At first, when she'd told him what was happening, he didn't believe her. There was no way they'd leave him behind. No way she would leave him—not after how well they'd fought together. He and Rose may have their differences, but fighting… they made a damned good team, for fucks sake. In Spokane they'd achieved the impossible, breaking out of that godforsaken basement. And today, most of the Strigoi kills on the lower campus had been theirs, according to Guardian Belikov. Surely that counted for something?

Christian sat fuming for almost an hour after the Guardians left on the rescue mission. Rose and a few of the other novices had accompanied them, but they'd forced him to stay behind, refusing his forceful demands to be included. His life, apparently, was more important that theirs, and couldn't be risked on such a dangerous mission. It was complete and utter bullshit.

Sure, he was tired from fighting, but so were they. A trip to the feeders had gone a long way to restoring his strength. He was ready and willing to fight beside them again. What good were the handful of Moroi they'd allowed on the mission, when none of them had been trained to fight? Not a single one of them had the slightest idea about using defensive magic. He was the only one who knew what the fuck to do, who understood and had practiced what the older Moroi only theorized about.

He was pissed, but more important than that, he was worried. He'd overheard what Ivashkov had been muttering to himself in that creepy, spirit infused voice as he attempted to heal the wounded. Not complete sentences, just a few brief snippets. Things like 'Rose is screaming' and 'her soul is dying'. The words kept playing through Christian's mind, tormenting him. Were they true? Was Rose going to fall in the fight—sacrificing herself to save Eddie and the others?

No. He refused to even acknowledge the thought. She was the best fighter they had, next to Belikov, and the Russian wouldn't let anything happen to her. But goddamn it, why had she left him here? They were partners, each watching the other's back. What if another Strigoi pinned her? What if...

Fuck it. He was going.

Some sixth sense was warning him—Rose needed him, and he wouldn't let her down. He stormed out of the building, his mind racing as he tried to settle on the best way to proceed. He needed to know exactly where they were going, and he needed to—

"Your aura matches your element, Ozera. You're surrounded by a ring of red-orange, just like a flame. Who pissed you off now?" Adrian's sarcastic drawl interrupted his thoughts. Christian felt his lips twisting up in a wry grin. The man in front of him was the bane of his existence—well, one of them—but right now, Ivashkov was just what he needed to help him. He needed to be in top form if he was going to find the rescue party.

The older Moroi was leaning up against the wall, green eyes narrowed as he stared at the air surrounding Christian's body. The end of his cigarette glowed brighter as he drew deeply on it, the air filling with the strong, thick scent of burning cloves and tobacco. He titled his head in a bird like manner, arching an eyebrow as he exhaled.

"It's changing… bright yellow now, with traces of viridian. You're excited about something… some idea. What's on your mind, Christian?"

"I need your help. I need you to heal me and then—"

Adrian laughed. "Heal what? You're as healthy as a horse. Besides, Lissa's the healer, not me. I'm nowhere near as powerful as she is. I've only been healing minor injuries."

"I can't ask Lissa. If she knew what I was going to do she'd try and stop me. I'm still tired from earlier, and I need to be in top shape—I'm going to help them fight."

"Why?" Adrian flicked his still burning cigarette into the bushes, his expression curious.

"What you said about Rose earlier—"

"I told you it was nothing. It was spirit."

Christian grabbed his arm. "I'm not talking about the Belikov thing—I know about them, I saw the way they acted. I'm talking about what you said in the clinic, about Rose screaming and her soul dying!"

Adrian jerked back in agitation, pulling his arm free. "It was spirit, Ozera. It doesn't mean anything. It…"

His eyes glazed over, slightly crossing as his head cocked to the side again. Christian watched in fascination as the man's entire visage changed. Instead of the lazy arrogance he usually projected, his face displayed sheer terror at whatever was playing through his mind. It lasted for less than a minute, before Adrian shook his head as if to clear it.

"You need to go. Now. They're almost to the caves." He pinched the bridge of his nose, frowning. "I don't think you'll make it in time, Christian."

"Then quit fucking around and heal me!"

Adrian's hand snaked out, latching on to his forearm. Instantly, he was filled with a feeling of warmth and light, reminding him of his mother's embrace when he was a small boy.

"Do you even know where you're going?"

Ivashkov's question pulled him out of his contemplation. As the warmth of the healing receded, replaced by a surge of energy. He felt… stronger, somehow.

"How'd you do that? I feel stronger?"

Adrian shrugged. "I gave you an extra jolt of spirit. Good to know that it worked, I wasn't sure how effective it would be."

