Note: i don't own Vampire Academy Richelle Mead does.

Chapter 1:

"There are other branches in the cave," said Alberta. "Strigoi could be hiding in there."

My mother agreed. "They could be. Some know they're overwhelmed and are just going to wait us out and escape later. Others may come after us."

"What we do?" asked Stephen. "Finish them off? Or retreat?"We turned to Alberta. She made a quick decision. "We retreat. We got as many as we could, and the sun is dropping. We need to get back behind the wards."

We took off, so close to victory, fuelled by the disappearing light. Dimitri was beside me as we moved.

"Did Eddie get out?" I hadn't seen his body, but I hadn't been paying much attention either.

"Yes," said Dimitri, breathing ragged. God only knew how many Strigoi he'd fought today. "We had to practically force him out. He wanted to fight." That sounded like Eddie.

"I remember this curve," my mother said as we rounded a corner. "It's not much farther. We should see light soon." Thus far, we were only guided by the jacket lights.

I felt nausea only a split second before they attacked. At a T intersection, seven Strigoi jumped us. They'd let the earlier party escape, but they'd been lying in wait for us, three on one side and four on the other. One guardian, Alan, never saw it coming. A Strigoi grabbed him and snapped Alan's neck so quickly that it looked effortless. It probably was. It was such a mirror to what happened to Mason that I nearly came to a standstill. Instead, I doubled back, ready to get into the fray.

But we were in the narrow part of the tunnel, and not all of us could get through to the Strigoi. I was stuck in the back. Ms. Carmack was beside me, and she had enough visibility to light up a couple of the Strigoi, making it easier for those guardians in the fight to stake them.

Alberta caught a glimpse of me and a couple other guardians.

"Start retreating!" she yelled. None of us wanted to leave, but there wasn't much we could do. I saw one guardian fall, and my heart lurched. I hadn't known him, but it didn't matter. In seconds my mother was on Strigoi attacker, driving her stake through his heart.

Then I lost sight of the fight as I rounded another corner with three guardians with me. Farther down the corridor, I saw faint purplish light. The exit. Faces of other guardians peered in at us. We'd made it. But where were the others?

We ran to the exit, emerging into the air. My group clustered by the opening, anxious to see what had happened. The sun, I was dismayed to see, was nearly gone. The nausea hadn't left me, which meant Strigoi were still alive.

Moments later, my mother's party came tearing down the hall. By the numbers, one more had gone down. But they were so close. Everyone tensed up. So close. So, so close.

But not close enough. Three Strigoi lay in wait in one of the alcoves. We'd past them, but they'd let us go by. It all happened so fast; no one could have reacted in time. One of the Strigoi grabbed Celeste, his mouth and fangs going for her cheek. I heard a strangled scream and saw blood everywhere. One of the Strigoi went for Ms. Carmack, but my mother jerked her away and shoved her toward us.

The third Strigoi grabbed Dimitri. In all the time I'd know him, I'd never seen Dimitri falter. He was always faster, always stronger than everyone else. Not this time. This Strigoi had caught him by surprise, and the slight edge was all it had taken.

I stared. It was the blond Strigoi. The one who had spoken to me in the battle.

He grabbed Dimitri and pulled him to the ground. They grappled, strength against strength, and then I saw those fangs sink into Dimitri's neck. The red eyes flickered up and made contact with my own.

I heard another scream-this time, it was my own.

"No!" I was also screaming in real life and i screamed, it was a dream i realised but i knew it had really happened

I was all sweaty and i was finding it hard to breath, the foam from the seat had been ripped

God i thought well that what you get for being a dhampir, i could see everyone in sight looking at me and the person next to me and a few scratches and heaps of burses on his arm.

"Shit" i muttered, i didn't know that i could scratch during sleep and i was positive that Adrian would have come to my dream unless... that dream had stopped him.

"Um, miss, is anything wrong?" said the guy i scratched said" you were screaming like there is no tomorrow!"

"Huh, oh no I'm fine it was just a nightmare" I said as i was fighting back tears because i had to see it again. A tear must have leaked out because he was saying something think don't cry, it's ok even though i couldn't here him. I had cried a while then i fell back into a sleep this one was a dreamless dream.

"Miss, Miss" said someone who was shaking me, I tossed and turned to try and wake up when i could get my eyes open i saw it was the man i scratched earlier.

"Mmm, Yeh, what is it?" i said trying to wake myself

"We have landed in Missoula" he said, oh gosh i thought, i need to apologise for scratching him it looks really bad his probably trying to act tuff.

"Oh, OK thanks and sorry for scratching you i really didn't mean to" I said i was really sorry for that.

"Yeh its ok it will heal" he said, then he said something that the humans wouldn't here but with my dhampir senses i heard him "now ill have scratch marks and there from a girl what will my mate say about that! I'm meant to be the thought one"

I hopped off the plane with all the flight attendants looking at me because i ripped their furniture by accident. Well at least i got a good rest but I'm still tired i wonder why that is. When i go out of the air port it was sunny, ah i thought, it's still night time for the Moroi and dampirs. I need to find a cab where is one i searched around then i finally saw one to i walked up to it and of course there was a guy there he was looking at me like i was a treasure or a goddess.

"What can i do for you, lovely" said the cabby; Ugh is he like a perve or something because he couldn't stop staring at me as i thought that he stopped staring at me weird maybe he can read minds.

"Umm take me here" i handed him the piece of Adrian had written the address of the bank.