Once Lissa left I figured the guards probably wouldn't let anyone else down here today. I combed my hair. It hurt like hell when I pulled it through the knots that had accumulated over the past few days. I mean come on, these guards could care less about me, let alone my appearance or grooming. To them I was a murderer, a psychopath that probably deserved to rot in here. I hoped that would never be the case.

I was getting tired of wallowing in my thoughts. They were always depressed me even more than I was. The little time I had gotten with my friends was insulting. Lissa hadn't even gotten to tell me what was going on above ground. I started to get aggravated. All day I sit here waiting on these big shots to decide when my fate would be decided. If they would hurry up I could move on with my life and try to help them find who really did kill Tatiana. Because I certainly didn't do it. It had to be someone purposely trying to frame me. They had done a damn good job.

I dropped back onto the pillow. My hair was tightly pulled back so that it wouldn't be as tangled. I could feel the deliria kicking in. I was beginning to imagine that I was out of this place. I wasn't dreaming though. I was just going insane. I could hear the whispers as Lissa, Adrian, Christian, and I walked by. "Did you hear about that Rose girl? She is an amazing guardian. She constantly protects the Dragomir princess from Strigoi." I could hear them whispering amongst themselves.

"ROSE!" I snapped back into reality. I looked up and saw Abe. "What the?" What was he doing here? "What old man?" I mocked. "Couldn't you see I was wasting away over there?" I asked sarcastically. "Yeah well so sorry to interrupt, but we are leaving. Now. You are going to DC, they are ready to decide." He told me.

My face went blank and I felt sick. I was leaving now. DC? Really? Wow. "Change into the clothes Lissa brought you and meet me upstairs." He urged. I nodded and when he left I got dressed. I used all the stuff Lissa brought me. I brushed my teeth without water, swallowing the toothpaste, despite the disgusting taste. I put on the black dress pants and white button down shirt. It looked nice, from what I could tell without a mirror. I slipped on the black flats that Lissa had also brought me. Bless her.

I pulled my hair out of the ponytail and shook it out. It would have to do. A guardian opened my cell and I ran up the stairs, with the guardians close behind. "Stop." One ordered me. I stopped. They pulled my hands back and cuffed them. I sighed heavily. Handcuffs suck. "Go." He barked. I walked speedily over to Abe. We walked out of the door and the sun was just peaking over the horizon. Of course we would be on human time. I hadn't expected so many people to be outside watching me board a plane.

They followed us all the way to the court landing spot, watching me get on the small charter plane. Some of them stared with anger in their eyes and others looked with sympathy. I wish I wasn't some late night attraction. Everyone's eyes were on me. I hated it now that I was in a similar situation like Victor had been. I ignored that thought and focused on my upcoming trial.

All of the guardians from the tiny court prison boarded with me. I counted six of them. They sat in front of me as well as behind me. I was surrounded. Abe was sitting next to me trying to tell me how he would handle the trial, but I was too distracted. I looked out the window. All I could see were the whispy morning clouds.

I thought about the time on the plane I had had a huge migrane and the ghosts had all haunted me. I hadn't put my guard up then, but I wondered what would happen if I put them down now and try to find Tatiana. Would it work? I think if I did it might help. I needed all the help I could get.

I looked over at Abe. "Trust me please." That was all I said to him before I put all my focus on breaking down the invisible wall between me and the dead. I could feel the pounding of my head, but I had to do it. When I finally got it down I was overwhelmed with a surge of the dead. They swarmed around me. I managed to get a hold on them and commanded to see Tatiana. They pointed towards the back of the plane and I saw her sitting in what looked like the nicest seat on the plane. That must've been where she sat when she used this plane.

I called her over and she hesitantly sat on Abe's lap. "Rose." Her voice was different, indescribable. "I don't know who killed me, but I know whoever it was had to have come from inside the Court. No one entered the Court that night according to the groundskeepers and the gate watchers. I remember a male voice. That's all I know. But I know you can figure it out. I believe in you Rose. I'm sorry for the way I treated you. But we all must go now." She warned me. I let them all go and quickly put my wall back up.

When the wall was back up I snapped back into consciousness and gasped for air. "I spoke to her." I whispered to Abe. He understood me. "How? What just happened?" He asked me. "I can speak to the dead. It's a Shadow Kissed thing, but she said it was a male voice. She doesn't know who though." I explained without giving anything away to the guards close to us. "Extraordinary." Abe breathed.

We both tried to come up with a theory on who we thought it could be, but we couldn't. It must have been four hours at least before we landed in DC. "Where are we headed?" I asked Abe. "We are going to the Grand Courtroom. All of the royal families are going to attend and vote. Who knows maybe you'll win." His tone wasn't very assuring.

"Where is it?" I asked, pushing for more details. It is under the Lincoln Monument. We needed an underground location, just in case humans went snooping around." He filled me in. I wasn't feeling very confident about this. But still when we got off the plane I followed them in a series of twists and turns that lead us straight to the base of the Lincoln Monument, where a trap door that could only be noticed by a Moroi or dhampir lay.

