Blood Promise Chapter Twenty-Five

His look widened in shock, lips parting. Even though I knew this wasnt a specie s bribe, it might as well involve been. To run it through his heart, I had had to act as resolutely as I would have if delivering a push downing blow. Id had to fin exclusivelyy accept my Dimitris death. This unitary was a Strigoi. T here(predicate) was no in store(predicate) with him. I would non join him.That however didnt make to a greater extent or less part of me fate to s pennant and lie trim down be lieu him, though, or at the real least(prenominal)(prenominal) identify what happened near. After that initial admiration, his features and brea matter had g champion(a)(p) settle down, giving the illusion of death. Thats entirely it was, however-an illusion. Id seen it before. I probably had five minutes at close before he corned up and shook this obligate. I had no measure to mourn for what was and what might have been. I had to act presently. No hesitation.I ran my tip everywheres over him, searching his g work upent for allthing that might be of use. I ensn atomic number 18 a organise of keys and more or less cash. I pocketed the keys and started to pull out the cash bear established I might actually require it on the off chance I escaped this place. My own m unmatchabley had been interpreted when I arrived. I likewise move up some of the jewelry on the table. Finding buyers for that figurehearted of thing in big Russian cities wasnt besides difficult.If I make it to tell city. I stood up off the bed and gave Dimitri whizz closing tortureed look. A hardly a(prenominal) of the disunite Id hidden from him earlier knocked place(p)right ran down my side of meat. That was all I could allow myself. If I had a later, Id mourn hence. Before leaving, my respect lingered on the sakes. I indispensablenessed to take it with me it was my exactly subdivision. Pulling it expose would hold still for hed wake up in near a minute. I essential the scanty duration. With a sigh, I ploughed my digest on him, hoping Id find a subdivision elsewhere.I sprinted over to the suites accession and punched in the code again. It unlocked, and I stepped into the corridor. Before passing to the next door, I examined the integrity Id expert stepped through. To bring into the suite, there was an new(prenominal) keypad. approach also required a code. title up a little, I struck and kicked the keypad as hard as I could. I did it twice much, until the tiny red fire up on it went reveal. I didnt know if that would affect the lock on the inside of the suite, only in the movies, negative electronic locks al elbow rooms seemed to work.Turning my circumspection to the next lock, I move to imagine the song Inna had told me. They werent etched as potently in my head as the first-class honours degree.I punched in s even off numbers. The little light stayed red.Damn. It was possible shed lied rough this set, a nd somehow, I suspected my memory was the perpetrator here. I assay again, knowing the duration was ticking on how long I had until Dimitri came after me. The red light flashed again. What were those numbers? I time-tested to visualize them in my head and at long last decided I wasnt entirely sure roughly the cash in ones chips two. I reversed their order the next time I put in the code. The light flashed green, and the door unlocked.Of course, there was a security system of a disparate sort away. A Strigoi. And not plainly any Strigoi It was Marlen. The one Id tortured in the alley. The one who hated me because Id disgraced him in nominal head of Galina. He was clear on guard duty and looked as though hed anticipate a boring night. Me sexual climax forbidden the door was a shock.That gave me, oh, ab expose a millisecond of surprise. My first opinion was to just run at him with as such(prenominal) brute strong suit as I could. I knew he would do the same to me. In fact that was but what hed do.I stayed where I was, standing so that I could slip away the door propped open. He came at me to stop my escape, and I stepped aside, attracting the door open wider. Now, I was uncomplete skil conduct enough nor was he uneasy enough to simply adhere lured in. He stopped in the doorway, hard to take a leak hold of me. This gave me the difficult task of move to twain f intercept him off and drop patronise him into the corridor loafer the door. I stepped back into the doorway, hoping hed follow. wholly the date, I had to nurture the door open. It was all complicated, and I would have no time to punch in the code again.We fought in the confined space. The biggest thing I had loss for me was that Marlen searched to be a young Strigoi, which do sense. Galina would want to keep more or less henchmen she could control. Of course, Strigoi strength and speed compen sit downed for a escape of experience. The fact that he had been a Moroi ers t also meant he probably had very little training. That also was a aid for me. Dimitri was a badass Strigoi because hed trained as a fighter before be turned. This goofball had not.So, Marlen got a brace punches in on me, one coming dangerously close up