This chapter does jump between Rose's POV and Dimitri's. I put it in bold when it switches.
Part 32
Rose POV
What I hated most about the effects of Strigoi bites were the endorphins. My mind fought with itself on if I should be terrified by my situation or let myself continue floating in the happy haze I was in. Forcing myself to break through it and focus was as difficult as when waking up with a concussion, which I'm pretty sure I still had. At least the endorphins numbed the pain.
Surprisingly my bond with Dimitri wasn't numbed; if anything, it felt stronger. A smile spread over my face at the thought of him. My soulmate. He was scared but also determined. I felt him trying to reach for me, as I did to him. It was like we were just barely brushing against one another but not making the connection.
He felt closer than before. There was still a considerable distance, but not as much as before. Dimitri was coming for me.
The thought sobered me.
Robert wanted Dimitri here as well; I couldn't let that happen.
Except there was nothing I could do from here.
Robert didn't take enough blood to kill me, but it was enough to drain me of my energy. The only reason I could push through the endorphins as I did was that I had grown used to them after being fed on by Dimitri multiple times. I really was like a junkie, needing a bigger hit now to feel that same high.
The bond was the only advantage I had, but that was still limited. If I didn't have the block, I could easily send him a warning. The only thing I could possibly do is try to send a thought to him. I had only done it once, and he was in the room with me.
Soulmates with a completed bond, one that was strong, could send thoughts back and forth. Dimitri and I had a bond that wasn't even connected properly. It was a long shot, but the only one I had.
It didn't need to be much. Just a small thought so he knew not to come here.
I closed my eyes, every part of me focused on Dimitri and feeling him through the bond. I felt my soul reaching for him again, not giving up until I could touch him. A pressure built in my head as I pushed more. My body was shaking, the energy I had left stretched thin to maintain the connection.
Stop looking for me.
Stop looking for me, Dimitri. Stop looking for me.
"What are you doing?"
My eyes snapped open to find Robert in the doorway staring at me, the red of his eyes glowing in the dark room. I couldn't tell what time of day it was or how long I had been here. The room was wooden with no windows, and the small amount of a hallway I could see through the open door didn't reveal much else.
I had become so focused on getting my message to Dimitri that I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings. Even the connection with Lissa had faded away. I couldn't be sure if I got through to Dimitri; his emotions were jumbled, taking too much energy to decipher them all.
"Did he get my message? Is your soulmate coming to save you?" Robert tilted his head, a grin on his face. The sight of it reminded me of how he was before he turned, an edge of madness in his eyes.
"Dimitri doesn't feel it, remember." I lied.
Robert chuckled, sounding so much like Victor, "Rosemarie, I know you're lying."
Turns out when you took away the crazy, Robert was a lot like his brother. Both piss me off. "You don't know shit." Not my best come back, but hell, I was exhausted.
A look passed over his eyes that made me cringe. He strode across the room, a cold hand going around my neck as the other tangled in my hair, using the grip to yank my head back to look at him. "I can make you tell me. Rose, does Dimitri feel the soulmate bond?" His eyes held mine; the compulsion worked its way into my mind. No matter how much I wanted to fight it, the words were pulled out of me.
"Yes." I gritted my teeth.
The corner of his eyes crinkled as he smirked, "Good. Is he coming here?"
I tried to look away from him, but the power of a Strigoi's compulsion was too much. Even Lissa's and Adrian's paled in comparison. "I don't know."
"Why not?"
I fought it, the pressure of the compulsion making my head feel like it was splitting, "I told him not to."
Robert tsked me; a second later, he backhanded me. He moved so fast I couldn't brace myself for the hit. My head snapped to the side, feeling blood fill my mouth from a cut to my cheek. His hand twisted in my hair again, tugging my face back to his, "Rosemarie, you are going to call him here. Use your bond and lead him to you. You will not warn him."
My heart clenched, feeling the command already taking effect. I was reaching for Dimitri again.
"And just in case he needs some more incentive," Robert's teeth sunk into the other side of my neck, making me cry out in pain before again falling back under the calming effect of the endorphins.
Again my mind went to Dimitri.
I wondered why I had ever tried pushing him away. I shouldn't be blocking him; I wanted to feel everything with him. I reached for him with a joyful smile on my face as my eyes closed.
Dimitri POV
The drive to the safe house was silent except for Abe telling us that he had people waiting for us there. Pavel wasn't worried about following the speed limit, driving at a speed that would have had him taken to jail if the police caught us.
