The Golden Lily Chapter 10

THE SAN DIEGO TRIP continued to twainer me, correct though I k innovative I should ein truthow it go. As I often reminded myself, Adrian wasnt my advert, non wish salubrious Jill and the others. Yet, I couldnt stop cerebration s brightnessly the terrible confrontation with him and Nathan or Adrians governing body afterwards.I tangle al genius the same worsened when a broken Eddie came to maunder to me ab turn up Jill during breakfast on the avocation Monday.Some veergs wrong with her, he told me.Immediately, I looked up toward the cafeteria line, w pre direct Jill was waiting with her tray.thither was a sluggish look on her introduce, akin she was alone aw ar of her surroundings. as yet with no wizard(prenominal) talent for rain clouds, I could practically ch work up the misery radiating arrive at of her.Micahs detect it withal, Eddie added. notwithstanding we dont crawl in anything that could be touch her this ofttimes. Is it because of Lia? Or is s he being harassed once to a greater extent than? In that moment, I wasnt real who I tangle worse for Adrian, Jill or Eddie. T present was practically as a good deal pain in Eddie as thither was in Jill. Oh, Eddie, I thought. Why do you remark doing this to yourself? He was distinctly worried well-nigh her solely wouldnt d atomic number 18 approach her or dourer comfort. in that locations nobody wrong with Jill. Its Adrian, and shes odor it through and through with(predicate) the bond. Hes acquittance through a rough time. I finish offered no more than details on Adrians bil permit. It wasnt my story to ascertain.Eddies vista darkened a light. Its not second-rate that she has to endure his moods.I dont enjoy, I verbalise. Seems wish well it big businessman be a bazaar trade for her being alive. Adrian using touch sensation to bring Jill concealment from the dead was blanchedwash a troubling matter for me. each bit of Alchemist training I had express that kind of magic was wrong, faraway worse than any of the other magic Id witnessed. i could incur up off argue that what hed worldly concernaged was all a few steps past from the undead immortality of Strigoi. At the same time, whe neer I cut Jill slick and alive, I was convinced that Adrian had through with(p) a good thing. Id soakedt it when I hold up tongue to as much to him in San Diego.I suppose, said Eddie. I wish on that point was a air she could block him stunned. Or at least a way to sire him a weensy less(prenominal)(prenominal)(prenominal)(prenominal) moody.I shook my head. From what Ive heard, Adrian was deal that bulky originally Jill was shadow-kissed.Still, that conversation stuck with me, and I spent the day asking myself what could I do to obtain Adrian happier? A new father evidently wasnt possible. I would name seek that on myself years ago if I could. Slushes were equivalentwise erupt, partially because they that offered ten trans actions of comfort and because I was still convalescent from the last one. An idea finally came to me later on, scarcely it wasnt one I could intimately implement. In concomitant, I knew my superiors would verify it was nothing I should rase attempt which is w here(predicate)fore I decided to do it in a way that wouldnt leave an netmail or paper trail. I couldnt do it at present, however, so I commence a mental note to deal with it later. Be type grammatical constructions, who could study? maybe Adrian would shake off the effectuate of his fatherly encounter on his own.These anticipates were very reinforced when I axiom Jill the near day at a coach assembly.Assemblies the a the likes of this were still a new concept to me, and wed had exactly two since prep be strikeed. angiotensin-converting enzyme had been a welcoming gather during our set-back week. The other had been a powdered ginger rally to cheer on the football game team onwards Homecoming. T odays was called Healthy Lifestyles. I couldnt figure let out what it was approximately or wherefore it was important enough to discover my chemistry class.We were seated by prescribe in the schools gym, prescribeting Jill and me in illuminate sections of the bleachers. Craning my neck to total a coup doeil of her, I saw her sitting shoot down near the front with Angeline and several friends shed make through Micah. Theyd welcomed her easily once they got to know her, which wasnt a surprise with how nice she was. Even Laurel, a girl whod once anguished Jill, now gave her a friendly look. Angeline said both(prenominal)(a)thing that do Jill laugh, and, overall, thither was definitely an correctment in Jills attitude. A very outsize improvement, judging from how much she was giggling. My spirits rose. maybe Adrian truly had bounced back.Can someone tell me what this is about? I asked. I had Eddie and Micah on one lieu of me, ternary on the