Last Sacrifice (Vampire Academy 6)

"Who were the people with her?' asked Hans, ignoring Stanton.

Sydney's contempt grew. "One was that guy ... Dimitri Belikov. The one you think was "cured.' I don't know who the others were. Two guys and a woman. They never introduced us.' It was a well-done lie, her faked disgust about Dimitri masking her knowledge of the rest of our associates.

Lissa leaned forward eagerly, speaking just before Hans could. "What was in Detroit? How was Rose going to clear herself? Especially with Jill?' Hans didn't look happy about the interruption, but I knew he had to be curious about Jill and Detroit as well. He said nothing, perhaps hoping someone might slip and reveal a key piece of knowledge. Sydney, however, continued playing distant and cold.

"I have no idea. That Jill girl didn't seem to know either. Rose just said we had to get to her, so I helped her.'

"Blindly?' asked Hans. "You really expect me to believe that you just trusted her like that?'

"She's my--' Sydney bit her lip on what I suspected was "friend.' She turned her professional mode back on. "There was something believable about her, and I figured it'd be a waste of resources if the Alchemists had been helping you hunt the wrong murderer. If I decided she was guilty, I could always turn her in. And I thought ... I thought if I was the one who solved this, I'd get the credit and a promotion.' That was a good, good lie. An ambitious girl trying to improve her career on the sly? Very good. Well, not to everyone.

Hans shook his head. "I don't believe any of you.'

The guy Alchemist took a step forward that made every guardian tense to jump him. "If she says that's the way it happened, then that's the way it happened.' He had the same fierceness and mistrust that Stanton had, but there seemed to be more. A sort of protectiveness toward Sydney that was as personal as professional. Lissa picked up on it too.

"Easy, Ian,' said Stanton, still keeping her eyes on Hans. Her composure reminded me more and more of Alberta. She couldn't be at ease with a roomful of guardians but wasn't showing it. "It doesn't matter if you believe her or not. The point remains: Miss Sage answered your questions. We're finished.'

"Do Jill's parents know anything?' asked Lissa. She was still in shock at all of these developments--not to mention worried about me being out of my safe mountain town-- but this mysterious shot at clearing my name was powerful. She couldn't let it go.

Sydney turned to Lissa, and I could practically read the Alchemist's thoughts. She knew how close Lissa and I were and would have liked to give Lissa some sort of comfort. There was no way, though, that Sydney could do that with these people in the room. She also had to be aware of the fact that I myself hadn't told Lissa anything about Jill.

"No,' said Sydney. "We just went there, and Rose said Jill had to come with her. The Mastranos don't know why. And then--and then Rose did take her. Or Jill went with her. I'm not sure what happened. It all turned to chaos.'

Neither the Alchemists nor guardians disputed me taking Jill, which made me think it was a story they'd gotten--and accepted--from both Jill's parents and Sydney. It had just enough truth to be plausible--and explain Jill's disappearance. It didn't mention the Dragomir secret, however, which Emily was probably more than happy to keep quiet for now.

"There,' said Stanton. "This is exactly what we told you before. We need to leave now.' She turned toward the door, but guardians blocked the way.

"Impossible,' said Hans. "This is a serious matter, and Miss Sage is the only link we have to a murder--a royal murder. And a kidnapping.' Stanton scoffed, and I remembered Sydney once saying the Alchemists thought the Moroi royalty system was silly. "She doesn't seem to be of much more use to you. But don't worry--we'll be holding her. Contact us if you have more questions.'

"Unacceptable,' said Hans. "She stays here.'

Ian, the other Alchemist, joined the argument, moving protectively in front of Sydney. "We're not leaving one of our own here!' Again, I had that funny feeling about him. A crush, that was it. He had a crush on her and was treating this as more than just business. Stanton gave him a look that said she would handle this matter. He fell silent.

"You can all stay here, then,' said Hans. "Makes no difference to me. We'll get you rooms.'

"That is unacceptable.' From there, she and Hans got into a raging argument. I didn't think it would come to blows, but the other guardians had closed in slightly as a precaution.

Ian's eyes darted between Stanton and Sydney, but he didn't get into the fray. Once, his gaze passed over the table Hans leaned against, and Ian suddenly did a double take at the photograph. It was only a brief pause, a slight widening of the eyes ... but Lissa caught it.

She took a step toward Ian and Sydney. One of the guardians glanced at the movement, deemed Lissa safe, and returned to watching Stanton. "You know him,' Lissa murmured, keeping her voice below the shouts. In fact, it was a little too low because she got blank looks from Sydney and Ian. Their ears couldn't hear what a Moroi or dhampir could have.

Lissa glanced uneasily around, not wanting to attract attention. She raised her volume slightly. "You know him. The guy in the picture.'

Ian stared at Lissa, a bit of wonder and wariness on his face. He undoubtedly bore that same standoffish attitude toward vampires, but her words had caught him off guard. And, even if she was an evil creature of the night, she was a very pretty one.

"Ian,' said Sydney softly. "What is it?' There was a note of urging in her voice, one that inadvertently played upon his crush, I think. He opened his mouth to speak, but then, the "conversation' among the others wrapped up. Sydney again became the center of attention, and Ian turned away from Lissa.

The compromise Stanton and Hans had reached was exactly that--a compromise. Neither was happy with it. There was a small town less than forty-five minutes away from Court, and the Alchemists would stay there--with several guardians on hand. It sounded like a house arrest to me, and Stanton's expression seemed to agree. I think she only consented because it was a human town. Before he'd let everyone go, Hans questioned my friends a final time, his eyes studying every face carefully.

"And none of you--none of you--know this Alchemist girl or have been in contact with her? Or know about her involvement with Hathaway?'

Again, Lissa and the others denied it, and again, Hans had no choice but to grudgingly accept the responses. Everyone moved toward the door, but Hans wouldn't let Eddie leave. "Not you, Castile. You're staying here until other matters are settled.'

Lissa gasped. "What? But he--'