Bloodlines Chapter Nineteen

IF ID HAD TROUBLE SLEEPING BEFORE, Adrians dream nonwithstanding make subjects worse. raze though I was safely back in my own bed, I couldnt shake thefeeling of violation. I imagined that my skin was crawling with the taint of magic. Id been so anxious to form out of the dream that Id only half- imaged what Id been agreeing to. I consider Adrians desire to go to college still now wondered if I should re wholey be helping with that after my catchs chastisement about(predicate) masturbateting fri suppressly with lamias.I wasnt in the greatest of moods when I finally got up a hardly a(prenominal) hours later. The tension in our room was thick as Jill and I inclined(p) for direct. Jills defiance from yesterday was g adept, and she kept watching me nervously when she thought I didnt nonice. At first, I figured my outburst from last night had made her nervous. solely as we walked out of the room for breakfast, I knew thither was much to it.What? I bespeaked bluntly, break ing the silence at last. What do you require to take a centering me?Jill gave me an other(a) wary glance as we joined the rush of other girls heading downstairs. Um, some social function happened yesterday.A lot of things happened yesterday, I thought. That was my oertired, bitter self talking, and I knew that wasnt what she was leading up to.Such as? I asked.Well I was starting to tell you about how leeward took me to that store. That clothing boutique where he knew the owner? Her names Lia DiStefano. We talked, and she, uh, byered me a job. Kind of.The modeling job? We r a voiceed the cafeterias food line, though I had little appetite. I selected a yogurt, which looked tragicomic and l unityly in the middle of my otherwise empty tray. We talked about that. Its non safe.Still, it was ironic that a random visit could land Jill a job when three testicle inter see to its had failed for Adrian.This isnt for posed pictures that would be in a magazine or anything, though. Its a ru nway show of local de characteristicers. We told her this story that were part of a piety that has rules about photos and identity. Lia said shed real been figureing of having her models wear half masks. worry the contour you wear at a masquerade? Between that and the ignitor and the movement well, itd be hard to identify me if any nookiedid shots got out. Its unsloped a unity m even sot, alone Id grow to claver her soonerhand for fittings and to practice. Shed shed a bun in the oven me too, exclusively Id learn relinquishes to cling there and pargonntal permission.We sit down, and I spent an unnecessary amount of condemnation stirring my yogurt as I mulled over her words. I could feel her gaze on me as I thought.Its build of silly, I guess, she continued when I didnt answer. I mean, I dont affirm any experience. And I dont even realise why shed requisite me. Maybe its some gimmick shes going for. Weird models or something.I finally ate a bite of yogurt and then looked up at her. Youre not weird, Jill. You really do pass the ideal body type for modeling. Its hard to find. For humans, at least. Once again, I tried not to view about how hard it was for us humans to live up to Moroi perfection. I tried not to think about how, long time ago, my pop music had criticized my figure and said, If those monsters buns do it, why not you? nevertheless you slake think its a terrible idea, she said.I didnt respond. I knew what Jill cherished, just now she couldnt earn herself to directly ask me for it. And I couldnt easily give it to her yet. I was inactive too upset about yesterday and not feeling accessible toward any respects. On the other hand, I couldnt tell her no either. non yet. Despite how irresponsibly shed behaved, her words about how miserable her animation was here had hit me hard. This was something positive and good that would fill her time. It was also a muchneeded egotism boost. Laurel had thrived on using Jills unusu al features against her it would do Jill good to see that others viewed them positively. She needed to realize she was special and wonderful. I didnt know whether to curse or thank Lee for this opportunity.I dont think we can decide anything until we go talk to Mrs. Weathers, I told her at last. I glanced at a nigh clock. In fact, we need to meet with her now.I took a few much bites of my yogurt before throwing it international. Jill took a donut to go. When we re take-key to our lobby, we found out a delivery had arrived for Jill a bouquet of perfect red roses and an apolo take onic visor from Lee. Jill melted, her face filling with adoration at the gesture. Even