This chapter starts off slow guys but I promise it gets better!
If I were you I would just skip to the ending haha!
Anyways I hope you enjoy, I loved writing the ending of this chapter!
I love reading your reviews guys so remember to review! : D
-Catherine
"Rose, Rose! Wake up!" I felt a small nudge into my rib cage. "Go away," I moaned. "Rose is sleeping."
"Rose, we're in Russia! And since no one knows anyone here but you I expect that you are going to be the one to introduce us."
"I'll introduce you later," I promised. "Now let me sleep."
"I didn't want to have to do," Lissa sighed. But that was the last I heard of her. I shut my eyes tight in my attempt to get back to sleep. Soon Lissa's voice surrounded me again.
"Open your eyes Rose," Lissa commanded.
"No," I said stubbornly shutting my eyelids even closer together. "I'm tired..."
"Fine Rose but you asked for it." I suddenly began to feel cold water dripping onto my head.
"Liss!" My eyes popped open automatically to see Lissa standing there with a glass of water in her hand. "You wouldn't dare ..."
"Want to push it?" Lissa raised one eyebrow at me.
"No," I groaned. "Fine let's go." Lissa stopped dripping the water onto my head as soon as I was up. Eddie had most of the luggage by himself along with Christian so I went over to try and help although there was not very much luggage there. Lissa had reluctantly kept her five boxes at Court and had only brought her small suitcase filled with her needs. I had brought my own suitcase that was if possible smaller than Lissa's, I had thrown away a lot of my stuff to begin with and I did not feel the need for bringing anything unnecessary.
I picked up mine and Lissa's suitcases and I went to walk over to Lissa.
"Who's picking us up?" Lissa asked curiously.
"A client of Abe's will be picking us up." I told her. I had no idea who was picking us up, what they looked like or anything. Abe had only told me to 'count on him' and that I would know who to go to. What the hell? I had thought at the time but questioning my father was just something you didn't do.
Just then out of the corner of my eye I saw Sydney looking around awkwardly. This probably wasn't her favorite thing to do in the world; after all she referred to all of us -moroi, dhampirs and strigoi alike- as evil, just some more evil than the others. I smiled and shook my head. I waved to Sydney to get her attention and then I gestured for Eddie, Christian and Adrian to follow me.
"Come on Lissa. She's picking us up," I pointed at Sydney and then I dragged Lissa on behind me.
"Hey," I said when we reached her.
"Oh hi," Sydney said awkwardly. She studied Lissa up and down and I knew that she was making accusations.
"Anyways Lissa this is Sydney. Sydney Lissa."
Just then we were joined by Eddie, Christian and Adrian.
"And this is Eddie, Christian and Adrian," I said nodding to each of them.
"Okay," Sydney said. "We should get going if you want to make it to Russia by sun-up; my truck doesn't have tinted windows."
Well that was nice, I thought oddly. It wasn't like Sydney to be well polite to evil demons. I chuckled silently to myself as we made our way to Sydney's car. I didn't know if it was the red hurricane or not but I hoped that Abe had let her keep it. Even if I couldn't understand Sydney's love for the car it was very easy to tell that she adored it.
As soon as we were out in the parking lot of the Russian airport I saw the red hurricane parked by the curb. I grinned, "They let you keep it?"
"Well obviously," Sydney smirked back just a tiny ounce of her sarcastic humor in the remark. I sort of felt that if Sydney didn't hate everything about me that we could have been friends. We all climbed into the truck although it was a tight squeeze with the six of us. Adrian, Sydney and I sat in the front – me sitting on the arm rest while Christian, Eddie and Lissa sat in the back. I felt Lissa's discomfort in being with Sydney; usually everyone warmed to Lissa easily and she was not used to this strange coldness.
Everyone was quiet for the first fifteen or twenty minutes and then Adrian decided to speak.
"So what do you do Sydney?" He grinned and I knew that he was planning on flirting with her the entire grin. I laughed silently to myself; I knew that Sydney would probably end up slapping him. The car jostled for a few minutes while Sydney sat silently not answering.
