Shadow Kiss Chapter 26

Twenty-sixIT WAS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE to imagine. The Strigoi were practic t proscribed ensembley function conterminous door to us, waiting for nightf exclusively told so that they could finish their escape. App atomic number 18ntly, in the chaos of the attack, whatsoever of the Strigoi had obscured their tracks while former(a)s had make it look as though they might exact exited through every number of points on campus. Caught up in our own aftermath, no one had given it much thought. The wards had been restored. As remote as we were concerned, the Strigoi were bypast, and that was what mattered. nowadays we had an odd situation before us. Under normal circumstances not that a massive Strigoi attack was normal we would consume never pursued them. Those kidnapped by Strigoi were unremarkably written off as dead, and, as my mother had pointed out, guardians rarely k advanced where to look for Strigoi. This time, however, we knew. The Strigoi were essentially trapped. It presen ted an interesting dilemma.Well, it wasnt a dilemma to me. I honestly couldnt estimate out why we werent in those caves right now, flushing out the Strigoi and looking for survivors. Dimitri and I hurried back, anxious to act on our news, simply we had to wait until all the guardians ga in that locationd.Do not interrupt them, Dimitri told me as we were intimately to walk into the meeting that would decide our next course of action. We stood near the doorway, speaking in low voices. I hold up how you feel. I know what you deprivation to do. scarce ranting at them isnt going to help you beat out your way.Ranting? I exclaimed, for askting to speak softly.I decide it, he utter. That fires in you again you lack to tear somebody apart. Its what made you so deadly in the fight. But were not fighting right now. The guardians maintain all the information. Theyll make the right choice. You just feature to be patient.Part of what he said was true. In preparation for the meeting, we had relayed all our information and whence done some more searching. Investigation had revealed that several years ago, one of the Moroi t distributivelyers had taught a geology class and mapped the caves out, providing us with everything we pauperisationed to know about them. The entrance was five miles from the Academys back borders. The caves long-lasting chamber was about half a mile long, the far look letting out about twenty miles from the dirt road on the map. It had been believed that landslides had stay both entrances. no., we agnize, clearing those out wouldnt be too difficult with Strigoi strength.But I wasnt sure I trusted what Dimitri said about the guardians making the right choice. Minutes before the meeting began, I appealed to my mother.Please, I told her. We have to do this.She looked me over. If theres a rescue, its not going to be a we thing. You arent going.Why? Because our numbers were so badass the first time that no guardians died? She flinched. Yo u know I stool help. You know what I did. Im a week away from my birthday and unless a only a(prenominal) months away from graduation. You believe something magicals going to happen before then? Ive got a few more things to learn, yeah, but I dont call in thats big enough to stop me from back up. You guys need as much help as you can bum around, and there are plenty of other novices who are ready too. Bring Christian, and well be unstoppable.No, she said quickly. Not him. You should have never gotten a Moroi involved, let alone one as young as him.But you saw what he could do.She didnt argue that. I saw the indecision on her face. She glanced at the time and sighed. Let me check something.I didnt know where she went, but she was fifteen minutes late for the meeting. By then, Alberta had already debriefed the guardians on what wed learned. Mercifully, she skipped the details about how wed gotten our data, so we didnt have to waste time explaining the ghost part. The caves lay out was examined in detail. People asked questions. Then decision time came.I set up myself. Fighting Strigoi had always meant relying on a defense strategy. We attacked only when attacked. Previous arguments for an offensive had always failed. I expected the same now.Only it didnt come.One by one, the guardians stood up and expressed their commitment to going on the rescue mission. As they did, I saw that fire Dimitri had spoken of. Everyone was ready for a fight. They wanted it. The Strigoi had gone too far. In our world, there were only a handful of places that were safe the Royal Court and our academies. Children were sent to places want St. Vladimirs with the certainty they would be protected. That certainty had been shattered, and we wouldnt keep going for that, especially if we could still save lives. An eager, victorious disembodied spirit burned in my chest.Well, then, said Alberta, glancing around. I retrieve she was as surprised as I was, though she too had been in favor of a rescue. Well purpose the logistics and head out. Weve still got about nine hours of daylight to go after them before they leave.Wait, said my mother, rest up. All eyes turned to her, but she