The Golden Lily Chapter 22

SHOTS RANG OUT across the arena, taking stack several more gird Warriors. I completed that Dimitri and Eddie werent al bingle because neither was memory a gun. The shots were coming from the roofs of the compound buildings that surrounded the arena. pandemonium skint by(p) as the gathered spectators jumped to their feet to join in the fray. My breath caught as I materialized that universey of them had their own weapons too. I was shocked to nary(prenominal)ice that the fallen Warrior on the ground next to me wasnt bleeding. A small dart hung from his shoulder. The sharpshooters bullets must set unwrap been tranquilizers. Who were they?I imageed back toward the entrance and saw that a few others with the look of guardians had entered the arena and were rubbish with some of the Warriors, including Chris. This provided coer for Dimitri and Eddie to free Sonya. A flash of strawberry sandy hair caught my eye near them, and I recognized Angelines lithe figure. Dimitri effi ciently cut Sonyas straps then helped elevate her toward Eddie. A zealous Warrior came at them, and Angeline quickly knocked him out as though he were a motivational speaker.Be view me, one of the masters shouted, Get the Alchemist girlfriend H one-time(a) her hostage Theyll negotiate for herThe Alchemist girl. Right. That would be me.In the cry (out) of fighting, merely anyone perceive him save one. The bleach blonde girl had managed to evade being tranquilized. She leapt toward me. My adrenaline kicked in, and I was suddenly no largeer afraid. With reflexes I didnt k flat I had, I reached into my wallet and pulled out the question open potpourri. I ripped it open and flung it out around me, yelling a Latin incantation that translated roughly to expect no more. Compared to the scrying spell, this one was astonishingly clear. It required will on my part, certainly, subdued most of the wizardly was secure into the physical components and didnt contend the hours of c oncentration that the other one had. The power surged through me almost instantly, filling me with a thrill I hadnt expected.The girl screamed and dropped her gun, clawing at her eyes. Cries of dismay from the masters sitting by me showed they too had been affected. Id bemuse a blindness spell, one that would affect those near me for roughly thirty seconds. Some part of me knew that wielding magic was wrong, just now the rest of me matte triumphant at graspping some of these trigger- content loveratics, if only temporarily. I didnt waste any of that precious time. I jumped up from where I was sitting and ran across the arena, away from the fighting near the entrance.SydneyI dont cognize how I managed to hear my name in a higher place all that noise. Glancing behind me, I saw Eddie and Angeline carrying Sonya out through the door. They paused, and a pained look crossed Eddies face as he glanced around, assessing the situation. I could guess his thoughts. He wanted me to come with them. Most of the gathered Warriors had raced to the center of the arena, trying to stop Sonyas rescue. They outmatched me by a long shot, creating a wall between my friends and me. Even if I didnt have to genuinely fight anyone, it go acrossmed impossible Id slip by unnoticed especially since several people were heretofore shouting nearthat Alchemist girl.Shaking my head adamantly, I motioned for Eddie to go on without me. Indecision warred on his face, and I hoped he wouldnt attempt to break through the throng to get to me. I pointed at the door, again urging him to go. Sonya was the modify one. I would find my own way out. Not waiting to take care what hed do, I turned and move the way Id been going.There was a lot of open space for me to c over, precisely fewer Warriors to stop me.several(prenominal) buildings ringed the arena, some with doors and windows. I moved toward them, though I had nothing to break the glass. Two of the doors had padlocks. That left wing two without.The first one I tried turned out to have some unseen lock and wouldnt open. Frantic, I ran to the second and heard a shout behind me. The bleach blonde girl had regained her sight and was coming after me. Desperately, I turned the doorknob. Nothing happened. Reaching into my purse, I pulled out what the Warriors had ill-conceived for hand sanitizer. I dumped it out, spilling acid over the metal knob. It melted before my eyes. I hoped that would kill the lock. I threw my shoulder into the door, and it gave. Then I dared a peek behind me. My pursuer was lying on the ground, some other victim of the tranquilizers.I breathed a sigh of relief and pushed through the door. Id expected to enter some other garage like the one Id first been taken to, only instead I found myself in some sort of residential building. The empty hallways turned this way and that, and I felt disoriented. Everyone was at the do in the arena. I passed makeshift bedrooms, filled with cots and parti ally unpacked suitcases and backpacks. When I noticed what looked like an removeice, I hesitated in the doorway. Papers covered large foldout tables inside, and I wondered if any contained useful learning well-nigh the Warriors.I wanted so badly to go in and investigate. These Warriors were a mystery to the Alchemists.Who knew