The Ruby Circle

Chapter 17 Sydney

THE WARRIORS’ COMPOUND WAS QUIET and still as I crept through the night. Trey and Sabrina had said the Warriors could have wild parties when they wanted, but when curfews and discipline were laid down, everyone obeyed. That was certainly the case now. Most people were tucked away in their dorms, and the people who passed me as I crept invisibly toward the masters’ headquarters were those on patrol. None of them seemed to expect much to happen overnight, and they made their rounds with relaxed confidence.

Another open window allowed me to slip inside the masters’ building easily, right in front of a guard assigned to watch at the front door. Inside, I found mostly quiet and empty rooms, and like in my building, most of the doorways were open. There were, of course, a few rooms with real doors, and as luck would have it, it was in one of those that the masters chose to have a meeting. At least, that’s what I assumed was going on. Two guards were posted in front of a closed door, and I could hear muffled voices behind it. Noting its position, I went back outside and circled around to it, hoping I’d find its window open to allow me to climb in and spy. When I reached it, I found it only partway open, enough to let in air in the hot night but not enough for me to climb through. Sabrina had said one of the masters usually carried pertinent information about their organization at all times—sometimes in hard copy or sometimes on a laptop, depending who it was and how tech savvy he was. My plan had been to rifle through said information in the hopes of finding where Jill might be held. For now, I’d have to start with eavesdropping.

As it turned out, I’d arrived just in time for the beginning of their meeting, which I initially thought was a stroke of luck. It meant I hadn’t missed anything. Unfortunately, it meant I had to endure a lot of preliminary material—including more of those absurd psalms. Then someone got sidetracked and started asking about baseball scores. All the while, I was conscious of my invisibility. It was long lasting, but not that long lasting, and it was a relief when the group finally started talking about the business of the day.

“All in all, it was a strong showing,” a voice I recognized as Master Angeletti’s said. “We had a good turnout, and they put on a commendable show.”

“Some were a little out of line,” a sullen voice grumbled. I knew that one too: Chris Juarez.

Master Angeletti laughed. “Still put out that that girl tricked you? I say more power to her. We need more thinkers around here.”

“Not too many.” That was Master Ortega.

“No, no, of course not,” said Master Angeletti. “But if we’re going to be dealing with the Alchemists more, we need to be able to outsmart them.”

My ears pricked at that. The Alchemists? I’d once done some reconnaissance for Marcus and discovered that there were indeed Alchemists and Warriors working together, but Marcus had yet to learn the full extent of how deep that relationship went.

“We’ve already outsmarted them,” said Master Ortega. “We’ve gotten them to do business with us.”

“Yes, but don’t get too comfortable with that arrangement,” said a new voice that must have been one of the council members. “Didn’t you say you got a call about that girl, Alfred?”

“Yes, yes,” said Master Angeletti, not sounding particularly concerned. “But it was just preliminary. One of them claimed they’d gotten a tip we might be holding her, but I think they were just covering their bases. I checked with the guards, though, and they said there was no sign that anyone had been snooping around or was coming for her. I’ll keep logging everything here, though, just so we’ve got a trail if anything happens.”

I didn’t know what he meant until I heard the click of fingers typing on keys. I tensed, waiting for them to elaborate about “that girl,” but they switched topics, moving on to more about the trials. Nonetheless, excitement surged through me. Sabrina had been right. There was a computer or laptop in there that Master Angeletti was apparently keeping records on. Was there other information about “that girl” recorded? I didn’t know for sure if they were referring to Jill, but it was promising, as was the laptop’s existence. I needed to make obtaining it my goal. That wasn’t going to be easy, seeing as how I had no idea how long this meeting was going to last or if Master Angeletti would leave his laptop behind when it ended. I was mentally listing all the possible distractions I might cause when the Alchemists came up in conversation again—in a way I totally didn’t expect.

“Well, just be careful,” Master Ortega was saying in response to someone else. “Don’t screw up this deal with the Alchemists. If your contact can really deliver on what he’s offering, we won’t have to focus so much on the candidates’ physical prowess. We can make our recruits as strong as we like.”

“I still don’t like it,” muttered another unknown council member. “We’re dabbling in unholy substances.”

“Not if we purify those substances first,” said Master Angeletti. “And use the strength they give us to fight back against the evil.”

