Can We Stop School Violence? Essay -- Mass School Shootings Essays

Violence in American schools is escalating faster than a speeding bullet. Society demands that schools be safe for our children, yet recent events indicate we need to escalate our efforts to prevent violence in schools at the same time address violence in the larger community. Crises involving sudden violence in schools are traumatic in large measure because they are unexpected. The shrapnel from bullets fired on school grounds have a way of touching the life's of many. In the wake of such a crisis, members of the school community are asked-and ask themselves-what could have been done to prevent it. Coordinated school efforts can help. But the solution does not just rest in the schools. Together we must develop solutions that are community-wide and coordinated, that include schools, families, courts, law enforcement, community agencies, representatives of the faith community, business, and the broader community. Wilmer Cody, Kentucky Commissioner of Education (Dwyer et. al.) To make our schools safer, everyone can and must pitch in-- teachers, parents, students, policy makers, law enforcement officers, business managers, faith leaders, civic leaders, youth workers, and other concerned community residents. Everyone who cares about children cares about ending violence. It is time to break the silence that too often characterizes even the most well-meaning school communities. Research and expert-based information is available for school communities to use in developing and strengthening programs that can prevent crises. School safety is everyone's job. Each of us can do something to help solve the problem. It's a problem we all must work together to solve. The Department of Education and the Department of Justice warns... ... Ph.D., Parachini A., Hernandez F., Ph.D., Cody M., Ph.D., Davis D. "From Words to Weapons, the Violence Surrounding our Schools." American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California. 22 April 2001 <http://www.aclu-sc.org/school.html> Dwyer, K., Osher, D., and Warger, C. (1998). "Early warning, timely response: A guide to safe schools." Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education. 22 April 2001 <http://www.cecp.air.org/guide/guidetext.htm> Kaufman P., Chen X., Choy S.P., Chandler K.A., Chapman C.D., Rand M.R., and Ringel C. NCES 99-251/NCJ-1 72215 "1999 Annual Report on School Safety." Washington, DC: 1998 U.S. Departments of Education and Justice. 21 April 2001 <http://www.ed.gov/offices/oese/sdfs/news.html> National Crime Prevention Council. Washington, DC "Stopping School Violence."Â   20 April 2001 http://www.ncpc.org/2schvio.htm

Obesity Alters Gut Microbial Ecology Essay -- Biology

A common theme among the concerns of today’s American citizens is that of obesity. Obesity, identifiable by abnormal fat accumulation, can be defined in absolute terms by one who has a Body Mass Index (BMI) over 30. It is estimated that over 30 percent of American adults are clinically obese. This number has shown a dramatic increase from the 15 percent of American adults suffering from obesity in 1980. Globally, 400 million adults are obese, while predictions place this number at 700 million by 2015. The major issue confronting this adiposity is the health conditions that accompany states of extreme obesity. These include cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, sleep apnea, and osteoarthritis among others. The escalating number of obese and the health effects connected to this condition have resulted in increased research and attention to the study of obesity. It is the common belief that the cause of obesity is solely due to an excessive consumption of food. However, recent studies have made a correlation between obesity and the diversity of microbiota in the gut. One project of focus (â€Å"Obesity alters gut microbial ecology†) measured the proportions of gut microbes in mice populations and hypothesized a relationship between this bacterial number and body mass. The significance of this field of study is vital to the issue of obesity. First, such a discovery would falsify the stereotype that obesity is exclusively a result of a disproportionate intake of calories. Instead, it would show that this condition is a genetic trait which maintains an acute relationship with the composition of microbes in the gut. More importantly, if the exact association between obesity and gut microbes can be discovered, it may be possible to alter or... ...05. Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 21 Oct 2007. . * "Obesity." Wikipedia. 14 Nov 2007. . * "Obesity and Overweight." Media Centre. Sept 2006. World Health Organization. 1 Nov 2007. . * "Overweight and Obesity." Diseases and Conditions Index. National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. 1 Nov 2007. . * Smith, Christopher M. "DNA Sequence and Structural Analysis." 17 Feb 2004. The Regents of the University of California. 21 Oct 2007. >. * University of Maryland. "Phylogenetic Analysis I." 2006. 21 Oct. 2007. .

