Bloodlines

He was watching the table, not me. "Yup, I'm with you there, Sage. But I still don't see the problem."

"Eddie won't do it. He says he doesn't think Jill should be denied the chance to date and go to dances. That it's okay if she and Micah hang out, so long as it doesn't get serious."

Adrian was good at hiding his feelings, but this looked like it'd caught him by surprise. He straightened up and spun the base of the pool stick on the floor as he thought. "That is weird. I mean, I get the logic, and there's something to it. She shouldn't be forced into isolation while she's here. I'm just surprised Castile came up with it."

"Yeah, but that's a hard concept to live by. Where do you draw the 'casual' line? Honestly, I get this feeling Eddie just didn't want to confront Micah - the roommate. Which is crazy, because Eddie doesn't seem like the type to be afraid of anything. What is there about Micah that would make Eddie so uneasy?"

"Is Micah some big, hulking guy?"

"No," I said. "He's built, I guess. Good at sports. Really friendly and easygoing - not the type you'd have to be afraid would turn on you if you warned him away from your sister."

"Then you can talk to him. Or just talk to Jailbait and explain things to her." Adrian seemed satisfied he'd solved the matter and knocked in the last ball. "That was my plan. I just wanted to make sure you'd back me. Jill listens to you, and I thought it'd be easier if she knew you agreed with me. Not that I even know how she feels. For all I know, this is all overkill."

"Can't hurt to be too careful with her," said Adrian. He stared off, lost in his own thoughts. "And I'll let her know how I feel about it."

"Thank you," I said, kind of surprised at how easy this had been.

His green eyes danced mischievously. "Now will you play a round with me?"

"I don't really - "

The door opened, and Lee walked in, dressed casually in jeans and a T-shirt. He was carrying a screwdriver. "Hey, Sydney. I thought I saw your car out there." He glanced around. "Is, uh, Jill with you?"

"Not today," I said. New insight struck me as I recalled that Lee attended school in Los Angeles. "Lee, have you ever dated a human girl at your school?"

Adrian arched an eyebrow. "Are you asking him out, Sage?"

I scowled. "No!"

Lee turned thoughtful. "No, not really. I have some human friends, and we go out as a group and hang out... but I've never done more than that. LA's a big place, though. There are Moroi girls around, if you know where to look."

Adrian perked up. "Oh?"

My hope that Lee might tell Jill he too had to avoid dating faded. "Well, that would make your dating situation much easier than Jill's."

"What do you mean?" asked Lee.

I recapped everything to him about Micah and Eddie. Lee nodded along thoughtfully.

"That is hard," he admitted.

"Can we go back to the part about Moroi girls hanging out in LA?" asked Adrian hopefully. "Can you direct me to some of the... oh, let's say, more open-minded ones?"

Lee's attention was on me, however. His easy smile grew uncertain, and he glanced at his feet. "This might seem kind of weird... but I mean, I wouldn't mind asking Jill out."

Adrian was on that before I could even think of a response. "What, do you mean like on a date? You son of a bitch! She's only fifteen." You never would've guessed he'd been talking about easy Moroi girls only moments before.

"Adrian," I said. "I'm guessing Lee's definition of a date is a little different than yours."

"Sorry, Sage. You've got to trust me when it comes to dating definitions. Last I checked, you aren't an expert in social matters. I mean, when was the last time you were even on a date?" It was just another of the witty barbs he tossed around so easily, but it stung a little. Was my lack of social experience that obvious?

"But," I added, ignoring Adrian's question, "there is an age difference." I honestly had no idea how old Lee was. His being in college gave me some clue, but Clarence seemed awfully old. Having a child late in life wasn't that weird, though, for humans or Moroi.

"There is," said Lee. "I'm nineteen. Not a huge gap - but big enough. I shouldn't have said anything." He looked embarrassed, and I felt both sorry for him and confused for myself. Matchmaking wasn't in the Alchemist handbook.

"Why would you want to ask her out?" I asked. "I mean, she's great. But are you just doing this to distract her from Micah and give her a safe dating alternative? Or do you, um, like her?"

"Of course he likes her," said Adrian, quick to defend Jill's honor.

I had a feeling that there was really no good way for Lee to answer at this point. If he expressed interest in her, Adrian's bizarre chivalric instincts were going to kick in. If Lee wasn't interested, Adrian would no doubt demand to know why Lee didn't want to marry her then and there. It was one of those fascinating - but weird - quirks of Adrian's personality.

"I like her," said Lee bluntly. "I've only talked to her a couple of times, but... well, I'd really like to get to know her better."

Adrian scoffed, and I shot him a glare. "Once again," I said. "I think you guys have different definitions for the same words."

"Not true," said Adrian. "All guys mean the same thing when they want to 'get to know a girl better.' You're a well-bred young lady, so I understand why you'd be too innocent to understand. Good thing you've got me here to interpret."

I turned back to Lee, not even bothering to respond to Adrian. "I think it's fine if you go out with her."

"Assuming she'd even be interested," said Lee, looking uncertain.

I remembered her smile when he'd stopped to talk to her yesterday. That had seemed pretty promising. But then, so had her enthusiasm over Micah. "I bet she would."

"So you're just going to let her go off alone?" asked Adrian, giving me a look that told me not to question him. This time, his concern was legitimate. I shared it. Jill was in Palm Springs to be safe. She was enrolled at Amberwood because it was also safe. Suddenly going out with a guy we hardly knew would not meet either Alchemist or guardian protocols for safety.

"Well, she can't even leave campus," I said, thinking aloud. "Not without me."

"Whoa," said Adrian, "if you get to come along as a chaperone, so do I."

"If we both do, then Eddie will want to as well," I pointed out. "Doesn't sound like much of a date."