Christian hung his head and tried to excuse himself but Lissa stopped him in his tracks with a single dose of her puppy dog eyes. I raised my eyebrows, unimpressed. "Shopping? Adrian I know I need to go and that's sweet of you but I don't have any money."
He smirked at me and crossed his arms, "Please Little Dhampir, you have plenty money. I should know, I gave it to you. Plus if you don't go you won't get my surprise."
"Lent me. I have to pay you back. And here's the card, I'm back now." I took out the black card and waved it at him. He watched with an amused smirk.
"And my aunt was worried that you were only after my money."
"Now." I hissed. The card was just a reminder of what a mess I was in. Sure I had barely spent enough to scratch the balance, but still what I had spent I would surely spend most of my life paying back.
"Please Rose. I don't need it."
I hated owing people things. And I hated them treating me like some kind of needy weakling.
"I'm not your charity." I said coldly.
Adrian sighed and said, "You're not like other women, you know that."
I glared at him, still holding the card high.
He sighed again heavily this time, "Okay Little Dhampir how about you use the card today, once more, to stock up on what you need. Then when I'm sure that you have everything you need, I'll take it back. If nothing else you are my official Guardian, I need to make sure your not in any way compromised."
I stopped waving the card and slipped it back into my pocket, defeated. Yet in a way I was relived. I could get some clothes. And toiletries. And, well, stuff. Plus I didn't feel too bad. It's not like my little shopping spree would even show on the account. Barely.

"Oh, haha, Adrian. I don't have to go right?" Christian said, trying (and failing) to sound casual.
"You do." Lissa ordered. Christian's shoulders sagged and he scowled. I heard him mutter 'faffunculo' and 'merde'.
Lissa glared at him, "Christian I thought I asked you to stop cussing when I was around!"
Christian looked up angrily, "I thought it only counted if I swore in English!"
Lissa sniffed, "Well, it doesn't."
"Sorry Lissa." Christian said.
Adrian and I sniggered.
"Well I guess we know who wears the pants in that relationship." Adrian smirked as Christian climbed into one of the cars.
"Watch it psycho!" Christian said from inside the car.
"Christian! Be nice!" Lissa shrieked.
Adrian held the door for me as I climbed in after Christian, still smirking. Inside Eddie and Dom sat in front, Zaia was hiding in the back seat, trying to crouch down as low as possible.
"Right headcount!" Adrian said loudly when everyone had strapped in and my hand was secured in his. "One, two, three, four, five, six… seven?"
"Oh look he can count!" Christian said.
"There can't be seven! I only booked for six!" Adrian said incredulously.
"Or not." Dom said from the passenger seat. Him and Christian laughed. Adrian counted again.
"Oh Zara! I forgot."
"Its okay, Lord Ivashkov, there is no problem. Let me not burden you with my presence." She muttered.
Christian glared at Adrian, "Her names Zaia. Not Zara."
"I'm sorry Guardian Zaia. My apologies."
Zaia looked panicked and glanced around at everyone's sympathetic faces, "It's okay." She squeaked out and shrunk deeper. Christian shook his head slightly.
"So you can't count or remember. Adrian I think the drinks getting to you. Or the cigarettes." Christian sneered.
"Or lack thereof." Adrian mumbled, reaching for a packet of clove cigarettes in his front pocket.
"Not in the car!" I said, "It's such a filthy habit."
"Hey it's either this or insanity, take your pick." He retaliated.
"Not in the car." Dom repeated my words.
Adrian slouched back in his seat, "Is it national pick-on-Adrian-day or something?" he muttered.
"Aw cry me a- ow!" Christian retorted in a monotone, well before I elbowed him in the ribs.
Eddie sighed and glanced heaven-wards (I could see in the rearview mirror) "Can't we all just get along?"
"Eyes on the road!" Lissa shrieked.

Half an hour later everyone had pretty much shut up. Dom and Eddie were discussing something, quietly in the front. Lissa had passed out on Christian's shoulder, mumbling occasionally in her sleep. Christian was staring out the window with his typical expressionless gaze. Adrian had started tracing patterns and shapes onto my hand.

