Last Sacrifice (6)
Page 10
ʺWhatʹs in Altswood?ʺ I asked, disappointed she hadnʹt entered something like Atlantic City.
ʺNothing,ʺ she said, pulling back onto the road. ʺBut itʹs the closest place to where weʹre going that the GPS can find.ʺ
A passing carʹs headlights briefly illuminated Dimitriʹs profile, and I saw curiosity on his face too. So. I wasnʹt the only one out of the loop anymore. The GPS read almost an hour and a half to our destination. He didnʹt question her choice, though, and turned back to me.
ʺSo whatʹs going on with Lissa? Whatʹs this great plan of yours?ʺ He glanced at Sydney. ʺRose says thereʹs something important we have to do.ʺ
ʺSo I gathered,ʺ said Sydney dryly. Dimitri looked back at me expectantly.
I took a deep breath. It was time to reveal the secret Iʹd been holding since my hearing. ʺSo, it, um, turns out Lissa has a brother or sister. And I think we should find them.ʺ
I managed to sound cool and casual as I spoke. Inside me, my heart lurched. Even though Iʹd had plenty of time to process Tatianaʹs note, saying the words out loud made them real in a way they hadnʹt been before. It shocked me, hitting me with the full impact of what this information truly meant and how it changed everything weʹd all come to believe.
Of course, my shock was nothing compared to the othersʹ. Score one for Rose and the element of surprise. Sydney made no attempt to hide her astonishment and gasped. Even Dimitri seemed a little taken aback.
Once they recovered, I could see them preparing their protests. They would either demand evidence or simply dismiss the idea as ridiculous. I immediately jumped into action before the arguments could start. I produced Tatianaʹs note, reading it aloud and then letting Dimitri look at it. I told them about my ghostly encounter, where the queenʹs troubled spirit made me believe there was truth to this. Nonetheless, my companions were skeptical.
ʺYou have no proof Tatiana wrote the note,ʺ said Dimitri.
ʺThe Alchemists have no records of another Dragomir,ʺ said Sydney.
They each said exactly what I thought they would. Dimitri was the kind of guy always ready for a trick or trap. He suspected anything without hard proof. Sydney lived in a world of facts and data and had total faith in the Alchemists and their information. If the Alchemists didnʹt believe it, neither did she. Ghostly evidence didnʹt convince either of them.
ʺI donʹt really see why Tatianaʹs spirit would want to deceive me,ʺ I argued. ʺAnd the Alchemists arenʹt all-knowing. The note says this is a pretty heavily guarded secret from Moroi—it makes sense it would be secret from the Alchemists too.ʺ
Sydney scoffed, not liking my ʺall-knowingʺ comment, but otherwise remained silent. It was Dimitri who pushed forward, refusing to take anything on faith without more evidence.
ʺYouʹve said before that itʹs not always clear what the ghosts are trying to say,ʺ he pointed out. ʺMaybe you misread her.ʺ
ʺI donʹt know . . .ʺ I thought again about her solemn, translucent face. ʺI think she did write this note. My gut says she did.ʺ I narrowed my eyes. ʺYou know itʹs been right before. Can you trust me on this?ʺ
He stared at me for several moments, and I held that gaze steadily. In that uncanny way of ours, I could guess what was going on. The whole situation was far-fetched, but he knew I was right about my instincts. Theyʹd proven true in the past. No matter what heʹd been through, no matter the current antagonism between us, he still knew me enough to trust in this.
Slowly, almost reluctantly, he nodded. ʺBut if we decided to search for this alleged sibling, weʹd be going against Lissaʹs instructions to stay put.ʺ
ʺYou believe that note?ʺ exclaimed Sydney. ʺYouʹre considering listening to it?ʺ
A flash of anger lit up within me, one I worked to hide. Of course. Of course this would be the next obstacle: Dimitriʹs inability to disobey Lissa. Sydney feared Abe, which I could kind of understand, but Dimitriʹs concern was still the lofty vow of chivalry heʹd made to Lissa. I took a deep breath. Telling him how ridiculous I thought he was behaving wouldnʹt accomplish what I needed.
ʺTechnically, yes. But if we could actually prove she wasnʹt the last in her family, it would help her a lot. We canʹt ignore the chance, and if you manage to keep me out of trouble while we do itʺ—I tried not to grimace at that—ʺthen there shouldnʹt be a problem.ʺ
Dimitri considered this. He knew me. He also knew I would use roundabout logic if need be to get my way.
