Second update today. Hope you're all happy :D
You finally get some action and no more annoying jail scenes. Well, a bit but no more from now on.
This chapter is still a bit shorter than I want the others to be but I can't seem to get past places that seem like perfect chapter endings.
Im getting better though xD
Enjoy!

1. Lissa and Adrian would compel the Guardians to hand over my keys and then sit doing nothing, remembering nothing.

I felt the warmth and joy of spirit flowing through the bond, confirming that both she and Adrian were indeed on their way to let out. I slipped into her head, watching as she told the man to give her the keys for my cell. He obliged with no resistance. You'd think that the Royal Court jail would have better immunity to compulsion. Mind you, the "high security" one where Victor was at didn't have such great immunity either. I came back into my head as I heard the shuffling of steps down the stairs and positioned myself to be let out as the key slid into the lock. My heart pumping fast, I pushed open the door as soon as I heard the lock click open.

Lissa engulfed me in a bone-crunching hug, surprising me with her strength. "Oh, thank you, Liss, thank you."

"Ahem. I believe I helped in this break out," Adrian coughed, a smile on his face that absolutely demanded to be kissed. I ran up to him, wrapping my arms around his neck and gave him a quick, but passionate, kiss. I pulled back, breathing heavy.

"Come on. I really can't care enough to stay here any longer."

2. Dimitri would be waiting for me in a car, ready to leave as soon as I jumped in. There would be no alarms. No one would know I was gone until someone went to go give me breakfast.

We all ran to the entrance, Adrian and Lissa on my heels. The other Guardians along the way were staring blank eyed at the wall with no emotion as their highest security criminal escaped past them. I felt a twinge of guilt as I remembered that these guys were suppose to be on my side, to protect others, and here I was, manipulating them. I shook it off as I ran through the doors. I was innocent and didn't deserve to be locked away.

The warm night (morning for humans) breeze was unfamiliar on my skin as I looked around for anyone on look out. I felt a quick shot of panic as I saw two Guardians looking straight at us. "Relax, I compelled them earlier," Adrian reassured but I still felt uneasy. Following his gesture for me to move it, I noticed a black SUV idling by the curb, ready to go. Excitement welled up in me as I thought of the weeks, months, ahead of me. Alone with Dimitri. It could be worse, I reasoned with myself, you could be alone… Actually, I think I'd rather be alone than spend all that time with an ex lover.

I started towards it, still feeling as if the eyes staring at us were taking in more than they should. I heard the quick thumping of feet, heavy feet, and turned just in time to block a pouncing Guardian. Adrian yelled, "Sorry! The sun must have weakened my hold." I waved him off. There were many Guardians protecting the place. It only made sense that with all that spirit they were using that they'd be feeling weak as it was, even without the added sunlight. I grunted, kneeing the man in the stomach. He moaned slightly, leaning forward. Using that opening, I kicked the side of his head with enough force to knock him out but not kill him. Turning on my heel, I faced the other, this one a female with cropped short brown hair. Not waiting for her move, I attempted a quick punch that she blocked, ramming her elbow into my chest. I let out an annoyed yell. That blow hurt. Bringing in some of the darkness that Lissa had created with her use of spirit, I slipped forward, bringing my foot in contact with her knee causing her to yelp in pain and she fell back onto her butt clutching the injured part.

I yelled at Lissa and Adrian to go inside and sprinted towards the car, not even looking back to see if the Guardian was mobile again yet. As I wrapped my hand around the bar of the door, I glimpsed back and saw reinforcements coming. Damn. And here I was hoping to escape unknowingly. I swiftly opened the door and jumped in, the car already moving before the door even closed.

3. Go to Russia and hide out until the escape dies down a bit.

Great. More planes. How many times in the past year had I been on them? Too many to count. But it was much better than driving all the way to Russia. Even with the impending possibility of killer headaches with no ibuprofen in the form of Lissa.

Lissa had purchased us tickets, not first class (which is a first. We went through a long lecture about blending in before she gave), to Russia where we would drive… "Hey, Comrade, where are we going once we land?"

"My family's house of course," he said in a voice that made me feel suddenly stupid. Of course he'd want to see them but didn't he understand that I didn't? I'm not too sure I'm ready, or even want to, deal with a family who just finds out that their son is, indeed, alive and not strigoi.

"You sure you know what you'll be walking into?" I slipped my carry-on back onto my back as it came through the x-ray things to make sure I wasn't carrying any bombs with me.

"I want to see them. Dying made me realize the importance of family." Oh, but it didn't make you realize the importance of me?

"They think you're dead. A strigoi"

That made his head snap to attention, attention directed at me. "What? They never tell the family that unless they're important or in direct knowledge. They always just tell them the persons dead. If they tell them at all."

Oh snap. How'd you get yourself into this one Rose? "I, uh, told them. I was passing through and since nobody had informed them…"

He closed his eyes for a moment, looking like he was literally thinking about ripping my head off and throwing it across the airport. He breathed deeply and opened his eyes again. "Thank you, Roza. I'm glad that you took the liberty in telling my family the truth. Too bad you did though. I'm kind of scared I'll get stake the moment I walk through the door now." The corner of his mouth twitched, probably from the image of all his sisters charging at him.

I would have laughed at his comment about stakage but something prior to that still held my attention. I growled, "Don't call me that. Don't say it unless you mean it."

His expression turned from almost happy to confusion, "What…?" The expression hardened as he realized what I was talking about. "Oh. Sorry."

The moment the word "Roza" rolled off his tongue, it made my heart squeeze and my tear ducts tingle at the same time. Happiness and sadness combined. It made me angry at how much he still controlled me even after all the pain he had put me through. I nodded, moving into the line for the plane.

Go on... click that little blue writing below... you know you want to...

~Darla