When Spirit Shows Its Thorns
Chapter 24
"Roza," Dimitri roared as he ran after me. I could hear several footsteps running after me, but I had to escape. My skin felt as if it was crawling and the voices would not leave my head. I crashed through the trees blindly trying to put distance between me and those that followed. I knew I had crossed the wards when the pain in my head amplified and a flurry of ghosts began to encircle me. I screamed for them to leave as I stumbled to the ground. Clawing at a nearby tree to right myself, I began running again as more and more ghosts appeared in front of me.
Taking a quick turn, I tried to outrun ghosts and friends alike. I felt like they were corralling me, trying to cage me in. I couldn't allow that. I had to be free. The Darkness had engulfed me. It was swallowing me, and binding me to its will. I felt it crawling just beneath my skin, ready. It craved death and destruction.
A wall of blinding hot fire shot up in front of me causing me to throw my arms up in front of my face and stumble. I turned to run parallel to the flames, only to have another wall form in front of me. With a snarl, I turned on its creator, laughing manically as I crouched down and ready to spring into attack. Christian stopped a good twenty feet in front of me, a ball of fire in his hand. Dimitri stood to his left and Guardian Woods to his right.
Tilting my head I calculated their threat levels. Christian would be easiest and quickest to take down if I could get around his fire attacks. I just had to move quickly. Guardian Woods was new, I didn't know his fighting style, but that meant he didn't know mine either. Dimitri, he was definitely the biggest threat. I would have to evade him while taking down the others.
"Roza, this isn't you." Dimitri called out. "You don't really want to hurt us. It's the Darkness, I can help you. You know I can."
"I don't want your help. I don't need it. Just leave me alone." I bit out. "Don't you understand I don't need you, any of you?" I saw the hurt that flashed across his face and I smiled. If they wanted to trap me here, then they needed to feel my pain. They deserved to feel every ounce of suffering I had to withstand. The Darkness and I had become one, and just as it showed me no mercy, I would not show them any either.
"Let me go. It's what I want." I told them, my voice cold, even to me. "Fire Boy can't keep up his magic forever. It will wear him down, not that I would have to wait that long. I could easily just tear you all limb from limb and make my escape. That might even be a little fun."
"Rosie, what about Lissa? You know she is going to be hurt if you don't come back." Christian pleaded with me. My smile grew bigger.
"What about poor, sweet, innocent little Lissa, Christian? The girl who is supposed to be my friend, she is the cause for all of this. You're so blinded by love that you often forget that little fact, don't you?"
"You don't mean that Rose." Christian gasped.
"Oh I mean every word I say. Why don't you run back to your Princess and tell her how I really think or are you to scared that I will come back for you once I've dealt with the two Guardians at your sides?
"Rose, that's enough." Dimitri roared, his guardian mask was in place. It had been a few days since I last saw it and I had to admire how stoic he looked. "This isn't who you are. If you want to pick a fight with someone, let it be me."
"I don't want a fight Dimitri. I want to paint the world in blood. Oh, does that shock you? You've known since the beginning what I carried inside of me, and now that it has broken free, you act surprised. What's wrong? Is the big, strong Guardian incapable of loving the monster as well as the girl? That is a little backhanded wouldn't you say? I loved you, even as a monster. Yet here I stand in front of you, freely for the first time, and you can't accept me."
I saw as his body slightly flinched and I gave him my biggest smile. I was beginning to break through his walls. "Oh too soon," I asked sweetly.
"Rose, please?" He begged his voice nearly a whisper. "Why are you doing this? I thought…"
"Thought what?" I demanded. "Do you want to know what I think?" His body grew rigid and his face turned to stone as he waited for me to continue.
"I think you loved the power and the freedom that being Strigoi gave you. I think you miss it. Do you want to know how I know?" His façade was breaking; I could see the muscles in his arms twitch with each word. "I know you miss it, because I now know the freedom that Darkness offers and I love it." I bit the inside of my lip, smiling as his body slumped and a look of pure disgust took over his face. They all wore a look of disgusted horror.
"Ah, Guardian Woods," I said taking in his paled expression. "Poor thing, Daddy Dearest probably never thought to warn you about his little girl. Do I frighten you?" He visibly swallowed at my attention. "Boo!" I screamed as I took a single jump forward, laughing when he startled. Noticing Dimitri and Christian looking at one another, I bought my hand up, shaking my finger toward them. "Na-ah-ah. No plotting. It won't work." I giggled as I crouched back down, readying to attack. "This game is growing old."
I hissed and stood back up, when a ball of fire landed beside my foot. I sighed and shook my head at Christian. I lurched forward, only to be met with another fireball. Stopping I glared at him and then stepped forward. Another ball of fire landed by my feet, but none had actually hit me. I ran my tongue over my teeth, and stepped forward again. Two fireballs in quick succession hit the ground around me, causing me to step back to dodge them. I was no more than ten feet from him now, but decided that this might actually be fun. Let him exhaust himself, so I danced with his fire.
I would step forward, and two fireballs would land near my feet. Step left and another. I lost count of how long I toyed with him when suddenly I felt two bodies crash into my sides. In my game with Christian, I forgot a very important rule. Never lose sight of your surroundings. I struggled, kicking and punching, to break free. Soon they had me on the ground but I kicked my feet trying to keep some sort of leverage to get out of their hold.
I heard swearing and then there were just two of us struggling, but I was beginning to lose my fight. Dimitri was able to get my legs pinned eventually. Jerking my arms above my head, he leaned his face in close to mine so our noses were nearly touching. "Stop fighting me, Roza." He pleaded and then crashed his mouth to mine. His kiss was cruel and punishing, as if he was throwing every hateful thing I had said back at me. At first I enjoyed the roughness of his lips and teeth. Even his tongue was hard and strong as it battled mine. I needed air, needed a breath, but he was unyielding. He took both of my wrists in one hand and with his now free hand, gripped my chin, holding me in place. He alternated warring with my tongue to sucking and gently chewing my bottom lip until finally my body began to shake with broken sobs beneath him. How could he still want to be near me after what I had said?
Releasing my arms and face and sitting up, he cradled me to his chest, stroking my hair. I felt myself being lifted up as I continued to cry unabashedly into his shoulder. By the time he had carried me back to the cabin, my sobs had stilled, but I still kept my face hidden against his shirt. He gently laid me on the bed and walked into the bathroom, returning minutes later with a warm cloth. He gently washed my face and arms before curling up next to me. He laid gentle kisses on my cheeks, but I couldn't look at him. I couldn't bring myself to open my eyes and see the pain and disappointment I was sure his face held.
"Look at me, Roza." He whispered as he kissed my eyelids. "Look at me Milaya"
Milaya, he only called me that during the most intimates of moments. I blinked up at him until my vision settled on him. When my eyes met his, I found a multitude of emotions, but not the ones I expected. I did not find anger or hate. I didn't see even a hint of disgust. Instead, I found love, worry, and worst of all, understanding.