Chapter 3
I stood next to Lissa, talking along with her to other royals. I smiled, and pretending to care, but the whole thing bored me to death. After what was probably the 8th boring conversation I broke away with her for just a moment to grab a coke or something, my eyes stayed glued on her the entire time. Watching people that approached her, making sure they held no weapons, and merely wanted to talk. I was about to push through the crowd to get back to her when I felt an arm wrap around my neck.
Adrenaline kicked in as I spun around and gave the man a quick kick and punch. But he was fast, he seemed even faster than Dimitri. He pulled my arm and twisted my arm back, I grunted as pain hit my arm. Two attacks, one day, something was going on. But I didn't have time to think about that. I needed to act fast. I tried to spin but couldn't, and felt it strain my arm even further. People had stopped by now, screaming as they saw me struggle. Through all these I saw Dimitri try and push through the crowd, but people were screaming and running in different directions pushing him back. Only they matter. The words spun through my head. I saw him pull Christian and Lissa out into the hall.
I would have to fight back on my own. I pushed hard and the man loosened his grip for a moment. I spun around, and froze when I saw a silver stake in his hands. It gleamed in his hand. He had to be a guardian; I could almost see his own tattoos. But why was he attacking me? My mind drifted back to lunch "They sent me." Rung in my head. "Who sent you?" I yelled. He didn't say anything, he continued to fight. But out of nowhere I felt pressure push all around me, almost like the air around me was being forced in. I screamed, the pain making me fall to my knees. I put my hands on my head, feeling a burn push harder against my skull. Then the air in my lungs was pulled away. And I gasped, trying desperately to breathe in. This is the same thing that had happened to Lissa when Victor had captured her, torturing her with an air user. Just like now. I had been in her head, I had felt this all before. I kicked him hard, and he stumbled back. But out of nowhere his silver steak plunged into my stomach, it would have hit my heart if I hadn't dodged. My entire body froze with terror. It made me feel worse than the night I had tried to kill Dimitri. I had been so badly hurt, but this was 10 times worse. I felt the pain that every evil creature of the night that I had killed felt. I looked down, seeing my own blood soak through my new ball gown. I fell back against the wall. The man looked satisfied and ran, fast, strigoi fast. But I didn't have a lot of time to contemplate. People still stood now, watching me. Not moving a inch. Dimitri ran through the crowd. "Roza!" he had never called me that with so many people around before. He stood right next to me, he didn't know what to do either. I slipped down the wall, feeling nothing but hot fire burning in me. His eyes locked with mine. He knelt right next to me. "Rose? Rose, what happened?" I couldn't speak, I could breath, I couldn't do anything. I pulled my eyes away from his and looked into the crowd.
"Someone help!" Dimitri yelled back.
"She's just a guardian. It's not like she's a royal." A Mori man called out. Everyone went silent. Dimitri's eyes burned with angry. He got up and ran at the man, grabbed him by his collar and lifting him up.
"What did you say? She's JUST a guardian? JUST A GUARDIAN!" His fist went white, the man looked terrified.
Then I saw Lissa run through, a guardian behind her. "Queen! Please, your safety." He yelled, but she kept running.
"Dimitri put him down! Now!" her words came out thickly, and I could tell she meant them. "We can deal with him later. .Down."
Dimitri obeyed, but the angry still was written across his face. He turned and ran to me, so did Lissa.
"Rose." She said tearfully
Streaks of tears ran down her face. Why did people keep saying my name?
"I-I-I." I tried to say something, but couldn't. Black dots danced in my vision. Dimitri crouched down again.
"Roza, you 're going to fine."
But I knew I couldn't believe him. Lissa reached out, but I couldn't feel anything. "Why isn't it working" she screamed in desperation.
"The magic in the stake, it was contradicting your magic." Dimitri said.
He reached out and clutched the stake. I braced myself.
"I'm going to take it out, but you have to heal her right after, or she'll bleed out."
That scared me, It's liked I was watching my own death again. I had been so close to death before, but this time seemed different, because I could see it, in full color. Without real warning Dimitri pulled. I screamed as it slid out. I could see the pain it was causing him to see me scream. Lissa reached out, but I still didn't feel anything. She closed her eyes, focusing harder. But I felt nothing.
"Why isn't it working?" Dimitri asked pain in his own voice. "I don't know!" Lissa said. Dimitri picked me up, Lissa ran behind him. Dimitri looked down at me again, "Roza." He said. And then I blacked out.
I swear, even after I blacked out, I could hear everything. I couldn't see, just hear.
"Lissa, go back to your house with Christian, a guardian will come and keep you safe. That man could still be here, close by." He tried to sound calm, but there was a frantic note in his voice.
She was huffing and puffing, far behind him, but still running. "I'm…not…leaving…her. I can…heal her."
Dimitri kept running, "Lissa, you tried, it didn't work. She needs a doctor, not you."
I knew the words stung her. She wanted to help me so badly. She wanted to heal me, but why couldn't she?
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean that."
Silent's fell around her
"I know." She replied.
She couldn't run this far. And her people where frantic, they needed her. But I needed her too. She turned around and a guardian took her back to speak to her people.
We must have reached the hospital wring. He lay me down on what must have been a stretcher.
"What was she stabbed with?" one of the doctors asked.
I heard Dimitri choke on his own words. "A silver stake."
All the people in the room gasped. Then I completely blacked out, not hearing, or feeling, or thinking. I was just floating, in memories and thoughts…