Chapter 3:
Author's Note: I appologize in advanced for the tiny bit of cursing. This is Adrian's POV, and he does cuss. Read and review, please!
Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy.
Adrian's POV:
I drink heavily. The music is loud; the bar is crowded. Scantily dressed girls prance around, just begging for attention. Basically, my idea of a good time.
Not that I am enjoying myself. The alcohol simply isn't working; I'm even as drunk as I'd like to be. I downed drink after drink, but still haven't been able to escape the nightmare that is my reality. Hell, I've even hooked up with a few girls as distractions. I gulp down another drink, then glance idly aroud the club. Nothing captures my interest. I've been like this the entire past week, reverting to the old me, the one everyone labeled as just another flippant, arrogant, egotistical, useless, player, drunken royal Moroi.
My guardians are alert nearby. Lissa, being the Queen, apparently had the power to assign guardians, so she sent two of them to tail me, making sure I don't do anything crazy but also disrupting my privacy. I've tried shaking them off, but it was like trying to lose your head. Undo-able. Whatever. It's not like they're going to stop me from doing what I want.
I move onto the dance floor, and the guardians rearranges themselves facing me. A couple of beautiful girls swarm towards me. Ahhh... Entertainment. One caught my eye. She had the same hair color and length, though not as silky, as Ro-.
Thinking the name was like a bucket of ice splashed onto me. I shook my head, trying to expel her image from my mind. She used me like a tissue, then threw me away. The whole time I loved her, she loved Dimitri. She even cheated on me with him. Damn love triangles.
When we were together, she made me lay off the alcohol. She brought out the best in me. As much as I wanted to hate her for shattering my heart, I couldn't. I'm just setting myself up for more heartbreak. And for some stupid reason, a part of me I still wanted to stay reformed, to prove to her I can change, to give her one more reason to stay. To prove to her I still love her. But that side of me was easy to override. She is the reason for my indulgences lately, but now even alcohol doesn't mute my emotions.
However, I don't feel like dancing anymore. I flash the girls around me a smile, then make some random excuse that I had to leave. I motion towards my guardians and together we step out of the club.
It is nighttime outside, just at the verge of sunrise. Huh. Apparently I spent the entire Vampire day in the club. Time obviously flies when you're partying. I groan. A killer headache was pounding the inside of my head into mush. Maybe I underestimated how drunk I am.
"Lord Ivashkov, are you feeling all right? Do you need to visit the clinic? You drank a lot today," a guardian questions me. Did I mention I don't need babysitters?
"I'm fine. I've been through worse. Right now I just want to sleep it off," I reply. I really don't care what happens to me.
With that said, I stalk off in the direction of my residence. I can't wait to go lie down in my bed and leave behind this world of sorrow and pain.
"Wait, Lord Ivashkov. The Queen sent a message for you to meet her. She says it's urgent," the annoying guardian informs me.
"Whatever she wants can wait. I'm going to bed, and that's final."
Alyssa's POV:
They take down the wards to let me in. I am shoved roughly. The restraining hands around me tighten tenfold. It really hurt, which I infer is their purpose. I cringe internally at the pain, but show no emotion on my face. There is no way I am going to grant them the satisfaction of seeing me in pain.
Unfortunately, it is the Vampire daytime. I have forgotten they were awake throughout the night. I, of course, live by their schedule, for no Strigoi is immune to the sun. But our daytime means more people wandering around, more people to ogle at me.
If I didn't know any better, I would have thought I am a plague or contamination from the looks people give me. Wherever I pass, whispers trail. Thankfully, the the jail is nearby. I am hustled inside and thrown into a dungeon-like cell. Eddie, after making sure the remaining seven guardians would be able to incapacitate me, should I act out, leaves to deliver the news of my arrival to the Queen.
Things go downhill from there. I don't think the remaining seven could ever like me. A few ignore me as if I am air and I am fine with that. It is three of them that I really hate. They sneer and taunt me. One of them actually spit at me, which I dodged. And they are guardians, guardians. Unbelievable.
There would always be people who hate me because I am different, whether they are Strigoi or Moroi, dhampirs or humans. People who are afraid of the unknown and mask their emotions with hatred. There is no doubt these three are a couple of those type of people. They take mean to a whole new level.
I tune them out and sit down on the tiny cot. Maybe this won't work, and the Queen will immediately request me to be killed. Maybe they will use me as an experiment to test out what other ways Strigoi could die from. Maybe, maybe, maybe. Oh the possibilities. By now I have deluded myself into thinking that there is no way this will end well for me.
Maybe this is a mistake to come here. The rumors are probably nothing more than rumors. Even if they are true, why on Earth would someone go through all that trouble just to change me? What have I gotten myself into?
Adrian's POV:
I wake up to darkness and a lingering headache. I'm getting out of practice will alcohol consumption. Now that is a nightmare.
A knock on the door interrupts my thoughts. With a yawn I throw on some clothes and open the door. It is that damn guardian. Why doesn't Lissa understand I don't need any guardians inside Court?
