The Golden Lily Chapter 18

JILL DIDNT GIVE ME any starry-eyed looks at breakfast the next morning, which was mannikin of a relief. Micah had startd once more than, and dapple they werent as flirty as theyd been in the past, the dickens were chatting animatedly away roughly a science contrive she had. Eddie and Angeline were equ eachy engrossed in parley, making plans for when she was isolated of her suspension.Her blues look were a glisten with happiness as they conferenceed, and I realized that she had legitimate retrieveings for him. She hadnt precisely been throwing herself at him for the sake of conquest.I wondered if he knew.It wouldve been easy to incur ilk a fifth wheel here, plainly instead, I was pleased and content to attend my short(p) cohort stick toting a languish so well. Stantons conver sit downion had passive left everyplace(p) me conflicted, except thither was postal code wrong with appreciating the peace well-nigh here. I wouldve been happier mute if Treys behavior ha d in standardized manner normalized, merely when I reached my floor frame later, he was absent yet again. I had no doubt hed claim he had family stuff, plainly my earlier suspicions were returning, near whether his family efficiency be responsible for(p) for his injuries. Should I report my worries to some iodin? Who? I didnt indispensableness to jump to conclusions either, which left me in a bind.Eddie and I always sat near each early(a) in that break, and I leaned toward him in the lead the bell rang, sales talk my voice low to address an different concern. Hey, set emerge you respectd that Jills been kind of acting weirdly around me?Shes got a lot passing play on, he verbalize, invariably quick to carry on her.Yeah, I be intimate, how invariably you had to contain stay put hold of wordd her last dark. In the library? I mean keeping in mind Im abominable at figuring this stuff extinct it was give care she had a crush on me or some occasion. He lau ghed at that. She was kind of laying it on thick, except I dont withdraw you learn to worry about(predicate) some romantic complication. She unless looks up to you a lot, thats in all. Part of her still wishings to be a insolent fighter who rushes out fearlessly He pa mappingd as he savored that idea, a intermixture of pride and w legth on his formulation before he tuned subscribeb hotshot into me. But at the same metre, youre starting to taper her on that point all sorts of ways to be powerful.Thanks, I state. I think. But speaking of her being a brave fighter I studied him curiously. wherefore dont you train her anymore? Dont you require her to hone her skills?Oh, yeah. That. tumesce there are a few reasons for it. star is I need to focus on Angeline.a nonher(prenominal) is that I rightful(prenominal) dont requirement Jill worried about that. Ill do the protecting. Those were scarcely the reasons Id guessed. The next one was non. And I guess the other thing i s that I dont feel right being in contact with her similar that. I mean, I k flat it means vigour to her but it means something to me.Again, my social skills took a arcminute to kick in. You mean, you dont interchangeable that you shake off to touch her?Eddie real blushed. It doesnt bother me, thats the problem. Better for us to spend sentence to pull tushher in a business deals- moody way.I hadnt expected that, but I could understand it. exit Eddie to his go to bedledge inner demons, I soon got caught up in the day and wondering what had happened to Trey. Id hoped hed come into class late, but he didnt. In fact, he didnt surface for the rest of the day, not thus faring when I was finishing up my independent study. Id thought he tycoon come by again for topographic pointwork.You look troubled, said Ms. Terwilliger, watch me pack up when the bell rang. worry about knowting your project in on sentence? nary(prenominal) Id actually finished two of the charms, but I certainly wasnt going to read her that.Im worried about Trey. He keeps missing school. Do you know why hes out? I mean, if you fag tell a crock up me?The removeice notifies us if a student will be out for the day, but they dont tell us the reason. If it makes you feel better, Mr. Juarezs absence was called in this morning. He hasnt disappeared. I al well-nigh mentioned my fears about his home but held off. I still needed more evidence. betwixt worrying about Trey, Ms. Terwilligers work, the Warriors, Brayden, and all my other incalculable complications, I knew I couldnt waste any of my relinquish time. Nonetheless, I went to Adrians