I prize the romance of it, though a snarky part of me said maybe Lee shouldve sent flowers to Eddie and me instead. We were the ones he needed to apologize to.Regardless, the flowers were quickly forgotten when we sat down in Mrs. Weatherss locating and learned the verdict on Jill.I spoke to the principal. You arent being susp winduped, she told Jill. But for the next month, you are restricted to your manse when not in class. You are to make-up to me immediately after classes end so that I know youre here. You may go to the cafeteria for meals merely only your dorms. Not the one on West Campus. The only exceptions to this policy are if an assignment or teacher requires you to go elsewhere right(prenominal) of school hours, give care the library.We both nodded, and for a moment, I was plainly relieved that Jill hadnt been expelled or anything wish that. Then the real problem hit me like a slap in the face. Id told Jill this meeting would impact any modeling decisions, but there was something much worse on the line.If shes grounded to the dorm, then she cant get nearly the school, I said.Mrs. Weathers gave me a wry smile. Yes, Miss Melrose. That is what grounded generally room.She has to, maam, I argued. We have family gatherings double a week. Ideally, we had them more than that, but I was hoping a lowball bod might buy us freedom. It was absolutely essential Jill get blood, and deuce old age a week was about the minimum a vampire could survive on.Im ghastly. Rules are rules, and in breaking them, your sister has lost the immunity of functions like that.Theyre religious, I said. I hate to play the religion card, but that was something the school would have a hard time countering. And hey, it had apparently worked on the fashion designer. We go to church as a family on those days us and our chum salmons.Mrs. Weatherss face showed me I had indeed gained ground. Wed need a sign garner from your parents, she said finally.Great. That had worked so well in PE.What about our blood brother? Hes our legal guardian here. Surely even Keith couldnt drag his feet on this, not with blood on the line.She considered this. Yes. That might be acceptable.Im sorry, I told Jill when we walked away to friction match the shuttle. About the modeling. Were going to have a hard enough time getting you permission to leave for feedings.Jill nodded, devising no effort to comprehend her disap acidment.Whens the show? I asked, thinking maybe she could do it when her punishment was over.In ii weeks.So much for that idea. Im sorry, I repeated.To my surprise, Jill actually laughed. You have no reason to be. Not after what I did. Im the one whos sorry. And Im sorry about Adrian too about the interviews.Thats something you have no reason to be sorry about. It struck me again how easily everyone made excuses for him. She proved this with her next comment.He cant help it. Its how he is.He can help it, I thought. Instead, I said, Just hang in there, okay? Ill get Keith to sign send off on our religious experiences.She smiled. Thanks, Sydney.We usually parted ways when the bus reached substitution Campus, but she held back once we got off. I could see again that she unavoidablenessed to tell me something but was having affect getting the courage.Yes? I ask ed.I retributory wanted to tell you I really am sorry for heavy(a) you so much grief. You do a lot for us. Really. And you being upset, its because well, I know you care. Which is more than I can say for other deal back at Court.Thats not true, I said. They care. They went to a lot of rag to get you here and keep you safe.I still feel like it was more for Lissa than for me, she said sadly. And my mom didnt put up much of a fight when they said they were going to send me away.They want you safe, I told her. That means making hard choices hard for them too.Jill nodded, but I dont know if she believed me. I gave Eddie the morning report when I reached history. His face displayed a range of emotions with each new development in the story.You think Keith will write the blood line? he asked in a low voice.He has to. The whole point of us being here is to keep her alive. Starving her to death kind of defeats the purpose.I didnt bother telling Eddie that I was in trouble with my fathe r and the Alchemists and that in two weeks, there was a good chance I might not even be around. Eddie was clearly upset over Jills situation already, and I didnt want him to have one more thing to worry about.When I met up with Ms. Terwilliger at the end of the day, I dark in the last of the notes Id made for her on the old bulks. As I was settling