I don't own VA! Also, don't hate me!

Thirteen

Chapter 12

RPOV

Dimitri's lips trailed across my skin as I twisted beneath him, sighing happily. I pulled him to me by his broad shoulders, intending to kiss his soft lips. But instead, he vanished as smoke filled the room. Panic surged through me as I took in the wreckage around me. A strangled scream left my lips as I took in the sight of Eric, Rhea, and Andre Dragomir all bleeding heavily in a twisted heap of metal. I hobbled forward, almost faceplanting in the process. The next thing I saw was my own bloody, mangled body hanging out of the back car window. That's when I realized I was once again seeing through Lissa's eyes. This time I was stuck in her horrible, recurring nightmare. Fear twisted at my own stomach as I fought against the dream. I wanted desperately to look away from my own blood-streaked face but all I could see was what Lissa saw, and she couldn't look away. This time I-she- did fall to her knees, dragging her exhausted body towards me. I struggled a moment longer and woke up gasping for air. I sat up shakily, placing my hand to my chest in an effort to steady my frantic heartbeat. I hoped Lissa had woken up too, but I had no way of knowing until breakfast. I groaned at the sunlight poking into the room and pulled the blanket over my head, desperately trying to fall back to sleep.

My alarm clock blared angrily and I slapped at it until it shut up. I flopped back against my pillows, groaning at the thought of the long school day ahead of me. I shot up when I felt Lissa's anxiety spike. I quickly shoved my legs into a pair of jeans, tossing a hoodie over my head. I crammed my feet into my sneakers without bothering to retie them. I threw my hair into a messy bun and grabbed my bag, nearly sprinting to the cafeteria. I let the bond lead me to Lissa, only to see a group of Moroi questioning her.

"Everybody specializes at different times," she snapped, irritation flaring into me as her face stayed neutral. "It's like puberty."

"I for one specialized super early, in the art of punching people that upset my best friend," I announced, scowling menacingly at the lot. They all had the sense to disperse, several of them going pale at my threat. Lissa smiled weakly at me.

"Thanks," she whispered, as I sat beside her and took her hand. "You shouldn't have done that though. I got Kirova to agree to you coming to the assembly tonight and if any of them report you, that'll be out of the question."

"It's worth the risk when I can do something about a group of assholes upsetting you," I told her gently. "Especially after that dream last night." She grimaced, fear mixed with a little anger flashing through her.

"Of course you know about that," she groaned, head tipping back. She met my eyes and smiled ruefully. "I wish there was a way for you to stay out of my head. Or at least a way for me to get into yours so we were even."

"Trust me, if I could help it, I wouldn't do it," I defended, even though I knew she wasn't mad at me exactly. "It's disorienting and I had been having a very nice dream before yours took over."

"Did it involve a six foot four Russian?" she teased, mood lightening at the thought of my love life. I felt a goofy grin spread across my face. I leaned close to her.

"We didn't go all the way yesterday, but we did a whole lot more than I'm used to," I murmured against her ear, glancing around to make sure no one was listening. She flushed but I felt curiosity fill her as a tray was placed in front of me.

"You guys must be pretty distracted by something if Roza has yet to attempt breakfast," Dimitri chuckled, sitting next to me and draping his arm over my shoulders. I felt heat creeping into my cheeks but turned and kissed his waiting lips anyway. As I pulled away, he arched one eyebrow at me. "Anything interesting going on?"

"Liss got Kirova to let me go to the assembly," I told him, not wanting to admit that we were talking about him.

"That's good," he replied, face amused.

"Thanks for getting me food," I leaned against his shoulder, tearing into my pancakes and bacon.

"So," Lissa began, fidgeting with her fruit cup. "Are you guys, like, official now?" I smiled, meeting Dimitri's eyes. We both nodded in response. Lissa squealed and tackled us into a hug.

"Hey, beautiful," Aaron sat down next to Lissa and her elation plummeted. She still hadn't gotten the courage to dump him and I was days away from doing it for her. She forced a smile and kissed his cheek.

"I'm really happy for you guys," she turned back to Dimitri and me, smile tinged with sadness. I smiled back at her and we all returned to our breakfasts, a slightly awkward silence filling the air. At least it was Friday. Classes passed in a blur of uneventfulness and I was grateful. I was walking back to my dorm to shower and get ready, glad I was able to attend something other than class tonight when I heard Lissa's name fall out of a Moroi boy's mouth. I turned on my heel.

"What'd you say about Lissa?" I asked, anger crackling through me as I place my hands on my hips. I didn't know the boy so I assumed he wasn't royal. I felt a smirk grace my face as he turned impossibly paler.

"Just that it's weird she hasn't shown any signs at all of specialization yet," he admitted, looking at his feet instead of my face.

"There are plenty of sophomores that haven't specialized yet," I snapped, eyes narrowing.

"But most of them have at least shown signs," he defended himself, looking like he was about to faint. My glare intensified.

"How about you and all your dumb friends worry about your own damn magic and stop harassing a literal princess?" I demanded. I guess I looked pretty intimidating because he nodded quickly before scurrying off with his friend. I seethed all the way to my room, gathering my shower supplies. I let myself into the thankfully empty girl's bathroom and turned on my favorite shower stall. I stripped, tossing my clothes in a heap on the floor and stepped into the hot spray of water. I quickly scrubbed myself down but remained under the water for longer than necessary. I needed the extra time to relax. Lissa's anxiety and my anger were muddling inside of me, making me extra irritable. I finally stepped back out of the shower, wrapping one towel around my body and one around my hair before padding back to my room. I dressed quickly, not wanting to waste a second of my new-found freedom. Even if it was just one night.

