AN: Here is the revamp of chapter 3. I hope you enjoy.
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Richelle Mead owns Vampire Academy.
BLACK INK
ACT I: In the Arms of the Devil
Chapter 3: Lay Me Down Tonight
"Lay me down tonight,
In my linen and curls.
Lay me down tonight,
I'm your favourite girl."
~ Lana del Rey - Fucked My Way Up to the Top
Pain. That is all she could feel from the top of her head down to the very tips of her toes. It was a dull and throbbing ache that centered around her upper body and spread out, stretching until it consumed all of her. She was swimming through the haze of darkness that surrounded her the current pulling her under and preventing her from reaching the small dot of light in the sky. Though the river was warm and pleasant, that light called to her. A beacon in the distance taunting her in the blackness of her mind. It was so close but at the same time so far away. She reached for it determined to escape the drowning sensation and take hold of the hope that light brought to her. It was her freedom. It took all her strength to push forward breaking free of her prison and heading towards the light. It raced up to greet her before exploding into existence.
Rose blinked a few times to clear the sleep from her eyes and the fuzziness from her mind. The pain she had felt in her dream-like state had transferred into reality, however, magnified. Her head pounded, a throbbing sensation pulsing behind her eyes creating an uncomfortable pressure there. She groaned clenching her eyes shut as it all registered in her brain. She felt weak, tired, and completely drained of energy despite the fact that she had just woken up seconds before. It took a few moments for her vision to clear, although a slight haze remained around the edges. It was almost as if she were drunk, or hungover. Needless to say, she felt like shit.
She turned her head to the left to stretch out the stiff muscles she could feel there. Those muscles in her neck only pulled when she flexed which increased the pain. She ignored the strain and resistance as best she could grimacing in pain as she did so. "Fuck," she hissed quietly between clenched teeth.
"You shouldn't move," Dimitri's voice called to her from somewhere in the room. From her position she could not determine exactly where his voice had originated from. It sounded far away, but it was clear enough for her to understand him. "At least, not until the grogginess has worn off."
"Dimitri?" Rose questioned returning her head to its original placement unable to stand the ache in her neck any longer. Her voice was groggy, raspy, and hoarse as if she had not spoken for a long time. The sound of it was completely foreign to her ears. "What are you doing here?" she asked resisting the intense urge to cough.
Her throat was achingly dry, and because of this she failed at her attempts to stifle the action. Rose turned her head and coughed hard. This caused the pain in her neck to intensify. She clenched her fists and felt tears well up in her eyes from the force of her coughing as well as the pain. It flared up setting the area on fire. The burning sensation was excruciating.
Rose caught a flash of movement in her peripheral vision and Dimitri appeared at her side, a full glass of water in his hand. He placed it down on the nightstand before assisting her with the task of sitting up. Her body felt heavy, and she had a hard time moving on her own. It took far too much effort, much more than it should, and she lacked the motivation to try. He helped her wordlessly ensuring that she was still somewhat comfortable before handing her the glass of water. All throughout this, she had not been able to stop coughing.
She took the glass from him with shaking hands. Slowly, she sipped at the cool liquid. It ran down her throat soothing it until the dryness receded and her coughing fit had dissipated. The more water she consumed, the steadier her hands seemed to become. Despite this discovery, she was careful to drink the substance slowly. Once the glass was empty, he took it from her and placed it back on the bedside table.
He sat down on the edge of the bed beside her, resting a hand on her leg. Rose looked at him expectantly for his answer to her question now that her needs had been seen to. Dimitri watched her for a moment as if to ensure that she was indeed alright before turning his attention elsewhere. As always, he seemed to sense what she was thinking.
"I was waiting for you to wake up," he replied after the small pause. He shifted slightly removing his hand from her leg and placing it in his lap instead. "I wanted to make sure that you were alright."
She answered him automatically, "I'm fine." This was her forced response, and it was an obvious lie. Her body ached, her neck and throat burned and throbbed from the strain of coughing, and she felt dizzy and suddenly nauseous. Not to mention her head was pounding. She suspected all of those symptoms were likely related.
He raised an eyebrow in return clearly not believing her. "You're not fine," he called her out without hesitation. She could not lie to him for he saw right through her. He had always been so good at that, ever observant. It was one of the things she both loved and hated about him. He knew her too damn well.
Rose turned her head to the right to test the mobility in her neck when a stabbing pain erupted from it. She winced letting out a sharp hiss of pain. "What happened?" she asked, her throat still hoarse and scratchy.
Her fingers reached up towards the source of her pain. The side of her neck was heavily bandaged, and it was a tad bit sticky. When she pulled the appendages away, they were lightly stained pink. The telltale evidence of blood. She could not help but stare down at the discoloration.
Dimitri sighed deeply running a hand through his hair. This was not how he intended this process to go. She looked so small and pale lying in the large bed. Frail. Her usually tanned skin was lightening rapidly both from the lack of sun exposure as well as the blood loss she had been subjected to while in his care. She was wilting, draining of colour right before his eyes and he was not sure if he liked it or not. It took the challenge and some of the fun out of their relationship. Rose was much more fun to play with when she could put up a bit of a fight. He would have to rethink his approach because this arrangement was not quite what he had in mind when he brought her back here.
"I am afraid that I have been a little greedy," he confessed his voice void of any emotion. It sounded almost forced and mechanical. "I fed from you too frequently and your body couldn't keep up. I took too much," he explained his tone shifting so that his voice was soft and oddly comforting despite it still sounding empty.
Since her return to the compound, he had been a lot more abrupt and commanding with her. It was nice to experience some sort of gentleness from him besides sexual contact, and even then, the word gentle was a bit of a stretch. Her eyebrows furrowed at this revelation. She had not expected him to give her such an honest answer. If anything, she thought he would dance around it and distract her.
"What?" she croaked moving to sit up further, but she was met with great resistance. It was not from an outside force but rather from herself. Her body was still too tired and heavy unwilling to follow her commands. It was taking all the strength she had to move even the slightest bit.
His hand shot out and pushed down on the centre her chest forcing her back against the pillows, "Rest," he commanded holding his hand in place so that she did not try to move again. "Your body is weak and needs to recover from the blood loss." The soft tone in his voice had disappeared.
Annoyed by this, she frowned attempting to push his arm away, only to be disappointed when it did not budge. Realizing her defeat in her weakened state, Rose gave up on trying to move his arm. She could not move again even if she tried. She was suddenly exhausted.
Relenting, she heeded his order and relaxed sinking down into the bed. "It's okay, I'm fine," she lied managing to keep the tiredness out of her voice hoping to reassure him.
