Free The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead Page A

two-hour mark approached, I realized that although I’d brought Marcus’s picture
     with me on this trip (I rarely let it out of my sight), it was still in my room. I
     excused myself from Ian, telling him I needed to go back to the inn to change shoes
     and would take one of the cars that had been ferrying wedding guests around town.
    Ian’s face immediately grew protective. “Do you want me to go with you? It’s not safe
     out there.”
    I shook my head. “No, you need to stay here. Stanton’s in more danger.” She was standing
     near the bar, speaking to two Moroi men. I wondered if she had another dance in her
     future. “Besides, it’s early, so there’s still more of them here than out there. At
     least the inn is run by humans.”
    Ian couldn’t fault my Alchemist logic and reluctantly let me go. Catching a town car
     was easy, and I was able to make the round trip in almost the perfect amount of time.
     I even changed shoes so that I’d have proof for my story. Although I’d worn heels
     to the wedding, I’d packed flats in my suitcase, just in case. That was just smart
     planning for any occasion.
    When I reached the service door, however, I realized my clever planning had failed.
     Filled with haste and anxiety, I’d left my warm, heavy shawl in the car, which was
     probably long gone. Now, waiting for Adrian in the bitter Pennsylvania cold, I wrapped
     my arms around myself and hoped I wouldn’t freeze before he showed up.
    He was good to his word, though, and arrived at exactly the appointed time with a
     tote bag over one shoulder. Even better, he was completely back to his normal self.
     “Ready to go,” he told me.
    “Seriously?” I asked, my teeth chattering. “You found everything?”
    He patted the bag. “You ask, I deliver. Now where do we need to do this?”
    “Somewhere remote.” I scanned around. Beyond the hotel’s parking lot was a vacant
     field that I hoped would suffice. “There.”
    Walking across the well-salted parking lot wasn’t a problem, but once we “off-roaded”
     into the snowy field, even my practical flats were of no use. I was also so cold that
     I suspected my skin was as blue as my dress.
    “Stop,” said Adrian at one point.
    “We need to go a little farther,” I protested.
    Adrian, who’d had the sense to put on a wool coat, was taking it off. “Here.”
    “You’ll be cold,” I protested, though I didn’t stop him when he stepped forward and
     helped me put the coat on. He was taller than me, so the three-quarter length was
     mercifully full length on me. Its scent was a mix of smoke and cologne.
    “There.” He pulled the coat more tightly around me. “I’ve got long sleeves and the
     jacket. Now come on—let’s hurry.”
    He didn’t have to tell me twice. Aside from the temperature, we had to do this before
     we were caught by others. Even I wasn’t going to be able to explain this away to the
     Alchemists.
    The moon was still crisp and bright when we finally found an acceptable spot. I sifted
     through Adrian’s bag, amazed that he’d come through with everything, from the mirror
     to the dried leaves and flowers. He stayed quiet as I set it all up, only speaking
     when I was just about ready to go.
    “Is there anything I can do?” he asked gently.
    “Just keep watch,” I said. “And catch me if I pass out.”
    “Gladly.”
    I’d memorized the spell when Ms. Terwilliger and I had performed it. Still, I was
     nervous about going solo, especially since the environment was so distracting. It
     was kind of hard to find the mental focus I needed while kneeling in snow. Then I
     thought back to Stanton and the lies the Alchemists were telling me. A spark of anger
     flared in me, creating warmth of a different sort. I used that to direct my thoughts
     as I stared at Marcus’s picture. He was Adrian’s age, with shoulder-length blond hair
     and a pensive look in his blue eyes. The tattoo on his check was a tangle of indigo