I'm so sorry you've had to wait so long for this chapter, and I hope to be on a regular updating schedule soon. I won't write anymore, just read!


"Sorry about your shoes." I apologised, looking at Seth trudging along the road in his bare feet, his soggy shoes in one hand.

"No big deal." He said, shrugging his shoulders.

"You'll hurt your feet, the asphalt's burning in this heat." I worried.

"We'll be at the car soon." Ian told me. I ground to a halt.

"Car?" I questioned, until now I had just thought we were headed to somewhere near Court.

"You didn't think we'd walk all the way did you?" Jade said with a laugh.

"Well, since none of you will tell me anything else, how was I meant to know?" I said indignantly.

"We'll be at the car in about five minutes, and then it's about a two hour drive." Jade informed me.

I kept my face blank, but inside I was worrying. It was scary enough having to travel with three complete strangers, let alone be taken to an unknown location. I had no clue where this two hour drive would take me, but at least it would get me away from Court.

As I thought about Court, a pang went through my chest as my thoughts went back to Dimitri and Lissa, and all the others I'd left behind. I could feel the walls I'd built around my emotions start to crumble, and I pushed them back, driving away the memories and emotions that linked me to Court. I had to stop thinking about it, I need to move on, try to forget, it's the only way to keep the people that I missed so much, safe from harm.

Jade put an arm around my shoulder, sensing my sudden discomfort. "Don't worry. We're not mad or crazy, or very dangerous, we're normal Dhampirs, and you'll be just fine." She reassured me.

"Speak for yourself." Ian objected. "Personally I think I'm very dangerous- and crazy." He said pulling a face. Seth shoved him in the shoulder, and he stumbled, then righting himself Ian launched himself onto Seth's back. Seth jolted, but stayed standing, and then took off down the road, Ian clinging to his back.

"See." Jade said giving me a gentle nudge. "We're normal- most of the time." I smiled at her, the boys childish behaviour setting my mind at rest. Suddenly I heard a car horn blaring, and then a black SUV shooting down the road towards us. I moved out of instinct, pushing Jade off the road and launching myself after her. I heard the car stop, and then two doors slam. Seth and Ian looked down at Jade and I lying on the ground, and burst out laughing.

They continued laughing for most of the drive, while Jade grumbled about her ripped jeans, and I muttered apologies. After about two hours, Ian slowed and pulled over. Jade looked at me apologetically.

"Look I'm sorry, I trust you, I really do, but it's procedure. I really don't want to do this." She said, almost wringing her hands. I looked at her warily.

"Do what?"

"This." Seth called out from the front seat, and I whipped my head around, not noticing till too late Jade's hand moving down to strike my neck. And with that, everything went black.

I woke up slowly, rolling my neck a few times, before slowly opening my eyes. I was lying on a low cot in a dark room, with a blanket covering me. It didn't look like my room in Court, and nothing like Lissa's. Going in for my second scan of the room, I noticed a figure leaning in the corner. What was Dimitri doing, sitting in the corner? Why wasn't he with me? Only then did I realise that I wasn't at Court, and that it wasn't Dimitri in the corner. On closer examination, it looked to be Ian. My eyes momentarily filled with tears as I realise the truth of my predicament. I had no idea where I was and I would never see Dimitri again. Noticing I had woken up, Ian stood up, and walked over, as I slowly sat up.

"Sorry." He said, giving me a small smile.

"What are you doing here?" I said sharply.

"They sent me, because I was the only one you actually knew who wasn't really involved in knocking you out."

"Firstly, who is they? Secondly, what the hell was that? I trusted you, and then suddenly you knock me unconscious. What's wrong with you people?" I said furiously.

"Can I sit down?" Ian asked, gesturing at the bed. I nodded my head sharply and moved out of his way as he sat down beside me.

"They are Jade, Seth and Master Gregori." Seeing my look of confusion, he elaborated. "Master Gregori runs this place, he set it up all by himself as a safe haven for Dhampirs, that wasn't run by Court. He's a really great man, I'm sure you'll like him. Jade was right when she said that knocking you out was procedure. Because we've all gotten out of the Court system, we don't really want to be dragged back. We knock out all newcomers, it's just a security precaution."

"Couldn't you just blindfold me?"

"It's procedure." Seth told me again, shrugging his shoulders.

"How long have I been out?"

"About two hours? It's late afternoon."

"So what happens now?" I asked.

"Now you meet Master Gregori, and he'll evaluate you, and see if you can stay."

"Okay." I said heaving myself off the bed. "Let's do it."

Ian gave me a wider smile this time, and led me out of the room. We passed through several corridors and entered a wide room that was painted almost entirely white, with dark floorboards and a high ceiling.

Standing in the room were Seth and Jade, with another man standing beside them. He looked around forty, and had shoulder length hair, tied back in a short ponytail. Like Dimitri, I noted. His face was lined, and he looked like he had seen more death than most, kind of like my expression after Spokane. He looked stern, but as we entered he gave me a nod and a smile and moved to stand in front of me.

"You are Rose?" He asked.

"Yes."

