Chapter 17:
Note: Few notes prior to this chapter. First, yes, I changed my username. I changed it for a few reasons, but I always wanted one that had a bit of meaning behind it. It took me awhile to come up with it, but I'm happy with it. Sorry if you get confused. Haha.
Also, I'M SO SORRY for the delay! My computer started acting up mid-last week and I had to take it in to get it looked at. Totally delayed everything when it came to writing. I am pushing to get back to a normal schedule, but this semester seems even more intense than last one. Don't worry this story is going to continue, please be patient. I can guarantee weekly updates, but not bi-weekly updates. I hope everyone can understand.
Anyways, this flashback is occurring after that awkward dinner event, where Yeva brings up Rose and her love for Dimitri. I'm jumping around due to wanting to reveal certain things in Dimitri's past in certain points of the story. It is a series of puzzle pieces that will all come together in due time. Enjoy!
6 Months Ago: Dimitri's Point of View
After dinner, I quickly excused myself to get some fresh air. No one responded to Yeva's comment about Rose, but I could sense the tension that filled the room and didn't die down when we started talking about mundane things. I didn't look at Klara the rest of dinner, not wanting to see the confusion on her face. I had spent hours with her since I saw her again but never mentioned Rose. Then again, she never asked for details about my mentorship with my student back at St. Vlad's. It didn't seem of interest to her.
The sun was beginning to set and I stared out into the distance at the colors painted throughout the skies. Sighing, I picked up a rock and tossed it across the ground. From the distance, I could hear my sister's voices arguing and my mom trying to settle down the fight. I wondered how soon Klara would join me and ask questions . . . if she would even bother to talk to me tonight.
My prediction was right and soon I heard Klara's voice, coming from behind me. "You seemed tense at dinner with the mention of her." Through the tone of her voice, I could sense the uneasiness she felt about Rose.
I turned around to see her standing a few feet away, with her arms crossed over her chest. She was biting her lower lip, feeling a sense of awkwardness. I didn't know how to reply, so I turned back around silently. Klara soon joined me, sitting down next to me on the old family bench. The same bench that we spent many summers as children sitting on laughing about ridiculous things.
Klara sighed, then placed her hand on top of mine. "Are you trying to pretend she didn't exist? Why have you never mentioned her to me?"
"She isn't important in my life right now," I stated, shocked how those words quickly slipped from my mouth. From Klara's expression on her face, I could tell that she wasn't believing what I said.
I couldn't even completely buy what I was saying, especially when considering that before I turned Strigoi, Rose was the most important person in my life. I was hopelessly in this forbidden love with her, with both of us caving into our feelings moments before I was turned. The last thing I thought about before the Strigoi bit into my neck was Rose and what she would do without me. I wanted her to know how much I loved her, but I saw the other guardians dragging her away as she cried out to me.
My thoughts were abruptly interrupted by Klara. "Was it true what Yeva said?" She said quietly, afraid to hear the answer.
I paused, realizing that Klara deserved to know the truth about the situation. "Yes," I said, making eye contact with her.
"Did you love her?"
I barely hesitated in my response this time. "She was the most important thing in my world before I was turned. No matter how bad of a day I was having, she always found a way to make me smile and laugh. I loved her, so much that it hurt."
Klara nodded slowly, quickly removing her hand from mine. "Then why aren't you with her now?" She questioned.
I sighed, not knowing where to begin. Klara knew a little bit about my life as a Strigoi, but the conversation never got far before things would get tense. "My feelings changed," I stated. "It was best for the two of us to move on and be happy."
"Do you think that you are ready to move on?" Klara asked. I knew where she was going with the question, but I also knew it was a valid one. Was I ready to move on? Was I ready to let myself feel that sort of overpowering love? Did I deserve this sort of love after everything that I had done?
I didn't reply, causing Klara to stand up. I could tell that she was angry and upset at my lack of response, but I honestly didn't know what I could tell her right now.
"I'll wait for you, Dimitri, but not forever." She quickly walked away after that, not bothering to stop back in the house to say goodbye to my family. I watched her watch away and I swore under my breath. What was going on with me? Klara was a perfectly nice person and knew me extremely well, but she wasn't Rose.
