Chapter 12:

Rose

I waved off Viktor and Robert. I had instructed the guardians to pack tranquilizers for Robert. I didn't think he would let his brother return to Tarasov. But he had gotten into the vehicle without much trouble. Maybe he didn't understand that being escorted by guardians meant his brother was going back to prison.

I assume that Lord Viktor Dashkov had had many occasions where he was ushered into a vehicle by guardians.

All I knew was that they weren't my problem anymore. And hopefully Viktor would keep his mouth shut.

He glared at me as the car moved past me and I kept waving, even blowing him a goodbye kiss. I nearly laughed. He was a bit sour that I had bested him. Well, technically my father had bested him. If only he had done the same when he had first asked Viktor for the information, then I wouldn't have had to break him out.

But I suppose that even Abe doesn't have eyes everywhere, which is probably why Viktor went back to Tarasov. It would be one of the few places he might be safe from my father.

I moved back inside, smiling to myself. When everybody stared at me I stopped and dropped the smile.

"What?" I shrugged.

They just shook their heads.

I sat down on one of the empty spaces on the couch. I looked around at my team. We had an extra member now. Sonya. Although she looked a lot better than she was when she was just restored, she wasn't really the poster girl for fine. Although she didn't have the same air of crazy that she had had back at the Academy. So that was something.

We had two missions to complete, find Lissa's sibling and hunt down as many Strigoi as possible. I wonder if we could count Sonya as one of our casualties. There was one less Strigoi in the world and one extra spirit user.

But before I could make a decision on how to proceed, I needed to know that Sonya was on board and would help us.

"Sonya. I know you are still recovering, but I need to ask you a question."

She nodded. "Dimitri already told me why you came here. I just don't know if I can give you that information. I promised not to tell." The last bit barely came out a whisper.

I sighed. I didn't want to push Sonya, but I also needed to help Lissa. It wasn't just about Lissa getting to know another sibling, it was about helping our world.

"Maybe you don't have to tell us, Sonya." Mia said. I wanted to tell Mia that although I appreciated she was trying to protect Sonya - after all, Mia had known her before this too- Mia seemed to have a plan.

"Mikhail was always here on a voluntary basis. You and Mikhail could go to Lissa's sibling. Ask them and get them to court if that is what they want."

That wasn't a bad plan per se. Although I wondered if they would go. They had had many years to come forward and didn't. Not even after Lissa's parents and brother died. And not now that they knew Lissa needed a quorum. So why would they if Sonya asked?

Sonya looked from Mia to Mikhail. I could clearly see that they didn't want to part. And taking Sonya Strigoi hunting was also not a very good idea. So I guess this meant Mikhail was going with Sonya. He could help convince them to come to court.

Maybe it was better for Mia to go with Sonya and Mikhail. It did leave Dimitri and I alone. But that was always the way this mission was supposed to go. If Mikhail left with Sonya, Mia would be alone in the field. It would put her in more danger.

But I wondered if Mia would accept that. Also I wondered if being alone with Dimitri on this mission was very productive. We had done well with a buffer, but just the two of us? That was a tall ask.

We were in the middle of debating the new arrangements when I got sucked into Lissa's head. It had been a while since I had been sucked in against my will. But her emotions right now were just too high. And I immediately understood why.

Lissa was being attacked. She had a small scrape on her arm where a man had tried to cut her with a knife. Thank God Eddie was there. The moment the man launched at Lissa Eddie had stepped in and engaged the man.

He was Moroi, which was odd and there was something wrong with one of his hands. But it didn't stop him from fighting Eddie. As a matter of fact, he was actually pretty good for a Moroi. Eddie had trouble taking him down.

I was feeling rather helpless. Lissa was afraid, she was shaking as Christian held her, keeping her hidden behind him. I knew my friends were there, protecting her. But that was supposed to be my job. It was frustrating just to watch and not being able to do anything about it.

But Eddie didn't seem to need any help. Eventually he took the man down, but not without a prize. He hadn't had any weapon on him, except his court-issued stake so the only way to have taken him down was to stake him. The threat was over, Lissa was safe, but Eddie had another mark on his record.