didnt bat an eyelash under the scrutiny. She looked fierce and capable, and I was immensely proud of her. I think theres one other thing we should consider. I think we should allow some of the senior novices to go.This started a small outcry, but it only came from a minority. My mother gave an argument similar to what I had given her. She also maintained that novices would not be in the front lines but that we would serve more as backup should any Strigoi get through. The guardians had confining approved of this idea when she dropped other bomb on them.I think we should bring some Moroi with us.Celeste shot up. She had a huge gash on the side of her face. It made the bruise Id assuren on her the other day seem same(p) a mosquito bite. What? Are you insane?My mother pay backed her with a calm look. No. We all know what Rose and Christian Ozera did. One of our biggest problems with Strigoi is getting past their strength and speed to go in for the kill. If we bring fire-using Moroi, we have a astonishment that will give us an edge. We can cut them down.A debate broke out. It took every ounce of self-control I had not to join in. I remembered Dimitris words about not interrupting. Yet as I listened, I couldnt help my frustration. Every minute that passed was another minute we werent going after Eddie and the others. It was another minute in which someone might die.I turned to where Dimitri sat beside me. Theyre being idiots, I hissed.His eyes were on Alberta, as she debated a guardian who usually worked the elementary campus. No, murmured Dimitri. Watch. Change is happening before your eyes. People are going to remember this day as a turning point.And he was right. in one case again, the guardians behind signed on with the idea. I think it was part of that same initiative that made them want to fight in the first place. We had to get back at the Strigoi. This was more than our fight it was the Morois too. When my mother said shed gotten a number of teachers to volunteer they absolutely wouldnt allow students for this the decision was made. The guardians were going after the Strigoi, and novices and Moroi would go with them.I mat triumphant and exultant. Dimitri was right. This was the moment our world would change.But not for four hours.More guardians are coming, Dimitri told me when I once again expressed my outrage.In four hours, the Strigoi could have resolute to have a snackWe need an overwhelming show of force, he said. We need every edge we can get. Yes, the Strigoi could kill a equalise more before we get there. I dont want that, believe me. But if we go in unprepared, we could lose more lives than that.My blood boiled. I knew he was right, and there was nothing I could do about it. I hated that. I hated being helpless.C ome on, he said, gesturing toward the exit. Lets take a walk.Where?It doesnt matter. We just need to get you calmed down, or youll be in no shape to fight.Yeah? Are you afraid of my possibly insane dark side coming out?No, Im afraid of your normal Rose Hathaway side coming out, the one that isnt afraid to jump in without thinking when she believes something is right.I gave him a dry look. Is there a difference?Yes. The second one scares me.I resisted the urge to elbow him. For half a heartbeat, I wished I could close my eyes and forget about all the hurt and bloodshed around us. I wanted to lounge in bed with him, laughing and teasing, with neither of us worried about anything else except each other. That wasnt real, though. This was.Wont they need you here? I asked.No. Most of what theyre doing now is waiting for the others, and they have more than enough people right now to help plan the attack. Your mothers leading that.I followed his gaze to where my mom stood, in the center of a group of guardians, pointing with sharp, forceful motions toward what looked like maps. I still never quite knew what to think about her, but watching her now, I couldnt help but admire her dedication. There was none of the dysfunctional annoyance I usually experienced around her.Okay, I said. Lets go.He took me on a loop around campus, and we surveyed some of the aftermath. Most of the damage wasnt to the campus itself, of course. It was to our people. Still, we could see some signs of the attack damage to buildings, bloodstains in upset(prenominal) places, etc. Most noticeable of all was the mood. Even in full daylight, there was a darkness around us, a heavy sorrow that you could some reach out and feel. I saw it on the faces of everyone we passed.I half-expected Dimitri to take me through where some of the injured were. He steered clear of that, however, and I could guess why. Lissa was helping out there, using her powers in small doses to heal the wounded. Adrian was as wel l, though he couldnt do nearly as much as her. Theyd finally decided that it was worth risking everyone knowing about spirit. The tragedy here was too great. Besides, so much about spirit had gotten out at the trial that it had probably only been a matter of time anyway.Dimitri didnt want me near Lissa while she was using her magic, which I found interesting. He still didnt know if I really was inherited her madness, but he apparently