Rose. I hated to admit how great of an effect she still had on me. Sometimes I wondered how life would be different if I cried in her arms after I was restored, that I begged for her attention. Why did I have to push the one person that meant the world to me away? I couldn't blame it all on the guilt because there was more to it. There was a part of me that was scared to continue letting myself love her because of the consequences it would have on her . . . I couldn't let her career guarding Lissa be potentially ruined because of me, because of us. I stood up to head back inside, knowing that I needed to stop dwelling on the situation. Nothing could be changed.
As I was nearing the house, I suddenly stopped dead in my tracks, when I saw my grandmother standing in the pathway to the back door. She had an eerie look on her face, almost as if she was hiding some terrible secret. Before I could even ask a question, she began walking away from me.
"Babushka where are you going?" I said loudly.
Wordlessly, she ushered me to follow her. Some people would question their grandmother's intentions in this moment, perhaps wondering if they were losing it, but I knew that I should follow her. When I was little, I never believed that my grandmother had the special touch to foresee the future. After she predicted a few incidences that occurred at St. Basil's, I immediately started realizing she had some special touch in life and to always listen to her (or at least try to).
She had her reasons for leading me away from the house, whatever they may be. Even when she explained what she saw, she always left a part out. Almost as if you had to find the missing piece to the puzzle. That frustrated me to no end and it felt like she was being such a tease about her special gift.
I followed her outside of our property and down the street, not sure where she was planning on leading us. I was still extremely frustrated at Yeva for even bringing up the topic of Rose during the meal. Klara's questions didn't help the situation, but it was Yeva's last comment that put the nail in the coffin.
Sighing, I kept up with her. For an old woman, she could still walk very fast. It took me awhile to understand where she was leading us, but I soon noticed that we were approaching the local park. Why was she leading me here? What did she want to show or talk to me about that it couldn't be near my house?
"Babushka, why did you bring up Rose?" I asked as I caught up with her. I sat down on the bench next to her, still slightly frustrated at her.
She smiled at me. "Everything happens for a reason, my darling boy. You will see why in due time."
I shook my head at her. "To ruin my chances with Klara? I wasn't ready to tell her about Rose just yet."
"For clarity, Dimka." I gave her a confused look in return, causing her to continue her unclear prediction. "The future is bright for you and the girl who lights up the room. Happiness and love seep from every corner, as well as the ability to understand and accept each other's flaws. The future is there and intact for you, my boy, you just need to discover it with her."
"Are you referring to Klara or Rose or someone else?" I questioned her, raising one of my eyebrows. She just smiled at me in return, not saying anything. "You can't even help lead me in the right direction?"
"In due time, you will see. Just keep your mind open," said Yeva mysteriously. "You will choose between the girl you need and the girl you want."
Present Day: Rose's Point of View
"Steele told us that we got a nice hotel, but not this nice," I exasperated, as we pulled the car up to the hotel. We were staying at the Staybridge Suites hotel in Missoula, with their standard bedrooms accompanied by small kitchenettes, a dining area, and living room. The stone overlay on the building, accompanied by the granite interior made it feel like we were royalty. I had never stayed in a hotel this nice without being with Lissa.
Damn. We were spoiled, all thanks to Lissa. Originally we were going to stay in a shitty motel room, which was standard for sleeping arrangements for guardians on a mission, but Lissa thought it was unfair. The fact that we were constantly putting ourselves at risk and ended up in some shitty, cheap mattress, was pretty unreasonable. So, Lissa—without me even telling her too—spoke to Queen Tatiana about better arrangements for me and Dimitri. It didn't take long to convince, no Lissa didn't compel (the natural charisma did help), and we ended up in the best hotel in the city.
Dimitri seemed just as surprised as me when we looked at the surroundings. This felt all new to him as well. As we walked over to stand in line at the front desk, I stared around at everything in the hotel. There was a nice lounge area with a roaring fire and comfy leather chairs, as well as multiple chandeliers hanging everywhere. This was definitely better than a motel. Although, as we stood in line I couldn't help but feel that someone was watching me.
