o_18vdqvms01tdp1ck54q91frg17mg2d.pdf
"No!" exclaimed Mason. "Use me." Isaiah rolled his eyes. "Good God. What a noble lot. You're all Spartacus, aren't you?" He strolled away from Eddie and put a finger under Mason's chin, tilting his head up. "But you," Isaiah said, "don't really mean it. You only offer because of her." He released Mason and walked in front of me, staring down with those black, black eyes. "And you … I didn't really believe you at first either. But now?" He knelt down so that he was at my height. I refused to look away from his eyes, even though I knew that put me at risk of compulsion. "I think you really mean it. And it's not all nobility, either. You do want it. You really have been bitten before." His voice was magical. Hypnotic. He wasn't using compulsion, exactly, but he definitely had an unnatural charisma surrounding him. Like Lissa and Adrian. I hung on his every word. "Lots of times, I'd guess," he added. He leaned toward me, breath hot against my neck. Somewhere beyond him, I could hear Mason shouting something, but all of my focus was on how close Isaiah's teeth were to my skin. In the last few months, I'd only been bitten once— and that was when Lissa had had an emergency. Before then, she'd bitten me at least twice a week for two years, and I had only recently come to realize how addicted to that I'd been. There is nothing—nothing—in the world like a Moroi bite, like the flood of bliss it sends into you. Of course, by all accounts, Strigoi bites were even more powerful…. I swallowed, suddenly aware of my own heavy breathing and racing heart. Isaiah gave a low chuckle. "Yes. You're a blood whore in the making. Unfortunate for you—because I'm not going to give you what you want." He backed away, and I slumped forward in my chair. Without further delay, he returned to Eddie and drank. I couldn't watch, but it was because of envy this time, not disgust. Longing burned inside of me. I ached for that bite, ached for it with every nerve in my body. When Isaiah finished, he started to leave the room, then paused. He directed his words at Mia and Christian. "Don't delay," he warned. "Seize your opportunity to be saved." He tilted his head toward me. "You even have a willing victim."
He left. Across the room, Christian met my eyes. Somehow, his face looked even gaunter than it had a couple of hours ago. Hunger burned in his gaze, and I knew I wore the complementary one: a desire to sate that hunger. God. We were so screwed. I think Christian realized it at the same time. His lips twisted into a bitter smile. "You never looked so good, Rose," he managed, just before the guards told him to shut up. I dozed a little throughout the day, but Adrian didn't return to my dreams. Instead, while hovering just at the edge of consciousness, I found myself slipping into familiar territory: Lissa's head. After all the weirdness of these last two days, being in her mind felt like a homecoming. She was in one of the lodge's banquet rooms, only it was empty. She sat on the floor of the far side of it, trying to stay inconspicuous. Nervousness filled her. She was waiting for something—or rather, someone. A few minutes later, Adrian slipped in. "Cousin," he said by way of greeting. He sat down beside her and drew his knees up, unconcerned about his expensive dress pants. "Sorry I'm late." "It's okay," she said. "You didn't know I was here until you saw me, did you?" She shook her head, disappointed. I felt more confused than ever. "And sitting with me … you can't really notice anything?" "No." He shrugged. "Well. Hopefully it'll come soon." "How does it look for you?" she asked, burning with curiosity. "Do you know what auras are?"
- 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 208 and 209: TWENTY WE NEEDED AN ESCAPE PLAN, an
- Page 210 and 211: "Honestly, I don't know. Everyone h
- 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.
"No!" exclaimed Mason. "Use me."<br />
Isaiah rolled his eyes. "Good God. What a noble lot. You're all Spartacus, aren't you?"<br />
He strolled away from Eddie and put a finger under Mason's chin, tilting his head up. "But<br />
you," Isaiah said, "don't really mean it. You only offer because of her." He released Mason and<br />
walked in front of me, staring down with those black, black eyes. "And you … I didn't really<br />
believe you at first either. But now?" He knelt down so that he was at my height. I refused to<br />
look away from his eyes, even though I knew that put me at risk of compulsion. "I think you<br />
really mean it. And it's not all nobility, either. You do want it. You really have been bitten<br />
before." His voice was magical. Hypnotic. He wasn't using compulsion, exactly, but he<br />
definitely had an unnatural charisma surrounding him. Like Lissa and Adrian. I hung on his<br />
every word. "Lots of times, I'd guess," he added.<br />
He leaned toward me, breath hot against my neck. Somewhere beyond him, I could hear Mason<br />
shouting something, but all of my focus was on how close Isaiah's teeth were to my skin. In the<br />
last few months, I'd only been bitten once— and that was when Lissa had had an emergency.<br />
Before then, she'd bitten me at least twice a week for two years, and I had only recently come to<br />
realize how addicted to that I'd been. There is nothing—nothing—in the world like a Moroi<br />
bite, like the flood of bliss it sends into you. Of course, by all accounts, Strigoi bites were even<br />
more powerful….<br />
I swallowed, suddenly aware of my own heavy breathing and racing heart. Isaiah gave a low<br />
chuckle.<br />
"Yes. You're a blood whore in the making. Unfortunate for you—because I'm not going to give<br />
you what you want."<br />
He backed away, and I slumped forward in my chair. Without further delay, he returned to<br />
Eddie and drank. I couldn't watch, but it was because of envy this time, not disgust. Longing<br />
burned inside of me. I ached for that bite, ached for it with every nerve in my body.<br />
When Isaiah finished, he started to leave the room, then paused. He directed his words at Mia<br />
and Christian. "Don't delay," he warned. "Seize your opportunity to be saved." He tilted his<br />
head toward me. "You even have a willing victim."
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