Freedom and Determinism

â€Å"Freedom, Determinism, and the Case for Moral Responsibility: A Look Back at the Murder of Jamie Bulger† begins by telling of the heinous crime that is the centerpiece of this paper. On February 12th 1993, British toddler Jamie Bulger abducted at a local shopping mall in Liverpool, England. Evidence that the two year old was beaten, sexually molested, and clubbed to death with bricks and an iron bar before discarding his body on train tracks. The age of his two assailants, Jon Venables and Robert Thompson, ten years old.Then they begin to explain the difference of opinions on the responsibility of the murderers. One side labels the boys as savages and criminals, while the other argues that they are â€Å"victims of broader social, economic, and cultural processes. † Sparking the question, are we truly responsible for how we act in society? The essay then moves on to the defense of determinism and how it relates to this specific event, stating that, â€Å"From a de terminist point of view, Jon Venables’s and Robert Thompson’s fate was set even before their birth.Born to ill-educated, working class parents, the details of the boys’ lives constitute a veritable catalogue of social ills. † The paper enlightens us on the rough and negative environments that both Jon Venables and Robert Thompson were raised in. Jon’s parents were â€Å"unstable and depressed,† and his dad eventually abandoned his abusive mother, himself and his â€Å"developmentally challenged† siblings. Thompson was the second youngest of â€Å"seven violent and aggressive boys†¦ one of whom was an arsonist and another who was a master thief. His parents were drunks and he witnessed his mother being beaten by his father in many alcoholic driven violent outbursts. The question is raised if Venables and Thompson are morally responsible for the actions leading to the murder of little Jamie. Here is where the paper really dives int o the determinist philosphy, stating â€Å"the Determinist argument holds that a person’s heredity and environment fix the choice before it is made. † Using legitimate sources such as â€Å"The Delusion of Free Will† by Robert Blatchford and â€Å"What Means This Freedom† by John Hospers, the essay presents sound reasoning to the determinist view.Taking from Blatchford, the point â€Å"that teaching is part of our environment and that we act as we have been taught that we ought to act. Thus, though we may act as we choose, we will choose as heredity and environment cause us to choose† John Hospers suggests that one holds no responsible for any of ones actions because actions â€Å"grow out of his character, which is shaped and molded and made what it is by influences . . . that were not of his own making or choosing† The paper also presents some arguments against the deterministic view from the free will perspective.Another essay, â€Å"A B rief Defense of Free Will† by Tibor Macha, and his opinion â€Å"the fact that some people with bad childhoods turn out to be crooks while others are decent would seem to indicate that people can cause and are responsible for at least some of what they do,† is examined. In â€Å"The Problem of Free Will,† W. T. Stace states, â€Å"In the case of Jamie Bulger’s murderers, young as they were at the time, the drive to inflict unimaginable pain on the toddler, at the moment they did it, does not seem to have been externally caused. They desired to do it. They were not motivated by any external factor, such as the proverbial gun to the head.They were morally responsible for their action and thus deserved to be punished. † While this paper makes a reasonable and knowledgeable argument for us to try to look at crimes like this from a more deterministic view, I have a hard time converting. Being that I am a criminal justice major, I am aware that there are many different theories on why crimes are committed, and not only what should be done to help prevent them from happening again, but what kind of treatment or punishment the perpetrator(s) should receive to more effectively rehabilitate them.I am one that stands with firm justice on brutal acts like this, regardless of age. Although in a violent and criminalistic environment, the kids were not directly forced to commit such a gruesome act, nor did they ever witness it from their parents. Therefore, in my opinion, the responsibility lies within the kids for their desire to not only torture, but kill.

