Alethea has always been awkward - eccentric, even. On a typical day she spends her time cloistered inside a tiny apartment hiding from the world she doesn't really understand. When her therapist encourages her to push herself outside her comfort zon...
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When Roran returned with Nicolai in tow I was furious and more than a little nervous. They were talking among themselves in what I assumed was Russian, and my panic increased exponentially at the fact I couldn't understand their conversation.
Obviously seeing my distress, Roran held up his hands and explained, "Relax. Nicolai isn't here to turn you. I just thought if we told him what we know about Moroi that maybe he could help us."
My eyebrows rose in disbelief. "Um, sure, or he could rat us out and have us killed!"
"Da. Yes, I could. But you are dying anyway, so why worry?" Nicolai asked, smirking at me in challenge.
"It isn't me I'm worried about!" I snapped, glaring at him in return. "Roran has suffered enough and I don't trust you not to double-cross him after I'm gone!"
He grinned at me in response, his fangs glinting dangerously in the dim lighting. I shrank back; afraid he might change his mind about bleeding me dry.
Instead of attacking me however, he turned to Roran and said, "She really is a fascinating creature. I can see why you're so desperate to keep her."
Roran looked a bit sheepish, but instead of commenting on Nicolai's observation he turned to me and said, "Listen, Thea, I know this situation isn't ideal, but we need to find you a way out. Since Nicolai is in Moroi's inner circle there's a chance he knows things we don't. We don't have any other choice but to trust him."
"We have plenty of choices!" I shouted, incapable of standing still. I paced the floor, ranting angrily, "There are thousands of other people down here to ask! We may as well go right up to Moroi himself and tell him everything we know! Because that's the first thing Nicolai is going to do, Roran. Run and tell on us to his master like a good little mutt!"
A hiss worked its way past Nicolai's lips and he snarled, "Watch who you're calling names, human. I am not so inclined to help you that I will tolerate being spoken to in such a way."
I rolled my eyes and continued my pacing. He didn't scare me nearly as much with Roran standing so close.
"And stop your pacing!" he snarled at me, his pupils swelling ominously and his fangs elongating. "Don't you know predators like a chase?"
I froze in place, realizing both pairs of eyes had been observing my movements with rapt attention. Roran shifted his weight and cleared his throat awkwardly.
"We can't go around asking other creatures in purgatory for a way out. First, because they don't know. If they did they all would have left ages ago. Second, because they would rather kill us on the spot than talk to us. Nicolai is one of the few people in purgatory who might actually agree to help us."
I threw my hands in the air and said, "Fine! Whatever. Tell him. But if he betrays us don't say I didn't warn you."
