Spirit Bound Chapter Four

I DECIDED ITD BE BEST not to mention my conversation with Adrians arrest to him. I didnt need psychic powers to sense his mixed mood as we walked endure to guest housing. His father had annoyed him, only if his mothers seeming acceptance had cheered him up. I didnt want to damage that by letting Adrian hump she was only okay with our dating because she figured it was a temporary, fun thing.So youre going off with Lissa? he asked when we reached my room.Yup, sorry. You knowgirl stuff. And by girl stuff, I meant breaking and entering.Adrian seemed a little disappointed, but I knew he didnt begrudge our friendship. He gave me a piffling pull a face and wrapped his arms just about my waist, leaning bring to candy kiss me. Our lips met, and that warmth that always surprised me scattering through me. After a hardly a(prenominal) sweet importees, we broke apart(predicate), but the look in his eyes tell it wasnt easy for him.See you late(a)r, I said. He gave me one to a greate r extent quick kiss and then headed off to his own room.I immediately sought out Lissa, who was hanging out in her own room. She was staring intently at a silver spoon, and through our bond, I could sense her intent. She was attempting to infuse it with spirits compulsion, so that whoever held it would cheer up. I wondered if she intended it for herself or was just randomly experimenting. I didnt probe her headland to incur out.A spoon? I asked with amusement.She shrugged and rigid it down. Hey, its not easy to keep getting a hold of silver. I have to bear away what I can get.Well, itd make for happy dinner parties.She smiled and put her feet upon the ebony coffee table that sat in the middle of her little suites living room. Each cadence I saw it, I couldnt help but be reminded of the glossy black furniture that had been in my own prison suite back in Russia. I had fought Dimitri with a stake made from a chairs leg of similar style.Speaking of which how was your dinner party?N ot as bad as I thought, I admitted. I never realized what an asshole Adrians dad was, though. His mom was actually pretty cool. She didnt have a problem with us dating.Yeah, Ive met her. She is nice though I never thought she was nice enough to be okay with scandalous dating. I dont suppose Her Royal Majesty carryed up? Lissa was joking, so my result floored her.She did, and it wasnt awful.What? Did you say wasnt?I know, I know. It was so grim. It was this really quick visit to see Adrian, and she acted like me being on that point was no big deal. I didnt both(prenominal)er delving into the politics of Tatianas views on Moroi training for battle. Of course, who knows what would have happened if she stayed? Maybe she would have turned into her old self. I would have needed a whole set of magic silverware thento stop me from pulling a knife on her.Lissa groaned. Rose, you cannot make those kinds of jokes.I grinned. I say the things youre too afraid to.This made her smile in retur n. Its been a eagle-eyed time since Ive heard that, she said softly. My trip to Russia had fractured our friendshipwhich had ended up showing me just how much it really meant to me.We pass the rest of the time hanging out, talking about Adrian and other gossip. I was meliorate to see shed gotten over her earlier mood about Christian, but as the day progressed, her anxiety grew about our pending mission with Mia.Its going to be okay, I told her when the time came. We were heading back across the Court grounds, dressed in comfortable jeans and T-shirts. It was nice to be free of school curfew, but again, being out in the bright sunlight didnt make me feel very covert. Thisll be easy.Lissa cut me a look but said nothing. The guardians were the security force in our world, and this was their headquarters. Breaking in was going to be anything but easy.Mia looked determined when we reached her, though, and I felt encouraged by her attitudeand that she was wearing all black. True, it wo uldnt do much in sunlight, but it made this all feel more legitimate. I was dying to know what had happened with Christian, and Lissa was too. Again, it was one of those topics best left unexplained.Mia did, however, explain her plan to us, and I honestly felt it had about a 65 percent find oneself of working. Lissa was uneasy about her role since it involved compulsion, but she was a trooper and agreed to do it. We went over everything in detail a few more times and then set out to the building that housed guardian operations. Id been there once before, when Dimitri had taken me to see Victor in the holding cells adjacent to the guardians HQ. Id never spent much time in the main offices before, and as Mia had predicted, they were lightly staffed this time of the day.When we walked in, we were immediately met by a reception area like youd find in any other administrative office. A stern guardian sat at a desk with a computer, filing cabinets and tables all around him. He probably d idnt have much to do at this time of night, but he was withal clearly on high alert. Beyond him was a door, and it held my attention. Mia had explained that it was a gateway to all the guardian secrets, to their records and main officesand surveillance areas that monitored high-risk regions of the