*sighs* I am soooo sorry. I have been having such troubles with saving my work, recently! I am so frustrated, the kind of frustration that makes you want to light fire to all of the characters in the story, as the last chapter was never supposed to be posted.

See, Tasha was involved in the last chapter. But she's supposed to be dead in this story. I only wrote it to relieve some writer's block... But my work didn't save, so that chapter ended up being posted. I kind of want to rip out my hair.

Just a little.

So, I decided to painstakingly rewrite this entire long chapter. But I've gotten back on track, and if you can bear with my technical difficulties, then I'll try as hard as I possibly can to not screw up this story... again.

*sighs again* Well, good luck to me. And if Rose or Dimitri spontaneously combust, then you know that one of my chapters probably didn't save again...

-PeaceRoseG'ladheon

"Dimitri!" I fly down the stairs, taking the steps three at a time. "Dimitri!"

He must have bolted as soon as he left my room, because the man is no where in sight. I can hear faint footsteps in the stairwell. The space is cold, and I wrap my jacket tighter around myself, feeling the weight of the stake in my pocket.

"Dimitri, wait!"

Dark and shadowing, the stairwell, I'll admit, creeps me out. The entire thing is made out of the same creepy stone that everything in the Court seems to be fashioned of. The flickering and dying lamp on the wall doesn't help, either.

Picking up the pace, I practically jump down the entire staircase, curving sharply and continuing down. "Dimitri!"

But suddenly, a warning, wary feeling flushes through me. Instinct. It coils and pulses in my gut, shifting and growing - breathing.

"Dimitri, please!"

But when I reach the bottom landing, a hand shoots out, clamping around my mouth and dragging me backwards, underneath the stairwell, preventing me from screaming.

Managing a muffled cry, I twist and fight against the corpse-like hands that hold me fast. I kick and fight, doing everything I can, but whatever grips me is just as talented at blocking my blind blows.

The light on the wall blinks out, and the shadows consume my vision. Even with my hightened senses, I can't see a single thing. Absolutely nothing.

But I can Hear it's heavy breathing.

Smell the thick scent of sweat and effort.

Feel it's cold, clammy skin.

Taste the sharp, tangy sting of it's hand clamped over my lips.

It, whatever he is, fills my senses. I struggle helplessly, while he covers my mouth and nose, suffocating me. No, I try to mumble, but my breath cannot escape, and the word falls useless against his palm.

My hands are pulled back, and I can't even move, can't even grab my stake. But when I feel a second pair of hands running up and down my sides, I really start to panic. The hands grope my hips, up to my ribcage, finally finding my coat.

But instead of tugging it off, the hands plunge into the inner pocket of my jacket. Tthe weight of the pocket lifts, as both the stake and the hands disappear. But then...if he could touch the stake...

The second man was Dhampir.

And a Guardian, too, apparently, because he slammed into me, his hand finding my hip and carefully manuvering around it, pushes the stake into the first man's body. The familiar hands grab mine and pull me from the stairwell. As soon as we exited the dark, confined space, I breathe a sigh of relief.

"Thank God, Dimitri," I mutter, and dig myself deeper into his protective chest. "How the hell did a strigoi get into Court?" And how the hell did I not sense it?

"Because," he says sharply. "That wasn't a strigoi. It was a Dhampir."

He pulls me across the terrace, leading me towards the Moroi's buildings. "Why would a Dhampir attack me?"

"Because Victor's trying to get to you."

I jerk my arm back, spinning Dimitri enough for him to face me. "Wait, wait. What the hell does Victor have to do with this? And how do you know this?"

Running a hand through his hair, Dimitri sighs. "I don't know for sure. But Rose, there are people back home. Dhampirs, trained dhampirs, who think that the Guardians are all enslaved. They go off, fighting strigoi by themselves. What would happen if a man shows up and promises that they could help 'free the dhampirs'? They're kids, very cocky, and probably think they can take on strigoi and Guardians alike."

I nod, trying to refrain from blushing. Hadn't I gone off with them, thinking I could just kill Dimitri and any strigoi who got in my way? Cocky, indeed. "I...okay?"

"Are you alright? I heard you calling for me. I got there just before the lights went out."

With another short nod, I wrap my arms around him. "Yes. Thank you. I thought... I thought I was going to die. Had a few experiences like that, I suppose."

Dimitri doesn't smile, doesn't blink. "Rose, we have to go."

"I'm not leaving Lissa!"

He begins to pull me again, dragging me along the grass. "We're going to Vasilisa. She needs protection. Viktor wants her, wants what she can do. You have to protect her."

"And what about you?" I argue back, running full speed now. "Where are you going?"

"To tell the Guardians."

