We actually had to wait a few hours before we stormed the castle because Abe thought it best to carry out our mission at night. We had a greater chance of catching people by surprise and a higher likelihood of surviving if we attacked when the movement inside the compound was at a minimum.

In the meantime, Dimitri started teaching me how to control my Darkness.

"It's part of you now, Rose, so you have to accept that you can't get rid of all of it, just some of it." He started by having me sit in a half-lotus position in front of him as he did the same.

He took in a deep breath, shaking out his arms, placing his palms lightly on his knees. His shoulders rolled back, relaxing. His back became straighter, and his eyes closed.

"Focus on your breathing, don't let the Darkness control you. You're in charge of your life, and it doesn't get to dictate what you can and cannot do. Breathe deep, from the diaphragm, not just from your chest." That didn't really make sense to me until I saw him suck in another breath, his entire torso expanded to accommodate the newly-acquired air.

I mimicked his posture and hand position, letting my eyes close. I breathed deep, allowing all of my lungs to be filled with air

"The only thing that should be going through your head right now is the number breath you are on. Count them, keep track of them. When you reach ten without getting distracted, open your eyes." Dimitri instructed. That was easier for him to say, he had practice clearing his mind, while I did not. I was used to my mind racing, grabbing on to one thought and running with it until it found a new thought to cling to, and the cycle continued.

However, I needed to try this if I had any hope of controlling the Darkness raging inside me. I didn't want to think about what I might endure if I let the Darkness take ahold of me. An involuntary shiver went down my spine, and I fought off all thoughts that didn't belong to the number of breaths I'd taken.

One.

I filled my lungs full of oxygenated air.

Two.

There was a rustle in front of me, but I paid it no mind.

Three.

I was faintly aware of voices, but I didn't register anything in my mind other than the next number.

Four.

It was easier for me to focus on my breath. The cool air expanding my lungs to their maximum capacity.

Five.

The voices were still making noise, but I successfully blocked them out.

Six.

My breathing became easier, I didn't have to work so hard at filling my lungs completely, it just happened.

Seven.

I felt my body relaxing the longer I sat in this position, making it more comfortable.

Eight.

Now that my body was relaxed, I breathed deeper.

Nine.

I felt completely at peace, a first outside of the times I spent in Dimitri's arms.

Ten.

I opened my eyes, proud of myself, but quickly realized that something was wrong.

"Rose! Come back down!" Dimitri's voice entered my ears, and I realized the voices that I'd blocked out were those of my friends, family, and love.

I was levitating some twenty feet above the air. It's definitely not the highest I'd ever been, but the look of concern was clearly plastered on Dimitri's face. This must be the first time that he's seen me this high. The ceilings in my room weren't that high, maybe twelve feet, and with his height, I wasn't that far from him when I sat there.

I wasn't at the ceiling of the warehouse, though, I was suspended about two-thirds up, still in my half-lotus position, back straight, hands resting on my knees.

"Do I have to, Comrade?" I asked cheekily. His eyes narrowed up at me and a stern look replaced his concerned one.

"You will come down here." He stated, and I raised an eyebrow.

"Will I, now?" I challenged him. "And if I don't, are you going to punish me?"

"Roza." Dimitri whispered warningly.

"Yes, Comrade?"

"Will you please join be back down here on the ground?" He finally said exasperated.

"Why, I thought you'd never ask." I said sweetly as I lowered myself to stand before him.

"Alright, so, meditation might be dangerous for you." He said wrapping me in his arms and holding tight, like I might float away again, but who knows, I might take him with me this time.

"I wasn't in danger. I just wasn't seated on the ground anymore. I've never fallen out of the sky."

"There's a first time for everything." He grumbled. "I don't like it when you're out of my reach." He told me quietly. "It scares me how much I care about you, sometimes."

"I know what you mean." I told him, tightening my hold on him. "I'd rather keep you as close as possible."

"I'm glad you understand." He said sweetly, placing a small kiss on the tip of my nose causing me to giggle. "I think that's the cutest sound you've ever made."

"That's an odd statement, Dimitri." I said laughing. I yawned, the lack of undisturbed sleep finally catching up to me. "Do you think we could take a nap before all hell breaks loose?"

"I think that would be a wise idea." He said looking around to find a suitable spot for us to lie down for a bit. He spotted a quiet corner away from both doors. Taking my hand, he led me to the spot, took off his duster and laid it down so we wouldn't be laying right on top of the layer of dust. He settled himself before holding his arms out to me, beckoning me to join him.

I immediately curled myself into his side as he lay on his back, my head resting on his chest, listening to the sound of his heart beating. I let out a soft sigh that was rewarded with a soft kiss placed in my hair by Dimitri.

"I love you, Roza."

"I love you, Dimitri. Everything's going to work out, you'll see." I said with a yawn. He didn't respond, instead, he tightened his arms around me, placing another kiss in my hair. Knowing I was safe wrapped in his arms, I fell asleep quickly.

I woke sometime later to Dimitris soft lips placing loving kisses on the back of my neck. It seems that I must have moved in my sleep, and Dimitri followed me in his.