myself at a desk, I noticed a legerlet of articles sitting on a table. Carlton College was printed on the folder in raised(a) gold earns. I remembered now why Id thought the name was familiar when Adrian had mentioned it in the dream.Ms. Terwilliger didnt you say you knew people at Carlton College?She glanced up from her computer. Hmm? Oh yes. I should think so. I play poker with half of the history faculty. I even teach there in the summers. History, that is. Not poker.I dont surmise you know anybody in admissions, do you? I asked.Not so much. I suppose I know people who know people there. She turned her direction back to the scre en. I said nothing, and after several moments, she looked back at me. Why do you ask?No reason.Of course theres a reason. be you interested in attending? Goodness knows youd probably get more out of there than here. My class being the exception, of course.No, maam, I said. But my brother wants to attend. He heard classes havent started yet but isnt sure if he can get in on such rook notice.Its very short notice, agreed Ms. Terwilliger. She scrutinized me carefully. Would you like me to make some inquiries?Oh. Oh no, maam. I was expert hoping to get some names I could contact. Id never ask you to do something like that.Her eyebrows rose. Why ever not?I was at a loss. She was so difficult to understand sometimes. Because you have no reason to.Id do it as a favor to you.I couldnt muster a response for that and simply stared. She smiled and pushed her glasses up her nose.Thats impossible for you to believe, isnt it? That someone would do a favor for you.I well, that is I trailed off, still unsure what to say. Youre my teacher. Your job is to, well, teach me. Thats it.And your job, she said, is to report to this room during last period for whatever mundane tasks I have for you and then turn in a paper at the end of the semester. You are not in any way involve to conduct me java, show up after hours, organize my life, or completely set up your own to meet my ridiculous requests.I I dont mind, I said. And it all needs doing. She chuckled. Yes. And you insist on going above and beyond in your tasks, dont you? No matter how inconvenient for you.I shrugged. I like to do a good job, maam.You do an excellent job. Far better than you need to. And you do it without complaint. at that placefore, the least I can do is make a few phone calls on your behalf. She laughed again. That startles you most of all, doesnt it? Having someone praise you.Oh no, I said lamely. I mean, it happens.She took off her glasses to look at me more intently. The laughter was gone. No, Im thi nking it doesnt. I dont know your particular situation, but I have known a lot of students like you ones whose parents ship them off like this. While I appreciate the concern for higher education, I find that more very much than not, a bigger piece of students glide path here is that their parents simply dont have the time or inclination to be involved with or even pay attention to their childrens lives.We were dealing with one of those interpersonal areas that made me uncomfortable, particularly because there was an unexpected element of verity in them. Its more complicated than that, maam.Im sure it is, she replied. Her expression turned fierce, making her look far different from the scattered teacher I knew. But listen to me when I say this. You are an exceptional, talented, and brilliant young woman. Do not ever let anyone make you feel like youre less. Do not ever let anyone make you feel invisible. Do not let anyone not even a teacher who constantly sends you for coffe e push you around. She put her glasses back on and began randomly lifting up pieces of papers. At last, she found a pen and grinned triumphantly. outright, then. What is your brothers name?Adrian, maam.Right, then. She took out a piece of paper and carefully wrote down the name. Adrian Melbourne.Melrose, maam.Right. Of course. She scribbled out her mistake and muttered to herself, Im just glad his first names not Hobart. When she was finished, she leaned back casually in her chair. Now that you mention it, there is one thing Id like you to do.Name it, I said.I want you to make one of the spells from that first book.Im sorry. Did you say, make a spell?Ms. Terwilliger waved a hand. Oh, dont worry. Im not asking you to wave a nightstick or do an animal sacrifice. But Im terribly intrigued by how compound some of the formulas and steps of the spells were. I have to wonder, did people actually detect them in such painstaking detail? Some of these are kinda complicated.I know, I sai d dryly. I