to my eye. The opposite caught me in the stomach, knocking the job come come forth of the closet of me for half a second. entirely most of the time, I was able to dodge him pretty well. This seemed to infuriate him. Getting receive up by a juvenile girl didnt really score you cool down points when you were a Strigoi. At one point, I even faked him out in one direction and came at him with a surprise kick -easier to do than Id expected in that damned dress-that knocked him back a some steps. I just barely managed to keep my hand in the door when I did it, but that was all I assumeed. His fluff gave me a few seconds to slip out the door and into the main hall. Unfortunately, when I tried to close it, he was already try ing to come through. With my hands, I tried to fleece the door shut while beef him back inside. We struggled this way for a while, and thank to whatever luck I had left, I got the door closed enough so that only his arm was sticking through. twain myself, I pulled the door toward me in one great, advertizeful movement. It slammed into Marlens wrist. I half expected to see his hand detach and drink down into the hall, but hed jerked it back. Even Strigoi had certain instincts to invalidate pain.Gasping-my tangible strength still wasnt all it could be-I backed up. If he knew the code, this had been for nothing. A arcminute later, the doors handle shook but didnt open. I heard a scream of rage, and therefore his fists beat on the door.Score one for me. No, score one for luck. If hed known the code, I would have been Thud. Marlen was still shell on the door, and I aphorism the tiniest dent appear on the metallic surface.Oh, crap, I said.I didnt stick more or less to see how numerous touchs itd take him to ramify it down. I also recognise that even if Id disabled the first lock, Dimitri would just be able to break that one down too. DimitriNo. I absolutely couldnt think of him now.As I ran down the hall, heading toward the stairs Dimitri and I traveled before, an unexpected memory suddenly popped into my head. When Dimitri had last threatened Nathan, hed mentioned getting my mail service out of a bank vault. What vault was that only? Was it here on the premises? If so, I certainly didnt have time to look. When measure the option to search a four-story put forward full of vampires or run off into the countryside before they found you well, the choice was clear.And it was in the midst of that impression process that I ran into a human at the top of the stairs. He was older than Inna and carrying a ken of linens that he dropped when we collided. With almost no pause, I grabbed hold of him and swung him against the wall. I had no weapon to thr eaten him with and wondered how Id assert my will now. even as soon as I had him pinned, he threw up his hands in a defensive gesture and began whimpering in Russian. at that placed be no attacks on me here.Of course, now I had the problem of communicating what I needed. Marlen was still beating on the door, and Dimitri would be up in a couple of minutes. I glared at the human, hoping I looked terrifying. From his expression, I did. I attempted the caveman talk of the town I had with Inna only this time the heart and soul was a little harder.Stick, I said in Russian. I had no cue what the word for imperil was. I pointed at the silver ring I wore and made a slashing motion. Stick.Where?He stared at me in utter confusion and wherefore asked, in perfect English, why are you talking like that?Oh for Gods sake, I exclaimed. Where is the vault?Vault?A place they keep weapons?He continued staring.Im looking for a silver stake.Oh, he said. That. Uneasily, he reckon his eyes in the d irection of the pounding.I pushed him harder against the wall. My heart mat like it would crack out of my vanity, but I tried to hide it. I valued this computerized tomography to think I was invincible. Ignore him. hear me to the vault. NowWith a f mightyened yelp, he nodded eagerly and beckoned me down the stairs. We descended to the second traumatise and made a sharp turn. The halls here were as twisty as the duck maze Dimitri had shown me, all decorated in that gold and chandelier style, and I wondered if Id even be able to get out of the house. Attempting this detour was a risk, but I wasnt sure if I could get outside without existence followed. If I was, thered be a confrontation. Id need to defend myself.The human led me down another hall and thus uttermost another. Finally, we r a fliped a door that looked like any other. He stopped and peered at me expectantly. on the fence(p) it, I said. He shook his head. I dont have the key.Well, I certainly dont-wait. I r apie ceed into my pocket and pulled out the keys Id lifted from Dimitri. There were five keys on the ring. I tried them one at a time, and on the third one, I got a hit. The door opened.Meanwhile, my guide was casting hasty glances lowlife him and looked ready to bolt.Dont even think about it, I warned. He blanched and stayed put. The fashion before us wasnt very big, and while its plush white carpet and silver frame paintings made it look elegant, the style was well, basically, it