The Ruby Circle

Chapter 18 Adrian

“JUST LOOK AT HIM,” I insisted. “Please.”

“No,” said Neil, turning away from the phone I held toward him. “If I look at him . . .” His voice choked, and he was unable to continue.

We were still at Maude’s house, waiting for the next phase of action, and I was trying to get him to overcome the crazy idea that he needed to avoid Declan.

“Look,” I said. “No one’s going to think it’s suspicious if you raise him. We all know you loved Olive. They’ll think you’re helping because of that—not because through some crazy twist of spirit, you two managed to change the world as we know it!”

Neil shook his head. “Hardly anyone even knows Olive had a baby. That’s a good thing. You need to keep it that way—and keep me out of the picture.”

We’d been over this a hundred times, and it was driving me crazy. If Neil had wanted to stay away from Declan, say, because he didn’t like kids or was freaked out by fatherhood, I could’ve understood that more. But it was obvious Neil desperately wanted to see and be a part of Declan’s life. I could hear the longing in his voice.

“We’ll find a way,” I said. “I swear it.”

There was a haunted look on Neil’s face. “Declan is a miracle,” he murmured. “And he needs to be protected—and given a normal life. A happy, normal life.”

“I want that too,” I said wearily. “Believe me, I do.”

“Adrian?” Maude’s voice came through to where we were sitting on the back porch, enjoying the warm evening. “You have some guests.”

In a flash, Neil and I were back inside, my heart racing. Sure enough, there was Sydney, standing in the living room and back to her normal appearance. I swept her into my arms, spinning her around so much that she laughed and told me to set her down before she got dizzy. I cupped her face in my hands.

“You’re okay,” I said happily.

She gave me a teasing punch. “You knew I was.”

“A phone call is different from seeing,” I said. I pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I mean, I knew you were competent and brave and awesome, but, well . . . it’s still not easy having your wife off risking her life with a bunch of vampire-hating freaks.” I reached into my pocket. “Oh, and don’t forget this.” I got down on my knees and slipped on her diamond and ruby rings, which I’d been holding on to while she was away. “As promised. I mean, except for the naked part. But we can worry about that later.”

I expected a chastising “Adrian,” but she smiled, her face filled with love and happiness. She took my hands and helped me up, looking as though she might even kiss me, until she remembered we had an audience. Flustered, she stepped back and crossed her arms in an attempt to look professional. Eddie and Marcus looked amused by all of this. Neil, oddly, looked intrigued as he glanced back and forth between Sydney and me.

“Time to get back to business,” she said.

“It’s happening,” said Eddie eagerly. “We’re getting Jill back.”

“What’s the plan?” I asked. Once I’d called and told Rose and Dimitri the information about Jill and the Alchemists, I’d lost track of what was happening. I knew Sydney had been part of the strategizing, though.

“The Alchemists have confirmed that the place they knew about in St. George is the same as the one in the records we had on the laptop. So they and the guardians are analyzing all the schematics to make sure they’ve got a solid course of action,” Sydney explained.

I felt a bit of smugness at that. Alicia had been so cocky that we wouldn’t be prepared to go for Jill, but she hadn’t counted on Sydney’s sleuthing. I was proud of myself for holding back in truly turning on the spirit. In fact, I’d been very cautious of it the last couple of days, and amazingly, Aunt Tatiana had stayed mostly quiet.

“We also currently have amnesty, so we can move around freely and go join them in St. George,” Sydney said, nodding to me. “Not that you and I’ll do much as far as action, but we can at least monitor things and be there when Jill’s released. Neil, Eddie, and some of the others will be at the actual rescue.”

“I look forward to it,” said Neil, a dangerous edge in his voice. Eddie’s fierce expression answered for him.

“We’ll all get more details once we’re in St. George,” continued Sydney. “We can hit the road as soon as everyone’s ready. It’s about a six-hour drive, and we should end up there right about the time the raid is scheduled to happen.”

