Rose Hathaway

Slipping out of the Dhampir dorms, I made my way towards my room. I was sure my mother had noticed I was late getting back by this time. I know she was being generous about allowing me a few stolen moments here and there for socializing, but I had been gone for nearly an hour.

"Ah, Rose. How are you today my dear?" I heard as I entered the courtyard. Looking towards the voice, I found Victor Dashkov leaning against the wall.

"I'm doing well, just trying my best to keep out of trouble." I told him as I gave him a gentle hug. Victor had always been kind. It was sad to watch as his Sandovsky's Syndrome took more and more of him every day.

"Good, Good." He replied. "And Lissa, I trust she is doing well also?"

"She's had it a little rough, some kids are bullying her, but she is readjusting well. She doesn't let it get to her too much."

"As close as the two of you are, your punishment must be hurting you both, yes?" His eyes were filled with concern.

"I still have classes with her and church on Sundays. It's not too bad; I still wish I could spend more time with her." I told him honestly. Victor was about to say something else but was overtaken with fits of coughing. "You should go inside Prince Victor. You're going to get chilled out here. Please take care of yourself."

"Yes, I suppose your right." He hacked out between coughs. His two Guardians led him back inside and out of the cool air. I followed through into guest housing and made my way to my mom's small apartment.

She was setting a plate of sandwiches on the table and looked up when I walked in. "Rose, where were you? You shouldn't push Kirova too far you know."

"I know mom, but I was looking into some things about bonds and stuff." I told her as I waved the book of Moroi Saints in front of me. She leaned her head in the direction of my bedroom and told me to get ready for lunch.

"Rose, I have to ask a few questions that I know are going to be hard for you. I'm sorry, but I thought we could just get it over with so we can move forward." My mom said hesitantly as she was staring down at the sandwich in her hands.

"Okay."

"A few visiting Guardians are going to be getting their Molnija marks. With what you unintentionally shared in Guardian Alto's class, well Alberta thought we might as well get yours done at the same time."

"Molnija marks, but I'm not promised yet." I gasped.

"Well it's not usual that these things happen, but there have been a few times that a novice has killed Strigoi before being promised. It's rare, but it happens." Her face held a bit of sadness.

"Well just tell me the date and time and I'll show up, I guess." I shrugged my shoulders, ready for a change of topic.

"The thing is Rose, we need to know how many Strigoi you have killed." She was once again looking everywhere but directly at me.

"Mom," I pleaded. I didn't want to think about that.

"I know honey, but we have to know." I wasn't use to Janine showing in form of emotion. I ran to me room coming back with a journal and handed it to my mother.

"Please don't share it with anyone else. It's all in there, February and again in June. I can't talk about it yet."

My mother nodded in understanding and thanked me. We finished eating and she slipped into her bedroom with my journal in tow. Not knowing what to do with myself, I decided to take a shower and watch some television before heading to bed.

The bad thing about Moroi schedule is that there wasn't much on come four am. Looking through, I found that my mother had saved a couple of shows to watch. Supernatural or some medical show was the only options I had if I wanted to avoid infomercials.

Halfway through the second episode of Supernatural my mother walked out of her bedroom with a sullen look to her face. I gave her a pleading look trying to prevent her from asking me any questions. She gave me a gentle smile and headed towards the door. "I need to speak with Alberta, I'll be back shortly. You have classes later, so it might be best to get some sleep."

Knowing she was right, I shut off the television and headed towards my room. I heard the front door close right before the soft click of my door closing.

Janine Hathaway

I sat up in my bed as I ran my fingers over the soft leather of my daughter's journal. It contained the secrets of her time away from the academy and I was honestly terrified of what lay between the bound leather cover. The pages I knew where going to tell me how my once happy and outgoing little girl had turned into the angry and rebellious teenager she was. I knew that her rebellious nature could slightly be attributed to genetics. She was Ibrahim's daughter after all. I knew a big part of it was also my fault. What I wanted to know, what I feared knowing, was what was causing her to look so haunted.

Sighing, I flipped the book open, intending to only flip through and find the information I needed to relay to Alberta. Rose had given me absolute trust with her secrets and I knew that like her father, trust with such matters was not given lightly. She was so much like him in many ways. "Oh, Abe, I think we made a mistake." I whispered into the air around me.

A date caught my attention. I remembered it well because it was the last time I had seen my daughter, just a year or so before that horrible accident.