what intel these papers contained? What if there was development that could protect the Moroi? I hesitated for the space of a few heartbeats then reluctantly kept going.The guardians were using tranquilizers, further the Warriors had real guns guns they wouldnt be afraid to use on me. Better to get out of here with the nurture I already had than not get out alive.I reached the far side of the building at last(a) and peered out a bedroom window. It was so dark outside now that I could hardly see anything. I didnt have the benefit of torches anymore.The only thing I could tell for sure was that I was no longer adjacent to the arena. That was good plentif ul for me, though it wouldve been meliorate if there was a door leading outside.Id have to make my own. Grabbing a chair, I swung it into the window and was completely astonished when the glass broke easily. A few shards hit me, but nothing large enough to cause injury. Standing on the chair, I managed to climb out the window without injuring my hands.I was met by a warm, dark night. No electrical lights were visible ahead, just open black land. I took this to mean I was on the opposite side of the compound where Trey had brought me. There were no roads, no sound from the passageway we had traveled. There was also no sign of life anywhere, which I took as a good sign. Hopefully all the Warrior guards who normally paroled the cubic yard were off fighting guardians. If Sonya was out now, my hope was that the guardians would begin retreating and confiscate me along the way. Even if they didnt, I wasnt above walking back to I-10 and hitchhiking.The compound was sprawling and confu sing, and as I walked around it and still saw no sign of the highway, I began to grow uneasy. How turned around had I gotten? I only had a curb amount of time to get off Warrior property. They could be hunting me right now. There was also the draw off problem that once I do it to the periphery, Id have to deal with the electric fence. Still, it tycoon be outflank to forget looking for the freeway and simply make for the edge of the Warriors camp so that I could A hand grabbed my shoulder, and I screamed.Easy there, Sage. Im no gun-toting furious guy. Crazy, yes. But not the rest. I stared in disbelief, not that I could authentically make out very much of the tall, dark figure standing over me. Adrian? The upper side was right, as was the build. As I stared, I became more and more certain. His hands steadied my shaking. I was so glad to see a friendly face to see him that I nearly sank into his arms in relief. It is you. Howd you find me?Youre the only human out here with a yellow and purple aura, he said. Makes you easy to spot.No, I mean, howd you find me here? At the compound?I followed the others. They told me not to, but well. In the calorie-free moonlight I could barely see his shrug. I dont follow directions well. When Castile came out with Sonya and started babbling close how youd kaput(p) out some random door, I thought Id take a quick walk around.I dont suppose I was supposed to do that either, but the guardians were affable of busy.You are crazy, I snapped, despite how happy I was to know I hadnt been abandoned in this miserable place. The Warriors are so mad that theyd belike kill a Moroi on sight if they saw you.He tugged my hand foregoing. Even through his banter, thered been a hard tone to his playscripts. He was fully aware of the danger we faced. Then wed better get out of here. Adrian led me back in the direction Id come, then went around the opposite side of the building. I didnt see the freeway lights yet, but he soon tur ned and began running toward the propertys far edge, away from the building. I ran on base him, still holding his hand.Where are we going? I shooted.The guardians assembled near the back side of the compound, so they wouldnt be spotted.That part of the fence has been deactivated if you can climb it.Of course I can climb it. Im practically a prodigy in PE, I pointed out. The question is, can you, Mr. Smoker?The fence began to come into focus as we approached, mostly because its shape blocked some of the stars. Thats the section. Behind the scraggly scrubbing, Adrian said. I couldnt see any bush but trusted in his eyes. Go a little ways past that, and theres this country highway that the guardians used as a staging point. Im parked there. We came to a halt in front of the fence, two of us a little breathless. I peered upward.Youre sure its still off?It was when we came in, said Adrian, but I could hear a little uncertainty in his articulate.You think those guys would have gotten their act together enough to fix it already?No, I admitted. But Id still like to know for sure. I mean, most commercialized electric fences wont significantly hurt someone, but we should know. He glanced around. Can we throw a stick at it?Wood doesnt conduct. I rifled through my purse and found what I wanted a metal pen with a foam grip. Hopefully, the foam on this will block the worst of it if the fence really is hot. Trying not to grimace, I reached out and touched the pens barrel to the fence, half-expecting some intense charge to communicate me flying backward. Nothing happened. I slowly ran the pen along the fence, since most electric ones had an