The Golden Lily: A Bloodlines Novel

by Richelle Mead

  Before leaving, Ms. Terwilliger had told me to stay focused and think about both the steps of the spell and what I was ultimately hoping to accomplish. So, I turned my thoughts toward Sonya and finding her, praying that she was okay. When I finally finished these initial steps, I saw that almost an hour had gone by. I’d barely noticed it passing. I wiped a hand over my forehead, surprised at how much the steamy room had made me sweat. I went out to find Ms. Terwilliger and Adrian, uncertain what weird activity I’d find going on. Instead, things were pretty ordinary: they were watching TV. Both glanced up at my approach.

  “Ready?” she asked.

  I nodded.

  “Smells like tea in here,” said Adrian, as they followed me to the workroom.

  Ms. Terwilliger examined the small cauldron and nodded her head in approval. “It looks excellent.” I didn’t know how she could tell at a glance but figured I’d take her word for it. “Now. The actual scrying involves a silver plate, correct?” She scanned her shelves of dishes and pointed at something. “There. Use that.”

  I pulled down a perfectly round plate about twelve inches across. It was smooth, with no ornamentation, and had been polished to such brilliance that it reflected almost as well as a mirror. I probably could’ve done without that part, though, seeing as my hair and makeup were showing the wear and tear of the day. Around anyone else, I would have felt self-conscious. I set the plate on the worktable and poured one cup of water from the cauldron onto the silvery surface. All non-liquid ingredients had been removed, and the water was perfectly clear. Once it stopped rippling, the mirror effect returned. Ms. Terwilliger handed me a tiny bowl of galbanum incense, which the book said should be burning during this last stage. I lit the resin with a candle, and a bitter, green smell wafted up, contrasting with the sweetness of the liquid.

  “You still have the hair?” Ms. Terwilliger asked.

  “Of course.” I laid it across the water’s smooth surface. Part of me wanted something to happen—sparks or smoke—but I’d read the directions and knew better. I pulled a stool up to the table and sat on it, allowing me to gaze down into the water. “Now I look?”

  “Now you look,” she confirmed. “Your mind needs to be both focused and spread out. You need to think about the components of the spell and the magic they hold, as well as your desire to find the spell’s subject. At the same time, you need to maintain a perfect clarity of mind and stay fixed on your task with razor sharp focus.”

  I looked down at my reflection and tried to do all those things she’d just described. Nothing happened. “I don’t see anything.”

  “Of course not,” she said. “It’s only been a minute. I told you this was an advanced spell. It may take a while for you to fully muster the strength and power you need. Stay on task. We’ll be waiting.”

  The two of them left. I stared bleakly at the water, wondering how long “a while” was. I’d been excited when the spell seemed so simple originally. Now, I wished there were more ingredients to mix, more incantations to recite. This high-level magic, relying on will and mental energy, was much more difficult—mainly because it was intangible. I liked the concrete. I liked to know exactly what was needed to make something happen. Cause and effect.

  But this? This was just me staring and staring, hoping I was “staying fixed” and using “razor sharp focus.” How would I know if I was? Even if I achieved that state, it might still take a while to manifest what I needed. I tried not to think of that yet. Sonya. Sonya was all that mattered right now. All of my will and energy had to go into saving her.

  I kept telling myself that as the minutes ticked by. Each time I was certain I should stop and ask Ms. Terwilliger what to do, I would force myself to keep looking into the water. Sonya, Sonya. Think about Sonya. And still, nothing happened. Finally, when an ache in my back made sitting unbearable, I stood up to stretch. The rest of my muscles were starting to cramp up too. I walked back to the living room; almost an hour and a half had passed since I’d last been out here.

  “Anything?” asked Ms. Terwilliger.

  “No,” I said. “I must be doing something wrong.”

  “You’re focusing your mind? Thinking about her? About finding her?”

  I was really tired of hearing the word focus. Frustration was replacing my earlier anxiety about magic. “Yes, yes, and yes,” I said. “But it’s still not working.”

