Chapter 40:
RPOV
The honeymoon was over. We had spent another two days in St. Petersburg but now it was time to go back. Dimitri had informed me that Lissa was on her way. Apparently my mother was coming with her. With me 'dead' and Dimitri reassigned, Lissa had no assigned guardians. So instead of having Tatiana pick random strangers, my mother had volunteered and so had Eddie.
My mother was one other person I had to inform of my miraculous recovery. Part of me wanted my mother the moment I had been restored, but I had wanted the version of a mother that would hold me and hug me and whisper everything was okay. I am not sure if that was my mother.
And then there was Eddy. I wondered if both of them would come with her to Baia. I wanted to know how he was doing. I needed to know he was okay. He had been one of the students that had been taken, and although I obviously knew he made it out alive, I needed to make sure.
We were driving back to Baia. But I noticed Dimitri made a detour. I looked at him questiongly.
"There is somebody I want you to meet first before we head back."
His voice sounded flat. I didn't understand who he wanted me to meet? We still had to be careful with who knew I was back. And If Dimitri didn't like these people or didn't trust them, why was he bringing me to them?
He took an exit off of a main road. It led to a big town or a small city. It wasn't that far from Baia but still had a lot more people in it. Mostly human by the looks of it.
"Ivan and I lived here. His parents had a house in that area."
He pointed towards a small mountain side. Okay so this person he wanted me to meet was connected to Ivan? I wondered if we were meeting an old friend from high-school or something. I suppose it would be alright if I met them. I mean how would they know if I had been brought back from the undead.
But we didn't drive towards a house. We seemed to be getting further and further away from the town again. I wanted to ask Dimitri where we were going, but one look at him silenced me.
We stopped at a large field with amazing flowers, beautiful trees and a small lake. At first I thought it was a park but upon closer inspection and the sight of tombstones I realized we were in a graveyard. He took my hand and let me a beautiful tombstone and I knew who he wanted me to meet. The name on the tombstone no doubt read Ivan Zeklos although the Cyrillic made it hard to read.
He bowed down in front of the tombstone. He brushed some of the dirt off of the top of it. Ivan's tombstone wasn't old compared to some of the others. I have to remind myself Ivan hadn't been gone for that long. Dimitri had lost Ivan months before he met me.
"Hey Ivan, I know it has been a long time, but there is somebody here I want you to meet."
He looked at me with so much love and smiled.
"My wife."
I returned his smile. It was good to hear those words from him, even if they still felt a bit weird. I was married.
"She is amazing, you would have loved her. She is absolutely beautiful and I know you would have reminded me at every turn that if I ever 'died in battle' you would be more than happy to 'take care' of her. And then I would have punched you in the arm or face, or she would have."
He chuckled, I had tears in my eyes. This was his best friend.
"I know I always said I would just be your guardian and I didn't need anybody else in my life, but you were right, when I did find her, I couldn't let her go."
I sat down next to him and started rubbing his back. I saw Dimitri was also trying very hard not to cry. I knew he still missed him very much.
"I am no longer assigned to princess Vasilisa. I have a new charge. Not my idea, trust me. But he kind of reminds me of you. A bit more trouble and a lot more crazy, but you would have gotten along great. He needs me to keep him in check, just like you needed me. But I am starting to realize that I need him to. I think I always took you for granted when you were alive. I would have done anything for you, but I underestimated just how much you did for me."
I was getting an insight into their relationship. It reminded me a little of Lissa and I. Dimitri told me they didn't know each other as long as Lissa and I did, but that they were best friends, since the day they met. I imagined how I would feel if Lissa had died. I realized that Lissa actually went through that. I did die. She could have been talking to my tombstone at the Academy, like Dimitri is talking to Ivan's now. She would be talking to an empty grave. Both figuratively and actually. And I let her believe it. Maybe it was time to tell Lissa, my mother and Eddie that I was back. Because I didn't want them mourning over me, like Dimitri was morning over Ivan. Who was actually dead.
"You kept pushing me to be social and have fun once in a while. After you died, I became very secluded. Rose was a big part of me being social again, but Adrian pushed me in a different way. It has been a long time since I had a friend. I hope you won't be jealous. But if it is any consolation I also think he is more of an Idiot then you were."
He took a deep breath before he continued.
"I am sorry I have to let you go now. I have been holding on to you for a long time, but I need to move on and be happy, you will always be a part of me, and I will always think back with our time together with a smile, but I have other people in my life now that put a smile on my face. I am no longer alone."