The commotion seemed to have gathered some court guardians and Eddie was taken away for questioning. I stayed in Lissa's head until the guardians had let her back to her house.

I was probably in Lissa's head for over ten minutes. When I came back to Sonya's living room, everybody looked at me with concern. None more so than Dimitri. Probably worried about his precious princess. I tried not to feel bitter about that.

"Roza? Are you okay?" He asked. At least he had the decency to ask about me first.

I nodded. "Lissa just got attacked, she is safe and sound, but Eddie had to kill the Moroi that attacked her."

I put my head in my hands. "This is all my fault. I asked her to run for queen, and now she is being targeted." I stood up and my hands waved at my side in frustration. "And I can't even be there to protect her."

Dimitri stood up and walked towards me. "It is okay, Lissa is okay." He pulled me closer to him and lifted my chin, making me look at him. "Don't blame yourself. You did want you had to."

I pulled away a little as I shook my head. "No, I did what I wanted to. I always do. Me and my crazy Rose plans. How many people have I gotten in trouble so far? How many people have died because of me?"

I know Mason wasn't technically my plan, but I still felt like the instigator there. Not to mention Eddie is still on probation from Vegas and having to take down a Moroi isn't doing him any favors.

Dimitri smiled. "And how many people now believe in a miracle because of you. I am alive because of one of your crazy Rose plans, and so is Sonya." He wanted to gesture to Sonya but he and I both realized we were the only ones in the room right now.

When he turned back around to me his breath hitched in his chest. We stood there for what felt like an eternity. Subconsciously we moved closer to each other, only being a breath away from each other. He placed some hair behind my hair, running his fingers down the length of my hair before pulling his hand back.

"You don't have to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. You can't control everything, can't change everything and can't protect everyone all the time."

I snorted. "Pot, meet kettle" I said as I gestured from me to Dimitri. He laughed and whatever spell we had been under broke. I could breathe easier now that there was a bit more distance between us now.

I turned away from him and grabbed the phone from my pocket, more to give myself something to do, so I wouldn't turn back and jump into his arms, but also because I needed to hear Lissa's voice.

I pressed the number 2 on my speed dial and it connected to Lissa's phone. It only took two rings for her to answer. I am sure she knew why I was calling.

"Oh, Rose. It was so scary."

"I know Liss, I was there. But you are okay." Although I had felt Lissa's fear, my own fear was mostly rooted in my absence. I hadn't been able to do anything, and it had terrified me.

"Yes, I am okay. Eddie protected me. But they took him away!"

I took a deep breath, it wouldn't help Lissa or Eddie if I let my panic show. "They don't know what happened. They see a dead Moroi and a dhampir holding a bloody stake. They are just being careful. Once they figure out what happened, he will be released, probably proclaimed a hero." I tried to be upbeat, but the last bit sounded a little flat, even to me.

But through the bond I could feel Lissa relax a bit. I took a little bit of darkness from her to help her along.

"Everything will be okay, Liss." She hummed her approval.

"So how are things on your end?"

I didn't really know how to respond to that. I couldn't really tell her about Sonya, or Viktor. I hated keeping this from her, but until I had really solid intel, I wasn't going to share this with Lissa. What if this sibling didn't want anything to do with Lissa? No, I won't put her through that. Not now.

So better to deflect. "Killing Strigoi. We are getting into a rhythm. I am almost enjoying myself."

"You and Dimitri?" She asked. I signed on the other end of the phone. "We are getting better. Sometimes it almost seems like old times, and then something happens and we are both reminded that things will never be the same again. But we are moving forward." Whatever that means. I had no idea where we were moving too, or even where I wanted to move to.

"What about Adrian?" I asked, switching the topic. "I saw that they had taken his mother in for questioning."

If Lissa noticed my avoidance on a lot of subjects, she didn't let on. "They released her after her lawyer got her out, but she is not allowed to leave Court. She is now officially a person of interest."

