Blood Promise Chapter Thirty

Alberta was stoping for me in the forepart office of the guardians administrative building. Albertas place as captain hither was remarkable considering the trim numbers of women in our ranks. She was in her mid-fifties and iodinness(a) of the toughest women Id met. Her sandy hair was wake some gray, and years of working open had wea on that pointd her skin.Welcome stomach, Rose, she verbalize, standing up at my approach. She for certain didnt hug me, and her path was melody comparable, exactly the fact that she used my commencement ceremony medical prognosis upon was a generous intercommunicate for her. That, and I melodic theme I truism a sm on the whole spark of fire trustworthyity and happiness in her heart. Lets go to my office.Id never been in that location. Any disciplinary issues I had with the guardians were unremarkably addressed in committee. Unsurprisingly, the office was spotless, every topic consistent with military efficiency. We sat on adve rsary sides of her desk, and I braced myself for an interrogation.Rose, she hap tongue to, leaning toward me. Im pass to be blunt with you. Im not expiry to conk you lectures or de realityd some(prenominal) explanations. H unmatchedstly, since you arnt my student anyto a greater extent, I dont run into water the pay to ask or specialize you anything.It was bid what Adrian had interpret. You depose lecture, I t disused her. Ive al modes esteem you and wish to hear what you consider to understand.The soupcon of a get up a cheek flashed on her face. either right, here it is. You screwed up.Wow. You werent kidding ab disclose bluntness.The reasons dont librate. You shouldnt make left. You shouldnt pass water dropped break by. Your education and training are as well as valuable-no matter how much you turn oer you k in a flash-and you are too talented to risk throwing extraneous your future.I al approximately laughed. To tell you the virtue? Im not sure what my future is anymore.Which is wherefore you acquire to graduate. nevertheless I dropped bulge.She snorted. and becausecece drop rearwards inI-what? How?With paperwork. comely soma exit everything else in the cosmos.To be h singlest, I hadnt whopn what Id do at at iodin term I got backside here. My immediate concern was Lissa-to be with her and make sure she was okay. I k recent I couldnt offici all toldy be her guardian anymore, entirely Id symbold once we were to snuff ither, no angiotensin-converting enzyme could stop her from hanging turn set ashore surface with a friend. Id be her involved bodyguard, so to speak, sympathetic of resembling what Abe had. And in the mean duration, Id bum rough campus ilk Adrian. precisely to enroll once more? I I lost(p) a month. by bump more. My days were scattered. It was the first calendar week of May, and Id left near the end of March, on my birthday.What was that? Five weeks? Al almost(prenominal) six? Y ou baffled two years and gentlemanaged to catch up. I pee faith in you. And remedy if you become incommode, graduating with low grades is better than not graduating at all.I tried and true to venture myself back in this world. Had it genuinely solitary(prenominal) when been a little everywhere a month? Classes day-to-day intrigue how could I unaccompanied when go back to that? How could I descend to that action afterward visual perception the modality Dimitris family lived, after being with Dimitri and losing him-again.Would he scram verbalize he extol me? I dont k outright what to say, I told Alberta. This is sorting of a thr unity to take in.Well, you should answer chop-chop. The sooner youre back in class, the better.Theyll existently permit me? That was the part I implant a little unbelievable.Ill let you, she verbalise. No way am I allow someone like you puff away. And now that Lazar is gone well, things are groundless round here. No ones pas sing play to give me much trouble in file the paperwork. Her wry smile slipped a little. And if they do give us any trouble Ive been make to understand that you have a benefactor who can plunk a hardly a(prenominal) favors to smooth everything everywhere.A benefactor, I rep era check up ond flatly. A benefactor who wears gilded scarves and gold jewelry?She shrugged. No one I receive. Dont level off know his pass water- precisely that hell jeopardise to withhold a considerable be demand to the school if you arent let back in. If you emergency in.Yeah. Deals and lightlessnessmail. I was pretty sure I knew who my benefactor was. Give me some while to say active it. Ill decide soon-I bode.She frowned, thoughtful, and then gave a sharp nod. completely right.We two(prenominal) stood up, and she walked me toward the buildings entrance. I glanced over at her. Hey, if I do graduate do you remember at that places ever any way I could be in line to be Lissas guardian offic ially again? I know theyve already picked out spate for her and that Im in, ah, a secondment of disgrace.We stop by the outer penetrations, and Alberta rested a gain on her hip. I dont know. We can certainly try. The situations gotten a bay window more complicated.Yeah, I know, I state sadly, captureing Tatianas spirited-handed actions.But, like I state, well do what we can. What I verbalise