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Thirteen
Chapter 13
DPOV
I read the note Roza sent to me for what felt like the hundredth time. She was gone. I don't know how she managed it, but her and Lissa had escaped the heavily guarded academy. I folded the note back up, slipping it into the pocket of my duster. I watched as guardians and Moroi teachers alike scrambled about. I knew they wouldn't find them, not yet. Roza was too smart for that; too capable. No, it would take a while. I squeezed my eyes shut, willing away the tears that threatened to fall. I'd just lost the love of my life. I knew we were young and it was crazy, but I also knew without a shadow of a doubt that Roza was it for me. She was the only one I'd ever love. She was my soulmate. Something I didn't believe in before I'd met her. And she left me. Why didn't she ask me to come?
"Dimitri!" Mason quickly approached me, Eddie hot on his heels. "Is it true?" I studied him, wondering why he'd think I had the answers. I nodded anyway, seeing the note again in my mind's eye.
"Damn," Eddie breathed. "Leave it to Rose." I couldn't help the tight smile that brushed my lips. He was right. Rose was one of the only people that could pull off something like this. She was reckless, impulsive, and bold but also cunning and brilliant.
"She certainly has done the impossible again," I said, weakly. Two impossible feats had occurred in the middle of the night. Rose and Lissa's escape and the shattering of heart by default. The question flittered through my mind again. Why didn't she ask me to come?
~.~.~.~.~.~
RPOV
I glanced around at the few other passengers on our early morning bus. Two men, three woman, one baby. All human. I strained my eyes to see the digital clock at the front of the bus. 5:15am, human time. Lissa and I had been awake for almost a day and a half. She was practically falling over and I wasn't in much better shape. I wouldn't sleep until we were somewhere secure though, I couldn't. They come first. I couldn't leave her defenseless. I smoothed her hair back, coaxing her towards my shoulder.
"Sleep," I told her softly. "I'll wake you when it's time to get off the bus." She opened her mouth to try to protest but I fixed her with a hard glare. Her jaw snapped shut and she nodded weakly, leaning against my shoulder. She was asleep in seconds. I shot another hasty look around the bus. No one was paying attention to us; everyone wrapped up in they're own minds. I took a shaky breath and finally let the tears I'd been holding back fall. They streamed heavily down my cheeks in silence. They come first. They come first. They come first. They come first. I chanted in my head, over and over. I needed to convince myself not to get off the bus at the next stop and run back to the academy and into Dimitri's arms. There was a gaping whole in my chest where his love had been just under two days ago. We were nearing the end of the bus route and I wiped away the last of my tears, feeling hollow. I nudged Lissa.
"Hey," I said, gently. "We gotta go." She stirred, blinking at the harsh morning light. She squinted and nodded, rolling her shoulders. We both grabbed our bags and got off the bus.
"Where are we?" Lissa asked, glancing around. I had been the one to look at the bus schedule.
"Chicago," I told her. "We need to find somewhere to stay before nightfall."
"Rose," Lissa grabbed my hand. "This is the lightest I've felt in weeks." A small smile crossed her face and I tried to return it.
"I know, Liss," I reminded her. "I promise I'll keep you safe."
"I've never had any doubt that you would," she assured me. I looked around the crowded street and pulled her closer.
"We might need to use some more compulsion though," I murmured, turning to start looking for signs advertising rooms for rent. Lissa followed me quietly, clutching her duffel bag tightly. I carried my own bag, as well as the bag full of cash we'd taken out of the bank back in Missoula. Lissa was starting to grow exhausted in the sun and I groaned when I saw the nearest possible building that would be helpful. A library. Fuck.
"Come on," I tugged her down the rest of the block, yanking the door open and ushering her inside. She breathed a heavy sigh of relief at the dim lighting. "Perfect. They have computers." We sat close to each other, huddled around the screen as I searched rentals in the area.
"There," I announced, proudly. "This one is five minutes from a college campus. We just have to convince them we belong there. That's where you come in."
"I tell them we're seventeen and freshman," she responded, picking up my implications quickly. "That our parents gave us money to stay off campus."
"That'll work," I rubbed my throbbing head, leaning back in the chair. "Let's go."
~.~.~.~.~.~.~
Two Years Later
Fear surged through me, interrupting my dreams of Dimitri whispering sweet nothings in my ear. Lissa's screams rang through the room and I jolted myself awake and out of the awful nightmare she'd had several times a week for the last two and a half years. I sprang to the other side of the room, jostling her gently.