intermittent pulse. sustain contact would be needed. Looks clean, I said, exhaling in relief and turning to Adrian. I guess were good to ahhA bright light shone in my eyes, blinding me and killing whatever night vision Id gained out here. I heard Adrian cry out in surprise as well.Its the girl a male voice exclaimed. And and one o f them The flashlight was moved out of my face, and although spots still danced in my vision, I could make out two hulking figures rapidly approaching. Were they armed? My encephalon raced.Whether they were or not, they were still an obvious threat since Warriors evidently liked to practice bashing each other in their free time, and Adrian and I didnt.Dont move, said one of them. A blade shone in the gleam of the lowered flashlight. Not as bad as a gun, but not great either. Youre both coming with us, back inside.Slowly, added the other. Dont try any tricks.Unfortunately for them, I still had a few up my sleeve. Quickly I put the pen back in my purse and grabbed another souvenir from Ms. Terwilligers homework a thin, round wooden bracelet. Before either Warrior could do anything, I snapped the wooden circle into four pieces and tossed them on the ground, calling out another Latin incantation. Again, I felt the rush of power and its exultation. The men cried out Id cast a disorien tation spell, one that messed with equilibrium and make vision blurry and surreal. It worked a lot like the blindness spell, affecting those around me.I lunged forward and pushed one of our assailants down. He fell easily, too incapacitated by the spell to resist. The other guy was so distraught that hed dropped the flashlight and was practically on the ground already as his attempts at balance failed. Nonetheless, I gave him a good kick to the chest to make sure he stayed down and grabbed his flashlight in the process. I didnt necessarily need it with Adrians night vision, but these two would now be helpless in the dark when the spell wore off.Sage What the hell did you do to me?Turning, I saw Adrian clinging to the fence, using it to hold himself up. In my eagerness to stop the Warriors, Id forgotten the spell affected everyone near me.Oh, I said. Sorry.Sorry? My legs dont workIts your interior(a) ear, actually. Come on. Grab the fence and climb. One hand in front of the other.I caught hold as well and urged him up. It wasnt the most difficult fence to climb it wasnt electrified or barbed and having it for support negated some of Adrians disorientation. Nonetheless, it was still slow going as we made it toward the top. This spell lasted a little longer than the blindness one, but I was painfully aware that as soon as Adrian was free from it, the Warriors would be too.Against all odds, we made it to the top of the fence. Getting over to the other side was much more difficult, and I had to do a fair amount of acrobatics to help Adrian make the transition while keeping myself steady. Finally, I wrangled him into the compensate position to climb down.Good, I said. Now just reverse what you did before, one hand down in front of the Something slipped, either his hand or foot, and Adrian plummeted to the ground. It wasnt that long of a drop, and his height helped a little not that he was in any shape to actually use his legs and land on his feet. I winced.O r you can just take the short way down, I said.I quickly scaled down after him and helped him stand. Aside from the spells debilitation, he didnt seem to have suffered any damage. Slipping an arm around him and permit him lean his weight on me, I attempted to run toward the road hed mentioned, which was now slightly visible. rails was difficult, however. It was hard work keeping Adrian up and I kept stumbling.Still, we made our way slowly from the compound, which was about as much as we could hope for. Adrians state made him clumsy and heavy, and his height was a real inconvenience.Then, without warning, the spell wore off, and Adrian instantly recovered. His legs strengthened and his unwieldy gait straightened out. Suddenly, it was as though he were carrying me, and we practically tripped over each other trying to adjust.You okay? I asked, letting go.I am now. What the hell was that? Its not important. What is important is that those guys have recovered too. Maybe I knocked them down hard enough to slow them down. That seemed kind of unlikely. But run anyway.We ran, and even if he undoubtedly had the respiratory system of a chain smoker, his long legs made up for it. He could easily outdistance me but slowed so that we stayed together.Whe neer he started to get ahead, hed grab my hand again. Shouts sounded behind us, and I turned off the flashlight to make us harder to spot.There, said Adrian. fill the cars?Slowly, out of the darkness, two SUVs materialized, along with a much more conspicuous yellow Mustang.Very covert, I muttered.Most of the guardians have gotten away, said Adrian. But not everyone. Before I could respond, someone grabbed me from behind. In a maneuver that would have made Wolfe proud, I managed the backward kick that hed tried so hard to see us. It caught my attacker by surprise, and he released me, only for his companion to shove me to the ground.Three figures ran toward us from the cars and hurled themselves at our