I woke up in a hospital with awfully bright lighting. Note that when I say bright, I mean, bright. Like blinding-bright.
For a second I couldn't remember anything, and I thought I must have had amnesia. Nope. Not possible. People with amnesia wouldn't have known they had amnesia. Figures.
Then the events that happened rushed to me. The Court. Me, publicly accusing Tasha. Christian, cursing at me for my accusation towards his aunt. The gunshot.
I must have made a movement somehow, because the beautiful blonde sitting by my side leapt out and held me like dear life.
She and I both wept.
"I'm so happy, Rose. So terribly happy. You don't know how relieved I am. I thought I lost you, Rose. I really did", she sobbed again.
"Hey, now, it's okay, Liss. I'm here, I'm here, I'm okay, everything's fine." The truth was I was still shocked and numb, and awfully scared as well. Besides, I couldn't not comfort Lissa, my one and only constant in my life, my best friend, especially when I was the reason she cried. My body, though, was well-rested and I felt awake.
"It was spirit magic, wasn't it?" I said.
She gave a small nod. I think she was still as hesitant to mention the gunshot, though it was the whole reason I was here. Tasha Ozera, Lissa's boyfriend's aunt, was the one who pulled the trigger, and shot me. She was a friend of ours and we all cared about her, especially Christian. Actually, the gun wasn't aimed at me, but I threw myself in front of Lissa and I was the one who got shot. We both still couldn't believe any of it and decided to stir away from that subject.
After awhile though, Lissa managed to tell me that I was no longer fugitive, and my trial would not be continued. Tasha's, however, will be held in a couple of weeks. I sighed in relief-that our plan actually worked-and sorrow that Tasha is most likely to be executed soon.
"I haven't felt this refreshed in a long time. Why the hell am I kept hostage in this blinding room? I've clearly recovered. Fully."
A woman not more than thirty cleared her throat. I had been so focused on Lissa that I missed a doctor standing behind her.
"Well, apparently they aren't too convinced", she glanced at the doctor. She continued, "But yes. I agree that it is a bit too bright in here." She squints her eyes to emphasise her point.
"We want to make sure everything is alright before we release you, Guardian Hathaway. After all, by ensuring your well-being, we are also ensuring that you are in perfect condition to guard the queen."
"The queen?" I looked at Lissa, who gave me a small smile. "I don't suppose.. You're already elected? You're queen?" I was beaming now.
I gasped. "I can't believe it! I mean, not that I can't, coz you'll make a perfect queen."
Lissa was still smiling broadly, though there was a little bit hesitation in her face. "Well, not officially yet. I will be after my coronation. And I'm not sure about about the last part, though. But I'm gonna try. Besides, I'll have you. I have little to fear."
The woman cleared her throat-again-and announced that they're running a few more tests on me before I'm fit to go.
"This is ridiculous. I don't feel any pain. When are they gonna realise that and let me go? I want to see Dimitri. Where's Dimitri?", I demanded.
Lissa's face, who was filled with joy just a couple of minutes ago, was no replaced with an unreadable expression.
The doctor even seemed to feel the tension building. Lissa made a subtle gesture with her head towards the door to hint her to leave the room.
Something's not right. I allowed myself to focus and latch on to her mind, to find out what is wrong.
But... I found nothing.
Nothing.
The realisation was so shocking to me that I stayed still for a couple of seconds. Then I started running my hands all over my chest, frantically trying to find imaginary threads that wove Lissa's soul to mine.
I shook her. "Lissa? Lissa! The bond! The bond! Our bond! It's gone! I know you can't feel anything but do you sense it? You must have sensed it!"
"Adrian was wondering how long you'd take to find out", muttered Lissa.
Adrian? Adrian... Oh God, Adrian! I need to see him!
I didn't realise I'd been shouting those words out loud until Lissa half-shouted at me as well.
"Calm down, Rose! Please. We're all still trying to process what happened."
"Still trying to process? What are you talking about?"
Memories rushed to me. Dimitri and I.. alone in the hotel room.. Adrian's agonised expression when he saw Dimitri kissed me... No, no, no.
