"Ready to see the sun?"

While Hans could be considered a man of good-humor, I would hardly call him a humorous man. He didn't joke or take things lightly. So when he said I was going to see the sun, he meant it literally.

Still, I didn't believe it. The idea seemed ludicrous after being here for what felt like an eternity. "Really?"

"Yep. Really." He opened the handcuffs, letting them jangle against one another a bit. "You'll still need these, though."

"Naturally." I'd probably be shackled again, too. I had begun to resign myself to the fact that any freedom they offered, regardless of whether or not I deserved it, was only an illusion. Sure, they'd let me walk around, but only with chains around my feet to keep me from going too far. At least my cell was honest. It didn't give me any delusion of freedom. Three steps across, bars on the windows, and round the clock guards. I was debating if I'd be better walking free in my cell or walking shackled in the sun when Hans brought me back to the reality of the situation.

"Now, I want you to understand what's going to happen. You've answered all these questions before, but we want the public to see you answer them. We want them to see for themselves. We want them to see you and see that you aren't a threat, okay?" He clicked the cuff closed, tight but not so much that it pressed against the bones of my wrists. "If this goes smoothly, we might be able to get you out of here for good, okay?"

All I could do was blink at him and nod, unable to process much more than the idea that I might actually walk out of this a free man somehow.

"No surprises?" He waited for my guarantee.

"No surprises."

Looking pleased, Hans, Henderson, Phillips, and the two guardians who had come down with him (the ones I had been waiting for earlier) walked me up the stairs and through the doors.

It wasn't until the door slammed behind me that I realized… this was real. This was an actual possibility. I might actually be leaving that horror-filled cell filled with nothing but bad memories and nightmares. Perhaps it was too much to hope that they would stay locked away in there, unable to haunt me for the rest of my life.

It wasn't hard to see where we were heading. A crowd had already gathered near the church a short distance away. For a moment I had the feeling of an animal being brought out to put on a show for their entertainment. The memories of Yeva telling stories about the old dancing bears she once saw as a child immediately came to mind. As she used to tell it, the bears weren't revered because of their majesty or talent, but because they had been degraded, abused, and so-called "tamed" until their embarrassment gave others pleasure as they performed to the handler's music.

Or perhaps I was a man being brought out for execution. Executions used to be high entertainment for the masses at one point, too. Gladiators in the Colosseum, criminals at the gallows – entertainment and execution always had a fine line between them. Even now, modern movies often paraded death, especially the death of a villain, for our amusement.

With Vasilisa there, I worried less. I could see her in the middle of the crowd, standing out like a candle in the darkness. She would be my advocate, it seemed, and that fact alone boosted my confidence.

There was also a table with three chairs, two of which were filled. One of the men seated there I had never seen before. He was Moroi and appeared to be bored with the whole idea of this event. Perhaps he couldn't care less, or perhaps he had already made up his mind about me and nothing I could say would sway his opinion.

The second was familiar. Reece Tarus. I was surprised that he had been assigned to assess me. He shuffled the paperwork before setting it up on the clipboard, then proceeded to click his pen over and over, all the while pretending to read his notes while actually watching me, until Hans sat down on the other side of him, causing Reece to jump slightly as Hans settled in.

Seeing Hans take the third seat meant my chances of passing this test were significantly higher. He had made his opinion fairly clear over the past few days and as long as I could give the first Moroi a reason to believe me, I felt I could maybe, just maybe, be free of my cell.

The session of sorts started fairly quickly, with many of the same questions that I had heard over and over being asked again. Fangs? No. Cravings for blood? No. And of course, my eyes. Always my eyes.

"Do you find the sun blinding?" asked Reece. I tried not to let his questions or his tone affect me.

"No."

"What if you stare into the sun?"

These questions were getting more and more absurd by the moment. I didn't know if he was just trying to delay things or find any possible reason to keep me locked in that cell forever. "Anyone would go blind staring into the sun long enough," I replied, hoping that my exasperation somehow managed to stay out of my tone. "I'd go through what anyone else here would."

Hans sent me a warning glare, but it was nothing compared to the look Reece gave me. He didn't seem to like my answer, but there was no way to contradict me. He pursed his lips and looked over the papers again.

