“Don’t turn around again. We need me off camera.”
“Did everything go according to plan?” he asked.
“And then some.”
He held his hotel room door open extra long so that I could slip in. Once it shut, I stepped in front of him and said, “Here I am.” The spell unraveled, and he wrapped me in a giant hug that lifted me off my feet.
“That,” he said, “was brilliant. How’d you know what would happen?”
“I didn’t,” I said. “Not for sure.” He set me down and took a seat on the couch. “But I felt pretty confident the Moroi management wouldn’t let them haul off one of their own without proof—which there’s no way they have. Marcus would’ve disabled the cameras in Death Valley. The Alchemists could only accuse you based on eyewitnesses, and I knew that wouldn’t stand up here. Alchemist officials would have to file formal complaints with the queen. Me … well, that’s a different story. They might have handed me over. The Moroi have no reason to protect me—hence the invisibility.”
Adrian sat beside me and kissed my cheek. “I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: You’re a genius, Sage. I keep finding new reasons to love you, and I didn’t think that was possible.”
“I’m no genius,” I said, slumping back into the seat. Tears formed in my eyes, and I hated it. I hated that the Alchemists had done this to me. I’d never been so emotional before! I was all about logic when problems came, not tears, yet right now, I just wanted to curl up in a ball and sob. The stress of re-education and now this attack was wearing on me. “I should’ve let us go with Marcus. I don’t know if we can outpace the Alchemists! You think I’m clever, but where do you think I learned it from? Do you see the scope of what they can do? They had agents waiting outside in towns neighboring Death Valley. Then they must’ve seen us get on that tour bus, found out where it was going, and met us at the Tropicana. The Alchemists there either got our cab’s license plate tracked here, or else there were already agents waiting, since this was a likely place to go.” I met Adrian’s gaze firmly. “How do we outrun that? How do we get away from a group that has eyes and ears everywhere? Who can protect us? We can’t use invisibility and compulsion for the rest of our lives! We can’t hide in this hotel forever!”
I knew I sounded hysterical, and Adrian’s calmness only drove that home. “I think I have an idea,” he said. “An idea that’ll get us some hardcore protection … but I don’t know how you’ll feel about it.”
“I’m open to anything,” I assured him.
He hesitated a moment and gave a decisive nod. Then, to my complete and utter astonishment, he got down on his knees before me and clasped my hands in his. “Sydney Katherine Sage,” he said, his green eyes full of love and earnestness. “Would you do a brooding, deadbeat Moroi the honor of being his wife?”
CHAPTER 20
Adrian
I EXPECTED A LOT OF different reactions to my proposal. Crying wasn’t one of them.
“Okay,” I said cautiously. “Probably this would’ve been better with a ring, right?”
She shook her head, furiously wiping tears from her eyes. “No, no … it was great. I mean, I just don’t know. I don’t know why I’m crying. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”
I knew what was wrong. She’d been locked away for four months, most of which had been in the dark, subjected to psychological and physiological torture, and told everything she believed was wrong and twisted—that she was wrong and twisted. Add to that the stress of the escape—multiple escapes—we’d just gone through, and it was no wonder she was breaking down. Even the strongest person would have a hard time recovering. She needed a break, time to heal mentally and physically, and those goddamned Alchemists wouldn’t give it to her.
“Okay, go ahead,” she said, a few moments later. I could see her toughening up, working hard to put all those emotions away because she thought that’s what it meant to be strong. I wanted to tell her that strength wasn’t about hiding your feelings, that it was okay for her to feel this way after what she’d been through. “Explain to me how me being a nineteen-year-old bride will solve our problems.”
I stayed on my knees. “I know it wasn’t part of your plan,” I said. “Not yet, at least. I know, ideally, you’d be going to college right now, with marriage down the road.”
