Say "stop.'
It was easier this time. Saying that word was the simple way out, the perfect solution. No Tarasov for either of us, right? Then, she felt a lightening of the pressure on her mind, a stilling of those chaotic feelings. Her eyes widened as she realized I had already started pulling away the darkness. 'Stop' was forgotten.
"No!' Spirit burned through her, and she threw up a wall in the bond, blocking me from her.
"What are you doing?' my other self asked.
"Saving you,' said Lissa. "Saving myself.' She turned to Dr. Olendzki and Deirdre. "I understand what you have to do. It's okay. Take me to Tarasov. Take me where I won't hurt anyone else.' Tarasov. A place where real nightmares walked the halls. She braced herself as the office faded away, ready for the next part of the dream: a cold stone cell, with chains on the walls and people wailing down the halls....
But when the world put itself back together, there was no Tarasov. There was an empty room with an old woman and a silver chalice. Lissa looked around. Her heart was racing, and her sense of time was off. The things she'd seen had lasted an eternity. Yet, simultaneously, it felt like only a couple seconds had passed since she and the old woman had conversed.
"What ... what was that?' asked Lissa. Her mouth was dry, and the water sounded good now ... but the chalice was empty.
"Your fear,' said the old woman, eyes twinkling. "All your fears, laid out neatly in a row.'
Lissa placed the chalice on the table with shaking hands. "It was awful. It was spirit, but it ... it wasn't anything I've seen before. It invaded my mind, rifling through it. It was so real. There were times I believed it was real.'
"But you didn't stop it.'
Lissa frowned, thinking of how close she had come. "No.'
The old woman smiled and said nothing.
"Am I ... am I done?' asked Lissa, confused. "Can I go?'
The old woman nodded. Lissa stood and glanced between the two doors, the one she'd entered through and the plain one in the back. Still in shock, Lissa automatically turned toward the door she'd come through. She didn't really want to see those people lined up in the hall again but swore she'd put on a good princess face. Besides, there'd only been a fraction here compared to the group who'd greeted her after the last test. Her steps were halted when the old woman spoke again and pointed toward the back of the room.
"No. That's for those who fail. You go out this door.'
Lissa turned and approached the plain door. It looked like it led outdoors, which was probably just as well. Peace and quiet. She felt like she should say something to her companion but didn't know what. So, she simply turned the knob and stepped outside ...
Into a crowd cheering for the dragon.
Chapter Twenty-two
"YOU'RE AWFULLY HAPPY.' I blinked and found Sonya staring at me. The CR-V and smooth stretch of I-75 hummed around us, the outside revealing little except Midwestern plains and trees. Sonya didn't seem quite as creepy crazy as she had back at school or even at her house. Mostly, she still just seemed scattered and confused, which was to be expected. I hesitated before answering but finally decided there was no reason to hold back.
"Lissa passed her second monarch test.'
"Of course she did,' said Victor. He was staring out the window away from me. The tone of his voice suggested I'd just wasted his time by saying something that was a given. "Is she okay?' asked Dimitri. "Injured?'
Once, that would have sparked jealousy in me. Now, it was just a sign of our shared concern for Lissa.
"She's fine,' I said, wondering if that was entirely true. She wasn't physically injured, but after what she'd seen ... well, that had to leave scars of a different type. The back door had been quite a surprise too. When she'd seen a small crowd by the first door, she'd thought it meant only a few people were up that late to see the candidates. Nope. Turned out everyone was just waiting out back to see the victors. True to her promise, Lissa hadn't let it faze her. She walked out with her head held high, smiling at her onlookers and fans as though she already owned the crown.
I was growing sleepy but Lissa's triumph kept me smiling for a long time. There's something tiring about an endless, unknown stretch of highway. Victor had closed his eyes and was leaning against the glass. I couldn't see Sydney when I twisted around to check on her, meaning she also had decided on a nap or was just lying down. I yawned, wondering if I dared risk sleeping. Dimitri had urged me to when we left Sonya's house, knowing that I could use more than the couple hours Sydney had given me.
I tipped my head against the seat and closed my eyes, falling instantly asleep. The blackness of that sleep gave way to the feel of a spirit dream, and my heart leapt with both panic and joy. After living through Lissa's test, spirit dreams suddenly had a sinister feel. At the same time, this might be a chance to see Adrian. And ... it was.
Only we appeared somewhere entirely unexpected: Sonya's garden. I stared in wonder at the clear blue sky and the brilliant flowers, nearly overlooking Adrian in the process. He wore a dark green cashmere sweater that made him blend in. To me, he was more gorgeous than any of the garden's other wonders.
"Adrian!'
I ran to him, and he lifted me easily, spinning me around. When he placed me back on my feet, he studied the garden and nodded in approval. "I should let you pick the place more often. You have good taste. Of course, since you're dating me, we already knew that.'
"What do you mean, "pick the place?'' I asked, lacing my hands behind his neck.
He shrugged. "When I reached out and sensed you were sleeping, I summoned the dream but didn't feel like thinking up a place. So I left it to your subconscious.' Irritably, he plucked at the cashmere. "I'm not dressed for the occasion, though.' The sweater shimmered, soon replaced by a light gray T-shirt with an abstract design on the front. "Better?'
"Much.' He grinned and kissed the top of my forehead. "I've missed you, little dhampir. You can spy on Lissa and us all the time, but the best I get are these dreams, and honestly, I can't figure out what schedule you're on.'
I realized that with my "spying,' I knew more about what had just happened at Court than he did. "Lissa took her second test,' I told him.
Yup. His expression verified it. He hadn't known about the test, probably because he'd been sleeping. "When?'
"Just now. It was a tough one, but she passed.'
"Much to her delight, no doubt. Still ... that keeps buying us time to clear you and get you home. Not sure I'd want to come home if I were you, though.' He looked around the garden again. "West Virginia's a lot better than I thought.'