Dimitri's stern expression darkened at her words as they had the opposite effect. He could see right through her, and it greatly displeased him when she lied to him. "You are not fine," he countered firmly repeating the start of their conversation. He could clearly see the pain and fatigue in her expression. Once he was certain that she had given up and would not try and get up again, he relinquished his hold on her. He was irritated by her flippant and dismissive behaviour concerning her condition. "I nearly killed you Roza," he stated bluntly in an attempt to make her understand the gravity of the situation.
This seemed to sober her up a bit. Her brown eyes stared up at him with a blank expression on her face, those eyes blinking rapidly as if digesting his words. She shifted slightly under the intensity of his gaze, but she did not look away from him. "But you didn't," she argued after a few moments of silence.
He nodded slowly noticing the way her expression hardened as she spoke. "No. I didn't," was his tight lipped response.
That was all the confirmation that Rose needed. She shrugged ignoring the pain in her neck that the action caused. "No harm done then," she remarked reaching up to fiddle with the bandages around her neck. The area beneath it was itchy and irritated. She wanted nothing more than to rip the bandages off.
Dimitri batted her hand away from her neck with a disapproving look. Her face flushed with embarrassment letting the limb fall back to the mattress. He sighed shaking his head rising to his feet. "I need to distance myself from you a bit," he announced taking a step backwards, away from her.
Fear blossomed in her chest and panic shot through her at this. Had she done something wrong? Had he had enough of her? "What? Why?" she asked feeling her anxiety beginning to build at the prospect of his words. She did not want him to leave her, for any reason. His company was what had kept her sane throughout this whole ordeal. He was everything to her and she needed him.
He could smell her fear and sensed her wish for comfort, but he could not bring himself to coddle her. He could no longer pretend by allowing her to see only the appealing parts of himself. She needed to know the truth. That he was not the same as he was before he was awakened. He was a monster now and he liked it that way. It would be hard for Rose to accept, but she had to. As much as he would enjoy it, he did not want to have to give her a demonstration.
"You're far too tempting for me," he began to explain turning and pacing the length of the bed. "I have to maintain myself better to keep in control which means I need to feed more and often. What you have to offer is not enough to sustain me," he ranted crossing his arms behind his back while he looped around the end of her bed and up the other side.
Her tongue ran along her dry lips as she listened to him. She turned his words over in her head allowing them to sink in. She understood his reasoning but was surprised at how disappointed she was at his position. In all the time she had been held here, she had enjoyed the closeness that the feeding had brought to their relationship. It showed her that he was able to let his guard down around her and made her feel closer to him. She did not want that to change.
Rose looked up at him, hope burning in her chocolate orbs. "But you'll still feed on me?" she asked biting her bottom lip nervously. She prayed that he would. The mere thought made her skin tingle with anticipation. It would be torture if he were to deny her now, especially when he knew she enjoyed it so much.
"I intend to," he replied with a stiff nod. "We just need to take a hiatus until your body replenishes its supply," was the explanation he offered her. It was the truth, but he hated this decision just as clearly as she did. He did not want to stop either.
The closer she was, the more he wanted her. She was intoxicating. Her blood was sweet and satisfying and he craved it deeply. Insatiably. So much so that it was hard to restrain himself even now. However, if he wanted his investment to be worth while, he would need to show more self-restraint. He could not afford to lose control again. However, there was also a great risk in leaving Rose to her own devices. He had not tried such an experiment since he had worked his compulsion on her. He had been keeping her subdued with the endorphins. So far it had kept her weak and docile. Tame, which was ideal for his plan to keep progressing smoothly. Without them, there was a possibility that she could override his compulsion and regain all her memories and turn against him again. If she attempted another escape, he would have to kill her and that was something he wished to avoid at all costs. He wanted her alive, for now at least until he got his fill of her.
A relieved smile spread across her face at his words. They helped reassure her that everything was going to be alright and not much between them would change. She needed stability and structure in this new environment, and she needed him to keep her grounded. "Good, because I like it when you do," she admitted quickly but softly sucking her bottom lip back underneath her teeth again.
A smirk appeared on his lips by her admission. It was information he had already known but hearing her say it out loud without the aide of the endorphins was a big stroke to his ego. Rose had been so eager the last time he had fed from her, and he was glad it translated when she was in a more sober state of mind. He approached the bed and sat down on the edge again. Her easy acceptance pleased him.
He kept his gaze on the wall as he spoke, "So do I, but it is a danger to you." He paused turning his head to meet her stare. "I am a danger to you."
The serious tone in his voice did not go unnoticed. She knew full well what he was and what he was capable of, but she simply did not care. Oddly enough she felt as though she could trust him. His presence a comfort to her. "I know." As those words left her lips, something hidden deep within the recesses of her mind came forward.
A memory flashed before her. Back in the bedroom of the old apartment when her and Dimitri had been in very similar positions. 'Tell me again. One more time. Why do you want to awaken me so badly?' She had asked him. That moment seemed like so long ago, but she still recalled the conversation with clarity. She was even able to remember the weary look that had crossed his features as he had replied. 'Because I want you. I've always wanted you.' When he had spoken those words then they had sounded empty, and she remembered the pain she had felt when he had originally said them. It left her feeling confused, somewhat sad, and dejected. This memory now contradicted all that had happened since her return to the compound. All she had felt these last few days. If he had wanted her so badly, why had that statement back then bothered her so much?
"Why do you care so much about me?" Rose found herself asking, voicing her thoughts out loud before she could catch herself.
He seemed to sense where her mind was, and his eyes immediately locked onto hers. He tilted his head slightly, "What do you mean?" he probed watching her with suspicion in those lifeless red rimmed eyes.
The intensity of his stare made Rose shiver and the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. Ice slowly trickled down her spine making her body tense suddenly aware of the danger. It was her body's instinctual reaction to the predator that laid hidden beneath the human-like exterior. The monster behind the mask. Those instincts, which she had learned to trust, told her to flee and to be afraid. However, she could not find the strength to give in to those impulses. Instead, she merely wrapped her arms around herself making herself small, feeling exposed under his watchful eyes. Vulnerable and completely at his mercy. Submissive. He could kill her right now if he so wished and she would be powerless to stop him. That thought sent another involuntary shiver down her spine.
She pushed on realizing she was stalling in responding to his question. "It was fine for you to bite me before, what changed?" she asked biting her bottom lip in an effort to mask her anxiety, although, this did not work. Dimitri could see right through her. He had always been able to. She was unable to hide from him, but the truth was that she did not want to.
Although doubtful, Dimitri shrugged his shoulders dismissing her line of questioning. He did not feel that he owed her any explanation to such a silly question. Not when the answer to it did not matter. "Things change all the time," was all he offered as an explanation hoping to dismiss the topic. In his opinion there was no need for this discussion. It was a pointless waste, not worth the time.
