Wow I'm so nice to ya'll. Updating ahead of schedule!!! I'm not sure how you'll react to this chapter so I'm biting my fingernails in nervousness, please read and review or I'll cry, and kill everyone!!! But not actually :P
Disclaimer: It's not mine and never will be

Chapter 36

"Run Adrian!" I cried at him again, ducking under a swinging arm and driving my stake into his open chest. Adrian didn't move and opened his mouth to protest. "Get out of here." I commanded and staggered back from a kick in the stomach, "GO!" I shouted and from my peripheral vision I saw him hesitated then grab Melanie's arm and run.

I ducked again and lashed out, cutting deeply into another Strigoi's arm. I was vastly outnumbered and I swear whenever I killed one Strigoi, two more joined the ranks. I was tiring fast but I keep fighting, keep killing. I had pulled my stake from another chest and turned to deflect a blow when a pair of unbreakable cold arms grabbed me from behind. I struggled futilely, and received a vicious back-hand from my previous target. Blood dripped down my cheek that was now open and I blinked rapidly, fighting to stay conscious.

I was used as a punching bag then, each Strigoi getting a fairly decent blow in; not enough to actually kill me but by the fifth or sixth hit I was fading fast.

That was when I felt a breath in my ear and a voice I never ever expected to hear again spoke one word before I passed out.

"Roza."

-~-

I shot up in bed, hugely disorientated as I looked around my pitch black room. 'A dream,' I thought, desperately hoping it was true but knowing it wasn't.

"What's wrong babe?" A deep voice asked from beside me.

"I just had a horrible nightmare... It was so vivid... I..." I trailed off.

I felt a pair of warm arms wrap around my shoulders.

"It's okay, it was just a dream."

I was struck by a horrid thought and I leapt from his embrace and ran out the door; not really caring about the amount of noise I made. I smashed into her bedroom door and saw the empty undisturbed bed. She hadn't come home.

I swore and ran down the stairs, and out the door. There were lights on in the Ivashkov's building and a lot of activity for this late at night. The sun was up but it was still dark as night, due to ominous clouds that threatened rain. I had planned to stay up waiting for her but eventually been too exhausted to stay awake. I ran towards the thong of persons gathered at the entrance to one of the door.

"Adrian?!" I called out, searching for him.

I heard him call to me and I barged my way through the crowd.

"What happened? Where's Mel? Where'd the Strigoi come from? What were they doing in the Courts? How did they get past the wards? What were you doing out this late?"

I ignored his surprised look and he didn't bother asking how I knew about it.

"I – we – Mel – she – Rose – told us to run – she fought them – got here as quick as we could – Strigoi – she fought – out numbered -"

I cut him off by slapping some sense into him, "Talk in sentences Adrian." I said sharply.

Before he could recover, I heard shouts from behind me and recognised Marcus, Maia and Julius rushing towards us.

"What is the meaning of this?" Marcus demanded, he appeared to be wide awake, still in the suit I'd seen him in earlier, apparently not having gone to bed yet. Maia and Julius were a little more disorderly but appeared to be alert and watchful. "Where is Rose Lissa?"

That was an excellent question, one I wasn't able to answer.

"Adrian, tell us what happened." I commanded him.

He took a deep, calming breath before speaking, "We were at the fountain, Mel and I, when Rose rushed up, apparently furious. She was about to lay into Mel when she keeled over and turned slightly green. Then, in the scariest voice I've ever heard, told us to run. I had no idea what was happening when she screamed to run and drew a stake from nowhere as a bunch of Strigoi appeared. She killed several, but for every one she killed two more replaced them. It was chaos. She screamed at me to get away.
"But, Lissa, the weird thing was, was that they didn't even bother with us. They targeted her solely. They had come for her."

I felt panic rise in my chest, "Dimitri." I whispered and Adrian gasped in understanding and horror, and then swore.

"Dimitri? As in that Dhampir she had loved, who had turned Strigoi? The Dimitri that she had spent the last four years searching for?" Maia asked her voice fearful and horrified. The lump that had been growing in my throat just grew and it blocked my throat so I just nodded. Marcus said something in Greek that had to be a curse judging by his tone and expression. I was actually scared of him; his face was contorted in the most hateful expression I had ever seen.