"Does it scald your skin?"

I was currently standing...in the sun...in front of everyone. "Not at the moment."

It looked like Hans was starting to agree and empathize with my annoyance as he rubbed his brow. I could just barely make out the way he rolled his eyes.

I felt Vasilisa shift slightly beside me. I was about to apologize to her for being brash about the whole situation when I saw her eyes dart furtively into the crowd and then back again after a moment. I didn't think she intended me to see the gesture, but it seemed she couldn't help herself. Whatever, whoever was there was making her nervous. I followed her gaze and saw Rose standing off to the side, quietly watching me like everyone else.

The princess had every right to be nervous by her presence. We both did. Rose had been so unpredictable lately and seeing her, especially now, set me on edge. It didn't help that she was staring me down with her arms crossed and a smirk on her lips. I couldn't tell if she was there to support me despite the stupidity of the questions being offered, or if she was simply waiting patiently for her own moment to publicly destroy me. I had done everything I could to push her away from me and away from everything I had done to her… but maybe I had pushed her too far.

"Have you noticed whether your eyes occasionally turn red?"

"I . . ." I almost didn't hear the question with how focused I was on Rose. Some part of me knew that I'd have a hard time avoiding her completely – something she had stated herself last night – but it would be so much more difficult if she distracted me every time she was nearby. Shaking myself out of her spell, I turned to face the panel again. "I haven't been around many mirrors. But I think my guards would have noticed, and none of them have said anything."

I heard someone laugh and try to quickly disguise it as a cough. I knew Rose's familiar laugh, and this certainly wasn't it, but the fact that it came from her general direction made me glance over. Phillips stood just a foot or so away from her, his lips forced into a tight line. Rose smiled over at him until he gained control of himself. The look they shared afterward made something twist inside me. I didn't like them so close, especially after what I had heard earlier. He hadn't been nearly as crude as Henderson, but the fact that he had allowed Henderson to speak about her like that at all made me question his integrity.

Reece cleared his throat to gain everyone's attention again. "Mr. Belikov," the way he emphasized my title was a thinly-masked jab towards me, "would you be able to step inside holy ground? The church perhaps?"

"I can go right now," I assured him, not breaking eye contact. "I'll go to services tomorrow if you want."

Reece made another note, not willing to look at me again once he was done.

"Fine then. Tell us about this," he waved his hands around, "fantastic and mystical transformation you apparently had. You say Princess Dragomir can somehow heal the dead?"

"Yes," Vasilisa spoke before I did. "I don't understand it fully myself – Spirit is still something we are learning about – but it has been recorded for quite some time that Spirit users are able to heal. Rose Hathaway was the first person I healed with Spirit, and after further study, we learned that a connection was formed similar to that between St. Vladimir and his guardian Anna. I've been able to heal minor injuries as well, but it was nothing compared to bringing Rose back from death."

She paused, glancing quickly at Rose before continuing again, "Dimitri's case was obviously different. I didn't just have to bring him back from death; his soul had to be healed as well. Through some study, we learned that a Spirit charmed stake would be needed to do so. I learned how to stake him so that I could perform the healing."

"You learned how to stake a Strigoi? Was Guardian Hathaway the one who taught you how to do this?" I could see the same spark in Reece's eye that I had seen in Dr. Reagan's when he thought he had found a rope to pull and unravel everything.

"No," she said sharply. "Guardian Grant Hayashi taught me before he died protecting me. It was also his stake that I used."

I didn't recognize the name, but I did have a clear picture of the young man who had stepped in front of Vasilisa before being killed on my order. I gave a silent apology to him, and there was a surprising sense of gratitude for his sacrifice and faith in Vasilisa's cause. He had believed that the princess was capable of restoring me, enough so that he had trained her personally.

As she described what happened next (thankfully leaving out my abuse of her while I held her prisoner), I couldn't help but feel a sense of awe as I relived everything again.

"I felt the moment his soul was healed. I have felt darkness and evil before - it's an unfortunate side effect of my element - but it vanished in a single moment once the stake hit his heart. I can't tell you why there was light or anything beyond what I'm typically used to when I perform a healing, but I can tell you that I have never felt a healing stronger. There's a certain sensation with healing, and this felt like pure joy. Almost heavenly."

