Blame fanfiction, because if it had let me log on this would've been up days ago! I swear it likes to just give me problems on purpose -.-
Anyways! Thank you for all of the reviews, and any adivce or feedback it means alot! And sorry, I'm going to try to be more ontop of my posts again.
This one is multiple perspectives, I hope you like!
Disclaimer: It's soooo not mine. Only the plot and a few characters!
"Does everyone understand the plan?" I asked for the last time, and received nods from all of my friends and Tasha, who were crammed into my kitchen clad in black. We had been running over the plan repeatedly, making sure that it was drilled into everyone's mind and that there were no substitutions to this plan. After what happened on the mission the other day, I didn't want to risk anyone veering away from the plan. We so didn't need a repeat of that disaster.
"Alright, and here is where I give you a chance." I sighed, looking into the earnest eyes of my friends, feeling that knot of despair in the pit of my stomach that I always did whenever I dragged someone I cared about into my schemes. It's not that I regretted doing this, I knew saving the girl was the proper things to do, it's that I felt guilty for roping my friends into something that could easily become treasonous. "Here is where I give you, you're only chance to back out without any type of consequences. This is your only chance to walk away, because once the plan is in motion there is no backing out or second guessing. Once you're in, you're in. So, here's your out, if you want to walk away this is your only chance to do it."
Everyone just looked at one another, then looked at me like I was crazy for even suggesting the idea that one of them would walk away. The incredulous looks I received from my closest friends – Eddie, Christian (yes, I now considered Christian a close friend. Sometime between Spokane, the attack on the school and restoring Dimitri, he actually became pretty useful.), Adrian and Lissa – filled me with warmth and I remembered last night. I had said it before, that normalcy was something my life lacked, and I think my friends sensed that because Adrian had dragged me to Lissa's house, where we all hung out for the evening. I don't know how they knew, but I needed them at that moment, I needed to not be a guardian for a minute and instead just hang out with my friends.
"No takers? Good, let's go." I gave everyone a tight smile, before leading them out of my house and locking the door behind everyone. I maintained my guardian composure but secretly I was freaking out, I knew that if this went badly we would all be implicated. Although Lissa and Adrian were the key players here, they would mostly likely get off the hook because of their royal status. Christian and Tasha would be in trouble, especially considering their family history, but they would probably walk away from this too. Mia and Jill would also get into serious trouble, but the likely hood of them getting caught wasn't very high, mainly because they were just the lookouts. But me and Eddie? We were dhampirs, and if we got caught we would be facing serious consequences. I had no doubt in my mind that if this went wrong, one of us would have a one way ticket to Tarasov.
Once we were all outside, everyone gravitated to their groups and set off in separate directions. Lissa, Christian and Mia began walking towards royal housing, just as Adrian, Tasha and Jill headed towards the feeder building. Leaving me and Eddie waiting anxiously on my front steps, praying to whatever god was out there that everything goes well.
Waiting was the part I dreaded the most. It killed me that I couldn't jump into action immediately and help, but it was impossible for me to contribute to the first part of the plan. Neither Eddie nor I had the status or the magic to help, and therefor had to leave everything to the moroi. All we could do was wait for the signal so that we could jump in, and use our physical strength and guardian tactics.
So we both waited, silently gazing out at court sprawling around us. We watched as non-royal moroi and a few dhampirs that lived in the townhouses near mine, scrambled to begin their day. And I internally sighed, wishing that my life could be as simple as theirs. I loved my life and all of the people in it, but sometimes I just wished that all the craziness would stop, even for just a minute.
Eddie must've been thinking along the same lines. After a moment he leaned against the railing on my porch, glancing up at the thousands of stars glittering above us, looking somber as he voiced his thoughts.
"Do you ever wonder if we're the only ones with complicated lives?" he asked in a humourless voice. I glanced sideways at him, wishing that Eddie could have the humour and liveliness as he once did, before Spokane and the attack, and everything that followed. I wished that he could have some of his optimism and hope back, because maybe it would help heal the wounds that have been festering ever since Mason's death.
