“Adrian!” chastised Nathan, turning bright red. It occurred to me then that I could have based a drinking game around how many times he exclaimed his son’s name disapprovingly. “Auntie, I’m sor—”
Tatiana held up a hand again. “Oh, be silent, Nathan. No one wants to hear it.” I almost choked. Being in the same room with the queen was horrid, but it was almost worth it to see her verbally bitch-slap Lord Ivashkov. She turned back to Adrian, face thawing. “You’ve finally quit? It’s about time. I suppose this is your doing?”
It took me a moment to realize she was speaking to me. Until that point, I’d kind of hoped she might not have even noticed me. It seemed the only explanation for her not screaming at them to remove the rebellious little blood whore. It was shocking. Her voice wasn’t accusatory, either. It was . . . impressed.
“W-well, it wasn’t me, Your Majesty,” I said. My meekness was a far cry from my behavior at our last meeting. “Adrian was the one who had the, uh, determination to do it.”
So help me, Tatiana chuckled. “Very diplomatic. They should assign you to a politician.”
Nathan didn’t like the attention on me. I wasn’t sure I did either, semi-pleasant or not. “Are you and Priscilla doing business tonight? Or just having a friendly dinner?”
Tatiana dragged her gaze from me. “Both. There’s been some inter-family squabbling going on. Not publicly, but it’s getting out. People are making noise about security. Some are ready to start training up right now. Others are wondering if guardians can go without sleep.” She rolled her eyes. “And those are the tamest of the suggestions.”
No question about it. This visit had gotten a lot more interesting.
“I hope you’re going to shut those would-be militants up,” growled Nathan. “Us fighting alongside guardians is absurd.”
“What’s absurd,” said Tatiana, “is having strife among the royal classes. That’s what I want to ‘shut up.’” Her tone grew lofty, very queenlike. “We’re the leaders among the Moroi. We have to set an example. We need to be unified to survive.”
I studied her curiously. What did that mean? She hadn’t agreed or disagreed with Nathan’s stance on Moroi fighting. She’d only mentioned establishing peace among her people. But how? Was her method to encourage the new motion or squash it? Security was a huge concern for everyone after the attack, and it fell on her to figure it out.
“Sounds pretty hard to me,” said Adrian, playing oblivious to the seriousness of the matter. “If you still want a cigarette afterward, I’ll make an exception.”
“I’ll settle for you coming to make a proper visit tomorrow,” she said dryly. “Leave the cigarettes at home.” She glanced at his empty wineglass. “And other things.” A flash of steely resolve crossed her gaze, and even though it melted as quickly as it had come, I felt almost relieved. There was the icy Tatiana I knew.
He saluted. “Noted.”
Tatiana gave the rest of us brief glances. “Have a good evening,” was her only farewell. We bowed again, and then she headed back toward the front door. As she did, I heard scuffling and murmured voices. She’d been traveling with a retinue, I realized, and had left them all in the foyer while she came to say hello to Adrian.
Dinner was quiet after that. Tatiana’s visit had kind of left us all astonished. At least it meant I didn’t have to hear Adrian and his father bicker anymore. Daniella mostly maintained what little conversation there was, attempting to inquire about my interests, and I realized she hadn’t said a word during Tatiana’s brief visit. Daniella had married into the Ivashkovs, and I wondered if she found the queen intimidating.
When the time came for us to leave, Daniella was all smiles while Nathan retired to his study.
“You need to come by more often,” she told Adrian, smoothing his hair in spite of his protests. “And you’re welcome anytime, Rose.”
“Thank you,” I said, dumbfounded. I kept studying her face to see if she was lying, but I didn’t think she was. It made no sense. Moroi didn’t approve of long-term relationships with dhampirs. Royal Moroi especially didn’t. And royal Moroi related to the queen especially didn’t, at least if past experience was any indication.
Adrian sighed. “Maybe if he’s not around. Oh, damn. That reminds me. I left my coat here last time—I wanted to get out too fast.”
“You’ve got, like, fifty coats,” I remarked.
“Ask Torrie,” said Daniella. “She’ll know where it is.”
