Chapter 1: The Dream

I was awoken by my own screams. I panted, still terrified. The Dream seemed too real, too much like my time in Siberia.

"It's okay, Roza. It was only a dream," Dimitri's comforting voice murmured into my ear. I smiled. He was here. He was with me. He would never leave me again. He would never be that monster again. I glanced at the alarm clock on the nightstand beside our bed.

"Crap." I was late. And I had been doing so good lately, always punctual. I jumped out of bed, The Dream forgotten. I gathered my clothes, the stretchy white blouse, short black jacket, and black pants.

I pulled my dark brown hair into a ponytail, revealing my promise and molnija marks. "Bye, I'll see you tonight."

As I walked down the stairway of my apartment building, my cell phone buzzed in my pocket. Lissa had texted me.

ROSE! You're late. DO NOT make me

angry today. Spirit is in full swing.

I rolled my eyes. But, I was pretty late. Tina must be ticked. I suppose now is as good a time as any to tell you about myself. My name is Rose Hathaway, and I am a dhampir. Half Moroi, half human. First of all, vampires are real. There are two types, Moroi and Strigoi. Moroi are living vampires, and don't kill when they feed. Strigoi are undead, evil, creatures that have no soul. They kill when they feed. Dhampirs inherit Moroi immunity to sickness, agility, and human brawn. Moroi are tall, super- slim, pale, and have no curves.

Dhampirs protect Moroi, and those who do this are called guardians. I was the Moroi Queen's, Lissa, guardian. Lissa's full name was Vasilisa Dragomir, the last of the Dragomir line. Or so we thought. Lissa had a half-sister, Jill. Even if she wasn't a full Dragomir, she was what Lissa needed to be queen.

I arrived at Lissa's swanky townhouse in the middle of Court. A large crowd of people surrounded it. I guess that wasn't too surprising, considering Lissa was meeting with the leader of a group of Moroi in Egypt ( we recently discovered them). I just couldn't figure out how they knew.

I pushed my way through the crowd, and tons of reporters started yelling my name. They did that everywhere I went, probably because of my scandalous relationship with Dimitri.

I slipped into Lissa's clean home and walked to her study, where they were meeting.

"Rose!" She exclaimed when I entered the large study at the back of the house. "Rose, this is Salma Amina Lujain Neferet, leader of the Egyptian Moroi." Salma Neferet was a short (by Moroi standards), skinny woman. Not normal slim, but stick skinny.

"Hello, you are Rosemarie Hathaway, I presume. Call me Amina, I hate Salma and Lujain," Amina stood up and stuck out her hand, and I shook it as I walked to the back of the study.

"Tina, I'm so sorry," I said, talking to Lissa's live-in guardian. Tina didn't look at me, she simply shook her head and did the see-without-seeing thing all guardians did.

"Amina, I insist we discuss this over breakfast. I believe I hear stomachs growling, Rose's in particular." Lissa pointed to one of the other guardians in the room, who rushed out to get breakfast. She was right. My stomach was growling loudly, and I think she was embarrassed.

"So, Amina, we are in agreement?"

"Yes, Vasilisa. I will stay here for a few weeks, provided I may invite my counsel to come as well.'

"Of course. I have a guardian ready for you. Rose, please summon Guardian Alberta Petrov."

I nodded and took my phone out of my pocket to text Alberta.

Queen Vasilisa requests your pres-

ence at her home and wishes for you

to guard Salma Amina Lujain Neferet,

leader of the Egyptian Moroi.

I was always formal with Alberta, to show her I had matured since St. Vladimir's Academy. A few seconds later, my phone vibrated.

Ok. OTW.

I sighed. I typed that long text with all the appropriate terms, and she types quickly with an acronym.

My phone vibrated again. I was confused. Who else would be texting me?

I had to leave. Daniel Ivashkov wants

to go to England. He wants to meet

the queen, apparently. Don't quite

know how that will work out, but if

he tells me to jump, I have to jump.

I will see you in five days. I love you.

Well, there goes my plan to have a romantic dinner with Dimitri.

"Rose." Lissa said. "What did Alberta say?"

"She is on her way."

Lissa began to say something, but was cut off when Alberta walked into the room.

"Ms. Neferet," she said, nodding, and walked back to me. "Alright, Rose?"

"Just fine, Guardian Petrov."

She chuckled, "Always so formal. Loosen up, Hathaway."

The meeting took four more hours, and included a hearty lunch. Lissa rushed up to me when Amina left.

"Oh, I was praying Reggie wouldn't wake up and ruin it for us. I love him to death, but sometimes he can be a nuisance, especially when I'm doing business." She rested her left hand on her desk, revealing an extravagant diamond ring on her ring finger.

"Woah. I see Christian updated your wedding ring."

She blushed slightly. Even after three years of marriage, she still didn't like to talk about it.

"Mama!" Little Reggie wailed from upstairs.

"Coming, sweetheart!" Lissa rushed out to the aid of her son. She froze in the doorway. "Rose, will you come with me? Reggie adores you."

I followed Lissa up her ornate staircase and wondered when I would see Dimitri again.

I arrived home, exhausted from my lengthy day. I decided to take the elevator instead of climbing the stairs. When it stopped on my floor, I walked to apartment 8B. I walked in, not bothering to turn on the lights.

"Hello, dear." I nearly jumped out of my skin when Abe Mazur turned on the lamp beside my armchair.

"What are you doing here, old man?"

"Your mother and I are just visiting."

I then noticed the short woman with auburn, wavy, cropped hair beside him.

"Hey, Mom." I walked over to her and gave her an awkward hug. "Not that I mind you guys being here, but I'm pretty tired, so I think I'll go to bed. Feel free to do whatever." I walked back to my bedroom and closed the door. I sluggishly put on pajamas and got in bed. And slowly, the black waters of sleep enveloped me.