I'm so happy you guys liked the change in POV, I wasn't sure if I wanted to go that way but I thought it'd been cool to see through Lissa's eyes for some time. Thanks so much for your reviews, I've said this before but they just make my day and give me the motivation to keep writing. This chapter is shorter than what I wanted it to be, but it's difficult for me to get perfect.
So read and review please!!! I love hearing from you all!!!

Chapter 37

I looked round the room, noting the packed duffel bag in the corner.

"How long have I been asleep?" I croaked out.

"Not even half-an-hour, I had only just gotten back in with you when you woke." He answered.

"But it felt like so much longer. I – it was like I was in a nightmare, a nightmare so vivid and realistic - God Christian, I'm struggling right now to differentiate from her experience and feelings and mine. I was in a basement or cellar; it was dark except for a ray of light from under the door. My wrists were shackled and I felt so weak, in so much pain.
"That's why I can't get into her head forcefully or dreamwalk with her. Dimitri is keeping her strung out on endorphins. I'm pretty sure I only just got in now because she was coming down from the initial high." In fact I was feeling a little loopy just from the leaking emotions. "He is a monster Christian; he has turned into a complete, heartless monster."

"Liss, I called Eddie and Mia. Eddie will be joining the search and I asked Mia to come here. I don't want you to be alone." Christian hurriedly told me and I knew it was because it was time for him to leave.

I nodded slowly to show him I understood and he kissed me briefly, but I could feel the underlying grief, desire and urge to stay with me.

"I'm not going to say goodbye because I will be back Liss. I will find her." He urged me, trying to make me believe him.

I stood and followed him silently.

Eddie and Mia were outside waiting, they had apparently already said their goodbyes because Eddie nodded to me and he left with Christian. No words were exchanged, as there were no words to be spoken.

I led Mia inside and we both sat in the lounge, both in our own worlds.

"I can't believe this has happened again." Mia breathed, sounding as though she had spoken more to herself than to me.

"I know, god, I'm so scared for her Mia. I honestly don't know how she's going to cope with this again. Last time she had run away for five years. What if she does it again? What if she dies? I only just got my best friend back and some bastard Strigoi stole her away again." Finally the tears that had been threatening to flow burst free and fell down my cheeks and I gasped as a gut-wrenching sob racked through my body.

Mia didn't say anything; there wasn't anything to say, so she just came to me and hugged me tight.

We must have sat like that for a long time because by the time we finally pulled back my back was stiff.
A loud thunderous roar echoed throughout the room and I looked out the window to see the rain that had been threatening to fall had finally done so. In bucket loads. As I was staring out the window I saw two flashes of white and then a banging on the door. Opening it quickly I saw a drenched couple standing on my porch. Melanie smiled at me widely while Adrian barely managed a nod of his head.

I stood back to let them in and quickly got them some towels and lit the fire.

"Have you managed to get hold of Rose?" Adrian asked me quietly. I didn't really know why, but I shook my head.

Melanie's face caught my eye; her expression didn't match the situation. Although I had known she and Rose had had a beef with each other I had never really understood why. Melanie hadn't known Rose from Eve and yet when she first laid eyes on her in the restaurant it was like she immediately hated her. Her expression was speculative and guilty, mixed with anger and hatred. I thought maybe she felt bad about having been in the fountains at the time of the attack, and maybe for having been so cruel to her. But then why the hatred?

"What is your problem with Rose, Mel?" I decided then and there I was tired of 'beating round the bush' with her over this so I just outright asked her. Mel widened her eyes and blushed at the blunt and accusing question.

"I, uh, don't have a problem with her." She lied unconvincingly, considering that she was both stuttering for the first time ever and everyone knew she was responsible for the falling-out between Adrian and Rose.

"Don't give me that. Tell me the truth." I was angry for no reason, it was as though I was blaming her for Rose's kidnapping. I guess I just needed someone to blame and her dislike, borderline hatred, for Rose made her the perfect candidate.

"I, don't know what you're talking about." She stammered out and stepped back from me. Adrian raised a mocking eyebrow at her and it was clear from his expression he didn't believe her in the slightest.

"We all know you caused the fight between Adrian and her, we all know you've had some beef with her. From the day you two met you have stabbed and made jibes at her and I want to know why."

Melanie blushed a vivid red and looked to Adrian for an escape that he did not provide. He stared pointedly at her, silently telling her to answer.

"I just get bad vibes from her is all." She mumbled pathetically and I opened my mouth to tell her to stop lying when Mia cut me off.