attackers. convey t o his signature duster, I knew Dimitri led the group.Get out of here, he called to Adrian and me. You know where to meet. Well cover you.Drive flying theyll probably be on the road soon.Adrian helped me up, and once again we ran together. Id hurt my ankle in the fall, so I moved slowly, but Adrian helped me along and let me lean on him. All the while, my heart was threaten to pound out of my chest, even when we reached the safety of the Mustang.He guided me to the passenger side. Can you get in okay?Im fine, I said, sliding in and unwilling to admit the pain was growth. I prayed I hadnt slowed us too much. I couldnt stand the thought of being the one responsible for Adrians capture.Satisfied, Adrian raced over to the drivers side and started the car. The railway locomotive roared to life, and he followed Dimitris orders to the letter, peeling out at a speed I was envious of. Out on this country highway, however, it seemed unlikely there were any cops. I glanced behind us a few t imes, but by the time we made it to I-10, it was obvious no one had followed us. I sighed gratefully and leaned my head against the seat, though I was still a long way from being calm. I couldnt assume we were safe yet.Okay, I said. How on earth did you guys find me?Adrian didnt answer right away. When he did, I could tell it was with great reluctance.Eddie put a tracking device in your purse, back at my place.What? He couldnt have They searched me.Well, Im sure it didnt look like one. I dont know what he ended up getting. He got it from your people, actually. As soon as Trey confirmed the meeting tonight, Belikov was on the phone with every guardian in a two-hour radius, trying to recruit backup. He called the Alchemists too and convinced them to share some tech.There were so many crazy things about what hed just said, I didnt know where to begin parsing it. All sorts of wheeling and dealing had gone on without me realizing it. And even when it had been settled, no one had told me about it. Plus, the Alchemists had been involved?Helping the guardians to track me?The earrings, I said. Thats where they came from. The tracker must be in one of them. I never would have guessed.Im not surprised, knowing the way you guys work.The rest of tonights naive realism began to sink in. The last of my fear subsided only to be replaced by anger. You lied to me All of you You should have told me what you were doing that you were tracking me and planning a raid How could you keep that from me? He sighed. I didnt want to, believe me. I told them over and over they needed to get you in the loop. But everyone was afraid youd refuse to take the device if you knew about it. Or that youd somehow slip up and give away the plan to those nuts. I didnt believe that, though.And yet, you didnt have words telling me yourself, I snapped, still outraged.I couldnt They made me promise not to.Somehow, his betrayal hurt worsened than all the others. I had come to trust him implicitly.How co uld he do this to me? No one believed Id be able to blabber the Warriors down, so everyone just made contingency plans without me. Never mind that I hadnt been able to talk them down. Someone should have told me. You should have told me. There was legitimate pain and regret in his voice. Im telling you, I wanted to. But I was trapped. You of all people should know what its like being caught between groups, Sage. Besides, dont you phone what I said just before you got in the car with Trey? I did, actually. Almost word for word. No consider what happens, I want you to know that I never doubted what youre going to do. Its smart, and its brave.I slouched make headway into my seat and felt like I was on the verge of tears. Adrian was right. I did know what it was like to have your loyalty stretched between different groups. I understood the position hed been in. It was just, some selfish part of me wished that Id been the one his loyalty had been strongest to. He tried, an inner voic e said. He tried to tell you.The meeting spot that Dimitri had told Adrian to go to turned out to be Clarences house.The place was crawling with guardians, some of whom were patching up each others injuries.No one had been killed on either side, something the guardians had been very cautious about. The Warriors of Light already thought vampires were twisted and corrupt. They didnt need more fuel added to the fire.Not that tonights raid was probably going to help matters. I had no tip how the Warriors would react or if there might be some lethal retaliation in store. I supposed the guardians and Alchemists had taken that into consideration. I wondered bitterly if any of them would share their opinions on it with me.I know better than to offer to heal you, Adrian told me, as we squeezed past a group of guardians. Grab a seat in the living room, and Ill get you some ice. I started to say I could get my own, but my ankle was growing increasingly painful. With a nod, I left him and made my way to the living room. A couple of unvalued guardians were there, along with a beaming Clarence. To my surprise, Eddie and Angeline were also in there, sitting side by side and holding hands?Sydney he exclaimed. He immediately released Angelines hand and hurried over to me, astonishing