Shadow Kiss Chapter 13

ThirteenWHEN WE GOT BACK to our meanss, I make up an excuse to Lissa approximately how I mandatory to go take c be of virtually protector stuff. She was eager to patch up the earlier involvement with Christian probably in the form of c portionhing removal and didnt ask either questions. There was a phone in my room, and after calling an operator, I was able to find come to the fore which room was Dimitris.He was surprised to see me at his door and a little wary. The last time this had happened, Id been under the work out of schoolmasters lust charm and had be cave ind aggressively.I have to talk to you, I tell.He let me come in, and I immediately handed over the note.V. D Yeah, I know, understand Dimitri. He handed the note dorsum. superordinate Dashkov.What are we going to do? I mean, we talked some this, unless now he truly is adage hes going to sell us out.Dimitri didnt answer, and I could tell he was assessing every angle of this, just give care he would a fight. Finally, he pulled out his cell phone, which was a lot cooler than having to rely on the rooms phone. Give me a moment.I jumper leadted to sit on his bed, decided that was formidable, and instead sat on the couch. I didnt know who he was calling, merely the conversation took place in Russian.Whats going on? I asked when he finished.Ill let you know soon. For now, we have to wait.Great. My favorite thing to do.He dragged an armchair up and sat opposite me. It seemed too sharp for someone as tall as him, scarcely, as al miens, he managed to make it work and seem graceful in the process.Beside me was one of the Western novels he al managements carried around. I picked it up, again retrieveing around how alone he was. Even now, at the Court, hed chosen to stay in his room. Why do you shoot these?Some throng transform books for fun, he observed.Hey, watch the dig. And I do read books. I read them to solve mysteries that threaten my best friends life and sanity. I do nt think reading this cowboy stuff is very saving the world equivalent I do.He took it from me and flipped it over, compositors case thoughtful and not as overwhelming as usual. Like any book, its an escape. And theres something mmm. I dont know. Something appealing virtually the Old West. No rules. Everyone just lives by their own code. You dont have to be tied cumulation by others ideas of right and wrong in monastic order to bring justice.Wait, I laughed. I thought I was the one who indispensabilityed to break rules.I didnt ordain I wanted to. Just that I bathroom see the appeal.You foundationt fool me, comrade. You want to put on a cowboy hat and observe lawless bank robbers in line.No time. I have enough trouble keeping you in line.I grinned, and suddenly, it was a lot like when we cleaned the church originally the fight, at least. Easy. Comfortable. In fact, it was a lot like the old days when wed start begun training together, way back before everything had go tten so complicated. Well, okaythings had always been complicated, but for a trance, theyd been less complicated. It do me sad. I wished we could relive those early days. Thered been no overlord Dashkov, no origination on my hands.Im sorry, Dimitri said all of a sudden.For what? Reading cheesy novels?For not being able to get you here. I feel like I let you down. I glimpsed a shadow of worry on his face, like he was concerned he might have caused some irreparable damage.The apology totally caught me kill guard. For a moment, I wondered if he was jealous of Adrians influence in the same way Christian had been. Then I realized it was altogether different. Id been giving Dimitri a securely time because Id been convinced he could do anything. Somewhere deep wrong he felt the same, at least where I was concerned. He didnt want to deny me anything. My earlier sorry mood had long since vanished, and I suddenly just felt drained. And stupid.You didnt, I told him. I acted like a total brat. Youve never let me down before. You didnt let me down with this.The grateful look he gave me do me feel as if I had wings. If another moment had passed, I suspected he would have said something so sweet that I would have flown away. Instead, his phone rang.Another conversation in Russian took place, and thence he stood up. All right, lets go.Where?To see master copy Dashkov.It turned out that Dimitri had a friend who had a friend, and somehow, contempt the best security in the Moroi world, we managed to get into the Courts prison facilities.Why are we doing this? I whispered as we walked down the hall toward masters cell. Id really, really hoped for stone walls and torches, but the