That was better than her staying in jail, I suppose. I could feel doubt through the bond. Lissa was starting to look at Daniella Ivashkov as a person of interest too. She just felt bad for me, that my ex-boyfriends mother might have framed me. But I really doubted it. Adrian's mother might have had no love for the late Queen, but she wouldn't have killed her for one reason alone. It would have hurt Adrian.

But I couldn't fix everyone's problems. Finding out who framed me and killed Tatiana would have to wait. First I would focus on the immediate problem. Finding Lissa's sibling and figuring out who targeted her.

Oh, yeah and go on a highly dangerous mission and kill our much stronger arch nemesis.

I sighed. Wasn't life supposed to get easier at some point?

"I have to go, Liss. Just take care, okay. stay close to Christian or Eddie. and trust no one."

"I will Rose, you stay safe too."

After hanging up the phone with Lissa I speed dialed the number under the 1. Hans took a little longer to answer.

"Yes?" His voice was gruff, he wasn't pleased to be interrupted in whatever he was doing. That was okay, I only needed a minute.

"I need everything you have on Lissa's attacker. name, photo's, how he liked his goddamn coffee, everything."

I could hear him rubbing the bridge of his nose through the phone. "Rose, how did you even know about-". He seemed to realize how I knew. Hans knew of my bond to Lissa. Not only was it in my file, it had saved Lissa when Dimitri had taken her. " You saw? Great, now I have to probably make a new form for witnesses through psychic links."

Remind me to never become head guardian. It seemed like it was a lot of paperwork.

"And we don't have any information on him, other than that he attacked the Princess. We are still working on a name and we will only have autopsy photos."

I wouldn't mind seeing the bastard dead on a slab. "Just send me those and any more information as you get it."

"Are you giving me orders now, Hathaway?"

I cringed, I forgot Hans was supposed to be my superior. "Please? I saw what had happened but I was powerless to stop it. I have to do something now."

Just like before with Dimitri. And both times I had been away from Lissa because they didn't trust me around her. With Dimitri I was still paying for the Vegas trip and now I was being punished because I went off against Tatiana.

There was a lesson in there somewhere, but I chose to ignore it. I don't regret either decision.

"I'll see what I can do." Hans replied. "But I wonder how much time you will have to investigate Lissa's attacker when you are on another mission."

Oh, if he only knew. I actually had some free time now that one mission was out of my hands.

"Thanks, Hans."

Dimitri

When Rose turned around to make some phone calls I was glad. I didn't know what happened, but I had been seconds away from kissing her. I hadn't even noticed I had moved towards her like that, until I felt her breath on my face. My body had acted on its own, like kissing her and comforting her were the most natural things in the world.

I ran my hand through my hair as I tried to process that particular realization.

"She feels it too, you know."

I turned around to Sonya, who had a small smile on her face.

"The pull between you two. It was like watching a sun flare. Don't try to fight it, Dimitri."

I shook my head. The speed at which she turned away and found something else to do, told me I wasn't the only one fighting it. "Just because her body reacted…" And I had to swallow thinking about her body reacting to anything I did, remembering a certain cabin. A knowing smile grazed Sonya's face. Damn aura readers. "Doesn't mean she still wants to be with me… or that she could."

She sat down beside me and smirked. "Here is a thought, ask her, talk to her. because you know what they say when you assume."

I sighed deeply. It wasn't that simple. I couldn't just talk to her. 'hey you want to get back together after I tortured you as a Strigoi and then rejected you when I was restored even though you moved heaven and earth to bring me back'. I didn't know how to start that conversation. I also didn't know what I would do if she said no. I wasn't ready. I wasn't ready to hear her rejection.

I had seen her face fall when I rejected her in the church, she had been devastated and I had done that to her. I knew if Rose did the same to me I would fall apart. And I deserved it. I deserved to feel the way she did.

"I wouldn't know where to start. There is so much I need to apologize for."

She shook her head. "No, you have apologized enough. What you need is to move on, tell her you love her. If you apologize she might think you only want to be with her to ease your own guilt."

I groaned. This wasn't going to be easy. But she was right. I had to talk to Rose. Even if I didn't really know what I felt, I knew I was better with her in my life.

"But first we need to talk business." She got up and motioned me towards the living room. Mia and Mikhail had also returned.