"I owe him an apology! Oh God, I'm such a horrible person. He's hurt. I hurt him." I don't know why, but my guilt towards him now is ignited, and I feel so much worse. I finally realised the full gravity of the situation. I hurt Adrian, hell, I cheated on him and he's never going to forgive me, we'll never be friends again and I don't even think he would-
"Apology? What do you mean he's hurt? What are you talking about? Why would you apologise to your boyfriend who just saved you? I get that you feel indebted, but why are you so regretful?" Lissa was frustrated, and undoubtedly a little annoyed that I shouted at her.
Then she went still, like she was hit by a sudden realisation and said, "I don't suppose.. He sent you a message? For the first time ever?"
Message? First time ever? What the hell is Lissa talking about?
No...
No.
The memories of the gunshot slowly came back to me by bits.. The burning sensation in my chest. I looked up to see Lissa's eyes, Dimitri's lips, and...
Adrian? He knelt down beside me, pushing Dimitri aside. He whispered something to me, or was he shouting? I couldn't tell. The voices in my surroundings seemed to be muted, and what I could only hear is the weakening rhythm of my heartbeat, faces of ghosts, they surrounded me, whispering to me as well, but I did not try to move away, because this was how I was supposed to end up the night of the accident, I shouldn't have cheated death, and I was so, so grateful I had Lissa, and—
I blacked out.
Not long after that, though, I remembered feeling slowly, but surely, a cool sensation in my chest, and for a minute the coolness overwhelmed how hot my chest had felt and I almost suffocated, but then the sensation spreads, and I opened my eyes wide and the last thing I saw before I blacked out-again-was a boy with pair of beautiful green eyes and dark hair.
While he was pressing both hands to my chest, and looked down on me, the whole world zoomed out, except for him. He looked so real, so clear. Behind him, I saw people-or were they ghosts?-all frantically moving everywhere, but I didn't care and I didn't pay attention, because at that moment, when everything else in the world was a chaos, he was still.
Stable.
Peaceful.
Constant.
The cooling sensation that was once subtle now burst into what felt like a thousand snowflakes in my heart. For a moment I didn't know why but really wanted to laugh-not giggle, but a full joyful laughter. I felt so alive, so awake, so full of spirit, and I couldn't stop staring at him. He looked so bright, like an angel-no, scratch that-he was an angel.
And he was Adrian.
"I..I remembering, um, blacking out... twice... You were there, and also Dimitri... And Adrian was the last thing I remember", I swallowed.
Her unreadable expression changed again, and now she was clasping both of my hands with hers. She too, was realising something else. Something I was still trying to figure out myself as I tried to put the puzzles into pieces. Adrian, the fluttering in my chest, the spirit in my soul, so much spirit...
Adrian. Adrian healed my wound.
"Oh God, Rose, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't want to upset or confuse you. I thought you've figured it all out."
Her tone had implied that this was worse than I thought. Adrian healed me, and I owed him my life, I could've died.
But.. Why is Lissa so distressed? What else went wrong? Well, except for the fact that I almost died. Ha.
Unless...
Unless.
Did he send you a message? For the first time ever?
My bond with Lissa, gone.
My eyes widened in shock.
Of course, I thought. It's the only explanation why Lissa asked if Adrian sent me a message. She meant to ask if he communicated with me through the bond.
Is it truly possible? To resurrect from the dead and be bonded with a spirit-user, then die and come back to life again for the second time? That would only mean I'd no longer be bonded with the first spirit-user that resurrect me, but rather the second one…
"Lissa...Stop. Please", I was breathing heavily. "I don't wanna hear it."
"Rose, I-"
"No. Stop. Stop it."
"Listen to me!"
"No! Please! Lissa! If you don't say it then it's not true, if you don't say it then it's not-"
"You didn't black out, Rose. You died. For the second time in your life. It was Adrian who saved you this time. You're still shadowkissed. This doesn't change anything about you. You're still you, Rose, my best friend. Please. Hear me out. You're just not bonded to me." Then, after what it seemed like to be hours, she whispered, "To him."