Spirit Bound Chapter Twenty-Two

I DIDNT TAKE THE GUYS advice and tear impinge on sur baptismal font of there, though I didnt exactly sit on the front step either. I lingered nigh in a cluster of cherry trees, figuring it would only be a matter of cartridge clip before the assembly ended and quite a little spilled out the doors. After several minutes passed and no involvement happened, I flipped into Lissas sagacity and discovered topics were still in full force. condescension Tatiana declaring twice now that the session was over, masses were still standing approximately and arguing in assemblys.Tasha was standing in superstar such group with Lissa and Adrian, making whizz of the impassi unmatchedd speeches she was so not bad(predicate) at. Tasha might not be as coldly calculating as Tatiana was when it came to political incites, entirely Tasha did have a keen sense of ripples in the ashes and recognized opportunities when they came. She was against the age-lowering decree. She was for teaching Mor oi to fight. Neither of those was getting her very(prenominal) furthest, so she jumped on the nigh best matter Lissa.Why are we arguing among ourselves slightly how best to kill Strigoi when we can save them? Tasha put one arm around Lissa and one around Adrian, drawing them both forward. Lissa still wore her serenely confident sprightliness, only Adrian looked ready to bolt if given half a chance. Vasilisawho, by the way, is indeed being denied her fair vocalise here, thanks to an archaic lawhas sh ingest that Strigoi can be brought back.That hasnt been proven, exclaimed one man in the crowd.Are you kidding? asked a woman beside him. My sister was with the group that brought him back. She says hes definitely a dhampir. He was even out in the solarizeTasha nodded in approval at the woman. I was there as good. And now we have two inwardness drug users capable of doing this for separate Strigoi.As much as I respected Tasha, I wasnt entirely with her on this. The amount of powernot to take down effort involved in the stakingthat Lissa had required with Dimitri had been staggering. It had even temporarily hurt the bond. That didnt toy with she couldnt do it again. Nor did it mean she wouldnt want to again. She was just naively compassionate enough to dispose herself into the line of fire to support others. But I knew the much power a kernel user wielded, the quicker theyd travel down the road to insanity.And Adrian well, he was almost a nonissue here. Even if he wanted to go staking Strigoi, he didnt have the sort of healing power it would take to restore oneat least not now. Its wasnt uncommon for Moroi to use their elements in different ways. Some fire users, similar Christian, had ingenious control of flame itself. Others could only use their magic to, say, warm the air in a mode. Likewise, Lissa and Adrian had their strengths with spirit. His superlative healing triumph was m polish a fracture, and she still couldnt walk dreams, no mat ter how much she practiced.So, re in all(prenominal)y, Tasha had one spirit user capable of saving Strigoi, and that one could hardly transform legions of those monsters. Tasha did seem to recognize this a little.The Council shouldnt be wasting time with age laws, she continued. We need to sink our resources into finding more spirit users and recruiting them to help save Strigoi. She fixed her gaze on someone in the crowd. Martin, didnt your brother get turned against his leave behind? With enough work, we could bring him back to you. Alive. proficient like you knew him. Otherwise, hes just going to get staked when guardians find himand of physical body hell be slaughtering innocents along the way.Yeah, Tasha was good. She could paint a good image and about brought that Martin rib to tears. She didnt really mention people whod turned Strigoi willingly. Lissa, still standing with her, wasnt sure how she felt about the idea of a Strigoi-saving spirit army, and she did recognize how this was all part of several other plans Tasha hadincluding one to get Lissa voting rights.Tasha play up Lissas abilities and character, scoffing at what was clearly an outdated law from an era that never could have foreseen this situation. Tasha elevate pointed out that a full Council of twelve families would send a message to Strigoi everywhere about Moroi unity.I didnt want to visualise any more. Id let Tasha wield her political magic and talk more to Lissa later. I was still so agitated about what had happened when Id yelled at the Council that I couldnt stand to see that room anymore. I left her mind and returned to my own, yelping when I saw a face right in front of mine.AmbroseOne of the best-looking dhampirs on the planetafter Dimitri, of courseflashed me a gleaming, movie-star smile. You were so still, I ideal maybe you were try to be a dryad.I blinked. A what?He gestured to the cherry trees. Nature spirits. stunning women who become one with trees.Im not sure if that was a compliment or not, I say. But its good to see you again.Ambrose was a true oddity in our culture a male dhampir who had neither interpreted