Last Sacrifice (6)

by Richelle Mead

  Now Lissaʹs temper flared. ʺYou did! Eddie was there.ʺ

  ʺAnd there was no way you could have protected her without killing him?ʺ asked Hans.

  Eddie didnʹt answer, and I knew he was seriously considering the question, wondering if he might truly have made a mistake. At last, he shook his head. ʺIf I hadnʹt killed him, he would have killed me.ʺ

  Hans sighed, his eyes weary. It was easy for me to be angry at him right now, and I had to remind myself he was just doing his job. He held up the picture. ʺAnd none of you—none of you—have ever seen this man?ʺ

  Lissa studied the face once more, repressing a shiver. No, she hadnʹt recognized him during the attack and didnʹt recognize him now. There was really nothing remarkable about him—no notable feature you could point out. Our other friends shook their heads, but Lissa felt herself frowning.

  ʺYes?ʺ asked Hans, immediately jumping on that subtle shift.

  ʺI donʹt know him . . .ʺ she said slowly. The conversation with Joe the janitor popped into her mind.

  ʺWhatʹd the guy look like?ʺ sheʹd asked Joe.

  ʺPlain. Ordinary. Except the hand.ʺ

  Lissa stared at the picture a moment longer, which just barely showed a scarred hand with a couple of bent fingers. I had also noticed it in the fight. She lifted her eyes to Hans. ʺI donʹt know him,ʺ she repeated. ʺBut I think I know someone who does. Thereʹs a janitor . . . well, a former janitor. The one who testified about Rose. I think heʹs seen this guy before. They have an interesting business relationship. Mikhail was going to make sure he didnʹt leave Court.ʺ

  Adrian did not look happy at all about having Joe brought up, seeing as it implicated his mother for bribery. ʺTheyʹll have a hard time making him talk.ʺ

  Hans narrowed his eyes. ʺOh, if he knows something, weʹll make him talk.ʺ He gave a sharp nod toward the door, and one of the guardians by Eddie moved toward it. ʺFind this guy. And send in our ‘guests.ʹʺ The guardian nodded and left the room.

  ʺWhat guests?ʺ asked Lissa.

  ʺWell,ʺ said Hans, ʺitʹs funny you mention Hathaway. Because we just had a sighting of her.ʺ

  Lissa stiffened, panic flashing through her. They found Rose. But how? Abe had assured her I was safe in that town in West Virginia.

  ʺShe and Belikov were spotted outside of Detroit, where they kidnapped a girl.ʺ

  ʺTheyʹd never—ʺ Lissa stopped. ʺDid you say Detroit?ʺ It was with great restraint that she didnʹt shoot questioning looks at Christian and Adrian.

  Hans nodded, and although he gave the appearance of just passing on information, I knew he was watching for some sort of telling reaction from my friends. ʺThey had a few other people with them. Some of them got away, but we caught one.ʺ

  ʺWho did they kidnap?ʺ asked Christian. His astonishment wasnʹt faked either. He too had thought we were safely stashed.

  ʺMastrano,ʺ said Hans. ʺSomething Mastrano.ʺ

  ʺJill Mastrano?ʺ exclaimed Lissa.

  ʺJailbait?ʺ asked Adrian.

  Hans clearly wasnʹt up to date on this nickname but didnʹt have a chance to question it because just then, the door opened. Three guardians entered, and with them was—Sydney.

  TWENTY-SEVEN

  I WOULD HAVE GAPED IF I were there, both from the shock of seeing Sydney and at the sight of a human on Court grounds. Humans, actually, because there were two others with her, a man and a woman. The man was young, only a little older than Sydney, with deep brown hair and eyes. The woman was older and wore the tough, seasoned look I associated with Alberta. This woman was dark-skinned, but I could still see the golden tattoo she and the other humans had. All Alchemists.

  And it was obvious these Alchemists were not happy. That older woman was putting on a good show, but her darting eyes made it clear she wanted to be somewhere—anywhere—else. Sydney and the guy didnʹt hide their fear at all. Sydney might have gotten used to me and Dimitri, but she and her associates had just walked into a den of evil, as far as they were probably concerned.

  The Alchemists werenʹt alone in their discomfort. As soon as theyʹd entered, the guardians no longer regarded Eddie as the roomʹs threat. Their eyes were all on the humans, scrutinizing them as though they were Strigoi. My friends seemed more curious than afraid. Lissa and I had lived among humans, but Christian and Adrian had had very little exposure, other than feeders. Seeing the Alchemists on ʺour turfʺ added an extra element of intrigue.

