Last Sacrifice Chapter Seventeen

THE INTERROGATION DIDNT go so substantially.Oh, sure, we make plenty of threats and used the s let ins as torture devices, merely not frequently came of it. Dimitri was motionlessness scary when dealing with Sonya, just after his break mountain with Donovan, he was cargonful not to conciliate into that berserk rage again. This was healthier for him in the long run but not so awakenless for scaring up answers extinct of Sonya. It didnt help studys that we didnt exactly set ab mother by a concrete question to ask her. We in general had a series to throw at her. Did she know almost some other Dragomir? Was she re easyd to the nonplus? W here(predicate) were the mother and child? Things also went bad when Sonya agnize we sine qua noned her too much to kill her, no matter how much silver stake torture we did.Wed been at it for over an hour and were lounge well-nighting exhausted. At least, I was. I leaned against a wall near Sonya, and though I had my stake divulge an d ready, I was relying on the wall a bit much than I liked to admit to bound me upright. N oneness of us had spoken in a while. Even Sonya had maintainn up on her snarling threats. She app bently waited and stayed watchful, undoubtedly provision for escape, probably counting wed tire ahead she did. That silence was scarier than all the threats in the world. I was used to Strigoi development words to intimidate me. Id never expected the power simply being quiet and staring threateningly could have.What happened to your head, Rose? asked Dimitri, suddenly catching a glimpse of it.Id been tuning out a little and actualized he was talking to me. Huh? I brushed aside h assembly line that had been obscuring lot of my forehead. My fingers came a focal point sticky with blood, triggering slow memories of crashing into the t qualified. I shrugged, ignoring the dizziness Id been feeling. Im fine.Dimitri gave Sydney the quickest of glances. Go lay her down and clean it up. Dont let her sleep until we fag figure out if its a concussion.No, I empennaget, I argued. I cant leave you alone with her Im fine, he said. equalizer up so that you can help me later. Youre no good to me if youre just going to fall over.I still pro auditioned, but when Sydney gently took my arm, my stumbling gave me remote. She led me to the houses one sleeping room, much to my dismay. There was something creepy approximately keen I was in a Strigois bed until now if it was covered with a blue-and- white floral quilt.Man, I said, lying back against the pillow formerly Sydney had cleaned my forehead. Despite my earlier denial, it tangle great to rest. I cant squeeze used to the weirdness of a Strigoi living in a place so normal. How are you retentiveness up?Better than you guys, said Sydney. She wrapped her arms round herself and eyed the room uncomfortably. Being around Strigoi is starting to make you guys seem not so bad.Well, at least some goods put in out of this, I remark ed. Despite her joke, I knew she had to be terrified. I started to close my eyes and was jolted awake when Sydney poked my arm.No sleep, she chastised. Stay up and talk to me.Its not a concussion, I muttered. tho I suppose we can go over plans to get Sonya to talk.Sydney sat at the foot of the bed and grimaced. No onwardense? further I dont think shes going to crack.She will once shes gone a few days without blood.Sydney blanched. A few days?Well, whatever it takes to A spike of emotion flitted through the bond, and I froze. Sydney chuteed up, her eyes darting around as though a group of Strigoi might have burst into the room.Whats wrong? she exclaimed. I have to go to Lissa.Youre not supposed to sleepIts not sleeping, I said bluntly. And with that, I jumped away from Sonyas bedroom and into Lissas perspective.She was riding in a van with five other throng whom I immediately acknowledge as other royal nominees. It was an eight-person van and also included a withstander driver with another in the passenger seat who was looking back at Lissa and her companions.Each of you will be dropped off in a separate location on the outskirts of a forest and departn a constitute and compass. The ultimate goal is for you to r distributively the destination on the defend and wait out the daylight until we come for you.Lissa and the other nominees exchanged glances and then, almost as one, peered out the vans windows. It was almost noon, and the cheerfulnessbathelight was pouring down. Waiting out the daylight was not going to be pleasant but didnt sound impossible. Idly, she scratched at a small fleck on her arm and quickly stopped herself. I read from her thoughts what it was a tiny, barely noticeable disseminate tattooed into her skin. It was actually similar to Sydneys blood and ball, mixed with compulsion. Compulsion might be taboo among Moroi, but this was a special situation. The