Part 18

"Rose, what about this one?" Lissa held up another dress which may have been nice if it wasn't pink or three times the amount of my monthly paycheque.

I was starting to think there wasn't anything at Court that would be in my budget, and I refused to use the credit card Abe had given me. When he heard our plans for the day, he passed it to Lissa with the message to spoil myself. I would have to return it to him along with the packet of money he gave me before I went looking for Jill.

Flipping through the clothes rack in front of me, I wished I was still back in bed, with the lingering scent of Dimitri on the blankets. He was gone when I woke up this morning, only Lissa in the room poking me awake.

Despite my refusal to face the day, she managed to convince me to get up and get dressed. Reminding me that it was to help her bond with Jill and get me an outfit for my date with Dimitri. The fact that my mother wasn't likely to start anything out in the middle of Court helped.

We were at our fourth store of the day, Lissa's temporary guardian waiting outside while Lissa, Jill, Eddie and I were inside. Eddie was determined to show just how seriously he was taking his first guardian job, not leaving Jill's side, constantly alert. While he kept his mask up, I could see how happy he was despite being dragged around all day.

Lissa was still jealous, but it had lessened. Even her relationship with Jill was improving. They were both trying, though it was mostly just pleasantries. Lissa was pointing out outfits to Jill that would be suitable for her debut to the Council and then the Royal Moroi world.

As the day of the council meeting drew closer, Lissa was teaching Jill things that she would need to know, and Jill was eager to learn it all, though also stressed by it.

I had been receiving a combination of curious looks all day from both Moroi and dhampirs. I don't know if they were looking at me because of what happened at the gym or because of who my soulmate was. Dimitri was still a hot topic of gossip. I could only imagine what it would be like once the Council makes their decision regarding his guardian status.

"How about this one?"

I glanced at the light blue fitted dress; it was pretty, gathering at the bottom that would show off my legs nicely. But it just didn't look right. While I wanted to look nice, I didn't want to dress up too much. I'm pretty sure Dimitri would love me in anything, even if they were sweatpants and a baggy t-shirt.

Lissa huffed as she returned the dress to the rack. "What do you want to wear?"

I shrugged my shoulders, "I don't know. But maybe no dresses. Maybe something casual?"

Dimitri was taking me to the summer markets; it was technically our first date, all part of him courting me to prove his affections.

It was weird how our interactions were awkward or unsure at times, but then other times, it was like nothing had happened since we were together in that cabin. Yesterday he was there for me, staying with me and pulling me through to the other side again.

It was becoming harder to deny to myself how much I wanted to be with him.

"Oh, Rose, you should try this one!" Lissa and Jill came over to me with smiles, holding a deep purple button up cotton t-shirt. While the style is simple, it would flatter my chest and waist with its scoop neckline and fitted cut. "I promise, this shirt is perfect. It's the one."

Giving in, I took it from her and into the changing room. I was wearing the spare clothes I had in my gym bag, which were thankfully good enough to wear shopping, but I had to wear my sports bra. It wasn't the best for this shirt, but with a good one that had a little lift, this shirt would look amazing while still decent enough for polite company. I could even unbutton a couple of the top ones to give it a more risque look.

As I was admiring myself in the mirror, I overheard Lissa's and Jill's conversation, glad to hear them talking about non-council related topics.

"I think it's cute, though I wasn't expecting it," Lissa admitted, Jill agreeing.

"I hope they end up soulmates," Jill spoke in a dreamy voice.

I poked my head out past the curtain that served as the door to my changing room, quirking my eyebrows at them. "Who?"

Lissa's eyes lit up, "Oh, that's right. You weren't here," A large smile spread across her face, "Mia and Meredith started dating!"

I blinked at her in surprise, looking at Eddie, who confirmed it with a nod. "Damn, I did not see that coming." Meredith was a guardian from my year also at Court; she had chosen to stay and work here for a year rather than being assigned a charge. And now I know why.

Our friendship with Mia had come a long way, from her being hell-bent on destroying Lissa to becoming our friend. I don't remember seeing any indication she had feelings for Meredith, but then again, I've been focused on other things these past couple of months.

