I was staring into space, several recurring thoughts running through my head. Is this the life I want to be living? Do I have a choice anymore? And was my sacrifice worth it?
I have been pondering those questions and the various answers a lot over the past few months, but the more I think about them the more arguments I have inside my head… But right now I believe I have made the right choice because finally I am going to be with the love of my life and still be guarding my best friend, and also I am moving back to my first real home... St Vladimir's Academy.
"Rose we are just about to land!" A very giddy Lissa screeched in my ear, but I didn't mind. I was just as excited as her but I had learnt to keep my emotions under control, to do that whole seeing without seeing thing that's part and parcel of being a guardian.
"Liss, calm down and breathe. We are just about there and then you can spend all the time you want with Sparky." I said in a smart ass tone. Then she smacked me across the shoulder.
"Rose" she shook her head while a light crimson blush covered her pale cheeks.
"Can all passengers please fasten their seatbelts and prepare for landing." The pilot's voice over the intercom drowned out anything else she would have said. I reached around and fastened my seatbelt and prepared myself to land on St Vladimir's aeroplane runway.
I felt the wheels touch down on the concrete runway and I suddenly knew I was home - back to that special place; the place I have so many memories, some good and some bad - but the good outweighed the bad which is why I am so pleased to be returning. But most important is that I know that when I get off this plan the love of my life will be waiting for me. Dimitri Belikov.
The seatbelt light came off and realisation washed over me. For the first in three months I would be seeing the love of my life, then I thought on it a little more and couldn't get my seatbelt off quick enough to I rush down the aisle. No matter how fast I ran, it seemed to never end, like in one of those horrible nightmares, until I finally reached the now open doors. When I finally made it to the door I took a deep, steadying breath and stepped out into the fresh air of home.
I stared down the runway and a fair distance away there were around fifteen people standing there waiting - they must be some of Lissa's extra guardians.
"Come on Rose get in the car" Lissa yelled from the bottom of the stairs. I turned to face her and saw a SUV waiting to take us down to the other end of the runway, by now I was so excited I literally ran down the stairs in 4 inch heels, but it didn't faze me since I am kind of used to doing crazy stunts like that on a daily basis.
So I settled myself into one of the comfy leather seats in the back of the SUV beside Lissa. I think I was just about as giddy as Lissa now. We were getting closer and closer to the group of people now and the more I looked at them the more I realised they weren't guardians because there was a small child there and babies in some of the woman's arms.
Then it all clicked into place as I put the pieces together. It was Dimitri's family. Now I was hyperventilating. His family was here! I didn't know why I was worrying; I had met them before, but Viktoria and I had still not gotten over our argument… or was it more that I hadn't stuck around long enough for her to make it right?
The car came to a halting stop and with shaking hands I unclipped my seatbelt and opened my door. My legs swung out so that I could place my feet down on the hard, concrete ground. I took a deep breath and stood up, my eyes immediately locking onto the deep chocolate brown ones that I loved so much. All of my inhibitions flew out of the window once I saw my handsome prince charming, and I ran and threw myself into his arms. I didn't care who was watching, I just wanted to be in his embrace.
"Roza, Roza." he whispered over and over again in my ear like a Russian prayer. It reminded me of the lust charm that had been placed on us back when I was a novice, but everything had changed since then – I was still debating over whether it was for the better or the worst.
When he finally pulled back I pulled his face down for a kiss, and he was more than happy to oblige. After a couple of minutes there were the sounds of clearing throats all around us, but since I am Rose Hathaway I had a witty comeback for that.
"Do you want a cough lolly Sparky? Or are you just trying to be rude" I asked glaring at him.
"It sure is good to see you again Hathaway." Christian said smiling.
"Same to you Sparky now give us a hug" I said walking over to him and pulling him into a hug which he returned.
Then I remembered Dimitri's family were standing right there so I turned around and took yet another deep breath. I knew I had a lot of explaining to do.
But I was lost for words.
I didn't know what to do. Saying, "hey how are you" sounded a little too casual for this situation, especially because of the circumstances I left them in last time. Fortunately for me Olena broke the extremely awkward silence by walking over to us and pulling me into a hug.
"Rose you scared me so much. When you left like that you didn't even give me a chance to say goodbye." She sniffled in my ear. I hugged her back gently before Iglanced over her shoulder to Dimitri, where he just smiled and nodded.
"Mama, give Roza her space." Dimitri spoke gently.
"Of course, sorry Roza, but I want to thank you so much for bringing my son back to me." She spoke quietly, her voice filled with emotion and unshed tears.
"Well I am not really the one you need to thank. Lissa was the one who changed him back" I spoke honestly.
They all looked at Dimitri for conformation, but he just stared at me in disbelief. Instead Lissa spoke up.
"All I really did was stake him-" theBeilkov's gasped in shock " - but Rose did all the hard work and research, she is just being modest."
The Beilkov's looked taken back, I think it was because they have just meet the Queen of the Moroi and Dhampir world.
Christian surprisingly broke the silence "I think we should take this inside."
In an attempt to lighten the mood I teased him and said. "Don't you think you can beat me outside?"
"Hathaway, I can beat you anytime." Christian smirked.
"Christian, I think you have hit your head hard, no very hard." I said back equally as fast quite pleased with my comeback.
With that we all headed for the cars, with me in the arms of my Russian god and wondering what the hell am I going to tell them.