Advantages of Verbal communication Essay

Verbal communication- The sharing of information between individuals by using speech. Individuals working within a business need to effectively use verbal communication that employs readily understood spoken words, as well as ensuring that the enunciation, stress and tone of voice with which the words are expressed is appropriate. Read more: http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/verbal-communication.html#ixzz2PT6EzJTZ We all communicate on a daily basis either with others or ourselves. Verbal communication is one approach for individuals to communicate in a straight forward manner. There are multiple basic components of verbal communication such as audio, words, dialog, and language. Whatever technique of interaction is used, written, body language, or verbal, each is considered a form of communication and is needed for us to communicate. In order to be a success in the world we live in today, possessing clear communication skills are essential for an individual to have strong comprehension skills and an aptitude for communicating effectively. Lacking these, abilities can be a great setback and may create concerns contingent given the situation. When communicating verbally, one of the most essential things not to forget it that our voice itself can communicate more about us than our actual message. Some superlative mechanisms exist while engaged in verbal communication, which are sound, language, and vocalizations. Throughout dialogues we often attempt to exclude any likely chance of misunderstanding and instead be specific and to the point. However, many times that is quite arduous to those who are not as skilled in communication as others are. Mostly, we hope and presume that the message we conveyed has been fully accepted by our speaking audience, since to us the information being transmitted may be important and so we assume that this information is be seen as important to those who receives it. While words only account for approximately 7% of the meaning people ascribe to your communication, tone of voice accounts for 38% of the m eaning. So, it’s obvious that to be a successful communicator, you need to be aware of your verbal cues and clues (e.g., everything from words to sighs, moans, grunts). Inflection refers to ups and downs in talking. Inflection helps you signal to your partner what’s important and may even indicate your emotional state (especially combined with volume and pitch). Volume indicates the degree of loudness to your voice. Again, volume can indicate your energetic involvement with a topic and gives your spouse clues about your temperament and mood. Pacing deals with your rate of speech or the speed of your talking. Matching your rate of speech and your intensity to that of your partner creates rapport and connection. Word choice of course means what words you use to convey your message. Though words may have specific definitions, our lifetime of experience with a word means that our meaning for the word and someone else’s meaning might be quite different. Silence refers to those gaps in our conversations. (Though silence is â€Å"non-verbal† it’s the absence of verbal communication, that’s why I’ve included it in this list.) Allow room for your partner to absorb what you’ve said and give yourself the space to take in what he/she is communicating to you. Advantages: Some of the advantages of the oral communication are: 1. Its easy and simple and saves a lot of money because oral communication is the less expensive way to communicate with each other. 2. It allows feedback on the spot so if the receiver is not 100 percent sure what the message meant, then that feedback will be answered right away. 3. Because the message is instantly, it helps in avoiding time wasted. 4. It brings personal warmth and friendliness and develops a sense of bonding because of these contact between the people. Disadvantages: Some of the disadvantages of the oral communication are: 1. There is no instant feedback between the messenger and the receiver and that the messages could be misunderstood. 2.Long and wordy type of communication cannot be as effectively as verbal messages. 3.The receiver might understand the message differently. 4. responses on the spot might not be carefully thought of. 5. More or less or a different meaning might be conveyed by manner of speaking,tone of voice and facial expressions. Verbal communication refers to the use of sounds and language to relay a message. It serves as a vehicle for expressing desires, ideas and concepts and is vital to the processes of learning and teaching. In combination with nonverbal forms of communication, verbal communication acts as the primary tool for expression between two or more people. Types Interpersonal communication and public speaking are the two basic types of verbal communication. Whereas public speaking involves one or more people delivering a message to a group, interpersonal communication generally refers to a two-way exchange that involves both talking and listening. According to Robert M. Krauss, professor of psychology at Columbia University, signs and symbols are the major signals that make up verbal communication. Words act as symbols, and signs are secondary products of the

Isolation in Frankenstein

The Isolation of Victor Frankenstein Isolation and loneliness can do great injustices to the human brain. People are programed to function in cohabitation with others of their kind, to form relationships with them. So, when these relationships fail or seem to be absent from one’s life, the aloneness can ache. In Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, the reader sees the developing isolation of Victor Frankenstein, which can be attributed to his personality and upbringing, as well as his unwavering obsession with his scientific success. Certain people seem to have something in their genetic make up which makes them more social than others.These people seem to interact with crowds at ease and, as the social butterflies within their peers, tend to avoid isolation. Victor Frankenstein is not one of these people. It is not necessarily a fault of Victor, but merely a reality. As he would explain, it simply â€Å"was my temper to avoid a crowd, and to attach myself fervently to a few (19). à ¢â‚¬  This personality trait contributed to the increasing isolation Victor became subject to. The few he so fervently attached himself to exclusively included his own family and Clerval, all of whom stayed behind upon his departure to Ingolstadt.Victor explained, â€Å"I was indifferent†¦ to my schoolfellows in general (19). † So, once he was away at school, for the first time feeling the absence of his â€Å"familiar faces†, he felt alone and â€Å"totally unfitted for the company of strangers (25). † Victor’s struggle with his natural â€Å"repugnance to new countenances (25)† led to him feeling truly alone for the first time in his life. Ultimately, the natural ways of Victor combined with his comfortable and domestic upbringing had left him sheltered and timid. This reality made the culture shock of leaving home a lonely one.Another factor that contributed to Frankenstein’s isolation was his fixation on his learning and scientific endeavors. Victor agreed with the theory that â€Å"If the study to which you apply yourself has a tendency to weaken your affections, and to destroy your taste for those simple pleasures†¦ that study is certainly unlawful†¦ not benefitting the human mind (34). † However, this is precisely what his experiments do to him. Victor loses track of time, forgets all his simple pleasures, and neglects all of his other responsibilities. He no longer took time to appreciate nature or keep in touch with his family.He was so engrossed in his work that he said, â€Å"I grew alarmed at the wreck I perceived I had become†, bothered by â€Å"slow fevers and nerves to a most painful degree† (34). Frankenstein allowed his ever increasing desire for knowledge and progress to control all aspects of his life and isolate him from all the outer workings of his world. Even upon the success of all he had been working towards, his isolation grew even more extreme. At that poi nt, he had not only become completely secluded to the instruments of his laboratory, but had created a terrifying creature he feared he would never escape.Victor had become blinded by his scientific curiosity and cut himself off from the world for the sake of accomplishing his goals. He found himself neck deep in worries, feeling utterly alone. Victor Frankenstein subjects himself to isolation throughout the novel. He allows himself, personally susceptible to self isolation, something to fixate on. It is this combination that leaves him missing his family and eventually void of a connection with the world beyond his laboratory. And, as previously stated, the ache of this isolation can do great injustices to the human brain, shoving towards his dismal destiny.