He stood up and I hugged him and I felt him sob quietly into my neck as he held me tight. I felt him let go of a piece of guilt that had plagued him. He could let Ivan rest in peace now and live his own life.
After a few moments he pulled back and collected himself again. We got into the car and drove the rest of the way to Baia.
"How are you feeling? Are you up to meeting Lissa and your mother? Because if you are not, I can turn this car around."
I grabbed his hand. I was grateful he wasn't pushing me, but I had to face reality sometimes and looked like it would be today.
"Adrian didn't tell them did he?"
"No, he only said that there was a spirit user here and that Lissa should come over. I think she has missed us or at least Adrian. I know she worried when we were off the grid for a while. She tried to contact me a few times, but I never returned her calls."
I nodded. It would be a shock for her to see me. How would my mother react? Would Lissa forgive me for wanting her dead, for hating and resenting her? Should I even tell her that? Well maybe not start with it.
As we drove closer and closer to Baia I became more anxious. Dimitri noticed that too, if not by my demeanor that by the ever increasing amount of strength I used to squeeze his hands, I swear the blood was leaving his fingers. When we pulled up to the house my breathing became more rapid. Dimitri turned to me.
"Remember. This is what matters and will always be there. The rest we can handle."
He held up our hands and indicated our wedding bands. I nodded and he kissed me for good measure.
He then got out of the car and got our bags from the trunk. He was walking in front of me keeping me out of view. I didn't know if it was intentional or not. But it gave me those extra few seconds to compose myself.
Although when the door opened and I saw the person that exited first, I wish I was front and centre to have prevented what happened next.
"Dimka! Oh God I am so glad you are alright. Where have you been?"
A hysterical Tasha came flying towards Dimitri and flung herself around his neck. She then kissed him. I saw Dimitri freeze and the bags dropped. He was too surprised to do anything at the moment. It took me a moment to realize what was happening too, so I didn't blame him. But I gathered myself together and in true Rose style confronted Tasha. I was actually looking forward to this now. I hadn't been able to stake my claim at the ski resort, but I could do so now.
I cleared my throat.
"Excuse me, but would you mind removing yourself from MY HUSBANDS lips."
Tasha only then seemed to notice someone other than Dimitri was there and when she realized who it was that had spoken she paled. Like she had seen a ghost. I suppose she wasn't all that far off.
"Rose? How? How are you alive? Wait… husband. Did you say husband?"
Dimitri and I had no time to answer because an even paler Lissa came around the corner. A dumbfounded Eddie and Christian standing beside her.
"Rose? Rose is that really you?" She trembled. She had her hand outstretched towards me. I didn't realize she was here. I figured they were in some hotel, not everyone would be able to fit in the Belikov house. I also didn't realize that Christian and Tasha would be here. But I suppose it made sense. She had known Dimitri and his family before.
Still pissed me off though.
I saw Christian was weary. I couldn't blame him. Last they heard I was turned. But when I smiled a bit of an awkward smile back at Lissa, it was good enough for her. She pulled away from Christians grasp and she flung herself at me. She cried into the crook of my neck. Eddie and Christian just kept staring at me.
"Oh God Rose, what happened? Are you okay? How did you survive?"
I wasn't sure where to begin. I hadn't really survived, but I suppose that was a more logical explanation than I was a Strigoi and I have been miraculously cured by spirit.
"That is what I would like to know. And did she say husband? Guardian Belikov, care to explain?"
"Mom." I whispered. It was good seeing her. She looked pissed at Dimitri but her gaze softened when her eyes met mine. Not only softened, but blurred with tears. If I ever doubted that my mother loved me, all those doubts would be laid to rest with just that look in her eyes. It did take me dying though to achieve it.
Lissa let go of me long enough for my mother to get in on the hug. She squeezed me hard and I felt tears running down my back. I even thought I heard her murmur 'my baby, oh my beautiful baby'. But I would like to think that was the wind. When she was done hugging me she became serious again and turned her attention towards Dimitri.
"Well?" She said while tapping her foot.
I stood in front of Dimitri. Sort of my way of protecting him. Dimitri was good, one of the best. But so was my mother. I wonder who would win. I had half a mind to step out of the way and find out but decided they would have to duke it out later.
"Well, Mom we kind of got married two days ago." I said hesitantly. I hadn't actually figured out how to tell my mother about Dimitri and I. I thought me coming back from the dead was shocking enough. But me and my big mouth had just spilled it.
