed in return. My jaw dropped. horizontal from this far away, it was obvious they were flirting.Dear God, I said with a shudder, hastily turning back to Christian and Jill.Christian seemed torn between smugness at my soreness and his own unease at watching a woman he regarded as a mother get hit upon by a buccaneer mobster guy. A moment later, Christians expression softened as he turned back to Jill and continued our conversation.Hey, you dont need me, he said. Youll find others around here. Youll have your own superhero club before you know it.I found myself smiling again, but my kindly feelings were suddenly shattered by a jolt of jealousy. It wasnt my own, though. It was Lissa s, coming through the bond. Startled, I glanced around and spotted her across the room, giving Christian the look of death as he spoke to Jill.Its worth mentioning that Christian and Lissa used to date. More than date. Theyd been deeply in love, and honestly, they kind of still were. Unfortunately, recent events had badly strained their relationship, and Christian had broken up with her. Hed loved her but had lost his perpetrate in her. Lissa had spun out of control when another spirit user named Avery Lazar had sought to control her. Wed eventually stopped Avery, and she was currently locked away in a mental institution, last Id heard. Christian now knew the reasons for Lissas horrible behavior, but the damage was done. Lissa had initially been depressed, but her sorrow had now turned to anger.She claimed she wanted nothing to do with him anymore, but the bond gave her away. She was always jealous of any girl he talked toparticularly Jill, whom hed been spending a lot of time with lately. I knew for a fact there was nothing romantic going on there. Jill idolized him as some wise teacher, nothing more. If she had a crush on anyone, it was Adrian, who always treated her like a kid sister. We all kind of did, really.Christian followed my gaze, and his expression hardened. Realizing she had his attention, Lissa immediately turned away and began talking to the first guy she found, a liberal dhampir from my class. She turned on the flirtatious charm that came so easily to spirit users, and soon, both of them were laughing and chatting in a way similar to Abe and Tasha. My party had turned into a round of speed dating.Christian turned back to me. Well, looks like shes got plenty to keep her busy.I rolled my eyes. Lissa wasnt the only one who was jealous. Just as she grew angry whenever he hung out with other girls, Christian became prickly when she spoke to other guys. It was infuriating. Rather than admit they still had feelings and just needed to patch things up , those two idiots just kept displaying more and more hostility toward each other.Will you stop already and actually try to talk to her like a keen-sighted person someday? I groaned.Sure, he said bitterly. The day she starts acting like a rational person.Oh my God. You guys are going to make me rip my hair out.Itd be a waste of nice hair, said Christian. Besides, shes made her attitude perfectly clear.I started to protest and tell him how stupid he was, but he had no intention of sticking around to hear a lecture Id already given a dozen times.Come on, Jill, he said. Rose inevitably to mingle more.He quickly stepped away, and I had half a mind to go beat some sense into him when a new voice spoke.When are you going to fix that? Tasha was standing next to me, shaking her head at Christians retreat. Those two need to be back together.I know that. You know that. But they cant seem to get it through their heads.Well, youd better get on it, she said. If Christian goes to college across the country, itll be too late. There was a dryand exasperated telephone line in her voice when she mentioned Christian going to college.Lissa was going to Lehigh, a university near the Court, per an arrangement with Tatiana. Lissa would get to attend a bigger university than Moroi usually went to, in swop for spending time at the Court and learning the royal trade.I know, I said in exasperation. But why am I the one who has to fix it?Tasha grinned. Because youre the only one forceful enough to make them see reason.I decided to let Tashas insolence go, mostly because her talking to me meant that she wasnt talking to Abe. Glancing across the room, I suddenly stiffened. He was now talking to my mother. Snatches of their conversation came to me through the noise.Janine, he said winningly, you havent aged a day. You could be Roses sister. Do you remember that night in Cappadocia?My mother actually giggled. I had never heard her do that before. I decided I never wanted to again. Of cour se. And I remember how dullard you were to help me when my dress strap broke.Dear God, I said. Hes unstoppable.Tasha looked puzzled until she saw what I was talking about. Abe? Hes actually pretty charming.I groaned. Excuse me.I headed toward my parents. I accepted that theyd once had a romanceone that led to my conceptionbut that didnt mean I wanted to watch them relive it. They were recounting some walk on the beach when I reached them. I promptly tugged Abes arm away. He was standing way too close to her.Hey, can I talk to you? I asked.He looked surprised but shrugged. Certainly. He gave my mother a knowing smile. Well talk more later.Is no woman safe around here? I demanded as I led him away.What are you talking about?We came to a stop by the punch bowl. Youre flirting with every woman in this roomMy chastising didnt faze him. Well, there are so many lovely women here. Is that what you wanted to talk to me about?No I wanted to talk to you about threatening my boyfriend. You had no right to do that.His dark eyebrows shot up. What, that? That