Chapter 4 Dazed

This is truly my worst nightmare. I can't help the scream that escapes me as the Moroi I was shoved into leans over me. His teeth brush my neck and he whispers,

"Don't worry sweetheart I won't hurt you." I scream again and struggle to get free when his teeth pierce my skin; there is a short burst of pain before I am lost on the bliss of the chemical high. I only vaguely get the sensation of multiple bites. The bliss of the endorphins pull me in and I lose all rational thought.

************************************************************************************* I must have passed out because when I open my eyes next, Jill is hovering over me. While my still foggy mind registers the fact that it is Jill and not the monsters that attacked me my body see fangs and pale skin. I flinch away and clumsily move away backing up against the wall. I curl up in a ball and try to hide my shaking. I am immediately embarrassed but instead of being hurt I think she finally understands my fear.

"I'm not going to hurt you." She says reassuringly. "You're safe now. They're gone." I shiver and don't even try to hold back the tears. Jill and the others move closer, forming a protective circle around me. I cry until I have no more tears, the others murmur softly but don't try to touch me for which I am grateful.

"I'm so sorry. This is all my fault." Jill says, looking on the verge of tears. "I didn't mean for anyone to get hurt." She looks so scared I pull together my scattered thoughts long enough to reply.

"It isn't your fault, it's theirs."

"Everyone move back along the wall." The fifth Moroi commands. We do as he says. I filch at the sight of him but he ignores me, instead examining the dhampirs for a moment before grabbing Eddie. The Moroi pulls Eddie to his feet and shoves him into the center of the room.

"Get down on your knees." The Moroi commands. Eddie complies. Suddenly I am full of fear, why did they go to all the trouble of bringing us here only to kill us. The Moroi whispers something in his ear just as another Moroi comes into the room carrying a video camera. One of the Moroi flips a switch outside the door and the room is suddenly flooded with a bright florescent light. The Moroi positions the camera in front of Eddie. The red light on the camera turns on and Eddie starts.

"Hey Lisa, Rose, whoever else is listening to this. If you haven't figured it out yet our mission failed. It was Spokane all over again, only Sydney was the new Mia she has also taken old role much to her displeasure. Anyway the company's better this time at least. "One of the Moroi nudges Eddie with his gun so Eddie gets to the point. I must still be out of it from the endorphins because none of what Eddie just said makes sense.

"So what they want is for Lisa to vote for whatever it is that is being voted on at Monday's council meeting. That's it apparently. Oh yeah, If you don't and I quote, 'they will start with the human and work their way up to the Princess' their words not mine. You can guess what that means. That's it I guess." Eddie concludes. The camera man moves the camera, panning out to show that we are all still alive. He focuses it back on Eddie just in time to see the Moroi who seems to be in charge, for our audience I'm sure, punch Eddie in the face. It doesn't seem to be hurt but I can see a little blood coming from his split lip. I wince. I hate the fact that they have so much power over us. The Moroi take their camera and go,

"At least we only have a day to wait." Eddie says optimistically.

"What you said about me what did it mean?" I ask feeling like I am missing something important there is some connection I'm not getting, I recognize the reference but my brain is still to shot to process it.

"Christmas break last year Rose, Mason, Christian, Mia, and I were all captured by a pair of Strogoi."

"Yeah, what does that have to do with me?"

"We had started to fight them off when they grabbed Mia. They forced us into a van just like they did this time." Eddie explains "And as for taking my role," he pauses, suddenly I realize what he meant. From the look on his face it is painful just thinking about it.

"Oh," I say. He shakes his head as if he can shake the thoughts away, and then continues.

"I hope Rose got the hint that we have better company, I meant that there are no Strogoi, only Moroi." It amazes me that while I'm struggling to think straight Eddie has just given the Guardians useful information.

*************************************************************************************As it turns out, Eddie was wrong about having only one day to wait. The rest of Sunday passes slowly, with no more visits from our captors. All of us are to on edge to sleep. When the Moroi finally do come back they it is the camera man, he brings in a plate with five ham and cheese sandwiches on it. Deka is the first to point out the problem with this.