"But she didn't have a stake with her." Marcus noted, his expression horrified as he realised that he could be at fault, he had taken her to dinner tonight, she had worn a dress and he hadn't seen anywhere she could have held a stake. I placed a hand on his arm.

"Rose always has a stake on her - Even when I tell her not to. She had it strapped to her inner thigh." I comforted him and he relaxed minimally. Turning to Adrian his voice was hard again.

"Ivashkov, take me to the last place you saw her."

Adrian nodded fearfully and led the way. I followed numbly, my emotions in turmoil. I couldn't make sense of them and at the moment I think I was just numb in shock.

The fountain area was like a war zone, Strigoi corpses lay scattered about and blood was drying on the bricked landscape.

Marcus carefully stepped over the bodies, surveying the immediate area.

"Rose fought here." He stated, standing approximately in the centre of the now apparent circle of Strigoi. It was a circle of clear ground, and Strigoi bodies bordered the circumference at a radius of no more than three metres.

"She was wounded, severely. This blood here," He pointed to a frightening large puddle of still wet blood, and then followed a dotted line, heading away from where we were standing, "Is hers." He stepped around, choreographing the fight; it looked like an interpretive dance, his movements graceful but direct and deadly.

"She stopped, most likely restrained and beaten." He stood above the biggest puddle of blood, that wasn't entirely dried. Nausea built up in my stomach and I fought down the urge to throw-up. "Then was carried away, see this trail of blood drops? These are hers." He crouched down and pointed to a dotted line of blood; leading off to the wards. He stood up looking off in the direction the blood lead to, "Whoever managed to restrain her must've studied her fighting style intimately. Known exactly how to get her."

"He would, considering Dimitri taught Rose everything she knows." All three of the Romans eyes focussed on me, "I was... in her head when she was fighting. Dimitri caught her from behind and then they used her like a punching bag. Dimitri's going to kill her, but not before he tortures her. She has become too dangerous for him to turn her now, she has made far too many enemies amongst the Strigoi, even if Dimitri is a leader of sorts amongst the Strigoi now too many Strigoi want Rose dead. And I'm pretty sure as a Strigoi not even Dimitri will be able to control Rose; she will become lethal, deadly and the biggest threat Moroi have even known." As sick as that sounded, in my heart I knew it was true. Dimitri wouldn't keep Rose alive, he would have his fun with her while she is weak, while she is vulnerable and then he will kill her. The nausea increased and I couldn't stop. I ran to a bush and threw up violently; my guts heaving. No one comforted me, no one whispered comforting and supportive things into my ear, and no one embraced me. Everyone just stood like statues and I knew my words were sinking in, the realisation that if Rose were to become a Strigoi there was little chance that a Dhampir, Guardian or not, would be able to stop her.

"I will find her." Marcus announced, breaking the deafening silence that had grown and begun crushing us. I looked at him, studying his brown eyes, his scar that wasn't disfiguring as much as it was adding to his appearance – much like Tasha Ozera's, his jaw was clenched in determination and I could see his mind was set.

"We will come with you Marcus." Maia spoke for herself and Julius who nodded grimly.

"I wan -" Adrian began but was interrupted by Marcus.

"No. You are a Moroi, a liability that we cannot have tagging along, slowing us down." His voice was harsh and I could see Adrian beginning to fume.

"Do you have any idea who you're speaking to?" He demanded, with the authority only a Royal could portray. Marcus didn't react, just towered over Adrian; even though they were basically the same height, the anger in Marcus came off him in waves, making Adrian shrink back.

"I know exactly who I am speaking to Ivashkov. But I've no time for arguing with a spoilt Moroi, we will hunt for Alla and you will not be accompanying us. I do not take commands from Moroi, nor do I serve the Queen, so do not speak to me as though I am on for you to order around." Although his voice was low it was so full of rage that Adrian took a step back. I felt afraid of Marcus for the first time, when I had first met him he had seemed nice, kind and harmless but now I saw the warrior within. What made him so dangerous and what made Rose so respectful of him.

Maia stepped forwards and placed a hand on his shoulder and they shared a few moments of silent communication.

"Marcus, before you go allow me to try get into her head again." I spoke up timidly. Everyone turned to me and I closed my eyes in concentration. I was completely unsure of how to actually do this, Rose had never really explained to me how she did this; she simply told me she could do it after that first time. I regretted now not asking her but I remembered her mentioning that her defences were down when she was asleep, and being asleep meant you were relaxed and thinking of nothing imparticular, so I tried relaxing and thinking of nothing.

