I'm sorry it's been so long - I was just finishing up my last weeks of school and now I'm officially done! Woo! I should be updating more often now :)

Chapter Thirty-Seven: Ghosts!

I woke up with only one thing on my mind.

Spokane, Washington.

Confused by this sudden obsessive thought, I continued on with my usual morning routine as I changed into my workout clothes. I hoped my morning run would help clear up my mind. Every once in awhile, I would have strange dreams and wake up with these random thoughts. It didn't happen very often, but when it did, it always related to something else that had happened. I only wondered what in the world was going on in Spokane, Washington to invade my dreams like it had. Unfortunately, I couldn't recall any details of my dream and I decided it wasn't worth fretting over.

The crisp, fresh air helped me to wake up. However, no matter how much I pushed myself, I couldn't get Spokane, Washington out of my mind. Who would be in Spokane, Washington? Was the ski resort where Dimitri and Adrian were staying located there? Did something happen to them?

All the sudden, I looked up and noticed a red-haired male standing right in front of me. I couldn't slow myself down enough and I braced myself for the impact, but I never collided with him. Instead, I ran straight through him. I may or may not have muttered some highly inappropriate Russian swear words out of frustration. The last thing I needed was to run into a ghost. I simply couldn't catch a break.

Upon closer inspection, I recognized the face of the red-haired ghost. "You were in my dream..." I muttered. I racked my brain, trying to remember anything about the dream I had. "...Obviously you died...by a Strigoi...and...and Rose was there too...she was trying to protect you..."

His face immediately fell when I mentioned Rose's name. Suddenly, my dream came back to me full force. "Holy shit," I muttered as I practically fell over. "...Is everyone okay?" I asked, realizing it was a stupid question. "...Well, except you. I mean, Dimitri was there toward the end so he wasn't involved in much of the action...but..." I trailed off, unsure of what to say to this boy who had just suffered through a horrific death. "...Does anyone at Court know about this?"

He shook his head.

"Is that why you're here?"

He shook his head.

I sighed, feeling like I was coming to a dead end as I began to run again. I wasn't going to stay here any longer if it was getting me nowhere. "Why did you come to me?" I asked, assuming he was following me.

I didn't receive an answer because he disappeared as soon as he had appeared. Frustrated, I decided I would finish my run, hoping that it really would clear my mind.

"Maya!"

I groaned, stopping again. "What?" I snapped as I turned around. It was Mikhail.

He stepped back as if he were afraid I was going to lash out, which, honestly, was a fair assumption. "...You were just outside the ward. I just wanted to make sure you didn't..." He paused, staring at me. "I'm sorry about the other day..."

"Outside the ward?" I murmured, completely oblivious to his apology. I glanced up at him. "Come with me," I commanded as I grabbed his hand and led him out of the ward. Sure enough, the ghost boy was there, waiting. "Do you see him?" I asked Mikhail.

"Where?"

I sighed. Of course I would be the only one to see him. "Never mind," I replied. "I'm just crazy."

"Maya, you're not crazy. You're gifted with these powers that..." He stopped and I immediately knew he was thinking of Sonya.

I glanced over at the ghost boy who was gesturing to leave with Mikhail. Whatever he wanted would have to wait for later. I guided Mikhail back into the ward. "...I'll help you get out of here," I told him. "You need to find her."

He shook his head. "No...because you're right. I'll freeze up when I see her. I mean, I already am affected just by being around you..."

"But it's like your life stalled the moment she left." My words seemed to bother him, and I hesitated to say or do anything else. "Come with me to Victor's trial," I finally whispered. "I know you want to see him get what he deserves as much as I do."

His eyes made contact with mine and it was as if we could both see the night when Victor assaulted me flashing before us. "...Alright," he agreed. "You know Dimitri will be testifying, right?" It surprised me how many people knew about my relationship with Dimitri.

"I know...and honestly, I'll deal with it when the time comes. I'm sick of having to think about it any longer," I admitted not only to Mikhail, but to myself. There was a part of me that was excited to see Dimitri again, but I was also terrified. He was now sort of involved with Rose, and I was now sort of involved with Abe. I didn't know if our romance would rekindle if we were to run into each other again. Also, I couldn't ignore the queen's wishes for me to 'become friends with Adrian'.

"Well...I'll let you get on with your run..." Mikhail awkwardly concluded our conversation.

I started to turn around, but stopped myself. "Mikhail..."

He glanced my way, watching me expectantly.

"I'm glad you're my friend." I meant it. He was the only one who truly could understand what I'd been through.

Mikhail smirked. "Not as glad as I am."