Multiplication and Addition

If students see that addition and altercation is similar because In multiplication you simply repeat the Dalton problem several times then they will have an easier time learning to multiply numbers. A way in which students can relate Dalton and multiplication Is by teaching them and having them work on grouping. By grouping the students will need to draw circles for the first number that Is being multiplied and starts Inside the circles for the second number that Is being multiplied.For example In the student will need to draw 3 circles and then the student will need to draw 5 stars inside each circle. This way the student will be able to see that they are simply adding 5 three times. The commutative property states that the order in which you add or multiply two numbers does not affect the result. (ABA=baa) For example 3*5=5*3=15. A way that this property is connected to thinking strategies is by grouping. The teacher may have the students first draw 3 bubbles and 5 stars inside eac h bubble and then have them count the stars for the total of 15 stars.Then the teacher can have the students draw 5 bubbles and put 3 stars inside each bubble ND once they have done this the teacher can once again make the students count the stars and they will realize that it once again equaled 15 stars, signifying that the two ways came out with the same answer, teaching them the commutative property. The associative law states that when you add or multiply numbers, the grouping of the numbers does not affect the result ((ABA)c=a(BC). For example (2*6)3=2(6*3)=36. The associative property can be worked out by drawing it out and grouping together.For example for the (2*6)3=2(6*3) problem the students can draw 3 bubbles and raw 12 stars inside each bubble or draw out 2 bubbles and draw 18 stars inside each bubble, if the students count both of the different group of stars there will be 36 stars in each picture, therefore showing the students that the order In which the numbers are m ultiplied does not affect the outcome. The distributive law states that multiplying a number by a group of numbers added together Is the same as doing each multiplication separately. When the distributive property Is used you distribute a number to get the same answer. (b + c) = ABA + AC and (b + c)a = baa + ca) For example 2(3+4)= With the deliberate property the students can connect It to a thinking strategy Is by skip counting. For example In the problem 2(3+4) the students can either break the problem apart and do It separately or do It together, they can skip count by as 3 times and then by as 4 times and add the numbers or skip count by as 7 times, both will equal 14. One conceptual error that may be associated with addition and multiplication Is that students may rush themselves ND not look at the sign if it is addition or multiplication.One way to help the worksheet using highlighters. Once the worksheet is handed out to the students the teacher can ask the students to take out their highlighters and when they are working out each problem they must first highlight the sign, whether it is addition or multiplication, this way they will take their time and look at the sign to correctly answer the problem. A second misconception associated with multiplication is that the students may not correctly work out the distributive law.In a problem such as (2+4) they may forget that they must distribute the 3 to each number and instead do 3*2+4. A way to help the students not commit this error is to first hand them out a worksheet that they only need to write the next step they will take, such as 3(2+4)=3*2+3*4. A second way to help the students not commit this error is to have them draw an error from the number three to the number to and a second arrow from the number three to the number 4 for each problem, this way the students will remember that they must multiply the first number to each number inside the parenthesis first.

