The Golden Lily (36 page)

But if he was a human that talked these crazy people down, then he must have some kind of integrity.

“Why wouldn’t I?” I asked. “He was able to see right from wrong.”

“Why wouldn’t I?” I asked. “He was able to see right from wrong.”

Even Master Angeletti chuckled now. “I would never have expected an Alchemist to praise his sense of ‘right and wrong.’ I thought your own views of that were immovable.”

“What are you talking about?” I didn’t mean to get derailed, but these comments were too puzzling.

“Marcus Finch betrayed the Alchemists,” explained Master Angeletti. “You didn’t know? I assumed a rogue Alchemist is the last person you’d use to make your case.” I was momentarily speechless. Was he saying … was he saying that Marcus Finch used to be an Alchemist? No. He saying that Marcus Finch used to be an Alchemist? No. He couldn’t be. If he had been, then Stanton would have known who he was. Unless she lied about not having any record of him, a voice in my head warned.

Master Jameson had apparently heard enough from me. “We appreciate you coming out here and respect your attempt to stand up for what you believe is true.

We’re also glad you were able to see just how strong we’ve become. I hope you’ll take this news back to your order. If anything, your attempts here have demonstrated what we’ve long known: our groups need each other. Clearly, the Alchemists have gleaned a lot of knowledge over the years that could be very useful to us—just as our strength could be useful to you. Nonetheless,” he glanced over toward Sonya and scowled, “the point remains now that whatever your intentions, you truly have been deceived. Even if there’s some tiny impossible chance that you’re right, that she truly is a Moroi … we can’t take the chance that she’s still been corrupted. Even if she believes she’s been restored, she may still have been subconsciously influenced.” Again, I was speechless—but not because I appeared to have lost my case. Master Jameson’s words were nearly identical to what Keith’s father had said, when he’d told me Keith would be taken back to Re-education. Mr. Darnel had echoed the sentiment, that they couldn’t take the risk of even a subtle bit of influence affecting Keith. Extreme actions had been required.

We’re the same, I thought. The Alchemists and the Warriors.

Years have divided us, but we came from the same place—in both our goals and blind attitudes.

And then Master Jameson said the most shocking thing of al.

“Even if she is just a Moroi, it’s no great loss. We’ll come for them eventualy anyway, once we’ve defeated the Strigoi.” I froze at those words. The blonde girl came forward and again forced me to sit down on the first row of the bleachers. I offered no resistance, too shocked at what I’d just heard. What did they mean they’d come for the Moroi? Sonya could just be the beginning, then the rest of my friends, and then Adrian …

Master Angeletti snapped me back to the present. He made a grand gesture toward Chris as he spoke. “By the divine power we have been granted to bring light and purity into this world, you are authorized to destroy this creature. Commence.” Chris raised the sword, a fanatical gleam in his eyes. A happy gleam, even. He wanted to do this. He wanted to kil. Dimitri and Rose had kiled many, many times, but both had told me there was no joy in it. They were glad to do what was right and defend others, but they didn’t take pleasure in bringing death. I’d been taught the existence of vampires was wrong and twisted, but what I was about to witness was the true atrocity. These were the monsters.

I wanted to scream or cry or throw myself in front of Sonya.

We were a heartbeat away from the death of a bright, caring person. Then, without warning, the silence of the arena was pierced with gunfire. Chris paused and lifted his head in surprise.

I flinched and looked immediately toward the armed escort, wondering if they’d take it upon themselves to become a firing wondering if they’d take it upon themselves to become a firing squad. They looked just as surprised as me—wel, most of them.

Two of them didn’t show much emotion at al—because they were crumpled on the ground.

And that was when Dimitri and Eddie burst into the arena.

SHOTS RANG OUT across the arena, taking down several more armed Warriors. I realized that Dimitri and Eddie weren’t alone

—because neither was holding a gun. The shots were coming from the roofs of the compound buildings that surrounded the arena. Chaos broke out as the gathered spectators jumped to their feet to join in the fray. My breath caught as I realized that many of them had their own weapons too. I was shocked to notice that the falen Warrior on the ground next to me wasn’t bleeding. A small dart hung from his shoulder. The sharpshooters’ “bulets” must have been tranquilizers. Who were they?