spell in the tattoo prevented the candidates from revealing the milkweed bu tterfly tests to others not involved with the process. This was the first test.What pleasing of ter fall are you sending us to? demanded Marcus Lazar. Were not all in the same physical shape. Its not light when some of us have an profit. His eyes were on Lissa as he spoke.There is a people of walking, said the guardian, face serious. But its nothing that any candidateof any ageshouldnt be able to handle. And, to be honest, part of the requirements for a king or queen is a certain amount of stamina. eon brings wisdom, but a monarch needs to be healthy. Not an athlete by any means, added the guardian quickly, seeing Marcus start to open his mouth. But its no good for the Moroi to have a sickly monarch elected who dies within a year. Harsh, but true. And you also need to be able to endure disquieting situations. If you cant handle a day in the sun, you cant handle a Council meeting. I think he mean that as a joke, but it was hard to tell since he didnt smile. Its not a race, tho ugh. Take your prison term getting to the end if you need it. Marked along the map are spots where certain items are hiddenitems thatll make this more than bearable, if you can decipher the clues.Can we use our magic? asked Ariana Szelsky. She wasnt young either, but she looked tough and ready to accept a challenge of endurance.Yes, you can, said the guardian solemnly.Are we in danger out in that respect? asked another candidate, Ronald Ozera. Aside from the sun?That, said the guardian mysteriously, is something youll need to learn for yourselves. But, if at any time you want out He produced a stunner of carrel phones and distributed them. Maps and compasses followed. Call the programmed number, and well come for you.Nobody had to ask about(predicate) the hidden message behind that. Calling the number would get you out of the long day of endurance. It would also mean youd failed the test and were out of the running for the throne. Lissa glanced at her phone, half-surprised t here was even a signal. Theyd left Court about an hour ago and were well into the countryside. A line of trees made Lissa think they were nearing their destination.So. A test of physical endurance. It wasnt quite what shed expected. The trials a monarch went through had long been shrouded in mystery, gaining an almost mystical reputation. This one was pretty practical, and Lissa could understand the reasoning, even if Marcus didnt. It truly wasnt an athletic competition, and the guardian had a point in produceing that the future monarch should possess a certain level of fitness. Glancing at the back of her map, which listed the clues, Lissa realized this would also test their reasoning skills. solely very basic stuffbut essential to ruling a nation.The van dropped them off one by one at varied starting points. With each departing candidate, Lissas anxiety grew. Theres nothing to manage about, she thought. Ive just got to sit through a jovial day. She was the coterminous to las t person dropped off, with only Ariana remaining behind. Ariana patted Lissas arm as the van door receptive. dear luck, dear.Lissa gave her a quick smile. These tests might all be a ruse on Lissas part, but Ariana was the real deal, and Lissa prayed the older woman could get through this success seriousy.Left alone as the van drove away, queasiness spread through Lissa. The simple endurance test suddenly seemed much more daunting and difficult. She was on her own, something that didnt happen very often. Id been there for most of her life, and even when Id left, shed had friends around her. But now? It was just her, the map, and the cell phone. And the cell phone was her enemy.She walked to the edge of the forest and studied her map. A drawing of a large oak tree marked the beginning, with directions to go northwest. Scanning the trees, Lissa saw three maples, a fir, andan oak. Heading toward it, she couldnt help a smile. If anyone else had botanical landmarks and didnt know their plants and trees, they could lose candidacy right there.The compass was a classic one. No digital GPS convenience here. Lissa had never used a compass like this, and the protective part of me wished I could jump in and help. I should have known better, though. Lissa was smart and easily figured it out. Heading northwest, she stepped into the woods. While there was no clear path, the forests floor wasnt too covered with overgrowth or obstacles.The nice part about being in the forest was that the trees blocked out some of the sun. It still wasnt an ideal Moroi condition, but it bawl out being dropped in a desert. Birds sang, and the scenery was lush and light-green. Keeping an eye out for the next landmark, Lissa essay to relax and pretend she was simply on a pleasant hike. Yet it was difficult to do that with so much on