Dimitri was on the other two guys, as fast and badass as ever. Meredith and I went for each other. At first, she tried to knock me down by virtue of her weight, probably in the hopes of pinning me down until backup could help grab me. Only, I was stronger. She should have known that. How many times had we sparred in the schoolʹs gym? Iʹd almost always won. And this was no game, no practice drill. I pushed back at her attack, punching her on the side of her jaw and desperately praying I didnʹt break anything. She kept moving through the pain, but—again—I was superior. I caught a hold of her shoulders and threw her down. Her head hit hard, but she remained conscious. I didnʹt know whether to be grateful or not. Maintaining my grip, I put her in a chokehold, waiting until her eyes closed. I released as soon as I was sure she was out, my heart twisting in my chest.
Glancing over, I saw Dimitri had also taken down his opponents. Our group kept moving as though nothing had happened, but I glanced at Eddie, knowing there was grief on my face. He looked pained too but sought to reassure me as we hurried along.
ʺYou did what you had to,ʺ he said. ʺSheʹll be okay. Banged up, but okay.ʺ
ʺI hit her hard.ʺ
ʺThe medics can deal with concussions. Hell, how many did we get in practice?ʺ
I hoped he was right. The lines between right and wrong were getting confusing. The one good thing, I supposed, was that Meredith had been so occupied by the sight of me that she probably hadnʹt noticed Eddie and the others. Theyʹd held back from the fight, hopefully keeping on Adrianʹs veil of spirit while Dimitri and I took the attention.
We finally reached the garages, which were indeed more crowded than usual. Some Moroi had already driven off. One royal was hysterical because her driver had her carʹs keys, and she didnʹt know where he was. She was shouting to passers-by to see if anyone could hotwire the car for her.
Dimitri led us purposefully forward, never wavering. He knew exactly where we were going. There had been a lot of planning, I realized. Most of which had probably happened yesterday. Why had Lissa obscured it from me? Wouldnʹt it have been better for me to have a heads-up on the plan?
We scurried through the people, heading toward the garage on the very farthest side. There, sitting just outside of it and seemingly ready to go, was a drab gray Honda Civic. A man stood near it, arms crossed as he examined the windshield. Hearing our approach, he turned around.
ʺAbe!ʺ I exclaimed.
My illustrious father turned and gave me one of those charming smiles that could lure the unwary to their doom.
ʺWhat are you doing here?ʺ demanded Dimitri. ʺYouʹll be on the list of suspects too! You were supposed to stay back with the others.ʺ
Abe shrugged. He looked remarkably unconcerned at Dimitriʹs angry expression. I wouldnʹt have wanted that fury directed at me. ʺVasilisa will make sure a few people at the palace swear they saw me there during suspicious times.ʺ He turned his dark eyes toward me. ʺBesides, I couldnʹt leave without telling you goodbye, could I?ʺ
I shook my head in exasperation. ʺWas this all part of your plan as my lawyer? I donʹt recall explosive escapes being part of legal training.ʺ
ʺWell, Iʹm sure it wasnʹt part of Damon Tarusʹs legal training.ʺ Abeʹs smile never wavered. ʺI told you, Rose. You will never face execution—or even a trial, if I can help it.ʺ He paused. ʺWhich, of course, I can.ʺ
I hesitated, glancing toward the car. Dimitri stood by it with a set of keys, looking impatient. Adrianʹs words echoed in my memory.
ʺIf I run, itʹs just going to make me seem that much more guilty.ʺ
ʺThey already think youʹre guilty,ʺ said Abe. ʺYou wasting away in that cell wonʹt change that. This just ensures we now have more time to do what we need to without your execution looming over us.ʺ
ʺAnd what are you going to do exactly?ʺ
ʺProve youʹre innocent,ʺ said Adrian. ʺOr, well, that you didnʹt kill my aunt. Iʹve known for a while you arenʹt all that innocent.ʺ
ʺWhat, are you guys going to destroy the evidence?ʺ I asked, ignoring the dig.
