Hey guys, So I wanted to say THANK YOU! There were a couple of you that reviewed about the lack of intimacy, and converstaion between Rose and Dimitri, after they were together, so I've redone this chapter by adding their conversation before heading downstairs. When I first wrote this chapter I was trying to work out how to imply that they'd been together without actually going into details, and after reading the reviews and hitting myself upside the head (joking) I realised I could've at least put their cuddle session in...I hope you enjoy the revised version of this chapter...and please keep the comments etc coming, because sometimes I need all the help I can get :-D R.J.
Chapter 33.
Stretching languorously I felt tingles as my body brush up against the satin covered muscles of Dimitri's well defined body. Feeling like the cat that got the cream I couldn't stop the satisfied smile from washing over my well kissed lips, I could still taste him, feel the burn left from where he'd nibbled on my lower lip, not to mention other places. God how I love this man.
"Roza, I know you think I'm some kind of God, but if you keep that up I'm not sure how God like I'll be." the smirk on his face made it hard for me to catch my breath, feeling the blush creeping up my neck I hid my face in the crook of his arm as I let out a chuckle,
"You make me sound like I'm some wanton woman," I lifted my head to look him, falling into the chocolate brown depths of his eyes,
"Well you did proposition me," he said running his hand down the curve of my spine making my skin break out in goosebumps, he laughed when he saw the mock look of shock on my face, "You corrupted me, how could I possibly say no?" Breaking into a fit of giggles I couldn't help myself, I ran my hands over the muscles of his chest and shoulders, he suddenly turned very somber. "You know there is so much that I need to thank you for." I pressed a kiss to his chest where Lissa and now Adrian had staked him, silently remembering when I had also inflicted pain back in Russia, overcome with so many emotions and pain of my own I kept my focus on his chest, not wanting to give away the agony the memories caused me.
"I'm the one that is thankful." Sucking in a breath I faced him, "The thought of living the rest of my life knowing you weren't able to do the same thing," I shuddered, "I'm thankful that there was actually something we could do, a way to save you, and now we're able to save Ilia for Lissa." Without realizing it I'd managed to bring back everything that had happened in the previous couple of days, mentioning Ilia brought me back to reality.
"Roza, no matter what happens, I need you to know that I love you, that I will always love you." My heart was beating so fast I was finding it hard to breath again, my chest was so full, with love for this gracious, caring and beautiful man, he was right, I would always think of him as a God. Sitting up I moved over him, kissing his chest again, then making my way up his neck to finally capture his lips before pulling away to admire his strong face,
"I love you too, even when my heart stops beating, I will still love you." I felt his hand wrap around my neck as he pulled me down to share another kiss.
"I hate to cut this short, but I think we should probably go and deal with what happened last night." He said with a wry grin, as always the voice of reason. I nodded solemnly in response before sighing,
"I suppose you're right." He kissed me one more time before we both got out of bed, showered, dressed and headed downstairs.
"It'll be alright you know," I cringed at how positive Dimitri sounded, my only reply was a sigh and a grimace as I pushed forward and opened the door leading to the kitchen, dragging Dimitri by the hand. I settled a determined look on my face, inside dreading what I would find.
I hadn't seen, spoken or heard from anyone since I'd run out of the room last night. I'd managed to block Lissa, and I'd also been a little distracted thanks to Dimitri. I could feel the grin on my lips as I thought about being with him again. I felt him squeeze my hand and pull me back into his hard chest,
"I know what you're thinking Roza, but you need to focus right now. And so do I." the last was muttered begrudgingly, half turning toward him I pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek, before releasing his hand,
"You're right it'll keep," turning my thoughts back to the mess that I'd left last night I continued into the room, holding my breath.
Abe, Lissa and Christian were sitting around the pine table talking animatedly until they saw me, then the conversation stopped dead, 3 pairs of eyes all turning to me, trepidation evident in their depths.
"I…I" biting my lip I inhaled, "I really don't know what to say. I mean, I'm not apologizing to him," Christian's eyes widened at the vehemence in my voice, "What?" I directed at him, "You don't seriously think he didn't deserve what he got? He tried to kill Dimitri!" No one said anything, Lissa and Abe lowered their gaze to look at the pattern of wood on the top of the table,
"No one blames you for what happened Rose," Lissa started still looking at the table top, Christian scoffed, earning himself a glare from Lissa, "I know you would've kicked his ass anyway, but the way you…" she flinched at the memory, I could taste blood, again as I bit the inside of my cheek, "It was scary Rose," finally she was looking at me again, "You lost control, like, complete control. It was like you wanted to kill him." I couldn't look at her then, praying that she wouldn't see the truth in my eyes, that I had wanted him to die. Now though? How would I have felt if I had killed him? I could feel her eyes boring into me as the silence was left a minute too long, gritting my jaw I raised my eyes to look at Abe,
"Where is he?" releasing a breath Abe looked at Lissa, Dimitri and then finally back to me,
"Mia and Sydney have taken him back to Court. It's better if he isn't around with everything that's going on." I looked at him incredulously,
"You sent him back? He knows where we are, he knows what we're planning on doing, not to mention he's supposed to be changing Ilia back, and you've sent him home for being a naughty boy?" I was struggling to reign in the volume of my voice, closing my eyes I counted to ten,
"Do you really think that after everything we've been through I would blow it all?" I averted my eyes to the floor before I muttered,
"No, probably not."