“I’m ready to go any time,” said Neil.

“Me too,” I said. “Just give me two minutes to gather my things.”

Sydney followed me to Maude’s guest room and watched as I shoved my spare clothes and laptop into the tote bag I’d been hauling around on this adventure. “Rose called me,” she said, shutting the door. “She and Dimitri wanted to see if it was okay for them to go to St. George—leaving your mom and Declan at Clarence’s. I told them it was. I hope that’s all right.”

I paused, momentarily alarmed, then gave a slow nod. “Yeah, I think so. The Alchemists will have given up watching your hangouts, now that they know where you’re headed. And really, as long as no one’s looking for Declan . . .”

“That’s what I thought too,” agreed Sydney. “Though I could tell Rose was dying to know why we’ve been so secretive about him.”

I slung my bag over my shoulder and put my free arm around her, noticing that she had a small bag tucked in the crook of her elbow. “I think we should tell them when this is over—and once we’ve figured things out with Neil. They’re trustworthy . . . and they deserve to know. You know what it means for them.”

“I do. Plus, whatever we end up doing to help Declan and Neil . . . well, I think we’re going to need a few allies. They’re good ones to have. I don’t suppose Neil’s changed his mind?”

“No,” I said in exasperation. “He still keeps wanting to take the moral high ground, saying it’s best for Declan.”

“We’ll talk him out of it,” she said. “Once this is all over and Jill’s back.”

“Once Jill’s back,” I reiterated. The floodgate holding back all the emotions I felt about Jill threatened to burst. “God, I can’t believe we’re so close. It’s been so long, and I’ve been so worried about her.”

Sydney squeezed my hand. “I know, I know. And we’re almost there.”

“I wanted to rip Alicia apart,” I admitted. “For what she’d done. I wanted to pulverize her with spirit.”

“You didn’t, did you?” asked Sydney, her eyes widening.

I exhaled. “No. I wanted to, but no. I kept it in check. I only used as much spirit as I needed. And I’ve been keeping it under control ever since.”

The smile that lit Sydney’s features warmed me all over. “I’m so proud of you, Adrian. I know it can’t be easy.”

“It’s not,” I admitted. “But I’m trying. And I think I can do it—I think I can control myself. I don’t need the meds. I can just hold back on spirit.”

Her smile faltered, like she might disagree, but then she surprised me by saying, “I’ll support you and be there for you, whatever you choose to do, for the rest of our lives.” She handed me the bag under her arm. “I got you a gift. Well, it’s kind of for both of us.”

I opened it up and found a coffee mug from Pies and Stuff. “Oh, man, I can’t believe you went without me,” I teased.

“This is for us,” she said. “The first thing to put in our new home together. I’m working out something with Stanton to buy our freedom. When this is all over, we’re going to have a life together, Adrian. A real one.”

Love for her threatened to overwhelm me. I set down all my bags and drew her into my arms. That silly mug suddenly took on monumental significance, and looking down at her, at the face I loved so much, I could see the future she described, a future together where we could accomplish anything. Going back on meds seemed a small price for that. I didn’t need spirit so long as I had Sydney.

I pressed her gently against the door and kissed her, allowing myself to briefly forget everything waiting for us outside this room. For now, there was just the two of us and this one perfect moment of togetherness.

“You make me believe anything is possible,” I whispered.

“I told you before, we’re the center,” she said. “And the center will hold.”

I kissed her again, more deeply, and it was with great reluctance that we finally had to draw apart again. “I’m all for a real home,” I said, brushing hair from her face, “but before that, can we please have a real honeymoon?”

“Gladly,” she murmured, kissing me one more time. “As soon as we have Jill, everything’s going to change.”

I held her tightly. “Then by God, let’s go get Jill.”

