Bloodlines (Bloodlines #1)(24)

Jill shrugged. "He didn't seem dangerous to me, but I'm no guardian. If Eddie did think he was some kind of threat, it seems like he'd be acting differently. More aggressive. He mostly seems nervous around Micah. Almost - but not quite - afraid. And that's weirdest of all because guardians never look scared. Not that Eddie's technically a guardian. But you know what I mean."

"I do," I said, smiling despite my grumpy intentions. That cute, rambling nature cheered me up a little. "What do you mean Eddie's technically not a guardian? Isn't he assigned to protect you here?"

"Yeah, he is," said Jill, toying with one of her light brown curls. "But... well, it's kind of weird. He got in some trouble with the guardians for helping Rose and for, um, killing a guy."

"He killed a Moroi that attacked Vasilisa, right?" It had come up at my interrogation.

"Yeah," said Jill, lost in her own memories. "It was self-defense - well, and defense of Lissa, but everyone was shocked at him killing a Moroi. Guardians aren't supposed to do that, but then, you know, Moroi aren't supposed to attack each other either. Anyway, he was put on suspension. No one knew what to do with him. When I got... attacked, Eddie helped protect me. Later, Lissa said it was stupid to keep him off duty when he could be helpful and that considering Moroi were behind this attack too, she said everyone was going to have to get used to the idea of Moroi being the enemy. Hans - the guardian in charge at Court - finally agreed and sent Eddie here with me, but I think officially, Eddie's not restored yet. It's weird." Jill had delivered the whole speech without pausing and now stopped to catch a breath.

"Well, I'm sure it'll be sorted out," I said, trying to be reassuring. "And it seems like he'll get points for keeping a princess alive."

Jill looked at me sharply. "I'm no princess."

I frowned and tried to remember the complexities of Moroi law. "The prince or princess is the oldest member of a family. Since Vasilisa's queen, the title rolls over to you, right?"

"On paper," said Jill, looking away. Her tone was hard to read, an odd mixture of what seemed like bitterness and sorrow. "I'm not a princess, not really. I'm just someone who happens to be related to the queen."

Jill's mother had briefly been mistress to Eric Dragomir, Vasilisa's father, and had kept Jill's existence a secret for years. It had only come out recently, and I'd played a big role in helping Rose track Jill down. With all the fallout in my own life, as well as the emphasis on Jill's safety, I hadn't spent much time wondering how she had adapted to her new status. That had to be a serious lifestyle change.

"I'm sure there's more to it than that," I said gently. I wondered if I was going to be spending a lot of time playing therapist to Jill during this assignment. The prospect of actually comforting a vampire still seemed so strange to me. "I mean, you're obviously important. Everyone's gone to a lot of trouble to keep you safe here."

"But is it for me?" asked Jill. "Or is it to help Lissa keep the throne? She's hardly spoken to me since she found out we were sisters." This conversation was steering into uncomfortable waters, into interpersonal matters that I didn't really know how to deal with. I couldn't imagine being in either Vasilisa or Jill's place. The only thing I felt certain of was that it couldn't be easy for any of them.

"I'm sure she cares about you," I said, though not really sure at all. "But it's probably strange for her - especially with all the other changes in her life too. Give it time. Focus on the important things first - staying here and staying alive."

"You're right," said Jill. She lay back on her bed and stared up at the ceiling. "I'm nervous about tomorrow, about being around everyone, in classes all day. What if they notice? What if someone finds out the truth about me?"

"You did fine at orientation," I assured her. "Just don't show your fangs. And besides, I'm pretty good at convincing people they didn't see what they think they saw."

The grateful expression on her face reminded me uncomfortably of Zoe. They were so alike in many ways, shy and uncertain - yet intensely fierce and desperately wanting to prove themselves. I'd tried to protect Zoe - and only failed in her eyes. Now, being here for Jill made me feel conflicted. In some ways, I could make up for what I hadn't been able to do for Zoe. Yet even as I thought that, some inner voice kept saying, Jill is not your sister. She's a vampire. This is business.

"Thanks, Sydney. I'm glad you're here." She smiled, and the guilt only twisted further inside me. "You know, I'm kind of jealous of Adrian. He thinks it's so boring at Clarence's, but he doesn't have to worry about meeting new people or getting used to a new school. He just gets to hang out, watch TV, play pool with Lee, sleep in... it sounds amazing." She sighed.

"I suppose," I said, a little surprised at the detail. "How do you know all that? Have you... have you talked to him since we left?" Even as I said that, the idea seemed unlikely. I'd been with her most of the day.

The smile dropped from her face. "Oh no. I mean, I just figure that's what's going on. He mentioned some of it earlier, that's all. Sorry. I'm being melodramatic and rambling. Thanks for listening to me... it really does make me feel better."