Richelle Mead 22 страница

Oksana? I thought. Are you there?

There was no response-not from Oksana, at least. The answer came from a very unexpected source.

Rose?

It was Lissa’s voice that spoke in my mind. She froze her position in the window and abruptly cut off whatever she’d been laughing about with Avery. I felt Lissa’s terror and confusion as she wondered if she was imagining me. She peered around the room, her eyes passing over Avery.

Avery recognized something was going on, and her face hardened. I felt the familiar sense of her presence in Lissa’s mind and wasn’t surprised when Avery tried to shove me out again.

Except-it didn’t work.

Avery kicking me out in the past had always felt like an actual shove. I got the impression that when she tried it now, it felt like hitting a brick wall to her. I wasn’t so easy to push around anymore. Oksana was with me somehow, lending her strength. Avery was still in Lissa’s line of sight, and I saw those adorable blue-gray eyes go wide with shock that she couldn’t control me.

Oh, I thought. It’s on, bitch!

Rose? Lissa’s voice was there again. Am I going crazy?

Not yet. But you have to get down, right now. I think Avery’s trying to kill you.

Kill me? I could feel and hear Lissa’s incredulity. She’d never do that.

Look, let’s not argue it for now. Just get out of the window and call it good.

I felt the impulse in Lissa, felt her shift and start to put one foot down. Then it was like some core part of herself stopped her. Her foot stayed where it was… and slowly began to grow unsteady…

That was Avery at work. I wondered if Oksana, lurking in the background of this bond, could overpower that compulsion. No, Oksana wasn’t active here. Her spirit powers had somehow gotten me into actively communicating with Lissa, but she was remaining passive. I’d expected to be the bridge and thought Oksana would jump to Lissa’s mind and compel her. The situation was reversed, though, and I didn’t actually have compulsion powers. All I had was legendary wit and powers of persuasion.

Lissa, you have to fight Avery, I said. She’s a spirit user, and she’s compelling you. You’re one of the strongest compulsion users I know. You should be able to fight her.

Fear answered me. I can’t… I can’t compel right now.

Why not?

Because I’ve been drinking.

I mentally groaned. Of course. That was why Avery was always so quick to supply Lissa with alcohol. It numbed spirit, as demonstrated in Adrian’s frequent indulgences. Avery had encouraged the drinking so that Lissa’s spirit abilities would weaken and give her less resistance. There were a number of times Lissa hadn’t been able to gauge exactly how much Avery was drinking; in retrospect, Avery must have been doing a fair amount of faking.

Then use ordinary willpower, I told her. It’s possible to resist compulsion.

It was true. Compulsion wasn’t an automatic ticket to world domination. Some people were better at resisting it than others, though a Strigoi or spirit user certainly complicated matters.

I felt Lissa build up her resolve, felt her repeat my words over and over, that she had to be strong and step back off the ledge. She worked to push away that impulse Avery had implanted, and without knowing how, I suddenly found myself pushing on it as well. Lissa and I joined our strength together and started shoving Avery out.

In the physical world, Avery and Lissa’s gazes were locked as the psychic struggle continued. Avery’s face showed hard concentration that suddenly became overlaid with shock. She’d noticed me fighting her too. Her eyes narrowed, and when she spoke, it was me she addressed and not Lissa.

“Oh,” Avery hissed, “you do not want to mess with me.”

Didn’t I?

There was a rush of heat and that feeling of someone reaching into my mind. Only it wasn’t Oksana. It was Avery, and she was doing some serious investigation of my thoughts and memories. I understood now what Oksana meant about it being invasive and a violation. It wasn’t just looking through someone’s eyes; it was spying on their most intimate thoughts.

And then, the world around me dissolved. I stood in a room I didn’t recognize. For a moment, I thought I was back in Galina’s estate. It certainly had that rich, expensive feel to it. But no. After a moment’s examination, I realized this wasn’t the same at all. The furnishings were different. Even the vibe was different. Galina’s home had been beautiful, but there had been a cold, impersonal feel to it. This place was inviting and clearly well loved. The plush couch had a quilt thrown haphazardly in its corner, as though someone-or maybe two someones-had been cuddling underneath it. And while the room wasn’t messy, exactly, there were scattered objects-books, framed photos-that indicated this room was actually used and wasn’t just for show.

