I wait anxiously, really wishing I had a source of cash. Adrian's debit card. I wouldn't use it anymore, I promised myself. Cards can be traced, and I knew Adrian wouldn't hesitate to. So I left it behind, not to tempt myself to use it. I pick up my duffel bag from the linoleum floor, and step up to the front desk.

A young human girl with long, red acrylic nails smiles at me. "How can I help you?"

"I need a ticket to Moscow."

She raises an over-plucked brow. "Okay..." Her nails strike against the keyboard at a rapid pace.

"Is cash okay?"

Her eyes widen in shock, slowly nodding. I hand her the bundle of bills. I had used Adrian's debit card only to get the cash for the ticket, and that's it. I couldn't take too much too soon. I hoped that Adrian might not realize that I had taken that much money for a plane ticket. At least not until I was safely out of the country where he couldn't find me.

"Thanks," I mumble as she hands me my ticket.

I was going to Russia. I couldn't go visit Dimitri's family, because they would surely tell Lissa or Abe. I was going to Russia because it was the only other place that I had felt was my home.

Unfortunately, I had to wait three hours until my flight. If Lissa realized I was gone, it would give her plenty of time to find me. Especially with Abe's connections.

So I go to the washroom, slipping into the largest stall, and sit on the floor. Leaning my head against the wall, I close my eyes and slip into Lissa's head.

...

Lissa was laying on the couch, Christian lying beside her, his head resting on her stomach while she stroked his hair.

"I know," she soothed. "I'm so sorry, Christian. I'll always be here for you."

When the Guardian's finally discovered Tasha was the true murderer of the Queen, she didn't give up without a fight. Unfortunately, this is what had ended her life. Christian had taken it extremely hard, with her being the only family he had left.

He pushed himself up, his bloodshot eyes meeting hers. "I love you, Liss. How did you do this? How could you lose all of your family?"

Lissa gives him a sad smile, a pang of grief running through her. "Because. I had Rose to help me through it. And you have me."

He returns her grief-filled look, but lays back down beside her.

"So?" he finally says. "Do you think Guardian Belikov has finally given up and went to see Rose?"

She freezes. "You..."

He smiles. "Yeah, I think he will, too."

Lissa relaxes, sinking back into the sofa. "He really loves her. God, it tore him apart when she was in jail. I hope he went to see her."

A loud knock echoes through the room, and Lissa and Christian don't move. "Come in!" Liss calls.

"Dimitri?"

"Guardian Belikov," Christian nods, rising to a sitting position.

Dimitri looks a little sheepish. "Christian. Princess. I was...wondering. Have you seen Rose? She's not answering the door. Or her phone."

Lissa smiles at his attempts, then freezes. "She's not in her room?"

"Or the cafe."

Some distant part of...my...mind registers Lissa's calling. Rose, where are you? Rose answer your phone! I'm getting worried...

With a nod from Liss, Dimitri pulls out his phone and dials Rose's, my, number. Back in my own body, I can hear the vibration of the phone. "She's still not picking up."

Lissa bites her lip in worry. Christian immediately takes her hand. "She probably just wants to be alone for a little while."

Dimitri looks pained. "Maybe she justdoesn't want to talk to me?" He says.

Lissa stands up. "I'm going to go check on her."

When the three of them reached my room, Lissa knocked loudly.

"Rose! Rose let me in, come on!"

Nothing.

"Rose, please, you're really scaring me!"

Nothing.

"Rose! Rose please, open the door! Roza, please, just open the door!" Dimitri called. Again, no answer. He cursed in Russian.

"Roza, I will break down the door!"

"Do it," Lissa encourages.

Dimitri steps back, tensing, then rears back and smashes his foot into the door. Being the Russian God he is, he only needs one kick to break the lock. The door swings open to reveal my unnaturally neat room.

They all rush in, and Lissa spies the envelopes on the bed. "Oh God."

She rips open her envelope, reading out loud.

"Dear Liss, I'm sorry I have to do this, but I have to leave. I love you, Liss, but this is for the best. You won't have to be associated with a suspected murderer... Oh God oh God oh God!"

She drops the letter and falls into Christian's arms. "She can't leave again! She can't leave me again!"

Dimitri is silent, flipping through the envelopes, reading the titles on each.

Lissa turns to him. "What does yours say?" she asks, tears running down her face.

Dimitri looks up, giving her a look that I recognized as him trying to be strong, trying not to cry.

"She didn't leave me one."

...

I slide back into my own body, haunted by the look on Dimitri's face.

"-call, boarding flight 67 to Moscow."

I jump up, grabbing my bag, and dash to my gate. I am the last one to board as I rush onto the plane.

Flopping down in my seat, I tried to resist the urge to check my phone.

Stop! If you get a message from Lissa, you'll want to go crawling back.

But no harm done if I just see if I have any messages, right? So I pull out my phone.

3 New Voicemails

"Excuse me?" I look up at flight attendant with a phosphorescent smile. "You're going to have to turn your phone off."

I glare at her and press my finger against the end button. The flight attendant waited for the electronic chime to leave, smirking at me. I had a long flight ahead of me.

The feeling of loss was just starting to creep over me. I was losing every thing, my best friend, my sort of ex-boyfriend, the man who I thought was the love of my life, my mom, my new-found father. Everyone.

Before I knew it, tears were sliding down my cheeks, and I tried to hide my face. I had nowhere to go, nothing to do. I was alone. Completely alone. And I was only eighteen. I had very little cash, and a debit card that I would have to destroy. I needed to get a job, which wouldn't be easy when I couldn't speak Russian.

I was screwed.

I wanted nothing more than to show up on the Belikovs' doorstep, to throw my arms around them and let them take me in. But then they would tell Dimitri, and he would tell Lissa, and than neither one of us could move on. I wanted her to be happy, not to be burdened by my reputation. Even Dimitri had made it clear that it was too painful to be around me, that he didn't love me anymore.

So, I was moving on, and letting everyone else move on, too.

But I wasn't quite ready. Not yet. Just one quick look.

And with that, I slip into Lissa's head.

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