It was easier to see in the morning sun. I walked along the fence line, noting the hole in the grass from where the stake was driven in to break the wards. But there were no signs of a fight, other than a couple of footsteps and what looked like drag marks; there wasn't much else. Moore had said there was multiple Strigoi, but the tracks we could find made it seem like only four people had been here. Two of them were Moore and Roza.
It was strange that the fence wasn't broken. It stood out to me. Strigoi could easily knock it down; they wouldn't have stopped to climb it when it was quicker to break through it. It was just a wooden fence, more for privacy than for actual protection; it would have been like breaking a toothpick for them.
"Belikov."
I followed the call of my name, finding Pavel crouched on the inside of the fence. I quickly climbed over, eyes searching where he directed. My stomach dropped.
Blood.
It wasn't a lot, though enough to worry me. From the splatter, whoever it was impacted the wood and then slid to the ground. I crouched beside Pavel, looking closer, a glint of something catching my eye. I reach forward, pushing aside the blades of grass. My fingers came in contact with the smooth stone—Roza's necklace.
There were small drops of blood on the white stone and chain. I clench it in my palm, closing my eyes as I tried to steady the emotions churning inside me.
I could still feel Roza there; she is still alive.
She felt closer now, I wasn't sure how I could tell exactly, but some of the ache had eased. I was drawn to her, and I wasn't going to fight it.
I stood up, tucking her necklace into my pocket so I could give it back to her later. "Let's go."
Abe's contacts were impressive. The knowledge he was able to gain from them that even the Guardians could not produce was astonishing. There were people who kept track of the Strigois in the area, aware of a new one drawing others near them. When Abe mentioned it, I knew that was the right lead to follow. The hunch was confirmed when we started driving, and the ache of the bond lessened. We were moving in the right direction.
I could do nothing but sit and wait as Pavel drove.
Slowly, I started to feel something. It was small and weak, something prodding my mind, like a thought occurring, forming itself.
Stop looking for me, Dimitri.
"What?" I blinked a couple of times. Rubbing my forehead in confusion.
Stop looking for me.
"What is it?" Janine asked, watching me through the rearview mirror with a small amount of hope.
I focused on the thought, realising what it was. "It's Rose. She's sending me a thought."
"What did she say?"
I frowned, "She's telling me to stop looking." Anger and hurt built in me. Did Roza really think I would just leave her behind?
Janine scowled, demanding, "Why would she say that?"
"I don't know."
"Can you feel anything else?" Abe asked from the back seat.
"A little, but it's hard to get a read on it."
Roza's emotions were only coming through to me clearly when it was intense, such as when she was scared or happy. I was starting to feel some anger and fear from her, growing stronger.
And then it happened again. I felt her pain, first in her cheek and then a moment later in her neck.
I groaned as I gripped at the spot on my neck. My heart rate sped up. "They are feeding on her again," I explained in a dark voice to those in the car.
This was the second time in a short amount of time. Soon Roza will barely be able to focus from the combination of blood loss and endorphins. We needed to hurry.
Again the bond faded away until there was nothing, just the ache of the distance between us. For a second, I thought I could feel her completely, but it was gone as quickly as it was there.
I slammed my hand on the dash, cursing. "She's passed out again!" I groaned as I dragged my hands through my hair. Each time I felt like I was getting closer to reaching her with the bond, it would slip through my fingers.
"Dimitri, have you two ever shared dreams?"
I turned and looked curiously at Abe. "Yes, a few times."
"Do you think you could do it again?"
I pondered the thought, "I don't know. I don't even think I could sleep right now." The stress of what was happening with Roza kept my mind on edge and body tense. There was no way I could relax enough to sleep.
Abe smirked, "Well, luckily for you, I have just the thing."
Pavel opened the centre console and pulled out a small container, passing it to me.
"Take one of those, and you will be asleep in seconds."
I eyed the container wary, the sound of tablets moving about inside. "I don't want to be drugged. When we find Rose I -"
"The effects are limited. They are designed to knock you out but not keep you under." When I still seemed uncertain, Abe leant forward, "This may be the only chance we have of getting in contact with Rose. Try to ask where she is or who has her. Let her know not to give up."
Do it for Roza.
I nodded, opening the container and pulling out a tablet, small enough to swallow easily, hesitating for a moment before throwing it back. Abe was right about it being fast, only taking a couple of minutes for my body to feel heavy. My last thought was of Roza.
Rose POV
The bed was comfy despite its age and how long it sat out here unused. I only had a quilt to cover me, but it was warm enough in the cabin with the fire lit. I watched the flames dancing, casting an orange glow over the room.
A large hand traced down my bare back, "Roza?"