"I'm an alchemist," she said finally.
"Ahh Rose told me about you." Adrian said fake fascination smothered his voice. "She said that you were nice but I'm pretty sure that she held back a bit. I think you're a little better than nice ... Anyways I think that you're job is cool."
"Excuse me but I don't flirt with evil demons. Sorry." Sydney replied abruptly.
"And even if your existence wasn't against the laws of nature I would never like you." She continued.
Adrian was shocked; I could feel it even if he kept his facial features flawless. He wasn't used to being rejected by anyone but me.
"Well we will have to see about that." Adrian said quietly.
"No actually we will not see. I came here as a favor to Rose and my boss but as soon as you are safely with Olena I am going back to my next mission and as far away from you as possible."
I could feel Lissa's shock in the back seat.
She sure is something isn't she? I asked Lissa silently.
It's amazing. Lissa agreed. She's just like you.
Really, you think so? I shrugged, besides the occasional sarcastic remark I couldn't find any similarities between Sydney and I. The rest of the drive was silent, I'm pretty sure that no one was comfortable with each other even me. I looked out at the familiar urban land of Siberia. It was so pretty, I sighed remembering when Dimitri and me had talked about his home land. I remembered the shine and excitement in his eyes when he laughed that easy going laugh when I had said that it was like the arctic.
I would find out soon how –and if- I could save him. Only a few more hours Rose, you can do this I thought silently to myself. Once we arrived at Olena's house we were all welcomed warmly. Even though Abe had pulled through and booked rooms for each of us at the nearest hotel Olena insisted that we spend the first night with her. Once we arrived safely Sydney spent no time in hurrying back towards central Russia before she left though I was sure to have a quick word with her.
"Sydney?" I asked her quietly while the rest of the group talked to Dimitri's family.
"Yeah Rose?" She said uneasily.
"I'm really glad you came today," I smiled warmly at her. It was true it was nice to see Sydney even if she hadn't changed much since the last time I saw her.
Sydney sighed. "Truth be told so am I Rose. It was nice to see you again."
She studied me for a moment.
"You haven't changed much," she said quietly.
"You would be surprised," I chuckled remembering how much I had changed since a few months ago. So much had changed.
"There was something else I wanted to tell you," I told her quietly.
"Yeah?" she replied.
"I'm sorry Adrian is such an ass."
Sydney shook her head.
"I don't know what to think; he really is something isn't he?"
"Yep," I agreed popping the 'p'. "But no one will be able to change that; it's just his nature."
Sydney chuckled; a rare sound for her.
"Don't worry about it Rose, he's not that bad."
"Are you kidding me?" I started at her with mock horror. "He's horrible!"
We both laughed at that.
"Yeah he sort of is. Anyways Rose I suppose I should go I have another job to do."
"Okay Sydney it was nice to catch up with you."
She nodded and grabbed her jacket and slipped on her shoes. Sydney opened the door and started to leave but then she turned back around.
"Rose?" She jogged back up to the porch where I was standing.
"Mhm" I murmured.
"I hope you reach whatever you're looking for and ... be safe."
"Oh thanks Sydney," I pulled her in for a tight embrace. "I'll see you soon," I promised while she nodded and drove away.
"Rose? Rose? Earth to Rose," Viktoria had been trying to claim my attention and was waving a hand in front of my face.
"Oh sorry what did you say?"
"I said that I'm so sorry about what I told you before you left." She looked down at her feet in shame.
"Viktoria it's really okay," I said for about the billionth time that night. It was after supper and I was sitting on Dimitri's old bed when she came into the doorway.
She looked doubtful so I added "Really? Why don't you come sit down?"
Viktoria considered this for a moment and then came to sit down by me.
"Rose, why are you here?" She asked me.
"It's a long story," I sighed.
Viktoria raised one eyebrow at me exactly like Dimitri used to do. It must have been a family trait.
"Please tell me Rose!"
