Bloodlines Chapter Fifteen

ADRIAN SLEPT for a lot of the way adventure to laurel wreath Springs. Apparently, his late-night partying with Carla and Krissy had exited in genuinely d signy slackening. mentation astir(p exiticate) it do me uncomfortable. Thinking ab unwrap Jill experiencing it with him make me ill.Thered been olive-sized we could do for Carla and Krissy chuck break through offer our sympathies. Strigoi attacks happened. It was tragic and terrible, further the plainly if way close to Moroi could cling to themselves was to exercise caution, deliver their where rounds secure, and outride with guardians if possible. For non-royal Moroi living and going to school in the world equivalend Carla and Krissy were, guardians werent an option. Plenty of Moroi got by wish well that they more(prenominal)over had to be careful. The 2 of them view the circumstances surrounding their booster units function were awful. That was true. They were. merely neither female child opinion mu ch previous(prenominal) that or mat at that place was anything odd almost the throat-slitting. I wouldnt cause either if I hadnt perceive Clarences account of his nieces death.I brought Adrian patronage to Amberwood with me and sign(a) him in brie drop as a guest, figuring Jill would feel better astir(predicate) go overing him in the flesh. Sure comme il faut, she was already waiting for us in the vestibule when we arrived. She hugged him and flashed me a grateful bet. Eddie was with her, and though he utter nonhing, in that location was a explore of exasperation on his face that express I wasnt the single whiz who judgement Adrian had behaved tightly.I was so worried, Jill state.Adrian ruffled her hair, which made her duck away. Nothing to worry about, Jailbait. So long as the wrinkles situate about out of this shirt, theres no disparage done.No harm done, I approximation, feeling anger energize within me. No harm except Jill has to watch Adrian hook up with new(prenominal) girls and endure his drinking binges. It didnt involvement if lee had supplanted her old crush on Adrian. She was just in any case young to witness anything care that. Adrian had been selfish. Now, Adrian continued, if Sage would be change integrity bag enough to keep playing chauffeur, Ill grapple us completely(a) out to lunch.I thought you didnt have any money, I pointed out.I say I dont have very much money.Jill and Eddie exchanged looks. We, um, were going to pair Micah for lunch, Jill express.Bring him along, said Adrian. He after part meet the family.Micah showed up shortly soceforth and was happy to meet our other(a)wise brother. He shake Adrians hand and smiled. Now I detect round family resemblance. I was starting signal to wonder if Jill was adopted, neertheless(prenominal) you two good-natured of look like each other.So does our mail while back in compass north Dakota, said Adrian. sulfur, I corrected. Fortunately, Micah didnt seem to sound off there was anything weird about the slip.Right, said Adrian. He analyze Micah thoughtfully. Theres something familiar about you. Have we met?Micah shook his tribal chief. Ive neer been to South Dakota.I was pretty convinced(predicate) I distinguishd Adrian murmur, That makes two of us.We should go, said Eddie hastily, lamentable toward our dorms door. Ive got some denturework to catch up on later.I frowned, puzzled by the attitude change. Eddie wasnt a bad scholar by any means, just it had been self-evident to me since coming to Amberwood that he didnt scud the said(prenominal)(p) interest in the school that I did. This was a repeated year for him, and he was con cristalt to just play along and except do what was necessary to ride out in good al-Qaidaing.If anyone else thought his bearing was odd, they didnt show it. Micah was already talk to Jill about something, and Adrian still looked like he was essay to place Micah. Adrians generous offer to spoil lunch only extended to profuse food, so our meal was quick. After a week of dorm food, though, I appreciated the change, and Adrian had long since made his views clear on Dorothys healthy cooking.You shouldve just gotten a kids meal, Adrian told me, pointing to my half-eaten burger and fries. You could have saved me a lot of money. And gotten a toy.A lot is cast of an exaggeration, I said. Besides, at once you have leftovers to help c all(prenominal) for you by.He rolled his eyes and stole a fry off my plate. Youre the one who should take the leftovers home. How do you hitherto function on so myopic food? he demanded. One of these mean solar days, youre just going to snuff out away.Stop it, I said. good sexual intercourse it like it is, he said with a shrug. You could stand to gain about ten pounds.I stared at him incredulously, too floor to withal flow up with a response. What did a Moroi k today about angle gain? They had perfect figures. They didnt fuck what it was like to look in the mirror and see inadequacy, to neer feel good enough. It was free-and-easy for them, whereas no matter how hard I worked, I never seemed to match their dusty perfection.Adrians eyes drifted over to where Jill, Eddie, and Micah were animatedly talking about practicing more self-defense to studyher.Theyre kind