Chapter 3

ROSE

I am in the waiting room in the airport of Rio de Janeiro. I didn't even know what I doing until my flight was landed here.

I ran out of the Church and ran into Adrian. I explained him I couldn't stay there anymore and that I had to get out of there and would start a new life in a new places.

He offered to help me in starting a new life but insisted that he would come with me. It was a pain in ass to make him understand that I wouldn't be able a new life if he would be with me as a large portion of Vampire Council will start searching Queen Tatiana's favourite nephew royal Adrian Ivashkov who ran away with his new girlfriend Rose Hathaway as they did to Lissa and me.

Then I changed two flights to come here. My head was pounding with pain from half an hour. At first I thought this head ache was due to air travel or staying out of ward but this pounding was increasing minute by minute. Then I felt an aura, of a dead creature of, a vampire, of a strigoi cause I never this type of pain around Lissa. I kept my silver stake, the one he gifted me last Christmas, ready to attack.

Then I heard its step, of door knob unlocking and door opening. I was ready to attack. It was a male strigoi; it's translucent and pale as ice skin. He was wearing sunglasses to conceal his bloody red irises.

I jumped at him as he entered and kept my stake at his neck but he didn't seem affected by it like his skin is invulnerable to my stake.

He just seemed astonished to my reaction. Then I heard a musical soft and broken voice from his mouth, "If you want to kill me, you can try but I don't think it would kill me".

I stared at his dark golden brown hair at I felt his pain in his voice, it wasn't a pain like he is burned by my stake, it's like he is suffering a pain from inside which is killing him. Neither had he sounded like a strigoi who are usually screaming or screeching.

But his voice was so beautiful like a classical song. Then his sunglasses fell off and all I could stare at was his charcoal black eyes which looked like he is burning inside of himself with pain. I said, "You are not a strigoi." But I can feel his ice cold skin. He has every trait of a strigoi but he is not even if I could see his aura that he is dead. He replied in his musical but lifeless voice, "I think you are mistaken, Miss".

"But you are a vampire."

For the first time he actually looked at me with a blank stare like he is trying to solve a puzzle. "Ma'am, I don't know what you are talking about. And if you please get up from me, it will be helpful and please remove your weapon."

Then I realized I was sitting on him since the moment I attacked him. I get up from him and put my stake back in my jeans pocket. I stood up and then he so graceful and fast stood up and took a seat next to me.

I said, "Then, what are you. And don't you dare lie to me. I can feel your aura and you seem too much vampire to me than a human."

He replied but not without asking a question, "Who are you?"

And I did answer him "Rose Hathaway" but he stared at ground and introduced himself as Edward Cullen and then came up with another question. "What are you then? If you know all about vampires and their existence then you must be a part of their society?"

Is that a way of answering a question? But I did answer him, again.

"I am a dhampir" he interrupted me "a dhampir?" Which type of vampire is he?

I said "offspring of a human and a vampire. Commonly children of Moroi and Human but since interaction with humans are considered taboo now. A moroi and dhampir's children."

He was just listening to me then he said, "I am a vampire but I don't drink human blood, we survive by drinking animal's blood." He is neither a moroi nor a strigoi.

He is similar to strigoi but he doesn't kill people to drink blood. He considers themselves as vegetarian, he and his family. He doesn't know anything about moroi, strigoi or dhampir, so I told him about my life as well the vampire society.

"So, these moroi can control elements" he asked me. I replied yeah. Then he told me about that his kind also has powers, they call them gifts.

I asked "Do you have a gift?" He nodded and replied, "I can read minds."

I came up with another question."Then you should already know what's going on in my mind" He smile for the first time, even if it is a weak and small smile.

He was smiling to himself like he is replaying a good memory of his. He answered thoughtfully, "No, I can't."

"What?" I shrouded out. What does he mean he can't? Is anything wrong with my head? Then he sensed my insecurity and asked me to calm down.

Then he said, "I can't see het inside your head. It's like a block inside your head. I can darkness, like a wall stopping me to get inside."

"Wow, so I am an exception to your power." I blurted out. He mused at my reaction and said "well, you aren't the first exception."

Suddenly his features changed like jolts of electricity have passed through him and he is in pain similar to first time I have seen him.

He stood up and started walking away but I caught his hand and asked, "Where are you going?" He said in a weak voice "I have to go to somewhere."

I don't want him to go. So I asked, "Will I see you again?"

"No, I think this is the last time I will see a dawn." He replied with modesty.

"I thought you were immortal." I said in a whisper knowing he could hear me.

"I am but that doesn't mean I can't die." He cleared his point he is going to kill himself. 'But why?" I sounded too weak and vulnerable.

He sounded deader in his voice "I lost her. She killed herself because of me. I just can't live in a world where she doesn't exist."

He said it like he was reminding me of myself. I remember how it felt when I learnt he died; it used to hurt even more knowing he died because of me, to protect me.

At least I thought he did. Actually now is worse than before even when he was a strigoi he did love me but now when I have done so much to turn him back to dhampire his love for me has faded.

Then I looked over him. We both have at least one thing in common; we both have our loved ones. I wasn't a coward to kill myself over it like he is going to do.

I was disgusted by his idea and said, "You are a coward." He turned and asked "What?" I answered. "You are a coward. You are not the only one who had lost their love. Even humans are braver than you. You are just finding a easier solution to overcome your pain. Death is easy, peaceful. Life is harder. I thought you are something different but you are just a modern Romeo who kills himself to overcome Juliet's death. And in the last you know what happened. Juliet was alive."

My tone was much harsher than it was meant to be. Then I said a tone softer. "If you kill yourself today and your Juliet would be alive. It will be your biggest regret.

It happened with me too. I thought the man I loved was dead but later I came to know he is alive but he has become. I did so much to change him back and when I did it he said he doesn't want to see me and that his love for me has faded."

He looked at me, staring in my eyes like he could see my soul and then looked down and said "I wish I could read your mind. I don't understand how you are so brave after what you suffered how you can be so calm." I smiled and said "well, I am not known for my calmness."