Janine came today. It has been nearly two years since she came the last time. At least I know that she is alive. I still dream that she will come back and be my mom, but she won't leave her charge for me. It hurts because I see how Lissa and Andre have such a good relationship with their parents. I want parents like Rhea and Eric. Instead, I am left with a father who probably doesn't even know I exist and if he does, doesn't care anything about me. I think my mother would rather a Strigoi kill her before she actually enacted on her not so great motherly duties.

I gasped at the words. Did she really feel that way? Had my choices caused her to become so cold and uncaring? Well, I couldn't say uncaring, she did love Lissa as a sister. She pushed many people away, me included, but those that she loved-she loved them so fiercely. Blinking away the tears in my eyes, I shifted up straighter in the bed and continued reading.

I couldn't talk to her. I was mad. I'm not mad at her really though, I am beginning to understand why things are as they are. She feels as protective of her Moroi as I do of Lissa. It is when she leaves that really bothers me. I know that after a few hours she will walk away from me for who knows how many months, and it may be the last time I will ever see her. She may have abandoned me here at the academy, but she is the only parent I know. If she dies, I will be an orphan. I like to hope that some small part of her cares about me since she does try to visit now and again. If I lose her, then I lose any chance of ever having a mother.

The last two lines on the page were written in tear-stained ink and made her already horrible handwriting completely illegible. "Oh, Rose, if I had truly known. If only I had truly known." I said as my own tears joined her long ago dried ones on the page. Feeling like my heart had been torn from my body, I set the book down and opening the cabinet beside my bed pulled out a small glass and a bottle of Turkish whiskey. I filled the glass halfway and quickly downed the liquid. It still gave a slight sting as it slid down my throat, even after all these years.

I looked back at the journal and tried to shake the memory of her words from my head. Reaching for the journal once more, I drew my hand back and refilled my glass with another round of liquid courage. I closed my eyes as I let the whiskey burn my tongue before swallowing it down my numbed throat and once more picked up the book. This time I scanned the dates until I found February of this year. I continued scanning not really reading the words until one jumped out at me. Strigoi.

Lissa just had to go out tonight. I told her that it was not a good decision, but she was tired of the sun. Even under the shade of an umbrella it made her skin sting and her body weak. I gave in, which was my first mistake. We were walking back from the drug store on the corner when I felt my stomach churn. It had been hours since I had eaten so I knew it wasn't some form of food poisoning. Plus I don't think food poisoning would have left me with the unsurmountable feeling of dread that I had felt.

I pulled Lissa closer to me and as we passed the alley between the store and our apartment, a blurry movement caught my eye. I turned my head and found myself staring into the eyes of a Strigoi, half hidden in the shadows of the buildings. I pushed Lissa behind me and faced the Strigoi. I could not let him take Lissa from me. I had to hide her. Glancing behind me, I saw a low sitting truck and pushing Lissa back, I whispered for her to climb under it.

I heard another voice come from the alley and realized a second Strigoi had joined the first. I quickly grabbed my stake from the pocket of my jeans and tried to push Lissa's fear from my mind. Keeping the Strigoi in my line of vision I checked to make sure there were no humans milling about. Seeing that the streets were deserted, I sternly told Lissa to stay put and advanced towards the first Strigoi. He was bigger and most likely the biggest threat.

He knew my intention though, and stepped back shoving the smaller Strigoi in my way. The small Strigoi smiled and launched herself at me immediately. I fought her hard, but by the time I sunk my stake into her heart, I could feel all of the scrapes and bruises that she had left behind. I was left with the male Strigoi, but I was tired and hurting. He looked at me knowingly. He had done this purposely.

Lissa's feelings began to mingle with my own, and I pushed them away again. They had reminded me though what I was trying to save. It gave me a burst of energy and I attacked the Strigoi head on. He was blocking my every move though. He eventually picked me up by one arm and tossed me against the side of the building. My shoulder took the brunt of the hit and I felt it slide out of socket. I hissed as I hit the ground barely able to keep my grip on my stake.

The Strigoi was standing over me in a heartbeat, leering down at me and laughing. My fear gave way to anger and I kicked my leg up hitting him in the groin and sending him back a few steps. It was enough though that I could spring to my feet. I ignored the searing pain of my shoulder and attacked the Strigoi once more. It was harder to fight though; I only had use of my staking hand.

Unable to block my left side, the Strigoi seemed to favor hitting and kicking me there. I scrapped his arm with the tip of my stake and he growled at me, taking another step back. Taking the opening, I gave him a round house kick to the side of his head, but he caught my ankle and my calf. I felt as he twisted the bone causing it to snap before he once again threw me against a wall. I knew that the fight was over.