The four of us hit the road to St. George, driving overnight to get there in time. We tried to take turns and get rest, but it was hard. Honestly, by this point, I felt like schedules and “daytime hours” were just suggestions in my life. I was happy to be with Sydney again, and she and I found ourselves catching up on what we’d missed during our time apart. She wouldn’t elaborate on what deal she was attempting with Stanton, but she spoke confidently about that future home we both wanted so much.

We made good time, arriving at the Alchemists’ and guardians’ makeshift command center just before dawn. And as much as I hated to admit it, the Alchemists proved useful. In less than a day, they’d found a vacant office building and filled it with Alchemists and computers. They had cameras and satellite info on the Warriors’ compound, as well as scouts already in place on-site, reporting back with information on the Warriors’ state of affairs and security measures.

A gruff guy named McLean was in charge of the Alchemists’ soldiers, and he and Dimitri—who’d gotten there a few hours ago—were working surprisingly well together organizing the attack. Everyone assured us it would be simple, relatively speaking. Our forces outnumbered the Warriors’. If the initial raid came on strong, without warning, there should be no reason we wouldn’t triumph. Sydney and I exchanged uneasy glances, knowing things were rarely as easy as they seemed, but we tried to be optimistic. We hoped this would be simple. We needed it to be, and we sent Dimitri, Rose, Eddie, and Neil off in high spirits, leaving us nothing to do but wait around for updates.

It felt strange for me, though, not to be out there. I’d spent so much of the last month worried for Jill but unable to act while trapped at Court. Then, when we’d gotten our lead on Alicia, I’d had to stay behind at first in order to cover for Sydney. Now, finally, we knew where Jill was, and I was staying behind again. It was maddening. Ever since I’d brought Jill back from the assassination attempt, I’d felt as though her life were in my hands. Even though I knew a compound of armed fanatics was best breached by trained guardians and Alchemists, I couldn’t shake the feeling I should be out there.

“It’s okay,” Sydney said gently, coming to rest a hand on my arm. “I feel useless too, but they’re the experts. And once they get her out, we’ll be among the first to see her.”

“I know,” I said. I slipped an arm around her. “Patience just isn’t always one of my better traits.”

As I was speaking, Sydney’s gaze wandered to something behind me, and I turned to look. It was her father and Zoe, entering the command center. They too froze for a moment, and then Zoe took a few steps forward, her face breaking into a smile, until a sharp rebuke from her father drew her up short.

“Zoe,” he barked.

“My own sister can’t come see me, Dad?” Sydney asked. “Afraid I’ll taint her?”

He flushed. “I heard you cut some kind of deal with Stanton. It wouldn’t have happened if I were in charge.”

“How are you, Zoe?” Sydney asked, directing her attention to the youngest Sage sister. “You okay?”

Zoe cast an uncertain look at her father and then gave a slow nod. “Yeah. You?”

“Come along,” ordered their father. “Let’s see how this operation is progressing.”

Zoe gave Sydney one last glance and then reluctantly followed Jared Sage to where some Alchemists were monitoring communications from the team raiding the Warriors’ compound. Sydney broke from me and went after them. “I want an update too,” she said. But when she reached the group huddled around the two people in charge of communications, Sydney waited until her father was distracted, asking someone a question. She touched Zoe’s sleeve and gently drew her back a few steps toward us.

“I never thanked you for not reporting me, back in the Ozarks,” said Sydney softly.

Zoe shook her head but kept an anxious eye on their dad. “It’s the least I could do. Sydney, if I’d had any idea what you had to go through there, I never would’ve turned you in. I thought they were going to help you. Honestly.” Tears brimmed in her eyes.

“How do you know what happened there?” I asked. Last I knew, the full details of what detainees in re-education endured wasn’t widely known.

Zoe didn’t answer right away, and from the uneasy way she regarded me, it was clear she hadn’t quite come to terms with a vampire brother-in-law. “Carly told me,” she said at last. “She heard it from some guy who helped you out. I think she’s dating him?”

Sydney and I exchanged surprised looks. “Marcus?” we asked in unison.

“Yeah,” said Zoe. “I think that’s his name.”