ʺOkay,ʺ he said at last. I saw the shift in his features. The decision was made, and heʹd stick to it now. ʺBut where do we start? You have no other clues, aside from a mysterious note.ʺ
It was déjà vu and reminded me of Lissa and Christianʹs earlier conversation with Abe when they were figuring out where to start their investigation. She and I lived parallel lives, it seemed, both pursuing an impossible puzzle with a sketchy trail. As I replayed their discussion, I attempted the same reasoning Abe had used: without clues, start working through obvious conclusions.
ʺObviously, this is a secret,ʺ I said. ʺA big one. One people have apparently wanted to cover up—enough that theyʹd try to steal records about it and keep the Dragomirs out of power.ʺ Someone had broken into an Alchemist building and taken papers indicating Eric Dragomir had indeed been funding a mystery woman. I pointed out to my companions that it seemed very likely to me this woman was the mother of his love child. ʺYou could look into that case some more.ʺ Those last words were spoken toward Sydney. Maybe she didnʹt care about another Dragomir, but the Alchemists still wanted to know who had stolen from them.
ʺWhoa, hey. How was I not even part of this decision process? ʺ She still hadnʹt recovered from our conversation suddenly running away without her. After the way our night had gone so far, she didnʹt look too pleased about being sucked into another of my rogue schemes. ʺMaybe breaking Lissaʹs orders is no big deal for you two, but Iʹd be going against Abe. He might not be so lenient.ʺ
It was a fair point. ʺIʹll pull in a daughterly favor,ʺ I assured her. ʺBesides, the old man loves secrets. Heʹd be into this, believe me. And youʹve already found the biggest clue of all. I mean, if Eric was giving money to some anonymous woman, then why wouldnʹt it be for his secret mistress and child?ʺ
ʺAnonymous is the key word,ʺ Sydney said, still clearly skeptical of Zmeyʹs ʺleniency.ʺ ʺIf your theoryʹs right—and itʹs kind of a leap—we still have no idea who this mistress is. The stolen documents didnʹt say.ʺ
ʺAre there other records that tie into the stolen ones? Or could you investigate the bank he was sending money to?ʺ The Alchemistsʹ initial concern had simply been that someone had stolen hard copies of their records. Her colleagues had discovered which items were taken but hadnʹt given much thought to the content. I was willing to bet they hadnʹt searched for any other documents related to the same topic. She affirmed as much.
ʺYou really have no idea how ‘researching recordsʹ works, do you? Itʹs not that easy,ʺ she said. ʺIt could take a while.ʺ
ʺWell . . . I guess thatʹs why itʹs good weʹre going somewhere, um, secure, right?ʺ I asked. Struck with the realization that we might need time to put our next step together, I could kind of see the disadvantage of having lost our out-of-the-way hideout.
ʺSecure . . .ʺ She shook her head. ʺWell, weʹll see. I hope Iʹm not doing something stupid.ʺ
With those ominous words, silence fell. I wanted to know more about where we were going but felt I shouldnʹt push the small victory Iʹd made. The victory I thought Iʹd made, at least. I wasnʹt entirely sure Sydney was 100 percent on board but felt certain Dimitri had been convinced. Best not to agitate her right now. I looked at the GPS. Almost an hour. Enough time to check back on Lissa.
It took me a minute to recognize where Lissa was, probably because Iʹd been expecting her to return to her room. But no, she was in a location Iʹd only been once: Adrianʹs parentsʹ home. Surprising. In a few moments, though, I read the reasoning from her mind. Her current suite was in guest housin
g, and in the ensuing panic over my escape, her building was swarming with visitors now trying to leave. The Ivashkov townhouse, situated in a permanent residential area, was a bit quieter—not that there werenʹt a few fleeing neighbors there too.
Adrian sat back in an armchair, feet carelessly resting on an expensive coffee table that some interior designer had probably helped his mother choose. Lissa and Christian had just arrived, and she caught a whiff of smoke in the air that made her think Adrian had been sneaking in some bad behavior beforehand.