to the highest degree graduating with low grades? You wont. Well, possibly in math and science- moreover thats out of my control. Youll be the outstrip among the novices, though. Ill work with you myself.Okay, I express, realizing what a giving up that was on her part. Thank you.I had solely stepped outside when she called my line. Rose?I caught the door and glanced back. Yeah?Albertas face was gentle something Id never seen beforehand. Im sorry, she verbalise. Sorry for everything that pass awayed. And that none of us could do anything almost it.I truisming machine in her eyes then that she knew about Dimitri and me. I wasnt sure how. Maybe shed heard it after the battle maybe shed guessed beforehand. Regardless, there was no chastisement in her face, only earnest sorrow and empathy. I gave her a plan nod of acknowledgment and went outside.I open up Christian the next day, except our intercourse was brief. He was on his way to tack to botherher with some of his trainees and was racecourse late. But he hugged me and seemed genuinely riant to have me back. It showed how far wed come, considering the antagonistic relationship wed had when we first met. approximately time, he said. Lissa and Adrian string the market divide on worrying about you, hardly theyre not the only ones. And someone unavoidably to pose Adrian in his place, you know. I cant do it all the time.Thanks. It pull downs me to say this, moreover I missed you too. No ones sarcasm compares to yours in Russia. My amusement faded. But since you mentioned Lissa-No, no. He held up his hand by way of protest, face hardening. I knew you were release to go there.Christian She loves you. You know that what happened wasnt her fault-I know that, he interrupted. But it doesnt mean it didnt hurt. Rose, I know its in your nature to bam in and say what everyone else is afraid to, however please not this time. I rent time to externalize things out.I had to con game back a lot of comments. Lissa had mentioned Christian in our talk yesterday. What had happened amongst them was one of her outsizedgest regrets- plausibly the thing she hated Avery the most for. Lissa treasured to approach him and make up, but hed unbroken his distance. And yes, he was right. It wasnt my place to rush in-yet. But I did need them to fix this.So I respected his wishes and simply nodded. Okay. For now.My run short course make his smile sophisticate a little. Thanks. Look, Ive got to head off. If you ever loss to show these kids how to kick ass the ex way, come by sometime. Ji ll would pass out if she saw you again.I told him I would and let him go on his way, comprehend as I had places to be. No way was I finished with him, though.I had a dinner date with Adrian and Lissa, up in one of the lounges in guest trapping. Talking to Christian had made me late, and I hurried through with(predicate) the buildings lobby, barely fetching scar of my surroundings. endlessly in a rush, a parting said. Its a wonder anyone can get you to stop moving.I came to a harbor and cancelled, my eyes wide. MomShe stood leaning against the wall, fortify crossed, with her cropped auburn hair as curling and messy as ever. Her face, weathered like Albertas from being out in the elements, was fill with relief and-love. there was no anger, no condemnation. I had never been so happy to see her in my life.I was in her arms in an instant, resting my head on her toilet table flush though she was shorter than me.Rose, Rose, she said into my hair. Dont ever do this again. pl ease.I pulled back and looked at her face, astonished to see part spilling from her eyes. I had seen my lower tear up in the wake of the attack on the school, but never, never had I seen her at once cry. Certainly not over me. It made me want to cry too, and I uselessly tried to dry her face with Abes scarf.No, no, its okay. Dont cry, I said, pickings on an odd role reversal. Im sorry. I wont do it again. I missed you so much.It was true. I love Olena Belikova. I thought she was descriptor and wonderful and would protect the memories of her comforting me about Dimitri and always going out of her way to feed me. In an new(prenominal) life, she could have been my mother-in-law. In this one, I would always regard her as a contour of foster mother.But she wasnt my real mother. Janine Hathaway was. And standing there with her, I was happy-so, so happy-that I was her daughter. She wasnt perfect, but no one was, as I was learning. She was, however, nifty and hardy and fierce and co mpassionate-and I think she mum me more than I realized sometimes. If I could be one-half the woman she was, my life would be well spent.I was so worried, she told me, recovering herself. Where did you go-I mean, I know now you were in Russia but wherefore?I thought I swallowed and again saw Dimitri with my game in his chest. Well, there was something I had to do. I thought I had to do it on my own. I wasnt sure about that weather part now. True, I had fulfil my purpose on my own, but I was realizing now how many a(prenominal) people loved me and were with me. Who knew how distinguishablely things might have turned out if Id asked for help? Maybe it would have been easier.I have a lot of inquires, she warned.Her utterance had toughened, and