“That sly dog,” I muttered. It had been apparent when he and Carly met that he had a crush on Sydney’s older sister, but I’d had no idea he’d pursued her.

“I’m glad you’re talking to Carly,” said Sydney. “Do you ever talk to Mom?”

Zoe shook her head. “No. I wish I could, but Dad won’t let me. And he made sure the terms of the divorce were pretty absolute.”

There was a misery in her voice that both Sydney and I picked up on. “Do you want out?” Sydney asked urgently. “Do you want to be free of them?”

“Not yet,” said Zoe. Seeing Sydney’s skeptical look, she continued: “No, I’m serious. That’s not fear talking. I still believe in the cause . . . but I’m not always happy about some of the methods. That doesn’t mean I’m ready to give up. I want to keep learning and working with them . . . and then, who knows?” Her face fell a little. “I wouldn’t mind seeing Mom again, though.”

“Zoe!” thundered Jared. He’d just noticed her talking to us. “Get over here and—”

“I’m getting a report in,” exclaimed the Alchemist on communication. She was sitting beside a guardian who was sharing the monitoring duty. They were both in headphones, with laptops in front of them, and he gave a nod of agreement. “Both teams are in—but there are apparently mines on the property.”

Sydney clenched my hand, and a terrible silence descended on all of us as we waited for more. Alicia’s face came to mind, taunting that we’d never get through to Jill.

“Mines have been bypassed,” the guardian said several minutes later. We all exhaled in relief, only to tense up once more. “They’re engaging the enemy combatants now.”

Even with the headphones’ dampening, I could hear the crackle of urgent dispatches from those raiding the compound, as well as what sounded like gunshots. Sydney leaned against me again, one of her hands resting on the little wooden cross necklace I’d painted for her long ago. Minutes felt like hours, and through it all, I just kept thinking, I should be there, I should be there.

Why? sneered Aunt Tatiana. What good would you be without spirit? Your wife wouldn’t let you use it there, remember?

A grin suddenly broke over the guardian’s face as he listened to the latest message. “They’re in. The upper levels of the compound have been seized. All combatants detained.” He paused as more information came in. “No casualties on our side.” In a surprising moment of solidarity, he and the Alchemist high-fived, but I couldn’t share their joy, not yet.

“Do they have Jill?” I demanded. “Do they have the princess yet?”

The guardian shook his head. “They’re going for her now. She’s being held in the basement, but they did some heat sensing, and there’s only one person there. All evidence points to a Moroi of her size.”

I drew Sydney to me in a crushing embrace, burying my face against her hair. “It’s over. It’s finally over.” I wasn’t one for tears, but I felt them coming to my eyes at the thought I’d soon be reunited with Jill.

“I— Yes. What’s that?”

I turned to the Alchemist in headphones and realized he was talking to someone on the other end, not to us. A frown creased his features, and then he looked up at us. “Someone wants to speak to you, Mrs. Ivashkov.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Sydney’s father glare at the name.

“Me?” Sydney asked, accepting the headphones handed over to her. She put them on and sat on the chair, joining a conversation we could only hear half of. “What do you mean? I see . . . are there any markings? Any objects? Okay . . . no, you could be right. Just wait . . . I’ll come. Yes.”

She stood up and took the headphones off. “What’s going on?” I asked.

“That was Eddie,” she said. “He was with the group about to raid the basement, but then, at the last minute, he made them stop at the entrance.”

“Why?” asked Zoe.

Sydney met my eyes. “He said it smelled like Ms. Terwilliger’s house.”

For a minute, I thought she was suggesting Jackie was there, and then I caught on to the inference he’d made. “You think there’s some kind of magic use going on down there?”

“Alicia was the one who caught Jill for them,” Sydney remarked. “It’s possible she left some kind of trap in place. It would also explain why there were no Warriors on guard down there.”

“Probably because they all ran up to fight in the initial assault,” her dad said.

