Chapter 9
Ifind Tori and Cora waiting expectantly as I enter my room. Both their eyes shift to me as soon as I walk through the door. Tori is the first to speak, stopping me from questioning how Cora ended up in here when I explicitly said that I was leaving her out of this plan.
“What did she say?”
“It doesn’t matter,” I say, busying myself with tidying up the unfolded tunics scattered on my bed.
“Maybe I can speak to her again—”
“No.” I cut Tori off too quickly, and she pins me with a look. She moves toward me, stopping me from grabbing the thin gray material and turning me gently to face her. I force myself not to look away.
“I know when you’re lying. What did she say to you, Adina?”
The concern in her voice makes my chest tighten, and I find myself fighting back the urge to cry. Get a grip, Adina.
My eyes flash to Cora, and she gives me a look that tells me she agrees with Tori. I’m not sure whether it’s a blessing or a curse to be surrounded by people who know you better than you know yourself.
“I said it doesn’t matter.”
“No, you’re not doing that. This isn’t the time to shut down, Adina. This is too important. We’re supposed to be finding a way to save Willow, so you need to communicate with us so that we can help yo—”
“You would need to die,” I shout.
Everything falls silent. Tears burn the back of my eyes, but I’ll be damned if I let them fall. I don’t know what the hell I’m going to do, but neither Tori nor Willow is going to die. I just need to find a way to save them both. I need a plan.
Tori sinks onto the bed, her face suddenly pale.
“I don’t understand,” she finally says.
“She said the only way a donor spot becomes available is when the person occupying it dies. She practically goaded me into killing you like it was some way of proving I wanted it.”
The words taste bitter in my mouth even now. Amabel has been around the vampires so long that she has become just as cruel. The safety she enjoys has made her forget what it’s like to truly be one of us.
“Oh.”
She says the word as if accepting her fate.
“I’ll figure it out, don’t worry about it.”
“Don’t worry? Willow is in the hands of a man who is capable of slaughtering a room full of vampires, and you’re saying don’t worry?”
My stomach tightens at her words.
“I know that.”
“Then what are we going to do?”
“Nothing. You’re going to do nothing. You continue as normal. I’ll figure it out.”
She scoffs.
“Like you always do? Alone. This is your problem, you always think that you have to do everything alone. Willow is my family, too, Adina, and I should get a say in what we’re going to do.”
“Not if you’re on some kind of suicide mission to do so.”
“Like you always are? Like you are right now?” she spits.
“Stop.”
We both turn to face Cora, and I find her watching us from across the room. She’s always deep in thought in some corner, making it so easy to forget she is even here. Her tear-filled eyes look between us.
“There might be a way, but it would be dangerous.”
“What is it?” I ask.
My eyes follow her every move as she comes closer to us, keeping her voice low as she speaks.
“I know somebody who can get Tori across the border to the human settlement.”
Her words send a chill down my spine. She can’t be saying what I think she is.
“Are you talking about a smuggler?” I whisper.
Cora nods, and I inhale. This is insane.
I might be crazy enough to kill vampires, but I make sure they’re only sired ones—nobody the nobles would miss.
Smugglers, however, steal humans from the vampires and illegally move them across the border into the human settlement, a crime punishable by death.
Vampire law forbids interference once a human has crossed, supposedly to prevent another war.
Still, smugglers and the people they help are hunted every day; when they’re caught, they never live to tell the tale.
“How the hell do you know a smuggler?” I ask.
Cora kneads her bottom lip with her teeth as her eyes land on the door briefly before returning to me. “That doesn’t matter. What does is that I do.”
My eyes flick to Tori, and I find that the surprise that should be on her face isn’t there.
“You two already discussed this.” It’s not a question.
Cora dips her head, but Tori meets my gaze head-on.
“I told you already, Amabel made it clear that the donor spot wasn’t going to change. Cora warned me this might happen, so we prepared a plan B,” she says.
I look at Cora and find an apology in her eyes.
“So, you what? Came up with a plan that is guaranteed to get you killed.”
“People cross the border all the time.”
I laugh at her naivety.
“Yes, and many get caught and killed, not to mention that the patrols have doubled.” I turn my attention to Cora. “Why would you put this idea in her head?”
“She didn’t put anything in my head. You know, you have a real nerve getting mad at us when all you do is risk your life for everyone else. Do you think that you’re the only one who cares? We all fight for the ones we love.”