ʺNo,ʺ said Eddie. ʺWe have to find who really did kill her.ʺ
ʺYou guys shouldnʹt be involved with that, now that Iʹm free. Itʹs my problem. Isnʹt that why you got me out?ʺ
ʺItʹs a problem you canʹt solve while youʹre at Court,ʺ said Abe. ʺWe need you gone and safe.ʺ
ʺYeah, but I—ʺ
ʺWeʹre wasting time arguing,ʺ said Dimitri. His gaze fell on the other garages. The crowds were still chaotic, too busy with their own fears to notice us yet. That didnʹt affect Dimitriʹs concern. He handed me a silver stake, and I didnʹt question the reasons. It was a weapon, something I couldnʹt turn down. ʺI know everything looks disorganized, but youʹll be amazed at how quickly the guardians will restore order. And when they do, theyʹre going to lock this place down.ʺ
ʺThey donʹt need to,ʺ I said slowly, my mind spinning. ʺWeʹre already going to have trouble going out of Court. Weʹll be stopped—if we can even get to the gate. There are going to be cars lined up for miles!ʺ
ʺAh, well,ʺ said Abe, idly studying his fingertips. ʺI have it on good authority thereʹs going to be a new ‘gateʹ opening up soon over on the south side of the wall.ʺ
The truth dawned on me. ʺOh lord. Youʹre the one whoʹs been doling out C4.ʺ
ʺYou make it sound so easy,ʺ he said with a frown. ʺThat stuffʹs hard to get a hold of.ʺ
Dimitriʹs patience was at an end. ʺAll of you: Rose needs to leave now. Sheʹs in danger. Iʹll drag her out if I have to.ʺ
ʺYou donʹt have to go with me,ʺ I shot back, kind of offended at the presumption. Memories of our recent arguments emerged, of Dimitri saying he couldnʹt love me and didnʹt even want to be friends. ʺIʹll take care of myself. No one else needs to get in trouble. Give me the keys.ʺ
Instead, Dimitri gave me one of those rueful looks that said he thought I was being utterly ridiculous. We could have been back in class at St. Vladimirʹs Academy.
ʺRose, I canʹt really get in any more trouble. Someone has to be responsible for helping you, and Iʹm the best choice.ʺ I wasnʹt so sure of that. If Tatiana really had made progress in convincing people Dimitri wasnʹt a threat, this escapade would ruin it all.
ʺGo,ʺ said Eddie, surprising me with a quick hug. ʺWeʹll be in touch through Lissa.ʺ I realized then that I was fighting a losing battle with this group. It really was time to leave.
I hugged Mikhail too, murmuring in his ear, ʺThank you. Thank you so much for your help. I swear, weʹll find her. Weʹll find Sonya.ʺ He gave me that sad smile of his and didnʹt reply.
Adrian was the hardest to leave behind. I could tell it was difficult for him too, no matter how relaxed his grin seemed. He couldnʹt be happy about me going off with Dimitri. Our hug lasted a little bit longer than the others, and he gave me a soft, brief kiss on the lips. I almost felt like crying after how brave heʹd been tonight. I wished he could go with me but knew heʹd be safer here.
ʺAdrian, thank you for—ʺ
He held up his hand. ʺItʹs not goodbye, little dhampir. Iʹll see you in your dreams.ʺ
ʺIf you stay sober enough.ʺ
He winked. ʺFor you I just might.ʺ
A loud booming noise interrupted us, and we saw a flash of light off to my right. People near the other garages screamed.
ʺThere, you see?ʺ asked Abe, quite pleased with himself. ʺA new gate. Perfect timing.ʺ
I gave him a reluctant hug too and was surprised when he didnʹt pull back right away. He smiled at me . . . fondly. ʺAh, my daughter,ʺ he said. ʺEighteen, and already youʹve been accused of murder, aided felons, and acquired a death count higher than most guardians will ever see.ʺ He paused. ʺI couldnʹt be prouder.ʺ
I rolled my eyes. ʺGoodbye, old man. And thanks.ʺ I didnʹt bother asking him about the ʺfelonsʺ part. Abe wasnʹt stupid. After Iʹd asked him about a prison that had later been breeched, heʹd probably figured out who was behind Victor Dashkovʹs escape.
> And like that, Dimitri and I were in the car, speeding off toward Abeʹs ʺnew gate.ʺ I regretted not being able to say goodbye to Lissa. We were never truly apart with the bond, but it couldnʹt take the place of face-to-face communication. Still, it was worth it to know she would be safe and free of any connection to my escape. I hoped.
Like always, Dimitri drove, which I still thought was totally unfair. It had been one thing when I was his student, but now? Wouldnʹt he ever give up that wheel? This didnʹt seem like the time to discuss it, though—particularly since I didnʹt plan on us staying together much longer.
