Chapter 23

Rose's POV

Lissa kept glancing at me as Adrian explained to Hana how dream walking worked. She seemed curious and concerned. My job was to watch Hana but we were being rather lenient since there were no guardians around. It was now Thursday and we were going to receive the knives and bullets tomorrow, and the four moroi would bless the knives and bullets Christian would do the fire, Hana, Adrian and Lissa would handle the other three elements. We weren't sure whether or not they should add spirit but they'd bless several differently then we would... test them? We didn't really have any strigoi around to test them on though.

Anyway Lissa glanced at the floor before coming over and standing beside me and looked me n the eye and said

''Why were the three boys glaring at each other when we were going to meet Hana for the first time?'' I smiled, just like Lissa not to forget something like that even though we where changing history.

''Well... You know this is a conversation meant for more of a private area.'' She nodded then said

''We are talking about this after your done guarding Hana on Friday.'' I smiled and said

''of course princess.'' She shook her head with a grin and said

''Don't call me princess.'' We grinned at each other until Luke cleared his throat and said

''Sorry to interrupt but we've got two um... not wanted visitors.'' I groaned and stood behind Lissa. Luke started walking the perimeter of the room.

Who were the two unwanted visitors.

Well Dimitri wasn't exactly a wanted visitor, but the other person...

I gasped then swallowed it and sighed looking over at Luke he nodded then traced a line across his face.

The same design as Tasha's.

I swallowed my emotions they swirled inside. Bringing my attention back to Hana I noticed she stared at me as if she knew my emotions. As she stared at me I remembered what she'd tolled Lissa and Adrian.

I can communicate with other spirit uses and I've been able to communicate with another guardian... though I only was able to once and it hasn't worked with any others.

What was the extent of her communicating?

She could see my emotions thru my aura then she could communicate with me?

''I'll explain it too you latter Rose our unwanted guest have just arrived.'' A soft voice spoke in my head. I jerked my gaze down to stare at the her.

Holy shit.

She sat as if nothing happened but I was stumped. I stared down at her in awe

''Rose seriously if you don't start concentrating on our guests they will be getting panicked.'' I pulled my gaze away from her ans looked over at Tasha and Dimitri. I paused for a moment before smiling.

A genuine smile too.

Now that I saw the two of them happily holding hands I was happy for them. Tasha grinned and ran over to me and gave me a hug. I returned it

''It's so nice to see you again Rose!'' I smiled up at her

''It's awesome seeing you again.'' I said smiling. I pulled away and said

''Now I've gotta make sure that Miss Belikov over here doesn't get attacked.'' Tasha smiled her bright blue eyes wide and excited as she said

''Ooh your so serious Rose but we wouldn't want her to be attacked would we?'' I smiled and said

''Your right about that.'' She smiled again before running around giving hugs and greetings.

Dimitri stood a couple feet from his charge and girlfriend he stared at me shocked at my honest display of true gladness. I watched the others interact with Tasha but I could still feel his stare. He stared at me for a moment longer then walked over. I stood in place behind the seat where Hana had been seated.

He stood beside me for a moment and we watched the others. I felt his gaze move to me and he asked quietly.

''Are you alright with me and Tasha being together?'' I continued to watch them but said

''In truth I felt very betrayed in the beginning. I still do in ways.'' I paused and then continued ''But now that I see you two together it makes me glad that I'm not in the way of all that anymore. I'm definitely alright with it now though.'' He looked a mixture of glad, sad and guilty.

''I feel horrible for betraying you that way.'' He said in a small voice. I paused watching Luke he talked with Tasha and I saw that he was being polite but distant I watched then said

''If you hadn't tolled me you would never agree to be with her I wouldn't have felt so betrayed you know.'' He swallowed and said quietly

''I made a mistake and I'm sorry'' I smiled and looked up at him and said

''It's alright.'' he smiled and we hugged. I smiled again and released him before walking towards the crowd that waited for use. I launched myslef at Luke and he caught me with a big smile on his face. He leaned down and whispered.

''You worked everything out?'' I smiled up at him and gave hima peck on the cheek and said

''Surprisingly enough yes I did.''

Rose's POV

We talked for a long while. Before I said

''We are working on something important'' Everyone in the room other then Dimitri and Tasha stared at me shocked.

''Well if you want us to leave that's alright.'' I shook my head

''No I think you guys would be able to help us.'' The couple nodded but our group pulled in shocked breaths.

''What can we help with?'' Dimitri said cautiously. I paused before saying

''You must promise complete secrecy first.'' The two looked at each other for a moment before Tasha nodded and said

''Of course.'' I smiled then said

''I'll tell you in a minute but could we get Christian over here?'' Lissa nodded and took out her phone and texted him her showed up a minute later and said

''I'm here'' I pointed to his chair and said ''we are about to tell your aunt and Dimitri.'' Luke sighed and said

''Not quite we have some more guests'' I groaned

''Really? I've had enough of them!'' I stood and said ''You take near guard I'm gonna get rid of these fucking bastards.'' Luke smirked the came to stand behind Hana. I stood at the door practise stake out. Glancing over at Luke I waited for him to nod before kicking the doors open and sent out a flurry of kicks and Punches sending many to the ground. I ran from one to the other 'staking' every body I could find. Once I got more then half on the ground I actually took time to register how many where left.

