The Golden Lily Chapter 8

GOING bug by AGAIN didnt sincerely happen until the weekend. Brayden and I were both overachieving sufficient to manage weeknight placeings and unchanging finish homework provided when incomp permite of us desired to do it if we could obviate it. Besides, my weeknights chronicly had any(prenominal) other struggle with the gang, be it a feeding or the experiments. Eddie had open upn his declination this week, and Id make a point to non be nigh when it happened, lest Sonya try to pitch to me again.Brayden had indispensabilityed to go out Satur mean solar day, plainly that was the day Id promised to advertize Adrian to San Diego. Brayden compromised on breakfast, catching me before I hit the road, and we went out to a eating place adjacent to adept of Palm Springs umteen lush golf dawdles. Although I had languish since offered to pull my share, Brayden continued picking up the bills and doing eery last(predicate) the driving. As he pulled up in front of my do rm to project me off afterward, I saw a surprising and non entirely acceptable panorama awaiting me Adrian sitting outside on a bench, facial vista bored.Oh geez, I give tongue to.What? adopted Brayden.Thats my brother. I k refreshful in that location was no avoiding this. The inevitable had happened. Adrian would in every(prenominal) probability cling to Braydens bumper until he got an introduction. Come on, you screw meet him.Brayden left field the railroad car groundlessness and stepped out, casting an anxious glance at the NO PARKINGsign. Adrian jumped up from his seat, a panorama of supreme satisfaction on his view.Wasnt I supposed to pick you up? I asked.Sonya had some errands to run and offered to brush off me here musical composition she was out, he explained.calculate wed save you some trouble. Adrian had mon what I was doing this morning, so I wasnt entirely genuine his motives had been all that selfless.This is Brayden, I told him. Brayden, Adrian.Adr ian shook his hand. Ive comprehend so untold active you. I didnt doubt that further wondered who merely hed comprehend it from.Brayden gave a friendly smile ski binding. Ive real never assured of you. I didnt plane hunch Sydney had another brother.You never menti aned me? Adrian iridescent me a look of mock hurt.It never came up, I say.Youre calm d ingest in high school school, remunerate? asked Adrian. He nodded toward the Mustang. You must drop a side job to prosecute a dash those car payments, though. Unless youre iodine of those slackers who upright tries to energize money off of their parents.Brayden looked indignant. Of course not. I work al safe some every day at a coffee shop.A coffee shop, repeated Adrian, managing to convey a million shades of disapproval in his tone. I fascinate. He glanced over at me. I suppose it could be worse.Adrian Well, its not ilk Im press release to work there forever, protested Brayden. Ive already been legitimate to USC, Stanford, and Dartmouth.Adrian nodded thoughtfully. I injection thats respectable. Although, Ive forever and a day thought of Dartmouth as the figure of school people go to when they jakest add up into Yale or Harv We rattling need to go, I interrupted, grabbing hold of Adrians arm. I attempted to jerking him toward the student parking bus and failed. We dont compliments to ascertain caught in business. Brayden glanced at his mobile phone phone. Traffic patterns should be relatively brightness level going west this cartridge clip of the day, only if being a weekend, you never k direct how tourists might alter liaisons, especially with the mingled attractions in San Diego. If you look at traffic models applying the Chaos Theory Exactly, I said. fall apart safe than sorry. Ill text you when I get back, okay? Well figure out the delay of this week.For at one time, I didnt necessitate to stress almost handshaking or kissing or anything corresponding that. I was withal fixated on dragging Adrian a carriage before he could open his mouth and say something inflammatory.Brayden, slice passionate about academic field of studys and me disagreeing with him, tended to other than be pretty mild-mannered. He hadnt exactly been upset barely now, but that was certainly the to the highest degree(prenominal) agitated Id ever seen him. forswear it to Adrian to work up tear take the some tumefy-to-dogoing people.Really? I asked, once we were safely indoors Latte. You couldnt dupe that said smooth to meet you, and permit it go?Adrian pushed back the passenger seat, managing the most lounging position possible musical composition dummy up wearing a seatbelt. Just looking out for you, sis. Dont want you ending up with some deadbeat. Believe me, Im an expert on that kind of thing.Well, I appreciate your insider knowledge, but Ill manage this on my own, thanks but the same.Come on, a barista? Why not some business intern?I alike that hes a barista. He always smells like coffee. Adrian furled overmatch a window, letting the breeze ruffle his hair. Im impress you let him drive you around, especially considering the way you freak out if anyone touches the controls in your car. equivalent the window? I asked pointedly. When the air modifyings on? Adrian took the hint and raised the window back up. He wants to drive. So I let him. Besides, I like that car.That is a nice car, Adrian admitted. Though I never took you for the type to go for status symbols.I dont. I like it because its an interesting car with a extensive history.Translation status symbol.Adrian. I sighed. This is going to be a long ride. In actuality, we do pretty practiced time. Despite Braydens speculations, traffic locomote easily, enough that I felt I deserved a coffee break middle(prenominal) through. Adrian got a mocha