I'm sorry I took nearly a month to update. I got hit with a severe case of writers block to the point it was effective everything I was working on as a writing project. However, tonight (August 18) I got hit with random inspiration. Please excuse any mistakes. It's like 6 am and I'm rather bleary eyed and tired. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters of the Vampire Academy series. The only one I own is Elspeth.

Chapter Six

rPOV

Lissa and I talked for a few minutes about Moroi's new involvement with Strigoi. We weren't sure who decided that it would be okay to aid them. She was awfully upset about it and the way she thought of it, it wouldn't be easy to find out exactly who was the mole amongst the Royals. Times in my past led me to realize that it could be literally anybody. Lissa wasn't safe at Court anymore. Fucking fabulous. I told her that as soon as we got back, a closed meeting be issued between the royal families. She agreed, thinking it would be best to start with just them before alerting the entire Moroi community.

"Guess what I saw," I told her as we exited out into the hallway. I kept my voice low. Much to my favor, none of the others were in the hallway. Lissa's eyes were on me on an instant as we walked slowly down the hallway. The sun was still high in the sky so taking a casual stroll was out of the question. We decided on pacing back and forth in the hallway should suffice for now. I didn't need her to speak so I'd know she was interested with what I had to say.

"I walked in on Adrian and Elspeth," I hissed in a lower tone than needed. Her eyes widened and I shook my head quickly. I knew the first thought that came to her head. "No, not like that but they certainly did seem comfortable with each other." That uneasy feeling returned. It was something I felt after getting a glimpse of them… canoodling on Elspeth's neat bed. God, I didn't even want to know what could have went on if I hadn't intervened. Her jade green eyes searched mine to find something, anything that would entail that I was lying. It seemed as if she didn't want to think of it that way as much as I did.

"So? Do you think they're together?" she asked. Her lips were tugged into a pout. I could tell that she was disappointed in Adrian. I shrugged though I was sure my face displayed discontent. Of course I wasn't comfortable with them being together. But who was I to suddenly rip them away from each other?

"How well do you even think they've known each other?" I muttered. How the hell could they know each other so well? Knowing Adrian for as long as I have (almost three years now), I would guess that they probably didn't do much talking. He never bothered to open up to people he wasn't bothering to become close with. Lissa shrugged, clearly as distraught as I was. "Do you think we should ask them what's going on?"

"No!" Lissa hissed, slapping my arm. Of course it didn't hurt- she was so petite compared to me and I had years of training to keep me immune to even her strongest hits (and trust me, she managed to sock a guy in the face and stake Dimitri). I shrugged her off, entering their room regardless. I nearly rolled my eyes as the golden brass knob turned all the way. Didn't they even bother with locking their suite? I heard murmuring inside once I opened the door a little. I assumed the pair were on their bed again talking. Lissa, though she was against it, came behind me as well when I opened the door all the way.

I was surprised to see Dimitri and Christian in their room as well. I wasn't expecting that. My focus immediately went to Adrian who was talking. I apparently didn't trigger anyone's alarm. Dimitri, however, visibly tensed at my presence. He knew I was there.

"Well, that's simple. Little Elspeth here is shadow kissed," Adrian had said as if it was no big deal. I paled.

"What?!" I exclaimed loudly. Dimitri finally turned around, his face displaying that of slight worry- why? I wasn't sure. Who exactly was he worried for? Me or my si- Elspeth? Speaking of the little devil, her eyes were wide, displaying clear shock. For a guardian that has been trained for technically longer than I have, she didn't do a good job of noticing me slip into her room. In fact, she even left their suite door open. That's another mistake. Suddenly she wasn't the badass I was thinking her to be.

"Yep, your little sister is shadow kissed. For longer than you've been too. She utilizes it like a pro." Adrian bore a smirk as if it were all a joke. I clenched my fists. I felt Lissa's dainty hands on my shoulder. I calmed a bit. He elbowed Elspeth. "Tell them Elle. About everything."

My sister whipped around to face him, quickly striking out at him. She socked him right in the cheek. Dimitri pounced on her in an instant, his instincts clearly kicking in. Adrian successfully fell of the bed. Despite the fact that I should have been prepared to hold back Elspeth, I laughed. God, it's about time someone punched him for his damn mouth. Some part of me was proud that it was my little sister.

"What is the matter with you?!" Dimitri exclaimed. My laughter died down in an instant. I was by his side, gently tugging on him so he'd let her go. Her arms were crossed. Her expression told us she was angry. I saw that she was clutching her arm tightly, her fingernails digging into her arm. I winced yet still reached out to her. I half expected her to lash out at me. She didn't, thankfully. Elspeth allowed me to uncurl her fingers and sit her down on the bed to relax. My expression was stern and sisterly (at least I hope that's how it came off as).

"Explain. Now." It was a demand not a request. She hesitated for a moment, biting her lip. By then, Adrian had recovered with the help of Lissa. He was rubbing his sore cheek. Annoyingly, the smirk was still on his face as if this was all amusing. "Yeah, tell her. Everything this time, no?" My sister shot him a glare but returned to me, her lip jutted out in a pout. She suddenly looked like a kid to me- someone way younger than what she was (or I had assumed her to be).