was nothing. Just a father looking out for his daughter.Most fathers dont threaten to reap their daughters boyfriends.Thats not true. And anyway, thats not what I actually said. It was much worse.I sighed. He seemed to delight in my exasperation.Think of it as a graduation gift. Im proud of you. Everyone knew youd be good, but no one knew youd be that good. He winked. They certainly didnt expect you to destroy their property.What property?The bridge.I frowned. I had to. It was the most efficient way. God, that was a boeuf of a challenge. Whatd the other grads do? They didnt actually fight in the middle of that thing, did they?Abe shook his head, loving every minute of his original knowledge. No one else was put in that situation.Of course they were. We all face the same tests.Not you. While planning the trials, the guardians decided you needed something extra. Something special. After all, youd been out fighting in t he real world.What? The volume of my voice caught the attention of a few others. I lowered it, and Merediths earlier words came back to me. Thats not fairHe didnt seem concerned. Youre superior to the others. Making you do easy things wouldnt have been fair.Id faced a lot of ridiculous things in my life, but this was pretty out there. So they had me do that crazy bridge stunt instead? And if they were surprised I cut it, then what the hell else did they expect me to do? How else was I supposed to survive that?Hmm. He stroked his chin absentmindedly. I honestly dont think they knew.Oh, for Gods sake. This is unbelievable.Why are you so mad? You passed.Because they put me in a situation they didnt even know how to get out of. I gave him a suspicious look. And how do you even know about this? This is all guardian business.An expression I didnt like at all came over his face. Ah, well, I was with your mother last night andWhoa, okay. Just stop, I interrupted. I do not want to hear what you and my mother were doing last night. I think thatd be worse than the bridge.He grinned. Both are in the past, so no need to worry now. Enjoy your success.Ill try. Just dont do me any more favors with Adrian, okay? I mean, Im glad you came to support me, but thats more than enough.Abe gave me a canny look, reminding me that underneath that swagger he was indeed a shrewd and parlous man. You were more than happy to have me do you a favor after your return from Russia.I grimaced. He had a point, seeing as he had managed to get a message into a high-security prison. Even if it hadnt led to anything, he still got points.Okay, I admitted. That was pretty amazing. And Im grateful. I still dont know how you pulled that off. Suddenly, like a hallucination you recall a day later, I remembered the thought Id had just before my trials. I lowered my voice. You didnt actually go there, did you?He snorted. Of course not. I wouldnt set foot in that place. I simply worked my network.Where is t hat place? I asked, hoping I sounded bland.He wasnt fooled. Why do you want to know?Because Im curious Convicted criminals always disappear without a trace. Im a guardian now, and I dont even know anything about our own prison system. Is there just one prison? Are there lots?Abe didnt answer right away. He was studying me carefully. In his business, he suspected everyone of ulterior motives. As his daughter, I was probably doubly suspect. It was in the genes.He must have underestimated my potential for insanity because he said at last, Theres more than one. Victors in one of the worst. Its called Tarasov.Where is it?Right now? He considered. In Alaska, I think.What do you mean, right now?It moves throughout the year. Right now its in Alaska. Later, itll be in Argentina. He gave me a sly smile, apparently wondering how astute I was. Can you guess why?No, Iwait. Sunlight. It made perfect sense. Alaskas got almost nonstop daylight this time of yearbut nonstop night in the winter.I thin k he was prouder of my realization than of my trials. Any prisoners trying to escape would have a hard time. In full sun, no Moroi fugitive would get very far. Not that anyone can escape through that level of security anyway. I tried to ignore how foreboding that sounded.Seems like theyd put it pretty far north in Alaska then, I said, hoping to worm out the actual location indirectly. You get more light that way.He chuckled. Even I cant tell you that. Thats learning the guardians keep close, buried in their headquarters.I froze. HeadquartersAbe, despite being usually observant, didnt notice my reaction. His eyes were watching something across the room. Is that Renee Szelsky? My, my shes grown lovely over the years.I grudgingly waved him away, largely because I wanted to chase this new plan in my mindand because Renee wasnt anyone I knew very well, which made him hitting on her less appalling. Well, dont let me stop you. Go lure more women into your web.Abe didnt need much prodding. Alone, I let my brain spin, wondering if my developing scheme had any chance of success. His words had sparked a new plan in my mind. It wasnt much crazier than most of my others. Across the room, I met Lissas jade eyes again. With Christian out of sight, her mood had improved. She was enjoying herself and was excited about the adventures ahead of us, now that we were free and out in the world. My mind flashed back to the anxieties Id felt earlier in the day. We might be free now, but reality would catch up with us soon. The clock was ticking. Dimitri was waiting, watching. I wondered briefly if Id still get his weekly letters, now that Id be leaving the school.I smiled at her, feeling kind of bad that Id be ruining her mood when I told her we might now have a very real chance of busting out Victor Dashkov.