Spirit Bound Chapter Fifteen

IN MY PANICKED MIND RIGHT then, witnessting up and runnel on foot to Lehighdespite it being miles and miles a track depictmed handle a tot on the whole toldy solid plan. A emotional statebeat later on, I knew this was come on of my league. Way, trend out of my league.As I shot up from my table and toroid out of the means, I mat up up a emergent immenseing for Alberta. Id receiven her cut across into action at St. Vladimirs and knew she could take charge of any situation. At this withal out in our relationship, she would respond to any threat I brought to her. The guardians at hook were facilitate strangers to me. Who could I go to? Hans? The guy who hated me? He wouldnt swear me, not alike(p) Alberta or my mother would. Running d birth the unperturbed hallways, I dismissed all such worries. It didnt matter. I would move in him believe. I would find any angiotensin converting enzyme I could. Any peerless who could get Lissa and Christian out of this.Only you c an, a voice hissed in my head. Youre the one Dimitri fates.I ignored that thought too, by and large because in my distraction, I collided into someone rounding a corner.I gave a muffled cry that sounded like Oomph as my face slammed into someones chest. I looked up. Mikhail. I would establish been relieved, except I was too pumped skillful of adrenaline and worry. I grabbed his sleeve and began tugging him toward the st airwaves.Come on We father to get helpMikhail remained were he was, not budging against my pull. He frowned, face calm. What are you lecture rough?Lissa Lissa and Christian. Theyve been taken by Strigoiby Dimitri. We can find them. I can find them. But we have to hurry.Mikhails confusion grew. blush wine how long have you been wipe out hither?I didnt have clock for this. go forth him, I fled up the stairs to the main levels of the complex. A twinkling later I heard his footsteps behind me. When I r apieceed the main office, I judge someone to chastise me for leaving my punishment, except no one seemed to until now notice me.The office was in chaos. Guardians were running somewhat, calls were being made, and voices rose to frantic levels. They knew, I realized. They already knew.Hans I called, pushing my way through the crowd. He was on the other side of the room and had just hung up on a cell call. Hans, I fill out w here(predicate) they are. Where the Strigoi took Lissa and Christian.Hathaway, I dont have time for your His scowl faltered. You have that bond.I stared in astonishment. Id been ready for him to dismiss me as a nuisance. Id been ready for a long fight to convince him. I gave him a hasty nod.I sawing machine it. I saw everything that pass offed. straight off I frowned. How do you receive already?Serena, he state austerely.Serenas out of workHe agitate his head. zero(prenominal) not provided. Though she certainly sounded like it on the phone. Whatever happened, it took everything she had to represent that c all. We have Alchemists coming to get her, and clean up.I replayed the neverthelessts, remembering how Serena had been slammed against the asphalt. It had been a hard blow, and when she didnt move, Id assumed the worst. Yet if shed survivedand apparently she moldiness haveI could just barely form a intellectual image of her dragging her cell phone out of her pocket with blooming(a) hands.Please, please let her be vivacious, I thought, not received who I was praying to.Come on, said Hans. We need you. There are teams already forming.There was another surprise. I hadnt expected him to bring me on so quickly. A new respect for Hans settled oer me. He efficacy act like an asshole, just now he was a leader. When he saw an asset, he used it. In one swift motion, he was hurrying out the door, several guardians following him. I struggled to keep up with their prolonged strides and saw Mikhail coming as well.Youre doing a rescue, I told Hans. Thats rare. I hesitated to point speak the words. I certainly didnt want to discourage this. But Moroi rescues werent normal. When Strigoi took them, they were a dope regarded as dead. The rescue wed done after the Academy attack had been an oddity, one that had taken a lot of persuasion.Hans gave me a wry look. So is the Dragomir princess.Lissa was unusual to me, worth more than anything else in the origination. And for the Moroi, I realized, she was precious too. near Moroi captured by Strigoi might be regarded as dead, scarce she wasnt most Moroi. She was the last in her line, the last of one of twelve ancient families. Losing her wouldnt just be a hit to Moroi culture. It would be a sign, an omen that the Strigoi were truly defeating us. For her, the guardians would risk a rescue mission.In fact, it appeared they would risk a lot of things. As we arrived at the garages where the Courts vehicles were stored, I saw masses of other guardians arrivingalong with Moroi. I accepted a few. Tasha Ozera was among them, and like her, the others were fire users. If wed learned anything, it was how valuable they were in a fight. It appeared the contr every directsy of Moroi going to battle was being ignored right now, and I was amazed at how quickly this group had been summoned. Tashas eyeball met mine, her face ponderous and drawn. She said vigor to me. She didnt need to.Hans was barking orders, splitting people into groups and vehicles. With every man of self-control I could muster, I waited patiently near him. My restless spirit made me want to jump in and start demanding to know what I could do. He would get to me, I assured myself. He had a voice for me I just had to wait.My self-control was too being tested with Lissa. by and by Dimitri had taken her and Christian away, Id left her mind. I couldnt go concealment, not yet. I couldnt stand to see themto see Dimitri. I knew Id have to once I began directing the guardians, but for now, I held off. I knew Lissa was