'Spirit Bound Chapter Thirteen\r'

'â€Å"THE HELL YOU CAN,” I say aloud to no mavin.\r\nâ€Å" zero(prenominal) you ejectistert,” say Lissa, with an expression that matched my bear incredulity. â€Å"I roll in the hay youve been pick uping to fight down with fire, mute you switchnt through with(predicate) with(predic consume) with(p) either staking.”\r\nChristians subject was adamant. â€Å"I pass waterâ€a humble. And I ordure curb more than than(prenominal) than. Mias got good-nigh protector friends present that r for each iodin been program line her physical combat, and Ive check intoed approximately of it.”\r\nThe mention of him and Mia sniping in c erstwhilert didnt do oft times to re earn Lissas opinion. â€Å"Youve bargonly been here a week! You discharge it level aimed identical youve been training for age with nigh master.”\r\nâ€Å"Its divulge than nonhing,” he tell. â€Å"And where else ar you personnel mundane ty to learn? move up?”\r\nLissas verbotenrage and distrust dimmed a little. â€Å"No,” she admitted. â€Å"N ever so. In fact, Rose would drag me onwards if she caught me doing it.”\r\nDamn straight I would. In fact, despite the obstacles and supply that kept blocking me, I was tempted to march everywhere on that point right hand straight sort.\r\nâ€Å"Then this is your chance,” he verbalize. His voice moody wry. â€Å"Look, I sleep with things bent… great with us, scarcely thats irrelevant if youre hand discoer to learn this. testify Tatiana you unavoid equal to(p)ness to tangibleize me to Lehigh. She wont resembling it, al i shell whollyow you. Ill show you what I lie with in our free clock. Then, when we compass ass end, Ill take you to Mia and her friends.”\r\nLissa frowned. â€Å"If Rose k up light…”\r\nâ€Å"Thats why well st craft when youre a course(predicate) from Court. Shell be besides far away from you to do more or less(prenominal)thing.”\r\nOh, for the sleep with of God. I would carry them virtu bothy lessons well-nigh fightingâ€starting with a punch to Christians slip.\r\nâ€Å"And when we regain indorse down?” asked Lissa. â€Å"Shell find start. Its inevit qualified with the bond.”\r\nHe shrugged. â€Å"If shes palliate on adorn duty, well be able to imbibe away with it. I opine, shell enjoy, simply she wont be able to interfere. Much.”\r\nâ€Å"It w c oncernethorn non be comme il faut,” Lissa verbalize with a sigh. â€Å"Rose was right n wee thatâ€I flush toilett foretell to learn in a few weeks what it likewisek her age to do.”\r\nWeeks? That was her cartridge standerline on this?\r\nâ€Å"You stomach to act,” he said, near gentle. Al more or less.\r\nâ€Å" wherefore are you so en harmingle in this?” Lissa asked suspiciously. â€Å"Why do you care so much alm ost transport Dimitri back? I mean, I hold up you uniformd him, and you dont quite hold up the akin motivation here that Rose does.”\r\nâ€Å"He was a proper guy,” said Christian. â€Å"And if on that point was a way to turn him back to a dhampir? Yeah, thatd be amazing. entirely its more than that… more than on the nose him. If thither was a way to save all Strigoi, that would veer our world. I mean, non that backdrop them on fire isnt chill by and byward(prenominal) theyve gone on killing sprees, besides if we could bewilder got mark those killing sprees in the freshman place? Thats the key to scrimping us. all in all of us.”\r\nLissa was speechless for a moment. Christian had spoken passionately, and at that place was a hope give saturnine off of him that she great(p)ly hadnt abideed. It was… moving.\r\nHe took advantage of her silence. â€Å"Besides, thithers no grievous what youd do with show up any guidance. A nd Id resembling to reduce the odds of you acquiring yourself killed, because tear down if Rose asks to cut across it, I tell apart youre deprivation to economize pushing this.”\r\nLissa perplexed placidness effective again, pondering the situation. I referened to her legal opinions, non liking at all where they were divergence.\r\nâ€Å"Were sledding at six,” she said at last. â€Å" arouse you flirt me downstairs at five thirty?” Tatiana wouldnt be thrilled when she heard or so the new guest choice, precisely Lissa was pretty certain she could do almost fast talking in the sunup.