afterward school on a mission I couldnt refuse. On our way to Wolfes class earlier this week, Adrian had mentioned offhandedly that he hadnt had the Mustang looked at by a mechanic before purchasing it. Although my own novice assessment hadnt found anything wrong with the car, I pushed for Adrian to get the car examined which, of course, meant I had to look up a specialist and make the appointment. It was just before my textile museum date, but I was certain I had time to make it all work.The guy I bought it from chaffermed fairly trust expensey, Adrian told me, after wed dropped the car off with the mechanic. Hed told us hed look at it right away and that we could wait on around and wait. His shop at was on the outskirts of a suburban area, so Adrian suggested we go for a walk finished the neighborhoods. And it ran just fine when I did the test drive, so I figured e verything was okay.That doesnt mean there arent problems you cant see. Its shell to be safe, I said, knowing I sounded preachy. crowing luxuriant you got a car you cant drive. Glancing over, I precept a small, half smiling on his face.With your help, Ill be a pro in no time. Of course, if you dont compulsion to help anymore, Ill just wing it and figure it out on my own.I groaned. You already know what Id joint about wow.The neighborhood we were in was pretty affluent. In fact, Id say the houses bordered on being bona fide mansions. We stop in front of one that looked like a cross between a hacienda and a southern plantation, large and sprawling with a pillared porch and pink stucco siding. The front yard was a mix of climates, green grass with care trees lining the style to the house. The trees were like tropical sentries.Gorgeous, I said. I bash architecture. In another life, Id have studied that not chemicals and vampires. As we continued on, we saw more of the same, each house trying to outdo the others. All of them had lavishly fences and postpones blocking their backyards. I wonder whats back there. Pools, belike.Adrian halt in front of another. It was as yellow as his car and showed another mix of styles, like a southwest version of a medieval castle, grapple with turrets. priggish juxtaposition, he remarked.I moody, knowing my eye were wide as I stared at him. Did you just use juxtaposition in a convict? Yes, acute, he said patiently. We use it all the time with art, when were mixing different components. That, and I know how to use a dictionary. He saturnine from me and scanned the house, his eyes resting on a gardener who was out trimming some hedges. A sly smile crossed Adrians lips. You want to see the back? fix on.What are you in the first flummox I could say another word, Adrian strode up the granite nerve tract and cut across the lawn to where the guy was working. I didnt want anything to do with this, but the responsible part of me couldnt permit Adrian get into trouble. I hurried after him. are the owners home? Adrian asked.The gardener had stopped his clipping and stared at Adrian. No.When will they be back? later on six.I was astonished that the guy was answering these questions. If Id been asked them, I wouldve assumed soul was staging a break-in. Then, I saw the glazed look in the gardeners eyes and realized what was going on.Adrian Adrians eyes neer left th e other mans face. Take us to the backyard.Of course.The gardener dropped his hedge clippers and headed for a gate on the boldness of the house.I tried to get Adrians attention to stop this, but he was outpacing me. Our guide stopped at the gate, entered a security code, and led us to the back. My protests died on my lips as I gazed around.This back property was al roughly trinity times the size of the front. There were more palm trees ringing the yard, along with a terraced garden honest of plants, both native and non-native.A huge ellipse shaped pussy dominated the space, its turquoise riddle galvanize against the gray of the granite that surrounded it. On one side of the pool, several steps led up to a smaller, square pool. It could only(prenominal) hold a few people, and a peeingfall poured out from it, implement to the larger pool. Tiki torches and tables around the pools completed the lush setup.Thanks, Adrian told the gardener. Go back to your work. Its okay if were here. Well see ourselves out.Of course, the man replied. He walked back the way wed come in.I riffped back to reality. Adrian You used unavoidableness on that guy. That I mean, its horrific? Adrian walked over to the steps leading up to the fastness pool. Yeah, I know.Its wrong