Rose pouted dissatisfied with his response and by the careless way he quickly brushed her off. It was obvious to her that he was avoiding the subject all together trying to placate her. "That's a crap answer," she retorted deciding to call him out outright.
Dimitri sighed in annoyance shaking his head in disapproval. Her back sass was further proof that the endorphin cocktail he had been feeding her system was rapidly wearing off. Her impatience and insolence were a testament to that. He would need to keep a closer eye on her if he were to leave larger gaps between their feedings. She was so willful and strong and with her natural aversion to compulsion it made it harder to control her. He could not risk her breaking free from his influence again, not after the last time. She had stabbed him and tried to get away, and she had almost succeeded. Such a thing was not acceptable and he would not allow the incident to repeat itself. She was his and she had to be obedient. He needed her to understand that. Still, he felt as though she deserved some sort of response to her question.
"Despite my actions since you arrived here, I do care about you," he expressed returning his attention to the woman beside him. "I hope that doesn't come as a surprise to you."
She stared at him blankly for a moment as she slowly processed what he said. Her eyes blinked slowly before her eyebrows furrowed in thought. "You've said that before," she remarked recalling their conversation from the other day. Although patches of her memory were hazy, she found that the moments she spent with Dimitri were very clear.
His posture stiffened and his expression hardened at her words, those cold eyes narrowing and locking with hers once more. "I know," was his icy and blunt reply.
"It seems empty, like you force it, or maybe you're holding back," she countered emboldened by the bluntness of his response. From his reaction she could tell that she was on to something. Dimitri was not telling her the whole truth and she did not like it, especially when he closed himself off to her. She wanted to know his feelings. Everything. All of it. She wanted him to trust her as she trusted him. "I don't like it when you hold back," she informed him with a pout.
His red-rimmed eyes glared at her. The brown in his eyes was so dark that they looked almost black. Endless pools lined with glowing red fire. The slow burning fury that she could see smoldering in those orbs made her entire body shudder. She knew what he was, the things he could do to her, and while it frightened her, that fear did not deter her. However, Dimitri was in no mood to be pushed. There was a warning in those dark Inky depths that she needed to heed to. She was treading on dangerous grounds by pressing him for answers to questions he did not want to provide her. If she persisted down this route, it did not bode well for her.
"You're not in a position to be questioning me," he growled his patience with her starting to wear thin.
The annoyance and anger that laced his voice caused Rose to freeze. Another dose of fear shot up her spine at the cold and calculated look in his eyes. The deadly creature inside of him rested just beneath the surface and she could sense it lurking there. She was his prey and the look he was giving her reminded her of that more than any words could express. She swallowed hard realizing that she had been pushing his buttons without intending to.
"I'm sorry, I just thought..." she trailed off mumbling and stumbling over her words, her voice shaking as she spoke. She cursed inwardly at her reaction. The slightest thing seemed to set her off. It was frustrating because it made her feel weak. What was it that made her fall apart so easily around him?
Dimitri rolled his eyes further illustrating the irritation she was causing him. "You thought what? Tell me Rose," he demanded harshly.
Unconsciously, he licked his lips tasting her fear. It hung heavy in the air. It was thick, palpable, and elicited a delightful feeling inside of him that could never be replicated by anything else. It awakened that primal part inside him that desperately craved her in any way possible. He inhaled deeply taking in the scent of that fear. His body tensed to suppress a shudder of pleasure. He thoroughly enjoyed the way he affected her. Maybe a little too much. It was intoxicating. However, her fear also made it that much harder for him to control his instincts and resist the monster within, but he had to. He had to resist this persistent urge he had to completely devour her in every conceivable way. She seemed completely oblivious to his inner struggle.
Her voice was small and quiet when she finally spoke up. Almost detached. "I thought you were doing all this because you love me."
With that solemn statement everything he had felt moments before, the possessive aggressiveness that consumed him in her presence, melted away into nothing but pure amusement. The monster retreated back into the shadows to patiently observe its prey placated by her words. She had not been questioning him because she had remembered something of consequence. Something he had tried to lock away. No, she had been questioning him in search of an emotional connection. He let out a low chuckle a smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. How foolish he was for allowing himself to get worked up over nothing. This was further evidence that his compulsion was working as he intended it too. She was adapting to this new way of life well as he had expected she would. Rose had been built to endure. She was a survivor.
His fingers gently brushed her unruly hair from her eyes and tucked it behind her ear. "My little flower, what made you think that I didn't?" he asked her softly stroking her cheek with his fingertips. He regarded her expression as the fear seemed to melt away at the gentleness of his touch. "Why would I waste my time helping you, protecting you, being with you, if I felt nothing for you?" he questioned further, the velvet tone of his voice holding a great degree of tenderness that she had not heard in a long time.
Dimitri's sudden shift in mood surprised, but at the same time, relieved her. His anger brought out the most helpless of feelings within her and she did not like that. The way her spine tingled, and the hairs would tickle on the back of her neck was her fight or flight response kicking in. However, she could not act upon it. Then there was the way those red rimmed eyes would stare into hers. The burning desire and the hunger she could see in those depths both excited and frightened her.
However, she could not just let the subject drop because he was being loving and caring. "Then why can't you say it?" she pressed undeterred. His words did not satisfy her. "Just say it and I'll believe you." There was a slight whine to her voice that teetered on the edge of desperation. It sounded pathetic. Needy.
"You always were difficult," he commented shaking his head slightly at her persistent pestering. Although it did not grate on his nerves, it was still slightly irritating. Annoying. However, he did not allow this to show in his voice. Rose was a much needier creature than he had anticipated and while he enjoyed some aspects of that, it was not ideal. She was normally so independent. Perhaps it was an unexpected side effect of his manipulations. If that was the case, then he would just have to learn to deal with her whining.
"Just say it Comrade. It's only me and you. No one else has to know. All that matters is that I know," she blurted out barely pausing between each sentence.
He was not sure what was fueling this desire she had for his proclamation of love, but he could not deny the incredibly convenient opportunity presented to him. All he had to do was utter one phrase and she would submit to him and cease these incessant ramblings. If he said those three little words she was so obsessed with, that no longer held any meaning to him, then she would wind herself back around his finger and melt into his embrace. He liked the idea of that prospect. Very much in fact. While it would not be a complete lie, it was not the entire truth either. Although he did care for her, he was not capable of loving her the way she wanted. Not anymore. However, she did not need to know that. Not at all.
"I love you, Roza," he replied flatly.
She had been waiting for him to say that throughout her entire stay at the compound. They were words that she had desperately needed to hear. Still, now that he had said them, they hit a sour note. They remained empty and his statement please her. She pouted, and with a little effort, she managed to cross her arms over her chest.
"Now you're just saying it because I asked you to," she replied slightly bitter that it took her pleading with him to admit feeling any kind of emotion for her. At least something more than just mere fondness and his obvious desire to feed from her. It was not good enough.
