Dimitri and I instantly jumped in front of Olena, Viktoria and Sonya, pushing them to the ground. Simon has been shocked awake by the fire explosion and started crying, making Sophia cry. We pushed them behind of the walls and let them stand up. Screaming of humans was coming from the explosion.

"You have to run." I told them in a pant. "Get in your car and drive away. Go home. We'll come back later." If I survive.

Olena nodded and directed the rest of them towards the car, making sure they didn't go out into bright, open spaces.

I withdrew my stake from underneath my pants leg and started the run towards the screaming and fire, but a hand drew me back.

"You go with them." Dimitri told me.

I shook my head. "No."

"Yes. Roza, please. Don't fight me on this, just this once."

I took a deep breath and held his face. "I have to."

I turned away from him and started walking again, but this time, more harshly, he grabbed my upper arm and spun me towards him. "I will not let you."

"It's not your decision. I love you, Dimitri, but this isn't just going to go away without us."

I turned away from him once again, and this time, I was successful to keep walking towards to the fire. One more, ear piercing scream shot through the building, and Dimitri ran with me.

Six Strigoi were plucking humans from their run towards the only exit in the whole building. They spotted us as instantly as I felt them in my nausea. One threw away the human it had finished off and came at us.

I swiped at the two that had come at me, stabbing one in the stomach before the heart. The other one I could only manage to scrape with my stake, but that fazed him enough with pain to distract him so I could have access with his heart.

It was such a waste. I wished Denis and the rest of them could come up with an idea on how to save these Strigoi. It was already possible! But I knew they wouldn't let Moroi go into battle. Not without every Moroi against them.

Even Denis wouldn't allow that.

I went over to help Dimitri, who had struck down two as well. I stabbed on of his from behind, drawing his attention to me before I could kill him. Dimitri finished of his as well, and everything was silent. Dimitri and I, puffing, looked at each other.

"See, comrade? Piece of ca-"

Pain struck in the middle of my stomach and I stumbled backwards. Blood started to pour out from my wound.

I lifted my shirt to reveal a hole in my stomach. Painfully, I dug and pulled out a hard, metal object.

A bullet.

"Rose!"

I collapsed backwards, in a daze. Dimitri caught me and lowered me to the ground, me still in his arms.

"Rose! Oh no! ROSE!"

I held his face gently. "Remember what I said. Nothing to-"

I turned my head away to cough up blood onto the floor. Dimitri kissed me harshly, tears falling from his perfect eyes. It made me sick to see them there, but I was in too much pain to notice it much.

I was slipping away. For good.

I wouldn't be coming back.

"No. I'll get Lissa…She'll help…"

Had I said that out loud? Whoops.

I smiled weakly. "You can't bring back a person more than once…"

Pain exploded inside of my head, but it hurt too much physically to scream. Over the other end of the bond, I could feel Lissa experiencing the same pain, screaming and clutching her head.

The bond was breaking.

When the pain stopped, I was dead.

Really dead.

***INTERVAL***

Dying was the most amazing, smooth, enjoyable process I could imagine. Sure, it was painful how my soul was ripped from my body, letting every muscle go at once to let it go. I couldn't remember anyone, anything at that point. But afterwards, it was incredible. I saw my soul rise above me before I was blind for a brief moment.

Then I could see everything. Everything was so clear and perfect.

I was free.

I was hovering over my body. The blood had stopped pouring out of my body, but the tears in Dimitri's eyes didn't stop, no matter how hard he tried to wipe them away.

He slid my eyes shut, finally, with his fingertips and kissed my forehead before standing up. From his pocket he produced a lighter and held it in his hand for a second, and then he dropped it back in his pocket. He dragged the dead Strigoi into a pile, hesitating when he thought of throwing the dead, including me, into the pile. He didn't though.

He took the lighter out of his pocket again, held it tightly, then lit it and threw it at the pile.

Strigoi burned well. Only the sun would set them alight, so an actual heated flame did it perfectly.

He then walked towards me and held his phone. He dialled a number, and spoke in English to the person I recognized was Denis.

Denis sounded irritated. "What do you want? I'm kind of busy here!"

"Denis," Dimitri said too calmly.

Denis knew instantly something was wrong by the sound of Dimitri's voice. His voice turned softer, more concerning. "What's going on? Dimitri? Answer me! What's going on?"

"We were attacked." Was all he said. That was all he needed to say.

Denis instantly got the idea. "We heard Lissa's scream…we didn't know…I'm so sorry, Dimitri. Really, I am."

"She knew it was coming." He said evenly. "She doesn't want anything to change."

Good man.

"What do you mean? No, go away! Sorry, what are talking about?"

Dimitri swallowed. "She doesn't want anything to change. She wants us…to go on."

Denis paused on the other end of the line. "Can you? Can you go on?"

Dimitri closed his eyes and leaned against a wall. "I need some time here, Denis. I need to look after Sophia and Simon…I'll come back in two weeks, but you need to pick…her up. She needs to get back to the court. Maybe Lissa…"

"I'm sure she will try, Dimitri." He said. "But she's already dead. Only she knew what really happens after death."

He looked at me, on the ground. "Maybe I know enough."

"Maybe. Or maybe not. Be prepared for the worst, Dimitri. I have a feeling it will be useful."

He nodded, even though he was on the phone. "Thank you, Denis. When will they be here?"

A slight pause. "An hour. We have someone stationed over there at the moment…they were due to come back next week, but a week earlier should be fine."

"Thank you." He said again.

The phone was then disconnected.

Dimitri sat by my side, stroking my face while he waited for the people to come and pick me up. When they arrived, they took me away.

Dimitri shoved his hands in his pockets and walked towards his house, looking at the ground. He walked until he found a taxi that brang him back to his house.

And I was left to wander the world.

Invisible and alone.

I had a big smile on my face when people read my last chapter and reviewed 'NO! DON'T KILL ROSE!' but breathe! It's not like this is the last chapter! It's no where near done yet!

And sorry bout the chapter mix up. I was tired! :(

I just love killing Rose….but now shes DEAD! D.E.A.D DEAD! No coming back for her now….or is there? Will she? Keep reading! And keep R&R! You guys help much more than you will ever imagine!

Lauren