A few old ladies were sitting in the lounge, sipping afternoon cocktails and playing cards. It was the cliché of all old ladies that got together and I wished that Lissa was here to silently laugh about it. One of them was staring at me and Dimitri, then turned back to speak to her friends as soon as I made eye contact with her. What was this all about?
"Do you see her staring at us?" I muttered to Dimitri, as we waited in line for the receptionist. I ushered my head slightly towards the old ladies who were laughing about something.
"Rose, I highly doubt they are talking about us," said Dimitri, adjusting his duffle bag on his shoulder.
I sighed and shook my head.
"Welcome to Staybridge Suites. Do you have a reservation now or do you need to book a room?" asked the receptionist, as it was our turn. She seemed young and energetic, almost too peppy for working a shitty job.
"We have a reservation under the name Rosemarie Hathaway," I said. I gave a slightly smug look to Dimitri, who was adamant that he took care of the arrangements. There was something about men and wanting to always be in charge. I won by simply saying that if he is going to be a bitch about always driving, then I was in charge of booking all of the rooms.
The receptionist quickly typed a few things into the computer, with the continued cheesy smile on her face. "Okay, Miss Hathaway. It appears that everything will be paid for through under the name Gregory Steele?" I nodded, trying not to snicker at Steele's first name. "Excellent. So, you still want the two-bed suite? There is a one-bed available if you would like to change?"
"No," I replied quickly, feeling my face redden. "We aren't together or anything, our work just sent us here." I glanced over at Dimitri, who was awkwardly looking the other way. Wow, I guess we still could pass as a couple even though things weren't close to that.
"I apologize, Ms. Hathaway. I assumed that you were together, you would make such a great couple," She added, trying to cover her ass.
I tried holding back my embarrassment, as well as anger at her inappropriate remark. Why was the receptionist trying to get into our business and commenting on our love life? Guess she needed her fix of drama and getting into people's personal business. This job didn't seem that eventful.
A few more minutes later we had our key cards and room number. We made our way towards the elevator, with the old woman who stared at me standing in front of it. Of course, I would have this sort of luck.
"Do you have a problem?" I said, immediately feeling Dimitri's elbow digging into my side to get me to drop it.
"Darkness seems to follow you, doesn't it?" She pondered out loud.
I gave her a look as if she was crazy. "Are you talking about my all black clothes?" I said, staring down at my guardian attire. What the hell was she referring to? She wasn't a Moroi or Dhampir, so there was no way she was seeing the future like Yeva or Rhonda.
She blatantly ignored me and turned towards Dimitri. "Something has touched your soul too, something very dark. Yet, you were led back to the light by someone. Darkness is still swirling, danger is inevitable."
The elevator finally arrived and Dimitri made the first move to bring our multiple bags on the elevator. I started walking onto the elevator following him, but before I was completely through the door the lady grabbed my arm. She stared at me with her crystal blue eyes, her face completely expressionless. "Rosemarie, you need to look out for yourself. You need to make sure the darkness doesn't take over."
"How do you know my name?" I questioned.
She smiled, before tilting her head to reveal the scars up and down it. A former feeder. How the hell did she know me? She was definitely not one at the Academy or the Court. "Good luck, Rosemarie," She said, turning around to walk away.
The elevator doors soon closed, leaving silence between me and Dimitri. We were both puzzled by what this lady said, but I soon came to the conclusion to not believe anything. Feeders would say ridiculous things post-bite, especially Lissa's preferred ones. They always seemed to be in a trance, a trance that I hated to admit I knew very well. Your brain went to a different place when you were high on the bites, so anything could be coming out of their mouths. This was especially evident if they had been a feeder for a long time. Mostly because their brain seemed to continue in this permanent state of high. Although the most troubling part was that she seemed to know that Dimitri was restored, as well as know my name. That couldn't be a coincidence.
Our room was absolutely stunning and it was hard to believe that two Dhampirs had this, especially with no Royals involved. I made a mental note to text Lissa thanks, as soon as we were settled. The kitchenette in the room was definitely smaller than I imagined, but it would come in handy since we could be staying more than a few days. Our exact time here depended on if there was anything important in Missoula.
