I was so worked up by the time I reached the basement that I didn't even stop to stretch before I started annihilating the punching bag. I could hear Dimitri's voice scolding me in my head, but that only made me hit harder. I had a lot of darkness to work through. It soon became boring to bash the bag. I knew I needed to hit something that would fight back, like I was always able to at the academy. I groaned in frustration and kicked my efforts up a notch, hoping to really test the chain holding the bag to the ceiling.
It held tight for the next few minutes of non stop impact. The second it was within reach I bashed it again and again. I didn't know if I wanted to laugh or cry as I pushed myself to the edge. Instead of releasing tension, I felt like more was building up. I wasn't sure how tightly I could continue to wind myself.
"Rose?"
I heard my name called from the top of the stairs. I didn't even turn around. I knew it was Mikhail, and I also knew he would go away if I ignored him long enough. I kept quiet while hitting the bag until he walked up behind it, holding it still. So much for being alone. I stood up straight and looked up into his eyes.
"I don't want to talk," I told him, motioning for him to leave.
"No talking," he replied, walking backwards towards the empty mats. He beckoned me forward, and that was all I needed. I wasn't sure he understood what he was getting himself into, but I made myself let go of that thought. I lunged forward, throwing my body into a familiar fighting position.
Sparring was the perfect way to release the tension built up in my body. Mikhail and I were pretty evenly matched, although I wasn't used to all of his moves. That made things more interesting, and it helped me get out of my head and pull me further into the match. We went round and round, and with each minute that passed my moves got sloppier and more wild. I realized Mikhail wasn't trying to win, he was just trying to help me through this patch of darkness.
It reminded me of Dimitri, and that broke me.
I collapsed back on the mat, energy spent. I could feel the tears forming hot in the corner of my eyes, but I refused to let myself cry in front of Mikhail. I was supposed to be strong, the leader of the pack. Instead I was letting a failed relationship control my life. A part of me couldn't believe that I wasn't able to get over Dimitri, but another part of me wasn't sure I would ever get over him, not completely.
"Again," Mikhail said and extended his hand towards me. I looked up at him and saw no judgment in his eyes. I attempted to crack a smile as I let him pull me up, and we started sparring once more.
He didn't have the same power Dimitri had in helping me overcome the darkness, but he was still able to help me push through the worst of it. I didn't feel like I could completely let go in front of him, so I made sure to keep myself in check. Still, I was thankful he was willing to spend the time with me. It wasn't every day I had someone who understood me as easily as Mikhail did.
The morning was a good reminder for me. It gave me another reason not to take the darkness from Lissa. I was responsible for other people now. I couldn't let myself get to that point again. I needed to be in control, for myself and my team. We started winding down when I felt I could manage all my feelings.
Mikhail paused when I ended our session, and I could tell he wanted to say something to me. I really wasn't in the mood to talk about everything I had been feeling, but a part of me did feel I owed him an explanation. I steeled myself for the conversation ahead of me, but it would never come. Just then we heard a sharp scream.
"Rose!" Sydney called from the main floor. Her voice was panicked and urgent, and I immediately ran for the stairs.
I reached the three other members of our group in just a few seconds and shifted into guardian mode. I took in my surroundings, but there was nothing inside the house that was out of the ordinary. I turned and looked at the three, noticing Eddie rush to the door to check the locks while pulling his stake from its holster. Sydney and Christian were pressed shoulder to shoulder, heads looking out from behind the blinds on the window.
"I heard a car come up our driveway. We don't know who it is," Christian explained.
"Eddie, Mikhail, I need you to secure the house. Make sure we have an eye on any possible entrances on the main floor. Sydney and Christian, I need you to get behind the couch. Stay out of sight. If things don't go our way, get out of here," I ordered quickly. The guardians got into position without question. I could hear Christian start to argue with me, but one look silenced him and he crouched down seconds later.
That left me at the window. I pulled the blinds closed, hoping they hadn't given us away to the mystery vehicle parked in our driveway. I moved to the front door, electing to look out of the peephole instead. It would severely limit my vision, but it wouldn't reveal our positions on the inside.
The windows on the car were tinted darker than was legal, and it looked similar to our Court issued SUV. Only it had special rims and lights, signs the owner appreciated appearance more than the average person. It sat still for several minutes, and my anxiety was rising every moment that absolutely nothing happened. I was ready to run out of the house and find out who it was myself when the front doors clicked open.
Two dhampirs stepped out, recognizable by their non-traditional all black uniforms. I watched as one opened the back door, and out slid another person. The peep hole wasn't big enough for me to see many details, but this man was dressed in a ridiculously bright shade of yellow, matching from his hat to his shoes. I gained an idea of who it was as the shapes moved closer to the door. I relaxed, but only slightly.
A visit from the snake wasn't always a good thing.
"Clear!" I called out, letting everyone know we weren't in immediate danger.
They gathered around the living room in seconds. The room buzzed with a nervous energy. I don't think anyone thought we were completely out of the woods yet, judging by the looks on their faces. With Zmey being on the other side of that door, there was no telling what was going to happen in the next few minutes.