I frowned as I tried to determine what they might be referring to. “I’ve seen what these substances can do,” remarked Chris. “I saw them when they were used at my cousin’s school. If the Alchemists really do have more of them, they’re letting them go to waste if they aren’t using them in the fight against evil.”

“The Alchemists fight evil by cataloguing it,” chuckled someone.

“Don’t make those kinds of comments around our contact,” warned Master Ortega. “He’s already hesitant about doing business with us. His people won’t like it if they find out what he’s doing.”

“I know what I’m doing,” snapped Master Angeletti. “And believe me, I’m paying him enough to get over any hesitancy he might have.”

The conversation drifted back toward a discussion of the recruits, analyzing each of us according to what the Warriors saw as our pros and cons. I only half listened, my mind spinning with the other shocking piece of news I’d heard. Based on what Chris had said, it sounded as though they were talking about using vampire blood to create performance-enhancing tattoos on humans. A surge of those had occurred at Amberwood Prep, resulting in both athletic and academic prowess. The problem was, the results of those tattoos were unpredictable and often had illicit side effects. The ring had been shut down when I’d helped uncover its mastermind: Keith Darnell. He’d been sent off to re-education, reprogrammed, and now toed the line with nearly robotic loyalty.

Or did he?

The Warriors had kept referring to “he” as their contact. I’d known of no other Alchemist participating in such activity . . . was it possible Keith had broken free of some of that programming? Was he now making a secret deal with these psychopaths, one that would give their fighters superhuman strength?

Again, I heard those clicking keys, driving home the importance of getting a look at what was on that laptop. I considered a few options that might allow me a chance to peek at it, but I soon rejected those. The Warriors might act like they were from the Middle Ages, but it was very likely Master Angeletti locked his laptop when he left it. I might need technical assistance to view it. That, and I really wanted more than just a peek. If he logged notes on all their meetings, kept track of important calls and transactions . . . well, the possibilities for what that laptop could hold were endless. Rescuing Jill was my main priority, but I might very well walk out of this with information that could show us a whole lot more.

Abandoning the masters’ meeting, I used more invisibility magic to break into other dorms and smuggle out Sabrina and Eddie. Neither was asleep when I found them, and we managed to find a secluded spot behind a storage shed to talk.

“You were right,” I told Sabrina. “Master Angeletti does log his information on a laptop. And I heard what sounded very much like a suspicious reference to them holding Jill.”

Eddie perked up. “Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go take it.”

“Actually, that’s kind of what I had in mind,” I said. “I mean, maybe there are more delicate ways to go about this, but do we have that kind of time? We’ve lost so much with Jill.” I turned to Sabrina. “Marcus hinted that you were prepared for if your cover was ever blown. Is that true?”

She arched an eyebrow. “You plan on blowing it?”

“Not if I can help it,” I said. “But the end result of all this is going to be the laptop gone and Eddie and me never finishing the recruitment. If they link us to the theft, they’ll link us to you. You could be in trouble.”

“Understood,” she said. “If I leave this gig with a prize like his laptop, it’ll be worth it.”

“I just worry about them coming after you,” I said.

Sabrina remained unfazed. “Don’t worry about me. These guys aren’t as connected as the Alchemists, and I know how to avoid them. Now, what’s your plan?”

“Kind of simple, really,” I admitted. “Create a big distraction. Steal the laptop in the chaos.”

She looked a little disappointed, probably because she’d been expecting something more sophisticated and stealthy. And really, if I’d had the time to concoct a more elegant plan, I would have. Eddie, meanwhile, had no problem with my idea. It was straightforward, which he liked.

“Fire?” he suggested.

“I considered it. But with as close as these buildings are . . .” I gestured around at how tightly packed in everything on the compound was. “Well, I don’t like these guys, but I don’t want to kill all of them if a fire gets out of hand. So, believe it or not, I’m going to take a page out of Alicia’s book. Spell book, if you want to get technical.”

“Alicia probably would burn this place down around them,” he pointed out.

“Probably. But she does have less violent methods. While I was waiting around in Palm Springs, I looked up some of the spells she used on us. Most were pretty advanced, but I think I could pull off the fotianas.”

“The what?” asked Sabrina.

“Think of them as annoying mutant fireflies,” Eddie told her.