The fact he'd been experimented on rankled him, but he shoved the irritation aside. "You said they were at a cave—so just give me directions.

"It doesn't work like that. I don't know where the cave is, I just know what it looks like." He ran his hands through his hair, making it appear even messier. "I could track Belikov using spirit, but I'd have to go with you, and that would slow you down. You'd never make it in time."

"Shit." Chewing on his bottom lip, Christian pondered the problem. Watching Adrian light up another cigarette, he realized the solution stood right in front of him. He knocked the cigarette out of the other man's hand. "Come on."

"I just told you I'd slow—"

"I know—you're gonna help me find directions."

Adrian followed after him, a confused look on his handsome face. Christian didn't bother to explain. Soon enough, Ivashkov would figure it out.

They waylaid the first guardian they came across. Christian recognized the man—his name was Grigori Durov. For a while, Tasha had made a point of spending time with him whenever she visited the school. Initially he'd wondered what his aunt saw in the man—he was rather stupid, and not very friendly. After she'd made her offer to Belikov, Christian recognized her reasons for seeing Durov. Grigori vaguely resembled Dimitri—although he was much shorter and far less handsome—having the same dark eyes and hair, and the same musical Russian accent. Clearly that had been her sole reason for dating the man. Once Belikov had been assigned to the school she'd never bothered to speak to Durov again.

It was surprisingly easy to access the information they needed. Guardian's didn't expect the Moroi on campus to use compulsion on them, and while Christian's power of persuasion might be lacking, Adrian's was anything but. In record time they had not only directions but a map. The route the rescue party had taken was clearly marked, and as he studied it, he realized it would be a long, arduous trip.

"Do you want to take his stake before I release him?" Adrian asked.

Christian made a sound of disgust. "What for? I wouldn't know how to use it. Besides," his lips turned up in a sly grin, "I don't need it. I can kill a Strigoi using fire."

Nodding, Ivashkov released the man, instructing him to forget seeing them. They waited until he continued on his rounds, then set off through the trees at a fast jog.

All too soon, Adrian began to fall behind. Christian stopped for a moment to let the other man catch his breath, cursing internally at the hold up. They didn't have a moment to spare—not with five miles to cover.

"Go on. I'll follow you." Ivashkov was leaning over, resting his hands on his knees. "You have to hurry. I have a bad feeling…"

That's all he needed to hear. He started to jog away, only to come to an abrupt halt at Adrian's next words.

"I'll wait inside the wards. If you're too late—if Belikov's dead when you get there, bring him to me as fast as you can. I'll try to bring him back."

"I thought Rose was the one in trouble—you said she was losing her soul—"

Adrian's face was a mask, hiding whatever his true feeling might be. "How would you feel if you watched Lissa die? He owns a piece of her soul Ozera. She won't make it without him."

Christian spun, sprinting out of the clearing, thankful for the extra stamina that spirit had instilled within him. He knew he was going to need every damn bit of it.

Just when he'd begun to despair ever finding them, he heard the screams. They were bone-chilling, full of anguish and fear. He knew instantly that they were coming from the one person he'd never suspect would make such a sound. Rose.

Janine Hathaway's voice carried through the air. "Rose, we have to get out of here!"

"He's in there!" Rose screamed, her voice strained and broken sounding.

"He is dead, Rose! We can't go back in there. The sun will be down in fifteen minutes, and they are waiting for us. We're going to be in the dark before we can get back to the wards. We need every second we can get—it still may not be enough." Her mother sounded sharp and angry, clearly not understanding her daughter's reactions.

Christian broke through the trees to see Rose struggling to break free of her mother's iron grip. Guardian Alto was on her other side, trying to tow her back towards the trees.

As he watched, Guardian Hathaway slapped her. "Run!" She yelled. "He is dead! You are not going to join him!"

He saw Rose look towards the cave entrance, where a group of ten or so Strigoi had gathered, watching with evil smiles on their pale faces.

"Run!" Janine cried again.

He darted forward, shoving his element at the two guardians, heating their hands to just this side of burning. Both of them released Rose at almost the exact same instant. He might have laughed at their expressions, if he'd had time. He grabbed Rose's arm, pulling her towards the cave.

"Come on Hathaway, Belikov needs us."

Ignoring the cries of protest behind them, they raced towards the waiting Strigoi. The creatures smiles widened as they watched the young Moroi and dhampir approach. Gathering in his power, he imagined a forest fire, raging beyond control as he threw it into the Strigoi with as much force as he could, and as one they all ignited, incinerating so fast they had no time to cry out.