Rose was on the couch, Mia and Mikhail and the other chairs, so I had no choice but to sit next to Rose. I don't think that was an accident.

Sonya stood at the end of the coffee table, getting everyone's attention. She looked over to Mikhail for a moment, I saw him nod.

"Mikhail and I have been thinking about how to move forward from here. and I think it would be best if Mia and I went together to find Lissa's sibling. Mikhail can stay with Rose and Dimitri and continue with the original mission."

I was dumbstruck, I was sure Mikhail would want to stay close to Sonya, and Sonya close to Mikhail. But maybe I had read it wrong. Maybe Sonya was more like me than she let on and was pushing Mikhail away. I got up to protest but Sonya raised her hand. it wasn't directed at me though. It was directed at Rose who had gotten up a fraction sooner than I had.

"I know what you are going to say. But this is the best option. Mia can't go alone with the two of you, it would be too dangerous with you and Dimitri taking point. The only viable option was for her to be with a guardian. And Rose and Dimitri need backup. So Mia comes with me."

She wasn't wrong. But Rose and I were supposed to be the only ones going from the start. I won't accept Sonya and Mikhail being separated because of us.

"Rose and I can handle the mission on our own, the three of you should go." Rose nodded next to me. Although being alone with Rose scared me more than it should, I knew both of us agreed on this.

Mikhail stood up from his seat and moved in next to Sonya. He put his arm around her and smiled down at her the same moment she looked up. There was so much love in their gaze it hurt to watch it. "Sonya and I have been reunited. We have our whole lives ahead of us. Being apart for a few more weeks won't kill us. And you made this happen. So please let us help you. Let us make sure that all of us make it out of here alive."

Rose leaned back on the couch and I would recognize her face anywhere. It was her plotting face. "How far away is the child, Sonya?"

"A couple day's drive."

She got up and walked to her backpack that she had put up against the kitchen counter. She pulled out the maps and placed them on the dining table. We all gathered around her. I smiled down at her. She really looked the part of General now. I was so very proud of her. When I looked up I saw Sonya look directly at me. She obviously knew what I was thinking.

God, I was starting to hate spirit users -you know, other than that they are the reason I am alive and restored.

"We are currently here." Rose pointed to the map somewhere in Kentucky. The town of Paris wasn't listed, but we knew the general area. "Dimitri, how many Strigoi are in this area?"

I pointed towards two bigger cities a little further north."There are small stations here and here."

Rose marked the cities with a sharpie and turned to Sonya. "I know you can't tell us exactly where the child is located, but can you confirm in which direction we need to move?"

Sonya hesitated for a moment before she pointed in the general direction of Michigan. Rose nodded and circled Michigan then looked towards me again. "Can you point out a few more strongholds of Strigoi that are on that route?"

We were all starting to understand Rose's plan. We would stay together as long as we could. Take down as many Strigoi along the way. Besides, we only had the one car anyway.

Although I am very capable of hotwiring a car.

I pointed out a few bigger way-stations in Illinois, Indiana and Ohio. Most were on route or small detours of that route. She circled those too.

"Do we miss any major ones if we move that way north?" She asked me.

I only knew of the larger ones, the smaller ones I got by getting intel from my subordinates. But the smaller houses would also be around there and those that ruled the larger ones would be responsible for the houses close by and wouldn't know of many others further away from them.

"There are two large ones. One in New York and one near the border of Ohio and Pennsylvania. But those would probably be too big for us to take on anyway. Also I have no idea if they are manned anymore. I got the impression that Galina's empire is crumbling."

Rose rolled up the map. "Then we should get going. We move towards Michigan as fast as we can while taking out the Strigoi infestations on route. We gather information about the ones we can't take down by ourselves and I will communicate with Hans to see if he can send a bigger team."

She put the map in her backpack and turned to me. "You think you can get us the intel we need to take them down? Focus on Kentucky and Illinois for now." I nodded. I hated being him but I knew it was necessary. And the further I was getting from him, the easier it was to pretend to be him. Because it really was starting to be pretend, instead of slipping back into him.