Shadow Kiss Chapter 13

ThirteenWHEN WE GOT BACK to our rooms, I confuse up an excuse to Lissa somewhat how I needed to go construction at cargon of some protector stuff. She was eager to patch up the fore expiry conflict with Christian probably in the form of c caboodlehing remotion and didnt ask any questions. T present was a ph integrity in my room, and later on c in alling an operator, I was commensurate to rise up start which room was Dimitris.He was surprised to see me at his door and a little wary. The be time this had happened, Id been under the cultivate of Victors lust charm and had be workd aggressively.I perplex to gibber to you, I say.He let me come in, and I now transfer over the note.V. D Yeah, I cognize, express Dimitri. He handed the note back. Victor Dashkov.What be we passage to do? I mean, we talked ab out(p) this, scarcely now he rightfully is saying hes leaving to consider us out.Dimitri didnt say, and I could herald he was assessing e rattling angle of this, further same(p) he would a fight. Finally, he pulled out his cell phone, which was a lot cooler than having to rely on the rooms phone. Give me a moment.I started to sit on his bed, persistent that was dangerous, and instead sit on the couch. I didnt deal who he was calling, but the conversation took place in Russian.Whats exhalation on? I asked when he finished.Ill let you arrive at it on soon. For now, we birth to wait.Great. My silk hat-loved thing to do.He dragged an armchair up and sat opposite me. It seemed too slender for someone as tall as him, but, as al airs, he managed to make it work and appear graceful in the process.Beside me was one of the Western novels he constantly carried around. I picked it up, again prizeing close to how alone he was. Even now, at the Court, hed chosen to stay in his room. Why do you read these?Some pile read books for fun, he observed.Hey, watch the dig. And I do read books. I read them to solve mysteries that threaten my best friends life and sanity. I dont destine reading this cowboy stuff is really saving the world like I do.He took it from me and flipped it over, side of meat profound and not as intense as usual. handle any book, its an escape. And theres something mmm. I dont bed. Something appealing about the Old West. No rules. E rattlingone unspoiled lives by their ingest code. You dont have to be tied down by others ideas of right and persecute in order to bring skilfulice.Wait, I laughed. I view I was the one who cherished to break rules.I didnt say I indirect requested to. Just that I can see the appeal.You cant fool me, comrade. You expect to post on a cowboy hat and keep lawless blaspheme robbers in line.No time. I have enough trouble tutelage you in line.I grinned, and on the spur of the moment, it was a lot like when we cleaned the church forrader the fight, at least. Easy. Comfortable. In accompaniment, it was a lot like the old long time when wed branch begun training together, way back before everything had gotten so complicated. Well, O.K.things had always been complicated, but for a man, theyd been less complicated. It made me sad. I wished we could live those early days. thered been no Victor Dashkov, no blood on my hands.Im sorry, Dimitri utter all of a sudden.For what? Reading cheesy novels?For not being able to get you here. I feel like I let you down. I glimpsed a shadow of worry on his story, like he was interested he might have caused some irreparable damage.The apology all in all caught me come to guard. For a moment, I wondered if he was jealous of Adrians influence in the said(prenominal) way Christian had been. Then I realized it was all told different. Id been giving Dimitri a hard time because Id been convinced he could do anything. Somewhere deep inside he felt the same, at least where I was concerned. He didnt want to deny me anything. My earlier bad whim had long since vanished, and I of a sudden just f elt drained. And stupid.You didnt, I told him. I acted like a total brat. Youve neer let me down before. You didnt let me down with this.The grateful look he gave me made me feel as if I had wings. If another moment had passed, I suspected he would have said something so sweet that I would have flown away. Instead, his phone rang. some other conversation in Russian took place, and then he stood up. both right, lets go.Where?To see Victor Dashkov.It turned out that Dimitri had a friend who had a friend, and somehow, disrespect the best security in the Moroi world, we managed to get into the Courts prison facilities.Why are we doing this? I whispered as we walked down the abode toward Victors cell. Id really, really hoped for mark walls and torches, but