Chapter 5

"Don't touch her!" a voice rang out. I turned to see Dimitri standing at the door. "Take the sword!" he ordered Pavel.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" Pavel stepped in front of me. I was furious now, I flashed into Lissa's head. She was happy. I took all the darkness I could from her. It was her special day and she deserved to be as happy as possible. I would be the one who paid the price. A scream broke the tension between the two guys. I looked around for the source, it was me. "Rose, what's wrong?"

"Get the sword" Dimitri repeated.

"Go to hell" Pavel replied coldly. "Stay away from her. You are the cause of all her problems." My sword was in my right hand, the dagger in my left. Pavel responded quickly pulling his own out. "Durdurmak!" Pavel switched to Turkish (stop). "Rose you have to relax and put the weapons away. You know how the court will respond if you attack one of the queen's personal guardians. You could be imprisoned again."

I must have started to see some reason because everyone eased up. Pavel continued to talk to me in Turkish. "I'm sorry that I told you today, during the wedding. I couldn't stand the thought of loosing you. I will wait, for as long as it takes for you to come home. When you do, I will be there with open arms. I love you Rose. I love you."

My eyes were closed. I struggled to gain control of my body. Dimitri sounded closer when his Russian words hit me like a storm "Roza, please let the darkness go. I know what you did, Adrian saw it. You can't take so much darkness at once." I felt someone's hand on mine. Pavel took my yatagan and my dagger. "Let it go Rose" I punched whatever was in front of me. Then I took a step back and kicked. "Stop Roza!" I froze and arms wrapped around me.

"It's okay" Pavel whispered in my ear. I broke down and cried. He scooped me up in his arms and carried me off.

"Wait!" Dimitri called after us.

Pavel didn't slow down or even turn, "stay away from her Guardian Belikov!"

I let him set me on the bed. He fished around in my suitcase for some sweats, but my bag was back at Lissa's. Pavel took a pair of his and offered them to me. I changed, not caring that he was in the room, and crashed onto the bed. He crawled in next to me and brushed his hand from my head to my waist. I let him hold me and try to console me, but the truth is that I didn't know what to do. I was only seeing darkness. I wanted to give my body to the darkness. Suddenly I sat up "so this is why moroi choose to become strigoi." I crashed into the pillow and cried myself to sleep.

"Are you okay Rose?" Adrian asked from a safe distance, "your aura is almost completely black. Lissa's is shining gold. You took too much, too fast."

"I know" I sighed, "I didn't mean to. I was happy with my vodka and rum. I was enjoying the reception even while dancing. Then everything gets confusing."

Adrian sat down and patted the ground in front of him. I took the place and a beautiful garden grew up from the dark ground. A beautiful fountain erupted behind him. The sound was soothing. "Tell me what happened."

"I wanted a drink" I sighed. "Pavel gave me a shot of vodka and then I wanted rum. He told me that I had to wait. I needed it. Pavel asked me to dance. While we were dancing, he asked me if I was going to leave with Mikhail. When I told him that I was he almost broke down. We went outside to talk." Tears flowed freely, "he told me that he was in love with me. I don't have anything to give him. He doesn't understand. I told him about my past. He didn't care and we began to kiss." His raised an eyebrow, "lust. It was just lust. So Guardian Alto came up behind us, broke the moment. Pavel had been happy until Stan made a comment about my history with guys. I could feel Pavel's disgust. I stormed out, that's when the darkness jumped from Lissa to me. I grew angry. Then Dimitri showed up."

"Oh shit!" Adrian shouted. "I'm sorry Rose."

"When I saw him, it was like my mind went blank" I explained. "My body moved and responded, but I had no power over it. Then Pavel wrapped his arms around me and I cried. I cried Adrian." I was pacing around the patch of green grass. "I cried Adrian. I haven't cried in years. I thought I was over this. I thought I could avoid him, but he keeps approaching me." I took a few deep breaths, "Why does he insist on torturing me?"

Adrian sighed, "he is trying to talk to you." I turned on him ready to scream but he put up a hand. "There is more to his story than you know Rose." I sat down ready to listen, "Belikov was a wreck while you were in jail, then you left with Abe. He didn't know that Abe was your father, he thought you ran away with him. I told him the truth. He didn't believe me at first, but Lissa confirmed it. Natasha Ozera wanted him" he winked, "in more ways than one. Dimitri refused her offer. He was determined to serve Lissa. Then Lissa told Dimitri everything that you did to turn him back. Slowly he started to return to normal. When you came to my wedding he tried to talk to you."

"I avoided him" I confessed.

"He didn't want me to talk to you. Belikov wants you to talk to him. I want you to be happy Rose. I never liked him, but I can see the connection in your auras. There is something there. The same thing that links me to Sydney or Lissa to Christian or Guardian Tanner to someone."

"Sonya Karp" I supplied the name. "Mikhail is in love with Sonya Karp."

"Just take your time and talk to him Rose" he said ignoring me, "you will be happier."