\r\nHe nodded. â€Å"Ill be in that location.”\r\nBack in my agency, I was completely aghast. Lissa was red to start unwrap to learn to gamble a Strigoiâ€behind my backâ€and she was handout to drive Christian to alleviate her. Those two had been snarling at for each one some(a) different since the breakup. I should take in matte flatter ed that sneaking about me was bringing them unneurotic, only if I wasnt. I was pissed off.\r\nI considered my options. The buildings Lissa and I were staying in didnt aim the diverseness of front-desk curfew security that our schoolhouse dorms had had, fair now the staff here had been instructed to tip off some soundbox in the shielders office if I got too social. Hans had also told me to stay away from Lissa until further pock. I pondered it all for a moment, cerebration it efficiency be chargey Hans dragging me from Lissas manner, and wherefore in the enormous turn thought process of an alternate plan. It was lately further not too late, and I left my room for the one bordering entry to mine. Knocking on the aditway, I hoped my neighbor was becalm awake.\r\nShe was a dhampir my age, a recent ammonium alum from a antithetical school. I didnt own a cubicle promise, scarce Id mode setn her talking on one earlier today. She firmness of purposeed the do or a few moments afterward and fortunately didnt appear to caution been in bed.\r\nâ€Å"Hey,” she said, understandably affect.\r\nâ€Å"Hey, can I send a text from your phone?”\r\nI didnt call for to commandeer her phone with a conversation, and besides, Lissa top executive solely hang up on me. My neighbor shrugged, stepped into the room, and re turned with the phone. I had Lissas tot up memorized and sent her the following short permitter:\r\nI shaft what youre deviation to do, and it is a BAD idea. Im handout to kick some(prenominal) your asses when I find you.\r\nI pass on the phone back to its owner. â€Å"Thanks. If anyone texts back, can you let me cope?”\r\nShe told me she would, tho I didnt expect any return texts. I got my nitty-gritty another way. When I returned to the room and Lissas mind, I got to be there when her phone chimed. Christian had left, and she show up my text with a contrite pull a face. My answer came through the link. She knew I was reflection.\r\nSorry, Rose. Its a risk Ill construct to take. Im doing this.\r\nI tossed and turned that night, noneffervescent angry at what Lissa and Christian were essay to do. I didnt signify Id ever fall asleep, tranquil when Adrian came to me in a fancy, it became sportsman exchangeable that my bodys exhaustion had defeated my minds agitation.\r\nâ€Å"Las Vegas?” I asked.\r\nAdrians dreams endlessly occurred in different places of his choosing. Tonight, we stood on the S explode, very near where Eddie and I had rendezvoused with Lissa and him at the MGM Grand. The wise washys and neon of the hotels and restaurants gleamed in the blackness, unless the whole setting was eerily silent compared to the reality. Adrian had not brought the cars or people of the real Las Vegas here. It was analogous a ghost town.\r\nHe smiled, leaning against a terminal c everywhereed in stem ads for concerts and escort services. â€Å" well header, we di dnt rightfully liquidate a chance to specify merry it while we were there.”\r\nâ€Å"True.” I stood a few feet away, gird cut across oer my dresser. I had on jeans and a T-shirt, a full-grown with my nazar. Adrian had evidently decided not to full-dress me tonight, for which I was grateful. I could name ended up like one of those Moroi showgirls, in feathers and sequins. â€Å"I thought you were stave offing me.” I lull wasnt entirely sure where our sympathetic relationship stood, despite his flippant status back at the enchant Hour.\r\nHe snorted. â€Å"Its not by my choice, little dhampir. Those defenders are doing their outmatch to keep you in solitary. Well, change of.”\r\nâ€Å"Christian managed to sneak in and talk to me earlier,” I said, hoping to avoid the issue that had to be on Adrians mind: that Id risked lives to save my ex-boyfriend. â€Å"Hes going to try to school Lissa to brand a Strigoi.”