  I was certainly astonished to see Sydney there so quickly. Or was it quickly? Hours had passed since weʹd escaped Jillʹs house. Not enough time to drive to Court but certainly enough to fly. Sydney hadnʹt changed clothes since Iʹd last seen her, and there were shadows under her eyes. I had a feeling sheʹd been grilled to no end since her capture. The mystery was, why bring the Alchemists here to the meeting about Eddie killing the unknown Moroi? There were two completely different issues at stake.

  Lissa was thinking the same thing. ʺWho are these guys?ʺ she asked, although she had a pretty good idea who Sydney was. Sheʹd heard enough description from me. Sydney gave Lissa a once-over, and I suspected she had guessed Lissaʹs identity as well.

  ʺAlchemists,ʺ said Hans gruffly. ʺYou know what that means?ʺ

  Lissa and my friends nodded. ʺWhat do they have to do with Eddie and that guy who attacked me?ʺ she asked.

  ʺMaybe something. Maybe nothing.ʺ Hans shrugged. ʺBut I know thereʹs something strange going on, something youʹre all involved in, and I need to figure out what. Sheʺ—Hans pointed at Sydney—ʺwas with Hathaway in Detroit, and I still have trouble believing none of you know anything about it.ʺ

  Adrian crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, the perfect picture of indifference. ʺKeep believing that, but I donʹt know any of these people. Donʹt Alchemists hate us? Why are they here?ʺ Adrian, ironically, was the only one of my friends who knew I hadnʹt been in West Virginia, but youʹd never tell from his demeanor.

  ʺBecause we have an escaped murderess to deal with and needed to question her accomplice in person,ʺ was Hansʹs crisp response.

  A denial of my guilt was on Lissaʹs lips, but the older Alchemist jumped in first. ʺYou have no proof that Miss Sage was an ‘accompliceʹ to your criminal. And I still think itʹs ridiculous that you wouldnʹt let us do our own questioning and leave it at that.ʺ

  ʺIn any other situation, we would, Miss Stanton,ʺ replied Hans. Ice was forming between the two of them. ʺBut this one, as you can imagine, is a bit more serious than most. Our queen was murdered.ʺ

  Tension ramped up even more between the guardians and the Alchemists. Their working relationship was not a happy one, I realized. It also occurred to me that even if Sydneyʹs superiors thought sheʹd committed some crime, they would never admit as much to my people—which meant Hansʹs paranoia wasnʹt entirely unfounded. When none of the Alchemists responded, Hans seemed to read this as approval to begin interrogating Sydney.

  ʺDo you know these three?ʺ He gestured to my friends, and Sydney shook her head. ʺEver communicated with them?ʺ

  ʺNo.ʺ

  He paused, as though hoping sheʹd change her answer. She didnʹt. ʺThen how did you get involved with Hathaway?ʺ

  She studied him intently, fear in her brown eyes. I wasnʹt sure if it was because of him exactly. Really, she had a lot of things to be nervous about right now, like being here at all and the eventual punishment the Alchemists would dole out. Then, of course, there was Abe. Technically, he was the reason she had gotten ensnared in this mess. All she had to do was tell on him, say heʹd blackmailed her. Itʹd get her off the hook—but incur his wrath. Sydney swallowed and forced a defiant look.

  ʺI met Rose in Siberia.ʺ

  ʺYes, yes,ʺ said Hans. ʺBut how did you end up helping her escape here?ʺ

  ʺI had nothing to do with her escaping this place!ʺ said Sydney. It was a half-truth, I supposed. ʺShe contacted me a few days ago and asked for help to get to a house near Detroit. She claimed she was innocent and that this
would help prove it.ʺ

  ʺThe Alchemists knew by then she was a fugitive,ʺ pointed out Hans. ʺEveryone had orders to look out for her. You could have turned her in.ʺ

  ʺWhen I first met Rose, she didnʹt seem like the murdering type—I mean, aside from killing Strigoi. Which isnʹt murder at all, really.ʺ Sydney threw in a little Alchemist disdain. It was a nice touch. ʺSo, when she said she was innocent and could prove it, I decided to help her. I gave her a ride.ʺ

  ʺWe already asked her about this,ʺ Stanton said irritably. ʺAnd we already told you that we did. What she did was foolish—a naive lapse in judgment. Itʹs something for us to deal with, not you. You worry about your murdering fiend.ʺ Her words were light, like they were going to take Sydney home and chastise a naughty child. I doubted it would be that simple.

  ʺWho were the people with her?ʺ asked Hans, ignoring Stanton.

