I'm in shock for a minute.

Glued to the ground beneath my feet.

And then I snap back into reality.

I run after the Contas' until I'm only a few feet away from them, slowing to a pace more suitable for my jet-lagged body. There are few things on my mind. One of them being Lissa. I figure I won't be able to search for her until tomorrow night, and I take my only suitcase from a guy who helps the rest of them.

"I got it," I say before strolling along with my suitcase.

I glance over at the Contas' who, judging by their looks, are very, very happy. I can't help but smile, too, except that Julius is walking along me with a wide smirk on his lips. I stroll up to him a way that doesn't look rushed.

"What the heck was that?" I hiss.

Julius is taken aback by the sudden hostility in my voice. "What?" he asks as if he has no idea what I am talking about.

"The whole deal back there," I say. "That was so not. . . cool."

Julius laughs. "Is that a problem, Rosemarie?"

I bite my lip. Is it? "Yes," I say, a little doubtful. "Stop calling me Rosemarie, too. I already told you."

"Yes, you did," Julius says, "but I won't, and I can't."

"What?" I ask, narrowing my eyes.

Julius shrugs and replies with, "Rose is what most people call you, right?" Roza, too. Or somebody used to. Julius continues. "I don't want to be most people."

"That's stupid," I say.

"We all have our own opinions." He seems to have found a newfound interest in my face, and I take it in the most uncomfortable, awkward way possible.

I sigh. "Why do I even bother to try and talk to you?"

"That," Julius says, "will always be a mystery to me."

And like that, our argument disperses, our problems with each other disappear. Or most of them, anyway. I still hold a distance from him.

Julius runs his hands through his hair, his hair being close to black now. It looks soft as a raven's feather. For all I know he could be a raven. Pale skin, green eyes, and almost-black hair. I bet his hair is soft.

In my head, I spell out the word "stalker." I bite my lip, sparing a glance at Julius beside me.

"Hey," I say quietly.

"What?" he asks. We start to enter the courtyards surrounding Court. There are dozens of Moroi walking around, looking at us up and down, and they all know that I'm a guardian. A few dhampirs even gnawed at me. I can't help but smile and look down at my shoes.

"I once heard this place has a pretty awesome library," I say. "Would you be up to visiting it anytime soon?"

Julius looks surprised at my offer, his emerald eyes looking me up and down, like I have suddenly changed into a different creature. I'm also stunned. Why would I say something like that?

"Sure," he says. "When?"

I glance down at my digital watch. "We'll meet in a few hours, okay? We've got after seven hours of nighttime left. Also, I really want to explore Court." I glance around the gorgeous surroundings.

Old but modern buildings cradling us in a vast courtyard. Birch and maple trees and all sorts of different flowers sprouting from the ground. The Court branches out, and I doubt I could find each and every secret in the cracks and crevices here.

Guest housing is a long way from here. I split with the Contas' to find my own temporary apartment. Jack and I exchange several notes so that I can take time off to hang out with Julius at the library. He looks annoyed that I'm slacking off for a few hours, but in the end, he lets me go.

I go to guest housing and find my room, dumping all my stuff into the center of the room and changing into lighter clothing, but still maintaining the guardian look.

I grab some cash and a sweater before leaving guest housing and strolling through Court. I still get the occasional glance, some of admiration, some of respect. I feel more confident walking around as a guardian, a person held higher because of my ranking. I'm no longer Rose the novice; I'm Rose Hathaway, the guardian.

I walk through courtyards and soft green grass that almost looks like it was painted on the ground. It's airy here, and I want desperately to explore everywhere, every place here. I wonder if Julius would be up to this. After all, I wouldn't want to explore this place by myself. If Lissa were here, she could show me, but I have to substitute Julius for Lissa.

That can't be so bad, right?

I find a small café at Court, one that serves croissants and hot fudge and a dozen different flavors of coffee. I order a pumpkin spice latte and caramel chocolate fudge, taking a seat by the window and eat in silence, sipping and enjoying the hot pumpkin coffee and nibbling on my fudge.

And I suddenly wonder if inviting Julius was a bad idea.

I meet Julius at my room in guest housing. He's sitting on the floor, his legs sprawled out before him, a book in one hand and an unlit cigarette in the other.

I crinkle my nose. "Please don't tell me you smoke."

Julius glances up. "Hey." He looks at the cigarette in between his fingers. His eyebrows furrow, creating a crease between his eyes. "No, not really. I'm just cooling off, you know."

"Yeah, I guess," I say, unlocking my door and grabbing my bag near the door. I slam the door after walking out and Julius follows me.

