Dimitri
Strogoi? Tasha? I made sure the door was closed and Aly was safely inside when Rose lunged at Tasha. Rose was struggling against Hans, Tasha cradling a broken nose, which looked set again, Lissa looking baffled as she looked between the two and Christian just out right laughed. It was impossible. It can't happen, Strogoi can't breech wards.
"Alright, Rose, you definitely lost your mind. How is that possible?"
"I want her arrested! A traitor and now attacking a royal?" I could see the hesitation, the internal battle going on inside Hans. Despite everything, he did like Rose, he did trust her as a person and as a Guardian. It also helped that Rose was well known to be able to feel when Strogoi were around, but when you have a Dhampir physically attacking a royal, the laws were against everyone. Hans' grip tightened on Rose arm.
"I am not a traitor!" Rose pulled free from Hans and lunged for Tasha again. "Come on Tasha, why don't you use your element, huh?" Rose attacked again; Tasha didn't fight back this time. It was Christian that pulled Rose off her this time.
"She has a point Tasha." I said, finally able to have control of my own thoughts again. I made a point at not looking at Tasha as I spoke, I didn't want to be compelled again. "All you have to do is show your element and then what Rose is saying will be shown as a lie."
"I will not be forced to prove myself by a child." Tasha scoffed, rolling her shoulders.
"Why not, Tasha?" It was Christian who spoke. Christian and Rose, despite butting heads, despite 'not liking' each other, were very close. He trusted Rose, he trusted what she says. If she said there was buried treasure in his house somewhere, I'm sure he would be hanging on his every word.
"Really, my own family is questioning me?"
"That day I left – Lissa, did Tasha visit you?" Lissa stood, standing back. Trying to read the situation, she was the Queen now – she had to calculate what she could say. She didn't answer until Eddie, Mia, Abe and Janine made it.
"Yeah, she came to me."
"It's done." Rose nodded her head, looked around as if seeing someone before she took in a deep breath.
"The day I left you went into Lissa's, you compelled her to make a charm for you. The wards we scheduled to be changed that night, that's how you got in." she continued. "Lissa's been enchanting the wards, making them stronger – but not against you."
"Smart child."
"I have me moments." Tasha's eyes started to change, her skin became paler, her eyes became redder, her fangs came down longer. Before I could do anything, she moved me away from the car, ripped open the car door and took Aly from the seat. Aly was crying, Lissa screamed, Hans called for backup while Rose lunged forward.
Rose
She had Aly; I couldn't think of anything else. I didn't care that I was out of training, that I didn't want to be a killer anymore, I just cared that she had my daughter and she was crying. I followed Tasha as she ran.
Abe, true to his word, did manage to take down the wards - a temporary fault in the plan, but a necessary one. Tasha had used Lissa, used her to manipulate the wards to allow Tasha within its walls, to make a charm to hid her red eyes and allow them to be seen as the blue they once were. A charm, laced with Spirit was a powerful gift – Strogoi have strong compulsion add Spirit influences and it would be impossible to know you were being compelled, especially because multiple people could be compelled at the same time and the effects can last a long time.
Tasha had used my best friend, forced her to abuse Spirit. For the last week, she has been controlling them, forcing them to view her thoughts, causing anger, hatred. I used that anger and the desperation to get me daughter back to push my legs to go faster. The louder I heard Aly scream, the fast my legs ran.
I caught her. I jumped forward catching her heels. Aly fell from her arms and cried as she skinned her knees. I rolled to me feet and stood in front of her and Tasha. Tasha was looking back snarling.
"Run, Aly!" I didn't turn around as I said it but I heard the little heavy footsteps as she ran away. I blocked Tasha from following.
"That's okay, I'd rather play with you!" Tasha lunged forward, grabbed my arm and spun me around, knocking my head against the wall. I kicked out, turning, forcing myself from her grasp, wrapping my arms around her neck and swiftly twisting. She went limp, but I knew she wasn't going to down for long.
"Mason, I need a stake!" I turned to Mason as he materialized in front of me. "Please." He vanished.
"You're talking to yourself?" Tasha snarled as she jumped forward with a fist set for my jaw. I blocked the worst of the blow but felt another kick in my stomach knocking me to the ground heavily knocking my head seeing stars. "I'm going to enjoy this." Tasha's fangs elongated as she got close to my neck. I closed my eyes, shoved her away with some effort.
I stood up, feeling dizzy, but steady on my feet as we circled each other. Tasha growling as she stared at me, I kept looking down at her feet. You can tell the next move of your opponent by their feet - how they step will determined their next move. I calmed myself, remembering my training, allowing the countless hours in the gym, on the sparring mat, running in the rain and cold, fill me as I lunged forward, faking right, hitting left. I managed to get some hits in, but I took more than I gave. The only way to effectively hurt a Strogoi is with a silver stake, fire or decapitation. I have no way of making any of them things happen.
Tasha lunged, grabbed my throat and squeezed as she lifted me from the ground. I tried to fight, tried to kick, to get out, but my head was spinning, there were stars, dullness. No air. Tasha shoved me to the ground, knocked my head hard against the ground deliberately harder than needed. I could feel a warm wetness but stars were making it hard to concentrate. Tasha smiled, leaned down, her fangs grazing my neck. Then he came.
Mason.
He dropped a stake by my hand with a nod. I grabbed it and shoved it up, wedging it in her heat through the ribs.
"Rose!" Tasha fell on top of me, the blunt end of the stake crushing into my chest as my name was called in the distance. Then, there was heat and no more Tasha. Then there was the moon and stars twinkling in the sky. Then there was a turn of a head, looking as my family and friends ran towards me followed my some alert Guardians.
"You might want to put the wards back up."
Then there was darkness.