The guardians looked around making sure no one saw us. We all slipped in one at a time. Seeing as I was still handcuffed Abe had to catch me, and he almost fell over when I jumped into his arms. One of them closed the door and locked it. We headed down a hallway with fluorescent lights and linoleum tiled floor. I could see scuff marks where expensive shoes have recently walked through here.

When we got closer to what must be a door I could hear talking. It sounded as if there were hundreds of people. But, once we walked in there were only about fifty Moroi families and I noticed Lissa and Adrian in the crowd. Lissa sat with Adrian and his parents. She looked worried and he looked sick. I hated seeing them like that. I made eye contact with them. "Please be careful with what you say." She pleaded. I slightly nodded to her and then looked around at the others.

I didn't recognize any one else in the room. But when the judge finally entered I stared above the audience's heads. I pledged to tell the truth and then the questioning began. A woman named Carla Vitola was the one questioning me. She was pretty. She was a tall, fair skinned, dark haired Moroi woman. She had a slender build like most Moroi and she was sort of friendly. For a lawyer I guess. She questioned me for the longest time.

"Did you realize that all the evidence points to you?" She asked. "Yes I do." I confirmed. "Well then I have to say, this is going to be tough." I nodded. "Miss Hathaway when you were in the Courtroom during the decision of the age law, what did you call the queen?" She asked. I looked at her and answered. "I called her a sanctimonious bitch." She looked intrigued. "Yes and did you think that this might cause a ruckus at the time?" She asked me. I shook my head. "I didn't think at all." I admitted.

Abe looked like he was going to have a heart attack. "Enough Misses Vitola." The judge said. She too was a Moroi woman that looked no older than forty. She looked at Abe. "Mr. Mazur, you may now question her." She told him. "Thank you. Judge Selikos." He said.

"Miss Hathaway were you ever in a battle." I looked at him. "Yes I was. At our school last year." He nodded. "And you were honored for that, yes?" "Yes I was." He nodded again. "Alright and you have saved Vasilisa Dragomir countless times before correct?" I had no idea where he was getting at. "Yes of course. We share a very rare mental bond." I answered. "And you are in good graces with the Ivashkov family correct?" I looked over at Daniella and Adrian. They looked nervous. "Yes, I believe so. I am dating one at the time." I told him.

"Well then your Honor I think that Rose, um, Miss Hathaway has no grudges against a royal family, especially the Ivashkovs." He reasoned. "Duly noted Mr. Mazur." She said. "Take your seat." He obeyed and I stepped down from the little questioning booth. I sat next to Abe. "Based on this questioning please vote on whether you think Miss Rosemary Hathaway is guilty of murdering Queen Tatiana.

They all looked at the judge. "All in favor of guilty please raise your hand." I had counted eighty families. Forty-nine hands went up and I hung my head. I was guilty. Well I had tried. It was a close vote. But then Lissa and Adrian stood up. "What the hell?" I whispered. "You all think Rose is totally innocent you will vote for her to be innocent." Lissa said. "Yes, she is innocent." Adrian backed Lissa up. I can't believe it. They were using compulsion. "Judge Selikos, take a vote again." Lissa told her. The judge nodded. And they both sat down.

The judge shook her head and said, "Everyone who thinks Rosemary Hathaway is guilty of the murder of Queen Tatiana raise your hands." I couldn't believe it when no one raised their hands. Lissa and Adrian had saved me. "Well then I hearby declare Rosemary Hathaway not guilty for the murder of Queen Tatiana." And she pounded her gavel. I cried out. "Yes!" I hollered and everyone clapped. What? Clapping? This was insane. I was free.

"Uncuff her." Judge Selikos ordered. "She is now allowed to go back to Court and be released from being captive." She said. "Dismissed." She hollered and everyone filed out. I ran over to Lissa and hugged her, almost knocking her over.

"I can't believe you did that you were amazing!" I muttered in her ear. She smiled. I was crying and Adrian pulled me over to him once we had stopped in the long hallway. "Thank god it did work. I wasn't going to lose you Rose." He whispered to me. "I had to at least try." He told me. I kissed him.

Abe walked over and punched me lightly in the arm. "You did it kid. That friend of yours is very special." He said jokingly. "Yeah sure Zmey." I teased. He smiled and we all filed down the hall.

I was happy to have Lissa and Adrian there. Without them I would have been executed for sure. I sighed. I trailed slightly behind them. I wondered what it would be like back at Court once news got out of my innocence. I was thinking about this when Reece Ivashkov came walking up behind me. I jumped.

"It isn't over." He maliciously said in my ear. "I should've been in power all along." He hissed. I couldn't believe it. Shock and realization flooded through me. It was him. He killed Tatiana. I rushed away from him and I could hear his cackling behind me. I was scared now.