Chapter 5

Dimitri's POV

'BANG BANG' reverbed through the room and rattled my brain – not that my brain needed the help given last night's break down. With a muddled mind, I sat up and opened my eyes only to realize that the banging was on my door. I stand quickly before immediately falling to the floor, forgetting the leg injury I sustained in battle, the pain crippling as breathed out a grunting sound.

"One minute", I called before slowly using the bed to stand up and staggering to the door. I wiped my hands up and down my face, trying to displace any of the fatigue that was clearly present. Sighing softly, I opened the door to be met with familiar dark brown eyes – the eyes of my love, my Roza. "Roza..." I softly whispered.

The eyes in front of me filled with distaste and anger before a voice said, "Do I look like a woman, boy?" Any hope I had had, was dashed immediately. Forced to wake up from my personal fantasy, I was able to realize who was actually in front of me. Zmey. Before I could even ask what the hell he was doing here, least of all after an attack, he spoke.

"Pack a bag. Enough for a week and/or week and a half. You'll have access to laundry. You have 20 minutes, meet you in front of the school" was all he said before he walked away… whistling.

I continued to stare at him and right before he turned the corner I shouted, "where am I going?!" He didn't answer, didn't even turn around.

Standing in shock I didn't know what to think. Getting out of here could be good but I was Lissa's Guardian – I couldn't leave her, not after I promised to make sure she was safe and unharmed. Yesterday was a success in terms of her but at what cost. My leg? My sanity? My heart? Sure, she could easily fix my leg and I am sure she would if I asked – she knows how I feel about healing me. She doesn't need to waste her magic on me. As I stood and my mind actually started to connect the dots, realizations began. He may be a snake, but I doubt he would put another Moroi in actual danger; there is no way that he doesn't know I am her Guardian.

With that final thought I hurried, as fast as I could with a bum leg, to my dresser. Zmey is crazy if he thinks I actually have enough clothes to even get though a week and a half. Guardian pay is pathetic, just another thing to keep us dependent on them. As though sacrificing my life wasn't enough to warrant a decent salary. I threw everything I owned into a duffle along with some books, a picture of my family. I tucked the picture of my Roza inside my favorite Western for safe keeping. I would never leave her behind again – even if it was just a picture. Putting on my duster, I limped out of the room, ensuring the lights were out and the door was unlocked. Knowing Zmey, I was going to be away for a much longer time than a week and a half.

As I left my room, I realized that the halls were dead silent. I kicked myself for that thought. We just lost dozens of Moroi and Dhampir for Vlad's sake. Light was flooding the hall from the sun, meaning that it had to be mid-morning, maybe 10am? I kicked myself for not checking the time. Hobbling down the stairs and into the sun while carrying a duffle with a bum leg was not the easiest task but knowing my job, and thankfully my faster than normal healing times, it wasn't the worst thing. I've had worse injuries.

Finally, I got out the door where I saw that the bodies had mostly been taken care of, the courtyard of St. Vlad's clean and clear – least the grounds were, the stench of blood and death still lingered, making my chest hurt. Memories of me as a Strigoi occasionally still haunted me; especially in times like this. I did things like this. I was death and destruction. I tore families apart and laughed as I did so.

"You're late. I said 20 minutes. Don't keep me waiting any longer, boy; we're wasting daylight" Abe's voice broke through my memory – again. Nodding, I handed my duffle to Abe's Guardian, Pavel as he gestured me to give it to him prior to climbing in the black car. The windows were tinted dark enough that the sun wouldn't harm the Moroi using the car. Abe's business dealings tended to keep him working on a human timetable.

"You know, you really should let me heal that leg of yours" Lissa's voice sung out from next to me. I jumped, not expecting her in the car.

"Princess! Where are we going? It's not safe for you outside of the wards – especially after yesterday" I stated concerned.

Lissa looked at me perplexed and worriedly said "…I thought you knew. I was told that you knew."

