Wow! Thank you so much for your amazing reviews! I was so excited by your comments, I decided to write this chapter a little sooner than I normally would have! I'm also giving a preview as a response to your review! I'm doing this to thank everyone who stuck with me! Thanks!
Tears stream down her face, flushing her cheeks, a colour I thought I'd never see again. Her lips are quivering, and when she sees me, she looks up, wide eyed, as if I am as big of shock right now as she is to me.
I have never seen Rose cry. "I'm Rose Hathaway, I don't even have tear ducts," she used to joke.
"Roza, oh God, Roza," I whisper, burying my face into her neck, despite our height difference, trying to pull her closer, trying to keep her with me, to never let her go. But to my complete horror, she threads her hands up against my chest and pulls completely out of my grasp, shoving me away from her, taking my heart with her. "Please," I whisper, but she is already gone.
"Rose?" chokes Vasilisa. Rose turns and sees the Princess.
"Lissa," she sobs, and throws herself into her friend's arms. My whole body aches, I need her in my arms. Now. I step forward, but am intrrupted by the shouting of Guardians.
"Princess!" They start forward, stakes ready. Everything in my body screams, and I throw myself in front of them.
"NO!" I roar, jumping to block them. "She's not a danger! Look at her!" They pause, then finally, pocket their weapons, but still swarm forward, pulling Roza away. "No!" I shout again, but am stopped by a hand on my shoulder.
"Guardian Belikov?" I spin sharply to face Vasilisa.
"They can't take her!" I roar. "She's not a monster! She's...Rose. They can't do that to her!" Some deep part of me realizes that I'm hysterical, but there's something inside me that is pulled to Rose, that makes me need to protect her, at any cost, however impossible.
She looks at me. "How did this happen?" she whispers. "How did she turn back?"
I pull away. "I don't care! But I need her, here! Where are they taking her?"
"I don't know," she whispers. Her eyes are heavy, and her face looks feverish.
I momentarily distract myself. "Princess, are you okay? Have you fed recently?" I ask, recalling the magic she used to charm my stake. Vasilisa shakes her head. "Do you need... I could..." I trail off, not really knowing how to finish. She smiles and shakes her head.
"I can make it back to the academy. Besides, I think you've lost enough blood. But thanks."
I seem to realize what I have just offered. Rose had let Vasilisa drink from her during the time they had spent from the academy. I had witnessed it there, watched in horror, but as well as an eerie sort of respect, as Rose sacrificed herself, and her reputation, for Vasilisa.
And I had offered to do the same thing. I didn't crave the endorphins of the bite, and I didn't want to be bitten in the first place, but I was willing to for Vasilisa, just as Rose had been.
And I realized how much I would give for the Princess. For both of them.
...
We were loaded into a black SUV. I had no idea where Rose had been taken, to another SUV, I supposed. I sit with Vasilisa, who is attempting, and failing, at calming me down.
"I need to see her," I demand again. "Where is she?"
The Princess shifts in her seat to look at me. "Dimitri, she'll be fine, they think she's dangerous. Once they see that she's back to normal, they'll let her go."
"I need to see her," I mumble, to no one in particular. "I need her."
Vasilisa's eyes narrow, watching me. She reaches out, gently touching my neck. I watch as she pulls her hand away, her fingertips stained red. In brush my hand over the wound, and stare in amazement as I see my palm smeared with blood. The Princess presses her hands against my neck, and before I can feel the warmth of her healing, I pull her hands away, assuring that I'm fine, that she's too weak to be using her ability.
I lean back into my chair, waiting. I tried to picture where Rose could be, but I could only get waves of depression, hopelessness, need, desperation. The foreign emotions push into my gut, sharp-edged and stinging.
"Where's Rose?" I growl to the guardian driving. "I need to see Rose!"
Vasilisa is studying me. "They think she's dangerous, Dimitri."
"She's not! She needs me! She's in pain!" I demand, my voice hard and angry. The Princess sits back, regarding me with a peculiar expression.
"You...You can feel that? Are you... Do you think you guys are bonded?"
Bonded. Bonded to Rose. I thought of how Rose could slip into Vasilisa's head, how she could feel her emotions, tell what she was doing. But what I was feeling from Rose, it was like a sixth sense, a creeping feeling of emotions that I could recognize as foreign, only existing in a small, deep region of my mind.
I slowly shake my head. "No... We're not bonded. Not as you two are, at least. When you staked her, it was a connection. I could feel her. I could feel as her soul healed." A ran a hand through my hair, at a loss for words. It was warm, electric, sizzling from where her teeth were embedded in my neck into my bloodstream, where it spread throughout my entire body. It wasn't a bond, but it was something, deep, something strong. Something indescribable.
