Author's note: Thanks for all the love, y'all! Please review if you feel so inclined. And if you wish to discuss this or the Bloodlines series (or the VA movie!) you can do so over on my Tumblr booksrockmyface.

Happy reading!

Chapter Three

"Still nothing?" Jill asked as the waitress walked away.

Adrian shook his head. "Nothing." He played with his water glass.

"Have you tried maybe talking to Rose?" Eddie asked. He draped his fingers over Jill's on the table. "Or I can call in some Court connections. I have people who owe me favors. People who can do a lot more than make phone calls."

Adrian smiled. "People owe you favors?"

"Of course. I'm too nice for my own good." Eddie stiffened a moment as he watched the door and then he relaxed. "I thought I saw that man."

Jill raised her fingers up and tangled them with his a moment. "You're fine." She assured him.

Eddie nodded. "So are you." He looked back to Adrian. "Seriously, talk to Rose or Lissa. Find out what they know. Brainstorm. Maybe there's somewhere else to look or another person who knows something we don't."

Jill watched him a moment and then nodded. "Abe would be the one to get you what you really needed."

"Get out of my head, Jailbait." He warned with a sad smile. "I want my drink." He waved to the waitress as she passed. "Martini, please. Really dry."

"Coming right up." She smiled and walked away.

Adrian heaved a sigh. "I don't know how much longer I can do this."

"Just a little longer." Jill slipped her hand out from under Eddie's and pulled her phone from her pocket. She typed out a text with lightning-fast fingers. She sat it back on the table. "I need to visit the ladies' room." She gave her boyfriend an expectant look.

Eddie looked around the room. It was only a few steps to the restrooms. He nodded. "All clear. Yell if there's a problem."

They'd visited this restaurant several times. Eddie knew the layout like the back of his hand. He watched as Jill walked across the space to the restroom. He heard the door lock above the din of the dining room.

"You be careful, Eddie." Adrian warned. His drink appeared on the table. He thanked the waitress and took a sip. He let out a sigh after he swallowed. "She's the second most important girl in my life."

"I knew this was coming. You've been too caught up in Sydney to focus on us." The guardian commented.

"Eddie." Adrian warned.

"Look, Adrian, I'm not going to hurt her. I didn't even want this right now."

"Didn't want it?"

The guardian played with the straw in his drink a moment. "With all that's going on, I didn't think I deserved her. How could I keep her safe? One friend died on my watch and the other was kidnapped."

Jill walked over. "But I convinced him I needed him. Something to get me out of your head every once in a while. And to get him to focus on the good things. Can't win them all, Castile." She picked up her phone. "Lissa said she and Rose will be free for a conference call whenever you are. I'm staying with you tonight. You can call and give your permission to the matron. You're my older brother as far as these people are concerned."

"No, you need to get back to school." He took another sip from his martini.

"But it's Friday night. I don't have classes or anything." She argued. "I don't think you need to be alone."

He gave her a sympathetic look and tried to pass calming feelings through the bond. "I'll be fine. Don't worry about me."

"Are you going to try to find her some more?"

"I have to."

Their food arrived and they ate in near silence. Afterward, Adrian dropped them both off at Amberwood and returned to his apartment. He walked in and looked around the mess. He'd gone through bouts in the last month where he cleaned obsessively to get his mind off Sydney. Then he would drop his ashes everywhere but the ashtray and leave soda cans all over the place, accidentally kicking them across the room as he walked and then just leaving them wherever they landed after that.

He sat down on the couch and stared at his phone for several long minutes. Finally he opened the contacts list and found the number to Lissa's private line.

She answered on the third ring. "Adrian, hi." There was a pause and then, "Rose is right here."

"Hey. Jill and Eddie told us what's going." The guardian said. "We've been trying to get someone in the Alchemist office to answer some questions, but when we ask why the Sages were pulled off the case, we just get vague answers. Calls transferred ten times before the line is finally disconnected. Just the runaround."

"Adrian, you should have told me what she was to you." Lissa broke in.

He sighed. "It was none of your business at the time. We were keeping a low profile. Anyway, I know Rose suspected. Didn't you? When we were there before?"

"I know attraction when I see it." Rose commented. "Anyway, I'll keep trying to get someone to answer some questions."

"There's one resource I think we've failed to use." He said reluctantly.

"And who might that be?"

"Who do you think? Someone who has a lot of shady connections. Someone who seems to have a bit of a fondness for Sydney, if I was reading him correctly. Someone who fathered one of the best guardians I know."

"Stop trying flattery, Ivashkov. I'll see if I can get the old man on the case. Want me to pass along your number?"

"Please. And tell him it's urgent." Adrian hated the desperation in his voice, but it was his last best chance.

"I will." Rose assured him. "We're all doing everything."

Lissa broke in. "Jill is concerned. She says you're exhausting yourself trying to find her."

"I have to find her." He said. He could feel the lump forming in his throat. "What if it was Christian? Or Dimitri? Rose ran halfway around the world to save him. If I knew for sure where she was, I'd go there right now and get her out of there."

"You don't have any training." Rose argued. "How do you expect to get her out on your own? Are you going to compel them all? You'll drain all your energy. And then you'd be no good in an escape."

Adrian sighed. "Then Eddie and Angeline can come with me."

"Maybe swap out Neal for Angeline and I'd agree to it." Rose said.

Lissa added, "Whatever you do, make sure Jill stays where she is."

"Believe me," Adrian said, "I don't need to worry about her on top of all this. It's hard enough as it is."

There was a small silence on the line as they all considered the possibilities of what would happen if Jill somehow stowed away on that particular rescue.

Rose spoke. "Give me a bit to get in touch with Abe. He'll answer my call, but I don't know if he'll be able to get your information right away."

"I'll keep trying the dream walking." He said.

"Get some sleep." Lissa begged.

"I'll see what I can do." He hung up and stared at the phone. He opened the address book back up and found Sydney's number. He'd attempted it before and it went to voicemail. He never left a message, afraid they'd use it against her.

He tried again this time. When he pressed it to his ear, he got a message saying the number had been disconnected. "Damn it." He sat the phone one the coffee table and reclined on the couch.

He called up his magic and reached out to Sydney. He tried to recall the feel of her mind. He added more power and reached farther, searching for her everywhere.

There! Something familiar. He was just about to latch onto it when the connection broke abruptly. He tried to grasp it again, but it was gone.

His eyes popped open. He'd felt her! She was still alive out there somewhere. They had drugged her, he'd felt that much before the connection was lost. But she was out there. He'd have to try again later.

He closed his eyes and was shocked to feel the tears escape. She was okay. They wouldn't kill her. The Alchemists at least had that going for them. They wouldn't kill one of their own. But he knew Sydney would wish for death if he didn't save her soon.