Spirit Bound Chapter Nine

ROBERT DORU WAS well-situated TO SPOT.It wasnt beca tangible exercise he looked corresponding passe-part kayoed. It wasnt even because of any dramatic running-toward-each-other reunion sheath thing between him and his brother. Rather, it was Lissas mind that tipped me kill. I dictum Robert d integrity her eye, the golden aura of a purport user lighting up his corner of the easementaurant equal a star. It caught her by surprise, and she stumbled briefly. Spirit users were in addition rargon a sight for her to be fully used to them. visual perception auras was something she could tune in or out, and just sooner work oning his off, she note that even though his had the brilliant gold she saw in Adrian, on that point was also a feel of instabi well-lightedy to it. Sparks of other colors flashed thither in addition, besides they trembled and flickered. She wondered if it was a scrawl of spirits insanity setting in.His look lit up as master copy approached the table, s carce the two didnt hug or touch. master copy simply sat d avow beside his brother. The rest of us stood thither awkwardly for a moment. The consentient internet site was too weird. But it was the motive wed come, and after several more seconds, my friends and I joined the brothers at the table. passe-partout breathed Robert, eyes wide. Robert might eat up had some of the Dashkov facial features, besides his eyes were br witness, not green. His hands toyed with a napkin. I outhouset believe it. Ive cherished to see you for so long. sea captains voice was ennoble, as it had been on the ph one, as if he were talking to a child. I k straight outside(a), Robert. I missed you too.argon you tolerateing? Can you come rearwards and stay with me? Part of me exigencyed to fracture that that was a ridiculous idea, but the desperation in Roberts voice sparked a tiny maculation of pity in me. I remained silent, simply honoring the drama before me unfold. Id hide you. Itd be great. Just the two of us. sea captain hesitated. He wasnt stupid. Despite my vague claims on the plane, he knew the odds of me permit him go were nonexistent. I dont know, he say quietly. I dont know.The waiters arrival shaken us out of our haze, and we all ordered drinks. Adrian ordered a part and tonic and wasnt even carded. I wasnt true if it was because he looked twenty-one or was convincing enough with spirit. Regardless, I wasnt thrilled about it. Alcohol dampen spirit. We were in a precarious situation, and I would have liked him at full strength. Of course, considering hed been drinking earlier, it credibly didnt matter now.After the waiter left, Robert seemed to happen the rest of us. His eyes passed over Eddie quickly, sharpened at Lissa and Adrian, and lingered on me for a long time. I stiffened, not liking the scrutiny. He finally dour impale to his brother.Who have you brought, Victor? Robert still had that oblivious, scattered air to him but it was lit with suspicio n now. Fear and paranoia. Who are these children? Two spirit users and His descry fell on me over again. He was reading my aura. One of the shadow-kissed?For a moment, I was astonished at his use of the term. Then I remembered what Mark, Oksanas husband, had told me. Robert had once been bonded to a dhampirand that dhampir had died, drastically speeding up the deterioration of Roberts mind.Theyre friends, say Victor smoothly. Friends whod like to talk to you and ask you some questions.Robert frowned. Youre lying. I can tell. And they dont consider you a friend. Theyre tense. They keep their distance from you.Victor didnt deny the friend claim. Nonetheless, they choose your suspensor, and I promised it to them. It was the price for me being allowed to visit you.You shouldnt have make promises for me. Roberts napkin was now in shreds. I kind of wanted to control him mine.But didnt you want to see me? asked Victor winningly. His tone was warm, his smile almost genuine.Robert look ed troubled. Confused. I was again reminded of a child and was starting to have my doubts that this guy had ever modify a Strigoi.He was spared an answer yet again when our drinks arrived. None of us had even picked up our menus, much to the waiters lucid annoyance. He left, and I opened mine without rightfully seeing it.Victor past introduced us to Robert, as formally as he might at any diplomatical function. Prison hadnt dulled his sense of royal etiquette. Victor gave offset label only. Robert morose covering fire to me, that frown still on his face, and inspectd between Lissa and me. Adrian had verbalise that whenever we were together, our auras showed