Can we try for 100 reviews? I'll try to update faster if I get 8 more reviews! Also, please vote in my poll. It is about what will happen in the sequel, because there are maybe 5 more chapters left! *cries*

Chapter 22

I saw the strigoi bite down on her neck when I was about halfway to her. I ran faster, as fast as I could, toward her, and knocked them off a couple seconds after, staking them in one swift movement from behind. "Lissa?" I said, shaking her. "Liss?" I picked her up and started toward the building. She lay unconscious in my arms, her neck red with blood.

I sensed the heat before I saw the flames. I stopped dead in my tracks, and looked up to see the moroi dorms circled in flames. The strigoi wouldn't be able to get through. The problem was: neither could I.

I ran around the perimeter to see if there was a break in the flames. Which of course there wasn't. I could see about 15 moroi on the roof, controlling the flames. Christian was there, as well as some of the other seniors and a few water users. "Christian!" I yelled up to him. "HELLO? I HAVE YOUR GIRLFRIEND!"

This didn't work, so I checked the area for any threats. None. I laid Lissa on the ground, picked up a small stone, and chucked it as hard as I could at his head. "CHRISTIAN!"

I missed, but as it flew past his head, she turned to see me. He shouted a couple words that I couldn't make out, and a small path came out of the wall of flames. I quickly crossed into it, and the wall quickly reformed behind me.

Inside the dorm, everyone was freaking out. The fact I came in with an injured moroi princess didn't really help that much.

"Oh. My. God." I turned to find Camille.

"Is Adrian here?" I asked her. She nodded, still horrified at Lissa. "Where?" She pointed up. The roof.

I started up the stairs, and found Christian hurrying down. He looked terrified. "Adrian. We need Adrian." I said, and he followed me silently, keeping up easily, his eyes never leaving Lissa.

"Adrian?" He called out when we got to the top. He came over from where he was directing a few sophomores on where to keep the flames. I put Lissa down in front of him, and sat down next to her, pulling my knees up to my chest.

"Shit." He muttered, kneeling next to Lissa and putting one hand on the wounds on her neck. He laid the other hand on my knee, and I felt the energy surge through me. I wasn't tired or sore anymore, and all of the scratches and burns on me had faded. "Thanks, Adrian." I said, picking up his hand and pushing him towards Lissa. "She needs it, not me."

"She'll be up in a couple minutes." Adrian said, standing up. "She'll be fine."

"Thanks." Christian said, not looking at Adrian. I could tell he was going to stay at her side until she woke up. I grabbed Adrian's hand and pulled him towards the edge so we could see what was going on below.

"You should have someone distract strigoi with fire when a guardian looks like they're in trouble." I noticed that he looked a tired, drained. "Adrian, you need a feeder."

"They don't have any in this building." He answered, his eyes on the battle below.

"You have me."

"No Rose." He looked down at me. "No. They need you out in the fight."

"They'll manage. This wall of fire is limiting the strigoi, and keeping the moroi safe. Soon, your fire users won't be able to keep it up anymore. You're going to need to give them their energy back. There's no other way Adrian." I brushed my hair back, away from my neck, and tilted my head.

"Rose, I can't…"

"Yes, you can. Do it for everyone. Do it for me. Please?" I gave him my best pleading look.

He sighed, and then bent down to my neck. Pain, then bliss filled me. I couldn't tell how long he drank from be before he pulled back. I was dizzy. He helped me sit down against the wall, and kissed my forehead. He walked over to give the others energy, and I put my head between my knees. The world around me still hadn't focused, and I was really tired.

Lissa came over; having just woke up, and sat next to me. She touched my hand with her index finger, and I felt the magic pulse through me.

We were both equally strong now, and I helped her up. She hurried over to help Adrian. It was pretty bad down there, and I needed to help. I went over to one of the fire using moroi. "Can you open up the wall when I need to get out?" They nodded, and I headed down the stairs

"Rose!" I heard April yell. "I'm coming with you." I held the door open for her, and I saw the fire part just slightly so we could get through. She seemed hesitant, but followed me through. Things weren't going well, so I got into a fight where three strigoi were against one guardian. I staked two, and the other guardian staked the third.

"ROSE!" I heard someone yell. I turned, and saw Adrian on the top of the building, and even from this distance, I could tell something was wrong. Something hard hit me on the back of the head. All I saw was blackness.

ADRIAN'S POV

The strigoi hit her. Her aura went dark as she fell. "Christian!" He rushed over and saw the problem. Fire surrounded the strigoi, and it screamed for help. Rose still laid there, motionless. Lissa was behind me, pulling me backward.

"Let me see." She pushed closer to the edge. Her eyes widened as she muttered "Shit." She turned to me. "Do you remember what we worked on last time we were practicing?"

"Yeah… but we can't do that, it takes too much energy."

"But we can try." She insisted. "If we try it together, maybe it will work." She held out her hand, and I took it, holding on tight. "I'll give you my energy. You were better at it than I was." I reached out as if to touch Rose, and I felt all of Lissa's power come through me. I directed it through the air, towards Rose. I closed my eyes and felt the power flow through me, concentrating on healing her.

Christian tapped me on the shoulder. "I think it worked…" I opened my eyes, just to see Rose getting up and running to help another guardian, whose name I didn't know. I turned to Lissa, who was grinning a weak smile. She squeezed my hand, and I send a little energy to her. She ran over to help Christian.

Watching the love of your life fight and almost get killed every couple of minutes isn't really fun. But she was helping take down a lot of strigoi. Slowly, very slowly, the strigoi numbers started to drop, and people were getting more motivated. Rose was so graceful when she fought, her blows landing perfectly, and her stake lashing out every so often.

She killed one more strigoi, and another, and another, I could tell she was running on pure adrenaline. She fought her way over to the other girl whose name was April I remembered, and together they brought down the last two strigoi. Rose looked up at me, a smug smirk on her face. 'Told you I could do it.' she mouthed.