Christians POV

Where was I? It was like Spokane all over again. I looked around and all I could see was dirty walls and floors covered in grime and filth. I couldn't see anyone or anything in this dark place. Where was I? The last thing I remember was Rose trying to get me to Lissa and then she had run towards Adam, then I had a complete mental blank. How did I get here?

Strigoi. It was so obvious, but why me? Why not another royal? Why did it have to be me? The only reason I could think of, as others had out it, was that my parents had willingly turned Strigoi. Maybe the Strigoi who had kidnapped me thought I would join them as my parents had a long time ago. That was far from the truth though. I will never willingly turn Strigoi, I would rather die.

I raised my head to where the Strigoi had smashed into me. There was no blood, which was odd as I had definitely been wounded on the head. Maybe the Strigoi wanted me to be healthy for when I decide to become one of them. Being awakened was both the Moroi and Dhampirs worst nightmares. Being awakened is like having a monster rears its head in your own body, you're never aware of what's happening or what you're doing. The monster takes over. Who in their right minds wants to become a monster?

As I was contemplating over were they had possibly taken me in the short amount of time of my kidnapping, I could hear voices coming from outside the grot-filled room. "He can lead us to her. Once he's on our side and we know where she is, we'll strike." I could feel myself frowning as I listened to what the other guy was about to say.

"What if he doesn't? It'll be a total waste of all our people. They were killed in our attempt to get her. Bringing him here was only because she's his guardian…" Had they been talking about me? Surely not since my guardian was Rose. They would never go to all these lengths just to get to a Dhampir.

Rose, I thought and a million questions and feelings ran through me.

Was she looking for me? Was she worried? What if she had been killed in the battle when she was trying to save me? Or just injured? If she was hurt I don't know what I would do to these people…Why did they even want me anyway? So what if Rose was my guardian, it wasn't like it mattered right? Why would they want her? What would they do to her? God, I didn't want to think about what kind of torturing they would do to a Dhampir.

I tried to listen closer, but moving hurt too much because of the pain that was throbbing in my head. My legs were limp on the ground and I couldn't move them, I guessed it was because they had drugged me so that I couldn't run away or find out who they were or something like that. My head felt like it was going to explode, I closed my eyes and tried to inhale and exhale deeply to focus on something besides the pain.

"He's an Ozera; he could be more willing than other Moroi. You shouldn't doubt Aden, he's been around for centuries, Aden knows what he's doing. Trust me, when he wants revenge he gets it." Revenge? What the hell did he need revenge on me for? I hadn't done anything to this Aden guy so what the hell did he want from me—or from rose. What the hell had Rose done when she was with Dimitri?

"He may have been around for centuries but he still acts like an immature child—at best. Dimitri's dead, he needs to get over it. We don't even know for sure who killed him. A lot of people wanted power and he had been pretty high up on the ladder." Dimitri had been powerful? How the hell do get powerful in the Strigoi world after a few months? I admit, he was a god when he was a Dhampir, and even more godly when he was a Strigoi but powerful? I would have thought the Strigoi had seen him as a baby compared to this Aden guy who had been centuries old.

Rose must've known about this too. She had spent months with him; she must've picked up something or other about the people and their responsibilities or whatever Strigoi's did.

"Yeah, but Aden's at the top—for now. When we get Rose that'll all change." Both of the Strigoi laughed menacingly, thinking of some master plan that they hadn't said out loud. When we get Rose? What was with that! Were they planning to trade her for something? Aden obviously knew Dimitri, maybe even been friends. Everyone would have thought that Rose had killed Dimitri, considering their past and what happened in Russia, but they were wrong—obviously.

I had been the one to kill Dimitri when Rose had hesitated. The men that were outside the room must not have know that, and were planning to capture Rose as some kind of present to Aden. But me? What the hell was I doing here? I wasn't even a friend of Dimitri.

"Well…the boy in there, he's an Ozera and he can lead us to Rose. Set up for them to met and then take her…bring her to Aden and then we'll be more powerful. We'll be seen as the Strigoi that captured the infamous Rose Hathaway." The guy laughed at his plan, and although the plan didn't seem so cynical, I know that the Aden guy was going to be far from friendly towards her. Strigoi were known for torturing people…usually until they beg for death and what not.