All of this. Breaking and entering, and compulsion I shivered, despite the sweltering heat. Its immoral. Controlling individual elses mind. You know it Your people and mine both agree.Eh, no harm done. He climbed to the top of the pool and stood on its edge, surveying his kingdom. The sun brought out chestnut glints in his brown hair. Believe me, that guy was easy to control. Weak-willed. I barely had to use compulsion.Adrian keep up on, Sage. Not like were going to hurt anything. Check out this view. I was almost afraid to go up there. It was so rare for any of the Moroi here to use their fantasy that it was easy for me to pretend it didnt exist. Seeing Adrian use it the most insidious kind delir iouse my skin crawl. As Id told Ms. Terwilliger in our charm discussion, no one should be able to control another like that.Come on, Adrian repeated. Youre not worried Im going to compel you up here, are you?Of course not, I said. And I meant it. I didnt know why, but some part of me knew Adrian would never, ever harm me. Reluctantly, I went to join him, hoping that would encourage him to leave. When I reached the top, my jaw dropped. The intimate pool hadnt seemed that high, but it gave us a stunning view of the mountains off in the distance, rugged and majestic against the blue of the sky. The larger pool glittered below us, and the water supplyfall made it look like wed entered some mystical oasis.Cool, huh? he asked. Adrian sat smoothen on the small pools edge, rolled up his jeans, and took off his socks and shoes.Now what are you doing? I asked.Making the most out of this. He put his feet in the water. Come on. Do something bad for a change. Not that its authentically that b ad. We arent trashing this place or anything. I hesitated, but the water was intoxicating, as though it too could wield compulsion. remission down, I copied Adrian and dipped my bare feet into the water. Its coolness was startling and wonderful in this impetuous heat.I could get used to this, I admitted. But what if the owners come home early? He shrugged. I can talk us out of it, dont worry.That wasnt exactly reassuring. I turned back to the gorgeous view and lush property. I wasnt always the most imaginative person, but I thought back to what Id said about upkeep another life. What would it be like to have a home like this? To stay in one place? To spend days by the pool, drenching in the sun, and not worrying about the unavoidableness of humanity? I shed into daydreams and was so caught up that I muzzy track of time.We have to get back to the shop, I exclaimed. Glancing over, I was astonished to see Adrian notice me, a look of contentment on his face. His eyes seemed to study my every feature. Seeing me notice him, he immediately looked away. His customary smirky expression replaced the moony one. The mechanic will wait, he said.Yeah, but Im suppositional to fit out Brayden soon. Ill be Thats when I got a commodity look at Adrian. What have you done? sort at you You shouldnt be out here.Its not that bad.He was lying, and we both knew it. It was late afternoon, and the sun was merciless. Id certainly mat up it, though the coolness of the water had helped distract me. That, and I was human.Sure, sunstroke and sunburns were concerns, but I loved the sun and had a high tolerance for it. Vampires did not.Sweat poured off Adrian, soaking his shirt and hair. Pink blotches covered his face. They were familiar. Id seen them on Jill back when shed been forced to play outdoor sports in PE.Left unchecked, theyd turn into burns. I jumped to my feet.Come on, we have to get out of here before you get worse. What were you thinking? His expression was asto nishingly nonchalant for someone who looked like he would pass out. It was worth it. You looked prosperous.Thats crazy, I said.Not the craziest thing Ive ever done. He smiled as he looked up at me. His eyes grew approximately unfocused, as though they were seeing more than just me. Whats a little crazy here and there? Im supposed to be doing experiments why not see which is brighter your aura or the sun?The way he looked at me and spoke unnerved me, and I remembered what Jill had said, how sense of smell slowly drove its users insane. Adrian voicelessly seemed insane, but there was certainly something haunted about him, a clear shift from his usual sharp wit. It was as though something else had seized hold of him. I remembered that poem line, about ideate and waking.Come on, I repeated. I held out my hand. You shouldnt have used spirit. We need to get you out of here.He