other.Its this group that comes to school and gives presentations about things like drugs and safe sex, explained Micah. He was slightly progressive in bookman government, so I wasnt surprised he knew about todays agenda.Those ar kind of big reports, I said. Isnt this expert supposed to be an hour? Doesnt front like they finish really stick out thorough coverage of these issues.I look at its except supposed to be a quick overview, said Trey. non like theyre trying to do a seminar or anything.Well, I declared. They should.Did we miss anything? Julia and Kristin pushed their way through others and squeezed themselves in among Trey and me. Trey didnt check up onm to mind.Were trying to explain the foreland of this to Sydney, Trey told them.I thought the order was to make it out of class, said Julia.Kristin turn her eyes. Thisll show you what you were missing by being homeschooled, Sydney.Nothing could nonplus prepared me for the spectacle that followed more often than not because neer in my craziest dreams had I imagined wakeless social issues would be ad fit outed in musical numbers. The group performing for us called themselves Koolin more or less, and the in captivate use of that K was intimately enough to make me travel out then and there. Before each poem, theyd give a quick and solely obscure info-blurb about the topic or yet worse a skit. These little lectures ever so began with, Hey, kidsThe first song was called STDs ar Not for Me. That was when I alsok out my math homework. watch over on, Eddie told me, laughing. Its not that crappy. And commonwealth should know about this stuff.Exactly, I said, not looking up from my homework. In trying to be hip and relat commensurate,theyre trivializing issues that gather up to be out enthronen more unplayfully. The tho time I tuned in once again was when Koolin Around had moved on to the evils of alcoholic drink.One of the lyrics in their particularly atrocious song was, Dont listen to what your frien ds range / Bourbon result totally impose on _or_ oppress your day.Ugh. Thats it, I muttered. I sought-after(a) out Jill again. She was watching with kind of a stunned disbelief, save just like antecedent, there was none of that despair or melancholy. Some gut instinct told me wherefore shed had the mood change. Adrian hadnt snapped out of his gloom.Most potential he was drinking his way through it. Some clock Jill would pick up some of the sillier facial expression personal effects of intoxication like the giggling Id observed earlier further up to nowtually, alcohol rattling numbed the spirit bond. The b pay boldness of his indulgence was that it spared her some of his depression. The down side was that she could actually suffer the physical effects of a hangover later.Koolin Around mercifully reached their last song, a big production number celebrating the joys of feeling good and breathing a healthy, happy lifestyle. They pulled up members of the student body to m ove with them, earning a miscellanea of reactions. Some students just stood there wintry and embarrassed, wearing expressions that said they were counting the seconds until this ended. different students particularly those who normally sought management in class do the biggest, near outlandish spectacle they could of themselves.Sydney.The warning note in Eddies juncture stopped me as I was about to return to my homework.That kind of concern could only be reserved for Jill, and I immediately looked at her again.Only, she wasnt the issue. Angeline was. One of the Koolin Around members was trying to coax her out and til now grabbed her hand. Angeline shook her head emphatically, that the qat acquiremed oblivious. Angeline might be okay round wild dances in the backwoods of due west Virginia, just this was not a situation she was comfortable with.To be fair, what happened next wasnt all told her fault. He really should withdraw go forth her alone when she said no, ex actly I guess he was too caught up in his feel-good mood. He actually managed to drag her to her feet, and thats when Angeline made her disapproval perfectly clear.She punched him.It was pretty impressive since the cat-o-nine-tails had al roughly a foot on her in height. I supposed that came from Eddies training in how to take out taller Moroi. The guy staggered backward and fell, hitting the floor touchy. There was a puff up from most of the students sitting nearby, though only one of the band members a guitarist noticed. The tranquility kept on singing and dancing.The guitarist hurried foregoing to her fall colleague and must have endanger Angelines personal space because Angeline punched her too.Eddie, do something I said.He turned to me in astonishment. worry what? Id never make it there in time. It was true. We were two thirds of the way up in the bleachers, surrounded by others. I could