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Chapter 10

The pain was excruciating for a moment then the sweet sensation of the bite took over. I didn't care if Lissa and the others survived. I didn't care about finding Lissa's sister or even worry about my love life. Hell, even Victor's alternate agenda didn't matter to me at this moment. I was high on the bite. Letting it seep into every part of me, even my mind. My body relaxed and the blood began draining from me. I could almost feel it being taken away drop by drop. Dimitri was right about what he told me, this wasn't a painful way to die. As the thought of Dimitri being a Strigoi danced in my head, I started fading into a soothing blackness. No worries, no stress. Other things flickered into my mind. No Lissa or Dimitri. Deep down, I knew I couldn't leave them so I started fighting the darkness and high that was trying to consume me. There was more weight against my body. I could feel someone pressed against me but I couldn't make sense of it, the fog in my mind was too clouded and the darkness was pulling at me more. I finally realized it was the Strigoi I had been fighting. My blood stopped pouring into the mouth of my attacker. She was dead. The glorious sensation she brought with her bite still rippled through my body.

I heard screaming and the weight from my predator was no longer there. I felt arms underneath my limp body lifting me from the floor. I was pushing harder now against the darkness and illusions of pleasure, I had to fight, I had to live for Dimitri. I tried to move my arm but I couldn't. I was too weak from all the blood loss. I tried to open my eyes so they would know I was here and okay. Apparently they weren't cooperating either. How could I tell them I am okay?

Then there was something warm and wet dripping onto my face. I could hear the sound of grief coming from inside the person who was cradling me. I was powerless to comfort anyone at this moment. Suddenly I was looking down over Dimitri's shoulder. He was holding my limp body. Lissa had sucked me in. I was startled at first seeing myself through her eyes. Feeling the shock and terror spilling through her emotions. All the scenarios of what she would do if I was dead. She would undoubtedly bring me back to life, yet again. But she wondered if that was possible for her to bring me back twice. I wondered the same thing.

"Dimitri! Oh my god! Is she…..is she dead?" Lissa was crying as she spit the words out.

"No, she's breathing."

His voice was so close to me but still so far away in this dark place. If I could just open my eyes I thought. They would know I am ok. Lissa relaxed enough for me to get out of her head. Damn our bond! My power was being depleted getting myself out of her head. It was going to be nearly impossible to come out of the pitch black I was in.

"She's lost a lot of blood. I almost didn't make it to her in time." Dimitri said.

His words were torn and it seemed like he was blaming himself for what had happened to me. He shouldn't. He can't! He can't go through this again. I can't lose him all over again. I pushed harder than ever against the blackness. I could feel my toes and fingers finally. The voices around me were becoming clearer and closer. Finally I got my eyes to flutter open but I couldn't hold them open yet. I could see what was dripping against my face. It was Dimitri's tears.

"Roza! Roza! Please look at me Roza! I need to you to open your eyes and look at me!" Dimitri said urgently his words resounding against my heart.

I needed him more than I ever have. The high from the bite was fading and it was becoming clearer to me that I almost died. It terrified me how close I had come to being dead or walking dead.

I forced my eyes open enough so I could see his face.

"Dimitri, I love you." The words came out weak and slurred but I knew he understood me because he pulled me as closely to him as he could and whispered in my ear.

"I love you too Roza."

I was too weak to move so he carried me over to the couch. Mikhail had moved all the bodies to the back yard and Sydney went with him to use her special position to dissolve them. Dimitri only left my side to get me water and food to build my strength back up. Lissa, Christian and Adrian were hovering around me as well. Asking me over and over if I was ok or if I needed anything. I kept telling them I was fine and just needed rest. Then I remembered what we were talking about before we were so rudely interrupted and I almost died.

"We need to finish talking about your sister Lissa. We have to find her." I said with more power in my voice than the last time I spoke.

"No, you need to rest Rose. We can talk about that later." Lissa said with concern.

I ignored her and looked at Adrian and started firing questions at him.

"So you went to school with Lena? What do you know about her?"

He looked at everyone uneasily as if trying to get their approval to answer me or because he didn't want to talk about this in front of everyone. I glanced over to Lissa who was giving him the 'you better not' look.

"Shit Lissa, let him answer. I am not dead and we need to get this figured out before something else disastrous happens."

My body was feeling better but I was getting angry. Where was that coming from? I was trying to collect my thoughts about what had happened over the past half hour or so. I missed something, somewhere.

"Lissa, did you use spirit on me?" I searched her thoughts quickly for the answer before she even opened her mouth. Ofcourse she did. She nodded.

"Well that explains why I am being a mouthy bitch then." I said sarcastically.

I looked back at Adrian with expectant eyes.

"I seen her around campus and as I said earlier we frequented the same parties. We talked a few times but other than that I don't know anything about her."

He was lying, I could see it all over his face. He knew more and I was going to get it out of him.

Just then Sydney and Mikhail came back into the room talking to each other in low whispering voices. No one noticed but me. I couldn't be sure but it almost looked as if Sydney was comfortable talking with Mikhail. They briefly looked at Lissa as if she were the focus of their conversation. I wonder what that was all about?

"Sydney" I sat up so I could see her better. "How far is Kazanka from where we are?"

"It's about two hours."

"Then we are leaving first thing in the morning to find Lena." My tone was matter of fact. No one was going to argue or debate me on this.

I was feeling much better and I wanted to find out what Sydney and Mikhail were whispering about. I stood up and the room was spinning just a little but it was gone in a second. I quickly wen to Sydney grabbing her by the arm telling her we needed to talk in private. We walked into the kitchen so no one would hear us.

"I am not trying to be nosey," I began. "But what were you and Mikhail talking about? I seen you both look at Lissa. If it is something about her then I need to know as her guardian." By the time I stopped talking I realized the last part of what I said had anger twisted into it.

Sydney seemed reluctant to tell me. She stared at me for a moment. It was a moment too long.

"Sydney, I know you think I am an evil night creature or whatever even when I haven't given you reason to think that. But I swear to you, I can become one when it comes to protecting Lissa."

I glared at her. There's that bitch again. Lissa and I are going to have to start working on getting this darkness under control before I bite someone's head off, literally.

"Mikhail was asking me for help. He wants to find Sonya Karp. We keep records on everyone, even Strigoi if we can find any identification on them. I am going to check our records to see if we have anything on her."

She shifted her weight to the other leg and sighed.

"That's why were looking at Lissa. He said she helped Dimitri….come back and he wants to find Sonya to do the same."

"Then we need to talk to Lissa and be sure she is willing to do what she did for Dimitri again." I said sharply. No way they are going behind my back again on something like this! I needed to be there and be involved to protect Lissa should anything go wrong. It would hurt to kill Ms. Karp because she helped me save Lissa from two years of grief. But I would do it in a heartbeat if she was attacking Lissa. Mikhail would understand.

"Mikhail said the same thing but he wants to wait until I can find something out. He said Lissa is under enough stress and he doesn't want to burden her with this now. So please wait to say anything to her."

"I can do that" I said calmly.

We walked back into the living room and Dimitri was reading one of his western novels that he loved so much. How did I survive without him? I guess I really didn't. I have been chasing him since I first realized I loved him. Even when he was a Strigoi, I followed him. My life and world revolved around him. Those few days that he begged me to leave him alone and shoved me away didn't matter. He loves me, he always will as I will always love him. I wanted to sleep in his arms tonight more than anything in the world. I glanced across the room at Adrian. He was watching me. It was time. Time to break Adrian's heart.