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Chapter 7:

Rose

Dimitri and I had agreed to let everyone in on the side mission. Especially since Mikhail was with us. Maybe he could help us. He had intimately known her, he might know about the sibling or at least who she was close enough to to be emergency contact for.

"So, Lissa might have an illegitimate sibling?" Mia asked. " Like father, like son right?" The last part was muttered under Mia's breath but I heard. I gave her a glare. She raised her arms in surrender. "Sorry. Not helping."

But I understood her reaction. Lissa's brother André had once really screwed her over, figuratively and literally. I know Lissa wouldn't be happy with this news either. She might be excited to know she wasn't the last Dragomir and she could get her Council seat, but learning your father cheated on your mother might be a bit of a shock. I also didn't want to hurt Eric's reputation. The man was dead and had no means of defending himself. People would think less of him and gossip a lot once this got out.

But did we really have a choice? Lissa needed that seat. And I knew that despite Tasha's efforts, the Quorum law wouldn't be changed in time for the elections. This was our only hope.

"Mikhail, Do you know anything? Do you have any idea who this mystery woman might be?"

He had looked disturbed ever since Sonya's name was dropped. So far he hadn't said a word. I think he was processing this. It must be strange for him to talk about something before she turned. I think the last three years everytime Mikhail thought of Sonya he thought of a pale woman with red-rimmed eyes. I know that is what I thought when I thought of Dimitri.

"No, She was close to her family, but there were a lot of them. I never saw any of them and don't recall her ever mentioning nieces or nephews in that age range. But it might not be family. Sonya was loved, before…" He didn't need to finish that sentence. We all knew about Miss Karp.

I leaned back into my chair. "The only one who knows for sure, is Sonya."

Mikhail looked over the maps we had lying around. "I spent a year trying to track her down and no luck. She had been off the grid for three years now. How are you even going to find her? And if you do find her, how are you going to ask her?"

I had no idea how to find her? We were mostly focused on finding Strigoi in General, we didn't really care who. but finding a single Strigoi? Well, I had done it. But I doubt torturing several Strigoi until one would talk would work here. But I was sure I could get her to talk. I had some experience in that department.

Dimitri's eyes landed on mine briefly. Mikhail didn't know the details of what I did in Russia, And although my kills were known by the Council, my other curricular activities were not. But Dimitri knew. Like I knew most of what he had done in those months, he was also one of the few that knew what I had done.

"That is because you didn't have the right contacts to find her." Dimitri said. Right, and Dimitri did. I wonder how many Strigoi we could track this way? twenty? fifty? Two hundred? How big had Galina's network been? Isaiah had known of Christian's parents. How many Strigoi were even in North America and how well did they know each other? We had always assumed Strigoi kept to themselves, the attacks in the royal families and Galina being the exceptions. But maybe it was more than that. Maybe Strigoi did have at least loose associations with other Strigoi.

Dimitri sighed as he got up and walked towards the privacy of his own bedroom. I knew he was making another call as Strigoi Dimitri and I doubted he wanted witnesses. Although I could hear his muffled voice through the door and even if he was speaking Russian and the door blocked most of the sound, it still sent a shiver down my back.

A couple of minutes later Dimitri came back into the main part of the hotel suite. We had all been silent waiting for him to get back.

"I have someone looking into it. It will be a couple of hours before he has anything."

I looked around towards the people at the table. Two of them were rather run-down. They looked exhausted. Mikhail had turned a couple of shades paler since we mentioned Sonya. He knew what this meant, we would be going after her, with no means of restoring her. We needed information, but I knew once we had it, we wouldn't leave her alive and I knew he wouldn't either. He had known it was a possibility that we would run into her, but I didn't think that particular problem would be coming up on day two.

Dimitri had also been through the ringer tonight. I had never seen him break-down like that. It had been a shock. But it just goes to show how deep his trauma was. He had always seemed larger than life. Now, he felt human, mortal. I suppose he was. I had looked up at him at the Academy, always thinking he was the God people joked he was. But he had fallen in the cave, he had lived through so much trauma, and I had grown too. I wasn't a student anymore. I was an adult with a mission I was leading.

It should have felt weird, but it was oddly freeing. Dimitri and I were more equals now than we had ever been at the Academy.

