Lissa Pov —

I've never seen Dimitri so happy! I'm so glad for Rose, well, for both of them really. And Christian….Christian. I need to talk to him. And then I'm running, my bare feet slapping hard against the floors. Where would he be? Probably his room, if he's still upset.

I burst through the door, and stop, breathless. He's lying on his bed, but glances up when I come in. He looks searchingly at me.

"Dimitri isn't going to be my guardian anymore," I blurt out. He just looks at me. "Alberta reassigned him — to you!"

He raises his eyebrows. "To me?"

"Yeah. Because, well, because he's in love with Rose, and they can't be in love and both be my guardians and all….And he asked Alberta, and she said yes!"

"But why me?"

"Because he wanted to be close to Rose."

"I don't follow….Oh. I guess you didn't tell him that you dumped me."

"What? No. They're together now, so we don't have to not be together because Rose won't be miserable since she has Dimitri. So, I thought we could, you know…." I trail off at the blank look on his face. "Christian."

"No, Lissa. I can't." He doesn't meet my eyes.

"What?" I whisper.

"We can't get back together. I can't do it. I can't be with you, just to be tossed away when something is more important." He runs his hand through his hair. "I know, it's selfish, I do. But if I snap again? If I hurt someone again. If I hurt you? I couldn't live with myself." Tears pool in my eyes and race down my cheeks.

"Christian, please. I'm — I'm so sorry….You're right, I shouldn't have done that to you, but please don't leave me." I choke over the words, unable to express the pain I'm feeling. Finally, I understand what he must have gone through. "I love you."

He stands. "I'm sorry too, Liss." He swallows. "But we —we're done."

I run again. I can't stand here and look at him. I can't face this. I pass the fountain and keep going. I don't stop until I'm in the trees just outside of the garden. My shoulders heave with sobs, my heart hurts. I didn't know anything could feel like this. This agony. It's different than when my parents died. They loved me still. But Christian? He gave up on me.

A branch snaps behind me, and I spin around. And scream.

Rose Pov —

Dimitri pulls away when I stiffen.

"What's wrong?"

"Strigoi," I gasp. "Lissa!" That's when I hear her scream. We run, faster than I've ever run before. Lissa. My lungs are screaming for air, but I have to get to her. Three Strigoi step out of the woods, fangs bared. Dimitri goes for the one on the left, and the center one jumps on him too. I take out the one on the right, only to have another take its place. I fight harder, growing desperate. I have to get to Lissa. More footsteps come behind me, and I glance over my shoulder, to find Christian and Tasha, fighting with their magic.

"I'm going to find her!" Christian calls.

"Are you mad?" Tasha says, dodging a Strigoi. "You'll get yourself killed!" But he's gone before she finishes. "Christian!"

"He knows — what he's — doing." I grunt, landing two hits on the Strigoi I'm facing. Christian better get to her, because we're surrounded now. It'll be awhile before we can escape them. I try to stay calm, to fight well, but I'm panicking over Liss. She's my best friend, if anything were to happen to her….

Christian Pov —

I dart through the woods, being louder than….a pack of Strigoi, but it doesn't matter, I'll find her. I suck at following trails, but we Moroi have good noses, and I'd know Lissa's perfume anywhere.

They can't have gotten far, not yet. That's when I see it. An opening in the side of a hill, partially hidden by a tree and the heaps of dead leaves that smother the ground. There. Cautiously, I peek inside. It won't do Lissa any good to get myself killed.

It reeks of Strigoi down here, and It's dark, even for Moroi. I edge along the wall, listening.

"To think, we caught the princess, the future queen!" a Strigoi cackles. Her voice gives me the shivers. "I wonder what royal blood tastes like."

"Better than she smells, I hope," another growls. I slide closer, daring to glance around the corner. Five or six. That's a lot of Strigoi, even for someone as skilled as me. Just saying.

"Funny coming from you," Lissa laughs. "You clearly haven't bathed in...probably decade. Really fowl."

"Shut up," one of the ones holding her snarled.

"Ugh, your breath smells too." She's stalling.

"It'll probably smell better after some royal blood," he replies, eyeing her hungrily.

"I've found feeders taste better when not bruises," she says, "you could loosen up a bit." He growls something under his breath and slams her against the wall. She releases a pathetic little whimper.

"Oh, did that hurt?" He punches her in the gut, and my blood burns. I have to wait until they step away from her. I don't want to burn my princess. He turns to the others. "I say we eat her now, the others don't know we took a prisoner, so they won't know."

"Good point," the female says, rubbing her hands together. I take a deep breath, summoning all my anger, all my energy, and then I release it pushing the flames from my hands. The Strigoi's shrieks echo through the cave, but I keep burning until they stop, before sagging against the wall in exhaustion.

"Christian?" Lissa calls weakly. I drag myself upright and stumble into the next room.

"Are you alright?" I drop to my knees next to her.

"No." She leans against me, tears leaking from her beautiful eyes. "Are you? That — that was a lot of magic."

"I'm okay." I wrap my arms around her. "I'm so sorry."

"For what?" she whispers, her breath warm and sweet against my cheek.

"It's all my fault. If I hadn't….and then you wouldn't have run off, and I'm so sorry." I bury my face in her neck, breathing her in. What was I thinking? How can I live without her?

"It's not your fault," she murmurs. She's always trying to make me feel better. She's good at it too. I pull back a little to look at her. Her cheek is bruised, and I frown, brushing my thumb over it.

"I shouldn't have let anything happen to you. I'm supposed to protect you…."

"That's not your job. You know that."

"Yes, it is. That's what you do for the people you love."

"Do you love me?" Her eyes widen a little at the pain that floods my face.

"Do I love you?" I practically growl the words. "How could you not know that I love you?" I cup her chin in my hand. "I'm crazy in love with you. And nothing has ever felt worse or better or more…. Right." Slowly, I bend down to kiss her. Her lips meet mine, and I can taste the salt of her tears on her mouth.

"Does this mean you'll be with me again?"

I look her straight in the eye. "I'll never leave."

"Good." She kisses me again. Still kissing her, I stand up, pulling her into my arms. She winds her hands around my neck.

"Let's get out of here."

She shivers. "Okay."

I carry her back to the house, carefully. I'd imagine Dimitri and Rose have finished off the Strigoi by now, but who knows. We step into the garden just as Rose stakes the last one.

"Rose!" Lissa cries. Rose drops her stake — something no good guardian should ever do — and runs to crush Lissa in a rather awkward hug, considering that I'm still holding her.

She glances between us. "So you two are good now?"

I grin, but Lissa answers for me. "Perfect."

"Good."

I grin again. "Happy Thanksgiving everyone."

AN- Hey loves, thank you all so much for reading! I really liked writing this chapter, so I hope you enjoy reading it!

Pretty please leave a quick comment, it would honestly make my day!

With no further ado, THE END...I know, I'm sad too...

xx

PrincessDOOM