Blood Promise Chapter Twenty-Eight

Lissa didn't have to say anything to express her shock. The feelings of utter astonishment pouring into me said more than any words could have. I, however, had one important word for her: Duck! I think it was her surprise that made her respond so quickly. She dropped to the floor. The movement was clumsy, but it removed her body from Reed's direct attack and put her (mostly) out of range of the window. He still collided with her shoulder and the side of her head, but it only bumped her and caused a little pain. Of course, â€Å"a little pain† meant totally different things to us. Lissa had been tortured a couple of times, but most of her battles were mental. She'd never been in a one-on-one physical confrontation. Getting thrown against walls was an average occurrence for me, but for her, a small swipe to the head was monumental. Crawl away, I ordered. Get away from him and the window. Head for the door if possible. Lissa started moving on her hands and feet, but she was too slow. Reed caught hold of her hair. I kind of felt like we were playing a game of telephone. With the delay in me giving direction and her figuring out how to respond, I might as well have been passing the message through five people before it got to her. I wished I could control her body like a puppeteer, but I was no spirit user. It's going to hurt, but turn around as best you can and hit him. Oh, it did hurt. Trying to turn her body meant his hold on her hair tugged that much more painfully. She managed it reasonably well, though, and flailed out at Reed. Her hits weren't that coordinated, but they surprised him enough that he let go of her hair and tried to fend her off. That's when I noticed he wasn't overly coordinated either. He was stronger than her, true, but he obviously had no combat training short of basic hits and throwing his weight around. He hadn't come here for a true fight; he'd come to just push her out the window and be done with it. Get away if you can; get away if you can. She scrambled across the floor, but unfortunately her escape path didn't give her access to the door. Instead, she backed further into the room until her back hit a rolling desk chair. Grab it. Hit him with it. Easier said than done. He was right there, still trying to grab her and jerk her to her feet. She caught hold of the chair and tried to roll it into him. I'd wanted her to pick it up and hit him with it, but that wasn't quite so easy for her. She did, however, manage to get to her feet and get the chair between them. I directed her to keep hitting him with it in an effort to get him to retreat. It worked a little, but she didn't quite have the force to truly damage him. Meanwhile, I half expected Avery to join in the fight. It wouldn't have taken much effort to assist Reed in subduing Lissa. Instead, out of the corner of Lissa's eye, I saw Avery sitting perfectly still, her eyes unfocused and slightly glazed over. Okay. That was weird, but I had no complaints about her being out of the conflict. As it was, Lissa and Reed were in a stalemate, one I had to get her out of. You're on the defensive, I said. You need to take the attack to him. I finally got a direct answer back. What? I can't do anything like that! I have no clue how! I'll show you. Kick him-preferably between the legs. That'll take down most guys. Without words, I tried to send the feelings into her, teaching her the right way to tense muscles and strike out. Steeling herself, she pushed the chair away so that there was nothing between her and Reed. It caught him by surprise, giving her a brief opening. Her leg struck out. It missed the golden spot, but it did hit his knee. That was almost as good. He stumbled back as his leg collapsed underneath him and just managed to grab the chair for support. It tried to roll, which didn't help him any. Lissa didn't need any urging to sprint for the door at that point-except it was blocked. Simon had just entered. For a moment, both Lissa and I felt relief. A guardian! Guardians were safe. Guardians protected us. The thing was, this guardian worked for Avery, and it soon became clear his services went beyond merely keeping Strigoi away from her. He strode in, and with no hesitation grabbed Lissa and dragged her harshly back to the window. My direction faltered at that moment. I'd been an okay coach at showing her how to fend off a surly teenage boy. But a guardian? And that surly teenage boy had recovered himself and joined Simon to finish the job. Compel him! It was my last desperate bid. That was Lissa's strength. Unfortunately, while her earlier drinking had metabolized enough to improve her coordination, it was still affecting her control of spirit. She could touch the power-but not very much of it. Her control was clumsy too. Nonetheless, her resolve was strong. She drew as much of the spirit as she could, channeling it into compulsion. Nothing happened. Then, I felt that weird tickling in my head. At first I thought Avery was back on the scene, only rather than someone reaching into me, it was like they reached through me. The power in Lissa surged, and I realized what had happened. Oksana was still there, somewhere in the background, and she was lending her strength again, channeling it through me and into Lissa. Simon froze, and it was almost amusing. He twitched slightly, rocking back and forth as he tried to advance on her and finish the lethal task. It was like he was suspended in Jell-O. Lissa was hesitant to move, for fear of breaking her control. There was also the issue that Reed was not being compelled, but for the moment, he seemed too confused about what was happening to Simon to react. â€Å"You can't just kill me!