on the bridge exploding out of me. I hadn't told anyone else in Novosibirsk exactly where I'd been during my time with Dimitri. I hadn't dared tell anyone I'd been a blood whore for a Strigoi. I had stayed vague, hoping if I didn't talk about it, then maybe it wouldn't be real.
Now, with Lissa, I had to accept the reality of everything and truly feel it: I had killed the man I loved.
A knock at the door jolted us out of a world that contained only her and me. I glanced at the clock and was startled to see it was almost curfew time. I wondered if I was being thrown out. But when Lissa opened the door-after I'd hastily dried my eyes-the waiting dorm worker had a message of a different sort.
"Alberta wants to see you," the woman told me. "She thought you might be here."
Lissa and I exchanged glances. "When? Now?" I asked.
The woman shrugged. "From the way she sounded? Yeah, I'd say now. Or sooner." She shut the door. Alberta was the captain of the guardians on campus, and when she spoke, people acted.
"I wonder what this is about?" asked Lissa.
I stood up, hating to leave. "Any number of things, I imagine. I'll go see her and then head back to guest housing. Not that I'll sleep. I have no clue what time zone I'm in anymore."
Lissa gave me a parting hug, one we both had a hard time letting go of. "Good luck."
I started to turn the door's handle and then thought of something. I slipped the silver ring off of my finger and handed it to Lissa.
"Is this the ring you-oh!" She wrapped her hand around it, her face growing enraptured.
"Can you feel the magic in it?" I asked.
"Yeah... it's weak, but it's in there." She held the ring up to the light and stared at it. She probably wasn't going to notice when I left because I had a feeling she'd be studying the ring all night. "It's so strange. I can almost immediately feel how she did this."
"Mark said we probably had a while to go before we could do the healing they do... but maybe you could figure out how to make charms while we wait?"
Her jade green eyes were still on the ring. "Yeah... I think I might."
I smiled at her excitement and tried to leave again, but she caught my arm. "Hey... Rose... I know I'll see you tomorrow, but..."
"But what?"
"I just wanted to say, after everything that's happened... well, I don't want us to ever have this kind of separation again. I mean, I know we can't be together every single second-and that's kind of creepy anyway-but we're bonded for a reason. We're meant to look out for each other and be there for each other."
Her words sent a shiver through me, like we were wrapped in powers greater than ourselves. "We will be."
"No, I mean... you're always there for me. Every time, I'm in danger, and you come rushing in to save me. Not anymore."
"You don't want me to save you anymore?"
"That's not what I meant! I want to be there for you too, Rose. If I can throw a punch, I can do anything. Even though that really hurt." She exhaled in frustration. "God, I'm not making any sense. Look, the point is, if you ever have to go off alone, take me with you. Don't leave me behind."
"Liss-"
"I'm serious." Her luminous beauty burned with determination and purpose. "Whatever obstacles you have to go against, I'm going to be there for you. Don't go alone. Swear to me that if you ever decide to take off again, you'll bring me. We'll do it together."
I started to protest as a million fears came to my mind. How could I risk her life? Yet looking at her, I knew she was right. For better or worse, we had a bond we couldn't escape. Lissa was indeed tied to that piece of my soul, and we were stronger fighting together than apart.
"Okay," I said, clasping her hand. "I swear it. The next time I go do something stupid that might get me killed, you can come along."
Chapter Thirty
Alberta was waiting for me in the front office of the guardians' administrative building. Alberta's role as captain here was remarkable considering the lower numbers of women in our ranks. She was in her fifties and one of the toughest women I'd met. Her sandy hair was showing some gray, and