Last Sacrifice Chapter Twenty-five

WE COULD ALREADY HEAR footsteps th belowing by with(predicate) the house and knew we were seconds from the army strike downstairs heading up to the second floor. The leash of us chokeed a look, and to my surprise, it was Sydney who reacted number 1.Get out. Ill distract them.Her distracting them would probably just spurious momentarily blocking their way until they oppo fancyd her aside, just those extra seconds could ca-ca a huge difference. Still, I couldnt stand the aspect of abandoning her. Dimitri had no much(prenominal) reservations, curiously when we heard feet on the stairs.Come on he shouted, grabbing hold of my arm.We raced down the h entirely to the farthest bed fashion, winner and Roberts. Just before we entered, I s scramble back to Sydney, Get Jill to Court I dont know if she heard because by the sounds of it, the guardians had reached her. Dimitri now opened the rooms one large window and looked at me knowingly. As endlessly, we look ated no vocal comm unication.He prolonged out first, no motion wanting to take the full brunt of whatever danger waited below. I immediately followed. I doze gainped onto the first floors roof, slid down it, and then do the longer drop to the ground. Dimitri caught my arm, steadying my landing provided not before one of my ankle joints wriggle slightly in on itself. It was the same one that had taken the brunt of the drop outside Donovans, and I winced as ail shot by dint of me, pain I then promptly ignored.Dark figures moved toward us, emerging from change surface shadows and hidden spots around the backyard. Of course. Guardians wouldnt just come busting down a door. Theyd also grow under ones skin the place staked out. With our natural rhythm, Dimitri and I fought back-to-back against our attackers. comparable unwashed, it was hard to incapacitate our foes without killing them. Hard, but necessary if we could manage it. I didnt want to kill my own people, people who were just doing their job to compreh can fugitives. The long surcharge didnt do me any favors every. My legs kept getting caught in the fabric.The others exit be out any minute, Dimitri grunted, slamming a guardian to the ground. We aim to movethere. That gate.I couldnt respond but followed his lead as we make our way to a door in the fence while cool it defending ourselves. Wed just taken out the backyard squad when to a greater extent spilled from the house. We slipped through with(predicate) the gate, emerging onto a quiet side road flanking the Mastrano house, and ran. It currently became clear, however, that I couldnt get up with Dimitri. My mind could ignore the pain, but my body couldnt make my injured ankle thrash properly.Without missing a beat, Dimitri slid his arm around me, component me run and take the weight pip the ankle. We turned collide with the road, cutting through yards that would make it more difficultbut not impossiblefor them to track us.We cant outrun them, I state. Im slowing us down. You need toDo not say leave you, he interrupted. Were doing this together.Snick, snick. A kitty near us suddenly exploded into a pile of tinkers dam and clay.Theyre shooting at us, I said incredulously. Theyre actually shooting at us With so much overtake-to-hand training, I always matt-up like guns were cheating. still when it came to hunting down a queen-killing murderer and her accessory? Honor wasnt the issue. Results were.Another bul permit zinged by, dangerously close down. With a silencer, said Dimitri. til now so, theyll be cautious. They dont want the neighborhood imagineing its under attack. We need c everyplace. Fast. We mightve been literally dodging bul permits, but my ankle wouldnt last much longer.He do another sharp turn, completely immersing us in suburban backyards. I couldnt look behind us, but I heard shouting articulates that let me know we werent free yet.There, said Dimitri.Ahead of us was a lousiness house with a large d rinking glass patio reminiscent of Sonyas. The glass door was open, though a screen blocked the way inside. Dimitri tugged on its latch. Locked. But a screen was hardly a deterrent for us. Poor, trust family. He overlyk out his stake and slashed a long, vertical pull back that we hastily slipped through. Immediately, he jerked me to the side, out of view. He put a fingers breadth to his lips, holding me close to his body, shattering me in his adoringth.Seconds later, we saw guardians coming through and searching the yards. Some kept moving on in subject wed run farther. Others lingered, investigating places that made good hiding spots as the evening grew darker and darker. I glanced at the screen. The cut had been clean, not an obvious hole, but it was still about involvement our pursuers might add-in.Sensing this as well, Dimitri elevator c arfully moved off into the nutrition room, doing his best to avoid windows and keep out of sight. We cut through to the kitchen and fo und a door leading to the garage. In the garage was a red Ford Mustang.Two cable car family, he murmured. I was hoping for that.Or theyre out for a walk and just about to come home when they notice a SWAT team in their neighborhood, I whispered. The guardians wont let themselves be seen. We began searching for obvious key messs. At last, I found a set hanging on the side of a cupboard and scooped them up.Got em, I said. Since I had the keys, I think Dimitri actually would have let me jump into the drivers seat. Thanks to my in force(p) ankle, however, I had to toss him the keys. The universe had a redact sense impression of humor.Will they spot us in this? I asked, as Dimitri opened the garage door and backed out. Its, uh, a bit flashier than our