The Indigo Spell (6 page)

They were a striking couple. His dark-haired, dark-eyed looks matched hers, and they
were both dazzlingly attractive. It was no wonder Adrian had fallen for her, and I
felt surprised at how uncomfortable that memory made me. Like Sonya and Mikhail, there
was a bond of love between Rose and Dimitri that was almost palpable.

“Are you okay?” asked Rose, eyes kind. “I can’t believe Adrian did that to you.” She
reconsidered. “Then again, I kind of can believe it.”

“I’m fine,” I said. “I think the other Alchemists were more appalled than I was.”
I remembered belatedly that even if Rose and Dimitri knew I knew Adrian from Palm
Springs, I still couldn’t act too at ease here. I put on my earlier look of outrage.
“It was still out of line, though.”

“Propriety’s never been Adrian’s strong suit,” Dimitri observed.

Rose laughed at the understatement. “If it makes you feel any better, you guys looked
really good together out there. Made it hard to believe you’re mortal enemies . . .
or whatever it is Alchemists think.” She gestured to my dress. “You even coordinated.”

I’d totally forgotten what I was wearing. It was a short-sleeved silk dress, almost
entirely black save for some splashes of royal blue on the skirt. That was a bolder
color than I would normally wear, but the black tempered it. Thinking back to Adrian’s
shades of blue, I realized our palettes had indeed complemented each other.

You guys looked really good together

I don’t know what expression I wore, but it made Rose laugh again.

“Don’t look so panicked,” Rose said, eyes shining. “It was nice seeing a human and
a Moroi look like they belong together.”

Belong together.

Why did she keep saying things like that? Her words were messing with the cool, logical
demeanor I tried to maintain. I knew she was speaking in that friendly, diplomatic
way that everyone was pushing so hard for. But as progressive as Rose and Dimitri
were, I knew even they would be shocked if they knew the truth about Adrian’s feelings
and that monumental kiss.

I spent the rest of the reception with a knot of anxiety building within me. Fortunately,
I didn’t have to hide it. Moroi and Alchemist alike expected me to feel that way.
In fact, Stanton soon got her own share of “diplomacy” when a middle-aged Moroi guy
asked her to dance, obviously taking a cue from Adrian’s display of goodwill. Apparently,
as outrageous as Adrian’s behavior had been, some Moroi thought it had been a smart
move and decided to follow suit. Stanton could hardly refuse after encouraging me,
so she took the dance floor with gritted teeth. No one asked Ian to dance, which was
probably just as well. He didn’t look at all disappointed.

Adrian stayed away, presumably to gather my spell components. Time ticked down, and
as the two-hour mark approached, I realized that although I’d brought Marcus’s picture
with me on this trip (I rarely let it out of my sight), it was still in my room. I
excused myself from Ian, telling him I needed to go back to the inn to change shoes
and would take one of the cars that had been ferrying wedding guests around town.

Ian’s face immediately grew protective. “Do you want me to go with you? It’s not safe
out there.”

I shook my head. “No, you need to stay here. Stanton’s in more danger.” She was standing
near the bar, speaking to two Moroi men. I wondered if she had another dance in her
future. “Besides, it’s early, so there’s still more of them here than out there. At
least the inn is run by humans.”

Ian couldn’t fault my Alchemist logic and reluctantly let me go. Catching a town car
was easy, and I was able to make the round trip in almost the perfect amount of time.
I even changed shoes so that I’d have proof for my story. Although I’d worn heels
to the wedding, I’d packed flats in my suitcase, just in case. That was just smart
planning for any occasion.

When I reached the service door, however, I realized my clever planning had failed.
Filled with haste and anxiety, I’d left my warm, heavy shawl in the car, which was
probably long gone. Now, waiting for Adrian in the bitter Pennsylvania cold, I wrapped
my arms around myself and hoped I wouldn’t freeze before he showed up.

He was good to his word, though, and arrived at exactly the appointed time with a
tote bag over one shoulder. Even better, he was completely back to his normal self.
“Ready to go,” he told me.

“Seriously?” I asked, my teeth chattering. “You found everything?”

He patted the bag. “You ask, I deliver. Now where do we need to do this?”

“Somewhere remote.” I scanned around. Beyond the hotel’s parking lot was a vacant
field that I hoped would suffice. “There.”

