“That she’s a great guardian and a so-so mother.”
The counselor, whose name was Deirdre, wrote something in her notebook. She was blond and Moroi-slim, clad in a teal cashmere sweater dress. She actually didn’t look much older than me, but certificates on her desk swore she had all sorts of degrees in psychotherapy. Her office was in the administrative building, the same place the headmistress’s office was, and where all other sorts of Academy business was conducted. I’d kind of been hoping for a couch to lie on, like therapists always had on TV, but the best I had was a chair. It was a comfy chair, at least. The walls were covered in nature pictures, things like butterflies and daffodils. I guess they were supposed to be soothing.
“Do you want to elaborate on ‘so-so’?” Deirdre asked.
“It’s an upgrade. A month ago I would have said ‘horrible. ’ What’s this have to do with Mason?”
“Do you want to talk about Mason?”
I’d noticed she had a habit of answering my questions with questions.
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “I guess that’s what I’m here for.”
“How do you feel about him? About his death?”
“Sad. How else should I feel?”
“Angry?”
I thought about the Strigoi, their leering faces and casual attitudes toward killing. “Yeah, a little.”
“Guilty?”
“Sure, of course.”
“Why ‘of course’?”
“Because it’s my fault he was there. I’d upset him . . . and he had this thing to prove. I told him where the Strigoi were, and I wasn’t supposed to. If he hadn’t known about them, he wouldn’t have done it. He’d still be alive.”
“You don’t think he was responsible for his own actions? That he was the one who chose to do that?”
“Well . . . yeah. I guess he did. I didn’t make him do it.”
“Any other reason you might feel guilty?”
I looked away from her and focused on a picture of a lady-bug. “He liked me—like romantically. We kind of dated, but I couldn’t get into it. That hurt him.”
“Why couldn’t you get into it?”
“I don’t know,” I said. The image of his body, lying on the floor, flashed into my mind and I shoved it away. No way would I cry in front of Deirdre. “That’s the thing. I should have. He was nice. He was funny. We got along really well . . . but it just didn’t feel right. Even kissing or anything like that . . . I eventually just couldn’t do it.”
“Do you feel like you have a problem with intimate contact?”
“What do you—? Oh. No! Of course not.”
“Have you ever had sex with anyone?”
“No. Are you saying I should have?”
“Do you think you should have?”
Damn. I’d thought I had her. I’d thought for sure she wouldn’t have a question for that one. “Mason wasn’t the right person.”
“Is there someone else? Someone you think might be the right person?”
I hesitated. I’d lost track of how this related to me seeing ghosts. According to some paperwork I’d signed, everything we said in here was confidential. She couldn’t tell anyone unless I was a danger to myself or doing something illegal. I wasn’t entirely sure where a relationship with an older man fell there.
“Yeah . . . but I can’t tell you who he is.”
“How long have you known him?”
“Almost six months.”
“Do you feel close?”
“Yeah, sure. But we’re not . . .” How exactly did one describe this? “We’re not actually really involved. He’s kind of . . . unavailable.” She could think what she wanted about that, like that maybe I was interested in a guy with a girlfriend.
“Is he the reason you couldn’t get close to Mason?”
“Yes.”
“And is he holding you back from dating someone else?”
“Well . . . he’s not like purposely doing anything.”
“But as long as you care about him, you’re not interested in anyone else?”
“Right. But it doesn’t matter. I probably shouldn’t even be dating anyone at all.”
“Why not?”
“Because there’s no time. I’m training to be a guardian. I have to give all my attention to Lissa.”
“And you don’t think you can do that and be romantically involved with someone?”
I shook my head. “No. I have to be willing to lay down my life for hers. I can’t be distracted by someone else. We have this saying with the guardians: ‘They come first.’ You guys. Moroi.”
“And so you figure you’ll always have to put Lissa’s needs ahead of yours?”
“Of course.” I frowned. “What else would I do? I’m going to be her guardian.”
“How does that make you feel? Giving up what you want for her?”
“She’s my best friend. And she’s the last of her family.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
“Yeah, but—” I stopped. “Hey, you didn’t ask a question.”
“You think I always ask questions?”
“Never mind. Look, I love Lissa. I’m happy to spend my life protecting her. End of story. Besides, are you, a Moroi, going to tell me, a dhampir, that I shouldn’t be putting Moroi first? You know how the system works.”
“I do,” she said. “But I’m not here to analyze it. I’m here to help you get better.”
“Seems like you might not be able to do one without the other.”
Deirdre’s lips quirked into a smile, and then her eyes flicked to the clock. “We’re out of time today. We’ll have to pick this up next time.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “I thought you’d be giving me some kind of awesome advice or telling me what to do. But you just kept making me talk.”
She laughed softly. “Therapy isn’t so much about what I think as you do.”
“Then why do it at all?”
“Because we don’t always know what it is we’re thinking or feeling. When you have a guide, it’s easier to figure things out. You’ll often discover that you already know what to do. I can help you ask questions and go places you might not have on your own.”