"I know that everyone has problems, and everyone faces obstacles in their lives, but honestly? It feels like we're the only ones who are dealing with it to this magnitude. It feels like we're the ones suffering the most, and I wonder how it's possible that the universe can suck that much." Eddie sighed, and I just looked up at the brilliant orbs of light shining above, knowing that he was right. Sometimes it did feel like the universe had it out for us.
"I know." I whispered, wrapping my arm around his shoulder and pulling him in tight. "The universe is cruel and unfair, and it's random. It's frustrating and infuriating, and sucks on so many levels." I sighed, running my fingers through his soft hair as he nodded his head. "And you're angry. You feeling like your breaking apart, piece by piece, like this is all just some cruel joke. And I know that you're losing hope, but you have to fight and have to overcome all those dark feelings. You can't lose hope. You can't lose faith."
I understood perfectly what Eddie was feeling, because I was feeling it too. I felt the same weight of the world crashing down around me. I felt the same anxiety because there were some things I couldn't outrun. I felt the same terror that made it impossible to breathe whenever I thought that we were fighting a losing battle, that the evil might actually win.
"I don't know what to do." Eddie told me softly, pulling back so I could see the shinning of tears in his hazel eyes. "I don't know how to keep fighting when it feels like there's nothing to fight for. I want to protect those that I care about and I want to fight against the Strigoi, but how do I do that when I couldn't even protect Mase? How can I do that when I got captured during the attack, or when the mission blew apart a few days ago? How can I help when it feels like all I ever do is make it worse?"
"Eddie Castile, you are one of the best damn guardians and you know it. You've had hardships and you've made mistakes, but that's what makes you such a great guardian. You know your priorities and you know how to protect those that you care about. I wouldn't have let you protect Lissa if I didn't think that you could keep her safe." I told him, gripping his chin and forcing him to look at me. How did we ever get this far? How did my childhood friend who shared my dreams of becoming a famous guardian become so dark? How did either of us end up like this? "You cannot give up hope, we both know Mase would kick your ass right now for even thinking that you weren't a worthy guardian. So just slow down for a minute, take a breath and remember that everything may seem dark and twisty now, but it will get better. Just focus on making Mason proud."
"I wish he was here." Eddie gave a wistful sigh, sniffling slightly. "You know that he would've run into that house right beside you to rescue that girl, and that he would've had a field day burning it down. And that he probably would've jumped at the chance to be a part of this operation. He would've gone all mission impossible." He laughed, wiping away the tears that were cascading down his cheeks.
"Oh God, I know. He would've had the entire getup and probably would've sung the theme song." I laughed, imagining Mason with his red hair, running around with that smirk on his face, and before I knew it the tears were flowing down my face.
"And we would've mocked him the entire time, but he would trump us all with his stupid jokes, and we would all be dying of laughter by the end of it." Eddie exclaimed chuckling at the thought, while I choked on a laugh. We were both doubled up in hysterics by the end of it, imagining all the possibilities and antics Mason would've pulled if he were still alive.
"God, I miss him." I sighed, shaking my head. The memory of Mason standing in doorway of the house in Spokane, gun in hand as he threatened Isaiah flashed in my mind, and I remembered just how brave he was.
"Yeah…I do too." Eddie agreed, his voice sober as we leaned into each other, starring up at the dark sky in silence once more.
Lissa's Point Of View
I grasped Christian's hand tightly when royal housing loomed in front of us. No one spoke the entire way here, instead we were all just consumed in our thoughts. My heart was racing as we walked towards the entrance of the building, and the only thing I could think of was how much easier this would be if Adrian was here too. He was always able to convince Tatiana to see things his way, and with him we could've convinced her easily. But I knew that the groups had to be split evenly; one spirit user each, one Ozera each and one lookout each.
We passed several guardians on the way to the Ivashkov wing where Tatiana lived. Each of them nodded and greeted us before moving on, which only made me grip Christian's hand tighter. I had done something like this before when we broke out Victor, and I barely made it out of there without being thrown into Tarasov myself, I so didn't want a repeat.
"Deep breath, it's all going to be okay." Christian whispered into my ear, and I looked up to meet his icy blue eyes, nodding my head. If anyone else had told me that it was going to be okay, I probably wouldn't have believed them, but with Christian by my side I knew it would be.