I looked back toward the entrance and saw that a few others with the look of guardians had entered the arena and were fighting with some of the Warriors, including Chris. This provided cover for Dimitri and Eddie to free Sonya. A flash of strawberry blonde hair caught my eye near them, and I recognized Angeline’s lithe figure. Dimitri efficiently cut Sonya’s straps then helped lift her toward Eddie. A zealous Warrior came at them, and Angeline quickly knocked him out—as though he were a motivational speaker.

motivational speaker.

Beside me, one of the masters shouted, “Get the Alchemist girl! Hold her hostage! They’ll negotiate for her!” The Alchemist girl. Right. That would be me.

In the roar of fighting, hardly anyone heard 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 longer afraid. With reflexes I didn’t know I had, I reached into my purse and puled out the so-caled “potpourri.” I ripped it open and flung it out around me, shouting a Latin incantation that translated roughly to “see no more.” Compared to the scrying spell, this one was astonishingly easy. It required will on my part, certainly, but most of the magic was tied into the physical components and didn’t need the hours of concentration that the other one had. The power surged through me almost instantly, filing me with a thril I hadn’t 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. I’d cast a blindness spell, one that would affect those near me for about thirty seconds. Some part of me knew that wielding magic was wrong, but the rest of me felt triumphant at stopping some of these trigger-happy fanatics, if only temporarily. I didn’t 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.

“Sydney!”

I don’t know how I managed to hear my name above all that noise. Glancing behind me, I saw Eddie and Angeline carrying noise. Glancing behind me, I saw Eddie and Angeline carrying Sonya out through the door. They paused, and a pained look crossed Eddie’s 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 Sonya’s rescue. They outmatched me by a long shot, creating a wall between my friends and me. Even if I didn’t have to actualy fight anyone, it seemed impossible I’d slip by unnoticed

—especialy since several people were still shouting about “that Alchemist girl.”

Shaking my head adamantly, I motioned for Eddie to go on without me. Indecision warred on his face, and I hoped he wouldn’t attempt to break through the throng to get to me. I pointed at the door, again urging him to go. Sonya was the incapacitated one. I would find my own way out. Not waiting to see what he’d do, I turned and continued the way I’d been going. There was a lot of open space for me to cover, but fewer Warriors to stop me.

Several 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 two without.

The first one I tried turned out to have some unseen lock and wouldn’t 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 puled out what the Warriors had mistaken for hand sanitizer. I dumped it out, spiling acid over the metal knob. It melted before my eyes. I spiling 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, another victim of the tranquilizers.

I breathed a sigh of relief and pushed through the door. I’d expected to enter another garage like the one I’d first been taken to, but instead I found myself in some sort of residential building.

The empty halways turned this way and that, and I felt disoriented. Everyone was at the free-for-all in the arena. I passed makeshift bedrooms, filed with cots and partialy unpacked suitcases and backpacks. When I noticed what looked like an office, I hesitated in the doorway. Papers covered large foldout tables inside, and I wondered if any contained useful information about 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 information that could protect the Moroi? I hesitated for the space of a few heartbeats then reluctantly kept going. The guardians were using tranquilizers, but the Warriors had real guns—guns they wouldn’t be afraid to use on me. Better to get out of here with the information I already had than not get out alive.

I reached the far side of the building at last and peered out a bedroom window. It was so dark outside now that I could hardly see anything. I didn’t 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 enough for me, though it adjacent to the arena. That was good enough for me, though it would’ve been better if there was a door leading outside. I’d 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 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 electric 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 highway we had traveled. There was also no sign of life anywhere, which I took as a good sign. Hopefuly all the Warrior guards who normaly paroled the grounds were off fighting guardians. If Sonya was out now, my hope was that the guardians would begin retreating

—and grab me along the way. Even if they didn’t, I wasn’t above walking back to I-10 and hitchhiking.

The compound was sprawling and confusing, 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 limited amount of time to get off Warrior property. They could be hunting me right now. There was also the disconcerting problem that once I made it to the periphery, I’d have to deal with the electric fence. still, it might be best 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. I’m no gun-toting crazy guy. Crazy, yes.

