Sudden Revelation
When we left our VA "couple", poor Rose fell over getting a terrible injury. She had just been swept off her feet (literally). She left with a full heart and warm fuzzy feelings.
Rose Pov:
With great difficulty, I crutched my busted up self through the quiet hallways of the academy. Every feeble hobble was more frustrating than the last, since I was so used to doing whatever I want, and not have to rely on stupid sticks to lean on.
To relieve the anger and resentment, I let my mind drift to the beautiful thoughts that rattled my brain. Dimitri. Dimitri. Dimitri... and Roza, it sounded beautiful, I wonder what it meant. Passing by the library, I decided to get a Russian translation guide, which brought my attention all the way back to the gorgeous Russian. The way his hair fell framing his face right above his chin, the way he looks, smells, tastes, every detail was irresistible and sent chills down my back. Thoughts of being with him made me want to live in the comfort of his arms forever.
Yeah... I had feelings for him, but I didn't need to tell him that now. What if he didn't feel the same way? He'd think I was an immature teen with a childish crush on her instructor. Yet, I completely hated the things he stirred in me. He always makes me feel weird and awkward, and when I touch him, this scary warm feeling tingles its way through my entire body. It's like a terrible out of control reaction that I've never gotten with anyone else. A hot flash sears across my skin and long story short, I melt, even if he looks at me for a second. My whole overconfident demeanor just slips away and I'm a stupid little rag doll. Deep in thought, I was oblivious to my surroundings. It all stopped when I bumped into someone, a wrinkly someone. "Oh my gosh, I'm sorry…Hello… Mr. Dashkov?"
"Please Rosemarie, call me Victor. I heard that you and Vasilisa returned, so I freed up my schedule just to see you. Did you get hurt over the trip?" He gestured to my foot, and I decide to give the vaguest answer.
"No, umm... Victor. It's just a sport injury. Uh, I was just going to bed to rest." A nervous laugh bubbled up as I tried to change the dangerous subject.
"Well when you speak to Vasilisa, I would love for you to get in touch with me...at dinner, maybe?"
"Okay... why? Not to be rude or anything, but why?" The determination in his eyes told me that he meant business, and it most likely involved me.
"Well my dear, Rosemarie, I have noticed something special in you and Vasilisa." He eyed me as if to say I knew exactly what he was saying. Panic waved through me, praying that he hadn't figured out what we kept a secret all these years... and if he knew… who else knows?
"What things? What are you talking about?" Playing it stupid seemed to be the best option at the moment, but fear was swirling in my gut as a knowing smile formed across his face.
"You know exactly what I'm talking about. You and Vasilisa are... bonded." My heart skipped a beat with the last word.
Fumbling a bit, I decided to avoid it as if it didn't happen. "Well, I'm sorry Victor; I need to go rest... so I will have Liss text you." He gave me an indulgent grin, it sort of freaked me out so I nodded and hastily said goodbye, hobbling at record speed to Lissa's room. By the time I reach her dorm, I was so out of breath I couldn't explain my abrupt arrival. Lissa was looking at me as if I had lost my mind, but I held up a finger for her to give me a minute.
"Have you seen your uncle Victor?" My voice squeaked as I continued to suck air into my lungs.
"Victor? Rose what is wrong with you, why are you breathing like that and what the heck are you doing on crutches?" Lissa rushed to my side to help hold me up as I swayed precariously on the god-forsaken sticks that held my weight. Shaking my head intently, I didn't have time for that; we needed to discuss Victor and what he just said to me.
"No... Liss... Victor knows!" My cryptic words just confused her more. Damn it! This is serious. "Victor... said bonded!"
"What are you talking about, Rose, bonded? What do you mean?"
"Liss listen to me... Victor is here, he wants to have dinner with us tonight. He said he knows about us, he said that we're special, he used the word bonded!" The words rushed out as I tried to clear up the confusion. Light flickered in her brilliant green eyes as understanding dawned. Fear and surprise reflected back at me. We hadn't heard that word since we talked with Ms. Karp.
"Rose, let's not panic here, maybe he isn't talking about what you think he is talking about." Hope rang in her tone, but I could see even she was worried.
"Okay..." I took a deep breath trying to calm myself. "Maybe it wasn't that, but he was acting strange and said stuff that made me think he really knows our secret."
