Hello guys! So I was supposed to post this the other day in response to your wonderful reviews and alerts that followed the last one! (HUGS FOR EVERYONE). The power was back (at times. ugh. i know) but now our problem is our damned internet connection which keeps on acting up. another ughh.

But thank you so much guys for your reviews. I'm so sad that I can't reply again, but I'm happy to tell you that I'm now updating on earlier basis, YAY!, because of the nearing end of this story and a new upcoming one! which I hope you'll follow through. pretty please :)))

But ta-daaah...now here's the chapter!

I have a small shoutout though in the last part!

Love,

AudenPaige0.o

PS Keep the R and Rs comin up along with the alerts! love ya'll!

Chapter 16

"I know where Adrian is." I said to Dimitri when I turned back to him.

I broke out a run headed to where I really really hope where to find him. Dimitri followed me closely. "Are you sure Rose?" He said, doubting the direction where we were going.

"Positive. Well this would probably the first place he would go to. I'm just not sure if he got there or was there." I couldn't help the shake in my voice this time.

I continued to feel nauseous but only lightly since we were far from the fighting going on. We didn't even encounter any strigoi, we however passed through guardians making rounds in groups looking for morois to save and strigois to kill.

After about 30 seconds of sprinting, we finally arrived in the dhampir dorm, my dorm, where Adrian probably ran to make sure I was safe. The idiot, I scoffed in my head.

Dimitri quickly surveyed the outer premises for Adrian and any strigois, I did not hesitate going to the doors and looking for him. But I found another pair of guardian by the doorway protecting the building.

"Rose?" The guardian and dorm matron confronted me.

I nodded. "Yeah. Is there anyone left here?" The guardian only shook his head.

"We sent out almost every dhampir students to help the school guardians while we sent those who were too young to the safe areas." He said.

"Ugh! Where is he? Shit. I don't know where else to look!" I shouted to no one in particular. After nodding to the guardians, I turned back and surveyed the school, where could he possibly be?

"Rose? Is that you?" And I heard his voice weakly. I looked at Dimitri to make sure I was not hearing things I was not suppose to, by my side who equally looked surprised and anxious at the same time.

"Adrian?" I ran down the steps and looked around.

"Rose! I'm here!" I heard his voice clearly now. I quickly made my way to the bushes in front of the small garden in front of our dorm.

There, I found him his back to a tree, breathing heavily. He looked relieved to find me, but before anything else, I checked if he was turned.

My heart rate quickened. I quickly checked his eyes if they were red…thank God it's not. I touched his hand to feel that it was warm and then without second thought, I hugged him hard.

I felt him wince and I quickly pulled back and saw that he was awfully sprained in his left ankle and his right arm was bleeding but in his hand, there was a stick clutched to it tightly, a make shift weapon.

"Oh my God Adrian, we better get you to a safer area!" I quickly stood up from kneeling in front of him.

Dimitri hurried over to Adrian's side to help him up by the shoulders, I quickly assisted the other side. We went back to the dhampir dorm to get some help while Adrian kept on insisting that he was fine while we continued on ignoring him.

The dorm matron I whom I asked earlier helped us and our little troupe made way back to the guardian's headquarters.

"Adrian, what were you thinking? You know where the guardian's headquarters is, why didn't you proceed there immediately." I kept on and on nagging him for his thoughtlessness.

Dimitri kept watch for any oncoming threats while the other guardian and I supported Adrian.

"You very well know I would do everything to keep you safe Little Dhampir." He said cheekily at me.

"Stupid! I almost lost you back there!" I told him, ignoring his endearments.

He scoffed. "Far from it. " I hit him in the back of his head lightly.

Because of Adrian, our progress was not as quick as our journey of finding him, after like 10 minutes, we were just about half way there.

I tuned back to Lissa to check what was going on back there.

Lissa was worried about Christian, he was still there and the strigois kept on coming. But it was obvious that his constant use of his powers was taking a huge toll on him. Other morois were starting to help him now. Though they were all inside the headquarters, Christian was the only moroi outside by the door.

Lissa was feeling helpless because she had nothing to help Christian who was slowly starting to show weakness and it doesn't seem like the strigois were running out, they kept on coming but nothing the guardians can't handle.

I tuned back to where I was.

"Let's hurry. Christian is starting to wear out and without him, the guardians back there would be rendered helpless."We hurried our steps as much as we could. After a few more minutes, we saw the headquarters.

But before we could pass to safety, we have to make our way through strigois and guardians, Adrian is the only defenseless moroi out and he is also a royal which would probably add to the bloodlust.

"We're gonna have some serious problem passing through." I said and looked helplessly at Dimitri. He looked serious and I could tell he was thinking of ways to get through.

"If we could just distract them before the other strigois come." I started panicking and looking around to make sure the others were not yet approaching.

"Rose, look, no strigoi is really paying attention to us right now. We'll weave through the side and when some strigoi notices you, me and Guardian Rovo will distract it as hard as we can. So it is up to you to get Adrian to the headquarters." Dimitri finally said.

I wanted to argue but thought better of it. We were losing time and it fighting would be useless. Though I really want to be in the action, but Dimitri could protect us better. I only nodded and got ready.

We slowly made our way to the headquarters attracting little attention as we can. There were 9 strigois and 15 guardians fighting. It was hard to tell who would win or lose because it was clearly a draw. Though there were much more guardians and morois helping through their magic, you could tell that they were all tired from the never ending out pour of strigois.

I could see Christian, and his flames were barely distracting the strigois now because he was worn out.

We were halfway through the building when a large strigoi where backing away towards us from a guardian who was charging it. Dimitri quickly came and covered for us, he kicked out to the strigoi and it quickly turned and saw us, it bared it's fangs but before it could come any closer, Dimitri staked it through the heart and it crumpled to the ground.

Dimitri returned to our side.

"Quick. It would take a few more seconds someone would notice and charge at us." He took Adrian's arm and laid it over his shoulder to support him. We quickly made progressed and when we were a few feet from the door, Christian met us and helped us in carrying Adrian in.

Christian and the other guardian took over in helping Adrian inside. I breathed a sigh of relief, they would help him in there.

When Dimitri and I were about to turn back and help the other guardians battle it out, we came face to face with a strigoi and before I could get any words out or move to defend myself, he swung out his arms and pushed be back to the wall by the door. My only thought was that it was a good thing that Christian and Adrian were inside that time.

Dimitri worked quickly and attacked the strigoi, it put off a good fight though but it was nothing compared to Dimitri who literally was the Russian God by the way he was fighting at the moment.

My vision was getting blurry by the minute because of the whiplash of my head hitting the wall.

But before I could completely lose my consciousness, I saw another strigoi approach the fight between Dimitri and the first strigoi, he was coming from behind Dimitri, but Dimitri was too busy fighting off the first one.

Then everything faded to black.

I woke up because of a throbbing in my head, it feels like 5 mornings with a hangover all in one.

I slowly put my hand to my aching forehead and recalled what I last remember.

The invasion. Adrian. Dimitri!

I sat up suddenly recalling my last memory, but someone got up from beside me and pushed me back down.

And saw the last face I expected to see beside me.

"Christian?" I croaked, my voice thick with sleep.

AND A SPECIAL SHOUTOUT TO SOMEONE WHO GUESSED WHERE ADRIAN REALLY WAS: *drumroll* Jasmine-Dec31 -i gotta ask, how did you know? hahah