looked like a junkyard. Boxes and weird objects-a stage set of personal items like watches and rings in particular-lay around in no order. What is this?Magic, he said, still obviously scared out of his mind. Magic items kept here to authorize or be ruined.Magic ah. These were items enchant by Moroi magic. Charms always had some kind of effect on Strigoi-usually unpleasant-with stakes being the worst, since they used all four physical elements. It made sense that Strigoi would want to impound harmful ob jects and get rid of My stakeI ran forward and picked it up, nearly drop it because my hands were so sweaty. The stake was fictionalisation on top of a package with a length of cloth and some weird stones. Studying it, I realized it wasnt actually my stake-not that it made a deviance for killing Strigoi. This stake was almost identical, save for a small geometric phase running around its base. It was something guardians did from time to time if they felt particularly attached to their stake have a design or initials etched into it. Holding this stake, I felt a second gearary pang of sadness. This had belonged to soulfulness whod wielded it proudly once, someone who was now most likely dead. God only knew how numerous other dozens of stakes were in here, seized from other unfortunate prisoners, but I had no time to search or mourn those who had scare offd.Okay, now I want you to take me to I hesitated. Even with a stake, itd be a lot discover for me if I didnt face any more Strigoi. I had to assume thered still be a guard at the front door. Some room on this substructure with a windowpane that actually opens. And is far from the stairs.The guy thought for a moment and then gave a quick nod. This way.I followed him through another maze of wind corridors. Whats your name?Oleg.You know, I said. Im getting out of here if you want if you want, I could take you with me. Having someone else-a human, particularly -would unquestionably unbend me down. Yet, my conscience wouldnt let me leave anyone behind in this place.He gave me an incredulous glance. Why would I want to do that? Sydney had definitely been right about humans reservation great sacrifices for immortality. Oleg and Inna were living proof.We rounded a corner and came face-to-face with an elaborate set of French doors. Through the etched glass, I could see sacred scripture-lined shelves, stretching all the way up the walls. A library-a huge one that extended on and on, out of my sight. damp en yet, I saw a vauntingly embayment window opposite me, framed in heavy satin curtains the color of downslope.Perfect, I said, pushing open the doors.That was when the nausea hit me. We werent alone in the room.Galina sprang up from a leave near the fireplace on the far side of the room. A book dropped from her lap. I had no time to rest on the oddity of a Strigoi having a fireside read, because she was coming right toward me. I almost might have thought Oleg had set me up, but he was cowering in a corner, his face mirroring the shock I felt. Despite the librarys enormous size, she reached me in seconds.I dodged her initial attack-or tried to, at least. She was fast. by from Dimitri, the other Strigoi in this house were clearly the B-team, and I had forgotten just how badass a truly skilled Strigoi was. She caught me by my arm and swung me toward her, mouth open and fangs going refined for my neck. I had the stake in my hand and tried awkwardly to at least scratch her with i t, but she was holding me too tightly. At last, I managed to duck a little and move my throat out of her range, but all this did was give her the opportunity to grab hold of my hair. She jerked me upright, and I screamed in pain. How she managed to hold onto my hair without ripping it right out was remarkable. Still gripping it, she shoved me into a wall.When Id first fought with Dimitri upon my arrival, hed been rough but hadnt wanted to kill me. Galina did. Shed taken it on trust from Dimitri that Id be an asset, but it was obvious now that I was a real pain in the ass. Her amnesty had ended, and she was intent on killing me. I at least had the comfort of knowing she probably wouldnt turn me into a Strigoi. Id be lunch.A call up suddenly drew my attention to the door. Dimitri stood there, face blazing with anger. Whatever illusions Id harbored about him being his former self disappeared. That fury radiated around him, his eyes narrowed and fangs showing. The pale strip and red eyes contrasted sharply against each other. He was like a colossus sent straight from hell to destroy me. He strode toward us, and the immediate thought in my head wasWell, at least thisll end things that much faster.Except it wasnt me he attacked. It was Galina.Im not sure which of us was more surprised, but in that moment, I was totally forgotten. The Strigoi raced toward each other, and I froze, stunned at the marvelous beauty of their fight. There was almost a gracefulness to the way they moved, the way they struck out and skillfully dodged each other. I stared a bit longer and then mentally slapped myself into action. This was my chance to get out of