Richelle Mead owns the VA and Bloodlines series.

Have you guys checked out The Fiery Heart cover yet? I love it! Especially Sydney's expression. She's looks so irritated. I think it's funny :)

So this is a continuation of chapter 12 - Books. I kind of love the idea of Sydney and Adrian having their relationship thrust on them before they're ready for it. It's fun to figure out how they'd react if they'd known from the beginning how they'd feel about each other. So I hope you enjoy this chapter. And let me know what you think!

Eddie shut the book, his face slightly red from having read... what he'd read. My face was probably bright red too, so I couldn't blame him.

The shock of it all turned my stomach into a fireball. At least that's what I kept telling myself. Because there was no way what I was feeling was excitement. It just couldn't be. It made no logical sense.

But one peek out of the corner of my eye in his direction caused my cheeks to blaze even brighter and the fireball followed suit. How was it possible for a book to have this effect on me? It wasn't like any of it was real, it wasn't happening to me. It was happening to book-Sydney.

Even I scoffed internally at that. By the end of the first book I'd been convinced that the stories these books held were true. Some of it was hard to believe, like the idea that witches existed and I was one of them. I'd been horrified by the idea, but Adrian had looked over and said, "Maybe magic is unnatural, but you used it to save my life. However evil you think it is, you used it to do something good." Then he'd given me a small smile that, for unknown reasons, kick started my heart. "Thank you, even if it didn't really happen. Yet."

But even the idea of magic was nothing compared to the idea of kissing a vampire. Kissing Adrian Ivashkov. The guy I'd spent the past two days sitting next to as we read our future from six books Abe Mazur had "acquired". I had no idea where he'd gotten them and, at this point, I couldn't care less. All that mattered was that they were real and in them I seemed to be falling in love with a vampire.

I tried to hide my blush as Eddie picked up the third book. It was blue and both Adrian and I were on the cover, along with someone I didn't recognize. After reading the end of the second book I figured his name was probably Marcus Finch, an ex-alchemist that book-me was trying to find. That was another crazy thing I'd discovered while reading the books. I hadn't known there were ex-alchemists out there. I didn't know such a thing existed. Already my mind was racing with ways to find Marcus. If these books were real, and I knew they were, than I needed to talk to him.

I shot another discrete glance at Adrian and found him watching me too. I looked away quickly. He was not the reason I needed to find Marcus. The books might be real, but you can't fall in love just by reading about another person. I'd never been in love, but I knew you had to spend time with them, get to know them. Not just read a book based on a future-them that won't exist now anyway.

There was no way any of the events we were reading about would come to pass now that we knew about them. There was no way anyone was going to let Moroi rebels kill Jill and have Adrian bring her back, or let Sonya get kidnapped and almost executed by these so called Warriors of Light. I was grateful for that, but some illogical part of me was a little angry about it. Abe was changing our future by showing us these books. Sure, we might not have to suffer through certain events now, but we weren't becoming the people we were meant to be.

"Do you guys want me to keep reading or do you want a break?" Eddie asked, flipping the blue book open to the first page. He'd become our designated reader because he was the most eloquent at reading aloud. Adrian kept reading ahead to himself when he'd taken a turn. I'd done the same thing, too caught up in what I was reading to focus on speaking the words aloud. Rose made too many comments while reading and Jill stumbled over too many words for the story to flow smoothly. Eddie'd taken the book from her and he'd been reading ever since.

Dimitri checked his watch and stood up. "We haven't had a break in awhile. I'm sure you could use a glass of water or something," he said to Eddie.

Eddie smiled and said he was fine, but stood up and cracked his neck. "I think I'll go for a short walk, stretch my legs a little."

Book-me had noticed it and regular me had too. Eddie didn't like just sitting around. He was a very active person and he moved quickly for the door, jumping on the chance to get out of this cooped up room.

"I'll go with you!" Jill called after him, jumping out of her seat. Her eyes went wide and her pale cheeks flushed with embarrassment when everyone turned to look at her. Eddie let out a string of startled um's and uh's before finally nodding for her to come along.

The awkward display reminded me that I wasn't the only one with a now very public, very forbidden relationship—not that Adrian and I had one of those. He'd just kissed me, once, and I'd pulled away. In a book. It didn't count. But Eddie and Jill, book Eddie and Jill anyway, had both admitted their feelings for one another. I almost laughed just thinking about Eddie's blush when he'd read that part out loud. And now... Now what? They were going to go talk it out? How do you talk about feelings some future version of you has?