She nodded. “You’re right. And it’s not for lack of love for you, believe me. I can’t even imagine marrying anyone else. But we’re still so young. …”
“I know.” I squeezed her hands more tightly. “Here’s my thinking, though. It came to me when you said you knew the Moroi would protect me as one of their own. If we get married, if you’re my wife, then the Moroi will have to protect you too.”
Sydney’s earlier words had reminded me of something that Lissa had said, back when I’d asked her to help Sydney: If one of my own people were in danger from them, then yes, I’d have every right to throw my weight around with the Alchemists. I had no doubt I’d be safe if I went running back to Court. Lissa would protect me, even if I wasn’t a good friend. Sydney was right that she could expect no such guarantees, and even the hotel manager had insinuated as much. But if she was Mrs. Ivashkov …
Sydney’s brow furrowed. “You’re thinking like how a person gets citizenship when they marry someone from a different country. I don’t think it works that way with the Moroi and the humans. I don’t automatically become a Moroi by marrying you. Your people aren’t going to accept me as one of their own. Your people are going to freak out.”
“True,” I admitted. “But that doesn’t mean they’ll let my wife be punished. We go to Court, and we’re golden.” She didn’t answer right away, and that silence unnerved me. I began to worry and find other problems, ones that had nothing to do with my plan’s questionable logic. “But if you’re not sure about us …”
She focused back in on me. “Oh, Adrian, no. That’s not it at all. I mean, it’s like I said. I never expected to get married so young, but I can’t imagine spending my life with anyone but you. I figured it would happen someday. This is just kind of a shock. And think also about what our life would be like. If we’re getting sanctuary with the Moroi, does that mean we have to stay at Court forever? Will I ever get to see my family again?”
That caught me off guard. The biggest complications I’d foreseen would’ve been reactions from my family—and others, say, like Nina. There would be problems there, yes, but what Sydney and I faced now was too important. I was prepared to deal with whatever fallout my people might present, but I honestly hadn’t thought far enough to consider Sydney’s side of it. I didn’t have easy answers for that but responded confidently, as though I did: “It’ll be short-term. I mean, I don’t know how long ‘short-term’ is, but eventually, this’ll pass, and we’ll be free to go wherever we want and see whomever we want.”
Her wry expression told me she was skeptical. “How do you know that?”
“Because I just do. And I believe no matter what conditions we’re in, we’ll be okay as long as we’re together.”
“Okay,” she said after a little more deliberation. “One more thing. Putting aside the whole issue of getting sanctuary with the Moroi, do you think we’re strong enough for it? Marriage isn’t just a piece of paper.”
I got up and sat next to her. “I know it isn’t,” I said. “And I know it would be hard—for all sorts of reasons. But I think we can handle whatever comes our way, so long as we keep loving each other like this.” I thought of my parents and their sham marriage. That seemed like more of a joke than anything hasty Sydney and I might do.
“How do you propose we pull it off then?” she asked. “I’m sure this hotel has a wedding chapel, but there’s no way we could do it here.”
“No,” I agreed. No Moroi minister was going to bless this union. “Right now, no Alchemists are getting near this place. We have a tiny window to get out. We can just go down to the courthouse and—what’s wrong?” She was starting to tear up again.
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“Nothing, nothing,” she said. “It’s just … no. Never mind.”
“Tell me,” I urged.
“It’s just …” She sighed. “Every other plan I’ve had has gone out the window. College, my family … and now moving up my wedding by several years. And with that, even the wedding has changed. I always thought that when it happened, we’d have our friends there, a dress, the full deal. I know none of that matters, and I mean it: I’ll gladly marry you in a teal T-shirt. It’s just all so different. I just need a minute to adapt to all these changes.”
I stroked the side of her face. “No, you don’t. Not on this, at least. Give me a second.”
I stood up and took out my cell phone, looking up a few things while she watched me curiously. Within minutes, I had a plan. I just hoped it didn’t cause us more trouble than it solved.
“Okay, we’re getting out now, while the Alchemists are blocked from this hotel. They’ll eventually find a way back in—if only with makeup-covered tattoos. Do you have any more invisibility amulets?”
