Dimitri wasn't the only one to notice Rose's sexy attire. Adrian, Grigor, and several of Abe's private Guardians took a good look at Rose's ass when she came downstairs in her almost painted-on pants. If she would not be accompanied by six-foot-seven inches of highly trained muscle, Abe might even have considered ordering her back upstairs to change. However, recognizing Belikov would not be letting Rose out of his sight for even a moment, he begrudgingly said nothing.

"Any thoughts on where you're taking these youngsters?" Abe asked Tasha, in his second dig about her age in less than an hour. He could tell it irritated the Moroi Lady however, she did not rise to the bait. Dressed in skinny jeans and a low-cut top with a leather jacket, her attire was not dissimilar to Rose's. Still compared to the rest of the party, given her age, she looked almost like a chaperone.

"Dimitri? You're more familiar with the city than me. Where would you suggest?" Even with his arm firmly wrapped around Rose's waist, Tasha was still using her most cloying tone when she spoke to the Russian Guardian.

Dimitri shrugged, not even turning to address Tasha directly. "I thought we'd go down to the strip and check things out from there."

It was dark outside, although being December in St. Petersburg, that was a given. Rose and Dimitri had enjoyed the two and a half hours of sunlight that day building their snowman. They had spent the rest of the day indoors while outside it was dark. So very different to their time in Novosibirsk, where the days had been much longer. Involuntarily Rose shivered, blocking from her mind the time she'd spent in Galina's mansion with Dimitri while he was undead.

It wasn't him, she told herself, refusing to remember his cruelties to her.

"Does this look ok?" Lissa asked Rose, noting she was the only woman wearing a dress. Celeste, like Tasha and Rose, had opted for pants.

"Will you be warm enough?" Rose asked, worried about the frigid temperatures and Lissa's short hemline.

"I have a long coat. Do the clubs have cloakrooms?"

"They do," Dimitri confirmed. "And they're heated. Once we're inside, you'll be fine. It's only between the car and the club that you'll need to rug up."

Donning warm coats over their clubwear, one of Abe's Guardians brought a van around, and the group piled in, ready for the brief trip to the St. Petersburg's nightclub district. On the way, Dimitri explained that while the clubbing scene here was lesser than what they'd find in Moscow, the clubs were smaller and more targeted. Live music, jazz, and even American music were options, depending on what the group desired.

"Let's start with an American-style club," Lissa suggested, not wanting to go too far out of her comfort zone first up. "I'd like to go to a more Russian venue later, but can we please start with something more familiar?" What Lissa didn't say was that even an American-style nightclub would be an unfamiliar experience. Given her age, and the fact Court didn't really have nightclubs, any club was going to be novel for her. Yes, she and Christian had been to a few parties at Lehigh, but a nightclub? No. She was nervous but looking forward to it.

"Sounds good to me," Rose said, picking up on Lissa's disquiet through their bond. Now she was no longer wearing the pendant to block Lissa's thoughts, she was finding herself checking in with her sister's thoughts more and more often.

Speaking in Russian to one of Abe's Guardians, Dimitri ascertained a club he'd known from several years ago was still operating and fitted the bill, so he directed the driver to take them there.

"We're having a night out, but remember there is always a risk of Strigoi. Who's carrying?"

The four Guardians Abe had sent with them all answered in the affirmative, confirming that they also would not be drinking. Grigor, Celeste, Eddie, and Rose also declared they were packing silver.

"I'm not saying don't have a good time. Just don't overindulge and keep your wits about you. With such long nights, Strigoi may be more prevalent," Dimitri explained, it being understood nightclubs were a potential hunting ground for the undead.

For the second time that evening, Rose shivered. Safe in Abe's house for the last six months, surrounded by many Guardians, it had been easy to forget the genuine threat Strigoi posed—especially to her Moroi companions. Reaching into the inner lining of her leather jacket, Rose double-checked her stakes were in their custom pouches. Neither the one Tasha had used to frame her for Tatiana's murder, the silver she now carried had been a gift from her father when she'd first arrived in St. Petersburg. While one set of stakes was similar enough to another, Rose was looking forward to her graduation stakes being returned to her when Janine had a chance. When she'd believed Rose had passed away, Janine had decided that as her mother, and her sole Guardian parent, she was the rightful person to inherit Rose's graduation stakes. During the visit when she discovered Rose was still alive, Janine had promised to return them to Rose as soon as practicable.

"Don't forget, you have us, too," Tasha said, inserting herself into the Guardian conversation. "Christian and I have our magic if there's any problem."

Belikov grunted in acknowledgment, relieved when Celeste responded thanking Tasha for her thoughtfulness in wishing to help, should the need arise.

"We're here," Abe's Guardian announced, pulling up out the front of a brightly lit club. The cold weather meant no entry line, two bouncers stood side-by-side in the sheltered entryway.

"Show them your neck, and they will let us in without checking IDs," the Guardian said to Dimitri in Russian. While everyone was over the legal age to visit, inspecting and explaining American identification would take time, and it was freezing out.

"They know about our world?" Lissa asked in surprise, reminding the party that she spoke at least some Russian.