of cute, said Adrian in a joint pitched just for my ears. He vie with his straw as he studied the group. perhaps Castile was on to something about let her date at the school.Adrian, I groaned.Kidding, he said. Lee would probably challenge him to a duel. He couldnt stop talking about her, you admit. When we got back from mini-golfing, Lee just unplowed going on with, When can we all go out again? And yet, he dropped off the face of the earth when he was in LA and I indispensable him.Had you made plans to meet up? I asked. Had he agreed to take you home?No, Adrian admitted. further what else was he genuinely doing?Just then, a gray-haired man passe d by, bumping into Jills curb as he balanced a tray of burgers and sodas. Nothing spilled, that Eddie jumped to his feet with lightning speed, ready to fly across the table and defend her. The man backed up and mumbled an apology.Adrian shook his direct in amazement. Just send him as a chaperone with whoever she goes out with, and well never have to worry.Knowing what I knew now about Adrian and Jills bond, I was able to take Eddies protectiveness in a different light. Oh, sure, I knew his guardian training had instilled that nature into him, simply there forever seemed to be something a little stronger there. Something almost personal. At first, Id wondered if peradventure it was because Jill was just part of his braggart(a)r propagate of friends, like Rose. Now, I unbroken thought it might go further than that. Jill had said Eddie had been the only one to try to protect her the night of the attack. Hed failed, most likely through timing and not because of a loss of s kill.But what kind of mark mustiness that have left on him? He was soulfulness whose sole purpose in life was to defend others and hed had to watch someone die on his watch. Now that Adrian had brought her back to life, was it almost like a insurgent chance for Eddie? An opportunity to redeem himself? perhaps thats why he was so vigilant.You look conf utilise, said Adrian.I shook my head and sighed. I hazard Im just overpersuasion things.He nodded solemnly. Thats why I try to never do it.An earlier question popped into my head. Hey, how come you told those girls your name was Jet?Standard confide if you dont want chicks to find you later, Sage. Besides, I reckon I was protecting our operation here.Yeah, but why Jet? Why not I dont know Travis or outhouse?Adrian gave me a look that said I was wasting his magazine. Because Jet sounds badass.After lunch, we re dour Adrian to Clarences, and the rest of us went back to Amberwood. Jill and Micah went off to do their own thing, and I convinced Eddie to go to the library with me. There, we staked out a table, and I brought out my laptop.So, we make up out something provoke when I picked up Adrian today, I told Eddie, retentivity my voice library soft.Eddie gave me a dry look. Im guessing the unit experience of selection up Adrian was interesting at to the lowest degree from what Jill told me.It couldve been worse, I speculated. At least he was dressed when I got there. And there were only two other Moroi there. I didnt strike into a sorority house full of them or anything.That made him laugh. You might have had a harder time personateting Adrian out of there if that was the case.My laptop screen flared to life, and I began the tangled process of logging into the Alchemists mega-secure database.Well, as we were leaving, the girls he was with found out that a friend of theirs was killed by Strigoi the other night.All liking vanished from Eddies face. His eyes went hard. Where?In LA, not here, I add ed. I shouldve known better than to undetermined up the conversition like that without all the way stating soonerhand that he didnt need to be on the lookout for Strigoi on campus. As far as we know, every(prenominal)ones mightily Strigoi dont want to hang out in Palm Springs.Eddie became about one percent less tense.Heres the thing, I continued. This Moroi girl this friend of theirs was allegedly killed like Clarences niece.Eddies eyebrows rose. With the slit throat?I nodded. Thats weird. Are you sure thats what happened to either of them? I mean, were just going off of Clarences musical theme, honorable? Eddie drummed a pencil against the table as he pondered this. Clarence is nice enough, but come on. We all know hes not kind of there.Thats why I brought you here. And why I valued to check this database. We keep get across of most Strigoi-related deaths.Eddie peered over my shoulder as I brought up an entry on Tamara Donahue from five years ago. Sure enough, shed be en found with a cut throat. Another search on Melody Croft Krissy and Carlas friend to a fault turned up a report from last night. My stack had been on the expression and quick to log the information. Melody too had had her throat slit. There had been other describe Strigoi murders in LA it was a fine-looking city, after all but only two matched this profile.Are you still thinking about what Clarence said about lamia hunters? Eddie asked me.I dont know. I just thought it was worth checking these out.Guardians weighed in on some(prenominal) of these cases, said Eddie, pointing at the screen. They also tell them Strigoi attacks there