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TWENTY WE NEEDED AN ESCAPE PLAN, and we needed it fast. Unfortunately, my only ideas called for things that really weren't under my control. Like us being left completely alone so we could sneak off. Or having stupid guards whom we could easily fool and slip away from. At the very least, we should have been sloppily secured so that we could break free. None of that was happening, though. After almost twenty-four hours, our situations hadn't really changed. We were still prisoners, still securely bound. Our captors stayed vigilant, almost as efficient as any group of guardians. Almost. The closest we got to freedom was heavily supervised— and extremely embarrassing— bathroom breaks. The men gave us no food or water. That was rough on me, but the human and vampire mix made dhampirs hardy. I could handle being uncomfortable, even though I was fast reaching a point where I would have killed for a cheeseburger and some really, really greasy french fries. For Mia and Christian…well, things were a little harder. Moroi could go weeks without food and water if they were still getting blood. Without blood, they could manage a few days before getting sick and weak, so long as they still had other sustenance. That was how Lissa and I had managed while living on our own, since I hadn't been able to feed her every day. Take away food, blood, and water, and Moroi endurance dropped through the floor. I was hungry, but Mia and Christian were ravenous. Already, their faces looked gaunt, their eyes almost feverish. Isaiah made matters worse during his subsequent visits. Each time, he would come down and ramble on in his annoying, taunting way. Then, before leaving, he'd take another drink from Eddie. By the third visit, I could practically see Mia and Christian salivating. Between the endorphins and lack of food, I was pretty sure Eddie didn't even know where we were.
I couldn't really sleep under these conditions, but during the second day, I started nodding off now and then. Starvation and exhaustion will do that to you. At one point, I actually dreamed, surprising since I didn't really think I could fall into a deep slumber under such insane conditions. In the dream—and I knew perfectly well that it was a dream—I stood on a beach. It took me a moment to recognize just which beach it was. It was along the Oregon coast— sandy and warm, with the Pacific unfolding in the distance. Lissa and I had traveled out here once when we lived in Portland. It had been a gorgeous day, but she couldn't handle being out in that much sun. We'd kept the visit short as a result, but I'd always wished I could have stayed longer and basked in all that. Now I had all the light and warmth I could want. "Little dhampir," said a voice behind me. "It's about time." I turned around in surprise and found Adrian Ivashkov watching me. He had on khakis and a loose shirt and—in a surprisingly casual style for him—wore no shoes. Wind ruffled his brown hair, and he kept his hands stuffed in his pockets as he regarded me with that trademark smirk of his. "Still got your protection," he added. Frowning, I thought for a moment he was staring at my chest. Then I realized his eyes were on my stomach. I had on jeans and a bikini top, and once again, the little blue eye pendant dangled from my belly-button. The chotki was on my wrist. "And you're in the sun again," I said. "So I suppose it's your dream." "It's our dream." I wiggled my toes in the sand. "How can two people share a dream?" "People share dreams all the time, Rose." I looked up at him with a frown. "I need to know what you mean. About there being darkness around me. What does it mean?"
- Page 158 and 159: My anger and snarkiness dried up. T
- Page 160 and 161: "You can't keep doing this," she gr
- Page 162 and 163: He stopped walking. "We could go."
- Page 164 and 165: I was kissing Mason, but in my head
- Page 166 and 167: SIXTEEN LISSA FOUND ME LATER IN the
- Page 168 and 169: She eyed me. "How much do you know?
- Page 170 and 171: along with their blood, but they di
- Page 172 and 173: Intrigued gazes turned her way agai
- Page 174 and 175: He laughed. "Of course you are. I c
- Page 176 and 177: SEVENTEEN WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE
- Page 178 and 179: there, and several people had witne
- Page 180 and 181: spreading rumors about her? I'd had
- Page 182 and 183: EIGHTEEN THE HIGH HEELS WERE STARTI
- Page 184 and 185: Someone, say, like Mia. I wasn't th
- Page 186 and 187: the guardians hadn't done anything
- Page 188 and 189: to get to town fast, and I prayed C
- Page 190 and 191: Dimitri sighed and leaned back on h
- Page 192 and 193: "No, but the school's guardians can
- Page 194 and 195: T D V L D Z S I Some had lines and
- Page 196 and 197: We turned and walked down a narrow
- Page 198 and 199: NINETEEN I HATE BEING POWERLESS. AN
- Page 200 and 201: each other's gaze for several momen
- Page 202 and 203: framed his face and stood out again
- Page 204 and 205: Isaiah smoothed his shirt—not tha
- Page 206 and 207: "Rose!" exclaimed Mason. I ignored
- Page 210 and 211: "Honestly, I don't know. Everyone h
- Page 212 and 213: "No!" exclaimed Mason. "Use me." Is
- Page 214 and 215: "They're like … bands of light ar
- Page 216 and 217: "You just said you could." "I can
- Page 218 and 219: I held his gaze, willing him to und
- Page 220 and 221: One of the guards shoved Christian.
- Page 222 and 223: in my combat class. He grunted at t
- Page 224 and 225: He sighed. "I hope … I hope when
- Page 226 and 227: "Children, children," crooned Isaia
- Page 228 and 229: We all turned at the new voice, a v
- Page 230 and 231: Suddenly, I heard an explosion. The
- Page 232 and 233: "Rose! Rose!" Through my hate-fille
- Page 234 and 235: The sword fell out of my hands, lan
- Page 236 and 237: "Rose," said my mother. For once in
- Page 238 and 239: I sat on a stool in the corner of t
- Page 240 and 241: It was only half a compliment, but
- Page 242 and 243: When we got to the door of my room,
- Page 244 and 245: No, I decided. There were no simila
- Page 246 and 247: hand. "You will recover—I know th
- Page 248: "Yes. And, so … that's a problem.
I couldn't really sleep under these conditions, but during the second day, I started nodding off<br />
now and then. Starvation and exhaustion will do that to you. At one point, I actually dreamed,<br />
surprising since I didn't really think I could fall into a deep slumber under such insane<br />
conditions.<br />
In the dream—and I knew perfectly well that it was a dream—I stood on a beach. It took me a<br />
moment to recognize just which beach it was. It was along the Oregon coast— sandy and<br />
warm, with the Pacific unfolding in the distance. Lissa and I had traveled out here once when<br />
we lived in Portland. It had been a gorgeous day, but she couldn't handle being out in that much<br />
sun. We'd kept the visit short as a result, but I'd always wished I could have stayed longer and<br />
basked in all that. Now I had all the light and warmth I could want.<br />
"Little dhampir," said a voice behind me. "It's about time."<br />
I turned around in surprise and found Adrian Ivashkov watching me. He had on khakis and a<br />
loose shirt and—in a surprisingly casual style for him—wore no shoes. Wind ruffled his brown<br />
hair, and he kept his hands stuffed in his pockets as he regarded me with that trademark smirk<br />
of his.<br />
"Still got your protection," he added.<br />
Frowning, I thought for a moment he was staring at my chest. Then I realized his eyes were on<br />
my stomach. I had on jeans and a bikini top, and once again, the little blue eye pendant dangled<br />
from my belly-button. The chotki was on my wrist.<br />
"And you're in the sun again," I said. "So I suppose it's your dream."<br />
"It's our dream."<br />
I wiggled my toes in the sand. "How can two people share a dream?"<br />
"People share dreams all the time, Rose."<br />
I looked up at him with a frown. "I need to know what you mean. About there being darkness<br />
around me. What does it mean?"
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