The Golden Lily: A Bloodlines Novel

by Richelle Mead

  Even Eddie looked a little astonished by that. He and I exchanged puzzled looks. “Well,” I said awkwardly, really unsure how to handle this Sydney lovefest. I decided escape was my best option. “Thanks. I’ll see you later and—hey. Where’d you get that?”

  “Huh?” she asked, blinking out of her enraptured haze.

  Jill was wearing a silk scarf painted in rich jewel tones, almost reminding me of a peacock’s tail. It also reminded me of something else, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. “The scarf. I’ve seen it before.”

  “Oh.” She ran her fingers over the smooth material. “Lia gave it to me.”

  “What? When did you see her?”

  “She stopped by the dorm yesterday to give the dresses back again. I didn’t tell you because I knew you’d want to return them.”

  “I do,” I said adamantly.

  Jill sighed. “Come on, let’s just keep them. They’re so pretty. And you know she’ll just bring them back anyway.”

  “We’ll deal with that later. Tell me about the scarf.”

  “It’s no big deal. She was trying to pitch me on this scarf collection—”

  “Yeah, yeah, she told me too. How she could make it so no one recognized you.” I shook my head, feeling a surprising amount of anger. Was nothing under my control anymore? “I can’t believe she went behind my back! Please tell me you didn’t sneak off with her to do a photo shoot.”

  “No, no,” said Jill quickly. “Of course not. But you don’t think… I mean, you don’t think there’s any way she could pull it off? Hide me?”

  I tried to keep my tone gentle. After all, I was mad at Lia, not Jill. “Maybe. Maybe not. You know we can’t take the chance.”

  Jill nodded, face sad. “Yeah.”

  I left feeling annoyed and was so distracted that I nearly ran into Trey. When he didn’t respond to my greeting, I realized he was even more distracted than I was. There was a haunted look in his eyes, and he seemed exhausted.

  “You okay?” I asked.

  He managed a weak smile. “Yeah, yeah. Just feeling the pressure of everything. Nothing I can’t handle. What about you? Don’t they usually have to throw you out of this place? Or did you finally get tired of being here for eight hours?”

  “I just needed one book,” I said. “And I was actually only here ten minutes. I was out most of the night.”

  The smile fell, replaced by a frown. “Out with Brayden?”

  “That’s tomorrow. I had, um, family stuff tonight.”

  The frown deepened. “You go out a lot, Melbourne. You have a lot of friends outside school.”

  “Not that many,” I said. “I’m not living a party lifestyle, if that’s what you’re getting at.”

  “Yeah, well. Be careful. I’ve heard about some scary stuff going on out there.”

  I remembered him being concerned for Jill too. I usually kept up on all the local news and had heard nothing alarming recently. “What, is there a crime ring in Palm Springs I should know about?”

  “Just be careful,” he said.

  We started to part ways, and then I called to him, “Trey? I know it’s your own business, but whatever’s going on… if you want to talk, I’m here.” It was a huge concession for me, seeing as I wasn’t always the most socially adept person.

  Trey gave me a wistful smile. “Noted.”

  I was kind of reeling as I went back to my dorm. Adrian, Jill, Trey. I suppose if you counted Eddie and Angeline getting along, everyone in my life was behaving weirdly. All part of the job, I thought.

  As soon as I was back in my room, I called Donna Stanton with the Alchemists. I never could be sure what time zone she was in, so I wasn’t too concerned about the late hour. She answered right away and didn’t sound tired, which I took as a good sign. She hadn’t responded to my e-mail about the Warriors, and I was anxious for news. They posed too big a threat to us to be ignored.

  “Miss Sage,” she said. “I was planning on calling you soon. I trust everything’s okay with the Dragomir girl?”

  “Jill? Yeah, she’s fine. I wanted to check in on some other things. You got the info I sent you about the Warriors of Light?”

  Stanton sighed. “That’s what I was going to call you about. Have you had any more run-ins?”

  “No. And they don’t seem to have been following us anymore either. Maybe they gave up.”

