"Do you know these three?' He gestured to my friends, and Sydney shook her head. "Ever communicated with them?'
"No.'
He paused, as though hoping she'd change her answer. She didn't. "Then how did you get involved with Hathaway?'
She studied him intently, fear in her brown eyes. I wasn't sure if it was because of him exactly. Really, she had a lot of things to be nervous about right now, like being here at all and the eventual punishment the Alchemists would dole out. Then, of course, there was Abe. Technically, he was the reason she had gotten ensnared in this mess. All she had to do was tell on him, say he'd blackmailed her. It'd get her off the hook--but incur his wrath. Sydney swallowed and forced a defiant look.
"I met Rose in Siberia.'
"Yes, yes,' said Hans. "But how did you end up helping her escape here?'
"I had nothing to do with her escaping this place!' said Sydney. It was a half-truth, I supposed. "She contacted me a few days ago and asked for help to get to a house near Detroit. She claimed she was innocent and that this would help prove it.'
"The Alchemists knew by then she was a fugitive,' pointed out Hans. "Everyone had orders to look out for her. You could have turned her in.'
"When I first met Rose, she didn't seem like the murdering type--I mean, aside from killing Strigoi. Which isn't murder at all, really.' Sydney threw in a little Alchemist disdain. It was a nice touch. "So, when she said she was innocent and could prove it, I decided to help her. I gave her a ride.'
"We already asked her about this,' Stanton said irritably. "And we already told you that we did. What she did was foolish--a naive lapse in judgment. It's something for us to deal with, not you. You worry about your murdering fiend.' Her words were light, like they were going to take Sydney home and chastise a naughty child. I doubted it would be that simple.
"Who were the people with her?' asked Hans, ignoring Stanton.
Sydney's contempt grew. "One was that guy ... Dimitri Belikov. The one you think was "cured.' I don't know who the others were. Two guys and a woman. They never introduced us.' It was a well-done lie, her faked disgust about Dimitri masking her knowledge of the rest of our associates.
Lissa leaned forward eagerly, speaking just before Hans could. "What was in Detroit? How was Rose going to clear herself? Especially with Jill?' Hans didn't look happy about the interruption, but I knew he had to be curious about Jill and Detroit as well. He said nothing, perhaps hoping someone might slip and reveal a key piece of knowledge. Sydney, however, continued playing distant and cold.
"I have no idea. That Jill girl didn't seem to know either. Rose just said we had to get to her, so I helped her.'
"Blindly?' asked Hans. "You really expect me to believe that you just trusted her like that?'
"She's my--' Sydney bit her lip on what I suspected was "friend.' She turned her professional mode back on. "There was something believable about her, and I figured it'd be a waste of resources if the Alchemists had been helping you hunt the wrong murderer. If I decided she was guilty, I could always turn her in. And I thought ... I thought if I was the one who solved this, I'd get the credit and a promotion.' That was a good, good lie. An ambitious girl trying to improve her career on the sly? Very good. Well, not to everyone.
Hans shook his head. "I don't believe any of you.'
The guy Alchemist took a step forward that made every guardian tense to jump him. "If she says that's the way it happened, then that's the way it happened.' He had the same fierceness and mistrust that Stanton had, but there seemed to be more. A sort of protectiveness toward Sydney that was as personal as professional. Lissa picked up on it too.
"Easy, Ian,' said Stanton, still keeping her eyes on Hans. Her composure reminded me more and more of Alberta. She couldn't be at ease with a roomful of guardians but wasn't showing it. "It doesn't matter if you believe her or not. The point remains: Miss Sage answered your questions. We're finished.'
"Do Jill's parents know anything?' asked Lissa. She was still in shock at all of these developments--not to mention worried about me being out of my safe mountain town-- but this mysterious shot at clearing my name was powerful. She couldn't let it go.
Sydney turned to Lissa, and I could practically read the Alchemist's thoughts. She knew how close Lissa and I were and would have liked to give Lissa some sort of comfort. There was no way, though, that Sydney could do that with these people in the room. She also had to be aware of the fact that I myself hadn't told Lissa anything about Jill.
"No,' said Sydney. "We just went there, and Rose said Jill had to come with her. The Mastranos don't know why. And then--and then Rose did take her. Or Jill went with her. I'm not sure what happened. It all turned to chaos.'
Neither the Alchemists nor guardians disputed me taking Jill, which made me think it was a story they'd gotten--and accepted--from both Jill's parents and Sydney. It had just enough truth to be plausible--and explain Jill's disappearance. It didn't mention the Dragomir secret, however, which Emily was probably more than happy to keep quiet for now.
"There,' said Stanton. "This is exactly what we told you before. We need to leave now.' She turned toward the door, but guardians blocked the way.
"Impossible,' said Hans. "This is a serious matter, and Miss Sage is the only link we have to a murder--a royal murder. And a kidnapping.' Stanton scoffed, and I remembered Sydney once saying the Alchemists thought the Moroi royalty system was silly. "She doesn't seem to be of much more use to you. But don't worry--we'll be holding her. Contact us if you have more questions.'