Blood Promise Page 0,151

exchanged glances, unsure how to handle this new development.

"For God's sake," gasped Adrian, exhausted. "How do we shut her up?"

Lissa didn't know. She considered approaching Avery and trying to help her, in spite of all that had happened. But a few seconds later, Avery grew quiet. She didn't pass out like her companions had. She just sat there, staring. Her expression no longer resembled the dazed look she'd had while wielding spirit. It was just... blank. Like there was nothing in her at all.

"Wh-what happened?" asked Lissa.

I had the answer. The spirit flooded from Simon into her. It fried her.

Lissa was startled. How could it go from Simon to her?

Because they're bonded.

You said she was bonded to Reed!

She is. She's bonded to both of them.

Lissa had been too distracted while fighting for her life, but I'd been able to notice everyone's auras through her eyes. Avery-no longer masking hers-had possessed a gold one, just like Adrian and Lissa. Simon and Reed had had nearly identical ones, with ordinary colors-ringed in black.

They were shadow-kissed, both having been brought back from the dead by Avery.

Lissa asked no more questions and simply collapsed into Adrian's arms. There was nothing romantic about it, just a desperate need on both their parts to be close to a friend.

"Why did you come?" she asked him.

"Are you kidding? How could I not? You guys were like a bonfire with all the spirit you were wielding. I felt it all the way across campus." He glanced around. "Man, I have a lot of questions."

"You and me both," she muttered.

I have to go, I told Lissa. I felt a little wistful at having to leave them.

I miss you. When will you be back?

Soon.

Thank you. Thank you for being there for me.

Always. I suspected I was smiling back in my own body. Oh, and Lissa? Tell Adrian I'm proud of him.

The Academy room faded. I was once more sitting on a bed halfway around the world. Abe was looking at me with concern. Mark also was concerned, but he had eyes only for Oksana, who lay down beside me. She looked a little like Avery, pale and sweating. Mark clasped her hand frantically, fear all over him. "Are you okay?"

She smiled. "Just tired. I'll be all right."

I wanted to hug her. "Thank you," I breathed. "Thank you so much."

"I'm glad to have helped," she said. "But I hope I don't have to do it again. It was... strange. I'm not sure what role I played there."

"Me either." It had been weird. Sometimes it was like Oksana had actually been there, fighting right along with Lissa and the rest. Other times, I'd felt as though Oksana had merged with me. I shuddered. Too many minds linked together.

"Next time, you have to be by her side," Oksana said. "In the real world."

I looked down at my hands, confused and unsure what to think. The silver ring gleamed up at me. I took it off and handed it to her.

"This ring saved me. Can it heal you even though you made it?"

She held it in her hand for a moment and then gave it back. "No, but like I said, I'll recover. I heal quickly on my own."

It was true. I'd seen Lissa heal remarkably fast in the past. It was part of always having spirit in you. I stared at the ring, and something troubling came to mind. It was a thought that had struck me while riding with the old couple to Novosibirsk, when I'd moved in and out of consciousness.

"Oksana... a Strigoi touched this ring. And for a few moments-while he did-it was like... well, he was still Strigoi, no question. But while he held it, he was almost like his old self too."

Oksana didn't answer right away. She looked up at Mark, and they held each other's gazes for a long time. He bit his lip and shook his head.

"Don't," he said. "It's a fairy tale."

"What?" I exclaimed. I looked back and forth between him. "If you know something about this-about Strigoi-you have to tell me!"

Mark spoke sharply in Russian, a warning in his voice. Oksana looked equally determined. "It's not our place to withhold information," she replied.

She turned to me, face grave. "Mark told you about the Moroi we met long ago... the other spirit user?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

"He used to tell a lot of stories-most of which I don't think were true. But one of them... well, he claimed he restored a Strigoi to life."

Abe, silent thus far,