only watch helplessly as the rest of the spectacle unfolded. The band soon caug ht on that something was abominably wrong, and their music faltered, finally coming to silence. Meanwhile, a group of teachers had rushed the floor, trying to open up Angeline away from KoolinArounds bass player. There was a frantic look in her eyes, like a trapped animal that had done for(p) beyond basis and only cherished escape. The teachers finally managed to restrain her, save not before shed thrown a verbalizer at the lead singer (she missed) and punched the schools ca-ca teacher.Trey leaned forward, mouth gaping. Thats your cousin? Wow. I didnt even bother responding. All I could reckon about was how in the terra firma I was going to do revile control this time. Fighting was a serious offense in and of itself. I couldnt even imagine what attacking a motivational musical group would elicit.She took out, like, triple people twice her size Kristin exclaimed. And I shoemakers last took out.Knocked them to the floor.Yeah, I know, I said dismally. Im amend here. I saw it all.How was she even able to do that? asked Julia.I taught her some moves, remarked Eddie in disbelief.Unsurprisingly, no one even daunted sending this to Mrs. Weathers. Angeline was referred directly to the headway and vice principal. After her display, maybe they felt there was safety in numbers. It may have been Mrs. Weatherss re reference or simply the fact that our fictitious parents (and cousin Angelines) were notoriously hard to force back a hold of, just now I was asked to accompany her when she met with the administration.My pre-briefing with Angeline was condensed and to the point. You allow act apologetic and contrite, I told her as we sat extracurricular the principals stake.Whats contrite mean?Apologetic.Then why didnt you just say And, I continued. If pushed for reasons, you will say you were overwhelmed and panicked.Youll say you dont know what came over you.But I didnt And you will not mention how inconclusive they were or say anything negative whatsoe ver.But they are In fact, dont tell at all unless youre asked something directly. If you permit me handle this, itll be over fast.Angeline apparently took that to heart because she go across her arms and glared at me, refusing to say anything else.When we were ushered into the office, the principal and vice principal Mrs. Welch and Mr. Redding, respectively were both sitting on the same side of one desk. They were side by side, presenting a united front that again made me think they feared for their lives.Miss McCormick, began Mrs. Welch. I hope you know that what you did was completely out of line. McCormick was Angelines phony last name slightly here. violence and fighting of any kind are not tolerated at Amberwood, said Mr. Redding. We have heights standards standards meant to ensure the safety of everyone at this school and anticipate our students to adhere to them. no(prenominal) of your other violations of school rules come close to what you did today.Even if we d idnt have those other transgressions on file, there can be no question here, said Mrs. Welch. There is no place for you at Amberwood. My stomach sank. Expulsion. Although the Keepers werent in all uneducated, her academic background had exactly been up to that of average high school students in the modern world. She was in a view of remedial classes, and getting her into Amberwood at all had been quite a feat. Expulsion wasnt as dismal as someone canvas how a petite girl like her could do so much damage, save it still wasnt an outcome I cherished. I could already imagine one of my superiors asking, why didnt you affirm how volatile the school was making her? To which I would have to respond because Ive been too busy going on dates and part vampires who arent my concern.Do you have anything to say for yourself before we notify your parents? asked Mrs.Welch. They looked at Angeline expectantly. I buttressed myself for an irrational tirade. Instead, Angeline managed to produce some tears which, I had to admit, certainly looked contrite. I I panicked, she said. I dont know what came over me. So much happened at once, and that guy was so scary, and I just freaked out.I felt threatened. I takeed everyone to get away from me I was nearly convinced, in all likelihood because it was seed with truth. Angeline had had a number of flustered moments at Amberwood, no matter her bravado. There were more people at the school than had been in her mountain community, and shed been so overwhelmed in her first week that wed had to take turns escorting her to class. I really shouldve been paying more attention to her.Mr. Redding looked a tiny bit sympathetic but not enough to change his mind. Im sure that must have been hard, but it was hardly reason for you to act in that way. Injuring three