To Pheldda: Sorry if it's a little confusing, but basically in my story Dimitri is no longer assigned as Rose's mentor since she's now taking university classes (I invented that part for the academy). He still gives her private training sessions just to help her :)

I agreed with Dimitri's insistence to go with me. At least Jeremy wouldn't have to call up another guardian. Just then, he popped back into the lobby and shook hands with Dimitri. His wide eyes told me he must have already known him.

"Guardian Belikov," he said. He almost sounded nervous. Dimitri was certainly one of the most intimidating guardians even at the royal court. Jeremy may have been a guardian now too, but in this moment, he looked like a teenage boy meeting his favourite celebrity. "I'm Guardian Thompson. Jeremy Thompson. It's an honor to meet you."

"Likewise," Dimitri said. "I'm Rose's former mentor. I'll take her down today."

Jeremy gulped as he struggled to remain stoic. Just one look from Dimitri swiped any arrogance from Jeremy's persona. "Of course. Follow me."

He led us down to the court's basement where most of the prisoners were kept. It seemed like all of us already knew our way around this place.

Jeremy moved beside me while Dimitri followed us closely behind. He kept his voice to a whisper, but I knew Dimitri could probably hear him. "You didn't tell me he was your mentor."

I shrugged. "You never asked. And he's not really the attention-seeking type. He's very humble."

"I know, but...do you even realize how lucky you are? It would've been a dream to have him train me. Where I went to school, we all looked up to him. Even our own mentors did."

Listening to Jeremy now, I realized just how young and new he really was. While he was probably older than me, he still sounded like a teenager. Being a guardian involved a lot of control, but it didn't stop young people from being...well, young. I wondered what Dimitri was thinking.

"I guess I'm just that lucky," I mused. I looked back at Dimitri who smiled and rolled his eyes. We reached the end of the hallway and Jeremy pulled out his keys.

"I'll be outside," he said. I nodded as he opened the door, letting Dimitri and me walk inside the dark room. Through the other door, two guardians walked in right after us, followed by a distraught Damian. He had slight stubble growing on his face now, and his once clean hair was all over the place. Although he was human, his skin was paler than it was before, indicating that he wasn't eating properly. His inmates could have been spitting in his food for all I knew.

Like Sebastian, he had an orange jumpsuit on and his hands were linked by metal cuffs and a chain. Our eyes locked, and I could now see the sorrow in his restless eyes.

"Take a seat," one of the guards said. I blinked and sat down across from Damian, not quite sure why we had stared at each other for so long. Dimitri placed a hand on my shoulder to make sure I was okay.

"I'll be fine," I ensured him. Dimitri glanced at Damian, realizing how much more relaxed I was with him compared to Sebastian. He nodded as he removed his hand but kept a close distance as he stood behind me.

I didn't really know what to say at first, but luckily, Damian spoke. "Never thought I'd see your face again."

"I came here for questioning," I said. I decided to get straight to the point as I was short on time. "Damian, if you know anything about my...physical changes...I need you to tell me. You're my only shot."

"Well, I don't know as much as my boss did, but I can try. Since there's a possibility that I might be here for the rest of my life, I have nothing to lose. Ask whatever you want."

I took a deep breath and leaned in, resting my elbows on the table. Damian leaned in as well to keep our conversation as discreet as possible.

"Sebastian mentioned something about strigoi being able to inherit my qualities if they drink my blood. Is that true?" I asked.

Damian nodded. "Based on what I can remember, yes. I understand you probably want to be a guardian later on, but your life is far more endangered than you think it is because of your high value. Once word gets out about you, you'll be at the top of the list."

"You mean the strigoi will try to kill me?"

"Not just strigoi. Moroi, dhampirs and even humans can turn into your kind. They just have to die with your blood in their system unless they're undead. And they probably won't try to kill you. You're too rare. Anyone with the gift of being shadow-kissed would be at risk if a strigoi tried to turn them."

"Because of the spirit," I concluded.

"Yes. You were brought back from the dead. And those who are dead are meant to stay dead. Coming back from the other side always has a consequence."

I pushed my hair back, leaning back against the chair. "Is there a cure?"

"No. Well, not that I know of. I think Sebastian wanted to make sure this couldn't be cured. He was very loyal when it came to serving his people."

"So that's it then. I'm stuck like this forever. Everyone he worked with probably knows what happened to me."