"Meredith turned eighteen last month and hasn't found her soulmate, so there's a chance it could be Mia," Lissa continued, sharing the same hopes as Jill.

Most people are lucky to find each other not long after their eighteenth birthdays, such as Lissa and Christian. Or there were others, like Dimitri, who had to wait years to find them.

If Mia and Meredith end up bonded, Meredith will have a guaranteed job as Mia's guardian. As long as they didn't reject one another.

Exiting the change room, back in my clothes, Lissa looked up at me from the chairs the store provided. "Well? Was I right? I was right, wasn't I, " Eyes flicked from the shirt and then back to me.

I rolled my eyes, "You were right. It's perfect."

She clapped her hands, "Great, now we just need -"

I noticed the sudden movement the same time Eddie did; he jumped in front of Lissa and Jill at the same time I jumped in front of the person coming at them. The person, a man, was dressed in black, a hat covering his face, in his hand was a knife.

Dropping what was in my hands, I intercepted the man, pushing him out of the change rooms and out into the main part of the small store, away from the others. I wasn't sure if he was going for Jill or Lissa, but I knew I had to protect them.

I was pretty sure the man was a Moroi, but he knew how to fight. His hits weren't as painful or as fast as mine, but he was able to hold his own. It didn't help that he had a big knife swiping at me, making me have to dodge backwards or risk my face being cut.

Unfortunately, because we were in a store, there were other Moroi around us, and they didn't react very well to a man with a knife. A group of women ran straight past us in an attempt to leave the store, putting themselves in too close to the man who was swiping in all directions at this point.

I did my duty and protected the Moroi around me, putting myself in the way, blocking the direction of his knife with my arm. It saved the women, but the blade ended up stabbed into my forearm.

I bite back my yelp of pain, using this chance to take the knife from him. Before he could pull it out, I gripped his wrist with my other hand and twisted it so that he released the handle. The man, realising he had lost the upper hand, pushed a rack of clothes into me, knocking me off balance long enough for him to dash out of the store before I could stop him. I watched as the guardian that had been outside stared after the man for a second before chasing him.

"Rose!" Lissa was over by my side, a cautious Eddie following after her, keeping Jill behind him still. The two Moroi gawked at my arm in shock; the blade was still in it, a steady flow of blood dripping down my arm to the carpeted floor.

"We need to call this in and get more guardians to protect Lissa and Jill until he's caught," I told Eddie; he was already pulling his phone out. I quickly glanced around the store, pointing to the back of the building, "Get them in there until backup shows. If he comes back, I don't want them in the open."

Eddie passed me his phone and took Lissa and Jill. Lissa tried fighting him, but with a look from me, complied. My arm was killing me, cradling it close to me as I watched the door in case anyone entered, waiting for Headquarters to answer so I could inform them of the attack.

So much for a relaxing day off.


"Are you sure?"

"Positive," I replied, holding eye contact with Hans. It hadn't taken long for guardians to fill the store, Hans among them. While they had searched for the man that attacked us, they had lost him. Hans had asked for my account, confirming that it was a Moroi that attacked us.

While it was rare, it wasn't unheard of Moroi to attack others, especially royals.

I gestured to the guardian that Lissa was assigned, scowling at him, "And if he had reacted at all, we might have caught him." I turned on Hans, "This is the person you have guarding, Lissa? Really?" I was in pain, and there was darkness still on the surface. I was pissed off and letting everyone know.

The bracelet that Lissa and Sonya had charmed for me last night couldn't handle the fight, breaking off my wrist, and now was lost somewhere in the store.

"Sit down, Hathaway!" Hans growled at me.

I dropped down on the chair; the knife was still embedded in my arm, waiting for the medic team to get here before removing it. Lissa wanted to heal it, but she and Jill were carted off pretty quickly by the guardians, Eddie going with them.

"Now, stay here until the medics come for you. Once you have had that taken care of, I want you in my office."

I grumbled under my breath as he marched off to hear other testimonies of what happened. I continued to glare at Lissa's guardian; he hadn't even tried to help me fight the Moroi. He was useless!