I felt a moment of that peace, that warmth, and that light she had brought me.

"Perhaps the light was just because so much energy was needed," she concluded.

There was a quiet moment while people listened to her story, and then Hans looked towards me. "Mr. Belikov?"

"What she says is true. I felt that peace and warmth once the stake hit me. There was pain one moment and the next was..." the right word alluded me, "…everything was right again."

"Just like that?"

"Mostly," I admitted. "It's difficult living with the horrors I've committed. However, that doesn't change the fact that Princess Vasilisa has done the impossible."

"If anything, it should help confirm it," she added. "Strigoi don't feel remorse as far as we know. Dimitri has certainly shown regret over the actions he couldn't control."

"As far as I'm concerned, there is very little to be gleaned from this apparent 'miracle'. As the Princess stated before, her healing with Hathaway had some lasting effects. Who's to say that Belikov won't have similar issues?" Of course, Reece would have doubts. I would too in his position.

"Guardian Hathaway's unique abilities have made her a valuable asset several times. If there are any effects that come from Mr. Belikov's restoration – and there are none that we know of, correct Dimitri?"

I nodded, grateful that Hans was advocating for me.

"As I was saying, if there were any, they could prove to be beneficial. If they pose a danger, then we could reevaluate what needs to be done."

"Fine," Reece said, dropping his clipboard and pen a bit too forcefully onto the table. "I have no other questions. Guardian Croft?"

Instead of asking me anything, Hans stood, walked around the table, and approached me. I felt Vasilisa tense slightly as he reached for his stake, but when he held it out to me she relaxed. Everyone else seemed instantly on edge though. A few other guardians let their hands hover over their own stakes, just in case.

"Touch the stake, Dimitri."

I didn't hesitate to place my hand over the blunt end of the handle. The cool silver felt odd, but only in that it was both familiar and somehow foreign underneath my palm. A moment or two later, I pulled back and offered my forearm to him.

"Cut me with it."

We had promised one another no surprises and this obviously seemed to cross the line for him. He frowned and hesitated. "Cutting you with this will hurt no matter what you are."

"It would be unbearable if I were a Strigoi," I pointed out. I wasn't backing down from this.

Hans still didn't look convinced, though. Even though I'm sure he knew he couldn't walk away from wounding me, not after I had suggested it, he still didn't look willing to go through with it.

"Do it," I urged. "Don't go easy on me."

Hans didn't react at first. I thought for a moment that I might need to take the stake and cut myself. Eventually, decision flickered in his eyes and he swiped the stake across my arm. The action was fast enough that I couldn't react and pull away on instinct, which I was grateful for. Any evasion on my part could make me appear guilty.

I gritted my teeth and watched the blood pool against my skin. A streak of it rolled down, dripping into the grass while several people around us gasped. I took it all in, though. The pain of that stake was nothing like when I had felt Rose's before. This hurt, but it wasn't the unbearable pain that she had caused. This was a release, a relief, and feeling the pain made me feel truly alive again.

I saw Vasilisa's hand reach for me, but Hans blocked her, knowing what she was intending. He had seen her healing abilities first hand and didn't question them.

"Wait," said Hans. "A Strigoi would heal from this in minutes."

I shot him a grateful look and he gave a small nod of acknowledgment. I bled for several more minutes before the princess was allowed to mend the cut. Once the actual gash was gone, I used the bottom of my shirt to wipe the last of the blood from my arm and showed the healed flesh to the crowd so they could see her abilities.

Reece hushed the crowd after a moment and then called out over them. "Does anyone have any questions to add to ours?"

I thought that would be the end of it. Nobody spoke for so long that I could see Hans prepare to end this show, but then I heard her voice.

"I do."

Two people (Hans and I) let out a quiet curse. From slightly further away, I clearly heard Reece mumble, "Not again."

She continued without acknowledging our displeasure. "When you used to be Strigoi you were very well connected. You knew about the whereabouts of lots of Strigoi in Russia and the U.S., right?"

I eyed her carefully. She knew more than enough to turn this case one way or the other and I wasn't sure what her intentions were at this point. "Yes."

"Do you still know them?"

