Bloodlines Chapter Twenty-Six

IT TOOK DAYS for me to fin everyy get off the whole story, both roughly Lee and almost how Eddie and Jill had act do 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 young lady hed menti integrityd. tot solelyy of them had been killed within the last five years, in either Los Angeles or Palm Springs, and m both had put d neckledge evidence of knowing him. They werent random victims. What little we could find out(p) approximately Lees history came from Cl bence, though plain that was muddled. By our best guesses, Lee had been turned forcibly into a Strigoi about fifteen years ago. Hed worn out(p) ten years that way until a smelling drillr restored him, oft ms to Lees dismay. Cl arence hadnt had all his wits about him flush then and hadnt questi one and only(a)d how his son had returned home by and by ten years without aging. He evaded answering our questions about Lee bein g a Strigoi, and we didnt know if Clarence simply hadnt kn accept or was in denial. desirewise, it was unclear if Clarence knew his own son was behind Tamaras death. The far-fetched vampire hunter theory was probably easier for him to stomach than the murderous truth about his son.Investigations into Lees college in Los Angeles showed he hadnt actually been enrolled there since before he became Strigoi. When hed become Moroi again, hed used college as an rationalise to check mark in Los Angeles, where he could such(prenominal)(prenominal) easily pursue victims and we suspected there were more of them than we had records for. From what wed observed, hed obviously 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 close tothing I should pass water thought of right away. She was a dhampir. Shed enumerateed human, provided that s make outar sports record was the tip-off. Lee had stumbled onto her when visiting his produce five years ago. Getting the declension on a dhampir wasnt easy, which was why Lee seemed to substantiate gone to the effort of dating her and luring her in.None of us knew anything about the bastard spirit user whod converted him, though that was of interest to both the Alchemists and the Moroi. There were genuinely few spirit users on record, and with there take over being so much(prenominal) unknown about their powers, everyone requiremented to learn more. Clarence was adamant that he knew nothing about this mystery spirit user, and I commitd him.Alchemists were in and out of Palm Springs all hebdomad, cleaning up the mess and interviewing everyone whod been involved. I met with a number of them, express my story over and over, and finally had my last debriefing with Stanton over lunch one Saturday. Id kind of had a perverse interest in knowing what had happened to Keith but decided not to bring it up in fall of everything else discharge on. He wasnt here, which was all I cared about.Lees autopsy revealed nothing that wasnt ordinary Moroi, according to their doctors, Stanton told me amongst bites of linguine carbonara. Eating and discussing dead bodies werent mutually exclusive, apparently. that then, something magical desirely wouldnt show up anyway. neertheless there must be something special about him, I verbalise. 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 Jacque zephyr did to him. That should take a crap 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 precisely that second-nature Alchemist mode winning over. Inside me, the events of that night had left a permanent mark. When I closed my eyes at bedtime, I kept seeing Lees death and Jac queline feeding him the blood. Lee, whod 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 load of those words settle over us.Thats huge, I utter at last. Talk about an under literary argument. Lee presented a number of mysteries. He had begun aging once he became a Moroi again, but at a much slower rate. wherefore? We werent sure, but that alone was a monumental discovery, as was my suspicion that he could no longer use Moroi magic. Id been too freaked out to notice anything strange about Lees behavior when Jill had asked him to create obnubilate while we were golfing, but intuitive chanceinging back, it occurred to me hed actually looked nervous about her requests. And the rest the fact that something had changed in him, protect him, however unwillingly, from becoming Strigoi? Yeah. Huge was an understa tement.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 far-reaching.