If there was one word to describe how Rose felt when she had returned from her long trip of hunting her Strigoi turned boyfriend. A Strigoi is an undead vampire that was changed at some point in their lifetime. They can be changed by either drinking their victim dry of all their blood or get bitten by another Strigoi. Non- Strigoi were called Moroi and every Moroi used magic tied to one of the four elements—earth, air, water, or fire. It was only discover not more than a year ago that my best friend Lissa, the last heir to the Dragomir clan could use a fifth element called Spirit. It is a psychic element that comes from the mind and soul, allowing the user to control other better and heal the living and bring the dead back to life.
That is how I ended up in the situation I was in. When I was fifteen I had died in a car crash that had killed Lissa's family. I died myself that day but Lissa had unknowingly brought me back to life using Spirit. From that moment on, I've been "Shadow-Kissed" to my best friend. To be Shadow-Kissed means that I am spiritual bonded to her, I can enter her mind and see what she sees, feel when she's in danger, and even hear her thoughts. It has come in handy this past year went I traveled to Russia. I had been able to warn her of the danger that had wanted to harm her.
I was a Dhampir, a half-vampire half human, and was sworn to protect all Moroi that threatened them. Once I graduated I would be with Lissa all the time to keep away all enemies that wanted her dead. A Dhampir can also become Strigoi if they are bitten or drink the blood of another. From the time of our birth we are taught and trained to protect all Moroi in our world and that is why many of our kind is turned Strigoi, the leave the Moroi defenseless and easy victims for the Strigoi.
"Rose," My thoughts were taken away and placed onto who had called me. Lissa was with me, both of us standing on top of the ledge of the cliff that was just outside of the school's ground. The darken sky told me I had been out here longer then I intended to be. "What are you doing out here?" It was a normal question that anyone would have asked but I had no answer.
"I'm not really sure," My eyes drifted to the cliff edges and looked down to what seemed like a bottomless pit if I lost my footing and fell. My gaze stayed there, looking down at the fall that would kill me if I took one more step over. "It was something like this too." I hadn't meant to speak those thoughts but they escaped my mouth before I could register what they really were.
"What do you mean?" Lissa was worried about me; I could hear her thoughts of worry screaming into my head. It was so strange, I could hear her thoughts clear as day in my head, could feel that she was standing right behind me, but it felt like I was the only one on this cliff top.
My eyes left the darken edge and moved up to stare at the sky, the stars were out but something seemed off about them. As if their lights were dimming, like they were being covered over by a shadow. "I meet Dimitri in Russia," I was telling her my story of what happened on my trip. "He was Strigoi just like I thought he would be. He was living with a whole group of Strigoi actually, and he took me into their hideout when he captured me. He tried to make me become a Strigoi too by making me first act like a Blood Whore," A Blood Whore was a female that allowed a male vampire to bite her while they were having sex. It was considered a crime to do such a thing and anyone who had allowed it was looked down upon. "I'd finally noticed it and was able to make a quick escape," My voice was becoming soft, eyes glazing over with unshed tears. "He'd chased after me until we came onto a bridge, I had a stake hidden in my jacket and when the time came I stabbed him through the chest." I told her my tale, my tears refusing to leave my eyes, my whole body suddenly felt very heavy. My chest ached and my heart was screaming at me at this sudden feeling.
A Strigoi could be killed by a stake that was charmed with the power of the four elements. If you stab them to their heart, their death will be instant. Other ways to kill them is by beheading them or setting them on fire. I had staked Dimitri, a man that was at one time my mentor, someone who I could always go too if I felt like giving up or hated how my life was going. He was always so strong, kind, skilled, and he was the man I loved. It was a secret that not even my best friend knew about until I left for my trip. Dimitri was the man I loved, it was my responsibly to stop him from hurting innocent people, only I could stop him from turning others into coldblooded killing Strigoi. Only I could kill him.