As they sped down the tunnel, Christian prepared a fireball, launching it at the Strigoi that was attached to Belikov's neck as soon as it they came into view. The monster jerked away from the fallen guardian, his upper body enshrouded in flames. He watched as Rose sprang forward, ramming her stake home, finishing the bastard off, her face twisted into a mask of fury.

Three more Strigoi were advancing on them from the depths of the cave and he could hear footsteps pounding up behind them as someone approached from the other side. With a silent prayer he threw up a ring of fire, encircling the three of them as Rose checked Belikov's pulse.

"Is he alive?" He asked, his voice strained. He couldn't keep this up much longer, even with the extra boost of spirit, he was pushing his body to its limit.

"Barely. We have to—"

"Ivashkov is waiting at the wards, in case he needs to… bring him back."

Rose's head shot up, her eyes wide with shock. "Adrian? But why—"

"Not now. We've got to get him out of here. I'm almost drained, Rose."

At that moment the fire went out, and he collapsed to the ground. Rose darted in front of him, abandoning her lover to protect him. From the corner of his eye he saw a flash of red hair as Janine flew past them, with Alto at her side. A moment later Guardian Petrov joined them, and with Rose's help, they quickly finished off the threat.

Rose's hand shot to her stomach, the same way it had when they'd been in the woods. "There's more coming. I'll help Christian—get Dimitri!" With that she helped him up, moving towards the entrance. The guardians lifted Belikov and were on their heels as they ran out of the cave.

He heard her quiet sobs as they ran, trying his best to ignore them. Later, when all this was over, she'd hate the fact she had wept in front of him. Under normal circumstances, he would have reveled in her discomfort, teasing her relentlessly. But this… well this was anything but normal. He knew what it was like watching someone you love die—or almost die—and he wouldn't wish that pain on anyone.

As soon as they hit the trees, two more guards joined them, one assisting with Belikov, the other falling back to guard the rear. They sped through the forest, ever aware of the sinking sun as the shadows darkened around them. Night was pressing down on them, and when it fell the Strigoi would be after them.

Christian called out, struggling to make his voice carry over the few feet that separated them from the rest of their group. "Adrian Ivashkov is waiting inside the wards to heal him. Don't wait for us, just get him there as fast as you can."

"Thank you Christian." Roses voice was a tear filled whisper. "Thank you so much."

"Every time you take Lissa's darkness, you save the woman I love, Rose. The least I could do was return the favor."

She stumbled, almost taking them both down to the uneven forest floor. He glanced over at her, smirking at her shocked expression.

"Wha—"

"Come on, give me some credit Hathaway. It's obvious that the two of you are in love. Don't worry, I'll keep your secret." As she dropped her head to hide her blushing cheeks, he reached up, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "The two of you—it makes sense. He's a good influence on you."

Rose's head shot up as a faint voice called out from the group ahead of them. "Roza? Where is my Roza? Did she make it?"

She bit her lip, her expression torn. He could tell she wanted to rush to Belikov's side, but she wouldn't go. She'd stay by his side until they reached the safety of the wards.

"Go on. He needs you." He offered.

"No—you're my Moroi to protect, remember? You come first."

He winced God, he hated that saying. As if a Moroi were so much more important than a dhampir? They were essentially one in the same, for Christ's sake, with only a few genetic differences—what made one better than the other?

"Look, I can make it on my own now," he said. Seeing she was about to protest, he pulled away, removing his arm from her shoulder. "Come on, I'm going to check on him—think you can keep up?"

Her face lit up as she sprinted after him, pushing through the throng of guardians to claim Belikov's hand.

"Hey Comrade. Don't ever scare me like that again."

Christian watched Dimitri's face transform. A moment before it had been filled with pain, yet when he heard her voice and gazed up at her, all traces of pain vanished in an instant. "Roza. You came back for me."

"I couldn't have done it without Christian." She tore her eyes away from her lover, looking up at Christian. "He's a hero. He saved you."

He smiled to himself at her words. They were kind, but unnecessary. He wasn't a hero, not really. He'd only done what was right. One of the first things his aunt had taught him was that you never leave anyone behind, not while you still had a fighting chance. He watched Rose and Belikov for a moment, listening as the man chastised her gently for putting herself in danger. The guardians carrying him were exchanging confused glances at the exchange, their eyes widening in shock at what Belikov uttered next.

"I love you my Roza," he said, his eyes dropping closed.

"Dimitri?" She squeezed his hand, her face panicked. "Dimitri?"

Janine checked his pulse. "He's alive, but we need to hurry." She shot her daughter a hard look. "What was that about Rose? What's going on?"