She shook her head. “I can cast a minor invisibility spell … but it won’t work well in a crowded place like this. Too many people to run into.”
“I’ll cover us then. Come on.” I held out my hand. “We’ve got to get out of here now.”
We went back downstairs, and I cast a wave of spirit around us that made us unmemorable and obscured our features to anyone who got too close. I knew it was working when we walked right past one of the guards who’d brought me in earlier, and he didn’t give me a second glance. It wouldn’t work for anyone seeing us from a distance, though. I couldn’t affect minds that far away, which was why acting now before the Alchemists could get spies out was essential. I led Sydney down through the underground tunnels that existed underneath the Witching Hour and extended to certain prominent points on the Strip. There were a number of exits, and I didn’t doubt the Alchemists would soon have them all monitored. I just hoped we were ahead of them and that the one I picked wasn’t watched yet.
When we emerged, it was into a major hotel on the Strip. Neither of us saw any signs of being followed, so I relaxed the spirit magic as we walked through the establishment. I spent no time there and simply went straight to the taxi stand outside. We caught a cab and soon were on our way to the nearest office that would give us a marriage license. The first good luck we’d had in a while was on our side, and we arrived to find a minimal line, probably thanks to it being a weekday afternoon. We each offered up our IDs when our turn came, and I shot Sydney a grin as the clerk processed our paperwork.
“Getting married as yourself, huh? Not Misty Steele?”
“That would be safer, absolutely,” she said with a wry smile. “But if we’re going to try to claim asylum with the Moroi, we need this to be as legal as possible. You’re marrying Sydney Sage, whether you want to or not.”
I kissed her forehead. “It’s the only thing I want.”
No Alchemists assaulted us during this errand, which I took as a good sign. Once we had our license, we took a cab back to the Strip, to yet another hotel, this one adjacent to a huge underground shopping complex. I double-checked an address on my phone and then guided Sydney to the place I’d looked up earlier: a business whose sole purpose was to prepare people for quick Vegas weddings. The part we walked into was filled with wedding dresses, and beyond it, I could see a salon area. A consultant stepped out as soon as we entered.
“You look like a happy couple,” she said. I wondered if that was true, since we were both pretty tense about being followed. “How can I help you?”
“We’re getting married,” I declared. “And you have two hours to give her anything she wants and needs to get ready.”
Even Sydney looked startled at that. “Adrian …” she began nervously.
“You do hair and makeup here?” I asked, pointing at the salon. “Get her in there, and also help her find a dress. A good dress—not just one of these.” I nodded toward a rack we were standing by, marked BARGAIN DRESSES.
“Adrian …” said Sydney again.
“I’ll need a tux too,” I said. I pulled out a piece of paper from my pocket and plucked the pen the sales consultant was holding from her hand. “Here are my measurements. Get one that goes with her. I trust your judgment. And then anything else she wants.”
“Are you leaving?” asked Sydney in sudden realization.
“I have some errands to run. But I’ll be back in two hours.” She and the consultant still looked dumbfounded. “Ah,” I said. “I suppose we need to talk about money. How silly of me.” I took the pen again and wrote an amount—a very large amount—next to my measurements. “Will this cover everything?” Sydney gasped when she saw it. The consultant merely raised an eyebrow.
“Yes, sir. Considerably. I don’t suppose you actually have any of that money up front?”
“Nope,” I said. “But I don’t need it. I have an honest face, and you trust me to come pay my bills.” I turned the compulsion on full blast, and after a moment’s wavering, the consultant nodded in acceptance. The ironic thing was, I could’ve compelled her enough to give us everything for free. I knew Sydney would never forgive me starting our marriage with that kind of deception, though, not to mention it’d likely get the poor woman fired. I kissed Sydney on the cheek. “Have fun. I’ll be back soon.”
Sydney hurried after me and caught my arm. “Adrian, what are you going to do? Even you can’t get that kind of money in two hours.”