† Lissa blurted out. â€Å"Don't you think people are going to ask questions when they find my body shoved out a window? â€Å"They won't notice,† said Simon stiffly. Even the words required effort. â€Å"Not when you're resurrected. And if you can't be, then it was just a tragic accident that befell a troubled girl.† Slowly, slowly, he began breaking out of her compulsion. Her power, while still there, was weakening a little-there was a leak somewhere, and it was dripping out. I suspected it might be Avery's influence or simply Lissa's mental fatigue. Maybe both. A supreme look of satisfaction crossed Simon's features as he lunged forward, and then. He froze again. A blazing gold aura lit up in Lissa's periphery. She glanced over just enough to see Adrian in the doorway. The look on his face was comical, but shocked or not, he'd picked up enough to target Simon. It was Adrian's compulsion holding the guardian in place now. Lissa squirmed away, yet again trying to keep out of that damned window's opening. â€Å"Hold him!† Lissa cried. Adrian grimaced. â€Å"I†¦ can't. What the hell? It's like there's someone else there†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Avery,† said Lissa, sparing a brief glance at the other girl. Avery's face had gone pale even for a Moroi. Her breathing was heavy, and her sweating had increased. She was fighting Adrian's compulsion. A few seconds later, Simon broke free yet again. He advanced on Lissa and Adrian, though his movements seemed sluggish. Son of a bitch, I thought. Now what? demanded Lissa. Reed. Go for Reed. Get him out of the picture. Reed had been frozen during the struggle with Simon, watching with fascination. And like those of the guardian, Reed's actions seemed a little sluggish. Still, he was moving toward Lissa again. Simon had apparently decided Adrian was the immediate threat and was heading that way. Time to see if dividing and conquering would work. What about Adrian? Lissa asked. We're going to have to leave him on his own for a minute. Get to Reed. Knock him out. What But she advanced on him anyway, moving with a determination that warmed me with pride. His face curled into a snarl. He was frantic and overconfident, though-not thinking clearly and still moving in an ungainly way. Once more, I attempted to teach Lissa without words. I couldn't make her do anything, but I tried to make her feel what it was like to punch someone. How to draw back her arm, curl her fingers in the proper way, build up the strength. After what I'd seen her do earlier, the best I could hope for was a decent approximation of a punch, enough to keep him off her and create further delay. And that's when something truly beautiful happened. Lissa socked him in the nose. And I mean, socked. We both heard the impact, heard the nose break. Blood came out. He flew backward, both he and Lissa staring wide-eyed. Never, never would I have thought Lissa capable of something like that. Not sweet, delicate, beautiful Lissa. I wanted to whoop and dance with joy. But this wasn't over yet. Don't stop! Hit him again. You've got to knock him out! I did! she cried, horrified at what she'd done. Her fist was also in agonizing pain. I hadn't really mentioned that part during my coaching. No, you've got to incapacitate him, I told her. I think he and Avery are bonded, and I think she's taking her strength from him. It made sense now, why he'd frozen when Avery drew power to use compulsion, why he'd known to show up when he had. She'd used their bond to summon him. And so Lissa went after Reed again. She got in two more punches, one of which knocked his head against the wall. His lips parted and his features went slack. He dropped to the floor, eyes staring vacantly. I wasn't sure if he was entirely unconscious, but he was out of this for the moment. Off to the side, I heard a small cry from Avery. Lissa turned to Adrian and Simon. Adrian had ceased any attempts at compulsion, because Simon was engaged in a full-on attack. Adrian's face showed he'd taken a few hits of his own, and I figured that, like Lissa, he'd never engaged in this kind of physical combat. Without any need for direction from me, Lissa strode over and turned on her compulsion. Simon jerked in surprise, not stopping his attack, but caught off guard. Lissa was still weak, but the walls around him had dropped a little, just as I'd suspected they would. â€Å"Help me!