the place looked very modern and efficient, with marble floors and stark gabardine walls. At least there were no windows. You think we can talk him out of it?Dimitri shook his head. If Victor valued to take revenge on us, hed ju st do it without any warning. He doesnt do things without a reason. The fact that he told you first means he wants something, and now were going to find out what it is.We reached Victors cell. He was the totally prisoner currently being held. Like the rest of the facility, his room reminded me of something youd find at a hospital. Everything was clean, bright, and sterile and very bare. It was a place without any sort of stimulus or beguilement whatsoever, which would have driven me crazy in one hour. The cell had fluent bars that looked very hard to break, which was the most important part.Victor sat in a chair, idly examining his nails. It had been three months since our break meeting, and seeing him again made my skin crawl. Feelings I hadnt existn were buried in me suddenly burst to the surface.One of the hardest things of all was seeing him look so water-loving and young. Hed bought that health by torturing Lissa, and I hated him for it. If his disease had work its norma l course, he might be bloodless by now.He had receding black hair, with only the slightest touch of silver. He was in his forties and had a regal, almost handsome cut to his face. He glanced up at our approach. Eyes the same pale jade as Lissas met mine. The Dragomir and Dashkov families had a lot of intertwined history, and it was creepy seeing that eye color in someone else. A smile lit his face.Oh my. This is a treat. Lovely Rosemarie, practically an adult now. His eye flicked toward Dimitri. Of course, some have been treating you that way for quite a while.I press my face to the bars. Stop screwing with us, you son of a bitch. What do you want?Dimitri put a gentle hand on my shoulder and pulled me back. Easy, Rose.I took a deep breath and then slowly stepped backward. Victor straightened up in his chair and laughed.After all this time, your cub still hasnt intentional any control. But then, maybe you never really wanted her to.We arent here to banter, said Dimitri calmly. You wanted to lure Rose over, and now we need to know wherefore.Does there have to be some sinister reason? I just wanted to know how she was doing, and something tells me we arent going to have a incur for any friendly chats tomorrow. That annoying simper stayed on his face, and I decided then that he was lucky to be behind bars and out of my reach.Were not going to have a friendly chat now, I growled.You think Im joking, but Im not. I really do want to know how youre doing. Youve always been a fascinating subject to me, Rosemarie. The only shadow-kissed person we know of. I told you before, that isnt the kind of thing you walk away from unscathed. Theres no way you can quietly sink into the regimented routine of academic life. commonwealth like you arent meant to blend in.Im not some kind of science experiment.He acted like I hadnt said anything. Whats it been like? What have you noticed?Theres no time for this. If you dont get to the point, warned Dimitri, were going to leave.I didnt understand how Dimitri could sound so calm. I leaned send on and gave Victor my coldest smile. Theres no way theyll let you off tomorrow. I hope you enjoy prison. I bet itll be enceinte once you get sick again and you will, you know.Victor regarded me levelly, still with that entertain look that made me want to choke him. All things die, Rose. Well, except for you, I suppose. Or maybe you are dead. I dont know. Those who visit the world of the dead can probably never fully shake their connection to it.There was a snarky retort on my lips, but something held me back. Those who visit the world of the dead. What if my stonemason sightings werent because I was crazy or because he was seeking revenge? What if there was something about me something that had happened when Id died and come back that was now connecting me to Mason? It was Victor who had first explained what it meant to be shadow-kissed. I wondered now if he had any of the answers Id been expression for.My face essential have given away something, because Victor gave me a conceptional look. Yes? Theres something youd like to say?I hated to ask him for anything. It made my acquit turn. Swallowing my pride, I asked, What is the world of the dead? Is it heaven or hell?Neither, he said.What lives there? I exclaimed. Ghosts? Will I go back? Do things come out of it?Victor was taking great plea authentic in me having to come to him for information, just as Id feared he would. I truism that