For Eli—princessjilldragomir. tumblr .com

Unedited and un-proofed, so I apologize in advance for any mistakes.

It was supposed to be a quick trip, taking no more than a day—and most of that would be travel time. I wasn't thrilled to be leaving, but in all honesty, I was the only one really qualified to go. Out of the handful of people who knew the location of the Dragomir princess, I was the one who had firsthand knowledge of what it was like to be bonded to a spirit user. The plan was extremely simple—I was flying down to check on Jill then turning around and coming right back home.

Of course, things rarely go according to plan—especially when I'm involved.

The flight to Palm Springs went off without a hitch, although I'll admit that being trapped in a plane with a bunch of strangers had left me pretty cranky. My mood didn't improve in the slightest when I stopped off to pick up the rental car that Dimitri had arranged for me. Biting my tongue, I took the packet from the representative, not wanting to unleash my irritation on her, storming off to find the vehicle in question.

I'd just climbed behind the wheel and was examining the map that the agent had handed me when my phone rang, and I could resist letting the caller know exactly what I thought of his automotive choice as soon as I answered. "I swear to God I'm beginning to think you're obsessed with Hondas Comrade. Is this some kind of sick fetish that I should be aware of?"

"They're reliable and have an impressive safety record—that's something I have to take into consideration with the way you drive."

Since I could hear the amusement in his voice, I let the insult to my driving skills slide. "What's up? You can't be missing me already—I haven't even been gone six hours yet."

"I started missing you as soon as you boarded the plane Roza." His husky, accented voice was completely serious, without a hint of teasing to it at all, and a chill raced down my spine that didn't have anything to do with the air conditioning—which I had on full blast to combat the desert heat. It was just the effect that Dimitri had on me, and I was instantly filled with an intense longing to be back home—by his side—where I belonged.

"I miss you too," I said, my voice soft, "but I'll be back later tonight."

"I know…. I was calling to remind you to be careful. There may still be a few members—"

I cut him off, wanting to reassure him. "Don't worry. Nothing's going to happen. I'm driving straight to Amberwood and then back to the airport. No detours."

"Roza, I can't help but worry. I know how you are." He sighed, and I couldn't help but smile a little. I'd killed more Strigoi than I could count, and yet still he was worried about me running afoul of a group of vampire hunting humans.

"I'll call you after I meet with Jill. Okay?"

"I'll be waiting. I love you."

"Love you too. Bye."

Ending the call, I returned my gaze to the map, my mood greatly improved—which was probably a good thing. I'd soon be dealing with a fifteen year old who held a grudge against me, so the last thing I needed was to be pissed off before the meeting even began. Once upon a time, Jill had actually looked up to me, but that had changed the minute her bond with Adrian had formed. Until she learned to block him out, she was constantly under assault from his emotions—and since the majority of his feeling towards me were negative ones, Jill's opinion of me had plummeted, which meant her reaction to seeing me would be lukewarm, at best.

Sighing, I folded the map—okay, I crumpled it and tossed it in the passenger seat—and put the car in gear, pulling out of the parking lot and heading across town to the suburb where the school was located. The sooner I got this over with, the sooner I'd be home. The one thing that none of us had really thought through was how exactly I was supposed to access Jill once I arrived. Amberwood was a pretty exclusive place, so the fact I didn't belong there would be glaringly obvious, to say the least. For once, luck was on my side, because as soon as I parked in the visitor lot and climbed out of the car, I spotted a familiar face walking across campus. Almost as if he felt the weight of my gaze, he turned his head, his eyes scanning the grounds. When they came to rest on me, he stopped dead in his tracks, and the shocked expression on his face was so comical that I had to laugh. I jogged over to where he was standing, and as soon as I was close enough to speak without fear of someone overhearing, I couldn't resist teasing him a little. "What's wrong Castile? You look like you've seen a ghost?"

"What are you doing here?" Eddie's handsome face crinkled up with worry, his eyes darting around as if he expected to see Moroi rebels lurking behind every bush. "Has someone found out where we are?"