By now, it was all or nothing. I had to decide if I trusted Rose. My body tensed at the thought, but there was something deep inside me whispering that she would never betray me. I chose to trust her.

"Yes. So long as none of them have moved."

"Would you share that information with the guardians?" She asked, her grin getting just a little bit more pronounced as she recognized my faith in her. "Would you tell us all the Strigoi hideouts so that we could strike out against them?"

I remembered why I had been so desperate to keep her, to awaken her. It wasn't just my obsession with Rose, it was also the fact that we understood one another. She had been, and apparently still was, my ally. I had fought for her and she fought for me. We had fought together, side by side. I gave a slight nod of understanding, grateful that she was not only offering proof that I was no longer Strigoi, but proof that I could be an advantage against them.

"Yes," my voice came strong and loud. "I can tell you everything I know about Strigoi plans and locations. I'd face them with you or stay behind – whichever you wanted."

Hans looked between us, eager with the news and possibility. "That could be invaluable."

"Now hold on," Reece cut in over the growing chaos. Of course, he would protest using my knowledge. "That has never been a tactic we endorse. Besides, he could always lie –"

A woman screamed. All the guardians (and myself) instantly braced ourselves for action. My hand even flicked to my hip but got caught with the cuffs.

Instead of an attack though, it was a small Moroi boy of about six. He had broken from the crowd and was just about to pass Rose when she grabbed him and tucked him into her body. The frightened woman followed right behind him.

"I have questions," the boy bounced on his toes, looking at Rose for permission while his mother tried to grab him and pull him away.

"Hang on a sec. I won't let anything happen to him," she promised the mother before kneeling down and smiling at the little boy. "What do you want to ask? Go ahead."

"This is ridic –" Reece started to protest but was cut off by the child.

"If you're Strigoi, then why don't you have horns? My friend Jeffrey said Strigoi have horns."

I glanced at Rose and saw her raise a brow. Or try to. She still failed horribly at it but her grin was telling enough. Looking back at the little boy, I told him, "Strigoi don't have horns. And even if they did, it wouldn't matter because I'm not Strigoi."

"Strigoi have red eyes," she spoke in a dramatic hush. "Do his eyes look red?"

The boy leaned forward and squinted. "No. They're brown."

"What else do you know about Strigoi?"

"They have fangs like us," the boy replied, eyes bright as he found another answer for her.

Rose looked at me and asked in an overly sweet voice, "Do you have fangs?"

Even after being asked over a dozen times, it felt so much more innocent coming from the curiosity of a child. I couldn't help but smile, showing him every fang-free tooth just to prove my point.

"Okay, Jonathan," the boy's mother started to tug at his shirt. "You asked. Let's go now."

"Strigoi are super strong," continued Jonathan, planting his feet into the grass. "Nothing can hurt them. Are you super strong? Can you be hurt?"

"Of course I can," I replied. "I'm strong, but all sorts of things can still hurt me." If only pain was limited to the physical.

Rose laughed, "You should go punch him and find out." I'm sure she didn't mean it literally, but she also didn't grow up caring for many children younger than herself. She didn't know that a six-year-old took that as an actual invitation.

She quickly learned her lesson as the boy broke free of his mother and ran past her.

"Oh! Shit!" Rose had never mastered the habit of cursing under her breath. It was loud and clear to anyone around her as she tried to grab the boy and missed. He ran up to me and punched my knee. I fell back, rolling to the side a little to catch myself and clutched my leg in mock pain. It was adorable to see the pride in his eyes as he watched me endure his 'brutal attack.' By his age, most novices were fully aware of how to give and receive a proper punch, but as a Moroi, he was still so innocent. He was allowed to enjoy his childhood without worry.

Many people laughed, even while Phillips swept the boy into his arms to return the boy to his now hysterical mother. He tapped Rose's shoe with his own as he passed her, and they exchanged another grin. My attention was diverted again from whatever was happening between them when I heard the boy shout above the crowd, "He doesn't seem very strong to me. I don't think he's a Strigoi," which started another round of laughter.

