Hey guys. Thank you for your reviews :) I'm glad you're enjoying the story.

Please read: Rose might seem slightly OOC in this chapter, but I hope you understand why. This chapter has mentions of rape/sexual abuse (from the past). I tried my best not to make it graphic so I hope it's not too bad, although it was really hard for me to write this one.

The past couple of days have been a little rough for me, so I apologize in advance if there are more mistakes than usual.

I woke up to the feeling of something scraping the entire front side of my body. My head was spinning and it took a while for me to get a hold of my surroundings. I heard some talking in the background, but it wasn't from anyone I recognized. My legs felt like they were being pulled by someone's hands, and I slowly opened my eyes, blinking a few times.

To my horror, I realized I was naked, and my body was being dragged across the floor. It was dirty, and I could now smell a mixture of drugs, sex, and blood.

Oh, fuck. It was happening again.

I tried reaching my hands out to slow myself down, but it only made whoever was dragging me pull harder. Although my body was weak, I started struggling until the person dropped my legs, turned me over, and slapped me across the face. They didn't say anything and I didn't have a chance to see their face as my eyes clouded with tears.

When they grabbed my ankles again, I kicked them and crawled away, crying for help. They grabbed me again, this time pulling me with force and throwing my body into a wall. I was in some kind of bedroom where I could see an unconscious girl lying on the floor.

"Wait, please!" I begged as the man approached me. He ignored my protests and threw me on the floor before unbuckling his belt. My eyes widened and I already knew what was about to happen. As soon as I tried to get up, he flipped me over, pinning my head against the cold floor.

"So, this is what you dream about every night."

I couldn't move my head, but I didn't need to. Whoever was talking walked around my body, stopping near my head and crouching down. I felt their hands grab my hair, pulling my head further back to see my face. I looked up into the menacing eyes of Avery who cocked her head to the side as she watched what was happening to me right in front of her.

"Hmm...you poor thing," she said, sounding insincere. "It must hurt you so much, having to go through this over and over again."

I wanted to say something. I wanted to ask what she wanted and what she was doing here. Maybe I could even ask her for help, but I had a feeling she wasn't here for that. Either way, I couldn't say anything with what was going on—not while my body was being used as a fucking sex doll.

"I would help you," she said, stroking my face, "but I think I'd much rather watch you suffer."

Avery moved away. I expected her to sit back and watch, but what she did next stunned me. She pulled out a phone from her pocket and moved it towards my face, and the next thing I knew, there was a bright light shining from the top of the phone where the camera was. She was recording me.

I couldn't say anything. I couldn't move. I just cried with the camera in my face until there was a small pool of tears on the ground as I waited for the pain to end. My sobs filled the room and I started screaming for things to stop, barely even registering the other faded voices that told me to wake up.

I had to wake up. None of this was real. Well, maybe it was once, but not now. Right now, I was supposed to be at the academy. I was in my dorm, sleeping in my bed. Things slowly started to fade out, and the voices calling me became more and more clear. I shut my eyes, trying to dull out the pain and push everything away. It wasn't easy, but the harder I tried, the more things went away.

And then it was gone. I wasn't in that horrible place again. I was back in my room, gripping the sheets of my bed and trembling violently. My bedside light was turned on, and when I looked around, I saw Lissa and Dimitri both hovering over me with worried looks on their faces. I sat up, looking at both of them before bursting into tears again.

"I-I was—I was there again." My head was still spinning a little bit and my throat was hurting. I started coughing through my cries and Dimitri immediately pulled me into his arms. He hadn't been sleeping here, so Lissa must have called him to come here while I was dreaming.

"Shh. It's alright, baby. You're safe now. I'm right here. No one can hurt you," Dimitri whispered.

"I'll get you some water," Lissa said, rubbing my shoulder. I nodded, still trembling uncontrollably in Dimitri's arms. He rocked me gently, holding my head against his chest while his hand rubbed my arm. Lissa came back into my room with a glass of water and the soft blanket we usually left on our couch. She looked at Dimitri, nodding at something behind him. He turned slightly and picked something up.

"Hug this," Dimitri said tenderly, placing something soft in my arms. It was the toy lamb that my mom had gotten for me when I was a toddler—the one toy I had kept since I was little—and I usually had it perched in the corner of my bed. Since I had been kidnapped, I held it a lot more often, but I never told anyone about it in case it made me look childish. In all honesty, holding things like this was a real stress reliever in adults just as much as it was in kids. Lissa and Dimitri were so close to me and I knew they wouldn't judge, so I squeezed the animal plush and curled myself in Dimitri's arms. Lissa unravelled the blanket before draping it around my body. Dimitri helped her, tugging on the fabric and making sure my body was wrapped up comfortably.

