Half an hour later, he was presentable. And cutting it dangerously close, time wise. He set off for the courthouse at a jog, knowing his Aunt would be beyond pissed if he entered after the trial had started.

When he arrived, he immediately spotted Rose, sitting on the right hand side of the room with her little posse of friends. Belikov sat a few rows back, with the other guardians that would be called up to testify. The room was nowhere near full, so he had plenty of seats to choose from. Claiming one on the opposite side of the room near the aisle, he scanned the room before sitting down. From here, he would be able to see almost everyone. He slouched down, pleased to realize he'd even be able to see Dashkov from this position, once they brought him in. He sent a small surge of spirit into his aura, pulling it closer towards his body, using it to shield his presence. He wanted to remain as inconspicuous as possible to everyone in the room.

A few minutes later, Victor Dashkov entered, looking just as amused as he had in the dream visions last night. It was almost as if the man thought himself to be above the law. Surely he realized that Tatiana would never let him walk free? His aunt may have some… issues, but no way would she let Dashkov skate on kidnapping the last Dragomir.

He shot a glance over at Rose and Lissa, wincing when he saw how pale his cousin—yes, he thought of her as his cousin, they did share blood, no matter how convoluted the family ties might be—had become. Her aura was glowing, bright with fear and worry. Just the sight of the man scared her out of her wits. Strangely enough, there were traces of sorrow, and regret there too. He pondered over that for a moment, then grasped on something he'd failed to realize in the past. Before Dashkov had kidnapped her, she'd loved the man; he'd always been like an uncle to her. This trial would be a double edged sword for her; the man who'd abused her would be punished, but so would the uncle she's cherished in the past.

Dashkov looked around the courtroom, his green eyes flitting from one person to the next. They passed over Adrian entirely, as if his chair was completely empty. He felt a small smile play across his lips. Damn, he was getting good at handling spirit—with the exception of last night, that is.

Lissa flinched as Dashkov's eyes locked on her. He nodded a greeting to her, and for a moment, Adrian thought Rose was going to spring out of her seat and attack the man. A moment later the tension left her face and she glanced at Lissa—apparently she was trying to calm Rose down through their bond. Thank God Victor was walking away, off to take his seat on the left side of the room.

He tilted his head, confirming that he'd been correct. He sat slightly angled in his chair, so he'd be able to see the accused face. His eyes darted back—as always—to Rose, who was whispering something to Lissa. When he glanced at Belikov, not surprisingly, the man was staring at the back of Rose's head. Rolling his eyes, Adrian smirked. God, the Russian was obvious.

His aunt entered with the usual fanfare—kneeling—it was such an enormous bore. No one could rise until she was seated, and she took her damned sweet time doing it, too. Finally she planted her ass, allowing everyone to reclaim their seats. He made a mental note that next time he was required to kneel he needed to cloak his presence and stay seated. It would be interesting to see if anyone noticed. If they did, he could always pretend to be drunk.

Finally the trial started, and one by one the witnesses were called forward. They all gave their testimony, swearing as to what they'd seen. It seemed to be mostly guardians, and Adrian was quickly becoming bored. He fingered the flask in his pocket, knowing that when his little dhampire took the stand, he'd need a drink. Just thinking about her testifying made him nervous.

Belikov was the last guardian they called to the stand. Initially, his testimony didn't vary from any of the previous tales they'd heard. But of course, there was that one little problem that could rear its ugly head and bite him right between his legs.

"I was with my student, Rose Hathaway," he said. "She shares a bond with the princess and was the first to sense what had happened."

Victor's lawyer—an overweight Moroi who looked like he should be selling used cars—glanced at some papers, shuffling them as he looked back up at Dimitri. "Based on the events, it sounds like there was a delay between when she discovered that and when you alerted the others."

Belikov nodded, his face expressionless and totally composed. Adrian's leg started jiggling, bouncing up and down in a nervous rhythm. Shit, he'd expected to feel jittery when Rose was on the stand, not the Russian.

"She couldn't act on it because Mr. Dashkov had inflicted a charm on her, one that caused her to attack me." Adrian stared, amazed. Naturally he'd known Belikov would be forced to lie—he just hadn't expected the man to be so damned good at it. The only thing that gave away the fact he was lying was his aura. It pulsed with dismay and horror. It was killing a piece of his soul to lie under oath. Thank God no one could see what…

Adrian's eyes shot to Lissa, and he winced. She was studying the air around Dimitri with a confused expression on her face. Shit. He'd forgotten she'd gotten to the point she could see faint hints of auras. Especially if the person was experiencing strong emotion. Right now, Belikov's was glowing like a meteor. He'd have to think of something to tell her, something that led her in the wrong direction.