"Let's turn in for tonight. In the morning we will discuss how we proceed. Hopefully with some information about Sonya."

Mia seemed to be the only one not tired. She hadn't seen any action, which was the plan, but I know she was eager to prove herself. I had a feeling she would get her wish soon enough.

That night I was pulled into a spirit dream. I was familiar with the feeling now. I was expecting Adrian, but when I noticed the scenery, I didn't recognize it. Adrian usually pulled me into a space we both had been, with the exception of his all time favorite, his grandmother's garden. This place fell into neither category.

I was in a room with thick curtains and a lot of pictures on the wall. It was a fancy parlor. Now I know I have never been here before. I was starting to inspect the pictures on the wall, vaguely recognizing one of them, when my spirit dream maker showed himself, or rather themselves.

Once they materialized, I realized why I recognized the person in the picture.

I didn't hesitate for a moment before attacking Viktor Dashkov. But just before my punch could land on his smug face I hit a wall and bounced back. Great, another spirit ability it would seem.

"Rosemarie, why do you always have to be so violent." Viktor sneered. Robert didn't even seem to notice I was there.

"Lying, backstabbing traitors seem to bring that out in me." I sneered. I got back up and brushed some imaginary spirit dream dust from my clothes.

"What are you doing here, Viktor?"

He shrugged. "Just checking in on my favorite Guardian."

I crossed my arms over my chest and tapped my foot. That was a load of bullshit and we both knew it. "You can't get to Lissa, so I am your next best option. I feel special already."

He smiled, but there was no warmth in it. Once upon a time I had thought him a kind man, now his smile just looked hollow. "I have contacts at Court saying you were implicated in Tatiana's death."

I threw my hands up in the air. Why did everyone think I killed Tatiana? I swear if I killed everyone who I called a bitch, there would be a whole lot less people on this planet. Mia being one of them.

"Your contacts were wrong. I am on an assignment, one authorized by Tatiana herself hours before she died. Someone did use my stake though. Wait, did you really think I killed Tatiana?"

Viktor waved me off. "Of course not, not even you would be stupid enough to kill Tatiana with you own stake and leave it there. Anyone who was fooled into thinking you did it, is an idiot." He smirked. "Which is probably the entire council."

Oh no, I was agreeing with Viktor on something. I think hell just froze over somewhere.

"I don't care about Tatiana, I care about Lissa and getting her on the Council. Her vote is needed now more than ever."

I had the urge to gag. Twice in one day, I agreed with Viktor. Maybe Robert was manipulating me in this dream. Yeah, that must be it, mind control.

Then something occurred to me. Viktor and Eric had been very close. Maybe Viktor knew about the sibling. It was a risk, but one I had to take. At least I knew Viktor wanted to give Lissa her seat. I know he thought he could manipulate her once she had her seat, but I wouldn't let that happen. Besides, one bridge at a time.

"I am working on that. There is another Dragomir, an illegitimate child. Apparently Eric had an affair."

Viktors eyes opened wide and I knew then he didn't know anything and I had just played my hand. Damn. He took a couple of moments to wrap his head around this news and I could see the wheels turning in his diabolic head. I could say a lot about Viktor, but he was smart. He might help me make some connections.

"How far along are you in finding this sibling? Time is running out. Once Tatiana is cold in the ground they will start with the elections. There will be tests first, but that won't take long at all."

I didn't like his tone one bit. Just because he is royal, doesn't mean he can order me around. Well, okay, that is exactly what that means, but he lost his title when he went to jail.

"I am working on it, okay. I have a lead, but it isn't easy tracking someone who people have spent a good amount of effort in hiding. I traced a bank account number and I have a point of contact."

Viktor almost seemed impressed. "Very well, We will be in contact soon again." I was about to protest that if he didn't know anything, I really didn't need him, when he interrupted again.

"Now, in the meantime. We need to buy time."

After Viktor had explained exactly how he wanted to buy us some time, they let the spirit dream go and I was longing for my own sweet dreams. But I suppose it was a busy night for me, because Adrian pulled me into a spirit dream next.

"Hey Little Dhampir." This time I recognized the place. His grandmother's gardens again.

"Hey." I responded.

