Blood Promise Read Online Free PDF Page A

Moroi were regarded as monsters worth hunting.
    Sydney verified my thoughts. “And that was when the Moroi began to stay away. They had their magic, but humans were starting to outnumber them. We still do.” That almost brought a smile to her face. Moroi sometimes had trouble conceiving, whereas humans seemed to have too easy a time. “And the Moroi made a deal with the Alchemists. If the Alchemists would help Moroi and dhampirs and their societies stay secret from humans, the Moroi would give us these.” She touched the golden tattoo.
    “What is that?” I asked. “I mean, aside from the obvious.”
    She gently stroked it with her fingertips and didn’t bother hiding the sarcasm when she spoke. “My guardian angel. It’s actually gold and”—she grimaced and dropped her hand—“Moroi blood, charmed with water and earth.”
    “What?” My voice came out too loud, and some people in the restaurant turned to look at me. Sydney continued speaking, her tone much lower—and very bitter.
    “I’m not thrilled about it, but it’s our ‘reward’ for helping you guys. The water and earth bind it to our skin and give us the same traits Moroi have—well, a couple of them. I almost never get sick. I’ll live a long life.”
    “I guess that sounds good,” I said uncertainly.
    “Maybe for some. We don’t have a choice. This ‘career’ is a family thing—it gets passed down. We all have to learn about Moroi and dhampirs. We work connections among humans that let us cover up for you since we can move around more freely. We’ve got tricks and techniques to get rid of Strigoi bodies—like that potion you saw. In return, though, we want to stay apart from you as much as we can—which is why most dhampirs aren’t told about us until they graduate. And Moroi hardly ever.” She abruptly stopped. I guessed the lesson was over.
    My head was reeling. I had never, never considered anything like this—wait. Had I? Most of my education had emphasized the physical aspects of being a guardian: watchfulness, combat, etc. Yet every so often I’d heard vague references to those out in the human world who would help hide Moroi or get them out of weird and dangerous situations. I’d never thought much about it or heard the term Alchemist . If I had stayed in school, maybe I would have.
    This probably wasn’t an idea I should have suggested, but my nature couldn’t help it. “Why keep the charm to yourselves? Why not share it with the human world?”
    “Because there’s an extra part to its power. It stops us from speaking about your kind in a way that would endanger or expose them.”
    A charm that bound them from speaking . . . that sounded suspiciously like compulsion. All Moroi could use compulsion a little, and most could put some of their magic into objects to give them certain properties. Moroi magic had changed over the years, and compulsion was regarded as an immoral thing now. I was guessing this tattoo was an old, old spell that had come down through the centuries.
    I replayed the rest of what Sydney had said, more questions spinning in my head. “Why . . . why do you want to stay away from us? I mean, not that I’m looking to become BFFs or anything . . . .”
    “Because it’s our duty to God to protect the rest of humanity from evil creatures of the night.” Absentmindedly, her hand went to something at her neck. It was mostly covered by her jacket, but a parting of her collar briefly revealed a golden cross.
    My initial reaction to that was unease, seeing as I wasn’t very religious. In fact, I was never entirely comfortable around those who were hard-core believers. Thirty seconds later, the full impact of the rest of her words sank in.
    “Wait a minute,” I exclaimed indignantly. “Are you talking about all of us—dhampirs and Moroi? We’re all evil creatures of the night?”
    Her hands dropped from the cross, and she didn’t respond.
    “We’re not like Strigoi!” I snapped.
    Her face stayed