"Mr. Dashkov works with earth magic, and some who use that power and are strong in compulsion can influence our base instincts," continued Dimitri. "In this case, he affected her anger and violence through an object."

In the front row, Dashkov made a choking sound. Adrian glared at the man. This wasn't good. Not good at all. Fuck, Rose was going to get expelled. Belikov was going to end up shipped back to Siberia, and knowing Rose, she'd follow right along after him.

"Mr. Dashkov, please respect the decorum of this courtroom." The judge gave him a pointed look.

Victor, still smiling, waved his hands in apology. "I'm terribly sorry, Your Honor and Your Majesty. Something in Guardian Belikov's testimony just tickled my fancy, that's all. It won't happen again."

Dimitri finished his statement, and then Christian was called up. His part was short. He'd been with Lissa when she'd been taken and had been knocked out. His contribution was being able to ID some of Victor's guardians as the kidnappers. Once Christian sat down, it was Rose's turn. Adrian ducked down, taking a quick swig from his flask, just to take the edge off. He eyed Rose appreciatively. Damn, she even managed to make the guardian uniform look hot.

She walked up to the stand, staring straight ahead. She looked deceptively calm, but her aura was flashing like a strobe light. Her voice was strong as she stated her name and swore an oath to tell the truth. As soon as she uttered the words, dismay shot through her aura, just as it had Belikov's when he'd been forced to lie. That surprised Adrian, because Rose had told him numerous fibs, starting on the first night they'd met. He never would have expected it to bother her. His eyes flicked to Belikov as he realized it was probably her 'mentors' influence that had precipitated the change.

Her version was pretty forthright—she had details to offer from before the night of the kidnapping, like about when Victor had laid his sick traps to test Lissa's power. The rest of it matched up with the version given by Belikov and the other guardians'.

She was an excellent liar, speaking about the "attack" charm so smoothly that no one even paid attention. She made the mistake of glancing at Dashkov while discussing the charm, and a small smirk turned up the corners of his mouth. Adrian felt the burning desire to chunk his flask at the back of the man's head. Rose, surprisingly kept her cool, her expression a mirror image of Belikov's. She exited the stand, her eyes flicking to Dimitri's for a moment before she tore them away. As she claimed her seat, he noticed the Russian leaning forward slightly at the same time she leaned back. What the fuck was it with those two? Did they really not realize they did that?

Lissa offered the first variation in the story, and Adrian, for one was glad. He was tired of hearing the same boring tale repeated a gazillion times. As he listened and watched, everyone got caught up in what she said, hanging on every word she said. He realized almost instantly that without even trying, Lissa was using her spirit-induced charisma. He recognized it because he had it too. It worked on everyone. Well, everyone except Rose, that is.

People were enraptured and sympathetic as Lissa described the torture Victor had used to force her to heal him. Several of the spectators looked shocked. Even his aunt's mask faltered, her eyes filling with pity as she imagined what Lissa must have felt.

Lissa stayed calm and poised throughout her delivery, and Adrian felt proud of how well she was hiding the turmoil that she was feeling. As composed as she was on the outside, her aura showed that internally, her emotions were in absolute chaos. As she described how Victor's sidekick had tortured her, she relived every second of the pain and anguish she'd felt that night. The guy had been an air user, and he'd toyed with that element, sometimes taking it away so she couldn't breathe and at other times smothering her with it. Judging by the light show around Rose, she was reliving it as well, through their bond. God, he wished there were some way he could have five minutes alone with Dashkov. When Lissa was allowed to reclaim her seat, her relief was instantaneous.

Finally, it was Victor's turn. From the look on his face, you never would have guessed he was on trial—he acted as if he were at a party, and this was all some elaborate game. He spoke as though he made perfect sense, answering each question with a smug smile on his face. When the prosecuting attorney asked why he'd done what he had, he looked at her as though she were crazy.

"Why, I had no choice," he said pleasantly. "I was dying. No one was going to condone me openly experimenting with the princess's powers. What would you have done in my place?"

The lawyer ignored his question. Her face expressed her disgust for the man in front of her, and the same went for almost every spectator in the room.