“Easy there, Sage. I’m no gun-toting crazy guy. Crazy, yes.

But not the rest.”

I stared in disbelief, not that I could realy make out much of the tal, dark figure standing over me. “Adrian?” The height 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.

How’d you find me?”

“You’re the only human out here with a yelow and purple aura,” he said. “Makes you easy to spot.”

“No, I mean, how’d you find me here? At the compound?”

“I folowed the others. They told me not to, but … wel.” In the faint moonlight I could barely see his shrug. “I don’t folow directions wel. When Castile came out with Sonya and started babbling about how you’d gone out some random door, I thought I’d take a quick walk around. I don’t think I was supposed to do that either, but the guardians were kind of busy.”

“You are crazy,” I snapped, despite how happy I was to know I hadn’t been abandoned in this miserable place. “The Warriors are so mad that they’d probably kill a Moroi on sight if they saw you.”

He tugged my hand forward. Even through his banter, there’d been a hard tone to his words. He was fuly aware of the danger we faced. “Then we’d better get out of here.” Adrian led me back in the direction I’d come, then went around the opposite side of the building. I didn’t see the freeway lights yet, but he soon turned and began running toward the property’s far edge, away from the building. I ran alongside him, property’s far edge, away from the building. I ran alongside him, still holding his hand.

“Where are we going?” I asked.

“The guardians assembled near the back side of the compound, so they wouldn’t be spotted. That part of the fence has been deactivated—if you can climb it.”

“Of course I can climb it. I’m practicaly 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. “That’s the section. Behind the scraggly bush,” Adrian said. I couldn’t see any bush but trusted in his eyes. “Go a little ways past that, and there’s this country highway that the guardians used as a staging point. I’m parked there.” We came to a halt in front of the fence, both of us a little breathless. I peered upward. “You’re sure it’s still off?”

“It was when we came in,” said Adrian, but I could hear a little uncertainty in his voice. “You think those guys would have gotten their act together enough to fix it already?”

“No,” I admitted. “But I’d still like to know for sure. I mean, most commercial electric fences won’t significantly hurt someone, but we should know.” He glanced around. “Can we throw a stick at it?”

“Wood doesn’t conduct.” I rifled through my purse and found what I wanted: a metal pen with a foam grip. “Hopefuly, the foam on this will block the worst of it if the fence realy is hot.” Trying not to grimace, I reached out and touched the pen’s Trying not to grimace, I reached out and touched the pen’s barrel to the fence, half-expecting some intense charge to send me flying backward. Nothing happened. I slowly ran the pen along the fence, since most electric ones had an intermittent pulse. Sustained contact would be needed. “Looks clean,” I said, exhaling in relief and turning to Adrian. “I guess we’re good to—ahh!” A bright light shone in my eyes, blinding me and kiling whatever night vision I’d gained out here. I heard Adrian cry out in surprise as wel.

“It’s the girl!” a male voice exclaimed. “And … and one of 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 mind raced.

Whether they were or not, they were still an obvious threat since Warriors apparently liked to practice bashing each other in their free time, and Adrian and I didn’t.

Whether they were or not, they were still an obvious threat since Warriors apparently liked to practice bashing each other in their free time, and Adrian and I didn’t.

“Don’t 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. “You’re both coming with us, back inside.”

“Slowly,” added the other. “Don’t 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. Terwiliger’s 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, caling out another Latin incantation. Again, I felt the rush of caling out another Latin incantation. Again, I felt the rush of power and its exultation. The men cried out—I’d cast a disorientation spell, one that messed with equilibrium and made 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 he’d dropped the flashlight and was practicaly 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 didn’t necessarily need it with Adrian’s 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, I’d forgotten the spell affected everyone near me.

“Oh,” I said. “Sorry.”

“Sorry? My legs don’t work!”

“It’s your inner ear, actualy. Come on. Grab the fence and climb. One hand in front of the other.” I caught hold as well and urged him up. It wasn’t the most difficult fence to climb—it wasn’t electrified or barbed—and having it for support negated some of Adrian’s 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 painfuly aware that as soon as Adrian was free from it, the Warriors would be too.

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. Finaly, I wrangled him into the correct position to climb down.