"I'll be waiting." Mia told us as we approached the wooden doors, leading to Tatiana's parlor. We both nodded our heads and watched as she disappeared down the corridor. I looked back up at Christian, finding comfort and confidence in his eyes. I could do this, I thought as I knocked on the wooden doors.
Adrian's Point Of View
"Lord Ivashkov! Wonderful to see you again," greeted one of the moroi receptionists at the feeder building. I just gave her a lazy grin, trying to appear casual as I watched Tasha sneaking towards the hallways that led down to the feeders.
"It's always good to see you too gorgeous. Now, tell me, what will it take to have my name at the top of the feeder list?" I asked, leaning in close and giving her a rueful smile. She just fluttered her eyes, blushing as she looked over the schedule. God, women were so easy sometimes.
"Well, I'm not supposed to be doing this, but if you're quick I can take you back right now." She smiled as she stood; beckoning me to follow her down the hallway that Tasha had just gone into. That was simple, I thought as I watched the moroi lead me through the maze of hallways and room, no compulsion necessary (which was lucky, I needed to preserve my strength).
She tried to continue flirting, but I was too preoccupied peering into all the rooms, trying to find Tasha or the human girl. I figured it was lost cause, until the moroi woman led me into a feeding room, where the girl with caramel waves sat, looking terrified.
"This is her first time." The moroi whispered into my ear, obviously trying to seem seductive as she did so. I just nodded my head, it was obvious that it was her first time, her eyes were huge and she was shaking slightly.
"You don't say." I mused, my eyes darting around the small room, trying to look anywhere but at the shaking girl, but unable to. This, I realized, was why Rose wanted to save her so badly.
All of the feeders Moroi used to get blood are addicts. They crave the endorphins from the bite, and don't care about wasting away their years. To them, they have the absolute perfect life. But this girl? She wasn't addicted yet, and she was afraid. She was young and probably had dreams, she didn't want to be here. She still had a chance to escape from the prisoned life of a feeder. Because in reality, they were trapped. They spent their days being bitten, before they're locked in their rooms. They rarely see outside the feeder building, and they are always looked down upon. They are imprisoned, and they don't even realize it.
"Yeah, the guardians brought her here a couple days ago. No one has fen from her yet, so enjoy it." The moroi whispered in my ear, while I just stared blankly at the human girl, not even acknowledging that the moroi receptionist was trying to use a seductive voice.
I took a step towards the human girl, watching a she shrunk back into her chair, tears seeping from her wide eyes. And I felt sorrow run through me, shaking me to my core. Where the hell was Tasha? We needed to hurry and get this girl out of here, I couldn't watch her terror anymore.
I sensed someone entering the room, and sure enough it was Tasha. The moroi receptionist hadn't noticed yet, but she was about to.
Lissa's Point Of View
"Your majesty," I greeted, bowing and sneaking a glance at Christian. Mostly to give me more confidence, but also to confirm he was bowing.
"Vasilisa, wonderful to see you dear." Tatiana cooed as I erected myself. I smiled at her, keeping my regal attitude and confidence in place, but I still felt like I was going to throw up.
I knew that most of my friends disliked the Queen – disliked is probably an understatement – but she took me under her wing when no one else would. After my parents and Andre died, I was completely lost in court life. I didn't know what to do or how to live up the expectations. It was easier when Rose and Christian and Adrian were around, but there were times when they weren't. When Rose was in Russia, when Christian wasn't speaking to me, and Adrian was too drunk I was alone and lost. Tatiana took me under her wing, and taught me how to hold myself. I was grateful to her, but I knew that I needed to stand up to her.
"You too your majesty, but I'm sorry that it's not on better terms. You see I really need to speak to you about something important." I told her, glancing up at Christian as I spoke. He gave me a tender smile, and squeezed my hand, looking prouder than ever.
"Oh heavens," Tatiana gasped, hand covering her mouth and her eyes bulging. "Please, no, Vasilisa, how could you have been so irresponsible?" Tatiana asked, standing and walking over to where Christian and I stood.