A few people had come out to see where the wall had blown up, but no one official had surfaced yet. Dimitri raced through the gap as impressively as Eddie had when heʹd driven through Tarasov Prisonʹs gate, only the Civic didnʹt handle the bumpy, grassy terrain as well as the SUV in Alaska. The problem with making your own exit was that it didnʹt come with an actual road. Even that was beyond Abe.
ʺWhy is our getaway car a Civic?ʺ I asked. ʺItʹs not really great for off-roading.ʺ
Dimitri didnʹt look at me but continued navigating over the rough ground toward a more drivable area. ʺBecause Civics are one of the most common cars out there and donʹt attract attention. And this should be the only off-roading we do. Once we hit a freeway, weʹre putting as much distance between us and Court as we can—before abandoning the car, of course.ʺ
ʺAbandon—ʺ I shook my head, letting it go. We reached a dirt road that felt like the smoothest surface on earth after that jolting start. ʺLook, now that weʹre out of there, I want you to know that I mean it: you donʹt have to come with me. I appreciate your help in the escape. Really. But hanging out with me wonʹt do you any favors. Theyʹll be hunting for me more than you. If you take off, you can live somewhere around humans and not be treated like a lab animal. You might even be able to slink back to Court. Tasha would put up a fight for you.ʺ
Dimitri didnʹt answer for a long time. It drove me crazy. I wasnʹt the kind of person who handled silence well. It made me want to chatter and fill the void. Plus, the longer I sat there, the more it hit me that I was alone with Dimitri. Like, really and truly alone for the first time since heʹd become a dhampir. I felt like a fool, but in spite of the dangers we still risked . . . well, I was still overwhelmed by him. There was something so powerful about his presence. Even when he made me angry, I still found him attractive. Maybe the adrenaline pounding through me was addling my brain.
Whatever it was, I was consumed by more than just his physical aspects—though they were certainly distracting. The hair, the face, his closeness to me, his scent . . . I felt it all, and it made my blood burn. But the inner Dimitri—the Dimitri whoʹd just led a small army through a prison break—captivated me just as much. It took me a moment to realize why this was so powerful: I was seeing the old Dimitri again, the one Iʹd worried was gone forever. He wasnʹt. He was back.
At long last, Dimitri replied, ʺIʹm not leaving you. None of your Rose-logic arguments are going to work. And if you try to get away from me, Iʹll just find you.ʺ
I didnʹt doubt he could, which just made the situation more confusing. ʺBut why? I donʹt want you with me.ʺ I still felt a lingering attraction for him, yes, but that didnʹt change the fact that he had hurt me in breaking things off between us. He had rejected me, and I needed to harden my heart, particularly if I wanted to move on with Adrian. Clearing my name and leading a normal life seemed far away right now, but if it happened, I wanted to be able to return to Adrian with open arms.
ʺIt doesnʹt matter what you want,ʺ he said. ʺOr what I want.ʺ Ouch. ʺLissa asked me to protect you.ʺ
ʺHey, I donʹt need anyone to—ʺ
ʺAnd,ʺ he continued, ʺI meant what I said to her. I swore Iʹd serve her and help her for the rest of my life, anything she asks. If she wants me to be your bodyguard, then thatʹs what Iʹll be.ʺ He gave me a dangerous look. ʺThereʹs no way youʹre getting rid of me anytime soon.ʺ
FIVE
GETTING AWAY FROM DIMITRI WASNʹT just about our rocky romantic past. Iʹd meant it when I said I didnʹt want him getting in trouble because of me. If the guardians found me, my fate wouldnʹt be that much different from what Iʹd already been facing. But Dimitri? Heʹd been making baby steps toward acceptance. Sure, that was pretty much destroyed now, but his chance for a life wasnʹt over. If he didnʹt want to live at Court or with humans, he could go back to Siberia and return to his family. Out there in the middle of nowhere, heʹd be hard to find. And with how close that community was, theyʹd go to a lot of trouble to hide him if someone ever did try to hunt him down. Staying with me was definitely the wrong option. I just needed to convince him.
ʺI know what youʹre thinking,ʺ Dimitri said, after weʹd been on the road for about an hour.
We hadnʹt spoken much, both of us lost in our own thoughts. After a few more country roads, weʹd finally made it to an interstate and were making good time toward . . . well, I had no idea. Iʹd been staring out the window, pondering all the disasters around me and how I alone could fix them.
ʺHuh?ʺ I glanced over at him.
I thought there might be the smallest hint of a smile on his lips, which seemed absurd considering this was probably the worst situation heʹd been in since being restored from his Strigoi state.