Can you spot me this one time, Sage? and maintained his usual breezy conversation style throughout most of the trip. I couldnt garter but notice, when we were about thirty minutes out, he grew more withdrawn and thoughtful. His banter dropped off, and he spent a lot of time gazing out the window.I could only outwear the reality of his seeing his dad was vista in. It was certainly something I could relate to. Id be fairish as anxious if I was about to see mine. I didnt really think Adrian would appreciate a share psychotherapy session, though, so I groped for a safer go pastic to draw him out of his aristocratic angel mood.Have you quats learned anything from Eddie and Dimitris blood? I asked.Adrian glanced at me in surprise. Didnt expect you to work on that up.Hey, Im curious about the science of it. I adept didnt want to participate. He accepted this. not much to tell so soon. They sent the samples off to a science lab one of your labs, I think to see if theres anything physically different betwixt the two. Sonya and I did pick up a oh, I dont know how to describe it. the likes of, a hum of personality in Belikovs blood.Not that him having magic blood should surprise anyone. Most people wait to think everything he does is magic.Oh, come on, I said. Thats unfair.Is it? Youve seen the way Castile worships him. He wants to be just like Belikov when he grows up. And even though Sonyas usually the spokesperson for our research, she wont breathe without checking with him beforehand. What do you think, Dimitri? Is this a good idea, Dimitri? Please give us your blessing so that we can fall down and worship you, Dimitri. I shook my head in exasperation. once again unfair. Theyre research partners. Of course shes going to concern him.She consults him more than me.Probably because Adrian always looked bored during their research, but I figured it wouldnt help to bring that up. Theyve both been Strigoi. Theyve kind of got a unique insight to this.He didnt reply for several moments. Okay. Ill give you points for that. But you cant consider that there was any competi tion between me and him when it came to Rose. You saw them together. I never had a chance. I cant oppose.Well, why do you have to? Part of me also cute to ask what Rose had to do with this, but Jill had told me many an(prenominal) times that for Adrian, everything came back to Rose.Because I wanted her, Adrian said. Do you still want her?No answer. Rose was a dangerous topic one I wished we hadnt weirdly stumbled into.Look, I said. You and Dimitri are two different people. You shouldnt compare yourself to him. You shouldnt try to be like him. I mean, Im not going to sit here and rip him apart or anything.I like Dimitri. Hes pine and dedicated, insanely hold up and ferocious. Good in a fight.And hes just a nice guy.Adrian scoffed. You left out dreamy and ruggedly handsome.Hey, youre pretty easy on the eyes too, I teased, quoting something hed told me a while ago. He didnt smile. And dont underestimate yourself. Youre smart too, and you can talk yourself out of and into anythi ng. You dont even need magical charisma.So utmost Im not seeing a lot of difference between me and a fair con-man.Oh, stop, I said. He could make me express mirth even with the most serious of topics. You know what I mean. And youre also one of the most fiercely truehearted people I know and caring, no matter how much you pretend otherwise. I see the way you look after Jill. Not many people wouldve traveled across the terra firma to help her. And to the highest degree no one would have done what you did to save her life.Again, Adrian took a while to respond. But what are loyal and caring really worth?To me? Everything. at that place was no hesitation in my answer. Id seen too much backstabbing and calculation in my life. My own father judged people not by who they were but by what they could do for him.Adrian did assistance passionately about others underneath all of his bravado and flippancy. Id seen him risk his life to install it. Considering Id had someones eye cut out t o vindicate my sisterwell. Devotion was definitely something I could appreciate.Adrian didnt say anything else for the rest of the drive, but at least I didnt get the characterisation he was brooding anymore. Mostly he seemed thoughtful, and that wasnt so concerning.What did make me a short(p) uneasy was that I often caught sight of him studying me in my periphery.I replayed what Id said over and over in my mind, try to figure out if thered been anything to warrant much(prenominal) attention.Adrians father was staying at a sprawl San Diego hotel with a vibe similar to the resort Brayden and I had eaten breakfast at. Businessmen in suits mingled with plea certainly seekers in tropical prints and flip-flops. Id almost worn jeans to breakfast and was glad now for my choice of a color razz and short-sleeved blouse with a muted blue and gray print. It had a tiny ruffled trim, and the s pay back had a very, very faint herringbone pattern pattern. Normally, I wouldnt have worn su ch contrasting textures together, but Id liked the hardiness of the look. Id pointed it out to Jill before I left the dorm for breakfast. Itd taken her a while to even find the contrasting textures, and when she did, shed rolling her eyes. Yeah, Sydney. Youre a real rebel. Meanwhile, Adrian was in one of his typical summer outfits, jeans and a button-up enclothe though of course the raiment was untucked, with the sleeves rolled up and a few top buttons undone. He wore that look all the time, and disdain its casual façade, he often make it appear dressy and fashionable. Not today, however. These were the most worn-out jeans Id ever seen him wear the knees were on the verge of having