New chapter! Thank you to everyone who reviewed it meant so much. Enjoy!


I was woken by voices muttering above me. My mind immediately went to Strigoi and I wanted to punch myself for being so stupid. Here I was lying in a ditch, during the vampiric day, in such close proximity to court- a known Strigoi hunting zone, and then falling asleep, without even covering myself up, or finding a better hiding spot. I inched the hand hidden beneath my body to the stake I kept stashed in my pants, and getting a firm grip on it, kept completely still, and calmed my breathing to replicate sleep. They were speaking in soft murmurs but when I focused I could hear them quite distinctly. Hoping to find some advantage to work with I listened in, firstly hearing a relatively young male voice.

"Is she alive?" He asked.

"She's alive." A female voice muttered in reply.

"What do we do?" Another male voice questioned. Three so far. I could handle that.

"Keep walking." The female voice answered again.

"Not helpful, Jade." The first voice replied. This discussion didn't seem typical for a strigoi, and as they talked and their varying emotions came across, I became quite certain these were not strigoi.

"Sorry, just stating an opinion." The female answered sharply.

"A wrong opinion." The first voice again replied.

"An opinion can't be wrong." The female retorted.

"Whatever" The first male said childishly, it even sounded like he stuck out his tongue. Definitley not strigoi.

"Both of you be quiet! You'll wake her up." The third voice spoke again.

"Already awake!" I said, utilising the element of surprise as I sprung off the ground, simultaneously shoving my stake back into my belt. The three all jolted in surprise and then stared at me curiously all three scanning me from head to toe. Well I could play this game as well, and tossing my hair behind my ear, took my own observations. The female, Jade, was breathtakingly beautiful and looked around my age, with long blonde hair put in a high ponytail, and bright blue eyes. She had high cheek bones and pale alabaster skin. She was wearing black jogging leggings, along with a navy t-shirt with a faded skull on it, and a black biker jacket. Her eyes had hardened at the sight of me popping up, but had softened slightly as she took in my dishevelled state. Both men looked roughly my age or a year or two older and were wearing black sweats, one with an olive shirt and the other a black muscle tee. The olive shirt guy had sandy blonde hair, and green eyes that reminded me of Adrian's. Black muscle tee looked slightly oriental, with tan skin, smooth caramel brown hair, and dark brown eyes. But between the three there were startling similarities. They all had a black tattoo on their inner left wrist, all looked extremely strong and attractive, all carried silver stakes, and all three were damphirs.

"Shit!" Jade swore, snapping me out of my observations. "You're a dhampir."

"No shit Sherlock, so are you." I replied, meanwhile trying to work out why three damphirs who were obviously unpromised were just walking along this road, and what threat they possessed.

"No, I meant how did we not notice that, it was so obvious." She said, raking her fingers through her hair.

"Don't be too upset, it's just misclassifying your own race." I replied, smirking at her. I had to be tough, they had already seen me in the ditch, but they had to see I wasn't scared. And I had to prove it to myself as well.

"I like her." It was the first voice I heard and it came from the blonde guy, with the olive shirt.

"Well I hope you've had enough time to view her." I emphasised. "But I must be going."

"Where are you going?" The brown haired man drawled.

"Somewhere." I said sharply.

"That sounds like a great plan." Jade said, raising her eyebrow. It reminded me so much of Dimitri, I felt my knees falter and before I knew it I was on my butt, in the ditch again, memories rushing in. All three rushed forward, and Jade gave me a hand and pulled me to my feet.

"You okay?" She asked worriedly.

"I'm fine." I said rubbing my forehead wearily, "Just fine."

Brown hair guy scoffed, but after an elbow in the ribs from Jade, put a subdued look back on his face. "Are you a court guardian?" He asked.

"I was."

"And now?" Jade asked.

"And now I'm not." I replied.

"Why?" Blonde guy asked. I stayed silent.

"Way to be sensitive, Ian. She obviously doesn't want to talk about it." Jade butted in, I gave her a faint smile, and went back to staring at my surroundings.

"So who are you?" The blonde guy, I now knew was Ian asked.

"Same question!" Jade said, frustrated.

"No, I meant name. Sorry to pry darl, but I don't particularly want to keep calling you 'Girl in the Ditch'." Not only did Ian look slightly like Adrian, he also sounded like him.

I gave him a warm smile, "No worries, I was calling you Blonde guy, and you Brown hair guy." I said pointed at the two respective men in turn.

"What about me?" Jade called

"She was calling you gorgeous." Ian suggested.

Giving Ian a shake of the head, I addressed Jade " I heard you talking earlier and knew you were Jade and in answer to your question I'm Rose, Rose Ha-" I paused not willing to give out my full name. "Just Rose."

"Well 'Just Rose' as you already know I'm Ian, that blonde bombshell over there is Jade," At that Jade gave him a quick swat on the arm. "And that guy over," he said pointing at Brown hair "is Seth." I nodded my head in acknowledgment and he gave me a lazy smile in return.

"Is it my turn to ask questions now?" I asked. The sooner I got these answers, ascertained their interest, and then was able to take my leave, the better.

"Go ahead." Seth answered.

"Who are you?" I questioned.

"I thought we already went throughout that, I'm Ian, he's Seth, and she's-" Ian answered, deliberately misunderstanding my question.

