Chapter 37

As we walked towards the plane, I dreaded what was more than likely going to happen again. Lissa's fear of what had gone on with the Queen were still making me jumpy and irritable, nervous too and knowing the headache of all headaches would soon be making an appearance; I was in a slight state of panic. I didn't know how much more of these 'out of control' feelings I could handle. Surely something had to break sooner or later..... I walked up the 5 stairs to the Academy's private jet and sat beside Dimitri. Even though he didn't show nervousness on the outside, I knew him well enough to know what was on in his head.

Just then Adrian walked past me to take his seat. "I'll be back in a tic," I said to Dimitri. "I need to talk to Adrian." I walked up to where he'd sat and stared at him. "Well, shove over Ivashkov." I grinned and he grinned back remembering the last time I'd said that to him. We were on our way to find Robert and he had given me his "Reasons to date me" letter. "How are you Adrian?"

"I'm good, you?" Ever since Eddie died, he'd taken to his favourite drink and cigarettes again. He was trying to do what Robert did, but it didn't always work.

"Not so good actually." He put his hand on mine and squeezed it. It hurt to think of the feelings he still had for me, and truthfully, of the ones I still had for him.

"Anything I can help with?" He had that devastating grin back. He tilted his head to one side and narrowed his eyes and then said, "You're flying again Hathaway..."

"I am not! Quit it Ivashkov.... Are you going to listen to me or do I just go sit somewhere else?"

"I'm listening, very much so actually." I shook my head and wondered if I should just go talk to Oksana or Robert....

"Adrian, Lissa's hormones are driving me nuts. She's wants to know what went on, and I'm worried about what to do, and also of the headache that I'm about to get when we take off and...." He silenced me my reaching over and pulling my head over to him and kissing my forehead.

"I won't see you in pain Little Dhampir; I'll send you off to your happy place as soon as you want, okay..."

"Thank you. It's just that I know how I'm feeling at the moment and I won't be able to keep the barrier up and they'll come back."

He nodded in understanding. "Just let me know. I'll always be there for you Rose, you know that don't you." Looking into his green eyes, I knew he meant every word.

"I'm sorry Adrian." He knew what I meant, but I couldn't stop the tears from starting to fill my eyes, these bloody hormones!!

"I choose to be here Rose. If ever the day comes that I can't anymore, then you'll be the first to know, okay." He kissed my cheek and then sat back into his chair not taking his eyes off me. "You best get back, we'll be leaving shortly. Scream if you need me." He said with a wink. I smiled and lent forward to kiss him on the cheek and thanked him.

A couple of minutes after taking off, the plane banked to the left and crossed the wards of Court. Sure enough, the headache started, but panic started to rise too.... I know I didn't want what was coming, but panic??? This was stupid! Blood started to pump behind my eyes and ears and then the familiar black splotches started before my eyes. I pressed my hands against my temples and squeezed. "Rose," said Dimitri...

"Oh crap!" I said, this one was getting a hold quicker & faster than before, and then it felt like someone had shoved a red hot poker into my head, pain shot through me, I couldn't hold it back any longer and I screamed. Dimitri grabbed me and must have called for Adrian. But I don't think he needed calling though, he would have come when he heard the scream. I opened my eyes for a minute and standing in front of me was Eddie. His mouth was open like he wanted to say something... "Eddie!" I said. I couldn't see anyone else, only the black bits and Eddie. There were a few more ghosts around, but Eddie was the clearest. My head felt like it was going to split open. "What....what's wrong?" I asked him. He shook his head... then he slowly mouthed, "They're.......coming.......for.......you.....Rose......" I didn't have time to ask him what he meant by that as everything went black. Adrian had made me sleep. It wasn't long and I was standing in his grandmother's garden again. He hadn't taken me there in a long time, and the smell of the flowers was everywhere. He wasn't here yet, so I took the time to walk around.

"Feeling better I see?" He said from behind me. I turned to see that he was wearing an emerald green silk shirt that set his eyes off perfectly; his hair blew in the wind and made him look as sexy as I remembered. I smiled as I walked up to him.

"How do you do that?" He cocked his head to one side in confusion. "Look like that so effortlessly. Is it something you practise in the mirror on a daily basis?"

"Look like what Little Dhampir?"

He was going to make me say it. "Like sex on a stick." He roared laughing at that. So much so that he flopped down in amongst the flower bed. "I'm glad I amuse you."

With tears of laughter in his eyes he looked up and grabbed my hand and pulled me down beside him. "Only you could make me laugh so much Rose. That's what made...." he stopped what he was going to say and said something else. "Did you see Eddie this time?"

Remembering what happened now I said, "Yeah, he was worried about me. It's hard for them to talk, well they don't actually talk, their mouths move but I hear it in my head rather than my ears, if you know what I mean. He said really slowly that "They're coming for me."

"Who?"

"I don't know. But if he's telling me, then it can't be good can it. He could mean your aunt's guards, strigoi.... who knows." I picked a flower off the daisy bush I sat next to and fiddled with the petals in thought.

He took my face in his hands. "I won't let anyone hurt you Rose, least of all my aunt. Someone else may have to help if it's the strigoi though...." he said with a half smile that didn't reach his eyes. Then he bent forward and kissed me. He looked at me and then dropped his hands and got up. "I'm sorry... I didn't..." He turned and walked away from me.

"Adrian, don't go." I said but then he was gone. Shit! The garden didn't vanish, and I didn't know how long the flight had to go, so I thought he might come back but he didn't. When I woke up we'd already landed and people were leaving the plane. I looked around for Adrian, but he wasn't there.

"Are you okay?" asked Dimitri. "I couldn't wake you up." Adrian must have kept me asleep until he left.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I said standing up. I'd have to talk to him later but for now I was just glad that my head was no longer my worst enemy. "I saw Eddie."

"Yeah, I gathered that. Why can't you hold the barrier up anymore?" he asked.

"I think its Lissa's emotions and my emotions together, it's just too much sometimes and I think Eddie really needed to come through this time. Dimitri, he said 'they're coming for me'."

He just looked into my eyes and said, "I won't let anyone get you Roza, believe that alright. You're mine, you always have been and after everything that has happened, I won't let anything take you away from me again." I swallowed and searching his eyes I knew that he meant every word. I flew to him and wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him hard.

"I knew I was yours before you did." I said softly. But he shook his head.

"No, you didn't." And then he kissed me, which I gladly returned.