The Golden Lily (Bloodlines, #2)(98)

"I'm tired of this," said Eddie. It was a wonder he'd been patient this long. "We need to bust down the doors of that place and - "

"Wait, wait." An idea was forming in my head - and it was another crazy one. "Trey, you said Eddie couldn't just walk into that place. But could I?"

"What are you talking about?" asked Trey, a mix of suspicion and confusion on his face

"You know what I am. You know what I do." Trey nodded. "Our two groups used to be united. Those guys who stopped me on the street even said they thought we should all be working together. The Warriors want Alchemist resources."

"So, what... you want a trade?" asked Trey, frowning.

"No. I just want to talk to this council of yours. I want to explain why Sonya isn't... er, why she doesn't look the way she used to. There's a Moroi who uses a certain kind of magic who could even show you - "

"No," said Trey immediately. "None of them would be allowed inside. They're tolerated, but that's it. You hybrids wouldn't be allowed either." Again, he spoke to Eddie and Angeline. I'd never heard the term hybrids used, but the meaning was clear.

"Okay," I said. "Only humans. I'm human. Your group wants to work with my group. Let me go with you. Unarmed. I'll talk to your leaders and - "

"Sydney, no," protested Eddie. "You can't go there alone! They tried to decapitate Sonya, for God's sake. And remember what Clarence said about radicals stalking him?"

"We won't hurt humans," said Trey adamantly. "She'd be safe."

"I believe you," I told him. "And I know you wouldn't ever let anything happen to me either.

Look, aren't you curious about why Sonya is the way she is? Can you take the chance your people are making a mistake? You said you tolerate Moroi. She's one of them. Let me explain.

I'm not asking for anything else except a chance to speak."

"And a guarantee of safety," added Angeline, who looked almost as outraged as Eddie.

He nodded at her words. "You guys are big on the honor stuff, right? You'd have to promise she'd be safe."

"Honor's what makes us do what we do," said Trey. "If we promise she'll be safe, she will be."

"Then ask them," I urged. "Please? Won't you do this for me? As my friend?" A pained look crossed Trey's features at that. He'd hinted before that he owed me for helping end the illicit tattoo ring last month. That would obligate any friend, let alone one instilled with a rigid sense of honor. I knew then, too, that more than honor was on the line here.

Trey and I were friends - with more in common than I'd ever realized. We both were part of groups that wanted to control our lives, often in ways we didn't like. We also had domineering fathers. If Trey and I didn't have such opposing goals, we might have laughed about all this.

"I'll ask," Trey said. Something told me he too was thinking of our similarities. "Because it's you. But I can't make any promises."

"Then ask now," growled Eddie. "We don't have time to waste. And I'm guessing Sonya doesn't either."

Trey didn't deny it. I hesitated, suddenly wondering if this was a smart choice. What would happen if we let Trey out of our sight? Would it be better if we really did drag him to Dimitri?

And Sonya... how much time did she have left?

"Now," I reiterated to Trey. "You have to get in touch with them now. Don't go to class." It was probably the first and only time I'd say those words.

"I swear," said Trey. "I'll call them now."

The bell rang, ending our meeting. Although, if we'd had the chance to save Sonya at that moment, I knew each of my friends would have walked off campus then and there. We let Trey go, and he headed back toward his dorm, not toward our classes. Angeline - newly free from suspension - departed with Jill while Eddie and I walked to history.

"That was a mistake," he said, face grim as he stared at where Trey had gone. "For all we know, he's going to disappear, and we'll have lost any chance we had at getting Sonya back."

"I don't think he will," I said. "I know Trey. He's a good person, and I could tell that even if he thinks Strigoi need to be exterminated, he's not 100 percent sure of Sonya. He'll do what he can. I think he's feeling torn right now, caught between what they've told him his whole life and what he's starting to see with his own eyes."

Sound like anyone else you know? an inner voice asked.

I'd sort of hoped that Trey would give me an answer right away - say, by chemistry. But he wasn't there either or anywhere else at school the day. I supposed these things took time, and my patience and faith were rewarded at the end of the day with a text from him: Still checking. Some are willing to talk. Others need convincing.

Eddie didn't take Trey's message as concrete proof when I showed it to him, but I didn't think Trey would've said anything if he'd skipped town. Eddie wanted to get together with Dimitri and discuss strategy on this new development. So, we decided to take a group trip downtown. I sent the summons to our family to meet outside the East dorm in a half hour. Jill was the first one to arrive, and she came to a halt when she saw me.

"Wow, Sydney... your hair."