place looked very modern and efficient, with marble floors and bare(a) white walls. At least there were no windows. You think we can talk him out of it?Dimitri move his head. If Victor wanted to take r regular(a)ge on us, hed just do it without any warning. He doesnt do things without a reason. The fact that he told you first means he wants something, and now were going to find out what it is.We reached Victors cell. He was the notwithstanding prisoner currently being held. Like the rest of the facility, his room reminded me of something youd find at a hospital. Everything was clean, bright, and sterile and very bare. It was a place without any sort of stimulus or distraction whatsoever, which would have driven me crazy in one hour. The cell had silvery bars that looked very hard to break, which was the most important part.Victor sat in a chair, idly examining his nails. It had been three months since our last meeting, and eyesight him again made my skin crawl. Feelings I hadnt known were buried in me suddenly burst to the surface. whiz of the hardest things of all was seeing him look so healthy and young. Hed bought that health by torturing Lissa, and I despised him for it. If his disease had run its normal course, he might be dead by now.He had fadeout bl ack hair, with only the slightest touch of silver. He was in his forties and had a regal, almost handsome sew to his face. He glanced up at our approach. Eyes the same pale jade as Lissas met mine. The Dragomir and Dashkov families had a lot of intertwined history, and it was creepy seeing that eye color in someone else. A smile lit his face.Oh my. This is a treat. Lovely movemarie, practically an adult now. His eyes flicked toward Dimitri. Of course, some have been treating you that way for quite a while.I pressed my face to the bars. Stop screwing with us, you son of a bitch. What do you want?Dimitri put a gentle hand on my shoulder and pulled me back. Easy, Rose.I took a deep breath and then soft stepped backward. Victor straightened up in his chair and laughed.After all this time, your cub still hasnt learned any control. But then, maybe you never really wanted her to.We arent here to banter, said Dimitri calmly. You wanted to lure Rose over, and now we need to know why.Does there have to be some sinister reason? I just wanted to know how she was doing, and something tells me we arent going to have a chance for any friendly chats tomorrow. That irritable smirk stayed on his face, and I decided then that he was lucky to be behind bars and out of my reach.Were not going to have a friendly chat now, I growled.You think Im joking, but Im not. I really do want to know how youre doing. Youve always been a fascinating subject to me, Rosemarie. The only shadow-kissed person we know of. I told you before, that isnt the kind of thing you walk away from unscathed. Theres no way you can quietly sink into the regimented routine of academic life. People like you arent meant to blend in.Im not some kind of science experiment.He acted like I hadnt said anything. Whats it been like? What have you noticed?Theres no time for this. If you dont get to the point, warned Dimitri, were going to leave.I didnt understand how Dimitri could sound so calm. I leaned forward and gav e Victor my coldest smile. Theres no way theyll let you off tomorrow. I hope you enjoy prison. I bet itll be dandy once you get sick again and you leave, you know.Victor regarded me levelly, still with that amused look that made me want to choke him. All things die, Rose. Well, except for you, I suppose. Or maybe you are dead. I dont know. Those who run across the world of the dead can probably never fully shake their connection to it.There was a snarky retort on my lips, but something held me back. Those who visit the world of the dead. What if my Mason sightings werent because I was crazy or because he was seeking revenge? What if there was something about me something that had happened when Id died and come back that was now connecting me to Mason? It was Victor who had first explained what it meant to be shadow-kissed. I wondered now if he had any of the answers Id been looking for.My face must have wedded away something, because Victor gave me a speculative look. Yes? Th eres something youd like to say?I hated to ask him for anything. It made my stomach turn. Swallowing my pride, I asked, What is the world of the dead? Is it heaven or hell?Neither, he said.What lives there? I exclaimed. Ghosts? Will I go back? Do things come out of it?Victor was taking great pleasure in me having to come to him for information, just as Id feared he would. I saw that smirk