Chapter 27:

RPOV

We got dressed and left the safety of the cabin behind. We were both a little reluctant. Somehow I had the feeling it would be a long time before we would be at peace together. I had to remind myself we were still in the midst of the trial.

When I was outside I felt the hair on my neck stand upright. I saw Lissa's mother again. I had thought that after saving Lissa from Jesse her job was complete, but I guess I was wrong. She looked at me with great intensity. She tried to speak but I couldn't hear anything. She tried again and this time I could hear her whisper.

"They are coming."

I immediately felt them too. Strigoi. Dimitri and I were able to block them just before they broke our necks. Fighting them off. Dimitri handed me his spare stake and we got to work. One down, two down. But I could feel more of them slip past me towards the school.

I looked into the direction of the school and Dimitri noticed my movement.

"Go, warn them. Tell them Buria"

I hesitated for only a moment. This was the moment I had to choose between the man I loved and possibly saving many lives at the school including Lissa's. I ran and I was praying to any God who would listen to make sure I would see Dimitri again, alive. I needed to trust him. I knew he could take care of himself.

I ran as fast as I could back to the guardian's building. I came inside and grabbed the first guardian I saw. Stan Alto, great. I was trying to catch my breath while Stan was already chastising me for coming in here and what not.

"Buria, Buria, hurry Dimitri is out there alone."

Stan's look changed immediately and he was organizing guardians. I was out the door before he could say anything. I needed to help. I could help with this. But first I needed to find Christian. No matter what, he was my charge at the moment. I checked on Lissa and saw she was still safe, Eddie guarding her. I felt through the bond she was worried about Christian. He was in the church attic. Good, they couldn't reach holy ground.

I sprinted towards the church and I saw Christian being attacked by a Strigoi when he was trying to leave the church. He flicked some fire at him and the Strigoi backed off a little. It gave me enough time to stake him, the Strigoi oblivious to its attacker.

I saw relief cross Christian's face.

"Impeccable timing Rose."

"We need to get you back inside, getting you to safety."

"No."

"No?"

"Rose, we can make a difference here. The school is under attack and we can help. I can burn them and you can stake them."

Chirstian's eyes betrayed no fear, he was determined to do this. To prove he wasn't a useless Moroi. He was going to do this, with or without me.

"Okay."

We moved through campus taking down any Strigoi that was in our way. I must admit I had fought many Strigoi in battle, but having a fire wielding Moroi next to me made it a lot easier.

We ended up at the elementary campus when we were running out of Strigoi. I tuned into my Strigoi radar but didn't feel any more of the nausea that had been plaguing me since they started their attack.

I heard a sound coming from the bushes and Christian and I were immediately on high alert again. But the sight I held before my eyes was not that of a Strigoi. It was Dimitri, Bruised and battered, but alive. I ran up to him and threw myself at him. I heard him grunt, no doubt he was hurting and this wasn't making it any better, but he hugged me back nonetheless.

After a moment he let go and took in his surroundings.

"You two did all that?"

Christian and I looked at each other and guiltily nodded.

"That was…"

"Stupid? Irresponsible? I should have never put the life of my charge in danger like that?"

"I was going to say amazing."

He gave us both a smile. We were joined by Yuri.

"My God, what you two did? Half of the bodies on campus are yours. We would have had a lot more casualties if it wasn't for you two."

Although both Christian and I were happy with the praise, I didn't miss Yuri mentioning casualties.

"How many?"

I asked, dreading the answer.

"So far the count is twelve guardians, three Moroi teachers, three novices and they captured a group of novices and Moroi."

"Who did they kill? Who did they take?"

"Rose, maybe we should wait until everything is settled down a bit."

"Yuri, who?"

I know he was stalling for time. He didn't want to answer me. I quickly checked Lissa again but I knew that if something had happened to her I would have known.

"Novice Ashford was killed and Novice Castille was taken among others."

No, this can't be happening. Mason was dead, and Eddie most likely to follow. We had been friends since kindergarten.

Yuri placed a comforting hand upon my shoulder and then walked away, no doubt getting ready to clean up the mess.

I sat down against a tree seeing as my legs were having a hard time supporting my weight. Dimitri sat down on one side and Christian on the other.

I cried. Mason was gone.

