I know I've been quite a devil leaving a cliffy in the last chapter but I'm gonna make it to you guys by updating now! I've been reading tons of Chinese History original text that makes my head spins like a top. The ancient Chinese language is a bitch but I had to read them! So I decided to have a break and continue the story!

Thanks disha, Rushii, Jasmine-Dec31, stephmoser, talkygirl, derekandchloe4ever for reviewing!

~ Rei

Disclaimer: All VA characters belong to Richelle Mead.

Chapter 20: Prison Break

RPOV

I woke up. I was lying on a damp and hard floor and my head hurts. I felt behind my head and I remembered the fight between me and Dimitri. Dimitri. He was a Strigoi. Tasha must have found him. I still can't believe that I can lose someone so soon, and now, I've lost him twice. He was my first love and after the chat with him that night, I had forgiven him. It wasn't his fault; it was Tasha's.

I crawled towards the corner of the cell and sat against the wall. I must try to get out here. Lissa and Adrian will be so worried. Then memory of Adrian being held captive flashes in my head. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I recalled the scene where the Strigoi took turn to feed on him. "Noo…" I whispered to myself. I wished he's still alive…

Suddenly, the cell door swung open and in walked Tasha. I sprang up from my position in a flash, I can't let her seen my weakness, I must not back down. Those are my only thoughts then.

"Look who's here. Rose Hathaway" Tasha spat and taunted.

"It's not like I got here on my own accord" I rebutted.

"Yeah. Looks like Dimitri had done a great job in bringing you here."

"Why did you ask Dimitri? Why! You could have done it yourself!" I yelled at her.

"Nay" she said while checking her nails. "I don't think I want to break a nail doing that. Turning him and getting him to do the job is much easier" she continued with a yawn. "And now, I can kill you with a snap of a finger, but, I wish to do that in front of an audience. What do you think?"

Then Dimitri stepped in and whispered something in her ears. She smiled. "Well, well. Looks like our audience is not ready yet. Fine with me. Like I'd said, your life is mine now. You can't hide and you can't run." Then she turned around, hooked her arm around Dimitri's and walked out of the cell. The cell down slammed shut and I heaved a sigh of relieve. I slacked back down against the wall and drew my knees to my body. I was alone in the cell and I knew that Adrian could be near me or even the cell next to me but how do I get out of the cell? I tucked my head into the space between my chest and my knee and I saw Mason's back. He was running into the woods, towards the direction of the cabin. I was in Lissa's head. They reached the cabin and they knew in that instance that I was missing. I felt Lissa's worries and anxiety through the bond and somehow I felt relieved for a moment that at least someone knew I was gone and might come and rescue me. Christian's and Mason's faces mimicked the same expressions. I pulled out of Lissa's head and I noticed someone looking through my cell window but he was gone in a flash.

I stood up with caution and crept beside the door. From the deep voice I knew it was Dimitri. He was negotiating with the Strigoi who was standing guard by the dungeon to let him see me in private. The Strigoi guard relented after a while and exited the dungeon with slam of the door. I pressed my back against the wall beside the door tight and I was pinning on the hope that I can catch him by surprise and knock him out.

My cell door creaked open and Dimitri walked in. I focused all my strength on my arms and knocked him hard on the back of his neck. I heard a soft crack of his bone and he dropped unconscious on the floor. I kicked him on the side to make sure that he wasn't faking it. Then I pulled him further into the cell and patted around his body for anything that I can use as a weapon. I found nothing but a set of keys. I took the key and shut him in the cell quietly. I didn't want to alert the other Strigoi. I assessed the dungeon with a quick glance and I almost laughed. Who the hell still uses wooden torches in this era? I pushed the joke aside and start searching frantically in the dungeon for Adrian's cell. And I found it at the other end. I fumbled with the bunch of keys I found on Dimitri and pushed the matching key into the lock and then I was shoved against the wall by a powerful arm, knocking a torch off the holder and it went out as it touches the floor.

"Damn! I forgot to lock the cell" I thought to myself

"Roza… How could you do this to me? I thought you should be happy that we can be together again" he said while holding me against the wall by my neck.