I rolled over until I was facing Dimitri; he looked just as amazing as I remembered. That night we had shared together in this cabin felt so long ago, and yet here I could relive it. Laying here in bed with him was a memory that could always make me feel happy and safe.
"Hey, comrade," I whispered as I pressed my body against his, feeling his warmth radiating off his body. It felt better than the fire. "I like it here."
"Where are -" His eyes widened, taking in his surroundings, "It's the cabin."
I laughed, "Of course it is. Where else would we be?" I pressed my face against his chest, kissing just above his heart.
"Roza, I need to find you."
I pulled back, looking up at him confused, "I'm right here, comrade."
Dimitri sighed, "No, this is a dream. I need to know where you are."
I shook my head, though his words pulled at something in my mind. I didn't want to think about that. "No, it isn't. I think you're confused."
His hand gripped my shoulders, his hold gentle yet firm, thumbs rubbing the skin, "You were taken, remember? We're dream-sharing right now. I need you to remember."
I was taken…
An image of Robert flashed in my mind. Everything clicked. The haziness of the dream faded away as everything came back to me. I glanced around us again, then down at the quilt. "We're naked."
Dimitri huffed a laugh, "It would seem so. Do you dream about this often?" He asked, eyes dancing with amusement and affection.
My face flushed, "I feel safe here with you. You know, before everything… happened."
His fingers ran down the side of my face, gathering the hair from my face and pushing it back behind my ear, "I dream about this moment too." Leaning forward, he caught my lips in a soft kiss. "Do you know where you are?"
I frowned, thinking about the small wooden room I was being held in, "No."
"I can feel you. I think we are going in the right direction."
Now that I was aware that we were sharing a dream, I felt the bond again. Dimitri was right; the ache had lessened again, they were getting closer. Which meant Robert was getting what he wanted. My hand gripped his in panic, "Dimitri, it's -" The words wouldn't come out. I tried to tell him not to come, the words on the tip of my tongue, but I couldn't say them.
You will not warn him.
Robert's compulsion.
I couldn't tell Dimitri Robert's plan.
Dimitri was going to walk into a trap, and then Robert would kill the both of us.
A sudden pain in my neck made me gasp, covering the spot with my hand, only to feel something wet. Pulling it back, I saw my fingers covered in blood. My blood. It seems my injuries were manifesting in my dreams.
Dimitri's face fell, eyes narrowing on my neck, "They are feeding off you. I had hoped…." His eyes pinched in pain before determination reflected in them, "We are going to find you. I promise. I will bring you back home and keep you safe."
My heart clenched at both his words and at the idea that saving me could get him killed. I couldn't warn him about any of it. But I could try to stop it.
An idea started to form in my head, one that was not going to end well. But if it worked well enough that Dimitri wasn't in trouble, then it was worth it.
Dimitri's hands cradled my face, "Is there anything you can think of that will help me find you?"
I shook my head. I moved towards him again, this may just be a dream, but it felt real enough. It would have to do. I kissed Dimitri, putting all of my love into it, not wanting to leave any doubt about my feelings. I could tell he was feeling it through the bond; the connection was getting stronger.
When I broke the kiss, we were both breathless, "I love you, Dimitri."
His brows furrowed in concern, "I love you too, Roza. I'll be there soon."
My lip trembled, but I forced a smile, "I know you will."
I didn't want to leave, but they were getting closer, and I didn't have much time. I gazed into his eyes one last time, trying to memorise every part of him. I wished that things could have been easier for us, that our lives were simple. Instead, it felt like every time we got close to getting what we wanted, we were torn apart again.
I wished I could've had the future I wanted with him.
"Thank you, Dimitri," I told him honestly, knowing the words could never come close to covering everything he had done for me. "I'm sorry," I whispered.
His eyes widened in panic as my words reached his ears, already reaching for me.
I forced myself to wake up; the dream and Dimitri both faded away from me, feeling like my heart was being ripped away with it.
I woke up with a gasp, the shock of it breaking through the fog of the endorphins. My mind kept wanting to give in to the high of them, but I had to focus. Dimitri was approaching, and I only had a limited amount of time and energy.
I had no idea if this was going to work, but it was my only plan.
I shifted my hands in the ropes; the skin rubbed raw by it. I wasn't strong enough to break out of the binds currently, but I just needed to reach my wrist. Finally, I was able to grip my bracelet, the only thing holding the effects of my bond to Lissa at bay.
I glanced up at the door. I had one chance at this, and I had to get it right.
Taking a deep breath, I screamed at the top of my lungs.
I was a little unsure of this chapter, but I think it turned out alright.
Rose is about to do what she does best, making questionable decisions :D