He held back another chuckle as he regarded her expression. She looked adorable when she pouted. "Do you have a problem with that?" he questioned climbing onto the mattress and stretching out beside her. He propped his head up on the palm of his hand meeting her gaze easily. "Just because you asked, doesn't mean it's not true," he soothed reaching out with his free hand and running it down the length of her face, cupping her cheek and gently stroking her bottom lip with his thumb.
Rose blushed at his statement feeling her heart skip a beat. "You have a point," she replied sheepishly before leaning into his touch accepting his argument. She was over thinking things again. That was never good. The more she thought about things, the more trouble she tended to get herself into. Overthinking rarely did her any favours.
Dimitri shifted his body so that he was hovering over her. He leaned down and lightly brushed his lips against hers teasingly. "Of course, I do," he assured her holding himself so that there was only a fraction of space between them.
He kissed her tenderly holding it for a few moments. Her lips were warm and eager instantly responding to the contact. They molded to his, a small moan escaping her. He pulled away before the situation could intensify. He needed to stick with his own rules. If he allowed himself to give into the temptation, it would not end well.
He placed another kiss on her forehead. "Now you rest up, and tomorrow I'll have a special treat for you," he announced tapping her on the nose before climbing off of the bed.
Rose frowned at the loss of contact but did not vocalize it. She hated it when he got so close to her and then shut down and decided to leave. She was not sure if he fully realized how much she wanted to spend time with him. To be near him. Nothing had to happen between them, she was content to merely sit in his presence. The physical aspect of their relationship, while enjoyed immensely, was not the only thing she wanted from him. Still, he was more open with her tonight than he had been in a long time. She could be content with that. At least, for the time being.
"Like what?" she asked curiously as she ran her fingers through her hair in an attempt to soothe her unruly curls.
He shrugged on his duster, which had been hung over the end of the bed. "You'll have to wait and see," he replied with a wink before exiting the room and leaving her alone.
Rose sighed deeply relaxing into the pillows. It was maddening how she kept ending up stuck in a bed resting. Though she could understand his reasoning this time, for she truly had no energy to move, it was still incredibly frustrating. She needed to be active. It was in her nature. Truthfully, laying around made her feel lazy. She would rather be up and doing something, be productive. Still, she chose to follow Dimitri's advice. He was usually right about these kinds of things. Even though she could not get out of bed if she wanted to. It was for the best as much as she hated that fact.
She could feel the fatigue setting in and that her body truly did need her to rest in order to regain her strength. Resisting did her no favours in any regard. Admitting defeat, she slid back down, her back flat against the mattress. She carefully rolled onto her side, pulling the blanket up over her form allowing it to settle over her shoulders. The room felt cold, and the blanket added some much needed warmth. Her body shifted slightly, and she settled into a comfortable position. With a small sigh she nestled into the soft pillows. It was no surprise when she began to nod off after only moments. She relaxed and her body and mind settling into a peaceful and, much needed, uninterrupted slumber.
It was close to midnight. Lunch time in the Moroi world. At St. Vladimir's, students, both Dhampir and Moroi, shuffled along the campus heading to feedings or grabbing something to snack on whether it be from the lunchroom or elsewhere. They chattered away worrying about nothing but the most trivial things. Typical teenagers with little care in the world.
Christian Ozera walked towards his dorm hoping to spend the lunch hour in peace. The privacy of his own room made certain he was undisturbed. Normally he would spend his time in the attic of the church, but now that space was filled with too many memories. Memories that made his chest ache.
He glanced up at the sound of approaching footsteps and inwardly groaned when he saw whom the individual was. Lissa. The one person he was trying to avoid. He had taken great care to steer clear of her since their break-up and he had intended to keep it that way. He was still upset with her over the whole cause for their separation, especially the part involving her ex-boyfriend, Aaron. If she had told him the truth from the get-go, none of this would have happened. Without Lissa to spend time with, Christian spent most of his time alone in his room or helping Jill train with her magic. However, there was only so much he could do to help the younger Moroi. She was a water user, and he was a fire user. Their capabilities were entirely different.
He sighed shooting the blonde girl an annoyed glance, "Whatever it is that you're selling, I'm not interested," Christian stated flatly not giving Lissa the time to speak first. To be honest, he did not want to hear what she had to say. He just wanted to be left alone. It was hard enough at a distance, let alone having to interact with her.
Lissa sensed his hostility, but she did not let it discourage her. She could not help but feel slightly awkward around her ex-boyfriend, but she could put that aside. There were more important matters at hand. She had been looking for him all over campus hoping to get a chance to talk to him all day. Now was the perfect opportunity and no amount of negativity from him could dissuade her from her mission. She needed to talk to him, and she refused to take no for an answer. He would talk to her, and he would listen.
"Christian, I know that I'm probably the last person you want to see right now," Lissa began as she easily fell into step beside him. "And you know that I wouldn't come to you if it wasn't important," she continued growing slightly irritated when he picked up his pace in an effort to escape her. She rolled her eyes and grabbed a hold of his arm to stop his stride. "Would you just hear me out? Please? Just for a moment?" she asked tucking her platinum hair behind her ears.
He sighed rolling his eyes at her persistence. He shook his arm free from her grasp intending to walk away. He owed her nothing. However, he could see the concern and the sliver of fear and desperation in her jade eyes. It was this that caused him to relent. "Fine. I'm listening." he assured her coming to a stop beside her.
Lissa took a deep breath, taking the time to sort out the words in her head. She wanted to come up with the clearest way to explain the events of the last few days and everything Adrian had told her. She could only hope that he would be reasonable. With this in mind, she started with the only place that she could. "Adrian hasn't been able to contact Rose."
Christian shrugged in response obviously unperturbed by the revelation. "Sounds to me like she doesn't want to see him," he remarked not seeing the need for urgency regarding the matter. It was well known to their little group that Adrian had a special interest in Rose and that the Dhampir did not return those feelings. His obvious infatuation was kind of pathetic really. "That's Rose for you. I wouldn't read too much into it," he replied dismissing her concerns as anything serious. Rose was stubborn, but she would come around eventually.
She shook her head rapidly. "No, you don't understand, she's not herself," Lissa insisted refusing to accept his reasoning and quick dismissal.
Looking at her, he could tell that there was more to the story than she was letting on. Intrigued by her persistence, he pressed her for more. "What do you mean?" he asked.
Pleased that she had his attention, Lissa continued on with the tale unhindered. With a deep breath to steady her nerves, she launched into it, explaining what Adrian had discovered in the dream world. Where Rose had disappeared to, her damaged condition, her absence of self and memory, and, most concerning, her slightly aggressive yet evasive behaviour. Silently, she thanked her spirit abilities for sparing her from such sights. It almost made her want to cease all attempts to dream walk. Almost.