My legs finally gave way as I hit the ground beneath me. Lissa running to my side in an instant, her fears of me falling over the edge screamed in my mind but they were now nothing more than a whisper. My hands went to my chest, gripping at my shirt that I had thrown on before coming out here. My heart wouldn't stop pounding, it was screaming at me but I couldn't hear it. My ears were blocked by my fears, I was afraid of this feeling because I had felt it before. I knew this feeling and I was scared of it, I couldn't hear what my heart was trying to tell me because my fear had overcome me.
"Lissa, run." It was all I could chock out, my mouth was suddenly very dry and it felt like the words I wanted to say were too heavy. I couldn't get them out of my mouth.
"I'm not leaving you out here all alone!" She cried to me, her own tears spilling out. I didn't know she was crying until I felt one of tears hit my cheek and run down. The sudden moisture had woken me up somewhat but my mind was still one big blank.
The wind suddenly picked up and cared in its presence a certain scent that I was so used to. "I'd listen to you if I was you, Lissa." That voice, heavily laced by that strong Russian accent, it was spoken so softly but it felt like he was right next to me, whispering in my ears. Dimitri was here.
"Rose…" Lissa was scared, her thoughts screamed of fear and she was tugging at my arm to try and pull me with her so we could escape. We were outside the school and away from the wards that kept all Strigoi from entering. "We have to go, now!"
Even with my back turned to him, I could still feel that grin on his face. I could already see his eyes lightening up in amusement, one hand on his hip, and his head held up high. It was a pose that he often did back when he was still a Dhampir but had never lost that trait even after becoming a Strigoi. I was so happy the first time I saw him do that after I was taken as his captive, I was so glad to see that there were still some traces of my old Dimitri in this new one. I was so relieved that I had let my guard down and allowed him to control me by my feelings and almost became Strigoi.
"Roza," That name he would always call me, it made shivers run down my spine every time. "You know as well as I that you do not belong here. You have so much talent in you, there is so much power that that body of yours and it will only waste away by staying here," My breathes came out in quick gasps, he voice was so soft and so familiar. I could still hear the old Dimitri talking to me using that same tone. "These people…they are only wasting your talents," Lissa flinched and I knew that he was glaring at her. She wasn't used to staring into his new cold blood red eyes as I am, I had all of winter to become accustomed to those ruby eyes. "Let me turn you into a Strigoi. With it you can have so much power in you, no one telling you how to live your life anymore, no more feeling like dirt when they talk down on you. Roza, we can be together for the rest of eternity."
I wanted to cry! I wanted to cry too badly in those strong arms that had protected me from all the dangers that I had to face in my life. Dimitri knew me; he knew what I kept secret from everyone in the deepest part of my heart. He understood how much I still loved him, he knew how badly I was crying on the inside to be with him. He was the only person in the world that could see past my hard outer shell and see the young teenage girl inside that wanted to remain by the side of the man she loved forever.
"Rose!" A sharp pain had come onto my face, my cheek was now stingy from the sudden contact of Lissa's hand. She had never once in her life ever hit me before, she was to gentle to ever think about hurting another. "Stop this! You can't listen to him!" Her tears hit my face and I finally looked up into those happy jade green eyes that I grew up with. Instead of happiness shining in them there were only tears. "I understand…I know you love him. I know how much you love Dimitri! That's why you left me, your family, everyone to go after him. I understand all that," Her tears came flowing out and her whole was shaking, but her voice was so strong. It was always so soft but not now, now it was sounding more like the tone of a determined warrior. "You can't listen to him! This Dimitri only wants someone that can help him gain more power! He only wants…!"
"Shut up!" In a speed that not even a Moroi princess could see, Dimitri had his hand around her throat as he lifted her up to face her face. "What would a spoiled brat like you know? From the beginning you are the one that used Rose the most. You caused her to become this Shadow-Kissed girl, you put her at risk of becoming insane because you can't control your damn powers. You little Dragomir princess are the one that had cause Rose the most pain and suffering."
