I couldn't believe what I was hearing. She stood in front of them, her hands shaking slightly. I tried to pull away from the circle, but their hands where glued in mine. "Jess, what are you doing?" I asked. Even if she changed her mind now, she couldn't get back in here without being turned into dust, and I would never trust her again.

"I want their life; it's so much easier from ours." Her voice was quivering slightly. She didn't want this, she was holding something back. The Strigoi licked their lips.

"You can't do this. What about Rhys, what will he do when he finds-."

"He's already dead Rose!" She screamed at me, cutting me off. Her face was red, anger and fear flowed through her eyes.

"You don't know that." That was the truth. Dimitri might be dead, that doesn't mean I will turn Strigoi. I will fight on in his memory. I felt myself slipping away and banished the thought to muddle over later.

She opened her mouth, like she was going to say something. But her mouth formed no words. A Strigoi run his hand over her shoulder. He moved her top away from her neck, making the artery on full view. "He never stood a chance. I never did. We never did." I saw a tear escape and she bent her head over to the right, making it easier for the Strigoi to bite down.

"Jessica, you can turn back. Run before it's too late!" I shouted to her, but the venom hit her as soon as he bit down. She gasped at the pain, but then I saw her eyes change as their venom flowed into her. A low moan escaped her lips as her eyes closed.

She fell to the floor after five minutes, her body limp, her eyes open but dead. They killed her. One of the Strigoi smiled and licked the new blood off his lips. I looked away. As soon as the first Strigoi had bit in, the other joined on her wrist, sucking her life away like it had no value to begin with. I stared at the two people I was protecting. Both of their eyes flickered in their dream land, far away from this awful place.

I looked up at the stars. The clouds had cleared and the sky was starry. I wondered what was really out there after death. Was Jess in a better place? A noise startled me so I looked back at the Strigoi, worried they had found a way in here. But they hadn't, they were standing around, saying things to me that I wasn't listening too. I saw Jess, her body moved in jagged movement and then suddenly she was on her feet, staring at her hands. She laughed a menacing laugh, as though she had the world in her hands.

She looked at me with her red eyes. "You look delicious."

"You look dead." I said back, meaning it as an insult but it wasn't really that good of a comeback. She nodded in agreement.

"But I've never felt more alive." She said and bent down, digging some dirt up in her hands. She continued. "You should join us."

I looked away. I wasn't going to answer her ridiculous statement. I would never become one of the dead.

Christian's eyes opened not long after. Jess circled us, talking to me, saying that I had nothing left to live for as they had killed Dimitri. But I was smart enough to know that Strigoi lie to get what they want.

Food.

"Why is Jess out there?" He asked, his eyes puzzled, squinting at her red eyes.

"She betrayed us." I said and eyed her stake by Christian. "If this shield fails, you pick that up and give it to Lissa. You have powers, you can burn them. She has nothing to fight with." I whispered so that the Strigoi couldn't hear. I don't know if they did or didn't, they didn't give anything away.

He stared at the stake for a while before agreeing with me. I sighed; at least if anything happen to me, Lissa would be slightly safer with that in her hands. Only if she didn't cut herself with it, then it could be fatal to her.

Both of us stared hard at Lissa. What would happen when she woke up from her dream land? Would the shield falter, would everything be fine? Or wouldn't she wake until she was awoken. Our questions were answered when the shields light began to travel down in a dome shape, the light fizzling away. "What's happening?" Christian almost shouted.

I stared at her, and saw what I expected. "She is waking up." Her eyes fluttered open. She smiled lightly; she was beautiful; she had forgotten were she was. Then recognition came and she shook her head with defeat.

"I'm sorry." She said and loosed me hand. "I couldn't stay any longer."

The last safety of the field disappeared and Jess grinned at us, red eyes peering at us like she hadn't eaten in months and we were free food for the taking. I took a step forward and hide them both behind me, Lissa grasped tightly onto the stake in her hands, the weight of it unusual to her. Jess reached forward and through where the shield used to be. Her grin widened.

"Food has arrived boys." She said to the men behind her. They began to walk forward in a way that they seemed to hover over the floor.

"What do we do now Rose?" Lissa asked me. I frowned.

