Dimitri
We made it back to Court before the sun went down. Lissa fell asleep in the car, Janine, stone-faced, looked out the window as Abe rubbed circles onto her hand. I sighed when I saw the familiar gates and slowed to a stop just before them.
"Ah Belikov! Any luck?" I shook my head. It's how these things always went. We would leave Court; everyone knew where we were going and we would always be asked for updates.
"We're finished." I said finally. I wasn't specific, but Hans knew what I meant. His eyes widened as Blake checked the car.
"That's a shame, she was a really good Guardian." I nodded my head in agreement as he opened the gates after getting the all clear from Blake. We dropped Eddie and Mia back at their house, then we stopped at Abe and Janine's, then finally, I stopped outside my house. I stood in front of the door.
"Will you be okay?" I looked over at Lissa. She offered me a small smile. I nodded.
"Yeah." I kept my eyes on the door. "This time next week, you'll be Queen." I mumbled. "Rose would have been proud." Lissa gave me a quick smile as I put my key in the door and opened it.
I walked in and closed the door and sank down to the ground. I threw my keys on the table and put my head in my hands. I didn't cry – but I did want to. My eyes hurt, I got a headache and my legs got stiff before I finally stood and looked around. I went into the kitchen and some of the flat pack boxes and put one together. I slowly emptied the fridge of Rose's food – the food I would continue to buy as if she was here. I went into the presses discarded the food and sealed the box. I moved into the living room. I picked up all her magazines, and out them into another box, I put some of her books into the box as well. I walked over towards the fireplace and stopped. I picked up the photo frame and walked back towards the couch. There we were, smiling. Happy. I traced her face with my finger and finally the tears fell. I struggled to put that photo into the box, but I did. I took down all the photos in the living room.
I moved to the bathroom, putting all her things into the box, down stairs was stripped of anything Rose, so was the family bathroom. I slowly made my way into our – my room. I took her things out of our bathroom and closed the box, making up a new one. I sucked in a deep breath as I opened the wardrobe. One clothing item at a time, I took them out, smelled them, hugged them and put them in the box. Soon, the wardrobe was less full – only my clothes. I made the last box and started to empty her bedside table. That's when I found it. An old leather-bound book with a book mark more than talk way through. I sat on the floor and read the highlighted passage.
Vladimir is angry with me. He doesn't want me to get hurt – but he doesn't understand what I'm going through. It shouldn't have been possible, but it was. After becoming Shadow kissed, my biology changed, I was still dhampir, but different. If I can learn to use the darkness, to control the spirits, I'll be the strongest Guardian that ever lived. Vlad thinks it's dangerous. But this means one this – a Shadowkissd Guardian and concieve a child with another dhampir.
I closed my eyes and placed the book on my forehead. She figured it out. Why didn't she tell me? I put the book in the box and sealed it. I brought all the boxes down into the basement and closed the door. I made my way back to the living room. The sun had gone down, the Moroi say was starting. I opened a bottle of Russian vodka and looked up at the ceiling.
"Forever and always." I drank until the bottle was empty, until I was too numb to do anything but sleep.
XxxxxxxxxxxxX
News got around that we have given up searching for Rose. We didn't tell anyone we found her; we didn't tell anyone about the child. We moved through the week, smiling when we need to, blanking out any other time. We all stuck together in the following days, but we were all heartbroken. I don't even remember leaving my house to pick my family up from the airport, but here I was, standing at arrivals. I began to focus again when little arms wrapped around my leg. Zoya and Katya.
"Dimika!" Paul was helping his mother with her bag. He has gotten very tall. I gave them a small smile as I greeted and hugged them all in turn. I led them to the cars that were waiting. Everyone split up, Yeva and mama got in the car with me, along with Paul, Viktoria, Sonja. Karoline, Zoya and Katya went in the other. The luggage was split between the cars. The car ride was quiet, I didn't speak, I didn't even listen. The next thing I knew, I was pulling up in my drive way. Christian came out of his house and helped me bring in the luggage. Lissa was standing in my living room staring at the fireplace. Right at the spot where the photo of myself and Rose sat since we moved in – It was the first piece placed. Tears were in her eyes. Mama looked around the room.
"Where's all the photos?" Viktoria asked as she flopped down on the couch.
"Rose isn't coming back." I say, my voice hard. Lissa turned away and Christian closed his eyes. Sonja sucked in a breath and Karoline looked away. Mama put her hand on my shoulder. I shook it off, picked up some bags and started to bring them into the rooms. Some of my family would be staying with me, Sonja and Karoline are taking their kids and staying in an apartment close by. I took my time bringing the bags upstairs, slowly dropping them off one by one. Mama and grandmama were going to stay with me, Viktoria was going to stay in her own apartment. I slowly made my way back down.
Mama wrapped her arms around me and I held on tightly. I couldn't hold it in anymore and I sobbed silently, my shoulders shaking with the effort. She whispered to me in Russian as she soothed me, telling me everything was okay.
"She'll come home, Dimika." I took a deep breath and pulled away from mama.
"No, she won't. We found her." Lissa sucked in a breath, so did Christian.
"I can't hear this again." Lissa walked out, Christian gave me a sympathetic luck and followed his wife out the door.
"Dimitri?" Viktoria asked. She was sitting straight up on the sofa now. I looked at my mother.
"I'm a dad." Everyone's eyebrows fused together in confusion. "I'm a dad and I just walked away. What kind of man does that make me, huh?"
"Dimitri-"
"She never went missing, she never ran away. She got into a car accident and has amnesia." I continued. I don't know if I was saying all this because to make myself feel better, or because I thought they would want know. "She was pregnant."
"But Dimitri – Dhampir's can't have kids with other-"
"She's shadow kissed. She found a diary belonging to Anna, the last known Shadow kissed Guardian. She said that after becoming shadow kissed, your biology changes and allows you to conceive with other dhampirs." I looked at my mama. "She's beautiful you know? She's four and her name is Alyssia."
"So? Why are you just abandoning them?" Viktoria demanded, standing up.
"How could I not? She's happy there. She doesn't know anything about us – our life. I want more for her – for them." Mama came and gave me a hug.
"A hard, but wise decision, my dear boy." Yeva spoke for the first time. I looked over at her. She was sitting on a chair, her walking cane leaning against the chair. She gave me a smile. "Maybe, we will see them again."
XxxxxxxxxxxxxX
"It's your coronation day." Christian smiled at Lissa she messed with the gown she was wearing. I stood against the wall. "Have you decided who is going to crown you? It's the only decision you haven't made." Lissa shook her head.
"If it's not Rose, then I'm choosing the default." Christian nodded as he placed both hands on her shoulders.
"You can do this." Lissa nodded and smiled. Christian and I were asked to leave. We stood at the front of the altar, watching as Lissa walked down alone. The day went around in a blur.
"Have you chosen who is to crown you?" Lissa was asked. She nodded.
"Default." The priest nodded and Tatiana walked up into the altar, taking the crown in her hands. She smiled down at Lissa and she bowed her head.
The Guardian's against the wall stiffened, a slight movement but Janine, Eddie and I noticed it. Janine stiffened in her seat and caught my eye.
"I know you always wanted Rose to do this." Lissa looked up at Tatiana.
"She's not here, and she's not coming back." She bowed her head one for time.