"Oh please Mel, don't give us that crap. You and I both know you're pathetically jealous of Rose. Before she came back you were the centre of Adrian's attention, sure he spent time with us but we both had boyfriends and then suddenly Rose is back, single and looking as hot as ever, and Adrian's no longer paying attention solely to you.
"You got jealous, so from the beginning strived to drive a wedge between yourself and her, and then when Adrian still talked with her, you decided to drive a wedge between them. And now Rose is missing and the last thing Adrian said to her was he wanted nothing to do with her! How the hell do you think he feels about that? And it's your fault." Mia was nearly yelling by the end of her rant and Melanie was visibly pale, even for a Moroi. Adrian looked positively furious now, "Is that true Mel? You set it up? You deliberately picked a fight with Rose and put her in bad light so I'd stop talking to her?"

Melanie gulped and couldn't answer, which Adrian took for confirmation and he flushed in anger.

"Get out." He told her in a stern, low and cold voice. Melanie opened her mouth to plead with him but he thrust a finger in the direction of the door and she hurried out. I told her to keep the towel, I didn't want it anymore.

After the door slammed behind her Adrian appeared to deflate where he stood; it was as if all the fight had left him, so I pulled him to the chair and he dropped in it. Mia left to make us some hot chocolates and I sat adjacent to him and placed my hand comfortingly on his thigh.

"It's not your fault Adrian." I soothed him but he shook his head.

"It is Liss. Mia was right, I said some horrible things to her, I told her I never wanted to see her again, that I wanted nothing to do with her. I let Mel manipulate me and it cost me a friendship with her. And even after I'd said those atrocious things she still defended me. She saved my life Liss; she didn't even hesitate once she knew Strigoi were attacking. She told me to run as she fought." He bent forwards and covered his face in his hands as sobs quaked through his body. "God I'm a fool and I may never see her again. Never get to tell her how sorry I am."

"Rose knows Adrian. She knows how much you care, she told me she was sorry that she'd let Melanie get to her. She told me should've had better self-control."

I could tell my words were doing little to comfort him so I settled for stroking his shoulders and back. Mia came back in with three mugs of steaming cocoa and sat in the two-seater opposite us watching Adrian cautiously.

"Oh, I just remembered... I overheard a Guard speaking with Tatiana; apparently Hoseet and Aden have escaped their holding cell." Adrian announced suddenly and Mia and I both turned on him, "WHAT?!" We yelled together.

"Yeah, a rotating guard found his replacement unconscious and their cells were empty. Someone let them out."

It didn't make sense but for some reason I saw a connection between their escape and the Strigoi attack. "Do you know when they escaped? Even an estimate?"

He thought seriously and replied speaking slowly, "Yes, the guard regained consciousness and said he was attacked maybe within an hour of the Strigoi attack."

And like that the pieces fell in place, "They let the Strigoi in." I whispered and Mia gasped.

"What are you talking about? They wouldn't help Strigoi."

"It makes sense, the timing at least, but how did they escape? Or should I say who helped them?" I muttered more to myself, thinking aloud.

Adrian was frowning, very much disturbed by the thought of anyone helping Strigoi, but more so by the fact that by helping them Rose's life was now in grave danger.

"I never would have expected this from Mitchell; I mean I know he had a grudge or something against Rose but to go as far as to help Strigoi? The very things he has sworn to protect Moroi from, it's just unbelievable."

"How were the wards broken Adrian?" Mia asked; tears glistened in her eyes and her expression had become one of disgust.

"I don't know, but I'm willing to place money on them being broken by a stake." He answered.

Suddenly I felt my world spin and my eyes lost focus on the scene in front of me, instead I found myself seeing through eyes I had no control over. Rose!

I was in her head again and I realised soon enough why. I was hit with terror and hatred rolled in one, the emotions so powerful they had broken through the endorphin haze that had kept our bond blocked. I was seeing a dark figure standing ominously in front of me and I realised it wasn't due to lack of light the figure was blurred, one of my eyes was closed over and the other had something dripping into it. Blood - Rose's blood was flowing freely into her eye.

"I want to hear you beg. I want you to plead for me to spare your miserable life, I want you on your knees begging for me to end your life quickly. It's the only escape from this. There is no way I'll be making the same mistake as that fool Justin."

That name invoked a fresh batch of fear in me, in Rose, as her body seized and shook.

"Yes, you remember Justin don't you? The arrogant fool that thought he could disobey my direct orders to bring you to me upon your capture. He thought it would be fun to toy with you and had you not killed him yourself I would have." Dimitri bent over so his face was inches from hers; his breathe cold on her enflamed face. "So tell me Roza are you going to beg for me to finally kill you." It was then I noticed the silent urging for Rose to do it, to ask him to kill her. Compulsion. I realised with a shock; Dimitri was compulsing her to do it. But it didn't make sense, why would he do that? I got my answer when she spat in his face.