"Here," Lissa said, handing me the glass of water. I gulped some of the water down, wincing as it hurt my throat to swallow. I was thirsty though, so I gave in to my body's needs before handing her the half-empty cup.

"Thanks," I murmured. Lissa moved closer, rubbing my side as Dimitri kissed my head. I wasn't sure whether to feel flattered or embarrassed at the fact that I was being taken care of by two people.

This is Dimitri and Lissa. They love you. Let them take care of you.

I sighed, letting myself calm down and enjoy the moment. My cries slowed as they whispered soft things to me, giving me gentle caresses and letting me know I was okay. It was usually just Dimitri who did that, but I didn't mind having Lissa there too. I was equally as comfortable and we had both seen each other in our worst states. Back when I was on the run with her, she used to have nightmares all the time. I was always there to hold and comfort her whenever she needed me. Now, the roles were reversed.

"Are you okay?" Dimitri asked, smoothing some hair out of my face.

"I don't know," I responded, wiping a stray tear away.

"Talk to us, Rose," Lissa whispered. "We're here for you."

"Are you sure you want to hear it?" I asked. "It's...pretty brutal."

"I know," she said. "Your pain was so strong that I felt it through the bond. I don't know what happened, but there was an emotional pull. You were in agony."

"I was," I acknowledged. "It was...a memory. Even if it was a dream, I remember those things happening. I was just reliving it all."

"Isn't it always a memory?" Dimitri asked.

"Yeah. At first, I was being dragged across the floor. I was barely wearing anything. I tried to fight back, but whoever was dragging me slapped my face." I felt Dimitri clench his fists and I choked on another sob. "He started dragging me again, so I kicked him, and then he threw me against a wall. I-I was in a bedroom and there was another prostitute in there, but she was unconscious. I begged him to stop, but he just...he just threw me against the ground and...took off his clothes." I started crying all over again, unable to contain my tears. Dimitri's arms tightened and Lissa closed the small distance between us until I was engulfed in between their bodies.

"Remember how we talked about grounding?" Dimitri asked, grabbing my hand and intertwining our fingers together. "You said it helped to hold my hand."

"It does," I mumbled, squeezing his hand tightly with my fingers.

"Keep going, Rose. It's good to get it out," Lissa encouraged, resting one of her hands on my bent knee while rubbing the skin soothingly. I never thought I'd be cuddling with both of them at the same time, but it felt nice.

"He—I...um—he raped me," I stammered. "I was in so much pain. It felt like it was going on for hours, but then something weird happened."

Lissa gave Dimitri a confused look before looking back at me. "What do you mean weird?"

"I saw Avery."

Dimitri lifted his chin from my head. I didn't look up, but I could tell he was looking down at me. "Why in the world would Avery be in your dream?"

"That's what I'm trying to figure out," I said. "When she was there, she just pulled my hair back and said she wanted to watch me suffer. It was so fucking humiliating. She just watched me get raped on the floor and then she pulled out her phone and started recording me. She recorded my face while I cried and I couldn't do anything. After that, I started to hear your voices calling out to me. I don't know why I imagined her of all people there."

"Wait," Lissa said, looking away as she started to realize something. "What if you didn't just imagine her?"

"What?"

"You said your nightmares are just old memories, right? Things that happened?"

"Well, not all of them, but a lot of the time, yes," I answered. "Why?"

"What if she was the one to record all those videos? What if she took those revealing pictures?" Lissa prompted, sitting up straight. "Your father said she lied about being a victim—not that she wasn't in the brothel at all. What if she was behind it? Unless you just so happened to imagine her, why else would she be there?"

"I don't remember her being there when it happened though," I sighed. "I mean, I was on a million drugs, but still...I would have remembered."

"Maybe your memories are just coming back clearly," Dimitri insisted. "Unless...unless she's a spirit user. She compelled all those people to go to her party—including you, Princess."

"Spirit users can invade people's dreams. They can control them too," I noted. I sat up, untangling myself. Dimitri and Lissa stayed close but gave me some space to move. "You think I didn't just imagine her? You think she was there to torment and humiliate me?"

"It's possible," Lissa said. "I don't understand why she'd want to hurt you so badly, but if you didn't just imagine her, then I have every reason to believe she's a total psychopath."

