Chapter 22

Lissa's POV

The Guardians arrive minutes after Rose and Dimitri leave the scene, Lila having taken off seconds before that. At least on the outside, she looks like a Strigoi again, but she seemed to still be in control, at least for the time being so will meet them at a safe location and then we will figure out our next steps. Robert crouches next to his brother but it seems the head injury went from fatal to needing hospitalization. With a wound so severe, I don't even know what state Robert will be in by the end of it.

Apparently, the noise attracted the Guardians to our location, they had been on patrol around the area looking for Victor, so as soon as they realized who it was unconscious on the parking lot they wanted to take him away, but they weren't quite sure how to deal with Robert. Technically he was an accessory to aiding a criminal, but they couldn't try him without letting the world know they had lost Victor in the first place. After we explained a very brief version of events – how Christian and I thought we'd seen Victor and decided to follow him to this place, where we were attached by Strigoi, I talked (and slightly compelled) them into releasing Robert into our custody at least temporarily, while everything was sorted.

In the last minutes we had gotten before the Guardians showed up, Christian had burnt four out of the six bodies, leaving two off to show how in a heroic and instinct driven moment he had been able to burn two strigoi who were going to kill us. Though still considered an extraordinary feat, it was easier for the Guardians to buy that a fire user had fought off two strigoi than offed six of them unaided.

Christian was very nearly collapsing by the end, so the Guardians took the three of us to the nearest hospital to be examined. Some more compulsion got the Guardians to leave us there and I got Robert admitted into the psych ward after a hasty diagnosis of schizophrenia by the lead attending, which would buy us a couple of days until we could figure out a more permanent solution for him.

Leaving Christian sleeping in the room we had gotten assigned for the night, I start to make my way into Robert's room. I need to get answers out of Robert tonight. Who knew how long before Rose and Lila were lost forever and there was no telling if the guardians would come back the next day and decide to claim custody of Robert after all.

I stop at the door outside of Robert's room. Throughout the ride here and through patient's intake he had been too docile, barely reacting as he was wheeled to his room to get assessed. I am afraid he has gone into a catatonic state in his mind after the major healing he had done to Victor earlier in the night. Unfortunately there is no time to waste, so taking a deep breath I enter the room.

Robert is sitting in the only chair in the room, his knees drawn to his chest rocking slightly and mumbling some sort of tune.

"Hey Robert," I say, trying to alert him about my presence. He does not react in any way to indicate he has heard me, so I approach and kneel in front of him so we are eye level. "Robert remember me? I'm sorry I need to do this, but I need to ask for your help. My friends, remember them? I need you to tell me how to turn her back." I plead.

Robert stares blankly for a few more moments, though his humming stops.

His head turns slightly, and he stares at me, as if seeing my aura. "You are like me." He repeats. "You were with the shadow bonded girl; her aura is blackened around the edges." He muses. "I had that once, I think." He goes back to staring at the wall.

"Yes." I say trying to keep my voice from showing the desperation I am feeling. Its only a matter of time before Rose and Lila revert back completely and holding two unwilling strigoi in New York city will be closet to impossible if they lose control.

Robert is still watching the wall; his body starts to rock back and forth again. It unsettles me more than I would like to admit but seeing him like this is like looking in a mirror to what I can become if I am not careful. Spirit can certainly do many things, but running it unchecked can destroy the bearer's mental stability.

It hits me then, that spirit can be used for many things, maybe even help Robert now? If spirit can heal physical injuries, maybe it can also help with brain issues. I don't stop to consider that Robert may not have a physical brain lesion but something mental before I place my hands on his temples and start flowing some spirit into his head, trying to find something that my powers would identify as an injury it can heal. After a few seconds Robert stops moving. His eyes finding mine again.

"Robert" I say again, looking at him. "Do you remember me?"

"Spirit user." Robert says, "you had… a question?" He seems to hesitate, as if trying to remember what we were talking about before.

"Yes. I was asking you about turning strigoi back, you … you did it before I think, do you remember how?" I try to be as succinct as possible, least he loses touch with reality again.

"Julia" he says after a moment. "She needed my help. I... brought her back."

"Yes, that's right, can you tell me how?" I press.

"Staked her…here." He says putting a hand on his chest. "She wanted to be free. And then... then she wanted to go away." Roberts eyes fill with sorrow. "She felt guilty… after she came back, what she'd done… she couldn't change it, she wanted to find peace. I think… I think she did, afterwards." He pauses. "I'm tired, I think I want to sleep for a while now."

"Okay, here you can rest on that bed" I say pointing to his bed a few steps away, and withdraw my hands, cutting our connection. He nods and goes to lie down, facing the wall.

I quietly get up and leave the room, trying to piece together what he just told me, and how to save Rose and Lila, I may have to stake them both.

Author's note: Went back and forth on the Victor death, but figured Robert would realistically not have gone away peacefully if his brother were to die. Would love to hear what you thought about the chapter and the story so far!