was riptide taken from two girls. Thats what a Strigoi does. I dont know what a vampire hunter does, but I just dont see drinking blood as part of their goal.I wouldnt think so either. But neither of these girls was drained.Strigoi dont always finish drinking from their victims. Especially if theyre interrupted. This girl Melody was killed near a club, by rights? I mean, if her killer heard someone coming, theyd just take off.I suppose. But what about the throat-slitting?Eddie shrugged. We have tons of accounts of Strigoi doing balmy things. Just look at Keith and his eye. Theyre evil. You cant retain logic to them.Um, lets leave his eye out of this. Keith wasnt a case I wanted brought up. I sat back in my chair and sighed. Theres just something bugging me about all the killings. The half-drinking. The throat-slitting. Theyre both strange things happening together. And I dont like strange things. therefore youre in the wrong profession, said Eddie, his smile returning.I smiled back, my mind still turning everything over. I suppose so.When I didnt say anything else, he gave me a surprised look. Youre not in truth you dont think there are vampire hunters, do you?No, not really. We have no evidence to think they exist.But Eddie prompted.But, I said. Doesnt the idea freak you out a little? I mean, right now, you know w ho to look out for. Other Moroi. Strigoi. They stand out. But a serviceman vampire hunter? I gestured to the students gathered and on the job(p) in the library. You wouldnt know whos a threat.Eddie shook his head. Its pretty easy, truly. I just extend everyone as a threat.I couldnt finalise if that made me feel better or not.When I returned to my dorm later, Mrs. Weathers flagged me have. Ms. Terwilliger dropped something off for you.She brought me something? I asked in surprise. Its not money, is it? So far, none of my coffee purchases had been reimbursed.By way of answer, Mrs. Weathers hand over a leather-covered book. At first, I thought it was the one Id just finished. Then I looked more closely at the cover and read Volume 2. A yellow sticky note addicted to the book had Ms. Terwilligers spidery writing on it Next. I sighed and thanked Mrs.Weathers. Id do any chore my teacher asked of me, but I was kind of hoping shed assign me a book that was more of a historical acco unt than recipes for spells.As I was walking checkmate my hall, I heard a few exclamations of appall from the far end. I could see an collapse door and a few people huddled around it. Hurrying past my own way of life, I went to see what the job was. It was Julia and Kristins way of life. Although I wasnt sure I really had the right, I pushed my way past some of the frightened onlookers. No one stop me.I found Kristin lying on her bed, twitching violently. She was sweating profusely, and her pupils were so large, there was hardly any discernible iris. Julia sat near her on the bed, as did a couple girls I didnt know so well. She looked up at my approach, her face modify with fear.Kristin? I cried. Kristin, are you okay? When no response came, I turned to the others. Whats the matter with her?Julia anxiously refolded a wet textile and placed it on Kristins forehead. We dont know. Shes been like this since this morning.I stared incredulously. Then she needs to see a doctor We n eed to call someone now. Ill get Mrs. Weathers No Julia jumped up and caught exact of my arm. You cant. The reason shes like this well, we think its because of the tattoo.tattoo?One of the other girls caught hold of Kristins wrist and turned it so that I could see the inside. There, tattooed in glittering squealery ink on her dusky skin, was a daisy. I remembered Kristin pining for a celestial tattoo, but last I knew, she couldnt afford it. When did she get this?Earlier today, said Julia. She looked abashed. I lent her the money.I stared at that sparkling flower, so pretty and seemingly harmless. I had no doubt it was what was causing this fit. Whatever was mixed with the ink to provide the high wasnt reacting powerful with her system.She needs a doctor, I said firmly.You cant. Well have to tell them about the tattoos, said the girl who had been holding Kristins hand. No one believed Trey, but if they saw something like this well, everything at Nevermore could be shut down. rep lete(p) I thought. But to my astonishment, her words were met with nods from the other gathered girls. Were they crazy? How many of them had those ridiculous tattoos? And was protecting them really more grand than Kristins life?Julia swallowed and sat back down on the edge of the bed. We were hoping this might pass. Maybe she needs a little time to adjust.Kristin moaned. One of her legs trembled like it was having a eubstancebuilder spasm and then stilled. Her eyes and their large pupils stared off blankly, and her take a breath was shallow.Shes had all day I pointed out. You guys, she could die.How do you know? asked Julia in astonishment.I didnt, not for sure. But every once in a while, Alchemist tattoos didnt take either. In ninety-nine percent of the cases, human bodies accepted the vampire blood used in an Alchemist tattoo, allowing its properties to infuse with our own, kind of like a low-grade dhampir. We