Chapter 4

Hey guys. I just thought that I would take the opportunity to say thanks for reading my fanfic! Haha… But please review! I can't get any better if you don't tell me what's wrong! So review! If you see any grammar errors or misspelled words, or you need to ask a question, just go ahead and tell me. And, if you have any ideas, please tell, because I can always use some help. However, please keep mean comments to yourselves. I appreciate constructive criticism, but comments like, "this sucks, keep your day job because you can't write!" are uncalled for.

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy or the original characters, but all additions to the story, the thoughts and dialogue, and everything that happens is all me. Hehe

Thanks! ~Meagan

Oh yeah, and Gabby, the next chapter I post is yours! *evil laugh*

After the bodies were reduced to ashes, I put away the lighter and curled up into a ball with my back to a large rock. I had no intention of sleeping, anticipating another attack before the night was over, but I could not stay awake.

In my dreams, I found Adrian. "Rose!" he called as he ran up to me. He gave me a warm hug then took me by the shoulders and looked me over. "What happened?" he asked. He had seen my head and the blood that dried in my hair.

"Strigoi. Three of them. The leader knew where I can find him."

"But what happened?" he repeated, now looking at the bandage around my chest.

"Oh, this. I tackled him and he pushed me into a tree," I rubbed my back, " and I bet I have a wicked bruise here."

"Let me see," he said with concern.

"Umm…" I was kindof freaked out about him touching me, but I let him, knowing that he just wanted to help. He turned me around and raised the back of my shirt to where my bra was clasped. He gasped. "What is it?" I asked. I'd expected a bruise, but by the way it sounded, I got much worse than that.

"It's horrible…" he said, "It's a bruise, that's for sure." His hand traced gently up my spine, and I cried out in pain. "Sorry…. I wonder…" he said in a weird, faraway tone. Then I felt my back tingling. I whipped around, causing my chest to catch. I yelped and collapsed to the floor, breathing heavily. He knelt down and looked at me.

"Did you just heal me?" I gasped, out of breath.

"I think so," he answered me. He looked just as shocked as I was.

"How is that possible? I'm thousands of miles away…I…but—"I stuttered.

"I don't know, but let me heal these, too," he pleaded. I sighed, knowing that his magic was not as strong as Lissa's, so this was taking a lot of his energy. Finally, I nodded. I slid off my jacket, wincing when my chest throbbed. I had on a tank top under the jacket in my dream, so I could see the bruise. It was purple and black and stretched from the base of my neck to continue down under my shirt. "Ouch…" I whispered. He placed his hands over the bruise, and I whimpered, my eyes tearing up. Then I felt the area tingle, just like my back had. I looked down and the bruise was gone. He did the same with my head.

He sank down beside me, looking like he might faint.

"Whoa. This is weird. Thanks," I leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. He looked surprised, and possibly a little less green than he had been a moment before.

"It's no problem, Rose, if it will get you home faster. Is it wrong of me to say that I hope you find him?" some of his usual sarcasm crept into his voice.

"No. No, Adrian. I want to find him. I need to find him, and soon. He wouldn't want this—he wouldn't want to be a monster. We talked about it once." A tear leaked down my face, but I was quick to swipe it away. "And maybe then I can move on…" I let my voice trail off.

"Don't rush it, little dhampir. You need to heal first; he was your first love.

"Yes…too bad this isn't something you can just fix," I laughed weakly.

"Maybe I can," he said, "Maybe when you get back, I can try." I smiled sadly, not at all sure if I was okay with that. I hoped that I would be able to let him help me, to give him a fighting chance when I got back. "You need to wake up now, little dhampir. I'll see you the next time you sleep," he chuckled. He leaned forward, kissing me on the forehead again.

"Goodbye, Adrian."

"Be careful, Rose."

"I will." And then I woke up. No attacks had been made during the night, thankfully, but something was off, I thought.

I picked myself up off of the ground, my legs stiff from sleeping in the fetal position. I did not feel nauseas, so I knew that no Strigoi were lurking in the shadows. Nevertheless, I searched the woods around my makeshift campsite. I found nothing, and passed the weird feeling off as paranoia.

So, I set off to the east—the direction the chatty Strigoi had told me to go.