smirk intensify.Well, clearly some things come out of it, because here you stand before us.Hes baiting you, said Dimitri. Let it go.Victor gave Dimitri a brief glare. Im service her. He turned back to me. Honestly? I dont know that much about it. Youre the one who has been there, Rose. Not me. Not yet. Someday, youll probably be the one educating me. Im sure the more than you deal death out, the closer youll become to it.Enough, said Dimitri, voice harsh. Were going.Wait, wait, said Victor, voice congeni al. You havent told me about Vasilisa yet.I moved forward again. Stay away from her. She doesnt have anything to do with this.Victor gave me a run dry look. Seeing as Im locked away here, I have no survival but to stay away from her, my dear. And youre wrong Vasilisa has everything to do with everything.Thats it, I said, suddenly getting it. Thats why you sent the note. You wanted me here because you wanted to know about her, and you knew there was no way shed come talk to you herself. You had postal code to blackmail her with.Blackmails an ugly word.Theres no way youre going to see her at least outside of the courtroom. Shes never going to heal you. I told you Youre going to get sick again, and youre going to die. Youre going to be the one send me postcards from the other side.You think thats what this is about? You think my needs are that bantam? The mockery was gone, replaced by a feverish and almost fanatical look in his green eyes. The tight set of his mouth stretched the skin of his face a little, and I noticed hed lost weight since our last encounter. perhaps prison had been harder on him than Id thought. Youve forgotten everything, why I did what I did. Youve been so caught up in your own shortsightedness that you missed the big characterisation I was looking at.I racked my brain, thinking back to that time last fall. He was right. My focus had been on the wrongs hed committed against Lissa and me personally. Id forgotten other conversations, his maniacal explanations of his grand scheme.You wanted to stage a revolution still want to. Thats crazy. Its not going to happen, I said.Its already happening. Do you think I dont know whats going on out in the world? I still have contacts. People can be bought off how do you think I was able to send you that message? I know about the unrest I know about Natasha Ozeras movement to get Moroi to fight with defenders. You stand by her and vilify me, Rosemarie, but I pushed for the very same thing last f all. Yet, somehow, you dont seem to regard her in the same way.Tasha Ozera is working on her cause a bit differently than you did, noted Dimitri.And thats why shes getting nowhere, Victor retorted. Tatiana and her council are being held back by centuries of archaic traditions. So long as that sort of power rules us, cryptograph will change. We will never learn to fight. Non-royal Moroi will never have a voice. Dhampirs like you will continually be sent out to battle.Its what we dedicate our lives to, said Dimitri. I could sense the tension building in him. He might show better self-control than me, but I knew he was getting just as frustrated here.And its what you lose your lives for. Youre all but enslaved and dont even realize it. And for what? Why do you protect us?Because we need you, I faltered. For our race to survive.You dont need to throw yourselves into battle for that. reservation children isnt really that difficult.I ignored his quip. And because the Moroi the Moroi a nd their magic are important. They can do amazing things.Victor threw his hands up in exasperation. We used to do amazing things. Humans used to revere us as gods, but over time, we grew lazy. The advent of technology made our magic more and more obsolete. Now, all we do is parlor tricks.If you have so some(prenominal) ideas, said Dimitri, with a dangerous glint in his dark eyes, then do something useful in prison and write a manifesto.And whats this have to do with Lissa anyway? I asked.Because Vasilisa is a vehicle for change.I stared incredulously. You think shes going to lead your revolution?Well, Id prefer that I lead it someday. But, regardless, I think that shes going to be part of it. Ive heard about her too. Shes a uprising star still young, certainly, but people are taking notice. All royals arent created equal, you know. The Dragomir symbol is a dragon, the king of the beasts. Likewise, the Dragomir blood has always been powerful thats why the Strigoi have targeted t hem so consistently. A Dragomir returning to power is no weeny thing particularly one such as her. My impression from the reports is that she must have mastered her magic. If thats so with her gifts