So, I've had some comments about the characters seeming weird, acting strange etc.. Well it will all start to make sense real soon! Just hang in there with me ^.^

Chapter 4

Fuzzily, I remember Adrian putting a dressing on my neck and covering me with something soft and wonderfully heavy. I felt cocooned in a blanket of warm and sleep came quickly. It must have been only seconds since my eyes drooped when I was snapped back to the land of the living by the slamming of a door. I bolted upright, the head rush making me dizzy.

'Well, isn't she a charmer right now?' Adrian went over to a small table and poured himself a glass of what looked like whiskey. 'Geez, anyone would think it was her that had been bitten! Oh, little dhampir, are you ok?' He came and knelt beside me.

'Yeah,' I managed, my voice feeling as thick as the duvet covering me. 'I guess so.' My neck was sore, so incredibly sore, but part of me just wouldn't register what had happened or who had done it. Lissa bit me! Ok, so it wasn't the first time, nor would it probably be the last, if we sorted out this mess… But never had been like that. That was brutal. I'd felt like a piece of meat.

'Something's up with Christian,' I took the glass from Adrian, but rather than drinking it, I swirled it around, watching the amber liquid coat the edges then recede again. 'And Dimitri.' I added reluctantly. It was still something of a no-go area between Adrian and me, the way he looked at me sometimes… I just didn't want to rub my somewhat happy love life in his face.

'The whole place is weird! After I followed the blood trail back to our dearest queen's apartments, I took the long way back. You did leave such a mess you know, it's a wonder you have anything left inside that bag of skin!'

'Nice.' I said simply, not wanting to admit how lucky I also felt. Lissa had fed from me before, often even when we had been runaways, but this was the closest I had felt to the 'danger zone'.

'She's almost feral! I've met Strigoi with more manners. There's definitely something in the water,' he mumbled, getting himself another glass. Something suddenly clicked into place.

'What did you just say?'

'Lissa. She's feral.'

'No, no, about the water…' It all made sense, but it was absurd. When I thought about now, Christian had been wet when he passed me in the corridor, like he'd been outside in the rain. Dimitri had been damp too when I'd embraced him, and had I not been standing by the open window? With the rain hitting my skin? And I'd let Dimitri leave, without so much as a goodbye, I'd felt angry, cold, hard as steel, I just didn't care… And then Lissa. She'd made me refill her glass-

'Shit! Adrian!' I jumped up and rushed towards him, 'Tell me you didn't drink the water!'

He looked alarmed for a moment, then chuckled, 'Water?' He raised his new glass of whiskey in a small salute, 'not likely!'

I wracked my brain, 'And you haven't been outside?'

'In this weather? Are you crazy? You're not going crazy on me again are you?'

But I wasn't listening to his prattle anymore. Pacing the small space in front of the couch, I tried to put my professional guardian mode into action. It was simple; we'd first have to alert the other guardians.

'Come on.' I grabbed his arm, ignoring his protests, and dragged him out the door. I pulled out my phone with my free hand and dialled up Dimitri, begging he would answer.

'Yes?' He answered! He actually answered!

'Dimitri! It's me, Rose. Look, you need to get Christian and yourself out of the rain now. And don't drink any water!' There was silence for a few heart thumping moments before he spoke:

'Rose, don't call me anymore.' He hung up.

Typical. Pushing down the dull ache that threatened to spread from my heart and engulf my whole being, I dragged Adrian along even faster ignoring the looks we were getting, some just curious, others held that familiar metallic-cold gaze that told me more than just our small group had been affected. Supernatural Strigoi water? This needed sorting. Quickly.