ʺIf weʹre lucky,ʺ he was telling Lissa and Christian, ʺthe parental units will be tied up for a while and give us some peace and quiet. How rough was your questioning?ʺ
Lissa and Christian sat on a couch that was prettier than it was comfortable. She leaned into him and sighed. ʺNot so bad. I donʹt know if theyʹre fully convinced we had nothing to do with Roseʹs escape . . . but they definitely donʹt have any proof.ʺ
ʺI think we got in more trouble with Aunt Tasha,ʺ said Christian. ʺShe was kind of pissed off that we didnʹt tell her what was going on. I think she probably wanted to blow up the statues herself.ʺIT
ʺI think sheʹs more upset that we got Dimitri involvedʺ pointed out Lissa. ʺShe thinks we screwed up his chances of ever being accepted again.ʺ
ʺShe′s right,ʺ said Adrian. He picked up a remote control and turned on a large, plasma screen TV. He muted the sound and flipped randomly through channels. ʺBut no one forced him.ʺ
Lissa nodded but secretly wondered if she had forced Dimitri inadvertently. His dedicated vow to protect her was no secret. Christian seemed to pick up on her worry.
ʺHey, for all we know, he never would have—ʺ
A knock interrupted him.
ʺDamn,ʺ said Adrian, standing up. ʺSo much for peace and quiet.ʺ
ʺYour parents wouldnʹt knock,ʺ said Christian.
ʺTrue, but itʹs probably one of their friends wanting to sip port and gossip about the terrible state of todayʹs murderous youth,ʺ Adrian called back.
Lissa heard the door open and a muffled conversation. A few moments later, Adrian returned with a young Moroi guy that Lissa didnʹt recognize.
ʺLook,ʺ the guy was saying, glancing around uneasily, ʺI can come back.ʺ He caught sight of Lissa and Christian and froze.
ʺNo, no,ʺ said Adrian. His transformation from grumpy to cordial had happened as quickly as a light switch being flipped. ʺIʹm sure sheʹll be back any minute. Do you guys all know each other?ʺ
The guy nodded, eyes darting from face to face. ʺOf course.ʺ
Lissa frowned. ʺI donʹt know you.ʺ
The smile never left Adrianʹs face, but Lissa picked up quickly that something important was going on. ʺThis is Joe. Joeʹs the janitor who helped me out by testifying that I wasnʹt with Rose when Aunt Tatiana was murdered. The one who was working in Roseʹs building.ʺ
Both Lissa and Christian straightened up. ʺIt was a lucky thing you turned up before the hearing,ʺ said Christian carefully. For a while, thereʹd been panic that Adrian might be implicated with me, but Joe had come forward just in time to testify about when heʹd seen both me and Adrian in my building.
Joe took a few steps back toward the foyer. ʺI really should go. Just tell Lady Ivashkov that I came by—and that Iʹm leaving Court. But that everythingʹs set.ʺ
ʺWhatʹs set?ʺ asked Lissa, slowly standing up.
ʺShe—sheʹll know.ʺ Lissa, I knew, didnʹt look intimidating. She was cute and slim and pretty, but from the fear on Joeʹs face—well. She must have been giving him a scary look. It reminded me of the earlier encounter with Abe. ʺReally,ʺ he added. ʺI need to go.ʺ
He started to move again, but suddenly, I felt a surge of spirit burn through Lissa. Joe came to a halt, and she strode toward him.
ʺWhat did you need to talk to Lady Ivashkov about?ʺ demanded Lissa.
ʺEasy, cousin,ʺ murmured Adrian. ʺYou donʹt need that much spirit to get answers.ʺ
Lissa was using compulsion on Joe, so much that he might as well have been a puppet on strings.
ʺThe money,ʺ Joe gasped, eyes wide. ʺThe moneyʹs set.ʺ
ʺWhat money?ʺ she asked.
Joe hesitated, as though he might resist, but soon gave in. He couldnʹt fight that much compulsion, not from a spirit user. ʺThe money . . . the money to testify . . . about where he was.ʺ Joe jerked his head toward Adrian.
Adrianʹs cool expression faltered a little. ʺWhat do you mean where I was? The night my aunt died? Are you saying . . .ʺ
Christian picked up where Adrian couldnʹt. ʺIs Lady Ivashkov paying you off to say you saw Adrian?ʺ
ʺI did see him,ʺ cried Joe. He was visibly sweating. Adrian had been right: Lissa was using too much spirit. It was physically hurting Joe. ʺI just . . . I just . . . I donʹt remember the time . . . I donʹt remember any of the times. Thatʹs what I told the other guy, too. She paid me to put a time on when you were there.ʺ
Adrian didnʹt like that, not at all. To his credit, he remained calm. ʺWhat do you mean you told ‘the other guyʹ?ʺ
ʺWho else?ʺ repeated Lissa. ʺWho else was with her?ʺ
ʺNo one! Lady Ivashkov just wanted to make sure her son was clear. I fudged the details for her. It was the guy . . . the other guy who came later . . . who wanted to know when Hathaway was around.ʺ
There was a click from the foyer, the sound of the front door opening. Lissa leaned forward, cranking up the compulsion. ʺWho? Who was he? What did he want?ʺ
Joe looked like he was in serious pain now. He swallowed. ʺI donʹt know who he was! No one Iʹd seen. Some Moroi. Just wanted me to testify about when Iʹd seen Hathaway. Paid me more than Lady Ivashkov. No harm . . .ʺ He looked at Lissa desperately. ʺNo harm in helping them both . . . especially since Hathaway did it . . .ʺ
ʺAdrian?ʺ Daniellaʹs voice rang down the hall. ʺAre you here?ʺ
ʺBack off,ʺ Adrian warned Lissa in a low voice. There was no joking in it.