I felt my eyebrows knit in confusion, and I looked up at Christian for some guidance, wondering what I had missed. He just shrugged, obviously as clueless as me. Tatiana's emerald eyes shifted from me to Christian several times, and I noticed a glare whenever she looked at my boyfriend.
"Pardon, your majesty, but what are you talking about?" Christian asked bluntly, at least he didn't curse, that in its self was a blessing.
"What am I talking about, Lord Ozera? Only the fact that you have knocked up the Dragomir Princess!" The queen exclaimed, causing my eyebrows to raise and my jaw to fall open.
Adrian's Point Of View
I continued to shoot worried glances over at the hazy receptionist in the corner, making sure that the compulsion wasn't wearing off. I knew Tasha was pretty good, I just didn't know how good.
"Stop worrying, she's dazed." Tasha's voice caused me to snap my head in her direction, she was trying to console the human girl who was verging on frantic. Part of this ill thought out plan forgot to cover what would happen if this girl started freaking out, and guess what? She was freaking out.
I knelt beside her, watching as her eyes shifted from Tasha to me. She was like an injured animal being cornered, she was out of her element and afraid. And although both Tasha and I knew that we should be sweet and understanding, that we should to coaxing her out, we didn't have time for that. The receptionist told me when we were heading down here that I had to be quick, I knew the feeder's schedule was tight, and if we took too long then we would be caught. We didn't have time to comfort the terrified animal, we needed to yank it out of the cage and drag it with us.
"Listen, we're here to help you." I told her, watching her hazel eyes study my face. I could practically see the battle waging inside of her. She was debating whether she could trust us or not, whether staying here would be more beneficial than coming with us. "Come with us. We want to get you out." She bit her lip, and I wondered how long she would take to make a choice, my eyes shooting to the door for any signs of company.
"I-I don't know." She whispered, tears filling her eyes and causing my stomach to twist. This girl must be going through hell. "This is all so confusing…it's happening so fast." Her eyes swam with confusion.
I was about to open my mouth to comfort her, to try and pursued her to come with us, to assure her that we would help her. But then Tasha's impatient voice cut me off.
"Adrian, we don't have time for this." She urged, eyes also darting towards the doorway, which seemed like an impending doom. Like at any moment, someone could walk past and ruin everything. "Just compel her." She hissed, and I nodded my head.
"You are going to come with us." I told the girl in a calm and soothing voice, watching the tension leave her body and her eyes glaze over. "You are going to follow us silently, keeping pace and remaining discrete. Understand?" I asked, my voice smooth and steady as the girl nodded her head, caramel waves bobbing around her face.
"Let's go." I nodded at Tasha, grabbing the girl by her shoulder and leading her out of the door. Tasha did the same with the receptionist, knowing that we were going to need her to change paperwork, and move around appointments, that was the only way we were going to get away with this.
Lissa's Point of View
The room was silent for a heartbeat, and I was too shocked to form a coherent sentence. Christian on the other hand, thought this was the funniest thing in the entire world. He promptly doubled over in hysterics, wiping the tears that were forming in his eyes. I glared at him, why was it that he and Rose always laughed at the most inappropriate times?
"Excuse me Lord Ozera, but I do not see what's funny about this. You have just ruined Vasilisa's bright future. She is only twenty-one for goodness sake!" Tatiana continued, and I managed to scramble up an explanation and stop the madness.
"We're not…I'm not pregnant. No little Dragomirs…not for a very…very long time." I probably sounded like a blubbering idiot but I was still overwhelmed, she seriously thought I was pregnant?
"Thank god." Tatiana sighed, wandering back to her seat, while Christian sobered himself up. "Now, what was it that you wanted to tell me?" She asked, and I prepared myself for the best sales pitch of my life.
"We came to speak to you about that human girl, the one from the rescue mission." I told Tatiana, watching as her eyes became wary and her face apprehensive. Her shoulders were tense and she shifted in her chair, regarding us carefully.
"Yes, what about her?" She asked in a clipped tone, and it was obvious that I was treading in deep water right now.
"I know a way we can release her, without fear of her sharing our secret."