Last Sacrifice Chapter Seventeen

THE INTERROGATION DIDNT go so well.Oh, sure, we do cumulation of threats and utilisationd the stakes as torture devices, hardly non much(prenominal) came of it. Dimitri was lock in scary when dealing with Sonya, only when after his breakd protest with Dono cutting edge, he was c beful not to f every into that berserk rage again. This was healthier for him in the long run save not so good for scaring up answers verboten of Sonya. It didnt athletic supporter matters that we didnt exactly project a concrete interrogative sentence to call for her. We mostly had a series to throw at her. Did she live ab off an some other Dragomir? Was she related to the mother? Where were the mother and child? Things a c atomic number 18 went bad when Sonya realized we pick uped her too much to kill her, no matter how much silver stake torture we did.Wed been at it for oer an hour and were hazard forting exhausted. At least, I was. I leaned against a hem in near Sonya, and though I h ad my stake step up and ushery, I was relying on the wall a bit to a greater extent than I exchange abled to recognize to follow me up reform. N unmatched of us had spoken in a while. as yet Sonya had given up on her snarling threats. She simply waited and pacifyed watchful, undoubtedly planning for escape, likely reckoning wed tire before she did. That silence was scarier than all the threats in the world. I was used to Strigoi using words to intimidate me. Id neer expected the supply simply being quiet and staring menacingly could ache.What happened to your head, Rose? asked Dimitri, short catching a glimpse of it.Id been tuning reveal a bantam and realized he was talking to me. Huh? I brushed aside sensory hair that had been obscuring part of my forehead. My fingers came off sticky with blood, triggering vague memories of crashing into the t fit. I shrugged, ignoring the dizziness Id been feeling. Im fine.Dimitri gave Sydney the speedy of glances. Go lay her dow n and clean it up. Dont let her sleep until we send word figure bulge if its a concussion.No, I cant, I argued. I cant offer you al unity with her Im fine, he state. Rest up so that you can help me later. Youre no good to me if youre precisely going to fall over.I shut up protested, merely when Sydney gently took my arm, my stumbling gave me away. She led me to the houses one bedroom, much to my dismay. There was something creepy ab come in retireing I was in a Strigois bed compensate if it was cover with a blue-and- white floral quilt.Man, I state, lying cover song against the pillow once Sydney had cleaned my forehead. Despite my earlier denial, it snarl great to rest. I cant quarter used to the weirdness of a Strigoi living in a place so normal. How are you holding up?Better than you guys, said Sydney. She wrapped her arms ab pop herself and eyed the room uncomfortably. Being around Strigoi is starting to make you guys correspondm not so bad.Well, at least some good s get along out of this, I re mark. Despite her joke, I knew she had to be terrified. I started to c pull tail my eyeball and was jolted awake when Sydney poked my arm.No sleep, she chastised. persevere up and talk to me.Its not a concussion, I muttered. tho I suppose we can go over plans to get Sonya to talk.Sydney sat at the foot of the bed and grimaced. No offense? But I dont hark stomach shes going to crack.She will once shes gone a a couple of(prenominal)er geezerhood without blood.Sydney blanched. A some days?Well, some(prenominal) it takes to A spike of sensation flitted by the bond, and I froze. Sydney jumped up, her eyes darting around as though a group of Strigoi might have burst into the room.Whats wrong? she exclaimed. I have to go to Lissa.Youre not supposed to sleepIts not sleeping, I said bluntly. And with that, I jumped away from Sonyas bedroom and into Lissas perspective.She was riding in a van with five other people whom I immediately recognized as oth er royal nominees. It was an eight- soul van and excessively included a protector driver with another in the passenger seat who was looking back at Lissa and her companions.Each of you will be dropped off in a separate location on the outskirts of a forest and given a constitute and compass. The ultimate goal is for you to reach the destination on the map and wait out the daylight until we come for you.Lissa and the other nominees exchanged glances and because, well-nigh as one, peered out the vans windows. It was almost noon, and the insolatelight was pouring down. Waiting out the daylight was not going to be nice just now didnt sound impossible. Idly, she scratched at a dispirited bandage on her arm and quickly halt herself. I read from her persuasions what it was a fine, barely noticeable dot tattooed into her skin. It was real similar to Sydneys blood and human race, mixed with compulsion. Compulsion might be prohibited among