AN-My apologises for the long wait. This one was hard to do. Sad face.

The thought of dying was nothing new to me. In truth, death's cold hands coming for me was something that passed my mind on a weekly basis. It was part of my job, part of who I was. And I was happy to do it, too.

It wasn't until I was shaking that stiff, ice hand that I realised I was scared. I didn't want to die. As I felt myself slipping away, I wanted to see Dimitri's face, or Lissa's, just one last time before I died, but that wasn't what I saw. I saw my own face, stricken with fear and pain.

And then I saw nothing.


"You sure that ankle is okay?"

I rolled my eyes at Dimitri, again, "Honey, please, I can hardly feel it!"

He only frowned and told me I should take the day off. I'd rolled my ankle a hundred times before and had kept running. I might be older now than I was back in those days, where even near death I could kill a Strigoi, but I could still brush off a sore ankle.

Plus, there was no way I was taking tonight off. The King's festival was starting tonight, an annual festival held in honour of the first King of the Moroi. Lissa would of course be making a public appearing, a very public appearance. Surrounded by many people. In the middle of the night. Yeah, you can see my concern with me not being there. The chances of an attack weren't crazy high, but I wouldn't be the one to test them.

"Honestly Rose," my mother huffed, "You are such a stubborn girl."

"Learnt from the best." I teased back.

The three of us- Dimitri, my mother and I-continued to the door of Lissa's home. We were all watching Lissa, with a few other far guards too. She would be the most protected woman in the world for those few moments where she walked among the people.

Tapping lightly on the stained wood, Lissa appeared behind it, already dressed in a beautiful gown of golden hues. She looked radiant as usual, and I couldn't help but feel a little less in my jeans and loose shirt. Dimitri must have sensed my discomfort because he placed a swift kiss to my cheek.

"Я тебя люблю," he murmured quietly in Russian, then in English, "I love you,"

I smiled and slipped my hand into his, giving it a gentle tug. He returned my smile then we paid our full attention back on Lissa and Christian, who were making their way to the car.


I wish I had known that was the last time that I would hear Dimitri say I love you. I wish I had rejoiced and cried and kissed him properly and yelled my undying love for him to the heavens. But I hadn't. I had took his hand, smiled, and then they come first.

I wish I had known that was the last time I would feel his lips on me. I would have cherished the moment and tried to remember just how he made my skin tingle.

I wish I had known that in that short moment, spanning over a few seconds, it would be the last time I'd be able to look into his eyes. The brown eyes, so deep and always full of love for me, that had pulled me and tied me to the Earth more than once. The ones that widened when I smiled. The ones that shed tears over our lost child. The ones that looked fierce in the face of danger. The ones that seemed even browner after being red.

I wish I had known, but I hadn't. When I let his hand go, and when I turned to Lissa, I ended the last moment we'd ever have together as husband and wife, rather than guardian and guardian.


The festival was going nicely. The whole town centre had been decorated in lanterns and streamers, and the whole atmosphere just felt warm and happy. Moroi were dancing in the streets and foods of all different kinds were being sold through kiosks. Lissa was currently talking with Ariana, her once rival for the throne but now close friend. Lissa was holding Amelia's hand as she gazed around, wide eyed at everything around her.

Amelia was going on two years now. She was beautiful in every sense of the word. Blonde hair, blue eyes and pale complexion, she was a dream child.

My eyes found their way to Dimitri, but he was scanning the area like he should have been. I quickly averted my eyes-there was no time for getting distracted by Dimitri. I saw the man everyday for Christ's sake.

I smelt them before I saw them.

Strigoi have a most unique scent. Something I hadn't picked up in my novice days. They smell of death and cold and of wild winter storms that knock you down as you walk. They just reek of aggression and hatred.

I put myself in a more secure stand, closer to Lissa and legs further apart, should I get attacked. I tried to be as subtle as possible as I scanned the faces, looking for red eyes or chalky skin. There was no need to set them off in a public place like this with hundreds of people around, even if the best guardians were watching every inch of this block.

But then Dimitri moved, a sharp turn of his neck and his eyes were locked onto his own prey. A tall, thin blonde man who looked worse for wear. Defiantly a Moroi in his past life. Apparently, my husband didn't have the same problems with being subtle, but simply made a dash for the monster. This set us all into action.

My mother, ever the one to move when needed to, already had her arms around Amelia and was carrying her to safer ground. Eddie had Christian's back, but Christian was more than ready to protect himself. So I went where I knew I was needed most. To Lissa's side.

Of course, our quick actions had alerted the other guardians, who were now ushering everyone out of the town square. The Moroi, realizing there was some kind of threat, went into the frenzy that usually comes with panic. Now we had a real issue.

I grabbed Lissa's arm tightly and looked her over, making sure no harm had come to her yet.

"Rose," she whispered, "how many?"