typed them all out.Exactly. So, I want you to make one. Follow the steps. ascertain how long it takes. See if half the measurements they ask for are even possible. Then write up the data in a report. That part, I know you excel at.I didnt know what to say. Ms. Terwilliger wasnt actually asking me to use magic, sure enough not in the same way vampires did. Such a thing wasnt even possible. Magic was not the obligation of humans. It was unnatural and went against the ways of the universe. What the Alchemists did was based on science and chemistry. The tattoos had magic, but it was us bending vampire magic to our wills not using it ourselves. The closest we came to anything uncanny was the blessings we called down on our potions. She was only asking me to reenact a spell. It wasnt real. There was no harm. And yet why did I feel so uneasy? I entangle like I was being asked to lie or steal.Whats the matter? she asked.For a moment, I considered using religion again but th en dismissed it. That excuse had develop up too often today, though this time, it was actually semilegitimate. Nothing, maam. It just seems weird.She picked up the first leather book and flipped to the middle. Here. Do this one an incineration amulet. Its complicated, but at least youll have an arts and crafts project when youre done. Most of these ingredients should be easy to come by, too.I took the book from her and scanned it. Where am I going to get nettle?Ask Mr. Carnes. He has a garden outside his classroom. Im sure you can buy the rest. And you know, you can give me receipts. Ill pay you back whenever I send you out to get something. You mustve spent a fortune on coffee.I felt a little better when I saw how random the ingredients were. Nettle. Agate. A piece of silk. There wasnt really even anything flammable. This was nonsense. With a nod, I told her Id start soon.In the meantime, I typed up an official letter to Amberwood on Keiths behalf. It explained that our religiou s beliefs required family church attendance twice a week and that Jill needed to be excused from her punishment during those times. It also promised that Jill would check in with Mrs. Weathers both before and after the family trips. When I finished, I was rather pleased with my work and felt that Id made Keith sound far more eloquent than he bed. I called him up when school ended and gave a brief rundown on what had happened with Jill. Naturally, I got the blame.Youre supposed(a) to keep an eye on her, Sydney Keith exclaimed.Im also supposed to be undercover as a student here, and I cant be with her every second of the day. It wasnt worth mentioning that Id actually been out with Adrian when Jill had run away not that Keith could do any more to me. Hed already done his damage.And so I have to suffer the consequences, he said in a world-weary voice. Im the one who gets put out for your incompetence.Put out? You dont have to do anything except sign the letter I wrote for you. Are y ou crime syndicate right now? Or will you be? Ill drive it over to you. I figured hed jump all over the offer, seeing how besotted he seemed to be by the matter. So, it was a surprise when he said, No, you dont have to do that. Ill come to you.Its not a problem. I can be at your place in less than ten minutes. I didnt want him to have any more reason than necessary to go on and on about how I was inconveniencing him or complain to the Alchemists.No, said Keith, with surprise intensity. Ill come to you. Im leaving right now. Meet you at the main office?Okay, I said, all in all puzzled at this change of heart. Did he want to check up on me or something? Demand an inspection? See you soon. I was already on Central Campus, so it took no time at all to reach the main office. I sat outside on an ornate stone bench with a good view of the visitors parking lot and waited. It was hot out, as usual, but being in the shade actually made it pretty pleasant. The bench was situated in a little clearing filled with flowering plants and a sign that read The Kelly Hayes Memorial Garden. It looked new.Hey, SydneyKristin and Julia were walk of life out of the building and waved at me. They came and sat down beside me to ask what I was doing.Im waiting for my brother.Is he tricky? asked Kristin hopefully.No, I said. Not at all.Yes, he is, countered Julia. I saw him in your dorm last weekend. When you all went out for lunch.It took me a second to realize she meant Adrian. Oh. Different brother. They dont have a lot in common.Is it true your sisters in big trouble? asked Julia.I shrugged. Only a little trouble. She cant leave campus, except for family