Author's Note: Shoutout to that time, a year ago, when I promised I would chug this bad boy out until I finished it. So sorry, I swear I am alive and well, just stressed in life. Thank you to everyone who consistently reached out or left comments about how they missed the fic. Here's to y'all!
The dialogue is going to start converging a bit with the book again. I've tried my best to keep it fresh and mix some stuff up though!
I gasped out as much of an explanation as I could bear to Dimitri, the woosh of relief in Lissa and I's reconnection taking my breath away.
"Faces, Roza. We need a face." I could feel his hand, once again wrapped around my arm, pointer finger rubbing into my skin, gently pulling me through to reality despite Lissa's grogginess. It would've made me smile, if not for my rising sense of urgency.
"I'm trying, I'm trying," I repeated frantically, leaning into the anchor of his touch. There was only so much my clarity could do to offset a blackout on Lissa's weaker Moroi form. She hadn't been sustaining, and subsequently recovering from, head blows since the sixth grade. I felt Dimitri guide us back into our temporary home, speaking low to the guys so as not to distract me.
"Is Alberta still on the phone?" I asked, feeling him sit me back into the chair I had previously abandoned.
"Rose has been able to get ahold of Lissa," Dimitri spoke, louder this time, catching everyone up.
"Listen, Rose," I heard Alberta respond, dead serious. "If what Ivan has told me is true… I just can't make any moves until you confirm your suspicions for us- he's a royal, for god's sake."
"A royal prick," I spat back.
"I'm not denying that, but I need a face. Anything to confirm what you're saying. Then, we can mobilize and go after her."
"You're wasting time! Any second now, and I'll have your face."
It was times like these that I wished our bond went both ways. I wanted to encourage her, bolster her, anything that might make this process less painful, for both of us. Lissa's eyes blinked open, dry and blurred from spending so much time out of it.
"Wakey wakey," a familiar voice prompted her. "Man, Robert. You sure made this one effective. She needs to be good and ready for when the boss arrives."
A soft tapping on her cheek made me realize that the man was lightly smacking her, trying to force her out of what I quickly deduced was actually a charm-induced sleep.
"She'll be just fine," a timid voice responded. "No need to slap her around."
"I'd say that's a bit hypocritical at this point," the first voice cracked back, obviously impatient to serve ole Victor. "Princess. Wake up!"
Lissa's eyes came to focus on the face in front of her, but in her bleary state the pieces came together achingly slow. Sharp blue eyes. Horrendously 90's frosted tips. I knew this guardian. He had just accompanied them to the mall.
Lissa jerked back, suddenly coming to her senses, and I slapped urgently at the nearest arm I could find. Alexei's, incidentally.
"She's with Spiridon. He's one of Victor's younger guardians."
"That's all we need, Rose," Alberta responded.
I heard a rush of relief sigh out of everyone around me. I pulled myself out of Lissa, just for the time being, reaching up to cover the hands Dimitri had squeezed around my shoulders. Each of the boys beamed at me.
"You're incredible," Dimitri whispered, pressing his face into my hair as he let out a shaky breath.
"And all it took was me dying," I responded sardonically, earning a light cringe from him and Ivan but a chuckle from Alexei.
"Let's get moving, everyone. We have a lot of ground to make up." Reverting her attention for a second, Alberta addressed us. "This is where we have to leave you, for now. But I trust you'll be watching, Rose?"
"Wouldn't miss a second of it."
We hung up the phone, nervous energy settling over the tiny rental.
I was barely able to open my mouth to say something before I ricocheting back into Lissa, settling in with her surprise as Victor Dashkov finally entered the picture. I figured my cursing would do enough to alert the boys as to what was happening on the other side of the world.
Lissa shrunk back into her chair, as I did mine.
"Come now child," the man crooned, unsteady on his feet as he moved inside the room, taking a seat in a chair opposite her. "Do you really think I would hurt you?"
Selfless as ever, her mind was on other issues. "What did you do to Serena? Is she okay?"
"Your guardian? I do have to apologize for that. You see, we expected a fight but we didn't expect her to put up such a good effort in return. Of course, this was the messiest plan. But with Rose halfway across the world, it wouldn't have been so easy to convince everyone you'd just run off again, don't you see?"