me with a hug. give thanks God youre okay. I hated having to leave you there.That wasnt part of the plan. I was supposed to have gotten you out with Sonya.Yeah, well, maybe next time, someone can fill me in on the plan, I said pointedly.Eddie grimaced. Im sorry about that. I really am. We justI know, I know. Didnt think Id go along with it, were afraid something would go wrong, etc., etc.Im sorry.I didnt entirely forgive him, but I was too tired to push the matter much further. Just tell me this, I said, lowering my voice. Were you just holding hands with Angeline? He blushed, which seemed sozzled after the fierceness Id seen him pull off back at the compound. Er, yeah. We were just talking. I mean, that is I think we might go out sometime.Not at school, of course, since everyone thinks were related. And probably not anything serious. I mean, shes still a little out there, but shes not as bad as I used to think. And she was really great in that battle. I feel like maybe I should get my head out of the fantasy with Jill and try some normal dating. If youll let me borrow your car. I had to pick my jaw up off the floor. Sure, I said. Far be it for me to stop a budding romance. Should I tell him Jill might not be such a fantasy after all? I didnt want to meddle. Eddie deserve to be happy, but I couldnt help but feel a little bad that Id told Jill he might be interested.I hope I hadnt made things more complicated.Adrian returned with a bag of ice. I sat down in an armchair, and he helped position the ice on my ankle after I propped it up on a footstool. I relaxed as the ice began numbing the pain and hoped I hadnt miserable anything.Isnt this exciting? Clarence asked me. Finally, you were able to see the vampire hunters for yourselvesI wasnt sure Id describe the night with that much enthusiasm, but I did have to concede a point to him. You were right, I said. Im sorry for not believing you sooner. He gave me a kind smile. Its all right, my dear. I probably wouldnt have believed a crazy old man either.I smiled in return and then thought of something from earlier. Mr. Donahue you said when you encountered the hunters before that a human named Marcus Finch intervened on your behalf.Clarence nodded eagerly. Yes, yes. Nice young man, that Marcus. Certainly hope I run into him again someday.Was he an Alchemist? I asked. see Clarences puzzled look, I tapped my cheek. Did he have a tattoo like mine?Like yours? No, no. It was different. Hard to explain. I leaned forward. But he did have a tattoo on his cheek?Yes. Didnt you see in the picture?What picture?Clarences gaze turned inward. I couldve sworn I showed you some of my old pictures, back when Lee and Ta mara were young ah, such good days those were. I worked hard to stay patient. Clarences moments of coherency were sometimes hard to get a hold of. And Marcus? You have a picture of him too?Of course. A lovely one of the two of us. Ill find it one day and show you. I wanted to ask him if hed show it to me now, but with his place so crowded, it didnt seem like the right time.Dimitri arrived shortly thereafter, along with the last of the guardians whod been at the compound. Dimitri immediately asked about Sonya, who Id learned was resting in her bedroom.Adrian had offered to heal her, but Sonya had had enough clarity of mind to refuse him, saying she simply wanted blood and rest and a chance for the drugs to wear off naturally.Once Dimitri got this report and could rest easy about Sonya, he came straight to me, looking down from his reverend height at where I sat with my ice. Im sorry, he said. I know you must have heard by now what happened.That I was sent into a dangerous situation with only half the information I needed? I asked. Yeah, I heard all about that.Im not a fan of lies and half truths, he said. I wished thered been another way. We had so little time, and this just seemed like the best option. No one doubted your ability to intellectual and make a compelling case. It was the Warriors ability to listen and see reason that we didnt believe in.I can see why you guys didnt trust me with the plan. Near me, I saw Adrian bound at the way I said you guys. I hadnt intentionally meant anything by it but realized now that it sounded very condescending and Alchemist so Us versus Them. But I still cant believe the Alchemists went along with that that they condoned keeping me out of the loop. There were no free chairs left, so Dimitri simply sat down cross-legged. Theres not much I can tell you about that. Like I said, it was all short notice, and when I stave with Donna Stanton, she felt it would be safer all around if you didnt know what was coming. If it makes you feel better, she was very adamant about us keeping you safe once we were there.Maybe, I said. Itd be better still if shed thought about how I might feel when I found out I wasnt trusted with vital information.She did think about it, said Dimitri, looking slightly uncomfortable. She said you wouldnt mind because you understand the importance of not questioning your superiors decisions and that you know what they do is for the best. She said youre an exemplary Alchemist. Dont question. They know whats best. We cant take any chances.Of course she did, I said. I never question anything.