  “Unlikely.” Her next words took a long time to get out. “Not from what we’ve observed in the past.”

  I froze, momentarily speechless. “In the past? Do you mean… you’ve run into them before? I was hoping they were just some… I don’t know. A crazy, localized group.”

  “Unfortunately, no. We’ve encountered them before. Sporadically, mind you. But they pop up everywhere.”

  I was still in disbelief. “But I was always taught that any hunters had disappeared centuries ago. Why has no one ever talked about this?”

  “Honestly?” asked Stanton. “Most Alchemists don’t know. We want to run an efficient organization, one that deals with the vampire problem in an organized, peaceful way. There are some people in our group who might want to take more extreme action. It’s best then if the existence of our radical offshoot is kept secret. I wouldn’t have even told you, but with all the contact you’re having, you need to be prepared.”

  “Offshoot… then they are related to Alchemists!” I was sickened.

  “Not for a very long time.” She sounded equally disgusted. “There’s almost no resemblance anymore. They’re reckless and savage. The only reason we let them be is because they usually just go after Strigoi. This situation with Sonya Karp is more difficult. She hasn’t had any more threats?”

  “No. I just saw her tonight… which brings up the other reason I called…”

  I gave Stanton a rundown of the various blood experiments, including my own donation. I painted it in very scientific terms, how it had seemed useful as extra data. I then made sure to sound properly appalled by the second request—which wasn’t that difficult.

  “Absolutely not,” said Stanton. No hesitation. Often, Alchemist decisions went through chains of command, even with someone as high up as her. It was a sign of how much this went against Alchemist beliefs that she didn’t even have to consult anyone. “Human control-blood is one thing. The rest she’s suggesting is out of the question. I will not allow humans to be used in these experiments, especially when the evidence clearly shows the former Strigoi need to be the focus—not us. Besides, for all we know, this is some ploy on the Moroi part to get more of our blood for personal reasons.”

  I didn’t believe that last part at all and tried to find a tactful way of saying so. “Sonya seems to sincerely believe this would help protect against Strigoi. She just doesn’t seem to grasp how we feel about it.”

  “Of course she wouldn’t,” said Stanton dismissively. “None of them do.”

  She and I returned our focus to the vampire hunters. The Alchemists were doing some investigating on any sightings in the area. She didn’t want me to do any active investigation myself, but I was to report in immediately if any other information came my way. She was assuming the Warriors of Light were operating nearby, and once she found out where, the Alchemists would “deal with them.” I wasn’t entirely sure what that meant, but her tone made me shiver. As she’d pointed out earlier, we weren’t a particularly aggressive group… though we were excellent at getting rid of problems.

  “Oh,” I said, just as we were wrapping up. “Did you ever find out anything about Marcus Finch?” I’d tried locating Clarence’s mysterious human, who’d helped against the hunters, but had found nothing. I’d hoped Stanton might have more connections.

  “No. But we’ll keep looking.” A slight pause. “Miss Sage… I can’t emphasize enough how pleased we are with the work you’re doing. You’ve run into a few more complications than any of us expected, yet you handle them all efficiently and properly. Even your conduct with the Moroi is outstanding. A weaker pe
rson might have yielded to Karp’s request. You refused and contacted me. I’m so proud I took the chance on you.”

  I felt a tightening in my chest. So proud. I couldn’t remember the last time someone had said they were proud of me. Well, my mother did a lot, but no one tied to my work among the Alchemists did. For most of my life, I’d hoped my father would say he was proud. I’d finally given up on expecting that. Stanton was hardly a parental figure, but her words triggered happiness in me I hadn’t known was waiting to come out.

  “Thank you, ma’am,” I said, when I could finally speak.

  “Keep it up,” she said. “When I can, I’ll get you out of that place and into a position that doesn’t involve so much contact with them.”