"Of course I wouldn't. It won't matter if Adrian tells them anything, we won't be here soon enough, Ilia," he grimaced, almost like he was bracing himself for something, just as I felt Lissa's apprehension, turning toward her brows drawn together it dawned on me,
"You didn't?" I looked between the three of them, Christian looking anywhere but at me, Abe was looking between Lissa and me in surprise, as Lissa stood and walked towards me.
"I told you that I would, he's my brother, it was my right to." I'd never seen her look so adamant, or so strong. Not only was I trying to block her out of my head last night, but she'd blocked me, my features turned dark as I realized the danger she had put herself in,
"You blocked me out." I was still shocked over that, "Do you know how dangerous that is?" Shaking her head she walked toward me once again,
"There was no danger Rose. He was tied to a chair with silver." She sounded as though she'd used this argument several time, my eyes diverting for a second to Christian who still wouldn't look at us, "And besides any of that, nothing bad happened, we're all here, we're all non-Strigoi, and we're one step closer to clearing your name." I dropped my head into my hand as I rubbed my eyes in frustration.
Something was bothering me, I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but it was something to do with the way Christian was being, looking around Lissa I tried to catch his gaze,
"So what's happened then?" I looked back at Lissa puzzled, "You said nothing bad happened, not that everything was fine, so what happened Lissa?" I looked at Abe, who lowered his eyes to the table once again, "Abe?" The apprehension that Lissa was feeling was still coming off her in waves, I was close to grabbing her and shaking the answer out of her when I heard a thumping noise coming from up stairs, still puzzled I looked at the three of them before turning, walking past Dimitri, out of the room and toward the stairs.
I'd just reached the bottom step, hand on the banister when I heard Lissa speak to me quietly,
"It worked Rose," I froze, hesitantly turning to look at her, afraid of what I might find,
"Lissa, what's going on?" Looking up the stairs as the noise came again, and what sounded like a frustrated growl, my eyes shifting back to Lissa before sprinting up to the room that held Ilia. Swinging open the door my eyes searching the dark room I saw him, and froze. He was chained to the floor, cuffs around his wrists and ankles, he was covered in scratches, the skin completely gouged in places, chunks of hair littered the floor, and under his nails as he skittered across the floor into the corner whimpering. Then it was like he realized I wasn't a threat and tried to launch himself at me, teeth bared, growling and spitting as he pulled at his restraints.
The nauseous feeling that came over me had nothing to do with spirits, Strigoi or the undead of any kind, it was over the tormented and demented creature in front of me.
There were footsteps behind me, not turning, or moving my eyes focused on Ilia,
"What happened to him?" I asked completely dazed,
Lissa walked up to the door, and moved around me, Ilia seemed to calm when he saw Lissa, he stopped pulling at the restraints and dropped to the floor arms around his legs rocking, she walked over to him, whispering words to him before she finally spoke aloud again,
"We don't know, we did everything right as far as we know. We were talking about it when you came downstairs. The only difference between him and Dimitri was that Ilia chose to become Strigoi, Dimitri didn't, so the way I see it Dimitri's body welcomed his soul back, Ilia's is trying to reject it." She ran her hand across Ilia's hunched shoulders and looked down at him adoringly.
Abe walked up behind me, "I've spoke to Oksana and Mark, and albeit hesitantly, they're going to try…" he hesitated, almost like he was looking for the appropriate words, "and help him." I nodded, trying to ignore the million and one things running through my head. Pulling myself together and concentrating once more I turned fully to Abe,
"What do we need to do next? I mean as far as finding out who killed Tatiana?" His eyes never moved from Ilia,
"I don't know, but I have a few ideas, I just need to look into them first." There was something I'd also been thinking about the last couple of days,
"I have an idea, I'm not sure how we'd implement it, but I think I know who it was, that killed Tatiana, and didn't want Lissa able to take her place on the council," I saw Abe's head jerk back in surprise,
"I said I think I know, but to be sure, we need to flush the guilty party out." Abe smiled at the thought, more plotting going on behind Zmey's eyes.
"We're going back to court?" I nodded, resigned but determinedly,
"We have to. It's the only way." We'd done well not being caught or recognized for this long,
"You know they'll arrest you on site, or worse." Clenching my jaw at the though of being back in that cell, I nodded again,
"Looks like we've got some planning to do." I sighed, not returning the smile that had worked it's way onto Zmey's face,
"Yep, looks like it."