I nodded in agreement. “I feel like a swarm of them would be a pretty good distraction—enough to get the masters out of their meeting. Then I can grab the laptop, and we can all run out of here in the chaos. Sabrina, do you think you’ll be able to get out and get your car ready?”

“Sure. The gate guards won’t stop me. And if there’s a big enough uproar, I can claim I’m getting weapons from my car and that Eddie’s helping me.” Seeing our surprised looks, she rolled her eyes. “Come on. You don’t think everyone here has weapons stashed in their car?”

The question then came down to whether I could pull off Alicia’s spell. I’d committed the spell to memory after reading about it, but magic was a lot more than just memorization. Summoning supernatural creatures wasn’t an easy task, especially with no physical spell components to aid me. I spoke the words, concentrating on the power within me, and felt the magic flare up in response. The spell I’d read about had an element of control to it—a way for the caster to direct the fotianas to do the caster’s bidding. I’d planned on having the fotianas do some steady loops of the compound, enough to be distracting and steer everyone’s attention from the masters’ meeting room but not degenerate into complete chaos.

Unfortunately, things didn’t quite work out as I’d planned.

It took a lot more strength and energy than I’d expected to cast the spell, and although I pulled it off—barely—I couldn’t actually maintain control. A swarm of fotianas materialized in front of me, hovering there for a moment before suddenly scattering off and flying around the compound at insane speeds and in wildly different directions. We stared after them, gaping.

“Were they that fast at the robot museum?” asked Eddie, eyes wide.

“I don’t think so,” I said. “I may not have cast it perfectly. I also didn’t mean to summon quite so many.”

If we’d wanted chaos, though, we got it. The fotianas instantly attracted attention, spinning and twirling around the compound, leaving trails of light behind. And, just like at the museum, the fotianas stung those they came into contact with. Screams and shouts rose up almost immediately, and with them, a cry I hadn’t expected.

“Armageddon! Armageddon is upon us! Warriors, take up arms!”

Sabrina gasped, and I turned to her in surprise. “They mean that figuratively, right?” I asked.

She shook her head frantically. “Are you kidding? These people? It’s what they’ve been preparing for. I didn’t think they’d take this as a sign, though!”

“Look!” Eddie pointed toward a group of Warriors hurrying in our direction. Panic surged into me. How had they linked the fotianas to us?

“The storage shed,” explained Sabrina, steering us away from it. “That’s what they’re going for. They do Armageddon drills to get ready for this, and the weapons they use are in here.”

Sure enough, the mob of Warriors paid us no attention and huddled around the shed as they waited for it to be unlocked. As soon as that happened, someone began passing out swords and maces to the waiting throng. Once armed, they tore off back into the compound’s center, swinging madly against the fotianas, which they’d termed “demons of hell.”

“Well,” I said, having to shout amid all the noise, “they’re certainly distracted. Can you guys have the car ready while I go for the laptop?”

Sabrina nodded, but Eddie said to me, “Let me come with you.”

“Easier for me to slip in and out alone,” I replied.

“Sydney—”

“Eddie,” I said firmly, “I can handle this. You have to trust me. Go with Sabrina and be ready to speed away as soon as I get through the gates.”

I thought he might still protest, but at last, he yielded. The two of them took off for the gate, and I ran back to the masters’ meeting room, having to dodge frenzied armed Warriors and fotianas along the way. Fortunately, things were so chaotic that no one paid any attention to one lone recruit. They probably thought I was lost and confused. In fact, the odds might be good that they’d assume our disappearance was out of fear and never link Sabrina and us to the missing laptop.

As I’d hoped, the masters had run out of their meeting when the commotion started. I got into the empty room easily and nearly whooped with joy when I saw the laptop sitting out. As I’d suspected, the screen was locked, but that’d be a problem for later. I picked it up and turned to the door—where I nearly ran right into Master Angeletti. He stood there stunned for a moment, his eyes going from my face to the laptop and then back to me.

“What do you think you’re doing?” he sputtered out, blocking the exit.