I saw an image of a ghost appear and I thought Lissa's mother had another message for me, but as the image became clearer I could see it was Mason. He really was dead. He looked at me a bit mournful. He fought and he had lost. But he was pointing the way off of campus. I didn't quite know what he meant. He rolled his eyes. Great not helping Mase. He made a gesture and I recognized it as our silly little fourth grade handshake. Me, Mason and Eddie had come up with that secret handshake. Eddie. Mason was pointing at Eddie.

"Eddie is still alive?" Mason nodded.

"Where?" Mason pointed again.

Dimitri and Christian looked at me funny. Now was not the time to explain the ghost thing.

"Dimitri, I need a map."

He knew better than to question why. So he left and came back a minute later with a map of the area.

I laid the map on the ground for Mason to point at. He pointed at an empty space on the map. There isn't anything there. It was almost morning and they would have to hide somewhere until nightfall. I looked confused.

"What is it Rose?" Christian asked.

"Okay I can see Mason's ghost and he is pointing here on the map, but there isn't anything there. Strigoi would need a hideout to shelter from the sun."

Christian looked at me like I was crazy, but a moment later he reconsidered. This wasn't the weirdest thing he saw me do. All in day's work for Rose.

"There are caves there." Christian said. Apparently he had been on a field trip there once.

And so I convinced everyone to go on a rescue mission. In the morning more guardians including my mother had joined in to replace some of the lost guardians. My mother had even pleaded my case to take some of the novices with them and some teachers that were willing to fight to get the students back. I could see that what Christian and I had done the night before had inspired some of them to stand up to.

I was standing outside the caves. I would much rather be inside to help with the actual Strigoi fight. I would have been a lot more useful there, but they didn't know that. The novices were stationed outside the caves and would function as back-up.

It wasn't long before the rescued Moroi and novices were being let outside. But the battle was raging inside. I was anxious to go join the fight. So when I was ordered to provide back-up in the cave I wasted no time and sprinted inside. It was dark but my Dhampir eyesight was quickly adjusting. I could hear fighting going on inside and made my way to the noise.

I saw my mother and Dimitri holding their own. I expected nothing less from them and I joined them in the fight. Dimitri was surprised to see me but I saw a small speck of relief cross his face. I was still alive and ready to help. We had taken down most of them in the cave when Alberta sounded the alarm to retreat. The students had been rescued and we had to make our way out of the caves before the sun went down and the Strigoi could follow us outside.

We were led through a small space and I saw daylight up ahead. I reached it first. My mother following on my tale. We were greeted by Alberta and Stan outside.

I turned around and saw Dimitri only a few feet from the protection of the sun when I saw a Strigoi come up behind him. He never faltered before but the battle last night and now had worn him out. I heard a scream as I saw the Strigoi sink his teeth into Dimitri's neck. The scream came from me. I was making my way towards Dimitri to save him but Stan and my mother tried to stop me.

"Don't Rose, He is dead. Don't join him. You can't win this."

Stan was wrong, I could. How many Strigoi could still be left? I saw the Strigoi drag Dimitri further and further into the cave. I had to save him. I was nothing without him.

I sprung loose from Stan and I could hear my mother shouting after me. But I didn't listen.

I followed the blood stains into the cave and I saw Dimitri on the ground. I punched the Strigoi still attached to him and sent him flying across the cave. Dimitri was breathing, barely but he was breathing. I dragged him towards the entrance of the cave, but I found myself surrounded by Strigoi.

I had miscalculated. There weren't a few Strigoi left. There were at least twenty standing before me. I knew if I were going to save Dimitri I would have to beat them all. And to do that I would have to find every piece of darkness inside of me and use it.

I knew that once I opened the gate so far, there was no going back. I would not be able to close the gate again. Saving Dimitri meant sacrificing myself. A sacrifice I would gladly make.

I felt the darkness swelling up inside of me and instead of desperately trying to hold on to my humanity I let go. It felt strangely freeing. I felt myself slip into oblivion. The darkness consuming me. I was gone. The Rose I was once now an empty shell with only its only intent and purpose battle.

However, something was filling me up again. I could taste something warm and metallic in my mouth. I was no longer consumed by the darkness I knew, but a different kind of darkness. And in that moment I knew Rhonda was right. After the darkness comes life. Life as a Strigoi.