Last Sacrifice

simple spell. Doing it even once is monumental. Twice? Well, you and I both know how spirit works, and this feat takes a toll on both body and mind. Robert has made a great sacrifice for you.'

He had, I supposed. 'Thank you, Robert,' I said. The words came hesitantly to my lips. Robert didn't seem to hear.

Dimitri stood up, lifting Sonya easily in his arms. She was still crying, but her sobs were quieter now.

'She needs to rest,' he said gruffly. 'Believe me, you have no idea what's going on inside her right now.'

'Oh, I believe you,' I said.

'You're idiots,' snapped Victor. 'Both of you.'

It was a wonder Dimitri's glare didn't pin Victor to the floor. 'No interrogation yet.'

I nodded my agreement, not knowing what else to do. When Lissa had changed Dimitri, she'd taken on a fierce, similarly protective attitude. He might not have been the one to change Sonya, but he was the only one here who had any idea what she was going through. I knew he'd had a hard adjustment and that the initial effects of the restoration had been disorienting. That wasn't even taking into account the subsequent depression.

He swept past all of us, taking Sonya to her bedroom. Sydney watched them go and then glanced over to the sofa, where Victor still had his arm wrapped around his brother. The Alchemist met my eyes wonderingly.

'I heard . . . but I didn't believe.'

'Sometimes,' I told her, 'I still don't. It goes against every rule of the universe.'

To my surprise, she touched the small gold cross around her neck. 'Some rules are bigger than the universe.'

Victor rose from the couch, apparently satisfied Robert was resting. I tensed up. Miracles aside, he was still a criminal, one I intended to capture. He took a step toward me, pitching his voice low.

'Sorry to interrupt Metaphysics 101, but you need to listen to me,' he said. 'Be careful, Rose. Very careful. A lot rests on you now. Don't let your pet wolf keep you from finding out what Sonya knows.'

'But he's right,' I exclaimed. 'It's been five minutes! What she went through . . . what they both went through . . . well, it's kind of a big deal. Literally life-changing. He had to recover too and adjust to being saved. Once she does, she'll help us.'

'Are you sure?' he asked, narrowing his eyes. 'Will she think she's been saved? You forget: Belikov was turned against his will. She wasn't.'

'W-what are you saying? That she's going to try to become Strigoi again?'

He shrugged. 'I'm saying get your answers soon. And don't leave her alone.'

With that, Victor turned and headed toward the kitchen. He soon returned with a glass of water. Robert drank it greedily and then fell into a heavy sleep. I sighed and leaned against a wall near Sydney, totally worn out. I still hurt from the earlier fight.

'What now?' asked Sydney.

I shook my head. 'I don't know. We wait, I guess.'

Dimitri returned a little while later and spared a small glance for Robert. 'She's sleeping too,' he told me. 'The transformation . . . it's difficult.' I could see a haunted look in his eyes and wondered what memory was tormenting him now. The memory of being changed? The memory of being Strigoi?

'I don't think we should leave Sonya alone,' I said. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Victor smirk. 'Someone should stay with her in case she wakes up. She won't know what's going on.'

Dimitri didn't answer for a few seconds as he scrutinized me. He knew me well enough to sense there might be something else on my mind. Fortunately, he couldn't find a fault in my logic.

'You're right. Do you mind sitting with her?' he asked Sydney.

I groped for something to say. No, no. Not Sydney. If Sonya did turn on us, we needed someone else on guard—someone who could fight back. Sydney, probably guessing my problem, saved me from lying to Dimitri—or from telling him the truth about my concerns.

'She doesn't know me. It might make things worse when she wakes up. Besides . . .' Sydney put on that disgusted expression that Alchemists excelled at. 'I don't really feel that comfortable with someone who was a monster five minutes ago.'

'She's not Strigoi,' he exclaimed. 'She's absolutely, completely Moroi again!' Even I felt a little cowed by the harshness of his voice, but I wasn't entirely surprised at his vehement reaction. He'd had a hard time convincing others he'd changed. His face softened a little. 'I know it's hard to believe, but she really has changed.'

'I'll stay with her then,' I said.

'No, no.' Dimitri shook his head. 'Sydney's right about one thing: Sonya might be confused. It's better if someone's there who understands what's happened.'

I started to argue that I was the only one Sonya really knew but then decided I'd rather stay with the brothers. They seemed harmless now, but I didn't trust them. Dimitri apparently didn't either. He took a few steps forward and leaned down, speaking only an inch from my ear.

'Keep an eye on them,' he murmured. 'Robert's down right now but might recover sooner than we think.'

'I know.'

He started to turn, then glanced back at me. His commander face had softened into something thoughtful and awestruck. 'Rose?'

'Yeah?'

'That . . . was that what it was like when Lissa changed me?'

'More or less.'

'I didn't realize . . . it was . . .' He struggled for words. It was uncharacteristic. 'The way that light filled the room, the way she changed. Seeing that life emerge from death . . . it was . . .'

'Beautiful?'

He nodded. 'Life like that . . . you don't—no, you can't waste it.'

'No,' I agreed. 'You can't.'

I saw something shift in him then. It was small, just like in the alley, but I knew then another piece of the Strigoi-trauma had peeled away.

He said no more, and I watched as he walked back down the hall. With nothing else to do, Sydney sat down cross-legged on the floor, holding a book in her lap. It was closed, her thoughts clearly elsewhere. Meanwhile, Victor sat back in the armchair and reclined it. He didn't look as bad as Robert, but lines of fatigue showed on both brothers. Good. The longer they were out of commission, the better. I brought in a chair from the kitchen so I could sit and survey the room. Everything was peaceful.

I felt like a babysitter, which I suppose I kind of was. It had been a long day, and night soon turned the windows black. This made worried me. For all I knew, Sonya had some Strigoi pals who might stop by. The fact that Donovan knew her certainly indicated she wasn't a total outcast among them. It made me extra-vigilant, but at the same time, I was exhausted. The brothers were already asleep. Sydney, perhaps in an attempt to keep her human schedule, eventually found a spare blanket and pillow and curled up in a makeshift bed on the floor.

And me? I was halfway between human and vampiric schedules. I had a feeling Dimitri was the same. Really, we were on a do-what's-necessary schedule, in which extensive sleep was not an option.

A hum of excitement and astonishment suddenly sang through the bond. I sensed no danger or threat, but curiosity made me decide to check in with Lissa anyway. Even if I was in her mind, I knew my body would stay watchful, and I wanted to know how the rest of Lissa's test had gone.

Beautifully, of course. She rode back to Court, exhausted but proud of herself. She wasn't the only one. The rest of her companions all wore similar expressions . . . all except for Ava Drozdov. She had been the only one to break and use the cell phone to call for help. Lissa was surprised that Ava had cracked. After his earlier bitching, Marcus Lazar had seemed the most likely to bail. But no, the old man had managed it somehow, meaning he'd continue on in the monarch trials. Ava refused to make eye contact with anyone, instead staring bleakly out the window as they traveled back to Court. She would still hold a Council spot, but her shot at being queen was gone.

Lissa felt bad for her but couldn't spare too much concern. It was the way of the trials, the way they determined the best candidates. Besides, Lissa had her own issues. Staying out in the daytime had run contrary to