We sat in a comfortable silence, Adrian and I. Which was weird for us. Usually we both couldn't shut up, each too proud to let the other get the last word. The change was welcome, nice even.
I watched as Adrian traced the lines on my palm. He was intent on covering every one with his finger tips. I was content watching him. I looked up at him for a while, the soft conversation fading into a buzz along with the sound of the car. It was pleasant though, it almost drowned out the throbbing of the ghosts.
I looked at the bite mark on his neck, marveling at how it glowed slightly in the dark light of the car. Sensing my gaze on him he looked down into my eyes, I met his gaze confidently, loving how my pulse picked up and my stomach swooped. It felt like he was gazing at my very soul, the one I couldn't hide or change. It was scary, intimidating yet totally liberating at the same time. I looked back, noticing how deep and sincere his eyes were. The old hint of humor was smirking back at me as well.
"Little Dhampir…" he said softly, "what are you thinking?"
My hand reached up almost automatically, finding the scar and tracing it on his neck, "How did you get this scar?"
His hand covered mine and he drew my hand upwards, till his lips brushed it making my skin tickle slightly.
"Oh… that." He smiled darkly.
"Well what is it?" I said, raising my eyebrows expectantly.
"It's a very heroic, brave, tragic and moving story."
I raised my eyebrows higher, "Really?"
He nodded reassuringly, "Oh yes."
"Well what is it?"
"I don't remember much. But when I was 18 years old, and fresh out of boarding school in England I decided that I was going to travel to Lithuania, just to see what was there. I planned to take two Dhampir guardians and my twin sister, Stephania, with me. My guardians' were a bit over enthusiastic, the prospect of going out into a big, bad Strigoi-filled world more exciting than frightening to two young guardians. My family were, of course, completely against it. They've never really approved of anything I want do. They wanted me to go straight to the Royal Court and 'prepare' as they put. And me dragging Stephania into things didn't really help. They were just embarrassed of me, not having an element, being a notoriously insane playboy and, of course, my attitude. I suppose they figured I couldn't get up to much in the Royal Court. " he said bitterly.
"Couldn't embarrasses the family. But I wanted to go, I wanted to go find some kind of adventure. We came to a compromise, I could go to Greece as we had family out there who could assist if things got out of control."
"I left as soon as we had reached the compromise, eager to get away from my family. That same night actually. I hadn't packed, all I had was the card to my newly unlocked trust fund. As far as I was concerned, where money couldn't take me charm and good looks would. Stephania was more, well, sensible. She insisted on having a week to prepare. We planned to meet in Greece, but she never came. My parents had, as she put it, had 'talked some sense into her'." Adrian stared at the car roof, apparently rambling on was a side-effect of not 'medicating' himself often enough.
"I didn't mind, much. I had found a crowd of insane party-goers, they introduced me to clove cigarettes and drinking. I found that it was easier for me to… control myself and my feelings when I wasn't completely sober. I don't remember much after that, having spent most of my time either drunk or hung over. My two guardians weren't much better than I was."
"One night, however, they got it into their heads to go 'hunting', both eager to have at least one Molnija mark before we had to go back to attend some Royal function the next week. So dragging me along as 'bait' we went hunting. Now I wasn't in my right mind at the moment, quite spectacularly smashed if I say so myself, and agreed: eager for my 'adventure' to finally materialize. A few of my new friends decided to tag along, a Strigoi fight was entertaining to say the least. There was one girl, a feisty little moroi who had a thing for me, who was determined to be bait instead of me. I stupidly agreed to it, thinking at least I'd get to watch the entire fight."
"We all went down to the beach front where another guardian had mentioned Strigoi were found, and not caught. My two guardian's were feeling extremely confident and behaved very stupidly, walking around with the girl saying how they had the one of the last surviving Dragomir heirs with them. Lying, of course. The plan, however, worked and soon two young Strigoi attacked. We stood watching as they seized the girl and one began feeding. Both of the guardians panicked when they saw the Strigoi and one of them froze, he was killed. The other seemed to sober up and managed to stake the other Strigoi. The last one was still feeding and the poor girl was nearly finished." He stared down the roof. Christian, I noticed, now watched Adrian with about as much interest as Christian is capable of showing.
"I didn't think about it. I launched myself at the Strigoi and distracted him long enough for the others to get the girl. He turned on me, however, and in his blood-frenzy immediately bit me. The pain, as you know Little Dhampir, is excruciating. I started begging him to let me go. I managed to look him in the eye. And he stopped. That's when I realized that I was different to other Morois. I could always get people to do what I wanted, and I could always see their auras. But I never knew about compulsion or realized how strong I was, until I used it on that Strigoi." He carried on. I got the feeling that Adrian was talking more to himself than to me.
"The guardian saw his opportunity and staked the other Strigoi."
"I was weak, but alive. The girl was not so lucky. Even though I had got him off her relatively fast, he bit her jugular vein and she died soon after of blood loss. Luckily he was too crazed to really get a good aim on me, I was good as new a week later. But the damage was done, when we got home the guardian was stripped of his guardian title and didn't receive any Molnija marks. He was different from then on, he was wiser. He didn't want to be a guardian anymore. He didn't want to go out and explore the world anymore. Afraid. Fortunately my aunt gave him a job in the court."
"Who was he?" I interrupted.
"His name is Ambrose. He still works in the court." Adrian answered automatically.
Ambrose. The attractive, private blood whore I'd met. I was in was shocked into silence. Adrian's story was long, and decidedly drawn out, but it had passed the time. We were nearly there.
"Adrian brave, heroic, tragic and moving are not words I'd use to describe your story." Christian said, "Stupid is more fitting."
"Hey! It was tragic! And heroic. Plus it was interesting." I argued. Adrian stared down at my hand again, not interested in fighting.
"Only because someone died."
I rolled my eyes. I actually wasn't in the mood for arguing with Christian. I touched the scar on Adrian's cheekbone.
"And this scar?" I whispered to him. Christian saw the 'intimate' exchange and stared out the window again.
"Oh that's a boring story, Little Dhampir." Adrian replied, just as quietly, "I fell out a tree when I was seven."