  She shrugged. “And that’s why we have a curfew extension. Try again.”

  Adrian flashed me a sympathetic look and started to say something—but then thought better of it. I nearly left but paused as a troublesome thought nagged at me.

  “What if she’s not alive?” I asked. “Could that be why it’s not working?”

  Ms. Terwilliger shook her head. “No. You’d still see something if she wasn’t. And… well, you’d know.”

  I returned to the workroom and tried again—with similar results. The next time I went to talk to Ms. Terwilliger, I saw that it hadn’t been quite an hour. “I’m doing something wrong,” I insisted. “Either that, or I messed up the initial spell. Or this really is beyond me.”

  “If I know you, the spell was flawless,” she said. “And no, this isn’t beyond you, but only you have the power to make it happen.”

  I was too tired to parse her esoteric philosophy nonsense. I turned without a word and trudged back to the workroom. When I reached it, I discovered I’d been followed. I looked up at Adrian and sighed.

  “No distractions, remember?” I said.

  “I won’t stay,” he said. “I just wanted to make sure you’re okay.”

  “Yeah… I mean, I don’t know. In as much as anyone can be with all of this.” I nodded toward the silver plate. “Maybe I do need you to get me out of here.”

  He considered for a moment and then shook his head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

  I stared up at him in disbelief. “What happened to me not having to do anything I didn’t want to do? And you nobly defending me?”

  One of his knowing little smiles played over his lips. “Well. That was back when you didn’t want to do this because it challenged all your beliefs. Now that the line is crossed, your problem seems to be a little pessimism and not believing you can do this. And honestly, that’s bullshit.”

  “A little pessimism?” I exclaimed. “Adrian, I’ve been staring at a bowl of water for over two hours! It’s nearly one thirty. I’m exhausted, I want coffee, and every muscle in my body hurts. Oh, and I’m about ready to throw up from that incense.”

  “Those things all suck,” he agreed. “But I seem to recall you giving all of us lectures recently about enduring hardships to do what’s right. Are you saying you can’t do that to help Sonya?”

  “I would do anything to help her! Anything within my power, that is. And I don’t think this is.”

  “I don’t know,” he speculated. “I’ve had a lot of time to talk to Jackie—she lets me call her that, you know—and I’ve learned all about this human magic stuff. There’s a lot you can do with it.”

  “It’s wrong,” I grumbled.

  “And yet here you are, with the ability to find Sonya.” Adrian hesitated and then, reaching some decision, stepped toward me and rested his hands on my shoulders. “Jackie told me that you’re one of the most naturally gifted people she’s ever encountered for this kind of stuff. She said that with a little practice, a spell like this’ll be cake for you, and she’s certain you can pull it off now. And I believe her. Not because I have proof you’re magically talented but because I’ve seen how you approach everything else. You won’t fail at this. You don’t fail at anything.”

  I was so exhausted I thought I might cry. I wanted to fall forward and have him carry me out of here, like he’d promised earlier. “That’s the problem. I don’t fail, but I’m afraid I will now. I don’t know what it’s like. And it terrifies me.” Especially because Sonya’s life depends on me.

  Adrian reached out and traced the lily on my cheek. “Y
ou won’t have to find out what it’s like tonight because you aren’t going to fail. You can do this. And I’ll be here with you as long as it takes, okay?”

  I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself. “Okay.”

  I returned to my stool after he left and tried to ignore the fatigue in my body and mind. I thought about what he’d said, about how I wouldn’t fail. I thought about his faith in me. And most importantly, I thought about Sonya. I thought about how desperately I wanted to help her.

  All these things churned within me as I stared at the water, crystal clear except for the hair floating in it. One red line against all that silver. It was like a spark of fire, a spark that grew brighter and brighter in my eyes until it took on a more definite shape, a circle with stylized lines radiating from it. A sun, I realized. Someone had painted an orange sun onto a piece of plywood and hung it on a chain-link fence. Even with the shoddy canvas, the artist had gone to a lot of care in painting the sun, stylizing the rays and making sure the lengths were consistent with each other. The fence itself was ugly and industrial, and I caught sight of what looked like an electrifying box hanging on it. The landscape was brown and barren, but mountains in the distance told me it was still the greater Palm Springs area. This was kind of like the area Wolfe lived in, outside of town and away from the pretty greenery. Through the fence, beyond the sign, I caught sight of a large, sprawling building—

  “Ow!”

