Hello, all! This is my newest story, and something I've been throwing around for a while-my first Vampire Academy story! This is a story about if Rose had a sister that was just as deadly and good at getting into crappy situations. I hope you all enjoy this! Please let me know with a review!

Waking Up

I opened my eyes silently and slowly, hoping beyond hope that I wouldn't still be trapped in that god-awful bedroom. Thankfully, I seemed to be in a hospital room, which I thought was considerably better than the alternative. The stark white walls with just a hint of bland, framed artwork were a welcome relief to the ornamented, wallpapered monstrosities I had seen as of late. The bed I was currently in was stiff and small, but a welcome respite from the more lavish and sinister beds I had frequented lately. The room was generic and nothing special, but I couldn't help but sigh with ease as I noted the bare white walls, slightly aged TV, and sterile environment. Even the needle in my arm pumping clear fluids into my body didn't bother me in the slightest when I considered it could be Strigoi fangs in my neck draining me of blood.

I tensed tightly when the door swung open, readying my muscles for a fight. I stared in utter disbelief at the pair of people in the doorway, sure that I was hallucinating. There stood my father, Abe Mazur, and my mother, Janine Hathaway, looking as though they had had a brush with death themselves. Abe was holding a bouquet of beautiful pink flowers-which looked odd enough, without the big hot pink bow or the extravagant balloon arrangement that was floating above his head. Abe and Janine looked uncomfortable until they noticed that my eyes were open. At that point, they rushed forward into the room.

Janine walked immediately to the bedside as Abe settled the vase of flowers on a table close to my bed. He stood at the foot, distinctly professional and obviously mimicking my mother, though his eyes showed his relief clearly in his face. Janine's analytical gaze raked over my face as she studied me silently, taking in all that was wrong with me. And from what I could dimly recall and barely feel, there was probably a lot.

"How do you feel?" she asked me tensely. No 'are you okay'. She already knew the answer to that one, plus she wasn't one to coddle, but I wouldn't have it any other way. After what I had been through, coddling was the last thing I wanted. I wanted to forget my experiences, not relive them with a warm and soft mommy that would try to tell me everything would be okay. It wouldn't be. I cleared my throat, surprised at how much it seemed to need it. I felt as though I had been out for months.

"I can't feel the pain," I told her simply. My voice wasn't at its normal pitch either, leaving me confused. It had a gritty sound to it, and I tried clearing my throat again without much success. I resolved to use my gritty voice until my normal one resurfaced, despite the screaming my vocal chords seemed to give off any time I so much as opened my mouth.

"We're…glad that you're alive," my mother told me carefully. I knew it was difficult to express her feelings and I didn't fault her for it, and she did try to offer me an awkward, wane smile. The look in her eyes revealed that she was still really worried. I nodded appreciatively at her sentiments.

"Thanks," I muttered out. Abe looked me over critically, and I felt his assessing eyes before I looked up at him. When I glared and arched an eyebrow, he blushed in a very un-Abe-like way.

"Well, the guardians are waiting to speak with you," he told me gruffly, unsure of my reaction. It wasn't like he had been around enough to know me-I had met him once before, by accident. My mafia father seemed to realize that he was out of his element with one of his teenage daughters that had been tortured within an inch of her life. He shuffled from the bedside and the room, sparing me quick, furtive glances as he exited. It unnerved me, and I was glad to see Janine turning expectantly as a few guardians walked in.

I watched them enter uncertainly, and examined them quickly. One looked to be in his thirties or forties, with graying hair and dark skin. The other was a bit older, maybe his late fifties, with honey colored hair streaked with gray. The two men didn't have weapons on them that I could see, but they still moved with caution as they crossed the room to stand closer to Janine. They were fierce despite their age, and I didn't doubt that they could hand me my ass with barely a blink.

"Katerina," one began quietly. I stiffened at the sound of my name; I hadn't heard it in ages. The older one sighed as he stepped forward a little and began. "We need to ask you…what happened."

"She just woke up, Johnson," my mother stated defensively, her tone crisp and words professional but with a sharp edge that demanded he try to contest her. He looked at her, sighed again, and nodded. Not many people dared to mess with Janine Hathaway. I was grateful for her defense, but realized the severity of the situation as well. The guardians were only trying to keep everyone safe, and I had answers to their questions. "And she goes by Kate."