"Don't worry Rose, let's just go to dinner, and see what he wants, we can play dumb like we don't have a clue." Shaking my head again, I wasn't too sure that was going to work, he had already called me on that.
"Fine, just text him, tell him that we will meet him in the parking lot for dinner at five." Something ate at the pit of my stomach, squashing my usual appetite, but knowing me... I can always eat, even with fear and worry creeping up my spine.
Later...
"Hey Lissa let's go. We're just going out to dinner not prom!"
"So remind me again, why are we going to a human restaurant?" Lissa asked from the bathroom where she had been for the last two freaking hours!
"Hmm, I wonder how it would appear to a passing student to hear that I can read your thoughts." I let my flippant sarcasm seep into my words. Pretty much irritated out my mind, I started for the door. Just as I reached for the handle, my supermodel of a friend walked out.
"Damn Lissa, someone's trying to look pretty for dinner with humans." My reward was an annoyed eye roll, I made an unladylike snort and smirked. Her hair was perfectly straight; she wore a pale blue blouse with a tight denim white skirt that landed about mid-thigh.
"Oh please, Rose, are you kidding me... look at you. You're going to get hounded by all the human dudes." It was true; my outfit was a red dress, with all sorts of redundant black embroidery. It looked hot, but unfortunately, in my condition, with the bandaged foot, plus the swollenness, I just can't see me wearing high heels, so I just wore flats. More like one flat, since my wrapped up foot didn't fit any of my shoes.
When we arrived at the parking lot, Victor and his daughter greeted us. Before I could attempt to protest, Lissa made a more polite observation, as always. "Will Natalie be joining us?" Lissa flashed a charming smile to Natalie.
Natalie was what I call "to cute to be that dumb". She's the stereotypical daddy's girl, but without daddy's showering affections. She plays dumb at school for his attention, which has always been directed at Lissa. Her hair was gunmetal black and she had shining green eyes. They resembled Lissa's, but they didn't have the same luster and charming gleam as my best friend's.
"Yes she will be. She knows of your gifts also." Victor's driver cordially opened the door for us. The comment sent a chill down my back as I gave Lissa a nervous glance. She shook her head and in my mind, I heard her say, ignore it.
Lissa waited to help me into the car, playing the chivalrous one. Usually that was me, but chivalry would have to wait until my foot was back to normal. I handed the crutches to the Dhampir guardian and was helped into the car as I carefully maneuvered into my seat. He placed the crutches in the trunk and we headed off.
Victor sat in the passenger seat directing the guardian to our destination. It was a hell of a long trip making my injured foot numb. But... finally we got there. As I hopped my way to the back of the car, I noticed the sign on the restaurant.
"Hmm, Devil's Oasis, just perfect." Grabbing my crutches, I turned to see the creepy smiling face of Victor.
"Yes, I agree, Rosemarie. You see that gorgeous mountain in the distance; it's named Devil's Peak. Rumor has it local authorities have an unexplained mystery they have been trying to solve for years. It seems lifeless bodies, drained of blood, turn up quite often around there, it's mostly Strigoi though."
I tried to act like he did not just scared the crap out of me. "Seriously? Then what the hell are we doing here with only one guardian?" I asked incredulously, and they thought I was reckless for taking Liss away from St. Vlad? When her own uncle takes us into the heart of Strigoiville!
"Don't worry Rosemarie, we'll be just fine, the sun is about to come up." He gestured to the horizon where a thin line of light was breaching the blackness. "You'll love the restaurant decor, I believe it suits your color palette, it's is also centered on red." He motioned to my dress and I gave him a kind smile and crutch my way into the place as fast as I could.
My guardian instincts took over as I scoped out the room. Looking for exits and places to avoid like dark creepy corners. Discretely scanning all the drunk, rich humans, my eyes immediately went back to Lissa. Her nervousness mixed with a bit of fright seeped through the bond. It scared me how quickly those feelings infused into mine.
We made our way to the hostess, instead of grabbing a number or something; Victor just whispered something in her ear. She smiled and led us to a private table near the back of the room. It had a beautiful skylight that cascaded down to a glass window, giving us a magnificent view of Devil's Mountain and the vast desert plateau, with streaks of daybreak beaming from the horizon. As my vision left the grand landscape, I found that someone was already seated at our table, his back to us. No one else seemed surprised by this, so I kept my mouth shut.