My eyes glanced over the floor and the other standing guardians.

7 on the floor.

5 standing.

I nodded to myself then charged at the one in the middle. Two advanced from the side's whom I punched in unison.

It looked really like... ninja!

I launched myself of the 'strigoi' I flipped up and over the strigoi behind me. I landed on one foot and my right arm.

''Fuck!'' The right arm was the one I had broken when we first met the rest of the Belikov's. Lissa had healed it but said that it would need some time to heal naturally.

Well I heard a farmilliar crack.

''crap crap crap'' I charged putting my stake in my left hand as I went. I 'staked' the one I'd charged at earlier then they surrounded me. I checked there statures.

Not one of them was any of the guardians that had seen me train with Jane and Luke.

Thank god.

They all started attacking and took some of there hits. I lunged weakly at them and heard my arm crack again but I ignored it and got one more 'strigoi' before I dramatically fell to the floor. They all lunged but I had my stake out and I 'stabbed' as many as I could before I stood.

2 left.

I felt panic come.

My arm was broken in at least two places again and these guardians where trying there hardest to take me down they weren't going to take it easy on me, the amount of energy I had left wasn't much.

I was actually scared

My limbs shook and I was seeing Isaiah and Elena again. They stood by the guardians. There red eyes glowed and they cocked there heads.

''Come on Rose, your not gonna let your little friend here die again are you'' Isaiah mouthed at me pointing to one of the bodies on the floor.

''Why can't we just get rid of him now? He's dead anyways'' Elena mouthed. I growled and charged but tripped over something. Landing on my arm I howled. But I stood up again and charged.

''Now now that looked like that might have hurt, I'd say I'm sorry but, I'm not really'' I growled and stood up Elena and Isaiah circled me again there cruel eyes stared at me making me shiver.

''Stay away Isaiah damn it!'' I heard a gasp from the group and I heard some yelled conversations and someone running over. I ignored all that and kicked and punched at Isaiah and Elena. Feeling an arm pick me up I screamed

''I have to kill them damn it! Fuck you let me go!'' Isaiah and Elena smirked before disappearing. I realized I was on the couch. Christian knelt beside me then turned to the other and said

''If maybe you guys could all go for a walk and come back in 10 minutes?'' Everyone nodded except for Dimitri and Luke. I closed my eyes and Christian asked quietly

''Who'd you see Rose'' I squeezed my eyes shut again pulling my knees up to my chest wrapping my arms around my legs and said

''I think you already know'' Christian laughed softly and said

''Yeah, maybe you could tell us what happened back there?'' A current of emotions fell over me and I said in a quiet voice

''Back where?'' I opened my eyes a crack and knew my answer. I shut my eyes and said ''I'll tell you all though for what reason it's beyond me. You were there why don't you tell?'' I knew he wouldn't I was there for most of it. Left over feelings from the fight surfaced making my stomach churned, my eyes filled and my arm started to burn with pain. Luke came over and sat on the couch pulling me up onto his lap I pulled in a wavering breath then started talking.

''Me and Christian had just gotten off the bus, I had just been listening in to Lissa's head Dimitri had been pushing her for information she didn't have. It didn't take us long to find Mase, Eddie and Mia. They were sitting at a table in the food court all sad and depressed about not finding these strigoi.'' I paused then pulled in another breath and said

''After I gave them a talking to about childishness which they completely ignored'' I added annoyed ''They tolled us that they had found the tunnels and that they had been empty no strigoi in sight. They wanted to search the city again and I refused, they started saying I was insulting how prepared they were. I pleaded and Mason agreed to back off. They tolled me we had a while t wait for the bus and they wanted to go look in the tunnels again I argued but they insisted and I caved saying we'd only peek inside then leave.'' I took a breath and swallowed a sob before continuing.

''We walked into the tunnels and we walked around a bit, everyone kept going on about how boring it was.'' I barked a crude version of a laugh then said

''I stopped and saw a list of letters on the wall.'' I closed my eyes and listed them off

''D

B

C

O

T

D

V

L

D

Z

S

I''

I paused again then continued.

''There were lines and x marks beside some of the letters. I stared at it for a bit before I realized that it was a list of the royal moroi families in order from smallest to biggest.'' I pulled in a breath and continued

''After realizing that I ordered everyone to leave the tunnels.'' Christian interupted and said

''So that's why, you never did end up telling us.'' I nodded the continued.