In a flash my body was finally free from the weighted words that Dimitri had placed on me. With speed and strength that only a truly strong Dhampir could have, I kicked the man that was slowly chocking my best friend and sent him flying to the ground. Lissa instantly released and gasping for breath, I went in front of her to protect her from anymore harm. "Go back to the school," It was one warning that I didn't want her to protest against. "I can handle things from here. I need you to go back to your dorm." Her thoughts were in my head again, this time I could hear them clearly. She wouldn't fight me on this and quick raced back to the school.
When I felt that she was at a safe enough distance I turned my full attention back to Dimitri. He was standing up again, that grin was back on his face as he made his way towards me. His long legs reaching me in a matter of minutes and his arms going around my body. My body was still, face emotionless, but my heart jumped in my chest when I felt his arms holding me close to him. "Roza, you never change," He whispered into my hair and kissed the top of my head. "Let me turn you."
My eyes glazed over as I once again stared into those ruby red eyes, they were such a pretty color kind of like a rare gem that only a select few every get to see. This is him, this is the man that I fell in love with. This is Dimitri Belikov, the man that I had given my heart and body too, the only man that could make my face shine brightly with a smile when I felt like I was dying on the inside. "Dimitri…" I whispered out into the wind. I stood on the tips of my toes to reach up and kiss those lips that I had missed so much. The kiss had come and brought with it so many memoires of my time together with him, all the training sessions, missions, and sweet little moments we had together after we decided we could no longer deny our feelings.
This one kiss showed me what the old Dimitri had once been like. The one with honey colored brown eyes instead of red.
A single tear escaped me before I pulled out my hidden stake and slashed his stomach. His cries could be heard all over followed along by his growl. "You are not the man I love. The one I love is not a walking ice cube that only cares for himself." It had taken me so long but I finally understand it now. I had been letting my memories control me, I had let them take over and show me an illusion that the Dimitri that I loved was still around instead of the real one in front of me.
"Roza!" He growled my name out, no longer in that loving tone but was now showing me the real Strigoi that he really was.
"I understand it now," My voice was finally steady again, I was no longer afraid. "I understand that for so long you've been holding my hand. You've always been there for me, even in this form you have always been there for me," The tears were back in my eyes but I was smiling all the same "I've been letting the memoires of you guide me for so long that I had forgotten that he is no longer around. So you'll just have to wait for me a little longer but I promise you, one day I'll free you from your shadowed chains and you can be happy again."
I was making my choice now. No more would I walk along the frozen path alone, trying desperately to get to the other side. I would go along with friends and warm up the frozen path and somehow I would find the man that I once loved again. "It may take a while but I swear one day Dimitri I will free you from your shadowed chains and you can be happy again." I was freely crying this time. My vow was set and I would not break it no matter what the cost was.
I had my life planned out but Dimitri didn't want that, he wanted to be the one to control my life. With one last growl he jumped at me, hands ready to squeeze the life out of my body but I dodged and jumped off the cliff. I could still his voice yelling down at my form but I didn't let it bother me and looked straight ahead at the ground that was coming up faster. I wasn't afraid to die, if it was to save the people I love then I wouldn't mind it, but until I saved Dimitri from the dark I would not let go of life just yet.
In one big splash I crashed into the water that was flowing down from the raging waterfall. Its rapids pulling me down the river in a violent motion, twisting my body in so many turns that I didn't think could be possible. With all the strength that I could muster I shot my hand up out of the freezing water and grabbed onto dry land. With a gasp I breathed in fresh air to my lungs once my head was out of the water and collapsed onto the ground. My body was in pain from being pulled around so much in the water but I knew I would survive, I had too.
"One day…" I coughed up more water and filled my lungs with the fresh air that surrounds me. "I promise I will save you so wait for my, Dimitri." It was vow I made and would keep. It may even end up killing me but I knew one way or another I would bring Dimitri back from being a Strigoi. "I promise." I swore one last time and closed my eyes just as the night gave way to dawn.