guardian vows nor run off to hide among humans. Female dhampirs often chose not to join the guardians in parade to focus on raising families. Thats why we were so rare. But men? They had no excuse, as further as most people were concerned. Rather than skulk off in disgrace, however, Ambrose had chosen to stay and plainly work for the Moroi another way. He was essentially a servanta high-class one who served drinks at elite parties and gave massages to royal women. He as well, if rumors were true, served Tatiana in physical ways. That was so creepy, though, I promptly put it out of my mind.You too, he told me. But if you arent communing with nature, what are you doing?Its a long history. I kind of got take a crapn out of a Council meeting.He looked instiled. Literally thrown out?Dragged, I guess. Im surprised I havent seen you around, I mused. Of course, Ive kind of been, um, flurry this exist week.So Ive heard, he express, giving me a sympathetic look. Although, I actually have been away. Just got back last night.Just in time for the fun, I muttered.The guileless look on his face told me hadnt heard about the decree yet. What are you doing now? he asked. This doesnt look like punishment. Did you finish your censure?Something like that. Im kind of waiting for someone now. Was just going to mention out in my room.Well, if youre kill time, why dont you come see Aunt Rhonda?Rhonda? I scowled. No offense, but your aunt didnt really impress me with her abilities last time.None taken, he said cheerfully. But shes been wondering about you. And Vasilisa. So, if youre just hanging aroundI hesitated. He was right that I had nothing better to do right now. I was stuck on options with both Dimitri and the Councils idiotic resolutions. Yet Rhondahis fortune-telling Moroi auntwasnt someone I really wanted to see again. condescension my glib words, the truth was that in retrospect, some of Rhondas predictions had come true. I just didnt like what theyd been.Fine, I said, trying to look bored. Make it fast.He smiled again, like he could see with my ruse, and led me off to a building Id been to once before. It housed a luxurious salon and spa frequented by royal Moroi. Lissa and I had had our nails make there, and as Ambrose and I wound our way through it to Rhondas lair, I felt a strange pain within me. Manicures and pedicures they seemed like the most trivial things in the world. But on that day, theyd been wonderful. Lissa and I had laughed and grown impendent just before the school was attacked and everything fell apart.Rhonda told fortunes in a back room that was far from the busy spa. Despite the seedy feel of it, she did a pretty brisk business and even had her own receptionist. Or, well, she used to. This time, the desk was empty, and Ambrose led me straight through to Rhondas ro om. It looked exactly the same as before, like being privileged a heart. Everything was red the wallpaper, the decorations, and the cushions covering the floor.Rhonda herself sit on the floor, eating a cup of yogurt, which seemed terribly indifferent for someone who allegedly wielded mystical powers. Curly black hair cascaded around her shoulders, making the large bills hoops in her ears gleam.Rose Hathaway, she said happily, setting the yogurt aside. What a nice surprise.Shouldnt you have seen me approaching? I asked dryly.Her lips twitched with amusement. Thats not my power.Sorry to interrupt your dinner, Ambrose said, gracefully folding his muscled body as he sat down. But Rose isnt easy to catch hold of.I imagine not, she said. Im impressed you got her to come at all. What can I do for you today, Rose?I shrugged and sank down beside Ambrose. I dont know. Im only here because Ambrose talked me into it.She didnt phone your last reading was very good, he said.Hey I shot him a chastising look. Thats not exactly what I said.Last time, Lissa and Dimitri had been with me. Rhondas tarot separate had shown Lissa crowned with power and lightno surprise. Rhonda had said Dimitri would lose what he valued most, and he had his soul. And me? Rhonda had bluntly told me that Id kill the undead. Id scoffed at that, knowing I had a lifetime of Strigoi-killing out front of me. Now I wondered if undead meant the Strigoi part of Dimitri. Even if I hadnt driven the stake, Id certainly played a major role.Maybe another reading would help the other one make more sense? she offered.My mind was putting together another fraud psychic joke, which was why it was so astonishing when my mouth said, Thats the problem. The other one did make sense. Im afraid Im afraid of what else the cards will show.The cards dont make the future, she said gently. If somethings meant to be, itll be, disregardless of whether you see it here. And even then well, the future is always changing. If we had no choices, thered be no point in living.See now, I said flippantly, thats the kind of vague gypsy response I was hoping for.Roma, she corrected. Not gypsy. Despite my snark, she still seemed to be in a good mood. Easygoing attitudes must have run in their family. Do you want the cards or not?Did I? She was