Chapter 38

Blood payment

Janine's POV

I stood next to Rose, my wonderful daughter. It all just happened in a blur. She was brought down to the ground by a guardian who surprised her. He brought his stake up and-

I knelt down and threw myself between him and Rose. I was small, so this was an easy task. I lay myself over Rose and the guardian struck my stomach with his stake. He jumped back, leaving the silver object imbedded in my gut. Rose's scream pierced through the tense air and everyone around us stopped fighting. Even the highly trained guardians and Dimitri, who were locked in a brutal battle, froze in their steps. Rose struggled to get out from under me. She did so, and lifted me into her arms. Her hands fluttered over my wound.

"Rose-" I gasped, "There's nothing you can do." I let those words sink in. I paid for her life with my blood, and there was no going back now.

"L-Lissa- Adrian-" She stuttered.

"No." I said with force. "I am going to die and I am going to die knowing I did so for my daughter." At the end I was gritting my teeth from the pain.

Abe snapped out of the haze and came to my side. I stared up into his shocked face. But under that shock, was pure love. "Janine, love, what will I do without you?" I could see the tears start to flow. I lifted my arm and wiped of one stray droplet.

"Don't cry. No more tears. Stray strong for our daughter." I looked towards a tearless Rose. I knew that she really was crying, but tears don't come with being a Strigoi.

"I guess the no crying thing will be easy for me." She said, trying to make a joke to ease the pain. I smiled up at her. "Help keep everyone strong. Keep yourself strong. Stay with Dimitri. He loves you very much." She hastily nodded, instinctively wiping her tearless eyes.

I looked toward Abe again. He took me out of Rose's lap and into his own. I cringed from pain, but ignored it. He stroked my curly hair and whispered kind things to me. "Abe, I love you. I regret leaving and not letting you see our daughter. Tell her that you are here to make up for my lost time." He nodded and kissed me; I tried to stretch up, but the pain overtook that motion. I gasped and sighed as the pain disappeared and I started floating.

Rose's POV

My mother's eyes closed, with a content smile on her face. I looked at her motionless body and my breathing started to quicken. I closed my mouth, and tried to calm myself by breathing through my nose. It didn't work.

I got up and started to run, knowing what was coming. I ran out through the doors, my extra strength ripping the thick large doors from their ornate gold hinges. People stared at me, and guardians started to flock around me seeing my pale skin. One came towards me and I back handed her in to the wall. I fought my way through and walked outside. I started to run again, straight towards the wards.

Just because I was going to freak out and go Strigoi, I wasn't going to let innocent people die for it. As soon as I broke out of the wards, I let myself go. I screamed as the rational part of me disappeared.

Dimitri's POV

I know that Rose was completely unaware of me following her. She threw guardians around, making sure not to kill them, and made her way outside the wards. She screamed and I knew that the Roza I loved was gone.

She turned to the gates where a car full of Moroi started to come out. He grin was cruel, and I could tell she was meaning to attack this car. I couldn't let her do that. She would never forgive herself. I jumped on her back and we both toppled onto the ground, rolling in the dirt. I wrapped my arms and legs around her, but she broke free. We both got up circling. She lunged towards me and I grabbed her arm. I swung her around and she hit a nearby tree. I stalked over to her, anticipating what she might do next.

What I wasn't anticipating, though, was Lissa running outside the wards. Rose's head snapped toward her best friend. She grinned sadistically again and lunged at her with incredible speed. She whipped around Lissa and grabbed the pale Moroi's head. Rose's fangs bit deep into Lissa's neck.

But before I could jump into action, Adrian ran out and rested his hands on Rose's back. I could see his intense concentration. Apparently, Lissa could feel it, and she put her hands on Rose's face.

I ran up to them, but when I got there, Rose dropped to the ground, along with Lissa, with a wobbling Adrian standing over them. Rose looked completely like a dhampir again, and was staring at what she had done to Lissa. Adrian knelt next to Lissa and healed her with his remaining power. He collapsed next to Lissa who just patted his hand. Lissa got up and grabbed my hand.

"Lissa, no-" I tried to stop her.

"Too late." I felt the rush of being healed and then looked down at my hands. They were my regular skin color again.

"Thank you." I said.

"No problem." She said and looked at Rose. "Rose, are you okay?"

"No, I'm not okay! Look what I did to you Liss!" She curled herself into a ball. "I'm a horrible person…"

"Oh, Roza." I swooped her into my arms and let her cry into my shoulder. "It's okay. Shh…" I tried to calm her down as all four of us walked back to the gates.

Alright, I know it was short but it's all I got for know. I can't tell you how sorry I am. And it took me a long time to decide on who I was going to kill off, so I killed Janine. I know, I know, I'm a horrible person. Please review!