The Third Night (Cont.)

Eddie and the others arrived just after our food. They made us get boxes, and eat in the car.

Eddie drove as Angeline sat in the front with him. Neil was in the car behind us with another couple of guardians. I was in the back, in the middle, between Jill and Zoe.

As he drove, Eddie was some combination of relieved and angry that I didn't think was possible. At least he waited until we were done eating to start in on me.

"I need to know what happened back there, Sydney," he finally demanded, glaring in the mirror at me as he drove.

"Back where?" I asked. I didn't want to tell him anything, he didn't know I was using magic, and I really didn't want him or any other guardian to know. I trusted him, but the guardians tended to share too much with the alchemists.

"The restaurant, the motel – all of it!"

I just closed my eyes and shook my head. "Not now, Eddie. Please."

"Sydney…" he began, obviously not satisfied. I never found out what he was going to say because Jill intervened.

"Eddie, don't" She said. "She's had a tough day."

He didn't calm down any. "We've all had a tough day!"

"Yes," Jill said. "So let her rest."

"I don't get to rest," he countered. It was as close to a complaint as I remember ever hearing from him, but at least he was still arguing with Jill rather than me. "I have to fill out reports. Paperwork," he spat. "Sydney should know all about that."

"So fill out your report!" Jill spat back. She was starting to get mad herself.

"She won't tell me what happened," he said. "What am I supposed to put in it?"

"Put the truth!" Jill nearly yelled at him. I touched her arm, and she spoke softer. "Put what you know – Sydney helped me escape a bad situation , then kept me safe until she was able help you find me again."

Eddie glared into the mirror, but softened a little.

"Unless you want to be turned into a toad," Jill said under her breath. I don't know if Eddie heard it, I hoped he didn't; but it did make me smile, just a little. It really wasn't a bad idea. Not Eddie, of course, but it would have made it easier if I could have turned some of the thugs we faced earlier into toads. I would have to see if there was such a spell.

"I guess I could say something like that," he said, finally seeming to be fairly calm. "I could throw in something vague about her ingenuity. They might buy it."

I breathed a sigh of relief before he added, "But they'll still ask her questions."

"Well they shouldn't," Jill said. "They should just be grateful to her. I am."

Eddie was still scowling a little, and I was a little amazed that Angeline had stayed quiet through all of this. I decided to try to change the subject.

"What happened to the van Neil had?" I asked. I had meant it conversationally, but it upset Eddie again.

"We think that's what got us in trouble," he said. "As best we can tell, someone saw the van enter Phoenix, knew Neil had rented it, and followed us to the restaurant. When they figured out we had a Moroi with us, they moved."

I shuddered. "Do they know it was Jill?"

"We don't think so," he said, and I felt a little bit of relief. "They knew the van came with a guardian, and figured out we had several guardians with us, but sometimes rich Moroi have that. We think someone at the LA airport, where he rented the van, put out the word that a dhampir was going to get someone."

"So just thieves looking to score?" I asked

"Thieves, maybe addicts." He said. "You know what a Moroi bite does to humans." Then he added, "You're not really supposed to know all of this."

Suddenly, I was the one that was mad. "Of course not! Why should I know anything?"

"Sydney," Jill whispered, at the same time Zoe squeezed my arm. I knew fighting with the dhampir would be upsetting to my sister, so I took a deep breath.

"You know what we know now," Eddie said. "The men you got away from at the motel were caught and are being questioned. We'll know more later."

"But will you tell me?" I asked under my breath. At the same time I said it, his mention of the motel brought something else to my mind.

"Eddie," I started, using my calmest voice, "I need you to have someone do something for me. Tonight – as soon as possible."

I paused for, and he said "Go on."

"There's a car at a McDonalds not too far from where you picked us up. Someone needs to get it and return it to the parking lot of the hotel we were at – or to the next parking lot over, really."

"Return it," he said slowly. I wondered if his tone was accusing, but I didn't flinch. I just described the car, told him what I could remember of the license plate number, and told him where it was parked.

Angeline was grinning from ear to ear as she turned to look at me. "I knew there was something about you, no one could be so perfect."

Jill glared at her, and she turned around again. I just kept my eyes on Eddie.

"Is there a gun in it?" he asked. "Because that might explain a few things."

I could feel my cheeks starting to burn at his reference to helping me get a gun out of the demolished Latte a week or so ago. "No," I said, knowing my embarrassment was showing. "But ask whoever does it to leave some cash, say $100 in it – for the owner's trouble."

Angeline snickered again.

"The owner's trouble," Eddie said, finally cracking a smile himself.

"I'll pay whoever back," I said quickly. I was glad to have the subject away from the gun, but wanted to get it off the car now. "So will you do it? Please?"

"Sure," he said, as close laughing as I ever remember seeing him. "We're almost there. Neil and those with him were going back to Phoenix tonight anyway. I'll ask him to go."