“You’ve seen what I can do. It’s safer for me.”
“No, it’s not. This world is crawling with dangers for all of us, but if I’m going to risk my life, then I’ll do it on my own terms. You don’t get to make decisions for everyone, Adina.”
I clench my jaw at her words.
“This isn’t some game, Tori. This is real life.”
“And what part of this life is a game? The only thing I have ever looked forward to in this wretched life is my freedom, and this might be the quickest way to get it.”
I close my eyes for a second before meeting her gaze again.
“It’s dangerous, Tori. You’re my best friend and—”
“I know.” She steps forward until she is standing right in front of me, taking my hands in hers. “I know you’re worried. It’s what I love about you. You care so deeply for people that you will do anything to protect them. It’s why you tried to save that stupid newblood the other day.”
We both laugh at her words, but they’re shrouded in emotion. Tears prick my eyes, and for once, I don’t hold them back.
“I know you’re scared, Adina. Gods, I’m terrified, but this might be the only way to save Willow.
” She pauses as though trying to catch her breath.
“I will never forgive myself if anything happens to her because I was too scared to face my fears. So please just trust me because we’ve got a far better chance of surviving this if we do it together. ”
She’s right, Athriel says.
You don’t even like her.
I feel his smile. You don’t have to like a person to know when they are speaking the truth.
If you are to save your sister, then you will need all the help you can get.
I am always confident in a fight, but Julian is an opponent I have never crossed.
We need to proceed with caution where he is concerned.
You’re right.
Aren’t I always?
Gods, you always ruin a perfectly good moment, don’t you?
Some would call it a skill.
I internally scoff. I turn my attention back to Tori.
“Wow, you were just talking to Athie, weren’t you?” Tori says.
What did that insolent child just call me?
Laughter bursts from me.
“I don’t think he likes your nickname,” I say.
She smiles. “Sorry, Athie.”
He growls, and I laugh. It’s nice not having to hide things from her anymore.
“Look, what you were saying was right, but disappearing won’t convince Amabel you’re dead. She’s smarter than that.”
“I can handle that,” Cora says. “There’s enough dead purebloods being readied for the burning pits that will look the part.”
My stomach twists at the thought of the humans slaughtered by vampires too arrogant to care about our lives the way they care for their own.
We mean nothing to them. Tori is right, this could be her only shot at freedom, and if we can save Willow in the process, then perhaps this is the right thing to do.
I turn my attention to Cora.
“What’s the plan?”
Her eyes brighten at my words, but then she steps forward and is all business.
“A wagon does a drop to the settlement once a month. My contact receives information on where and when this happens and lets me know.”
My brows raise.
“Lets you know? As in, you do this regularly?”
She tilts her head to the side. “What else would I do with all this freedom I have as a newblood? Amabel may think I stayed behind for her, but I work for the network.”
Tori’s eyes widen.
“What’s the network?” she asks Cora.
“Nothing for you to worry about. All you need to know is that we get one chance to do this. If we miss it, then the wagon will leave without you.”
“I won’t miss it,” Tori says, and there’s a fiery determination behind her words.
“So, when’s the next run?” I ask.
They both exchange a look, and something about it makes me nervous. After a couple of seconds of silence, Cora finally speaks.
“Tomorrow.”
“You can’t be serious?” Tori’s eyes widen in horror as she looks from the ledge to me.
She scrambles backwards across the flat surface, her shoes scuffling against the rough stone.
It’s been at least five minutes since we snuck out to the rooftop of the bloodhouse, and we have been standing here ever since.
I may have found the entire thing amusing if we weren’t on a time limit.
I take it back about her growing on me. She’s an impotent fool. Why don’t you just push her over the edge so we can be on our way?
You know, sometimes you should just keep things to yourself.
That is physically impossible, I’m afraid. When I think, it is literally projected into your little brain.
Well, I didn’t ask for magic that has a mind of its own, did I?
And I didn’t ask to be attached to a human with a permanent death wish, but alas, here we are.
“It’s not that high,” I tell her, and she looks at me as if my head just fell off my shoulders.
“That’s a matter of opinion. I cannot believe you just crawl up and down this thing every night like some kind of shadow squirrel.”
I press my lips together, desperately trying to keep the smile off my face.