holes. The dark green shirt, while nice quality and a ideal match for his eyes, was wrinkled to inexplicable levels. sleeping in it or tossing it on the horizontal surface wouldnt achieve that state. I was pretty sure someone would have to actually cave in it into a ball and sit on it for it to look that bad. If Id noticed it back at Amberwood (and hadnt been so distracted getting him past from Brayden), I wouldve insisted on ironing the shirt before we left.He still looked good, of course. He always looked good, no matter the condition of his clothing and hair. It was one of the more dirty things about him. This rumpled look made him come across as some pensive European model. Studying him as we took the elevator to the second floor tap, I decided it couldnt be a resemblance that the most disheveled outfit Id ever seen Adrian in had fallen on the day he had a father-son visit. The question was why? Hed complained that his dad always found chemise with him. Dressing this way seemed like Adrian was just providing one more reason.The elevator opened, and I gasped as we stepped out. The back wall of the lobby was almost entirely covered with windows that offered a dramatic view of the Pacific. Adrian chuckled at my reaction and took out his cell phone. Take a clos er look while I call the old man.He didnt have to tell me twice. I walked over to one of the glass walls, admiring the vast, blue-gray expanse. I imagined that on profound days, it would be hard to tell where gear ended and ocean began. The weather was gorgeous out today, full of sun and a perfectly clear azure-blue sky. On the lobbys right side, a set of doors opened up onto a Mediterranean style balcony where diners were enjoying eat out in the sun. Looking down to ground level, I caught sight of a sparkling pool as blue as the sky, surrounded in plow trees and sunbathers.I didnt have the same relish for water that a magic user like Jill possessed, but I had been alert in the desert for almost two months. This was amazing.I was so transfixed with the kayo outside that I didnt notice Adrians return. In fact, I didnt even notice he was standing right beside me until a mother calling for her daughter also named Sydney made me glance aside. There, I saw Adrian only inches awa y, watching me with amusement.I flinched and stepped back a small(a). How about some warning following(a) time? He smiled. I didnt want to interrupt. You looked happy for a neuter.For a change? Im happy lots of times.I knew Adrian well enough to recognize the sign of an entry snarky comment. At the last second, he changed course, his expression turning serious. Does that guy that Brendan guy Brayden.Does that Brayden guy make you happy?I looked at Adrian in surprise. These kinds of questions were almost always a setup from him, but his neutral face made it hard to guess his motives this time.I guess, I said at last. Yeah. I mean, he doesnt make me unhappy. That brought Adrians smile back. stacked answer if ever there was one. What do you like about him? Aside from the car? And that he smells like coffee?I like that hes smart, I said. I like that I dont have to dumb myself down around him. Now Adrian frowned. You do that a lot for people?I was strike at the bitterness in my o wn laugh. A lot? Try all the time. Probably the most important thing Ive learned at Amberwood is that people dont like to know how much you know. With Brayden, theres no security review for either of us. I mean, just look at this morning.One minute we were lecture Halloween costumes, the next we were discussing the antediluvian patriarch Athenian origins of democracy.Im not going to claim to be a genius, but how the hell did you make that border?Oh, I said. Our Halloween costumes. Were dressing Greek. From the Athenian era.Of course, he said. And this time, I could tell the snark was about to return. No sexy cat costumes for you. Only the most dignified, feminist attire will do. I shook my head. Feminist? Oh, no. Not Athenian women. Theyre about as farthermost from feminist as you can well, lug it. Its not really important. Adrian did a copy take. Thats it, isnt it? He leaned toward me, and I nearly moved back but something held me where I was, something about the intensity in his eyes.What? I asked.He pointed at me. You stopped yourself just now. You just dumbed it down for me. I hesitated only a moment. Yeah, I kind of did.Why?Because you really dont want to hear about ancient Athens, any more than you wanted to hear Brayden talk about Chaos Theory.Thats different, said Adrian. He hadnt moved away and was still standing so, so close to me. It seemed like that shouldve bothered me, but it didnt. Hes boring. You make encyclopedism fun. Like a childrens book or after school special. Tell me about your um, Athenian women. I tried not to smile. I admired his intentions here but knew he really wasnt up for a history lesson. Again, I wondered what game was going on. Why was he pretending to be interested?I tried to ensnare an answer that would take less than 60 seconds.Most Athenian women werent educated. They mostly stayed inside and were just expected to have kids and take care of the house. The most progressive women were the hetaerae.They were like e ntertainers and high-class prostitutes. They were educated and a little flashier.Powerful men kept their wives at home to raise children and then hung out with hetaerae for fun. I paused, unsure if hed followed any of that. Like I said, its not really important.I dont know, said Adrian thoughtfully. I find prostitutes immensely important.Well. How refreshing to see that things havent changed, a new voice cut in.We both flinched and looked up at the scowling man who had just joined us.Adrians father had arrived.