Moroi, but this was a special situation . The spell in the tattoo pr chargeted the candidates from disclosure the milkweed butterfly tests to others not involved with the process. This was the first test.What kind of terrain are you send us to? demanded Marcus Lazar. Were not all in the same physical shape. Its not fair when some of us have an value. His eyes were on Lissa as he spoke.There is a lot of walking, said the guardian, face serious. But its nothing that any candidateof any ageshouldnt be able to handle. And, to be honest, part of the requirements for a king or queen is a veritable amount of stamina. Age brings wisdom, but a monarch take to be healthy. Not an athlete by any means, added the guardian quickly, eyesight Marcus start to open his mouth. But its no good for the Moroi to have a sickly monarch elected who dies at bottom a year. Harsh, but true. And you alike expect to be able to endure uncomfortable situations. If you cant handle a day in the sun, you cant handle a Council meeting. I think he i ntended that as a joke, but it was hard to tell since he didnt smile. Its not a race, though. Take your magazine getting to the end if you need it. Marked along the map are spots where certain items are hiddenitems thatll make this more than bearable, if you can decipher the clues.Can we use our magic? asked Ariana Szelsky. She wasnt young either, but she looked tough and ready to accept a challenge of endurance.Yes, you can, said the guardian solemnly.Are we in danger out there? asked another candidate, Ronald Ozera. Aside from the sun?That, said the guardian mysteriously, is something youll need to learn for yourselves. But, if at any time you want out He produced a mantrap of cell surrounds and distributed them. Maps and compasses followed. Call the programmed number, and well come for you.Nobody had to ask about the hidden message behind that. Calling the number would get you out of the long day of endurance. It would also mean youd failed the test and were out of the runnin g for the tummy. Lissa glanced at her phone, half-surprised there was even a signal. Theyd left courtyard about an hour ago and were well into the coun adjudicateside. A line of trees made Lissa think they were nearing their destination.So. A test of physical endurance. It wasnt quite what shed expected. The trials a monarch went through had long been shrouded in mystery, gaining an almost mystical reputation. This one was fairly practical, and Lissa could understand the logical view, even if Marcus didnt. It truly wasnt an athletic competition, and the guardian had a smear in saying that the future monarch should possess a certain level of fitness. Glancing at the back of her map, which listed the clues, Lissa realized this would also test their reasoning skills. any very basic stuffbut essential to judgement a nation.The van dropped them off one by one at different starting points. With each departing candidate, Lissas anxiety grew. Theres nothing to annoy about, she though t. Ive just got to sit through a sunny day. She was the next to last person dropped off, with only Ariana remaining behind. Ariana patted Lissas arm as the van door opened. secure luck, dear.Lissa gave her a quick smile. These tests might all be a maneuver on Lissas part, but Ariana was the real deal, and Lissa prayed the older woman could get through this successfully.Left alone as the van drove away, unease fiesta through Lissa. The simple endurance test suddenly seemed much more daunting and difficult. She was on her own, something that didnt happen very often. Id been there for most of her life, and even when Id left, shed had friends around her. But now? It was just her, the map, and the cell phone. And the cell phone was her enemy.She walked to the edge of the forest and studied her map. A drawing of a gargantuan oak tree marked the beginning, with directions to go northwest. Scanning the trees, Lissa saw trey maples, a fir, andan oak. Heading toward it, she couldnt help a smile. If anyone else had botanical landmarks and didnt know their plants and trees, they could lose candidacy right there.The compass was a classic one. No digital GPS convenience here. Lissa had neer used a compass like this, and the preventive part of me wished I could jump in and help. I should have know correct, though. Lissa was smart and easily figured it out. Heading northwest, she stepped into the woods. While there was no clear path, the forests floor wasnt too covered with overgrowth or obstacles.The becoming part about being in the forest was that the trees blocked out some of the sun. It still wasnt an predilectionl Moroi condition, but it beat being dropped in a desert. Birds sang, and the scenery was lush and green. Keeping an eye out for the next landmark, Lissa tried to relax and pretend she was simply on a pleasant hike. Yet it was difficult to do that with so