Yeva stared back at me, slowly sipping from her tea. I didn't sit at the table even though Dimitri encouraged me to do so. I stayed standing with my arms crossed and had a staring match with his grandmother.
Alberta ended up being the one to call my parents, excusing herself out into the hallway once the situation was explained to her. I tried to follow but she closed the door on my face.
"Can I get you something, Roza? You look tired," Olena offered, standing in front of me and pushing hair behind my ear. I frowned and shook my head.
"I just want to know what's going on," I repeated for the third time, narrowing my eyes at the elderly woman at the table.
Yeva clicked her tongue, "Not yet. They will tell you."
My jaw clenched. "Who knows how long they will take to get back here!" I shouted. Everyone except for Yeva was surprised by my outburst. "Just tell me what the hell is going on!"
I was panicking. Everything I read was looping in my head, about the Ancients and the Strigoi. Why were they following me?
My lack of sleep had caught up to me, but I was terrified of sleeping. I didn't understand how, but I knew those dreams were connected to it. That voice wasn't something I could trust.
I just needed answers.
The door behind me opened, and Alberta rejoined us. "Janine wasn't happy but they should be here in the next two days, if not sooner," she explained. She came to a stop beside me, a slight smile on her lips, "They are looking forward to seeing you."
I scoffed, "Good for them."
"Dimka, take her back to her room. Roza will need her rest," Yeva ordered, her stare moving off me to Dimitri until he stood from the table.
He shot me a look of apology, eyes pleading with me to go without a fight. My fist curled. "You aren't going to tell me anything?" I asked in disbelief. I hated that so many people here knew the answers, but each of them refused to give me so much as a hint.
My control was slipping and I knew I was going to say something I shouldn't if I stayed any longer. I made a noise of irritation and stormed out of the apartment.
I was acting like a child, but if they were going to keep treating me like one, I might as well act like one. There was still the pile of books upstairs, if I wasn't going to get my answers from Yeva, then I would just keep searching until I found some.
"Rose, wait," Dimitri called after me, falling into step beside me. "What are you going to do?"
I paused on the steps and glared at him. "Worried I'm going to run away again?" I snapped. I couldn't really blame him for thinking that but it pissed me off more. I took a step closer to him, "Swear to me you don't know anything about this shit. You aren't hiding it from me too, are you?"
His brows furrowed in disbelief, "Roza, I'm not hiding anything from you. I told you everything I know."
"Good," I replied after a moment, then continued up the stairs. "If they won't tell me then I will find out for myself," I explained as I raced up to my floor, Dimitri hot on my heels.
"You need to sleep."
"No. I need answers!" It was the same argument and I wasn't backing down.
My apartment was as I left it, the pile of books on the ground; I dropped in the middle of them and started sorting through them. There had to be something I missed or some passages that held more answers that I didn't notice the first time I read them.
"Roza," Dimitri tried again.
"No!" I shouted, "I need to know!"
Something shifted in his expression. He carefully moved the books so there was space for him to kneel in front of me, with a gentle grip Dimitri tilted my chin up to meet his eyes. He didn't need to say anything as his eyes studied mine, a frown on his lips.
"You don't understand what it's like," I told him as my anger fell away and left the panic that had gripped my heart since I heard that voice call to me. "I'm scared about what all of it means. I need to know what it has to do with me."
"I know, but they aren't keeping it from you to be cruel," he soothed me. "Once your parents arrive, they will tell you everything."
My lip trembled and I voiced my fears, "What if it's something bad?"
His eyes softened, shifting closer and cupping my face with both of his hands. "Whatever they say, remember that you aren't alone in this. I'll keep you safe, Roza."
I knew he wouldn't be able to keep such a promise, but I believed it. I clung to his words and leaned into him. Our lips met, a kiss full of promise and affection; when his arms wrapped around me, I felt safe.
Dimitri broke the kiss, but not his hold on me, "You need to sleep."
"I don't want to dream of the voice again," I replied, voice cracking.
"I'll stay with you, if you would like," Dimitri offered as he guided me back to my feet. "And later, if you want to, I'll help you look through the books more. Okay?"
Even though he agreed it was best for me to wait until my parents arrive, Dimitri understood I need answers now. It made my heart feel like it would burst. "Please, stay with me."
Dimitri smiled, nodding his head, and then he took my hand and led me to my bedroom. He closed the blinds as I stripped until I was just in a shirt and underwear, when I climbed into the bed he laid in the space beside me, arms looped around me. He had removed his jeans and shirt, and I was grateful as I traced the muscles of his chest with my fingers.
Just laying with him eased my panic and fears, and calmed my racing mind that had kept me up all night and half the day. Now I felt like I could actually sleep.
