Page 29 (1/2)

Twenty-nine

NEARLY A WEEK LATER, I showed up at Adrian’s door

We hadn’t had classes since the attack, but our normal curfew hours were still in effect, and it was alistered complete and total shock when he saw ht him out, rather than vice versa

"Little dha aside "Come in"

I did, and was nearly overwhelmed by the suest housing was nice, but he clearly hadn’t donehe’d probably been drinking nonstop since the attack The TV was on, and a small table by the couch held a half-empty bottle of vodka I picked it up and read the label It was in Russian

"Bad ti it back down

"Never a bad tiard He was still as good-looking as ever, but there were dark circles under his eyes like he hadn’t been sleeping well He waved me toward an armchair and sat down on the couch "Haven’t seen much of you"

I leaned back "I haven’t wanted to be seen," I admitted

I’d hardly spoken to anyone since the attack I’d spent a lot of ti around her, but we hadn’t said s and had sis I didn’t want to talk about - even though there were a dozen things she wanted to ask

The Acaderoup eone to the larger service The chapel had been packed, with standing roo Di about what had really happened to the in it No one even kne the Acadeain

"You look worse than I do," I told Adrian "I didn’t think that was possible"

He brought the bottle to his lips and took a long drink "Nah, you always look good As forto me There’s so in to understand It radiates fro It ht cheerful"

"Is that why you’re drinking?"

"Yup It’s shut ive you a report today" He offered ed and took another drink "So what can I do for you, Rose? I have a feeling you aren’t here to check on ht, and I only felt a little bad about what I was here for I’d done a lot of thinking this last week Processing rief for Mason had been hard In fact, I hadn’t even really quite resolved it when the ghost business had started Now I had to ain After all, uardians and Moroi alike None of my close friends had died, but people I knew fro as I had, and it eird to think I’d never see theain That was a lot of loss to deal with, a lot of people to say goodbye to

But Dioodbye to soone? That was the proble with pretense

He arched an eyebrow "Unexpected Froet that kind of request a lot fro?"

I glanced away fro on the television It was a commercial for so the Academy," I said finally

"Also unexpected You’re only a few raduation"

I s to do now"

"I never figured you’d be one of the dropout guardians You going to join the blood whores?"

"No," I said "Of course not"

"Don’t act so offended That’s not an unreasonable assuuardian, what else are you going to do?"

"I told you I have things I have to take care of"

He arched an eyebrow "Things that are going to get you into trouble?"

I shrugged He laughed

"Stupid question, huh? Everything you do gets you in trouble" He propped his elbow up on the couch’s arm and rested his chin in his hand "Why’d you come to me for money?"

"Because you have it"

This also ive it to you?"

I didn’t say anything I just looked at hi as much womanly charm as I could into reen eyes narrowed in frustration He jerked his gaze away

"Da on how I feel about you That’s not fair" He gulped ht I’d coet what I wanted It was low, but I had no choice Getting up, I moved over and sat beside him I held his hand

"Please, Adrian," I said "Please help o to"

"That’s not fair," he repeated, slurring his words a little "You’re using those come-hither eyes on me, but it’s not me you want It’s never been me It’s always been Belikov, and God only knohat you’ll do now that he’s gone"

He was right about that too "Will you helpup the charisma "You’re the only one I could talk tothe only one who really understandsback?" he countered

"Eventually"

Tipping his head back, he exhaled a heavy breath His hair, which I’d always thought looked stylishly messy, simply looked messy today "Maybe it’s for the best if you leave Maybe you’ll get over hio away for a while Wouldn’t hurt to be away fro - stop this rage you always seehosts"

My seduction faltered for a hosts Well, she is, but not in the way you think I see the ghosts because I’m shadow-kissed I’m tied to the world of the dead, and the er that connection becomes It’s why I see the dead and why I feel weird when Strigoi are near I can sense them now They’re tied to that world too"

He frowned "You’re saying the aurasaway the effects of spirit?"

"No That’s happening too That’s why this has all been so confusing I thought there was just one thing going on, but there’ve been two I see the ghosts because of being shadow-kissed I’ry bad, even because I’ away Lissa’s dark side That’s why ed lately Right now, it just sort of plays out as a really bad teht Di after Jesse "But I don’t knohat it’ll turn into next"

Adrian sighed "Why is everything so complicated with you?"

"Will you helphis hand "Please help me"

Lo This was so low of me, but it didn’t matter Only Dimitri did

Finally, Adrian looked back at me For the first tiive me a fair shot?"

I hid my surprise "What do you mean?"

"It’s like I said You’ve never wantedit rolled right off you You were so gone for hi, will you take ive me a chance when you return?"

I stared I definitely hadn’t expected this My initial instinct was to say no, that I could never love anybody again, thatwith that piece ofatnature He meant what he said, and I realized all the affection for me he’d always teased about hadn’t been a joke either Lissa had been right about his feelings

"Will you?" he repeated

God only knohat you’ll do now that he’s gone

"Of course" Not an honest answer, but a necessary one

Adrian looked away and drank ?"

"To the bottle down, he stood up and walked off into the bedrooe stack of cash I wondered if he kept it under his bed or so He handed it to me wordlessly and then picked up the phone and made some calls The sun was up, and the human world, which handled most Moroi money, was also up and awake

I tried to watch TV while he talked, but I couldn’t concentrate I kept wanting to scratch the back ofexactly how iven a different kind of tattoo instead of the usual set of otten its name, but this tattoo looked like a little star It meant that the bearer had been in a battle and killed oi

When he finally finished his calls, Adrian handed me a piece of paper It had the name and address of a bank in Missoula

"Go there," he said "I’o to Missoula first anyway if you’re actually going on to anywhere civilized There’s an account set up for you witha lot of money in it Talk to them, and they’ll finish the paperith you"

I stood up and stuffed the bills in my jacket "Thank you," I said

Without hesitating, I reached out and hugged hi, but I felt I owed his for me in order to further my own devices He put his aro I brushed ht he et this," I murmured in his ear

"I don’t suppose you’ll tell ?" he asked

"No," I said "I’m sorry"

"Just keep your promise and come back"

"I didn’t actually use the word promise," I pointed out

He sht I’ to miss you, little dha, letfor you"

I thanked hiht be waiting a long tiht not be co beforeover my shoulder and walked over to theThe office wasn’t open yet either, so I sat down on the floor in the hallway outside of it Studying old on my thumbnail They were the only remnants of my manicure About twenty minutes later, the secretary showed up with the keys and let me in

"What can I do for you?" she asked, once she was seated at her desk

I handed her a stack of papers I’d been holding "I’"

Her eyes widened to impossible size "Butwhatyou can’t"

I tapped the stack "I can It’s all filled out"

Still gaping, she , and then scurried out of the room A few minutes later, she returned with Headmistress Kirova Kirova had apparently been briefed and was looking at ly down her beaklike nose