† cried Lissa. With the momentary lapse on Simon's part, Adrian tried to wield his spirit too. Lissa felt and saw the change in his aura as the magic flowed through him. She felt him join her in their psychic attack on Simon, and a moment later, I sensed Oksana joining the fray. I wanted to play general and shout orders, but this wasn't my battle anymore. Simon's eyes went wide, and he fell to his knees. Lissa could sense the other two spirit users-and was a bit surprised by Oksana's presence-and had the vague impression that they were all doing slightly different things to Simon. Lissa was trying to compel him to stop his attack, to simply sit still. Her brief brush with Adrian's magic told her he was trying to make the guardian sleep, and Oksana was attempting to get Simon to run out of the room. The conflicting messages and all that power were too much. The last of Simon's defenses fell as all those mixed messages blasted into him, creating a tidal wave of spirit. He collapsed to the floor. With all of their magic combined, the spirit users had knocked him unconscious. Lissa and Adrian turned to Avery, bracing themselves, but there was no need. As soon as all that spirit had blasted into Simon, Avery had begun screaming. And screaming and screaming. She gripped the sides of her head, the sound of her voice horrible and grating. Lissa and Adrian exchanged glances, unsure how to handle this new development. â€Å"For God's sake,† gasped Adrian, exhausted. â€Å"How do we shut her up?† Lissa didn't know. She considered approaching Avery and trying to help her, in spite of all that had happened. But a few seconds later, Avery grew quiet. She didn't pass out like her companions had. She just sat there, staring. Her expression no longer resembled the dazed look she'd had while wielding spirit. It was just†¦ blank. Like there was nothing in her at all. â€Å"Wh-what happened?† asked Lissa. I had the answer. The spirit flooded from Simon into her. It fried her. Lissa was startled. How could it go from Simon to her? Because they're bonded. You said she was bonded to Reed! She is. She's bonded to both of them. Lissa had been too distracted while fighting for her life, but I'd been able to notice everyone's auras through her eyes. Avery-no longer masking hers-had possessed a gold one, just like Adrian and Lissa. Simon and Reed had had nearly identical ones, with ordinary colors-ringed in black. They were shadow-kissed, both having been brought back from the dead by Avery. Lissa asked no more questions and simply collapsed into Adrian's arms. There was nothing romantic about it, just a desperate need on both their parts to be close to a friend. â€Å"Why did you come?† she asked him. â€Å"Are you kidding? How could I not? You guys were like a bonfire with all the spirit you were wielding. I felt it all the way across campus.† He glanced around. â€Å"Man, I have a lot of questions.† â€Å"You and me both,† she muttered. I have to go, I told Lissa. I felt a little wistful at having to leave them. I miss you. When will you be back? Soon. Thank you. Thank you for being there for me. Always. I suspected I was smiling back in my own body. Oh, and Lissa? Tell Adrian I'm proud of him. The Academy room faded. I was once more sitting on a bed halfway around the world. Abe was looking at me with concern. Mark also was concerned, but he had eyes only for Oksana, who lay down beside me. She looked a little like Avery, pale and sweating. Mark clasped her hand frantically, fear all over him. â€Å"Are you okay?† She smiled. â€Å"Just tired. I'll be all right.† I wanted to hug her. â€Å"Thank you,† I breathed. â€Å"Thank you so much.† â€Å"I'm glad to have helped,† she said. â€Å"But I hope I don't have to do it again. It was†¦ strange. I'm not sure what role I played there.† â€Å"Me either.† It had been weird. Sometimes it was like Oksana had actually been there, fighting right along with Lissa and the rest. Other times, I'd felt as though Oksana had merged with me. I shuddered. Too many minds linked together. â€Å"Next time, you have to be by her side,† Oksana said. â€Å"In the real world.† I looked down at my hands, confused and unsure what to think. The silver ring gleamed up at me. I took it off and handed it to her. â€Å"This ring saved me. Can it heal you even though you made it?† She held it in her hand for a moment and then gave it back. â€Å"No, but like I said, I'll recover. I heal quickly on my own.† It was true. I'd seen Lissa heal remarkably fast in the past. It was part of always having spirit in you. I stared at the ring, and something troubling came to mind. It was a thought that had struck me while riding with the old couple to Novosibirsk, when I'd moved in and out of consciousness. â€Å"Oksana†¦ a Strigoi touched this ring. And for a few moments-while he did-it was like†¦ well, he was still Strigoi, no question. But while he held it, he was almost like his old self too.† Oksana didn't answer right away. She looked up at Mark, and they held each other's gazes for a long time. He bit his lip and shook his head. â€Å"Don't,† he said. â€Å"It's a fairy tale.† â€Å"What?† I exclaimed. I looked back and forth between him. â€Å"If you know something about this-about Strigoi-you have to tell me!† Mark spoke sharply in Russian, a warning in his voice. Oksana looked equally determined. â€Å"It's not our place to withhold information,† she replied. She turned to me, face grave. â€Å"Mark told you about the Moroi we met long ago†¦ the other spirit user?† I nodded. â€Å"Yeah.† â€Å"He used to tell a lot of stories-most of which I don't think were true. But one of them†¦ well, he claimed he restored a Strigoi to life.