CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Mikhail couldn't say anything more, he just stared up at her from down on his knees, looking just like a mortal worshipping a goddess.
I, myself, was speechless. I hadn't seen Sonya Karp since she had been a teacher of mine at St. Vladimir's Academy. It was actually due to her that Lissa and I had run away from the academy when we were fifteen. She had told me that I had to protect Lissa's secret at all costs, and that I should take her away from the academy. That was right before the Guardians had come and taken her away, because they thought she was crazy. Truth be told, she was, but it was because she was a spirit user and hadn't truly understood it.
Soon after that she had gone strigoi, only because being strigoi cut Moroi off from their magic. She had done it as a last resort, and Mikhail, her lover, had gone after her to free her of her undead state. Their love story was the parallel by which I had based mine and Dimitri's on after he had been turned strigoi.
Seeing her now was a bitter reminder of all of the things that I had to go through with Dimitri. My heart even went out to Mikhail. I understood better than anyone how easy it was to get caught up in seeing someone you loved without fully acknowledging what they were. When Dimitri had captured me in Russia, it had been because I had hesitated, just long enough for him to get the better of me. And I had hesitated every time after that until he was saved.
I knew that Mikhail wouldn't be able to do what he needed to do. He would hesitate just as I did, time and time again. And given the fact that we now knew that spirit users could bring strigoi back, I could understand his point. I just hoped that he would understand mine. I didn't have time for him to figure out what he wanted to do. Lissa was on the other side of Sonya, in grave danger, and as Dimitri would have learned if Lissa hadn't intervened, she was where I drew the line.
I shook my head to clear away the remaining shock that Ms. Karp's sudden appearance incited and then ran at her, my stake in hand.
She turned away from Mikhail to smile at me wickedly. It was just what I needed to obliterate any misgivings I had about killing her. There was no trace of the kind-hearted woman who had healed the cuts and scrapes I would get when trying to sneak out of my room at night. She was all strigoi, and if I didn't kill her she would kill all of us.
"Rosemarie, it is so nice to see you." She said in a cold voice, full of menace.
I gave her a sarcastic sneer. "I wish I could say the same."
"Are you going to kill me, Rose?" I could tell that she was amused by the thought and it made my blood boil.
"Yes, Sonya. I am." I told her and then I made to kick her.
The kick was perfect in form, it would have sent her to the floor easily, but it never made contact. Instead, I was thrown out of the way by Mikhail, who had leapt into me with a startling cry. "No!" He shouted.
I landed on the floor, Mikhail over the top of me, and pushed him off of me. "What are you doing?"
"We can save her! We can save her!" He replied, his eyes wild.
Dimitri ran up beside us and pulled Mikhail up. "You can't!" He shouted into Mikhail's face.
He pointed in the direction of Lissa's door. "She can!"
Dimitri shook his head. "She's blocking the way, we can't get to Lissa."
Mikhail stared at Dimitri uncomprehendingly for a moment, then slumped and turned to me. "Please, Rose. You understand better than anyone. Let me distract her, long enough for you to get to Lissa and save her. And then we can save her." He begged with pleading eyes. He put his hand on my shoulders and shook me slightly. "Rose, please. You understand better than anyone. Tell me honestly, if it was Dimitri standing there, and you knew that he could be saved, would you still be able to kill him?" He asked.
My eyes flashed to Dimitri, and for a second I remember seeing him as strigoi, and all the times that I couldn't kill him, even when I could have. Finally I sighed, and stood up. "Alright Mikhail. I just hope you don't die." I turned to Dimitri. "Help him."
Dimitri shook his head. "No. I won't let you face Victor alone."
I put a hand on Dimitri's face. "Listen comrade, I'll be fine. And I need you to help him. If it looks like he is going to die, kill her." Mikhail looked like he was about to protest, but I shot him a look that all but screamed for him to shut-up and he stayed quiet.
Dimitri nodded in concession, and turned to Mikhail. "Let's do this." Mikhail nodded and the two of them rounded on Sonya.
I looked back at Christian, who had come over to help me back to my feet. "Let's get Lissa." He said, the fear in his eyes.
"No, Christian. I go alone, I can't protect both of you in there. You need to stay out here. And if it looks like they're losing, set that bitch on fire." I instructed. Christian nodded and It looked over at Mikhail and Dimitri.