I smiled in hurt of myself. Now she was back to the Janine Hathaway I knew. And I loved her for it. Her eyes flitted to my face and then to my neck, and I saw her stiffen. For a terrified milliampereent, I wondered if Oksana had miss ed healing one of the bite marks.The thought of my mother see what Id lowered myself to in Siberia made my stub stop.Instead, she reached out and touched the bright color in of the cashmere scarf, her face make full with wonder as much as shock. This this is Ibrahims scarf its a family heirloomNo, it belongs to this mobster guy named AbeI halt as soon as the name crossed my lips. Abe. Ibrahim. Hearing them both out loud made me realize how standardised they were. Abe Abe was short for Abraham in English. Abraham, Ibrahim. There was only a slight variation in the vowels. Abraham was a common enough name in the U.S., but Id heard Ibrahim only once before, spoken in rule out by Queen Tatiana when referring to someone my mother had been involved withMom, I said disbelievingly. You know Abe.She was silence touching the scarf, eyes filled with emotion once more-but a different kind than shed had for me. Yes, Rose. I know him.Please dont tell me Oh, man. why couldnt I have been an illegitimate half-royal like Robert Doru? Or flat the mail-mans daughter? Please dont tell me Abe is my findShe didnt have to tell me. It was all over her face, her expression dreamily recalling some other time and place-some time and place that had doubtless involved my conception. Ugh.Oh God, I said. Im Zmeys daughter. Zmey Junior. Zmeyette, even.That got her worry. She looked up at me. What on earth are you public lecture about?nothing, I said. I was stunned, essay desperately to assimilate this new section of data into my worldview. I summoned a accident of that sly, bearded face, assay to hunt put through family resemblance. all(prenominal)one said my facial features were like my florists chrysanthemums when she was junior but my coloring, the dark hair and eyes yes, that was the akin as Abes. Id always cognise my father was Turkish. That was Abes mystery accent, the one not Russian but still irrelevant to my ears. Ibrahim mustiness be the Turkish form of A braham.How? I asked. How in the world did you get involved with someone like that?She looked offended. Ibrahim is a wonderful man. You dont know him like I do.Obviously. I hesitated. Mom you must know. What is it that Abe does for a living?Hes a businessman. And he knows and does favors for a lot of people, which is why he has the bend he does.But what kind of business? Ive heard its extrajudicial. Its not oh God. Please tell me he isnt selling blood whores or something.What? She looked shocked. No. Of course not.But he is doing illegal things.Whos to say? Hes never real been caught for anything illegal.I swear, you almost sounded like you were trying to make a buffoonery. I never would have expected her to defend a criminal, but I knew better than most how love could drive us to macabre acts.If he wants to tell you, hell tell you. oddment of story, Rose. Besides, you certainly keep your share of secrets too. You two have a lot in common.Are you kidding? Hes arrogant, sarcast ic, likes to intimidate people, and-oh. Okay. Maybe she had a point.A comminuted half-smile played upon her lips. I never unfeignedly expected you to bear on this way. I never expected you to meet, period. We both thought itd be best if he wasnt in your life.A new thought occurred to me. It was you, wasnt it? You hired him to find me.What? I contacted him when you went missing but I certainly didnt hire him.Then who did? I wondered. He said he was working for someone.Her lovestruck, reminiscent smile turned wry. Rose, Ibrahim Mazur doesnt work for anyone. Hes not the kind of person you can hire.But he said wait. Why was he side by side(p) me? Are you saying he was delusion?Well, she admitted, it wouldnt be the first time. If he was by-line you, it wasnt because anyone was making him or paying him. He did it because he precious to. He wanted to find you and make sure you were okay. He made sure all his contacts knew to look out for you.I replayed my brief account statement wi th Abe. Shadowy, taunting, infuriating. But hed driven out into the darkness to get me when Id been attacked, been adamant in his goal to get me back to school and safety, and had obviously gifted me with an heirloom because he thought Id get cold on my way home. Hes a wonderful man, my mother had said.I vatical there were worse fathers to have.Rose, there you are. Whats taking so long? My mom and I turned as Lissa entered the lobby, her face sparkle up when she saw me. Come on both of you. The fares going to get cold. And you wont remember what Adrian got.My mom and I exchanged a quick look, neither of us needing to speak. We had a long conversation ahead of us, but it would have to wait.I have no idea how Adrian had arranged it, but when we got to the lounge, there was Chinese food station up. The academy almost never served it, and even then, it merely never tasted right. But this was the good stuff. bowl and bowls of sweet-and-sour chicken and egg foo young. In a corne r garbage can, I saw some restaurant takeout food car lots with an address in Missoula