"Not now. We'll talk about it later."

"You're right, we will." The woman continued to glare at her daughter, her face full of suspicion.

Christian scanned the forest ahead, spotting Adrian leaning against one, a cigarette handing from his mouth. "Ivashkov! We need you!"

Adrian jogged towards them, staring at Belikov. "Somebody move, his aura's fading." He shoved past Alberta, laying both hands on the injured man. As they watched, his eyes fell closed and his face scrunched up in pain. A thin line of blood trickled from his nose but he didn't seem to notice. Belikov's eyes shot open at the exact moment Adrian started to crumple to the ground. Christian was there to catch him before he could complete the fall.

"Did that totally wipe you out?" He whispered.

Adrian smirked. "Nah. Just give me a second to get my second wind." He winced, rubbing his forehead. "What's with all the sour faces? He's alive."

"He told Rose he loved her before he passed out. Can you—"

"Yeah. All of them except Allie. She's immune to compulsion. She won't say anything—she already knew."

The guardians set Belikov down and he brushed past them, gathering Rose in his arms. She fell into his embrace and began to sob, pressing her face against his chest as she clung to him. He crooned softly to her in Russian, rocking her gently, pressing his lips against the top of her head. Everyone except Guardian Petrov was silently glaring at them, Janine barely holding her anger in check, looking like she might attack him at any moment.

"For fucks sake do it so they quit glaring at them." Christian said, his anger growing by the minute. What the fuck was their problem? The man had almost died, for Christ's sake—he deserved to have a minute or two holding the woman he loved.

Adrian stepped forward with a wicked grin on his face. "Can I have everyone's attention? Good. Now this is what you're going to remember..."

Christian watched him with a wry smirk. Who would have thought the day would come when he'd be glad that Lissa and Adrian had spent so much time researching spirit? Thank God for super compulsion and the drunken Moroi that could channel it.

Ten minutes later, the group crossed the wards, the guardians oblivious to the fact Rose and Belikov were hand in hand. Adrian shot a knowing glance his way, pleased with outcome of his spirit use. Rolling his eyes in response, Christian sighed. All he wanted was to find Lissa and hold her in his arms, followed up with a trip to their attic. He'd seen enough death today. It was time to celebrate being alive.

When they reached the clinic, Lissa was stunned to hear what he'd done. She alternated between kissing him and bitching him out—thankfully she was dishing out more kisses than angry words. After she agreed to meet him later in their special place, he left, wanting nothing more than a shower to wash the grime from his aching body. The quad was crowded with students and staff alike, all speculating on what had transpired on the mission. Everyone involved was still in the clinic, so rumors were flying about who had made it out alive.

He was in the middle of the crowd when a voice called out, loudly echoing through the air, silencing everyone around him.

"Lord Ozera!"

He turned, his customary smirk affixed to his face, surprised to see Belikov hurrying after him.

"I wanted to thank you. You saved my life. I would have died or been turned Strigoi if it hadn't been for your bravery." Dimitri's lightly accented voice was loud enough that everyone in the area heard him. Already they were staring at Christian, their faces expressing shock and awe. He even heard a gasp or two.

"It was nothing." He offered. "Rose did most—"

Belikov cut him off. "Rose told me exactly what happened. They were going to leave me to a fate worse than death. You stopped them. You ran into a cave full of Strigoi with Rose to help me. And you… well, she told me everything. I am indebted to you in more ways than one. It would be my honor to serve as your guardian, if you will have me."

Christian stared at the other man, shocked by what he offered. Dimitri Belikov was the most skilled guardian he knew. It was the reason he'd been assigned to protect the last Dragomir. This was more of an honor than he deserved. And what about Lissa? Why would the other man abandon his charge to…

Ah.

He met the older man's eyes, and understanding passed between them. Rose would guard Lissa. Belikov was stepping down, so there would be no conflict of interest. A wise move on his part.

"I accept your offer, Guardian Belikov. Thank you." He nodded towards the other man before turning and making his way through the crowd.

He smiled to himself—for the first time in thirteen years, he didn't feel like an outcast. In that moment, he wasn't just the son of parents who'd voluntarily turned Strigoi. He was more than just the freak who dated the last Dragomir. He was Christian Ozera, and for the first time in his life, he was proud of that fact.

He heard their whispers as he slowly walked past. They were all talking about him, as usual. Only now, they were talking about Christian Ozera, the Moroi who'd risked his life to save a guardian. He felt them watching him, and it made him stand taller, with his head held high.

He didn't mind their actions. Let them whisper. Let them stare. He was used to it.

But this time—for the first time—he deserved it.