''we came back the way we came we where attacked and they got a hold of Mia and we were forced to stop. They were humans big humans. We were ordered into the van and away we went'' I swallowed then continued

''We were driven for a while until we arrived at a house in one of those neighbourhoods where every house looks exactly the same. They got us in the house thru the garage and we where bound in new plastic cuffs one man stared at us and pointed out that Eddie, Mason and I would fight back me in particular he'd said'' I stared at the wall before going on

''They locked us up in a room downstairs, they tied Christian and Mia on one side of the room and Eddie, Mason and I to on the other side. Were were cuffed to the chairs and we faced each other. I screamed for them to let us go and the men returned with two strigoi.'' I paused

''Isaiah was a very old strigoi and Elena was brand new I could tell because she still had a semblance of life in her eyes while Isaiah looked like death itself. As soon as they came in I swallowed my screams. One of the guards asked if I should be gagged.'' I stared at the wall I could feel Luke's arm around my waist. It comforted me.

''Isaiah said no and came over saying he'd like to hear what I had to say, when I said nothing he tolled me to 'pipe up if something else comes to mind', Elena started complaining and he started talking about how he was going to enjoy himself with two moroi and three unblooded dhampirs.'' I shivered remembering the way he'd moved my hair to look for a tattoo.

''they started staring at Mia and Christian. About eye color and family lines and how he would realize Christian's parents dream of him being strigoi. Then after pushing Elena he said that we'd have to die and there was no way around it and that the way we behaved dictated whether we died painfully or not.'' I closed my eyes then took in a breath before continuing.

''He said that one of them had the chance to live and that he would be so kind as to 'take you under my wing'. I laughed and he stared at me and that stare.'' I shivered

''I've never been stared at like that before. He then went on and said that they would be awakened willingly, Christian said not likely then he continued on about strength then said that all they had to do was kill one of us dhampirs.'' I struggled to breath in lightly then continued on

''He threatened them a little then walked over and said he'd demonstrate how delicious we dhampirs are he walked over to Eddie and I started telling him to drink from me, I rather have him drink from me rather then either Mase or Eddie.'' I sighed

''He did anyway the days went on and I got in contact with Adrian through my dreams. I thought it was just me dreaming but anyway I tolled him what I could about where we were. Before I could give him all the details I woke up and Isaiah bit Eddie along with pretending he would bite me then upped and left after listening in on Lissa I realized Adrian was trying to get her to stop taking her pills that made her magic not usable. I woke up and realised we needed a plan.'' I paused remembering the exact words then repeated them

''I said Hey, Are you guys really going to keep starving us? Can't you at least give us some water or something? The guard tolled me to shut up and I said Come on Not even like a sip of something? My throat's burning. Practically on fire.'' I sighed then said

''I hopped that Christian would put it together.'' Looking over at Christian ''I have to admit you saying you where ready to drink really scared the crap out of me'' He chuckled and I continued.

''He said he'd drink from me. Mason started yelling and screaming at him and Mia looked like she wanted to cry. We faked our last conversation then he pretended to bight me he melted my plastic cuffs and I charged at the guys We fought our two guards then we got out of the room.'' I sighed then said

''Only Mason and I could fight. Eddie was still high on endorphins, Mia was terrified and Christian was exhausted but would have to drag the both of them along as we went. We went on ahead and Elena and Isaiah were on the main floor. It was the morning thank god. Anyway I got Mason to get the three out of the house and I provided a distraction. They caught me and Mason came to try and help. I'd shot Elena in the thigh and that had hurt her but Mason shot an entire clip of bullets into Isaiah's chest and he barely flinched.'' I breathed in deeply then continued swallowing my tears

''Mason charged and Isaiah killed him by cracking his neck. Mia exploded the water tank and made a bubble of water around Isaiah's head it distracted him while I grabbed a piece of glass from he shattered fish tank. I grabbed one of the antique swords that hung on the wall and after a while of getting beat up cut of her head. Mia screamed and I cut off Isaiah's head'' I paused then said

''That was that I started going into shock I'd threatened Mia with the sword so that she would leave then I stayed with Mason. I stayed there and Dimitri you know what happened.'' He nodded and said

''We arrived to find you on the ground beside Mason. We flew you home and yeah'' I sighed and said

''It was them in the hallway. When I was fighting the guardians...'' I paused and waited for protests non came but I did hear the door open it was Hana. Dimitri looked at her and said

''Hana right now isnt-'' She cut him off and said

''Rose you right you did see there ghosts.'' I pulled in a breath and she said

''Just put up a block like you do when your trying to get out of Lissa's head'' I nodded then tried it, it didn't make a difference but she said

''You wont see them again unless you take that block away.'' I nodded then said

''You guys can call everyone back'' I paused then got up on shaky legs then said ''I want them to know so that I can get some shut eye''

Hana, Dimitri and Christian nodded then went to get the others while Luke stayed on the couch. Once they left the room I felt my legs protest against the standing I fought until finally I slumped to the couch my eyes heavy my head landed on his lap my arm laid broken beside me it screamed in protest but I ignored it liking the feel of his hand running through my hair. I tried to fight against my closing eyes but gave up and murmured softly

''I'm tired'' I felt the blackness claim me.