taking any time in the bathroom to fix his look or anything. I was beginning to think he’d look like

that even if he wasn’t djamphir. “If all goes well, it should take a little over an hour for all to come

to light. Then . . .”

“What are you going to do?” I pressed the washcloth against my forehead again.

“I’m going to make certain Anna can’t hurt you. I’m going to make certain she pays for what she’s

done.” His jaw set, and I was suddenly grateful he hadn’t ever talked about me in that chill, factual

way. “When this all ends you won’t have to worry. Not about the Order, at least. Unless Sergej’s

corruption runs deeper than I’ve found.” A muscle flicked high up on one smooth cheek. “But even

then, I won’t leave you. I’m not going anywhere, Dru.”

“Yeah. Sure.” I closed my eyes, laid the cloth over them. It felt good. “Whatever. I want to find

Graves.”

“Everyone is looking for him. He’s picked a good hiding spot. Unless . . .”

“Unless what?” I peeked out from under the washcloth.

“I don’t know what happened between you and him. But if something did happen, could he possibly

have left the Schola?” Quietly, gently, like he was afraid of me breaking down again.

Hearing him say what I’d been thinking only made it worse. “He wouldn’t.” I bristled immediately.

It was like defending Dad. You do it because you have to, even if you don’t believe it. “He wouldn’t

leave me.”

I just couldn’t stand Christophe saying it.

It wasn’t like Graves to ditch me. It just wasn’t. He’d been sticking like glue since the Dakotas. It’s

you and me against the world, he’d said. Don’t you dare leave me behind.

Come and find me.

I settled on what I hoped, as stupid as that was. “Something must have happened to him.” The

words stuck in my throat. “God.”

“If he’s still at the Schola we can find him. It will take time, though. Do you want a search of every

room?”

It won’t do any good. “They won’t do that.”

“If you ask, they will.” Like, The sky’s blue, or Vampires drink blood. With a healthy helping of

duh, Dru. “They’ve been trained to leap when a svetocha speaks.”

“Anna.” Like it was a dirty word. It was getting to be. I almost flinched when I said it, as if she

would suddenly pop out of thin air. “Christophe?”

“What?”

I sensed him leaning forward. It’s weird to feel someone’s attention on you that way, like you’re the

only thing in the world they’re listening to. Most of the time people are distracted, or just thinking