I was the first to walk into the bedroom and claimed my bed by tossing my suitcases onto it. My bed was right by the window, that overlooked the pool and other amenities that the hotel had. I wished that it wasn't the dead of winter, so I could at least enjoy the pool during the day.
Dimitri came in the room after me, giving me a disapproving look at the state of my half of the room. Of course, I had started throwing my clothes all over the ground, searching for my comfy pair of sweatpants and a shirt to change into.
"Making yourself at home, I see," said Dimitri, who was already starting to organize his things in the shared closet and dresser.
I rolled my eyes and stood up, after grabbing the things I needed. "I just want to change and look at this file, before I lose my mind." I walked past him briskly, into the bathroom. Wow, the bathroom was just as stunning as the rest of the hotel. Shutting the door, I quickly stripped off my guardian clothes, which weren't nearly as comfy as they appeared, then threw on my comfier clothes.
As I walked out of the room, I soon was staring at a shirtless Dimitri. Damn, he was just as unbelievably attractive as he was years ago. The chiseled and muscular look on his chest was still enough to make any girl swoon. Dimitri was quick to pull over his usual black crewneck, not seeming to notice that I was standing right there.
"We need to make a shopping list of anything we need. Do you want to go tomorrow before dusk hits? I imagine you will want to sleep." Dimitri said, continuing to organize his clothes.
I kicked my suitcase out of the way, immediately grabbing my laptop with the flash drive. This file had been racing through my head for weeks and now I finally had the chance to take a look at it. "Alcohol," I said sarcastically.
Dimitri gave me a long, disapproving look. "What happened to not liking alcohol?"
Laughing, I shrugged and started typing in my password to my computer. "It is called getting older and maturing. I will just have the occasional glass of wine or champagne."
His stare continued to bore into me.
"Okay, occasionally I will splurge on the hard stuff."
Dimitri chuckled. "Like what? The American version of vodka or tequila?"
"Duh," I said, flicking my hair over my shoulder. "Surprised you even entertained the idea of me having alcohol. Your Zen logic during training was that no alcohol or drugs should be used so then I'm not distracted from my duty."
"You have matured a lot, since the last time I saw you. I don't think you need my advice anymore, especially since I'm no longer your mentor," replied Dimitri, zipping up his empty suitcase.
"So, the Zen master is finally graduating his student from the Zen logic world?" I said, flailing my hands in the air jokingly. "I'm honored, Comrade, truly."
He chuckled, then walked over to sit on the edge of his bed closest to mine. Dimitri gave me a small smile when he saw me eagerly put the flash drive into my computer. "What are you looking for exactly?" He asked.
"Not sure," I admitted. Sure, I did have good reasons to see the file, especially out of my own curiosity, but would there be anything that I didn't already know about Croft? "But, why would Steele go to extremes to hide this file if there wasn't something important about it?"
"I agree with your reasoning, Rose. I just hope this wasn't all for nothing," stated Dimitri.
"It won't be," I said, double-clicking on the file.
The file immediately pulled up with the basic background information. Gender, birthday, birthplace, and family information. As suspected, Hans Croft did not know who his father was. This was not surprising, considering I didn't know who my father was until I turned eighteen. I quickly scrolled to the next page, noticing that Dimitri was watching from afar.
"Comrade, come here," I scooted over on my bed and patted it. Two years ago, I would have loved this situation more than ever, but now things were different. At least our friendship and conversation were getting back to normal and we were opening up.
He looked hesitantly at first, before sighing and coming over to sit next to me. I didn't feel awkward about it at all, but I could tell that Dimitri was. After all, Dimitri made sure to keep his distance so he wouldn't have any accidental physical contact. Sighing, I shook my head and continued scrolling through the file to look for anything that stood out to me.
There was the boring information about how well he did during his training as a Novice, as well as a detailed outline about all of his positions. He certainly had quite the resume over the years, as well as many successful solo missions that he went on. No wonder he was appointed the head of guardians at Court, basically making him head of guardians in America. On top of his impeccable record, he was even a blood master 7 and was just as good as Dimitri. I always suspected that Hans was good, but not that good.