Walking across the well-salted parking lot wasn’t a problem, but once we “off-roaded”
into the snowy field, even my practical flats were of no use. I was also so cold that
I suspected my skin was as blue as my dress.

“Stop,” said Adrian at one point.

“We need to go a little farther,” I protested.

Adrian, who’d had the sense to put on a wool coat, was taking it off. “Here.”

“You’ll be cold,” I protested, though I didn’t stop him when he stepped forward and
helped me put the coat on. He was taller than me, so the three-quarter length was
mercifully full length on me. Its scent was a mix of smoke and cologne.

“There.” He pulled the coat more tightly around me. “I’ve got long sleeves and the
jacket. Now come on—let’s hurry.”

He didn’t have to tell me twice. Aside from the temperature, we had to do this before
we were caught by others. Even I wasn’t going to be able to explain this away to the
Alchemists.

The moon was still crisp and bright when we finally found an acceptable spot. I sifted
through Adrian’s bag, amazed that he’d come through with everything, from the mirror
to the dried leaves and flowers. He stayed quiet as I set it all up, only speaking
when I was just about ready to go.

“Is there anything I can do?” he asked gently.

“Just keep watch,” I said. “And catch me if I pass out.”

“Gladly.”

I’d memorized the spell when Ms. Terwilliger and I had performed it. Still, I was
nervous about going solo, especially since the environment was so distracting. It
was kind of hard to find the mental focus I needed while kneeling in snow. Then I
thought back to Stanton and the lies the Alchemists were telling me. A spark of anger
flared in me, creating warmth of a different sort. I used that to direct my thoughts
as I stared at Marcus’s picture. He was Adrian’s age, with shoulder-length blond hair
and a pensive look in his blue eyes. The tattoo on his check was a tangle of indigo
crescents. Slowly, I managed to sink into the spell.

I felt that same euphoria as the mirror shifted into a city image. No fog blocked
me this time since presumably Marcus wasn’t wielding the kind of protective magic
that Ms. Terwilliger’s sister had been using. The scene before me showed what looked
like a very modest studio apartment. A mattress lay on the floor, and an ancient TV
sat in one corner. I looked around for any identifying features but found nothing.
The room’s one window finally gave me a clue. Outside in the distance, I could see
a Spanish-style building that looked like a church or monastery. It was made of white
stucco, with red-roofed domed towers. I tried to get a closer look, to fly up like
I had in the other spell, but suddenly, I became aware of the Pennsylvania cold seeping
into me. The image shattered, and I was back to kneeling in the field.

“Ugh,” I said, putting my hand to my forehead. “So close.”

“Did you see anything?” Adrian asked.

“Nothing that’ll help.”

I stood and felt a little dizzy but managed to stay upright. I could see Adrian ready
and waiting to catch me in case I did indeed keel over. “You okay?”

“I think so. Just a little light-headed from the blood sugar drop.” I slowly gathered
up the mirror and bag. “I should’ve had you get orange juice too.”

“Maybe this’ll help.” Adrian produced a silver flask from his suit jacket’s inner
pocket and handed it toward me.

So typical, Adrian helpfully offering alcohol. “You know I don’t drink,” I said.

“A few sips won’t get you drunk, Sage. And it’s your lucky night—it’s Kahlua. Packed
with sugar
and
coffee-flavored. Trade me and try.”

Grudgingly, I handed him the bag and then took the flask as we began walking back
to the hotel. I took a tentative sip and grimaced. “That is
not
coffee-flavored.” No matter how much people tried to dress up alcohol, it always
tasted awful to me. I didn’t understand how he could consume so much. But, I could
taste the sugar, and after a few more sips, I felt steadier. That was all I drank
since I didn’t want to get dizzy for different reasons.

“What’d you see?” asked Adrian, once we reached the parking lot.

I described the spell’s scene and sighed in frustration. “That could be any building
in California. Or the Southwest. Or Mexico.”

Adrian came to a halt and slung the bag over one shoulder. “Maybe. . . .” He took
out his phone from his jacket and typed in a few things. I shivered and tried to be
patient as he searched for what he needed. “Did it look like this?”

I peered at the screen and felt my jaw drop. I was looking at a picture of the building
from my vision.

“Yes! What is it?”

“The Old Mission Santa Barbara.” And then, just in case I needed help, he added, “It’s
in Santa Barbara.”

