1. Night Visit

The guards told Abe that he had to go. He had a sour expression on his face but left without a word. I was about to yell out but the words got stuck in my throat. The guards shove me, "Hey watch it!" I shout at them but they just tell me to shut up and shove me harder. I moved forward silently to my gray cell. They throw me in and lock the gate.

I've been in this cell for three weeks with no visits at all. I had some ray of hope though. Lissa, Adrian, Dimitri, and Christian me several times planning to break me out of this dull cell. I wish I could talk to Liss through our bond. She hasn't even sent me thoughts. All I can do for now is to slip into her mind and see whats going on.

Lissa just went to bed after another meeting, this time it was about her dad and his affair with the strange woman. I could feel Lissa's hurt and betrayal. Oh how I wish I could leave this prison and comfort her. I soon fall asleep.

This dream was Adrian's. I can tell because we are in his grandmother's garden. "Hello, little dhampir" he says as he leans down and kisses my forehead. He didn't bother to dress me up. His hair is messy in that stylish way and he had deep purple bags under his eyes. I reach up to touch his face but then stop half way there and retreat. His eyes have a hint of hurt in them but it quickly dissolves. "Adrian it wasn't me, I swear." I plead with him.

"I believe you. But that doesn't change anything! Everyone is calling you a betrayer and backstabber and they're talking about your execution! I just can't stand it anymore! I know you're a good person but no one else will listen to me!" He sagged down to the bench beside me. I sat down next to him and hug him tightly. He puts his cheek on my shoulder. "Adrian, I'm sorry but I'm not a good person, I cause pain and get people into trouble for things that might not be true!" Adrian sits up right and shakes his head. There's pain in his eyes. "Rose, don't say that! You do what you think is right and that's what made me fall in love with you. You got Dimitri back and proved that strigoi can turn back into moroi and dhampires!"

I get up and start to pace. I can feel the hot sting of tears come to my eyes. "I want to protect Lissa. I want her to have her rights as a royal moroi! We need to find her last relation!" Adrian walks up to me and puts his hands in mine to keep me still. "But how?" He asks in a voice so filled with pain it slices through me. I lower my head. "I don't know Adrian. I wish I could see Dimitri. Together we could find a way out of this."

At that moment I know I have hurt Adrian's feelings and regret ever saying such a thing. "Adrian! I'm so sorry I didn't mean that!" He shakes his head and leans down to give me a short but intense kiss. He whispers in my ear "we'll find a way, we're already half way there." Before I can say anything else the dream fades back into my own.