Thanks for the reveiws guys. Heres the next chapter. enjoy!!
Rose's POV
Dimitri was dead. I killed him.
All I could think about was what if I changed my mind? What if I had let him awaken me? What if I could be with him forever? I could have my forever after with the man I loved. But I couldn't because it was my duty to protect Lissa and continue on no matter what. No matter the pain I felt. He had to die and I had to live.
Not for long though, apparently.
It was just like being back in Spokane, only the strigoi didn't want to kill me, he wanted me to join him willingly. But if I didn't give him the go ahead soon he was doing it anyway or eating, whichever he felt in the mood for.
They got me not even minutes after I staked Dimitri. So many Strigoi across America and Europe feared my name. I had been a rampage of slayings that left behind no trace due to the Alchemists that practically followed me through Europe. They were humans, cleaners for the messes that vampires left. I had left so many bodies all over the place leading to Dimitri. If they didn't recognize my face they definitely recognized the dozens of marks I had all over my back and neck.
About that… I never returned to anything connected to normal life among my kind. A few cities after I left St. Vlads I met another dhampir named James. He was a ex-guardian that took pride in his work and was an incredible artist. Drawing my Molinja marks, he said, were like his greatest masterpiece. I allowed him to draw exotic designs that incorporated a mark for every strigoi kill I'd made. Any time I killed another one he insisted on adding the marks immediately.
The marks were essentially beautiful but they were also like a big flashing sign that read "hey I'm Rose Hathaway come eat me." They were the reason I was recognized and captured but thankfully they were the only things still keeping me alive down here. The head strigoi, Niefro (weird name I know, but I don't pick them), thought of me as an incredible asset if I willingly joined so he kept me around for a little while so I could make my decision. I was about ready to give up and die until they came.
I was stuck down in that hole of a cave for two days before I saw anything. One of the strigoi was in the mood for a snack and I was the only prisoner so I was it. He left me alive, barely, and that's when I decided to let go and die. I lay for hours staring at the wall when I heard footsteps. They were coming from the only open passage to the outside and seemed to be heavy. I spun in the dirt and sat up. One strigoi was carrying two people down the cave, he dropped them in the door way and they scurried together off into the corner opposite to me. When the strigoi left I spoke. "Who are you?" I meant for them to hear but it came out as a choke and I had to repeat my self.
"Andrew and Damon Zeklos." The younger of the two stuttered. And that's when I realized I would have to live. I had to get them out of here to safety. They come first. This was going to be difficult. "How long have you been here?"
"A while," I croaked. "Not for much longer though, I'm getting us out of here. Where am I dropping you off?"
"Nowhere," Andrew said. "They killed the rest of our family, burned down our home. Our Guardians were killed. We have nothing to go back to. Wherever we go is where we end up. Where are you headed?"
"After this, the royal court."
"Then we'll go with you there and figure things out form there. How are you getting us out?
"I sighed. "I'm working on it."