"No." I said, trying to kept my patience, all the while trying to keep back the nausea that was steadily rising. "I meant why are three unpromised dhampirs, who all obviously belong to the same organisation, walking along the road to court?"

"It's a long story." Jade started.

"I've got time." I answered, crossing my arms across my chest.

"Well the thing is I don't think-" Jade continued.

"Hvatit!" Seth broke in, I jerked my head up in surprise.

"You speak Russian?" I asked incredulously.

"Do you?" He asked warily.

"No, I just- I just used to know someone who did." I said, swallowing back the pain.

"Sorry about the interruption, I just need to have a quick discussion with my friends." Seth said, ushering his friends to the opposite side of the road, where they all began to quickly converse in Russian, with frequent glances back at me. Once I realised I couldn't understand a word they were saying, they were speaking so fast, I sat down on the ground and rested my head in my palms. Subconsciously I felt my mind reaching for something, searching and searching and not finding. The bond. It was gone, and I was finally completely alone. I would very quickly have to get used being in my own head all the time. It also shook me that no longer would I be able to check Lissa's safety, and that I really would have to depend on the royal guard that Hans and I had handpicked. I just hoped she'd keep her promise and not make any stupid decisions without me to help her control her spirit. I dwelled in my thoughts, my heart sinking lower and lower, as the consequences to my actions really struck home. About five minutes later, I felt them all approach, and I got to my feet, wiping the dust off my pants, and pushing a weary hand through my hair.

"And?" I asked, no longer willing to humour them.

"We have a preposition." Jade said, pronouncing her words carefully.

"Okay?"

"We would like you to come with us." Ian jumped in.

"Wait, what? I don't even know you people, and you just want me to follow you blindly. I don't know how stupid you think I am but trust me I'm not that stupid." I said, my dark thoughts following me to this conversation.

"Look," Seth said, stepping in, "You were right when you said we were all from the same organisation, but we're not unpromised. All of us graduated, we just are no longer in the system. We belong to a group of dhampirs, who are all dedicated to fighting strigoi we can just no longer do it within the confines of the Moroi world."

"You mean you got expelled from Court, for whoever knows what, and know you want me to join your little renegade group? You've got to be kidding me." I said rolling my eyes.

"We're not the only ones." Jade interrupted. "We've got over a hundred dhampir with us, and a training centre and-"

"I think what Jade's trying to say is that we're not disorganised, and we didn't get expelled, we left for various reasons. Much like you I suppose." Seth said giving me a disapproving look.

"Who the hell do you think you are? You know nothing about me. Nothing. I'm nothing like you. I'm not running away. I had to go. Do you think I wanted to? I've had enough. I'm leaving now." My temper was finally getting the better of me.

"Sorry. Don't go. Please. Look I don't know what's happened to you, but I do know we all have secrets and I'm not going to press you for yours, I just need you to trust me when I say we mean you no harm, and are really just trying to help. I realise you may have some plan, but I suspect not, and I promise, you'll be much safer with us." Seth pleaded.

"I'm not worried about my safety." I said, quietened, by his honest tone. "But you're right when you say I have nowhere to go. Can you promise me one thing, though? Before I seriously consider this."

"What is it?" Jade asked

"None of you, will ever push me on what happened at court, or make any inquiries. And that stands whether I go along with your preposition or not." I said seriously, eyeing each of them. If I was ever to move on from the minefield that was my old life I needed this clean break. No reminders.

"Of course." Ian answered.

"No worries." Jade offered, giving me a kind smile.

I looked at Seth and saw him hesitating before he nodded his head slowly. "It's a deal."

"What do I have to do to get in?" I asked

"You have to pass the initial testing, mostly just sparring and staking." Jade started. "Then Master Gregori will have to talk to you. He'll decide."

"And if he decides no?" I asked. They all squirmed.

Ian finally broke the silence. "Even if he decides no, which I assure you, he won't, you'll still be given some cash and a new I.D. to start over again." Hearing that information was all I needed. All three dhampirs looked in good shape and happy, and though I had no idea what this group was, I was willing to try it. Even if I didn't pass, which I really doubted, I would still be given all I needed to move on. Start a new life. I slowly nodded my head.

"Well then I suppose I'm coming with you." I said. All three broke into smiles, and Jade moved forward to embrace me. At first I stiffened, but then I reluctantly patted her on the back, and she stepped away. Next came Ian, he didn't attempt a hug, but he gave me a large smile, and moved to stand with Jade. Lastly came Seth, I could tell he was the unelected leader of the group, just by the way they followed him and as he moved forward, I straightened my posture. He might think he was in charge of this group, but I was just as strong as him, probably a better fighter, and I wouldn't let him see me hesitant.

"Welcome." He said softly, and stuck out his hand for a shake. I hesitated momentarily as my hand moved forward, his hand looking startling like Dimitri. Trying desperately to fight off those thoughts I gave his hand a firm pump and dropped it, trying all the while to look like I was calm and in control. I gave him a firm nod, which he answered with another smile, and with that I promptly vomited on his shoes.


Again thank you to everyone who reviewed. If you have any advice, or ideas on where thee story will go. Tell me, I promise I'm friendly. Also I'm looking for a Beta so if you're interested just PM me. Thanks for reading and review.