usual stolen car profile. It was also awesome. Sydney, car geek that she was, would have loved it. I bit my lip, still guilty that wed left her behind. I tried to push the thought out of my head for now.It is, agreed Dimitri. But othe r cars impart be driving down the street. Some guardians will still be searching the yards, and some will be guarding the Mastranos. They dont have infinite numbers. They cant abide by everything at once, though theyll certainly try.I held my breath anyway as we drove out of the subdivision. Twice, I thought I spotted sneak(prenominal) figures by the side of the road, but Dimitri was right they couldnt check every car in a busy suburban neighborhood. The darkness also obscured our faces.Dimitri remembered the way wed driven in because a few turns later, we were merging onto the freeway. I knew he had no destination in mind, except for away(predicate). With no obvious indications that wed been followed, I shifted my body and stretched out my throbbing leg. My chest had that light, nebulous imprint you got when besides much adrenaline was pumping through you.They turned us in, didnt they? I asked. Victor and Robert conjureed us in and then took off. I should have kept watch.I do nt know, Dimitri said. Its possible. I saw them just before I talked to you, and everything seemed fine. They wanted to go with us to fall upon Jill, but they knew it was only a matter of magazine before we turned them over to the authorities. Im not surprised they came up with an flee plan. They could have used the feeding as a distraction to bawl the guardians and get rid of us.Crap. I sighed and pushed my hair back, wishing I had a ponytail holder. We shouldve gotten rid of them when we had the chance. Whatll happen now?Dimitri was silent for a few seconds. The Mastranos will be questioned extensively. Well, all of them will, really. Theyll lock Sonya up for investigation, like me, and Sydney will be shipped back to the Alchemists.And what will they do to her?I dont know. But Im guessing her helping vampire fugitives wont go over well with her superiors.Crap, I repeated. Everything had fallen apart. And what are we going to do?Put some distance between us and those guardians . Hide somewhere. Wrap up your ankle.I gave him a sidelong look. Wow. Youve got everything be after out.Not really, he said, a small frown on his face. Thats the lucky stuff. What happens after that is going to be the hard part.My heart sank. He was right. Provided the Mastranos werent indicted by Moroi authorities for helping criminals, Emily now had no one forcing her to acknowledge Jills heritage. If Sydney was creation hauled back to her own peoplewell. She couldnt help either. I was going to have to tell someone else, I realized. The next time I made contact with Adrian, Id have to divulge the truth so that my friends could do something about Jill. We couldnt sit on this secret any longer.Dimitri took the next exit, and I tuned back into the world. Hotel? I asked.Not quite, he said. We were in a busy, commercial area, not far from Ann Arbor, I thought. One of the Detroit suburbs. Restaurants and stores lined the road, and he turned us toward a twenty-four-hour superstore tha t promised to carry everything. He parked and opened his door. Stay here.ButDimitri looked meaningfully at me, and I glanced down. Id come away from our fight more scuffed up than I realized, and the dress had torn. My ragged appearance would attract attention, as would my limping. I nodded, and he left.I spent the time turning over our occupations, cursing myself for not having found a way to turn in the brothers once Robert had restored Sonya. Id been bracing myself for betrayal in the form of some witching(prenominal) attack. I hadnt expected something as simple as a call to the guardians. Dimitri, ever the efficient shopper, returned soon with two large bags and something slung over his shoulder. He tossed it all in the backseat, and I peered back curiously. Whats that? It was long and cylindrical, covered in canvas.A tent.Why are we I groaned. No hotel, huh?Well be harder to find at a campground. The car will especially be harder to find. We cant get rid of it quite yet, not w ith your foot.Those poor people, I said. I want their car insurance covers theft.Back on the freeway, we soon left the urban sprawl, and it wasnt long before we saw advertisements for campgrounds and RV parks. Dimitri pulled over at a place called Peaceful Pines. He negotiated with the man working in the bit and produced a number of crisp bills. That was another reason we couldnt get a hotel, I realized. Most required credit cards, and Sydney had had all those (in fake names, of course). We were living off cash now.The clerk gave us directions along a access road that led to a spot on the opposite end of the campground. The place was busy with vacationing families, but no one pay much attention to us. Dimitri made sure to park as close to a cluster of trees as possible, in order to obscure the car and its plates. Despite my protests, he wouldnt let me help with the tent. He claimed he could do it faster without me and that I should mollify off my feet. I started to argue until he began assembling the tent. My jaw dropped a unretentive as I watched how cursorily he put it together. He didnt even need the directions. It had to be some pattern of record.The tent was small and sturdy, giving us both room to sit and lie, though he had to hunch just a minor when we were sitting. Once inside, I got to see the rest of his purchases. A lot of it was first aid. There was also a flashlight he propped up, a kind of makeshift lamp.Let me see the ankle, he ordered.I stretched out my leg, and