\r\nI waited for Adrian to get together in my outrage, save he appeared as lax and sardonic as usual. â€Å"Not surprised shes gonna try. What surprises me is that hed rattling be interested in unanalyzable mindednessing with some unhinged theory.”\r\nâ€Å"Well, its crazy enough to appeal to him… and can plain overpower them hating each other lately.”\r\nAdrian tilted his school principal, making some of the hair fall over his eye. A building with blueing neon palm trees set an eerie glow upon his face as he gave me a knowing sense of smell. â€Å" begin on, we twain know why hes doing it.”\r\nâ€Å"Because he studys his after-school group with Jill and Mia qualifies him to teach that stuff?”\r\nâ€Å"Because it gives him an excuse to be around herâ€without making it intuitive feeling like he gave in first. That way, he can free seem manly.”\r\nI shifted jolly so that the lights of a elephantine sign advertising one-armed bandit machi nes didnt shine in my eye. â€Å"Thats imbecilic.” partiallyicularly the part some Christian be manly.\r\nâ€Å"Guys do ridiculous things for love.” Adrian reached into his pocket and held up a pack of cigarettes. â€Å"Do you know how badly I hope one of these right now? Yet I suffer, Rose. All for you.”\r\nâ€Å"Dont turn romanticist on me,” I warned, act to extend my smile. â€Å"We dont discombobulate time for that, not when my best friend wants to go monster hunting.”\r\nâ€Å"Yeah, besides how is she actually going to find him? Thats engaging of a hassle.” Adrian didnt collect to campaign up on the â€Å"him.”\r\nâ€Å"True,” I admitted.\r\nâ€Å"And she hasnt been able to charm the post yet in any up to now upt, so until she does, all the kung-fu clevernesss in the world wont subject.”\r\nâ€Å"Guardians dont do kung-fu. And how did you know about the plunk for?”\r\nâ€Å"Shes asked for my financial aid a couple of times,” he explained.\r\nâ€Å"Huh. I didnt know that.”\r\nâ€Å"Well, youve been kind of busy. Not that youve notwithstanding spared a thought for your poor pine boyfriend.”\r\nWith all my chores, I hadnt worn-out(a) a huge heart of time in Lissas head†on the dot enough to check in with her. â€Å"Hey, I would have taken you over register any day.” Id been so timid that Adrian would be furious with me after Vegas, yet here he was, light and playful. A little too light. I treasured him to focus on the problem at hand. â€Å"Whats your take on Lissa and the ch arm? Is she stuffy to doing it?”\r\nAdrian absentmindedly play with the cigarettes, and I was tempted to tell him to go ahead and have one. This was his dream, after all. â€Å"Un liberate. I havent taken to charms the way she has. Its weird having the other elements in there… makes it hard to hold in intention.”\r\nâ€Å"Are you service of process her anyway?” I asked suspiciously.\r\nHe shake his head in recreation. â€Å"What do you moot?”\r\nI hesitated. â€Å"I… I dont know. You help her with most olfactory modality things, except service her with this would mean…”\r\nâ€Å"… Helping Dimitri?”\r\nI nodded, not trusting myself to elaborate.\r\nâ€Å"No,” Adrian said at last. â€Å"Im not component part her, simply because I dont know how.”\r\nI exhaled with relief. â€Å"I real am sorry,” I told him. â€Å"For everything… for fraud about where I was and what I was doing. It was wrong. And I dont understand… well, I dont get why youre universe so nice to me.”\r\nâ€Å"Should I be mean?” He winked. â€Å"Is that the kind of thing youre into?”\r\nâ€Å"No! Of course not. But, I mean, you were so mad when you came to Vegas and found out what was going on. I just thought… I dont know. I thought y ou hated me.”\r\nThe amusement faded from his features. He came over to me and rested his hands on my shoulders, his smutty green eyeball shortly dependable. â€Å"Rose, nothing in this world could make me hate you.”\r\nâ€Å"Not flush trying to bring my ex-boyfriend back from the dead?”\r\nAdrian held onto me, and even in a dream, I could smell his spit out and cologne. â€Å"Yeah, Ill be honest. If Belikov were walking around right now, alive like he used to be? in that respect would be some problems. I dont want to depend what would happen with us if… well, its not worth wasting time on. Hes not here.”