  Sydneyʹs contempt grew. ʺOne was that guy . . . Dimitri Belikov. The one you think was ‘cured.ʹ I donʹt know who the others were. Two guys and a woman. They never introduced us.ʺ It was a well-done lie, her faked disgust about Dimitri masking her knowledge of the rest of our associates.

  Lissa leaned forward eagerly, speaking just before Hans could. ʺWhat was in Detroit? How was Rose going to clear herself? Especially with Jill?ʺ

  Hans didnʹt look happy about the interruption, but I knew he had to be curious about Jill and Detroit as well. He said nothing, perhaps hoping someone might slip and reveal a key piece of knowledge. Sydney, however, continued playing distant and cold.

  ʺI have no idea. That Jill girl didnʹt seem to know either. Rose just said we had to get to her, so I helped her.ʺ

  ʺBlindly?ʺ asked Hans. ʺYou really expect me to believe that you just trusted her like that?ʺ

  ʺSheʹs my—ʺ Sydney bit her lip on what I suspected was ʺfriend.ʺ She turned her professional mode back on. ʺThere was something believable about her, and I figured itʹd be a waste of resources if the Alchemists had been helping you hunt the wrong murderer. If I decided she was guilty, I could always turn her in. And I thought . . . I thought if I was the one who solved this, Iʹd get the credit and a promotion.ʺ That was a good, good lie. An ambitious girl trying to improve her career on the sly? Very good. Well, not to everyone.

  Hans shook his head. ʺI donʹt believe any of you.ʺ

  The guy Alchemist took a step forward that made every guardian tense to jump him. ʺIf she says thatʹs the way it happened, then thatʹs the way it happened.ʺ He had the same fierceness and mistrust that Stanton had, but there seemed to be more. A sort of protectiveness toward Sydney that was as personal as professional. Lissa picked up on it too.

  ʺEasy, Ian,ʺ said Stanton, still keeping her eyes on Hans. Her composure reminded me more and more of Alberta. She couldnʹt be at ease with a roomful of guardians but wasnʹt showing it. ʺIt doesnʹt matter if you believe her or not. The point remains: Miss Sage answered your questions. Weʹre finished.ʺ

  ʺDo Jillʹs parents know anything?ʺ asked Lissa. She was still in shock at all of these developments—not to mention worried about me being out of my safe mountain town—but this mysterious shot at clearing my name was powerful. She couldnʹt let it go.

  Sydney turned to Lissa, and I could practically read the Alchemistʹs thoughts. She knew how close Lissa and I were and would have liked to give Lissa some sort of comfort. There was no way, though, that Sydney could do that with these people in the room. She also had to be aware of the fact that I myself hadnʹt told Lissa anything about Jill.

  ʺNo,ʺ said Sydney. ʺWe just went there, and Rose said Jill had to come with her. The Mastranos donʹt know why. And then—and then Rose did take her. Or Jill went with her. Iʹm not sure what happened. It all turned to chaos.ʺ

  Neither the Alchemists nor guardians disputed me taking Jill, which made me think it was a story theyʹd gotten—and accepted—from both Jillʹs parents and Sydney. It had just enough truth to be plausible—and explain Jillʹs disappearance. It didnʹt mention the Dragomir secret, however, which Emily was probably more than happy to keep quiet for now.

  ʺThere,ʺ said Stanton. ʺThis is exactly what we told you before. We need to leave now.ʺ She turned toward the door, but guardians blocked the way.

  ʺImpossible,ʺ said Hans. ʺThis is a serious matter, and Miss Sage is the only link we have to a murder—a royal murder. And a kidnapping.ʺ

  Stanton scoffed, and I remembered Sydney once saying the Alchemists thought the Moroi royalty system was silly. ʺShe doesnʹt seem to be of much more use to you. But donʹt worry—weʹll be holding her. Contact us if you have more questions.ʺ

  ʺUnacceptable,ʺ said Hans. ʺShe stays here.ʺ

  Ian, the other Alchemist, joined the argument, moving protectively in front of Sydney. ʺWeʹre not leaving one of our own here!ʺ Again, I had that funny feeling about him. A crush, that was it. He had a crush on her and was treating this as more than just business. Stanton gave him a look that said she would handle this matter. He fell silent.

  ʺYou can all stay here, then,ʺ said Hans. ʺMakes no difference to me. Weʹll get you rooms.ʺ

  ʺThat is unacceptable.ʺ From there, she and Hans got into a raging argument. I didnʹt think it would come to blows, but the other guardians had closed in slightly as a precaution.

  Ianʹs eyes darted between Stanton and Sydney, but he didnʹt get into the fray. Once, his gaze passed over the table Hans leaned against, and Ian suddenly did a double take at the photograph. It was only a brief pause, a slight widening of the eyes . . . but Lissa caught it.