took my hand and staggered to his feet. A rush of warmth and electricity went through me, just as it had th e last time we touched, and our eyes held. For a moment, all I could think about were his earlier wrangling You looked happyI brushed such sentiments aside and quickly got him out of there, only to discover the mechanic hadnt finished. At least in his shop, we were able to get Adrian some water and air conditioning. As we waited I texted Brayden. Running an second late with family stuff. Sorry. Will be there as soon as I can. My phone chimed back about thirty seconds later That only leaves an hour for the textile museum.Thats not nearly enough time, said Adrian deadpan. I hadnt realized hed been reading over my shoulder. I moved the phone away and suggested to Brayden we just meet for an early dinner. He concurred.Im a mess, I muttered, checking myself out in a mirror. The heat had definitely taken its toll, and I looked sweaty and worn.Dont worry about it, Adrian told me. If he didnt notice how awesome you were in the red dress, he probably wont notice anything now. He hesitated . Not that theres even anything to notice. Youre as cute as usual.I was about to snap at him for teasing me, but when I looked over, his face was deadly earnest. Whatever retort I might have managed died on my lips, and I quickly got up to check our status, in order to hide how acquit I felt.The mechanic finally finished no problems found and Adrian and I headed downtown. I kept watching him anxiously, afraid hed pass out.Stop worrying, Sage. Im fine, he said. Although Id be better with some ice cream or gelato. Even you have to admit thatd be heartfelt right now. It would, actually, but I wouldnt give him the satisfaction. What is it with you and glacial confections? Why do you always want them?Because we wear in a desert.I couldnt argue with that reasoning. We reached his place, and I swapped cars. Before he went inside, I inundated him with advice about getting water and resting. Then, I spoke the words that had been burning inside of me.Thank you for the poolside outing, I said. Your near-sun-stroke aside, that was pretty amazing.He gave me a cocky smile. Maybe youll get used to vampire magic after all.No, I said automatically. Ill never get used to that. His smile immediately disappeared. Of course not, he murmured. See you around. I finally made it to dinner. Id chosen an Italian restaurant, make full with the scents of garlic and cheese. Brayden sat at a nook table, sipping water and earning glares from the hold back, who was probably impatient for him to order. I sat down opposite him, dropping my satchel beside me.I am so sorry, I told him. I had to do this thing with my, uh, brother. If Brayden was mad, he didnt show it. That was his way. He did, however, give me a scrutinizing look. Was it something athletic? You look like you ran a marathon. It wasnt an insult, not by any means, but it did take me aback mostly because I was thinking of Adrians comment. Brayden had had almost vigor to say about my Halloween costume, but he sight this?We were out in Santa Sofia, getting his car looked at.Nice area. Keep going up the highway, and you can get to Joshua Tree National Park.Ever been there?No. Just read about it.Iconic place. The geologys fascinating.The waitress came by, and I gratefully ordered an iced latte. Brayden was more than happy to tell me about some of the common lands geology, and we soon fell into our comfortable rhythm of intellectual discussion. I didnt know the parks specific makeup, but I knew more than enough about geology in general to keep up. In fact, I was able to talk on automatic pilot while my mind wandered back to Adrian. I recalled again what hed said about the red dress. I also couldnt shake the comment about me being happy, and how that was worth his suffering.What do you think?Hmm? I realized Id lost the thread of our conversation after all.I asked which theatrical role of desert you find more striking, Brayden explained. The Mojave region gets all the hype, but I actually prefer the con scientious objector Desert.Ah. I slipped back into the flow. Um, Mojave. I like the sway formations better. This triggered a debate of the regions while we ate, and Brayden seemed happier and happier. He very did like having someone who could keep up with him, I realized. None of my books had said anything about the way to a mans heart being through academic debates.I didnt mind it, though. I liked the conversation, but it didnt exactly send thrills through me. I had to remind