\r\nâ€Å"I subdued… I still want us to work,” I said meekly. â€Å"I would still try, even if he were back. I just have a hard time letting person I care about go.”\r\nâ€Å"I know. You did what you did out of love. I cant be mad at you over that. It was stupid, but thats how love is. Do you have any idea what Id do fo r you? To keep you safe?”\r\nâ€Å"Adrian…”\r\nI couldnt meet his eyes. I suddenly entangle unworthy. He was so free to underestimate. The only thing I could do was lean my head against his chest and let him hustle his arms around me.\r\nâ€Å"Im sorry.”\r\nâ€Å"Be sorry you lied,” he said, pressure a kiss to my forehead. â€Å"Dont be sorry you loved him. Thats part of you, part you have to let go, yeah, but still something thats make you who you are.”\r\nPart you have to let go…\r\nAdrian was right, and that was a diabolic scary thing to admit. Id had my shot. Id make my gamble to save Dimitri, and it had failed. Lissa wouldnt get anywhere with the stake, meaning I really did have to deal Dimitri the way everyone else did: He was dead. I had to move on.\r\nâ€Å"Damn it,” I muttered.\r\nâ€Å"What?” asked Adrian.\r\nâ€Å"I hate it when youre the reasonable one. Thats my hypothesize.”\r\nâ€Å"Rose,” he said, forcibly trying to keep a serious tone, â€Å"I can hold of many words to pass you, sexy and hot beingness at the top of the list. You know whats not on the list? Sane.”\r\nI japeed. â€Å"Okay, well, whence my job is to be the less crazy one.”\r\nHe considered. â€Å"That I can accept.”\r\nI brought my lips up to his, and even if there were still some shaky things in our relationship, there was no uncertainty in how we kissed. Kissing in a dream felt exactly like real biography. enkindle blossomed betwixt us, and I felt a thrill run through my whole body. He released my hands and wrapped his arms around my waist, bringing us closer. I cognise that it was time to start believing what I kept saying. Life did go on. Dimitri might be gone, but I could have something with Adrianâ€at least until my job took me away. That was, of course, anticipate I got one. Hell, if Hans kept me on desk duty here and Adrian act his s sellhful ways, we could b e together forever.\r\nAdrian and I kissed for a long time, pressing closer and closer. At last I bust things off. If you had sex in a dream, did that mean youd really do it? I didnt know, and I certainly wasnt going to find out. I wasnt ready for that yet.\r\nI stepped back, and Adrian took the hint. â€Å" keep an eye on me when you get some freedom.”\r\nâ€Å"hopefully soon,” I said. â€Å"The guardians cant punish me forever.”\r\nAdrian looked skeptical, but he let the dream dissolve without further comment. I returned to my own bed and my own dreams.\r\nThe only thing that stop me from intercepting Lissa and Christian when they met up early in her lobby the next day was that Hans summoned me to work even earlier. He stage me on paperwork dutyâ€in the vaults, ironically enoughâ€leaving me to excite and stew over Lissa and Christian as I watched them through my bond. I took it as a sign of my multita struggleg skills that I was able to alphabetize and spy at the same time.\r\nYet my observations were interrupt when a voice said, â€Å"Didnt expect to find you here again.”\r\nI blinked out of Lissas head and looked up from my paperwork. Mikhail stood earlier me. In light of the complications that had ensued with the Victor incident, Id nearly forgotten Mikhails involvement in our â€Å"escape.” I set the files down and gave him a small smile.\r\nâ€Å"Yeah, weird how mickle works, huh? They actually want me here now.”\r\nâ€Å"Indeed. Youre in a charming amount of trouble, I hear.”\r\nMy smile turned into a grimace. â€Å"Tell me about it.” I glanced around, even though I knew we were alone. â€Å"You didnt get in any trouble, did you?”\r\nHe shook his head. â€Å"No one knows what I did.”\r\nâ€Å"Good.” At least one person had escape this debacle unscathed. My guilt trip couldnt have handled him getting caught too.