Richelle Mead owns the VA and Bloodlines series.
So Richelle is doing a read along of the Bloodlines series on her blog, going through the books chapter by chapter until TIS come out. So I decided I'd read along with her. It's a lot of fun starting at the beginning and reading it slowly. It lets you pick up things you might have missed the first time around, plus Richelle's talking about each chapter.
Hope you like this chapter! I got the idea from rereading chapters 1 & 2 of Bloodlines. Review and let me know :) Also, next couple of chapters of this will involve sexy times and/or small children. But not both at the same time. Yuck!
"My God, I've missed you," Adrian whispered roughly against my neck and then pulled back to kiss me again.
He lay half on top of me, our legs tangled together, on an uncomfortable bed in some cheap motel in the middle of nowhere. He hadn't stopped kissing me since we'd parted ways with the others and gotten the motel room. Not that I wanted him to. I'd missed him more than I could articulate, so our lack of words was fitting.
It still amazed me that he'd actually come for me, saved me from the hell the Alchemists had condemned me to. I'd known in my heart that he'd never give up on me, but it was hard to imagine Adrian Ivashkov, the lazy, womanizing alcoholic that most people saw him as, coming to my rescue. He and some of his friends—our friends—had helped him break into a reeducation center and get me out. Thankfully, before the Alchemists had enough time for their brainwashing to seep in and corrupt my mind.
But even though their tactics hadn't worked yet, it didn't mean reeducation had been fun. They'd done all sorts of painful and evasive things and I hated them. Hated what they did and why they felt they had the right to do it. Just because I was in love with a vampire. I didn't want anything to do with that group anymore. I wanted to be as far away from them as possible. And as far as I understood, that was the plan.
"So what now?" I asked after I'd caught my breath a little. I wanted to know the specifics of everything. Where, what, when, why, and how.
Adrian leaned up on his elbow and brushed my bangs from my face. "We leave the country," he said, knowing without further explanation that I meant the plan and not what were we going to do now after our prolonged make out session. "Maybe go to South America. Not many Moroi or Alchemists there. Plus, I could hawk my paintings on the street to tourists and you could fix all the local crappy cars. We'll be set for life!"
He smiled at me and I kissed him again. His "plan" for our life wasn't the greatest, but I knew he wasn't serious. At least, not entirely.
"You could do much better than selling your paintings to tourists," I teased.
"Oh, I know," he said with an air of arrogance that I knew was only a defense mechanism. "But I don't want to draw too much attention to us and I figured being an internationally famous artist will get us caught pretty fast. So tourists with fannypacks it is."
I smiled, but my retort died on my lips when I realized something. "You're giving up your life to be with me," I said sadly. "Your friends, your family, your future. You're throwing it all away because of me."
Adrian sighed and ran his fingers over my, unfortunately, still tattooed cheek. "Our friends understand, Sage. And you're my family and my future. Besides, you've already given up everything for me. Now it's my turn."
He bent to kiss me again and I melted into that kiss. I felt like putty, like jelly. Like there was no substance to me at all and I might float away. The past two months had been the worst in my life, but this made up for it. He made everything worthwhile.
After awhile another thought occurred to me. I pulled away and sat up, knowing he wasn't going to like my next request. He sat back against the headboard and watched me fidget with the cheap, stiff sheets.
"I need to see my family," I said. "Or, my mother, really. I need to see her before we... go."
Adrian looked torn. I knew he knew how I was feeling. He hadn't seen his mother since she'd gone to jail. I saw the indecision on his face and knew he wanted to give me what I wanted, but he was also worried about protecting me.
"I don't know, Sage," he said slowly. "It's risky. We can get a message to her saying you're fine, but seeing her..."
"I need to see her, Adrian. She needs to see me," I told him firmly. We could go to whatever third world country he wanted to afterward, but this I wasn't budging on. I would see my mother before we left.
He exhaled sharply, clearly agitated, and somehow I knew it wasn't directed at me, but at our situation. "It's dangerous. Extremely dangerous. If we could even get a message to her to meet us, the Alchemists are probably expecting it. They'd follow her right to us."
I bit my lip. "We have to try. I have to."
A full minute passed before Adrian leaned forward and pulled me back against his chest, wrapping his arms around me. "Okay, Sage. We'll try. But I don't like this at all. I want to put that on record now so in case everything goes to hell I can say I told you so."
