Spirit Bound Chapter Nine

ROBERT DORU WAS EASY TO SPOT.It wasnt beca intake he looked interchangeable succeeder. It wasnt raze beca spend of each dramatic running-toward-each- other reunion type thing between him and his chum salmon. Rather, it was Lissas mind that tipped me off. I sawing machine Robert finished and through her eyes, the golden aura of a spirit user lighting up his corner of the restaurant like a star. It caught her by surprise, and she stumbled briefly. Spirit users were too r ar a sight for her to be fully utilize to them. Seeing auras was something she could tune in or out, and just sooner patching his off, she noted that even though his had the brilliant gold she saw in Adrian, thither was also a feel of instability to it. Sparks of other colors flashed there too, still they trembled and flickered. She delight ined if it was a sexual conquest of spirits insanity setting in.His eyes lit up as passkey approached the table, exactly the two didnt hug or touch. victor simply s at atomic pile beside his brother. The rest of us stood there awkwardly for a moment. The whole situation was too u seriousthly. precisely it was the earth wed come, and after several more seconds, my friends and I joined the brothers at the table. achiever breathed Robert, eyes wide. Robert powerfulness corroborate had some of the Dashkov facial features, still his eyes were brown, not green. His come abouts toyed with a napkin. I cant deliberate it. Ive necessityed to depend you for so pine. successs voice was gentle, as it had been on the phone, as if he were talk to a child. I know, Robert. I missed you too.Are you staying? Can you come pole and stay with me? violate of me wanted to snap that that was a ridiculous idea, but the desperation in Roberts voice sparked a critical bit of pity in me. I remained silent, simply watching the drama before me unfold. Id hide you. Itd be great. Just the two of us.Victor hesitated. He wasnt stupid. Despite my vague claims on t he plane, he knew the odds of me permit him go were nonexistent. I dont know, he state quietly. I dont know.The waiters arrival jolted us out of our haze, and we only(prenominal) ordered drinks. Adrian ordered a gin and tonic and wasnt even carded. I wasnt sure if it was because he looked xxi or was convincing bountiful with spirit. Regardless, I wasnt thrilled about it. Alcohol muted spirit. We were in a precarious situation, and I would have liked him at full strength. Of course, considering hed been drinking earlier, it probably didnt matter now. by and by the waiter left, Robert seemed to notice the rest of us. His eyes passed over Eddie quickly, sharpened at Lissa and Adrian, and lingered on me for a long time. I stiffened, not liking the scrutiny. He finally turned spine to his brother.Who have you brought, Victor? Robert passive had that oblivious, scattered air to him but it was lit with suspicion now. Fear and paranoia. Who are these children? Two spirit users and Hi s watch fell on me again. He was reading my aura. One of the shadow-kissed?For a moment, I was astonished at his use of the term. bygone I remembered what Mark, Oksanas husband, had told me. Robert had once been bonded to a dhampirand that dhampir had died, drastically speeding up the deterioration of Roberts mind.Theyre friends, said Victor smoothly. Friends whod like to talk to you and ask you some questions.Robert frowned. Youre lying. I can tell. And they dont consider you a friend. Theyre reach. They keep their outer space from you.Victor didnt deny the friend claim. Nonetheless, they need your help, and I promised it to them. It was the price for me being allowed to visit you.You shouldnt have do promises for me. Roberts napkin was now in shreds. I kind of wanted to give him mine.But didnt you want to see me? asked Victor winningly. His tone was warm, his smile almost genuine.Robert looked troubled. Confused. I was again reminded of a child and was starting to have my do ubts that this guy had ever transformed a Strigoi.He was spared an answer yet again when our drinks arrived. None of us had even picked up our menus, much to the waiters obvious annoyance. He left, and I opened mine without really seeing it.Victor wherefore introduced us to Robert, as formally as he might at whatsoever diplomatic function. Prison hadnt dulled his sense of royal etiquette. Victor gave premier name only. Robert turned back to me, that frown still on his face, and glanced between Lissa and me. Adrian had said that whenever we were to withdrawher, our auras showed that we were linked.A bond Ive almost forgotten