Adrian went off to find the housekeeper, leaving me with his mother. I should have made polite, inconsequential small talk, but my curiosity was getting the better of me.
“Dinner was really great,” I told her honestly. “And I hope you won’t take this the wrong way . . . but I mean . . . well, you seem okay with Adrian and me dating.”
She nodded serenely. “I am.”
“And . . .” Well, it had to be said. “Tat—Queen Tatiana kind of seemed okay with it too.”
“She is.”
I made sure my jaw didn’t drop to the floor. “But . . . I mean, the last time I talked to her, she was really mad. She kept telling me over and over how she’d never allow us to be together in the future or get married or anything like that.” I cringed, recalling Adrian’s joke. “I figured you’d feel the same. Lord Ivashkov does. You can’t really want your son to be with a dhampir forever.”
Daniella’s smile was kind but wry. “Do you plan on being with him forever? Do you plan on marrying him and settling down?”
The question totally caught me off guard. “I . . . no . . . I mean, no offense to Adrian. I just never—”
“Planned on settling down at all?” She nodded wisely. “That’s what I thought. Believe me, I know Adrian wasn’t serious earlier. Everyone’s jumping to conclusions that haven’t even happened. I’ve heard of you, Rose—everyone has. And I admire you. And based on what I’ve learned, I’m guessing you aren’t the type who would quit being a guardian to be a housewife.”
“You’re right,” I admitted.
“Then I don’t see the problem. You’re both young. You’re entitled to have fun and do what you want now, but I—you and I—know that even if you see Adrian off and on for the rest of your life, you aren’t going to get married or settle down. And it has nothing to do with what Nathan or anyone says. It’s the way of the world. It’s the kind of person you are. I can see it in your eyes. Tatiana’s realized it too, and that’s why she eased up. You need to be out there fighting, and that’s what you’ll do. At least if you truly intend to be a guardian.”
“I do.” I was staring at her in wonder. Her attitude was amazing. She was the first royal I’d met who hadn’t immediately freaked out and gone crazy over the idea of a Moroi and dhampir match. If other people shared her view, it would make a lot of others’ lives easier. And she was right. It didn’t matter what Nathan thought. It wouldn’t have even mattered if Dimitri had been around. The bottom line was that Adrian and I wouldn’t be together for the rest of our lives because I’d always be on guardian duty, not lounging around like he did. Realizing that freed things up . . . yet it made me a little sad too.
Behind her, I could see Adrian approaching down the hall. Daniella leaned forward, pitching her voice low for me. There was a wistful note to her words when she spoke, the tone of a concerned mother. “But Rose? While I’m fine with you two dating and being happy, please try not to break his heart too much when the time comes.”
FOUR
I DECIDED IT’D BE BEST not to mention my conversation with Adrian’s mother to him. I didn’t need psychic powers to sense his mixed mood as we walked back to guest housing. His father had annoyed him, but his mother’s seeming acceptance had cheered him up. I didn’t want to damage that by letting Adrian know she was only okay with our dating because she figured it was a temporary, fun thing.
“So you’re going off with Lissa?” he asked when we reached my room.
“Yup, sorry. You know—girl stuff.” And by girl stuf
f, I meant breaking and entering.
Adrian seemed a little disappointed, but I knew he didn’t begrudge our friendship. He gave me a small smile and wrapped his arms around my waist, leaning down to kiss me. Our lips met, and that warmth that always surprised me spread through me. After a few sweet moments, we broke apart, but the look in his eyes said it wasn’t easy for him.
“See you later,” I said. He gave me one more quick kiss and then headed off to his own room.
I immediately sought out Lissa, who was hanging out in her own room. She was staring intently at a silver spoon, and through our bond, I could sense her intent. She was attempting to infuse it with spirit’s compulsion, so that whoever held it would cheer up. I wondered if she intended it for herself or was just randomly experimenting. I didn’t probe her mind to find out.
“A spoon?” I asked with amusement.
She shrugged and set it down. “Hey, it’s not easy to keep getting a hold of silver. I have to take what I can get.”