"You think? She drove out of the academy just because she was mad at me for rejecting her when she was all over me."

Dimitri shifted, wrapping an arm around me. "She's still doing community service and serving a suspension. The headmistress made it clear that if she did anything else, she'd be kicked off campus."

"She should have been kicked out from the start," I muttered. I took a deep breath before feeling some tightness in my chest which caused me to cough again.

"Are you okay?" Lissa asked. I nodded, covering my mouth while Dimitri rubbed my back.

"I'm good," I gasped out when the coughing fit stopped. "I think my throat is just dry."

"Here, drink this," she said, handing me the cup of water. I drank the rest of it before holding the glass in my hand, moving it around in my lap.

"You're feeling a little warm," Dimitri said, pressing his hands against my neck and face.

"Really?" I asked. "I feel cold."

Lissa furrowed her brows and lifted the blanket from my ankles before wrapping her hand around my foot. "Your feet are freezing, Rose. You should probably get some blood and food in your system."

My appetite was laying low—even for blood—but I nodded anyway and got out of bed. Lissa and Dimitri left my room to give me some privacy as I changed into Dimitri's hoodie and a thick pair of black sweatpants. I was never cold, but I was tonight and I assumed it was because of the trauma from my nightmare.

I was shocked when I looked at myself in the mirror. My skin was paler than usual and my lips were looking pale too when they were usually a soft shade of pink. I left the washroom, walking into the main room where Lissa and Dimitri were waiting.

"You look cozy," Lissa pointed out. She tugged on the hoodie, narrowing her eyes. "Hey, wait, isn't that—"

"Dimitri's? Yeah," I chuckled. Dimitri smiled at me, shaking his head. They started putting on their shoes, but I stopped them halfway. "Hey, guys?"

They looked up at me and I pulled them both into a hug. "Thank you for being here. For listening to me and for not judging. It's really hard for me to deal with that kind of thing alone, so...thank you."

Lissa and Dimitri pulled me in, gathering into one big group hug. "You're never alone in this, Roza," Dimitri said, kissing my cheek.

"Dimitri's right. We're always here for you, okay? Whenever you need us," Lissa added, kissing my other cheek. I squealed, scrunching my face up. Who knew my best friend and my boyfriend would team up to take care of me like this?

"You guys are going to make my heart melt with your affection," I said sweetly, sniffling. "I love you both so much."

"We love you too," Lissa said, rubbing my back. I slipped my feet through my boots while Dimitri helped me put on my coat. I grabbed my phone and my room key card before stepping out with the two of them and locking the door.

"Come on," Dimitri whispered, holding his hand out to me. I slipped my hand in his, holding it on the way to the main building. Since most students weren't even up yet, it was safe to hold his hand without getting caught.

"Are we sharing my feeder?" I asked as we walked into the building.

"I already have someone else scheduled for me tonight, so it's fine," Lissa answered. We walked in, greeting the receptionist. She already knew what to do and led us into a cubicle, telling us to wait for my feeder to come in. Lissa sat next to me, grabbing my hand as I yawned from exhaustion.

Emily walked in, smiling when she saw me. "It's so nice to see you. How are you, Rose?" she asked as she sat down.

"A little tired," I admitted.

"Didn't sleep well?" she asked.

I shook my head, gently taking her wrist in my hands. "I've had better nights."

"Oh. Well, we all have rough nights. I get them quite often too. I hope you feel better," she said, leaning her head back and smiling at me again. I knew she was eager to have me feed on her, but I could also see the sincerity and sympathy in her eyes as she spoke.

"Thanks, Em," I whispered, bringing her wrist up to my mouth. I sank my fangs into her skin, wincing again when I swallowed. I wasn't sure what was going on with my throat. I thought it was from all the crying and screaming during my nightmare, but things like that should have been going away now that I was drinking blood. My appetite was still low, so I stopped drinking after only twenty seconds.

"Wait, that's all?" Dimitri asked. I nodded, wiping my mouth with a tissue.

"I don't feel well," I said. Emily was confused too since I usually took a lot more, but she had at least gotten somewhat of an endorphin rush.

"If you need me again today, I'll be here," she said. I nodded as the nurses took her out.

"Do you want to go back to your room?" Dimitri asked me. "You went through a lot this morning. You don't have to go to class if you don't want to."

"I wanted to check on Nev," I mumbled. I pressed my hand to my head, massaging my temples to relieve my headache. "But I also have this stupid test coming up soon..."

"You can use my notes," Lissa offered. "I have to take them anyways, so I'll just send you whatever I have."