"Sydney?"

I was pulled out of my thoughts by Adrian's voice. I looked around and noticed everyone else was filing out of the room. It was just him and me left. He moved closer to me on the couch, but not close enough that he was invading my personal space or anything. Regardless, my heartbeat kicked up a notch. I tried telling myself it was because I was now alone with a vampire, but I couldn't make myself believe it.

"Are you alright?" he asked quietly, green eyes studying me in a way that was almost tangible. I could feel him trying to see inside my head, find out what I was thinking.

I studied him in return. He'd come a long way from the drunk guy I'd met yesterday. Today he only had a few sips from his flask. I didn't know what was in there, but it didn't get him drunk, or even buzzed. He was staying sober to read the books and I appreciated that. After reading about everything he'd been going through I knew being here must be tough on him. Rose and Dimitri had been respectful during the parts of the books that referenced their relationship, but I could see how it could be embarrassing for Adrian. The thoughts book-Adrian shared with book-me weren't meant to be read aloud, but he was allowing us to read them anyway.

"I'm fine," I finally said with a shrug. "How are you?"

This was all slightly embarrassing since we'd just read about the kiss. Who was I kidding? This was the most awkward conversation ever, but I wanted to talk to him. We needed to talk. We hadn't had a chance to talk about what was happening between us. Book-us, that is.

"I'm alright," he smiled. "This is a lot to take in. I was... Well, I'm worried about you. I know this isn't... From the book I know that you don't exactly like us. And you and me—" He shrugged. "We're close. In the book."

I nodded, biting my lip and refusing to meet his eyes. "It's weird. Freaky. And awkward. It's so awkward to sit here next to all of you, feeling like I know you all better than I do."

"You do know me," he said with a small smile. "Better than anyone." He reconsidered. "Well, I guess everyone here knows me now, but it was meant for you. You're the one who's supposed to know me this way."

I scooted back a little bit on the couch, keeping my gaze on the carpet. "But it's not real. It's not going to happen now. Even if... even if I did feel something for you in the books, it's not going to happen now."

Adrian shook his head and moved away from me, sitting on the very end of the couch, but he turned his whole body to face me. "I don't know about that, Sage. Circumstances might be different, but feelings are feelings. You're certainly handling this a lot better than I'd imagined. More like the Sydney in the book than the Sydney who I met yesterday."

"It's an illusion," I claimed. "It's not real, this feeling. The comfortableness." I picked up the blue book Eddie had discarded before he left. "It's just from being lost in these pages for two days straight. It'll fade and we'll be who we were when we started reading."

Adrian didn't look convinced. "Maybe you will," he said diplomatically. "But I won't be. I'm already different. Do you know what it's like to feel miserable, and then have someone hand you a crystal ball? To see how happy, how not miserable, you could be if you'd just let yourself? That's how I feel. Like someone just gave me the winning lottery numbers and all I have to do is play them."

I blinked at him. "What does that mean?"

"It means I don't want to be miserable anymore." He took the book from me and started flipping through it. "I want this. I want to be like the guy in these books. The guy that could make someone like you proud of him. I know I don't really know you, but I feel like I do. I feel like we've always known each other. I feel like we could have this." He gestured to the book. "I feel like we could be these people if we just spent a little time together. Don't you feel it, Sydney?"

I wasn't sure what to say to him. I had no idea what to think. He wanted... he wanted us to be like in the books. He wanted to be friends. More than friends? He couldn't possibly be serious. It was ridiculous to even consider it. But his expression was so serious, his green eyes so sincere. I thought back to the way everyone kept watching him throughout our reading of the first book. The way they'd given him pitying looks. The way he'd hunched on the couch, pretending he didn't care, ignoring the stares. Then I thought about all the times book-me had refused to pity him. There'd been a moment when I'd glanced over and saw him sitting up taller, looking astonished, but happy, that someone thought he had too much potential to squander the way he did. And he did have potential. I could see it in him now. Not book-Adrian, but real Adrian—the guy sitting across from me on the couch. He really was different than he had been yesterday when we'd started these books.

"I don't know what I feel," I admitted honestly. "It's all really confusing. Like living parallel lives. I don't feel different than I did yesterday, but I also feel like a whole other person."

He nodded, thinking about it. I had to admit, if nothing else, it was really easy to talk to him. "That's how I feel too," he said finally. "Nothing's different, but at the same time everything's changed. I don't really know what we're supposed to do now."

