Chapter One

Lilya Lizaveta Rostov

My surroundings hadn't changed since the few hours I'd been away; water still moistened the ground and crumbs of rocks and burned patches that covered it. The guardians had yet to clean up the area, but Dimitri had told me it was because they still needed more evidence. Evidence that this was the same spot where the wards broke. I gritted my teeth. I really only remembered this as the place Jesse and his stupid group had tortued Lissa and other innocent royals. The place I'd let the darkness get the better of me. Damn Jesse and Ralf.

I sighed. Ever since the rescue mission, everything had been tense. It had been an important event in history for many people. For me: because Dimitri nearly lost his life, but I'd saved him, though the blond bastard had gotten away before I could stake him. For Eddie: because he was saved from nearly being a Strigoi snack...again. For the guardians: because this was one of the first missions to hunt down Strigoi. They'd been proved wrong; that hunting Strigoi could work.

In front of me, passed the wards, a glimmer caught my eye. Mason. His body was faint, much more faint then before. I couldn't see much of him, but I knew he was there. I stepped a little closer to him, but stayed safely behind the wards. "Mason," I said.

His expression was much lighter as I saw him mouth something. My name, I was pretty sure. I was happy to see that he wasn't looking nearly as sad and depressed as before.

"Thank you," I told him. "Thank you for telling me where the Strigoi were. And thank you for helping me save Eddie. And the others that were captured," I quickly added. "I don't really know how to make it up to you." I smiled slightly at Mason.

He flickered a little, becoming fainter.

"You're moving on, aren't you?" I asked. "You're going to...wherever ghosts go to. You're going to peace."

Mason nodded.

"I...I'll miss you, Mase." It was selfish, but I didn't really want him to go. I was going to lose him. For good, this time. "And I really do love you, just not in the way you wanted me to. I'm sorry."

He shook his head, and I was pretty sure he didn't want me to be sorry, but I couldn't be sure.

"But I promise I'll live a good life. And so will Eddie. Like I know you'd want," I said. I knew that was what Mason wanted.

For the first time in his ghostly life, Mason smiled at me. Then, like the wind drifting away, his body dissipated, and I knew he was gone for good. A tear came to my eye, but I blinked it back.

"Good bye, Mason," I murmured, and I hoped that wherever he was, he'd heard my words.

A foot stepped behind me, and I spun around, my hand finding the handle of my silver stake that rested in its holster. I still kept it, because nobody had asked for it back, and I suspected Dimitri wanted me to keep it for safety purposes. Safety purposes only, I knew he'd tell me.

And speak - or think - of the devil, and he shall appear.

"Dimitri," I exclaimed. "You scared the shit out of me!"

"Language, Roza," he said. "What are you doing out here?"

"I could say the same for you," I retorted. I sighed, raking my hand through my hair. Being difficult wasn't going to change anything. "I was just talking to Mason."

"I heard." He shifted uncomfortably. I could tell he still wasn't comfortable with my ghostly

"I wish there was a way I could bring him back," I sighed. "I just...I miss him, Dimitri."

There was no other words for how I was feeling. I wanted my best friend back. Sensing my distress, Dimitri enveloped me in his arms, hugging me close to him. I immediately felt the effects of Dimitri's hug. It made me feel safe and loved and like everything was right in the world. Without the ghostly experiences and stress going around campus, everything was right. Dimitri and I were together, just like we were meant to be.

"I love you," I murmured.

His arms wound tighter around me, and he rested his head on mine. "I love you too, Roza."

Warmth wrapped around us as the words left his lips. I'd always known Dimitri loved me, but it was nice to hear him say it. They weren't meaningless words, like what fourteen-year-olds say to each other. Because you don't actually know how powerful those three words are until you actually know what it's like to love someone. Until then, the words were just that: words. Now, for me, they had a meaning. Now, they made my heart swell.

"It's time to go back," Dimitri finally said, though he made no move to push me away. "They're probably wondering where we are."

I actually highly doubted that they were wondering where we were, but I stepped away from him. I leaned forward and gave him a soft kiss, but he pulled away before anymore could happened.

I sighed. "Guess it's time to go then."

He nodded, looking a little disappointed. "Come on."

I was about to walk forward, but something caught my eye. I turned around quickly. There, where Mason was standing not ten minutes earlier, stood a translucent Moroi woman. A ghost. The ghost was definitely Moroi, and definitely a woman. She had dark, washed-out, long brown hair, and equally dark eyes, not much different from my own. She looked sad, but the way she looked at me said many things.

"What is it, Roza?" Dimitri asked, noticing my shift of attention.

"Her," I whispered. The Moroi ghost gestured for me to follow her. But that involved going out of the wards. Her eyes pleaded with me, and I knew I had to follow. "I'll catch up with you later, Dimitri."

"Roza - "

"I'll be fine," I promised him. "Just...gotta do something."