"Everyone this is my half-brother, Robert." His announcement relieved a small amount of my apprehension, replacing it with a sense of curiosity. We all eyed each other awkwardly, not knowing what else to say. Now being able to see him, I noticed how similar they were. Same wrinkles, same eyes. Victor has had a disease for a good part of his life. I have yet to discover the reason for Robert's appearance. He seemed pretty young, but by the way he looked he could pass for late forties or even early fifties.
"He has a lot in common with you Vasilisa." He eyed Lissa adoringly, with more affection than his own daughter. All Lissa could do was smile awkwardly and sip on her water. I could feel the uncomfortableness eating her alive. "Vasilisa, have you been experiencing any form of darkness?" Choking a bit on her last sip, she wiped her mouth before answering.
"I don't quite understand the question, but wouldn't it be hard to tell the difference with our nocturnal schedule." I couldn't help but crack a smile at my best friend's response. She could charm her way out of anything.
"The darkness I'm referring to is inside you, Vasilisa, a time of deep depression maybe... or even uncontrollable suicidal thoughts that seem to come out of nowhere." My head shot up, and I looked around the table hoping no one had noticed.
"Ah...I believe Rosemarie just answered that question for you." Victor eyes showed triumph. "That's why you left, isn't it? You wanted to protect her. But... do you know what caused it? Why she was so depressed after the death of her parents?" My heart jumped in my chest. This was a touchy subject for Lissa; it never failed to cause all of those horrible things. Victor was talking about it so casually, but high emotions were rolling through my best friend and I could feel a cold sweat slide down the back of my neck.
"Can I take your order?" Everyone's heads turned to our waitress. She was a tall brunette with bright blue eyes. Her uniform was a red blouse with a black pleated skirt. Her smile was completely fake and forced like most service oriented people, but who could blame them. Imagine the crap they put up with, but I was glad that she interrupted Victor's persistent questioning. It eased the tension that had developed. Everyone ordered, but I made sure to order a lot. If I kept my mouth shut, or at least stuffed with food, I'd be able to stay out of the interrogation.
My theory proved itself well throughout the dinner, but I knew my reprieve eventually had to end. As dinner concluded, I mentally prepared myself for what was coming. Needing some time with Lissa alone, I nudged Lissa's leg, and gestured to the restroom. She slightly nodded and we excused ourselves from the table. Helping me with my clutches, Lissa lead the way.
"Whoa, Victor is seriously intense! I'm sorry he's putting you through all that, I could feel your massive wave of emotions. Are you okay; I thought we needed a break to calm down." In the seclusion of the women's restroom, I tried to calm down Lissa. Her face was flushed and paler than usual.
"Rose this is no coincidence. Victor obviously planned this little chat, and he knows more than we thought. Natalie knows and that Robert guy must know something too! Did you hear what he said... that Robert and I have a lot in common? What do you think he meant by that?" Nervously, running her hand through her hair, she was pacing the center of the bathroom. Her agitation level was increasing, unfortunately, as her intensity went up, so did mine.
"What was with that darkness crap? You knew what he was talking about, didn't you?" She glared at me accusingly. Her breathing became short quick pants, I held her by her shoulders trying to calm her down without success.
"Well maybe he's right, Liss. We should learn about this stuff. He's aware of the depression thing and seems like he can help. You know there have been some weird things going on with me too." A decisive expression formed on Lissa's face, after a few moments of pondering, I could see she agreed with me.
"Okay, Rose, but if I sense anything wrong I'll stop it right there, even if I have to use compulsion. If we have to run again, so be it, I can't lose you again." Wrapping her arms around me, she gave me a tight squeeze and I embraced her back. We had come way too far to have something come between us now.
"Don't worry, Liss, we won't let that happen, ever! Anyway, what can two old guys and a sixteen year old do that would take me away from you?" Giving her a reassuring smile, I stuck out my pinky. "Pinky swear?" She grinned and grabbed my pinky with a shake, at the same time we both said, "Friends forever!" with a laugh.