† Abe, silent thus far, scoffed. â€Å"That is a fairy tale.† â€Å"What?† My whole world reeled. â€Å"How?† â€Å"I don't know. He never elaborated much, and the details often changed. His mind was going, and I think half of what he said was imaginary,† she explained. â€Å"He's crazy,† said Mark. â€Å"It wasn't true. Don't get caught up in an insane man's fantasy. Don't fixate on this. Don't let it become your next vigilante quest. You need to go back to your bondmate.† I swallowed, every emotion in the world churning in my stomach. Was it true? Had a spirit user restored a Strigoi to life? Theoretically†¦ well, if spirit users could heal and bring back the dead, why not the undead? And Dimitri†¦ Dimitri had definitely seemed altered while holding the ring. Had spirit affected him and touched some piece of his old self? At the time, I'd just assumed it was fond memories of his family affecting him†¦ â€Å"I need to talk to this guy,† I murmured. Not that I knew why. Fairy tale or not, it was too late. I'd done it. I'd killed Dimitri. Nothing would bring him back now, no miracle of spirit. My heart rate increased, and I could hardly breathe. In my mind's eye, I saw him falling, falling†¦ falling forever with the stake in his chest. Would he have said he loved me? I would ask myself that for the rest of my life. Agony and grief flooded me, though at the same time, relief was there too. I had freed Dimitri from a state of evil. I had brought him peace, sending him on to happiness. Maybe he and Mason were together in heaven somewhere, practicing some guardian moves. I had done the right thing. There should be no regret here. Oblivious to my emotions, Oksana addressed my last statement. â€Å"Mark wasn't kidding. This man is crazy-if he's even still alive. The last time we saw him, he could barely hold up a conversation or even use his magic. He ran off into hiding. No one knows where he is-except maybe his brother.† â€Å"Enough,† warned Mark. Abe's attention was piqued, however. He leaned forward, shrewd as ever. â€Å"What's this man's name?† â€Å"Robert Doru,† said Mark after a few hesitant moments. It was no one I knew, and I realized how pointless this all was. This guy was a lost cause and had likely imagined the whole idea of saving a Strigoi in a fit of insanity. Dimitri was gone. This part of my life was over. I needed to get back to Lissa. Then I noticed that Abe had gone very still. â€Å"Do you know him?† I asked. â€Å"No. Do you?† â€Å"No.† I scrutinized Abe's face. â€Å"You sure look like you know something, Zmey.† â€Å"I know of him,† Abe clarified. â€Å"He's an illegitimate royal. His father had an affair, and Robert was the result. His father actually included him as part of the family. Robert and his half-brother grew quite close, though few knew about it.† Of course Abe would know about it, though. â€Å"Doru is Robert's mother's last name.† No surprise. Doru wasn't a royal name. â€Å"What's his father's last name?† â€Å"Dashkov. Trenton Dashkov.† â€Å"That,† I told him, â€Å"is a name I know.† I had met Trenton Dashkov years ago while accompanying Lissa and her family to a royal holiday party. Trenton had been an old, stooped man then, kind but on the brink of death. Moroi often lived to be over a hundred, but he'd been pushing a hundred and twenty-which was ancient even by their standards. There had been no sign or whisper of him having an illegitimate son, but Trenton's legitimate son had been there. That son had even danced with me, showing a great courtesy to a lowly dhampir girl. â€Å"Trenton is Victor Dashkov's father,† I said. â€Å"You're saying Robert Doru is Victor Dashkov's half-brother.† Abe nodded, still watching me closely. Abe, as I'd noted, knew everything. He likely knew my history with Victor. Oksana frowned. â€Å"Victor Dashkov is someone important, isn't he?† Out in their Siberian cottage, she was removed from the turmoil of Moroi politics, unaware that the man who would have been king had been locked away in prison. I started laughing-but not because I found any humor in the situation. This whole thing was unbelievable, and my hysteria was the only way to let out all the crazy feelings within me. Exasperation. Resignation. Irony. â€Å"What's so funny?† asked Mark, startled. â€Å"Nothing,† I said, knowing if I didn't stop laughing, I'd probably start crying. â€Å"That's the thing. It's not funny at all.† What a wonderful twist to my life. The only person alive who might know something about saving Strigoi was the half-brother of my greatest living enemy, Victor Dashkov. And the only person who might know where Robert was was Victor himself. Victor had known a lot about spirit, and now I had a good idea where he'd first learned about it. Not that it mattered. None of this mattered anymore. Victor himself could have been able to convert Strigoi for all the good it would have done me. Dimitri was dead by my hand. He was gone, saved in the only way I knew how. I'd had to choose between him and Lissa once before, and I'd chosen him. Now there could be no question. I'd chosen her. She was real. She was alive. Dimitri was the past. I'd been staring absentmindedly at the wall, and now I looked up and met Abe squarely in the eyes. â€Å"All right, old man,† I said. â€Å"Pack me up and send me home.†