"I am Master Gregori. We will be conducting some testing to see if you are suitable for our organisation. Are you ready?"

"I'm ready." Master Gregori nodded again, and then flashed his hand in some type of signal, and then Jade started attacking me. Shocked at first, she got the upper hand, but when I realised this was my test, I fought back. She tried to land a kick at my side, but I evaded her attack, darting to the side, and managed to grab her foot and pull, forcing her forward. Momentarily off balance, I managed to get a clean shot at her stomach, causing her to crumple over. But knowing that she'd recover soon, I didn't stop there. I tackled her to the ground and used the weight of my body to pin her arms behind her own back, trapping her.

I placed my hand on her heart. "Dead" I pronounced.

"Nice." Jade said, impressed. I gave her a hand, and pulled her upright. I was given a moments rest, and then it began again.

The process continued with Seth and Ian, with me beating them each time. Eventually all three of them attacked, surrounding me with whirling limbs and flashing fists. I ducked to the side, and managed to position myself so only Jade was behind me. Seth took action immediately, charging me, holding out his arms ready to push me to the ground. Noticing Jade was directly behind me, I stepped to the side just as Seth reached me and unable to stop he fell heavily onto Jade. They collapsed to the floor in a heap, leaving me with only Ian to take care of.

Ian was more wary than the others, not directly attacking, but I decided to wait him out, and eventually he moved, trying to land a kick on my side, I moved to the side, simultaneously grabbing his leg and twisting, flipping him onto his stomach midair. He landed heavily on the ground, winded. Ian rolled onto his back, and all three just lay there on the ground, staring at me in amazement.

"My turn." I heard, and then Master Gregori attacked, incredibly fast and lethal. I fought back, but my energy was ebbing, and every move I made was blocked, seemingly with no effort on his part.

Finally he changed gear, coming at me, making me move faster than I had ever moved before, our feet moving in a constant blur. Master Gregori made a sudden swing with a fist that I failed to block, and then while I was distracted, kicked my feet from underneath me. I landed heavily, and he held me down while I struggled, his iron grip holding me firmly underneath him. He placed his hand on my heart. "Dead."
"You're good." I gasped breathlessly. On his wrist he had the same black tattoo, as the others though now I could see it. It was a circle with small flames coming off it, a sun. Inside the sun was a star. It looked powerful, and strong. Everything I wanted to be.

"So are you."

"I lost." I stated simply.

"No one has ever won a fight with me, and no one has ever beaten those three." He said
giving a glance over his shoulders, where Jade, Seth and Ian still lay on the floor. "So I have one question. Who are you?"

"My name is Rose, and that's all I'm willing to tell you." I answered sharply.

"Okay." He said. "We all have secrets. Do you mind if I ask a few other questions. Nothing too specific, and you don't have to answer."

"Okay, go ahead." I said flippantly, trying to look like I wasn't trying to think up a really good back story. Nothing was coming to me.

"Are you a wanted criminal?" He started.

"Not anymore." He looked confused, but kept talking.

"Does anyone know where you are?"

"No." I said quietly.

"Will anyone look for you?"

"I don't know." I answered honestly. I knew Dimitri wouldn't just give up without a proper answer, but I hoped my words had hurt him enough that he wouldn't come looking for me.

"Lover?" He quizzed. I stayed silent. "Parents? Friends?"

Dammit. I'd forgotten to leave any message for my parents, and knowing Abe, he'd be looking everywhere for me. So would my mother. I'd just started to repair my relationship with her, and now I'd run away. So much for our mother-daughter bond. They were never going to let me go. Seeing my face flinch, Master Gregori, quizzed me closer.

"Who will look for you?"

My temper snapped, yet again.

"My parents." I yelled. "My parents will look, and they'll find me, and they'll drag me back, and everything will be ruined. I will have done all this for nothing. Nothing." My face sunk, as I realised I had failed to cut that final tie to Court. Dimitri wouldn't be safe anymore.

Jade, Seth and Ian looked startled at my sudden change in mood, but Master Gregori stayed calm.

"You don't know that they'll find you. Our location is very secure, and we have almost no connection with Court. Once you're one of us, you'll stay one of us. We'll protect you. Though from the look of your fighting skills, you won't need us. You can stay safe. You can even change your name if you want. No connection." I breathed out, not realising till then that I'd frozen.

"Could I really change my name?" I asked.

"Why not? We don't even know your last name, and I'm sure you can change your first name as well."

"I'll keep my first name." I said, not willing to give up that vital part of my identity. "And my last name…" I thought deeply, rapidly going through lists of names in my head. Belikov flickered in, and I wished desperately that Belikov would have been the only name change I had ever experienced. Registering that link with Dimitri, I decided. "My name is Rose Bell." Close enough to Belikov.

"Well then, Rose Bell, welcome to your new home."


Again sorry for the long wait, but I have a beta now, who is really helping me so it will be more regular. I've also revised the first two chapters, so they make more sense. Also coming up, will be a huge plot development, and then a time jump, so it will start speeding up. Please review with all your thoughts and ideas. They are much appreciated. Thanks for reading!