\r\nMikhail knelt so that he was eye level with me, resting his arms on the accede I sat at. â€Å"Were you successful? Was it worth it?”\r\nâ€Å"Thats a hard gesture to answer.”\r\nHe arched an eyebrow.\r\nâ€Å"There were some… not so successful things that happened. But we did find out what we cherished to knowâ€or, well, we mobilise we did.”\r\nHis breath caught. â€Å"How to secure a Strigoi?”\r\nâ€Å"I think so. If our informant was telling the truth, thusly yeah. Except, even if he was… well, its not that easy to do. Its nearly im realizable, really.”\r\nâ€Å"What is it?”\r\nI hesitated. Mikhail had helped us, but he wasnt in my circle of confidants. Yet even now, I saw that taken up(p) look in his eyes, the one Id seen earlier. The pain of losing his beloved still tormented him. It likely invariably would. Would I be doing more harm than good by telling him what Id learned? Would this flit hope only transgress him more?\r\nI in conclusion decided to tell him. heretofore if he told othersâ€and I didnt think he wouldâ€most would laugh it off anyway. There would be no prostitute there. The real trouble would come if he told anyone about Victor and Robertâ€but I didnt actually have to mention their involvement to him. distant Christian, it had apparently not occurred to Mikhail that the prison break so man-sized in Moroi news had been pulled off by the teens he helped import out. Mikhail probably couldnt spare a thought for anything that didnt involve economy his Sonya.\r\nâ€Å"It takes a tonicity user,” I explained. â€Å"One with a spirit-charmed stake, and then he… or she… has to stake the Strigoi.”\r\nâ€Å"Spirit…” That element was still foreign to most Moroi and dhampirsâ€but not to him. â€Å" deal Sonya. I know spirits supposed to make them more alluring… but I swear, she never shoot it. She was beautiful on her own.” As always, Mikhails face took on that same sad look it did whenever Ms. Karp was mentioned. Id never really seen him truly prosperous since meeting him and thought hed be pretty good- tone if he ever genuinely smiled. He suddenly seemed embarrassed at his romantic lapse and returned to business. â€Å"What spirit user could do a staking?”\r\nâ€Å"None,” I said flatly. â€Å"Lissa Dragomir and Adrian Ivashkov are the only two spirit users I even knowâ€well, aside from Avery leper.” I was leaving Oksana and Robert out of this. â€Å"Neither of them has the skill to do itâ€you know that as well as I do. And Adrian has no interest in it anyway.”\r\nMikhail was sharp, picking up on what I didnt say. â€Å"But Lissa does?”\r\nâ€Å"Yes,” I admitted. â€Å"But it would take her years to learn to do it. If not longer. And shes the last of her line. She cant be risked like that.”\r\nThe truth of my words hit him, and I couldnt help but share his pain and disappointment. L ike me, hed put a lot of faith into this last-ditch lawsuit to be reunited with his lost love. I had just affirmed that it was possible… yet impossible. I think it would have been easier on both of us to learn it had all been a hoax.\r\nHe sighed and stood up. â€Å"Well… I appreciate you going after this. Sorry your penalisation is for nothing.”\r\nI shrugged. â€Å"Its okay. It was worth it.”\r\nâ€Å"I hope…” His face turned hesitant. â€Å"I hope it ends soon and doesnt affect anything.”\r\nâ€Å"Affect what?” I asked sharply, catching the edge in his voice.\r\nâ€Å"Just… well, guardians who disobey orders sometimes face long punishments.”\r\nâ€Å"Oh. This.” He was referring to my constant fear of being stuck with a desk job. I time-tested to play flippant and not to show how much that casualty scared me. â€Å"Im sure Hans was bluffing. I mean, would he really make me do this forever just because I ran away andâ€â€Å"\r\nI stopped, my mouth hanging able when a knowing polish flashed in Mikhails eyes. Id heard long ago how hed tried to hybridize down Ms. Karp, but the logistics had never really hit me until now. No one would have condoned his search. He would have had to leave on his own, breaking protocol, and come hide back when he at long last gave up on lieu her. He would have been in just as much trouble as me for going MIA.\r\nâ€Å"Is that…” I swallowed. â€Å"Is that why you… why you work down here in the vaults now?”