They attacked at once, throwing Sonya away from the door, and I made my move, slipping in behind them and through Lissa's bedroom door.
Victor had one arm around Lissa's waist, while his other hand gripped her hair in his fist. Robert Doru stood in front of her, holding a small silver stake.
"Come now, Vasilisa. Charm the stake. Do it for Uncle Victor." Victor crooned into her ear.
Robert looked uneasy. "I don't think she can do it again, Victor. It is just like me. I could do it once but I couldn't do it again." He whispered.
They hadn't noticed me, so I slammed the door shut behind me, causing all three of them to look over at me.
"Rose, how lovely to see you. You're just in time to watch Vasilisa bring me back to life." He told me.
I laughed. "Over my dead body."
Victor raised an eyebrow and tossed Lissa away from me and onto the floor. "That can be arranged."
Victor attacked me, fighting me with everything he had. He was a lot stronger than I gave him credit for, and he was so quick that I couldn't get hit on him.
Out of the corner of my eye I saw Robert huddled in a corner, biting his nail and I saw Lissa crawling to the door. I knew I just needed to distract Victor long enough for her to get out the door.
I lunged at Victor once more, and he backhanded me with so much force that I flew through the air and into a coffee table, landing on my side with a sickening crunch. Immediately pain shot through my abdomen, and I felt as though I couldn't get enough air in my lungs. I had a feeling that I had broken a rib or two and that one of the broken ribs had pierced a lung. But I couldn't focus on that, I had to protect Lissa.
I sat up, and clutched my side. I could see Lissa, at the door. She had even gotten it open, but she had paused to stare over at when I had crashed into the table.
"Go!" I screamed and then I had another thought. I threw my stake at her and it landed at her feet. "Save Sonya if you can. And send in Dimitri as soon as you've save her!" I screeched at her, and through the bond I felt her comprehension.
"Rose I can't leave you!" She yelled back.
"Damn it, Lissa. Get the hell out of here." I saw Lissa flinch and then she turned and bolted out of the door.
I stood up and hobbled over to Victor. "You're either very tough, or very stupid. You just gave her your only real form of protection."
I shrugged. "They…come…first." I stuttered and then I pounced on Victor.
I wasn't quick enough, and he kicked me in the stomach again, his foot connecting with my broken ribs and sending the one embedded in my lung even further in.
I heard Ms. Karp scream in the hallway, and through the bond I felt that sensation that indicated that a strigoi had been brought back. It gave me the strength I needed, any minute Dimitri would come rushing in with his stake and the two of us would finish this.
I stood up and faced Victor. Robert was no longer huddled in the corner, but there wasn't enough time for me to look around for him.
Victor was walking around me and I began to follow his lead, the two of us circling each other in a deadly dance. As if by unseen signal, both of us attacked, the adrenaline pumping through my body temporarily dulling the pain I felt.
This time, I wasn't getting thrown around. I gave Victor everything I had and the two of us went at each other in a blur. Before I knew it, I got in a good kick to his stomach, sending us both crashing to the floor. I straddled over the top of Victor right determined to hold him until Dimitri ran in with his stake, and that's when I felt it, something pierce me in the shoulder.
"Ahhh!" I screamed and my arm flew back and smacked my assailant, who was Robert, right as I heard Lissa scream from the hallway, "Rose!"
Robert flew back wards and landed on his back unconscious, and I reached behind me and yanked the stake out of my shoulder and lunged it through Victor's heart.
Victor's eyes went wide, and in he spoke his last words. "Well done, Rosemarie. Too bad you won't live to bask in your glory." And then his hand shot up to my broken rib and he pushed it even further into my lung.
His arm went limp, and I knew he was dead. I slumped down against him, gasping wildly for the air that I could not get to fill my chest.
The door crashed open and Dimitri came flying to my side, scooping me up in his arms.
"Comrade…" I wheezed, lifting my hand to his face. My hand fell, and my head lolled back.
"Roza, stay with me. Please stay with me. I need you. I love you." He begged.
I took another ragged breath, and I smiled. "I love you Dimitri." And then everything went dark.
A/N:
This is not the end of the story.
