This is my third and final story for my mini-series 'The Wrong Alchemist.' in this story, everything has gone almost the same, as it would have in Richelle Meads book, Shadow Kiss, with minor changes. Rose can see Mason but thanks to her religious upbringing she knows what he is and that he shouldn't be there. She goes to Dimitri with her concerns but he assures her there is nothing wrong. Later she is Lissa's head and can see that she is with Jessie and they are about to start their initiation ceremony. Rose gets there before they can start and puts it to a stop without her breakdown. The guardians come and take everyone away. Rose stays with Dimitri to explain what happened and that is where this story starts. Enjoy.
"Tell me everything Rose, from the start," Dimitri said with his stern instructor voice but I could see the emotions running through his eyes. I took a deep breath to stop the twisting feeling in my stomach. I felt like I was going to throw up or fain. It felt familiar from that day on the plane minus a massive migraine. I kept it back and started to explain everything.
"Well, after I fought you and the other guardians I was on my way to my room to shower before I would go to dinner but before I made it to my room I felt a fear in the bond. I pulled myself into Lissa's head and saw she was with Jessie, out here. The guy next to him had a fireball in his hand and looked ready to strike. Jessie told her to use compulsion to make them stop. The fireball sparked and sprinkles of fire hit her bare skin giving her little burns. They weren't that bad but that was only the start. I bolted from my room still in my dirty clothes and told Eddie to get you guys. Then I ran out here and tackled Jessie before he could do any damage. A few of the others ran away when they saw me but I saw their faces. Then you guys showed up and took Jessie away and Lissa to the infirmary for her burns. And now here we are," I recounted skipping the tiny detail where I punched Jessie in the face. He had it coming.
"That's everything?" asked Dimitri searching my face.
"Yup," I said putting on my best guardian mask. Dimitri raised an eyebrow and I felt my mask slipping but I managed to keep it in place even with my stomach twisting.
"Okay then," said Dimitri and gave me a small smirk. I knew he could tell I was lying but he knew me well enough to know if it were important I would tell him. "Come on. You missed dinner. I'll see if I can find you something," he said and gestured for me to walk with him. I started walking. We were on the borderline of the wards and I could see the dark outline of trees outside. We had almost made it to the Guardian housing area when it happened. My stomach turned violently I hunched over groaning in pain clutching my stomach.
"Roza," started Dimitri, his voice full of concern. "What's wrong?"
"It's nothing. I just fell a little sick that's all," I told him.
"Do you feel like you are going to faint?" he asked.
"No just a little lightheaded and queasy," I said.
"It's probably just hunger and exhaustion. You will feel better once you have eaten," he told me. I nodded and sucked up the pain and started to follow him.
We had only walked a couple more feet before I saw it. He came out of the shadows and was standing before me. His bright glow was dimmer than last time and his colours looked more washed out. He was leaving soon. I was frozen. Dimitri knelt in front of me his eyes full of concern.
"Roza what's wrong?" he asked again.
"Don't you see him?" I asked as I started out at what must have been an empty space for him.
"Who?" asked Dimitri.
"Mason," I told him. I hadn't told him about my recent sightings but after the plane incident, I had told him I saw ghosts. He thought it was just a hallucination or PTSD so I didn't tell him which ghosts I had seen but now I had no choice.
"Roza, listen to me. He isn't real. Mason is dead. This isn't real," he said but I ignore him and went to Mason. The look on his ghostly face said it all.
"What is it?" I asked him. He gave me a pained expression like he was trying to get the words out. I was about to give up when I heard him whisper just loud enough for me to pick up.
"They're coming" and he vanished. I fell to my knees clutching my stomach trying to hold down the little food in my stomach. Dimitri ran to my side and put a hand on my back in a comforting way. I turned my head away to get some air and I saw it. It was so fast that I almost missed it but I saw it. A dark figure dashing through the shadows of woods faster than I had ever seen anything move. I felt my jaw drop and my eyes widen. My heart was beating rapidly as panic spread through my body.
"Roza, you need to see the nurse. I'll take you to the infirmary," said Dimitri and he lifted me to my feet. I shook my head frantically.
"No, Dimitri," I started.
"Rose, let me help you," he said but I pushed him away.
"No Dimitri listen!" I shouted and he stopped. "I need you to call the guardians now," I ordered. His mouth opened to say something but I cut him off. "Don't talk, just do it. Then I need you to get out your stake," I said and shifted my eyes to the forest so he knew what I was talking about. Realization set in his eyes and he did as I ordered.
I stayed still and watched the forest for any movement. Suddenly a branch snapped and my head snapped to where the noise had come from and I found myself staring into the bright red evil eyes of a strigoi.
I stood frozen as the strigoi started to approach slowly. He was getting closer and Dimitri was still on the phone with Alberta. His back was to the strigoi and I couldn't say anything without risking the Strigoi to advance. My heart moved to my throat as the strigoi came closer.