“Well, you’re good at the question part,” I noted dryly.
“While I don’t have any ‘awesome advice,’ I do have some things I want you to think about for when we talk again.” She glanced down at her notepad and tapped it with her pencil while she thought. “First, I want you to think again about what I asked about Lissa—how you really feel about dedicating your life to her.”
“I already told you.”
“I know. Just think about it some more. If your answer’s the same, that’s fine. Then, I want you to consider something else. I want you to think about whether maybe the reason you’re attracted to this unavailable guy is because he’s unavailable.”
“That’s crazy. That doesn’t make any sense.”
“Is it? You just told me that you can’t ever be involved with anyone. Do you think it’s possible that wanting someone you can’t have is your subconscious mind’s way of coping? If it’s impossible for you to have him, then you never have to confront feeling conflicted about Lissa. You’ll never have to choose.”
“This is confusing,” I grumbled.
“It’s supposed to be. That’s why I’m here.”
“What’s this have to do with Mason?”
“It has to do with you, Rose. That’s what’s important.”
I left therapy feeling like my brain had melted. I also kind of felt like I’d been on trial. If Deirdre had been there to grill Victor, they probably would have finished up in half the time.
I also thought Deirdre had totally been going in the wrong direction. Of course I didn’t resent Lissa. And the thought that I’d fallen for Dimitri because I couldn’t have him was ridiculous. I’d never even thought of the conflict with guarding until he’d mentioned it. I’d fallen for him because . . . well, because he wa
s Dimitri. Because he was sweet, strong, funny, fierce, and gorgeous. Because he understood me.
And yet, as I walked back to the commons, I found her question spinning around in my brain. I might not have been thinking about a relationship distracting us in our guard duties, but I’d certainly known from the start that his age and job were huge barriers. Could that have really played a part? Had some piece of me known we could never really have anything—thus allowing me to always stay dedicated to Lissa?
No, I decided firmly. That was ridiculous. Deirdre might be good at asking questions, but she was clearly asking the wrong ones.
“Rose!”
I looked to my right and saw Adrian cutting across the lawn toward me, oblivious to the slush’s effects on his designer shoes.
“Did you just call me ‘Rose’?” I asked. “And not ‘little dhampir’? I don’t think that’s ever happened.”
“It happens all the time,” he countered, catching up to me.
We stepped inside the commons. School was in session, so the halls were empty.
“Where’s your better half?” he asked.
“Christian?”
“No, Lissa. You can tell where she is, right?”
“Yeah, I can tell because it’s last period, and she’s in class like everyone else. You keep forgetting that for the rest of us, this is a school.”
He looked disappointed. “I found more case files I wanted to talk to her about. More super-compulsion stuff.”
“Whoa, you’ve been doing something productive? I’m impressed.”
“You’re one to talk,” he said. “Especially considering your whole existence here revolves around beating people up. You dhampirs are uncivilized—but then, that’s why we love you.”
“Actually,” I mused, “we aren’t the only ones doing beatings lately.” I’d nearly forgotten about my royal fight club mystery. There were so many things I had to worry about lately. It was like trying to hold water in my hands. It was a long shot, but I had to ask him. “Does the word Mână mean anything to you?”
He leaned against the wall and reached for his cigarettes. “Sure.”
“You’re inside the school,” I warned.
“What—oh, right.” With a sigh, he put the pack back in his coat. “Don’t half of you study Romanian here? It means ‘hand.’”
“I study English here.” Hand. That didn’t make any sense.
“Why the interest in translation?”
“I don’t know. I think I got it wrong. I thought it had some connection to this thing that’s been going on with these royals.”
Recognition flashed in his eyes. “Oh Lord. Not that. Are they really doing it here too?”
“Doing what?”
“The Mână. The Hand. It’s this stupid secret society that pops up at schools. We had a chapter of it back at Alder. It’s mostly a bunch of royals getting together and having secret meetings to talk about how much better they are than everyone else.”
“That’s it then,” I said. The pieces clicked together. “That’s Jesse and Ralf’s little group—the one they tried to get Christian to join. That’s what this Mână is.”
“Him?” Adrian laughed. “They must have been desperate—and I don’t mean that as a slam against Christian. He’s just not really the type to get into that kind of thing.”
“Yeah, well, he turned them down pretty hard. What’s the point of this secret society exactly?”
He shrugged. “The same as any other. It’s a way to make people feel better about themselves. Everyone likes feeling special. Being part of an elite group is a way to do that.”
“But you weren’t part of it?”
“No need. I already know I’m special.”
“Jesse and Ralf made it sound like royals had to stick together because of all the controversies that are going on—about fighting and guardians and all that. They made it sound like they could do something about it.”
“Not at this age,” said Adrian. “Mostly all they can do is talk. When they get older, Mână members sometimes cut deals for each other and still have secret meetings.”
“That’s it then? They’re just hanging out and talking to hear themselves talk?”
