Chapter 54: The Final Battle

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy or its characters.

Lissa: OMG I am so nervous someone is going to die!

Rose: Stopy whining!

Lissa: Please don't kill anyone off!

Me: You'll just have to read and see!

Lissa: Gulps!

So the results of the POLL were interesting 25% said Tatiana will die and almost as many think Victor! Guess you'll have to read and see.

RPOV

The room was silent as we gathered around the breakfast table. Our sleep shift was up and the next was about to go down. This would possibly be our last meal together. I looked around the table at my parents, Adrian, Tasha and Christian, Eddie and Mia, Lissa, and finally Dimitri. Would I survive if I lost any one of them? I didn't think so. I was determined that we were all going to walk out of this alive.

The mood was solemn as the second shift said goodnight and the rest of us took our places. We had decided that we'd all keep watch in our townhouse since it was in the middle and had the largest windows that we could see out of if necessary. We sat around the dining room table. Lissa and Christian were huddled together. Abe's Guardians kept to themselves. My parents were silently sitting side by side with their hands entwined. Dimitri was standing against the far wall and I across from him.

It was nearly sunset and you could cut the tension in the room with a knife.

Rose?I heard Lissa call to me through our bond.

Yea I'm here.

Can we talk privately?

Aren't we doing that?

I mean in the other room. I got up and silently followed her out of the room.

I made this for you. She said handing me a large silver medalian on a thick chain.

What is it? I asked curiously taking it from her hands and slipping it around my neck. The instant I did I felt a jolt surge through me.

It's a charm. Adrian and I put everything we had into it you know to keep the darkness as far away from you as possible in case we have to tap into our dark magic. She said. I could feel how nervous she was about having to call on that magic. The same magic she had used on Jesse Zeklos the night of the first attack. I had caught extreme darkness from her that night and it took everything Dimitri had in him to hold me back.

Thanks. I can actually feel the magic. I told her. How did you get the idea for this?

Dimitri's grandmother. She told me it was imperative that you have this or we couldn't win the battle. She even told us how to infuse it with our magic. It was much more complicated than just making a simple charmed ring.

It must be very powerful I usually cannot feel the magic.

Rose I need you to promise me you'll be careful out there and that you won't do anything to get yourself killed.

Liss you know I can't promise you that. I'm your Guardian and it's my job to lay down my life for you and I will in a hearbeat for you, for my family or my friends. That's just who I am.

I know that is what you think you have to do, but please. I need you. I can't lose you. She pleaded with me.

I can promise you that I will do everything in my power to protect you, but also to keep myself here with you.

I was speaking honestly. I didn't want to die. I would die for her if I had to but I much preferred a scenario in which we all came out of this alive.

All the sudden I felt pure terror coming through the bond.

Rose the wards are down!

I quickly sprung into action.

"Liss go wake the others now." I told her. "Run." She did as I asked.

Dimitri knew by the look on my face as I entered the kitchen that it was time. It took only seconds before the rest of our team was downstairs, armed and ready.

With Dimitri and I at the front of the line we headed out to meet our doom.

We walked to the area we had designated the upper ground for us to fight. It was not far from where we lived and we reached it quickly. We didn't know how many Strigoi to expect and we would probably be outnumbered, but we couldn' t risk informing anyone here at Court who could be working with the Queen.

"You stay behind don't get physical." I directed the Moroi. "Magic only. If they get past us your one and only job is to run as fast as you can and alert the others . You got that?" I called out.

They nodded in unison, but I could tell that they wouldn't leave so easily. I could feel that Lissa wanted to stay with me until the end.

"Sparky you make sure she runs okay." I told him.

He nodded. "Don't worry I will."

I wish his promise was reassuring.

We waited and it wasn't long before my early warning system was set off. I doubled over in extreme pain.

"Rose?" Dimitri asked taking a step closer to me.

"They're here." I choked out.

"How many?" asked Abe.

"Too many." I replied. The pain was so bad I didn't know if I would be able to stand upright let alone fight.

"Are you okay to fight Little Dhampir you're aura doesn' t look so good." Adrian commented with worry.
That had Janine, Dimitri and Lissa practically breathing down my neck to make sure I was okay.

"Don't!" I cried out. "Focus on the fight. Stop worrying about me it could distract you and cost us a life." I said trying to maintain an even tone. They backed off.

"There have to be at least fifty maybe more." I heard gasps all around.

"We can do this just remember what your job is." I said trying to encourage them.

It was just another minute or so until we saw them coming straight for us.

The Guardians stood poised and ready to attack anything that moved.

The first few Strigoi to reach us lunged and I thought this is it we're all going to die. There were hoards of them pouring in. I couldn't even count them there were so many.

I prepared myself to strike out, but realized that the Strigoi who had leapt at us had not made it that far. At least ten were crouched on the ground holding their hands over their ears. I turned around to see Lissa and Adrian with their hands clasped together chanting. We Guardians took this opportunity to stake the ones that were cowering in pain.

The next wave was already upon us. Dozens of Strigoi got closer and closer. As they came forth some burst into flames and others jumped around like something invisible was attacking them. Again we moved in and staked them. This could go on forever. Everytime I staked one there were two to take its place.

There were so many now that the Moroi could not keep up and us Guardians went onto our hand to hand combat. I could hear punches being thrown and bones cracking as we fought numerous amounts of the evil beasts. After a while I could tell that the Moroi strength was waning and the Guardians were tiring. Abe was lighting them up as quickly as Dimitri and Eddie could stake them. I had no idea what Lissa and Adrian were causing them to see, but they swatted at the invisible attacks leaving openings for Sergei, Pavel and the rest of Abe's Guardians. Sparky and Tasha had teamed up to start incinerating Strigoi instead of distracting. And as Mia was pelting them directly in the eyes with a deluge of water I was knocking them out and staking them one after the other.

There were Strigoi bodies everywhere, but we'd yet to lose anyone. As the battle raged on I could tell that some of the Guardians were nearing the point of exhaustion. Eddie was bleeding profusely, Sergei had taken a heavy blow to the back of the head and was trying hard to remain upright and my mother whom I'd never seen scared had a haunted look on her face as she stared blankly out at the sea of Strigoi still pouring into the Royal Court.

None had managed to get past us thus far, but I had a feeling that was going to change soon. While I was fighting I lost track of Lissa. I glanced around for her when I could manage and finally saw her about a hundred feet from me, when all the sudden I was sucked right into her head. This could not have happened at a worse time.

Through her eyes I could see what had been so upsetting to her that she had drawn me in. There leaning against a tree on the far side of the lot watching the battle was none other than Viktor Dashkov. He looked strong and healthy just like he had before he became sick.

With one quick motion he alerted the Strigoi nearest him to grab Lissa. I pulled back into my own head suddenly and ran as quickly as I could. I made it just in time to throw myself in front of Lissa. As I did I was aware of several things happening simultatneously. I felt the Strigoi's claws dig deeply into my chest so deep that I'm sure they clawed my insides raw, Lissa screaming my name so loud it was a wonder anything else could be heard, and feeling of blood running out of my body as I hit the ground.

Whoops! Poor Rose! Do you think she'll survive? How many say yes?