ʺAnd it wonʹt work,ʺ he added. ʺYouʹre planning how to get away from me, probably when we eventually stop for gas. Youʹre thinking maybe youʹll have a chance to run off then.ʺ
The crazy thing was, I had been thinking very much along those lines. The old Dimitri was a good partner on the road, but I wasnʹt so sure I liked having his old ability to guess my thoughts back as well.
ʺThis is a waste of time,ʺ I said, gesturing around the car.
ʺOh? You have better things to do than flee the people who want to lock you up and execute you? Please donʹt tell me again that this is too dangerous for me.ʺ
I glared. ʺItʹs about more than just you. Running away shouldnʹt be my only concern. I should be helping clear my name, not hiding in whatever remote place youʹre undoubtedly taking me to. The answers are at Court.ʺ
ʺAnd you have lots of friends at Court who will be working on that. Itʹll be easier on them if they know youʹre safe.ʺ
ʺWhat I want to know is why no one told me about this—or, I mean, why Lissa didnʹt. Whyʹd she hide it? Donʹt you think Iʹd have been more helpful if Iʹd been ready?ʺ
ʺWe did the fighting, not you,ʺ Dimitri said. ʺWe were afraid if you knew, you might give away that something was up.ʺ
ʺI would have never told!ʺ
ʺNot intentionally, no. But if you were tense or anxious . . . well, your guards can pick up on those kinds of things.ʺ
ʺWell, now that weʹre out, can you tell me where weʹre going? Was I right? Is it some crazy, remote place?ʺ
No answer.
I narrowed my eyes at him. ʺI hate not being in the loop.ʺ
That tiny smile on his lips grew a little bigger. ʺWell, I have my own personal theory that the more you donʹt know, the more your curiosity is likely to make sure you stick around with me.ʺ
ʺThatʹs ridiculous,ʺ I replied, though really, it wasnʹt all that unreasonable of a theory. I sighed. ʺWhen the hell did things get so out of control? When did you guys start being the masterminds? Iʹm the one who comes up with the wacky, impossible plans. Iʹm supposed to be the general here. Now Iʹm barely a lieutenant.ʺ
He started to say something else but then froze for a few seconds, his face instantly taking on that wary, lethal guardian look. He swore in Russian.
ʺWhatʹs wrong?ʺ I asked. His attitude was contagious, and I immediately forgot all thoughts of crazy plans.
In the erratic flash of headlights from oncoming traffic, I could see his eyes dart up to the rearview mirror. ʺWe have a tail. I didnʹt think it would happen this soon.ʺ
ʺAre you sure?ʺ It had grown dark, and the number of cars on the highway had increased. I didnʹt know
how anyone could spot one suspicious car among that many, but well . . . he was Dimitri.
He swore again and suddenly, in a maneuver that made me grab the dashboard, he cut sharply across two lanes, barely missing a minivan that expressed its annoyance with a lot of honking. There was an exit right there, and he just barely made it without clipping the exit rampʹs rail. I heard more honking, and when I looked back, I saw the headlights of a car that had made just as crazy a move to follow us onto the exit.
ʺThe Court must have gotten the word out pretty fast,ʺ he said. ʺThey had someone watching the interstates.ʺ
ʺMaybe we should have taken back roads.ʺ
He shook his head. ʺToo slow. None of it would have been an issue once we switched cars, but they found us too soon. Weʹll have to get a new one here. This is the biggest city weʹll hit before the Maryland border.ʺ
A sign said we were in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and as Dimitri skillfully drove us down a busy, commerce-filled road, I could see the tail mirroring everything we did. ʺWhat exactly is your plan to get a new car?ʺ I asked warily.
ʺListen carefully,ʺ he said, ignoring my question. ʺIt is very, very important that you do exactly as I say. No improvising. No arguing. There are guardians in that car, and by now, theyʹve alerted every other guardian around here—possibly even the human police.ʺ
ʺWouldnʹt the police catching us create a few problems?ʺ
ʺThe Alchemists would sort it out and make sure we ended up back with the Moroi.ʺ
The Alchemists. I should have known theyʹd get involved. They were a secret society of humans who helped protect Moroi and dhampir interests, keeping us out of the mainstream human public. Of course, the Alchemists didnʹt do it out of kindness. They thought we were evil and unnatural and mostly wanted to make sure we stayed on the fringes of their society. An escaped ʺcriminalʺ like me would certainly be a problem they would want to help the Moroi with.
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