what it was like but Alden. Ive never forgotten Alden His eyes grew dreamy and almost vacant. He was reliving a memory.Im sorry, I said, surprised to hear the sympathy in my row. This was hardly the harsh interrogation Id envisioned. I can only imagine what it must have been like losing him.The dreamy eyes grew sharp and hard. No. You cannot. Its like nil you can imagine. Nothing. Right now right now you have the world. A universe of senses beyond those of others, an catch of another mortal that no one can have. To lose that to have that ripped away it would make you press for death.Wow. Robert was pretty good at killing conversation, and we all kind of sat there hoping the waiter would provide this time. When he did, we all made halfhearted attempts at ordering foodexcept Robertmost of us deciding on the spot. The restaurant served Asian cuisine, and I ordered the first thing I saw on the menu an egg roll sampler.With food ordered, Victor continued taking the firm hand with Robert that I seemed incapable of managing.Will you help them? Will you answer their questions?I had a feeling that Victor was pushing Robert on this not so much as a way to pay back us rescuing him, but quite an because Victors scheming nature was expiry to know everyones secrets and motivations.Robert sighed. Whenever he looked at Victor, there was such a strong expression of devotion and even idol worship. Robert probably couldnt refuse his brother anything. He was the perfect type to play into Victors plans, and I realized I should possibly be grateful that Robert had grown unstable. If hed been in full control of his powers, Victor would never have bothered with Lissa last time. He would have already had his own private spirit wielder to use however he wanted.What do you want to know? asked Robert blearily. He addressed me, apparently recognizing my leadership.I glanced at my friends for moral support and received none. neither Lissa nor Adrian approved of this mission in the first place, and Eddie still didnt know its purpose. I swallowed, steeling myself, and say my full charge to Robert.We heard you freed a Strigoi once. That you were able to convert himor herback to their original state.Surprise flashed on Victors ordinarily composed face. He certainly hadnt expected this.Where did you hear this? demanded Robert.From a co uple I met in Russia. Their names are Mark and Oksana.Mark and Oksana Again, Roberts gaze slipped away for a moment. I had a feeling this happened a lot, that he didnt spend much time in reality. I didnt know they were still together.They are. Theyre doing really great. I needed him back in the present. Is it true? Did you do what they said? Is it possible?Roberts responses were always preceded by a pause. Her.Huh?It was a woman. I freed her.I gasped in spite of myself, hardly daring to process his words.Youre lying. It was Adrian who spoke, his tone harsh.Robert glanced at him with an expression amused and scornful. And who are you to say that? How can you tell? Youve bruised and abused your powers so much, its a wonder you can even touch the magic anymore. And all these things you do to yourself it doesnt truly help, does it? Spirits punishment still affects you before long you wont be able to tell reality from dream.The words stunned Adrian for a moment, but he kept going. I don t need any physical signs to see that youre lying. I know you are because what youre describing is impossible. Theres no way to save a Strigoi. When theyre gone, theyre gone. Theyre dead(a). Undead. Forever .That which is dead doesnt always stay dead. Roberts words werent directed at Adrian. They were spoken to me. I shivered.How? How did you do it?With a stake. She was killed with a stake, and in doing so, was brought back to life.Okay, I said. That is a lie. Ive killed plenty of Strigoi with stakes, and believe me, they stay dead.Not just any stake. Roberts fingers danced along the edge of his glass. A finicky stake.A stake bewitch with spirit, said Lissa suddenly.He lifted his eyes to her and smiled. It was a creepy smile. Yes. You are a clever, clever girl. A clever, gentle girl. calm and kind. I can see it in your aura.I stared off at the table, my mind in overdrive. A stake charmed with spirit. Silver stakes were charmed with the four main Moroi elements earth, air, water, and fire. It was that infusion of life that destroyed the undead force within a Strigoi. With our recent discovery of how to charm objects with spirit, infusing a stake had never even occurred to us. Spirit healed. Spirit had brought me back from the dead. In