Part 17 (1/2)
”Because I know you,” he replied firmly. ”I know your character. I know you're going to be a great guardian.”
His confidence made that warm feeling return. ”I'm glad someone does. Everyone else thinks I'm totally irresponsible.” ”With the way you worry more about Lissa than yourself...” He shook his head. ”No. You understand your responsibilities better than guardians twice your age. You'll do what you have to do to succeed.”
I thought about that. ”I don't know if I can do everything I have to do.”
He did that cool one-eyebrow thing.
”I don't want to cut my hair,” I explained.
He looked puzzled. ”You don't have to cut your hair. It's not required.”
”All the other guardian women do. They show off their tattoos.”
Unexpectedly, he released my hands and leaned forward. Slowly, he reached out and held a lock of my hair, twisting it around one finger thoughtfully. I froze, and for a moment, there was nothing going on in the world except him touching my hair. He let my hair go, looking a little surprised-and embarra.s.sed-at what he'd done.
”Don't cut it,” he said gruffly.
Somehow, I remembered how to talk again. ”But no one'll see my tattoos if I don't.”
He moved toward the doorway, a small smile playing over his lips. ”Wear it up.”
Fourteen
I CONTINUED SPYING ON LISSA over the next couple of days, feeling mildly guilty each time. She'd always hated it when I did by accident, and now I did it on purpose.
Steadily, I watched as she reintegrated herself into the royal power players one by one. She couldn't do group compulsion, but catching one person alone was just as effective, if slower.
And really, a lot didn't need to be compelled to start hanging out with her again. Many weren't as shallow as they seemed; they remembered Lissa and liked her for who she was. They flocked to her, and now, a month and a half after our return to the Academy, it was like she'd never left at all. And during this rise to fame, she advocated for me and rallied against Mia and Jesse.
One morning, I tuned into her while she was getting ready for breakfast. She'd spent the last twenty minutes blow-drying and straightening her hair, something she hadn't done in a while.
Natalie, sitting on the bed in their room, watched the process with curiosity. When Lissa moved on to makeup, Natalie finally spoke.
”Hey, we're going to watch a movie in Erin's room after school. You going to come?” I'd always made jokes about Natalie being boring, but her friend Erin had the personality of dry wall.
”Can't. I'm going to help Camille bleach Carly's hair.”
”You sure spend a lot of time with them now.”
”Yeah, I guess.” Lissa dabbed mascara across her lashes, instantly making her eyes look bigger.
”I thought you didn't like them anymore.”
”I changed my mind.”
”They sure seem to like you a lot now. I mean, not that anyone wouldn't like you, but once you came back and didn't talk to them, they seemed okay ignoring you too. I heard them talking about you a lot. I guess that's not surprising, because they're Mia's friends too, but isn't it weird how much they like you now? Like, I hear them always waiting to see what you want to do before they make plans and stuff. And a bunch of them are defending Rose now, which is really crazy. Not that I believe any of that stuff about her, but I never would have thought it was possible-”
Underneath Natalie's rambling was the seed of suspicion, and Lissa picked up on it. Natalie probably never would have dreamed of compulsion, but Lissa couldn't risk innocent questions turning into something more. ”You know what?” she interrupted. ”Maybe I will swing by Erin's after all. I bet Carly's hair won't take that long.”
The offer derailed Natalie's train of thought. ”Really? Oh wow, that would be great. She was telling me how sad she was that you're not around as much anymore, and I told her...”
On it went. Lissa continued her compulsion and return to popularity. I watched it all quietly, always worrying, even though her efforts were starting to reduce the stares and gossip about me.
”This is going to backfire,” I whispered to her in church one day. ”Someone's going to start wondering and asking questions.”
”Stop being so melodramatic. Power s.h.i.+fts all the time around here.”
”Not like this.”
”You don't think my winning personality could do this on its own?”
”Of course I do, but if Christian spotted it right away, then someone else will-”
My words were interrupted when two guys farther down the pew suddenly exploded into snickers. Glancing up, I saw them looking right at me, not even bothering to hide their smirks. Looking away, I tried to ignore them, suddenly hoping the priest would start up soon. But Lissa returned their looks, and a sudden fierceness flashed across her face. She didn't say a word, but their smiles grew smaller under her heavy gaze.
”Tell her you're sorry,” she told them. ”And make sure she believes it.”
A moment later, they practically fell all over themselves apologizing to me and begging for forgiveness. I couldn't believe it. She'd used compulsion in public-in church, of all places. And on two people at the same time.
They finally exhausted their supply of apologies, but Lissa wasn't finished.
”That's the best you can do?” she snapped.
Their eyes widened in alarm, both terrified that they'd angered her.
”Liss,” I said quickly, touching her arm. ”It's okay I, uh, accept their apologies.”
Her face still radiated disapproval, but she finally nodded. The guys slumped in relief.
Yikes. I'd never felt so relieved to have a service start. Through the bond, I felt a sort of dark satisfaction coming from Lissa. It was uncharacteristic for her, and I didn't like it.
Needing to distract myself from her troubling behavior, I studied other people as I so often did.
Nearby, Christian openly watched Lissa, a troubled look on his face. When he saw me, he scowled and turned away.
Dimitri sat in the back as usual, for once not scanning every corner for danger. His attention was turned inward, his expression almost pained. I still didn't know why he came to church. He always seemed to be wrestling with something.
In the front, the priest was talking about St. Vladimir again.
”His spirit was strong, and he was truly gifted by G.o.d. When he touched them, the crippled walked, and the blind could see. Where he walked, flowers bloomed.”
Man, the Moroi needed to get more saints- Healing cripples and blind people?
I'd forgotten all about St. Vladimir. Mason had mentioned Vladimir bringing people back from the dead, and it had reminded me of Lissa at the time. Then other things had distracted me. I hadn't thought about the saint or his ”shadow-kissed” guardian-and their bond-in a while.