It was good to see her smile. I had to admit at least that much. I had seen Rose angry and heartbroken because of me. I had seen her strong and confident despite me. At my worst, I had seen her broken and reduced to nothing and then had watched her rise again. But seeing her happy – seeing her smile – even if it was because I had fallen over to make a child laugh… well, it was amazing. I watched her laugh but looked away before she could catch me staring. I had no right to watch her joy when I had caused her all that pain. That's when I saw the third man on the panel, the Moroi that I knew this was all resting on, laugh. He had been swayed.

"I've seen all I need to. I don't think he should walk around unguarded, but he's no Strigoi. Give him a real place to stay and just keep guards on him until further decisions are made."

Reece shot up. "But –"

He waved Reece off. "Don't waste any more time. It's hot, and I want to go to bed. I'm not saying I understand what happened, but this is the least of our problems right now, not with half the Council wanting to rip the other half's heads off over the age decree. If anything, what we've seen today is a good thing – miraculous, even. It could alter the way we've lived. I'll report back to Her Majesty." One of the other guardians helped me up from the ground as Hans pulled out the key to the cuffs. I held out my hands, eager to get them off once and for all.

"So, we're going to have a few guardians with you at all times, at least for the time being." He eyed me with a sidelong glance.

"Just pretend you're a Royal," Vasilisa laughed.

I laughed too until I saw Phillips walking over.

"You'll probably have a bigger protection detail, though. Good to see you again, Dimitri." He held out his hand as if he hadn't been standing outside my cell just an hour ago, barely acknowledging me.

I hesitantly took it. "Nice to see you too, Daniel."

Over his shoulder I saw Rose walking up to us, suddenly chilling the blood in my veins. Vasilisa touched my arm, taking a step between us before Rose glared at her.

"The hell I will," she growled before turning her anger on me. "I just furthered your case."

"We were doing fine without you." I watched as the others tried to catch up to the unusual conversation opening, but I was familiar enough with them talking back and forth through the bond to jump in.

"Oh yeah?" she said sardonically, hand on her hip. "You seemed pretty grateful a couple minutes ago when I thought up the idea of you helping us against Strigoi."

She was right, of course. She had made me an asset to the guardians and a non-threat to the Moroi, and I was extremely grateful, but it was just another item on the list of things I had to thank her for. I'd never be able to thank her for all of them and I'd never be able to repent of all my crimes against her. It hurt to even think about. I looked towards the princess for aid.

"I don't want to see her."

"You have to!" She shouted, making several people turn and Phillips move forward to step in if needed. "You can't ignore me."

"Make her go away," I could feel the buzzing again. I didn't want to break down here. Not in front of her. Not in the open where I'd be a spectacle for anyone passing by. I tried to ground myself, but I felt myself slipping further with every moment.

"I'm not –" And then she was quiet. I knew what was happening; Vasilisa was speaking to her within the privacy of her mind. Whatever she was telling her seemed to infuriate her more, but she didn't make a move towards me again, so I took a breath and felt some of the pressure in my mind dissipate.

Her eyes flicked between us, her jaw tensing and fists clenching until she finally settled on my face. I watched the little signs of hurt and anger in her expression as they shifted back and forth. They were so small I doubted anyone else, save for maybe the princess, would have been able to tell. I could, though. I could almost guess every word that Vasilisa was saying just based on those little emotions and how her lips would occasionally start to form some reply. Eventually, she just stilled and looked crestfallen. Powerless. I lowered my gaze but could see when she wiped at her eyes before she turned, hair flipping over her shoulder, and walked away.

Authors Note

Another big scene that we've all been waiting for. I hope that it lived up to what you envisioned.

I want to say thank you to everyone who has been joining me on the Facebook Page. It's been a pleasure to chat with you and share a little of my life. If you want to join the group over there, check out the link on my bio. This week I'm going to be sharing a few secrets and stories about writing these books. I'd love to have you join the conversation.

Many people asked for the weekly questions to come back! So here's the first one (halfway through the book lol): What was the first book that made you cry? For me, it was Where the Red Fern Grows. Or Bridge to Terabithia. I can't remember. I read both when I was about 8 and the fact that not everything has a "happily ever after" killed me. But, looking back, I realized that sometimes that's the best choice because that's reality. If you've read a few of my one-shots, you'll see I've done this to a certain extent.

Can't wait to hear your answers. Remember to share, fav, and follow!