Chapter 8

It took one glance at a passing human's cell phone to determine that I was rapidly running out of time. I missed Christian's birthday. April had already passed by, which meant it was only a few weeks until the Academy's graduation ceremony. While I had the wealth of the house at my leisure, nothing material would do. Instead, the present I decided on had taken several people and more than a few well-placed bribes to gather everything I needed.

Svetlana and Masha rolled their eyes at my extravagance, but were pleased at the challenge it presented. It was rare they utilized the American spy network we had. Even Ivan had joined in to help me. He returned covered in blood and smiling ear to ear, tossing his contribution into the cold storage box.

A week later, I added the finishing touches to the note, signing "Love, Lissa" with a flourish. I placed the note carefully in the box so blood would not stain it.

I couldn't wait to see him again.