Alicia’s words echoed back to me: You’ll never get to her! You’ll never get through to her! A feeling of dread settled into my stomach. “No, there’s something there.”

“They’ve suspended things until I can get out there to look,” said Sydney. Her eyes met mine. “You coming with me?”

There was no need to ask, and we both knew it. A guardian drove us out to the site, which was outside of the city proper. No surprise there, as fanatics tended not to build their strongholds in civilized areas full of other people who might call the police. Desert terrain dominated, albeit in a different way from Palm Springs. The rocks and ground were a red that looked striking in the setting sun, with little patches of scrubby vegetation here and there. The compound itself was a wide, one-story building surrounded by barbed wire. Alchemists and guardians patrolled the area side by side, and I could see where they had rounded up and contained the enemy Warriors. Dimitri met us as we got out of the car.

“This way,” he said, gesturing forward. “We think there are still mines in the area. I’ll take you on a path I know is safe.”

We followed him over the rocky ground, into the enclosure, past the glaring prisoners. The building itself was as stark as a military barracks, and as far as I could tell, it had served no purpose except to hold prisoners and as a hangout to discuss crazed anti-vampire schemes. It chilled me seeing it all.

A stairwell in the center of the building led downstairs to an underground level, and there, we saw Eddie, Neil, and Rose waiting at the bottom. Sydney and I followed the stairs down and found ourselves standing in a long concrete corridor that stretched off into darkness. A few doors could be seen branching off, but I had no idea what was beyond them. Beside me, Sydney winced.

“Reminds me of a primitive version of some of the re-education levels,” she murmured, shuddering.

Thinking back to when I helped rescue her, I could understand what she meant. That facility had also contained vast halls with mysterious doors, though it had had a much more clinical feel to it. It had all been sterile and lit with stark fluorescent lighting. This, meanwhile, was more like a dirty, medieval dungeon in the wilds of Utah. It made me sick to think of Jill being inside.

“We think Jill’s just down there,” said Rose. “That’s what the Alchemists’ equipment detected. I want to go in and get her, but Eddie . . .” It was clear she didn’t share his fears.

He looked a little embarrassed but held his ground. “I just can’t shake the feeling something’s off here. Why not have guards on their most valuable prisoner? And do you smell that?”

Sydney nodded, and I had to agree. “It does smell like Jackie’s house,” I remarked.

“Someone’s burned incense here,” said Sydney. “Though it’s not something you’d see Ms. Terwilliger using very much. Vetiver. Black lotus.” She frowned and scanned around. “There. There are some ashes down the hall. That’s where it was burned.”

I started to investigate, but she held me back.

“Wait,” she said. She held up her hand and spoke words in a language I didn’t know. After several seconds, glowing symbols appeared in the ceiling above where the ashes were. Sydney studied them intently until they faded away, and then she exhaled in dismay. “Damn.”

I rarely heard her swear and didn’t think that boded well.

“What is it?” I asked.

“There’s a demon here,” she replied in a tone that was far too casual for that kind of pronouncement. “It looks like Alicia summoned one to stand guard.”

“Hopper’s technically a demon,” I offered.

Her face was grim. “Not that kind, I’m afraid. This is a senicus.” Seeing our blank looks, she asked, “Have you ever heard of a hydra in Greek mythology? It’s kind of like that. Kind of. Serpentine, lots of heads. But these heads spit boiling acid.”

I’d taken Greek mythology in high school and actually paid attention to it. “Do the heads grow back too?” I asked.

“Not if you destroy them with fire,” she said.

“Do we need a flamethrower?” asked Neil.

Sydney held out her palm, and a ball of flame appeared. “No need.”

Rose’s eyes widened in wonder. “Whoa. Will blades still hurt this thing?”

“No,” said Sydney. “It has a magical hide that’ll protect it. I’m the only one who can really take this thing out. What you guys need to do is get Jill out of here while I distract it. Someone needs to sneak past it while it’s engaged. Fire’s the only way to destroy this thing, and I don’t want Jill trapped here if things literally go up in smoke.”