"Almost where?" I asked. He never told us where we were going, but he didn't answer. He was already on the phone with Neil.

"Angeline?" I tried. "Where are we going?"

She just snickered again. "You gonna shoot me if I don't tell you?"

I scowled and risked a look at Zoe. Her eyes were as wide as I had ever seen them.

Asleep at Last

It was too dark for me to see much of what was around me, but I think we were in some kind of compound. At least we had to go through a gate that had at least one guard.

We were quickly ushered in to our rooms. I was put with Zoe, Jill with Angeline. It made sense, but I was a little nervous about what Zoe would want to know. I wasn't wrong, though at least she waited until we were laying in the twin beds, lights off, and I (at least) was trying to get to sleep.

"Sydney…" she started, then couldn't bring herself to say more.

I drew in a breath. I didn't know what to tell her, but I knew I needed to say something.

"You have questions," I said, stating the obvious.

"Yeah," she said. I thought I could hear her turn to face me.

"Answer one of mine, first," I said. "What is the most important thing for an alchemist in the field, Zoe? What comes before everything else?"

"The mission," she said automatically, as I knew she would.

"And what is our mission?" I continued.

"Keep Jill hidden," she correctly replied, though this time she had to think for a minute.

"That's what I did. As for any other questions you have, I promise I'll answer them later." I was careful not to say how much later, and I certainly had no idea what I would say; but she seemed to accept it. Or, maybe she was just too tired to argue.

"OK," she said. "Remember, you promised."

"I'll remember," I said, turning my back to her and thinking 'how could I forget?'

I was tired, so tired that I think I fell asleep before I even considered using the spell again.

When I was aware of myself again, I knew where I was immediately. At the beach in Malibu, where Adrian and I had ended our day the last time we were together in the flesh. Where ended our day before he took me home, anyway.

"I thought you needed a rest after your day," he said, "and when we were here, you looked as peaceful and calm as I have ever seen you."

Though I'm pretty sure he was not next to me when I opened my eyes here, he was next to me now. His hand took mine and I squeezed tightly.

"You're right. Bad day, need rest. But how are you so sure we're not still in danger?" I asked.

"Castile called me when he got to the restaurant and saw you inside. He would have called again if he hadn't gotten to you guys."

"He's not happy with me, Adrian," I said. "He has questions about what I had to do to get away."

I felt Adrian's arm slip around me, though I kept my eyes fixed on the waves in front of us.

"It should be enough that you did it, that you kept Jill safe," he said.

"Jill helped me evade the questions," I said. "I think it is enough, for now. Eventually I'll have to tell him something, but you're right when you say I trust him. I do."

'Then, it'll be fine," he said, finally planting a kiss on my cheek. I didn't let him get away with just that, I turned my face to him and he took the hint. We were finally kissing after what had seemed like forever.

"It'll be 'fine' with Eddie," I said when I stopped to take a breath. "But I have no idea what I'm going to tell Zoe."

"Ah, your sister," he said, turning to look at the ocean again. "Did I tell you how much I'm looking forward to seeing her? I mean meeting her?"

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, yeah – to see if she looks like me. 'Shock of beauty' and all."

"I expect to be shocked and awed," He said. Then he got serious. "She saw your magic?"

"She was in the middle of the spells," I answered. "I have no idea what she thinks of me, and I'm afraid to ask."

We just watched the waves for a minute or two before he said, "I could talk to her."

That's all he said, but I knew what he meant. It was tempting, but only for a minute - and I would never admit that I had even considered it.

"You'll talk to her," I said, "probably a lot. But you will not compel her. Ever."

He sighed. I knew that all he wanted to do was help me, to make things safer for me with the alchemists. I loved him for that.

"I could never do that to my sister," I explained. "I never wanted her to have to do this, but I can't let you mess with her mind."

"Maybe we could say that Jill did it," he suggested after another minute or two of silence. "She knows Jill can do magic, doesn't she?"

I shook my head. "She'll know Jill is a water user. I can't lie to her, either."

"What can you do, Sage?" Adrian asked. I was afraid there was some exasperation in his voice, and I didn't want to spend what little time we had together upsetting him or arguing with him.

"I can put her off," I said, turning to face him and laying against his chest. "Only Jill and you know about the spells I use, and you'll both keep the secret."

"Part of the secrets we're keeping," he murmured as he stroked my hair.

"For now," I agreed. "But not forever. Somehow, I don't want anyone controlling Zoe anymore than I want them controlling me. I couldn't keep her out of this, but maybe I can free her from it."

"Does she know how lucky she is to have you for a sister?" he whispered.

"She'll learn," I answered softly. "Just like you'll learn how lucky you are to have someone like me in your life."

He actually snorted into my head. "I already know. And I've checked my calendar. The couple of days before I could come to you is half over."

I didn't move, it felt much too good where I was just then. "I'm not sure we're safe yet," I said. "I don't even know where I am."

"I do," he responded, "and I'll be there tomorrow."