"Hey! You can't go in there!"

My head snapped to the front entrance, a guardian yelling at a very tall, distraught Russian. Dimitri's eyes instantly locked on mine, striding over to me. I had been so distracted by everything else; I hadn't felt him approaching the store.

It didn't take him long to notice the knife in my arm, a towel wrapped around it in a crude attempt to stop the blood seeping from the wound. He was kneeling beside my chair, hands hovering about my arm, eyes pinched in the corner, but otherwise, his face was blank.

"What happened?" His voice was gruff, eyeing the blood that was staining my clothes. His emotions were jumbled, though concern for me was coming through strong. Followed closely by anger.

"A Moroi attacked us with a knife. I obviously got it away from him," I looked pointedly at it, then glared at the guardian again, "and then they lost him when he got away."

Dimitri's jaw clenched, "Where are the medics?"

"Right here," A female voice answered behind him. I glanced up at the two Moroi medics, bags in hand.

Dimitri quickly moved out of the way, though not far from me. His hand resting on the shoulder of my uninjured arm.

The female medic crouched where Dimitri had been, taking my arm in her hands to examine it. "Do you know how long the blade is?"

"About four inches, I think," I replied, gritting my teeth against the pain from moving. Adrenaline had stopped me from feeling it earlier, but now it was a searing pain.

The male behind her exchanged a look with her and then started speaking into his radio.

Her attention was back on me, "We are going to take you to the hospital before we take it out. Have to make sure it hasn't hit anything important. And then you will need stitches."

I really didn't want to go to the hospital, but I knew I didn't have much of a choice. Even Dimitri would force me if I tried turning them down. So reluctantly, I let them transport me from the shopping area of Court to the hospital by Headquarters. Dimitri stayed with me, and when I thought someone would fight him on it, I told them we were soulmates. He was allowed with me from then on.

I was agitated while waiting for the doctors to look over the scans of my arm they took. They were concerned that it hit an artery, and the blade in there was the only thing keeping me from bleeding out. So I was instructed to stay still with it sticking out of my forearm.

Dimitri was by my bedside, hand loosely holding mine; he hadn't spoken much, though he was calmer now I was at the hospital.

I had been given some painkillers, which took the edge off and gave a slight haze to my mind, numbing the bond. I rolled my head to the side to face him, "How did you know something had happened?"

When he had shown up looking for me at the store, I hadn't questioned it, but now I'm wondering how he knew. Something passed over his eyes, but I couldn't decipher it, and with the painkillers, I couldn't feel it.

Dimitri shifted his chair so he was closer to my bed, both hands on mine now. "I think I… I felt it."

My mind was sluggish, "You felt it?" I asked, not comprehending his words.

"Yes, Roza. I was on the other side of Court, and I just felt this… pain in my arm," He explained, eyes on his arm, the same place I was stabbing on mine. "And I just knew something had happened to you."

I finally caught on to what he meant, my eyes widening. "You felt it," I repeated.

Dimitri had felt me get injured.

Dimitri felt it through the bond!

He saw my realisation, nodding. My breath hitched, I wanted to ask more, but the doctor chose that moment to enter my room.

The Moroi was older, greying hair on the temples, dressed in blue scrubs and a white coat. He was holding an x-ray in one hand. "Miss Hathaway," He greeted, crossing to my bedside, "I've looked your scans over, and amazingly it hasn't hit anything vital. So we will be able to remove it and then give you stitches and send you on your way."

I sighed in relief, "Great. Can we do that soon? I still need to meet with Guardian Croft." I was dreading that meeting but also was determined to get Lissa a better guardian.

The doctor smiled, used to guardians being eager to leave, "Let me get everything ready, and we can start."

As soon as he was out of the room, I was back looking at Dimitri expectantly. "You can feel the bond? Can you feel me now?" I was trying very hard to keep myself from getting too excited, but Dimitri feeling the bond was what I had been waiting for. Was it finally unblocked?

We could be together completely.

His eyes dropped, frowning. "I only felt that. I haven't felt anything else since."

My face fell.