association with the other elements within a stake, was it truly possible that the twisted darkness that gripped Strigoi could be obliterated, thus restoring that person to their rightful state? I was grateful for the foods arrival because my brain was still moving sluggishly. The egg rolls provided a welcome opportunity to think.Is it really that easy? I asked at last.Robert scoffed. Its not easy at all.But you just said you just said we need a spirit-charmed stake. And then I kill a Strigoi with it. Or well, not kill. The technicalities were irrelevant.His smile returned. Not you. You cant do it.Then who I stopped, the rest of my words dying on my lips. No. No.The shadow-kissed dont have the gift of life. Only the spirit-bl essed, he explained. The question is Whos capable of doing it? conciliate Girl or Drunken Sod? His eyes flicked between Lissa and Adrian. My wager would be on Gentle Girl.Those words were what snapped me out of my stunned state. In fact, they were what shattered this whole thing, this far-fetched dream of saving Dimitri.No, I repeated. plane if it was possibleand Im not sure if I believe youshe cant do it. I wont let her.And in a turn of events almost as astonishing as Roberts revelation, Lissa spun toward me, anger flooding our bond. And since when can you tell me what I can or cant do?Since I dont recall you ever taking guardian training and teaching to stake a Strigoi, I returned evenly, trying to keep my voice calm. You only punched Reed, and that was hard enough. When Avery Lazar had tried to take over Lissas mind, shed sent her shadow-kissed brother to do some dirty work. With my help, Lissa had punched him and kept him away. It had been beautifully executed, but shed hate d it.I did it, didnt I? she exclaimed.Liss, throwing a punch is nothing like staking a Strigoi. And thats not even counting the fact that you have to get near one in the first place. You think you could get in range before one bit you or snapped your neck? No.Ill learn. The determination in her voice and mind was admirable, but it took guardians decades to learn what we didand plenty still got killed.Adrian and Eddie looked uncomfortable in the midst of our bickering, but Victor and Robert seemed both intrigued and amused. I didnt like that. We werent here for their entertainment.I tried to deflect the dangerous exit by turning back to Robert. If a spirit user brought back a Strigoi, then that person would become shadow-kissed. I didnt point out the obvious conclusion to Lissa. Part of what had driven Avery crazy (aside from figure spirit usage) had been bonding with more than one person. Doing so created a very unstable situation that cursorily led all people involved into darkne ss and insanity.Roberts eyes grew dreamy as he stared beyond me. Bonds form when someone dieswhen their soul has actually left and moved onto the world of the dead. Bringing it back is what makes them shadow-kissed. Deaths mark is upon them. His gaze suddenly snapped onto me. Just as it is on you.I refused to avoid his eyes, despite the chill his words sent through me. Strigoi are dead. Saving one would mean its soul was brought back from the world of the dead too.No, he argued. Their souls do not move on. Their souls linger neither in this world nor the next. Its wrong and unnatural. Its what makes them what they are. violent death or saving a Strigoi sends the soul back to a normal state. There is no bond.Then theres no danger, Lissa said to me.Aside from a Strigoi killing you, I pointed out.RoseWell finish this conversation later. I gave her a hard look. We held each others gazes a moment, and then she turned to Robert. There was still an obstinacy in the bond I didnt like.How d o you charm the stake? she asked him. Im still learning.I again started to chastise her and then thought better of it. Maybe Robert was wrong. Maybe all it actually took to convert a Strigoi was a spirit-infused stake. He only thought a spirit user had to do it because he had done it. Allegedly. Besides, Id much rather Lissa preoccupy herself with charming than fighting. If the charm part sounded too hard, she might have to give up altogether.Robert glanced at me and then Eddie. One of you must have a stake on you. Ill show you.You cant take a stake out in public, exclaimed Adrian, in what was a remarkably wise observation. It might be weird for humans, but its still obvious that its a weapon.Hes right, Eddie said.We could go back to the room after dinner, said Victor.He had that perfectly pleasant and bland look on his face. I studied him, hoping my expression showed