right about one thingthe future would unfold with or without me see it in the cards. And even if the cards showed it, I probably wouldnt regard it until afterward.Okay, I said. Just for fun. I mean, last time was probably a lucky guess.Rhonda rolled her look but said nothing as she began shuffling her tarot deck. She did it with such precision that the cards seemed to move themselves. When she finally stopped, she handed the deck to me to cut. I did, and she put it back together.We did three cards before, she said. Weve got time to do more if youd like. Five, perhaps?The more there are, the more likely it is that anything can get explained.If you dont gestate in them, th en it shouldnt be an issue.Okay, then. Five.She grew serious as she flipped out the cards, her eyes carefully studying them. both of the cards had come out upside down. I didnt take that as a good sign. Last time, Id intimate that it make seemingly happy cards well, not so happy.The first one was one the Two of Cups, showing a man and a woman together in a grassy, flower-filled field eon the sun shone above them. Naturally, it was upside down.Cups are tied to emotions, Rhonda explained. The Two of Cups shows a union, a perfect bop and blossoming of joyous emotions. But since its invertedYou know what? I interrupted. I think Im getting the hang of this. You can skip that one. I have a good idea what it means. It might as well have been Dimitri and me on that card, the cup empty and full of heartache. I really didnt want to hear Rhonda analyze what was already tearing my heart up.So she went on to the next one the Queen of Swords, similarly upside down.Cards like this refer to sp ecific people, Rhonda told me. The Queen of Swords looked very imperious, with auburn hair and currency robes. The Queen of Swords is clever. She thrives on knowledge, can outwit her enemies, and is ambitious.I sighed. But upside downUpside down, said Rhonda, all of those traits get twisted. Shes still smart, still trying to get her way but shes doing it through meretricious ways. Theres a lot of hostility and deception here. Id say you have an enemy.Yeah, I said, eyeing the crown. I think I can guess who. I just called her a sanctimonious bitch.Rhonda didnt comment and moved on to the next one. It was facing the right way, but I kind of wished it wasnt. It had a whole bunch of swords stuck in the demesne and a woman tied and blindfolded to one. Eight of Swords.Oh, come on, I exclaimed. What is it with me and swords? You gave me one this depressing last time. It had shown a woman weeping in front of a wall of swords.That was the Nine of Swords, she agreed. It could always be wors e.I have a hard time believing that.She picked up the rest of the deck and scanned through it, finally pulling out one card. The Ten of Swords. You could have drawn this. It showed a dead guy lying on the ground with a bunch of swords driven through him.Point taken, I said. Ambrose chuckled beside me. Whats the nightclub mean?The nine is being trapped. Unable to get out of a situation. It can also mean slander or accusation. Summoning courage to escape something. I glanced back at the queen, thinking of the things Id said in the Council room. Those would definitely count as accusations. And being trapped? Well, there was always the possibility of a lifetime of paperworkI sighed. Okay, whats the next one? It was the best-looking one in the bunch, the Six of Swords. It had a bunch of people in a boat, rowing off over moonlit water.A move around, she said.I was just on a journey. A few of them. I eyed her suspiciously. Man, this isnt, like, some kind of a spiritual journey is it?Ambr ose laughed again. Rose, I wish youd get tarot readings every day.Rhonda ignored him. If it were in cups, maybe. But swords are tangible. Action. A true, out-and-about journey.Where on earth would I go? Did it mean I was traveling to the Academy like Tatiana had suggested? Or was it possible that, in spite of all my rule breaking and calling her royal highness names, I might actually get an assignment after all? One away from Court?You could be looking for something. It may be a physical journey combined with a spiritual journey, she said, which sounded like a total way to cover her ass. This last one Her eyebrows knitted into a frown at the fifth card. This is hidden from me.I peered at it. The Page of Cups. Seems pretty obvious. Its a page with, um, cups.Usually I have a clear vision. The cards speak to me in how they connect. This ones not clear.The only thing thats not clear is whether its a girl or a boy. The person on the card looked new-fangled but had hair and an androgynou s face that made the gender impossible to determine. The blue tights and tunica didnt help, though the sunny field in the background seemed promising.It can be either, Rhonda said. Its the lowest in clique of the cards that represent people in each suit King, Queen, Knight, and then Page. Whoever the page is, its someone real and creative. Optimistic. It could mean someone who goes on the journey with youor maybe the reason for your journey.Whatever