  And like that, my world came crashing down. I suddenly felt guilty. She really had given me a chance, and now I was deceiving her. I was hardly like Liam, ready to sell my soul to the Strigoi, but I also wasn’t staying objective with my charges. Driving lessons. Thanksgiving. What would Stanton say if she knew about that? I was a sham, reaping glory I didn’t deserve. If I was truly a dedicated Alchemist, I’d change my life here. I’d stop all extraneous activities with Jill and the others. I wouldn’t even attend Amberwood—I’d accept the offer of outside accommodations. I’d only come here and see the gang when I absolutely was required to.

  If I could do those things, then I’d truly be a good Alchemist.

  And, I realized, I’d also be terribly, awfully lonely.

  “Thank you, ma’am,” I said.

  It was the only response I could give.

  CHAPTER 18

  JILL DIDN’T GIVE ME any starry-eyed looks at breakfast the next morning, which was kind of a relief. Micah had surfaced again, and while they weren’t as flirty as they’d been in the past, the two were chatting animatedly away about a science project she had. Eddie and Angeline were equally engrossed in conversation, making plans for when she was free of her suspension. Her blues eyes were alight with happiness as they talked, and I realized that she had legitimate feelings for him. She hadn’t just been throwing herself at him for the sake of conquest. I wondered if he knew.

  It would’ve been easy to feel like a fifth wheel here, but instead, I was pleased and content to see my little cohort getting along so well. Stanton’s conversation had still left me conflicted, but there was nothing wrong with appreciating the peace around here. I would’ve been happier still if Trey’s behavior had also normalized, but when I reached my history class later, he was absent yet again. I had no doubt he’d claim he had family stuff, but my earlier suspicions were returning, about whether his family might be responsible for his injuries. Should I report my worries to someone? Who? I didn’t want to jump to conclusions either, which left me in a bind.

  Eddie and I always sat near each other in that class, and I leaned toward him before the bell rang, pitching my voice low to address another concern. “Hey, have you noticed that Jill’s been kind of acting weirdly around me?”

  “She’s got a lot going on,” he said, ever quick to defend her.

  “Yeah, I know, but you had to have noticed her last night. In the library? I mean—keeping in mind I’m terrible at figuring this stuff out—it was like she had a crush on me or something.”

  He laughed at that. “She was kind of laying it on thick, but I don’t think you have to worry about some romantic complication. She just looks up to you a lot, that’s all. Part of her still wants to be a brave fighter who rushes out fearlessly…” He paused as he savored that idea, a mix of pride and rapture on his face before he tuned back into me. “But at the same time, you’re starting to show her there all sorts of ways to be powerful.”

  “Thanks,” I said. “I think. But speaking of her being a brave fighter…” I studied him curiously. “Why don’t you train her anymore? Don’t you want her to hone her skills?”

  “Oh, yeah. That. Well… there are a few reasons for it. One is I need to focus on Angeline. Another is that I just don’t want Jill worried about that. I’ll do the protecting.” Those were exactly the reasons I’d guessed. The next one was not. “And I guess… the other thing is that I don’t feel right being in contact with her like that. I mean, I know it means nothing to her… but it means something to me.”

  Again, my social skills took a moment to kick in. “You mean, you don’t like that you have to touch her?”

  Eddie actually blushed. “It doesn’t bother me, that’s the problem. Better for us to spend time together in a hands-off way.”

  I hadn’t expected that, but I could understand it. Leaving Eddie to his own inner demons, I soon got caught up in the day and wondering what had happened to Trey. I’d hoped he’d come into class late, but he didn’t. In fact, he didn’t surface for the rest of the day, not even when I was finishing up my independent study. I’d thought he might come by again for homework.

  “You look troubled,” said Ms. Terwilliger, watching me pack up when the bell rang. “Worried about getting your project in on time?”

  “No.” I’d actually finished two of the charms, but I certainly wasn’t going to tell her that. “I’m worried about Trey. He keeps missing school. Do you know why he’s out? I mean, if you can tell me?”

  “The office notifies us if a student will be out for the day, but they don’t tell us the reason. If it makes you feel better, Mr. Juarez’s absence was called in this morning. He hasn’t disappeared.” I almost mentioned my fears about his home but held off. I still needed more evidence.