"Well, first thing is first I guess. I'm actually sixteen." My jaw dropped. I shot a quick glare at Adrian. Yeah, he was seriously pushing the age thing now. He was about six years older than Elspeth. Albeit it wasn't as bad as Dimitri and I (but then again, look how much shit we had to go through just because of that and the whole guardian thing?) I still didn't approve. I stayed silent however, allowing her to continue. She nodded.

"And I guess…I became shadow kissed when I was a kid." She stopped, not explaining further. I narrowed my eyes at her. "You guess?!"

"Rose." Dimitri chastised from behind me in that teacherly tone of his. He leaned down next to my ear. I could smell his cologne. "Please don't snap at her. Hear her out." I turned my head sharply.

"Oh are you good buddies now? Did she tell you?" I said accusingly. He sighed. "Roza please…" His tone of exasperation registered in my mind. I calmed down immediately. I could hear Adrian groan somewhere in the background. His voice seemed distant so I assumed he was checking himself in the mirror.

"Dammit Elle! Look what you did to my beautiful face!" he exclaimed. I rolled my eyes as did Elspeth. "You'll live you over dramatic priss." Christian chuckled. Adrian gave her a playful half glare. Elspeth shot him a grin to show that she wasn't really angry with him. I rolled my eyes. They're gross.

"Um, Elspeth?" Lissa peeped up quite timidly (which was rather uncharacteristic of her). Elspeth's attention went to her immediately. She hummed. "Who is your bond mate?" Elspeth's body went rigid immediately. She opened her mouth to speak but closed it quickly. I teared my eyes away from her and looked over at Adrian who, evidentially, seemed to know everything. He seemed unnerved as well. I crossed my arms.

"El-"

"Guys!" Jill said happily as she opened the door and skipped inside. She was fifteen, turning sixteen in December. She, in contrast to my sister, looked childish for her age yet she was mature at the same time. Don't get me wrong, her cheerful nature made her seem quick child-like yet when she had something to say, she meant it and she had something intelligent to back her opinion up. Yet with her light brown hair and jade green eyes, she seemed to be the epitome of innocence.

"Hey Jailbait," Adrian called out affectionately. Jill grinned from ear to ear in an instant, rushing over to him and giving him a hug. I was still convinced that Jillian had a small crush on Adrian but I wasn't sure. The was she looked at Adrian wasn't the same way she looked at Eddie (though sometimes she did give Adrian the same look of admiration). I looked over at Elspeth through my peripherals to see her reaction. Unlike most of us in the group, she clearly wasn't the crazy jealous type. She still sat there in the same position not a hand space away from me.

Eddie strolled in too, still sporting the same clothing. I would have assumed that he would have taken a nap but guessing by the way Jillian seemed so excited I'd say she had gotten hyper and probably wouldn't allow poor Eddie to sleep. He walked near Dimitri who still stood off to my right. He had a neutral facial expression.

"Did I miss something?" he asked. Like a good guardian, I guess he realized the tension the must had settled in the room. "Nothing," Elspeth commented rather crossly. She rose suddenly, grabbing a towel and a pile of clothing with her. Dimitri called out to her.

"Where are you going?"

"For a swim. Don't wait up." She slammed the door behind her. Eddie looked over to Dimitri for clarification. In return he mouthed 'I'll tell you later' and Eddie didn't mention anything else about the matter. Jillian frowned, still staring after where Elspeth had left not too long ago.

"Do you think I should go talk to her?" she asked softly. She took a step forward but Adrian stopped her saying that he should do it. I stared after him, my eyes narrowing accusingly. I wanted to know if they were dating this instant.

ePOV

I stomped down the halls of the hotel bare foot. I didn't bother to remember to grab sandals but who cares? From what I experienced in New York, most didn't really give a flying fuck in the first place and right now, I was too pissed to even consider caring.I wasn't really paying attention to where I was going. It was as if I was on autopilot. I got a pool key from the admissions desk and went into the locker room, shoving my clothing in the locker that matched the number on my key. I stripped down and wrapped the towel around myself grabbing my bathing suit with me. I washed myself with the complimentary liquid soap that the hotel had to offer (it was usually something I didn't do but I didn't grab my soap either so) and quickly pulled on my bathing suit. I sighed as I walked out into the pool arena, thankful that nobody else was present.

I took my time easing myself into the pool, taking the assumption that nobody would be in the pool in a while considering it was still pretty early. Besides, this was New York City: the city that never sleeps. People wouldn't really come to the pool until it was around 1 am and they were piss drunk or something.

I allowed myself to relax, trying to push out the memories of him out of my head. He was still alive, that I knew. I felt his emotions all the time. I felt him using spirit but never was I able to go into his mind- not again. The Strigoi must have taught him how to block me. It was only a matter of thought of how powerful he's grown especially with the aid of Strigoi. In a twisted sense, Strigoi had like a stronger, more evil version of spirit. Having a spirit user on their side was dangerous. I would track him if i could but he was never in my relative area in addition to learning to block me out. It was eating me up inside. The pain I had been blocking out came flooding back within me. I found myself growing more annoyed and angry. I knew it was the darkness but I couldn't help it.