I walked over to a small bookshelf and picked up one of the framed photos. I nearly dropped it when I saw what it was. It was a picture of Dimitri and me-but I had no memory of it. We stood arm in arm, leaning our faces together to make sure we both got in the shot. I was grinning broadly, and he too wore a joyous smile, one I’d hardly ever seen on him. It softened some of the protective fierceness that usually filled his features and made him look sexier than I’d ever imagined. A piece of that soft brown hair had slipped his ponytail and lay on his cheek. Beyond us was a city that I immediately recognized: Saint Petersburg. I frowned. No, this was definitely a picture that couldn’t exist.

I was still studying it when I heard someone walk into the room. When I saw who it was, my heart stopped. I set the photo back on the shelf with shaking hands and took a few steps back.

It was Dimitri.

He wore jeans and a casual red T-shirt that fit the lean muscles of his body perfectly. His hair was down loose and slightly damp, like he’d just gotten out of the shower. He held two mugs and chuckled when he saw me.

“Still not dressed?” he asked, shaking his head. “They’re going to be here any minute.”

I looked down and saw that I wore plaid flannel pajama bottoms and a tank top. He handed me the mug, and I was too stunned to do anything but take it. I peered into it-hot chocolate-and then looked up at him. There was no red in his eyes, no evil on his face. Only gorgeous warmth and affection. He was my Dimitri, the one who’d loved and protected me. The one with a pure heart and soul...

“Who… who’s coming?” I asked.

“Lissa and Christian. They’re coming for brunch.” He gave me a puzzled look. “Are you okay?”

I looked around, again taking in the comforting room. Through a window, I saw a backyard filled with trees and flowers. Sunshine spilled through onto the carpet. I turned back to him and shook my head. “What is this? Where are we?”

His confused expression now turned into a frown. Stepping forward, he took my mug and set his and mine on the shelf. His hands rested on my hips, and I flinched but didn’t break away-how could I when he looked so much like my Dimitri? “This is our house,” he said, drawing me near. “In Pennsylvania.”

“Pennsylvania… are we at the

Royal Court

?”

He shrugged. “A few miles away.”

I slowly shook my head. “No… that’s not possible. We can’t have a home together. And definitely not so close to the others. They’d never let us.”

If in some crazy world Dimitri and I lived together, we’d have to do it in secret-somewhere remote, like Siberia.

“You insisted,” he said with a small smile. “And none of them care. They accept it. Besides, you said we had to live near Lissa.”

My mind reeled. What was going on? How was this possible? How could I be living with Dimitri-especially so near Moroi? This wasn’t right… and yet, it felt right. Looking around, I could see how this was my home. I could feel the love in it, feel the connection Dimitri and I had to it. But… how could I actually be with Dimitri? Wasn’t I supposed to be doing something else? Wasn’t I supposed to be somewhere else? “You’re a Strigoi,” I said at last. “No… you’re dead. I killed you.”

He ran a finger along my cheek, still giving me that rueful smile. “Do I look like I’m dead? Do I look Strigoi?”

No. He looked wonderful and sexy and strong. He was all the things I remembered, all the things I loved. “But you were…” I trailed off, still confused. This wasn’t right. There was something I had to do, but I still couldn’t remember. “What happened?”

His hand returned to my hip, and he pulled me into a tight embrace. “You saved me,” he murmured into my ear. “Your love saved me, Roza. You brought me back so that we could be together.”

Had I? I had no memory of that, either. But this all seemed so real, and it felt so wonderful. I’d missed his arms around me. He’d held me as a Strigoi, but it had never felt like this. And when he leaned down and kissed me, I knew for sure he wasn’t a Strigoi. I didn’t know how I could have ever deluded myself back at Galina’s. This kiss was alive. It burned within my soul, and as my lips pressed more eagerly into his, I felt that connection, the one that told me there was no one else in the world for me except him.

Only, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I wasn’t supposed to be here. But where was I supposed to be? Lissa… something with Lissa…

I broke the kiss but not the embrace. My head rested against his chest. “I really saved you?”

“Your love was too strong. Our love was too strong. Not even the undead could keep us apart.”