“Well, it’d make for happy dinner parties.”
She smiled and put her feet upon the ebony coffee table that sat in the middle of her little suite’s living room. Each time I saw it, I couldn’t help but be reminded of the glossy black furniture that had been in my own prison suite back in Russia. I had fought Dimitri with a stake made from a chair’s leg of similar style.
“Speaking of which . . . how was your dinner party?”
“Not as bad as I thought,” I admitted. “I never realized what an asshole Adrian’s dad was, though. His mom was actually pretty cool. She didn’t have a problem with us dating.”
“Yeah, I’ve met her. She is nice . . . though I never thought she was nice enough to be okay with scandalous dating. I don’t suppose Her Royal Majesty showed up?” Lissa was joking, so my response floored her.
“She did, and . . . it wasn’t awful.”
“What? Did you say ‘wasn’t’?”
“I know, I know. It was so crazy. It was this really quick visit to see Adrian, and she acted like me being there was no big deal.” I didn’t bother delving into the politics of Tatiana’s views on Moroi training for battle. “Of course, who knows what would have happened if she stayed? Maybe she would have turned into her old self. I would have needed a whole set of magic silverware then—to stop me from pulling a knife on her.”
Lissa groaned. “Rose, you cannot make those kinds of jokes.”
I grinned. “I say the things you’re too afraid to.”
This made her smile in return. “It’s been a long time since I’ve heard that,” she said softly. My trip to Russia had fractured our friendship—which had ended up showing me just how much it really meant to me.
We spent the rest of the time hanging out, talking about Adrian and other gossip. I was relieved to see she’d gotten over her earlier mood about Christian, but as the day progressed, her anxiety grew about our pending mission with Mia.
“It’s going to be okay,” I told her when the time came. We were heading back across the Court grounds, dressed in comfortable jeans and T-shirts. It was nice to be free of school curfew, but again, being out in the bright sunlight didn’t make me feel very covert. “This’ll be easy.”
Lissa cut me a look but said nothing. The guardians were the security force in our world, and this was their headquarters. Breaking in was going to be anything but easy.
Mia looked determined when we reached her, though, and I felt encouraged by her attitude—and that she was wearing all black. True, it wouldn’t do much in sunlight, but it made this all feel more legitimate. I was dying to know what had happened with Christian, and Lissa was too. Again, it was one of those topics best left unexplained.
Mia did, however, explain her plan to us, and I honestly felt it had about a 65 percent chance of working. Lissa was uneasy about her role since it involved compulsion, but she was a trooper and agreed to do it. We went over everything in detail a few more times and then set out to the building that housed guardian operations. I’d been there once before, when Dimitri had taken me to see Victor in the holding cells adjacent to the guardians’ HQ. I’d never spent much time in the main offices before, and as Mia had predicted, they were lightly staffed this time of the day.
When we walked in, we were immediately met by a reception area like you’d find in any other administrative office. A stern guardian sat at a desk with a computer, filing cabinets and tables all around him. He probably didn’t have much to do at this time of night, but he was still clearly on high alert. Beyond him was a door, and it held my attention. Mia had explained that it was a gateway to all the guardian secrets, to their records and main offices—and surveillance areas that monitored high-risk regions of the Court.
Stern or not, the guy had a small smile for Mia. “Isn’t it a little late for you? You aren’t here for lessons, are you?”
She grinned back. He must have been one of the guardians she’d grown friendly with during her time at Court. “Nah, just up with some friends and wanted to show them around.”
He arched an eyebrow as he took in me and Lissa. He gave a slight nod of acknowledgment. “Princess Dragomir. Guardian Hathaway.” Apparently our reputations preceded us. It was the first time I’d been addressed by my new title. It startled me—and made me feel slightly guilty about betraying the group I’d just become a member of.
“This is Don,” explained Mia. “Don, the princess has a favor to ask.” She looked meaningfully at Lissa.
Lissa took a deep breath, and I felt the burnings of compulsion magic through our bond as she focused her gaze upon him. “Don,” she said firmly, “give us the keys and codes to the records archives downstairs. And then make sure the cameras in those areas are turned off.”