that we were linked.A bond Ive almost forgotten what it was like but Alden. Ive never forgotten Alden His eyes grew dreamy and almost vacant. He was reliving a memory.Im sorry, I express, surprised to hear the sympathy in my delivery. This was big(a)ly the biting interrogation Id envisioned. I can only imagine what it must have been like losing him.The dreamy eyes grew sharp and hard. No. You cannot. Its like nought you can imagine. nonhing. Right now right now you have the reality. A universe of senses beyond those of others, an understanding of other person that no one can have. To lose that to have that ripped away it would make you wish for death.Wow. Robert was picturesque good at killing converse, and we all kind of sat on that point hoping the waiter would return this time. When he did, we all made halfhearted attempts at ordering foodexcept Robertmost of us deciding on the spot. The restaurant served Asian cuisine, and I ordered the first thing I saw on the menu an egg roll sampler.With food ordered, Victor continued taking the firm hand with Robert that I seemed incapable of managing. exit you help them? Will you answer their questions?I had a touch that Victor was pushing Robert on this not so much as a way to pay back us rescuing him, but rather because Victors calculative nature was dying to know everyones secrets and motivations.Robert sighed. Whenever he looked at Victor, there was such a strong expression of devotion and even idol worship. Robert probably couldnt refuse his brother anything. He was the perfect type to play into Victors plans, and I realized I should possibly be grateful that Robert had grown unstable. If hed been in full control of his powers, Victor would never have both(prenominal)ered with Lissa perish time. He would have already had his own private spirit wielder to use however he wanted.What do you want to know? asked Robert blearily. He turn to me, apparently recognizing my leadership.I glanced at my friends for moral support and received none. neither Lissa nor Adrian approved of this mission in the first place, and Eddie still didnt know its purpose. I swallowed, steeling myself, and directed my full attention to Robert.We heard you freed a Strigoi once. That you were able to transform himor herback to their original state.Surprise flashed on Victors usually compose face. He certainly hadnt expected this.Where did you hear this? demanded Robert.From a couple I met in Russia. Their names are Mark and Oksana.Mark and Oksana Again, Roberts gaze slipped away for a moment. I had a feeling this happened a lot, that he didnt unload much time in reality. I didnt know they were still together.They are. Theyre doing really great. I needed him back in the present. Is it true? Did you do what they said? Is it possible?Roberts responses were always preceded by a pause. Her.Huh?It was a woman. I freed her.I gasped in spite of myself, hardly daring to process his words.Youre lying. It was Adrian who spoke, his tone harsh.Robert glanced at him with an expression amused and scornful. And who are you to say that? How can you tell? Youve bruised and maltreated your powers so much, its a wonder you can even touch the thaumaturgy anymore. And all these things you do to yourself it doesnt truly help, does it? Spir its punishment still affects you soon you wont be able to tell reality from dream.The words stunned Adrian for a moment, but he kept going. I dont need any physical signs to see that youre lying. I know you are because what youre describing is impossible. Theres no way to come by dint of a Strigoi. When theyre gone, theyre gone. Theyre dead. Undead. Forever .That which is dead doesnt always stay dead. Roberts words werent directed at Adrian. They were spoken to me. I shivered.How? How did you do it?With a put on the line. She was killed with a stake, and in doing so, was brought back to life.Okay, I said. That is a lie. Ive killed plenty of Strigoi with stakes, and believe me, they stay dead.Not just any stake. Roberts fingers danced along the edge of his glass. A redundant stake.A stake charmed with spirit, said Lissa suddenly.He lifted his eyes to her and smiled. It was a creepy smile. Yes. You are a clever, clever girl. A clever, gentle girl. Gentle and kind. I can see it in your aura.I stared off at the table, my mind in overdrive. A stake charmed with spirit. eloquent stakes were charmed with the four main Moroi elements earth, air, water, and fire. It was that infusion of life that washed-up the undead force within a Strigoi. With our recent discovery of how to charm objects with spirit, infusing a stake had never even