Once again, I was feeling useless. Sydney might be a pro at wielding fireballs, but that didn’t mean I wanted her taking on this hydra-demon-thing alone. “What should I do?”

“Nothing,” she said. “Get out of here.”

She thinks you’re incompetent! hissed Aunt Tatiana. She thinks you’ll be in the way.

“Sydney, let me help,” I insisted.

Sydney’s eyes weren’t even on me as she scrutinized the corridor, probably gauging the range of her fireballs and how flammable the whole thing was. “Adrian, there’s nothing you can do here. Stay safe in case Jill needs help when she gets out.”

Do you hear that? asked Aunt Tatiana. She doesn’t think you’re capable of anything!

My temper started to flare, and I nearly agreed with Aunt Tatiana until I took a moment to mentally replay what Sydney had said. No, she’s right, I told the phantom in my head. If Jill’s injured, I need to conserve my power. No repeats of Olive.

Aunt Tatiana disagreed. You don’t need to conserve! You can do it all!

Trying to shut out that internal voice, I kissed Sydney and drew her into a brief embrace. “Be careful,” I murmured. “And if you do need me, I’ll be close by.”

“Not too close,” she warned. “This thing spits acid. I can’t have you injured.”

“Understood,” I said, before Aunt Tatiana could raise a protest about how Sydney was coddling me.

I took up a position on the staircase, allowing me a quick escape if need be but also giving me a good vantage on the action about to take place. I hadn’t argued with Sydney, but Jill’s health wasn’t the only thing I was concerned about. Along with Sydney, the dhampirs were putting themselves at risk. I wanted to be on hand in case any of them were injured in this escapade. After a heated argument, the three of them decided on a plan. Eddie and Neil would wait with me as backup while Rose slipped into the corridor alone. Each of the guys wanted to go, but she pointed out that she was smaller and faster. She also argued that all of them, plus Jill, trying to get back past the demon would make for tight quarters. It was hard for the guys to fault her logic, and Sydney concurred that with fireballs flying, it’d be easier for her to have fewer people to worry about.

So Eddie and Neil reluctantly came to wait by me, and Rose hovered just behind Sydney. “Time to summon it,” said Sydney nervously. “It’d come on its own if I crossed those runes, but I’d rather bring it out on my own terms.” She held up her hands and spoke an incantation that once again made the markings in the ceiling glow. Only this time, a creature materialized below it.

I understood then why a hydra had been her closest comparison. From the waist down, the demon walked on two legs just like we did—albeit with scaly skin and talons in its feet. From the waist up, it had several sinuous tentacles extending from its torso, as well as five snakelike necks and heads. All of them were hissing and glaring at Sydney. I felt fear churn in my own stomach at the sight of it and almost wished for the time when the only monsters I knew about in this world were Strigoi. Despite the terror that thing inspired, I still felt an overwhelmingly protective urge to help Sydney. It wouldn’t matter if my own life was at risk. I’d gladly sacrifice it for hers.

Do it! Do it! exclaimed Aunt Tatiana. Throw something at it!

“There’s nothing to throw,” I said. “And Sydney’s got this.”

“Hmm?” asked Eddie.

I’d spoken out loud again and shook my head. “Nothing.”

Sydney held her ground, staring down the snake-demon in front of her as though she did this every day and hadn’t unexpectedly walked into one’s lair now. A fireball came easily to her fingertips, and she hurled it without preamble at one of the serpentine heads. Her aim was good—except that the snake was just too fast. In the blink of an eye it had swerved its head and dodged. One of the other heads spit a glob of bright green goo that landed on the concrete floor and began eating away at the surface. I didn’t want to think about what that stuff would do to flesh.

Sydney threw and missed again, but her gaze remained steely. “I’ll get a hit in eventually,” I heard her tell Rose. “And that’s when you make your move.”