her idea. Abe and our other friends were now in charge of working and asking questions about the murder. All of them were asleep right nowit was the middle of t he Moroi nightbut Lissa didnt know when shed return and couldnt help resenting this test for taking up her time. No, wasting her time. Shed utmostly accepted the logic behind her friends nominationbut she still didnt like it. She wanted to actively help them.Her churning thoughts almost led her right past her next landmark a tree that had fallen ages ago. Moss covered it, and much of the wood was rotten. A star on the map marked it as a place with a clue. She flipped over the map and read I grow and I shrink. I run and I crawl. Follow my voice, though I have no(prenominal) at all. I never do leave here, but I travel around I float through the sky and I creep through the ground. I grip my cache in a vault although I have no wealth, Seek out my decay to safeguard your health.Um.My mind went blank right about then, but Lissas spun. She read it over and over again, examining the individual words and how each line played off the other. I never do leave here. That was the starting poin t, she stubborn. Something permanent. She looked around, considered the trees, then reject them. They could always be cut and removed. Careful not to stray too far from the fallen tree, she circled the land searching for more. Everything was theoretically transient. What stayed?Follow my voice. She came to a halt and closed her eyes, absorbing the sounds around her. Mostly birds. The daily rustle of leaves. AndShe opened her eyes and walked briskly to her right. The sound shed heard grew louder, bubbling and trickling. There. A small brook ran through the woods, hardly noticeable. Indeed, it seemed too tiny for the streambed carved out around it.But I bet you grow when it rains, she murmured, uncaring that she was speaking to a stream. She looked back down at the clue, and I felt her clever mind rapidly piece it all together. The stream was permanentbut traveled. It changed size. It had a voice. It ran in deep parts, crawled when there were obstacles. And when it evaporated, it floated in the air. She frowned, still puzzling the riddle aloud. But you dont decay.Lissa studied the area once more, uneasily thinking decay could apply to any plant life. Her gaze moved past a large maple tree and then jerked back. At its base grew a clump of brown and white mushrooms, several(prenominal) wilting and number black. She hurried over and knelt down, and that was when she saw it a small hole dug into the earth nearby. Leaning closer, she saw a flash of color a purple drawstring bag.Triumphantly, Lissa pulled it out and stood up. The bag was made of canvas and had long strings that would allow it to hang over her shoulder as she walked. She opened the bag and peered inside. There, tucked inside the fluffy and fuzzy lining, was the best thing of all a store of water. Until now, Lissa hadnt realized how hot and dehydrated shed grownor how wearying the sun was. The candidates had been told to wear sturdy topographic point and practical clothing but hadnt been allowed any other supplies. Finding this bottle was priceless.Sitting on the log, she took a break, careful to conserve her water. While the map indicated a few more clues and rewards, she knew she couldnt necessarily count on any more helpful bags. So, after several minutes rest, she put away the water and slung the little block over her shoulder. The map directed her due west, so that was the way she went.The heat beat on her as she continued her walk, forcing her to take a few more (conservative) water breaks. She kept reminding herself it wasnt a race and that she should take it easy. After a few more clues, she discovered the map wasnt quite to scale, so it wasnt always evident how long each leg of the hike was. Nonetheless, she was delighted to successfully solve each clue, though the rewards became more and more baffling.One of them was a bunch of sticks sitting on a rock, something she would have sworn was a mistake, but someone civilized had clearly tied the bundle together. She added that into her bag, along with a neatly folded green plastic tarp. By now, sweat was pouring off her, and rolling up the sleeves of her button-down cotton habilitate did little to help. She took more frequent breaks. Sunburn became a serious concern, so it was a huge replacement when her next clue led to a bottle of sunscreen.After a couple hours of battling the intense summertime heat, Lissa became so hot and tired that she no longer had the mental energy to be annoyed about missing out on whatever was happening at Court. All that mattered was getting to the end of this test. The map showed two more clues, which she took as a promising sign. She would reach the end soon and then could simply wait for someone to get her. A