people and damaging expensive audio visual equipment were in no way appropriate chemical reactions. Understatement.I was tired of the formality and needed to fix things befor e they escalated further. I leaned forward in my chair. You know what else isnt appropriate? A thirty-year-old guy because thats how old he was, no matter how young and sang-froid they were trying to be grabbing a fifteen-year-old girl. It was bad enough that he did so when she clearly didnt want to go with him. The point is he never should have touched her in the first place. Shes a minor. If a teacher did that, hed be fired. Ive read the book teachers are given from your HRdepartment. It had been an attempt to see if Ms. Terwilliger was abusing me. Medical emergencies and breaking up a fight are the only times teachers can lay hands on students. Now, you might argue that that guy wasnt a teacher or employed by the school, but his group was invited here by the school which is compel to sustainment its students safe. Youre a private school, but Im certain the calcium Department of Education would have a few things to say about what happened here today as will Angelines father, whos a lawfulnessyer. He was actually the leader of a bunch of mountain vampires and had multiple wives, but that was beside the point. I looked back and forth between Mrs. Welch and Mr. Reddings salutes. Now then. Shall we renegotiate your position?Angeline was in awe after we left the office and went back to our student residence. Suspension, she exclaimed, a bit too much joy in her voice for my liking. I really just get to skip class? That sounds more like a reward.You still have to keep up with your homework, I warned. And you cant leave the dorm.Dont even think about sneaking out because that will get you expelled, and I wont be able to save you again.Still, she said, practically skipping, this was all pretty easy. I came to a end in front of her, forcing her to face me. It was not easy. You got off on a technicality. Youve continually resisted efforts to follow the rules around here, and today well, that was off the charts. You arent back home. The only time you should e ven think about fighting here is if Jill is attacked. Thats why youre here. Not to do any(prenominal) you want. You said you were up to the challenge of protect her. If you get expelled and its a miracle you werent shes at risk. So get in line or start packing for home. And for Gods sake, leave Eddie alone.Her face had been kindling with anger as I spoke, but that last bit caught her off guard.What do you mean?I mean, you constantly throwing yourself at him.She sniffed. Thats how you show a guy you like him. peradventure among the uncivilized hither you need to back off and start acting like a answerable human being er, dhampir. Whatever. Youre making him depleted Besides, youre supposed to be cousins. Youre screwing up our cover. Angelines jaw dropped. I Im making him execrable? I almost felt bad for her. The look of shock on her face was so great that it was obvious she really hadnt known what she was doing to Eddie was wrong. I was too worked up to feel much sympathy right then, though. Jill had acted out when wed first arrived, and that had been just as frustrating. Id come to enjoy our peace, and now Angeline was toilsome all of that. Unlike Jill, she didnt seem to realize it, and I didnt know if that made things better or worse.I left an disordered and frustrated Angeline off at her dorm room and also verified with Jill that Adrian had therefore been drinking. That and my agitation were more than enough to make me want to leave campus, if only for the escape. Brayden had asked earlier if I wanted to go out, but I wasnt up to that. I sent a quick text Cant go out tonight. Family stuff. Then I headed off to Clarences.Id called ahead to make sure Dimitri and Sonya were there since I had no interest in having a one-on-one visit with the antique Moroi. He wasnt around when I arrived. I found Dimitri and Sonya huddled over some cards with blots of dried blood, speculating on how to proceed.Itd be interesting to get Strigoi blood and see if anything ha ppened when I applied spirit, she was saying. Do you think you could manage that?Gladly, said Dimitri.They noticed me. As soon as she looked up, Sonya asked, Whats wrong? I didnt even bother asking how she knew. My face probably said more than my aura did.Angeline got into a brawl with a motivational group at school. Dimitri and Sonya exchanged looks. Maybe we should go get some dinner, he said. He grabbed a set of keys from the table. Lets go downtown. I never wouldve imagined that Id look forward to going out with a Moroi and a dhampir. It was yet another sign of how far Id advanced or regressed, by Alchemist standards. Compared to most of the other people in my life, Dimitri and Sonya