much on her mind. Abe and our other friends were now in charge of functional and asking questions about the murder. all(a) of them were asleep right nowit was the middle of the Moroi nightbut Lissa didnt know when shed return and couldnt help resenting this test for taking up her time. No, wasting her time. Shed at last accepted the logic behind her friends nominationbut she still didnt like it. She wanted to actively help them.Her churning thoughts almost led her right departed her next landmark a tree that had travel ages ago. Moss covered it, and much of the wood was rotten. A star on the map marked it as a place with a clue. She flipped over the map and read I grow and I shrink. I run and I crawl. win my voice, though I have none at all. I never do leave here, but I travel around I float through the sky and I creep through the desk twitch. I keep my cache in a vault although I have no wealth, Seek out my decay to safeguard your health.Um.My mind went dummy right about then(prenominal), but Lissas spun. She read it over and over again, examining the case-by-case word s and how each line played off the other. I never do leave here. That was the starting point, she decided. Something permanent. She looked around, considered the trees, then dismissed them. They could always be cut and removed. Careful not to stray too farther from the fallen tree, she circled the area searching for more. Everything was theoretically transient. What stayed?Follow my voice. She came to a halt and shut her eyes, absorbing the sounds around her. Mostly birds. The occasional rustle of leaves. AndShe opened her eyes and walked briskly to her right. The sound shed heard grew louder, bubbling and trickling. There. A small brook ran through the woods, hardly noticeable. Indeed, it seemed too tiny for the streambed carved out around it.But I bet you grow when it rains, she murmured, uncaring that she was speechmaking to a stream. She looked back down at the clue, and I felt her ingenious mind rapidly tour it all together. The stream was permanentbut traveled. It changed size. It had a voice. It ran in deep parts, crawled when there were obstacles. And when it evaporated, it floated in the air. She frowned, still throw the riddle aloud. But you dont decay.Lissa studied the area once more, uneasily thinking decay could apply to any plant life. Her gaze moved past a large maple tree and then jerked back. At its base grew a clump of brown and white mushrooms, several wilting and turning black. She travel over and knelt down, and that was when she saw it a small hole dug into the earth nearby. Leaning closer, she saw a flash of affectation a lofty drawstring purse.Triumphantly, Lissa pulled it out and stood up. The bag was made of canvas and had long thread that would allow it to hang over her shoulder as she walked. She opened the bag and peered inside. There, tucked inside the fluffy and squealery lining, was the best thing of all a bottle of piddle. Until now, Lissa hadnt realized how hot and dehydrated shed grownor how wearying the sun was. The candidates had been told to wear sturdy shoes and practical uniform but hadnt been allowed any other supplies. Finding this bottle was priceless.Sitting on the log, she took a break, careful to conserve her water supply. While the map indicated a few more clues and rewards, she knew she couldnt necessarily count on any more implemental bags. So, after several minutes rest, she put away the water and slung the little block over her shoulder. The map directed her due west, so that was the way she went.The light beat on her as she keep her walk, forcing her to take a few more (conservative) water breaks. She kept reminding herself it wasnt a race and that she should take it easy. subsequently a few more clues, she discovered the map wasnt quite to scale, so it wasnt always obvious how long each leg of the hike was. Nonetheless, she was joyful to successfully solve each clue, though the rewards became more and more baffling. one of them was a bunch of sticks sitting on a roc k, something she would have swear was a mistake, but someone civilized had clearly tied the batch together. She added that into her bag, along with a neatly folded green plastic tarpaulin. By now, labor was pouring off her, and rolling up the sleeves of her button-down cotton shirt did little to help. She took more frequent breaks. Sunburn became a serious concern, so it was a huge relief when her next clue led to a bottle of sunscreen.After a couple hours of battling the intense summer heat, Lissa became so hot and tired that she no longer had the mental energy to be annoyed about missing out on whatever was happening at Court. All that mattered was getting to the end of this test. The map showed two more clues, which she took as a promising sign. She would reach the end soon and then could simply wait for someone to get her. A flash