"You run." I said and pushed her back away from me. I stared at Christian. "You watch her or I will haunt you if I die, you got that." Then I felt them closer to me. I turned and one was in my face. I could just make out Christians and Lissa's running behind me. Her screaming my names almost disappeared. The Strigoi smiled at me. One gripped me on the shoulder, I pulled on his arm and right into my body, making us both go down. I span us around and stuck the stake through the rib cage. I could see the tangle of pain as the darkness faded out of him.

One of them pulled me up and threw me across the field. I tried to land safely, but it was impossible. I skidded across the dirt, hearing a cry escape my lips without permission. I looked up and saw figures moving towards me which turned into one. I ran at him, my foot in pain, but I ignored it. He threw a couple of hits but I missed them all. He was tall, I could use my shortness to my advantage and I dropped low and kicked his feet from under him. He landed on the floor with a thud; I jumped on top of him and was about the pierce him when someone grabbed my hair and ripped me back. It was Jessica. She pinned me against the tree and licked my cheek.

"I was taught by the best." She said and kneed me in the stomach. I crumbled over in pain and almost thought about staking myself before they had a chance to turn me. I looked up and was greeted by a fist, I moved so I would have the full it, it caught me in the side on my face, confusing me slightly, but I wouldn't have a broken nose. I was on my feet and the both of them were closing in on me. "You should join us Rose. You would love Strigoi life." Her voice had changed. She was a different person now.

I was going to die. I was pretty sure about it. I don't know why, I had fought much more than this, but I didn't have the strength to carry on. I ran at her.

A burst of flame stopped me in my tracks. I shielded my face and backed up. I could make out Christian behind the male Strigoi making him burn up. The Strigoi ran around trying to put out the fire that was never ending. Jess saw Christian and ran at him. I ran after her but was too late. She glowered at him, but he didn't stop the flames. "You abomination!" She shouted and whacked him across the face. He went flying over the field and crashed into the tree. Jess grinned at her strength all the while the Male Strigoi kept on burning. The events had given me time to enclose Jess, she didn't suspect a thing. I ran the stake through her back and into her heart. She gasped at the pain and fell back into me.

"You're the abomination Jess." I said and pulled the stake out. I moved and she fell to the floor. Her eyes faded of the life that was once inside her, no goodness in them anymore. She chose her fate that was why I couldn't feel guilty about ending her short life.

I ran over to Lissa and Christian. Lissa had her hand on him, healing him. Her hands were on his shoulder so he must have dislocated it or broken it. I bent down and run my hand over her back. She was unresponsive, lost in her healing powers.

"Rose?" I heard voices call not far away.

"Here." I shouted back. I was sat down by the tree, Christian still unconscious and Lissa's hand in his, holding him tightly. It wasn't long until I could hear shuffling. "I'm here." I half shouted half said because they were close.

"I can't see you." I stood up and saw Dimitri break through the field in a run. He almost pushed me over how quickly he ran into me. I hugged him back as he turned me around so that he could check on Christian. He dropped me down and lowered down to Lissa. "Is he ok?" He asked her.

She nodded. "He'll live."

"Where is Jess?" He asked. I could make out Rhys walking through the forest, limping as he did.

I led him to her body and showed him her eyes. "She turned at the last minute. I had to kill her." I said. He agreed with me, even though sadness was visible in his eyes he agreed with what I had done.

I either killed her or she would kill us all.

Rhys stopped when he saw her body. His legs began to shake as he walked closer. "What happened?" He asked, dropping to the floor.

"She turned. She didn't want to be alive anymore." I left out the part because she thought he was dead. He would be able to live with himself.

I gripped Dimitri's hand, him facing Lissa and Christian and me facing Rhys. He picked her up in his arms, hugging her torso to him. "Why." He pleaded into her hair. Then I saw his shoulders shake as he began to cry.

- I'm sorry if i don't update as much as usuall from now on, College starts monday and i will be one busy bee! I will Update as soon as possible :) WHat do you think of the whole situation? Leave a review of what you think should happen when they go back and face Court. Also, if any of you are a Hunger Games fan, i have a story about Katniss and Peeta. Check it out. Katniss and Peeta, life after. Its on my profile :D Shunice x