"Get out!" I screamed. He was still in the sun, still safe.

But he didn't listen to me. He ran toward us, out of his protective light. I redoubled my struggles, hoping I'd pull Isaiah's attention away from Mason. I didn't. Isaiah shoved me into Elena before Mason was halfway to us. Swiftly, Isaiah blocked and seized hold of Mason, exactly as he'd done to me earlier. Only, unlike with me, Isaiah didn't restrain Mason's arms. He didn't jerk Mason upright by the hair or make long, rambling threats about an agonizing death. Isaiah simply stopped the attack, grabbed Mason's head with both hands, and gave a quick twist. There was a sickening crack. Mason's eyes went wide. Then they went blank.

I woke up panting. Another nightmare. Not really! Every night for the past two weeks it's the same one and if I don't see Mason's death I see Dimitri kissing Tasha.

After Mason's memorial Dimitri came to me and told me he would take Tasha's offer to be her Guardian. He told me that what Mason did was what he would do if I was in any danger. I was crying for a whole day and then I just accepted the fact that we could never be together. I've tried really hard to keep my feelings in check but let's just say that Mason's death and Dimitri leaving me for Tasha brought another Rose out.

I got out of bed and dragged my ass to the shower. I got ready for my morning practice with Alberta and headed towards the gym. Since Dimitri was gone Alberta was my new mentor and it was a good thing since her moves and techniques were different than Dimitri's which allowed me to be a better Guardian. As I entered the gym I put down my training bag and head to start my laps but Alberta stopped me.

"Rose we need to talk" she said and I could tell that it was something so I just nodded for her to continue. "I won't be able to train you today since I have some obligations but I wouldn't want you to miss your trainings so I asked Guardian Hathaway to train you for today"

"What?" I asked and I was fuming. My mother was there when they found me with Mason's body in my arms and I admit I cried over her shoulder but that didn't mean that I had forgot about the black eye that she gave me the last time we trained together.

"It's just for today's practice." She assured me and I took a deep breath.

It's not that bad. I can get through this. Hopefully I won't have to walk around with a bruised eye again.I nodded to Alberta and just then my mother entered the gym.

"Guardian Petrov" she nodded towards Alberta "Rose" she nodded to me and a small smile played on her lips.

"Guardian Hathaway" Alberta acknowledged her "it's good to have you around even for one day"

"Mother" I smiled at her. Yeah our relationship was a strange one but when I saw her something inside me warmed. "Nice to see you here" I said and gave her an awkward hug in which she responded.

I heard the gym door opening and then it closed so I guess that Alberta was gone.

"How have you been holding up Rosemarie?" she asked looking concerned. I could see the worry in her eyes so I answered truthfully.

"I'm better now. I still have those awful nightmares sometimes but other than that I'm back into kicking ass" I said and I could see a small smile in her face but then it was quickly covered with her Guardian mask.

"Rosemarie language!" she said still with a ghost of a smile in her face.

"I'm running late for my training you know" I told her grinning wide "I should be out there running laps!" she glared at me but when I was about to exit the gym's door she spoke again.

"We are sparing today." I gulped and wished that all the training I had with Dimitri and Alberta would help leave the gym conscious and without a bruised eye.

We spared for a long time and I could feel out of breath but I wouldn't let my mother win. Finally I saw an opening and launched at her pinning her down to the mats and using my training stake to "kill" her.

"Dead!" I said as I touched my stake in her heart. I roll off of her and collapsed at the mats trying to catch my breath.

"Impressive" she said stunned. She jumped up from the mats and offered me her hand to help me stand. "You will become an excellent Guardian Rose. I'm so proud of you"

"As I am for you" I heard and I turned to the sound of the voice. There in the door of the gym stood a Moroi man in his middle forties with a colorful scarf in his neck and a gold earring. He looked like a mobster to me.

"Ummm…sorry do I know you?" I asked him ignoring my mother which seemed to be surprised and her breath was uneven.

"Ibrahim what are you doing here?" she asked since he wasn't responding.

"Janine so nice to see you again after all those years" he said and came closer. "I came to see our daughter of course" he smiled at me and left me agape.

