(Hey sorry this one took so long. I've been too busy to write, it's taken me longer. I will try and keep updating quicker again :) Thanks for your reviews, hope you like this chapter, and keep reviewing. xx)

Chapter 25 – Edward Cullen

"So your saying you can't help us?" Rose asked after hours of talking about the same thing over and over again.

"No, I'm sorry. Like you said...you heard it through the grapevine. Unfortunately the tale-tellers were wrong. There is no cure" Eliza said. Something about the slight smile on her lips made me nervy. It was like she was looking at something we all couldn't see...and that amused her.

"But...there has to-there has to be something" Rose said desperately. She looked close to tears. It wasn't the news she was hoping for.

"I'm sorry but there isn't. Now if you don't mind I have a dear old friend visiting, and I'd like you all to be gone when she gets here" She said standing up. She was absolutely brushing us off...but something was wrong. I couldn't put my finger on it.

"I'm sorry for wasting your time...we'll leave now" Sydney said politely, gesturing to her guardians who moved quickly. I followed closely behind, taking hold of Rose's arm, as she stood, bewildered, still hoping for what she deeply wanted. I wished there was something I could do.

"But that can't be it!" Rose said again as we sat down to relax back at the bnb.

"I'm so sorry Rose, but it looks like it is" Sydney said, shockingly with a glimpse of sympathy upon her face.

"But-but...it doesn't make any sense. I was so sure she'd be able to help us. I mean...Oksana said!"

"Oksana?" I asked.

"She's another spirit user I met in Russia when trying to track Dimitri down. She told me that she'd been told stories of someone who brought a strigoi back to life...that's how I heard there was a cure. You remember me telling you about Robert and Victor?"

"Yes" I answered remembering it was Victor's brother Robert who had the so called cure.

"Well that's how I heard about Robert, through Oksana. It was Abe, my father, who found Eliza, another source who could help. But now..." She fell flat of her back onto the bed and sighed.

"I'm stepping out for a moment. I won't be long" I said, excusing myself as Sydney's suspicious eyes watched me leave.

"Where are you going?" Sydney said, following me down the hall way of the bnb, out of Rose's earshot. I could tell by her expression she was not pleased.

"Out. Is that ok with you?" I spat back, imitating her crossing of the arms gesture.

"No actually it's not. I don't trust you. So if your going somewhere I'm going with you!" She demanded.

"Really? Do you have any superhuman powers I don't know about?"

"No!"

"Then I'd love to see you try and keep up with me!" I said grinning wickedly and then speeding away from her before she could open her mouth. The truth was, it wasn't safe for her to come with me...not where I was going. Eliza's house!

I watched from afar, waiting for my chance to sneak up to the house. I listened carefully and could hear the two women chattering away in the lounge area, so I made my move around the back of the house, and slipped through one of the bedroom windows. I tiptoed over to the stair case and listened carefully to the conversation going on downstairs.

"Yes they really did ask, I kid you not" I heard Eliza laugh.

"I can't believe you lied to them!" The other woman said. I could tell by her voice she was ancient.

"You really thing I'd tell anyone whose connected to Abe Mazur information that has been kept secret for hundreds of years?! Come on give me some credit. The guy things he's king of the Moroi...he's a heartbeat away from having more influence on the Moroi world than Tatiana. In fact I think he does have more power and influence! I'm not being blackmailed and bribed to tell the secrets my family swore to protect from people like him. Besides...it's not like those strigoi Rose mentioned have anything to do with us, and were useful in the world anyway. A self-righteous Guardian, who clearly wasn't very good at his job, a weak Moroi girl who was once the queens little pet, and a useless, good for nothing Moroi boy, whose family carry a bad name! Can you blame me?"

"I wouldn't be so harsh. I've met Rose before...her and the guardian and moroi girl you've just trashed. Apart from their lack of sense when it comes to matters of the heart, they aren't that bad. I was very interested in that Rose girl. She has such a dark aura, very strange to that of Dhampirs. I wonder truly if she really is a Dhampir..."

"What on earth do you mean Rhonda? She's clearly not Moroi"

"No I don't think she's Moroi either! I just have my suspicions that's all. She's a strange oddity"

"Well even so, she's still Abe's daughter. And I have no intention of helping anyone related to him" Eliza said. It was the last thing I heard before I left to go back to Rose. I'd heard enough.