I sigh. "Dimitri, no offense, but who's going to believe you?"

Instantly stopping, I almost run into him. "Then what do you suggest?" he says through gritted teeth. I don't believe he's mad at me, just extremely stressed and worried. Witnessing his former-student/love getting groped under the stairwell probably didn't help.

"Go find Lissa. She needs you. She needs to make sure you're alright."

His eyes narrow. "What about you? Don't you think she'll need you?"

"Dimitri, she's like your parent. She protects you, too," I point out.

"What about me, Rose? I'll be worried sick, I-"

"You'll live," I whisper, and nudge him towards the Moroi building, heading in the opposite direction. "Wait!"

I run back, through the chilled night air, and jump up, kissing Dimitri so passionately, it makes my whole body sway. He doesn't have time to react before I pull away, running towards the Guardian's offices.

If I was going to die, I wasn't going to go regretting anything.

...

But by the time I reach the offices, the Guardians are already well aware of the situation. They shuffle around, passing around nametags.

Nametags.

So that we are able to distinguish the Guardians from the attackers. They quickly give me mine, and I pin it onto my jacket.

"What about Guardian Belikov?" I ask, my question almost left behind in the dust of the fast-paced Guardians.

"What about Mr. Belikov?"

I growl for his sake. "He needs a nametag. He's not the attacker, and he's a Dhampir. Therefore, he needs to be identified."

Unhappy, they make me wait fifteen gruelling minutes before finally pressing the still-warm nametag into my hands. I take off, heading towards Lissa's dorm. But she's not even in her room. Terrified, I immediately slip into her head.

Dimitri paces in front of her, desperately, back and forth, while Lissa sits cuddled in the corner, sitting on the bed.

"Dimitri, calm down."

He pauses, taking a quick look at her, chewing at his fingernail, before continuing his pacing.

"Dimitri, stop it. She'll be fine, she'll come back without a scratch, you know Rose," Lissa soothes, although she is trying to convince herself more than Dimitri.

Shaking his head, Dimitri begins to desperately knead his hands. "You don't know that. She... something could happen. Viktor wants her. He wants you, but he could use her as bait. He... what if something happens to her? I'll never forgive myself. It's all my fault. I should have demanded-"

"Dimitri!" Liss cries, jumping off of the bed. "Rose is going to be fine! Okay? She'll be alright."

It is then that I notice Christian behind her. He pulls her back gently, cradling her in his arms, kissing the top of her head, then her neck, then her shoulders. He rubs her back gently, warmly, and calms her nerves.

Lissa turns her gaze back to Dimitri momentarily, to see him watching them regretfully. He turns again to pace, mumbling under his breath in Russian and shaking his head.

I am instantly brought back to myself. I bound up the stairs of the Moroi building, heading towards Christian's apartment. I burst in the door, Dimitri's tag gripped tightly in my hand. Without warning, I am instantly slammed against the wall, Dimitri shielding the two Moroi from the potential 'threat'. I suppose I deserved it for just coming through the door without any warning whatsoever.

But Dimitri suddenly realizes it's me, and buries his face into my neck. "Roza..."

I slip my hands up his chest, pinning the stupid piece of lamenated paper to his shirt. He pulls away, just enough to look down between us, fingering the nametag.

"Apparently, this is the Guardian's best defense against the attackers. Identification."

He doesn't even smile, but he leads me towards the small bed, pushing me down.

Yeah, right.

Jumping back up and avoiding his reach, I manage to manuver around him. "No way! I am not going to sit and be guarded!"

As always, he growls. "Please, Rose. Just this once? Please, this is different. You're the one under attack, not the Moroi you're guarding."

"What the hell!" Christian cries. "Will someone please tell us what's going on?"

So Dimitri and I are forced to explain the whole situation, our theories, and what the hell is going on.

Lissa begins to shiver, and Christian wraps his arms around her. "Viktor? How... Why now? Oh my God, he's coming after us."

Dimitri sits on the end of her bed, staring deep into her eyes. "I won't let him touch you."

His eyes drift to me, standing silently behind, trying so hard to keep my emotions in check.

"I won't let anything happen to either of you."

Lies.

The thought pops into my head before I can stop it.

But I know it's true.

I had to choose one, Lissa or Dimitri. I chose him, and look how well that turned out.

Choosing was never easy, but I'm sure owing your soul to one woman sure made the decision a hell of a lot easier, forget the past, forget former lovers.

Unfortunately for me, that means I'm the one left behind this time.

After countless times of running away, I guess I deserve it.

Karma's a bitch.

Well, Promise Bound is officially finished now... And I'm looking to write a new story! Except I don't have any ideas yet... :(