"You know it's funny," I said, as I skim read through this section of information. "For someone who has been so successful in all of his assignments had one little slip up to result in a disappearance. Even if Strigoi's attacked the car, there would have been a least a few seconds to get in position to fight back."
Dimitri nodded, with a puzzled look on his face. "Accidents do happen. One moment of temporarily shutting off your awareness can change your life completely," He said, alluding to the incidence in the cave. "How many Strigoi were suspected to be at the scene?"
"At least six, but most likely more. The fact that they took out a Moroi and several other guardians, including one of the best, suggests there were more," I stated, scrolling past some irrelevant information.
As I was scrolling, Dimitri reached over to grab my hand and stop it. "Why are there bank records from the past year in the file? I have seen many files and none of them have ever had bank records that far back unless it was something important."
I gave him a curious look, then scrolled back up to stare at them. First of all, wow, being the head guardian at Court certainly paid well. Comparing that to my salary, made it look like I worked some shitty fast food job. As I continued to take a closer look it appeared that Hans had transferred money around between accounts, as well as withdrawing a substantial amount of money each month.
"Didn't you say the cash was being withdrawn shortly before his disappearance?" questioned Dimitri, staring at the screen.
"That was what the guardians at Court were told during an updated meeting about his disappearance. Why wouldn't they tell us the complete truth?" I said, making eye contact with Dimitri's dark eyes.
I scrolled past the bank account information, noticing that Hans had closed a few of his accounts prior to his disappearance. That was just as strange as the withdrawals over the past year.
His disappearance details were on the last page of the file and I immediately started skimming the article, finding the details I did not know. The bank account information was fishy, but I stared at the paragraph in front of me with my body tensing. Looking at Dimitri, he had the same shocked expression. It was an account from the Queen's personal Moroi assistant.
The last people Hans Croft spoke to before going to town was Gregory Steele and Queen Tatiana. While I did not hear the entire conversation, I knew that it was heated and resulted in a division between Croft's personal beliefs and Queen Tatiana's. I do not think anything vile would result, but I wonder if the disappearance has anything to do with this conversation.
"This might be why Steele didn't want this file to be public access," stated Dimitri. "It would put a target on Steele's back, as well as raise suspicion that he was involved in Croft's disappearance."
"But if he was involved, what would be his motivation?"
Dimitri shrugged. "Hard to say because there are other ways to get the head of guardian job at Court, especially since Hans was nearing retirement or at least stepping away from certain obligations."
Sighing, I tapped my fingers on the side of my computer thinking. I turned back towards the computer to read through the detailed accounts of the scene of the found vehicle. I skipped over the gory parts of the found guardians and Moroi, not wanting to enhance the images that already scarred my mind. I kept reading through the section again and again, fully knowing that Dimitri was giving me a look like I was crazy.
There were no footprints, blood, and also no trace of any resistance from the driver's side—where Hans was presumed to be situated. Generally, in most cases, there were signs of struggle before someone disappeared, but that didn't seem to be the case in this situation. "Dimitri, when you were Strigoi were you careful about covering your tracks?"
I could immediately tell he did not like the question, but he sighed deep in thought. "It depends on the situation, but for the most part, I tried to cover all of my tracks. I didn't have time to make it perfect, especially out of pure bloodlust. No Strigoi would take the time to completely cover every single part of their tracks, mostly because it would be impossible. Why do you ask?"
"I just have this feeling that someone was targeting Hans or trying to take him out. The bank account withdrawals over the past year, the push to go to town, and the fact that there appeared to be no trace of Hans at the scene. It isn't adding up."
"So, what do you think?" said Dimitri, immediately following through with the points I made.
"I think Hans is alive and not captured by a Strigoi. I think he ran away from someone."
Thanks for your patience once again! I received so many lovely reviews, new follows, and favorites last chapter and I still can't believe how much this story is growing. Also, I cannot wait for you guys to read the next few chapters. I have some amazing things up my sleeve, especially when we hit chapter 20. Anyways review as always.
Also, there are a few of you that leave a non-guest review, but I am not able to respond to your review due to a setting you have. Just know that I'm super appreciative of it! Have a great week everyone. Will get Chapter 18 up as soon as possible. :)