Hey guys! I couldn't wait to put it up tomorrow so I am putting it up now. I will put up two chapters every day hopefully although I could only write one tonight! Busy, busy, busy!

Anyways let me know what you think and review, review, review! :)

"LISSA!" LISSA! I screamed both mentally and physically, I knew that it was a miracle that she would hear either but all I could hope for was that she could hear my mental scream; I knew that she was getting better at her spirit and hearing my thoughts, feelings, and experiences the same way I could feel hers.

Rose! Rose, what's wrong?!

I heard her mental voice answer but before I could answer Alberta was giving directions.

"Rose, your mother should be here shortly." She said in hard controlled voice with a firm face covering her real emotions; being a guardian.

"My mother?!" I screeched, last I heard she was in Europe with my father. Their relationship had suddenly taken on the qualities of a real relationship otherwise our relationship was still strained but was improving, after all she wasn't one to really express her emotions unless with my so called father... As for my father we were starting to improve on our relationship as well, we got on pretty well actually seeing as we both had such a good sense of sarcasm. I was actually starting to understand what my mother meant that he was a great man even if he was a little scary at times.

"I informed her of these events as soon as you told me. I knew she would like to be here." Alberta spoke briskly.

I nodded.

" I need to reach Lissa" I stated.

"Be quick Rose we don't have time to waste." I smiled dryly, she was right of course.

Lissa, listen to me I'm fine but please stay safe in your dorm. Dimitri is on campus and I know that he could use you against me if he had too.

I heard her mentally whimper but I took that as confirmation that she would be careful, I needed to be 100% on my guard now so I put up my barriers only would I let her get through if she was in absolute danger.

"Hello, my little dhampir."

"Adrian get inside, NOW!" I spat to him totally on my guard, he had surprised me as I had switched from being with Lissa to reality and now I knew that I had to focus. Control. I found it quite funny actually as I thought of that same lesson twice in one day; both for very important reasons but totally different.

"A little mad are we now Rose?"

"Adrian I am not to be messed with now, get inside."

"A bit upset over me missing your last test?" I stiffened, even after he had handed in his 'assignment' I had turned him down. I just wasn't ready to date and even if Adrian was nice and a good guy, he was most definitely not boyfriend material even if my heart has been healed and it was nowhere close to that stage. Although he remained persistent always teasing me with flirtatious remarks and I would just insult him back, it was starting to become a hobby really but I was in no way in the mood for that now.

"No Adrian, a str-"But I was cut short of my sarcastic remark because just then distracted by the smallest movement towards my left and then to my right. I took up a fighting stance immediately.

It was Dimitri, of course. It had been even enough between us before all of his new strigoi talents so now you would think that it would be quite uneven although it wasn't. Before he turned we had known each other and our moves as well as we had known our own hand, now I had a few more moves up my sleeve to even out his advantage. Abruptly the dance stopped and he walked a few steps towards me brushing my cheek.

"Roza," he said his voice filled with coldness and ugly desire but underneath I could hint a bit of his familiar Russian accent; the accent that I adored so much. I drank it all in, but I knew that this is what had cost me my first time against the new Dimitri so I kept on my fighting stance.

"Why won't you join me?"

"Because I like having my soul," I spat "and I have some business to finish that would be impossible as a strigoi."

"No Roza it would not be impossible as a strigoi, it would probably be even easier." He stated guessing my mission.

"Killing you is not the answer Dimitri."

"Isn't it?" He raised one eyebrow like he had always done. It looked like this part of him hadn't changed.

"No killing you is not the answer. It is a possible solution but not the one that I desire."

"Hm, and then what is the answer my dearest Roza?"

"You will never know." I thought about that for a second but it was not entirely true, if I managed to get out of here alive and saved him then I would probably tell him the solution, he would probably know, but no not yet. Dimitri took my pondering to his advantage and he reached for Adrian and the dance began again.

In that instant I knew what he was after; he would attempt to kill Adrian in order to get the information he needed out of me, then he would probably kill me too. But I hoped that he wouldn't get that far actually I hoped he wouldn't get far at all.

He started to trip me now as he swept his foot under me bringing me to my knees but I jumped up quickly taking a protective stance in front of Adrian. I lunged out to him and punched him across the face that would've broken all mortals noses and probably some strigoi's noses as well but Dimitri was exceptional even for a strigoi and it didn't appear as if he had even distracted him.

"How did you break the wards?" I hissed, it didn't really matter- it has happened before but I was curious. I didn't think Dimitri the type to be in alliance with humans although he just kept surprising me, mortal or otherwise.

