“Sydney!” she exclaimed. “I was so worried you weren’t coming back tonight.”
“Of course I was,” I said stiffly. I was so shocked that I could barely return her hug. “What are you doing here?”
She pulled back and looked up at me with a big grin. There was no anger in her, not even the wariness she’d had in St. Louis. She was full of joy, truly happy to see me. I didn’t know why she was here, but hope began to blossom within me that we’d finally get our reconciliation.
Until she spoke.
“They gave me a field position! I’m assigned here.” She turned her face, showing me a golden lily tattoo on her cheek. My heart nearly stopped. “I’m officially an Alchemist now. Well, a junior one. I’ve got a lot to learn, so they thought it’d be best if I was with you.”
“I see,” I said. The room was spinning. Zoe. Zoe was here—and she was an Alchemist, one who would be staying with me.
Her exuberant expression became a little perplexed. “And I guess you were telling Stanton something about needing Alchemist backup? That it was really hard being around so many Moroi by yourself?”
I tried to smile but couldn’t. “Something like that.” I’d urged Stanton to take action, and she had. It just wasn’t the kind I’d expected.
Zoe’s enthusiasm returned. “Well, you aren’t alone now. I’m here for you, not that you probably even need me. You don’t ever get into any trouble.”
No, I just had a romance going on with a vampire, was on the verge of joining a coven, and was investigating secrets no one wanted me to know about. No trouble at all.
How in the world was I going to hide all that from her?
Zoe hugged me again. “Oh, Sydney! This is going to be great,” she exclaimed. “We’re going to be together all the time!”