The Golden Lily Page 0,113

her still being alive, but I wasn't so sure. The hunters who had jumped us in the alley had seemed pretty intent on killing her then and there. If she hadn't come home last night, the odds seemed good they'd found her then.

Twenty-four hours was an awfully long time to keep a "creature of darkness" alive. Studying Dimitri's face again, I knew he was well aware of all of this. He was simply operating on the hope that we had a chance to do something, that we weren't powerless.

Resolved, Dimitri strode for the door. "I have to go talk to the police."

"Missing person report?" asked Adrian.

"That, and more importantly, to get a search out on that car. If she was taken..." He hesitated, driving home the fear that lurked in all of us. "Well. If she's hidden away somewhere, she's going to be very difficult to locate. But it's a lot harder to hide a car than one woman. If the police can get its description out there, we might get a clue if it turns up." He started to open the door and then glanced back at us. "You're sure you don't remember anything else she said that could help?"

Adrian and I reiterated that we didn't. Dimitri left, giving us unnecessary instructions to alert him immediately if we thought of anything or - if by a miracle - Sonya showed up. I groaned once he was gone.

"This is my fault," I said.

Adrian looked at me in surprise. "Why on earth would you say that?"

"Sonya came here - left when she wasn't supposed to - because of me. Because of my blood. Who knows what would've happened if I hadn't refused? Maybe a few minutes difference, and the hunters wouldn't have been around. Or maybe if she hadn't been so upset, she would've been able to defend herself more." A million memories tumbled through my head.

Sonya making the lily grow for me. Sonya talking to the queen on Adrian's behalf. Sonya showing me pictures of bridesmaid dresses. Sonya working diligently to stop Strigoi and redeem herself. All of that could be lost now.

"Maybe, maybe, maybe." Adrian sat down near me on the couch. "You can't think like that, and you sure as hell can't blame yourself for the actions of some crazy paranoid fringe group."

I knew he was right, but it didn't make me feel any better. "I should call the Alchemists.

We've got ties to law enforcement too."

"Probably a good idea," he said, though his words were a little halfhearted. "I've just got a bad feeling about those guys. Even if... well, even if she's alive, I really don't know how we're going to find her. Short of some miraculous, magical solution." I froze.

"Oh my God."

"What is it?" he asked, looking at me in concern. "Did you remember something?"

"Yes... but not what you're thinking." I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. No, no, no.

The thought in my head was crazy. I had no business even considering it. Dimitri had the right idea. We needed to focus on normal, concrete methods of locating Sonya.

"Sage?" Adrian lightly touched my arm, and I jumped at the feel of his fingertips against my skin. "You okay?"

"I don't know," I said softly. "I just thought of something crazy."

"Welcome to my world."

I looked away, conflicted about the decision before me. What I was contemplating... well, some might argue it wasn't so different than what I'd done before. And yet, it all came down to the fine line between doing something by choice and doing something because I had to.

There was no question here. This would be a choice. An exercising of free will.

"Adrian... what if I had a way to find Sonya, but it went against everything I believe in?" He took several moments to answer. "Do you believe in getting Sonya back? If so, you wouldn't be going against everything you believe in."

It was odd logic, but it gave me the nudge I needed. I took out my cell phone and dialed a number I almost never called - though I certainly received texts and calls from it all the time.

An answer came after two rings. "Ms. Terwilliger? This is Sydney."

"Miss Melbourne. What I can do for you?"

"I need to see you. It's kind of urg - no, no 'kind of' about it. It's urgent. Are you at the school?"

"No. As shocking as it is, I do go home on occasion." She paused for a moment.

"However... you are certainly welcome to come to