So much for not implicating ourselves in the laptop’s theft. I deliberated for only a moment. If my cover was already blown, I might as well go all the way. Summoning back Malachi Wolfe’s training, I wound up and punched Master Angeletti, landing a hit he clearly hadn’t expected. I’d totally forgotten about the strength spell the witches had laid on me. With the extra power behind my punch, he went flying back several feet, landing flat on his back. Groaning, he put a hand to his head but didn’t come after me as I sprinted over him and hurried back out through the compound.

No one stopped me as I headed toward the main gate. The Warriors were too busy swinging their weapons at the fotianas, shouting about the last battle and sending their enemies to hell. The gate guards had abandoned their posts to join the fray, and I slipped out easily, happy to find Sabrina’s car running and ready for me. I tumbled into the backseat, and she had her foot on the gas before I could even manage to shut the door.

“You got it?” she asked, once we were speeding away.

“Got it,” I confirmed, fastening my seat belt. “But it, uh, wasn’t as covert as I hoped. You might want to go with that staying-away-from-them plan after all.”

She snorted. “No problem there, especially if that laptop pays off.”

I hugged it to me. “Let’s hope so. Where are we going to take it?”

“To Marcus, of course.”

Marcus was still staying at Howie’s cabin in the desert, and it was nearly sunrise when we reached it hours later. I was hoping Adrian would still be there, but when we walked into the living room, we found only Marcus on the couch, eating an oatmeal cream pie for breakfast and leafing through a copy of Reader’s Digest. “I think he’s staying with those witches of yours,” he explained, immediately handing over my cell phone.

I, in turn, gave him the laptop. “Know anyone who can get into it?”

Marcus grinned. “Our host, actually.”

I stared stupidly for a moment. “Howie?”

“Yup. Believe it or not, he used to work in computers before ‘retiring’ to the herb business. I’ll give it to him right away.” Marcus disappeared through the beaded curtain.

I promptly dialed Adrian, and it went to voice mail. It was hard to say what schedule he might be on, and if it was anything human, he might very well still be asleep. Stifling a yawn, I decided that didn’t seem like too bad of an idea after my all-night venture. Eddie and Sabrina were on the same page, and Marcus assured us he’d make sure no one bothered us while we camped out in the living room. I fell asleep almost instantly and woke a few hours later to the sound of Eddie and Marcus whispering. Sabrina was still asleep, curled up on the beanbag chair.

“What’s up?” I asked quietly, walking over to join Marcus and Eddie.

“Howie got in pretty easily,” said Marcus. “Master Angeletti wasn’t that big on security. I’ve spent the last hour or so perusing some of the files.”

“Did you find anything about where they’re holding Jill?” I asked eagerly.

Marcus nodded. “That’s what I was just telling Eddie. It’s all here—well, almost. They mention her, talk about how long she’s been held, have schematics for the place they’re holding her. There are even specifics on the terms they negotiated with Alicia.”

“Terms?” I asked.

“Apparently, they cut some sort of deal. Alicia wanted her held a while—probably so that she had a bargaining chip with you—but the Warriors eventually want to use her in some sort of barbaric execution ritual.”

My heart stopped. “Just like they did with Sonya.”

“It would seem so,” said Marcus grimly. “Per the deal they struck with Alicia, they only have to hold her for three more days.”

I had to stop my jaw from dropping. “Three days?”

“We have to get there—now,” said Eddie, his face like a thundercloud. I was inclined to agree.

Marcus shot him a look of sympathy. “That’s the thing. Remember I said we ‘almost’ had all the info on her? The one thing we don’t have is the location of where they’re holding her. They refer to it as their ‘Judgment Day Complex.’”

I would’ve laughed if the situation wasn’t so dire. “Stupid name. But it might be enough for the Alchemists to go on. I’ll talk to them myself this time and see if I can get their attention.”

“Oh,” remarked Marcus. There was a dry smile on his face I couldn’t fully interpret. “I’ve got something that might help with that. Did you know the Warriors are buying enchanted vampire blood from rogue Alchemists?”

I thought back to what I’d overheard at the compound. “I did, actually. I was going to see if you could find anything on the laptop about it—I take it you did. Is Keith the one doing it again?”

“No,” said Marcus, turning the screen toward me. “Here’s a list.”

I read it. “I see.”

“Yup. I bet the Alchemists would be interested in that—and a number of other Warrior and Alchemist interactions that have been going on.”