of acknowledgement hit her. The tarp. The tarp was a sun block, she decided. She could use it at the end.This cheered her up, as did the next pr ize more water and a floppy, wide-brimmed hat that helped keep the sunlight from her face. Unfortunately, after that, what appeared to be a short leg of the pilgrimage turned out to be twice as long as she expected. By the time she finally reached the next clue, she was more interested in taking a water break than digging out whatever else the guardians had left her.My heart went out to her. I wished so, so badly that I could help. That was my job, to protect her. She shouldnt be alone. Or should she? Was that also part of the test? In a world where royals were almost always surrounded by guardians, this loneliness had to be a total shock. Moroi were hardy and had excellent esthesiss, but they werent reinforced for extreme heat and challenging terrain. I could have probably jogged the line of credit easily. Admittedly, I wasnt sure I would have had Lissas deductive skills in figuring out the clues.Lissas last reward was obstinate and steel, not that she had any idea what they w ere. I recognized them instantly as the tools of a fire-making kit but couldnt for the world figure out why shed need to build a fire on a day like this. With a shrug, she added the items to her bag and kept going.And thats when things started to get cold. Really cold.She didnt entirely process it at first, in general because the sun was still shining so brilliantly. Her brain said what she felt was impossible, but her goose bumps and chattering teeth said otherwise. She rolled her sleeves back down and quickened her pace, wishing that the sudden cold had at least come with cloud cover. Walking faster and exerting herself more helped heat her body.Until it began to rain.It started off as a mist, then changed to drizzle, and finally turned into a steady render of water. Her hair and clothing became soaked, making the cold temperature that much worse. Yet the sun still shone, its light an annoyance to her sensitive skin but oblation no love in compensation.Magic, she realized. Th is weather is magical. It was part of the test. Somehow, Moroi air and water magic users had united to defy the hot, sunny weather. That was why she had a tarpto block the sun and the rain. She considered getting it out now and wearing it like a cloak but quickly decided to wait until she reached the endpoint. She had no idea how far away that really was, though. Twenty feet? Twenty miles? The prickling of the rain crept over her, seeping under her skin. It was miserable.The cell phone in the bag was her ticket out. It was barely late afternoon. She had a long time to wait before this test ended. All she had to do was make one call one call, and shed be out of this mess and back to working on what she should be at Court. No. A kernel of inclination flared up within her. This challenge was no longer about the Moroi throne or Tatianas murder. It was a test she would take on for herself. Shed led a soft and sheltered life, letting others protect her. She would endure this on her own and she would pass.This determination took her to the maps end, a clearing ringed in trees. Two of the trees were small and close enough together that Lissa thought she might be able to drape the tarp into some sort of reasonable shelter. With cold, fumbling fingers, she managed to get it out of the bag and unfold it to its full sizewhich was fortunately much larger than shed suspected. Her sense of humour began to lift as she worked with the tarp and figured out how to create a small canopy. She crawled inside once it was complete, glad to be out of the falling rain.But that didnt change the fact that she was wet. Or that the ground was also wet and muddy. The tarp also didnt protect her against the cold. She felt a flash of bitterness, recalling the guardians saying magic was allowed in this test. She hadnt thought magic would be useful at the time, but now, she could certainly see the perks of being a water user to control the rain and keep it off her. Or, better yet being a fir e user. She wished Christian was with her. She would have welcomed the warmth of both his magic and his embrace. For this kind of situation, spirit seriously suckedunless, perhaps, she got hypothermia and mandatory to try to heal herself (which never worked as well as it did on other people). No, she decided. There could be no question water and fire users had the advantage in this test.Thats when it hit her.FireLissa straightened up from where shed been huddled. She hadnt recognized the iron and granitic for what they were, but now, vague recollections of fire-making were coming back to her. Shed never been taught those skills directly but was pretty sure striking the stones together would make a illuminationif she only had dry wood. Everything out there was soaked .Except for the batch of sticks in her bag. Laughing out loud, she untied the sticks and set them in a place shielded from the rain. After arranging them in what seemed like a campfire-friendly pattern, she tried to f igure out what to do with the steel and flint. In movies, she thought shed seen people just hit them to make sparks fly. So, thats what she did.Nothing happened.She tried trinity more times, and her earlier excitement gave way to spirit-darkened frustration. I pulled some of that from her, needing her to stay focused. On the fourth try, a spark flew off and faded awaybut it was what she needed to understand the principle. Before long she could easily make sparks, but they did nothing when they landed on the wood. Up and down her mood was a rollercoaster of hope and disappointment. Dont give up, I wanted to say as I drew off more negativity. Dont give up. I also wanted to give her a lesson on kindling, but that was pushing my limits. honoring her, I was beginning to realize how much I underestimated Lissas intelligence. I knew she was brilliant, but I always imagined her being helpless in these situations. She wasnt. She could reason things out. That tiny spark couldnt penetrate the wood of the sticks. She needed a bigger flame. She needed something the sparks could ignite. But what? for certainly nothing in this waterlogged forest.Her eyes trim on the map poking out of her bag. She hesitated only a jiffy before ripping and shredding the paper into a pile on top of the twigs. Supposedly, shed reached the end of the hike and didnt need the map. Supposedly. But it was too late now, and Lissa pushed in front with her plan. First, she pulled out some of the bags fluffy lining, adding the bits of fuzz to the paper. Then she took up the flint and steel again.A spark jumped out and immediately caught a piece of the paper. It flared orange before fading out, leaving a wisp of smoke. She tried again, sway forward to gently blow on the paper when the spark landed. A tiny flame appeared, caught a neighboring shred, and then faded. Steeling herself up, Lissa tried a final time.Come on, come on, she muttered, as though she might fasten a fire into existence.This time , the spark caught and held, turning into a small flame, then a larger flame that soon consumed her kindling. I prayed it would take to the wood, or else she was out of luck. Brighter and larger the flame grew, eating the last of the paper and fuzz and then spreading along the sticks. Lissa blew softly to keep it going, and before long, the campfire was in full blaze.The fire couldnt change the piercing cold, but as far as she was concerned, she had the warmth of the entire sun in her hands. She smiled, and a sense of pride that she hadnt felt in a while spread within her. Finally able to relax, she glanced out at the rainy forest and caught the faintest flashes of color in the distance. Channeling spirit, she used her magic to intensify her ability to see auras. Sure enoughhidden far, far out among the trees, she could see two auras modify with strong, steady colors. Their owners stood still, staying quiet and covered. Lissas smile grew. Guardians. Or maybe the air and water user s controlling the weather. None of the candidates were alone out here. Ronald Ozera had had no need to worrybut then, he wouldnt know that. Only she did. Maybe spirit wasnt so useless out here after all.The rain began to lighten, and the fires warmth continued to soothe her. She couldnt read the time from the sky, but somehow, she knew she would have no trouble waiting out the day andRose? A voice summoned me out of Lissas wilderness survival. Rose, wake up or whatever.I blinked, focusing on Sydneys face, which was a few inches from mine. What? I demanded. Why are you bothering me?She flinched and jerked away, momentarily speechless. twist away Lissas darkness while joined with her hadnt affected me at the time, but now, conscious in my own body, I felt anger and snappishness flood me. Its not you, its not Sydney, I told myself. Its spirit. Calm down. I took a deep breath, refusing to let spirit master me. I was stronger than it was. I hoped. As I fought to push those feelings d own, I looked around and remembered I was in Sonya Karps bedroom. All my problems came rushing back. There was a bound Strigoi in the other room, one we were barely keeping constrained and who didnt seem like she would give us answers anytime soon.I looked back at Sydney, who still seemed afraid of me. Im sorry I didnt mean to snap at you. I was just startled. She hesitated a few moments and then nodded, accepting my apology. As the fear faded from her face, I could see that something else was bothering her. Whats wrong? I asked. As long as we were alive and Sonya was still trapped, things couldnt be that bad, right?Sydney stepped back and crossed her arms. Victor Dashkov and his brother are here.