I didn't need the bond to know he was disappointed, his voice so dejected. I was, too; I thought I finally had everything again. But at least it was something.

I squeezed his hand, his eyes lifting back to mine. "It's a start," I told him with a small smile.

The doctor had returned before I could say much else, but I think Dimitri felt a little better. Maybe he was only able to feel my emotions if they were intense enough. If that was able to reach him, then soon everything else should too, right?


Though I was on painkillers, it still hurt like a bitch when they removed the knife. Dimitri stayed with me the whole time, letting me squeeze his hand each time the stitches pinched as they were threaded through my skin. The doctor had offered me stronger stuff, but I didn't want to be out of it when talking to Hans, and I still needed to check on Lissa. If anything, this attack has proven to me that someone is after Jill and Lissa. Whoever it was must be the person that took the documents from the Alchemist.

I needed to talk to Sydney.

Dimitri wasn't pleased when I signed myself out of the hospital before they fully cleared me, but I had already wasted enough time there. He refused to leave me, even being bold enough to follow me into Hans' office. Granted, I would have dragged him in with me anyway.

Hans eyed Dimitri but didn't mention his presence, "Figured you be at the hospital for a while still."

I ignored Dimitri silently agreeing with him, "I want to know why the hell you have some useless guardian watching Lissa? He didn't even react to the guy until he was halfway down the block!" I jumped straight in, trying to look intimidating, throwing one hand on my hip, the other held up in a sling. All I gained was a raised eyebrow.

"I am looking into Guardian Collins' actions. But that is for me to comment on, not you."

"Did you find the guy?"

"We are still searching for him."

I scoffed, "So he can attack Lissa again? Or Jill. They need more protection."

He leant back in his chair, hands clasped before him, watching me as if he didn't know if he should listen to me or throw me out. Dimitri was practically screaming through the bond for me to be more respectful, but I also knew he agreed with me.

I continued my argument, "Someone that can actually do their job! If you would just give Dimitri his job back, he could easily take care of both of them."

"I agree," Hans' reply shocked us both, "But it isn't up to me to reinstate Belikov, and until he can work again, the Princess does need an appropriate guardian with her at all times."

My heart dropped at the comment about Dimitri, but I was happy to hear Hans taking me seriously. "Good."

Hans rubbed his forehead, "I'm going to regret this, but I am assigning you and two other guardians to guard the Princess until further notice. Take today and tomorrow off and then start at 7 pm for the day shift. I want to be kept updated on anything suspicious."

They must have given me better painkillers than I thought; I'm hallucinating. "I'm sorry, what?"

"You will be working as one of the Princess's guardians. Today proved you were willing and able to take care of her, so do that. But I swear if you pull anything, I will strip you of your title. Do you understand?" Hans warned me.

I was still in shock, just barely being able to force myself to speak, "Yes, sir."

"Good. Now get out of here!"

I was almost through the door when Hans called my name.

"Don't let what happened yesterday repeat," He held my eyes for a moment, a look of understanding crossing his before they hardened again.

I nodded, following Dimitri out of the office.


I waited until we were outside the building before gripping Dimitri's arm, making him turn to face me. "Did that just happen? I'm not just high on painkillers, right?"

Dimitri chuckled, "No, Roza. You have just been made Lissa's guardian."

The pride I felt flowing from him made my smile that much brighter. Without thinking, I threw myself into Dimitri's arms with a squeal. "Oh my god! I'm Lissa's guardian!"

His surprise made me aware of what I was doing, but he returned my embrace easily, holding me close. He was careful of my injured arm; I couldn't help myself from breathing him in.

After a moment, he released me with a fond smile, "Congratulations. You deserve it." He pushed my hair back behind my ear, his hand lingering against my cheek. "I'm glad you are okay, Roza."

I bite my lip, "Thanks, comrade."

Side note: I have discovered that I really can only focus on one story at a time, at least to be updating like I am. I'm not abandoning my other two stories, just going to try to get this one completed first (or at least mostly) and then will put all my focus back on Be Kind, Rewind, and HMBIF-Dimitri POV.
Sorry!