Chapter 17: Treaty of War

Sydney's POV

After we got back, Lissa immediately set out to write demands to the Alchemists. The demands were actually pretty passive, mostly involving telling the Alchemists we'd stay out of their business if they'd stay out of ours.

"Sydney, will you review this? I'd like to know if I stated this right." Lissa requested. "Please."

I looked over what she'd written. It said:

The Moroi hereby rescind all official transactions with the Alchemists. We, the Moroi, no longer find our relationship with the Alchemists to be beneficial or safe. The Moroi will try our best to stay out of further Alchemist affairs, as will the Alchemists stay out of all further Moroi affairs. Sydney Katherine Ivashkov and Adrian Ivashkov will hereby be pardoned of supposed past illegal activities and left in the care of the Moroi. If any Moroi is in violation of these laws, they will be punished accordingly by their superiors. If any Alchemist is in violation of these laws, the Moroi will go to war against the Alchemists. If the Alchemists and Moroi can agree to these terms, sign below.

X_(Queen Vasilissa Dragomir)

X_(Leader of the Alchemists)

I grinned. "It's perfect. Now it just needs a working title."

Lissa pondered for a moment. "The Treaty of War."

"You're ready to give this to the Alchemists, then." I handed the paper back.

Rose looked over the treaty. "It looks great, Liss."

Lissa had the treaty officially typed up and signed her line of it. Then she called in the Alchemists—particularly the leaders. The set of leaders that came in was... Gordon and Sheila Mortimer. Duncan's parents. My father, Ian, Stanton, and Sheridan followed. Adrian and I grabbed each other's hands.

"So, you've finally come to your senses?" My father asked.

"No. I'm still not releasing Sydney and Adrian to you." Lissa said.

"Then what's the point in being here?" Sheridan sighed.

"The point is that I want to give you this." Lissa handed over the treaty.

Gordon and Sheila scrutinized it.

"You want to pull away from us?" Gordon asked.

"Very much so." Lissa nodded.

"May I ask why?" Sheila questioned.

"Multiple reasons. Your treatment of Adrian and Sydney. Your association with the Warriors of Light. Kidnapping my sister and putting her in reeducation. The fact that I know you don't really like us." Lissa ticked off on her fingers. "The list could go on and on."

"But you need us to help you stay hidden." Gordon pointed out.

"No, we don't." Lissa said. "We've patched up our differences with the Keepers, and we know what else you normally do for us, so we can sustain ourselves from here. I just want to sever all ties with you sick bastards before something else happens."

"We're the sick bastards? Have you taken a look in the mirror?" Sheila scoffed.

"I'm sorry, but we don't put our people through a torture program to correct their behavior—especially not our own children. We also don't shame and punish people for falling in love with the other races, unlike you. I don't join secret combinations with the Warriors against you. I don't steal your supreme leader's relative and put her in reeducation, and I sure as hell don't let the inmates try to rape each other." Lissa growled.

"If any Alchemist tried to rape your sister, she probably asked for it." Ian said.

Eddie leapt onto Ian in fury. "How dare you?!"

Rose and Dimitri immediately grabbed Eddie and held him back. Jill grabbed Eddie's arm and tried to calm him down.

"I certainly don't think any woman ever asks for rape." Lissa's eyes showed fury beyond measure. "Now sign the treaty and get out."

The Alchemists looked reluctant and indecisive for a moment, but then Gordon and Sheila signed the treaty.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Dad exclaimed.

"We might as well just let them go, Jared." Gordon sighed.

"Your daughter isn't worth it. And neither is the other one—Zoe?—compared to what we'll lose going after them. Just let it and the vampires go." Sheila agreed.

Ouch. But as long as they were finally going to leave us alone, I could handle the insult. The Alchemists finally left—Dad kicking and screaming—and we followed them as they were escorted out.

"I still think you're sick for sending Duncan to reeducation—your own son." I said.

"And we think he's sick for being friends with vampires." Gordon said.

"And for being friends with you." Sheila added.

I was happy beyond belief as soon as the gates were shut behind them. That relief didn't last long.

"Rosemarie Hathaway!" A familiar voice yelled.

Rose flinched before calming herself down. "God, only Lissa, Kirova, and Mom call me that. Usually when they're angry. Oh, and that teacher from when we were five."

We all turned to see Jill's mom and stepfather heading straight for us.

"You know, I regret ever letting Jill put herself in your care." Emily Mastrano stood in front of Rose.

"What in God's name are you talking about?" Rose looked flustered. "Jill's fine."

"She's not fine! You already took her away from us, then you put her into hiding, then she got kidnapped by Alchemists!" John Mastrano exclaimed.

Lissa started to protest. "Mr. Mastrano-"

"Stop!" Emily exclaimed. "All you've done since you found out about Jill is use her for your political agenda and let her get hurt. I'm sick of it."

Rose frowned. "Mrs. Mastrano, please. You can't put this much stress on Lissa when-"

Emily looked furious. "Right, I can't put stress on Lissa because she doesn't have time for Jill or the stress that goes with her. Well, I do. And I'm not letting you use her further. You've even sunk low enough to use footage of her naked just to further your own agenda with the Alchemists! You don't give a damn about Jill, and you're just ashamed of her because your manwhore of a father-"

Lissa slapped Emily. "Don't you dare talk about my father that way! If he's a manwhore, then you're a whore! Regardless of what he did with you, you and I both know he was an otherwise honorable man! He even wanted to be part of Jill's life and take responsibility for her, but you wouldn't let him! So he even gave her a trust fund!"

Emily looked like she was going to say something back, but Jill stopped her. "Stop it! Lissa and Rose didn't do anything wrong. They actually went to great lengths to save me, and it had nothing to do with their political agendas. They just did it because they love me."

"Honey..." John said.

"No. These people are my family just as much as you guys are. I might be a Mastrano, but I'm also a Dragomir." Jill said.

"We just want to take you home." Emily sighed.

"I can't leave. Even if I didn't have this new family... I have Eddie." Jill admitted.

Her parents looked at Eddie in shock. Eddie didn't know how to respond.

"I told you it would be awkward." Rose whispered.

"Shut up." Lissa elbowed her.

Jill pulled Eddie closer. "If you love me, you'll leave me here. Or maybe even move here yourself."

Emily and John looked in tears as they hugged Jill. This week had been a strange one.