Rose was braced beside her, ready to pounce. The two of them made a striking combo, one dark and one golden, both utterly fearless in the face of this danger. They were beautiful in their deadliness.

Sydney’s next fireball struck a head. The creature reared back in pain, all of its surviving heads screaming. Rose used that as her chance, sprinting past the creature and keeping to the opposite side of the cement corridor. The demon still noticed her and started to turn, but a direct fireball hit drew its angry attention back to Sydney. Some of its tentacles were short and stubby, but a few were quite long and occasionally made dangerous grabs for her—meaning she had to dodge both those attacks and the acid. She managed it more deftly than I could have, evading the strikes with a skill Wolfe would have applauded.

“Too close,” muttered Neil, after Sydney just barely sidestepped some acid.

“She’s got this,” I said. And as though on cue, another fireball blasted into one of the snake heads, leaving a charred husk behind.

“What’s taking Rose so long?” demanded Eddie.

I didn’t have an answer for that. She’d disappeared into the darkness, and none of us knew what was beyond that. She could have twenty doors to look in. Or maybe they were locked. Or Jill could be tied up or in chains. None of us knew for sure, and that uncertainty was hard on the rest of us.

Sydney had just annihilated a third snake head when I heard Eddie give a sharp intake of breath. In the shadows beyond the creature, I could just make out Rose, with another figure leaning heavily on her for support. The other person’s face was buried on Rose’s shoulder, but there was no mistaking the tangle of long, light brown hair. My heart jumped to my throat.

Jill.

Rose was obviously waiting for an opening to get back through, and a shift in Sydney’s stance told me she’d seen them behind the demon. She threw a fireball wide, one that wasn’t specifically aimed at a head but which forced the creature to rear toward the side of the corridor. Rose recognized her opportunity and hurried forward, half dragging Jill along the way. A cluster of tentacles made contact with Rose’s leg, and I stopped breathing—but then a rapid and well-placed fireball took out a fourth head. The creature let go and turned its wrath on Sydney as Rose broke through and got Jill to the stairs.

In a flash, Eddie and Neil were at her side, helping Rose bring her up. My stomach twisted as I took in the sight of Jill, and I had an unwelcome sense of déjà vu back to the time when we’d finally found Sydney in the depths of the re-education center. Jill’s condition was similar. She’d lost a considerable amount of weight, and her skin was pale, even by Moroi standards. She was in dirty, rumpled pajamas—what she’d been kidnapped in, no doubt—and it looked as though they hadn’t really let her bathe either. Her pupils were slightly dilated, which confirmed they’d given her some kind of drug that had interfered with me reaching her in dreams.

“Are you okay?” I asked. I drew spirit into me, prepared to heal her.

“N-no, don’t do it,” she warned. Even drugged, the bond must have still been working. That, or she simply knew me well enough by now to guess what I’d do. It took her a few seconds to form the rest of her words. “I . . . I’m just weak. Hungry. They gave me animal blood.”

My stomach turned at that. Moroi could survive on animal blood, but “survive” was about the kindest way you could put it. We’d stay alive but lose a lot of strength and energy. There were always stories that popped up once in a while about some Moroi family that got trapped without a feeder for a week or so and had to feed off animals. They’d emerge weak and debilitated, making for sensational headlines in Moroi news. I couldn’t even imagine what shape Jill must be in after a month of that. It explained why she could barely stand.

Still, the instinct was there to help her anyway, to give her a boost with spirit. “No,” she said sharply, again anticipating me. “Just get me to a feeder. And get someone out to the back of this property. There’s a shed there with another basement prison.”

“I’ll take her to a feeder,” said Eddie, starting to move her up the stairs. Rose helped by supporting Jill’s other side.

“I’ll go find the other Moroi,” said Neil, starting to move ahead of them. He paused and glanced back at Sydney. “Unless you need me?”

I shook my head. “I’ll get her out of here. Go help the others.”