He frowned. “Why would I—” But as her eyes continued to hold his, I could see the compulsion seize him. The lines on his face smoothed into compliance, and I breathed a sigh of relief. Plenty of people were strong enough to resist compulsion—particularly that of ordinary Moroi. Lissa’s was much stronger because of spirit, though you never knew if someone might break through.
“Of course,” he said, standing up. He opened a desk drawer and handed Mia a set of keys that she promptly gave to me. “The code is 4312578.”
I committed it to memory, and he beckoned us through the all-powerful door. Beyond it, corridors spread in all directions. He pointed to one on our right. “Down there. Take a left at the end, go downstairs two flights, and it’s the door on the right.”
Mia glanced at me to make sure I understood. I nodded, and she turned back to him. “Now make sure the surveillance is off.”
“Take us there,” said Lissa firmly.
Don couldn’t resist her command, and she and Mia followed him, leaving me on my own. This part of the plan was all on me, and I hurried down the hall. The facility might be lightly staffed, but I could still run into someone—and would have no compulsion to help me talk my way out of trouble.
Don’s directions were spot-on, but I still wasn’t prepared when I punched in the code and entered the vault. Rows and rows of filing cabinets stretched down a huge hall. I couldn’t see the end of it. Drawers were stacked five high, and the faint fluorescent lighting and eerie silence gave it all a spooky, almost haunted feel. All the guardians’ information from before the digital age. God only knew how far back these records went. To medieval days in Europe? I suddenly felt daunted and wondered if I could pull this off.
I walked to the first cabinet on my left, relieved to see it was labeled. AA1 it read. Below it was AA2 and so forth. Oh dear. It was going to take me several cabinets to even get out of the As. I was grateful the organization was as simple as alphabetical order, but I now understood why these cabinets went on forever. I had to go back more than three quarters of the way down the room to get to the Ts. And it wasn’t until I got to the TA27 drawer that I found the file for Tarasov Prison.
I gasped. The file was thick, filled with all sorts of documents. There were pages on the prison
’s history and its migration patterns, as well as floor plans for each of its locations. I could hardly believe it. So much information . . . but what did I need? What would be useful? The answer came quickly: all of it. I shut the drawer and tucked the folder under my arm. Okay. Time to get out of here.
I turned around and began heading for the exit at a light jog. Now that I had what I needed, the urgency of escape was pressing on me. I was almost there when I heard a soft click, and the door opened. I froze as a dhampir I didn’t recognize stepped through. He froze as well, clearly astonished, and I took it as a small blessing that he didn’t immediately pin me against the wall and start interrogating me.
“You’re Rose Hathaway,” he said. Good lord. Was there anyone who didn’t know who I was?
I tensed, unsure what to expect now, but spoke as though us meeting here made perfect sense. “So it would seem. Who are you?”
“Mikhail Tanner,” he said, still puzzled. “What are you doing here?”
“Running an errand,” I said breezily. I indicated the file. “The guardian on duty down here needed something.”
“You’re lying,” he said. “I’m the guardian on archive duty. If someone needed something, they would have sent me.”
Oh, shit. Talk about best-laid plans failing. Yet as I stood there, a strange thought came to me. His appearance wasn’t familiar at all: curly brown hair, average height, late twenties. Pretty good-looking, really. But his name . . . something about his name . . .
“Ms. Karp,” I gasped. “You’re the one . . . you were involved with Ms. Karp.”
He stiffened, blue eyes narrowing warily. “What do you know about that?”
I swallowed. What I’d done—or tried to do for Dimitri—wasn’t without precedent. “You loved her. You went out to kill her after she . . . after she turned.”
Ms. Karp had been a teacher of ours a few years ago. She’d been a spirit user, and as the effects of it began to drive her insane, she’d done the only thing she could to save her mind: become a Strigoi. Mikhail, her lover, had done the only thing he’d known to end that evil state: search for and kill her. It occurred to me that I was standing face-to-face with the hero of a love story nearly as dramatic as my own.
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