"Liss," I hissed, shaking her shoulder. She shifted in bed and groaned.
"Oh, God, Andre," she whimpered. I pushed her silky golden hair away from her sweaty forehead.
"It's okay. It was just a dream," I soothed. She nodded weakly, not meeting my eyes. I studied her intently. She was more pale than usual, dark circles ringing her eyes. "When did you last feed? It's been more than two days, hasn't it? Three?"
"You were busy," she whispered.
"Fuck that," I rolled my eyes. I flicked my hair over my shoulder, tilting my head to the side to give her easy access to my neck. Indecision crossed her features and the bond for a mere second before her hunger took over. She leaned forward and excitement flashed through me, followed by disgust. Giving her my blood was wrong and dirty, but so very necessary on the run. The sharp pain hit, followed by the overwhelming bliss as the endorphins kicked in. It was all over in less than a minute and I leaned back against the pillows, a content sigh leaving my body against my will.
"Thanks," she said sheepishly, wiping her mouth with her sleeve. "You good?"
"Yep," I answered, popping the p. "Just gotta sleep it off." She narrowed her eyes.
"I'm getting you something to eat," she left the room before I could protest. Oscar, our housemate's cat, let himself in the open door. I eyed him warily as he slunk across the wall and to the open window. We stayed in Chicago a few months before the academy sent psi-hounds after us. Portland, Oregon was the next stop and had been home for the better part of two years. Fall was just starting to turn the leaves, the weather perfect for sleeping with the window open. I heard a minuscule rustle and popped up. The movement was too fast and made my head spin. As I regained my composure, Oscar tensed up. He stared out the window, back arched and fur raised slightly. I joined him at the window and peered out. A street light was out but there was still enough light for me to make out the silhouettes of two people watching me. One was very tall, the other almost a foot shorter. My heart clenched as they stepped back into the shadows. There was no way they didn't see what just happened. And more than that, they were fast. I jerked back from the window and shoved my feet into the nearest pair of shoes.
"Liss!" I called quietly, almost jumping down the stairs. "We have to go. Now."
"You shouldn't even be up right now," she narrowed her eyes at me. Jeremy, one of our housemates, looked up from his textbook with concern on his face. I shook my head at Lissa.
"They found us," I said, her eyes widening and fear coursing through her, "Get his keys." She crossed the short distance to Jeremy.
"Give me your keys," she slipped into the compulsion easily and his face took on a worshipping look. He took them out of his pocket, smiling as he handed them to her. "And where is it parked?"
"Corner of Brown," he said dreamily. We nodded at each other, hobbling out the door. Two blocks away. We could do this. We had to. I stumbled over my feet and Lissa caught me. We had to support each other as we half jogged down the sidewalk. She was barefoot and I was basically drugged. Half a block.
"We're almost-" I was cut off when an imposing figure stepped into my path. I jerked Lissa back, placing myself between her and the guardian in front of me. At least ten more figures emerged around us, cutting off any chance of escape. I dropped into a defensive stance I hadn't used in years.
"Stay away from her," I growled. "Don't touch her."
"My name is Mikhail Tanner," the clear leader of the group held his hands up as he took a step forward. "I've come to take you back to Saint Vladimir's Academy, Princess." He took another step forward, too close for my liking. I lunged forward to attack but he swatted me away easily. I plunged towards the sidewalk at an angle that was going to hurt. But it didn't as one of the surrounding figures caught me before I could hit the ground. A familiar shock ran through me and I met Dimitri's sorrow-filled brown eyes. He steadied me on my feet and I pulled away, readying my next attempt at an attack. He'd seen the bite mark on my neck and I felt sick to my stomach, but I had to protect Lissa. Compassion and calmness rolled through the bond as Lissa stepped forward to take my hand.
"It's okay, Rose," she soothed. "It's over." She wasn't compelling me, not exactly. But she was sending comforting feelings my way. I sagged in defeat, giving one small nod as the guardians closed in around us. I could feel Dimitri's eyes on me but I couldn't look at him. He saw me feed Lissa; saw the damning mark on my skin. If he didn't already hate me for leaving, he sure as hell did now that I was basically a blood whore.
Sorry for the second big time jump, but let's be honest, we're not here for Rose and Lissa on the run. We want Romitri! Review :)