I blew out a long breath, my body slowly relaxing against his. "Dimitri," I whispered, waiting for his hum of acknowledgment before I continued. "Did you mean it?"
"Mean what?"
"That you want to be with me?"
His grip tightened, "Yes. I meant every word."
I licked my lips, tilting my head until I could see his face, "Even if this is something bad, would you still want to be with me?"
Slivers of sunlight shined through the cracks of the blinds, the light making his eyes shine in the otherwise dim room. He was determined, completely focused on me, "I promised you I wouldn't leave you alone in this, and I intend to keep that promise. No matter what, I'm not going anywhere."
There was that feeling again, I felt like I was floating and like my chest would burst. Unlike before, I decided to give in to it. "I want you," I declared, "I want to be with you, Dimitri."
He was silent. The moment stretched between us and I started to worry, but then a blinding smile spread across his face and the look of affection and love shined in his eyes. It was like a weight lifted by telling him, a sense of right settled in my chest.
I reached for him as his head tilted down, the kiss was slow and blissful. I felt lightheaded and all of my worries melted away completely for those few minutes and all I knew was Dimitri and the feeling of love in my chest.
It was the best I had felt in ages.
"What did you see in your dreams?" Dimitri asked from his spot on the couch, one of the thicker books in hand that was all in Russian. As promised, Dimitri stayed with me while I slept and then joined me as I attempted to find more information.
I had to blink a couple of times to refocus on his face and not on his bare chest that I had been staring at. He looked like his muscles were carved on, reminding me of the Thinking Man sculpture from the way he sat and read. Dimitri wasn't half-assing it when he offered to help, it was important to me and he was giving it his full attention.
I cleared my throat and shifted closer, keeping my hands on my thighs so I didn't give in to the temptation to touch him. "Well, the first one was about us at first, and then you bit me. Then there was one where I was back at my childhood home, but the warehouse was where the house should have been. And then the latest was me dying."
His eyes flicked to mine in alarm. "When did you have that one?"
"The day we ate breakfast together." I shrugged, and continued, "In all of them it's the same voice talking to me, telling me that he needed me and that I didn't have a choice. He told me that dying was my future." That one still gave me chills.
"He?"
I shook off the feeling and looked back at Dimitri. "Yeah, I've seen the same old guy a couple of times. He has really bright green eyes."
Dimitri frowned, looking back at the book. "I can't find any mention of dreams, but there are tales of Ancients having powers that other Moroi don't. And then there is mention of the Shadow Bond."
That caught my interest. "Shadow Bond?"
He sighed, irritation pulled at his features, "It doesn't say what it is, just that there are rare occurrences of someone sharing one. I don't know if has anything to do with the Ancients or if it's something else completely."
The words kept pulling at something in my memory. I sorted through the journals, looking for the one I remembered. Finding it, I quickly flicked through the pages. "I remember my mom kept saying something about shadows. She only mentioned it a couple of times, so it didn't stick out to me too much."
Finally, I found the page, the date at the top was two days before the fire. "Here!" I exclaimed, then read from the page, "We noticed them showing again. I thought that being here we wouldn't be found, but the shadow kiss called to them." I turned back to him, "Shadow kiss. Do you think that's the same thing?"
He looked over my shoulder, reading the page again. "I don't know. Maybe."
"...called to them." I repeated, "She's talking about the Strigoi. What if that's why they keep coming after me? Because I'm this shadow kiss thing?"
"Your guess is as good as mine," Dimitri replied honestly. He placed his book on the coffee table and rubbed at his brow. "The Strigoi are attracted to you for some reason. I hadn't seen so many gathered around a location that didn't have Moroi before. And then on patrols, they always went for you first."
"You noticed that too, huh?"
He shot me a pessimistic look, "Maybe it is for the best that you aren't out there at night."
I held back my groan. "Please, don't start that. Do you know how crazy I'm going being locked in here? I hate it."
"If Strigoi are drawn to you for whatever reason, then staying within the wards is the safest place for you. I don't want to see you hurt."
I don't think he meant for his voice to break, the words thick with emotion. A sigh slipped through my lips and I dropped my book onto the coffee table as well, I shifted and threw my leg over Dimitri's lap. His hands went straight to my hips, holding me steady and his eyes went to mine.
"I am safe," I promised him. "When I'm with you, I'm safe. And I'm pretty good at defending myself," I pointed out with a smug look. "You made sure of that."
His thumbs rubbed against my hip bones, my shirt was pushed up by his hands so my thighs were exposed. I didn't bother with putting on pants after we woke up. We were both barely dressed and it wouldn't take much to be naked.
That thought took over my mind and I felt my body heat up in anticipation of what could happen.
Dimitri didn't want just sex, but we were on the same page now. We were in a relationship. I wasn't sure how slow Dimitri wanted to take it, but I was ready to jump back into the physical side again.