flash of realization hit her. The tarp. The tarp was a sun block, she decided. She could use it at the end.This cheered her up, as did the next prize more water and a floppy, wide-brimmed hat that helped keep the sunlight from her face. Unfortunately, afte r that, what appeared to be a short leg of the trip turned out to be twice as long as she expected. By the time she finally reached the next clue, she was more evoke in taking a water break than digging out whatever else the guardians had left her.My aggregate went out to her. I wished so, so badly that I could help. That was my job, to protect her. She shouldnt be alone. Or should she? Was that also part of the test? In a world where royals were almost always surrounded by guardians, this solitude had to be a total shock. Moroi were hardy and had excellent senses, but they werent built for extreme heat and challenging terrain. I could have probably jogged the course easily. Admittedly, I wasnt sure I would have had Lissas deductive skills in figuring out the clues.Lissas last reward was flint and steel, not that she had any idea what they were. I recognized them flat as the tools of a fire-making kit but couldnt for the world figure out why shed need to advance a fire on a day like this. With a shrug, she added the items to her bag and kept going.And thats when things started to get cold. Really cold.She didnt entirely process it at first, mainly because the sun was still shining so brilliantly. Her disposition said what she felt was impossible, but her goose bumps and chattering teeth said otherwise. She rolled her sleeves back down and quickened her pace, wishing that the sudden cold had at least come with cloud cover. Walking faster and exerting herself more helped heat her body.Until it began to rain.It started off as a mist, then changed to drizzle, and finally turned into a steady blanket of water. Her hair and clothing became soaked, making the cold temperature that much worse. Yet the sun still shone, its light an chafe to her sensitive skin but offering no warmth in compensation.Magic, she realized. This weather is magical. It was part of the test. Somehow, Moroi air and water magic users had united to defy the hot, sunny weather. That was why she had a tarpto block the sun and the rain. She considered getting it out now and wearing it like a cloak but quickly decided to wait until she reached the endpoint. She had no idea how far away that really was, though. Twenty feet? Twenty miles? The chill of the rain crept over her, seeping under her skin. It was miserable.The cell phone in the bag was her ticket out. It was barely late afternoon. She had a long time to wait before this test ended. All she had to do was make one call one call, and shed be out of this mess and back to working on what she should be at Court. No. A kernel of determination flared up within her. This challenge was no longer about the Moroi throne or Tatianas murder. It was a test she would take on for herself. Shed led a soft and supply life, letting others protect her. She would endure this on her ownand she would pass.This determination took her to the maps end, a clearing ringed in trees. Two of the trees were small and close sufficiency together that Lissa thought she might be able to invest the tarp into some sort of reasonable shelter. With cold, fumbling fingers, she managed to get it out of the bag and unfold it to its full sizewhich was fortunately much larger than shed suspected. Her mood began to lift as she worked with the tarp and figured out how to create a small canopy. She crawled inside once it was complete, glad to be out of the falling rain.But that didnt change the fact that she was wet. Or that the ground was also wet and muddy. The tarp also didnt protect her against the cold. She felt a flash of bitterness, recalling the guardians saying magic was allowed in this test. She hadnt thought magic would be useful at the time, but now, she could certainly see the perks of being a water user to control the rain and keep it off her. Or, better yet being a fire user. She wished Christian was with her. She would have welcomed the warmth of some(prenominal) his magic and his embrace. For this kind of situation, s pirit seriously suckedunless, perhaps, she got hypothermia and needed to try to heal herself (which never worked as well as it did on other people). No, she decided. There could be no question water and fire users had the advantage in this test.Thats when it hit her.FireLissa straightened up from where shed been huddled. She hadnt recognized the iron and flint for what they were, but now, vague recollections of fire-making were attack back to her. Shed never been taught those skills directly but was pretty sure striking the stones together would make a sparkleif she only had dry wood. Everything out there was soaked .Except for the bundle