Christian listened to her tale intently, and although he could see the red flags as clearly as she could, he did not understand her near desperation about the matter. Rose seemed fine. She had told Adrian that herself. Her behaviour towards the spirit user could be just Rose being, well, Rose. In his opinion, there seemed to be little reason for her to worry.
During the second-hand account, Lissa began to idly play with the ends of her long pale hair. It was easier to talk when she was not being distracted by her idle hands. This at least kept them busy. "Adrian hasn't been able to contact her since," she revealed looking away from him and glancing at the other students passing them by. Some cast curious looks their way, but most paid them no mind. It was not unusual for them to be seen together although news of their break-up was still circulating. "He can't make contact and we're worried that something may have happened to her," she added.
Christian was silent. His mind turned the information around finding many holes that would account for most of the problems with making a connection with Rose. "If she's in Russia, the time-zone is different. Maybe she's awake and Adrian just missed her," he offered up as an explanation. His reasoning was completely within the realm of possibility, and this was not lost on Lissa. "If she's operating on a human schedule, it would be nearly impossible for Adrian to catch her," He clarified after a moment.
Lissa shook her head. Although his points were sound as well as valid, the large amount of doubt circling around the situation was much stronger than his theories. Christian did not understand spirit magic as her and Adrian did. He tried, but it was just beyond his comprehension as their magics behaved so vastly different than his. Adrian had still been able to sense Rose's mind despite being denied access. That spoke volumes and also dismissed Christian's suggestion entirely.
"It's more than that. Something or someone is blocking his attempts, which is why he can't get to her," Lissa continued explaining wincing as her fingers tugged on her hair as it became tangled around and between the appendages. She swiftly retracted them, smoothing out the tangles, and allowing her hands to drop back down to her sides. At this rate, she would start pulling out her own hair before long. "We want to go find her and bring her back to the academy."
Christian stared at his former girlfriend in disbelief. He had to admit that the knowledge she had presented him with seemed disturbing and out of character for their friend, but he was not about to run off half-cocked into an unknown situation on a potentially dangerous rescue mission without good reason. "Now that is both reckless and stupid," he announced bluntly unafraid to voice his opinion. That was one of his traits that tended to rub people the wrong way. "It's most likely nothing."
Despite his cold and calm exterior, Christian was concerned by her idea. Lissa had always been the practical one. To see her acting so irrationally was very disconcerting. He was usually the one who was impulsive. Perhaps she was feeding off of Adrian's insanity. She held a fairly strong spiritual connection with the older spirit user. The fact that she may be tapping into his energy and combining it with her own was worrisome. No good could come of something like that. Spirit magic was strong, toxic, and addictive. He did not wan to even begin to contemplate the ramifications of combining their magic.
Lissa shook her head glaring at her dark-haired ex-boyfriend. He was so incredibly stubborn at the most inconvenient of times. It was very irritating. "I'm telling you, it is something. I can feel it in here," she persisted resting her hand over her chest where her heart was located.
He rolled his eyes at her use of dramatics. "You're being ridiculous," he fired back crossing his arms over his chest. "She's probably shacked up with some Moroi guy. It's not like her, I know she's not like that, but it really is the most logical scenario," he continued trying her make her see reason. However, the angry and irritated look she was shooting towards him suggested otherwise. "I thought you had more sense than to rush into things. That was Rose's job."
Despite their current relationship status, he still cared deeply for the Princess and did not want her to get hurt, or worse, killed. He could see by the look in her eyes that she had already made up her mind before confronting him and that nothing he could say would change her mind. Still, he felt he had to try, even if it was pointless.
Lissa scowled at him. Such a look seemed unsuited for her face. Unnatural. "This goes beyond sense," she spat annoyed by his attempts to brush her off. Deep down inside of herself she knew it was more than just a simple answer. The danger was real and his refusal to see that was incredibly frustrating. "You know as well as I do that Rose would never degrade herself by becoming a blood whore. Not willingly," she ranted emphasizing the word willingly. She paused a moment before she shook her head to clear the thoughts that statement had conjured up. She could not face that reality. Not without proof. It was so unlike Rose. "I can't live with that. Not without doing everything in my power to help her. I have to help her."
"You don't know what you'll be walking into," he argued clenching his fists at his sides. While he admired her passion it was also one of the things about her that drove him nuts. Her ideas and how she was so determined to do the right thing. "Rose doesn't need your help, Lissa. She'll come back on her own when she's ready."
Unmoved by his attempts to dissuade her, she shook her head again dismissing his point entirely. She could not believe that. The feeling of dread that tickled her at the thought of her best friend told her all she needed to know. Rose was her bond mate, and although the bond was only one way, she had to be able to sense her somehow on some level. They were spiritually connected.
"Her aura was darker. Tainted," she began tapping her fingertips together idly. "There is something, or someone, keeping her there. Controlling her. There has to be because nothing else makes sense," she continued on as if he had not said anything at all.
"You're making a mountain out of a mole-hill..." he began to interject, but she cut him off before he could finish his sentence.
"Do you know why she left?" she demanded resting her hands on her hips.
By this point, the dark haired teen had, had enough. Lissa's behaviour was getting extremely irritating. "No, but it doesn't matter because it's none of my business," he snapped stepping aside to move around her to extract himself from the conversation. He was done. Much to his surprise, she followed stepping around him and planting herself firmly in his path. He quirked an eyebrow at her in response. "Are we done?" he asked.
Lissa placed her hand on his chest and gave him a small shove backwards. Not enough to cause him to lose his balance, but enough to stop him. "No, we are not done!" she shouted in annoyance. She felt that he was being unnecessarily difficult. "You will stay, and you will listen to me Christian Ozera!"
"I don't have to do anything!" he seethed glaring at the female.
She ignored him deciding to answer her own question since he did not appear to know or care about the answer. "Rose left to find Dimitri Belikov," she stated watching Christian's expression turn to confusion for a brief moment. They had all been told that Dimitri had been killed in the caves, but that was not the truth. Lissa knew this, but it was not common knowledge. "He's been turned Strigoi," she added feeling the need to clarify.
His icy blue eyes blinked a couple times. Her words had taken him aback. He had not been prepared for, or expecting, an answer quite like that. However, it only took a moment for his expression to shift into one of faint outrage. "Why the hell would she do that? Have you told Adrian?" he shouted.
She shook her head in response. She had wanted to tell Adrian, but she could not bring herself to tell the other spirit user of Rose's intentions. That it was her desire to leave and destroy the man that she loved had taken priority away from anything or anyone else. Her need to save him from himself. Lissa did not have the heart to tell Adrian the truth out of sympathy. Rose had manipulated him into helping her by using his infatuation with her to get him to help her. He had been used. For that, Lissa felt truly sorry for him because she knew that Rose would never return his feelings in the way he wanted her to. Unrequited love. Lissa wanted to spare him the pain of that harsh truth for as long as she could.
