CHAPTER 2
Dear Belikov Family,
It has come to the point in our lives where we are losing the battle with the Strigoi. We are at war and we cannot afford to lose any more of our numbers than we already have. After a rather long and intense series of meetings with the council we have decided on a counter active measure.
Each Dhampir household is to send one fighter to court as to help replenish our numbers. We have held this off for as long as possible. Please send your fighter no later than May 1st or we will have to come and extract one by force.
I am sorry for any inconvenience that this may cause and may the odds be ever in your favour.
Her Majesty,
Lissa Dragomir.
As I read the letter to my family I knew I would be the one to go. I wasn't interested in the glory or the kills; I was only interested in the safety of my family. In reality the kills only brought guilt. For anybody that I killed I thought about how they had lives, and how they could have been saved. Every life I took, the more guilt I gained. This was one thing I had in common with Dimitri, Guilt.
I re-read the letter and burst out in a short fit of giggles before I became serious again. All the others were looking at me like I was crazy, or at least high.
"It's just like Lissa to put a quote from a book in a formal letter. 'May the odds be ever in your favour' is from the hunger games by S Collins." I quickly explained causing Vika to roll her eyes at my sense of humor.
"Roza shall be the one to go" Yeva said, speaking for the first time. I nodded already making plans in my head. Olena shot me a worried look and I walked over and gave her a hug.
"Relax Olena I will be home before you have time to miss me" Usually now would be the time someone would make a snarky or smart ass comment but with me going off to war, I don't think anyone was able to. "Maybe I'll even bring home a boyfriend" I said while pulling away slightly to look at her face. That comment did exactly what I wanted it to; make her laugh.
It was an inside joke within the family. Ever since I arrived four years ago I haven't seriously dated. After being single for a year they had started setting me up for blind dates but none of them really stuck. I still wasn't over Dimitri no matter how much I wanted to be.
I left to pack what little I had. Even now it was like I wasn't able to put down a permanent residence. It could have been that I was restless without Dimitri near me. It was like half of myself was missing but I didn't have it in me to go back. I couldn't, not after all the pain I went through. Or at least I wasn't if it was my choice, now I was being forced.
I decided calling my father would be my best bet on getting to court sooner rather than later. It rang only once before he answered it with a brisk "Mazur".
"Old man you have caller ID, why do you always answer like that?" I asked him. Seriously every time I call. He might just do that to annoy me but he doesn't seem the type.
"What do you need Kiz? I really am Kind of busy?" He sounded slightly exasperated. I decided that if I wanted to get anything from him I should behave, if only slightly.
"Well I was wondering if I could borrow your jet to take me to court?" I asked as nicely as I could (and if you know me you know that isn't THAT nice).
"Why do you have to go there Kiz?" He sounded slightly suspicious but about what I wasn't sure. I told him all about this morning and how Yeva had a vision that I had to be the one to go because of my 'talents'. I even told him about the little joke I told to lighten the mood.
"Sure Kiz it will be ready in a couple hours. But remember only bring home a boyfriend that won't hurt you like that ex-Strigoi. Oh and make sure you tell them who your daddy is" I rolled my eyes but it wasn't like he could see me. Then I rethought his answer and started to glare through the phone. It might not have been the best idea but a growl slipped out of my throat at Dimitri being called anything that had to do with the time he was a Strigoi. He didn't have any control over that damn it!
I thanked my father and hung up calling the farm and explaining my dilemma. Thankfully the owners were Dhampir and understood what was happening. I finished my packing and grabbed my special boots and weapon belt.
The belt held four stakes, two handguns with extra magazines (silver bullets), and three silver daggers. My boots on the other hand held smaller items like Silver explosives, and a couple throwing stars (also silver). All of these weapons could be used in both the human and Vampire world making them twice as dangerous and is one of the main reasons why I love them. Another is that they were made with my blood. We had my blood injected into the silver so in anyone else tried to use them without my permission it would kill them. That way an enemy could not use my own weapons against me. Smart right? I know it's pretty awesome.
I know it seems kind of stupid to have so many weapons charmed with the elements but I live in a dangerous world.
I walked over to Mark and Oksana's house watching my back the whole way. Yes it was daylight but I can never be too careful with the damn humans helping our enemies. They seem to favour me for some reason. I get attacked about once a week.
By the time I had got here they had already packed and I took a not so wild guess and guessed Yeva had called them. I guess they were necessary in whatever vision she had. It wasn't a bad thing because they were really good company. We grabbed their bags and started to walk back to the Belikovs house to get mine, talking about the war the whole way.
Since none of us were coming back for a while we needed a ride to the airport. Vika volunteered to drive us to the airport which was 2 hours away. Secretly I think she was worried that I wouldn't come back once I left like her brother did and wanted to spend as much time as possible with me.
We set off chatting about anything other than the war and right in the middle of discussing what True Blood episode was the best, I got sucked into Lissa's head for the first time in years.