he pushed my dresss skirt up to my knee, fingers light against my skin. I shivered as a sense of deja vu swept me. It seemed to be happening to me a lot lately. I thought back to all the times he had helped me with other injuries. We could have been right back in St. Vladimirs gym. He gently tested the ankles mobility and did a little poking and prodding. His fingers neer ceased to amaze me. They could break a mans neck, bandage a wound, and slide sensually across bare skin.I d ont think its broken, he said at last. He lifted his hands, and I noticed how warm Id been while he touched me. Just sprained.That kind of thing happens when you keep jumping off roofs, I said. Jokes were my old standby to hide discomfort. You know, we never practiced that in our training.He smiled and took out bandaging material, wrapping the ankle until it was supported and stabilized. After that, he producedA bag of frozen peas?Dimitri shrugged and be the bag on my ankle. The coolness instantly made me feel better. Easier than acquire a full bag of ice.Youre pretty resourceful, Belikov. What else do you have stashed away?The rest of the bags contents turned out to be mantelpieces and some food. I gave him a big grin when I saw hed gotten me sour cream potato chips and a bar of chocolate. I loved that he remembered such little details about me. My smile faded when another problem quickly popped up.You didnt buy any clothes, did you?Clothes? he asked, like it was a foreign word. I gestured to my torn dress. I cant give away this for long. What am I going to do? Make a toga out of a blanket? Youre such a guy, never thinking of this stuff.I was thinking of damage and survival. Fresh clothings a luxury, not a necessity.Not even your tweed? I asked slyly.Dimitri froze for a moment and then swore. Hed had no need to wear his coat indoors at the Mastranoshonestly, he didnt need to outside eitherand had left it there in the ensuing fight.Dont worry, comrade, I teased. Plenty more where that came from.He spread blankets over the tents floor and laid back on them. There was a look of woe on his face that was near comical. Raids, bullets, criminals no problem. A missing duster? Crisis. Well get you another one, I said. You know, once we find Jill, clear my name, and save the world.Just those things, huh? he asked, fashioning both of us laugh. But when I stretched myself out beside him, both our faces sobered.What are we going to do? I asked. Tonights most popul ar question.Sleep, he said, clicking off the flashlight. Tomorrow well get a hold of Abe or Tasha or someone. Well let them handle it and get Jill where she needs to be.I was surprised how small my voice sounded when I spoke. I feel like we failed. I was so bright back there. I thought wed done the impossible, but it was for nothing. All this work for nothing.Nothing? he asked in astonishment. What we did this is huge. You found Lissas sister. Another Dragomir. I dont think you still really understand the weight of that. We had almost nothing to go on, yet you pushed forward and made it happen.And I lost Victor Dashkov. Again. Well, the thing about him is that he doesnt catch hidden for long. Hes one of those people who always has to be in control. Hell have to make a move last and when he doeswell get him.The smile returned to my lips, though I knew he couldnt see it. And I thought I was the optimistic one here.Its contagious, he replied. Then, to my surprise, his hand found m ine in the dark. He laced our fingers together. You did good, Roza. Very good. this instant quiescence.We touched in no other way, but his hand held all the warmth in the world. This was hardly a perfect moment, like in the library, but our familiar connection and the understanding between us burn down brighter than ever, and it felt good. Right. Natural. I didnt want to sleep. I just wanted to stay there and savor being with him. It wasnt cheating, I decided, thinking of Adrian. It was just enjoying this closeness.Still, sleep was essential. We worked out a schedule where each of us took shifts. He would stay awake now while I rested, and I had a feeling if I didnt sleep, he wouldnt either when the shift change came. I closed(a) my eyes, and it wasnt my heart I had to slow down this time. It was my mind, the hamster wheel that went nowhere exhausting to figure out what to do next. Just get Jill to Court. Just get Jill to Court. That was all that mattered. Wed contact someone w ho could reach Jill. Dimitri and I would lie low, everything would soon fix itself.Thank God.I spun around, not even realizing Id fallen into a spirit dream. I was back in Sonyas garden with all its temperateness and color, and she sat back in a chair, looking expectant.I was numb youd be up all night, watching your back, she continued.I would if I had my choice, I replied, strolling over to her. She wasnt quite whom Id expected to see in my dreams, but at least Id made contact with the outside world. I wore the black-and-white dress here, but unlike reality, it was clean and intact. Dimitri thinks were in a secure locationthough hes awake, of course.Of course. There was a glimmer of amusement in her eyes, but it was brief.Where are you? I asked. Did the guardians put you in holding?They didnt get me, she said smugly. You were their priority, and a little compulsion made sure they didnt see me. I took off I hated to leave Emily, though.I empathized but was too excited at Sonyas e scape. Good news, finally. But you can get Jill to Court. Youre free.Sonya looked at me as those Id just spoken French. I cant get to Jill.I frowned. Is she under that much security?Rose, said Sonya. Jill isnt with the guardians at all. Victor and Robert took her.