  The vision vanished as my head hit the floor. I had fallen off the stool.

  I managed to sit up, but that was all I could do. The world was spinning, and my stomach felt queasy and empty. After what could have been three seconds or three hours, I heard voices and footsteps. Strong arms caught hold of me, and Adrian helped me to my feet. I clung to the table while he picked the stool up and helped me sit back down. Ms. Terwilliger pushed the silver plate aside and replaced it with an ordinary kitchen plate filled with cheese and crackers. A glass of orange juice soon joined it.

  “Here,” she said. “Eat these. You’ll feel better.”

  I was so disoriented and weak that I didn’t even hesitate. I ate and drank as though I hadn’t eaten in a week while Adrian and Ms. Terwilliger waited patiently. It was only when I’d practically licked the plate clean that I realized what I’d just consumed.

  “Havarti and orange juice?” I groaned. “That’s too much fat and sugar for this time of night.”

  Adrian scoffed. “Glad to see there’s no lasting damage.”

  “Get used to it if you’re going to be using magic a lot,” said Ms. Terwilliger. “Spells can deplete you. Not unusual at all to have your blood sugar drop afterward. Orange juice will become your best friend.”

  “I’ll never get used to it, seeing as I’m not going to—” I gasped, as the images I’d seen in the silver plate came tumbling back to me. “Sonya! I think I saw where she’s at.” I described what I’d seen, though none of us had any clue about where or what this place might be.

  “You’re sure it was like a regular sun? With rays?” asked Adrian. “Because I thought the hunters used that old Alchemist one—the circle and dot.”

  “They do, but this was definitely—oh God.” I looked up at Adrian. “We have to get back to Amberwood. Right now.”

  “Not after that,” said Ms. Terwilliger. She was using her stern teacher voice. “That took more from you than I expected. Sleep here, and I’ll make sure everything’s cleared up with Desiree and the school tomorrow.”

  “No.” I stood up and felt my legs start to buckle, but in the end, they held. Adrian put a supportive arm around me, clearly not believing in my body’s recovery. “I have to get back there. I think I know how we can find out where this place is.”

  Adrian was right that the sun I’d just described wasn’t the design that had been on the sword or brochure. Both of those had used the ancient symbol. The one in my vision was a more modern adaptation—and this wasn’t the first time I’d seen it.

  The sun in my vision was an exact match for Trey’s tattoo.

  CHAPTER 20

  GETTING TO TREY was easier said than done. A girl getting into the guys’ dorm at normal hours would’ve been difficult enough. But after curfew? In the middle of the night? Nearly impossible. I had to resort to creative options and called Eddie while I was driving Adrian home. One thing I never had to feel guilty about was calling Eddie at any hour. He kept his ringer on (much to Micah’s delight, no doubt), and I suspected he slept with the phone next to his pillow.

  “Yes?” Eddie’s voice was alert and ready, as though he hadn’t been asleep at all. That was just how he was.

  “I need you to go see if you can wake up Trey,” I told him. “Sonya’s been kidnapped and is being held at some weird compound with a logo like Trey’s tattoo. We need to find out what he knows.”

  This was the first time Eddie was hearing about Sonya’s kidnapping, but he didn’t ask for further information—or how I’d known her location. He knew she’d been in danger recently, and this quick message was enough to get him going. I didn’t exactly know what would happen when Eddie did find Trey, seeing as there was no way I’d be able to talk to Trey myself until morning. Still, we had to start somewhere.

  “Okay,” said Eddie. “I’m on it. I’ll call you back.”

  We disconnected, and I stifled a yawn. “Well, here goes nothing. Let’s hope Eddie can find out something.”

