We held each other for a short time, and then seemed to remember that Adrian was in the other room. I stepped away and began busying myself with the preparations for dinner.
" I wonder who it is," I voiced aloud. It had to be someone extremely important to Adrian. I began running through names in my mind. Dimitri was leaning casually against the counter, staring at nothing on the ground. He shrugged.
"Would that make a difference?" he asked. He knew me too well. I had already been planning on helping Adrian, as soon as he asked. I just didn't know why. I stopped working and looked at him. I decided that I was going to get this information out of him. If he needed me as bad as he was acting, then he would have to tell me. I walked back into the living room, Dimitri taking my place with making the meal.
Adrian was standing at the bookshelf, flipping through an old text. He looked up when I entered and smiled.
"Did you ask dad?" he asked. I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes.
"I can't go back, Adrian," I said simply. An expression I could only interpret as shock crossed his face. He didn't expect me to refuse him.
"Because he said no?" he asked. His voice carried an edge of irritation. I narrowed my eyes.
"Dimitri does not make decisions for me," I snapped. He closed the book and placed it back on the shelf.
"Why not then?" he asked.
"There's a reason I left, Adrian," my voice was pained, my eyes pleading for him not to make me elaborate. I was disappointed.
"Why?"He knew he was prodding me now, "You abandoned us. You and Dimitri both. You just left without a word. Is that what Christian would have wanted? " he demanded. His voice was cold and piercing. I flinched. I couldn't think about Christian. After what happened, everything in my world shattered. I didn't know up from down, right from left. I couldn't eat, I couldn't sleep, I couldn't talk or even breathe. My entire being was disrupted. The bond that we shared made it so much worse. I felt agony and every time I thought of it. I couldn't even face the pain of losing him. I pushed it back forced myself to forget. I knew that I had to run. I had to go far away and try to forget. I needed to forget everything, even him. I never had though. Christian's love still echoed softly every time I kissed Dimitri, it pulsed through me every time I touched him. After a while, I learned to accept its presence, and ignore it. Dimitri and I were a perfect match it seemed, both of us seeking someone else in each other's arms.
"That was so long ago," I murmured. Adrian's expression turned angry.
"Do you think that matters? No one heard from you again, you left everyone who cared about you," I shook my head. I felt the tears forming in my eyes as he spoke.
"Don't, Adrian," I said. He opened his mouth to say something else, but shut it again, changing his mind. I took a deep breath and exhaled, the tears went away. "Tell me who you want me to heal, and I'll decide whether its worth going back to heal them," The angry expression never left Adrian's face.
"Oh you decide now who is worth saving," he said, his voice dripped in sarcasm.
"It's my decision who I heal, Adrian!" I shouted. He glared at me, not responding. We both stood there for a moment, tempers flared, electricity snapping between us. I saw Adrian's eyes soften then, he sat down into a chair and his posture slumped. My expression turned to concern. I knelt next to him. Whoever this person was, Adrian was desperate. I'd never seen him like this before. He had always been so carefree and light about everything, even serious situations. This person must be very important to him. Dimitri poked his head into the room then. Our eyes met. "Lets go to the dining room," I coaxed gently. He stood and we both walked to an adjacent room together. Dimitri had set out three places at the large oak table. Adrian and I took our seats as my husband entered with a large plate of food.
Halfway through an extremely quiet, extremely awkward dinner, I tried again,
"Is it someone I know?" I asked. Adrian groaned. Dimitri continued eating, not acknowledging the conversation in any way.
"I can't tell you, Lissa," he said. I glared.
"Then I'm not going, Adrian," I countered, "It's too much trouble for someone I don't even care about,"
"Shouldn't it only matter that I'm asking?" he asked, "Don't you trust my judgment enough?"
"I haven't seen you in ten years! And we didn't particularly leave on good terms! How do I know you're not just using me?" I asked angrily. Adrian looked hurt then. His eyes locked onto mine and I regretted my accusation.