"Yes, Janine, we realize that, but we have to know if there are more," he told her quietly. My mother glared but backed off slightly, her arms crossed over her chest defensively. Surprisingly, she didn't stray from my side. The man turned back to me, and smiled kindly. I braced myself against his friendly demeanor. I had seen too many people turn on me to trust people on first glance ever again. "Now, Kate, we need you to try to remember what happened. Are there any others?" he asked me. I shook my head, closing my eyes as I focused back on the battle-the energy I had then. It had been scary, how quickly and easily I had killed them. It was terrifying how I could take lives so easily when it was them or me. No hesitation, no second thoughts.

"There are no more," I told him firmly, opening my eyes. I remembered most of the faces from the compound, and they had all been staring up blank at me when I ran from the dark place. I dared Johnson with a level look to ask me to be sure, but he didn't as he looked at me for a long time. I recognized the pity, and tried not to be resentful. God only knew how many of my injuries had been uncovered and revealed, and how bad I looked. He nodded at my answer, though, and I brushed off the pity look and the annoyance it had brought with it.

"We found…one other…dhampir, at the scene," he told me. I stiffened immediately, thinking of the only ally I had had in that horrid place…the ally that had died to let me escape and had thrown himself into the thick of battle to give me a running start. The one that had forced a Moroi child into my arms and instructed me to run as fast as I could to find help.

"Yes," I said as I felt my arms shaking. I again felt the imprint of the child, the quickness of his breaths against my throat, the trembling from his fear. I looked at Johnson, questions lingering in the air. He nodded gravely.

"The child is safe. His parents were located," he explained to me softly. I felt my eyes hurriedly blinking back tears, and looked away from the kindness on the face of the older man. I only thanked God that the boy had survived and I hadn't screwed it up.

"Good," I managed to murmur with difficulty. His fear, my fear, mingling between us, was something that I would remember for the rest of my life. My shoulders heated as they remembered the irritation of his young fingers scrabbling against my bare skin.

"They, um…left you some gifts, to thank you," the guardian told me uncomfortably. He glanced at my mother and shook his head. "But that can be discussed later, of course. But for now…do you remember what happened when you managed to get into the city?" he asked me. His eyes shone, as though he knew what I was going to say, or thought he knew, and was excited to hear my side. Maybe not excited…he seemed more…anxious?

I felt the haze of confusion return to me as I tried to remember, and felt…impatient? That wasn't what I was really feeling, though. I was a little irritated, but I wasn't feeling impatient…

"I…ran," I explained quietly. My throaty voice was forcing out the words. I felt the rush of adrenaline hit as the memory resurfaced, bright and clear in my head. "I ran into town, into the sun, and then…slammed into a Moroi in the street," I stated. The guardian nodded encouragingly, and I noted absently the interested look on my mother's face. The other guardian was listening intently, too, and I coughed self-consciously. Their stares were too much. "The man…I looked into his eyes, and then everything was black…I woke up here."

The guardians nodded and straightened. I had given them the answers they wanted.

"That'll be all for now, Kate. The man you ran into would like to see you, though," he added as an afterthought as he and the other guardian made their way to the door. I stiffened for what felt like the umpteenth time since I had woken up, holding back the wince of pain that accompanied tensing my sore muscles, and glanced at my mother quickly before looking back at the door. A Moroi wanted to see me?

A well-dressed man strode in. He was tall, slim, and pale like most Moroi, and had an air of urgency around him. His emerald green eyes flashed as he raked a hand through his dark brown hair-those eyes, I remembered as the last thing I had seen before passing out in the street, cradled in his embrace as he lowered us to the ground. He stepped towards me anxiously and leaned forward to peer into my eyes for a long, intense moment. I felt my breathing speed up considerably in self-consciousness, and my heart felt like it was about to beat right out of my chest. I thought I could handle being this close to a Moroi man, or any man, but I had been very, very wrong.

Tears stung my eyes but didn't fall as he stood up straight and watched me curiously. He studied me, as if I was a school project, and I watched him back with wide, anxious eyes. Finally, he spoke, and offered me his hand to shake.

"I'm Adrian Ivashkov," he stated. "And you're shadow-kissed."