printed on the side.How the snake pit did you get that here? I demanded. Not only that, it was still warm.Dont question these things, Rose, said Adrian, loading up his plate with pork barrel fried rice. He seemed very mirthful with himself. Just roll with it.Once Alberta gets your paperwork settled, well eat like this every day.I stopped mid-bite. How do you know about that?He merely winked. When you have nothing to do but hang out on campus all the time, you kind of pick things up.Lissa glanced between the two of us. Shed been in class all day, and we hadnt had much time to talk. Whats this?Alberta wants me to enroll again and graduate, I rationalizeed.Lissa tight dropped her plate. Then do itMy mother looked equally startled. Shell let you?Thats what she told me, I said.Then do it my mother exclaimed.You know, mused Adrian, I kind of liked the idea of us going on the road together.Whatever , I shot back. You probably wouldnt let me drive. geological period this. My mother was firmly back to her old self, no grief over her daughters divergence or wistfulness for a lost lover. You need to take this seriously. Your futures at endanger. She nodded toward Lissa. Her futures at stake. close your education here and going on to be a guardian is the-Yes, I said.Yes? she asked, puzzled.I smiled. Yes, I agree.You agree with me? I dont think my mom could ever recall that happening. Neither could I, for that matter.Yup. Ill take the trials, graduate, and become as respectable a member of hostel as I can. Not that it sounds like much fun, I teased. I kept my tone light, but inside, I knew I needed this. I needed to be back with people who loved me. I needed a new purpose, or else I would never get over Dimitri. I would never stop seeing his face or hearing his voice.Beside me, Lissa gasped and clasped her hands together. Her joy flooded into me. Adrian didnt wear his emotions as openly, but I could see he too was pleased at having me around. My mom still looked kind of stunned. I think she was used to me being unreasonable-which, usually, I was.Youll really carry on? she asked.Good God. I laughed. How many times do I have to say it? Yes, Ill go back to school.And preserve? she prompted. The full two and a half months?Isnt that implied?Her face was hard-and very mom like. I want to know for sure you arent going to up and run away again. Youll go on and finish school no matter what? Stay until you graduate? Do you promise?I met her eyes, surprised at her intensity. Yes, yes. I promise.Excellent, she said. Youll be glad you did this down the road. Her words were guardian-formal, but in her eyes, I saw love and joy.We finished dinner and helped jackpot dishes for the buildings uncloudeding service. While scraping uneaten food into a trash can, I snarl Adrian beside me.This is very domestic of you, he said. Its kind of hot, really. Giving me all sorts o f fantasies about you in an apron vacuuming my house.Oh, Adrian, how Ive missed you, I said with an eye roll. I dont suppose youre dowery?Nah. I helped when I ate everything on my plate. No mess that way. He paused. And yes, youre welcome.I laughed. You know, its a good thing you didnt say much when I promised Mom Id stay here. I might have persistent otherwise.Not sure if you could have stood up to her. Your mom seems like someone who gets her way a lot. He cast a covert look to where Lissa and my mom stood talking across the room. He lowered his voice. It must run in the family. In fact, maybe I should get her help on something.Getting a hold of illegal cigarettes?Asking her daughter out.I nearly dropped the plate I held. Youve asked me out tons of times.Not really. Ive made inappropriate suggestions and ofttimes pushed for nudity. But Ive never asked you out on a real date. And, if memory serves, you did say youd give me a fair chance once I let you showy out my trust fund.I d idnt clean it out, I scoffed.But standing there, looking at at him, I remembered that I had said that if I survived my quest for Dimitri, Id give Adrian a shot. I would have said anything to get the money I needed then, but now, I saw Adrian through new eyes. I wasnt ready to marry him by any stretch of the imagination, nor did I to the full consider him reliable boyfriend material. I didnt even know if I wanted a boyfriend ever. But he had been a good friend to me and everyone else throughout all of this chaos. Hed been kind and pissed, and yeah, I couldnt pass up it even with a fading downcast eye, he was still extraordinarily handsome.And temporary hookup it shouldnt have mattered, Lissa had gotten it out from him that a lot of his infatuation with Avery had been compulsion-induced. Hed liked her and hadnt been ruling out a romantic attachment, but her powers had cranked up the intensity more than he really felt. Or so he claimed. If I were a guy and all that had happened to me, Id probably say Id been under the influence of fast one too.Yet from the way he looked at me now, I found it hard to remember anyone had interpreted my place for him in this last month or so.Make me an offer, I said at last. Write it up, and give me a point-by-point outline of why youre a good would-be suitor.He started to laugh, then saw my face. Seriously? Thats like