I laughed, but we both knew it wasn't entirely a joke. This was dangerous and could get us both in a lot of trouble, but I had to do it. I didn't have a choice, just like I didn't have a choice about who I fell in love with. I needed to see my mom one last time before I disappeared forever.
###
Three days later—and much longer than we should have still been in this country for, according to Adrian—we pulled up in front of an outdoor cafe in a nondescript, black Honda that Adrian had bought this morning from a shady looking man for a few hundred dollars. Adrian put the car in park, but didn't turn off the engine, just in case.
"Are you sure about this?" he asked softly, as I searched for my mother's familiar face among the cafe's patrons. I spotted her, alone at a table in the back where no one would notice us, and began opening the car door.
"Yes. There she is," I said. I turned back and kissed him quickly before hopping out of the car. "Give me five minutes."
I'd taken a whole two steps in my mother's direction when I noticed the man walking towards her. He was tall, with sandy blonde hair and a lily tattoo glimmering on his cheek. My heart nearly stopped when I saw him. He hadn't noticed me yet and I briefly thought about hopping back into the car and telling Adrian to hightail it out of here, until I saw the three styrofoam cups he was carrying.
Three?
I looked around, searching the faces for other lilies, but there were only smiling couples and laughing teens. An old woman sat at a bus stop across the street, knitting. I could find no signs that anyone was watching the two at the table, or that they were waiting for a third party to show up besides me.
"Psst!"
I quickly turned my head, keeping my peripheral vision on the table in the back.
"Why are you just standing there?" Adrian asked through the open car window.
"Because," I whispered knowing he'd hear me, "my dad's here."
There was a long pause from Adrian and then, "Get in the car, Sage. Your mother knows you're fine. Let's just go."
I couldn't blame him for his worry about my father. I was petrified of what him being here meant, but I also couldn't leave without speaking to my parents. They were right there and, whatever his intentions, I wanted to see my father before I disappeared forever. I only wished my sisters were here, too.
"I'll be right back," I told him, ignoring his request. "Four minutes."
I stepped forward, one foot at a time, just trying to remember to breathe as I approached their table. My mother noticed me first and she sucked in a breath at the sight of me. Her eyes filled with tears as she leaped from her seat and threw her arms around me.
"Oh God, Sydney," she cried into my hair. "Oh, thank God! I've been so worried about you." She pulled back to look at my face and I worked hard to keep my own tears in check. There was no time for a breakdown at the moment.
"Those damned Alchemists," she said, her tone seething with hatred. It shocked me a little to hear, but I understood it. It was how I felt. "Did they hurt you? Are you okay? How did you get away? Why did a dhampir boy whisper this address to me in the grocery store yesterday?"
I didn't have time to explain all of that to her. Oh, well, my vampire boyfriend and I asked Eddie, one of our friends, to stalk you and deliver a cryptic message telling you to be here at this exact time and hope that you showed up. That would only leave her with a million more questions, so I ignored it.
"I'm fine, Mom," I said instead. My father stood and moved to stand behind my mother, who let me go and moved to the side so I was now standing face to face with my father. "Sir," was all I could think to say.
He watched me with that same cold demeanor he always did. What I saw in his eyes was exactly what I had known would be there, but I'd foolishly let myself hope anyway. He looked angry and disappointed. I watched his eyes take in my jeans and T-shirt with obvious disgust.
"Sydney," was all he said, but it conveyed everything he didn't say. It told me exactly what a failure my father thought I was. A washout. A traitor. A vamp-lover.
For a few seconds I just stood there, feeling like the same girl I had been just a few months ago. A girl trapped by her demanding father and the rigid group she was tied to. But I wasn't that girl anymore. Adrian was in the car waiting for me and I was free. We were going to be free.
"I wanted to say goodbye," I said quietly. "I have to go, but I didn't want to leave without saying goodbye."
"Leave?" Mom said, starting to panic. "What do you mean? Where will you go?" She took my hand and squeezed it tightly. "No. We'll protect you from the Alchemists. Tell her, Jared. Tell her what we said."
Dad just shook his head silently, causing more tears to spill down Mom's cheeks. "I think it's best if she does leave," he finally said.
"Damn you!" Mom cursed. "She's your daughter! Don't you even care about that?" She stepped away from him, closer to me. "You have no heart. Just like the rest of them," she said, disgust in her voice.