"Relax—I'm just here to see Jill. Lissa wanted me to make sure she's handling the bond okay."

"Does she know you're here?"

"Not yet. As a matter of fact, I was kinda hoping you'd go get her for me. I figured the staff would probably have a problem with a strange woman roaming the halls."

He tensed, and before he spoke, I knew that whatever he was about to say was something that would piss me off. "I think you should come back later. Surprising her isn't the best idea. You'd be better off letting me break it to her, and giving her time to get used to the idea."

I could feel my bad mood slowly regaining ground. It didn't help that this trip had thrown my natural schedule out of whack; having to conform to a human schedule meant that I'd been up for almost 22 hours straight. "Look—I'm here because Lissa asked me to come. The sooner you go get her the sooner I can get out of here. Don't give me any grief over this Eddie, okay?"

I don't know whether he heard a warning in my voice or if my expression gave something away—more than likely Eddie just knew me well enough to know how far he could push me before I pushed back—but he made the smart choice and decided to do what I'd asked without further argument. I sank down on the grass to wait, closing my eyes and tilting my face up, spending a few minutes enjoying the warm feel of the sun on my skin. As a dhampir I spent most of my life on a nocturnal schedule, and a part of me always missed moments like this, craving a little time in the daylight. I have no idea how long I sat there like that; I'm ashamed to admit I almost dozed off. It was the sound of Jill's indignant voice that jerked me awake, alerting me of their arrival.

"What's she doing here?"

"She's come to talk to you," I retorted, standing up and brushing off my jeans. "God Jill, I knew you wouldn't be thrilled to see me, but I didn't think you'd be so damned rude about it—I just flew across the country to make sure you were doing okay, you know."

My words had the desired effect—her petulant frown transformed into a ruefully embarrassed look, her pale skin blushing slightly. Jill was a friendly girl; it wasn't in her nature to be openly hostile to people—even ones she didn't like. Glancing over at Eddie, she ducked her head, hiding behind her hair. "Sorry—I'm just… surprised to see you. Someone should have warned me you were coming."

"Spur of the moment decision."Something about the way she was behaving instantly peaked my interest. Call it a gut instinct, or maybe it was just all the years I'd spent training to observe the people around me, but there was something decidedly strange about the way she was acting. It wasn't the darkness at all—rather, it was as if she was uncomfortable with the situation we found ourselves in. Only it wasn't just my presence that bothered her. She seemed upset that I chastised her in front of Eddie, but why? Studying her, I noted the way she held her body, and that in itself tipped me off almost as much as the furtive glances she kept making at the man beside her.

Jill was crushing on Eddie—her primary guardian.

I opened my mouth to say something, and then caught myself. This wasn't the kind of thing that should be discussed with the object of her affection standing nearby. "Is there someplace where we can talk? In private?" I added, shooting a pointed glance at Eddie.

"We could go to my room, I guess."

She looked less than thrilled by the prospect, so I latched onto it before she could rescind the offer. "Great. Lead the way. I'll take it from here Eddie.

"But… Jill, are you gonna be okay?" He looked torn, and I understood why. He knew my presence upset her, but I was here under the Queens orders, so he couldn't exactly interfere.

"She'll be fine," I answered for her rolling my eyes in an attempt to show how ridiculous he was being. "We're just going to spend a half hour or so catching up. You know, girl talk."

It was hard to say who looked more surprised at my statement, but it did the trick. I followed Jill across the campus and into her dorm, neither of us saying a word. We made it all the way to her room before the silence finally got to me; before I knew what was happening, I blurted out the first thing that popped into my head.

"So does Eddie return your feelings?"

Jill paused, her key halfway to the lock, glancing over at me with her mouth agape. "What?"

"Oh come on, it's obvious!"I winced as soon as I said it, knowing I should have phrased it better.

"You don't know what you're talking about, as usual." Her voice was low and harsh sounding, her tone letting me know she didn't want to discuss it.

"Jill… I—"

"Eddie has been… seeing Angeline," she said, shooting me a dark look, "So whatever you thought you saw… you were wrong." Unloking the door she shoved it open, leaving me staring after her, stunned.

