Bloodlines

screw up because no one trusts me since helping your pal Rose. You think this is fun? You want to live my life? Then do it. Step right up, and you start taking responsibility for a change.”

I hadn’t yelled, but my volume had certainly gone up. I’d pretty much delivered my speech without taking a breath and now paused for some oxygen. Eddie and Jill stared at me, wide-eyed, as though they didn’t recognize me.

Mrs. Weathers returned to us just then. “That’s enough for tonight. You need to go upstairs now,” she told Jill.

Jill nodded, still a little stunned, and hurried away without saying goodbye to any of us. Mrs. Weathers walked her to the stairs, and Eddie turned to me. His face was pale and solemn.

“You’re right,” he said. “I haven’t been pulling my share.”

I sighed, suddenly feeling exhausted. “You’re not as bad as they are.”

He shook his head. “Still. You might be right about Micah. Maybe he’ll keep some distance if I talk to him, and then Laurel will lay off Jill. I’ll ask him tonight. But . . .” He frowned, choosing his words carefully. “Try not to be too hard on Adrian and Jill. This is stressful for her, and sometimes I think a little of Adrian’s personality is leaking into her through the bond. I’m sure that’s why she ran off today. It’s something he’d do in her situation.”

“No one forced her to do it,” I said. “Least of all Adrian. The fact that she coaxed Lee and didn’t tell us shows that she knew it was wrong. That’s free will. And Adrian has no such excuses.”

“Yeah . . . but he’s Adrian,” said Eddie lamely. “Sometimes I don’t know how much of what he does is him and how much is spirit.”

“Spirit users can take antidepressants, can’t they? If he’s worried about it becoming a problem, then he needs to step up and take charge. He has a choice. He’s not helpless. There are no victims here.”

Eddie studied me for several seconds. “And I thought I had a harsh view on life.”

“You have a harsh life,” I corrected. “But yours is built around the idea that you always have to take care of other people. I was raised to believe that’s necessary sometimes but that everyone still needs to try to take care of themselves.”

“And yet here you are.”

“Tell me about it. You want to come talk to Lee with me?”

All apology vanished from Eddie’s face. “Yes,” he said fiercely.

We found Lee sitting on a bench outside, looking miserable. He jumped up when we approached. “You guys, I’m so sorry! I shouldn’t have done it. She just sounded so sad and so lost that I wanted to—”

“You know how protective we are of her,” I said. “How could you have not thought that this would worry us?”

“And she’s a minor,” said Eddie. “You can’t just take her away and do whatever you want with her!”

I admit, I was a little surprised that the threat to Jill’s virtue was what he chose to bring up. Don’t get me wrong—I was also conscious of her age. But after he saw her literally die, it seemed like Eddie would be worried about more than making out.

Lee’s gray eyes went wide. “Nothing happened! I would never do anything like that to her. I promise! I’d never take advantage of someone so trusting. I can’t ruin this. She means more to me than any other girl I’ve dated. I want us to be together forever.”

I thought being “together forever” was extreme at their ages, but there was a sincerity in his eyes that was touching. It still didn’t excuse what he’d done. He took our lecturing seriously and promised there would never be a repeat.

“But please . . . can I still see her when you’re around? Can we still do group things?”

Eddie and I exchanged glances. “If she’s even allowed to leave campus after this,” I said. “I really don’t know what’s going to happen.”

Lee left after a few more apologies, and Eddie also returned to his dorm. I was walking upstairs when my phone rang. Glancing down, I was startled to see my parents’ number in Salt Lake City on the caller ID.

“Hello?” I asked. For a frantic moment, I hoped it was Zoe.

“Sydney.”

My father. My stomach filled with dread.

“We need to talk about what’s happened.”

Panic shot through me. How had he found out about Jill’s disappearance already? Keith jumped out as the obvious culprit. But how had Keith found out? Had he been at Clarence’s when Eddie called Adrian? Despite his flaws, I couldn’t imagine Adrian telling Keith what had happened.

“Talk about what?” I asked, playing for time.

“Your behavior. Keith called me last night, and I must say, I’m very disappointed.”

“Last night?” This wasn’t about Jill’s disappearance. So what was it about?

“You’re supposed to be coordinating efforts for that Moroi girl to blend in. You aren’t supposed to be out socializing with them and having a good time! I could hardly believe it when Keith said you took them out bowling.”

“It was mini-golf, and Keith okayed it! I asked him first.”

“And then I hear you’re helping all these other vampires run errands and whatnot. Your duty is only to the girl, and that is to do only what’s necessary for her survival—which I also hear you aren’t doing. Keith tells me there was an incident where you didn’t properly handle her difficulties in the sun?”

“I reported that immediately!” I cried. I’d known Keith was planning to use that against me. “Keith—” I paused, thinking about the best way to handle this. “Misunderstood my initial report.” Keith had blown off my initial report, but telling my father his protégé had lied would just put my father’s defenses up. He wouldn’t believe me. “And Keith’s one to talk! He’s always hanging out with Clarence and won’t say why.”

“Probably to make sure he remains stable. I understand the old man isn’t all there.”

“He’s obsessed with vampire hunters,” I explained. “He thinks there are humans out there that killed his niece.”

“Well,” said my father, “there are some humans out there who catch on to the vampire world, those whom we can’t dissuade. Hardly hunters. Keith’s doing his duty by enlightening Clarence. You, however, are misguided.”

“That’s not a fair comparison!”

“Honestly, I blame myself,” he said. Somehow I doubted that. “I shouldn’t have let you go. You weren’t ready—not after what you went through. Being with these vampires is confusing you. That’s why I’m recalling you.”

“What?”

“If I had my way, it’d be right now. Unfortunately, Zoe won’t be ready for another two weeks. The Alchemists want her to undergo some testing before she gets her tattoo. Once she does, we’ll send her in your place and get you . . . some help.”

“Dad! This is crazy. I’m doing fine here. Please, don’t send Zoe—”

“I’m sorry, Sydney,” he said. “You’ve left me no choice. Please don’t get into trouble in your remaining time.”

He disconnected, and I stood in the hall, my heart sinking. Two weeks! Two weeks and they were sending Zoe. And me . . . where were they sending me? I didn’t want to think about it, but I knew. I needed to stop this from happening. Wheels were already in motion. The tattoos, I suddenly thought. If I could finish my tests on the stolen substances and find out info about the blood supplier, I would earn the Alchemists’ regard—hopefully enough to take away the taint that Keith had put on me.

And why had he done it? Why now? I knew he’d never wanted me along. Maybe he had just been biding his time, building up evidence against me until he could get me ousted in one fell swoop. I wouldn’t let him, though. I’d bust open this tattoo case and prove who the stellar Alchemist was. I had enough evidence now to get their attention and would simply turn in what I had if nothing new came to light within a week.

The decision filled me with resolve, but I still had trouble sleeping when I went to bed later. My father’s threat hung over me, as did my fear of the re-education centers.

After about an hour of tossing and turning I finally dozed off. But even that was fitful and troubled. I woke up