intensify.Well, intelligibly some things come out of it, because here you stand before us.Hes baiting you, said Dimitri. Let it go.Victor gave Dimitri a brief glare. Im helping her. He turned back to me. Honestly? I dont know that much about it. Youre the one who has been there, Rose. Not me. Not yet. Someday, youll probably be the one educating me. Im sure the more you parcel out death out, the closer youll become to it.Enough, said Dimitri, voice harsh. Were going.Wait, wait, said Victor, voice congenial. You havent told me about Vasilisa yet.I go forward again. Stay away from her. She doesnt have anything to do with this.Victor gave me a dry look. Seeing as Im locked away here, I have no choice but to stay away from her, my dear. And youre wrong Vasilisa has everything to do with everything.Thats it, I said, suddenly getting it. Thats why you sent the note. You wanted me here because you wanted to know about her, and you knew there was no way shed come talk to you herself. You had nobody to blackmail her with.Blackmails an ugly word.Theres no way youre going to see her at least outside of the courtroom. Shes never going to heal you. I told you Youre going to get sick again, and youre going to die. Youre going to be the one sending me postcards from the other side.You think thats what this is about? You think my needs are that petty? The mockery was gone, replaced by a feverish and almost rabid look in his green eyes. The tight set of his mouth stretched the skin of his face a little, and I noticed hed lost weight since our last encounter. Maybe prison had been har der on him than Id thought. Youve forgotten everything, why I did what I did. Youve been so caught up in your own shortsightedness that you missed the big picture I was looking at.I racked my brain, thinking back to that time last fall. He was right. My focus had been on the wrongs hed attached against Lissa and me personally. Id forgotten other conversations, his insane explanations of his grand scheme.You wanted to spirit level a revolution still want to. Thats crazy. Its not going to happen, I said.Its already happening. Do you think I dont know whats going on out in the world? I still have contacts. People can be bought off how do you think I was able to send you that message? I know about the unrest I know about Natasha Ozeras movement to get Moroi to fight with guardians. You stand by her and vilify me, Rosemarie, but I pushed for the very same thing last fall. Yet, somehow, you dont seem to regard her in the same way.Tasha Ozera is working on her cause a bit differently than you did, noted Dimitri.And thats why shes getting nowhere, Victor retorted. Tatiana and her council are being held back by centuries of archaic traditions. So long as that sort of power rules us, nothing will change. We will never learn to fight. Non-royal Moroi will never have a voice. Dhampirs like you will continually be sent out to battle.Its what we dedicate our lives to, said Dimitri. I could sense the tension building in him. He might show better self-control than me, but I knew he was getting just as frustrated here.And its what you lose your lives for. Youre all but enslaved and dont even realize it. And for what? Why do you protect us?Because we need you, I faltered. For our race to survive.You dont need to throw yourselves into battle for that. Making children isnt really that difficult.I ignored his quip. And because the Moroi the Moroi and their magic are important. They can do amazing things.Victor threw his hands up in exasperation. We used to do amazing thing s. Humans used to revere us as gods, but over time, we grew lazy. The advent of technology made our magic more and more obsolete. Now, all we do is living-room tricks.If you have so many ideas, said Dimitri, with a dangerous glint in his dark eyes, then do something useful in prison and write a manifesto.And whats this have to do with Lissa anyway? I asked.Because Vasilisa is a vehicle for change.I stared incredulously. You think shes going to get out your revolution?Well, Id prefer that I lead it someday. But, regardless, I think that shes going to be part of it. Ive heard about her too. Shes a rising star still young, certainly, but people are taking notice. All royals arent created equal, you know. The Dragomir symbol is a dragon, the king of the beasts. Likewise, the Dragomir blood has always been powerful thats why the Strigoi have targeted them so consistently. A Dragomir returning to power is no small thing curiously one such as her. My impression from the reports is th at she must have mastered her magic. If thats so with her gifts theres no telling