My mouth hung open, shocked by her words. I'd heard my parents fight before, mostly about the Alchemists, but I'd never heard her speak to Dad like that. I was pretty sure Dad hadn't heard anyone speak to him like that either, based on the way his eyes widened.
"It's not that I don't care," he explained, and for the first time in my life, he looked flustered. "But she was sent to reeducation for a reason. It was warranted. She's gotten much too close to those creatures." He made the Alchemist sign of evil against his shoulder before continuing. "She probably had them help her escape the Alchemists' care based on the dhampir that cornered you," he told Mom.
Mom shook her head and opened her mouth to say something, maybe argue back, but she stopped short, her eyes going wide as she noticed something over my shoulder. I spun, fearing a group of men in business suits, lilies glittering on their cheeks, ready to grab me. What I saw was almost as horrifying.
Adrian had gotten out of the car and walked over to where we stood. He was less than five feet away from my parents. Close enough that he had most certainly heard every word my father had said. And probably some my dad hadn't said, he was just that good at reading people.
I watched as my father froze in shock at the sight of a Moroi standing so close in the middle of a crowded public place. A human place. His hand seemed to move to his shoulder on instinct, making the sign of evil for the second time in less than a minute.
"Adrian," I said softly. "Please."
His eyes, hard with anger, moved from my father's terrified face and met mine. He knew I wanted him to get back in the car, but he refused. He shook his head and stood his ground. He even moved closer to me in some male, testosterone-filled show of dominance.
"Sydney," Dad said slowly. "Step away from him." He waved his hand in a gesture that said I needed to come stand by him.
I sighed, wishing Adrian had agreed to let me come here alone.
"Mom, Dad," I said. "This is Adrian." When they didn't immediately relax at the knowledge that I knew this vampire, I added, "It's okay. He's a friend."
Mom recovered first, but then again she was probably more shocked than scared. "This... Is this one of the people who helped you escape?" she asked.
I nodded and Mom relaxed, giving Adrian a tentative smile.
"Thank you," she said kindly. I could hear the sincerity behind her words and knew she truly appreciated him helping me get out of reeducation.
"It's no problem, ma'am," Adrian said, smiling gently. He offered his hand cautiously, aware that my parents might not be up for shaking hands with someone they considered evil. That realization broke my heart, a little.
Mom looked between his face, my face and his hand for a moment, before reaching out to take it. Before she could, though, my father regained his composure and intercepted her. He held her hand tightly, looking at me with a new kind of shock and fear.
"It's true," he whispered. "Isn't it?"
I wasn't sure what he meant, but I had a bad feeling about it. When I didn't respond he continued.
"The Alchemists. They said you... That you'd... gotten... close." Every word out of his mouth seemed pained and I felt horrible for it. I knew what he meant now, and I couldn't bare the thought of him knowing. Of him being disgusted. Tears sprang to my eyes and I had to look away.
"What are talking about, Jared?" Mom demanded.
"This... this monster has been taking advantage of our daughter!" Dad's voice was filled with such unconcealed rage that I had to look back up. His face was bright red and he looked on the verge of attacking Adrian. It was the most emotion I'd ever seen from him.
Adrian's face, on the other hand, had gone perfectly blank. He was trying not to yell, but he also looked like he didn't want anyone to see how much my father's words hurt him. Seeing that pain hidden away in his emerald eyes made me feel defensive.
"Adrian has never taken advantage of me," I said. "He would never do that."
"He's that Ivashkov boy, right?" Dad asked. "He's a spirit user. He can make you believe things, mess with your mind." He actually looked almost pleased for a moment. "That's why you're acting like this. He's compelling you to do these things."
"Adrian would never hurt me," I raged. "You want to know who hurt me, Dad? Do you? You want to know what the Alchemists did to me while they had me locked up? Do you want to know about how they strapped me to a table and injected me with mind altering serums until I wasn't sure of my own name? Or how they brought in a Strigoi while I was under and threatened to let him have me? Because this man," I gestured to Adrian, who had stiffened during my speech, "is the one who saved me from all of that! He got me away from your precious Alchemists. And if you think that the man who saved me, the man who loves me more than his own life, is evil, than you need to think again."
My dad looked shocked by my outburst, my mother looked sort of proud and Adrian... Adrian had a glimmer in his eye that left me with the impression he wanted to throw me on one of the wrought iron cafe tables and kiss me breathless, but I ignored that and the butterflies it caused.
