As Mark walked over to pick up the fallen lantern, I walked to Rose and took her hand. She smiled up at me when I reached her. Together, the four of us travelled back out of the cave with Mark leading us with the light.

Mark questioned the bruised Ivan on why he hadn't left when we'd told him to. He seemed a little annoyed that Ivan hadn't listened and I was sure that I should have been too…but I couldn't bring myself to be, not when we had been successful and had gotten out of the cave with very little injuries.

Ivan spent the whole journey down the rocky and awkward trail of the mountain telling us of how he couldn't leave when we had asked because he had no way back home. His friends had dropped him off with the promise to return in a couple of days to see if he was alive or dead.

Some friends.

By the time we had reached the bottom of the mountain, I was feeling tired and irritated. I knew that we could hardly leave the boy behind while we went home so of course, we offered him a ride back to his village.

He sat in the back with Rose as he gave me directions to his small town. The drive was only about two hours but felt much longer, as the whole time, Ivan went on and on about his heroic actions and how he saved the day.

By the time we had reached the small town, I was more than relieved.

"Sometimes I hear reports of other vampires," Ivan said as he climbed out of the car. "If you want to team up again, I'll let you come along with me next time too."

I had to stop myself from laughing out loud. I nearly lost when Mark sent me a pointed look from the passenger seat.

"Noted," Rose replied, and I thought I could hear a hint of hidden sarcasm in her voice.

We spent another couple of hours on the road after dropping Ivan off before finally arriving back home. I could see the relief plain on my mother's face as she greeted us. She invited Mark to stay for tea but he was anxious to get back to Oksana so he left almost straight away.

We made our way inside and sat in the living room as Olena went to make us some food.

"So," My grandmother said, watching us from her rocking chair. "It seems I was right."

Rose walked over and sat close to me on the couch. I could see the weariness and irritation in her face.

She was tired, but not that tired. She still found the energy to argue back.

Who was I kidding? Roza would always find the energy to argue back.

"No, actually," she said to Yeva. I could see her trying to hide a smirk. "you said Dimitri would kill the Blood King. He didn't. Mark did."

"I said one who had walked the road of death would succeed," my grandmother replied in that calm way of hers. "Mark has faced death and survived."

I watched in amusement as Rose struggled to find a reply.

"Okay," she said. "But when Viktoria said Dimitri would do it, you didn't deny it."

"I didn't confirm it either," Yeva replied.

I could almost see the steam coming out of Rose's ears. She groaned in frustration.

"This is ridiculous! That 'prediction' meant nothing! Hell, it could've applied to Ivan, since he nearly died because of the Blood King."

"My prophecies see many things," my grandmother said vaguely. "My next one is particularly interesting."

"Uh-huh," Rose said. "Let me guess. 'A journey.' That could mean me and Dimitri going home. Or Olena going to the grocery store."

"Actually," said Yeva, "I see a wedding in the future."

My sisters' heads snapped to attention, suddenly getting ideas.

Viktoria started clapping excitedly. "Oh! Rose and Dimka!" Karolina and Sonya nodded in agreement.

I watched Rose's dumbstruck face. "How can you even say that? That can mean anything too! Someone in town is probably getting married right now. Or maybe it'll be Karolina – didn't you say you're getting serious with your boyfriend? If it is me and Dimitri, it'll be years from now – which, of course, you'll claim you foresaw since it was 'the future.'"

Her rambling was pointless as I was now the only person actually listening to her. My sisters were excitedly talking about wedding venues and flowers while my grandmother sat and watched them, with a slightly smug smile on her face.

Rose groaned once again, this time in defeat.

"Unbelievable," she muttered.

I grinned, finding the whole situation very amusing, especially because I knew where Rose stood on the whole 'marriage' thing.

I put my arm her and pulled her close to my side. "Don't you believe in fate, Roza?"

"Sure," she answered, leaning into me. "Just not in your grandmother's crazy vague predictions."

"Doesn't sound that crazy to me," I teased her.

"You're as crazy as her." Roza retorted but snuggled closer.

I kissed the top of her head.

"I had a feeling you'd say that."

THE END

I'll post an A/N after this chapter :)