I agreed with him, but before I could respond, my phone rang, showing Adrian’s number. “Hang on.” I answered, relief surging through me. “Adrian, are you okay?”

He chuckled on the other end of the line. “Of course you’d ask that. You’re the one who just went undercover with the Warriors, not me.” He paused. “You are back from that, right?”

“I am, and we got what we needed—kind of. We have all sorts of details about where they’re holding Jill, just not the actual geographical location.”

There was a long pause. “Well, I’ll be damned,” he said. “That was about the only thing we got from Alicia. It’s in St. George. But we couldn’t get any other info from her about the setup—not without, ah, extra force. She insinuated that there might be some obstacles there.”

“St. George,” I repeated. I wanted to sink to the ground in relief. “That’s it. The last piece. We’ve got the rest—the layout, whatever obstacles she meant. Now we’ve just got to get everyone mobilized—only we’ve got three days to do it.”

“Why three days?”

“Because they plan on killing her then, just like they were planning with Sonya. It was an arrangement they had for holding her for Alicia while she played her game with me.”

More silence, but I could sense the shift in Adrian’s tone. “Three days.” I knew how hard it had to be for him. The thought of her trapped and undergoing torture was eating me up, and I didn’t have nearly the bond he did with her.

“We’ll get her,” I said. “Don’t worry. Now that we have all this, I’ll make the Alchemists help. You contact the guardians—see if Rose and Dimitri can organize that. And check on Declan while you’re at it—”

“I have,” he interrupted. “Checked on Declan, I mean. I think I’m driving my mom crazy with all my calls. They’re fine. But Sydney . . . I told Neil.”

My mind was spinning with plans for Jill, so that news drew me up short. “About Declan? What’d he say?”

“He’s afraid to be around Declan. I mean, not afraid of Declan himself, but afraid that someone will string the truth about Declan’s history together.”

“But he’s his father,” I said lamely. “He has to be with him.”

Adrian sighed. “That’s what I told him! But Neil keeps arguing that some spirit user might see they’re related or that even a layperson might notice plain old physical resemblance and start asking questions. He says we can’t show any sign that they have a connection or inspire anyone to do a genetic test—and he insists that that involves him keeping his distance. He offered to do everything in his power to help Declan otherwise. I swear, I think he’d rob a bank if he needed to.”

My head reeled. “We’ll talk him out of it. He’s probably just in shock. Once he hears reason, he’ll understand.”

We disconnected, and I hoped my words were true. It made my heart ache that Neil would want to make such a sacrifice, even if—logically—I could understand what might make him think that way. But still. How could he deprive Declan of a father when he already had lost a mother? And what would become of Declan then?

Those were troubling questions for later. For now, I had to get things in motion with the Alchemists. I had Eddie drive me to the other side of Palm Springs, to a pay phone at a remote gas station. Tracking cell phones wasn’t easy, but it wasn’t beyond the Alchemists, and I wouldn’t take any chances. Picking up the phone, I steeled myself to dial a number I hadn’t called in a very long time but still had memorized. I just hoped I’d get an answer.

“Stanton here,” came the familiar voice.

“Hello, Stanton. This is Sydney Ivashkov.”

Silence met me, possibly from astonishment or initiating a track on the call. Maybe both.

“Hello, Sydney,” she said at last. “Isn’t this a pleasant surprise? I can’t say I expected to hear from you.”

“The pleasure’s all yours, and I’m not repeating any of this, so listen closely. The Moroi need Alchemist backup to rescue Jill Dragomir from the Warriors of Light. I’m sure you’ve heard this from Queen Vasilisa.”

“Yes,” she replied. “And I’m sure you’ve heard that our superiors have chosen not to participate, seeing as there’s only been circumstantial proof the Warriors took the girl.”

“Well, we’ve got evidence now, so you’re going to convince them to participate,” I said. “And if you do, I’ll give you the names of four Alchemists who are selling charmed Moroi blood to the Warriors to make more of those strength-enhancing tattoos. In fact, I’ll give you two of those names now: Edward Hill and Callie DiMaggio. Go investigate them. You’ve got one hour, at which point I’ll call again—from another number, so don’t bother staking out this one—and then you’re going to tell me about how you’ll be sending that backup to St. George, Utah, within the next twenty-four hours to help the Moroi rescue Jill. If she’s rescued safely, I’ll give you the other names. Talk to you then.”