didnt want to take any chances.You told me you had a theory about why the wards broke, he said. Wed extended our circuit of campus, not far from where Jesses society had met last night.Id nearly forgotten. Once Id pieced it together, the reason had been perfectly obvious. No one had really asked many questions about it, not yet. The immediate concerns had been to get new wards up and tend to our own people. The investigation would occur later.Jesses group was doing their initiation right here by the wards. You know how stakes can negate wards because the elements go against each other? I think its the same thing. Their initiation rights used all the elements, and I think they negated the wards in the same way.Magic is used all the time on campus, though, pointed out Dimitri. In all the elements. Why has this never happened before?Because the magic isnt usually happening right on top of the wards. The wards are on the edges, so the two dont usually conflict. Also, I think it makes a difference in how the elements are being used. Magic is life, which is why it destroys Strigoi and why they cant jump it. The magic in stakes is used as a weapon. So was the magic in the torture session. When its used in that sort of negative way, I think it cancels out good magic. I shivered, recalling that sickening feeling Id felt when Lissa had used spirit to torment Jesse. It hadnt been natural.Dimitri stared at a broken fence that pronounced one of the Academys boundaries. Incredible. I never would have thought that was possible, but it makes s ense. The principle really is the same as for the stakes. He smiled at me. Youve thought about this a lot.I dont know. It just sort of fell together in my head. I glowered, thinking of Jesses idiotic group. Bad enough theyd done what they did to Lissa. That was enough to make me want to go kick their asses (though not kill them anymore Id learned some restraint since last night). But this? Letting Strigoi into the school? How could something so stupid and flyspeck on their part have led to this sort of disaster? It approximately would have been better if theyd essay to make this happen, but no. It had come about through their glory-seeking game. Idiots, I muttered.The wind picked up. I shivered, and this time it was from the chilly temperature, not my own unease. Spring might be coming, but it certainly wasnt here yet.Lets get back inside, Dimitri said.We turned around, and as we walked toward the heart of the secondary campus, I saw it. The cabin. Neither of us slowed down or obviously looked at it, but I knew he was just as acutely aware of it as I was. He proved it when he spoke a moment later.Rose, about what happened I groaned. I knew it. I knew this was going to happen.He glanced over at me, startled. That what was going to happen?This. The part where you give me the huge lecture about how what we did was wrong and how we shouldnt have done it and how its never going to happen again. Until the words left my mouth, I didnt realize how much Id feared he would say that.He still looked shocked. Why would you think that?Because thats how you are, I told him. I think I sounded a subatomic hysterical. You always want to do the right thing. And when you do the wrong thing, you then have to fix it and do the right thing. And I know youre going to say that what we did shouldnt have happened and that you wish The rest of what I might have said was smothered as Dimitri wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me to him in the shadow of a tree. Our lips met , and as we kissed, I forgot all about my worries and fears that hed say what wed done was a mistake. I even as impossible as it seems forgot about the death and destruction of the Strigoi. Just for a moment.When we finally broke apart, he still kept me close to him. I dont think what we did was wrong, he said softly. Im glad we did it. If we could go back in time, Id do it again.A swirling feeling burned within my chest. Really? What made you change your mind?Because youre hard to resist, he said, clearly amused at my surprise. And do you remember what Rhonda said?There was another shock, hearing her brought up. But then I recalled his face when hed listened to her and what hed said about his grandmother. I tried to remember Rhondas exact words.Something about how youre going to lose something I apparently didnt remember it so well.You will lose what you value most, so treasure it while you can.Naturally, he knew it word for word. Id scoffed at the words at the time, but now I t ried to decipher them. At first, I felt a surge of joy I was what he valued most. Then I gave him a startled look. Wait. You think Im going to die? Thats why you slept with me?No, no, of course not. I did what I did because believe me, it wasnt because of that. Regardless of the specifics or if its even true she was right about how easily things can change. We try to do whats right, or rather, what others say is right. But some generation, when that goes against who we areyou have to choose. Even before the Strigoi attack, as I watched all the problems you were struggling with, I realized how much you meant to me. It changed everything. I was