Adrian seemed to be a little uncomfortable. Like he didn't know what to say. He stood with his hands in his pockets and looked slightly above me instead of at me. Things had been weird since we broke up. I knew eventually he would understand, but right now I could tell he was fighting the urge to hug me, which he had done in every spirit dream for the last few months.

"How are things on your end?" He finally asked.

I shrugged. "Just finished the first raid. We took down three Strigoi. It is a good start."

He nodded and then there was an awkward silence. I wonder why he had connected with me in my dreams? Did he actually want to ask me something or was he just lonely?

"Mia is kind of awesome. She didn't get to fight today and if I have my way, she won't, but we did some training and she really got skills."

Adrian chuckled. "Yeah, I heard she was training a lot."

Again the awkward silence. "Any news on your end? Are they any closer to finding your Aunt's…"

"Murderer. You can say it Rose, She was murdered. In cold blood, by some coward who wanted to frame you."

Well, when you put it like that, there really is no need for subtlety.

"And no, no real leads. We questioned Ambrose and Blake Lazar, my aunt's other…"

I had half a mind to reply, with 'Lover, boy toy, the guy who plowed your aunt on a regular basis', but decided he probably wouldn't appreciate the humor in its irony.

"But I doubt either of them did it. My aunt started a trial for Moroi learning some combat skills, we are seeing if someone knows who the participants were."

Yeah, Lissa had mentioned that when I had her on the phone earlier. As exhausted as I was, I did promise to call her every day. And talking to Lissa even while exhausted was a lot better than not talking to Lissa and getting an earful from her in the morning.

"Tomorrow they are going to start the elections for a new monarch. She is barely cold in the ground and they are already replacing her." He grabbed a packet of smokes from his pocket. Hesitated for a moment while looking at me, chuckled without humor and lit one up. I wondered if smoking in a spirit dream would actually alleviate any addiction symptoms?

"The Moroi need a monarch, Adrian. But I would prefer they take a long time too. We need to see if we can get Lissa her Council seat first."

He nodded. "Tasha is busy with that, but it is slow going. It will take a long time to overthrow that law."

Yes it will. But fortunately, Viktor had come up with a way to stall for some time. I didn't want to discuss it with Lissa. She would refuse. But Adrian would probably be into this sort of thing.

So I started to explain my plan.

Once I was done, Adrian stared at me. And stared. After a few moments he smirked. "That is brilliant. She is going to have a fit, but it is brilliant."

I just hope it would give me enough time to hunt down this sibling.

"So you'll make sure of it?"

He nodded. "Thanks Adrian. I knew I could count on you."

He looked at me funny, a soft expression on his face. He was about to take a step towards me but then sighed and stayed where he was. Then it became awkward again.

"So how is everyone on your end? You and Dimitri friends yet?" The last part sounded a little bitter.

I snorted. Although the thought of us being friends wasn't as strange to me anymore as it was a couple of days ago. I was starting to understand why he had reacted the way he had in jail and in the church. It still hurt like hell. But Dimitri wasn't remotely fine. I had seriously overestimated how fine he was.

"We are working together, and I know I can always trust him in a fight. But it is hard and awkward and weird."

"Kind of like us." Adrian supplemented. I laughed. "Yes, kinds like us. I seem to be gathering a string of weird exes. Funny, I never had that problem with Mason."

Although Mason had also driven me insane in his own way after he died. Now Adrian laughed with me and it was good to laugh. Maybe we could be friends again.

"So, you were just checking in on me?" I asked, partly disappointed and partly thinking it was sweet.

He nodded. "I worry about you Rose. It is a dangerous mission. Besides, I have this theory if I keep popping up in your life you will eventually succumb to my charms again and take me back."

I smiled but said nothing. Because I didn't think that was going to happen. The further I got away from Adrian, the more I am starting to realize we rushed into this relationship. I came back broken from Russia but I made a promise to him, so I tried. I will admit Adrian helped me heal quite a bit. Which makes me feel even more guilty than I already am. He deserves someone better. Someone that will love him completely. Not someone who is still hung up on their ex and used him to make themselves feel better.

"Well, I will let you get back to your own dreams. I will let you know how things went with your plan." He smiled again. He thought it was hilarious. If there was some rule-breaking to be done, or in this case rule-bending, he would be in the front row.

"Good night, Adrian."

"Good night, Rose."