Blood Promise Chapter Twenty-Five

His eyeball widened in shock, lips sliceing. Even though I knew this wasnt a silver stake, it might as well have been. To run it through his heart, I had had to act as decisively as I would have if delivering a violent death blow. Id had to finally accept my Dimitris death. This unrivaled(a) was a Strigoi. T present was no future with him. I would not join him.That still didnt make some(a) part of me compliments to stop and lie down beside him, though, or at the very least see what happened next. subsequently that sign surprise, his features and breathing had g iodin still, giving the illusion of death. Thats all it was, however-an illusion. Id seen it in the lead. I probably had five minutes at most before he healed up and shook this off. I had no epoch to mourn for what was and what might have been. I had to act at a time. No hesitation.I ran my pass on over him, meddlesome his clothes for anything that might be of use. I found a set of keys and some cash. I pocketed the keys and started to lend the cash and heartyized I might actually need it on the off materialise I escaped this place. My own money had been taken when I arrived. I also swept up some of the jewelry on the table. Finding buyers for that kind of thing in big Russian cities wasnt in any case difficult.If I do it to said city. I stood up off the bed and gave Dimitri one last hurt case. A few of the tears Id hidden from him earlier now ran down my face. That was all I could grant myself. If I had a later, Id mourn then. Before leaving, my gaze lingered on the stake. I involveed to take it with me it was my barely weapon. Pulling it kayoed would mean hed wake up in about a minute. I requisite the extra clip. With a sigh, I operateed my back on him, hoping Id find a weapon elsew present.I sprinted over to the suites ingress and punched in the recruit again. It unlocked, and I stepped into the corridor. Before going to the next door, I examined the one Id secure step ped through. To pick up into the suite, there was an some other keypad. Entry also occupyd a code. Backing up a little, I struck and kicked the keypad as hard as I could. I did it double to a greater extent, until the tiny red light on it went out. I didnt know if that would affect the lock on the at heart of the suite, precisely in the movies, damaging electronic locks al counsellings seemed to work.Turning my help to the next lock, I era-tested to remember the numbers Inna had told me. They werent sculptured as strongly in my liberty chit as the first.I punched in s even off numbers. The little light stayed red.Damn. It was possible shed lied about this set, but somehow, I suspected my property was the culprit here. I tried again, learned the clock was ticking on how long I had until Dimitri came aft(prenominal) me. The red light flashed again. What were those numbers? I tried to visualize them in my head and finally decided I wasnt entirely legitimate about the last 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 different sort outside. A Strigoi. And not hardly any Strigoi It was Marlen. The one Id tortured in the alley. The one who hated me because Id disgraced him in front of Galina. He was distinctly on guard duty and looked as though hed expected a boring night. Me coming out the door was a shock.That gave me, oh, about a millisecond of surprise. My first thought was to well(p) run at him with as much brute lastingness as I could. I knew he would do the same to me. In fact that was exactly what hed do.I stayed where I was, standing so that I could keep the door propped open. He came at me to stop my escape, and I stepped aside, pulling the door open wider. Now, I was neither s downed decorous nor was he inept enough to simply get lured in. He stopped in the doorway, trying to get hold of me. This gave me the difficult problem of trying to both fend him off and drag him into the corridor behind the door. I stepped back into the doorway, hoping hed follow. All the man, I had to keep 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 going for me was that Marlen appeared to be a young Strigoi, which made sense. Galina would want to keep around henchmen she could control. Of course, Strigoi strength and speed compensated for a lack of experience. The fact that he had been a Moroi once also meant he probably had very little training. That also was a bonus for me. Dimitri was a badass Strigoi because hed trained as a fighter before being turned. This rib had not.So, Marlen got a couple punches in on me, one coming dangerously snug to my eye. The other caught me in the stomach, knocking the air out of me for half a second. But most of the time, I was able to dodge him pretty well. This seemed to infuriate him. get ting thump out up by a teenage girl didnt really score you cool points when you were a Strigoi. At one point, I even faked him out in one vigilance and came at him with a surprise kick -easier to do than Id expected in that damned dress-that knocked him back a few steps. I just barely managed to keep my hand in the door when I did it, but that was all I needed. His stumble gave me a few seconds to slip out the door and into the main hall. Unfortunately, when I tried to c withdraw it, he was already trying to come through. With my transfer, I tried to pull the door shut while kicking him back inside. We struggled this way for a while, and thanks to whatever luck I had left, I got the door closed enough so that only his arm was falling through. Bracing myself, I pulled the door toward me in one huge, get outful movement. It slammed into Marlens wrist. I half expected to see his hand detach and pop into the hall, but hed jerked it back. Even Strigoi had certain instincts to avoid pain.Gasping-my physical strength still wasnt all it could be-I backed up. If he knew the code, this had been for nothing. A moment later, the doors handle shook but didnt open. I heard a scream of rage, and then 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 slaughter on the door, and I saw the tiniest dent appear on the metallic surface.Oh, crap, I said.I didnt stick around to see how many hits itd take him to break it down. I also realized that even if Id change the first lock, Dimitri would just be able to break that one down too. DimitriNo. I utterly couldnt think of him now.As I ran down the hall, heading toward the stairs Dimitri and I traveled before, an unexpected storage suddenly popped into my head. When Dimitri had last ventureed Nathan, hed mentioned getting my stake out of a vault. What vault was that exactly? Was it here on the premises? If so, I for certain didnt have time to look. When weighing the option to search a four-story house full of lamias or run off into the countryside before they found you well, the choice was clear.And it was in the midst of that thought process that I ran into a serviceman at the top of the stairs. He was older than Inna and carrying a stack 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 threaten him with and wondered how Id assert my will now. Yet as soon as I had him pinned, he threw up his hands in a defensive gesture and began whimpering in Russian. in that respectd 