"Roza," he started as his hands lifted my shirt higher. But then, of course, his alarm went off. Dimitri cursed and look at me in apology, "I have to go."
I huffed. "Why do I feel like this isn't the time to ask if I can start patrolling again?"
The corner of his lips quirked up, laughing despite himself. "I doubt Alberta would agree even if I could convince her otherwise."
"You just don't want to," I accused playfully. It bugged me that I was kept indoors, though I understood Dimitri's hesitation.
"It does make me feel better knowing you are safe." His hands ventured further under my shirt, fingers wrapped around my waist, "I can come back after my shift is done. Maybe we can pick up where we left off?"
The suggestive note in his voice made me laugh and I decided to have a little fun. I placed my hands on his shoulders and then with a smirk, I rolled my hips over his, feeling him react instantly. "You better hurry back, comrade. I might just take care of myself," I teased and grounded my core against him.
Dimitri practically growled in response, surging forward to capture my lips in a bruising kiss. When he pulled back he gave me a look that made my whole body flush. "I will take care of you, Roza."
I didn't try to sleep, if I was hoping to be allowed back on patrols soon, I needed to adjust my sleep schedule to match theirs again.
After a couple of hours of trying to make sense of more of my parent's writings, I gave up and went down to the gym. Not working out the day before had been strange and now I felt more restless. The room was empty due to the time so I was able to do my workout without being interrupted.
I managed to work up a sweat when Mason's reflection was suddenly smiling at me from the mirror. After having some decent sleep, I was more aware of my surroundings and heard him approach. "Hey Mase," I greeted in between sets.
"That's it?" He asked face dropped in disappointment. "How did you know I was there?"
"I heard you," I laughed as I returned the weights. "You guys are done already?"
I wondered if Dimitri had already gone to my room or if he went back to his family's apartment. If he had gone to mine, I might have been able to talk him into sharing my shower with me.
"Yeah, we got called back early. Alberta is looking for you," Mason explained as he threw me a towel. I caught it and bit back a smile when I noticed he was still looking at me. Poor guy was in for a shock when he learned about Dimitri and me.
That is if we were telling people we were dating. I added that to my list of things to ask him, along with his thoughts on PDA and how often I could expect him in my bed.
I patted myself down with the towel, not bothering too much with making myself look presentable for Alberta. Mason caught me up on what I had missed on patrols as we walked to the front of the building. He complained that it was mostly boring, wandering around for hours with no sightings.
"Even Dimitri mentioned he was bored," he commented, making me laugh.
"I don't think he would be complaining about the lack of the undead," I pointed out. I knew Dimitri could enjoy the fight as much as I did, but he would prefer there be none out causing issues. I guessed my absence had led to a decrease in sightings for them.
"When do you think you'll be out again?"
I pulled a face, "Probably never."
"I think we need to stage a revolt," he proclaimed. "No one shall leave if Rose Hathaway can't leave!" His declaration echoed down the hall followed by our laughter. I rolled my eyes and punched his shoulder. We started fake sparring when a throat cleared.
We both froze, and then jumped back from each other and wore neutral expressions as if nothing had happened.
"This is how novices act now? Things have changed."
I didn't even see her yet, but I knew that voice. I used to cry when I would dream about her because I thought that was the only time I would ever see her again. Yet when I looked at the end of the hall, there she stood—my mother.
Janine had her arms crossed, her customary leather jacket on, and bright red hair. I always joked I had to keep my hair long because hers was always short; I claimed we were opposites despite how much I acted just like her. Alberta stood on one side, rolling her eyes at Janine and then gesturing towards me.
"You should see her out on patrol. She's good."
I couldn't even enjoy Alberta's compliment, too focused on the fact that the mother I thought dead stood only a few feet away. My eyes shifted and I went through the shock all over again when I noticed my father. He still wore clothes that look too flashy, and a goatee on his face. It felt like they both looked the same despite the time we had been apart.
Almost two years.
It felt like forever. So many nights that I spent mourning my loss, and there they were. They were alive.
And they knew where I was.
Abe grinned at me, eyes lighting up with excitement that I could see clearly even with the distance between us. "Hello, Rose," he greeted fondly, taking a step towards me.
But I stepped back.
I caught sight of Dimitri coming up behind them, his eyes meeting mine with a tilt of his head. I wondered if I looked like a deer caught in the headlights.
"Rosemarie?" Janine called when I didn't respond.
I took another step back and shook my head. "I have to go." I barely spoke above a whisper, only Mason heard me as I spun on my heel and walked away.
How could I be happy to see the people that had lied and abandoned me?
After wishing to see them again, I couldn't stand the thought of being anywhere near them.
Abe and Janine have entered the chat :3
Going to start getting those answers!
Thank you for reading!