The dhampirs and Jill disappeared, leaving me alone to look after Sydney. That snake demon was down to one head, but I noticed now that there was smoke in the corridor. One of her fireballs must have hit a door and found something to ignite.

“We need to get out of here,” I yelled to her. “That fire might spread. Jill’s safe.”

“I’m not leaving this guy to run rampant!” Sydney shouted back. A well-placed fireball nearly took out the remaining head, but the creature dodged at the last second, missing the hit by barely an inch. It roared in fury, and one of its tentacles shot out more quickly than Sydney could anticipate. It caught her by her feet, knocking her to the ground, and with equal speed, the demon hurried over, its last head rearing up in triumph as it prepared to drench her in acid.

Do something! Do something! Aunt Tatiana screamed at me.

But there was nothing to telekinetically throw, no plants to summon like Sonya might do. This was the waking world, not a dream. Spirit was not a combat magic, but in the space of a heartbeat, I still knew I had to act. Sydney—my heart, my love, and my wife—was seconds away from death. I would have gladly thrown my body in front of hers, but there was no time for that either. I had only a millisecond to decide, so I pulled out my last spirit trick.

“Stop!” I ordered.

Spirit burned through me, and I sent a wave of compulsion into the demon, attempting to bend its will to mine. I’d never done anything like that. I didn’t even know if it could be done. The creature actually paused, however, making me think it had both sentience and the ability to be controlled. Emphasis on ability. Because even though the creature momentarily restrained itself, I could feel my hold slipping, and it snarled again, ready to strike Sydney. The more strong-willed a person was, the harder it was to compel them. Demons must be in an entirely different class, because I was already amped up on spirit and was just barely having an effect.

More, more! said Aunt Tatiana.

I drew on greater reserves of spirit, pulling everything out of me, all my energy and life, all my resolve. It was more than I’d used in the dream with Olive, nearly as much as I’d used to bring back Jill. Spirit filled every part of me, making me greater than I’d ever thought I could be, nearly godlike. I turned that power on the demon, exerting my control as I issued my commands: “Let her go! Back up!”

The demon obeyed.

Its tentacles released Sydney, who scrambled away and got to her feet. Fire filled her palms, and with the demon in my thrall, it made an easy target for her to finish the last head. Once that one was destroyed, the rest of the creature’s body disintegrated into a fine black dust. Spirit still burned brightly within me, though, making me feel exhilarated and unstoppable. Sydney hurried to my side and shook my arm.

“Adrian, let it go,” she said. “It’s done. You did it. Release the magic!”

No one has ever possessed power like this, Aunt Tatiana told me. Can you feel it? Don’t you feel alive? Why would you ever want to let this go?

She was right. With this kind of power, I could do great things. Strigoi, the Warriors, even demons: None of our enemies stood a chance. We didn’t need silver stakes or Sonya’s vaccine. I could do it all. I would save our people singlehandedly.

“Adrian, Adrian!”

For a moment, I didn’t know whom the voice belonged to. I was too lost in my power, power that was burning me up. A face moved into my smoky vision, a human with blond hair and brown eyes, but I didn’t know her either.

“Adrian,” she cried again. “Let it go. Please. Release the magic—for me.”

For me, she’d said.

But who was she? Then, at last, the intoxication of spirit faded enough for me to know. Sydney. Sydney, my wife. She was the one looking into my face, looking so completely terrified.

Ignore her, said Aunt Tatiana. This is the magic you were born to wield!

Sydney squeezed my hand. “Adrian, please. Release the magic.”

I could feel spirit starting to obscure my mind again, starting to blot Sydney out, starting to destroy all of my higher reasoning, just as it had Nina’s. I wanted to let go, but it was hard when that power gave me such a heady, glorious feeling.

You are a god, Aunt Tatiana told me. I’m so proud of you.

“Adrian,” said Sydney. “I love you.”

Those words, that voice, had more power over me than any phantom ever could. And then, just before spirit could blot her away again, I let go of the magic.