theres no telling what she could do. People are drawn to her with almost no effort on her part. And when she rattling tries to influence themwell, theyll do anything she wants. His eyes were wide as he spoke, wonder and contentment on his face as he imagined Lissa supporting out his dreams.Unbelievable, I said. First you wanted to hide her away to keep you alive. Now you actually want her out in the world to use her compulsion for your own psycho plans.I told you, shes a force for change. And like you being shadow-kissed, shes the only one of her kind that we know about. That makes her dangerous and very valuable.Well, that was something. Victor wasnt wise after all. He didnt know about Adrians spirit use.Lissa will never do it, I said. Shes not going to abuse her powers.And Vic tors not going to say anything about us, said Dimitri, tugging my arm. Hes achieved his goal. He brought you here because he wanted to know about Lissa.He didnt find out much, I said.Youd be surprised, said Victor. He grinned at Dimitri. And what makes you so certain I wont sack the world about your romantic indiscretions?Because it wont save you from prison. And if you ruin Rose, youll destroy any(prenominal) weak chance you had of Lissa helping you with your warped fantasy. Victor flinched just a little Dimitri was right. Dimitri stepped forward, pressing close to the bars as I had earlier. Id thought I had a scary voice, but when he spoke his undermentioned words, I realized I wasnt even close. And itll all be otiose anyway, because you wont stay alive long enough in prison to stage your grand plans. You arent the only one with connections.My breath caught a little. Dimitri brought so many things to my life love, comfort, and instruction. I got so used to him sometimes that I forgot just how dangerous he could be. As he stood there, tall and threatening while he glared down at Victor, I felt a cast down run down my spine. I remembered how when I had first come to the Academy, people had said Dimitri was a god. In this moment, he looked it.If Victor was frightened by Dimitris threat, he didnt show it. His jade green eyes glanced between the 2 of us. You two are a match made in heaven. Or somewhere.See you in court, I said.Dimitri and I left. On our way out, he said a few words in Russian to the guardian on duty. From their manners, my guess was Dimitri was offering thanks.We ventured outdoors, walking across a wide, pleasing parklike space to get back to our rooms. The sleet had stopped, and it had left everything buildings and trees alike surface in ice. It was like the world was made of glass. Glancing at Dimitri, I saw him staring straight ahead. It was hard to tell while walking, but I could have sworn he was shaking.Are you okay? I asked.Yes.Yo u sure?As okay as I can be.Do you think hell tell everyone about us?No.We walked in silence for a bit. I finally asked the question Id been dying to know.Did you mean it that if Victor did tellthat youd I couldnt finish. I couldnt bring myself to say the words have him killed.I dont have much influence in the upper levels of Moroi royalty, but I have plenty among the guardians who handle the dirty work in our world.You didnt answer the question. If youd really do it.Id do a lot of things to protect you, Roza.My vegetable marrow pounded. He only used Roza when he was feeling particularly quick toward me.It wouldnt exactly be protecting me. Itd be after the fact cold-blooded. You dont do that kind of thing, I told him. Revenge is more my thing. Ill have to kill him.I meant it as a joke, but he didnt think it was funny. Dont talk like that. And anyway, it doesnt matter. Victors not going to say anything.He left me to go to his own room when we got inside. As I was opening the door t o mine, Lissa rounded the hall corner.There you are. What happened? You missed dinner.Id completely forgotten. Sorry got carried away with some guardian stuff. Its a long story.Shed changed for dinner. Her hair was still pulled up, and she now wore a form-fitting trick out made out of silver raw silk. She looked beautiful. She looked royal. I thought about Victors words and wondered if she really could be the power for change he swore she was. looking for like she did now, so glamorous and self-composed, I could imagine people followers her anywhere. I certainly would, but then, I was biased.Why are you looking at me like that? she asked with a small smile.I couldnt tell her that Id just seen the man who frightened her the most. I couldnt tell her that while shed been out living it up, Id been off watching her back in the shadows, like I would always do.Instead, I returned her smile. I like the dress.