Chapter Two

"Little Dhampir, I hear that you have graced the world with the sound of your voice again."

I looked into Adrian's eyes, at first glance I couldn't see what I had before, and even when he spoke he sounded normal. But looking into his eyes it was unmistakable. Adrian was tired and worried.

"Adrian," I started as I moved from my bed to the bars on my cell door. "I'm sorry . . . . "

"It's fine, don't apologise, because if you did then I would have to say sorry for my having, I don't know who many cigarettes in the last week. Although I must say whilst my stress relief methods are rather A-typical of my character, you're not speaking is rather . . . . Well quiet"

I laughed. Adrian hitched his cheeky grin on his face.

"I guess quiet is one word for it." I replied half laughing.

He moved up to his side of the bars and reached a hand through but before I could touch him the guards moved closer and reminded Adrian about the non-contact order. Adrian scoffed at the guards and then reached into his pocket brought out a smoke and lit it.

"What, hoping to block their view with your usual cloud of smoke?" I said my words dripping with my own special branded of mocking fun.

"Ah, there is the Rose Hathaway I know and love."

I shook my head. "Don't count on it, I mean hell I'll probably be dead in another week or two." I couldn't believe what I had said, I didn't mean it how it came out, but the sudden change on Adrian's face told me he had taken it the wrong way. Crap.

"Adrian, I'm sorry I didn't mean it that . . . "

"Rose, we'll get you through this." Damn what was with people and not letting me finish sentences today?

"I'm serious Rose, you'll be fine. I won't let them do this to you. Hell your mom and dad won't let this happen."

I snorted "Well maybe not Abe."

"She loves you, you know. She so worried about you."

"Yeah I got that."

"So does Lissa, everyone who has known you for any length of time loves you, you're just that kind of person. And we all know you didn't do it."

"I wasn't, not talking because I thought people didn't care about me Adrian." His tone had been light, joking even. But something about it rubbed me. "Yeah that's right anyone who knows me knows I couldn't do this, what about all the other people out there who think I'm a murderer?"

Adrian just stared at me lost for words.

I was being harsh but I didn't have any room in my head for the rousing, 'and the truth shall set you free' speech.

"Look Adrian, I'm sorry, but you and Lissa both need to get it through your heads, I'm not coming back from this. I know I didn't kill Tatiana but someone's done a pretty great job of framing me."

I moved away for the cell door and went back to my bed. Hoping Adrian would get the point and leave me alone.

But he didn't, he just stood there.

I don't actually know how long we were silent for but eventually I looked over at Adrian and decided to talk.

"Look Adrian, I'm really tired I need to sleep, can please leave me to rest."

He didn't move straight away, but he eventually turned around without saying anything more.

After I heard the door close I lay down on my bed. It wasn't late and I really wasn't that tired but I couldn't be around Adrian anymore. Well actually he couldn't be around me anymore.

He needed to move on, they all did, my friends that is. Mom and Abe would probably be devastated at my execution. Who was I kidding again, Janine would probably be happy to see the back of her rule breaking delinquent of a daughter, and Abe barely knew me, he didn't have anything to miss.

I was just glad that Lissa and Christian were back together, she would need that close leave of support when I was gone. Not only would her best friend not be there anymore but her shadow kissed guardian would be gone. Suddenly I thought of Robert Doru.

Oh god, he was a mess. He had described what it was like losing his shadow kissed to us in Los Vegas. I thought about how affected he was, my Lissa could end up like that. Oh god no, I couldn't let that happen.

I jumped up off my bed.

"Oh god, no, I've got to get out here." I shouted to the cell, not anyone or anything nobody was there.

The guardians at the cell door jump when I shouted.

"Prisoner Hathaway, please settle down." One of the guards said staring at me.

I was pacing my cell and because of how small the space was I was starting to get dizzy – even in a matter of seconds – "I have to get out of this, I have to get out of this." I said that over and over again, I must have sounded manic to the guards, and when I finally looked at them after they had been telling me to calm down for about 10 minutes, the look on their faces said it all, it was the 'oh no Hathaway's lost it, call the men in white coats' look.

Seeing that look I finally sat back on my bed, deep in thought.

Nothing came to my mind, I was blank. I couldn't think have how to get out, how to prove to people I was innocent.

I must have sat on the bed quietly for a while because when I jumped up again I actually managed to make one of the guards jump a little.

"I need to see my lawyer." I said maybe with a little bit more force than necessary. It took a minute for them to move. But next thing one of them moved over to the phone and rang up to the front desk and made my request.

When he came back over he said "Mr Mazur is on his way."