I wanted to believe it. Desperately. But that voice still nagged in my head… Lissa. What about Lissa? Then, it came to me. Lissa and Avery. I had to save Lissa from Avery. I jerked away from Dimitri, and he stared in surprise.

“What are you doing?”

“This isn’t real,” I said. “This is a trick. You’re still Strigoi. We can’t be together-not here, not among the Moroi.”

“Of course we can.” There was hurt in his deep brown eyes, and it tore at my heart. “Don’t you want to be with me?”

“I have to go back to Lissa…”

“Let her go,” he said, approaching me again. “Let all of it go. Stay here with me-we can have everything we ever wanted, Rose. We can be together every day, wake up together every morning.”

“No.” I stepped further back. I knew if I didn’t, he would kiss me again, and then I’d truly be lost. Lissa needed me. Lissa was trapped. With each passing second, the details about Avery were coming back to me. This was all an illusion.

“Rose?” he asked. There was so much pain in his voice. “What are you doing?”

“I’m sorry,” I said, feeling on the verge of tears. Lissa. I had to get to Lissa. “This isn’t real. You’re gone. You and I can never be together, but I can still help her.”

“You love her more than me?”

Lissa had asked me almost the same thing when I’d left to hunt Dimitri. My life was doomed to always be about choosing between them.

“I love you both,” I replied.

And with that, I used all of my will to push myself back to Lissa, wherever she was, and tear away from this fantasy. Honestly, I could have spent the rest of my days in that make-believe world, being with Dimitri in that house, waking up with him each morning like he’d said. But it wasn’t real.

It was too easy, and if I was learning anything, it was that life wasn’t easy.

The effort was excruciating, but suddenly, I found myself looking back at the room at St. Vladimir’s. I focused on Avery who was staring me and Lissa down. She’d pulled out the memory that tormented me most, attempting to confuse me and tear me from Lissa with a fantasy of what I wanted more than anything else in the world. I’d fought Avery’s mind trap and felt pretty smug about it-despite the ache in my heart. I wished I could communicate directly with her and make a few comments about what I thought of her and her game. That was out of the question, so instead, I threw my will in with Lissa’s once more, and together, we stepped down off the ledge and onto the room’s floor.

Avery was visibly sweating, and when she realized she’d lost the psychic tug of war, her pretty face turned very ugly. “Fine,” she said. “There are easier ways of killing you off.”

Reed suddenly entered the room, looking as hostile as ever. I had no idea where he’d come from or how he’d known to show up right then, but he headed straight toward Lissa, hands reaching out. That open window loomed behind her, and it didn’t take a genius to guess his intentions. Avery had tried to get Lissa to jump by using compulsion. Reed was just going to push her.

A mental conversation flew between Lissa and me in the space of a heartbeat.

Okay, I told her. Here’s the situation. We’re going to have to do a little role reversal.

What are you talking about? Fear flooded her, which was understandable, seeing as Reed’s hands were seconds away from grabbing her.

Well, I said, I just did the psychic power struggle. Which means you’ve got to do the fighting. And I’m going to show you how.

CHAPTER 28

Lissa didn’t have to say anything to express her shock. The feelings of utter astonishment pouring into me said more than any words could have. I, however, had one important word for her:

Duck!

I think it was her surprise that made her respond so quickly. She dropped to the floor. The movement was clumsy, but it removed her body from Reed’s direct attack and put her (mostly) out of range of the window. He still collided with her shoulder and the side of her head, but it only bumped her and caused a little pain.

Of course, “a little pain” meant totally different things to us. Lissa had been tortured a couple of times, but most of her battles were mental. She’d never been in a one-on-one physical confrontation. Getting thrown against walls was an average occurrence for me, but for her, a small swipe to the head was monumental.

Crawl away, I ordered. Get away from him and the window. Head for the door if possible.

Lissa started moving on her hands and feet, but she was too slow. Reed caught hold of her hair. I kind of felt like we were playing a game of telephone. With the delay in me giving direction and her figuring out how to respond, I might as well have been passing the message through five people before it got to her. I wished I could control her body like a puppeteer, but I was no spirit user.

It’s going to hurt, but turn around as best you can and hit him.

