Thanks for all the wonderful reviews, they mean a lot. You might need a tissue toward the end of the chapter. Just a little warning.
Do I own it, no I don't. Would I like to, yes I would. Is it ever going to happen, probably not.
Adrian POV
I am so freakin' happy right now I want to run up and down the halls yelling "My girlfriend is being held captive by a deranged Strigoi and I couldn't be more thankful." I'm sure I'd get some confused looks, but who cares. She's alive! I knew it. My Rose is alive and well. My heart is racing a mile a minute as I jump out of bed and grab the closest pair of pants I can find. I practically fall over trying to get my leg in as all the thoughts of what I need to do to get my Rose back swirle through my head. First thing I need to do is tell the others that they can stop grieving now. I just hope they believe me.
I get to Lissa and Christian's door and start banging on it. The sun hasn't actually set yet, so I know they're home. I bang some more impatiently, on the verge of breaking the door in if they don't hurry their asses up and open it! Finally, Christian, who looks like he hasn't slept all night, lets me in. His eyes are red and puffy probably from crying over Rose's death. I don't blame him for the angry look he's giving me with the smile I can't seem to wipe off my face. "What reason do you have to be smiling like that? Your girlfriend died yesterday and you look like you just won the lottery." he fumes quietly, most likely trying not to wake Lissa. But I need to talk to her too, so I don't bother keeping my voice down.
"She not dead. I found her. I dreamwalked with last night and she's alive!" I yell. Christian's eyes look they're about to pop out of his head.
"Are you sure? Maybe you just had a regular dream where you just wish she was still here, man. Finding out Rose is dead is quite a shock, especially for you, being in love with her and all." He's still trying to keep his voice down.
"No, she's really alive. Stephan is keeping her captive someplace. Besides, I can feel her. She's not dead." I'm getting excited all over again that my love is still out there somewhere, living.
"What did you say?" I hear a small, weak voice ask. I look over Christian's shoulder to see a very worn out Lissa leaning against her bedroom door frame, arms crossed over her chest. Poor thing looks like she's been through hell. I know she'll understand. Christian walks to her and puts a protective arm around her shoulders. I carefully step closer to her like one would a frightened child, cautious of her fragile state.
"I made contact with her in her dream last night. She didn't die in the fire. Stephan grabbed her before the house collapsed. He has her locked up in some abandoned prison or hospital somewhere." I can see the hope come alive in her eyes as she listens to me. Christian still looks skeptical, most likely trying to protect his and Lissa's heart.
"She's alive?" she asks with a smile growing on her face and tears streaming down her face. I nod my head and she grabs me and pulls me into a tight embrace. "Thank you for not giving up on her." she sobs on my shoulder. I know Lissa's love for her rivals my own. They've been through so much together that I know the news that Rose died was killing her. She pulls away after a few minutes and wipes away all the tears on her face and looks at Christian and me with a serious face. "What do we need to do to get her back home?"
"Well, first thing we need to do is make a list of all the abandoned prisons, hospitals or asylums in the country. I don't think he's had time to go too far. Then we get a team together and bust her out." I think the simplest plans are the best. "We need to get the others together to discuss this. Christian, call Tasha and Dimitri and have them come over here. Lissa you call Eddie and whoever else you think can help." I'm getting excited knowing I'm finally doing something productive to get Rose back.
"It's a littlle early, don't you think?" Christian hesitates with his phone in hand. I'm about to say something but Lissa beats me to it.
"I don't care how early it is, call your aunt and get them over here. We need to get Rose back." she said with more authority than I've ever heard come out of her. Go Lissa.
It's only been about fifteen minutes since the phone calls were made, but everyone came promptly. We all look exhausted and excited at the same time. Surprisingly it didn't take too much convincing to get them to believe that I was right all along and that Rose is alive. Mia brought coffee for everyone and Lissa was on her laptop finding possible places Rose could be held in. I didn't realize how many abandoned facilities there were. We're going to have to narrow the list down somehow or this search is going to take forever.
"Are there other Strigoi there or is it only Stephan?" Dimitri asks.
"I don't know." I say, still with a smile on my face.
"What kind of security system is in place?" Dimitri goes on.
"I don't know."
"Is she being restrained or can she move around?" he continues with the questions.
"I don't know." smile now gone.
"You don't know much, do you?" he's starting to get irritated with my lack on knowledge. I'm also frustrated I don't know more either.
"I told you everything Rose told me. I'll try to reach her again and get more information, but she might not be in a position to give us more. If I have to go to every single place on that list to find her, I will. You don't have to tag along if you don't want to." I jump down his throat. I think the combination of little sleep, stress and Spirit darkness is fueling my anger at the moment, and Dimitri is the unfortunate target. I think I just woke up the beast, because the angry look on his face as he stands up to face me scares me a little. Of course, I won't let him know that as I stand face to face with him.
"If you think I'm not going with you to find Rose, you're crazy. If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be standing here right now. I owe it to her to get her out of danger." he says through clenched teeth. I can see a vein on his forehead throbbing as his eyes burn into mine.
"Dimitri, what do you mean about not being here because of Rose?" Tasha asks confused by his statement.
"I was supposed to be on the raid yesterday." Everyone in the room gasps realizing he could've been killed in the fire with the other guardians. "Rose pulled me aside before we were to leave and told me she didn't want me going. She didn't want to risk my life before I get to see my little girl be born. I thought I had convinced her that by fighting together we could accomplish our mission successfully, but she knocked me out when my back was turned and left without me." The mental picture of Rose hitting him over the head and knocking him unconscious tickles me. A laugh escapes my lips, but I gain some control when he shoots me a deadly glare for my slight outburst. I'm not the only one to find this funny when I look at the others in the room sporting amused smiles.