Daughter???Did this mobster dude just called me his daughter???

"Mom??" I asked her in a pleading way hoping she would say that it's a hidden camera somewhere. I can't even think that my mother was involved in any way with this Moroi mobster.

She gave me a small smile and closed her eyes. "Rosemarie this is Ibrahim Mazur. Your father."

"Right…"was all I said and turned to him. "Why now?" I asked him a little harsh but he didn't flinch "Why is now the time to come here and meet me? Where were you all those years?"

"That's my fault Rosemarie. Don't take it on your father." Janine said.

"Explain!" I demanded and she did. She told me how they met and fell in love and that when she learned that she was pregnant she decided that it was for my best interest if I didn't have anything to do with him.

It was a minute or so that she had stopped talking. I was trying to adjust to the new info. I took some deep breaths and then looked at Ibrahim. He had the same hair with me and my skin colour.

"So…Ibrahim" I started but he stopped me.

"Please call me Abe if you don't want to call me dad" he smiled kindly at me.

"Yeah…whatever" I said and tried to smile back to Abe. "I was wandering if you guys wanted to go grab something to eat because I'm starving" I said and saw my mother nodding.

We were at the cafeteria when I felt Lissa. She was excited about something but I could figure out what. I spotted her and waved my hand at her. She came nearly jumping from joy.

"What is it Liss?" I asked her

"We are having a karaoke night!" she screamed and hugged me. "I haven't heard you sing since we were in Portland." She said still jumping and then she stopped when she saw my mother and Abe.

"Princess" my mother nodded towards her.

"Guardian Hathaway nice to see you again" she said truthfully and then I felt a little panic when she saw Abe.

Rose what is Abe Mazur doing here?

I looked at her. She knew my father? Well then he really must be notorious or something. I was going to enjoy this.

"Liss this is my father Abe Mazur. Dad this is my best friend and charge princess Vasilissa Dragomir" I could hardly keep myself not to laugh when Lissa heard that Abe was my father. I noticed Abe's smile when I called him dad.

"Princess Dragomir it's so nice to meet you" Abe extended hid hand to Liss and she took it though she was still a little bit scared of him.

"Nice to meet you too mister Mazur but please call me Lissa"

"Of course Lissa. You can call me Abe." He smiled at her and she relaxed a little though inside her head she was screaming to me for not telling her.

We sat and eat in silence. Well we were while Lissa was still asking me questions through the bond. Sometime after she saw I was responding to her questions she decided to ask me aloud though not what I was waiting.

"What will you sing to the karaoke?" she smiled and tried to play all innocent with me.

I glared at her for mentioning that.

"I didn't know you could sing." Abe said

"There're a lot of things you don't know about me old man" I answered and my mom nearly choked with her soda and Lissa was screaming through the bond.

Rose this is Abe Mazur you are talking to!!! Do you have a death wish or something?

Abe didn't seem to find what I said insulting and he just laughed it of.

"She's got that from me." He said to Janine and she shook her head. "You are right Rose. I'm sorry."

Abe Mazur just said he was sorry!!! Lissa's eyes were about to pop out of their sockets.

I slightly elbowed her under the table but my mother saw it.

"Rosemarie that is not a way to treat your best friend let along a Royal Moroi!" she said glaring at me.

"Sorry" I mumbled.

"Oh Janine you're being such a hypocrite" Abe said amused "the first time you saw me you punched me!" he said in mock sadness.

"You are not Royal" she tried to defend herself but the fact was that she had punched a Moroi Royal or not!

She punched Abe Mazur and she is still alive…wow… Lissa bubbled through the bond.

"Lissa if you won't stop calling my dad with his full name in my head I will punched you too!" I told her playfully and she smiled.

"Sorry" she whispered "but humor me!"

"So…"Abe said "what will you sing Kiz?" I knew that Kiz was the Turkish word for daughter so I didn't comment on that.

"Well…it depends on my mood at the time I guess." I shrugged my shoulders.

"Hey!" Lissa said annoyed "you won't be singing only one song you know. In fact you will be singing at least 3!" she said and I could see that there was no way I will have it my way so I signed defeated and she grinned evilly.