I thought I heard Adrian shout from inside the house, 'so that is what happened to my credit card.' But we all ignored him.
My mother pulled me away from Dimitri slightly. "Married? But honey. You are eighteen, you aren't supposed to get married yet, and he is twenty-four and your mentor. Has this been going on at the academy as well? I swear if you have abused my little girl I will…"
She started out concerned and loving towards me, but somewhere mid sentence she went from concerned to menacing. But I knew it wasn't directed at me.
"Mom, calm down. Yes I am eighteen. But I have already died twice so I am getting a move on with life before number three finally nips me in the but. And yes he is twenty-four and he WAS my mentor. And yes this has been going on since the Academy because we love each other. And no. He has never abused me or forced me into anything I didn't want."
I snorted. If my mother thought anyone could force me into anything, then she really didn't know me at all.
"So mother, you can either accept this or not, but know this. I can't live without him. I have tried not to love him. I have tried staying away from him. I have tried killing him actually and it didn't take. So deal with it."
My mother was shocked and sort of confused by my last statement. It was Olena that finally broke the silence although she didn't make it any better.
"Dimka, you got married without your family, without even telling your own mother?"
Dimitri at least looked guilty for that.
I had to laugh. These were our two mothers. Side by side. One the stay-at-home mom with a dishrag in her hands. The other a lethal warrior with at least two stakes hidden in her clothes somewhere. They couldn't be more different, and yet the disapproving looks they gave us were the same, even if the source was different.
"Enough! Everyone inside and let them explain everything."
I thought Yeva was a scary woman, but sometimes her being scary was useful, like getting everyone inside and sitting down.
"Go ahead girl, tell your story, I assumed you have made your decision about returning to your old life with all that comes with it."
I nodded and suddenly realized she spoke English to me. I looked at her foul but she merely smirked and sat down in her chair again.
It took us a while to gather all the people inside. It was comical how many people fit in the small living room. We were practically stacked on top of each other. Lissa was actually on Christians lap and I contemplated sitting on Dimitri's but decided not to push my mother any further.
I looked over to Tasha for a moment. How much did I want her to know? Dimitri's sisters were eventually informed of what happened to me. And I would have to come clean if I was to come back to our world. And I had made that decision in St. Petersburg. We would come back. So did it matter that she knew now or later?
Once everyone was settled I started the story of what happened after the caves. How I was turned, how I survived as a Strigoi, how I encountered Dimitri. I might have done some editing there but no lies. I let Adrian tell them about how he turned me back and Dimitri talked about how broken I was and needed time, that is why we didn't contact anyone before now. I could still see how this was hurting him, even if I was sitting right here. We were okay now, but it had been a long road and recalling that road was not easy.
After we finished I just saw blank eyes all around. Everybody was processing this in his or hers own time. My mother had started to cry again and so had Lissa. They believed I had survived the caves somehow. I could see it broke their hearts to know how I had lived the fast couple of months. Eddy was in a corner not really making eye contact. Christian seemed lost for words. But in the end my eyes were drawn to Tasha. Because out of all of the people in the room she didn't have compassion or shock in her eyes, she had pure rage. I knew why. I had 'stolen her man'. But in light of the revelations I had expected her not to be so petty.
Although I did find it encouraging. Maybe more people would think me marrying my mentor and another Guardian to be more incredible that turning back from Strigoi. It still wasn't the attention I wanted, but I would have had to face that anyway. Even if the caves didn't happen. There was no way Dimitri and I would have split up.
"You really married her? I thought you were joking. You have got to be joking! You slept with your student? Was this going on when I asked you to be my guardian?"
Dimitri didn't look guilty or uncomfortable or anything. He answered without blinking, without raising his voice. Just his stoic self.
"Yes."
Tasha was taken aback by this. Then shock turned into rage.
"You would choose her over me?" when she said 'her' it sounded as if she was disgusted with me. I saw Dimitri get up to defend me but Yeva motioned him to sit down. She walked up to Tasha. Even though Yeva was almost a foot shorter then Tasha, she had an air about her that made Tasha look small in comparison.
"You will not insult my family in my own house. I suggest you leave and not taint this joyous occasion with your presence."
Yeva then turned around and sat back down in her chair. I could see Tasha was flabbergasted. You rock Yeva. I saw Tasha wanted to interject again but I could see fear in her eyes, fear for an old frail woman. Tasha turned around and left the house.