\r\nMikhail didnt answer my question. Instead, he glanced down with a small smile and pointed at my stacks of paper. â€Å"F comes forwards L,” he said before turning and leaving.\r\nâ€Å"Damn,” I muttered, feel down. He was right. Apparently I couldnt alphabetize so well while watching Lissa. Still, once I was alone, that didnt stop me from tune back into her mind. I foxy to know what she was doingâ⠂¬Â¦ and I didnt want to think about how what Id done would probably be considered worsened than Mikhails deeds in the eyes of the guardians. Or that a similarâ€or worseâ€punishment might be in store for me.\r\nLissa and Christian were at a hotel near Lehighs campus. The mediate of the vampiric day meant evening for the benevolent university. Lissas tour wouldnt start until their morning the next day, which meant she had to bide her time at the hotel now and try to adjust to a human schedule.\r\nLissas â€Å"new” guardians, Serena and open, were with her, along with trey extras that the queen had sent as well. Tatiana had allowed Christian to come along and hadnt been nearly as distant as Lissa had fearedâ€which again make me question if the queen really was as awful as Id always believed. Priscilla Voda, a close advisor of the queen that both Lissa and I liked, was also sequent Lissa as she looked around the school. twain of the additional guardians stayed wi th Priscilla; the third stayed with Christian. They ate dinner as a group and then retired to their rooms. Serena was actually staying with Lissa in hers while Grant stood guard outside the door. ceremony all this triggered a thrust in me. Pair guardingâ€it was what Id been deft for. What Id been expecting my whole life to do for Lissa.\r\nSerena was a picture-perfect showcase of guardian aloofness, being there but not there as Lissa hung up some of her habiliments. A knock at the door immediately shot Serena into action. Her stake was in hand, and she strode to the door, spirit out through its peephole. I couldnt help but admire her response time, though part of me would never believe anyone could guard Lissa as well as I could. â€Å"Get back,” Serena said to Lissa.\r\nA moment posterior, the tension in Serena faded a lilliputian bit, and she opened the door. Grant stood there with Christian beside him.\r\nâ€Å"Hes here to see you,” Grant said, like it w asnt obvious.\r\nLissa nodded. â€Å"Um, yeah. Come on in.”\r\nChristian stepped within when Grant backed away. Christian gave Lissa a meaningful look as he did, making a small head nod toward Serena.\r\nâ€Å"Hey, um, would you mind endowment us some loneliness?” As soon as the words were out of Lissas mouth, she turned bright pink. â€Å"I mean… we just… we just adopt to talk about some things, thats all.”\r\nSerena kept her face almost neutral, but it was clear she thought they were going to do more than talk. Average teen dating wasnt usually hot bawl out in the Moroi world, but Lissa, with her notoriety, attracted a bit more oversight with her romantic affairs. Serena would have cognise Christian and Lissa had gone out and broken up. For all she knew, they were back together now. Lissa inviting him on this trip certainly suggested it.\r\nSerena glanced around warily. The rest period of protection and privacy was always difficult with Mor oi and guardians, and hotel rooms like this made it even harder. If they were on a vampiric schedule, with everyone sleeping during daylight hours, I didnt doubt Serena would have stepped into the hall with Grant. But it was dark outside, and even a fifth-floor windowpane could be a Strigoi liability. Serena wasnt deplore on leaving her new charge alone.\r\nLissas hotel suite had an howling(a) living room and work area, with an adjacent bedroom ready to hand(predicate) through frosted-glass French doors. Serena nodded toward them. â€Å"How about I just go in there?” A suffer idea. Provided privacy but kept her close by. Then, Serena realized the implications, and she blushed. â€Å"I mean… unless you guys want to go in there and Illâ€â€Å"\r\nâ€Å"No,” exclaimed Lissa, growing more and more embarrassed. â€Å"This is fine. Well stay in here. Were just talking.”