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 talk of the town about some kind of magical vaccine.Of course, said Stanton, though her tone implied she wasnt nearly as refer about that races benefits. It might even be possible to prevent the future creation of all Strigoi. Theres besides the mystery of your blood. You said the Strigoi didnt give care it. That could be a type of protection too.I shivered at the memory. Maybe. It all happened so fast its effortful to say. And it was certainly no protection fro m the Strigoi wanting to snap my neck.Stanton nodded. Its 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 polished news, especially since shes a former Strigoi herself. At the very to the lowest degree, we can observe the slowed aging firsthand. Shes only accessible for a short while, and the Moroi havent answered my request yet for some other useful individuals. But if we had another spirit user on hand, one with no other obligations to flurry him from helping us fulltimeShe looked at me meaningfully.Adrian? I asked.Do you think hed help research this? Some magical way to protect against S trigoi conversion? Like I said, between Sonya and the others, hed have help, she added quickly. Ive spoken to the Moroi, and theyre putting together a small group with ingeniousise 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, stage set over test tubes and beakers. I knew that the actual research wouldnt look anything like that, but it was a hard picture to shake. It was in any case hard to imagine Adrian seriously focused on anything. Except, I kept having that hen-peck thought that Adrian would focus if he only had something worth caring about. Was this important enough? I in reality wasnt sure. It was too hard to guess what purpose might be noble enough to get Adrians assist. But I was pretty sure I knew some less-thannoble perks that might get him on board.If you can get him his own place, I bet hed do i t, I said finally. He wants out of Clarence Donahues pretty badly.Stantons eyebrows rose. She hadnt anticipate this. Well. Thats not a huge request, I suppose. And actually, were already paying the bill for Keiths old apartment since he took out a year-long lease. Mr. Ivashkov could simply move into there, exceptExcept what?Stanton gave a small shrug. I was going to offer it to you. After much discussion, weve decided to simply make you the Alchemist on point here, in light of Keiths 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 weve actually found a better choice no offense. The Moroi were able to put a dhampir female child Jills age, who could not only serve as Jills waymate but also as a bodyguard. Shell be joining the researchers who are coming out. You dont have to pose as a savant anymore.The world reeled. Alchemist schemes an d 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 Id made Trey, Kristin, Julia. Id 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 charge 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 didnt bother hiding her surprise. I didnt expect youd want to stay on. I figured youd especially be happy to no longer room with a vampire.And like that, all the fears and pressure Id faced before coming to Palm Springs descended on me. Vamp lover. I was an idiot. I shouldve 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 shed be the roommate and I wouldnt have to room with Jill anymore. I thought Id have my own in the dorm.That can probably be arrangedAnd honestly, after some of the things that have happened, Id feel better still keeping an eye on Jill. Itll be easier if Im at the school. Besides, if it takes an apartment to make Adrian happy and work on this Strigoi mystery, then thats what we need to do. I can wait.Stanton study me for several long seconds, breaking the silence only when the waiter dropped the bill off. Thats very professional of you. Ill look into the arrangements.Thank you, I said. A happy feeling welled up in me, and I almost smiled, pictorial representation Adrians face when he heard about his new place.Theres just one more thing I dont unders tand, 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 its a blur with the blood loss and the briary Im not really sure. Keith had some candles. I dont know if one got lit or I dont know. All I keep thinking about is those teeth and how terrible it was when I was bit Yes, yes, said Stanton. My confession was flimsy, but even she wasnt entirely impervious to the thought of being fed on by a vampire. It was pretty much an Alchemists worse nightmare, and I was entitled to my trauma. Well, dont worry about it. That fire is the least of our worries.It wasnt 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. Id been sitting on my anger for a week and could now finally let it out. Id 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 feyOh, 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. Im very informed about the diverse forces at work in our world, those hidden from most human eyes. Dont worry, my dear. Im certainly not going to tell anyone. Vampires arent my concern.Why? I asked, deciding not to acknowledge her outing everything I strove to keep secr et. 