I think I am going to try and make up for the lost chapters by updating a little sooner.
This chap includes a little more of Alicia, and just know she is going to play a big part in the story. 'Cause, no offense to Lissa fans or the extraordinary Richelle Mead, but while in other stories Lissa does the job, being next to Rose and all, I'm a bit sick of her blonde Majesty.
Anyway, I'm off. Enjoy, and let me know what you think of the turn it takes.
Tasha's POV.
I heard the sound of heels clicking on tile with my Moroi hearing before I saw them coming in. Rose came into sight accompanied by that redhead I had seen the other day, and the woman was laughing, while Rose pretended to keep track of what she was saying. Then, abruptly, the redhead stopped altogether.
Rose came to a halt too and shot her a worried glance. When that didn't work, she tried shaking her, but still nothing. No, the redhead's glance was fixated on something pretty intently. I followed her stare and the center of all this commotion was –surprise, surprise- no other than Krishna.
I got up from the seat and approached, but the woman wheeled around and left in a rush with her red hair flying all over behind her. Rose's gaze followed her until she disappeared down the hall and then turned to me. I gave her a questioning look and she shrugged, still looking puzzled.
When I turned towards Krishna's direction, she was gone. Freaking perfect.
"Oookaaay… that was freaky" Rose confessed.
"Do you have any idea what it might be? Well, aside of the obvious" I asked hopefully.
"Nah. Alicia is very cryptic sometimes" Rose shook her head.
"Then try and pry it out of her. It might be something that can help us. Help him."
"Look, I'll try. I want to help as much as you do, and I want that bitch in the cold ground, but if Al doesn't want to tell me, she won't. It's… tricky"
"Rose. If you aren't going to interrogate her, I will; your friend or not"
"Don't. For your own good" she warned.
"Or what? You'll do what?" I snarled.
"Oh, not me. Not me, Tash" She shook her head disapprovingly and went to greet Olena. As Rose tried to persuade her to go home and get some rest, reassuring her that she wouldn't leave the Hospital, I leant against the wall and crossed my arms over my chest.
Something was seriously wrong… And like the blond bitch wasn't enough, now I had a redhead one to deal with.
No fucking problem.
Alicia's POV.
I couldn't move and I couldn't look away. For several ticks of the clock I was frozen and my limbs weren't obeying me. Dematerializing during the day and in the middle of a hospital corridor wasn't an option either, so the moment I regained control of my feet I ran off.
Oh the power… the darkness… It caused my heart to quit beating and my stomach to twist. It was nothing like the usual darkness inside a hospital, or the one Rose carried. Plus, I was used to that last one. But no. It was an even more familiar feeling.
It was the darkness of my dreams… The silent presence in my head through my every move. The rush I felt every time I was reminded of the symbol on my wrist.
Hell's fires…
I hadn't been in the same room with people of my kind lots of times through the years, and surely I hadn't faced one that strong. When my father was lost I was still very young, and only distantly do I remember the power he beheld. My mother had always taken comfort to that… Despite the fact she had been a royal Moroi, she had ditched her guardians to be with him, knowing full well he was able to protect her.
Moreover, had the guardians stayed with them, my father's identity was in danger of reaching the queen's ears and then all hell would break lose. From the medieval years, we were considered an abnormality with our psychic powers and hundreds if not millions had been burned or executed. The very few that had survived, had bound themselves in a life of hiding and fear of getting caught.
And the royal court was close to having what they wanted: our extinction. With no more pure matings, the children that were born would be either one species or the other. So not many were born and survived. Father had taken a vow of protecting his family with all costs, only there was one thing he couldn't have seen through.
He wasn't a healer.
After mother gave birth to Arizona, she was bad. She passed lots of time sleeping, and she hardly ever left the bed. Eventually, she had gotten over it, but then… She got pregnant again.
Father had been miserable, blaming himself over and over. He didn't play with Arizona like he used to; only cared for her as he had to when mother couldn't. He had been focused on caring for mother and secretly training me in the back yard of our wooden cabin in the mountains.
He had known I was like him the moment I was born, and he had waited patiently for my powers to kick in. Meanwhile, he got us occupied with teaching me things in general, about vampire history and magic. I was home-schooled, anyway.
The first and only time they had tried to send me to school, I got pissed off and items started flying everywhere, windows breaking, people running around screaming. He had swiped the memories off their minds, but swore to never send me again. At least until I learned to control my anger.
Thing that never happened.
My brother was born dead, and mother died in the birth bed. Father had never been worse. He didn't sleep, didn't eat, didn't talk to us. I was busy burying my feelings deep enough so I could stand strong for my mother's ritual as well as taking care of my six-year-old sister and father at the very age of fifteen.
Only one day…
"Quick! Alicia, hide!" came the frantic voice of my father. It was the first time he had talked to me in a long while, and I was startled. "Where's your sister?"
"I-In the yard. What's going on?"
"Listen to me. You have to hide. Whatever you hear, whatever you see, don't reveal yourself. Okay? Do you hear me?"
I could do nothing more than nod, not trusting myself to speak. I knew what was happening, even though I didn't want to believe it.
"I have to get Arizona" I said in a rush. He ran to the window and looked outside of the wooden cabin.
"Go out the back and run. Run as fast as you can, honey, and don't look back" I gave him a quick hug and he shouted "Go!"
I rushed out the back, grabbed Arizona's arm and did as he said.
I ran. And I envied that the snow had melted over the past few days. Arizona didn't ask anything, didn't get out a word as she struggled to follow me. In reality, I think her feet weren't very much touching the ground due to the hold I had on her. Through the woods and branches, I ran for my life, swearing to myself to never let anything to fall upon my sister or anyone else I loved.
And how wrong was I…
Shaking my head to return to reality, I got in my car and turned on the music, the hard rock blasting to my ears in an attempt to take me away from my thoughts. For one thing I was sure, though.
I had been given a second chance, and wasn't going to fail.
My phone went off and I looked at the screen. Olive, it read.
I wasn't going to let down the people who had loved me and took my mood swings without complaint, without expecting me to return anything. I wasn't going to fail them as I did my own blooded family.
I snapped out of my trance and answered "Hello?"