  “Preferably without beating up Trey in the process,” said Adrian. He snuggled against the passenger seat, the only sign that he too was feeling tired from our late night. He’d long since converted from a vampire’s nocturnal schedule. “Since that might limit how much we can find out.”

  I made a face. “If Trey’s somehow involved with this, I’m not sure I want to take it easy on him. And yet… I just can’t believe he is.”

  “People fool each other all the time. Look at you. You think Trey knows you’re part of a secret society helping to keep vampires hidden from the world?”

  “Actually… yes.” I stopped at a red light and thought back on some of Trey’s weird behaviors. “He knows Jill’s a Moroi, I’m almost certain of it. He didn’t notice right away, but when he did, he kept telling me to keep her hidden. Then after Sonya was attacked, he told me to stay safe.” A horrible realization was dawning on me. “He knew. He knew I was friends with Sonya. He probably knew about the attack and never said anything!”

  “Not a surprise if his group’s working counter to yours.” Adrian’s tone softened. “If it makes you feel better, it sounds like he was kind of conflicted if he was trying to warn you.”

  “I don’t know that it does. Oh, Adrian.” I pulled up in front of his building and saw the yellow Mustang illuminated in the streetlight. “You left the car out. You’re lucky it didn’t get towed.”

  “I’ll move it,” he said. “And don’t look at me like that. It’s within a half-mile radius. I’m not breaking your rules.”

  “Just be careful,” I muttered.

  He opened Latte’s door and glanced back at me. “You sure you want to go back to the school? You’ll be locked in until morning.”

  “Not much I can do until then anyway. I want to be there the instant I can get access to Trey. I’ll trust in Eddie for now.”

  Adrian looked reluctant to leave me but finally nodded. “Call if you need anything. I’m going to keep trying to see if I can find Sonya in her dreams. Didn’t have much luck earlier.”

  One of spirit’s more disconcerting powers was the user’s ability to intrude on the dreams of other people. “Is she just not asleep?”

  “That, or drugged.”

  Neither option made me feel any better. He gave me one last, lingering look before leaving. I returned to Amberwood where a sleepy student aide waved me in without comment. Mrs. Weathers had long since gone home, and her overnight coverage didn’t seem particularly concerned about my comings and goings. As I was walking up the stairs, my phone rang. Eddie.

  “Well, it t
ook forever, but I finally woke his roommate up,” he told me.

  “And?”

  “He’s not there. I guess he wasn’t last night either. Some kind of family emergency.”

  “No word on when he’ll be back?” I was beginning to think all of Trey’s “family stuff” might be more insidious than I’d guessed. I was also willing to bet he wasn’t the only one with a sun tattoo.

  “No.”

  I DRIFTED IN AND OUT of sleep that night. My body was exhausted from the magic, but I was too on edge about Sonya to fully give in to the fatigue. I keep waking up and checking my cell phone, afraid I’d missed some call—despite the fact that it was on its loudest setting. I finally gave up and got out of bed a couple of hours before the cafeteria’s breakfast began. By the time I’d showered and dressed—and put my coffee maker into high gear—I was back into open hours on campus. Not that it did me much good.

  I made two more calls after that, first to Spencer’s to see if Trey was working. I didn’t expect him to be, but it was a good excuse to see if he’d been there in the last couple of days. He hadn’t been. My next call was to Stanton, reporting Sonya’s disappearance. I told her we had a lead that connected one of my classmates to the vampire hunters and that Sonya was likely being held at a compound outside of town. I didn’t elaborate on how I knew, and Stanton was distracted enough by the kidnapping in general to ask much more.

  At breakfast, I found my “family” sitting with Micah over at West’s cafeteria. Eddie, Angeline, and Jill’s troubled faces told me they all knew about Sonya. Micah was cheerfully chatting about something, and I had a feeling his presence was preventing the others from discussing what they really wanted to. When Micah turned to ask Eddie something, I leaned over and murmured to Jill, “Get him out of here.”