"Never you bastard."

He had been testing her resistance to compulsion and it was incredible. Pulling back slowly he smirked as he wiped the blood and spittle from his face.

"As fiery as always Roza, you never change. But you're resistance to my compulsion is impressive I will admit, no one has been able to resist as you just did. I've always known you were special, that you would become powerful but even I never expected you to become this powerful, this legendary.

"It is really a shame I will have to kill you. But at least I can make it a pleasurable experience for you." His breath was in her eye again and she shivered. Her eyelid dropped and her head drooped as exhaustion pulled her into sleep.

"Ah ah none of that now. Can't have you sleeping with as much coherency as you have now. I'm not stupid Roza, I know about Lissa's ability to dreamwalk now and I imagine you'll take the opportunity to tell her where you are. We can't have the Guardian squad or those pesky Romans finding you, can we?"

Panic shot through me as a new endorphin rush flooded her body and her mind lost the ability of rational thought I was pushed from her mind.

"Lissa are you alright?" I heard Adrian and Mia calling to me and I blinked rapidly; trying to separate myself from Rose. It was difficult and had to be the strangest sensation I had ever felt. For that brief moment I had thought I was Rose, we weren't separate minds - we were one and the same. 'How has Rose done this for so long? It's horribly disorientating.' I thought myself before focussing on Adrian.

"What did you say?" I asked him and the worried expression he had didn't relax.

"I've been talking to you for the last five minutes. It wasn't like you weren't listening to me; it was if you weren't even here. You had the exact same vacant look on your face Rose does when she's in your head.

"Lissa were you in Rose's head?"

I wasn't sure if I should tell him the truth or not, Dimitri's words had told me he had a spy. He had someone in the Courts feeding him information, but it was someone who didn't know about the latest phenomenon in our bond. His informant didn't know the bond was working two-ways, didn't know I could be in her mind as she could be in mine. Adrian obviously didn't know, so I could trust him. But I didn't know if I could trust him not to tell Melanie, since he had already shared plenty of information with her about Rose and I.

"Adrian, you mustn't speak of this to anyone. You too Mia. Dimitri has spies here in the Courts. Informants feeding him information. He already knows about Marcus, Julius and Maia searching for her, as well as the tracking squad sent earlier today."

Both of them nodded and I took a shaky breath.

"Yes I was in Rose's head. I was in her head when she was taken, and earlier today, before Christian left. Just now was the first time I was awake and in her head, I had starting thinking I needed to be asleep to get in her head but her emotions were so wild just now I was just 'pulled' in. That's the only way I can explain it, she overpowered me so much so I couldn't differentiate between us. It was as though I was her, not just sharing her experience.

"Anyway, Dimitri's torturing her. He's feeding off her to keep her buzzed so we can't enter her dreams and he's beating her. Letting his minions loose on her, their only restrictions is that the damage they do can't be fatal." Tears dropped down my cheeks and neither Adrian nor Mia moved; both too shocked and horrified by my announcement. Mia looked green and stood, rushing to the bathroom. Adrian clenched his fists until the smell of blood assaulted my nostrils; his nails had broken the skin of his palms.

"You need to tell Marcus this, it may not be a location but he needs to know how much more urgent this search has become. They are on a timeline that we don't know what the limit is." I nodded and stood; walking shakily to the phone.

Marcus answered on the third ring, "Lissa." His voice gruff and I could hear a hush fall on his end of the connection

I hesitated, taken back that he knew I had called, "Uh, I – Marcus I don't know where Rose is; only the Dimitri is going to kill her. He's torturing her and I don't know how much more she can take. Also he knows about the searches, he has an informant in the Courts and -" He cut me off before I could continue.

"I don't need to know that Lissa, we will get to Rose before he kills her. Only contact me again if you get a location."

He hung up without a word and I stared at the phone in surprise. Marcus had never been so short with me before, 'Don't take it personally, he is in a rush to find Rose and he probably doesn't want to run the risk of the line being tapped. Plus information of a possible spy in the Courts doesn't help him find Rose.' A logical voice told me but I couldn't help but feel a little annoyed at his rudeness.

"What did he say?" Mia had come back, her face a little pale and looked as though she'd splashed it with water.

"Not much, in fact he was a little rude. Told me they'd get her before she's killed and only to call him if I've gotten her location."

We all lapsed into silence then and I felt the exhaustion and lack of sleep catch me as I drifted into an uneasy slumber.