  She took a step toward Ian and Sydney. One of the guardians glanced at the movement, deemed Lissa safe, and returned to watching Stanton. ʺYou know him,ʺ Lissa murmured, keeping her voice below the shouts. In fact, it was a little too low because she got blank looks from Sydney and Ian. Their ears couldnʹt hear what a Moroi or dhampir could have.

  Lissa glanced uneasily around, not wanting to attract attention. She raised her volume slightly. ʺYou know him. The guy in the picture.ʺ

  Ian stared at Lissa, a bit of wonder and wariness on his face. He undoubtedly bore that same standoffish attitude toward vampires, but her words had caught him off guard. And, even if she was an evil creature of the night, she was a very pretty one.

  ʺIan,ʺ said Sydney softly. ʺWhat is it?ʺ There was a note of urging in her voice, one that inadvertently played upon his crush, I think. He opened his mouth to speak, but then, the ʺconversationʺ among the others wrapped up. Sydney again became the center of attention, and Ian turned away from Lissa.

  The compromise Stanton and Hans had reached was exactly that—a compromise. Neither was happy with it. There was a small town less than forty-five minutes away from Court, and the Alchemists would stay there—with several guardians on hand. It sounded like a house arrest to me, and Stantonʹs expression seemed to agree. I think she only consented because it was a human town. Before heʹd let everyone go, Hans questioned my friends a final time, his eyes studying every face carefully.

  ʺAnd none of you—none of you—know this Alchemist girl or have been in contact with her? Or know about her involvement with Hathaway?ʺ

  Again, Lissa and the others denied it, and again, Hans had no choice but to grudgingly accept the responses. Everyone moved toward the door, but Hans wouldnʹt let Eddie leave. ʺNot you, Castile. Youʹre staying here until other matters are settled.ʺ

  Lissa gasped. ʺWhat? But he—ʺ

  ʺDonʹt worry about it,ʺ said Eddie with a small smile. ʺEverythingʹll be okay. Just look after yourself.ʺ

  Lissa hesitated, despite Christian tugging her arm to go. Although all accounts said Eddie had defended Lissaʹs life, heʹd still killed a Moroi. That wouldnʹt be taken lightly. The guardians had to be 100 percent convinced heʹd had no other choice before theyʹd release him. Seeing the strong, calm look on his face, Lissa knew he was prepared to handle whatever came.

  ʺThank you,ʺ she said, walking past him. ʺThank you for saving me.ʺ

 
His answer was a slight nod, and Lissa stepped into the hallway—to find herself in more chaos.

  ʺWhere are they? I insist on—ah.ʺ

  My friends and the Alchemists had been heading toward the exit while a group of guardians escorted them. Meanwhile, someone had entered the hall and was now being stopped and challenged by the guardians. It was Abe.

  He took in every piece of the bizarre scenario in less than a heartbeat, his eyes passing over Sydney and the Alchemists as though heʹd never seen them before. Through Lissaʹs eyes, I saw Sydney blanch, but nobody else noticed. Abe smiled at Lissa and sidled up to walk out with her.

  ʺThere you are. They want you for the last monarch test.ʺ

  ʺAnd they sent you?ʺ asked Christian skeptically.

  ʺWell, I volunteered,ʺ replied Abe. ʺIʹd heard there was some, er, excitement. Murder, fanatical religious humans, interrogations. All things Iʹm interested in, you know.ʺ

  Lissa rolled her eyes but said nothing until the whole group emerged from the building. The Alchemists and their unwelcome escort went one way while Lissa and our friends went the other. Lissa longed to glance at Sydney and Ian—I did too—but knew it was best to keep moving forward and follow Abeʹs lead, particularly since some of those guardians were watching more than just the Alchemists.

  As soon as Lissaʹs group was far enough away from the authorities, Abeʹs amiable smile vanished, and he turned on my friends. ʺWhat the hell happened? Iʹve heard all sorts of crazy stories. Someone said you were dead.ʺ

  ʺNearly,ʺ said Lissa. She told him about the attack, expressing her fear over Eddie.

  ʺHeʹll be fine,ʺ said Abe dismissively. ʺThey have nothing to hold him on. The worst heʹll get is a mark on his record.ʺ

  Lissa was relieved by Abeʹs easy assurance, but I still felt guilty. Thanks to me, Eddieʹs record was already marred. His sterling reputation was declining on a daily basis.

  ʺThat was Sydney Sage,ʺ said Lissa. ʺI thought they were all in West Virginia. Why isnʹt she with Rose?ʺ