optimism or truth Id had in the cards pretty much disappeared with that. Given that shed just said about a one C things it could be, I didnt really consider it authoritative. Usually, she noticed my skepticism, but her attention was still on the card as she frowned.But I just cant tell. Theres a cloud around it. Why? It doesnt make sense.Something about her confusion sent a chill down my spine. I always told myself this was fake, but if shed been making it all up well, wouldnt she have made something up about the Page of Cups? She wa snt putting on a very convincing act if this last card was making her question herself. The thought that maybe there was some mystical force out there blocking her sobered up my cynical attitude.With a sigh, she looked up at last. Sorry thats all I can tell you. Did the rest help?I scanned the cards. Heartache. An enemy. Accusations. Entrapment. Travel. Some of it tells me things I already know. The rest leaves me with more questions.She smiled knowingly. Thats how it usually is.I thanked her for the reading, secretly glad I didnt have to honorarium for it. Ambrose walked me out, and I tried to shake off the mood Rhondas fortune had left me in. I had enough problems in my life without letting a bunch of stupid cards bother me.You going to be pass? he asked when we finally emerged. The sun was climbing higher. The Royal Court would be going to bed soon, ending what had been a turbulent day. I I wouldnt have brought you if Id known how much it would upset you.No, no, I said. Its not the cards. Not exactly. Theres a bunch of other things going on one you should probably know about.I hadnt wanted to bring up the decree when wed first run into each other, but as a dhampir, he had a right to hear about what had happened. His face was perfectly still as I spoke, save for his dark brown eyes, which grew wider while the story progressed.Theres some mistake, he said at last. They wouldnt do that. They wouldnt do that to sixteen-year-olds.Yeah, well, I didnt think so either, but they were apparently serious enough about it to throw me out when I, um, questioned it.I can just imagine your questioning. All thisll do is make more dhampirs fall out of the guardians unless, of course, being that young makes them more open for brainwashing.Kind of a sensitive area for you, huh? I asked. After all, he too was a guardian drop-out.He shook his head. Staying in this society was nearly impossible for me. If any of those kids do decide to drop out, they wont have the powerful frie nds I did. Theyll be outcasts. Thats all thisll do. Either kill off teens or cut them off from their own people.I wondered what powerful friends hed had, but this was hardly the time to learn his life history. Well, that royal bitch doesnt seem to care.The thoughtful, distracted look in his eyes suddenly sharpened. Dont call her that, he warned with a glare. This isnt her fault.Whoa. Cue surprise. Id almost never seen sexy, charismatic Ambrose be anything but friendly. Of course its her fault Shes the supreme ruler of the Moroi, remember?His scowl deepened. The Council voted too. Not her alone.Yeah, but she voted in support of this decree. She swayed the vote.There must have been a reason. You dont know her like I do. She wouldnt want this kind of thing.I started to ask if he was out of his mind but paused when I remembered his relationship with the queen. Those romantic rumors made me queasy, but if they were true, I supposed he might have legitimate concern for her. I also decided it was probably best that I didnt know her the way he did. The bite marks on his neck certainly indicated some sort of intimate activity.Whatevers going on between you is your business, I told him calmly, but shes used it to trick you into thinking shes someone she isnt. She did it to me too, and I fell for it. Its all a scam.I dont believe it, he said, still stone-faced. As queen, shes put into all sorts of tough situations. There must be more to itshell change the decree, Im certain of it.As queen, I said, imitating his tone, she should have the ability toMy words fell off as a voice spoke in my head. Lissas.Rose, youre going to want to see this. But you have to pact not to cause any trouble. Lissa flashed a location to me, along with a sense of urgency.Ambroses hard look shifted to one of concern. Are you approve?Iyeah. Lissa needs me. I sighed. Look, I dont want us to fight, okay? Obviously weve each got different views of the situation but I think we both agree on the same k ey point.That kids shouldnt be sent off to die? Yeah, we can agree on that. We smiled tentatively at each other, and the anger between us diffused. Ill talk to her, Rose. Ill find out the real story and let you know, okay?Okay. I had a hard time believing anyone could really have a heart-to-heart with Tatiana, but again, there might be more to their relationship than I realized. Thanks. It was good seeing you.You too. Now gogo to Lissa.I needed no further urging. Along with the sense of urgency, Lissa had passed one other message through the bond that sent my feet flying Its about Dimitri.