"What about our hands, you are going to have to untie us so we can eat." She says practically. The Moroi eyes her for a second before nodding to us,

"Those two can help you." He mutters. Then he walks over to me. I try to move away but he grabs me, He pulls me close to him and I try to get away.

"Don't" is all I get out before he bites into my neck and I am lost once again on the high of the bite. When I finally clear my head enough I force myself to eat the sandwich the Moroi brought, I am about halfway before another Moroi comes in and starts the process all over again. By the time the fifth Moroi is gone my head is spinning and I am on the verge of passing out again. Jill comes over and makes me eat the rest of my sandwich.

"You need to eat." She insists gently.

The time passes slowly, why hasn't anything happened yet? At around midnight I finally drift into sleep and right into a spirit dream. With Adrian of course. My drug addled brain hadn't even considered it but in hind sight it makes sense that Adrian would visit me in my dream.

"Hey," Adrian is on the far side of the room, a place I don't recognize. It Is an unfamiliar formal dinning room. It is very fancy, not the sort of place I would imagine Adrian picking.

"Hi," I say. "It's good to see you." He studies me for a moment before crossing the room in a few quick steps and pulls me into a gentle hug.

"Are you okay? I was so worried." He lets me go and steps back. "I'll give you some space now. I just had to do that before I lost my nerve. How are you?" His concern is sincere.

"I'm f-" I start to say fine but cut myself off. I sink into one of the straight back chairs.

"I'm the opposite of fine. The last two days have been the worst in my life. My sister is still trying to kill me, twice I've been lunch for five Moroi and Jill will be getting hungry soon. They haven't let us go although the queen must have done what they said or we'd be dead by now!" I realize how hysterical and take a deep breath. Adrian puts his hands on my shoulders and massages my shoulders, careful not to touch my neck. I move his hands off me.

"Please don't. Not right now." I say wrapping my arms around myself to stop from shivering. Adrian drapes a blanket around my shoulders and pulls up a chair next to mine.

"We are just as confused as you are Sage. Lisa did what they told her to do. We don't know why we haven't heard back. The Guardians are looking for you guys but no luck yet. If you have anything that could help, Castile's info via Rose, was some help but …" He trails off. "Hang in there Sydney we'll find you." I debate on a question, seeing my hesitation Adrian asks,

"What is it?"

"Have the guardians contacted my family?" I ask.

"Yes, they gathered all the families, yours Castile's Jailbait's, Deka's family lives at Court, everybody but Angeline's family were relocated to Court. Let me tell you your father is one tough cookie. He was very adamant about getting you to safety. After meeting him about a thousand things about you made sense. Your Mom's great, we get along real well despite her being slightly terrified of me."

"You met my mom?" I ask.

"Yes, now I get your thing for cars, she was drooling all over my car too. She's a pretty cool lady." Adrian explains.

"What about Zoe?" I ask.

"She's pretty quiet; I tried to get her to talk but couldn't get much out of her. The only thing I got from her aura was guilt." Guilt, because she was original supposed to go instead of me, guilt because the last time we spoke, she yelled at me. I wish I could tell her that, I would go through this all over again if it saved her." That didn't make much sense though, maybe I read it wrong. I'm still getting used to humans after all. Oh and another thing, I think your sister can do magic, her aura has the same purple as yours does when you do magic." This shocks me but makes sense, if Carly and I are witches why wouldn't Zoe?

I think back to Sunday and give Adrian all the useful details I can think of.

"They drove a windowless black van; I didn't see the license plate. They took us about an hour out of town to an abandoned warehouse. We are in a room of the right of the main open space on the left side when you walk in from the front. "I tell him. He nods, this will help the Guardians a lot, I have to go tell them so they can start looking for you guys. Stay strong Sydney, we'll find you soon. I promise." Adrian says and ends the dream.

Before you point it out to me yes I realize that Sydney's blood is supposed to be inedible, I will explain this and more in the next few chapters. Please review!