"What did you do to her?" She pushed.
"Rest assured, she was well enough to secure the scene and attend the debriefing. I'm afraid it won't look so good for her record that her charge was taken by Strigoi, and the Dragomir Princess, no less. She's young though, she'll recover."
"Why are you doing this?" Lissa plead. She was at a loss for what he, someone who she'd once considered family, could possibly want from her.
Victor, for his part, look shocked, as if the answer was all too obvious. He gestured down to himself, frail and sallow in the harsh lighting. "It's a wonder you even have to ask, dear. I, of course, need you to heal me."
Lissa was as dumbfounded as I was while I tried explaining his motive to the boys. "Heal you? That's what you have me tied up for? This whole elaborate ruse for something you could've just asked kindly for?"
"No one would have ever let you do that. The school, the council, the Queen. No, no one would have ever let that happen. It would have taken years alone for them to get over the ethical quandary of it all, and I simply don't have that much time. I mean the toll alone."
We both flinched, knowing exactly which toll he was referring to. I could feel Dimitri gripping my hand tightly again.
"Now we don't have to worry about that," Victor continued, inching his chair closer to her. "I won't lie to you, it will be hard. Total exhaustion. But, you see, my brother Robert here is like you. Not quite as powerful, no, and without someone like Rose I wouldn't risk him completely, but he'll be able to work just enough magic to keep a good balance on your system. And, of course, you'll be provided with feeders and other entertainments for your services. To a point of course."
Lissa assessed the unfamiliar Moroi in the room, withdrawn to the corner but watching with wide eyes. If the situation wasn't so dire, you'd almost say he looked pathetic, drawn into himself, nearly imperceptible shaking.
"Then what? I'm just going to be your prisoner, your private nurse? You can't possibly think that Rose will ever let that happen."
Victor shrugged, looking almost remorseful if the reasoning wasn't so twisted. "Unfortunately, I have no other choice. Trust me, I tried, I explored other avenues when Mr. Mazur made it nearly impossible for me to reach you all. But, finally, he dropped you right into my palm.
"Of course, we'll have to keep rather mobile. You never know when the snake will get a new bit of information to lead him on his hunt, but I trust we've kept most of my recent property dealings secret."
"That's what you think," I muttered smugly. "Victor has no idea we know where he is."
"That's relieving," Ivan confirmed.
Lissa pushed, desperation mixing with pity in her voice. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry you're hurting, but I can't do this for you. I won't do it."
Victor's mouth formed a straight line, clicking his tongue, he made a quick motion. A new Moroi, no one familiar, moved into the room soon after, taking a place behind Lissa but untying her hands. Victor grasped them firmly.
"This is my friend Kenneth. Please, Vasilisa, heal me. Just the way you've done before."
"No."
"Please," he pressed, voice significantly less kind than before. "You will do this, one way or another, but I'd rather it not be by the cards I have up my sleeve."
"You're bluffing," Lissa accused, shaking her head. I wished I could plead with her. Don't underestimate desperation.
Victor nodded his head at Kenneth.
Pain erupted inside her, encompassing her body. Encompassing both of our bodies. Lissa screamed and, as I registered the frantic movements around me in Russia, I realized I was screaming too.
"Roza, what's wrong?"
I gasped for air, knowing it wasn't happening to me physically but feeling it just the same. "They're torturing her. This air user, Kenneth, he's… he's pushing air into her head. The pressure… it feels like my – her- skull's going to explode."
The torture didn't stop there. He alternated between smothering her with it and taking it away, barely leaving her time between the two feelings to recover. I had to stop myself from thinking that, in any other circumstances, maybe this guy would be a useful instructor of offensive air magic. I couldn't imagine how Lissa could withstand so much; even secondhand I could feel myself willing her to give in.
And she did. Mid-gasp, her hold on him tightened. The light burst inside of me. Wonder and bliss. Everything that was good in the world, pouring out of her and into their joined grasp. I felt alive, yet progressively weaker.
But, in front of Lissa's eyes, the change was palpable. Victor's skin brightened, lines filling out, the sallow coloring gone. His jade eyes sparkled as he sat up straighter, almost bouncing. He looked more like the man she remembered. More like family.
And, of course, she passed out.