It was an odd sensation, thinking of nothing, but I did it and found what felt like a leak or something. A leak of emotions that were not my own. I concentrated on the leak and felt a pull towards it; allowing myself to be pulled I got sucked in... Only to be hit by, what felt like, a brick wall. It was like a solid brick wall that kept everything about Rose from me, that leak had been a crack in the wall. I wasn't able to get into her head as much as I could barely feel her emotions. They were faint, but undeniable feelings of pure, unadulterated terror. Rose was afraid, terrified even. But if she was terrified that meant she was alive, every cloud has a silver lining after all, no matter how faint said lining was.

I opened my eyes to see four pairs of expectant eyes watching me. I shook my head sadly, slowly and they all breathed a sigh of disappointment and dread.

"I can't get into her head; she's either blocking me or unconscious and drugged."

Adrian looked at me sharply, "How do you know that?"

"Because when Rose was too exhausted to block me out when she was with Mia she asked for sleeping pills to knock her out, I couldn't access her dreams then. But I know she's not dead or Strigoi because I can still feel a trickle of her emotions. She's afraid, absolutely terrified and I don't know what to do."

Marcus stepped forwards and handed me a card, "This is my cell phone number. Call me, but only if you have vital information about Alla. We leave within the hour."

I nodded grimly and watched Rose's three friends who had been with her when I hadn't, been there for her when she had feared me.

Thinking about it now I thought it was so ridiculous, I couldn't completely understand why Rose would feel as if I wouldn't forgive her, or be afraid of her. She was still Rose to me and no matter what she has done she will always be my Rose. My bondmate and sister.

Once they were out of sight Adrian came up to me and hugged me tightly. I clung to him in desperation; the severity of the situation finally hitting me. My bondmates life was in serious jeopardy and there was nothing I could really do. I couldn't even get into her mind to even get an inkling of where she was, where she could be.

I didn't have huge hope of Marcus finding her, even with his obvious skill at tracking we had no idea how far ahead they were, or even where they were heading. Doubt plagued my mind causing it to think up the worst possible scenarios.

"They will find her Lissa. I'll organise a group of Guardians to aid the Romans." Adrian assured me gruffly, "But we will get Rose back. We will."

I wasn't sure who he was trying to convince; me or himself.

"Lissa!"

I let go of Adrian to see Christian running towards me. He reached me and pulled me into a tight hug; having seen how upset I was.

"What's wrong? I couldn't find Rose anywhere and you just ran out."

I broke into tears then, "She – Rose – gone – Adrian – Strigoi -" He patted and rubbed my back rhythmically, soothing and calming me.

"Ssh Lissa, babe, take a deep breath. Breathe and try again."

I breathed deeply, avoiding hyperventilating, and managed to regain some small amount of composure.

"Rose has been taken by Strigoi. Strigoi led by Dimitri."

Christian gasped at his name, all his muscles tensed and his body stiffened as rage and horror alike spread through him.

"Oh god! No! We only just got her back." He pulled back and I saw how effected he was. I saw a blast of magic explode throughout his aura and the air around us heated. It got to the point that it felt as though we were in a furnace.

"Christian calm down!" Adrian shouted, alerted by his spectacularly bright aura.

I could see the strain on Christian as he concentrated on calming himself. He inhaled deep breaths in his nose and exhaled through his mouth. I felt the air around me cool and moisten so I could breathe without my throat burning.

I stroked his arm and noticed the tears glistening.

"How soon can you get a team together Adrian?" I asked my voice hoarse with emotion. He was frowning, deep in thought.

"Within two hours max, but I need to start now. I need to speak with my Aunt."

He hurried away and I looked at Christian who had a look in his eye I hadn't seen in years. He wanted to fight.

"Christian don't."

He looked into my eyes and his ice blue ones were hard with steel determination.

"I need to Liss. I didn't look for her last time and she ended up gone for five years! I refuse to wait another five years before finally doing something about it. I accepted the rumours of her desertion and later death. It wasn't until the darkness began changing you and then you were suddenly 'normal' again that I believed she was alive. That she cared. I'm so ashamed of that Lissa. I'm so full of shame in the way I disregarded her, believed the worst of her because I was jealous.