"You look stunning, Roza," Dimitri materialized around the corner just as I walked out of my room. I blushed, smiling at him. I'd settled on a tight fitting pair of jeans and soft grey sweater, my hair having free.

"You don't look to bad yourself," I replied, drinking him in. He wore jeans as well, with a black button up shirt. Granted, he'd look good in anything. He held his arm out to me and I took it. We cut across the quad together, stealing kisses along the way.

"Get a room," Lissa fell into step beside me, rolling her eyes. Her eyes that were puffy and ringed in dark circles.

"What's up, Liss?" I whispered. She smiled weakly, glancing around.

"I've felt like someone is watching me all week and it's worse today," she murmured, tugging at her sleeves. Panic shot through me. I stopped in my tracks.

"Comrade," I squeezed his hand. "Go find us seats. We'll be there in five." He nodded in understanding, giving me a quick peck on the lips before disappearing into the cafeteria the school had transformed into a ballroom of sorts. I pulled Lissa into the cover of the trees that lined the path. The same trees I'd kissed Dimitri between last week. I grabbed her hand and pushed her sleeve up, gasping at the fresh cuts that lined her arms. I should have noticed through the bond but was too wrapped up in my own stuff. Guilt filled my entire body as I pulled her sleeves back down and yanked her into a hug.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I demanded. She smiled but there was no humor in it.

"You usually already know," she replied, sadly. "I needed to let it out. It had to get out." Her eyes started to glaze over and I touched her cheek gently, bringing her back.

"It's ok," I whispered, lying for her sake. "I understand." But I didn't. She'd started this nasty habit after the accident and I thought she'd stopped. I delved into her mind, finding that she had until today. Something happened but I couldn't grasp it.

"Tell me what happened," I sounded strong but felt weak. She sighed, eyes welling with tears.

"There was a bird," she whispered and my stomach twisted. "It was dead. Like before. But not like before. This one's neck was snapped. Someone did it. Someone saw."

"I…" I trailed off, looking for the right words. I took a deep breath, steeling myself. "We're leaving." I finally whispered, so quietly she had to strain to hear me, even with her heighten hearing.

"Leaving the assembly?" she asked, dumbfounded. I shook my head, furthering her confusion.

"The academy," my voice sounded hollow to my own ears. "After the assembly. Meet me by the visitor parking lot as soon as this lets out. Stick to the trees and don't get caught." Fear coursed through her but so did trust. Trust in me. She trusted me with her whole being and would do whatever I said. I both loved and hated that. She nodded once in understanding and we went to find Dimitri.

"You guys ok?" he whispered, leaning close. I forced a smile.

"Yeah," I said softly. "Thanks." The assembly started, dinner would follow, then we'd make our escape. My heart pounded so loudly, I wondered if anyone could hear it. Lissa and I went through the motions until the very end.

"Meet me at our spot?" Dimitri murmured in my ear as the evening winded down and my heart shattered.

"I…I can't," I whispered, tears welling in my eyes but I wouldn't let them fall. "I need to sneak to Lissa's tonight. She needs me." Concern shone on his face and he squeezed my hand.

"I understand," he said simply. "Another night, troublemaker." He disappeared into the crowd, heading back to the dhampir dorms. I ducked and weaved through the people milling about in the opposite direction. I found Lissa exactly where I told her to be, crouched within the trees next to the parking lot. I placed my hand on her shoulder and she jumped a foot, yelping in surprise.

"It's just me," I soothed, smoothing her hair back. I scanned the lot and found what I needed. A family's driver was pulling their car around. I pointed him out. "You're going to compel him."

"Rose!" she gasped. "I…I can't."

"You can," I insisted. "That's what you did with Wade. You're just calm now. In control of it. That's a good thing."

"Ok," she whispered, nodding to assure herself more than me.

"Tell him to hide us in his trunk. Also, ask when he's leaving. If we have time, we can run back to our dorms and grab a few things," I explained quickly. We clasped our hands together and approached the man. Confusion crossed his face but Lissa held her head high, locking eyes with him. The confusion faded as his eyes glazed over, jaw going slightly slack.

"You're going to hide us in your trunk," she told him calmly. "When are we leaving?"

"In forty-five minutes," he answered, dreamily.

"Good," she said firmly. "We'll be back in half an hour. You'll hide us in the trunk then. After we're in, you'll forget ever seeing us." I was impressed. I hadn't thought of making him forget.

"See you then," he replied. We took off to our respective dorms and I quickly threw everything I could fit into my duffel bag. I pulled all of my pictures of Dimitri, Lissa, Eddie, Mason and myself off the bulletin board, stuffing them into the side pocket. It only took me five minutes so I pulled out a notebook.

Comrade,

By the time you read this, I'll be long gone. I have to protect her. It isn't safe here. They come first. I love you so, so much. I'm so sorry that our society won't let me put us first. I'll never forget you. Maybe we'll cross paths again someday. Don't wait for me though. You deserve to be happy. I love you and I'm sorry.

Your always, Roza

I let several of my tears finally fall as I scrawled a goodbye to the love of my life. I folded it up, finding an envelope in my desk and sealing it in. I wrote Dimitri on the front, placing a kiss on his name. I turned off my light and shut my door for the last time. I found a freshman in the commons and told him to find Dimitri in the morning and give him this. He looked shocked but I was certain he'd deliver, both mine and Dimitri's reputation proceeding us. I met back up with Lissa, just in time. She had her own duffel bag and looked terrified. Her trust in me sang through the bond regardless and we nodded to each other, setting off. The trunk was cramped but we pressed together, taking comfort in our friendship and forged sisterhood. They come first, I thought to myself over and over, as all I wanted was to run back to Dimitri.

Uh-oh, they ran away. Review!