Oh, it did hurt. Trying to turn her body meant his hold on her hair tugged that much more painfully. She managed it reasonably well, though, and flailed out at Reed. Her hits weren’t that coordinated, but they surprised him enough that he let go of her hair and tried to fend her off. That’s when I noticed he wasn’t overly coordinated either. He was stronger than her, true, but he obviously had no combat training short of basic hits and throwing his weight around. He hadn’t come here for a true fight; he’d come to just push her out the window and be done with it.

Get away if you can; get away if you can.

She scrambled across the floor, but unfortunately her escape path didn’t give her access to the door. Instead, she backed further into the room until her back hit a rolling desk chair.

Grab it. Hit him with it.

Easier said than done. He was right there, still trying to grab her and jerk her to her feet. She caught hold of the chair and tried to roll it into him.

I’d wanted her to pick it up and hit him with it, but that wasn’t quite so easy for her. She did, however, manage to get to her feet and get the chair between them. I directed her to keep hitting him with it in an effort to get him to retreat. It worked a little, but she didn’t quite have the force to truly damage him.

Meanwhile, I half expected Avery to join in the fight. It wouldn’t have taken much effort to assist Reed in subduing Lissa. Instead, out of the corner of Lissa’s eye, I saw Avery sitting perfectly still, her eyes unfocused and slightly glazed over. Okay. That was weird, but I had no complaints about her being out of the conflict.

As it was, Lissa and Reed were in a stalemate, one I had to get her out of. You’re on the defensive, I said. You need to take the attack to him.

I finally got a direct answer back. What? I can’t do anything like that! I have no clue how!

I’ll show you. Kick him-preferably between the legs. That’ll take down most guys.

Without words, I tried to send the feelings into her, teaching her the right way to tense muscles and strike out. Steeling herself, she pushed the chair away so that there was nothing between her and Reed. It caught him by surprise, giving her a brief opening. Her leg struck out. It missed the golden spot, but it did hit his knee. That was almost as good. He stumbled back as his leg collapsed underneath him and just managed to grab the chair for support. It tried to roll, which didn’t help him any.

Lissa didn’t need any urging to sprint for the door at that point-except it was blocked. Simon had just entered. For a moment, both Lissa and I felt relief. A guardian! Guardians were safe. Guardians protected us. The thing was, this guardian worked for Avery, and it soon became clear his services went beyond merely keeping Strigoi away from her. He strode in, and with no hesitation grabbed Lissa and dragged her harshly back to the window.

My direction faltered at that moment. I’d been an okay coach at showing her how to fend off a surly teenage boy. But a guardian? And that surly teenage boy had recovered himself and joined Simon to finish the job.

Compel him!

It was my last desperate bid. That was Lissa’s strength. Unfortunately, while her earlier drinking had metabolized enough to improve her coordination, it was still affecting her control of spirit. She could touch the power-but not very much of it. Her control was clumsy too.

Nonetheless, her resolve was strong. She drew as much of the spirit as she could, channeling it into compulsion. Nothing happened. Then, I felt that weird tickling in my head. At first I thought Avery was back on the scene, only rather than someone reaching into me, it was like they reached through me.

The power in Lissa surged, and I realized what had happened. Oksana was still there, somewhere in the background, and she was lending her strength again, channeling it through me and into Lissa. Simon froze, and it was almost amusing. He twitched slightly, rocking back and forth as he tried to advance on her and finish the lethal task. It was like he was suspended in Jell-O.

Lissa was hesitant to move, for fear of breaking her control. There was also the issue that Reed was not being compelled, but for the moment, he seemed too confused about what was happening to Simon to react.

“You can’t just kill me!” Lissa blurted out. “Don’t you think people are going to ask questions when they find my body shoved out a window? “They won’t notice,” said Simon stiffly. Even the words required effort. “Not when you’re resurrected. And if you can’t be, then it was just a tragic accident that befell a troubled girl.”

Slowly, slowly, he began breaking out of her compulsion. Her power, while still there, was weakening a little-there was a leak somewhere, and it was dripping out. I suspected it might be Avery’s influence or simply Lissa’s mental fatigue. Maybe both. A supreme look of satisfaction crossed Simon’s features as he lunged forward, and then. He froze again.

A blazing gold aura lit up in Lissa’s periphery. She glanced over just enough to see Adrian in the doorway. The look on his face was comical, but shocked or not, he’d picked up enough to target Simon. It was Adrian’s compulsion holding the guardian in place now. Lissa squirmed away, yet again trying to keep out of that damned window’s opening.