"Mmm…hey, Comrade." I mumbled sleepily, rolling over to face him. His eyes were half-open and filled with sleep, but the love shone bright. I moved closer to him, pressing my lips to his.

"How are you feeling, Roza?" He asked after we broke apart.

"I'm feeling really good." My smile settling his nerves more than my words. "Are you ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be." He sighed, pulling me toward him once more before we got up from our corner and joined the rest of the group.

We'd been the only ones to try sleeping, and while it was only a couple hours, it was exactly what I'd needed to get me through the night.

"Are you ready, Rose?" Abe asked, looking a little hesitant to let me go through with this.

"Yep!" I said rubbing my hands together and pulling Rosie and Rosemarie back out. Dimitri, in turn, took out his alter-egos and they paired up. Mason, Pavel, and Christian were standing next to Dimitri and me. Abe was standing with Rosemarie and Big D, and Jill and Vika were standing with Rosie and Dimka. Eddie, Mia, Lissa, and Adrian were standing off to the side, looking nervous about our departure.

"Remember, we're all meeting in the common room before branching off and completing our assigned tasks." All heads nodded, but no one spoke. "Commons should be deserted at this time of night, but just in case, I'll try and put a cloak around us."

Without another word, Rosie, Rosemarie and I closed our eyes, taking the hands of those in our groups, and began the process or teleportation. It was an odd feeling when Rosie and Rosemarie were also using my power. They had some powers of their own, which also was odd. It was like some of my powers were locked inside of them, but I didn't have access to them, even though they were a part of myself. Teleportation was my own gift, that they did not possess, so they had to borrow some of mine.

I felt a little bit of my power drain from me and go to them. It didn't make me any weaker, it just made the process take a little longer. I felt Dimitri tense to my left, letting me know we'd arrived at our destination. When I opened my eyes and looked around, the common room was empty other than our party. I could hear the faint ticking of a clock and the shuffling of feet as the others broke from their groups.

With Dimitri to my direct left, Christian behind and in between us, and Mason and Pavel flanking the three of us, I nodded to the others and moved quietly out into the corridors. I was aware of the others slipping out behind us, but they headed in the opposite direction, towards where the Projects would be housed. My group moved to Guardian housing. We found a small alcove to hide in as an alarm sounded and several Guardians rushed past.

"I'm thinking the plan is working." I whispered to Dimitri, and he rolled his eyes and motioned for me to move on. One last Guardian ran past, sticking my head from my hiding spot, I saw him turn down the far end of the hallway, toward the front of the compound, probably where Jill and Vika were distracting everyone.

I tried to stop thinking about the others and if they were accomplishing their tasks.

"What the hell is going on, Victor!?" I heard Tasha's annoying voice float from the direction the Guardians had come from, and I turned back to Dimitri with a raised eyebrow.

"Is that Tasha?" He asked quietly and I nodded. "I get what you were saying earlier." I chuckled softly, remembering that I'd told him just the sound of her voice was enough to crumple one's face in disgust.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Christian?" I asked, checking once more to make sure he wanted to confront his aunt for her crimes.

"I'm sure. I need to face her and hold her accountable for what she's done." He said with a fierce determination. I eyed him for a few more moments before nodding sharply and moving us from our spot. Dimitri was hot on my heels, making sure that I wasn't further than arms' reach.

My hand found his and gave it a reassuring squeeze. His squeezed back and didn't let go. The hallways were quiet, though the sound of voices could be heard in the direction we were heading.

"Don't be absurd, Natasha." Victor's voice became clearer as we moved toward the sound. "No one could get into this compound. There isn't any way to get in without getting past at least a dozen Guardians."

"Then how did that little bitch of a Project get out?" Tasha's growl answered Victor.

"She probably had help from someone on the inside. You know how Projects are, they like to team up when they find another intellectual, it's a group mentality." Victor responded, sounding unconcerned with the possible intrusion.

"Then what set the alarms off?"

"This is Russia, there are plenty of creatures that could've tripped the alarm, it happens often enough. The Guardians are just checking it out, nothing to be concerned about."

"I don't have a good feeling, Victor. Something's wrong." Tasha's voice sounded a little scared, if my ears weren't deceiving me. I looked behind me to the rest of my party, asking with my eyes if they were ready for an encounter with the mastermind and his little sidekick.

Dimitri's response was a worried look but a quick nod. Christian still wore a determined expression, a fire blazing figuratively in his eyes and literally in his palms. Both Pavel and Mason were sizing up, quite literally. Their muscles grew, as did their stature. I'd seen Mason hulk-out a few times, but he wasn't as big as Pavel. I guess you grow more as you get older. I eyed Pavel in shock, but he just shrugged at me, tilting his head toward the door, encouraging me to take action.

I took a deep breath, calming the storm brewing inside me. I pushed my way into the room where they were. Robert was sitting on a couch with Victor, but looked up when we entered. Victor and Tasha were in the middle of a staring contest, but our entrance cause Tasha to break eye contact. Her eyes widened in shock as we spilled into the space, and Victor turned slightly to see what had captured her attention.

"You should really listen to your sidekick, Victor."