Court.Stern or not, the guy had a small smile for Mia. Isnt it a little late for you? You arent here for lessons, are you?She grinned back. He must have been one of the guardians shed grown friendly with during her time at Court. Nah, just up with some friends and wanted to show them around.He arched an eyebrow as he took in me and Lissa. He gave a slight nod of acknowledgment. Princess Dragomir. Guardian Hathaway. Apparently our reputations preceded us. It was the first time Id been turn to by my new title. It startled meand made me feel slightly guilty about betraying the group Id just become a member of.This is weary, explained Mia. Don, the princess has a upgrade to ask. She looked meaningfully at Lissa.Lissa took a deep breath, and I felt the burnings of compulsion magic through our bond as she focused her gaze upon him. Don, she said firmly, place us the keys and codes to the records archives downstairs. And then make sure the cameras in those areas are turned off.He frowned. Why would I however as her eyes keep to hold his, I could see the compulsion seize him. The lines on his face smoothed into compliance, and I breathed a sigh of relief. Plenty of people were fast(a) enough to resist compulsionparticularly that of ordinary Moroi. Lissas was much stronger because of spirit, though you never knew if someone dexterity break through.Of course, he said, standing up. He exposed a desk drawer and handed Mia a set of keys that she promptly gave to me. The code is 4312578.I committed it to memory, and he beckoned us through the all-powerful door. Beyond it, corridors spread in all directions. He pointed to one on our right. Down there. Take a left at the e nd, go downstairs two flights, and its the door on the right.Mia glanced at me to make sure I tacit. I nodded, and she turned back to him. Now make sure the surveillance is off.Take us there, said Lissa firmly.Don couldnt resist her command, and she and Mia followed him, leaving me on my own. This part of the plan was all on me, and I hurried down the hall. The facility cogency be lightly staffed, but I could still run into someoneand would have no compulsion to help me talk my way out of trouble.Dons directions were spot-on, but I still wasnt watchful when I punched in the code and entered the vault. Rows and rows of filing cabinets stretched down a huge hall. I couldnt see the end of it. Drawers were stacked five high, and the faint light lighting and eerie silence gave it all a spooky, almost haunted feel. All the guardians information from before the digital age. God only knew how far back these records went. To medieval days in Europe? I suddenly felt daunted and wondered if I could pull this off.I walked to the first cabinet on my left, relieved to see it was labeled. AA1 it read. Below it was AA2 and so forth. Oh dear. It was going to take me several cabinets to even get out of the As. I was grateful the organization was as simple as alphabetical order, but I now understood why these cabinets went on forever. I had to go back more than three quarters of the way down the room to get to the Ts. And it wasnt until I got to the TA27 drawer that I found the file for Tarasov Prison.I gasped. The file was thick, filled with all sorts of documents. There were pages on the prisons history and its migration patterns, as well as floor plans for each of its locations. I could hardly believe it. So much information but what did I need? What would be utile? The answer came quickly all of it. I shut the drawer and tucked the folder under my arm. Okay. Time to get out of here.I turned around and began heading for the exit at a light jog. Now that I had what I neede d, the urgency of escape was pressing on me. I was almost there when I heard a soft click, and the door opened. I froze as a dhampir I didnt recognize stepped through. He froze as well, clearly astonished, and I took it as a small blessing that he didnt immediately pin me against the wall and start interrogating me.Youre Rose Hathaway, he said. Good lord. Was there anyone who didnt know who I was?I tensed, unsure what to expect now, but spoke as though us meeting here made perfect sense. So it would seem. Who are you?Mikhail Tanner, he said, still puzzled. What are you doing here?Running an errand, I said breezily. I indicated the file. The guardian on duty down here needed something.Youre lying, he said. Im the guardian on archive duty. If someone needed something, they would have sent me.Oh, shit. Talk about best-laid plans failing. Yet as I stood there, a strange thought came to me. His appearance wasnt familiar at all curly brown hair, average height, late twenties. Pretty good- looking, really. But his name something about his nameMs. Karp, I gasped. Youre the one you were involved with Ms. Karp.He stiffened, blue eyes narrowing warily. What do you know about that?I swallowed. What Id doneor tried to do for Dimitriwasnt without precedent. You loved her. You went out to kill her afterwards she after she turned.Ms. Karp had been a teacher of ours a few years ago. Shed been a spirit user, and as the effects of it began to drive her insane, shed done the only thing she could to spell her mind become a Strigoi. Mikhail, her lover, had done the only thing hed known to end that evil state