“Hold him!” Lissa cried.

Adrian grimaced. “I… can’t. What the hell? It’s like there’s someone else there…”

“Avery,” said Lissa, sparing a brief glance at the other girl. Avery’s face had gone pale even for a Moroi. Her breathing was heavy, and her sweating had increased. She was fighting Adrian’s compulsion. A few seconds later, Simon broke free yet again. He advanced on Lissa and Adrian, though his movements seemed sluggish.

Son of a bitch, I thought.

Now what? demanded Lissa.

Reed. Go for Reed. Get him out of the picture.

Reed had been frozen during the struggle with Simon, watching with fascination. And like those of the guardian, Reed’s actions seemed a little sluggish. Still, he was moving toward Lissa again. Simon had apparently decided Adrian was the immediate threat and was heading that way. Time to see if dividing and conquering would work.

What about Adrian? Lissa asked.

We’re going to have to leave him on his own for a minute. Get to Reed. Knock him out.

What???

But she advanced on him anyway, moving with a determination that warmed me with pride. His face curled into a snarl. He was frantic and overconfident, though-not thinking clearly and still moving in an ungainly way. Once more, I attempted to teach Lissa without words. I couldn’t make her do anything, but I tried to make her feel what it was like to punch someone. How to draw back her arm, curl her fingers in the proper way, build up the strength. After what I’d seen her do earlier, the best I could hope for was a decent approximation of a punch, enough to keep him off her and create further delay.

And that’s when something truly beautiful happened.

Lissa socked him in the nose. And I mean, socked. We both heard the impact, heard the nose break. Blood came out. He flew backward, both he and Lissa staring wide-eyed. Never, never would I have thought Lissa capable of something like that. Not sweet, delicate, beautiful Lissa.

I wanted to whoop and dance with joy. But this wasn’t over yet.

Don’t stop! Hit him again. You’ve got to knock him out!

I did! she cried, horrified at what she’d done. Her fist was also in agonizing pain. I hadn’t really mentioned that part during my coaching.

No, you’ve got to incapacitate him, I told her. I think he and Avery are bonded, and I think she’s taking her strength from him. It made sense now, why he’d frozen when Avery drew power to use compulsion, why he’d known to show up when he had. She’d used their bond to summon him.

And so Lissa went after Reed again. She got in two more punches, one of which knocked his head against the wall. His lips parted and his features went slack. He dropped to the floor, eyes staring vacantly. I wasn’t sure if he was entirely unconscious, but he was out of this for the moment. Off to the side, I heard a small cry from Avery.

Lissa turned to Adrian and Simon. Adrian had ceased any attempts at compulsion, because Simon was engaged in a full-on attack. Adrian’s face showed he’d taken a few hits of his own, and I figured that, like Lissa, he’d never engaged in this kind of physical combat. Without any need for direction from me, Lissa strode over and turned on her compulsion. Simon jerked in surprise, not stopping his attack, but caught off guard. Lissa was still weak, but the walls around him had dropped a little, just as I’d suspected they would.

“Help me!” cried Lissa.

With the momentary lapse on Simon’s part, Adrian tried to wield his spirit too. Lissa felt and saw the change in his aura as the magic flowed through him. She felt him join her in their psychic attack on Simon, and a moment later, I sensed Oksana joining the fray. I wanted to play general and shout orders, but this wasn’t my battle anymore.

Simon’s eyes went wide, and he fell to his knees. Lissa could sense the other two spirit users-and was a bit surprised by Oksana’s presence-and had the vague impression that they were all doing slightly different things to Simon. Lissa was trying to compel him to stop his attack, to simply sit still. Her brief brush with Adrian’s magic told her he was trying to make the guardian sleep, and Oksana was attempting to get Simon to run out of the room.

The conflicting messages and all that power were too much. The last of Simon’s defenses fell as all those mixed messages blasted into him, creating a tidal wave of spirit. He collapsed to the floor. With all of their magic combined, the spirit users had knocked him unconscious. Lissa and Adrian turned to Avery, bracing themselves, but there was no need.