I shrugged, sort of amazed that he was being so serious about this. He wasn't even mentioning anything that had happened in the book. Maybe he felt embarrassed? Or maybe he was trying not to scare me off. I figured it didn't really matter right now. "I think the only thing we can do is finish reading and see what happens. We've got four books left. A lot could happen, a lot could change."

He nodded. "Are you thinking about the Alchemists?" he asked softly.

I sighed. "I'm thinking about a lot of things. But yeah, the Alchemists are part of it. I have to find out about that Marcus guy." I took the book from him, holding it like it was precious. "I never thought the Alchemists would use me like that, but thinking about it, I'm not sure why it never occurred to me. They sort of do it all the time. Even my dad. Especially my dad. I want to know what Marcus knows. I hope it's in here."

Adrian glanced at the open door, looking to see if anyone was back yet. No one was there, so he grabbed the book back from me and flipped it open. "There's one way to find out."

"Adrian!" I complained.

He glanced up at me with a grin. "There it is," he said with a laugh. "It sounds even better hearing you say it for real. Beats hearing Eddie say it."

"Say what?" I asked, confused. "Your name?"

He nodded. "Well, my name like that. That way. Like you're annoyed with something I'm doing."

I surprised the both of us by laughing a little. "You want me to be annoyed with you?" I asked incredulously.

"Not exactly," he smiled. "I just like the way you say it, I guess." He shrugged and returned his attention to the book, leaving me to blush in peace. "Here," he said, pointing to the page he'd flipped to. "You're talking to Marcus here."

I leaned over, scooting closer so I could see. Adrian moved closer too, laying the book across both of our laps.

He laughed. "You're killing him at Skee-Ball, Sage."

I glanced down at the passage he was pointing to. "I've never even played Skee-Ball," I admitted.

That just caused him to laugh harder. "Doesn't seem to matter."

Without even realizing it we both started reading and made it all the way to the next chapter before we stopped. I'd learned a little about Marcus and the Alchemists. Enough to know I needed to read the whole book. Enough to make me feel even more out of sorts because of the Alchemists behavior, according to this guy Marcus, anyway. Really, the only reason we'd stopped reading was because Adrian was laughing too hard.

"You know," I said, a little annoyed. "It's not that funny. It's actually quite tragic. If you appreciated cars the way I do you'd understand."

"No," he gasped between breaths. "It's... It's funny anyway."

I rolled my eyes and watched him as he tried to calm himself.

"What's going on?" Dimitri asked, stepping back into the room. Everyone except for Eddie and Jill followed behind him. "You guys started without us?"

"That's not very nice," Abe said with a smirk, sitting down in a chair across the room from us. I was glad he was keeping his distance. "But it is nice to see you two getting along so well."

I looked down to see how close Adrian and I were sitting. Our legs were touching, from thigh to knee, and I hadn't even noticed until now. I grabbed the book and flipped it closed, setting it on the table before moving to the end of the couch. Away from Adrian.

He took my move in stride, still smiling after his laughing fit. "We skipped ahead a little," he said. "Got to see how much Sydney really likes cars."

Rose gave him a strange look, but smiled. "She does like cars. You know that. From the book. You heard how she was—is?—with the Mustang you bought—will buy?" She shook her head. "This is confusing."

"Yeah but, just wait. You have to see her reaction when some kids slash the Mustang's tires. It is the best thing ever." He chuckled a few times to himself, before stifling the reaction as Eddie and Jill walked in.

They were both smiling, looking a lot less awkward then they had when they left. I wondered what they'd talked about on their walk. Had it been like the talk Adrian and I had just had? I snuck a look in his direction as Eddie sat down and grabbed the book, flipping it open to chapter one. I felt better after the talk we'd had. Less awkward about everything, I guess. Kind of happy, even after he laughed at me—book-me—during the scene with the Mustang. Maybe I was feeling happy because of that, though. I kind of liked that I could make him laugh. I didn't usually have that effect on people, so it was nice to know someone thought I was funny. Plus, seeing Adrian smile just put me in a good mood for some reason. He was still smiling as Eddie began reading and, even with all of this uncertainty floating around inside of me, I kind of wanted to smile too.

It was wrong—at least by Alchemist standards, obviously—but I hardly cared. Eddie dove back into the story of future me, but my mind kept replaying Adrian's laughter, the feel of his leg pressed against mine. I told myself I'd wait until we reached the end of the books before I worried about how wrong it was to think those things had been nice. I'd wait until I had all of the facts to decide what right and wrong even meant anymore.