It took me a minute to process what she was saying, because it seemed unfathomable. Eddie was all about duty, he had been ever since the incident in Spokane. If he was really involved with Angeline—who was for all intents and purposes his guarding partner—it was a serious conflict of interest. A Guardian had to be prepared to put their charge above all else—and when you got involved with your partner, it blurred the lines. It was the reason the Badica's Guardians had run off together. Hell—for that matter, it was why Dimitri and I had denied our love for such a long time. Given my own experience in the matter, my reaction was hypocritical and I knew it, but it's hard to go against a lifetimes worth of training "One of them will have to resign. They can't endanger you like that Jill. It's—"

"Rose! Just let it go! This isn't like court, and they don't let it interfere with guarding me. You know Eddie. He'd never let something like that stop him from keeping me safe!"Her eyes were bright, and she looked more impassioned than I'd ever seen her look about anything.

"You really like him a lot, don't you," I asked, unable to help myself.

"It doesn't matter—he doesn't feel the same way." The fire went out of her as she flopped face down on her bed, burying her face in one of the pillows.

Her misery hung around her like a cloud, and my heart went out to her. She was only fifteen and in the span of a few short months her entire world had been turned upside down—something we all tended to forget. She'd gained a sister, but in all honesty, it was in name only. Lissa treated the entire situation like a dirty little secret, and in my opinion, she'd been relieved to have a reason to send Jill off to school—it meant she didn't have to face her every day. It was one of the few things Lissa and I disagreed on, and since my best friend could be just as stubborn as I was, it wasn't likely that I'd be changing her mind anytime soon.

"Jill… Whatever problems exist between Adrian and me… you can talk to me… About Eddie, or the bond… or even about Lissa. You don't have to keep it all trapped inside. I'm still your friend and I want to help you."

"Yeah, right."

"I mean it Jill." I sank down beside her, hesitating for a moment then reaching over to stroke her back in what I hoped was a soothing gesture. Comforting people wasn't something I was particularly good at, but I felt like I had to try. "Whatever you say stays in this room—just between us."

"Even if it's about Lissa?" She turned her head, peeking out at me from underneath her hair. I nodded and smiled a little, waiting for her to continue.

"She hates me. It's not my fault that our father did what he did… but she acts like it is. She blames me and I—"

"She doesn't." I cut her off, needing to set her straight. "Yes, it's been hard for her to accept, but that's understandable." I paused, thinking about the relationship Lissa had with Eric Dragomir. She'd held him up on a pedestal, thinking he could do no wrong. Hell, I had too—he'd been sort of a father substitute for me while I was growing up. He'd been everything I'd wanted in a parent; a kind, loving man who adored his wife and daughter. "I think everyone sees their parents in a certain way, and when something happens and you find out they're completely different than what you imagined… well, it's hard to wrap your head around."

My words came from the heart, because I'd spent a lot of time thinking about my relationship with my own mother lately. For years I'd been convinced that she didn't care about me at all. Recently we'd begun trying to repair the damage that her years of neglect had caused, and we were slowly getting to know each other. It was a slow and sometimes painful process, but one I thought would be worthwhile. I'd always envied Lissa's close, loving relationship with Rhea, and while I knew my mom and I would never have something that perfect, I hoped we could at least be friends instead of fighting all the time.

"All my life I wanted a sister. I knew she wouldn't be thrilled at first… but I thought…" Jill's voice trailed off and she swiped at her cheek; I looked away before she realized I'd noticed she was crying.

"She just needs a little time to accept it Jill."

"Stop taking up for her! How can you be so blindly loyal to some people, but throw away the ones that care so much about you?" She sat up, glaring at me. "I don't know why I'm even talking to you, after the way you treated Adrian!"

"Jill—" I shook my head, not wanting to get into the intricacies of what had happened with a fifteen year old. "There's a lot of things you don't understand about what happened between Adrian and me."