...
As soon as we arrived back at the Court, I stride quickly into the Court. "I need to see Rose," I demand. "Where is she?"
Hans, the head Guardian, looks down on me, despite the fact that I had a half a foot of height on him.
"She's locked away. Far out of your reach, or anyone else's for that matter. Sorry, Belikov, I know she used to be your student, but that doesn't give you any visiting rights."
I step forward threateningly. "She's a dhampir. Look at her for God's sake." I had never spoken with such disrespect to the head Guardian, but anger tumbled from my mouth before I could stop it. Perhaps Rose really was rubbing off on me. Vasilisa steps behind me, putting her hand on my shoulder.
But Hans only smirks. "Hathaway stays locked up until we get to examine her."
Knowing when I have been dismissed, I turn to leave. Vasilisa gasps and I look up in time to see Christian appear down the corridor.
"Christian!" the Princess cries, and throws herself into his arms.
"Thank God," he murmurs, stroking her hair.
Tasha, as always, appears behind them. "Dimitri!" she says in surprise and relief, stepping forward to embrace me.
"What's going on?" she asks, gazing around at the flurry of activity.
"It's Rose," I say shakily. "The Princess...she turned Rose back. She's a dhampir." Tasha stares, slack jawed.
"Are you sure?" she whispers.
Yes I'm sure! I want to scream. "Yes, I'm positive. She's a dhampir. She's Rose." Tasha nods, but suddenly, her eyes widen in horror.
"Oh God, Dimka," she whispers, her fingers reaching up and brushing against my bleeding neck. I put my hand over hers, grasping it.
"I'm fine," I whispers. She nods.
"I'm so glad you're alright," she says, and gives me one last hug, "but you have to go to the infirmary."
I shake my head, but Tasha rolls her eyes. "You're pale, you're shaking, you're bleeding! Dimka, do you sound fine?" Her grabs my wrist and turns to Christian, who was supporting Vasilisa.
"I'm taking her to the feeders," he explained, and the two depart, Christian's arm around her shoulders.
Tasha gives me a small smile while tugging me towards the infirmary. "You should have seen him when he heard about the attack. He was almost hysterical."
"Tasha," I sigh. "I just want to see Rose."
She turns to me, her hands on her hips. "They won't let you," she stated, as if she had witnessed my earlier frustrations. "And it's not going to do you much good if you pass out before then."
I am too exhausted to argue, and just let her lead me towards the infirmary.
The doctor looks quite shocked to see me, blood running down my neck, and brings me to a small room. I lay down on the small bed, sinking into the mattress, letting my exhaustion finally take over.
Before I completely drifted into oblivion, I felt the slightest of pressure on my lips. "Goodnight, Dimka."
And I was gone.
...
White. That's the only thing I see when I open my eyes. White.
Suddenly, pain floods through my body, and I groan.
"Good morning," says a cheery voice from beside me. I shift my head to the side to see a young Moroi nurse with a clipboard.
"What happened?" I ask groggily. She smiles at me, amused at my confusion.
"Lady Ozera brought you in after the attack."
Rose! I jump out of bed, ignoring the silent scream of my muscles. "I have to go!"
The nurse looks even more amused. "But you're staying. The doctor will be in to check you over."
"But I really need to go! I've already slept in..."
"Belikov, sit back down," says a foreign voice coming into the room. The doctor.
I ease back onto the bed as she quickly assess me.
"Looks like you're good to go. Just take it easy, no exguardian duty for a few days, and no excessive exersize for-" She is cut off when I run from the room, dashing down the corridor and towards the prison. Rose, my mind chants, Go to Rose. Rose needs you! I pick up the pace, quickly approaching the jail.
I burst through the doors, and am quickly stopped by two Guardians. "State your buisiness."
I repress a sigh at the delay. "I need to see Rosemarie Hathaway."
"No visitors," she says firmly.
"Look," I sigh, running a hand through my hair. "I need to make sure she's alright. I'm- I was her mentor."
The male guardian shakes his head. "She doesn't want to see anyone."
Desperation takes over. "She'll want to see me. Tell her Dimitri wants to see her," I say firmly.
The guardians exchange glances. "Dimitri Belikov?" I nod. "She asked specifically not to see you."
STOP! Don't worry! Before you can bombard my inbox with angry comments and reviews, don't worry! I am not going to use the exact same storyline as Spirit Bound! It's going to branch off and get more original! I promise :)