I found myself with my eyes closed shut and my body trembling with anger before I felt a hands on my shoulder. A familiar feeling of spirit washed over me. My eyes fluttered open and I saw Adrian in front of me in the pool. He looked awfully worried for me. I wouldn't blame him. While he was gone, I didn't have him around to heal the darkness out of me. Whenever he would return to Court and see how I've become to a near disarray of a person, he'd instantly worry and heal me quickly before he'd run off and train with Lissa.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his hands now down at his sides. I nodded. I felt better shadow kissed wise but emotionally my heart ached. I know it was bad to sees loved one become Strigoi but imagine your loved one staying alive and going over to aid them. It hurts much worse to know that they're alive and they're now your enemy.

"I think you need to take the edge off." My eyes didn't meet his. They were still focused on the lights on the ceiling. He shifted in the pool and I heard him talking. It took me a second to realize what he just said to me. "Adrian, no. I'm a guardian. I can't get drunk. Besides, I'm not of age."

"I am of age. Do you realize how long I've been waiting to get drunk with you? I couldn't get drunk with a thirteen year old you know," he stated with a grin. I rolled my eyes. Though when the human servant came back with the drinks, I couldn't help but feel tempted. Adrian wasn't using spirit on me, that much I knew but I suppose the option of being able to let go was all too tempting. However, I held out. On his fourth drink was when I finally grabbed my untouched glass from the edge of the pool and knocked it back far too quickly. The alcohol burned my throat and I coughed but having drinking it so quickly had made the alcohol affect me quicker. I hadn't had a drink in years (or namely ever in my life) so I guess I was a bit of a lightweight. Adrian grinned over at me, summoning the human girl again and getting us more drinks.

"I'm glad you're winding down finally," he said clearly, leaning back into the corner of the pool. Despite having five drinks, he seemed to have no problem speaking. I, on the other hand, was already slurring my words after just two and a half. My head swam in a semi pleasant yet nauseating manner. I licked my lips, taking the fruitiness of the drink I had received. I didn't know the name of it but it tasted nice.

"I feel really good," I said in an unintentional sultry manner. Adrian's eyebrows raised. Was he surprised by me? I swam closer to him, enjoying the way he eyed me. Of course he's known me since I was just a preteen and didn't have much to show but now, at age 16, I had curves. I looked older than I was supposed to. Not to mention that I regularly hid my figure behind my boyish clothing. Seeing me in a nice fitting bikini was something of a drug to men. I figured that out.

"Elle…" he growled. Lust filled his voice as I straddled his lap in the water. His arms lowered from resting on the edge of the pool to on my waist. I pressed myself again him. I heard him groan slightly. I bit my lip to hide back my grin. My arms wrapped around his neck and I didn't hesitate to begin leaving kisses from his lips to his collarbone, nipping slightly. I knew I shouldn't have done it- he was a royal Moroi and I was a dhampir; the guardian of the queen no less but damn he looked so irresistible in my current state.

He grabbed my face in his hands and kissed my fiercely. My body felt warm from his touches as his hands began to wander. God, he knew how to drive me crazy with his tease touches. I leaned into him more, wanting to feel more of his touch. His lips trailed down to my neck and I moaned, tilting my head back. He groaned, his lips still attached to my neck. He was careful not to touch his fangs to my skin (he was a bit temperamental with the whole blood whore thing as much as I was) but made sure I'd have a hickey by the end of this. I began to grind my hips against his, not quite sure how to go about this. My body seemed to respond automatically, a light hum settling on my nerves giving me a high.

"God Elspeth," he moaned into my ear as he gripped my hips. His lips went back to my neck, traveling up until he was kissing me hungrily again. Even in my drunken stupor I was aware of somebody else walking into the pool arena. It wasn't until I heard a shrill squeak that Adrian and I pulled away sharply. I nearly lost my footing and fell back into the shallow water. Thank god years of training kept me upright despite my drunk state.

"Wha-What?!" Jill exclaimed as her eyes traveled back and forth between Adrian and I. She seemed shocked (and slightly hurt if I was seeing things right) and her hand immediately gripped Eddie's. I realized that they were both in their bathing suits, ready to go for a swim. My face flushed a darker shade then it was already after the intense make out session I had with Adrian.

I hopped out of the pool, surprisingly walking as straight as I could past them. "Not a word. To anyone. Do you understand?" I threatened, using the best glare I could muster in my state. They both nodded. I may not have been older than Eddie but in terms of guardian status, I had seniority so he had no choice to respect my orders. I stumbled into the locker room, somehow getting myself changed into my clothes. I staggered back into the halls, navigating with blurred memory back to my suite. I took notice at the time on the clock. Only and hour and some minutes until dinner. I flopped on the bed, knocking out almost instantly.

Even with my last few thoughts occurring in my mind I realized that my heart didn't ached any less now. If anything, it hurt even more.