“Raymond,” Olive said. She paused and coughed up more blood. “Declan Neil Raymond.”

“Neil’s last name,” I said.

“You have to take him to Neil,” she told us. “When I’m gone.”

“Don’t talk like that,” Adrian said, sounding as though he were having trouble keeping sobs from his voice.

With her good arm, she clutched Adrian’s sleeve. “You don’t understand. He is Neil’s. Neil’s his father.”

Arguing dhampir genetics seemed pointless, given her state. Maybe she was so out of it, she believed Neil was the father. Maybe she was speaking figuratively. From what I’d seen at Court, Neil loved her so much, he’d probably adopt the baby as his own anyway. “Of course,” I said gently, simply wanting to pacify her.

She was fading fast, but a spark of anger glittered in her eyes. “No, I mean it. He’s Neil’s. I’ve never been with anyone else.”

“Olive,” Adrian said, not unkindly, “that’s impossible.”

“No,” she repeated. She closed her eyes, and for a moment, I feared the worst. Then they fluttered open again. “I was only with Neil. Just once. And when I found out . . . I was so scared. I don’t know what happened . . . it must have something to do with me being restored. With all the spirit that was in me. I’ve been so afraid if anyone—Moroi or Alchemists—knew, they’d want to take the baby. Experiment on him, like Sonya does. So I hid. Hid from them all. Even N-Nina.” Her voice caught on her sister’s name, and she paused to breathe, which seemed to be causing more difficulty.

What she was saying was impossible. Two dhampirs couldn’t make a dhampir. It went against the fundamental rules of the world. And yet, if she believed that . . . I suddenly remembered her panic upon meeting me and then later, when she found out another Alchemist was coming. “That’s why you ran,” I said. “You were afraid of the Alchemist.”

She gave a weak nod and opened her eyes again. “You know how they are. I don’t know how this is possible, but they’d want to know. They’d take him. Please, Adrian. Sydney. Don’t let them. Or the Moroi authorities. Keep him secret until he gets to Neil. Then Neil will hide him. Neil will keep him safe. But promise me . . .” Her eyes closed, and her head tilted. “Promise me . . . you’ll . . . keep Declan safe . . .”

“Stay with us,” Adrian said urgently. My own vision was blurred with tears. “A little longer. Spirit’s coming back to me. I know it.”

Declan stirred in Adrian’s arms and began to cry again. Olive’s eyes open a slit, and she smiled. “So sweet,” she said softly. Her eyelids fell closed again, and all the tension went out of her body as she slumped forward.

“There,” Adrian gasped out. “I’ve got it . . . a spark of spirit . . . enough to see auras . . .”

I clutched his arm and felt tears running down my cheeks. “Adrian . . .”

“The baby’s is so bright,” Adrian said. There were tears on his face now too. “Like a star. But in her . . . there’s nothing. No aura left to see . . .”

Chapter 11

WE WERE STILL STANDING OUT IN THE WOODS, and I was still holding Declan. Amazingly, he’d gone to sleep, blissfully unaware of what a confusing and heartbreaking world he’d just been born into. Sydney leaned against me, and I put an arm around her as best I could while still keeping a firm grip on Declan. Rose and Dimitri stood nearby¸ watching with stricken faces as Olive was gravely taken away.

“We need to act fast,” I said, keeping my voice soft. “If we’re going to honor her wishes.”

Sydney looked up at me and blinked back tears. “You don’t really think—that is, do you believe her? About Neil?”

I didn’t answer right away. “I saw them at Court. You did too. When this whole thing started, it was impossible for me to believe she’d been with another guy. Now I understand. And when I look at him—at Declan—well, it’s hard to explain, but there’s something special about him. His aura. It’s like he’s got this light dusting of spirit, kind of like what Sonya and I kept trying to create. He’s got it naturally.”

Sydney’s breath caught. “If that’s the case, a lot of people are going to be interested in him.”

“They can’t know about him,” I said adamantly. “Olive was right about that, and I owe it to her to keep him secret. It’s the least I can do since I failed her.”

“Adrian—”

I wouldn’t let Sydney finish. “We have to hide him. Will you help me?”

Her face was filled with concern for me, but she didn’t hesitate in her answer. “You know you don’t need to ask.”

I kissed the top of her head. “We’re going to need help.” I beckoned Rose and Dimitri to come forward. They approached immediately.

Rose swallowed, her dark eyes shining with tears. “Adrian, I’m so sorry. There was nothing anyone could do.”

Well, remarked Aunt Tatiana, you could’ve done something if you hadn’t been so careless with spirit.

“No time for that,” I said briskly. “I need your help. What’ll happen to Declan now? You know these kinds of places, Dimitri. What’s the protocol when the mother dies? I need to know if we can take him.”

“Who’s Declan?” asked Rose.