Hey,

Sorry I haven't been able to update in ages however my Easter break was unbelievably busy and this last week all I've been able to do is rehearse for my exam (which was yesterday by the way). On top of all of that I had general revising to do for our final and most important tests of the year which I have got in a few weeks. As a pre-warning, after this update I am not sure how long it will be before I can next update as I am going to put my tests first. Once there out the way I'll have a lot more time on my hands :)

Did I mention it's my birthday today?

RPOV

After I had told them what I had seen, everyone was looking at me like I was crazy. They also looked slightly confused. Hell, I hardly believed it myself. The more I told my story, the stupider it seemed. Could I really have somehow transported myself into Lissa's body and then have the ability to see all she saw, thought and heard? I wasn't so sure. Well, anyone with sense wasn't too sure!

"Rose? Are you sure that's what you saw? I you sure you weren't hallucinating or, something like that?" Why does everyone have to judge things before they truly understand them?

"Yes I'm certain that's what happened, no I am not going mad," I answered for the thousandth time, "Now can we please get back to what is important right now… Lissa's life?"

"Well Rose, if you're certain what you saw is true and you actually know where Lissa is then by all means Rose, lead us!" Finally! Why did it take these people so long to realise that that was all I needed to do?

We set off in search of Lissa with me in the front leading everyone. I had the directions to get to her etched into my brain and only hoped that the Strigoi didn't move before I got to her. It was for that reason that we were moving hastily and covering a pleasing distance in a short amount of time. The whole trip so far had been in complete silence. Everyone was too busy contemplating what would happen and what could go wrong with this plan that no one could even be bothered to make feeble conversation. I also thought that everyone was now slightly weary of me. They had known that I was part Strigoi and it hadn't been a problem for a while. However ever since the Strigoi attack and then my 'vision', I don't think everyone trusts me anymore. Alberta won't even talk to me and the novices are seemingly guarding themselves around me and not talking to me as freely as they use to. Adrian was still cheerful and carefree when he was talking to me but considering his alcohol intake, that wasn't much of a surprise. He had lessened it recently so he could try and find Lissa in a dream but he said it wasn't working. It was as if there was a huge wall blocking his entrance.

Then there was Dimitri. He was still his normal self around me and that was a small comfort... however, how long was that going to last. He wasn't sure what to think of me ever since I told him that I had somehow saw things through Lissa. I think that like everyone else, he was worried that I was leading them into a trap. Or, if he wasn't worried of that, he was worried about my sanity. All of these things were just more reasons for us to get to Lissa quicker. Once I had done that, I would be able to prove that I was on their side and that they could trust me.

Slowly, we made our way down a steep hill. The Strigoi's really had hid Lissa in the perfect hiding place. Unfortunately, it made it all that much more difficult for us to get to her. I think that was the point.

"Rose, are we nearly there yet? Or, can't we at least stop? I'm hungry!" Adrian whined from behind me.

"Erh, how old are you?" I joked "Stop acting like a baby, we'll stop when we get to the bottom of the hill!" He grunted unhappily. Eug, spoilt royal brats, how I hate them.

"No, we shouldn't stop!" A voice barged in, "We need to get to Lissa as quickly as possible. We don't have time for lunch breaks!" It was Dimitri and he sounded impatient. No one dared disagree with his command and I wasn't surprised. It sounded so harsh and forceful. I knew well enough to know it was an act and that deep inside he was extremely worried and that not knowing what was happening to Lissa was excruciatingly painful. He saw her as a sister and felt very protective of her. The fact that she had been taken away, to him, made him feel as if he had failed. All the same worries that were going through my head were going through his: We shouldn't have wandered back, we should have been with everyone else instead of having a cosy chat….

DPOV

We had been trekking through the forest for at least a day now. Nightfall was quickly approaching and I knew that eventually I would have to let everybody stop. If not, I was putting everyone in danger. I had already failed to protect Lissa; having everyone else's head on a platter would not do wonders for my conscience!

I felt a presence next to me, I had been so caught up in my own thoughts that I hadn't realised that everyone had stopped. I turned to my side and realised it was Rose. Automatically a smile appeared on my face and her's echoed the gesture.

"Dimitri, we have to stop. It's getting dark and unsafe. I wouldn't like to take a bet on our chances of defeating Strigoi in the dark," I didn't do anything for a while but eventually I gave one brief nod of agreement. "Don't worry; she's stronger than you think. She'll pull through this! They can't hurt her because she could kick their arses using Spirit," I frowned. I knew it was a joke to lighten the mood but I didn't think Lissa had actually ever learnt to use Spirit offensively.

"She never learned to use her powers offensively…" Rose didn't say anything for a few seconds, her face deep in thought then; she smiled a smile that lit up her whole face.

"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure," her tone of voice suggested she knew something that she wasn't telling me. Her tone of voice also suggested that she wouldn't be telling me what it was.