He sniffs the air. "You smell like pastries."

I laugh. "Thanks for smelling me, creep," I say. "And, by the way, I went to a little café. The food is a-maz-ing. I'll have to show you it."

"I prefer we go to the library," Julius suggests.

Julius and I walk across Court, looking for any signs of a library. We get lost twice, one time ending up back at guest housing, near mine. We finally ask someone, get directions, and go on our way.

Julius is still fumbling with the unlit cigarette. "I hate smoking."

I think of Adrian. I'm sure he would disagree with Julius. "You should throw it away, then."

Julius lets out a huff of cold air. "I can't. I. . . I need this."

"Okay, whatever," I say. I don't feel like getting somewhere deep with Julius. I don't ever want to be deep with Julius. Ever.

We arrive at the library, which, may I say, is huge, paintings of former Moroi royalty and long-dead king and queens on the walls. The vaulted ceiling has a huge painting of angels playing harps and others dancing.

Julius immediately grabs my hand and pulls me toward a deeper part of the library. We pass the front desk, the clerk giving us a nasty look. What's with librarians, anyway?

"Here," Julius stops when we reach the end wall, all the way across from the entrance. I can't even see the front anymore, and for a second I think we're practically lost in a huge hole of books, but I don't doubt that Julius knows where he's going. Or does he?

Julius shows me a book, a medium-sized one, and I recognize the blocky words on the cover. To Kill a Mockingbird. I realize how much of a classic the book is, and what it's doing in a Moroi library, but who cares? I also realize that Julius is still gripping my hand.

I clear my throat and when Julius glances down at her intertwined hands and fingers, he releases his grip, replacing his warm hand with the book.

"Read that," he says, clearing his throat and moving on to a corner where a pile of stacked books sit.

"If there were an earthquake, we'd be buried alive in here," I say, making a mental note to stay a safe distance away from the towering piles of books.

"We would have to read our ways through," Julius says, sparing me a glance. "I wouldn't mind that. Reading for survival."

"Ha-ha," I mutter, sliding into a hair wooden chair. Julius slides in across from me, giving me a gentle smile when he settles. He opens the book in front of him and we read for a little while. I don't feel like starting To Kill a Mockingbird right now, so I get up and scan through the shelves, pulling out a book on Moroi history. I flip through the book until I land on a page of Vladimir and his guardian, Anna.

I sit down a read for a few minutes. When I look up, Julius is reading his book, the novel sprawled out on the table, his fists clenched so tight that his knuckles are white. I try to look at his tightened grimace and clenched fists as I read.

I finally reach a part about St. Vladimir's healing powers. "A Spirit-user," I murmur to myself.

"Huh?" Julius asks.

"Uh, nothing," I say, putting the book back in its place. "Just talking to myself."

"Oh." Julius paused. "I'll be right back."

Before I could ask where he is going, Julius walks in stride and disappears around the corner, behind a bookcase. It's creepy being in the gigantic library by myself, or so it seems. I know there are more people here, somewhere, buried among the hundreds of thousands of books. But, in a way, I feel almost lonely. I actually fear I'm lost.

Until Julius shows back up.

"Let's go," he says and starts to walk away.

I grab To Kill a Mockingbird and run after him. Julius is already halfway across Court when I come back out after checking out the book.

"Hey, what's up?" I ask when I reach Julius. I am panting, out of breath.

"Nothing," Julius says. "I'm. . . hungry, that's all."

"Oh." I remember that Julius is a Moroi. He drinks blood. Human blood. He's not a dhampir like me. He needs blood. It's essential, it's his life. It's his survival.

But it still comes as a shock when he walks into this huge building and walks to a woman behind a pedestal. I have never seen Julius visit the Contas' private feeder in their house, nor have I ever thought about it.

It's almost as disturbing to think about as with Alexis. And Henry.

Before I can refuse to Julius about going back with him, he grabs my arm tightly and leads me into one of the feeder stalls, taking a seat by the dazed and confused feeder. She's a girl, a pretty one, and a young one, with damp blonde hair and glazed lapis lazuli eyes. I am almost jealous of her, her pretty smile as she turns to Julius. She's so lost, on the high of a Moroi's bite. I know how that feels.

She's also so young, too young, to be wasting her life as a feeder. Poor girl, I think, as I sit on a chair away from the feeder and Julius, the book lay carefully in my lap.

Julius doesn't hesitate before biting into the girl's throat. Before that, though, he gives me a look that almost says, "Sorry I am a bloodthirsty vampire of the night, but I got to eat somehow."

