Chapter 3- Nightmares

She was dead, he could do nothing about it, and all he could do was stand there and watch it happen. He yelled but no one could hear him, he tried to save her but he was rooted to the spot, Eric was completely broken as he watched Rhea Ozera die. Suddenly Eric awoke from the horrible nightmare, sitting straight as a board, drenched in sweat. His blonde hair stuck to his face in clumps.

"Urgh," he said shrugging off his shirt. He hopped into the shower hoping to clear his thoughts as the water cascaded down his back. Why was he dreaming about her? Why did he care so much about what she thought of him? Why did one disgusted look from her make him want to change his ways? How did she have him so enchanted? This was Eric's main question, how did she have him almost on his knees, hailing her? It was the girls that threw themselves at him, wasn't it? What did she do to him?

"Enchantress," he muttered to himself as he climbed out of his shower and throwing on a set of clothes that made him look more attractive than usual. Surely a girl had to appreciate that? He thought. He would do anything to get Rhea Ozera in his arms and bed. The only problem was that she knew it and she would do anything to prevent it. Eric entered his room to find Steve completely dressed and waiting for him.

"Finally, I didn't think that we would make it down to breakfast," he said rolling his eyes.

"Hey, we can't all wake up looking like a ray of sunshine, can we?" Eric smirked stepping out into the hallway.

"Did you hear, the stuck up Ozera girl's gone," a small Moroi whispered to her friend just as she walked passed Eric. No, he thought, it's just a rumour. But when they entered the breakfast commons, there was no sign of Rhea.

"Do you think its true?" he asked Steve.

"I don't know, she's not here, that much is obvious to a blind man," Steve responded, casting a glance around the room, taking in every minor detail, almost like what the guardians did. "The Sebastian kid and his boyfriend aren't here either," he observed returning his attention to Eric. No, she could not have left, the school needed her, and he needed her. He didn't understand her; she was a mystery that he could not solve. But suddenly he felt like her needed her to survive, like his existence revolved around hers, almost as though if she died than he would too. No, he told himself firmly, she was not the reason for his existence; she was just another girl, just another blonde, just another pretty blonde.

"Hello! Eric!" Steve was waving his hand in front of him.

"Steve," Eric said, raising an eyebrow, "why are you waving you arm in my face?"

"That my dear friend, is because you're halting the breakfast line," he replied dryly.

"Oh, shit," Eric said apologising to the long line of hungry Moroi. Eric grabbed yoghurt and an orange juice before making his way over to his usual table that was being saved by Allen and Victor.

"Hey, it looks like Kayte's finally gotten over you and moved on." Allen said. He was always like a glass slate; he was so see through, and couldn't keep a poker face to save himself. He also followed everything that Eric and Steve said as if his life depended on it, he would be a real charmer to some, and a downright asshole to the others.

"Oh?" Eric said unaffectedly "with whom?"

"Rufus Tarus," Allen said in a tone that indicated that he was trying to please Eric by downgrading his ex.

"Did you hear that there is supposed to be a party tonight in Clint's room tonight?" Victor asked, changing the subject as he threw Eric a glance, before returning to his book.

"Is there? He always has the best stuff to drink," Steve said mildly. "Are we invited?"

"Yes, but I won't be there," Victor said, refocusing on the rest of the group.

"Why not? You love going to parties with us!" Allen frowned.

"Not really," Victor said, "I'm not going to be flying into the court tonight. You guys can come with me but you will have to find something to do while I'm with father."

"What's wrong with Prince Dashkov?" Eric asked curiously.

"Mother says that he's fallen quite ill in the past few months," Victor said sadly. Victor was unlike Allen in many ways, he was quiet and a man of many layers, he could say one thing and mean a totally different thing, he preferred to read books than to go to the royal parties, and yet he still was the one with all the connections, but the thing that annoyed Eric the most about it was that he had no idea how Victor was doing it.

"Well I'm in, the only two places that I know with better grog than Clint, are the Royal court and my father's liquor supplier," Eric said, tossing his yoghurt container in the bin along with his orange juice bottle; he hadn't eaten anything of it.

"So I take that as a we're going?" Allen asked looking as excited as a puppy that was just bought from the pet shop.

"Well I don't know about you, but I'm going," Steve said finishing his pikelets "I have to visit my brother soon anyway."

"Yeah we can stay in your family wing Eric!" It was Allen again.

"No, no you can't. We have some Romanian guests of my fathers' staying in our wing, and there is only enough room for Steve and I."

"That is so not fair!" Allen whined.

"Oh stop being such a child Allen! You're so immature! I hate the way you just flaunt yourself everywhere! Yesterday you were sleazing all over my little sister! Just stop it!" Steve had finally snapped. It was worse than the last time, he was getting worse, Eric knew it, it was so unhealthy for him, every time it would happen he would regret it instantly, or even worse, he would forget instantly. it was like he was slowly going mad, some monster was eating him from the inside out, it was horrible.

"Jesus Steve, take a chill pill," Allen remarked, he was trying to act so coolly, when really he was almost wetting his pants, because he was so terrified of the power that was radiating of Steve.

"Leave, Allen. Just leave." Steve's voice was hoarse and weak; it no longer radiated the deadly power that it had just seconds ago. Then he collapsed. Steve looked dead, he looked like the magic had finally killed him. "No!" Eric almost wailed as he felt frantically for his friends pulse; it was barely there. "WE NEED TO GET HIM TO THE INFIRMARY NOW!" bellowed Eric frantically trying to haul Steve to his feet. Victor went running to get some guardians to help.

Eric finally got him to the hospital wing and Steve was promptly put in a bed with doctors surrounding him.

"I want to see him," Eric told a guardian who was refusing to let him into the room.

"I'm very sorry Lord Dragomir, but Lord Szlesky needs the complete and undivided attention of the medical staff right now if he is to survive. I'm sure that you understand."

"I understand all of that!" Eric huffed impatiently, "but I need to see him, I would be no hassle, I promise!"

The guardian sighed, "I'm sorry, but there is really nothing that I can do about that,"

"Then I will sit here until I can get in there. He is my best mate. I would never be able to live with myself if something happened to him. That and the fact that it would be me to tell his parents and his 5 YEAR OLD little sister, and not you, but I suppose that it doesn't matter 'cause it WOULDN'T be you, would it?"

The guardian looked down slightly shamed, "I'll see what I can do, but Dragomir, you can't say that I didn't try."