search for and kill her. It occurred to me that I was standing opposite with the hero of a love story nearly as dramatic as my own.But you never found her, I said softly. Did you?He took a long time in answering, his eyes weighing me heavily. I wondered what he was thinking about. Her? His own cark? Or was he analyzing me?No, he said finally. I had to stop. The guardians need ed me more.He spoke in that calm, controlled way that guardians excelled at, but in his eyes, I saw griefa grief I more than understood. I hesitated before taking a shot at the only chance I had to not get busted and end up in a jail cell.I know I know you have every reason to drag me out of here and turn me in. You should. Its what youre supposed to dowhat Id do too. But the thing is, this I again nodded at the folder. Well, Im kind of trying to do what you did. Im trying to save someone.He remained quiet. He could probably guess who I meant and assumed save meant kill. If he knew who I was, hed know who my mentor had been. Few knew about my romantic relationship with Dimitri, but me caring about him would have been a foregone conclusion.Its futile, you know, Mikhail said at last. This time, his voice cracked a little. I tried I tried so hard to find her. But when they melt when they dont want to be found He shook his head. Theres nothing we can do. I understand why you want to do it. Believe me, I do. But its impossible. Youll never find him if he doesnt want you to.I wondered how much I could tell Mikhailhow much I should. It occurred to me then that if there was anyone else in this world who understood what I was going through, it would be this man. Besides, I didnt have a lot of options here.The thing is, I think I can find him, I said slowly. Hes looking for me.What? Mikhails eyebrows rose. How do you know?Because he, um, sends me letters about it.That fierce warrior look immediately returned. If you know this, if you can find him you should get backup to kill him.I flinched at those last words and again feared what I had to say next. Would you believe me if I said there was a way to save him?You mean by destroying him.I shook my head. No I mean really save. A way to restore him to his original state.No, Mikhail said swiftly. Thats impossible.It might not be. I know someone who did itwho turned a Strigoi back. Okay, that was a small lie. I didnt actually know the person, but I wasnt going to get into the string of knowing-someone-who-knew-someoneThats impossible, Mikhail repeated. Strigoi are dead. Undead. aforementioned(prenominal) difference.What if there was a chance? I said. What if it could be done? What if Ms. Karpif Sonyacould become Moroi again? What if you could be together again? Itd also mean shed be crazy again, but that was a technicality for later.It felt like an eternity before he answered, and my anxiety grew. Lissa couldnt compel forever, and Id told Mia I would be fast. This plan would fall apart if I didnt get out soon. Yet, watching him deliberate, I could see his mask falter. After all this time, he still loved his Sonya.If what youre saying is trueand I dont believe itthen Im coming with you.Whoa, no. Not in the plan. You cant, I said swiftly. Ive already got people in place. Another small lie. Adding more might ruin things. Im not doing it alone, I said, cutting off what I figured would be his next argument. If you really want to help mereally want to take a chance on pitch her backyou need to let me go.Theres no way it can be true, he repeated. But there was disbelieve in his voice, and I played on it.Can you take that chance?More silence. I was starting to sweat now. Mikhail closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. Then he stepped aside and gestured to the door. Go.I nearly sagged in relief and immediately grabbed the door handle. Thank you. Thank you so much.I could get in a lot of trouble for this, he said wearily. And I still dont believe its possible.But you hope it is. I didnt need a response from him to know I was right. I opened the door, but before going through, I paused and glanced at him. This time, he no longer hid the grief and pain in his face. If you mean it if you want to help there might be a way you can.Another piece of the puzzle had unraveled itself for me, another way we might pull this off. I explained what I needed from him and was surprised at ho w quickly he agreed. He really was like me, I realized. We both knew the idea of bringing back Strigoi was impossible and yet we so, so wanted to believe it could be doneI slipped back upstairs alone after that. Don wasnt at his desk, and I wondered what Mia had done with him. I didnt wait to find out and instead headed outside, off to a small courtyard that wed established as our rendezvous point. Mia and Lissa were both waiting there, pacing. No longer distracted with anxiety, I opened myself to the bond and felt Lissas agitation.Thank God, she said when she saw me. We thought youd been caught.Well its a long story. One I didnt bother with. I got what I needed. And I actually got a whole lot more. I think we can do this.Mia gave me a look that was both wry and wistful. I sure do wish I knew what you guys were doing.I shook my head as the three of us walked away. No, I replied. Im not sure that you do.