"There's a reason I gave you that strange nickname," Damian said. "Because of your status, the nickname became popular in the blood-whoring community, but not everyone knows what you look like. It can at least protect your identity a little bit."

"Still. I'll always be a target. People will always be after me. Even if they're not out to kill me. I don't want to relive what I went through."

Damian's face fell. "I'm sorry," he said sympathetically. "I wish I could take back what happened. I wish I knew what was happening when you turned. Maybe I could've convinced Sebastian to stop. Maybe if I had just let you run off when you crashed the van, you wouldn't be in this position. I don't expect you to ever forgive me, but I at least want you to know that I'm sorry. You have no idea how much I regret being in this business."

I almost felt sorry for him—almost. I resented him for so many obvious reasons, but he really was sorry. Maybe his humanity had gotten the better of him. Maybe spending time in prison gave him the opportunity to reflect and regret his actions. I wondered what even caused him to join the business.

"On the last night...you wanted to help me escape," I stated. "You wanted Nevaeh to escape too—knowing how much trouble it could get you in. Knowing I could alert the authorities, whether it be the royal court or police. And Sebastian probably would've killed you. So why help? What changed your mind?"

"At that point, I didn't want to follow him anymore. I could handle whatever I had coming—even if Sebastian did kill me. For the horrible things I've done, I deserve whatever punishment I'm serving now."

I studied him a little more, and a short silence fell between us. Damian's lips tugged into a small smile. "You remind me so much of her."

"Who?"

"Nevaeh's mother," he said. My face changed at the mention of her name. "She was always so strong and brave. Stubborn too."

"What happened to her?" I asked. I knew I had to go soon, but I couldn't help myself.

Damian paused for a second. Even in the small room, it looked like he was staring at something from miles away. "If you really want to know...Nevaeh is just like you."

Now I was really curious. "What are you talking about?"

"Not too long after Nevaeh turned four, Sebastian...injected her with something. I still don't know what it was, but it made her very sick. He had suspicions about her mother being a spirit user and wanted to see if she would heal people. No matter how bad the injury, she refused—constantly claiming she didn't use spirit. When Nevaeh was dying, she begged Sebastian to take her to the hospital, but he refused. She tried everything to keep her alive but it didn't work. Obviously, there was no way someone as young as Nevaeh could handle whatever was in her body. Her mother couldn't stand to see her dead, so she finally gave in and revived her with everything she had left. It nearly killed her, and at that point, it seemed like she wanted to die. Like most spirit users, it made her insane."

I cringed at that. Lissa was a spirit user too, and the thought of her going insane to the point where she wanted to die scared me. Even Adrian worried me sometimes. I really hoped they both didn't turn out like Sonya Karp did—turning into a strigoi to make the pain stop.

Back to the matter at hand, I replayed Damian's words in my head. Nevaeh was brought back from the dead by her mother. Holy shit.

"Oh my god," I breathed as realization hit me. "She's shadow-kissed."

Damian nodded. "Her life is just as endangered as yours. Well, anyone who's brought back from the dead is, I guess."

"W-wait," I said, shutting my eyes and opening them back up again. "Where is her mother now?"

"Sebastian injected her with strigoi venom—just like he did with you. Unfortunately, this only works on people who have been brought back to life. Even a spirit user can't survive. After turning into a strigoi, Sebastian had no choice but to stake her. She wanted to run away and take Nevaeh with her."

"You can't tell me he actually cared about her," I said incredulously. "He fucking made her sick, knowing she would die."

"Of course he didn't care. He just wanted to keep her for future use—both for prostitution and the possibility of her becoming just like you. I resented him ever since and convinced him to lay off on her while she was still young," Damian said. "And, well, I was still trying to figure out how to help her escape."

"But why the prostitution? What was the point in turning us all into bloodwhores?" I prompted. I could now feel myself getting a little angry and frustrated as I pictured all those moroi drinking my blood while taking my body for their own pleasure. Behind me, Dimitri shifted uncomfortably.

Damian shrugged his shoulders. Even he seemed to be at a loss with that. "A lot of Sebastian's people enjoyed that kind of thing. It made some of them feel like they had power—and a lot of them craved it. When they discovered the possibility of inheriting the strengths of a strigoi, they went off the rails. They could be just as strong and powerful, but they wouldn't be immediately targeted by people who hunt and kill strigoi."