She let out a small sigh. "No, I haven't," she confessed softly
Christian accepted her answer to the second part of his question but realized that she had completely avoided the first half. He chose to rephrase the question slightly. "Why did she go after Guardian Belikov?" He knew that the guy was Rose's mentor, and she had some kind of allegiance to him, but that did not explain this.
Lissa clasped her hands together in front of her, and her gaze falling to the ground. She began to inspect her shoes taking a deep breath before beginning her explanation. "She left to kill him because she felt that's what he would have wanted." She shrugged her shoulders considering her own words. When Christian made no move to respond, and with the knowledge she had, the Princess decided to elaborate on her statement. "I think it was more for her to face the reality of losing him and to get through her grief. To get Closure."
While he understood Rose's need to grieve, he could not understand the necessity of seeking out her old mentor in order to kill him. It was basically a suicide mission. Despite how much he admired the Dhampir's dedication, it did not make sense for Rose to do this. She was reckless, yes, but never without good reason. "Why would she do something so stupid?"
"Love makes you do crazy things," she replied raising her eyes to meet with his.
Her statement left him flabbergasted. "Love?" He repeated the word slowly. That was the last thing he had expected her to say. The idea had not even crossed his mind, although, all the signs were there. Looking back at the events of the last few months, it made a lot of sense.
Lissa nodded in confirmation. "Rose told me herself. She loved him," was her firm and confident response. Saying it out loud made it real, almost tangible. She chuckled shaking her head again as she considered the absurdity of it all. How did she not know? She had known Rose since they were children. She should have been able to see it, and Rose should have trusted her enough to tell her. "She was in love with him, and I didn't even take the time to notice until it was too late," she continued grimly, rambling.
"Lissa..." he tried to interrupt, but she would not allow it.
She raised her hand effectively cutting him off, "No, you listen to me. When she left, I said horrible things to her," she told him her voice heavy with emotion. Remorse and sadness filled her features and she sucked in a breath to try and maintain her composure.
Lately, whenever Rose came up as the topic of discussion, there was this inexplicable pain that shot through her. Perhaps it was some kind of throwback to the bond that they shared. Some kind of side-effect of spirit. Maybe somehow it was the bond telling her that something was wrong with Rose. She could not rule out that possibility. Not yet anyway.
"I accused her of being selfish for leaving when all she has ever done is sacrifice her own happiness for me," Lissa continued on as tears began to well up in her eyes. Her emotions were beginning to get the best of her. "I even tried to compel her to stay here with me. For me. What she wanted didn't matter because I felt that she was abandoning me. She has always been there for me, no matter what and this is what I give her in return?" Her voice shook and despite her best efforts to keep them at bay, the tears began to flow.
They trickled down her cheeks slowly and she brushed them off quickly silently cursing her shifting emotions. She was ashamed and disgusted at her behaviour toward her best friend. She took a deep breath and pushed on to finish her spiel before Christian could interject. "I didn't even consider going with her. I know that she never would have let me, but I never offered either. It never even crossed my mind."
"You can't blame yourself," he remarked his tone shifting to be soft and gentle. Seeing her upset made him feel guilty for acting so cold and unsympathetic to her plight. She may not be his girlfriend any longer but that did not mean that he did not care about her. All she wanted to do was help her friend, however misguided and impulsive the idea may be. "It's not your fault." He reached out to touch her shoulder, but she shifted back away from him.
He did his best to brush off her rebuff, but she could see the hurt in his eyes when she shied away. Lissa focused her attention away from him, a far off look in her green eyes. It almost seemed as though she was disconnecting herself from reality. She shook her head taking a shaky breath to steady herself once more, but it still did not work.
"I wasn't there when she needed me and I'll be damned if I let her die because I was being selfish," she spoke with confidence, her expression showing her conviction despite the tears staining her cheeks and making her voice crack. "I have to save her and tell her that I was wrong. I have to make things right between us." Lissa closed her eyes tightly forcing herself to calm down before meeting his gaze again. Regaining her composure, she stared at him with renewed vigour. There was now a fire burning in her eyes. "Now, will you help me or not?" she asked indignantly.
Christian sighed deeply. He had a feeling that he was going to deeply regret this decision, but he could not let Lissa go through this alone. Not after seeing the pain in her face during her passionate speech. The way she had acted towards Rose was eating at her. "Count me in," he relented recalling the times that the Dhampir had risked her life for him. In Spokane and during the attack on the Academy several weeks ago. Rose always stood seemingly fearless in front of adversity and Christian greatly admired her for that.
She nodded in gratitude a sigh of relief floating from her lips. It felt as though the burden on her shoulders had been lifted some. "Thank you Christian." Despite how negatively they had ended things, Lissa could still rely on him to have her back. It was a comfort to know.
He stiffly returned the gesture. He wanted to be mature about this. "I just want you to know that I'm doing it for her, not for you," he clarified running a hand through his hair. "There is still a lot of hurt between me and you, and it's going to take time for me to get past that." He did not want her to get any ideas of them getting back together. This was not about that.
"I understand." Lissa replied appreciating his honesty as well as the maturity he was exhibiting. It took a lot of courage to put aside grudges and hurt feelings in order to work together to accomplish a goal with the person who had wronged you. Especially when she had betrayed him as she had. It said a lot about his character. Christian was a good man.
There was a moment of silence that passed between the two ex-lovers. It was not uncomfortable, but at the same time, it was a little bit awkward. Christian was the one to break it. He coughed once crossing his arms over his chest, "So, who all is coming with us?" he asked her wondering who all was in on this scheme of hers.
Her anxiety flared at this, and she began to twirl her hair around her fingers again. "Just the three of us. You, me, and Adrian," she admitted softly.
"You know that's not going to work, right?" he muttered shaking his head at the severe lack of planning or thought going into this proposed mission. There was no way the three of them would get very far on their own. "Three Moroi wandering around outside the wards without protection? Three royals, one being the Queen's beloved great-nephew and the other the last Dragomir? That's just asking for trouble."
He easily pointed out the flaws in their grand scheme counting them out on his fingers. His hand was open by the end of it. The two other royals seemed to have forgotten one major detail that he felt could not go ignored. "None of us know how to fight." He paused before adding, "Well, I know how to set stuff on fire, but that won't be enough against Strigoi."
Lissa began to show signs of agitation again. She was not fond of his pessimistic attitude, even if he was right. Then again, her conversations with Adrian had not moved passed asking Christian yet. They were still in the early stages of planning. Nothing was truly decided yet. However, he did make very valid points, and she would be stupid not to take them into consideration. Christian was merely the first piece in their puzzle. The most crucial.
