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Three campus shuttle buses came and went, and Jill wasn’t on any of theether, and I’d made sure to keep up with that, even if I couldn’t keep up with anything else I took outokay?

No answer cah me After the assassination atte hus because a desert was no place that either our kind or the Strigoi--evil, undead vampires--wanted to be The Alche humans and vampires away fros went smoothly The Alchee into civil war, and Sydney had done a good job of helping Jill through all sorts of ups and downs Where Sydney had failed, however, was in getting roainst the Alche apart from each other, and the Alchemists had responded brutally and efficiently

Even after Sydney had left and her stiff-faced replaces had reer from any source, and we even had indications that she could return to mainstream Moroi society once her school year finished next month This kind of disappearance was out of character, and when I didn’t get a text response from her, I sent one to Eddie Castile

Whereas Jill and I were Moroi, he was a dhampir--a race born of mixed human and vampire blood His kind trained to be our defenders, and he was one of the best Unfortunately, his forh when Sydney had tricked hi up from her when the Alchemists had co herself, and he couldn’t get over that That hu roer felt he orthy of a Moroi princess He still dutifully served as her bodyguard, however, and I knew that if anything had happened to her, he’d be the first to know

But Eddie didn’t answerundercover as her protectors That eird, but I tried to reassure myself that radio silence froether and were fine Jill would show up soon

The sun was botheringand found another bench that was out of the way and shaded by palm trees I made myself co out late at the bar last night and by finishing off my vodka flask A murmur of voices woke me later, and I saw that the sun had moved considerably in the sky abovewith our friends Angeline, Trey, and Neil

"Hey," I croaked,to sit up "Where were you?"

"Where were you?" Eddie asked pointedly

Jill’s green eyes softened as she looked at ot Understandable sincewell, he’s going through a tough ti uneasily from face to face

"It doesn’t et?" I exclaieline Dawes, one of Jill’s dhampir protectors, proved as usual to be the voice of bluntness "Jill’s end-of-term expo"

I stared blankly, and then it all came back to me One of Jill’s extracurricular activities was a fashion design and sewing club She’d started off erous in her position, she’d recently tried her hand at designing behind the scenes--and had found she was pretty good at it She’d been talking for the lastas their end-of-terood to see her so excited about soain I knew she was hurt over Sydney too, and with my transferred depression and her botched romance with Eddie, she’d lived under a cloud nearly as dark as my own This show and the chance to display her work had been one bright spot for her--ss but irl who needed some normality

And I’d blown it off

Bits of conversation caI’d come and support her She’d even made a point to remind me the last time I’d seen her this week I’d noted what she said and then went out to celebrate Tequila Tuesday at a bar nearher show had slipped my mind was an understate" I lifted up my phone to show them, except it was the vodka flask I picked up instead I hastily shoved it back in the bag

"We had to turn our phones off during the show," explained Neil He was the third dharown onfroirl who’d dropped off the face of the earth, though unlike Sydney, Olive Sinclair’s silence was e and not Alcheo then?" I atteht?"

I felt so incredibly stupid, I could hardly stand it Maybe I couldn’t fight against what the Alchemists had done to Sydney Maybe I couldn’t prepare for an exam But for God’s sake, I should’ve at least been able to irl’s fashion show! All I had to do was show up, sit there, and applaud I’d failed at even that, and the weight of it was suddenly crushing A black haze filledand everyone--myself most of all It was no wonder I couldn’t save Sydney I couldn’t even take care of myself