Chapter 3:

Adrian's POV

I was standing outside my aunt's office. I had left this morning from the academy. I was a little nervous leaving Rose but her mother was with her now. She had apologized for yelling at me and commended me for stepping up. I knew Janine Hathaway didn't like me or my reputation but her apology had been sincere.

Everybody thought I wanted to help Rose, and although that is true I wanted to help the twins even more. I felt a connection with the twins. I wasn't ready to be their father, even if biologically I pretended to be. I would be more like the fun uncle. Rose and I had talked about it. If people asked me if I was going to marry her and be a father to my children, specifically if my family would ask, I would tell them that Rose and I had a one night stand and that I do want to be part of the twins lives just not as their father, Rose would raise them on their own, just like most Dhampir mothers. This way there would be room for Dimitri, if we ever could get him back.

It was strange, here I was desperately trying to reunite the girl I love with another man. But I knew this way was better. The twins needed their father. Their real father. And Rose needed him too.

So I stepped into my aunt's office trying to get access to a high security prison on our monthly tea time.

"Ah Adrian. You made it."

"Yes aunty, you look as radiant as ever." I over dramatically kissed her hand and bowed down. She had to laugh at that.

Out of all my family I was closest to my aunt. I know people saw her as a hard monarch, but she had to be in order to keep all those prissy royals in line. With me she was different. She let me go my own way instead of my dad, who wanted to control my every move. He was going to be furious when he found out I got a Dhampir pregnant. Well sort of.

"So, Adrian. What's new?"

The girl I had a crush on came back pregnant with twins sired by a Strigoi and said Strigoi we are trying to save by finding a crazy spirit user. Therefore I need your help getting into a maximum security prison. Oh and Yeah I claimed her twins as my own so no one will perform experiments on them.

"Rose got back from Russia."

"I heard. I think they were far too lenient on her. She should have never been allowed back into that school. I don't know how she did."

"Oh come on aunty, give Rose a break, she had her reasons for leaving and she is one of the best. If anything her time in Russia proved that. I heard she took down many Strigoi."

All I could hear from her was a humph.

"Actually Rose is the reason I am here."

She looked up at me for that one.

"Rose met a spirit user in Russia, and although me and Lissa will see her eventually she said she learned a lot from a spirit user here in Amerika. I would like to find that spirit user."

"and you need my help finding him?"

"Yeah, his name is Robert Doru and he is…"

"Victor Dashkovs brother." She finished for me.

"Yeah, you know of him?"

"Of course I know him, I make it my business to know all the royals dirty little secrets. So what do you need me for? Nobody has heard of Robert in years, they say he went crazy."

"Nobody except Victor." I raised my eyes brows, trying to make her come to her own conclusion about why I asked her. A moment later I saw she understood.

"Adrian, you can't be serious, you want to go to Tarasov and ask him?"

I nodded.

"Victor doesn't do anybody any favors; he won't tell you where his brother is."

"not willingly, no."

"Adrian, you can't go in there and compel a prisoner in front of so many guards, compelling is illegal."

"Oh please, aunty, you know how important this is for me and for Lissa. There are so few spirit users out there. When I found Lissa I was exstatic, but Lissa and I can only learn so much from each other, we are still young and trying to figure this thing out. But Robert already did all that, according to the Russian spirit user, he knows his stuff. Please aunty."

I gave her my best puppy dog eyes. That always worked on her. I meant every word. I wanted to meet this Robert not only to help Rose, but to have a better understanding about spirit. If it was true that he could restore a Strigoi, that would be amazing. There seemed to be no limit to what Spirit could do and I wanted to know everything I could.

"Oh alright, but I want you escorted all the way, my nephew isn't going to go into a maximum security prison without a buck load of protection."

I smiled and kissed my aunty on the cheek.

"Thank you."

After that we went back to more pleasant conversation.

The next day I was on a plane towards Alaska, followed by a dozen guardians. I always hated having to rely on guardians. I never accepted any guardians even if I was allowed two of my own. I just don't like anybody up in my business so much.

I had dreamwalked Rose last night telling her I was on my way towards Tarasov. She was visibly relieved. Every step we made into Robert Doru's direction was one step closer to Dimitri. And not a moment too soon. She had received another letter from Dimitri. She had been getting them a lot lately. He would wright 'love' letters, but they always sounded like a death threat, well I suppose they were. I was getting more and more anxious. At least he didn't mention anything about the twins. That meant he didn't have spies that close, good.

We landed at an airstrip close to the prison and I was escorted to cars waiting for us at the bottom of the stairs.

We drove up to the prison. We were let through the gate. It looked exactly like you would expect of a maximum security prison. Dark and dingy. I guess crime was the great equalizer. Here Dhampir blood whores and royal Moroi were treated the same.

I was escorted inside towards a small room. I was to wait for Victor there.

He was brought in in shackles. He looked tired. A result of the disease, I guess it had caught up with him again after Lissa had healed him. He was placed opposite me at the table.

"Do you know who I am?"

A creepy smile came across his face. I hated the man already. I had never crossed paths with him at court but his reputation precedes him.

"Yes, beloved nephew of our great queen Tatiana."

The distain for my aunt was evident in his voice.

"Good. Do you know what I am?"

He looked at me confused for a moment. He studies me and I saw realization across his face.

"No, this is rich. The partying drunk bestowed with so much power. The world has a cruel sense of humor."

Well he wouldn't be the first to think I was completely useless. Besides spirit went a long way into making me a partying drunk. Well at least the drunk part.

"Do you know why I am here?"

"You have probably met Vasilisa, and they told you I know a lot about spirit, so you have come seeking guidance from an old man."

His laugh was cruel. He found this amusing.

"No, I don't want your guidance; I want that of your brother."

His laugh turned into an angry glare, his aura was tick with surprise even if his face did not reflect the same sentiment.

This time I smiled at him. He didn't think anyone would know about the talents of his brother.

"I want his whereabouts. I would like you to give them of your own free will, but we both know I don't require that to get what I want."

If possible his glare got even angrier. Until he realized something. The cruel smile returned.

"My my, she got you wrapped around her little finger doesn't she. And she is moving up the chain. I suppose with guardian Belikov's unfortunate demise she needed a new thing to play with."

How did he know about Rose? And then it hit me. Abe Mazur. He had informed about Robert's whereabouts before for Rose, but Victor refused.

"Just tell me where he is, or have it stripped from your skull, and after all I am just a partying drunk and not very skilled, I imagine it will hurt."

He seemed to be contemplating this. He knew the horrors I could do to him should he refuse. I saw resignation.

"All right. He is in Las Vegas, I don't know how much use he will be though, he lost his mind years ago."

I nodded and wrote down the address Victor gave me. I stood up and walked away. But before I exited the room Victor spoke again.

"It is true you know. He did do it once. And when she finds him she will have everything she needs to bring him back, leaving you in the dust. Or you could simply tell her I didn't know anything and let their love die, just like he did."

I was tempted to turn around and yell at him. But I wouldn't give him the satisfaction. I might even have considered it for the briefest moment if I hadn't seen the gun or if the twins weren't involved. I should be devastated but I wasn't. Victor said it was true. Robert really did bring back a Strigoi. This meant this wasn't a wild goose chase. It did mean hope for me and Rose was gone, but I would morn the possibilities between us later. For now I just left the room with a different kind of hope.

Yeah bad ass Adrian