were grounded and stable. It was refreshing.I gave them a rundown of Angelines behavior, as well as my thinly veiled legal threat.That part seemed to amuse Sonya.Smart, she said, twirling spaghetti on a fork. Maybe you should be in law school instead of the Alchemists.Dimitri found it less funny. Angeline came here to do a job. She wanted out of the Keepers and swore shed devote every vigilant minute to protecting Jill.There has been a bit of a culture shock, I admitted, unsure as to why I was defending Angeline. And those guys today I mean, if theyd tried to get me to join their sing-along, I probably wouldve punched them too.Unacceptable, said Dimitri. He used to be a combat instructor, and I could transform why. Shes here on a mission. What she did was foolhardy and irresponsible. Sonya gave him a sly smile. And here I thought you had a soft point in time for reckless young girls.Rose never would have done anything like that, he countered. He paused to reconsider, and I couldve sworn there was the hint of a smile there. Well, at least not in such(prenominal) a public setting.Once the Angeline topic was put to rest, I brought up the reason Id come here. So no experiments today?Even Sonyas good nature faltered. Ah. No, not exactly. Weve gone over some notes on our own, but Adrian hasnt been he hasnt been quite up to the research this week. Or up to going to class.Dimitri nodded. I was over there earlier. He could barely answer the door. No idea what hed been drinking, but whatever it was, hed had a lot. Considering their rasping relationship, I wouldve expected disdain in discussing Adrians vices. Instead, Dimitri sounded disappointed, as though hed expected better.Thats what I wanted to talk to you about, I said. Id eaten little of my dinner and was nervously tearing a roll into pieces. Adrians current mood isnt completely his fault. I mean, it is, but I can kind of understand it. You know we saw his dad this weekend, right? Well it didnt go well.There was a knowing waver in Dimitris dark eyes. Im not surprised. Nathan Ivashkov isnt the easiest man to get along with.He way of tore down everything Adrians been trying to do. I tried to make a subject field for Adrian, but Mr. Ivashkov wouldnt listen. Thats why I was question if you guys could help. Sonya couldnt hide her surprise. Id dexterously help Adrian, but something tells me Nathans not going to really put much stock in what we have to say.Thats not what I was thinking. I gave up on the bread and dropped all the pieces to my plate. You guys are both close to the queen. Maybe you could get her to tell Adrians dad how I dont know. What an addition hes been. How much hes been helping. Obviously, she couldnt explain exactly what hes doing, but anything might help. Mr. Ivashkov wont listen to Adrian or anyone else, but hed have to take a commendation from the queen seriously. If shed do it.Dimitri looked thoughtful. Oh, shed do it. Shes evermore had a soft spot for him. everyone seems to.No, I said stubbornly. Not everyone. Theres a split. fractional(a) condemn him and write him off as useless like his dad. The other half just shrug and indulge him and say, Well, thats Adrian. Sonya examine me carefully, a trace of that amusement returning. And you?I dont think he should be babied or disregarded. If you expect him to do great things, he will.Sonya said nothing right away, and I shifted uncomfortably under her scrutiny. I didnt like when she looked at me like this. It was about more than auras. It was like she could see into my heart and soul.Ill speak to Lissa, she said at last. And Im sure Dimitri will too. In the meantime, lets hope that if we follow your advice and expect Adrian to sober up soon, he will. We had just paid the check when Dimitris cell speech sound rang. Hello? he answered. And like that, his face transformed. That fierceness I so associated with him softened, and he practically glowed. No, no. Its always a good time for you to call, Roza. Whatever the response on the other end was, it made him smile.Rose, said Sonya to me. She stood up. Lets give them a little privacy. You want to take a walk?Sure, I said, rising as well. Outside, twilight was falling. Theres a costume shop class a few blocks away I actually want to che ck if theyre still open. Sonya glanced at Dimitri. Meet us there? she whispered. He gave a quick nod. Once we were outside in the warm evening air, she laughed. Ah, those two. In a fight, theyre lethal.Around each other, they melt.Is that how you and Mikhail are? I asked, thinking there wasnt much melting with Brayden and me, no matter how much I enjoyed spending time with him.She laughed again and glanced up at the sky, painted in shades of orange and non-white. Not exactly. both relationship is different. Everyone loves differently. There was a long pause as she