occurred to us. Spirit healed. Spirit had brought me back from the dead. In joining with the other elements within a stake, was it truly possible that the perverted darkness that gripped Strigoi could be obliterated, thus restoring that person to their rightful state? I was grateful for the foods arrival because my brain was still moving sluggishly. The egg rolls provided a welcome opportunity to think.Is it really that easy? I asked at last.Robert scoffed. Its not easy at all.But you just said you just said we need a spirit-charmed stake. And because I kill a Strigoi with it. Or well, not kill. The technicalities were irrelevant.H is smile returned. Not you. You cant do it.Then who I stopped, the rest of my words dying on my lips. No. No.The shadow-kissed dont have the submit of life. Only the spirit-blessed, he explained. The question is Whos capable of doing it? Gentle Girl or Drunken Sod? His eyes flicked between Lissa and Adrian. My w jump onr would be on Gentle Girl.Those words were what snapped me out of my stunned state. In fact, they were what shattered this whole thing, this furthermost-fetched dream of saving Dimitri.No, I repeated. Even if it was possibleand Im not sure if I believe youshe cant do it. I wont let her.And in a turn of events almost as astonishing as Roberts revelation, Lissa spun toward me, anger swamp our bond. And since when can you tell me what I can or cant do?Since I dont recall you ever taking guardian training and learning to stake a Strigoi, I returned evenly, trying to keep my voice calm. You only punched Reed, and that was hard enough. When Avery Lazar had tried to take over Lissas mind, shed sent her shadow-kissed brother to do some dirty work. With my help, Lissa had punched him and kept him away. It had been beautifully exe shocked, but shed hated it.I did it, didnt I? she exclaimed.Liss, throwing a punch is nothing like staking a Strigoi. And thats not even counting the fact that you have to get near one in the first place. You think you could get in range before one bit you or snapped your neck? No.Ill learn. The determination in her voice and mind was admirable, but it took guardians decades to learn what we didand plenty still got killed.Adrian and Eddie looked uneasy in the midst of our bickering, but Victor and Robert seemed both intrigued and amused. I didnt like that. We werent here for their entertainment.I tried to deflect the dangerous topic by turning back to Robert. If a spirit user brought back a Strigoi, accordingly that person would bugger off shadow-kissed. I didnt point out the obvious conclusion to Lissa. Part of what had d riven Avery crazy (aside from normal spirit usage) had been attach with more than one person. Doing so created a very unstable situation that rapidly led all people involved into darkness and insanity.Roberts eyes grew dreamy as he stared beyond me. Bonds form when someone dieswhen their head has actually left and moved onto the world of the dead. Bringing it back is what makes them shadow-kissed. Deaths mark is upon them. His gaze suddenly snapped onto me. Just as it is on you.I refused to suspend his eyes, despite the chill his words sent through me. Strigoi are dead. save one would mean its soul was brought back from the world of the dead too.No, he argued. Their souls do not move on. Their souls linger neither in this world nor the next. Its wrong and unnatural. Its what makes them what they are. Killing or saving a Strigoi sends the soul back to a normal state. There is no bond.Then theres no danger, Lissa said to me.Aside from a Strigoi killing you, I pointed out.RoseWell finish this conversation later. I gave her a hard look. We held each others gazes a moment, and then she turned to Robert. There was still an obstinacy in the bond I didnt like.How do you charm the stake? she asked him. Im still learning.I again started to chastise her and then thought better of it. Maybe Robert was wrong. Maybe all it actually took to change over a Strigoi was a spirit-infused stake. He only thought a spirit user had to do it because he had through with(p) it. Allegedly. Besides, Id much rather Lissa command herself with charming than fighting. If the charm part sounded too hard, she might have to give up altogether.Robert glanced at me and then Eddie. One of you must have a stake on you. Ill show you.You cant take a stake out in public, exclaimed Adrian, in what was a remarkably wise observation. It might be weird for humans, but its still obvious that its a weapon.Hes right, Eddie said.We could go back to the room after dinner, said Victor.He had that perfectl y pleasant and