I looked everywhere for Dimitri, but he was nowhere to be found. It was funny...this is where he told me he was going to be, and yet...

As I pondered where he went, I saw a familiar face that just might have my answers.

"Hey Mom, have you seen Dimitri?" I asked the petite redhead in front of me.

"I believe he went outside," she responded and pointed to a door.

"Thank you," I called out as I made my way towards the door she had indicated.

As I walked outside, the sunlight streamed down on my face. It was Saturday, and even though I was tired, I had stayed up so I could enjoy the sunlight that irritated the Moroi.

It seemed the guardians on campus were up 24/, as if they never took a break. I continued to ponder this as I walked around trying to find Dimitri and I finally found him, sitting alone on a bench.

"Hey comrade," I said as I walked over to him. He didn't look at me, he just continued to stare at the sky.

"Dimitri...what's wrong?" I asked becoming slightly worried.

Dimitri looked at me with dozens of emotions crossing his features. "Roza I've decided to reconsider Tasha's offer. I'm going to take it."

I tried to say something but no words could push through the lump that had formed in my throat. I felt tears start to form in my eyes.

After a few moments of trying to hold them back, I finally managed to stammer out a question. The one I wanted an answer to more than anything. "Aft...after we...we?" My heart ached as the words left my mouth. The tears burned in my eyes and I could barely see Dimitri as my vision started to blur.

"Rose, I don't regret what happened but that doesn't mean that it wasn't a mistake. It shouldn't have happened in the first place."

I didn't know how to respond. I loved Dimitri. How could he just leave me like this? I tried to say something else, but the lump in my throat made it sound like a strangled cry.

I could see the pain in Dimitri's eyes but I didn't care. He was leaving me, not the other way around. A sudden feeling came over me-one that seemed to say why are you still standing here? You need to get away from him!

Whatever that feeling was, something made me trust it. Before I knew it, I was turning on my heel. My eyes burning from the hot tears running down my face in streams. My heart felt like it had been shattered into millions of pieces.

I didn't know where to go, and I was half aware of Dimitri's footsteps following along behind me. Thinking about it annoyed me. Why did he have to follow me, or try and comfort me when I had to learn to live without him?

I finally found myself at the Novice dorm rooms. Without even stopping, I went inside and ran up the stairs. I didn't stop until I was at my room. I quickly unlocked it before stepping inside and slamming the door. After locking it, I walked over to the bed, ready to collapse. I was vaguely aware of the tears still rolling down my checks.

I layed in bed for a few moments before I heard a soft knock on the door. "Roza, please, I don't want to leave you like this."

I couldn't bring myself to answer. Dimitri stood on the other side of my door for about ten minutes while I stayed silent the whole time. Finally he called my name once more, and then I heard him walk away.

I spent the rest of the Moroi 'night' curled up in my bed just trying to make sense of what was happening. Dimitri was sending me so many mixed signals. Or maybe it wasn't complicated, and he just didn't love me.

Around 9 PM I could feel Lissa asking to meet me for breakfast, but I just didn't have the will power. To do anything would require too much of me, and my heart just couldn't take anymore. It felt like my heart had been shattered.

I could feel Lissa growing more and more worried about me as time passed.

At around 12 AM, I heard a knock on my door. "Little Dhampir are you in there?" I heard Adrian ask on the other side.

Knowing I couldn't continue to ignore everyone, I untangled myself from the mess of blankets. When I opened the door, I saw Adrian's face change from one of happiness to concern. "Are you ok?" He asked.

He walked past me into my dorm before continuing, "Your aura...it's so strange. It's not just the normal notes of black around the edges. It's grey and red...there's a lot of red. And," he paused for another second as he just stared at me, "there's also little hints of teal and gold. The gold-it's so bright. I've never seen anything like it, not even on Lissa. It's perplexing how someone that has so many dark and angry colors can have that bright of a gold."

I couldn't hold it back anymore. As he went on, tears started pouring down my face again and this time, it made my earlier crying look like a drizzle compared to this thunderstorm. Adrian looked truly shocked. And if I hadn't been crying, I probably would have found it funny.

I sat down on the bed and started to tell Adrian everything. I told him about what happened at the cabin. How scared I was that I was going to lose Dimitri in battle. And lastly I told him about him leaving, and what he said.

At first I could tell that Adrian was confused. He was staring at me, a concentrated and worried look plastered on his face. I knew he was trying to read my aura for clues as to what was wrong.

When I got to the part about Dimitri leaving Adrian got visibly angry. "I can't believe him! Oh Rose, I'm so sorry. No wonder your aura is so messed up."

Adrian hugged me which didn't exactly surprise me. The part that did was that it was nothing more than him trying to comfort me. A friendly hug.

"I didn't know my cousin was such an ass," I heard him mumble under his breath. I didn't think he meant for me to hear him but I did.

"Cousin?" I asked incredulously.

"He never told you? Dimitri's dad is my dad's brother. Wow, I can't believe he never told you."

My mind was racing as I tried to make sense of this new knowledge. Dimitri and Adrian, cousins. That's crazy.

"Does being an asshole run in the family?" I asked.

"I'll try not to be too offended because I know you're hurting Little Dhampir, but ouch," Adrian laughed and I couldn't help but roll my eyes.

Me and Adrian talked for a little bit longer before he said he had to go. As he was leaving he gave me one last piece of advice, "Just remember: hurting or not, you can't hide forever."