…Footsteps and voices eventually sounded, and I lifted my head up. People poured in through the door, lots of them. I couldn't really make out any of them. I didn't need to. They were threats I had to keep Mason safe from. A couple of them approached me, and I leapt up, lifting the sword and holding it protectively over his body.

"Stay Back," I warned. "Stay away from him."
They kept coming.
"Stay back!" I yelled. They stopped. Except for one.
"Rose," came a soft voice. "Drop the sword."
My hand started to shook but I stopped it and held the sword tightly. "Get away from us."

"Rose."
The voice spoke again. I overlooked all my thoughts about this voice. The voice was familiar but I couldn't care less.

"Don't you dare take another step closer to us or you'll get hurt." I threatened.
The man hesitated but took another step. He was too close.
In one heartbeat I leap to him with my sword tightly around my fingers. The man was fast too, he kicked the sword at of my hands.

I aimed for his stomach but he blocked me and got a pretty good hold around my arms. Was he strigoi? The man was fast but not as fast as Elena or Isaiah.

"No." I grunted. I was going to do this for Mason. The darkness had a good hold on me and for a moment I didn't want it to go. It gave me strength to keep on fighting. His hold on me wasn't good enough. I escaped it easily, twisting my body in a weird way I was able to get a good hit on his left leg.

I could tell it hurt as he grunted and made a face. The others started to interfere and came up behind me. In a fast move I turned around and hit the guy behind me. He was up before I knew it and made a move I knew. Not good to make a move novices learned last month. I dodged his move but had forgotten about the others. They were all around me.

"Stop fighting Rose." Someone said.
"We're not here to hurt you, Rose." Said another one.

I wouldn't believe them, they were threats how could I trust them?
Crazy people, trying to fool me.

"Don't try to fool me, old ones." I said in a cold voice.

I took down another one and avoiding this strigoi like man. They were so many but I had to keep on fighting for Mason.

They slowly moved towards me, making a circle around me. Can't escape now, I thought. Not that I would.

One woman hesitated. Now that was what I've been waiting for.
I took the lucky chance and went for her stomach. It worked. She wouldn't fight me. But she was still one of them. I kicked her head making her pass out.

"Rose!" The man growled at me. I turned around facing him.
"Guardian Belikov. You can't fight her alone." Another man said.
The man named Belikov laughed. What was so funny?

"If someone could take her it would probably would me. I taught her every move." Then he turned towards me. "You've been avoiding me, Roza."

I gave him a evil smile and said:
"Saving the best for last."

For some reason I didn't want to fight him. But he was making it pretty hard to back down as he teased me.

"Afraid, just back down then." He said and made the first move. I was distracted and missed the chance to dodge. Crap. He got a good hit right above my jaw. That was going to leave a bruise.
I stumbled back and had to steady myself. In a fast motion I lunged towards Belikov making it seem that I was going for the head. But just in time I ducked and kicked his leg and pinned him to the ground. Belikov was good, he made us both turned around and I was the one pinned to the floor.

I kicked his back with my knee and made him fall backwards.
He was up before me but didn't have the time to make a move. Fast as light I pushed him against the wall getting a good grip around his neck.
He had a hard time breathing and that's when I noticed my bleeding chest.

A guardian had staked me. It hurt and I could feel my soul coming back to me. All my memories coming back and I could see the love of my life hovering over me as my body fell backwards hitting the ground hard.

"What have you done!" Dimitri yelled to someone above me. I couldn't see the man's face but he sure had pissed off Dimitri.

"I did what I had to do, Dimitri. Don't let your feelings get in the way." Shot the other man back.

"Guardian Hathaway, could you help me get Rose to the airplane?" I heard Dimitri ask but as I drifted away I couldn't hear anymore but murmurs.

I drifted off to a nice sleep and could feel it again. The darkness was coming back and my dreams got scary and so vivid.

How could I fight the darkness unconscious?