He turned contemplative. “Well, yes, of course they’re doing lots of that. But I mean, whenever these little chapters form, there’s usually something specific they want to do in secret. Each group’s kind of different that way, so this one’s probably got some plan or scheme or whatever.” A plan or scheme. I didn’t like the sound of that. Especially with Jesse and Ralf.
“You know a lot for someone who wasn’t in it.”
“My dad was. He never talks much about it—hence the secret part—but I picked up things, and then I heard about it while I was at school.”
I leaned against the wall. The clock across the hall told me classes were almost over. “Did you hear anything about them beating up people? There are at least four Moroi I know of who were attacked. And they won’t talk about it.”
“Who? Like non-royals?”
“No. Other royals.”
“That doesn’t make any sense. The whole point of it is for elite royals to band together to protect themselves from change. Unless, perhaps, they’re going after royals who refuse or are supporting non-royals.”
“Maybe. But one of them was Jesse’s brother, and Jesse seems to be a founding member. Seems like he’d have to make the cut. And they didn’t do anything when Christian refused.”
Adrian spread his hands wide. “Even I don’t know everything, and like I said, this one’s probably got its own little agenda they’re keeping hidden.” I sighed in frustration, and he gave me a curious look. “Why do you care so much?”
“Because it isn’t right. The people I saw were in bad shape. If some group’s going around and ganging up on victims, they need to be stopped.”
Adrian laughed and played with a strand of my hair. “You can’t save everyone, though God knows you try.”
“I just want to do what’s right.” I remembered Dimitri’s comments about Westerns and couldn’t help a small smile. “I need to bring justice where it’s needed.”
“The crazy thing, little dhampir, is that you mean that. I can tell by your aura.”
“What, are you saying it’s not black anymore?”
“No . . . still dark, definitely. But it’s got a little light in it, streaks of gold. Like sunlight.”
“Maybe your theory about me catching it from Lissa is wrong then.” I’d been trying very hard not to think about last night, when I’d learned about Anna. Mentioning it now stirred up all those fears all over again. Insanity. Suicide.
“Depends,” he said. “When was the last time you saw her?”
I gave him a light punch. “You have no clue, do you? You’re making this up as you go along.”
He caught my wrist and pulled me closer. “Isn’t that the way you normally operate?”
I grinned in spite of myself. This close to him I could appreciate just how lovely the green of his eyes was. In fact, despite continually making fun of him, I couldn’t deny that the rest of him was pretty good-looking too. His fingers were warm on my wrist, and there was something kind of sexy about the way he held it. Thinking back to Deirdre’s words, I tried to assess how it all made me feel. The queen’s warnings aside, Adrian was a guy who was technically available. Was I attracted to him? Did I get a thrill out of this?
The answer: no. Not in the same way I did with Dimitri. Adrian was sexy in his way, but he didn’t drive me wild the way Dimitri did. Was it because Adrian was so readily available? Was Deirdre right about me purposely wanting relationships that were impossible?
“You know,” he said, interrupting my thoughts, “under any other circumstances, this would be hot. Instead, you’re looking at me like I’m some kind of science fair project.”
That was exactly how I was treating this, actually. “Why don’t you ever use compulsion on me?” I asked. “And I don’t mean just
to stop me from getting in fights.”
“Because half the fun of you is that you’re so difficult.”
A new idea occurred to me. “Do it.”
“Do what?”
“Use compulsion on me.”
“What?” It was another of those rare shocked Adrian moments.
“Use compulsion to make me want to kiss you—except you have to promise not to actually kiss me.”
“That’s pretty weird—and when I say something’s weird, you know it’s serious.”
“Please.”
He sighed and then focused his eyes right on me. It was like drowning, drowning in seas of green. There was nothing in the world except for those eyes.
“I want to kiss you, Rose,” he said softly. “And I want you to want me too.”
Every aspect of his body—his lips, his hands, his scent— suddenly overpowered me. I felt warm all over. I wanted him to kiss me with every ounce of my being. There was nothing in life I wanted more than that kiss. I tilted my face up toward his, and he leaned down. I could practically taste his lips.
“Do you want to?” he asked, voice still like velvet. “Do you want to kiss me?”
Did I ever. Everything around me had blurred. Only his lips were in focus.
“Yes,” I said. His face moved closer, his mouth only a breath away from mine. We were so, so close, and then—
He stopped. “We’re done,” he said, stepping back.
I snapped out of it instantly. The dreamy haze was gone, as was the yearning in my body. But I’d discovered something. Under compulsion, I had definitely wanted him to kiss me. Yet even under compulsion, it hadn’t been the electric, all-encompassing feeling I had when I was with Dimitri, that feeling that we were practically the same person and were bound by forces bigger than both of us. With Adrian, it had simply been mechanical.
Deirdre had been wrong. If my attraction to Dimitri was just some subconscious reaction, then it should have been as superficial as that forced attraction to Adrian. Yet they were completely different. With Dimitri, it was love—not just some trick my mind was playing on me.
“Hmm,” I said.
“Hmm?” asked Adrian, eyeing me with amusement.
“Hmm.”
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