  Between worrying about Trey, Ms. Terwilliger’s work, the Warriors, Brayden, and all my other myriad complications, I knew I couldn’t waste any of my free time. Nonetheless, I went to Adrian’s after school on a mission I couldn’t refuse. On our way to Wolfe’s class earlier this week, Adrian had mentioned offhandedly that he hadn’t had the Mustang looked at by a mechanic before purchasing it. Although my own novice assessment hadn’t found anything wrong with the car, I pushed for Adrian to get the car examined—which, of course, meant I had to look up a specialist and make the appointment. It was just before my textile museum date, but I was certain I had time to make it all work.

  “The guy I bought it from seemed pretty trustworthy,” Adrian told me, after we’d dropped the car off with the mechanic. He’d told us he’d look at it right away and that we could hang around and wait. His shop was on the outskirts of a suburban area, so Adrian suggested we go for a walk through the neighborhoods. “And it ran just fine when I did the test drive, so I figured everything was okay.”

  “That doesn’t mean there aren’t problems you can’t see. It’s best to be safe,” I said, knowing I sounded preachy. “Bad enough you got a car you can’t drive.” Glancing over, I saw a small, half smile on his face.

  “With your help, I’ll be a pro in no time. Of course, if you don’t want to help anymore, I’ll just wing it and figure it out on my own.”

  I groaned. “You already know what I’d say about—wow.”

  The neighborhood we were in was pretty affluent. In fact, I’d say the houses bordered on being bona fide mansions. We stopped in front of one that looked like a cross between a hacienda and a southern plantation, large and sprawling with a pillared porch and pink stucco siding. The front yard was a mix of climates, green grass with palm trees lining the path to the house. The trees were like tropical sentries.

  “Gorgeous,” I said. “I love architecture. In another life, I’d have studied that—not chemicals and vampires.” As we continued on, we saw more of the same, each house trying to outdo the others. All of them had high fences and hedges blocking their backyards. “I wonder what’s back there. Pools, probably.”

  Adrian stopped in front of another. It was as yellow as his car and showed another mix of styles, like a southwest version of a medieval castle, complete with turrets. “Nice juxtaposition,” he remarked.

  I turned, knowing my eyes were wide as I stared at him. “Did you just use juxtaposition in a sentence?”

  “Yes, Sage,” he
said patiently. “We use it all the time with art, when we’re mixing different components. That, and I know how to use a dictionary.” He turned from me and scanned the house, his eyes resting on a gardener who was out trimming some hedges. A sly smile crossed Adrian’s lips. “You want to see the back? Come on.”

  “What are you—” Before I could say another word, Adrian strode up the granite pathway and cut across the lawn to where the guy was working. I didn’t want anything to do with this, but the responsible part of me couldn’t let Adrian get into trouble. I hurried after him.

  “Are the owners home?” Adrian asked.

  The gardener had stopped his clipping and stared at Adrian. “No.”

  “When will they be back?”

  “After six.”

  I was astonished that the guy was answering these questions. If I’d been asked them, I would’ve assumed someone was staging a break-in. Then, I saw the glazed look in the gardener’s eyes and realized what was going on.

  “Adrian—”

  Adrian’s eyes never left the other man’s face. “Take us to the backyard.”

  “Of course.”

  The gardener dropped his hedge clippers and headed for a gate on the side of the house. I tried to get Adrian’s attention to stop this, but he was outpacing me. Our guide stopped at the gate, entered a security code, and led us to the back. My protests died on my lips as I gazed around.

  This back property was almost three times the size of the front. There were more palm trees ringing the yard, along with a terraced garden full of plants, both native and non-native. A huge oval shaped pool dominated the space, its turquoise hue startling against the gray of the granite that surrounded it. On one side of the pool, several steps led up to a smaller, square pool. It could only hold a few people, and a waterfall poured out from it, down to the larger pool. Tiki torches and tables around the pools completed the lush setup.

  “Thanks,” Adrian told the gardener. “Go back to your work. It’s okay if we’re here. We’ll see ourselves out.”