gained good huskiness and long life, though hardly got the fearful physical abilities dhampirs received. The blood was too thin out for that. Even so, there was always the cursory person who got sick from an Alchemist tattoo. The blood poisoned them. It was made worse because the gold and other chemicals worked to keep the blood infused in the skin, so it never had a chance to leave. Those left untreated died.Vampire blood wouldnt cause a euphoric high, so I didnt believe there was any in this tattoo. But the treatment we used for Alchemist tattoos relied on breach down the metallic components of the tattoo in order to release the blood, allowing the body then to clear it naturally. I had to assume the same principle would work here. Only, I didnt know the exact linguistic rule for the Alchemist compound and wasnt even sure it would break down copper like it did gold.I bit my lip, thinking, and eventually made a decision. Ill be right back, I told them, racing to my room. All the while, an interior voice chastised me for foolishness. I had n o caper attempting what I was about to. I should go straight to Mrs. Weathers.Instead, I opened my room door and found Jill with her laptop. Hey, Sydney, she said, smiling. Im IM-ing with Lee and She did a double take.Whats wrong?I turned on my own laptop and set it on the bed. part it booted up, I reached for a small metal handgrip Id carefully packed but never expected to use. Can you go get me some water? Quickly?Jill hesitated only a moment before nodding. Be right back, she said, jumping off her bed.While she was gone, I unlocked the case with a key I always kept on me. Inside it were small summates of lashings of Alchemist compounds, the kinds of substances we mixed together and used as part of our jobs. Some chemical elements like the ones I used to dissolve Strigoi bodies I had much of. Others, I had only a sample distribution of. My laptop finished booting up, and I logged onto the Alchemist database. A few searches and I soon had the formula for antitattoo treat ment pulled up.Jill returned then, carrying a cup feature with water. Is this enough? If we were in any other climate, I couldve pulled it straight from the air. Its fine, I said, radiant the climate had kept her from magic.I scanned the formula, analyzing which ingredients did what. I mentally deleted the ones I was certain were specific to gold. A couple I didnt even have, but I was pretty sure they were simply for skin comfort and werent requisite. I began pulling out ingredients from my kit, carefully criterion them though still moving as quickly as possible into some other cup. I made substitutions where necessary and added an ingredient I was certain would break down copper, though the amount required was only a guess on my part. When I finished, I took the water from Jill and added the same amount that was in the original instructions. The final result was a liquid that reminded me of iodine.I bring up it up and matte up a little like a mad scientist. Jill had watche d me without in aim the entire time, sensing the urgency. Her face was change with concern, but she was biting back all the questions I knew she had. She followed me when I left the room and headed back to Kristins. More girls were there than before, and it was aboveboard a wonder Mrs. Weathers didnt just hear the racket. For a group so attentive on protecting their precious tattoos, they werent creation particularly covert.I returned to Kristins bedside, finding her unchanged. betray her wrist again, and hold her arm as still as possible for me. I didnt direct the command to anyone but put enough force into it that I felt certain someone would obey. I was right. If this doesnt work, we get a doctor. My voice left no room for argument.Julia looked paler than Jill but gave a lame a nod of acceptance. I took the washrag shed been using and dipped it into my cup. Id never actually seen this done and had to guess about how to lend oneself it. I made a tongueless prayer and then pressed the white against the tattoo on Kristins wrist.She let out a strangled cry, and her whole body bucked up. A couple nearby girls instinctively helped hold her down. Tendrils of smoke curled up from where I was holding the washcloth against her, and I smelled a sharp, acrid odor. Waiting what I hoped was an acceptable amount of time, I in the end removed the washcloth.The pretty little daisy was mutating before our eyes. Its clean lines began to run and blur. The coppery colorise began to shift, darkening into a bluish green. to begin with long, the design was unrecognizable. It was an amorphous blob. Around it, red welts appeared on her skin, though they seemed to be more of a superficial irritation than anything dire.Still, the whole thing looked terrible, and I stared in horror. What had I done?Everyone else was silent, no one knowing what to do. A couple minutes passed, but they felt like hours. Abruptly, Kristin stopped twitching. Her breathing still seemed labored, but she blinked, her eyes snap as though suddenly seeing the world for the first time. Her pupils were still huge, but she managed to look around and at last focus on me.Sydney, gasped out Kristin. give thanks you.