As soon as all that spirit had blasted into Simon, Avery had begun screaming. And screaming and screaming. She gripped the sides of her head, the sound of her voice horrible and grating. Lissa and Adrian exchanged glances, unsure how to handle this new development.

“For God’s sake,” gasped Adrian, exhausted. “How do we shut her up?”

Lissa didn’t know. She considered approaching Avery and trying to help her, in spite of all that had happened. But a few seconds later, Avery grew quiet. She didn’t pass out like her companions had. She just sat there, staring. Her expression no longer resembled the dazed look she’d had while wielding spirit. It was just… blank. Like there was nothing in her at all.

“Wh-what happened?” asked Lissa.

I had the answer. The spirit flooded from Simon into her. It fried her.

Lissa was startled. How could it go from Simon to her?

Because they’re bonded.

You said she was bonded to Reed!

She is. She’s bonded to both of them.

Lissa had been too distracted while fighting for her life, but I’d been able to notice everyone’s auras through her eyes. Avery-no longer masking hers-had possessed a gold one, just like Adrian and Lissa. Simon and Reed had had nearly identical ones, with ordinary colors-ringed in black.

They were shadow-kissed, both having been brought back from the dead by Avery.

Lissa asked no more questions and simply collapsed into Adrian’s arms. There was nothing romantic about it, just a desperate need on both their parts to be close to a friend.

“Why did you come?” she asked him.

“Are you kidding? How could I not? You guys were like a bonfire with all the spirit you were wielding. I felt it all the way across campus.” He glanced around. “Man, I have a lot of questions.”

“You and me both,” she muttered.

I have to go, I told Lissa. I felt a little wistful at having to leave them.

I miss you. When will you be back?

Soon.

Thank you. Thank you for being there for me.

Always. I suspected I was smiling back in my own body. Oh, and Lissa? Tell Adrian I’m proud of him.

The Academy room faded. I was once more sitting on a bed halfway around the world. Abe was looking at me with concern. Mark also was concerned, but he had eyes only for Oksana, who lay down beside me. She looked a little like Avery, pale and sweating. Mark clasped her hand frantically, fear all over him. “Are you okay?”

She smiled. “Just tired. I’ll be all right.”

I wanted to hug her. “Thank you,” I breathed. “Thank you so much.”

“I’m glad to have helped,” she said. “But I hope I don’t have to do it again. It was… strange. I’m not sure what role I played there.”

“Me either.” It had been weird. Sometimes it was like Oksana had actually been there, fighting right along with Lissa and the rest. Other times, I’d felt as though Oksana had merged with me. I shuddered. Too many minds linked together.

“Next time, you have to be by her side,” Oksana said. “In the real world.”

I looked down at my hands, confused and unsure what to think. The silver ring gleamed up at me. I took it off and handed it to her.

“This ring saved me. Can it heal you even though you made it?”

She held it in her hand for a moment and then gave it back. “No, but like I said, I’ll recover. I heal quickly on my own.”

It was true. I’d seen Lissa heal remarkably fast in the past. It was part of always having spirit in you. I stared at the ring, and something troubling came to mind. It was a thought that had struck me while riding with the old couple to Novosibirsk, when I’d moved in and out of consciousness.

“Oksana… a Strigoi touched this ring. And for a few moments-while he did-it was like… well, he was still Strigoi, no question. But while he held it, he was almost like his old self too.”

Oksana didn’t answer right away. She looked up at Mark, and they held each other’s gazes for a long time. He bit his lip and shook his head.

“Don’t,” he said. “It’s a fairy tale.”

“What?” I exclaimed. I looked back and forth between him. “If you know something about this-about Strigoi-you have to tell me!”

Mark spoke sharply in Russian, a warning in his voice. Oksana looked equally determined. “It’s not our place to withhold information,” she replied.

She turned to me, face grave. “Mark told you about the Moroi we met long ago… the other spirit user?”

I nodded. “Yeah.”

“He used to tell a lot of stories-most of which I don’t think were true. But one of them… well, he claimed he restored a Strigoi to life.”

Abe, silent thus far, scoffed. “That is a fairy tale.”

“What?” My whole world reeled. “How?”

“I don’t know. He never elaborated much, and the details often changed. His mind was going, and I think half of what he said was imaginary,” she explained.

Дата добавления: 2015-10-29