"We need to go now," I said, calmer now. I turned to Mom and hugged her. "I'm sorry, but I can't stay. They'll come for me. The only chance we have is to disappear."
"We?" Mom asked, her eyes darting to Adrian.
"Yes," I said, looking back at Adrian. "We."
He reached forward and took my hand, lacing our fingers together, getting ready to drag me back to the car.
Dad made a choking noise in the back of his throat when he saw our fingers weaved together like that, but instead of going off on a lecture about how I'd been tempted by evil or whatever, he gave Adrian a deadly look. "If you hurt my daughter I will kill you."
My mouth dropped open. I couldn't have been more shocked if he'd leaned forward and kissed Adrian on the lips. Adrian, for whatever reason, didn't seem to think my father's behavior was all that odd. He gave him a hard look in return and nodded.
"Every time she hurts it's like a piece of me dies inside," Adrian said fervently.
His words caused warmth to spread over my body, from both love that he felt that way and embarrassment that he'd just said that to my father.
The two men continued to stare at each other for so long that I turned to Mom in confusion. She shook her head, silently telling me not to interrupt whatever was going on.
Finally, through gritted teeth, Dad said, "Do you love her?" and I felt my cheeks flame.
"More than I love myself," Adrian said. I imagined him following that comment up with something like, "and if you knew me, you'd know how much I love myself," be he didn't. There was no trace of humor in his eyes right now.
"Then take care of her," Mom said, surprising everyone by stepping forward to pat Adrian's shoulder. "Protect my baby."
"Till my dying breath," Adrian whispered to her, causing her to tear up again.
She stepped forward and hugged me one last time. "He seems like a good boy," she whispered into my ear. "You'll be safe with him."
I pulled back and gave her a reassuring smile. "I know."
To my utter disbelief my father stepped forward and awkwardly wrapped an arm around my shoulders. I hesitated a moment before hugging him back.
"Do you trust him?" he said, not bothering to whisper the way Mom had. Why would he? He knew Adrian could have heard him even if he hadn't been standing close enough to hold my hand.
"Yes," I answered without any hesitation. "I trust him."
"Do you love him?" The words were strained and quiet, but he'd said them clearly enough for me to hear.
Like before, it shocked me that my father would ask such a question. In his eyes Adrian was a monster, why would he care if I loved him? What did it matter if he loved me?
"Yes," I said again, making my voice firm and unwavering. I didn't want him to have any reason to think otherwise.
He released me from the first hug we'd shared since I was a child and looked between me and Adrian. "Then go," he said. "But I need a way to contact you."
Adrian opened his mouth to protest, but my father cut him off, looking at me.
"I will not have my daughter disappear with some boy, vampire or not, without me having a way to get in touch with her. I'm not going to rat you out to them, Sydney." He didn't elaborate on who they were. He didn't need to. "I'll try to throw them off your trail. But when they stop looking, and they will stop looking eventually, I want you to come home. I'll need a way to let you know when it's safe."
I saw a small smile form on my mother's lips as my dad spoke. I looked back and forth between the two of them. Mom's hopeful smile and my dad's fierce gaze, unlike the cold one he usually wore. There was still anger and even disappointment in his stare, but the resolve to protect me I saw in his eyes overshadowed all of that.
I looked up at Adrian and nodded once. He bit his lip, but then turned his gaze towards my father. "Someone will be in touch, then," he told him and then tugged on the hand he still held. "We've got to go now, Sage."
I nodded and took a step back toward the street where the black Honda still sat, engine on, waiting.
"Tell Carly and Zoe that I love them and that I'm sorry," I said, fighting the tears in my eyes.
Mom nodded back, wiping at her own tears. My parents continued to watch us as Adrian and I got into the car. I grabbed the keys from him, unable to stand sitting in the passenger seat right now. I needed the comfort and distraction of driving or else I might breakdown.
As I pulled away from the curb, I gave them one last look, the people who'd raised me. My mother looked the strangest mix of sad, fearful and relieved. My father, for whatever it was worth, looked upset and for the first time in my life, I was pretty sure it wasn't with me.
"Are you okay?" Adrian asked as we pulled out into traffic and drove away. He reached over and took my right hand in his, giving it a small squeeze.
I thought about the prospect of freedom after almost nineteen years of being told what to do, what to say, what to think and feel, and it was like a weight had been lifted off of my shoulders. I squeezed his hand back and smiled.
"I will be."