"I can't" I told him. "Dimitri doesn't love me. You remember what he told me." Anger flashed in Adrian's eyes. Good! He remembered. "I won't let myself be fooled again. I would love to wake up with Dimitri every day. I love him, to the bottom of my heart. I even talk to his family regularly. I can't and won't talk to him. Love fades Adrian, and his love for me has faded away."

"Calm down" he cooed gently, "I didn't mean to upset you." He turned to leave but turned at the last minute. "Before I forget, Sydney heard back from her contacts" he paused, "Sonya is in Novosibirsk. Your flight leaves around one."

"Thanks" I replied as he faded out.

I awoke a few hours later; some darkness still lingered in my body. I dressed and headed downstairs for some food. I guess everyone else was still asleep. I got a sudden glimpse of Lissa and Christian standing on a sunny beach. I guess they already made it to the islands for their honeymoon. I was back in the kitchen. I consumed eight chocolate-chip waffles, two bananas and a glazed doughnut. I felt the darkness pushing out from behind my eyes. I rubbed them angrily. I looked at the clock. I had a few hours until my flight to Moscow. I drank a glass of orange juice. A door upstairs opened and someone was coming down the stairs. I figured it would be Pavel, so I went to meet him. What I wasn't expecting was my mother in some silky little ensemble. What the fudge?

"Mom?" my mouth dropped.

"Oh, hey Rose" she blushed. My mother was blushing. "I just came for a glass of water."

"A glass of water and my father" I replied, "eww!"

"Oh get over it Rose" she snapped filling her glass. "Abe is a good guy and…"

"No, no, no" I backed up grabbing my wallet on the way out. The darkness was in full swing now. A headache throbbed and pushed at my forehead and temples. I needed a drink. I walked around the court in search of some alcohol. Not a single bar was open and no restaurant would serve me a drink at eight o'clock in the human morning. Shouldn't this count as late night? I guess not. Finally I found a liquor store that was open.

"Give me your biggest bottle of Vodka" I said placing the money on the counter. "Thanks." I headed out in search of a good place to sit alone. I found it in a large tree quite a distance from the buildings. I sat down in the shade drinking my vodka. I was only ten feet from the fence that surrounded the court. Ten yards from the fence was a lush forest. I stared at the trees and bushes while I took another shot. I can't believe that my parents are together. I took another shot. I was staring at a group of bushes that bordered the forest. They were rustling wildly. Then it emerged and stepped into the clearing. A large dark psi hound sniffed the air. I watched the hellish creature turn and sniff then search. Suddenly he stopped and our eyes met. Slowly he approached the fence, sniffing the air. It was taking in my scent. Its teeth barred and it growled and began pawing at the ground. Apparently I was the target. Who did I know with psi hounds? Victor! I stood up and… well I had to try again. I took another shot and strolled over to the fence. The psi hound responded with an attack, well it can try. The only thing it was going to bite is the fence. I watched the steel links bend as the jaws clamped down.

"Hahaha stupid hound" I teased it, "you are there and I am here." Then I saw a black ribbon tied to its blood-red collar. It was tied with a nice lace-style bow, the kind that comes out when you pull one end of the string. My eyes darted to a small dime sized drawing of a Rose. "Damn! What are you his new messenger pigeon." I took another shot and headed towards the nearest gate. The hound followed, falling in step with me and never taking its eyes away from my neck. The guard tower was only a quarter mile from my tree. I led the hound right to it. A single guardian stood watch in the tower. I stepped inside. "Can I borrow a pen, sheet of paper, and some rope?" the guardian simply stared at me. His eyes went from my face to the vodka and back to my face. "Please" I pleaded. He gave me the materials I asked for. I readied myself before rushing out the door.

The psi hound was several feet away. I set my vodka against the wall with the pen and paper. It started to circle me, but I was looping my rope into a noose-style knot. The hound launched itself at me, teeth barred and aiming for my throat. I punched it in the chest. A yelp erupted from its throat. It rolled once and launched again. I caught it around the neck and slipped the noose around its mouth. Then I tied the rope around the back of its head creating a dog halter. I tied the hound to the gate and took the letter.

Rosemarie,

I would like to ask you to pass my congratulations on to my niece for her recent marriage. I know you won't tell her. I was excited to see you back in the states after all this time, my spies don't like Turkey. They say it's too hot and too dry. The point is that I am watching you. Just out of curiosity, how do you feel about trading one life for another? I guess we will find out. See you soon.

V.D.

I turned back to my supplies and made my own note.

Victor,

I don't think Vasilissa would accept your congrats. You know she is still sensitive over the whole torture thing. I will be leaving very soon. I am going to tell you this one time and one time only. STAY! AWAY! from MY! FAMILY! and FRIENDS! If you harm any of them, I will hunt you down. By the time I am done with you, you will wish you stayed in Tasarov Prison.

Rose

I rolled up my note and attatched it to the hound's collar. Then I released the hound and took my vodka back into the court.