"You're a Strigoi and I told you, I DO NOT LOVE YOU ANYMORE" I spat in my face.

He tightened his grip on my neck. "I was going to ask you to turn and we could kill Tasha together but what you said hurts" he said, pointing at his heart, if he still has one.

I knew I can't play "tough girl" in front of him so I decided to change tactic.

I softened my glare and looked at him in his eyes. "Dimitri…" I choked out, "You're hurting me…" and I tried to fake a cough.

His expression softened instantly and let go of my neck. I slummed down against the wall and tried to breathe. He knelt down in front of me and holds me by my shoulders.

"Roza, are you alright?"

I pushed myself forward to hug him. I "cried", "Dimitri… I thought I lost you… I'm scared…"

He hugged me back and cooed, "Shh… Don't be afraid, I'm here for you. I love you so much Roza"

"Don't leave me again…" I 'sobbed'.

"I won't, and if you agree to turn, we can be together forever" he said

The thought of it frightened me and my body gave an involuntary shudder.

Dimitri felt it and said, "It's easy and it will be over in an instant. You won't even know it."

"I'm still scared. And Lissa will be so vulnerable when I'm gone."

"I know you care for her very much, so I'm making you a deal. Once you're awaken, you can turn her as well, and the Ozera boy and everyone that you care about. Then we can all be together for eternity."

"I miss you Dimitri" I said, forcing as much love as I can in that sentence and looked into his eyes. The red ring around his iris still gives me the creeps.

"Roza…" Dimitri said. Our faces were only inches apart and I can smell blood in his breath. "Urgh… I can't believe I'm gonna do this." I screamed in my head, thankful that he can't read minds like Edward in Twilight.

I closed the distance between us and kissed him. "God, I'm so gonna regret this" I thought.

I seemed to have taken him off guard as he took a moment to register the kiss and responded. Which was good for what I was about to do next. I slid my hand lower down Dimitri's back and felt around me for the fallen torch and then tried to pin point his heart position from the back and stabbed him hard from the back. I pulled back from the kiss and covered his mouth with my hands, trying in a desperate attempt to muffle his roar. I pulled the wooden torch out and kicked him away from me in his rib cage. It gave out a sickening crack. I ran toward him and sat on him, pinning him down. I raised the torch and plunged it into his heart.

"Good bye Dimitri" I said and a tear escaped my eye. He was and always will be my first love.

"Roza" was his last word as his body slump motionless on the cold dungeon floor.

I picked myself up and unlocked Adrian's cell. I walked in and found them each bonded to a chair. I immediately went to Adrian's side and untied him. He was so weak that he could barely stand. I helped him to the side and let him sit on the floor while I freed Carter and Aurora as well. I ran back to Adrian and held his face in my hands.

"Adrian. I'm so sorry…" I sobbed as I hugged him. It pained me to see the bite marks on his neck.

He hugged me feebly and said, "Don't be sorry lil' dhampir. It's not your fault." His voice was husky and coarse.

"Come on. We've gotta go" Carter said behind us.

I nodded and asked Adrian, "Can you still stand?"

He nodded and tried to get up but dropped back down half way.

I turned to Carter. "He's too weak."

"I'll carry him" Carter volunteered.

"I can walk myself." Adrian said in defiance.

"No Adrian. We don't know how many Strigoi are there in this place and…" I paused and thought for a second. "Bite me." I said as I held his gaze in mine.

"No, I wouldn't drink from you."

"Adrian, please. This is not the time for you act all gentlemen. We need you to fight and I won't leave you behind no matter what." I finished my sentence and placed my wrist in front of his mouth.

"Please, Adrian. Just do it."

He held my gaze a little longer and said "I'm sorry Rose" as he bit into my wrist. I felt pain and then the same ecstasy when Lissa bit me when we were on the run. He let go after a minute or so and kissed my wrist where he had bitten. The bite marks closed up instantly before my eyes and I felt the power of Spirit coursing through my body through the kiss.

I looked at him and turned to Carter and Aurora, "Let's get out of this damned place."

I know this is another short chapter compared to my normal ones but this also took me like 3 hours to write so, show me some love for updating so fast =) I love you guys!