That's why I grimace when he bites into the soft flesh of her neck and she lets out a quiet moan.

I am quiet as Julius walks out of the stall and we leave shortly after. He dabs at the corners of his lips with a baby wipe, not even looking at me.

He's a vampire, he's a vampire, he's a vampire, I remind myself.

"What are you thinking about?" Julius asks.

Oh crap, he's caught me. He knows I'm thinking about him. . . "Nothing," I whisper quietly, looking down at my feet as we walk.

"You're lying," Julius says. "It's about me, isn't it?"

Is he a mind reader? "No. I mean, yes, but, no. I mean-"

"I know it's not pretty." Julius nods back at the feeder building we just left. "But that's what every Moroi does."

"Yeah, I guess so," I say, "but I've only ever been with one person while feeding. It's sort of. . . I don't know, wrong to watch Moroi feed. Like I'm intruding on a very private moment. Like it's not for my eyes."

"If that's how you feel, I'm sorry," he says. "I promise not to bring you anymore. I was. . . I was just starving."

"I understand," I murmur.

"Do you want to go back to the library?" he asks.

"No."

"Are you hungry?"

"I ate at that café, remember?"

"Yeah." Julius looks at me. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes."

"Are you lying?"

"No. . . No," I repeat.

"Rose?"

I glance up from my shoes and see the silhouette of a very slim figure, female. The stars in the sky and the twinkling of the lights show off golden hair. And long, slim hands tremble.

Oh my God.

Oh my freaking God.

I wish I could turn around and tell Julius to cover his ears, but I don't. I can't. All I can do is scream one word, one name.

"LISSA!"

I scream her name, and then just scream in general, running up to the Dragomir princess and enveloping her in a tight hug. I'm in her arms in a millisecond, and I can't tell you how good it feels to be beside Lissa again, near her. I can feel her, see her, talk to her.

Home. I think. She's apart of home, she's my best friend, my sister. It's Lissa. It's really her.

"Oh, God, Rose," Lissa whispers, "You have no idea how much I missed you."

"Are you really here?" I ask.

She laughs slightly. "Yeah, it's me. I was never expecting when I came to Court that I would see you. . . It's a coincidence. And it's so amazing."

"Yes it is," I say back.

We hug in silence for a minute.

"Lissa-"

"Who's the cute guy?" she whispers in my ear.

"Huh?" I say, pulling away from Lissa and glancing over my shoulder. I see Julius standing there, awkward as can be, as if he's the one intruding on a private moment. "Oh yeah," I say. "That's Julius Conta. He's the nephew of my charge."

Lissa gives me a pretty smirk and says, "Are you two. . . ?"

I gap at her a minute before realizing what she's asking. "Oh!" I exclaim. "No, no, no. We're just. . . uh, friends, I think."

"Ah, I see," Lissa says, then looking at Julius. "Hello, I'm Lissa Dragomir." She holds out her hand, giving Julius a bright smile, one that's friendly and brings comfort to those around her.

Julius clears his throat, then takes Lissa's hand and shakes it. "Julius Conta. It's nice to meet you, Vasilisa."

"Oh, please, call me Lissa," Lissa says.

I scoff. "Yeah, like that'll work." Lissa frowns. "He has a particular interest of annoying people by calling them by their full name," I explain, giving Julius a hard look, a hint of humor in it.

"Well, Lissa, how has your visit been?" One of Julius' eyebrows pop up.

"Oh, that's cruel," I say.

We all laugh, and I realize how relaxed I am now. I have Lissa now. And where Lissa is, everyone else is, too. All of them.

And that makes me happy.

I return to my room after Lissa promises to surprise Adrian, Christian, and Mia with me and my long-time disappeared face. It will probably be tomorrow, and I can't wait. So I take a shower, unpack my stuff, and for the first time take in my room.

It's three rooms, actually. The first room, the one I walk in to every time I enter my guest housing, is huge room with a day-bed, a desk, a bookcase, and a small table with two matching chairs in front of a big window. The other is a bathroom, and the third room is a sitting room, with another desk, a couch, and a TV. It's also where I have to hang all my clothes.

I slick back my hair into a messy bun and flop on to the day-bed with no plans except the lazy intentions to eat pack of salted pretzels and sour gummy bears, and read To Kill a Mockingbird until I pass out from exhaustion.

And trust me, that won't take long.

A/N: Aah! Twenty chapters and I am no where near done. I'm so happy. This fanfic has turned into so much more than I thought it would. Thanks guys so much. I appreciate it. Y'all make this story possible. Hope you liked the fast update. ;)