"Enough to let us in without bother," the Guardian replied in his native tongue.

Sure enough, their party was let in immediately. Their coats checked, they made their way inside, Adrian approaching the bar where he placed an order for each of them, Grigor accompanying him to help carry the orders. The rest of the group found a couple of booths side by side, distributing themselves between them. To Tasha's chagrin, she was not at the table with Rose, Dimitri, Lissa, and Christian.

"It's been forever since I've been to a nightclub!" Celeste said loudly, grooving in her seat to the music even before the drinks arrived. "I really, really want to dance!" Her eyes trained on the Guardian who'd driven them, he took the hint and held his hand out before leading her across to the dance floor. Unfortunately, that created a seat at Christian's table, directly beside Dimitri. Seeing Tasha make her approach, Dimitri all but lifted Rose out of the booth, following Celeste and the other Guardian onto the dance floor.

"You want to dance?" Rose asked, Dimitri almost enveloping her in his arms.

"Yes. I also want to get away from Lady Ozera." His hands made their way down Rose's jacket, to her waist, and then her ass as he pulled her against him as a popular American song blasted through the speakers. Pressed hard against one another, Dimitri's hips firm against Rose's, the two ground against one another. Uncaring what it looked like to any observers, Dimitri shamelessly pushed his now apparent hardness against Rose's belly, adoring the soft sighs and moans as she felt his rock-hard cock.

"I want to go home already," she gasped, her arms slipping within his duster, pulling his shirt out of the back of his jeans before running her hands up onto the tight toned planes of Dimitri's back.

"You haven't even had a drink yet."

"I don't need to have a drink to want you."

"Let's dance a little longer," Dimitri crooned, relishing every second he spent on the dancefloor with his sexy vixen. Knowing that they'd later be going home to make love, he wanted to enjoy another first with his sexy woman. Dancing. After a few songs, Rose grabbed Dimitri's hand and led him back to their table. Thanks to Adrian, several shots were waiting for them, and Rose was keen to partake. Lissa and Christian were still at the table, although Eddie wasn't present, nor was Tasha.

"To us!" Lissa announced, already a little inebriated, holding up a shot glass and encouraging Christian to do likewise.

"To us," Rose replied, downing one shot and then another. Knowing how potent Russian vodka was, she didn't plan to have any other drinks for a while, and she was thinking Lissa needed to slow it down if she didn't want to get plastered. Sitting in their booth, Dimitri draped his arm around Rose as they watched the dancefloor. Celeste was still dancing with one of Abe's Guardians, and Tasha was dancing with some human guy who was considerably younger than her. Every time she'd catch Dimitri's eye, she'd dance closer to the hapless young human. Not that it bothered Dimitri.

"Thank God she's found someone else to hit on," he whispered into Rose's ear, not wanting to be overheard and risk offending Christian.

"For now," Rose replied with a giggle. "She's not the only one who's found someone."

Eddie was also on the dancefloor, the middle in a bump and grind sandwich with two scantily clad young women. He'd asked one of them if she wanted to dance, and they'd gone crazy when they heard his American accent. An hour later, when Lissa decided it was time to try a different club, Eddie looked almost relieved to be rescued from the amorous advances of his dance partners. The girls had been shamefully explicit in their moves and expectations for the rest of the evening.

"I can't believe you turned down a threesome," Adrian said to Eddie as they donned their outerwear before exiting the club.

"Have you ever had one?" Rose asked, turning to face Adrian.

"Why? Interested, little Dhampir?" he teased, earning a loud, unhappy growl from Dimitri who pulled Rose closer to him as he glowered at his Royal cousin.

"The next club we're going to is only a few doors down. It's more of a Russian-style club." Leading their group outside and down the shoveled sidewalk, it was only a few moments before they shed their coats in another cloakroom. This club was much like the one they'd left, except the music was in Russian. Heading straight to the bar, Dimitri ordered a couple of shots for him and Rose, pretending not to notice Tasha who'd trailed them, hoping to engage him in conversation. Downing their drinks, Rose pulled Dimitri onto the dance floor, where they joined Lissa, Christian, Eddie, and Adrian. The nightclub was slowly getting busier and busier, when about an hour in, Rose got a familiar but unwelcome queasy feeling. Looking about her, as inconspicuously as possible, she flung her arms around Dimitri's neck, as if to grind up against him.

"There's Strigoi nearby," she mumbled into his ear. "I can't see them, but I can feel them."

Without breaking their rhythm, Dimitri looked around as well, but in such a crowded space, identifying which dancing body was one of the undead was all but impossible. And that's assuming there was only one. Knowing that Adrian, Christian, Lissa, and Tasha would be the primary targets if they were spotted, Dimitri danced Rose over to Eddie, where she let him know they had company. While Rose gathered the Guardians, Dimitri was getting the Moroi together—Lissa and Adrian in the middle flanked by Christian and Tasha. If push came to shove, the two Moroi fire-wielders could be of help, while the other two would be sitting ducks.

"How are we going to do this?" Celeste asked Dimitri as she and Grigor got into position, still dancing to maintain the façade all was well.