I kissed her again. “I’m going to make one dream of yours come true, Sage. Have faith. And if the Alchemists show up …” It was a downer, and it seemed unlikely, but we had to prepare. “Do whatever you have to do to escape. We’ll meet up in a dream or through Marcus.”
“Be careful,” she said, still looking understandably concerned.
“Always,” I lied.
I headed out, back into the shopping complex, trying to hide how uneasy I felt. The smart, safe thing would’ve been to use this window to escape Vegas and get married in some other place. But aside from the fact that this city was built around fast weddings, I really meant it about wanting to make one of her dreams come true. I just hoped it wouldn’t cost us in the end. My phone chimed with a text message, and I glanced down, expecting some ominous warning from Marcus. Instead, I saw a message from Jill:
This is the most romantic thing ever. I feel like I’m watching a made-for-TV movie.
Thanks, I wrote back. Any tips?
No, you’re doing just fine. Eddie’s furious you guys took off. Maybe this’ll make him feel better.
It was a relief to know he was back with her, and no harm had been done in borrowing him for the rescue. I wrote: Keep it secret for now. Then be ready for the fallout. Provided I can even get us out of here.
I might be able to help with that part, she responded. I didn’t see how she could, but she sent no other messages, and I soon grew lost in my other tasks.
It didn’t take me long to reach my destination: a jewelry shop that both bought and sold items. It wasn’t exactly as seedy as a straight-up pawnshop, but their operating principle was similar. This was Las Vegas, after all. An older, white-haired man greeted me as I entered, asking how he could help. With a deep breath, I did the unthinkable and took out one of Aunt Tatiana’s cufflinks.
“What’ll you give me for this?”
His breath caught as he took and looked it over with a jeweler’s glass.
How can you do this to me? cried Aunt Tatiana. How can you throw away my jewels?
I’m not throwing them away, I told her. This is important. This is for the future.
A future with a human!
A future with the woman I love, I responded. I love you, Aunt Tatiana, but you’re gone. Sydney is here, and my place is with her. These cufflinks do no one any good just lying around.
Phantom Aunt Tatiana was still outraged. You’re betraying me!
I felt a little sick inside but still resolved. Once, I??
?d taken a ruby from these cufflinks to a pawnshop, with the intent of buying it back. I had gotten it back—barely—and that experience had been more than a little traumatic. Now, there was no going back. Not only was I giving up an entire cufflink, I was giving it up for good. With our time constraints, I wouldn’t be able to win enough and come back here to buy it out. This was my sacrifice for Sydney’s dream.
The amount he named was low, of course, and we haggled our way around various numbers. We’d almost settled at a price (though it was still less than the cufflink’s worth) when I played my next move and took out the second cufflink. “Give me that amount,” I said. “And I’ll cut you this deal. I want these stones set into an engagement ring—white gold’s fine. Then I need two plain wedding bands. You keep the platinum as payment. It’s worth a hell of a lot more than what you’ll be giving me in return. Oh, and I need it done in an hour.”
We haggled some more details, but he knew he was getting a good deal out of all this and wanted it. We finally settled, and he showed me an assortment of rings. I didn’t have much time and chose a simple engagement style that would hold the rectangular diamond with smaller rectangular rubies on each side. I’d planned on just getting plain bands, but he showed me a set of matching white gold rings with tiny rubies scattered throughout them that appealed to me. They seemed like a tribute to the cufflink that had been sacrificed on behalf of this crazy scheme. I signed off on everything, took my cash, and reminded him he had an hour.
From there, it was a trip to the nearest casino with a high-stakes poker room—with a very important phone call made along the way. Playing with that kind of money was a bit daunting, especially knowing I had such little time and that so much was riding on it. If I lost it, there’d be no time to win it back, and a lot of plans would fall through. I stayed calm and refused to panic, treating this as a casual game and relying on my usual trick of reading auras. The players here were no different than the others I’d played against, I told myself. They were just throwing around much bigger bets.