Sebastian and his people were smarter than I thought. They found another way to gain power, and in a way, they had succeeded in creating me. I had no idea how many people actually knew about me, but the numbers would definitely grow.

"What am I supposed to do?" I asked, stretching my palms out on the table. My voice had become almost lifeless. Despite all the information Damian had just given me, I felt empty and hopeless inside.

To my surprise, Damian reached out and placed one of his hands over mine. I tensed, but didn't immediately snatch my hand away.

"Just don't lose yourself," he said, looking me in the eyes. Dr. Olendzki had told me the same thing when she found out what I was. I now realized they might have been referring to my humanity. It kept me sane, and I couldn't bear to think of how many horrible things would happen if I lost that part of me.

The darkness in the spirit I shared with Lissa terrified me even more now. What if I lost it again? What if I went insane? What if it got so bad that I shut my humanity out just to stop the pain? Surely, I'd be just as dangerous as a strigoi at that point. Father Andrew had said it was possible to regain the humanity, but that didn't make things any easier. Maybe I was just like all the other girls...a lost cause.

"Time's up," one of the guards said, bringing me back to the present.

"Wait. Wait, please. Just one more thing." I held my hand up as we both stood up from our chair. The same guard had his hand on Damian's arm, sighing in annoyance.

"What about Nevaeh?" I asked hastily. "I have to do something."

"You don't owe anyone anything, Rose, but you could keep her safe for the time being. Now, listen. Whoever knows about you, about what you are—they might not kill you, but they'll come after you if they think you're of use. Right now, your blood holds everything they want."

I was pretty sure Damian wanted to say more, but he didn't have the chance to, because his guards were already dragging him out.

"Thank you," I said with sincerity. I might have held a fat grudge against him, but at least he was helping me. A part of me knew he really was sorry for everything that had happened, and if being his victim hadn't destroyed my life so badly, I might have forgiven him. Who knows, maybe I'd eventually forgive him anyways. When did I become so soft? I didn't like it. I didn't like it at all—but refusing to forgive him wouldn't change what happened. Nothing would.

Damian didn't respond to my gratitude, but as he was taken through the doorway, he shot me one last message. "Remember what I said earlier—don't lose yourself."

Just as I'd expected, my thoughts were all over the place after my little intervention with Damian. He had given me enough information, but for some reason, I wasn't satisfied. I was still a target, and I probably would be for the rest of my life. The newfound information about Nevaeh was a lot to take in as well.

We were now outside of the court, waiting for our jet to open its side door where it stood on the runway. Dimitri hadn't said much to me since seeing Damian, but the look he was giving me told me he would definitely talk to me about it once we got on the jet.

Someone tapped my shoulder, and I turned around to see Abe standing there in all his elegant glory. I was really beginning to wonder how much his clothes and jewelry costed. Knowing Abe, it could probably cover a whole four years of university tuition. Maybe a nice car too.

"Did you suddenly decide to come with us, old man?" I asked. Abe smiled.

"I'd love to, but no. I have quite a few things to take care of."

"Oh." My slight disappointment gave way, but Abe was quick to reassure me.

"I'll always visit you again—as soon as I can. Maybe I'll even come with a nice gift. What kind of car do you like? Luxury? Sport? You know, there's a really nice Mercedes coming out soon—"

"Abe! Don't you dare," I warned. Abe laughed before turning slightly more serious.

"All jokes aside, there's something else you should know," he said, catching my attention once more. "Your captor, Sebastian—he's been charged with life in prison."

"Really?" I asked, almost sounding hopeful.

"Yes. He can't get to you anymore, and he won't. He'll be taken to Tarasov prison. The others will go with him, so they can't get out either."

"Did you help them with this?" I asked him.

"I'm simply here in your defence. Either way, all the evidence is there."

I started to notice people boarding onto the jet. I knew I had to go, but something was still bothering me. I hadn't been the only girl there, but Nevaeh and I were the only ones to be saved. I still wanted to help the rest of the girls too. I thought of Kira and how scared she must have been when she was turned. She didn't have the upbringing of a guardian, and I had seen the fear on her face whenever we were taken out to clients. It was a look I would probably never forget.

"What about the rest of the girls?" I asked. "I wasn't the only one. There were plenty."