I ask him flatly, "What do you want?"
"I'm sorry to interrupt your sleep, Lord, but the Queen requests your immediate presence."
Lissa just won't stop bothering me. I know it's really nice of her to watch out for me, especially after I blew up on her best friend, but I am getting really annoyed.
"Tell her I'll be there soon."
I take a long shower to prolong the wait in an attempt to irritate Liss, then go outside to grab some breakfast. As I sit down to enjoy my food, I hear some interesting gossip.
"... a Strigoi inside Court..."
"I can't believe they would allow a monster in..."
"... wonder why..."
"... a danger to society."
Interesting. They managed to somehow have captured a Strigoi alive. Why would they? Hmm... Maybe Lissa knows something about this. Suddenly I am in a hurry to go see her. This is quite a scandal.
I walk across Court towards the royal housing where Lissa's aura was. The captured Strigoi is extremely popular gossip. By the time I reach Lissa's room, I had gathered much more information about the Strigoi. Her name is Alyssa. She is about 18ish with black hair, brown eyes, and is very pretty. I don't know where people get the information, but royals always have their ways.
"Hey cousin. You wants to see me?" I knock, then open the door. Lissa isn't alone. I should have known. Rose is there, staring at me the moment I enter, hoping I will acknowledge her. I hope this isn't another one of Lissa's attempts to get us to talk to each other. I do not feel like putting up with Rose's "let's be friends" crap. I refuse to look at her, but I can imagine the guilt in her eyes. Not my problem.
Lissa nods. "Yup. It's about something shocking. I don't know how to tell you this, but-."
"There's a Strigoi at Court," I interrupt. She seems shocked I would know about it already. "It's all over Court. The royals somehow already know about it," I clarify.
"Stupid royals," Lissa mutter, evoking a tiny grin from me. "This was supposed to be a secret!"
"Not anymore."
"How much do you know?" she inquires.
"Not much, only that there is a Strigoi and what she looks like. I didn't hear why she is here. Care to explain?"
Lissa launches into an explanation. Rose had probably already heard about this because she studys me the whole time instead of listening. I continue giving her my silent treatment and concentrates on what Lissa is telling me. Apparently the Strigoi is Lissa's cousin, proven through a blood test. Another Dragomir. The most shocking news is that she WANTED to be changed back into a Moroi. She even surrendered.
My mind is reeling with the unexpected. This defies a lot of things we are certain about Strigoi. They shouldn't be able to surrender. It goes against their nature. Strigoi are mindless killers who take pleasure in their power and immortality. Why would a Strigoi want to relinquish all that?
So now the dilemma is whether or not we should change her and who would take the consequences. Technically, we should absolutely change her. After all, she's a Dragomir. Right now Lissa is constantly in danger of being dethroned. She hasn't gotten the law changed yet, as it would take a couple more months. Jill is her only tie to the throne. This situation will be a bit better if there is another Dragomir, in case something, God forbid, happens to Jill. Also, this is her cousin, her only actual relative. Unlike Jill, Alyssa must have known other ancestors and Lissa is craving for more information. Lissa resents being one of the last in her line. She is relieved of some pressure, but there is still more that Jill, an illegitimate daughter, cannot remove. Finally, it would be inhumane to waste a life. But at what cost?
Sprit takes a great toll on all of us. Who would be the one to change Alyssa? Mark and Oksana are halfway across the world. We need to stop bothering them with our own issues, especially after all they've done for us. Mikhail and Sonya disappeared to who-knows-where to bond more. We don't know any other spirit users, so there's just Lissa and me left. Whoever one of us it is would suffer. There is no doubt that person would gain a lot more darkness and might hurt others, not to mention being driven one step closer to the brink insanity.
"It should be me." I decide.
"What? Why? I'm perfectly capable of doing it," Lissa argues. She hates to be thought of as weak.
"I know, but you're the queen. If the darkness takes over you the whole system will collapse. Besides, you've already changed D-Dimi," I stutters over his name. "Someone, so you already have a lot of darkness. It's my turn to try this out."
"True," she concedes, but not after thinking for a full five minuites. "But I don't know if we should even change her."
"Oh really? Like you don't already know you have to save her?" I teases.
Lissa rolls her eyes. "Hey do you want to go see her?"
"Sure. Might as well get to know whoever we're going through all this trouble for."
Lissa gets up and leaves. I made to follow her but Rose calles my name.
"Not now. I don't want to talk about it," I tell her icily without looking at her.
I am shocked when she remains silent. I am so sure she would put up a Rose-worthy argument.
We walks across Court towards the jail with a dozen guardians, including my own two, in tow.
"Can you please reassign my guardians? I don't need them when I'm inside Court," I growl.
"I know but I don't want you doing anything rash," Lissa reasons.
"What are you, my mother?" I grumble.
When we get within sight of Alyssa's cell, I freeze.
"What's wrong?"
"Use spirit and turn on your aura reading."
She complies. "Oh my..."
"God," I finishe for her.
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