"Wait so they lied to us?" Rose asked, sitting up on the bed, suddenly springing to life.

"Yes. That's what she said. She doesn't like Abe, and since your all tied to him in some way that makes her unwilling to give up any information she might have" I said.

"I can't believe you went back there! I mean of all the stupid things...!" Sydney said, still upset and angry with me for leaving her behind.

"So wait...let me get this straight. She definitely does know of a cure, but she won't tell us because...well because I'm Abe's daughter, and Sydney works for him?"

"I'm not sure she a hundred percent knows of a cure but she is definitely keeping something hidden because of Abe"

"But why does she hate him so much? Abe's not a bad person..." Rose said, completely bewildered.

"I think it has something to do with the power he has over people"

"Well he does have a lot of power, but still..." Sydney said, tapping her fingers against the table as she was lost in thought.

"Well we have to go back there! Confront her, make her tell us what she knows!"

"Rose we can't just go storming in there guns blazing. If she won't tell us anything before, why would she tell us after that?" Sydney said.

"I hate to admit it but Sydney's right. We need to go about this carefully. Besides, her friend seemed to be on our side. She knew things about you Rose...she thought Eliza should of told us" I said, remembering the strange things the other women had said about Rose.

"Knew things about me? What things?" Rose asked confused.

"She just spoke about your aura, and other things. I don't know...sounded crazy to me. Anyhow Rhonda seems to know you all and I d-" I said, but Rose interrupted me.

"Wait! Rhonda?"

"Yes...do you know her?" We all turned to look at Rose, as she bowed her head down in realisation. It was these moments that made me crazy that I couldn't read her thoughts.

"Yeah actually I do" She said, eerily calm.

"Well...who is she?" Sydney pushed after a long pause of silence.

"A while back when me and Lissa were at the royal courts, to give evidence in the Victor case, we met Rhonda. We went to the spa there to get a manicure and ended up getting a massage. The guy who massaged me, his name was Ambrose, had us go see his aunt, who was named Rhonda. She read cards for us...tarot cards, gave us our fortune. Her predictions turned out to be...well pretty right on"

"Are you sure it's the same Rhonda?" Sydney asked.

"There's only one way to find out" I said, and then all eyes were on me.

We trailed back to Eliza's house just as the sky began to darken. Sydney stayed behind at Rose's request, along with the two guardians. So we were on our own as we went up to Eliza's door and hammered against it until Eliza answered.

"Yes? Oh- it's you again!" She said, her face irritated and annoyed.

"Yes it's us. May we come in?" I said, struggling not to spit in her face.

"I have a guest here, so no" She went to shut the door, but I wedged my foot in to stop her. "Excuse me!" She said, angrily. "Do you mind moving your foot please? Your not welcome in my home!"

"I think you'll find...given the circumstances, that we are" I said with a rather threatening tone. She raised her eyebrow at me and then unwillingly opened the door for us to go in.

"Your very annoying, did anyone ever tell you that?" She said. I grinned.

"Yes...a lot actually" I answered hovering in the doorway as Rose lingered behind me.

"So...what do you want now?" Eliza asked, folding her arms across her chest, and tapping her foot.

"The truth" I answered bluntly. Eliza laughed, a sort of cackle of a laugh, and glided over to her chair.

"Were all after the truth my dear! Just what kind of truth is it your looking for?"

"We know you lied all right! Before, when you said you didn't have any information, you lied to us!" Rose intervened, with such anger in her tone, I had to hold out my arm to calm her. Eliza chuckled again.

"Oh yes...well forgive me for skimming on the details, but I didn't feel like it was exactly necessary to tell you anything. After all...what good would it do me?"

"It might just save you from me hurting you" I warned, feeling the menace boiling up inside of me.

"Ah so your threatening me now? Just to be clear here, I don't take well to threats! I wouldn't bother, it won't get you anywhere"

"Eliza...is there someone here?" Rhonda asked, stepping into the room. Rose looked over at her a gasped.

"Rhonda!" She exclaimed.

"Rose! It's good to see you again" She smiled.