“How did you know that?” I exclaimed. “What that building is, I mean.”

He shrugged. “Because I’ve been to Santa Barbara. Does this help you?”

My earlier dismay transformed into excitement. “Yes! Based on the window’s position,
I can get a pretty good idea of where the apartment is. You may have found Marcus
Finch.” Caught up in my elation, I squeezed his arm.

Adrian rested a gloved hand on my cheek and smiled down at me. “And to think, Angeline
said I was too pretty to be useful. Looks like I might have something to offer to
the world after all.”

“You’re still pretty,” I said, the words slipping out before I could stop them. Another
of those intense moments hung between us, the moonlight illuminating his striking
features. Then it was shattered by a voice in the darkness.

“Who’s there?”

Both of us flinched and jerked back as a black-and-white-clad figure seemed to materialize
out of the shadows. A guardian. It was no one I knew, but I realized I’d been foolish
if I thought we could slip in and out of the hotel unseen. The grounds were probably
crawling with guardians, keeping watch for Strigoi. They wouldn’t have cared much
about two people leaving, but our return would naturally be challenged.

“Hey, Pete,” said Adrian, putting on that easygoing smile he excelled at. “Nice to
see you. Hope you’re not too cold out here.”

The guardian seemed to relax a little upon recognizing Adrian, but he was still suspicious.
“What are you two doing outside?”

“Just walking Miss Sage back,” said Adrian. “She had to get something from her room.”

I gave him a puzzled look. The inn wasn’t in this direction. Pete looked dazed for
a moment. Then he nodded in understanding. “I see. Well, you’d better get back inside
before you freeze.”

“Thanks,” said Adrian, steering me away. “Make sure you get a break and try the canapés.
They’re amazing.”

“You compelled him,” I whispered, once we were safely out of earshot.

“Only a little,” said Adrian. He sounded very proud of himself. “And being outside
to walk you is a valid reason, one he won’t think too much about later. Compelling
someone into believing a story works best if there’s a little truth—”

“Adrian? Sydney?”

We’d almost reached the back of the building now and were suddenly face-to-face with
an ivory-clad figure. Sonya stood before us, a fur stole wrapped around her. Once
again, I was struck by her beauty and the happy glow she seemed to radiate. She gave
us a puzzled smile.

“What are you two doing out here?” she asked.

Both of us were speechless. Adrian had no brash words or tricks. Sonya was a spirit
user too, and compulsion wouldn’t work on her. Frantically, I groped for some excuse
that wasn’t:
We were out using illicit magic in a continuing effort to uncover secrets the Alchemists
don’t want me to know about.

“You can’t tell,” I blurted out to her. I held up the flask. “Adrian was letting me
sneak some of his Kahlua. Stanton’ll kill me if she finds out.”

Sonya looked understandably startled. “I didn’t think you drank.”

“Tonight’s been kind of stressful,” I said. It was hardly a lie.

“And it’s coffee-flavored,” Adrian pointed out, as though that might aid our cause.

I wasn’t sure if Sonya was buying it, so I attempted a change in subject. “Congratulations,
by the way. I didn’t have a chance to talk to you earlier. You look beautiful.”

Sonya let go of her inquisitiveness and offered me a smile. “Thank you. It’s kind
of unreal. Mikhail and I have been through so much . . . there were times I never
thought we’d reach this moment. And now . . .” She glanced down at the diamond sparkling
on her hand. “Well, here we are.”

“What are you doing out here, Mrs. Tanner?” Adrian had recovered himself and was back
to his outgoing self. “Shouldn’t you be inside gazing adoringly at your husband?”

She chuckled. “Oh, we’ve got a lifetime of that ahead. Honestly, I just needed to
get out of the crowd.” Sonya took a deep breath of the crisp, cold air. “I should
probably get back soon. We’re about to throw the bouquet. You aren’t going to miss
your chance, are you?” That was to me.

I scoffed. “I think I’ll sit this one out. I’ve already caused too much speculation
tonight.”

“Ah, yes. Your infamous dance.” Sonya glanced between us, and a bit of her earlier
puzzlement returned. “You two look very good together.” Awkward silence fell for a
few seconds, and then she cleared her throat. “Well, I’m getting in where it’s warm.
Hope you’ll change your mind, Sydney.”