"Well, we can't ask any of the Guardians. They'll never let us go." She paused for a moment contemplating this. While they had Christian on their side, they were still basically defenceless against Strigoi and other threats out there beyond the safety of the wards. Lissa jumped as an idea came to her. "We can ask Eddie. One Guardian, even a Novice, is better than having no Guardian at all," she suggested hopefully.
"Think he would go for it?" he asked. Rose had saved Eddie as well both in Spokane and from the caves. Christian was pretty confident that he would be willing to join them. However, Lissa was far better at reading people for obvious reasons.
"For Rose? Possibly, if we make a convincing argument," she hinted tucking her hair behind her ears in an effort to keep it in place. She wanted him to help her and with Christian on board it would be a lot easier for her to convince Eddie.
Christian could not help but chuckle at this. "I think you'll manage," he remarked offering up a small smile. "You convinced me." No one he knew to make a passionate and convincing argument like his ex-girlfriend.
"I'll go too," a new and unexpected voice suddenly piped up joining the conversation.
Both teenagers turned to see the intruder and the source of the voice. Lissa's eyes widened in surprise as she took in the tall thin form of Christian's little protege. The girl whom he had been teaching offensive magic. "Jill? What are you doing here?" she asked after the initial shock of her sudden appearance wore off. Although, she was annoyed that the younger Moroi had been eavesdropping on their private conversation.
The young girl shifted her feet nervously, biting her bottom lip. It was obvious that she felt awkward being in the presence of both of the former lovers, especially when she had not been invited. Lissa was certain that it had something to do with the fact that the younger girl felt partially responsible for the couple's break-up.
Jill looked down at her feet refusing to meet Lissa's eyes. "I was looking for Christian and I overheard your conversation," she admitted shyly, her cheeks tinging pink. "I want to help," she announced finally forcing her eyes upward meeting their eyes for the first time.
Both of the older Moroi responded at the exact same time, "No!" they both shouted.
The two shared a quick glance before turning their attention back to Jill. Christian shook his head in protest, "No way. It's too dangerous," he disagreed. "You could get hurt," he added hoping that Jill would let it drop and leave the subject alone.
Unfortunately, one look in those green eyes of hers said anything but. His attempts to dissuade the fourteen year old had the opposite affect. "So could you," she remarked sounding much more confident than she had before when she originally addressed them. "From the sound of things, you need all the help you can get."
Lissa sighed seeing this conversation going no where until one side relented, and she was certain it would not be Jill. Besides, as much as she hated to admit it, the younger girl was right. "She has a point," the Princess remarked turning to the dark haired boy at her side. Ultimately, she felt Jill's inclusion was Christian's decision to make. He was, after all, her 'mentor'.
The fire user shook his head." No, absolutely not," he stated in complete disagreement with the idea. Jill was too young for a mission like this.
Jill frowned glancing at Lissa who simply held her hands up in defeat, "Please Christian. I want to help Rose," she insisted, nearly begging the older boy. She had always admired Rose and if she was in trouble, she wanted to help her. "I know she'd help me if she could," she argued knowing her statement to be true.
Christian saw that this was going no where fast. No longer wanting to argue, he conceded his point and nodded with a small curse under his breath. "Fine," he relented with a sigh making Jill smile. He hoped he would not regret this decision.
Jill's smile widened and excitement coursed through her, which she tried to hide. She did not want to seem too eager. "I promise I won't get in the way."
"That's not what I am worried about," Christian remarked before turning and heading back towards the lunchroom, and away from the two girls.
Now there were four.
A thick fog surrounded him. The dream-world void of all illusion. The blank canvas that he could paint with whatever image he so desired. A paradise of sorts. His escape from reality. Adrian sat crossed legged on his bed as he allowed the whiteness to envelope him as he focused all his attention into the search for Rose's energy sequence. If she was asleep, he would find it. He needed to in order to make contact with her. Ever since he found his way into her dream the other night, he could not get the image of her out of his mind. It only fueled his desperation to see her, to talk to her. He had to make sure that she was alright because wherever she was, something was terribly wrong.
He pictured Rose in his mind, not as he had last seen her, but as she was when they had first met at the ski lodge. She had looked beautiful then. He preferred to remember her that way. He had been trying to connect with her for hours and the strain was starting to weigh on him. Exhaustion filled him as his body begged him to take a break, urging him to rest. His magic was starting to wain. Dejected, he was about to give into that inner voice and give up for the third time that day when he felt a familiar sensation and a welcomed voice reached his ears.
"Adrian?"
Relief flooded through him at the sound of her voice. Adrian opened his eyes, and her familiar face came into view. In the white fog of the dream-world, standing before him, was Rose Hathaway. After days of trying, he had finally managed to push through the static fog blocking him and make contact. However, the connection he made was not very solid making it impossible for him to create any illusions in this realm. He would have to settle for a blank canvas. Not that it mattered. He just wanted to see her.
"Oh, thank God. You're alive. I've been trying to contact you for days," he remarked ecstatic to find that his abilities were not at fault for his failure after all. He was starting to believe that his magic was defective, or his alcohol consumption was starting to seriously hinder his ability to use it. Perhaps, he had just not been vigilant enough in his efforts.
For the first time in days, he was able to get a good look at her. She still looked pale and held a certain haunted look to her, but she seemed more alert and overall, more like herself. He could see bandages on her neck, obviously covering up any bite marks that may be there. One thing that he could not help but notice was the dark circles that were beneath her eyes. However, what caught him off guard was the scowl that formed on her face when she turned to face him.
She seemed to be annoyed by his sudden appearance. Not an entirely unexpected reaction. Rose normally went both ways depending on the day and her mood. "Go away Adrian. I don't want to see you," she stated flatly. Her voice was void of any and all emotion as she spoke. Almost inhuman. It was unsettling.
Adrian was immediately taken a back by her swift dismissal. He had been expecting the moody and confused Rose he had encountered the last time. The woman standing before was neither of those things. She seemed more confident, self-assured, and, despite the way she spoke, more like the Rose he knew. However, he did not know how to take that.
"Are you okay?" he asked hesitantly a little surprised by the cold shoulder she was giving him.
Her chocolate eyes narrowed into a glare, her gaze never leaving his. "What part of 'I don't want to see you' don't you understand. I don't want you here," she spat crossing her arms over her chest defiantly. It was obvious that she was displeased by his presence.
"I understand, I just need to know that you're safe," he explained his intrusion with a curt nod. It was the truth afterall.
Rose scoffed in annoyance completely dismissing his concern. "Dimitri wouldn't let anything happen to me," she stated firmly.