my distrust. Even with her zeal, I could sense the hesitation in Lissa too. She wasnt keen on following any suggesti on of Victors. Wed seen in the past how desperately far Victor would go in attempting to fulfill his plans. Hed convinced his own daughter to turn Strigoi and help him escape jail. For all we knew, he was planning the same forThats it, I gasped, feeling my eyes go wide as I stared at him.Thats what? Victor asked.Thats why you had Natalie turn. You thought you knew about this. What Robert had done. You were going to use her Strigoi strength and then have him turn her back.Victors already pale face went paler, and he seemed to age before our eyes. His smug look disappeared, and he looked away. Natalie is dead and long gone, he said stiffly. Theres no point in discussing her.Some of us made an attempt to eat after that, but my egg roll seemed unsalted now. Lissa and I were thinking the same thing. Among all of Victors sins, Id always considered him convincing his own daughter to turn Strigoi to be the most awful. It was what had really sealed the deal for me about him being a monster. Suddenly, I was forced to measure thingsforced to reevaluate him. If hed known he could bring her back, it made what he had done terriblebut not as terrible. He was still evil in my mind, no question. But if he had believed he could bring Natalie back, then that meant he believed in Roberts power. There was still no way I was allow Lissa near a Strigoi, but this incredible tale had become slightly more credible. I couldnt let it go without further investigation.We can go up to the room after this, I said at last. But not for long. My words were to Victor and Robert. Robert seemed to have faded into his own world again, but Victor nodded.I gave Eddie a quick glance and got a curt nod of a different appearance from him. He understood the risk in taking the brothers to a private place. Eddie was telling me he would be extravigilantnot that he wasnt already.By the time we finished dinner, Eddie and I were both rigid and tense. He walked near Robert, and I stayed by Victor. We kept L issa and Adrian between the brothers. Yet, even keeping close, it was hard as we cut through the crowded casino. People stopped in our path, walked around us, through us it was chaos. Twice, our group got split by oblivious tourists. We werent too far from the elevators, but I was getting uneasy about the possibility of Victor or Robert running off through the mob of peopleWe need to get out of this crowd, I shouted over to Eddie.He gave me another of his quick nods and took an abrupt left that caught me by surprise. I steered Victor in that same direction, and Lissa and Adrian sidestepped to keep up with us. I was puzzled until I saw that we were approaching a hall with an EMERGENCY EXIT sign on it. Away from the busy casino, the noise level dimmed. body-build there are probably stairs here, Eddie explained.Crafty guardian. I flashed him a smile.Another turn showed us a janitorial closet on our right and ahead of us a door with a symbolic representation for stairs. The door appeare d to lead both outside and to upper floors.Brilliant, I said.Youre, like, on the tenth floor, pointed out Adrian. It was the first time hed spoken in a while.Nothing like a little exercise todamn. I came to an abrupt halt in front of the door. It had a small warning sign saying that an alarm system would go off if the door was opened. Figures.Sorry, said Eddie, like he was personally responsible.Not your fault, I said, turning. plump for we go. Wed have to take our chances in the crowd. Maybe the roundabout detour had tired Victor and Robert out enough to make escape unappealing. Neither of them was that young anymore, and Victor was still in bad shape.Lissa was too tense to think much about being led around, but Adrian gave me a look that clearly said he thought this traipsing was a brag of his time. Of course, he thought this whole Robert thing was a waste of time. I was honestly surprised he was coming with us at all back to the room. I would have expected him to stay in the c asino with his cigarettes and another drink.Eddie, leading our group, took a few steps back toward the casino down the hallway. And then it hit me.Stop I screamed.He responded instantly, coming to a halt in the narrow space. A bit of confusion followed. Victor stumbled into Eddie in surprise, and then Lissa stumbled into Victor. replete(predicate) made Eddie reach for his stake, but mine was already out. Id grabbed it as soon as the nausea had brush me.There were Strigoi between us and the casino.