Lissa and I left the restroom with clearer heads and better moods. When we got back to the table, everyone was involved in small talk that I really wasn't looking forward to, as we sat down, they all became silent.
"Rosemarie, I'm so sorry for your sports injury. It must be a terrible pain to be on those crutches all the time." Glancing down to my foot before responding, I gave him a small smile.
"Yep, it blows."
"Can't Vasilisa heal it though?" Feeling myself choke on the air I just inhaled, I breathed out, trying to relax. Wow he just jumps in with both feet let's all announce to the nearby humans that we are Vampire's!
"Um, well I don't know, can she?" Sarcasm and mockery dripped from my words as I joked. Hoping I had lightened the tension at the table somehow, but I was sadly mistaken.
"Well if you haven't already figured out, Vasilisa is a spirit user." My confused expression was mirrored on my best friends face, but it had peaked Lissa's interest too. "Maybe you missed that class while you were away, or have they not yet taught you about it? It's very rare and I believe the Queen's nephew is a Spirit user also." We still had a questioning look that showed our bewilderment on the obscure topic. He obviously took that as an educational moment because he took on a teacher voice and continued with the revelations.
"Spirit is more of a psychological element than physical like the others. Yet most spirit users are overlooked because there is no distinguishable physical way of showing it unless they are bonded to another person which brings it back to you two." Just when I thought, I could let him explain some weird alternative element until we left. His eyes flickered between us, making Lissa and I even more nervous than we had been this entire meal.
"Maybe you need some sort of example. I'm sorry to bring it up, but Vasilisa do you remember anything about the night your parents died." Sadness seeped into the bond as her once bright green eyes turned dull. The mere mention of that horrific day was enough to make both of us go into depression. Lissa's parents took me in and treated me as their own; they were the only real family I ever knew.
"Yes... I do..." Lissa's chin quivered and tears sprang to her eyes. "But I don't remember much, because I was unconscious for most of it." My heart broke for Lissa; she had lost her whole family in one night. She still had the relentless nightmares and relived the whole thing on a regular basis. This conversation was not helping.
"Well...I know it's painful for you to discuss, but there is something you need to understand... Rosemarie suffered catastrophic fatal injuries and let's just say, she's not supposed to be here." The cold sweat returned to the back of my neck and my hands grew clammy. So many people have told me that it was a miracle I survived, but suddenly this whole revelation was becoming clear to me. It was obviously some sort of power that "spirit users" had.
"You healed her Vasilisa, didn't you?" Victor's monotone voice became raspy and it added an ominous feel to the once friendly setting. Turning to Lissa, she was biting her lip anxiously, fiddling with the buttons of her skirt, she slightly nodded her head.
"That was very dangerous though, Vasilisa. I'm sure afterwards you started feeling the weight of the world on your shoulders, didn't you?" Another tip of her head acknowledged his question. "That... is the darkness. At the start of your bond, it is very dangerous because the shadowkissed bondmate is still struggling to balance the connection. But since you two have been together for a good amount of time you have a very strong bond."
Apparently, I was not the smart one in the relationship my confusion was overwhelming. "Wait, what the hell is a shadowkissed?" Now it was my turn for questions, and I was going to get answers. No one was going to play dumb with me.
"You are, Rosemarie. When Vasilisa healed you after the accident, you were basically dead, but right before you crossed over she saved you." A huge lump formed in my throat, all of this was a lot to take in, and I nearly started crying when I heard the sacrifice my best friend had made for me. I reached out and took her hand in mine under the table.
"She used a lot of magic to bring you back to life. When a spirit user uses their power, it can cause darkness to manifest. Too much darkness can cause the spirit user to go mad." All my thankful thoughts, became worry and concern, I couldn't let that happen to her.
"Lissa, why did you do that?" My voice was barely a whisper, but I knew Lissa could hear me.
"Rose, I didn't know what I was doing at the time. All I knew was that I couldn't lose you, and I was so focused on that, the next thing I knew you were alive and looking up at me. That's when everything went blank." Her response was so mixed up with sobs that it broke my heart. I didn't know how to respond to that, she could have saved her mom or her brother Andre, but she chose me. Pulling her to me, holding her close, I rubbed calming circles on her back. Tears dripped down both our cheeks as the harsh reality sunk in.