stuff. It could be worse. Although it did cost her a modeling job, so shes sad about that.Modeling for who? asked Kristin.I racked my brain. Lia DiStefano. Theres some show in two weeks, and she wanted Jill to walk in it. But Jill cant practice because she has to stay here.Their eye went wide.Lias clothes are amazing said Julia. J ill has to do it. She might get free stuff.I told you. She cant.Kristin tilted her head thoughtfully. But what if it was for school? want some kind of career or vocational thing? She turned to Julia. Is there still a sewing club?I think so, said Julia, nodding eagerly. Thats a good idea. Does Jill have an activity? on with a sport, Amberwood also required its well-rounded students to participate in hobbies and activities outside of class. Theres a sewing club she could join and I bet she could get working with Lia counted as some kind of special research.In attempting to raft a loose thread on her cardigan the other day, Jill had nearly unraveled the stallion sweater. I dont think thats really Jills thing. Doesnt matter, said Kristin. Most of the people in it cant sew anyway. But every year, the club volunteers with local designers. Miss Yamani would totally let walking in the show count as volunteering. She loves Lia DiStefano.And theyd have to let her go, said Julia, face full of triumph. Because itd be for school.Interesting, I said, inquire if there was any chance of it working. Ill tell Jill. A familiar pitiful car pulled into the driveway, and I stood up. There he is. Keith parked and got out, scanning around for me. Kristin gave a small sound of approval. Hes not bad.Believe me, I said, walking forward. You want nothing to do with him.Keith gave the girls what was probably supposed to be a charming smile and even winked at them. The instant they were gone, his smile dropped. resentment radiated off of him, and it was a wonder he didnt tap his foot.Lets make this fast, he said.If youre in such a rush, you should have just let me come by when you had more time. I took out a binder containing the letter and handed it over with a pen. Keith signed without even looking at it and handed it back.Need anything else? he asked.No.Dont mess up again, he said, opening the car door. I dont have time to keep application for you.Does it matter? I challenged him . Youve already done your best to get rid of me.He gave me a cold smile. You shouldnt have crossed me. Not now, not back then. With a wink, he turned around and began to leave. I stared, unable to believe the audacity. It was the first time hed directly referenced what went down years ago.Well, thats the thing, I shouted at his retreating figure. I didnt cross you back then. You got off easy. Its not going to happen again. You think Im worried about you? Im the one you need to be frighten of.Keith came to a halt and then belatedly turned around, his face awash with disbelief. I didnt blame him. I was kind of surprised myself. I couldnt ever remember a time Id so openly countered someone in a higher position of authority, certainly not someone who had so much power to affect my situation. conform to it, he said at last. I can make your life miserable.I gave him an icy smile. You already have, and thats why Ive got the advantage. Youve done your worst but you havent seen what I c an do yet.It was a big bluff on my part, especially since I was pretty sure he could still do worse. For all I knew, he could get Zoe out here tomorrow. He could get me sent to a re-education center in a heartbeat.But if I went down? So would he.He stared at me for a few moments, at a loss. I dont know if I actually scared him or if he decided not to dignify me with an answer, but he finally turned and left for good. Furious, I went inside to deliver the letter to the office. The front desk secretary, Mrs. Dawson, stamped it and then made a copy for me to give to Mrs. Weathers. As she handed it to me, I asked, Whos Kelly Hayes?Mrs. Dawsons usually dimpled face grew sad. That poor girl. She was a student here a few years ago.My memory clicked. Is she the one Mrs. Weathers mentioned? Who went missing?Mrs. Dawson nodded. It was terrible. She was such a sweet girl too. So young. She didnt deserve to die like that. She didnt deserve to die at all. I hated to ask but had to. How did she d ie? I mean, I know she was murdered, but I never heard any details.Probably just as well. Its pretty gruesome. Mrs. Dawson peered around, as though afraid shed get in trouble for gossiping with a student. She leaned over the counter toward me, face grave. The poor thing bled to death. She had her throat cut.