"She spent her entire life training to be your shadow, your guardian. She had a bond with you, you two were closer than sisters and I was jealous of her. I was envious of the relationship she shared with you, a relationship I could never have with you. I was selfish enough to have wanted you all to myself and so when she was kidnapped the first time, I simply believed the worst of the speculations. That she abandoned you and I reasoned she did so to find Dimitri. That she choose Dimitri over you.

"It was so easy for me to hide behind my jealousy of her and believe the worst. So easy. And so Liss I need to do this. I have to do this."

I didn't know what to say. Christian's confession left me speechless. I hadn't had any idea he felt this way, this guilty and shamed over his treatment of Rose. I had known those two had had their differences in the past, but fighting together against the Strigoi had formed a connection between them. Sure they hadn't been the best of friends, they bickered and sniped at each other, but beneath that, there had always been a mutual respect for each other.

I hugged him tightly and I both heard and felt the sob that racked through him. As selfish as I was, I knew how much this meant to him.

"Okay Christian. If the group Adrian assembles allows it you can help find Rose. But be sure to come back to me. I cannot lose you both. I just can't"

He lowered his head and I met his lips with mine in a passionate kiss. But it was lined with fear and desperation and I clung to him.

The waiting for Adrian to come back was the worst; it was only an hour but an hour that dragged. For each minute we waited Rose got further and further away; there was no doubt in my mind that Dimitri would take her as far away as possible and hide her. He was too smart to allow the opportunity of the sun's obstruction go to waste.

"Vasilisa what is the meaning of this?"

I looked up in horror to see Janine Hathaway rushing towards me, a worried expression on her face.

My mouth opened but nothing came out.

"It's Rose. She's been attacked and taken by Dimitri." Christian answered for me and I flinched at the sound of the awful news.

I watched Janine's expression slip into one of neutrality; if I were anyone else I would've presumed her to be unaffected by the horrific news of one's daughter having been taken by Strigoi but I knew Janine, I knew this was her defending herself. She was a highly trained and disciplined Guardian and her emotions right now would get in the way. I knew for a fact that once she was in her room the mask would slip and raw emotions would burst from her. Be it violent rage, or a torrent of tears.

"How? When? What is happening about it?" Her voice was carefully controlled, not an ounce of emotion detectable.

"We don't know how, the wards must have broken or been breached. Maybe an hour ago tops. The Roman's have already left to track her down and Adrian is currently organising a group of Guardians to form a search group." Christian answered mechanically since I still couldn't find my voice.

Janine nodded then without a word hurried away, in the direction where Adrian had left. I suddenly found use of my limps and hastily followed her; she would know where to find Adrian and the Queen.

As we approached a doorway yelling could be heard. It sounded like Adrian and he was apparently very upset; I only caught the end of the sentence.

"... won't help Rose?!"

We barged in without knocking and Janine was nearly glowing with the rage she was in, even without me seeing her aura.

"If I understood that correctly Your Majesty, you mean to not help recover the most valuable Guardian we have? Rose may be young, but she is the best Guardian our world has seen in centuries. Her Strigoi kill record is beyond belief and she is undefeated thus far by any of your Guardians under your ruling. If I am hearing correctly you are telling us you will not lift a finger to help us find my daughter, Princess Vasilisa's Guardian and bondmate and the best Guardian around?

"Let me tell you something, if Rose is to become a Strigoi, who the hell on this planet is going to be able to slay her? She has killed hoards of Strigoi already while she was smaller, weaker and slower than one. If she becomes a Strigoi, a vampire that feeds off of Moroi like you and everyone else us Dhampirs protect you are doomed. There is no doubt in my mind that she will become invisible and she'll be immortal. Unless we can kill her ourselves, she will never.

"Your Majesty, she is too much of a risk for us to not attempt to find and rescue."

It was obvious Tatiana hadn't considered this viewpoint, she had most likely been expecting Rose to just be killed and was refusing to give permission to organise a team out of spite. But what Janine had just announced forced her to rethink, reconsider her harsh actions.

"You have a valid point Guardian Hathaway. Ms Hathaway is too much of a threat to us as a Strigoi. Fine, I will organise a search party and they will have the orders that if she cannot be saved, then they are to kill her."