"Don't worry Vasilisa... Rosemarie can help take away that darkness." Now, he had gotten my attention, my head turned to him, I was determined to help my friend get through this. It didn't matter what I had to do or suffer.
"How? I'll do anything." His mouth curved into a crooked smile that made me question his sanity.
"Well, let's start with something small for practice. Alright, Vasilisa place your hand on Rosemarie's injury." She did as told and placed her hand over the bandages covering my sprain, and then nodded in assurance.
"Okay, now concentrate on the injury and Rose. Vasilisa allow the magic to pass through you." Just as he said those words, a warm feeling passed through the bandages. The feeling felt familiar, reminding me of the day of the accident. I remembered that sensation, but more intense. As the warmth penetrated, the aching pain began to subside, when I moved my ankle it had completely disappeared. Adding weight to it from a seated position, I was relieved there was no pain.
Now, I understood how much work this was, especially with the intensity of bringing back the dead. The psychological trauma must be worse to see so many deaths at once and only being able to help one person.
"Okay Rosemarie, do you know how to be inside of Vasilisa's mind?" Still paying most of my attention to the newly repaired ankle, I nodded.
"Um I sort of can, but I don't always know how to get out of it." My mind quickly flashed to the time I found myself in her mind while she was with some boy making out and getting all hot and heavy... eewww!
"Oh, don't worry you will get out. You might get stuck if there's a very strong emotion; it creates almost a magnetic pull." I closed my eyes trying to connect to Lissa, it was very easy since she was in the seat next to me, and it's usually harder when she's farther away. My eyes burst open when I was in her head, I could see it, small amounts of darkness in her vision. It was almost like an intricate frame around a picture or more like a ghostly image. It slowly grew and became thicker and darker.
"Okay Rose, now extract all of it, or what you can." Victor's voice sounded wispy and distant, but I understood. Imagining I was a sponge and sucking it up, I extracted everything dark. It was a bit confusing at first, but it just became as though I was pulling it into myself. But that couldn't be right, then I would go insane... no it probably just goes out into the atmosphere or something. Before returning to myself, I felt a sense of resentment in Lissa. She didn't like me to do this, but I had to. It's not as if I was going to go insane. So, I just left and returned to my own mind and body.
Blinking a few times, I became acutely aware of my surroundings and noticed everyone at the table watching me. Everyone smiled at our accomplishment except for Natalie. She had a grimace on her face as she stared down to her crimson napkin. "So where does the darkness go?" I let my line of sight drift from Natalie to Robert.
"It just leaves, almost like a bad memory. Like the first light you see after a nightmare, that reminds you it was all just a dream." Suddenly my eyes met Robert's, and I agreed it was going to be okay. Nothing would happen. Then, as quickly as I felt that calm agreeable sensation, I broke our connection and returned to my coherent self.
"You have to understand that it is imperative for you to keep this private. There could be someone who could take advantage of you." Victor seemed surprisingly aware of this topic, but I let it go for now, he probably read it in some book. To be honest, I felt like a guinea pig or a lab rat and wanted to get the heck out of here.
"You will also need training; you need to learn to help control each other. Darkness can appear at any moment and it doesn't always have to be magic. It could be any sort of strong emotion; spirit can manipulate it into anything it wants. Love can easily change to jealousy, happiness into resentment. The queen's nephew uses alcohol as self-medication to dull the symptoms; it's not really an option for your age." If he only knew the things, Liss and I have done on weekends.
"So between Robert and me, we will train you and teach you how to use it to your advantage." I could see Victor was proud of Lissa. I was too, all through school she would flip out about not having some sort of element and now she had one. Leave it to Lissa to have one of the rarest elements in the world.
As we left the restaurant, I used my crutches not wanting to make a scene, but I was able to put weight on it. Unlike when we arrived, I couldn't even place it on the ground flat without hissing in pain. Getting in the car was much easier this time around, but it was still a bit uncomfortable. On the way to the restaurant, Natalie gladly sat next to Lissa. But when we left something had gotten her panties in a bunch, she was very irritated. She insisted on having me in the middle. After that night, I'm pretty sure she wanted nothing to do with Lissa.
Lissa and I had distractions of our own. My mind was reeling with all the sudden revelations of the night. Wondering what those things will mean for our future and how to keep it under wraps.