alive. That was all that mattered for the time being.Still, I was so wound up and filled with tension that when someone fey my arm, I nearly cancelled on them with my stake.Adrian I breathed. What are you doing here?He stood there looking down at me, and his hand quietly brushed my cheek. I had only ever seen such a serious, grim look on his face a couple of times. As usual, I didnt like it. Adrian was one of those people who should always be smiling.As soon as I heard the news, I knew where youd be.I shook my head. It happened like I dont know, ten minutes ago? Time had blurred for me. How could everyone know so soon?It was radioed across the Court as soon as they found out. Theyve got an instant alert system. In fact, the queens kind of in lockdown.What? wherefore? Somehow that annoyed me. Tatiana wasnt the one in danger. Why waste resources on her? A nearby guardian gave me a critical look over that.Adrian shrugged. Strigoi attack relatively close by? They take it as a pretty serious security threat for us.Relatively was the key word. Lehigh was just about an hour and a half from Court. Guardians were always on alert, though with each passing second, I wished theyd move faster and be on alert. If Adrian hadnt shown up, I was pretty sure I would have lost my patience and told Hans to hurry.Its Dimitri, I said in a low voice. I hadnt been sure if I should tell anyone else that. Hes the one who took them. Hes using them to lure me there.Adrians face grew darker. Rose, you cant He trailed off, but I knew his meaning.What choice do I have? I exclaimed. I have to go. Shes my best friend, and Im the only one who can lead them to her.Its a trap.I know. And he knows I know.What will you do? Again, I knew simply what Adrian meant.I glanced down at the stake Id unconsciously pulled out earlier. What I have to. I have to I have to kill him.Good, said Adrian, relief flooding his features. Im glad.For some reason, that irritated me. God, I snapped. Are you that caliber to get rid of any competition?Adrians face stayed serious. No. I just know that as long as hes still aliveor, well, kind of alivethen youre in danger. And I cant stand that. I cant stand knowing that your life is in the balance. And it is, Rose. Youll never be steady-going until hes gone. I want you safe. I need you to be safe. I cant I cant have anything happen to you.My flare of anger vanished as quickly as it had come. Oh, Adrian, Im sorry.I let him draw me into his arms. Resting my head against his chest, I felt his heartbeat and the softness of his shirt, I allowed myself a brief and fleeting moment of comfort. I just valued to sink into him then and there. I didnt want to be consumed by these feelings of fear fear for Lissa and fear of Dimitri. I went moth-eaten all over as a sudden realization slipped over me. No matter what happened, I would lose one of them tonight. If we rescued Lissa, Dimitri would die. If he survived, she would die. There was no happy ending for this story, nothing th at could save my heart from being crushed into pieces.Adrian brushed my forehead with his lips and then leaned down toward my mouth. Be careful, Rose. No matter what happens, please, please be careful. I cant lose you.I didnt know what to say to that, how to respond to all that emotion pouring from him. My own mind and heart were flooded with so many mixed feelings that I could barely form a coherent thought. Instead, I drew my lips to his and kissed him. In the midst of all the death tonightthe death that already had happened and that which was still to comethat kiss seemed more powerful than any he and I had ever shared. It was alive. I was alive, and I wanted to stay that way. I wanted to bring Lissa back, and I wanted to return to Adrians arms again, return to his lips and all this life.Hathaway Good God, do I need to hose you down?I broke abruptly from Adrian and saw Hans glaring at me. Most of the SUVs were loaded up. Now it was my turn to act. I gave Adrian a look of remotee well, and he hale a small smile that I think was conjectural to be brave.Be careful, he repeated. Bring them backand bring yourself back too.I gave him a quick nod and then followed an impatient Hans into one of the SUVs. The most bizarre sense of deja vu settled over me as I slid into the backseat. This was so like the time Victor had kidnapped Lissa that I nearly froze up. Then, too, I had ridden in a similar black SUV, directing guardians toward Lissas location. Only it had been Dimitri posing beside methe wonderful, brave Dimitri Id known so long ago. Yet those memories were so inscribed into my mind and heart that I could picture every detail the way hed tucked his hair behind his ears, the fierce look in his cook eyes as hed stepped on the gas to get us to Lissa faster. Hed been so determined, so ready to do what was right.This DimitriDimitri the Strigoiwas also determined. But in a very different way.You gonna be able to do this? asked Hans from the front seat. A hand gent ly squeezed my arm, and I was startled to see Tasha beside me. I hadnt even noticed she was riding with us. Were counting on you.I nodded, wanting to be worthy of his respect. In best guardian fashion, I kept my emotions off my face, trying not to feel that conflict between the two Dimitris. move not to remember that the night wed gone after Lissa and Victor had been the comparable night Dimitri and I had fallen prey to the lust charm. coping toward Lehigh, I said in a cool voice. I was a guardian now. Ill direct you when we get closer.Wed only been on the road for about twenty minutes when I sensed Lissas group coming to a halt. Dimitri had apparently chosen a hideout not too far from the university, which would make it easier for us to find than if theyd kept moving. Of course, I had to remind myself that Dimitri wanted to be found. Knowing that the guardians with me wouldnt need my directions until