worried about you so, so worried. You have no idea. And it became useless to try to act like I could ever put any Moroi life above yours. Its not going to happen, no matter how wrong others say it is. And so I decided thats something I have to deal with. Once I made that decision there was nothing to hold us back. He hesitated, seeming to replay his words as he brushed my hair from my face. Well, to hold me back. Im speaking for myself. I dont mean to act like I know exactly why you did it.I did it because I love you, I said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. And really, it was.He laughed. You can sum up in one sentence what it takes me a whole speech to get out.Because its that simple. I love you, and I dont want to keep pretending like I dont.I dont either. His hand dropped from my face and found my hand. Fingers entwined, we began walking again. I dont want any more lies.Then whatll happen now? With us, I mean. Once all of this is done with the StrigoiWell, as much as I hate to reinforce your fears, you were right about one thing. We cant be together again for the rest of the school year, that is. Were going to have to keep our distance.I felt a little disappointed by this, but I knew with certainty he was right. We might finally have reached the point where we werent going to deny our relationsh ip anymore, but we could hardly flaunt it while I was still his student.Our feet splashed through slush. A few scattered birds sang in the trees, undoubtedly surprised to see so much activity in daylight around here. Dimitri stared off into the sky ahead, face thoughtful. After you graduate and are out with Lissa He didnt finish. It took me a moment, but I realized what he was about to say. My heart nearly stopped.Youre going to ask to be reassigned, arent you? You wont be her guardian.Its the only way we can be together.But we wont actually be together, I pointed out.Us staying with her gives us the same problem me harassment more about you than her. She needs two guardians perfectly dedicated to her. If I can get assigned somewhere at Court, well be near each other all the time. And in a secure place like that, theres more flexibility with a guardians schedule.A whiny, selfish part of me wanted to immediately jump in with how much that sucked, but really, it didnt. There was no survival we had that was ideal. Each one came with hard choices. I knew it was hard for him to give up Lissa. He cared about her and wanted to keep her safe with a passion that almost rivaled my own. But he cared about me more, and he had to make that sacrifice if he still wanted to honor his sense of duty.Well, I said, realizing something, we might actually see more of each other if were guarding different people. We can get time off together. If we were both with Lissa, wed be swapping shifts and always be apart.The trees were thinning up ahead, which was a shame, because I didnt want to let go of his hand. Still, a surge of hope and joy began to blossom in my chest. It felt wrong in the wake of such(prenominal) tragedy, but I couldnt help it.After all this time, after all the heartache, Dimitri and I were going to make this work. There was always the possibility he could get assigned away from the Court, but even so, wed still manage to get some time off together every once in a while. The time apart would be agony, but we would make it work. And it would be better than continuing to live a lie.Yes, it was really going to happen. All of Deirdres worries about me make out with conflicting pieces of my life would be for nothing. I was going to have it all. Lissa and Dimitri. The thought that I could be with both of them was going to make me strong. It would carry me through this Strigoi attack. Id stick in it away in the back of my mind, like a good luck charm.Dimitri and I didnt say anything else for a while. Like always, we didnt have to. I knew he was feeling the same happy buzz I was, despite that stoic exterior. We were almost out of the forest, back in sight of the others, when he spoke again.Youll be 18 soon, but even so He sighed. When this comes out, a lot of people arent going to be happy.Yeah, well, they can deal. Rumors and gossip I could handle.I also have a feeling your mothers going to have a very ugly conversation with me.Youre about to f ace down Strigoi, and my mothers the one youre scared of?I could see a smile playing at his lips. Shes a force to be reckoned with. Where do you think you got it from?I laughed. Its a wonder you bother with me then.Youre worth it, believe me.He kissed me again, using the last of the forests shadows for cover. In a normal world, this would have been a happy, romantic walk the morning after sex. We wouldnt be preparing for battle and worrying about our loved ones. Wed be laughing and teasing each other while secretly planning our next romantic getaway.We didnt live in a normal world, of course, but in this kiss, it was easy to imagine we did.He and I reluctantly broke apart and left the woods, heading back toward the guardians building. Dark times were ahead of us, but with his kiss still burning on my lips, I felt like I could do anything.Even face down a pack of Strigoi.