"Do you think I would really do that to you?" he asked. I didn't respond. He looked down at his hands, "I can't heal her, Lissa," he said, "I tried," I was surprised then. If he had already tried to heal her, then why didn't it work? What was different about his power that I would be able to heal something that he couldn't? And what was special about her ailment that wouldn't be healed by spirit? Even death could be healed by spirit. Also, Adrian had accidentally given me a clue. It was a woman.
"What's wrong with her?" I asked, hoping he would give me more information. He looked away from me, his expression pained.
"I don't know," he said, "That's why I can't help her. I have no idea what to heal," I didn't know what to say. I shoved a forkful of food into my mouth. Dimitri looked up at us then, curiosity in his eyes.
"Why do you think she can do better than you can?" he asked. Adrian's eyes snapped to Dimitri's then. He looked surprised that he even spoke.
"I have to try something," he said, "She's deteriorating right in front of me," then, a thought occurred to me,
"Is it someone you love?" Adrian met my eyes and I knew I was right. Adrian was trying to save someone that he had fallen in love with. That realization changed things significantly. Adrian loved this woman enough to travel across the world and find me, when I was virtually impossible to find. I needed to consider that it took a lot for Adrian to come to me. I gave Dimitri a significant look and he immediately stood and left the table. Adrian watched him leave, then turned to me.
"You are really going to have to tell me that story sometime," he said, nodding to where my husband left. I shrugged.
"What is there to tell? We got married," I said. He scoffed.
"Because you love each other, right?" he asked. I narrowed my eyes.
"It's none of your business, Adrian," I said, "Tell me about this woman,"
"Girl," he corrected me, "She's a dhampir. Only nine years old," he explained. I nodded. Why was Adrian going through so much effort for a dhampir girl? I pushed the question back and listened to him, "She won't come out of her dreams," he said slowly. I paused and gave him a questioning look.
"What?" I asked. He seemed to think about how else he could phrase it.
" She's in a coma or something, I don't know what to call it. She's alive, and she's all there mentally, but she stays in a constant dream," he said miserably. I gasped.
"How long has she been like that? How did it happen?"
" For a month. And she stayed with one of her friends from school for a week. When she came back, she felt tired and gradually got weaker and weaker until she wouldn't wake up at all," he explained. I listened carefully, analyzing each detail in my mind. None of it made any sense, although I knew that Adrian wasn't lying. Then, I made the decision.
"Alright," I said, taking a sip from my wine glass, "We'll go," Adrian shook his head.
"Just you," he said. I laughed out loud. Not only did I want to have Dimitri by my side, he would never let me go alone, "Lissa, I'm being completely serious," he said. His expression was grave and desperate. The smile was wiped from my face.
"I can't go without Dimitri," I said, then I stared at him suspiciously, "Why don't you want him to come?"
"I hate him," Adrian said simply. I scoffed.
"Your dislike for my husband is not going to interfere with my protection," I said. Adrian still shook his head,
"There will be Guardians there, Lissa," he said, "Dimitri cannot accompany us," he insisted. I stood up then.
"Adrian," I started picking up plates and glasses. Adrian made no move to help me. I had forgotten that he was royal, "Dimitri's company is not negotiable," I said finally and went into the kitchen before he could protest. Dimitri was leaning against the refrigerator, sipping his wine. He looked smug. I smiled seeing his expression. He was pleased that I defended his presence. I put the dishes in the sink and went back into the living room. Adrian looked up at me, displeased. He realized that he had nothing to bargain with. I was only going back because our history of being friends and my heart broke seeing the pure desperation in Adrian's request.
"We'll leave tomorrow," he said. I nodded and showed him the guest room where he could get some rest.
Dimitri was staring out the window when I came out of the bathroom. I went over to him and put my arms around his waist. It was an unnatural position for us, but we both took comfort in the familiarity of it. He leaned back into my embrace and put his arms over my hands.
"What are you doing, Vasya?" he asked softly in Russian. I knew he was talking about agreeing to Adrian's request.
"I am too softhearted," I said. I felt him nod.
"It's going to hurt," he said, "going back there again," I barely heard him.
"I know,"