At this point, I was getting apprehensive. I knew Abe didn't like me – I didn't know why, but I didn't think he would hurt the last of the Dragomir line. I didn't believe that he would purposefully endanger her like this.

"Will both of you relax!? No, neither of you knows where we are going. No one there knows where you're going – sorry Ms. Dragomir but not even Christian knows where you are going. Only me and mine know. You're not in danger; in fact, you'll be even better protected in Purgatory then you will here, or at Court, or anywhere for that matter. YOU were the target again Ms. Dragomir; you can't say that it is a coincidence," Abe interrupted our conversation as he got in the car and the car immediately started moving.

"Did you just say Christian doesn't even know where I am going? Mr. Mazur with all due respect, I can't leave him behind. What does everyone think happened to Dimitri and I?" Lissa asked both enraged and distraught. She was being taken away from all she had known and dropped off with no prior knowledge all for "safety" again. Last time she left the wards like this, she had Roza and the bond to keep her safe. I know she knew I could but the anxiety that she was feeling wouldn't be easily quenched.

Mr. Mazur sighed lightly before turning around in his seat to face us. "They think you're dead. They've been compelled to believe that you both died in the attack. It's safer that way. Before you ask, Belikov – your family knows you're alive but aren't allowed to contact you or know where you're going. No matter how much I try, I can't seem to get anything past your witch of a grandmother." I smirked a bit at that, Yeva always did have an uncanny ability of perception; she just knew things. If I didn't grow up around her, it'd be scary as hell.

Gasping Lissa turned away and softly cried. "Princess, if this isn't what you want…" I trailed off. I wasn't going to lie, going out into the world away from the Moroi politics for a little while sounded like heaven; but if my charge wanted something else, well I swore myself to her and I would do what she wanted. She didn't answer immediately, instead continuing to softly cry.

I simply stared forward. I should ask Mr. Mazur to tell me more about this Purgatory that we were headed to. Where it was? Who he knew there and how it would be safer for the Princess than the wards of the Academy were (the last question was more farfetched though as the wards clearly weren't all that safe). I didn't bother knowing that he wouldn't answer me anyway. Instead, I opted to pull a book out from the inner pocket of my duster – a Western of course; an ending I was overtly familiar with given how many times I've read it.

I got through a few pages before I heard a shuffle next to me. Looking up, I saw Lissa attempting to clean off her face and school herself before speaking. She needed a moment to catch her breath following her emotional state. "I am now, I think," she started, pausing for a moment, pondering how to word what she was going to say next. "It's just Christian lost everyone – and now he thinks he lost me. This time away, even if it is in hiding, could be good for me, for us. I'm just worried it'll break him. He's alone now and I don't know if he will recover from this.".

I didn't know how she was so selfless though all of this. She was being forced out of her home and into hiding because, everyone seemed to want her dead or as a spirit slave, yet here she was worried more about her boyfriend than herself. She truly was a one of a kind Moroi.

"Princess…I understand where you're coming from. I am not going to lie to you, I think this will be good for us as well. A small version of R&R. If everyone truly believes you dead – Strigoi will stop looking for you and you'll be able to figure out everything from here. Who knows, maybe you'll end up wanting to stay out of the Moroi world for good." As I was speaking, I started to stare back at my book, not reading, but not willing to look up at her for fear that she'll see my deepest desires in my eyes – the fact that it was me that wanted out; not her.

The car came to a stop and the doors of the car opened. Stepping out of the car, I looked around seeing mechanical equipment and…an airplane. Just how far away are we going. By the time I got my bearings, Lissa, Pavel and Mr. Mazur were already boarding the plane. "Belikov, I really don't enjoy being kept waiting. Get on the plane. We have a lot of ground to cover if we plan on making it to Pennsylvania before night fall."

I rushed to grab my bag before hobbling to the plane and up the stairs. It was a beautiful private jet liner – the seats weren't small, big enough to fit even my frame. Placing my bag down, I followed their stead and buckled in.

"What exactly is in Pennsylvania that will help keep the Princess safe?" My question, once again falling on deaf ears.