we were closer to Lehigh, I steeled myself and jumped into Lissas head to see wh at was going on.Lissa and Christian hadnt been harmed or attacked, aside from being pushed and dragged around. They sat in what looked like a storage rooma storage room that hadnt been used in a very long time. Dust cover everything in a heavy layer, so untold that it was hard to make out some of the objects piled on the rickety shelves. Some tools, maybe. Paper here and there, as well as the occasional box. A bare incandescent lamp was the only light in the room, giving everything a harsh and quaggy feel.Lissa and Christian sat in straight-backed wooden chairs, their hands kick behind their backs with rope. For a moment, deja vu hit again. I remembered last winter when I too, along with my friends, had been bound to chairs and held captive by Strigoi. Theyd drunk from Eddie, and Mason had died.No. Dont think like that, Rose. Lissa and Christian are alive. Nothings happened to them yet. Nothing will happen to them.Lissas mind was on the here and now, but a little trenchant let me see what the overall building had looked like when shed been brought in. It had seemed to be a warehousean old, abandoned onewhich made it a nice place for the Strigoi to hole up with their prisoners.There were four Strigoi in the room, but as far as Lissa was concerned, only one really mattered. Dimitri. I mute her reaction. Seeing him as a Strigoi had been hard for me. Surreal, even. Id adapted somewhat, simply because of all the time Id spent with him. Still, even I was caught by surprise sometimes at seeing him like that. Lissa hadnt been prepared at all and was in total shock.Dimitris dark brown hair was worn loose around his chin today, a look Id always loved on him, and he was pacing rapidly, causing his duster to swirl around him. A lot of the time, his back was to Lissa and Christian, which made it that much more troubling for her. Without seeing his face, she could some believe it was the Dimitri shed always known. He was arguing with the other three as he walked bac k and forth across the small space, agitation emit off him in an almost palpable wave.If the guardians really are coming, tortuous one Strigoi, then we should be posted outside. She was a tall, gangly redheaded woodpecker who appeared to have been Moroi when turned. Her tone implied that she did not think guardians were actually coming, though.Theyre coming, said Dimitri in a low voice, that lovely accent making my heart ache. I know they are.Then let me get out there and be useful she snapped. You dont need us to babysit these two. Her tone was dismissive. Scornful, even. It was understandable. Everyone in the vampire world knew Moroi didnt fight back, and Lissa and Christian were firmly bound.You dont know them, said Dimitri. Theyre dangerous. Im not even sure this is enough protection.Thats ridiculousIn one smooth motion, Dimitri turned and backhanded her. The hit knocked her back a few feet, her eyes railroad siding in fury and shock. He resumed his pacing as though nothing had happened.You will stay here, and you will guard them as long as I tell you to, do you understand? She glared back and gingerly affected her face but said nothing. Dimitri glanced at the others. And youll stay too. If the guardians actually make it this far inside, youll be needed for more than just guard duty.How do you know? demanded another Strigoi, a black-haired one who might have been human once. A rarity among Strigoi. How do you know theyll come?Strigoi had horrific hearing, but with their bickering, Lissa had a brief opportunity to speak undetected to Christian. give the axe you burn my ropes? she murmured in a nearly inaudible voice. Like with Rose?Christian frowned. When he and I had been captured, it was what hed done to free me. It had hurt like hell and left blisters on my hands and wrists. Theyll notice, he breathed back. The confabulation went no further because Dimitri came to an abrupt halt and turned toward Lissa.She gasped at the sudden and unexpected movem ent. Swiftly approaching her, he knelt down before her and peered into her eyes. She trembled in spite of her best efforts. She had never been this close to a Strigoi, and the fact that it was Dimitri was that much worse. The red rings around his pupils seemed to burn into her. His fangs looked poised to attack.His hand snaked out and gripped her neck, tilting her face up so he could get an even improve look into her eyes. His fingers dug into her skin, not enough to cut off her air but enough that she would have bruises later. If there was a later.I know the guardians will come because Rose is watching, said Dimitri. Arent you, Rose? Loosening his bewilder a little, he ran his fingertips over the skin of Lissas throat, so gently yet there was no question he had the power to snap her neck.It was like he was looking into my eyes at the moment. My soul. I even felt like he was stroking my neck. I knew it was impossible. The bond existed between Lissa and me. No one else could see it . Yet, just then, it was like no one else existed but him and me. It was like there was no Lissa between us.Youre in there, Rose. A unmerciful half smile played over his mouth. And you wont abandon either of them. You also arent foolish enough to come alone, are you? Maybe once you would havebut not anymore.I jerked out of her head, unable to stare into those eyesand see them staring back at me. Whether it was my own fear or a mirroring of Lissas, I discovered my body was also trembling. I forced it to stop and tried to slow my racing heart. Swallowing, I glanced around to see if anyone had noticed, but they were all preoccupied with discussing strategyexcept for Tasha.Her cool gamy gaze studied me, her face drawn with concern. What did you see?I shook my head, unable to look at her either. A nightmare, I murmured. My worst nightmare coming true.