She shook her head and managed a weak smile, though I could see the anguish in her eyes. “Most were too nervous to be around me that long. Alicia had some kind of time conditions set on that spell . . . with that creature. There was a short period each day, around sunrise, when someone could come into my cell, drug me, leave food and blood, and then get out. They never stayed long—I think they were too afraid of being trapped in there with me.”
“I’m so sorry,” I said again. “I wish we could have saved you sooner.”
Jill hugged me. “I know you were trying. I was able to see a lot through the bond and—”
“Jailbait?”
The feeder was stepping away, and Adrian was looking in our direction, his expression alert and clear. Jill cried out and ran into his arms, tears shining on her face. My own tears fell then, unable to stop themselves in the wake of this reunion.
“You’re okay,” he breathed, cupping her face. “You’re okay. I was so worried. You have no idea. I thought I’d failed you—”
Jill began to cry harder. “You’ve never failed me. Never.”
I wanted to throw myself in Adrian’s arms as well but waited so that they could have this moment. The love Adrian and I shared was powerful, and I knew it would sustain us for the rest of our lives, no matter what was to come. But the love he and Jill shared, this sibling-like affection born from spirit, was powerful too. I knew how it had eaten him up to be away from her.
The sound of a car door caught my attention. I looked over to the other side of the makeshift parking lot just in time to see my father and Zoe getting out of a car—with Stanton. After a quick glance to ascertain Adrian and Jill were fine without me, I walked over to intercept the Alchemists.
“Sydney,” said Stanton, by way of greeting. “It seems everything’s worked out in this operation of yours. I presume you’ll give me those other two names?”
“Charlene Hampton and Eugene Li,” I said promptly.
Stanton repeated them to herself and immediately reached for her cell phone. “Very good. I’ll see to it they’re looked into.”
“What about the rest of our deal?” I demanded.
“Not much time has passed,” she reminded me. “But I was able to get an intermediary decision—for you. The other Alchemist leaders have agreed to leave you alone. You and your, uh, husband may go off into the world and do whatever it is you plan on doing.” A small frown in her otherwise proper delivery was the only indication of how distasteful she found that prospect.
“You mean it?” I asked. “Adrian and I are free? No one spying on us or looking over our shoulder?” My dad’s jaw dropped.
“As free as anyone is in this world,” she said ruefully. “Honestly, I think it was a relief to some of them. You’re an awful lot of trouble, Sydney Ivashkov.”
I couldn’t help but smile. “And what about the others? The other detainees?”
“Amnesty for them as well—if you turn over the information,” she added. “I can’t make any guarantees about the future of re-education. That’s a more complex issue.”
It didn’t seem that complex to me, but freedom for me and the others who’d suffered through re-education was a huge boon—if the Alchemists held true to it.
“I meant what I said about my questions concerning the re-education issue,” Stanton told me. “It is one I plan on pursuing. We do need to have disciplinary systems in place—like in the case of the tattoo emergence—but obviously, there are lines we might be able to better redefine.”
“Thank you, ma’am,” I said. Again, I hoped I was right in my read of her, that she was telling the truth. “I’ll have the laptop’s contents sent to you.”
“Excellent. Now excuse me a moment while I deal with Ms. Hampton and Mr. Li.” She dialed a number on her cell phone and strolled away, leaving me in a slightly awkward situation with my dad and Zoe.
“I don’t know what you’ve pulled over her,” my dad growled. “But there’s no way the Alchemists are going to let you just get away with this abomination of a life. Some might think it’s okay, but others won’t.”
“That’s true,” I said. “But Stanton clearly thinks it’s okay. And I firmly believe people like her will make a strong enough argument to ease up on me and some of the others who no longer want to be part of the Alchemists. In fact, you’re going to help her make that case.”
Fury sparked in his eyes. “Never.”
“Because here’s the thing, Dad,” I told him, continuing as though he hadn’t spoken, “I got Stanton to help with this rescue by giving her four names of people who were working with the Warriors to make more of those illicit tattoos. I gave her four—but I had five. And I think you know who the fifth was.”
“I have no idea,” he said immediately.
Zoe gave him a shocked look. “What? You didn’t—you couldn’t have—”
“The proof is there,” I said. “The laptop we recovered has records of meetings and orders you made with some of the Warriors. Now, if you’re lucky, the Alchemists who were already busted won’t turn you in to try to save themselves. And if you’re cooperative, I won’t turn you in either.”
“Cooperative,” he scoffed. “What does that mean to someone like you? Someone who’s thrown away all the moral lessons you were raised with—”