LPOV

I had been held captive for more than a day now. They hadn't treated me badly exactly. I mean they had starved me and refused to undo the very tight rope bounding me, oh and there was the fact that they were constantly asking me to make the change into Strigoi and telling me that if I didn't I would die etc. etc. but apart from that… I mean I hadn't been hurt and that was a start. When I asked them why that was they said it was because they only needed me to attract the attention of the queen. I didn't think Tatiana even knew I had been kidnapped! Then they said that it was also because they did not need a repeat of the big phycic attack I had unleashed on them before. The truth was I didn't know how I had attacked them phycicly. I had just remembered getting really angry and then this burst of energy releasing from me and sending a Strigoi flying. However, as quickly as it had come it had left and I didn't know what to think of it.

I knew that Dimitri and Rose would be looking for me; I just had no idea how they were going to find me. The Strigoi had done a fantastic job of hiding me after all. I had tried with all my might to dream walk into Roses mind. If Adrian had managed it than obviously I could too however at the moment I had had no luck.

I hoped and hoped that they would arrive soon, and they did.

I heard the sound of feet running at a fast speed and then I heard shouting (the sound of the Strigoi), then I heard more shouting and this time I welcomed it. It was Rose.

RPOV

We had finally arrived at the Strigoi's hideout and even from our far away distance I could tell that there were definitely Strigoi talking. 'I had a serious urge to say I told you so' but I decided I would have to save that for when we actually saved Lissa. "Okay, everybody stick to the plan… unless it goes wrong, than just do whatever it takes to save Lissa. Alberta, take Eddie and the Moroi around the perimeter and surround the place. Christian, burn any Strigoi that gets near you or Adrian. Eddie, I'm sure you know what to do. Dimitri, find Lissa and get her to safety. I'll reveal myself to everyone; they won't dare disobey their queen. Remember everyone; our sole purpose is to get Lissa to safety... and keep yourselves alive. Take down as many Strigoi as you can but don't let that distract you from the plan. We'll meet back here as soon as we get Lissa," there was a nod from everyone and I knew then that everyone here was prepared to lay down their lives to save Lissa. Huh, there was never that much loyalty in the Strigoi world. Maybe I really should change sides…

"GO!" That one word pulled me out of my deliberations. Immediately I jumped into action. I breathed in and let myself become all Strigoi, well in appearance at least.

LPOV

From outside I could hear constant shouting and further in the distance, what sounded like fighting. I hoped no one was hurt.

"SILENCE!" The word glided through the sky, shaking me to my bones. It was so filled with power and fear. What shocked me most was that it was tinged with worry- for me. It was Rose's voice; there was no doubt about that.

"Your majesty," I heard someone whimper. Wait. When they said they wanted to attract the attention of the queen, they had meant their queen- Rose… "Tell me. Why did you interrupt my journey, you have totally ruined my plan. There is no way I can gain their trust now!" She spat

"We, we didn't know. When you disappeared without telling anybody and didn't come back for months, everybody was worried. Me and my men were hunting you and when we saw you with them…" That one word was so full of venom I knew exactly who he was talking about, "We just needed to get your attention!" He stuttered. There was a loud cracking sound and then a hideous moan.

"Well you definitely succeeded in getting my attention! However, I expect my people to act in a much more intelligent way, contemplate all possibilities before coming to a conclusion!" Her voice was getting louder, "I have no idea how I am going to manage what I was attempting to manage now. Worst of all, I am going to have to kill all of you. You!" She shouted at who knows, "You insulted me. You suggested that I was aligned with puny Moroi's!" That comment literally ripped my heart out. "It is for this reason," She whispered in a soft but deadly voice. "It is for this reason that I will not honour you with a quick death as I will with everyone else but give you a slow and painful torture of the…"

Her voice was cut off as I heard a brief "Lissa" from nearby, "Lissa!" it was louder now and the voice sounded familiar.

"Dimitri?" My voice was uncertain

"Lissa?"

"I'm over here," I spoke in a clear confident voice, all my worries fading away.

Within seconds Dimitri's towering form appeared and was by my side a second later.

"Are you okay? They haven't hurt you have they?"

"I'm fine Dimitri," I assured him. He got the rope bounding me off and with myself free I immediately stood up and stretched my legs. "It's good to be free to move again,"

"Come on, we need to get out of here… before the screaming starts.

"Screaming?" I didn't have time to ask him though because he was pulling me along and we were running away at a quick speed. Eventually he gave up on pulling me a long and just lifted me up and ran. We moved a lot quicker this way. "When are we going to stop?"

"Now!" he put me down and I noticed that I was about a hundred metres away from the Strigoi camp. Looking down I saw Rose still full of power and extremely deadly.

"Dimitri? What did you mean by 'screaming'," but he didn't have time to answer because a the most bone shaking, piercing sound I had ever heard filled the air.

Okay, so was that a dramatic engine or what. Don't forget to review because they mean the world to me. Thank you for all the reviews I got for the last chapter, I got loads.

I'll update as soon as I can but bye for now :)

~Kajsa :)