"You're a lifesaver. Thank you," I said appreciatively, still rubbing my temples. Lissa gave me one last hug before leaving. Dimitri stepped forward and cupped my face in his hands.

"You're still feeling hot. Maybe you should get yourself checked."

"I'm not sick," I groaned as he pressed his hand against my forehead.

"Roza, you have a fever," he said. I could hear the slight worry in his voice, but I brushed it off. I never got sick and it was probably just a result of not sleeping well.

"I'm fine, Comrade. I just want to see our little girl."

I could tell Dimitri was still concerned, but he let it go and walked with me to the clinic. I coughed a few times on the way there and was accompanied by a feeling of tightness in my chest which soon became harder to ignore.

Dr. Olendzki so happened to be in the waiting room, speaking to a nurse when she saw me. She rushed over to us, placing a hand on my arm. "I'm glad you're both here. Nevaeh was asking for you."

"Is she okay?" I asked anxiously. Dr. Olendzki pursed her lips, looking sad for a moment before she pulled us to the side and led us into the room Nevaeh was staying. She was still lying in the bed, but her arm was now hooked up an IV. Her skin was paler than it had been yesterday, and there was a light coat of sweat on her skin. Her breaths were uneven and it seemed like it was difficult for her to breathe.

"Dr. Olendzki," I whispered as I walked towards the bed, "what's wrong with her?"

She didn't answer me at first, seeming hesitant as I sat down on the bed. Nevaeh stirred, opening her eyes and smiling when she saw me. Even when she was so sick and weak, she still managed to smile.

"Mommy," she croaked. She had lost her voice too and everything was now coming out in harsh whispers. She held a trembling hand out, and I held it tightly, leaning down to kiss her forehead.

"Hi, baby," I murmured. The bed dipped on the other side as Dimitri sat down and grabbed her other hand. Nevaeh smiled at him too as he pressed a hand to her cheek.

"How do you feel?" I asked despite being scared to hear her answer.

"Not good," she said. Before she could say anything else, she tilted her body to the side and let out a harsh stream of raspy coughs. Dimitri rubbed her back, frowning as her chest spasmed. She laid back down when it was over and I untwisted the water bottle near her bed before slipping a hand under her back to help her sit up. I tipped the bottle at her lips, letting her take a few sips.

When she had enough, I put the bottle away, looking back at Dr. Olendzki who had was watching us with sorrow. "Rose, can I speak to you outside?" she asked. I looked at Dimitri, not wanting to leave Nevaeh alone, but he was quick to reassure me.

"You can tell me later. I'll stay with her," he said. I nodded, following Dr. Olendzki out into the hallway. She closed the door, crossing her arms and leaning against the wall.

"We didn't find anything in her blood test other than a high white blood cell count which means her body is fighting whatever is making her sick," she said. There wasn't any kind of hope in her voice.

"Well...that's supposed to be a good thing, right?" I asked. She sighed, looking me in the eyes.

"Rose...her body isn't infected with a virus."

"Okay, so it's a bacterial infection. You can give her antibiotics, right? That'll help her and she'll be able to recover—"

"Rose." Dr. Olendzki emphasized my name, stopping my rant before she went on again. "It's not a bacterial infection either."

That made no sense. No virus, no bacteria—yet she was dealing with flu symptoms. What else could have possibly made her sick? She was completely fine just a few days ago. Even when Dimitri and I had picked her up from her class after seeing Tasha, she was fine. She had mentioned having a bit of a sore throat, but it wasn't anything alarming or serious. I didn't think she would get this bad.

"Dr. Olendzki, I don't understand. That doesn't make sense. The test must be wrong."

"I wish it was, Rose. We ran several. It hurts me to see her like this as much as it hurts you."

"But something else must be making her sick! She must have some kind of health condition. Maybe it's a genetic thing. Maybe her biological mother had something and it passed onto her."

"We would have been able to see that. There was nothing unusual found in her blood," Dr. Olendzki said. "There isn't anything wrong with her overall health. The strep test came up negative too. Her organs look normal, she has no health conditions, and she's generally very healthy. There shouldn't be any reason for her to feel like this."

Dr. Olendzki was one of the best moroi doctors I knew. She was always my holy grail. The fact that she was at a loss terrified me. "What are you saying?"

She sighed again and leaned her back against the wall, tilting her head back while staring up at the ceiling. "It means I have no idea what's wrong with her."

Hello again :) Thank you for reading. I hope it wasn't too much. Any thoughts or comments are appreciated :) Stay safe.