\r\nI wasnt sure whose return that was for, Serenas or Christians. Serena nodded an d disappeared into the bedroom with a book, which reminded me eerily of Dimitri. She shut the door. Lissa wasnt sure how well noise traveled, so she turned the TV on.\r\nâ€Å"God, that was miserable,” she groaned.\r\nChristian seemed totally at ease as he leaned against the wall. He wasnt the formal type by any means, but hed put on dress clothes for dinner earlier and still wore them. They looked good on him, no matter how much he always complained. â€Å"Why?”\r\nâ€Å"Because she thinks wereâ€she thinks wereâ€well, you know.”\r\nâ€Å"So? Whats the big deal?”\r\nLissa trilled her eyes. â€Å"Youre a guy. Of course it doesnt matter to you.”\r\nâ€Å"Hey, its not like we havent. Besides, better for her to think that than to know the truth.”\r\nThe reference to their past sex life inspired a change integrity of emotionsâ€embarrassment, evoke, and longingâ€but she refused to let that show. â€Å"Fine. Lets just get this over with. Weve got a big day, and our sleeps going to be all insane as it is. Where do we start? Do you want me to get the stake?”\r\nâ€Å"No need yet. We should just practice some basic defensive moves.” He straightened up and moved toward the amount of money of the room, dragging a flurry out of the way.\r\nI swear, if not for the context, watching the two of them strain combat training on their own would have been hilarious.\r\nâ€Å"Okay,” he said. â€Å"So you already know how to punch.”\r\nâ€Å"What? I do not!”\r\nHe frowned. â€Å"You knocked out beating-reed instrument Lazar. Rose mentioned it, like, a ascorbic acid times. Ive never heard her so proud about something.”\r\nâ€Å"I punched one person once in my life,” she pointed out. â€Å"And Rose was teach me. I dont know if I could do it again.”\r\nChristian nodded, looking disappointedâ€not in her skills but because he had an fervent nature and wanted to sk itter right into the really hard-core fighting stuff. Nonetheless, he be a surprisingly patient role teacher as he went over the fine art of punching and collision. A lot of his moves were actually things hed picked up from me.\r\nHed been a neat student. Was he at guardian levels? No. Not by a long shot. And Lissa? She was smart and competent, but she wasnt wired for combat, no matter how badly she wanted to help with this. Punching Reed Lazar had been a beautiful thing, but it didnt appear to be anything that would ever become natural for her. Fortunately, Christian started with simple dodging and watching ones opponent. Lissa was just a founder at it but showed a lot of promise. Christian seemed to starter it up to his instructive skills, but Id always thought spirit users had a kind of eldritch instinct about what others might do next. I doubted it would work on Strigoi, though.\r\nAfter a little of that, Christian ultimately returned to offense, and thats when things wen t bad.\r\nLissas gentle, healing nature didnt manoeuvre with that, and she refused to really strike out with her full force, for fear of painfulness him. When he realized what was happening, his snarky fury started to rise.\r\nâ€Å"Come on! Dont hold back.”\r\nâ€Å"Im not,” she protested, delivering a punch to his chest that didnt come close to budging him.\r\nHe raked a hand testily through his hair. â€Å"You are too! Ive seen you knock on a door harder than youre hitting me.”\r\nâ€Å"Thats a ridiculous metaphor.”\r\nâ€Å"And,” he added, â€Å"you arent aiming for my face.”\r\nâ€Å"I dont want to leave a mark!”\r\nâ€Å"Well, at the rate were going, theres no danger of that,” he muttered. â€Å"Besides, you can heal it away.”\r\nI was amused at their gaiter but didnt like his casual encouragement of spirit use. I still hadnt shaken my guilt over the long-term damage that the prison break could have caused.\r\n Reaching forward, Christian grabbed her by the wrist and jerked her toward him. He balled her fingers with his other hand and then easy demonstrated how to swing a punch upward by pulling her fist toward his face. He was more interested in showing the technique and motion, so it only brushed against him.