I grimaced and flinched into Christian's arms as he tensed at her harsh and blunt words. I noticed Janine remained expressionless; it was as if she knew the Queen would order this.

"I would like to be on the squad Your Majesty." Janine spoke and Tatiana raised an eyebrow in question.

"Do you now? And what would your charge say about you risking your life, thus leaving him defenceless?"

Janine stiffened, "He would accept my decision and allow me to go after my only daughter."

Tatiana appeared to think about it before inclining her head in permission.

"I too would like to accompany the squad Your Majesty. I believe my offensive fire magic would be constructive in fighting Strigoi."

Her eyes narrowed at Christian and I could see the gears churning in her mind.

"It's your life Ozera, do with it what you want." She eventually conceded and I felt Christians joy.

We eventually made it back home, having nowhere else to go. Janine had gone to begin packing and organising the squad. Christian led me to our bedroom and I paused outside the spare room that had become Rose's. It was exactly as she had left it this morning, clothes lay on the floor where she had kicked them off over the week. She wasn't one for picking up her washing each day instead accumulating them until she ran out of things to wear and then she'd do about four loads worth in one go. The tidiest part of the room was her hastily made bed, where she'd simply throw the duvet over so it was lumpy and looked as though a small body were in it. A body too small to be Rose.

Christian gently pulled me away from the doorway, "Babe, it's late and you haven't slept. You must be exhausted."

I was too tired to argue the point and allowed him to lead me to our bed where he undressed me lovingly and gently placed me on the bed. He crawled in bedside me and spooned his body with mine. I lay awake for hours, my mind unable to shut down until eventually it became too much and I drifted off...

The room was dark, musty and I could hear water dripping from a tap somewhere. The silence was deafening, pounding in my head and I shook it. Blood was dried in my hair and cracking on my face. I knew it was swollen as my lips felt puffy and I could barely see out my left eye; it was going to be a wicked black eye in the morning... unless it's morning now. I didn't know, time was meaningless in this hell hole that was windowless and the only light came from under the crack of the single door adjacent to me.

I tugged at my arms again, futilely trying to pulled the chains from the wall. My wrists were shackled and didn't allow more movement than to barely get my finger tips to scratch my face if I were to get an itch or drink water.

Water. I needed water, my mouth was dry even though I'd drunken plenty at the restaurant I was dehydrated from blood loss; from the wounds those bastard Strigoi had given me after using me like a punching bag.

My sides ached, my left arm was surely broken and I had a deep laceration in my thigh. None were fatal unfortunately... no that had been a rule, they could beat me as they pleased but were not allowed to cause a life-threatening injury.

I wasn't sure why he kept me alive. Why he continued to torture and degrade me. I couldn't comprehend why he would do this now, when last time he had been kind and coercing in his attempts to persuade me into 'awakening'. Because he doesn't want to awaken you this time; he wants to kill you. You have killed many of his men, and are too much of a threat to him as a Strigoi so he is having his fun with you until he gets bored or you die from one of the injuries inflicted. Then he can get more pleasure out of punishing whoever was fool enough to disobey his orders.

The voice was right, Dimitri no longer wanted me by his side since he knew I was more powerful than he. I was a threat both as a Dhampir and a Strigoi. He couldn't let me live so he was punishing me first before he would kill me. Most likely by drinking from me. At least that way I'll be blessed out on endorphins to notice I'm slowly dying.

The door suddenly opened and light flooded the room, 'oh god, he's early.' I thought panicking.

"Roza, you're not looking so hot." He smirked down at me, and looking at him now I couldn't see any of the Dimitri I had once known, once loved. This was pure evil, completely corrupted by the monster that Strigoi are. He crouched down in front of me and his cold hand stroked my inflamed cheek. It was a pleasant sensation as it momentarily dulled the hot pain, until he tapped it lightly. I clenched my jaw and bit my lips to keep myself from crying out.

"Your blood smells divine, I wonder if it tastes as good as I remember." He lent forwards and placed his cold lips to the pulse point in my neck. I took a sharp intake of breath and then felt his sharp fangs bite deep. Intense pain momentarily hit me before complete and total blissful oblivion...

"No!" I screamed as I jolted up in my bed. Christian woke a second later from my outcry and held me as tears flooded my eyes and fell down my cheeks like waterfalls.

"Oh god Christian, he's torturing her."