I felt tears prickle my eyes as he advanced toward me. I slid further down the alley, hoping that Lissa would have a chance to run away after he killed me. The Strigoi was fast though and with a heavy stomp, brought his foot down, shattering the knee of my good leg. I fell back on my good arm, and felt as my stake grazed the skin on my back. Before I could wiggle my arm out from under me, the Strigoi was in my face, laughing and taunting me. His teeth bared, he leaned in close but paused just a mere inch from my neck. It was then that I heard the footsteps running down the alley. At first I thought it was another Strigoi, but we were suddenly surrounded by the bright blinking strobes of an ultraviolet flash light.

The Strigoi flinched away and hissed in pain, but I knew it was my only chance. In that second, I felt all of my pain, anger, and fear slip away as I somehow lurched myself forward and on top of the crouching Strigoi, driving my stake into his heart.

I looked down the alley and found a terrified Lissa. Her eyes were wide and she was hunkered down crying. I used my one good arm and pulled my broken and battered body down the alley towards her. The ground scraping and ripping my already torn skin even more.

I woke up in our apartment completely healed to Lissa passed out next to me. I shook her awake and forced her to feed. It had taken nearly everything from her to heal me. I could feel her hunger and exhaustion through the bond. Once I woke up I yelled at Lissa for being so stupid, but we both ended up crying and hugging each other. If it hadn't had been for her stupidity, we both would have probably died last night. I wonder if anyone would have noticed or if anyone would have even cared.

I wish we could find someone to trust but until then, I will have to get better and not slack on my training as much. I am going to make sure that whoever is trying to hurt Lissa will never have an easy job of it.

"Oh dear God!" I muttered as I quickly flipped through the book to find June before I lost my resolve. I found that the Strigoi attack in June was slightly less gory. She had only walked away from it with a gashed cheek and a broken finger. Closing the book, I took a few steadying breaths before taking another drink of the whiskey and walking out of my room. I had to get out of the apartment and Alberta was expecting me tonight anyhow.

I found Rose on the sofa; she turned her face towards me and tightly closed her eyes, shaking her head no. When she finally opened them and looked at me again, I explained I was leaving and that she should head to bed. I really needed to see Alberta now. I could barely handle reading about the burden my daughter carried with her. She had only been sixteen when she had killed her first Strigoi.

"Alberta, she was only sixteen. My baby was only sixteen." I said as I fell into a chair and accepted the drink she passed me. It wasn't as strong as the whiskey was, but it would do.

"I take it you were able to get her to talk?" she asked me.

"No, but she handed over her journal. Damn it, Alberta, she would have died that first attack if it wasn't for whatever it is that the princess is able to do. Rose claimed that the princess healed her."

"Their story sounds a lot like Vladimir and Anna's, you know?"

"You don't suppose?" I began to question but the nodding of her head let me know I didn't need to finish my thought. "She killed four. She is only seventeen years old, Bertie, and she has already killed four Strigoi." I sighed as I finally allowed the tears to fall down my cheeks.

"I'm sorry Janie, you trusted me to look out for her all these years, and I failed you both." Alberta said as she wrapped her arm around my shoulder.

"No, Bertie, her father and I failed her. You are not to blame for this, but something was going on to make those girls leave and they felt that they had no one they could trust enough to seek out help. I will find the bastard responsible and I will make them regret the very second that they decided to bring harm to Rose and the princess. I may have failed Rose in the past, but no more, Alberta. I will not allow my daughter to suffer any more pain, God so help me."

Alberta hugged me closer and I went through the details of the Strigoi kills under her gentle urging. Afterwards we discussed the new details I had learned in the past week about their bond. Along with the big and small details of the bullying and the dead animal that had been plaguing the princess. After a few more drinks we worked out the details for the upcoming Molnija ceremony. Eventually the conversation took its toll on us and we fell into silence, staring at nothing in particular. It was another hour before I was able to contain my thoughts, stand, and leave to go back to my apartment.

Once inside, I quietly opened Rose's door and stood watching as my only baby lay slumbering in her bed. I had not done this since she was a rambunctious toddler. My shattered heart began to mend as I watched over her with a new determination. I was going to find the person responsible for my daughter's pain and I would kill them, but first I was going to make sure they felt every scrape and broken bone that had been bestowed on Rosemarie.