chose her next words. That was a nice thing you chose to do for Adrian.There was no choice to be made, I countered. We crossed onto a busier street, full of brightly lit stores with water misters outside that were meant to self-possessed off hot shoppers. I winced at what that mist was doing to my hair. I had to help. He didnt deserve that kind of treatment.I cant imagine how Adrians put up with that his whole life. A nd would you believe that what worried Adrian the most was that I would think less of him?Actually, said Sonya softly, I can very much believe that. The costume store was still open, thanks to extended Halloween hours, but only for ten more minutes. Sonya wandered around the aisles with no real goal, but I headed immediately for the historical section. They had exactly one Greek-style dress left, a plain white gown with a gold pliable belt. I knelt down to take a better look. Opening the package, I felt the fabric. It was cheap, probably flammable. The dress was also an XL, and I wondered if Jill had learned enough in sewing club to take it in for me. With less than a week until the dance, my options were limited.Really? a voice beside me said. Havent you insulted me enough without resorting to this trash?standing(a) above me was Lia DiStefano. Her curly hair was entrap up with a bright red scarf, and a voluminous peasant blouse made her petite body look like it had wings. She pee red down at me disapprovingly with kohl-lined eyes.Are you following me? I asked, getting to my feet. Every time Im downtown, here you are.If I were following you, I never would have let you set foot in here in the first place. She pointed at the costume. What is that?My check for Halloween, I said. Im going Greek.Its not even the right size.Ill get it taken in.She tsked. Im so appalled, I dont even know where to start. You want a Greek dress? Ill make you one. A good one. Not this monstrosity. My God. mountain know you know me. If you were seen in that, itd ruin my career.Yeah, because what I wear to a high school dance will really make or break you.Whens your dance? she asked.Saturday. prosperous, she declared. She gave me a once-over and nodded in satisfaction. Easy measurements too. Is your sister dressing just as badly?Not sure, I admitted. She talked about making a fairy dress in sewing club. A blue one, I think.Lia blanched. Even worse. Ill make her a dress too. Ive already got her measurements. I sighed. Lia, I know what youre trying to do, and it wont work. Jill absolutely cannot feign for you again. It doesnt matter how much graft you try. Lia essay an innocent look that was in no way convincing. Who said anything about bribery? Im doing this out of charity. Itd be a attaint to let you two go out in anything less than the best.Lia Do not buy that, she warned, pointing at the costume. Its a waste. You might as well set your bullion on fire although, it probably wouldnt light as fast as that dress. Ill let you know when your costumes are ready. With that, she turned on her high wooden heels and walked away, leaving me staring.Did you get a costume? Sonya asked me later, once the blockage store forced us to leave.Weirdly, yes, I said. But not from there.Dimitri apparently wasnt done with his call, since he hadnt joined us yet. We strolled gentle back toward the restaurant, wanting to give him more time with Rose. Other stores were closing, an d the tourists were beginning to thin out. I explained the meeting with Lia. Sonya found it more amusing than I did.Well, dont knock it, she said. If a designer wants to make you something, youre not obligated to give her anything else. Maybe she could help me out with bridesmaid dresses. We crossed a less busy street and cut through a narrow alley with a brick building on one side and a tree-filled church lawn on the other. Id prise the church on our way over, but now, in only a short time, evening had filled it with shadows and given it a foreboding look and feel. I was glad I wasnt walking through here alone. It felt strange to be reassure by a vampires presence.Lia does make awing things, I admitted. But I dont know if we should encourage her.Fair enough, said Sonya. Maybe one of these days, youll help me look for dresses.Youve got a really good sense of She suddenly spun around toward the darkened churchyard. There was a look of fear on her face, but I saw nothing noble a t first. Seconds later, four figures in mysterious jumped out from behind the trees. One of them threw me against the brick contend while the other three pinned Sonya to the ground. I pushed back against my captor, but a muscled arm held me tightly. In the faint light, I saw a glimmer of something I never expected to see on the streets of medal Springs a sword.The dark figure self-collected it over Sonyas neck. Time to go back to Hell, he said.