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 unstrained level. Humans, however, have no such connection.Humans arent 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 hadnt spoken, we must wrest it from the world. It doesnt 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 dont have the patience or skill. But someone like you? Youve been grilled in those painstaking techniques since the time you could talk.So thats all it takes to use magic? An ability to organize and measure? I didnt bother hiding my scorn.Of co urse 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 fork ups 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 tangle cold all over. Thats a lie, I said. Vampires use magic. Not humans. Not me.That amulet didnt light itself on fire, she said. Dont deny what you are. And now that weve 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 couldnt believe I was hearing this. It wasnt real. It was like something from a movie because no way was this my life. No, I exclaimed. Youre youre crazy Magics not real, and I dont have any Its unnatural and wrong. I wont endanger my soul.So much denial for such a good scientist, she mused.Im serious, I said, barely recognizing my own voice. I want nothing t o do with your recondite studies. Im happy to go on taking notes and buying you coffee, but if you keep making these kinds of crazy statement and demands Ill 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. Youd really reject this horrific potential this discovery that you have?I didnt answer.So be it. She sighed. Its a loss. And a waste. But you have my word that I wont bring it up again unless you do.That, I said vehemently, is not going to happen.Ms. Terwilliger just shrugged by way of answer. Well, then. Since youre here, you might as well go get me some coffee.I travel 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 Lees death and all the revelations wed 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. musical composition 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 dont know why you signed up for sewing club. That wasnt true, of course. We both knew exactly why Micah had joined.Jills face wore the heavy(p) look it had had since Lees death a look she would carry for a while, I suspected but the fantasm of a smile flickered over her lips. I think Micah has the makings of a real fashion designer. Maybe Ill whirl 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. Wed 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. Ill see you back in our room later, Sydney. Id like to talk some more.I nodded. Absolutely.Eddie and I watched them hurry off. I sighed.Thats going to be a problem, I told him.Maybe, he agreed. But she knows what she can and cant do with him. Shes smart. Shell be responsible.But he doesnt know, I said. I feel like Micahs 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, Im not going to claim to be any expert in romance, but even I can tell that youre crazy about Jill.He promptly looked away, though his flush betrayed him. Thats not true.Ive seen it all along, but it wasnt until that night at Keiths that I really understand 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 arent you just asking her out and saving us all a lot of trouble?Because shes my sister, he said wryly.Eddie Im 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 dont have serious relationships.Yeah, but thats like a class thing, I said. Its not quite the same as humans and vampires.Maybe not, but with her, it might as well be. Shes not j ust any Moroi. Shes royal. A princess. And youve seen how she is Smart and strong and beautiful. Shes bound(p) for great things, and one of them isnt being involved with a controversial guardian like me. Her bloodlines regal. Hell, I dont even know who my dad is. Dating her is not even possible. My job is to protect her. To keep her safe. Thats 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?Its 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 didnt answer, and I knew my hunch over was correct.This is about more than you not feeling worthy of Jill, I said. This is about Micah too, isnt it? About how he reminds you of mason.Eddie blanched. How do you know about that?Adrian told me.Damn him, said Eddie. Why cant he be as oblivious as he pretends?I smiled at that. You dont owe Micah anything. You certainly dont owe him Jill. Hes not Mason, no matter how much they look alike.Its more than looks, said Eddie, growing pensive. Its the way they act too. Micahs the same outgoing, optimistic, excited. Thats 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 wont let that happen to Micah.Micahs not in danger, I said gently.But he deserves good things. And even if hes human, hes still one of the best matches I know of for Jill. They deserve each other. They both deserve good things.And so, youre going to let yourself suffer as a result? Because youre so in love with Jill and convinced that she deserves some prince that you arent? And because you feel its your duty to support all the Masons in the world? I shook my head. Eddie, thats crazy. Even you have to see that.Maybe, he admitted. But I feel like its the right thing to do.Right? Its the masochistic thing to do Youre encouraging the girl you want to be with one of your best friends.I want her to be happy. Its worth sacrificing myself.It makes no sense.Eddie gave me a small smile and a gentle pat on the arm before turning toward an overture shuttle bus. Remember when you said you were no expert in romance? Well, you were right.