Abe sighed, frowning a little. "That's what we're trying to figure out. These guys are smart, but we're working on it. Sebastian's little helpers are cooperating, but even they don't know for sure."

"I can help. Maybe I can convince some of his people. A lot of them knew me." I refrained from mentioning I had also become their favourite prostitute. My father was definitely the last person who needed to hear that.

"I don't want you to do anything. You'll just be putting yourself in danger, and I'm not going to let that happen. None of us will, believe me." He eyed someone behind me when he said the last part. Sure enough, he was talking about Dimitri who seemed rather impatient now. I wondered if he'd heard our conversation.

"I don't want to sit back and do nothing. I want to help those girls. I want to get them out of that situation, just like I was. A lot of them were there against their will."

"I understand," Abe said. Even he seemed to grow slightly impatient. "Rose, please, just let the rest of us handle this. I'll call you, okay? And like I said before, I'll still visit. Right now, you need to focus on recovering and having a blast at the academy while your time there lasts. You should go. They're waiting for you."

I really did have to go now. To my surprise, Abe pulled me in for a tight hug and kissed the top of my head. Behind him, I saw my mother running up to us.

"Rose!" she called, breaking us apart. "Right on time. I didn't want you to leave without saying goodbye." She hugged me, and I hugged her back with as much force as my body allowed. I was perfectly fine without my mom since I had spent the majority of my life without her, but something about her hug spread a comfortable feeling all over me. There was always something different about a mother's hug compared to all others. I couldn't exactly describe it, but there was definitely something about it that no other person in the world could give.

"Take care of yourself," she said, pulling back. She cupped my face in her hands, looking at me with a fierceness she so naturally carried. I now understood why so many people looked up to her. When they looked at me, they could see her in me too. As she looked into my eyes, I decided in that moment that I didn't want to hold anything against her despite not being there for so many years. I wanted to be like her—a strong, fierce warrior. It was easier said than done when you had as many complications and traumatic experiences as me, but things would eventually get better.

"Stay strong, you hear me?" she said. "Keep looking out for yourself. Don't be afraid to ask for help, but no matter what, always keep your guard up."

"Always," I told her. And then she smiled—a firm, reassuring smile that told me she was satisfied.

"Good. We'll let you go now. Don't miss your flight," she teased. As I walked away, I took one last glance and was a little stunned to see my mother's hand wrapped around Abe's arm. They weren't watching me now and closed the distance between them. They were so close that any ordinary friend—or whatever they were to each other—wouldn't call that normal. My mother laughed at something Abe said to her, pressing a hand to his jacket. Okay, so something was definitely going on between the two. Were they getting back together?

"Rose, we need to go."

"Huh?"

Dimitri held a hand out as he stood in the doorway. I hadn't even realized I'd made it up the stairs. I took his hand, and he quickly dragged me inside, pulling me towards one of the big seats. Nevaeh was sitting on one of the chairs on the left side of the jet and looked like she was about to sleep. Before Dimitri took his seat next to me, he opened up one of the overhead bins and pulled a thick blanket out. I smiled ridiculously as I watched him drape the blanket over Nevaeh's tiny form. He tucked her in there and adjusted her seat so that she could sleep comfortably. I never thought I'd see Dimitri act so caring and gentle with a child, but there he was. I knew he wanted a child of his own, but being a guardian didn't really allow that. He was with me too, and if we were going to have a future together, we definitely couldn't have kids together. Maybe Nevaeh was the closest thing he and I could ever have.

Dimitri walked over, placing his hand on the head of the chair next to me. "Would you like a blanket? It'll probably get cold once we're up," he said.

The temperature probably wouldn't bother me, but a soft blanket sounded really nice right now. "That sounds great," I said. Dimitri pulled out another blanket, and after making sure I had buckled my seat belt, he covered me with the soft material.

"We should probably talk about your earlier discussion," Dimitri said once we were in the air. I glanced at him, deciding it was best to just talk about it. There were definitely things on my mind that he deserved to know.

"There's something you should probably know," I said. He looked at me, waiting for an explanation. I shifted in my seat, preparing myself for whatever I was going to say. "It's about Nevaeh."

Soo since Abe is helping out with Rose's case, I'm thinking of maybe having them work together later on but I'm still thinking about it since I'm not exactly sure how it's going to play out. Just a thought.

Let me know what you think!