"If we have to fight, I don't want to do it here. It's too dangerous and far too many witnesses."

"So we…?"

"Leave. As inconspicuously as possible." The chances were all they'd do was draw the Strigoi out with them, yet that was still preferable to a fight in extremely close quarters, without knowing who was the enemy, or collateral damage. Going through the various combos in his mind, Dimitri issued the following instructions. "You and a Mazur Guardian with Tasha. Eddie and another two Mazur Guardians with Adrian. Rose and me with Christian and Lissa. Grigor and the final Mazur Guardian will head out first to get the van and bring it as close as possible to the entrance. We might not have time to get our coats."

Celeste understood what Dimitri wasn't saying. With the temperature the way it was, any of them could die from exposure in minutes rather than a Strigoi attack. A getaway car was imperative.

"Let's dance to the other side of the dancefloor," Celeste suggested, slowly moving in that direction, the rest of the group doing likewise. Grabbing the Guardian she'd been hanging with/off all night, she made her way around their group, communicating Dimitri's instructions.

"You, me, Lissa, and Christian?" Rose asked, returning to Dimitri's arms.

"We're the strongest fighters."

"I have not fought in months…"

"Yet you'd still be stronger than anyone else here. I trained you. I know how good you are. And according to Pavel, you've skilled up even more since then."

There are Strigoi? Here?Lissa asked through the bond, startling Rose. Spinning to look at Lissa, Rose plastered a fake smile on her face, hips swaying to the music while giving her best friend a discrete nod. This wasn't a drill—it was the real deal.

Stay between you and Guardian Belikov, and if we are told to, run. Lissa said, parroting Rose's many previous instructions. Smiling hearing her best friend's words; years of training might be about to pay off. If the worst came to happen, Liss and Christian might have a chance of getting away.

Everyone knowing their part to play, Grigor and one of Abe's Guardians said their farewells to the group, citing tiredness and an early start in the morning. As he watched, Adrian had to hand it to them—despite their hands subtly in their pockets, fingering silver, a casual observer would not realize these were two highly skilled killers commencing a considered tactical retreat. With a few waves, the group acknowledged their departure and continued dancing. As per Belikov's instructions, they'd danced their way toward the front exit, knowing that's where Grigor and his colleague would have the van ready and waiting.

After waiting a few minutes and checking with Rose that she could still sense the undead, Dimitri gave Eddie a subtle nod. He, Adrian, and two Mazur Guardians slipped off the dancefloor and into the club's entry, donning their outerwear, then ducking out of the club and into the van. Grigor and the Mazur Guardian had stopped in the middle of the street, however by some saving grace no other vehicle had yet come up behind them, so Eddie and the others jumped straight in where he'd double-parked, taking the rear-most seats so there'd be room for the others once they made their escape. They'd already called Pavel requesting immediate backup to their location. It would be a tense ten or fifteen minutes before help would arrive, so, for now, they sat in the vehicle and hoped for the best.

"I can still feel them," Rose hissed inside the club, referring to the Strigoi as she and Dimitri continued to dance, keeping Lissa, Christian, and Tasha close by. A buzz in his duster pocket was hopefully the 'all clear' Dimitri had asked Eddie to send. Without the ability to check, Dimitri nuzzled Rose's neck, his eyes meeting Celeste's while giving an almost imperceptible nod. It was time for her and her temporary paramour to escort Tasha to safety. A little reassured that Tasha was at least partially able to defend herself, he half-watched as the trio quietly made their way off the dancefloor and through the archway to the exit.

"Just us now, baby."

"We can do this," Rose replied in a whisper.

Christian can help if he needs to. He said like at the battle of St. Vlads. While Lissa had never seen Rose and Christian battle side by side, she knew enough from the aftermath to appreciate Christian's help could mean the difference between life and death. Still dancing close to Dimitri, Rose's stomach rolled as their threat approached. Noticing a group of four sidle between them and the exit, steampunk glasses and contacts were now an obvious ruse to disguise the characteristic Strigoi blood-red eyes.

"Fire exit," Dimitri hissed, steering Rose, Lissa, and Christian toward a back exit he'd scoped when they'd first arrived. He was now ninety-nine percent positive they'd been picked, but he could not lead four Strigoi toward the others. It was best they had a fair chance of escape. Besides which, provided they could protect Lissa, he, Rose, and Christian had at least a decent shot at pulling through this. So without intel recommending otherwise, Dimitri popped the fire exit, he and Rose leading Christian and Lissa into a back alley behind the club. White with recent snow, initially the Russian Guardian thought they had the place to themselves. Rose's stomach rolled again, recognizing they were out of the frying pan and into the fire.

"Belikov? I thought that was you. Long-time no see."

Dimitri looked up, spotting a lesser Strigoi he'd encountered once or twice at Galina's estate, surrounded by three other undead. With the four other Strigoi following them through the open fire exit, they were now two Guardians to eight undead—an almost insurmountable number.

"I spotted you in the club, but I could hardly believe it was you."

"It's the height. Makes it hard to hide in a crowd," Dimitri drawled as he tried to work out how to survive this.