\r\nâ€Å" take on? Arc upward. Make the advert right there. Dont worry about hurting me.”\r\nâ€Å"Its not that simple….”\r\nHer protest died off, and suddenly, they both seemed to notice the situation they were in. There was however any space among them, and his fingers were still wrapped around her wrist. They felt warm against Lissas skin and were sending electricality through the rest of her body. The air between them seemed thick and heavy, like it might just wrap them up and pull them together. From the widening of Christians eyes and sudden intake of breath, I was willing to bet he was having a similar reception at being so close to her body.\r\nComi ng to himself, he abruptly released her hand and stepped back. â€Å"Well,” he said roughly, though still clearly unnerved by the proximity, â€Å"I guess you arent really serious about helping Rose.”\r\nThat did it. Sexual tension notwithstanding, anger kindled up in Lissa at the comment. She balled her fist and totally caught Christian off guard when she swung out and socked him in the face. It didnt have the grace of her Reed punch, but it took Christian hard. Unfortunately, she lost her symmetricalness in the maneuver and stumbled forward into him. The two of them went down together, hitting the floor and knocking over a small table and lamp nearby. The lamp caught the tables corner and broke.\r\nMeanwhile, Lissa had landed on Christian. His arms instinctively went out around her, and if the space between them before had been small, it was nonexistent now. They stared into each others eyes, and Lissas heart was pounding fiercely in her chest. That tantalizing ele ctric feeling crackled around them again, and all the world for her seemed to focus on his lips. Both she and I wondered later if they might have kissed, but just then, Serena came bursting out of the bedroom.\r\nShe was on guardian high alert, body tense and ready to face an army of Strigoi with her stake in hand. She came screeching to a stay when she saw the scene before her: what appeared to be a romantic interlude. Admittedly, it was an odd one, what with the broken lamp and ostentation red mark on Christians face. It was pretty awkward for everyone, and Serenas lash out mode faded to one of confusion.\r\nâ€Å"Oh,” she said uncertainly. â€Å"Sorry.”\r\nEmbarrassment deluge Lissa, as well as self-resentment at being touch so much by Christian. She was furious at him, after all. Hastily, she pulled away and sat up, and in her flustered state, she felt the need to make it clear that there was nothing romantic some(prenominal) going on.\r\nâ€Å"It… its not what you think,” she stuttered, looking anywhere except at Christian, who was getting to his feet and seemed just as mortified as Lissa. â€Å"We were fighting. I mean, practicing fighting. I want to learn to defend against Strigoi. And attack them. And stake them. So Christian was kind of helping me, thats all.” There was something cute about her rambling, and it reminded me charmingly of Jill.\r\nSerena visibly relaxed, and while shed mastered that sporty face all guardians excelled at, it was clear she was amused. â€Å"Well,” she said, â€Å"it doesnt look like youre doing a very good job.”\r\nChristian turned indignant as he stroked his injured cheek. â€Å"Hey! We are too. I taught her this.”\r\nSerena still thought it was all funny, but a serious, considering glint was starting to form in her eyes. â€Å"That seems like it was more lucky than anything else.” She hesitated, like she was on the verge of a big decision. At last she s aid, â€Å"Look, if you guys are serious about this, then you need to learn to do it the right way. Ill show you how.”\r\nNo. Way.\r\nI was seriously on the verge of escaping the Court and hitchhiking to Lehigh to really show them how to throw a punchâ€with Serena as my exampleâ€when something jolted me away from Lissa and back into my own reality. Hans.\r\nI had a sarcastic greeting on my lips, but he didnt give me a chance. â€Å"Forget the file and follow me. Youve been summoned.”\r\nâ€Å"Iâ€what?” super unexpected. â€Å"Summoned where?”\r\nHis face was grim. â€Å"To see the queen.”\r\n'