Sweat broke out on my brow and the strigoi was way too close for comfort. With no other option, I snatched the stake from Dimitri's hand and ran out to face the evil creature. With the stake firmly in my grip, I lashed out. The strigoi saw me coming and went to grab me but he was sloppy and untrained, he probably was a Moroi or human before he was turned. I dogged and kicked his feet out from under him. He fell to the ground and I didn't hesitate before plunging the sharp silver tip into his heart. He roared once before he collapsed dead. My first real strigoi staking.
I turned to Dimitri who was already fighting the next opponent. He had another stake in his hand and within seconds he had taken down his as well. Another strigoi ran out and I was about to run after him when I saw another guardian come and get him. More guardians ran out to the wards edge and fought off each strigoi as they came. I was about to join them when a hand on my shoulder pulled me back. I turned to see my mother ready in guardian blacks with a stake in her hand.
"Get back to your room," she ordered.
"But I can help," I argued back.
"You aren't going to be useful when you're dead," she said with her fierce leader voice.
"No, but I am alive and useful now. I can help, you know I can." She looked like she was thinking for a moment before she sighed.
"You're right, go to the Moroi buildings and help keep them protected. If the strigoi get past us that is where they will go." I wanted to argue back but she didn't give me a chance before she ran out to join the fight. I knew I had to obey orders. Every job matters, so I ran off to the Moroi building.
I had almost got there when I felt the something through the bond. I pulled myself into Lissa's head. She was in her room pacing frantically as Eddie leaned against the wall watching her.
"Where are they?" she asked.
"Lissa, relax. Rose is with Dimitri and they are both lethal Guardians. They can handle strigoi," said Eddie reassuringly.
"What about Christian?" she asked. "He is in the church attic all alone. What if he goes outside?"
"He wouldn't go outside. And if he is in the church attic he is in the safest place of all of us. Strigoi can't enter holy ground remember?" said Eddie.
"Unless they burn it down," Lissa muttered.
"They wouldn't. They don't even know if anyone's there and besides, there are much easier prey then him," said Eddie and he stopped her pacing. She sighed.
"You're right." I pulled myself out. Eddie was right but Christian was my Moroi and I had to look after him. I can only imagine the score I would get if I let my Moroi die in real life.
I took a detour and sprinted to the church. As I rounded the last corner I hit something hard and fell back into the cold snow. When I recovered I saw Christian on the ground with a hand on his head.
"Are you trying to kill me?" he shouted.
"Actually, the exact opposite," I said and stood up.
"What's going on? I heard noises and then everyone was being taken into the buildings," said Christian.
"Never mind all that. We have to get you back to the Moroi building now," I said but he wasn't listening. His eyes were wide and he was staring off at something behind me. The sick feeling in my stomach was back and I slowly turned stake ready. I wasn't quick enough and he got me first taking me down with his weight. I struggled but he was too heavy for me.
His teeth were bared and he moved for my neck ready for the kill. I relaxed ready for the pain that I knew would follow but it never came. Instead, he lit up like a Christmas tree. He jumped off me and turned to Christian, who had another fireball in his hand. The strigoi growled and made his way to Christian but I got him first running and jumping on his back taking him down and staking him before he could throw me off. He stopped moving and I made my way to Christian who stood stunned.
"Come on, we have to get you to the Moroi buildings where it's safe," I said tugging at his arm.
"Rose wait, what we just did was amazing. Do you really just want to sit and wait around to see how this battle will end or do you want to do something?" I knew I had to say we had to follow orders and join the others but the words wouldn't leave my mouth. For a few minutes, I stood considering both options. Time was wasted and I knew I had to decide now.
"Let's go but listen, you have to stay with me at all times and only use a little firepower, so you don't lose all your energy. Promise me, at the first sign of danger, I need you to leave and run back to the Moroi building no questions asked." He nodded and I knew he was serious.
And so we ran. I had to slow myself so Christian could keep up with me but we made it just as the fight was really getting started. The guardians had the whole area covered, staking most strigoi before they could make it past the boundary, but a few still managed to slip through and those were out targets.
I ran out with my stake ready and plunged it into the chest of the closest strigoi. He slackened immediately and I pulled out my stake ready for the next strigoi. Christian was right behind me and had three set alight screaming in pain. I ran forward and staked them one after another until there was none left but we weren't done yet. No, we had to help the others.
Christian gave me a look and I nodded before we both ran up to where the guardians were and helped them. A few saw us and looked like they were going to say something, but they shut their mouths when Christian set the front wall of strigoi aflame. They didn't hesitate before they charged out with stakes raised. It seemed like the fight would never be over. I fought beside them fighting each strigoi that came my way until eventually no more came. It was over. The strigoi that were still alive had run off back into the safety of the woods where they couldn't be seen.
Moroi were called and they put the wards back up keeping the evil creatures out. Everyone was exhausted, some were injured, but each person's face shone strength and pride.
We had won.