"You give me your desired answer Roza ... for my own information?" He said persuasively but when I shook my head he just shrugged and lunged at me. I had my stake ready for an opening to his chest but it never came. He kept his chest and back always far away from me and I knew that I should feel scared and I was, he really was a badass but I was only relieved at the fact that he was so good and that sentiment made me feel afraid because I most definitely should not feel that towards a strigoi.

I had all but forgotten Adrian's presence behind us but I knew that I had to get him to safety. I flung him onto my back with such speed I scared myself but never paused and ran. Adrian was actually quite feather light well not actually that heavy. I suppose Yeva getting me to carry bricks all over the place strengthened me. I would've laughed if I was in any other situation.

Dimitri was soon right beside me and I sped up my pace, but I was no match for him.

"I see you took my first lesson seriously" he smirked beside me.

I just kept running, no way was I going to be able to run at this speed while talking so I kept my teeth gritted tight together.

"It's too bad that you failed to remember one of my other lessons." I didn't need a reminder on which one I was positive that he had already informed me on that months earlier.

I slowed my pace and I got Adrian off my back. I couldn't win by running and I knew it, I think he knew it as well.

"So you surrender?" He asked in a calm voice that didn't trick me.

"In your dreams." I growled that frightened even myself a little bit. It was actually sort of funny, a few months ago we had been in an even fight together... Now we were against each other again and again he had the advantage even if I was a close match. I thought back to when he had held me prisoner three months before. I wonder if I can win. The thought crossed my mind. No, that's stupid even then he probably could have won if he had tried hard enough and now with all his other advantages he was probably just wearing me down. Wearing me down. That was it! He was wearing me down, after all I was mortal I would get tired at one time or another and as soon as this happened he would do what he came for. Whatever that was I knew it involved me. I stopped the dance instantaneously and looked up at him through my long eyelashes.

"Alright I surrender." I told him.

"How do I know you're not lying?" He asked me.

"Because I can't win."

It was simple, maybe not entirely true because I was pretty close to him but in the end...

"No you can't," he said fairly. He probably thought this was true of course. How on earth could dear Roza learn some new tricks on her own? I thought sarcastically.

I lowered my eyes.

"Kill me Dimitri just like you promised me a few months back."

"What are you talking about Roza? I didn't come to kill you."

I gasped I thought I had blown my chances months before, not that I minded I would rather die than become strigoi. I still had my guard up though even if it appeared not.

"I came to tur-"

My mother was suddenly there –without a stake- I noticed and had Dimitri pinned on the ground. I wonder why she was without a silver stake? That was unlike my mother but before I could really begin to ponder this her voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Now, Rose!" She screamed.

How could this be happening?! I knew that I had already sworn to myself that if he came for me he would have to be killed. Now it was time to prove myself. I jumped onto his chest my silver stake ready, and then I saw his eyes. His beautiful brown warm eyes - now turned to ice and rimmed with red- stared into my own eyes.

"Please Roza," he pleaded.

"I have to do this Dimitri. Can't you see?! You're not yourself anymore." I cried. I couldn't help adding on at the end in my mind but you could be...

My mother stood there watching us, ready to lunge at a seconds notice. Although she was all but forgotten by myself.

"Mom, I'm fine. Get Adrian back to safety."

"Rose, can you do this?"

"I'm fine mom ... just give me a second.

She nodded.

"Okay but do it quick."

I was surprised that she had listened to me, would she really just go? For me? Apparently yes because she started to bring Adrian back to the safety of the dorm. I slid Oksana's ring off my finger quickly and slid it on his finger just as fast. I just needed to see just a tiny pint of the old him in his eyes before I killed him once and for all. After all this ring had worked other small miracles before.

"Roza, just do it."

I held my stake above his heart, and then my grip started to loosen. My stake clattered noisily to the ground as I released my grip on the shining metal and I pounced off of him onto my feet again. He was up just as quick.

"Go Dimitri,"

"And if you don't leave in peace I will kill you, I have to protect the rest of them."

"Thank you Roza." But the weird thing was is that he sounded utterly sincere.

"Don't ever show your face to anyone but me again." I told him.

"I can't make any promises but I will see you again soon," Dimitri sighed.

"I'm looking forward to it."

Dimitri dashed off the campus quickly. I hadn't expected him to take my warning seriously but obviously he had. Maybe, just maybe there was some of the old him buried deep into him.

That's when I realized that he was still wearing Oksana's ring.

I smiled; I had a theory now all I needed was Robert Doru to prove it.