"And you found coaxing your own daughter into turning Strigoi also necessary?" She asked.

Everyone in the courtroom shifted uncomfortably. The fact that Natalie Dashkov had willingly chosen to kill another person and, in doing so, destroyed all the magic and life within herself was a sickening thought. His eyes darted to Christian, wincing as he saw the sorrowful look on the boy's face. Christian's parents had made the same choice, but for a very different reason. They'd wanted to be immortal, no matter the cost. Victor's daughter Natalie had done it because he had talked her into it. The extra strength and speed she'd gotten from being a Strigoi had helped her free him, and he'd felt his goals were worth the sacrifice.

Again, Victor showed no remorse. His answer was simple. "Natalie made that decision."

"Can you say that about everyone you used to meet your ends? Guardian Belikov and Miss Hathaway had no say in what you made them do."

Shit. Adrian ducked down, pulling on his flask. Here we go.

Victor chuckled. "Well, that's a matter of opinion. I honestly don't think they minded. But if you have time after this case, Your Honor, you might want to consider trying a statutory rape case."

Holy hell fire. His flask slipped through his fingers, clattering loudly on the marble floor beneath his feet. He'd done it. The bastard had actually outed them. Adrian's eyes flicked between Belikov and Rose, praying they'd remain calm. They were both frozen in place, backs stiff, their faces emotionless. He let his eyes wander. No one was looking at them, everyone in the room was staring at Dashkov, their faces appalled at what he'd said. He unfocused his eyes, taking in the surrounding auras in a rush. No one believed it. Not a single person. He sank back, sighing with relief.

The judge chastised Victor for getting off topic. By that point, most of the questioning was done. The lawyers wrapped up, and it was time for the queen to deliver her verdict. Dashkov hadn't denied any of the charges. The evidence was overwhelming, thanks to everyone's testimonies. Adrian sat up, confident his aunt would make the right decision.

And she did. Victor was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison—a different prison, not the one at Court. Victor remained calm and amused throughout it all. A gesture from Tatiana ended formalities. Everyone except Adrian stood up and began talking. His aunt surveyed the room with a sharp eye, glaring pointedly in his direction. Shit. Apparently he wasn't as good at cloaking as he'd thought. He stood, making his way around the outskirts of the room, coming up behind his group of friends. Victor's escort began to lead him out, and as he passed by Lissa and Rose, he paused.

"Vasilisa, I trust you've been well."

The only response he got from her was a hate filled glare.

"I'm sorry we didn't get a chance to talk, but I'm sure we will next time," he added.

"Come on," said one of the guardians with him. They led him away.

"He's crazy," muttered Lissa once he was gone. "I can't believe he said that stuff about you and Dimitri."

Dimitri was standing behind Lissa—Rose looked up, their eyes fusing as he moved past them. Both their auras—glowing and rubbing each other, as usual—showed their relief. Damn they were lucky.

Christian embraced Lissa, holding her in his arms, trying to offer her comfort. Rose watched them with a soft look on her face, which was surprising, considering the fact that she and Christian fought like cats and dogs. Adrian reached out, gently touching her arm, hoping she wouldn't get pissed at him for doing it.

"You okay, little dhampir?" he asked softly. "Dashkov said a few … uh … suggestive things."

She stepped closer, keeping her voice low. "No one believed him. I think it's okay. Thanks for asking, though."

He smiled and tapped her nose. "Two thank-yous in as many days. I don't suppose I'll get to see any, uh, special gratitude?"

She scoffed at the thought. "Nope. You'll just have to imagine it."

He gave her a hug, releasing her before she protested. "Fair enough. But I have a good imagination."

The group started to leave when Priscilla hurried over to Lissa. "The queen would like to meet with you before you leave. In private."

Rose glanced over to the raised chair where the queen sat. Her gaze was fixed on the group, her eyes narrowed with displeasure. Adrian had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, one that grew worse when her eyes flicked to him, then again to Rose. She pursed her lips so tightly that they were a thin white line. Oh God. What now?

"Sure," Lissa said, her voice confused.

Adrian slipped away as quickly as possible. He'd grown up here, there were a million hidey holes he'd discovered as a boy, some that no one knew about except he and his grandmother. He slipped through the hallways, hurrying towards his aunt's formal parlor. Something was up, and he was damn sure going to find out what, preferably before the shit hit the proverbial fan.