Dimitri

The vrajitoare* was laid out my cards. The Knight of Rods, the Wheel of Fortune, and the Five of Cups. I watch as she flickers over the cards, looks at me, then back to the cards. Her expression was blank.

"You will lose what you value most, so treasure it while you can."

The scenery changes before me. I found myself back in the caves standing over Rose with a silver stake in my hand. We were surrounded by strigoi. I quickly got into a defensive crouch. They started to attack me one by one. I move as quick as I could staking each one in the heart.

Then they all vanished into thin air suddenly. Except for one. My Roza.

She was as beautiful as the day I met her. Except for the skin and eyes. Pale white skin and bright red eyes. She gave me a mencing look, her eyes filled with absolute hatred.

"You promised, Comrade." Her voice was still the same, but colder.

She then launch herself at me, sharp blood stained teeth aimed for my neck. I couldn't bring myself to shove the stake into her heart.

I kept having the same dream the following week later. Every night I would hear those words play like it was stuck on auto replay.

"You will lose what you value most, so treasure it while you can."

At first I assumed it was my life. But it wasn't.

It had been my Roza.

Other than doing my guardian shifts, I haven't left my room since the attacks. Classes were cancelled until further notice but curfew was still in effect. Today the school were going to have memorial services for those lost. If I didn't have the shift of guarding, I would have stayed in bed. I didn't want to look at the face of Janine Hathaway, who blames me for the death of her daughter. She hasn't said it to me directly but her behavior and death glares said other wise.

As I was getting ready for my shift at the memorial service, I heard a knock on my door. I was surprised to see Princess Vasilisa and Lord Ozera waiting for me at my door.

"Princess Dragomir. Lord Ozera." I said, slightly bowing to them.

"We wanted to know if you were coming to the memorial service." The Princess said. "I know Rose wanted you there."

I look down at the floor. "I will be there."

There was a brief silence between the three of us. Lord Ozera broke the tension.

"Listen, you shouldn't blame yourself. It was too many of them for us to fight."

"You two should get going. Services starts soon." I told them.

I could see that the princess wanted to say something but she didn't press it further. They turned and walk away. I close the door and continue to get dress.

The chapel was completely pack with students and teachers. Father Andrew read the names of the fallen, including Rose. I felt my heart ache hearing her name. The princess seems to be holding well together consider the circumstances. Lord Ivashkov move from his seat to an open space near the princess and Lord Ozera. I never did like Adrian Ivashkov, mainly because of his reputation and he feeble attempts at wooing Rose.

After the service was over, I headed straight to my room and started to pack my belongings. I couldn't stay at the academy. It was too many memories of Roza, both happiness and grief.

I pulled my phone out of my pocket and dial for my mother.

"Привет?" (Hello?)

"Мама, это Дмитрий." I spoke onto the phone. (Mama, it's Dimka.)

"Ты в порядке? Ты говоришь грустно." Her tone was very concerned and worried. (Are you okay? You sound sad.)

"Я возвращаюсь домой. Для России". I told her. (I'm coming back home. To Russia.)

"Все в порядке? Что случилось?" She questions. (Is everything okay? What happened?)

"Академия была атака большой группы стригоев." I explained to her. (The academy was attack by a large group of strigoi.) "Мы потеряли много людей." (We lost alot of people.) I voice started to break. "Я потерял ее, и это моя вина, я не мог ее спасти." (I lost her and it's my fault I couldn't save her.)

Rose

I sat up on an enormous bed ib a darken room. No-not just a room. More like a suite or studio. One half of the studio contained the bed and usual bedroom accessories: a dresser, nightstand, etc. The other half look like a living room area, with a couch and a television.

Sliding off the bed, my senses were on high alert as I tried to asses my danger. My stomach felt fine; there were no strigoi in the area. I did the first obvious thing and check the door. It was locked, as I'd expected, and the only way of openning it was a numberic keypad. Plus it was heavy and made of steel.

I noticed the bed was covered ina ivory satin duvet, filled to the maximum fluffiness down. Creeping over to the living room, I saw that the TV was nice-really nice. Large creen plasma. The couches were nice too, covered in matte green leather. All of the furniture in the place-tables, desk, dresser-was made of a smooth, polished black wood.

Even thought it was a pretty nice place, it was my prison. They are holding me hostage.

I picked up a desk chair and slammed it against the window. I got no results. I tried twenty more times and still got no results. Then I got tried of using the chair and started to use my fist. I realized that the window was fitted into the wall and made of some type of plastic, making it very impossible to escape. I started to pound my fist hard against the plastic window, screaming at the top of my lungs, cursing and damning them all to hell.

My stomach warned me of strigoi when I finally stop hitting on the plastic window. I was too tired from crying and screaming to try to fight them.

"Oh Rosemarie why are you so sad?" It was Nathan's voice.

"Fuck off." I mutter.

I could feel his warm breath against my neck. "That's not how you'll talk to me."

"What do you want?" I said in a annoyed tone.

"For you to marry me."