Adrian paused as he processed her words, letting them sink in. She had just given him a very vital piece of information, the missing piece, and it made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. Suddenly, the pieces fit together, and the puzzle made sense. Her battered condition, the bite marks, and the happy and haunted look in her now dead eyes. He did not need her to paint a picture, he could do that himself. He should have known she would do something like this. He knew how strong her feelings for Dimitri were, despite how much Adrian tried to ignore them. Everything with Rose always seemed to lead back to one person and it was no secret what had happened to him. The once powerful Guardian had been turned Strigoi.
He hoped he had heard her wrong. "You're with Belikov?" he asked for confirmation to ensure that he had heard her correctly. He had to be completely certain.
She nodded once as if her reply should be obvious. "Yes I am. Is that a problem?" she questioned clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth as she awaited his response. She was impatient and made it clear that she was in no mood to deal with unwanted company. Dimitri wanted her to rest and recover and Adrian was in her way. Here he was, uninvited, interrupting her sleep as always, even if she was technically still asleep.
Panic shot through him initially at her confirmation, but that feeling soon faded once he realized just how calm she was throughout her whole admission. There was no fear or apprehension. She seemed to be completely comfortable and at ease around Dimitri despite his transformation. Comfortable enough to let him get close enough to bite her and not to kill her. That made his stomach twist uncomfortably. She had allowed this to happen. That thought brought anger that begin to rapidly spread through him. He was not sure who he was angry at, Rose or Dimitri. Maybe both.
"Are you insane?" he asked her harshly in total disbelief, taking a step towards her. "He's a monster!" His voice rose in volume as he spoke.
Rose shook her head disagreeing with his statement. "You don't know anything," she seethed her eyes suddenly ablaze with fury. "He treats me better than any of you do. He actually cares about me. Now get out of my head and stay out!" she shouted clenching her fists tightly at her sides.
"I care about you," he states exasperated. This woman in front of him was not Rose. She was a stranger dressed up as the girl he loved. "What has he done to you?" he probed slowly closing the distance between them with careful steps.
Her response to his inquiry was immediate. "Nothing. He loves me," she insisted.
Adrian sighed shaking his head. She was in denial. "Rose he's Strigoi now. He's incapable of love," he informed her, his tone soft, yet firm. He hoped if she would listen to him, she would see the truth in his words and the sincerity in his voice. "Don't you see that he's toying with you. He's using you."
Her jaw clenched and she took a step back deciding that he was getting too close for her comfort. She lashed out at him. "He would never do that to me. He loves me," she argued shaking her head. "Let me be happy instead of trying to ruin everything. Leave me alone!"
He sighed pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. He felt torn between complying with her wishes or ignoring them. Unfortunately for him, he was too selfish to listen to her. "I can't do that," he replied honestly.
"Yes, you can, and you will!" she fired back.
"I can't. I won't let you destroy yourself like this." He reached out to touch her, only to have her jump away from him as if he intended to hurt her. Instantly, he withdrew his hand feeling rejected. "He's slowly killing you. Piece by piece. Don't you see?" He implored her to see reason.
Now that he was standing closer to her, he could clearly see the heavy white bandages wrapped around her neck. From the way it was wrapped up, it appeared as though someone, namely Dimitri, had tried to rip her throat out. He was not certain, and he hoped he was wrong, but the sinking feeling in his stomach told him that he was right. Rose was in over her head and did not realize it. This situation just escalated.
"Get out of my head!" Rose snarled stamping her foot and turning around so that she no longer had to look at him.
Adrian could not believe her attitude. "Don't you see how important you are?" he tried again determined to get through to her. Slowly, he attempted to approach her again. This time she did not back away. "To me?" he added when he received no response. He crept even closer and closer until he could reach out and touch her. He placed his hands gently on her shoulders, "To Lissa?" he added softly.
At the mention of Lissa, Rose jolted out of his grasp and whirled around, her eyes ablaze with fury. "I don't want to talk about Lissa!" She yelled.
He ignored her knowing that he had hit a nerve, but it brought light back into her eyes. He had her attention now. If he was going to make a point, he had just found his avenue. "She's worried too. She wants you to come home," he tried hoping it would help break the spell that had taken over his friend.
However, the answer he wanted was not the one that he received. "I am home!" she roared before grabbing her hair close to the scalp and pulling it hard. His words were conflicting with everything her head was screaming at her, and it confused her, which made her head throb painfully. "Shut up! Get out and stay out. I don't want to see you anymore!" she shrieked closing her eyes tightly. She tried her best to push him out of the dream to get him and his words away from her.
Adrian shook his head sensing what she was trying to do. It was useless on her part. She did not have the mental strength to push him out. "I'm not leaving until you tell me what's going on. I want to help you. Let me help you," he pleaded with her, reaching his hand out for her to take.
She slapped his hand away glaring at him with complete malice. It was clear from her expression she had no interest in listening to him anymore. He did not understand the situation. "I don't need your help!" she screeched turning her back towards him once more.
The best way to get him to leave was to ignore him since she was unable to force him out. He would have to leave of his own accord. This proved one thing to Adrian. She did not truly know or understand how to eject him from the dream. That only left one other possibility. However, he did not have time to ponder this discovery as another figure materialized into their dream space. It took a few moments for the image to settle, but once it did, he came face to face with the last person he expected to see.
Adrian's jaw dropped in shock as the tall figure of Dimitri came into focus only a few steps before him. Well, it bore a resemblance to Dimitri, but he looked unnatural. Inhuman. The pale pallor of his skin and the red circling his eyes made all the hairs on the back of Adrian's neck stand on end once again. On the outside, he knew this man, but what lay hidden beneath the surface sent a wave of terror through him that he could not even begin to describe. There were no words. He had never come face to face with a Strigoi before in real life, let alone in the dream world. He did not know such a thing was even possible.
A sinister smile spread across Dimitri's face as he sensed the Moroi's fear all around him. He had the upper hand here. "You heard her Ivashkov, she doesn't need you," he remarked his red eyes locking onto Adrian's emerald ones.
Before the spirit user could even utter a response, an unexplainable force pushed him backwards and everything went black.
The world snapped back into place as Adrian was jolted back into reality once again. He gasped at the intense pain that exploded through his head at the shock of being thrust out of the dream world so violently. It was not a good idea to pull out of there like that. Normally, he would ease himself out slowly. His head fell into his hands, and he breathed deeply urging the pain to subside. The ache was almost unbearable. After a few minutes in this position, the pain began to ease and he was able to form thoughts through the pain.
Once he could, his eyes shot open at the sudden realization that hit him. It had not been Rose who had been blocking him, and she was not the one who had kicked him out of her dream either. It had been Dimitri the whole time.
"What the fuck?" he asked the empty room unable to comprehend how that was even possible.