savorless look on his face. I studied him, hoping my expression showed my distrust. Even with her zeal, I could sense the hesitation in Lissa too. She wasnt keen on following any suggestion of Victors. Wed seen in the past how desperately far Victor would go in attempting to fulfill his plans. Hed convinced his own daughter to turn Strigoi and help him scheme jail. For all we knew, he was planning the same forThats it, I gasped, feeling my eyes go wide as I stared at him.Thats what? Victor asked.Thats why you had Natalie turn. You thought you knew about this. What Robert had done. You were going to use her Strigoi strength and then have him turn her back.Victors already pale face went paler, and he seemed to age before our eyes. His smug look disappeared, and he looked away. Natalie is dead and long gone, he said stiffly. Theres no point in discussing her.Some of us made an attempt to eat after that, but my egg roll seemed bland now. Lissa and I were thinking the s ame thing. Among all of Victors sins, Id always considered him convincing his own daughter to turn Strigoi to be the most awful. It was what had really sealed the divide for me about him being a monster. Suddenly, I was strained to reevaluate thingsforced to reevaluate him. If hed known he could bring her back, it made what he had done terriblebut not as terrible. He was still wicked in my mind, no question. But if he had believed he could bring Natalie back, then that meant he believed in Roberts power. There was still no way I was letting Lissa near a Strigoi, but this incredible tale had become slightly more credible. I couldnt let it go without further investigation.We can go up to the room after this, I said at last. But not for long. My words were to Victor and Robert. Robert seemed to have faded into his own world again, but Victor nodded.I gave Eddie a quick glance and got a curt nod of a different sort from him. He understood the risk in taking the brothers to a private place. Eddie was utter me he would be extravigilantnot that he wasnt already.By the time we faultless dinner, Eddie and I were both rigid and tense. He walked near Robert, and I stayed by Victor. We kept Lissa and Adrian between the brothers. Yet, even keeping close, it was hard as we cut through the crowded casino. People stopped in our path, walked around us, through us it was chaos. Twice, our group got split by oblivious tourists. We werent too far from the elevators, but I was getting uneasy about the possibility of Victor or Robert running off through the mob of peopleWe need to get out of this crowd, I shouted over to Eddie.He gave me another of his quick nods and took an abrupt left that caught me by surprise. I steered Victor in that same direction, and Lissa and Adrian sidestepped to keep up with us. I was puzzled until I saw that we were approaching a hall with an EMERGENCY EXIT sign on it. Away from the busy casino, the noise level dimmed.Figure there are probably stai rs here, Eddie explained.Crafty guardian. I flashed him a smile.Another turn showed us a janitorial closet on our right and ahead of us a door with a symbol for stairs. The door appeared to lead both outside and to upper floors.Brilliant, I said.Youre, like, on the tenth floor, pointed out Adrian. It was the first time hed spoken in a while.Nothing like a little exercise todamn. I came to an abrupt halt in crusade of the door. It had a small warning sign saying that an alarm would go off if the door was opened. Figures.Sorry, said Eddie, like he was personally responsible.Not your fault, I said, turning. Back we go. Wed have to take our chances in the crowd. Maybe the band detour had tired Victor and Robert out enough to make escape unappealing. Neither of them was that young anymore, and Victor was still in bad shape.Lissa was too tense to think much about being led around, but Adrian gave me a look that clearly said he thought this traipsing was a intemperance of his time. Of c ourse, he thought this whole Robert thing was a waste of time. I was honestly surprised he was coming with us at all back to the room. I would have expected him to stay in the casino with his cigarettes and another drink.Eddie, leading our group, took a few steps back toward the casino down the hallway. And then it hit me.Stop I screamed.He responded instantly, coming to a halt in the narrow space. A bit of confusion followed. Victor stumbled into Eddie in surprise, and then Lissa stumbled into Victor. Instinct made Eddie chance upon for his stake, but mine was already out. Id grabbed it as soon as the illness had swept me.There were Strigoi between us and the casino.