CHAPTER THREE
For the third time in a day, I was going to talk to someone I had point blank refused to communicate with for the past week.
Abe was sitting just outside the door to my cell on a chair that the guardians had brought down for him. They had left us alone together. I was a little surprised at that but knowing Abe the way I did, I had no doubt that there was likely money or promised favours involved in getting our space.
But I had bigger things worry about.
I sat for probably another 5 minutes before I opened my mouth.
I looked straight at Abe, considering which way to attack this conversation. I Decided the direct approach was best when dealing with Abe.
"Abe, I need to get out of here." There was no pleading in my voice just a steadfast resolve.
It hadn't taken long for Abe to come down to my cell, but in that half hour, I had made my decision.
"You need to get me out of here."
"Rose, we are doing everything we can. But to be honest with you I don't see many options." As per usual Abe held nothing back, but I'd already reached that conclusion on my own.
"I know, and you're not listening to me, you need to get me out of here."
I saw a suspicious glint in Abe's eyes.
That was the nice thing about my father; he was pretty quick on the up take.
"Okay" he replied and stood to leave.
But I spoke before he could walk away.
"Lissa can't know, Abe." He just looked at me. I think I had actually stumped him.
"She can't be involved in this; with the queen murdered they will be electing a replacement. She needs to be the one to take that position and if I get her involved with this that will never happen."
"Okay" again was all he said.
When I was on my own again, I ran through my plan.
For once I tried to take in the whole picture; I tried to look at the situation from every angle.
So the facts; the queen had been murdered. Someone framed me for that murder. The queen had known this might happen and sent me a note telling me as much, and also that Lissa had a half sibling. And Lissa needs that sibling to for fill the whole quorum law thing. Also I was the only one who knew this fact.
Oh crap, or was I? I thought back to my conversation with Sydney. Someone had stolen the file that the Alchemists had on Eric Dragomir. The file that had details of a secret Vegas bank account.
Okay so recap on the facts. I may not be the only one who knew about this half-sibling thing, I needed to find that kid before anyone else did.
And then suddenly like my cell door slamming, everything smacked into place.
Whoever knew about the other kid, must have framed me to make sure I wouldn't be able to find out. Accept that person didn't count on the queen actually thinking enough of me to trust to help Lissa.
By this stage I was pacing my cell again. Dizzy, I sat down with humph.
Once the dizziness started to fade I got back to my plan.
So, the plan. Abe had to use his contacts to get me out here. I then had to find this kid and get him or her back to court and then Lissa could take her place on the counsel or even become queen. And that was why I had to do all of this without Lissa knowing, if even one of her opposition found out she had anything to do with my escape she would be done.
Also key to my plan was me staying alive. I had to do all of this without dying or being arrested again, because if I went, everything Lissa had been through since her families deaths would be pointless.
I would sacrifice my life for hers.
I would go into hiding, still able to take away her darkness but never being the guardian I always thought I would be.
I would do this for her, because 'they come first'.
With that I thought I would see what Lissa was up to. Her feelings were starting to become anxious, okay well more so than what they had been since I was arrested.
As soon as I settled in I found where she was going and the source of her stress, she was on her way to see Dimitri.
I was surprise to find she was walking through the guardian's wing of the long term accommodation. I didn't realise than Dimitri had been given permanent quarters.
Lissa knocked at the door. After a few moments the door opened and Dimitri stood in front of her.
Just seeing him through Lissa's eyes was enough to make me catch my breath.
"Lissa, how can I help you? Is there something wrong?"
"No, I just . . . . Well, I just wanted to speak with you about a couple of things."
Dimitri looked puzzled but moved back and allowed Lissa to enter.
His rooms weren't anything flash, just like the rest of the guardians employed at court he had a small but efficient space that served as both lounge and bedroom. Off to the left was a bathroom and to the right a small kitchenette.
And just like Dimitri's room at the academy, this place was spotless.
Lissa turned and told her guardians to wait outside, one of them went to argue the point but Lissa, not have patience for these two, simply hitched on a haughty look and said "I am quite sure that given the face that Mr Belikov has been given his own room amongst the guardians, that he has been deemed quite safe, don't you think."
Lissa's tone left no room for argument and the guardians left without another word.
"Sorry, they follow me everywhere." Lissa was looking back at Dimitri, who had moved to behind a small chair beside a reading table.
Dimitri was studying her; I could tell he was worried something was wrong.
"How have you been?" asked Lissa
"Fine, I haven't got anything much to do around here yet. But I keep myself busy." Replied Dimitri, with a look at the creased western novel sitting on the table next to him.
"I'm sure there is at least one thing you can do."
A look flashed over Dimitri's face, a look I really wasn't expecting. He was hurting. But why, I knew what Lissa was hinting at and so did he. She was trying to bring up the fact that he still hadn't seen me, so why the hell was he looking hurt. It was his choice not to come after all.
"Lissa, please don't start with this again."
"Don't you tell me not to start with this. She needs you Dimitri, she broken and it's . . ."
"She's being put on trial for high treason what else did you expect Lissa." He said cutting off her word with a frown.
I Lissa shook her head at him.
"It's not that, you don't get it do you?" she said
Dimitri just looked at her blankly, which she took for ignorance, but I could see the understand in his eyes, oh he knew alright and he still wouldn't come to me. A tear slid down me own cheek when I saw that. He must really be done with me.
At Dimitri's silence Lissa continued.
"She loves you, don't you get it. And you haven't gone to her. That's what the problem is Dimitri. Without you she's broken."
Dimtri raised a hand to stop her but Lissa pushed on.
"No, you will hear me out. I saw her after you were turned; she was crushed but her only thought was for you, to end your undead life and set your soul free.
"And then she came back from Russia thinking she had killed you. Did you know that right before she left Russia she found out that there may well have been a chance to save you?" Lissa took a quick breath but continued again. "Then you sent her that damn stake. She was a mess Dimitri, she tried to hide it but I saw it. But you know what? Not once did I see her like this. She never gave up on you, one way or another."
Dimitri just stared at Lissa for a minute, finally he spoke.
"You know why I can't see her. I told you, I can't stand what I did to her. She deserves better than those horrible memories." Dimitri moved and sat down heavily in his seat.
"But you defended her, at the cafe when the queen's guard came. I heard the stories; people have been saying you took out basically the whole guard without breaking a sweat."
"It was an automatic reaction, nothing more."
Dimitri put his head in his hands, and to my surprise that just made Lissa angry.
"You're lying." Lissa spit out. "You still love her I know you do. You can pretend all you like but I can feel how hurt you are. Why can't you just get it through your thick head, you two are meant for each other, things will never be right for you unless your together."
Lissa was fuming. This little outbreak was far more my style than hers but her worry for me was driving it.
Dimitri looked up at her, face hard.
"She's with Adrian now, I saw her neck. That's just how it is."
Lissa threw up her hands.
"For goodness sake. Men. You're all alike, always thinking you right."
With that she stormed out of Dimitri's slamming the door behind her.
Lissa stormed all the way to Christian's room, at which point I left her and came back to myself.