I hung up, and Eddie regarded me with awe. “That was pretty badass. But do you actually think it’ll work?”

I followed him back to the car, hoping my gamble would pay off. We drove to a different part of town, to a restaurant called Pies and Stuff that Adrian and I used to frequent. Eddie and I waited there, neither of us speaking much as we munched on pie, both of us lost in our own thoughts. I knew Eddie was consumed by Jill and the three days. I was too. But I was also worried about Declan and Neil. I would’ve loved to go to Clarence’s to check on the baby, but as long as the Alchemists were keeping watch there, I couldn’t risk it.

When the hour deadline was up, I bought a souvenir for Adrian, for old times’ sake, and then prepared to call Stanton again. Part of the reason I’d chosen Pies and Stuff was because they had a pay phone in their parking lot. “What’d you decide?” I asked when Stanton answered.

“We’ll help you,” she said grimly. “Your story checks out about those two. I’ve got a group going to St. George right now.”

“Wow,” I said, impressed in spite of myself. “You move fast. Do you know where to go in St. George?”

“We know about a Warrior camp there. We’re going to scout it out and assess if it matches what you know.”

“I’ve got records all about it that I can have sent to you,” I told her. “The guardians—”

“Are also en route,” she finished. “We’ve been in touch with them and will be coordinating our efforts to strike together to get the girl out. I expect it all to happen within the next day. I assume that’s good enough for you.”

“That’s good enough for you to get the last two names,” I replied. It was hard to keep my cool, considering how relieved I was to hear action was being taken for Jill. The fact that this was all finally happening—and so quickly—was exhilarating. “But if you want the rest of the information I have, you’re going to have to work for it.”

There was a long pause. Then: “What information would that be, exactly?”

“I have proof of other Warrior and Alchemist interactions, deals you probably don’t know about. Deals I hope you don’t know about.” Stanton was a stickler for the rules, but I wanted to believe she was one of the better Alchemists. “I’ll give you all that information too. And I’ll make sure the Moroi don’t know the dirt. You force them to put an awful lot of faith in your help . . . but I have a feeling they might not be so cooperative if they knew you’ve got people in the group working with the enemy.”

“What do you want?” was all she asked. That told me a couple of things, most importantly that she knew it was very possible there were traitors in her midst.

“Amnesty for everyone we released from re-education. And an end to re-education, period.”

There was a sharp intake of breath. “Impossible.”

“What’s the point of re-education, Stanton?” I demanded. “Half the time it doesn’t work. There were people who’d been in there for ages. And even if it seems to work, you never really trust those people anyway. Like Keith. You’re always watching. If you want to help protect humans from evil—the real evil, Strigoi—then there must be a better use of your resources.”

“We can discuss this after we rescue Jill Dragomir,” she said stiffly.

“No. We’re discussing it now. Amnesty for everyone—including Adrian and me. When this is over, I want to go off with him, wherever we want, and live a normal life. I don’t want to see Alchemists driving by or watching me in restaurants. I want to be left alone to pursue my own interests. In exchange, I will give you a copy of what I found on a very incriminating laptop owned by Master Angeletti of the Warriors. And I won’t give a copy of that information to the Moroi—unless you violate the terms of this agreement.”

Glancing up, I saw Eddie studying some posters on the door of Pies and Stuff, and I was glad he was out of earshot. He probably wouldn’t like the idea of me withholding something that might be of interest to his people, but right now, I was negotiating for my life—and the lives of the other ex-Alchemists. I couldn’t favor the Alchemists or the Moroi. I had to look out for everyone who’d simply been caught in the middle of their negotiations.

“I’ll be honest,” said Stanton at last. “Many questions have been raised internally about the usefulness of re-education—whether it’s truly doing what we want. But I can’t agree to your deal on my own. You should know that by now. I need to take it to the others. What I will promise you is amnesty for the rest of this endeavor in St. George. If you want to attend, you have my word you can without fear from the Alchemists. Then I’ll let you know what the others have to say.”

Something in Stanton’s voice—as well as what I knew of her character—made me believe her. “Fair enough,” I said. I tried to make my tone lofty, like I was doing her a great favor in making this concession, but in truth, I was anxious to get things under way.

It was time for us to bring Jill home.