"Well, Rose will go to great lengths to protect the ones she loves. I think Rose has saved all of our lives at one time, except Tasha." Lissa reminds all of us. It's true, between the incident in Spokane, Lissa's kidnapping, Dimitri's recent 'accident', and all the times she's killed Strigoi guarding me, we all do owe her our lives.
"Okay, are we all onboard to find Rose and get her back?" Stupid question, I know, but needs to be asked. Everyone confirmed that they would do what they needed to help. "I think I'll go visit my aunt and see if we can get some guardians to help track her down and get her out of wherever she is." Not wanting to waste any more time, we all get to work doing what we can to find her.
I go to see the Queen and see Celeste typing away on her keyboard. "Celeste, how is my favorite cougar doing?" I ask with my million dollar smile that Rose once said should be illegal. She blushes when she looks up at me and smiles.
"Oh, Lord Ivashkov. What am I going to do with you?"
"Well, if I didn't need to see my aunt right now, I could think of a couple things." I tease.
"Behave yourself. I'm old enough to be your mother." she laughs. "Let me see if the Queen can fit you in." I walk over to the chair by the door and wait for Celeste to work her magic for me once again. "Go right on in Lord Ivashkov. Her Majesty will see you now." I walk around her desk and give her a big kiss on her cheek.
"Thanks doll." I say as I walk through the door to the Queen's parlor. She walks in through a door on the opposite side the room, looking exhausted and holding an envelope. I give her a hug before sitting down to talk to her. Just as I am about to speak, she interupts me.
"Adrian, Rose asked me to give you this in the event she didn't return. I know you are convinced that she's still alive, but I think you should have this regardless." she hands me the envelope and dabs the corner of her eye with a tissue. "I want you to know that Rose and I got along rather well, despite what the rest of the world saw. I've come to think of her as a good friend. She was the only other person, besides you, that would be brutally honest with me. I liked that about her, and hated that about her." she chuckles. Wow, I never knew this side of my aunt, or Rose, before. Hopefully knowing that she's so fond of Rose will benenfit my crusade.
"Aunt Tatiana, the reason I came to see you this morning is because last night I was able to contact Rose through her dream." She knows all about my ability to dreamwalk and see auras and heal. I sit there silent for a moment, letting this information sink in. When she doesn't say anything for a few minutes, I continue. "She's alive, but Stephan is holding her captive in some old prison or asylum somewhere. I'm requesting help to find and retrieve her." She looks at me with mixed emotions showing on her face. She looks happy to hear that her friend is still alive, but also sad.
"Oh Adrian, it isn't that easy. I can't send out anymore guardians to rescue one, even if the one is Rose." Anger shot through me at that moment and I bolted up from my seat. A guardian I didn't even know was behind me, grabbed my shoulders to keep me in place. I didn't even realize what I did until that second. I shrug off his hands and sit back down in my chair.
"How can you say that? This is Rose we're talking about. Your friend and the woman I love. We can't just give up on her." I fume. I look down at my hands and see that they're clenched into tight fists, my knuckles turning white.
"Adrian, I said it isn't easy, not impossible." she says, getting my full attention back. "You will need to get permission from the council. You need seven of the twelve royal families to agree to give you the help you need. I'm assuming Rose's friends, the Ozera's are going to be involved in your rescue plans?" I nod slowly, wondering what she's getting at. "Since using magic offensively isn't yet legal, you'll need to get permission from your Offensive Magic Committee. If you get the okay from them, swaying the council to back your mission will be easier. Good luck, nephew. I hope you can get her back." I rise from my seat and kiss her goodbye before heading home.
I plop myself down on my couch, frustrated about all the red tape and hassle I have to get through now. I decide to try to see if Rose is sleeping right now and dreaming. I relax myself and focus on her beautiful face, but I can't find her. She must be awake. Suddenly, I remember that I'm still holding the envelope my aunt gave me. I ponder whether I should open and read it. Technically, she didn't return from the raid, so it's fair game. I tear it open, noticing the red lipstick kiss on the back. I press the paper to my mouth, feeling the ghosts of her lips on mine. I unfold the page and run my hand over the writing, knowing that not too long ago she touched this very page.
My Dearest Adrian,
I love you! You make me the happiest woman on the planet just by loving me. Thank you for being so patient and waiting for me to get out of my own way to finally admit that I love you with all my heart. I want you to know that my favorite daydream of all time was of the two of us happily married playing with our houseful of little Dhampir babies you always wanted to have with me. I know you would've been the best husband and father ever, and still can be. Don't let me get in your way of finding happiness with someone else. I know you will always love me, as I will you.
I'm sorry the last time I got to see you we were fighting. If I would've known it was our last time together I would've made the most of it, kissing your wonderful lips. Please stay safe, for me, and live life to the fullest for the both of us. I'll be waiting for you on the other side.
I love you Adrian Ivashkov.
Your Little Dhampir, Rose
I don't even notice the tears streaming down my face until I see them hit the paper, right along the tear stains left by Rose. My heart swells knowing that there's still a chance to make Rose's daydream come true after all. I read the letter over and over again until I have it memorized. I wipe the tears from my face and get myself off the couch, folding Rose's letter back up and putting it in my wallet, taking it wherever I go.
Just what Adrian needs now, more obstacles. Can you think of any royal family that might want to stand in his way to get Rose back? What did you think of Rose's letter? Personally, I got teary writing it. Thanks for reading and don't forget to review.