"You were dating him—you cheated on him and broke his heart. What more is there to understand? I may be younger than you, but I'm not stupid Rose," she snapped.

"I can't help it if I didn't love him like that!" My own temper flared to life, my voice raising as I stood up and began pacing. "It's not my fault he can't let go of something that was never meant to be in the first place."

She laughed, and it was almost a scornful sound. "God, you really are full of yourself aren't you? Do you honestly think he's still hung up on you Rose? I hate to break it to you, but he hasn't given you a second thought since he fell in love with—" She stopped abruptly, her eyes widening as she looked away, suddenly seeming extremely interested in the poster hanging on her wall.

"He's found someone?" The thought thrilled me—I desperately wanted Adrian to find a love like the one I shared with Dimitri, and not just because it might mean we'd finally be able to patch up our differences and I'd get my friend back. He was a good man, and he deserved someone who would love him whole heartedly, without holding anything back. "That's really great Jill! Why keep it a secret?"

Something about the look on her face kicked my brain into gear, and I realized at once why she looked so horrified by what she'd let slip. From researching the area, I knew that there weren't any Moroi females residing in Palm Springs, and the only dhampir around was Angeline—who according to Jill was hooking up with Eddie. Which meant that Adrian—in his typical, reckless, unconventional fashion—had fallen in love with a human, something that was completely forbidden. I sank back down on the bed beside her, stunned. "Oh no… Please tell me he didn't. Not even he could be that stupid."

"You can't say anything Rose! The only reason I know is because of the bond. Please! Promise me you won't tell Lissa or anyone back home!" She grabbed my hand, squeezing it, her expression pleading with me to agree.

I rubbed my forehead with my free hand, suddenly so tired that it was hard for me to think straight. This was just too much, pushing me past my point of reason. "Who is it?"

"It doesn't matter—they both know nothing can come of it. But Rose—you of all people should know… you can't help who you fall in love with."

I studied her, and something about the set of her jaw told me that there was no way I'd be getting the girls name from her. "I won't say anything to anyone back at court Jill. But… You need to talk to him. Make him see reason before he's in too deep. Otherwise he's going to end up hurt again, and neither one of us wants that."

"Is that a promise? You really won't say anything? Not even to Dimitri?"

"I tell Dimitri everything Jill, but he won't say anything." I sighed, running my fingers through my hair. "Now that you've dropped that little bombshell, how are things going with the bond? Any problems?"

We talked a bit more, about spirit and ways she could practice blocking Adrian's emotions off—something she'd need to know if he was involved in a new romance. The last thing Jill needed was to get pulled into his head during sex—she got flustered just hearing me mention it. I tried to pay attention and answer all her questions, but a part of my mind wasn't on our discussion at all. It was on Adrian. The last thing he needed right now was to get his heart shattered again, and if he really and truly was in love with a human, it was bound to happen. No one would accept the pairing—even as liberal as I was about love, the thought made me feel sick. Some things were just too taboo even to consider, and hooking up with humans was pretty near the top of the list.

A knock at the door pulled me from my musings; Jill shot me a hesitant look before climbing off the bed, then opened the door a crack, sighing with relief when she saw who was on the other side.

"Are you okay? Angeline said you missed class—something about a visitor?"

As soon as I heard the voice I smiled, my mind suddenly at ease over the problem with Adrian. I wouldn't need Jill to find out more about the mystery girl. It was Sydney Sage's job to know everything going on with the group in Palm Springs, and if she didn't already have a name to give me, she'd be able to find it. The Alchemist had spent her whole life perfecting her research skills, so if anyone could track down exactly who Adrian had been spending time with, it was her.

"I think we're done here Jill," I said, walking over and opening the door wide so I could smile at Sydney. "But I do need to have a talk with Sydney before I leave for home."

Jill's eyes widened and that strange worried look was back on her face. "Rose—"

I shot her a reassuring look as I walked out the door. "Don't worry kiddo—I remember my promise. I won't be mentioning what we discussed to anyone at court."

And I wouldn't. But talking to the people in Palm Springs… well, that was something else entirely.