of sticks in her bag. laugh out loud, she untied the sticks and set them in a place shielded from the rain. After arranging them in what seemed like a campfire-friendly pattern, she tried to figure out what to do with the steel and flint. In movies, she thought shed seen people just hit them to make sparks fly. So, thats what she did.Nothing happ ened.She tried three more times, and her earlier excitement gave way to spirit-darkened frustration. I pulled some of that from her, needing her to stay focused. On the fourth try, a spark flew off and dog-tired awaybut it was what she needed to understand the principle. Before long she could easily make sparks, but they did nothing when they land on the wood. Up and down her mood was a rollercoaster of hope and disappointment. Dont give up, I wanted to say as I drew off more negativity. Dont give up. I also wanted to give her a lesson on kindling, but that was pushing my limits.Watching her, I was beginning to realize how much I underestimated Lissas intelligence. I knew she was brilliant, but I always imagined her being helpless in these situations. She wasnt. She could reason things out. That tiny spark couldnt penetrate the wood of the sticks. She needed a bigger flame. She needed something the sparks could ignite. But what? Surely nothing in this waterlogged forest.Her eyes fe ll on the map poking out of her bag. She hesitated only a upshot before ripping and shredding the reputation into a pile on top of the twigs. Supposedly, shed reached the end of the hike and didnt need the map. Supposedly. But it was too late now, and Lissa pushed forward with her plan. First, she pulled out some of the bags fluffy lining, adding the bits of fuzz to the paper. Then she took up the flint and steel again.A spark jumped out and immediately caught a piece of the paper. It flared orange before fading out, leaving a wisp of smoke. She tried again, leaning forward to gently blow on the paper when the spark landed. A tiny flame appeared, caught a neighboring shred, and then faded. Steeling herself up, Lissa tried a final time.Come on, come on, she muttered, as though she might compel a fire into existence.This time, the spark caught and held, turning into a small flame, then a larger flame that soon consumed her kindling. I prayed it would take to the wood, or else she wa s out of luck. Brighter and larger the flame grew, eating the last of the paper and fuzz and then spreading along the sticks. Lissa blew softly to keep it going, and before long, the campfire was in full blaze.The fire couldnt change the piercing cold, but as far as she was concerned, she had the warmth of the entire sun in her hands. She smiled, and a sense of pride that she hadnt felt in a while spread within her. Finally able to relax, she glanced out at the rainy forest and caught the faintest flashes of color in the distance. Channeling spirit, she used her magic to intensify her ability to see auras. Sure enoughhidden far, far out among the trees, she could see two auras filled with strong, steady colors. Their owners stood still, staying quiet and covered. Lissas smile grew. Guardians. Or maybe the air and water users controlling the weather. None of the candidates were alone out here. Ronald Ozera had had no need to worrybut then, he wouldnt know that. Only she did. Maybe s pirit wasnt so useless out here after all.The rain began to lighten, and the fires warmth continued to soothe her. She couldnt read the time from the sky, but somehow, she knew she would have no problem waiting out the day andRose? A voice summoned me out of Lissas wilderness survival. Rose, wake up or whatever.I blinked, focusing on Sydneys face, which was a few inches from mine. What? I demanded. Why are you bothering me?She flinched and jerked away, momentarily speechless. Pulling away Lissas darkness while joined with her hadnt affected me at the time, but now, advised in my own body, I felt anger and irritation flood me. Its not you, its not Sydney, I told myself. Its spirit. Calm down. I took a deep breath, refusing to let spirit master me. I was stronger than it was. I hoped. As I fought to push those feelings down, I looked around and remembered I was in Sonya Karps bedroom. All my problems came rushing back. There was a bound Strigoi in the other room, one we were barely keeping constrained and who didnt seem like she would give us answers anytime soon.I looked back at Sydney, who still seemed afraid of me. Im sorry I didnt mean to pellet at you. I was just startled. She hesitated a few moments and then nodded, accepting my apology. As the fear faded from her face, I could see that something else was bothering her. Whats wrong? I asked. As long as we were alive and Sonya was still trapped, things couldnt be that bad, right?Sydney stepped back and crossed her arms. Victor Dashkov and his brother are here.