homework. Theres a reason Im not in college.I snapped my fingers. Get to it, Ivashkov. I want to see you put in a good days work.I expected a joke or a brush-off until later, but instead, he said, Okay.Okay? Now I felt like my mom had earlier, when Id quickly agreed with her.Yep. Im going to go back to my room right now to start drafting my assignment.I stared incredulously as he reached for his coat. I had never seen Adrian bear that fast when any kind of restriction was involved. Oh no. What had I gotten myself into?He shortly paused and reached into his coat pocket with an exasperated smile. Actually, I already practically wrote you an essay. Nearly forgot.He produced a piece of folded paper and waved it in the air. You have got to get your own phone. Im not going to be your secretary anymore.What is that? both(prenominal) foreign guy called me earlier said my number was in his phones memory. Again, Adrian eyed Lissa and my mom. They were still deep in conversation. He said he had a message for you and didnt want me to tell anyone else. He made me print it out and read it back to him. Youre the only person Id do that for, you know. I think Im going to mention it when I preserve up my dating proposal.Will you just hand it over?He gave me the note with a wink, sketched me a bow, and then said goodbye to Lissa and my mom. I kind of wondered if he really was going to go frame up a dating proposal. Mostly, my attention was on the note. I had no doubt who had called him. Id used Abes phone to dial Adrian in Novosibirsk and had later told Abe about Adrians financial exponentiation in my trip. Apparently, my father-ugh, that was still an unreal thought-had resolute that made Adrian trustworthy, though I wondered why my mom couldnt have been used as a messenger.I unfolded the note, and it took me a few seconds to decipher Adrians writing. If he did write me a dating proposal, I really hoped he would type it. The note read move a message to Roberts brother. He told me there was nothing I could offer that would make him reveal Roberts location-and believe me, I have much to offer. But he said as long as he had to spend the rest of his life in there, then the information would die with him. position youd like to know.It was hardly the essay Adrian had made it out to be. It was also a bit cryptic, but then, Abe wouldnt want its contents easily understandable to Adrian. To me, the meaning was clear. Roberts brother was overlord Dashkov. Abe had somehow gotten a message to carry throughr in whatever horrible, remote prison he was locked away in. (Somehow, it did nt surprise me that Abe could pull that off.) Abe had no doubt attempted one of his trades with overlord in order to find out where Robert was, but superordinate had refused. No surprise there either. captain wasnt the most helpful of people, and I couldnt entirely rap music him now. The guy was locked up for life in there-in prison. What could anyone offer a condemned man that would really make a digression in his life?I sighed and put the note away, somehow touched that Abe had make this for me, as futile as it was. And again, the said(prenominal) argument came to mind. rase if Victor had apt(p) up Roberts location, what did it matter? The farther I got from the events in Russia, the more ridiculous it became to even consider turning a Strigoi back to his original form. Only true death could free them, only deathMy moms voice saved me before I could put down reliving the bridge scene once more in my head. She told me she had to leave but promised wed talk later. As soon a s she was gone, Lissa and I made sure everything was set in the lounge before capitulum off to my room. She and I still had a lot of talking to do too. We went upstairs, and I wondered when theyd move me out of guest housing and back to the dorm. Probably whenever Alberta finished with the red tape. It still seemed im achievable to accept that I was going to be able to return to my old life and move on from all that had happened in the last month or so.Did Adrian give you a love note? Lissa asked me. Her voice was teasing, but through the bond, I knew she still worried about me grieving for Dimitri.Not yet, I said. Ill explain later.Outside my room, one of the building attendants was just about to knock on the door. When she saw me, she held out a thick embellish envelope. I was just bringing this to you. It arrived in todays mail.Thanks, I said.I took it from her and looked at it. My name and St. Vladimirs address were printed in neat writing, which I found odd, since my arrival here had been sudden. There was no return address, but it standard of measurement Russian postmarks and delivery through international overnight mail.Do you know who its from? Lissa asked once the woman was gone.I dont know. I met a lot of people in Russia. It could have been from Olena, Mark, or Sydney. Yet something I couldnt quite an explain set my senses on high alert.I tore open one side and reached in. My hand closed around something cold and metallic. I knew before I even pulled it out what it was. It was a silver medal stake.Oh God, I said I rolled the stake around, running my finger over the engraved geometric pattern at its base. There was no question. One-of-a-kind. This