"No I can't involve you with this Viktoria. One day when you're a little bit older I will tell you but not now."
Viktoria pouted and pleaded with me but I kept my voice firm.
"Anyways what's going on with school and your friends?" I said to keep the focus off of me.
"Well, after Rolan left, me and Nikolai became becoming even better friends and ..."
"Tell me all about it!" I said enthusiastically; I wasn't even faking the enthusiasm in my voice I really wanted to know. I always hoped that Nikolai and Viktoria would get together he was a good guy and Viktoria deserved someone nice.
Viktoria filled me in on what were becoming of their relationship with Nikolai and her other friends at school. It was a nice break to just sit there and not worry about my own life at the moment. After a while Viktoria started to yawn and I told her to go to bed and that I would be here in the morning. As soon as she left my happiness went with her and I realized that tomorrow all of my hopes would either summit or plummet. Tomorrow I would find out where Victor Dashkov was - possibly. I closed my eyes and let sleep take me smothering my face in Dimitri's pillows.
Dimitri came towards me and kissed me "I love you Roza," he told me.
"I love you too Dimitri, always have and always will." I let a silent tear trail down my lonesome cheek.
"I miss you," I sighed breathing in the familiar smell of his aftershave.
"I miss you to Roza," He smiled down at me while I looked up into his beautiful brown eyes that I missed so much.
"Dimitri, is this a dream?" I asked him curiously.
"I suppose in its own way but as you see I am covered in light?"
I nodded.
"Well that's because you are talking to my soul, the pure me."
"Y-y-your soul?" I stuttered.
"Yes, my soul is captured and locked up. I can't reach anyone- accept for you."
"Why is that Dimitri?"
"I think it's because your shadow- kissed Roza. I actually lied a little bit I can see others this guy named Mark that I knew from my home village actually as well as a few others."
"Mark!" I jumped excitedly.
"You know him?" He raised one eyebrow at me like Viktoria had the night before but his was wonderful.
"Yeah I'm in Baia right now Dimitri, I was here a few months ago to so that I could try and kill you but I couldn't do it."
"I figured that out Rose," he laughed. "Otherwise I would be in heaven."
"But why are you in Baia?"
"Oh well actually it has to do with Mark's wife Oksana."
"Really?" He asked curiously.
"Dimitri do you have any idea what is happening to your strigoi self? ... or the world?" I added on as an afterthought.
"No Roza you are the only person in the outside world I can reach- I can't even see what's going on in the outside world. It is very difficult to reach you and I have been working on it constantly."
"Oh my Dimitri, I guess I have a lot to tell you."
He nodded.
"But now that I have this perfected I'm pretty sure that I will be able to do it regularly. Although it takes a lot out of me, I may not be able to do it again for a while," he told me.
My face saddened, although this was better than nothing right? I mean suddenly I was in contact with Dimitri again. The real Dimitri.
"But Dimitri how on earth did you protect me while you were in strigoi form if you are right here?"
"Well I think that when I feel strongly about you a little tiny part of me comes in to my real body but it is rare."
"I noticed," I said glumly.
"How long is regularly?" I grinned.
"Oh Roza, I don't know but I will come as much as I can okay?"
I nodded.
"I guess that's all that I can ask for."
He then leaned down to kiss me and I wrapped my legs around him passionately. I buried my hands in his long brown silky hair and kissed him like I've never kissed before. The kiss started off sweetly after finding each other again for so long but then it intensified and we were both filled with love. He brought his own hands into my own hair - I knew how much he loved my hair and I sighed happily.
"I love you," I murmured against his lips.
"I love you too Roza," he murmured against my lips and then he started to fade.
"Wh-what's happening?" I asked scared.
"You're waking up." I frowned at his response; I didn't want to wake up.
"Wait Dimitri!" I yelled out to him. "I think that I can bring you back!"
He started to fade out of my sight and suddenly I was back in the real world again but I thought he heard me. I hoped so.
I opened my eyes and realized that I was smiling.