I could hear the buzzing, the electronic clattering around on the table. I squeeze my eyes shut, as if that will somehow numb my hearing, but, obviously, I had no luck, and the sound continued. I reach out blindly in the dark, groping the bedside table, and my fingertips brush the vibrating phone.

"...ello," I mumble weakly.

"Oh my God! Rose?" squealed a voice on the other end. I grunt.

"Shhh not so loud..." I mumble.

"Where are you? All you alright? Why did you leave? Come back, Rose, please! Why do you have Dimitri's phone?"

"Liss," I slur. "It's like, three in the morning here. I don't even remember the first question."

"Really? I'm so sorry! It's only around seven in the morning, here... Oh, Rose, I can't believe I'm talking to you! Where are you? I'll come and get you right away! You know I will! Rose-"

I groan again. "Too late, Liss. Already got caught by the Russian."

Lissa laughed in relief.

"I have a name..." came weakly from the other side of the room.

"Yeah, but it's too early to remember. So yeah, I'm fine, Liss. We'll be back to Court when they start letting the planes land.

Liss sighed. "Rose, why did you leave?" I can hear her voice, thick with tears.

"It's complicated."

I can hear my best friend sniff loudly. "That's not an answer."

"Liss, you know we'll talk when I get back."

"And you are coming back, right? Rose, you've really got to stop running away."

I chuckle softly. "Yeah, well I stay when my life starts going according to plan."

Lissa gives an exasperated sigh. "If that's the case, I'll never see you again!"

"Liss, I've got to go. I'm already exhausted, and Dimitri's not going to be happy if he has to deal with me tomorrow."

We bid each other goodbye, a pang going through my chest. I feel tears build up in my eyes.

"Two days back," says a voice from beside me. "And it will be like you never left."

I smile, my mind, once again, being read.

"But I want things to be like they were before all of this crap happened."

I could hear his deep breathing. "I do too, Rose," he whispers. "I do too."

...

Due to the early start this morning, I end up sleeping in more than usual. I wake up to the sight of Dimitri, in all his godliness, sitting in the armchair next to the window.

Reading a western novel.

I sit up and rub my eyes.

"Morning, Sleeping Beauty." Dimitri's eyes don't even stray from the pages of his books.

I snort. "Have you seen my hair in the morning?"

This time, he does look up, not raising his head, but just his playful eyes. "Either that, or during our practices you wanted to look like that."

"Shut up," I mutter, and the jerk smirks and returns to his book. I climb out of bed and into the bathroom, running a brush through my hair. After getting changed, we trade, Dimitri slipping into the bathroom while I flop down onto the office chair.

Bored, I spin in the chair, my eyes catching the mirror on the wall. I look thin, more like a Moroi than Dhampir, but am definately starting to gain weight. When living on my own, I was forced to survive eating only every few days, and my body had suffered for it.

I had lost most of my curves, and the features on my face looked sharper.

Suddenly, a figure appears behind me, his head cropped by the top of the mirror.

"You're looking better," Dimitri states, noticing how I am studying myself in the mirror. "Healthier."

I nod and shoot him a grateful smile, knowing that he is the only reason that I am getting better. But I quickly hide my emotions.

"The doughnuts are helping," I say, grabbing the chocolate ring off of the desk, one that Dimitri brings me every morning in exchange for my promise to not leave the room.

His face stays emotionless, and he nods curtly before turning back around.

"So, what's on the agenda for today?"

Dimitri sits on the edge of the bed and begins to slide on his shoes. "We're leaving," he says simply. I immediately brighten.

"We're going to Court?" I say excitedly, but Dimitri shakes his head.

"No, we're going to Baia."

...

Dimitri tugs me along through the crowded train station. "Why are we going to Baia?" I ask again.

Dimitri sighs, his eyes trained ahead. "Because it could be a very long time before they allow us, or any other planes, to enter Court. So we're going to be staying there in the meantime."

He gives a quick tug to my hand and pulls me onto the train. He walks fast, and I struggle to keep up. When we reach the tiny room, Dimitri allows me to enter before him, then closes the door and pulls down the blind.

The room is incredibly similiar to the one that I shared with Sydeny, although it appears we don't have any roommates.

"No one's staying with us in here?" I ask. Dimitri shakes his head, then gracefully sits on the small bench, pulling out his book.

"I bought four tickets. We've got the whole room."

After several seconds on silence, I grow bored. "I'm going to see if they have anything to drink."

Dimitri shoots out of his seat. "Absolutely not."

I raise my brows. "Excuse me?" So much for trusting me. "Dimitri, where am I going to run on a moving train?"

He sighs and gently grabs my wrist, leading me onto the hard, red benches.

"Rose, strigoi have been known to target these trains. I never sleep on my way to Baia. They're dangerous."

I nod. "So why did you make up the bed?" I ask pointedly.

"So you could sleep."

I snort. "That's stupid. We'll shift it, I'll guard at night-"

"No, Rose, you need to sleep."

"Says the guy who fell asleep on the hotel floor." That shut him up. "I'm guarding at night-"

"Rose-"

"So it's settled!" I say brightly. "Goodnight, Dimitri."

When I leave no room for arguement, Dimitri sighs and kicks off his shoes, falling into bed.

"Goodnight, Rose."