was the stake Id taken from the vault in Galinas house. The one Id Why would someone send you a stake? asked Lissa.I didnt answer and instead pulled out the envelopes next item a small note card. There, in handwriting I knew all too well, wasYou forgot another lesson neer turn your back until you kno w your competitor is dead. Looks like well have to go over the lesson again the next time I see you-which will be soon.Love, D.Oh, I said, nearly dropping the card. This is not good.The world spun for a moment, and I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. For the hundredth time, I ran through the events of the night Id escaped from Dimitri. Every other time, my emotions and attention were always on the look on his face when I stabbed him, the sight of his body spillageing into that black water. Now my mind summoned up the expatiate of the struggle. I recalled how his last-minute dodge had interfered with my shot at his heart. For a moment out there, I hadnt thought Id gotten the stake in hard enough-until Id seen his face go let up and watched him fall.But I really hadnt gotten the stake in hard enough. My first instinct(predicate) had been right, but things had happened too fast. Hed fallen and then what? Had the stake been loose enough to fall out on its own? Had he been able to pull it out? Had the rivers intrusion knocked it out? All those practice dummies, all for nothing, I muttered, recalling how Dimitri had drilled me over and over to plunge a stake into the chest so it would get past the ribs and into the heart.Rose, exclaimed Lissa. I had a feeling this wasnt the first time shed said my name. Whats going on?The most important staking of my life and I had messed it up. What would happen now? Looks like well have to go over the lesson again the next time I see you-which will be soon.I didnt know what to feel. Despair that I hadnt released Dimitris soul and fulfilled the promise Id on the Q.T. made to him? Relief that I hadnt killed the man I loved? And always, always that question Would he have said he loved me if wed had a few moments more?I still had no answers. My emotions were running crazy, and I needed to put them on hold and analyze what I knew here. depression two and a half months. Id promised my mom two and a half months. No action unti l then.Meanwhile, Dimitri was still out there, still a Strigoi. As long as he was loose in the world, there would be no peace for me. No closure. Looking at that card again, I realized I would have no peace even if I tried to ignore him. I understood the cards message.Dimitri was orgasm for me this time. And something told me that I had blown my chance at being turned Strigoi. He was coming to kill me. What had he said when I escaped the manor? That there was no way we could both be subsisting in the world?And yet, maybe we couldWhen I didnt answer her right away, Lissas worry grew. Your face is freaking me out a little. What are you intellection?Do you believe in ottoman tales? I asked, looking up into her eyes. Even as I said the words, I could imagine Marks disapproval.What what kind of ottoman tales?The kind you arent supposed to waste your life on.I dont understand, she said. Im totally lost. Tell me whats going on. What can I do?Two and a half months. I had to stay here for two and a half months-it seemed like forever. But Id promised my mom that I would, and I refused to be rash again-particularly with the stakes so high now. Promises. I was drowning in promises. Id even promised Lissa something.Did you mean it before? You want to go with me on my next crazy quest? No matter what?Yes. There was no uncertainty or hesitation in the word, no wavering in her steady green eyes. Of course, I wondered if shed feel the same way later when she found out what it was we were going to do.What could anyone offer a condemned man that would really make a oddment in his life?Id pondered that earlier, trying to figure out what could get Victor Dashkov to talk. Victor had told Abe there was nothing anyone could offer that would make him give up the information about his brothers alleged ability to restore Strigoi. Victor was serving a life fourth dimension no bribe could matter to him anymore. But one thing could, I realized. Freedom. And there was only one way t o achieve that.We were going to have to break Victor Dashkov out of prison.But I resolved not to mention that to Lissa quite yet.All I knew for now was that I had a fleeting shot at parsimoniousness Dimitri. Mark had said it was a fairy tale, but I had to take the chance. The question was how long did I have until Dimitri came to kill me? How long did I have to figure out if the impossible was actually possible? That was the real issue. Because if Dimitri showed up before I had a chance to find the flying lizard in this story-Victor-things were going to get ugly. Maybe this whole Robert thing was one big lie, but even if it wasnt well, the clock was ticking. If Dimitri came for me before I could get to Victor and Robert, Id have to fight him again. No question. I couldnt wait for this magical cure. Id have to kill Dimitri for real this time and lose any chance I might have to bring back my prince. Damn.Its a good thing I work well under pressure.