"I've seen one, but I can smell more." I replied shortly.

Then I saw my first opponent. A man with unruly black hair that wasn't rushing around manic like all the others. He was bigger than Dimitri's attacker, much bigger.

Well, it had never stopped me before.

Making sure Lissa was wedged between Eddie and Christian, I faced the man. He had already raced to my side and was going for a blow to the head-the easiest way to knock me out. I was expecting that, obviously, so I dodged his hit with ease. Swinging around to his back, I pulled out my stake and got him in the neck. A newbie, I think quickly, strong but useless in skill. What kind of organized attack was this?

He cried out in pain and I quickly finished him with a stab to the heart. Before I could get back on my feet, I was knocked back down by a woman. She pulled at my hair and snarled. My hair? Seriously? What a bitch! With a few sly maneuvers, I took her out too.

Without waiting to see who else needed help, I rushed back to Lissa. I felt an aching in my leg but quickly ignored it. She was fine, thankfully, just shaken up. Eddie and Dimitri were trying to move her the hell out of the town centre but there were Strigoi everywhere….at least ten, I speedily counted.

"Run!" I yelled at Dimitri, "Get her out of here!"

"What about you?" Dimitri asked as a few started to come closer to us.

"What about me? Get the Queen out of here!"

He had a small battle with himself, but Eddie didn't have an epic love to contain. He had no trouble in nodding and hoisting Lissa over his shoulder. Sighing, Dimitri and I went with him and tried to avoid her having contact with the fights going on around us.

"Rose!" I heard my mother call.

I turned back and she was fighting a Strigoi, one far too strong for a woman of her age. Without fail, I left Lissa and went to her aid. Together, we took down the Strigoi-a sturdy male-and I struggled to find Lissa again. When I did see her, her guardians had left and she was standing alone. I saw Dimitri and Eddie fighting-they had been jumped by three Strigoi. And one was going straight for Lissa.

No, there was no way some Strigoi was going to take her while I stood a few meters away. I sprinted to her side and just as the Strigoi's teeth were about to sink into Lissa's neck, I threw all my weight at him. It didn't knock him to his feet, but I distracted the creature enough for me to get a hit on his head. But he still held Lissa in his grip, so I tried my best not to let her get hurt.

We scuffled like this for a while, until I felt the Strigoi's weight being taken off me and Lissa. Dimitri finished him off deathly, always having my back.

"Now run!" I cried again, "All of us, we all run!"

It was the only course of action I saw fit. The Strigoi were fast, but for now there were none. I knew this would change soon, but we needed to put as much distance between us and them as possible. The other guardians agreed, because we all took off as a sprint, going slower so the remaining Moroi could keep up.

I felt my leg ache. I pushed my way through the pain. I'd been through worse. I willed my eyes to fully adjust to the now darkness, seeing as all the lanterns had gone out. I just kept running, making sure Lissa was matching me pace for pace. That was, until, I felt a long chord of pain shoot through my entire left leg.

"Ah!"

I feel to the ground instantly. I tried to pull myself up but my ankle couldn't take the weight. I felt tears prick at my eyes. No, no, I would not be stopped by a trick ankle!

But I couldn't get up, and yet the group still rushed ahead of me. I was being left behind. Only two people had stopped.

"Are you crazy?" I yelled, "Keep going, get out of here!"

"Rose," Lissa said, her voice teary, "Never without you."

"No!" I said. I felt tears sliding down my face, "No, please, run! You two more than anyone, please!"

"I can't leave you here," Dimitri seemed torn, between me and between his only real duty, "I can't let them have you Roza,"

I looked at them both, the only people I cared about more than myself. And I willed them away.

"Go," I said again. I must have looked awfully desperate, but I could hear snarls and groans from behind me. More were coming, "If you love me, run."

They looked at each other, then at me as I tried to drag myself along the ground after them. With one last teary smile at me, Lissa turned and ran. Dimitri couldn't move so easily.

"Our first lessons, comrade," I cried, "Run, run if and when you can."

And he did. He allowed himself a moment to crumble, then pulled himself back together and went after Lissa.

I was alone now. I could hear them coming closer. Would they turn me? I hoped not. I tried to find a weapon, something to kill myself with, but all I had was the stake. I couldn't stake myself. I tried to stand again but my leg wouldn't have it.

I felt a cold hand pull my good leg. This was it, my death or my rebirth of the undead. Either way, I've lived a good life.

I've lived happily, is all I can think. I loved and made love and did what I knew I was put on this world to do-protect Vasilisa Dragomir.


I'll never know if they got away. It's not like Heaven was real or anything. It wasn't as if I could watch them from my little star in the sky.

I was dead now.

I was dead.

But in another life, I was Rosemarie Hathaway Belikov.

And when I woke up one night, I felt her fear before I heard her screams…

AN-Hopefully you get in ending, if not ask and I shall explain.