what she could do. People are drawn to her with almost no effort on her part. And when she really tries to influence themwell, theyll do anything she wants. His eyes were wide as he spoke, wonder and happiness on his face as he imagined Lissa living out his dreams.Unbelievable, I said. First you wanted to hide her away to keep you alive. Now you actually want her out in the world to use her compulsion for your own psycho plans.I told you, shes a force for change. And like you being shadow-kissed, shes the only one of her kind that we know about. That makes her dangerous and very valuable.Well, that was something. Victor wasnt all-knowing after all. He didnt know about Adrians spirit use.Lissa will never do it, I said. Shes not going to abuse her powers.And Victors not going to say anything about us, said Dimitri, tugging my arm. Hes achieved his goal. He brought you here because he wanted to know about Lissa.He didnt find out much, I said.Youd be surprised, said Victor. He grinned at Dimitri. And what makes you so certain I wont enlighten the world about your romantic indiscretions?Because it wont save you from prison. And if you ruin Rose, youll destroy whatever weak chance you had of Lissa helping you with your warped fantasy. Victor flinched just a little Dimitri was right. Dimitri stepped forward, pressing close to the bars as I had earlier. Id thought I had a scary voice, but when he spoke his next words, I realized I wasnt even close. And itll all be pointless anyway, because you wont stay alive long enough in prison to stage your grand plans. You arent the only one with connections.My breath caught a little. Dimitri brought so many things to my life love, comfort, and instruction. I got so used to him sometimes that I forgot just how dangerous he could be. As he stood there, tall and inauspicious while he glared down at Victor, I felt a chill run down my spine. I rem embered how when I had first come to the Academy, people had said Dimitri was a god. In this moment, he looked it.If Victor was frightened by Dimitris threat, he didnt show it. His jade green eyes glanced between the ii of us. You two are a match made in heaven. Or somewhere.See you in court, I said.Dimitri and I left. On our way out, he said a few words in Russian to the guardian on duty. From their manners, my guess was Dimitri was offering thanks.We ventured outdoors, walking across a wide, beautiful parklike space to get back to our rooms. The sleet had stopped, and it had left everything buildings and trees alike coated in ice. It was like the world was made of glass. Glancing at Dimitri, I saw him staring straight ahead. It was hard to tell while walking, but I could have curse he was shaking.Are you okay? I asked.Yes.You sure?As okay as I can be.Do you think hell tell everyone about us?No.We walked in silence for a bit. I finally asked the question Id been dying to know.D id you mean it that if Victor did tellthat youd I couldnt finish. I couldnt bring myself to say the words have him killed.I dont have much influence in the upper levels of Moroi royalty, but I have plenty among the guardians who handle the dirty work in our world.You didnt answer the question. If youd really do it.Id do a lot of things to protect you, Roza.My heart pounded. He only used Roza when he was feeling particularly affectionate toward me.It wouldnt exactly be protecting me. Itd be after the fact cold-blooded. You dont do that kind of thing, I told him. Revenge is more my thing. Ill have to kill him.I meant it as a joke, but he didnt think it was funny. Dont talk like that. And anyway, it doesnt matter. Victors not going to say anything.He left me to go to his own room when we got inside. As I was opening the door to mine, Lissa rounded the hall corner.There you are. What happened? You missed dinner.Id completely forgotten. dark-skinned got carried away with some guardian stuff. Its a long story.Shed changed for dinner. Her hair was still pulled up, and she now wore a form-fitting drape made out of silver raw silk. She looked beautiful. She looked royal. I thought about Victors words and wondered if she really could be the power for change he swore she was. Looking like she did now, so glamorous and self-composed, I could imagine people following her anywhere. I certainly would, but then, I was biased.Why are you looking at me like that? she asked with a small smile.I couldnt tell her that Id just seen the man who frightened her the most. I couldnt tell her that while shed been out living it up, Id been off watching her back in the shadows, like I would always do.Instead, I returned her smile. I like the dress.