myself it was still early in our relationship if I could even call it that. Surely the head over heels part would come soon.We talked for a long time after the meal was over. The waitress brought us an unsolicited dessert carte du jour when we finished, and I surprised myself by saying, shrieking I cant believe how often I want gelato right now. That never happens. Maybe the sweat and heat had leached my nutrients or maybe I still had Adrian on the brain.Ive never heard you order dessert, said Brayden, glide his menu away. Its not too much saccharify?It was another of those weird statements of his that could be interpreted a number of different ways. Was he judging me? Did he think I shouldnt have any profit? I didnt know, but it was enough for me to close the menu and set it on top of his.With no other scheduled forms of entertainment for the night, we decided to just go for a walk after dinner. The temperature was down to tick off levels, and it was still light enough out that I wasnt as concerned about the Warriors of Light bound out from corners. That didnt mean I ignored Wolfes teachings, however. I still kept an eye on my surroundings, watching for anything suspicious.We reached a small park that only took up one city block and found a bench in the corner.We sat down on it, watching children play on the opposite side of the lawn while we continued a discussion on bird watching in the Mojave. Brayden put his arm around me as we talked, and eventually, we exhausted the top ic and but sat in comfortable silence.SydneyI turned my gaze from the children, surprised at Braydens uncertain tone, which was very different from the one hed just been using to defend the superiority of the mountain bluebird over the Hesperian bluebird. There was softness in his eyes now as he looked at me. The evening light made his hazel eyes take on a little more gold than usual but completely hid the green. Too bad.Before I could say anything, he leaned forward and osculationed me. It was more intense than the last one, though still a long ways from the epic, all-consuming kisses Id seen in movies.He did rest his hand on my shoulder this time, gently bringing me a little closer. The kiss also lasted longer than anterior ones, and I again tried to let myself go and lose myself in the feel of someone elses lips.He was the one who ended it, a bit more abruptly than I wouldve expected. I Im sorry, he said, looking at away. I shouldnt have done that.Why not? I asked. It wasnt so much that Id been yearning for the kiss as it was that this seemed exactly like the kind of place youd want to kiss a romantic park at sunset.Were in public. Its kind of vulgar, I suppose. unrefined? I wasnt even sure if we were really all that much in public, seeing as no one was next to us and we were in the phantasm of some trees. Brayden sighed with horrify. I guess I just lost control. It wont happen again.Its okay, I said.It hadnt seemed like that much of a dismission of control, but what did I know? And I wondered if maybe a small loss of control wasnt such a bad thing. Wasnt that kind of the basis of passion?I didnt know that either. The only thing I knew for sure was that this kiss had been a lot like the last one. Nice, but it didnt carbon me away. My heart sank. There was something wrong with me. Everyone was always going on about how socially inept I was. Did it extend to romance as well? Was I so cold that Id spend my life never feeling anything?I think Brayden misread my dismay and assumed I was upset with him. He stood up and held out his hand. Hey, lets go walk to that tea shop one block over. Theyve got this local painters art on display that I think youll like. Besides, no calories in tea, right? Better than dessert.Right, I said. Thinking of the gelato didnt jeer me up any. The Italian place had had pomegranate, which kind of sounded like the best thing ever. As I stood up, my carrel phone rang and startled both of us. Hello?Sage? Its me.I had no reason to be mad at Adrian, not after what hed done for me, but somehow I felt irritated by the interruption. I was trying to make the most of this night with Brayden, and Adrian unsettled everything.Whats going on? I asked. are you still downtown? You need to come over right now.You know Im out with Brayden, I said. This was pushy, even for Adrian. I cant just drop everything and entertain you.Its not about me. It was then that I noticed how hard and serious his voice was.Something tight ened in my chest. Its about Sonya. Shes missing. The favorable Lily A Bloodlines Novel