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 I had with Inna only this time the message was a little harder.Stick, I said in R ussian. I had no clue what the word for stake was. I pointed at the silver ring I wore and made a slashing motion. Stick.Where?He stared at me in utter confusion and then asked, in perfect English, wherefore 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 cast his eyes in the direction of the pounding.I pushed him harder against the wall. My heart felt like it would burst out of my chest, but I tried to wipe out it. I valued this guy to think I was invincible. Ignore him. Take me to the vault. NowWith a shake yelp, he nodded eagerly and beckoned me down the stairs. We descended to the second floor and made a sharp turn. The halls here were as twisty as the hedge internal ear 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 being followed. If I was, thered be a confrontation. Id need to defend myself.The human led me down another hall and yet another. Finally, we reached a door that looked like any other. He stopped and peered at me expectantly.Open it, I said. He shook his head. I dont have the key.Well, I certainly dont-wait. I reached 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 behind him and looked ready to bolt.Dont even think about it, I warned. He blanched and stayed put. The room before us wasnt very big, and while its plush white carpet and silver framed paintings made it look elegant, the room was well, basically, it looked like a junkyard. Boxes and weird objects-a lot 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 fade or be destroyed.Magic ah. These were items charmed by Moroi magic. Charms always had some kind of subject on Strigoi-usually unpleasant-with stakes being the worst, since they used all four physical elements. It made sense that Strigoi would want to isolate harmful objects and get rid of My stakeI ran forward and picked it up, nearly dropping it because my hands were so sweaty. The stake was lying on top of a box with a length of cloth and some weird stones. Studying it, I realized it wasnt actually my stake-not that it made a difference for killing Strigoi. This stake was almost identical, save for a small geometric pattern 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 engraved into it. Holding this stake, I felt a momentary pang of sadness. This had belonged to mortal whod wielded it proudly once, s omeone who was now most likely dead. God only knew how many other dozens of stakes were in here, seized from other unfortunate prisoners, but I had no time to search or mourn those who had died.Okay, now I want you to take me to I hesitated. Even with a stake, itd be a lot better 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 floor with a window 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 twisting 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 definitely slow me down. Yet, my conscience wouldnt let me leave anyone behind in this place.He gave me an sceptical glance. Why would I want to do that? Sydney had definitely been right about humans making grand 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 frappe, I could see book-lined shelves, stretching all the way up the walls. A library-a huge one that wide on and on, out of my sight. Better yet, I saw a large bay window foe me, framed in heavy satin curtains the color of blood.Perfect, I said, pushing open the doors.That was when the nausea hit me. We werent only when in the room.Galina sprang up from a chair near the fireplace on the far side of the room. A book dropped from her lap. I had no time to dwell on the oddity of a Strigoi having a domicil 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. Aside from Dimitri, the other Strigoi in this house were cl early 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 straight for my neck. I had the stake in my hand and tried awkwardly to at least scratch her with it, 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 rend 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 faith 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 simplicity of knowing she probably wouldnt turn me into a Strigoi. Id be lunch.A shou t 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 skin and red eyes contrasted sharply against each other. He was like a demon 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 terrible ravisher 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 flurry.I turned to the bay window, searching frantically fo r a means to open it. There was none. watchword of a bitch Maybe Oleg had set me up after all. Or maybe there was just some mechanism that wasnt apparent to me. Regardless, I felt pretty confident there was one way to get it open.I ran to 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, delicate 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 concern me now.Behind me, the sounds of battle raged on. There were grunts and muffled cries as they fought, as well as the occasional sound of some p iece of confounded furniture. I yearned to turn around and see what was going on, but I couldnt. I took the chair and swung again, good luck the other half of the window. There was now a huge hole, perfect for me to get out of. goDimitris voice triggered some instinctive response in me. I glanced back and saw him still grapple with Galina. They were both exhausted, but it was clear he was getting the worst of it. But 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 despite my misgivings, some force drew me across the room, stake poised and ready. Maybe it was because I would never fully lose my pull to Dimitri, no matter what kind of monster 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 dangerous.But she wasnt blowsy to get hold of. She was fast and strong, and he was having a hard time with her. She kept wriggling 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 view of her chest Id had. I moved forward-and then Dimitri slammed into me. I was addled for a moment, wondering why hed attack me after saving me, until I realized hed been pushed-by Nathan. Nathan had just entered the library, along 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 affecting her. A moment later, I saw the pain twist her face. She faltered, and I pushed my advantage, 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 find her death, they didnt pay attention. Nathan and Marlen were fixated on Dimitri. Another Strigoi-a female I didnt recognize-soon joined the face-off. I jerked my stake out of Galina and behind began backing toward the window, hoping I wouldnt attract too much attention. My heart went out to Dimitri. He was outnumbered. I could mayhap lend my strength and help 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 surviving 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 better 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 sheer side of the manor was not ideal for climbing, either. It could be done, but it would be time consuming. I didnt have any more time. straightway 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. likely 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 o ut of options Run.Time for me to run.I leapt out the window.