"Who is it? Someone from Court?" Christian asked from behind me. A knock sounded out in the room before I could answer him.
I turned and unlocked the door, opening it quickly. I stood in the center of the doorframe, blocking the three guests from entering.
"What do you want, Zmey?" I questioned, looking passed the two guardians standing in front of him.
"Now now, that's no way to talk to your old man. Not when I come bearing gifts," he winked at me, waiting for me to move out of the way and invite them inside.
I took a second to consider my options. I could slam the door in his face and report the breach to Court. Or I could see what he was here for, what kind of deal he wanted to make. I soon made my decision and stepped aside, letting the three men into the house.
I invited them into the living room where my team was waiting for some direction. Abe sat on a chair across from the couch, his guardians standing against the wall behind them. Sydney, Christian, and I sat on the couch with Eddie and Mikhail mirroring the other guardians. I could feel the tension radiating off of Sydney, and I remembered Abe was the reason she was here with us. He gave her a wink and I felt her stiffen.
"Lovely to see you, Miss Sage. I trust things are going well here?" He asked with a grin.
"As well as could be expected," she said, her voice sounding more confident than I'm sure she felt.
Abe continued with his pleasantries, making sure to greet everyone in the room. He even introduced us to his own guardians, who gave us nothing more than a brief nod. I knew he wasn't just here to chat, seeing as our location was supposed to be confidential. The anticipation was killing me, and I had to jump in and say something.
"So now that we've made introductions, are you ready to tell us why you're really here?" I demanded.
"I can't visit my daughter with no ulterior motives?" He threw back at me.
"I know you better than that. And no one is supposed to know that we're here. So I'd like to know how you found us," I rattled off, unable to keep my questions to myself.
"I've been hearing rumors about a group of strigoi hunters. When my daughter disappeared from her charge without so much a goodbye to her dear father, I put the pieces together," he explained as if it was the easiest equation in the world. I scoffed.
"That doesn't explain how you found us."
"Isn't that obvious, dear daughter of mine?" He said and looked pointedly at Sydney. She seemed to be upset at the insinuation.
"I never told him where we were! That's against the alchemist's rules," Sydney said.
"She's right, she never told me. But I have other ways of finding out what I need to know," he replied. I could feel Sydney shrink into the couch after he said that. I would have to get her to tell me what he had on her. It must be pretty major to put her in a position against the alchemists.
I decided to change the subject and get Sydney out of the conversation. I could tell she couldn't handle much more of the snake.
"What rumors have you been hearing?" I asked.
"Oh you know. College town terrorized by strigoi. Then suddenly a group of young dhampirs comes to town with a moroi and an alchemist. After that, the problem disappears," he shrugged as he said the last part.
"There's no way you could know about that. It only happened a few days ago!" I exclaimed.
"Word travels fast, kiz," he explained simply.
I took a deep breath and considered the information. We weren't supposed to let people know what we were doing, but if they figured it out on their own, it wasn't really our problem, was it? I didn't know what Queen Tatiana would think. Or if I was obligated to tell her the information just given to me. My thoughts were interrupted once more by Abe.
"Well, I should be going now. Rose, would you care to walk me out?" He said, using a tone that implied he wasn't really asking. I stood up at the same time he did and we headed for the door. I found it suspicious that he would leave so soon after getting here, but his presence made everyone so uncomfortable that I wasn't going to question the quick departure.
"Now that we're alone, are you going to tell me why you came to visit?" I asked once we were outside. He chuckled, long and low, before responding.
"I came to give you this," he said, handing me a cell phone, "and a piece of advice."
I looked at him questioningly when we reached the car. His guardians got in and closed the doors, leaving us truly alone. He spoke quietly anyway, and I had to lean forward to hear him clearly.
"I'm not sure what game our dear Queen Ivashkov is playing, but I intended to find out why my daughter is needed for it. Be vigilant, be careful, and never let your guard down when you're off on her little missions. Sometimes the worst betrayal comes from the inside," he told me. I shivered at his words, knowing he meant them with his line of work.
"What's with the phone?" I asked as he opened the door to the SUV.
"If you need anything, you know where to reach me. Also, the Ivashkov boy said something along the lines of him being sick of waiting for you to fall asleep? Whatever that means," he gave me a wink before hopping in the car.
"Thanks, old man," I told him, unsure of what to say. He just smiled back at me. I gave his guardians a nod as they reversed out of the long driveway. I watched them disappear in a few short moments, a little stunned by my father's words.
I stood outside for a few more minutes trying to process what this would mean for the task force. I finally made my way inside when I realized the sun was starting to set. I walked back in to see everyone sitting silent in the living room, unsure what to think of our recent visit. Everyone looked up at me as I entered.
"What the hell just happened?" Sydney asked. I could tell she was rattled.
"I have no idea," I replied, just as confused as everyone else.
I let Abe's advice replay as we went through the motions for the rest of the night. I finally remembered he had mentioned Adrian as I got back to my room. Mostly because the phone he had given me started ringing, and he was on the other line.