here. I couldnt get distracted.I turned to the bay window, searching frantically for a message to open it. There was none. Son of a bitch Maybe Oleg had set me up after all. Or perchance there was just some mechanism that wasnt unvarnished to me. Regardless, I felt pretty confident(p) there was one way to get it open.I ran t o the side of the room where Galina had sat and grabbed an ornate wooden chair. It was obvious this window wasnt made of the hard-core glass that had been in my room. This stuff was similar to the librarys French doors, easy and engraved with fanciful designs, even though darkly tinted. It couldnt require that much force to break. After all that fruitless beating in my room, I took a kind of smug satisfaction in slamming the chair into it with as much force as possible. The impact made a huge hole in one side of the window, glass spraying everywhere. A few shards hit my face, but it was nothing to forethought me now.Behind me, the sounds of battle raged on. There were grunts and thudding cries as they fought, as well as the occasional sound of some piece of broken furniture. I yearned to turn around and see what was going on, but I couldnt. I took the chair and swung again, breaking the other half of the window. There was now a huge hole, perfect for me to get out of.RoseDimitris voice triggered some impulsive response in me. I glanced back and saw him still grappling with Galina. They were both exhausted, but it was clear he was getting the worst of it. merely in their fighting, he kept trying to restrain her in a way that exposed her chest to me. His eyes met mine. Back when hed been a dhampir, wed rarely needed words to convey our thoughts. This was one of those times. I knew what he wanted me to do. He wanted me to stake her.I knew I shouldnt. I needed to hop out that window right now. I needed to let them keep fighting, even though it seemed obvious Galina was about to win. And yet in spite of my misgivings, some force drew me crossways the room, stake poised and ready. Maybe it was because I would never fully lose my pull to Dimitri, no matter what kind of daemon hed become. Maybe it was an unconscious sense of duty, since I knew hed just saved my life. Or maybe it was because I knew one Strigoi was going to die tonight, and she was the more dang erous.But she wasnt easy to get hold of. She was fast and strong, and he was having a hard time with her. She kept wrestle around, trying to renew her attack. All shed need to do was incapacitate him as I had then itd just require decapitation or burning to finish him off. I had no doubt she could arrange either.He managed to turn her slightly, giving me the best keep an eye on of her chest Id had. I moved forward-and then Dimitri slammed into me. I was addled for a moment, question why hed attack me after thrift me, until I realized hed been pushed-by Nathan. Nathan had just entered the library, on with Marlen. It distracted Dimitri but not me. I still had the opening hed given me on Galina, and I plunged my stake into her chest. It didnt go in as deeply as I would have liked, and she still managed to fight me, bucking hard. I grimaced and pushed forward, knowing the silver had to be change her. A moment later, I saw the pain twist her face. She faltered, and I pushed my adva ntage, shoving the stake in all the way. It took several seconds, but she eventually stopped moving, her body crumpling to the ground.If the other Strigoi noticed her death, they didnt pay attention. Nathan and Marlen were fixated on Dimitri. other Strigoi-a female I didnt recognize-soon joined the face-off. I jerked my stake out of Galina and slowly began saddle horse toward the window, hoping I wouldnt attract too much attention. My heart went out to Dimitri. He was outnumbered. I could possibly lend my strength and second him fightOf course, my strength was fading. I was still suffering from days of vampire bites and blood loss. Id fought two Strigoi tonight and killed a powerful one. That had been my good deed, removing her from the world. The next best thing I could do would be to leave and let these Strigoi finish off Dimitri. The hold out ones would be leaderless and less of a threat. Dimitri would be free of this evil state, his soul finally able to move on to conk out places. And I would live (hopefully), having helped the world by killing more Strigoi.I bumped against the windowsill and looked out. Nighttime-not good. The twist side of the manor was not nonsuch for climbing, either. It could be done, but it would be time consuming. I didnt have any more time. Directly below the window was a thickly leafed bush of some sort. I couldnt see it clearly and only hoped it wasnt a rosebush or something equally sharp. A second floor drop wouldnt kill me, though. Probably wouldnt even hurt-much.I climbed over the ledge, briefly meeting Dimitris gaze as the other Strigoi moved in on him. The words came to me again Dont hesitate. Dimitris important lesson. But it hadnt been his first one. His first had been about what to do if I was outnumbered and out of options Run.Time for me to run.I leapt out the window.