Her voice was just as soft, her attention still on Joe. ʺWhat did he look like? The Moroi? Describe him.ʺ
The sound of high heels clicked on the hallʹs wooden floor.
ʺLike no one!ʺ said Joe. ʺI swear! Plain. Ordinary. Except the hand . . . please let me go . . .ʺ
Adrian shoved Lissa aside, breaking the contact between her and Joe. Joe nearly sagged to the ground and then went rigid as he locked gazes with Adrian. More compulsion—but much less than Lissa had used.
ʺForget this,ʺ hissed Adrian. ʺWe never had this conversation.ʺ
ʺAdrian, what are you—ʺ
Daniella stopped in the living roomʹs doorway, taking in the strange sights. Christian was still on the couch, but Adrian and Lissa were inches from Joe, whose shirt was soaked with sweat.
ʺWhatʹs going on?ʺ Daniella exclaimed.
Adrian stepped back and gave his mother one of those charming smiles that captivated so many women. ʺThis guy came by to see you, Mom. We told him weʹd wait until you got back. Weʹre going to head out now.ʺ
Daniella glanced between her son and Joe. She was clearly uneasy about the scenario and also confused. Lissa was surprised at the ʺheading outʺ comment but followed Adrianʹs lead. Christian did too.
ʺIt was nice seeing you,ʺ said Lissa, attempting a smile to match Adrianʹs. Joe looked totally dazed. After Adrianʹs last command, the poor janitor had also probably forgotten how heʹd ended up at the Ivashkov home.
Lissa and Christian hastily followed Adrian out before Daniella could say much more. ʺWhat the hell was that?ʺ asked Christian, once they were outside. I wasnʹt sure if he meant Lissaʹs scary compulsion or what Joe had revealed.
ʺNot sure,ʺ said Adrian, expression dark. No more cheery smile. ʺBut we should talk to Mikhail.ʺ
ʺRose.ʺ
Dimitriʹs voice was gentle, bringing me back to him, Sydney, and the car. Heʹd undoubtedly recognized the expression on my face and knew where Iʹd been.
ʺEverything okay back there?ʺ he asked.
Before I could fully process the implications, I noticed the car had stopped. Forcing the Joe-info to the back of my mind, I tried to take stock of our new situation. Sydneyʹs laptop glowed in the front seat as she scrolled through something.
ʺWhere are we?ʺ I peered out the window. In the headlights, I saw a sad, closed gas station.
ʺAltswood,ʺ said Dimitri.
By my estimation, there was nothing else but the gas station. ʺMakes our last town look like New York.ʺ
Sydney shut her laptop. She handed it back, and I set it on the seat beside me, near the backpacks sheʹd miraculously grabbed when leaving the motel. She shifted the car into drive and pulled out of the parking lot. Not too far away, I could see the highway and expected her to turn toward it. Instead, she drove past the gas station, deeper into darkness. Like the last place, we were surrounded by mountains and forests. We crept along at a snailʹs pace until Sydney spotted a tiny gravel road disappearing into the woods. It was only big enough for one car to go down, but somehow, I didnʹt expect weʹd run into much traffic out here. A similar road took us in deeper and deeper, and although I couldnʹt see her face, Sydneyʹs anxiety was palpable in the car.
Minutes felt like hours until our narrow path opened up into a large, dirt-packed clearing. Other vehicles—pretty oldlooking—were parked there. It was a strange place for a parking lot, considering all I could see around us was dark forest. Sydney shut off the car.
ʺAre we at a campground?ʺ I asked.
She didnʹt answer. Instead, she looked at Dimitri. ʺAre you as good as they say you are?ʺ