He hesitated a few more moments before finally nodding. I hid a smile. He trusted me. He trusted me to be okay. With a final loving and worried glance, he left. After a several seconds, I turned around to see the ghost still standing there. She wanted something; that was clear. Much like with Mason. I walked until I reached the boundary of the wards, and looked up to see the lady gesturing for me to follow her still. I gripped the handle of my stake, ready to defend myself if Strigoi came.

I followed the ghost for several minutes, the trees blocking out the sunlight coming from the rising sun. The rays kissed my skin every once and a while as I wondered where the ghost was leading me. To more Strigoi? That was a possibility, but I doubted it. Finally, my ears became aware of a sound. Crying. I frowned. What was it?

The crying became louder as I kept walking. Suddenly, I found the source of the crying. Huddled again a tree in nothing but a torn and tattered shirt and skirt was a little girl who couldn't have been older than three or four. She was facing my direction, so I could see the tears that streamed down her chalky white skin, becoming red and puffy from the crying. Her long, dark brown hair fell in slight waves, covering a portion of her cheek.

"Oh my God," I whispered. I looked at the ghost, who looked saddened at the sight. I saw the resemblance between the Moroi woman and the child, and asked, "Is she yours? Is she your daughter?"

The ghost nodded wordlessly.

I gulped. "Does she...does she have a father?"

The woman hesitated a moment, then shook her head.

"Will she...die soon?"

The ghost nodded.

Suddenly, I got it. "Do you want me to take care of her?"

The ghost nodded. I glanced at the girl, and when I glanced back towards the ghost, she was gone. It was now clear why she led me here. She died, with having no one to care for her daughter. The girl would die soon. And she wanted me to make sure she didn't.

Problem: I had no idea how to do that.

"Umm...little girl?" I asked, approaching her. She cried a little less, but didn't do anything else. "Little girl, my name's Rose. I'm going to take care of you."

Finally, the girl opened her eyes, and I was shocked at what I saw. Brown eyes ringed in red. Suddenly, I was looking at a Strigoi, not a small, dying girl. The girl's skin. Her eyes. They were all Strigoi characteristics. When the wind blew, more sun found its way to her, and she flinched away from it, looking like she was in real pain. If she were Strigoi, she would've burned up. She didn't. She was just in lots of pain. Quickly, I took off my light jacket and wrapped it around her. She sniffled and looked into my eyes. I felt so helpless. What was I supposed to do? I knew nothing about taking care of children.

"Mommy," she whimpered.

"I'm not your mommy," I protested. "My name's Rose. I'm going to take care of you. What's your name?"

She said nothing, and I then noticed the teddy bear the girl was clutching tightly to her chest. I took hold of one of the bear's hands, and the little girl let me take it. Around the bear was a red collar. It read:

Lilya Lizaveta Rostov

January 17, 2004

I love you, Lilya

"Lilya," I murmured. It was a beautiful name. I looked into the girl's red, fearful eyes. "Is that your name? Lilya?"

The girl nodded.

"And you're four-years-old?" I asked.

Lilya nodded again.

I was lost. I'd spent my entire life thinking I'd never had kids, yet a ghost had just asked me to take care of her's. And the connection...something drew me to Lilya. I wasn't sure what it was, but it made me want to protect her. Like she truly was my kid, though I knew that was definitely not the case. She could pass as my child. All I knew was that I couldn't just pass her off to someone else. They'd probably treat her like a science experiment.

This brought me to another question. What was Lilya? She had Strigoi characteristics, but her mother definitely wasn't Strigoi. But maybe...maybe her father was...

"What happened to your mommy?" I asked Lilya suddenly.

Lilya sniffled. "Daddy bit Mommy. Mommy fell asleep."

"Has she woken up?" I asked softly.

Lilya shook her head. "No. She's still sleeping. Daddy brought me here. He said to stay right here so he could get me later."

My heart clenched. I was almost positive Lilya's father was a Strigoi. I'd never heard of a Moroi having Strigoi babies, but it was clear that Lilya wasn't completely Strigoi. Strigoi didn't cry. Strigoi burnt in sunlight. Strigoi were evil. Lilya wasn't any of those things. So then what was she?

I suddenly remembered that the sun was quickly coming out, and I panicked. What was I going to do with Lilya? She couldn't be out in the sun. I had to get her back to the Academy. Fast. I picked Lilya up, and she yelped as the sun touched her. I wrapped the jacket securely around her, though she continued to wince. I started walking in the direction we'd came, but I soon realized I was lost. I had no idea which way was which. So I took Lilya to a dense patch of trees, where no sunlight got in. In the dark, I unwrapped Lilya and set her against a tree. She yawned and lay down on the ground. She was exhausted. She probably hadn't slept in a while, either. I patted her head, hoping someone would come and find us. I needed to get Lilya back to the Academy.

Minutes passed, and those minutes soon turned into hours. I was getting tired myself. Shouldn't they have been looking for me? Where were they? I yawned and lay back against one of the trees, my arm securely around Lilya, who was sleeping soundly. Suddenly, a voice broke through the silence.

"Rosemarie!"