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was a mix-up."

Rose nodded. "Well, I feel a little better with you here, but it's still hard... I still feel like I should protect Jill. But I need to protect Lissa too. They think Jill's the easier target, but they're still going after Lissa." The inner turmoil shone in her dark eyes, and I felt a pang of pity. This was what I'd had trouble explaining to the other Alchemists, how dhampirs and vampires could seem so human at times. "It's been crazy, you know. Ever since Lissa took the throne? I thought I'd finally get to relax with Dimitri." Her smile broadened. "I should've known nothing's ever simple with us. We've spent all our time looking out for Lissa and Jill."

"Jill will be okay. As long as the dissidents don't know she's here, it should all be easy. Boring, even."

She was still smiling, but her smile had dimmed a little. "I hope so. If you only knew what had happened..." Her expression changed as some memory seized her. I started to insist she tell me what had happened, but she shifted the subject before I could. "We're working on changing the law - the one that says Lissa needs one family member in order to stay queen. Once that's done, both she and Jill will be out of danger. But that just means those who want to take out Jill are more insane than ever, because they know the clock's ticking."

"How long?" I asked. "How long will it take to change the law?"

"I don't know. A few months, maybe? Legal stuff... well, it's not my thing. Not the details of it, at least." She grimaced briefly and then became battle tough again. She tossed her hair over one shoulder. "Crazy people who want to hurt my friends? That is my thing, and believe me, I know how to deal with it."

"I remember," I said. It was weird. I thought of Rose as one of the strongest people I knew, yet it seemed as though she needed my assurance. "Look, you go do what you do, and I'll do what I do. I'll make sure Jill blends in. You guys got her out without anyone knowing. She's off the grid now."

"I hope so," Rose repeated, voice grim. "Because if she's not, your little group here doesn't stand a chance against those crazy rebels."

Chapter Five

AND ON THAT NOTE, Rose left me so she could tell the others goodbye.

Her words left me chilled. For half a second, I wanted to demand a reassessment of this mission. I wanted to insist that they send no less than a dozen guardians here with Jill, in the event her attackers came back. Soon, I dismissed that thought. One of the key parts of this plan working was simply not attracting attention. So long as her whereabouts were secret, Jill was safer if she blended in. A squadron of guardians would hardly be discreet and could attract notice from the larger Moroi community. We were doing the right thing. So long as no one knew we were here, all would be well.

Surely if I told myself that often enough, it would become true.

Yet why Rose's ominous statement? Why Eddie's presence? Had this mission really been bumped from "inconvenient" to "life-threatening"?

Knowing how close Jill and Rose were, I kind of expected their goodbye to be more tearful. Instead, it was Adrian whom Jill had the most difficulty leaving. She flung herself at him in a giant hug, fingers clinging to his shirt. The young Moroi girl had remained quiet for most of the visit, simply watching the rest of us in that curious, nervous way of hers. The most I'd heard her talk was when Lee had tried to draw her out earlier. Her goodbye display seemed to surprise Adrian too, though the snarky look he'd worn on his face softened into something like affection as he awkwardly patted her shoulder. "There, there, Jailbait. I'll see you again soon."

"I wish you were coming with us," she said in a small voice.

He crooked her a grin. "No, you don't. Maybe the rest of them can get away with playing back-to-school, but I'd be thrown out on my first day. At least here, I won't corrupt anyone... unless it's Clarence and his liquor cabinet."

"I'll be in touch," promised Jill.

His smile twitched, and he gave her a knowing look that was both amused and rueful. "So will I."

This small moment between them was odd. With his flippant, arrogant