"Yes, it's a brilliant plan we just have to get him on our side first…whatever we have to do to get to this Rose." I could hear the smile in his voice as he was speaking. His footstep started again as he started to walk away from the room that I was being held in.

Rose POV

"Adrian, please. This is Christian we're talking about not some random Moroi. We have to go find him before they turn him Strigoi." I exclaimed. I had asked Adrian to help me convince the Queen that we should send out Dhampirs in search of Christian, since he was the only who had been taken during the fight. I thought the Queen would have already sent out Dhampirs in search of him, but apparently an Ozera wasn't important enough.

I thought that was bullshit. Christian, who had fought in the war, had come up with the idea that saved us all, was now being neglected for his parent's mistakes. Christian barely knew his parents before they became Strigoi; his Aunt Tasha had raised him since he was a kid. It was unfair and just totally fucked.

The Queen was basically letting Christian die because 'there isn't enough guardians to protect us alland search for a Moroi, who's location is unknown'. Well she can shove that up her arse the stupid cow. How would she feel if she was the person that had been taken? I'm sure she would want somebody to come and rescue her from a bunch of Strigoi.

"Rose I want to help Christian, but there's no way Tatiana will allow Guardians to search for him whole we're still recovering from the war that just happened." Adrian spoke with absolute truth, he really did want to help but there was no doubt in his mind that Tatiana would refuse. Again.

Adrian's answer however was not the one I had been looking for, and I was upset that no one in this damn Court would help me find Christian. It was like he suddenly didn't exist anymore now that he had been taken by Strigoi.

"So we just let him die? Is that what you're saying? Just let him rot and possibly be turned Strigoi because we're recovering?" I knew I had been attracting attention from the people that had been walking past us in the hallway, but right now I really didn't care so I continued to yell at him like we were alone.

"Rose, you know it's not like that. It's not my decision, it's the Queen's. I'm sorry Rose." He shrugged his shoulders and looked at me sadly. If only he knew what I was going through right now, he might understand, I though as I looked around.

How the hell was I going to be able to help Christian?

Adrian POV

Rose had come to me after the Strigoi attack on the Court, looking extremely worried and confused. She automatically caught me by surprise, because I though she'd be happy that we won and that she had survived. She also looked like she was on the verge of crying.

Of course, once I had seen her aura, I knew what had happened, it wasn't too hard to figure out that Christian had been taken during the attack. I knew Rose would somehow blame it on herself for not being there and protecting him, it was just the way that Rose thought.

"Rose. . ." God knows how much I had missed her. How many times I had wished I could go back in time, so I didn't make the mistake that tore us apart. I was an idiot, I know, but it didn't mean that I hadn't loved her at the time, I still do. "I could try but. . ." I shook my head. The things I would do for this girl.

Honestly I had no idea how I was going to help her. My Aunt was one of the most stubborn person I knew and she doesn't change her mind when she has made her final decision, and her decision on not searching for Christian will probably never change.

"Adrian . . ." Rose whispered my name, and looked directly into my eyes and silently pleaded with me.

"I don't know how to help you Rose, and trust me I do want to help you, I just don't know where to begin." I had spoken truthfully, we both knew that, I had no idea where to begin looking or searching or who else would actually help us. I was clueless for the first time in my life.

"Well, a Strigoi took him, and if they're important enough, any random Strigoi we capture could lead us to him." I knew Rose's mind would come up with something suicidal at the thought of a plan. She probably thought the plan was bullet-proof and had no holes. The plan was never going to work, and I wanted so badly to agree with her and try and help Christian but I couldn't, it would get the both of us killed.

"Rose, you can't just go out and find a random Strigoi, who hopefully knows the Strigoi who to Christian, and torture him until he tells you where Christian is, if they even know in the first place." It was an insane plan that would never work and there was no way that I would let her go out and try and find Christian if it involved this plan of hers.

"Than what should we do Mr. I-don't-know-how-to-help-you Ivashkov?" We both stood in silence, staring at each other while I contemplated every idea that flew into my head. Rose on the other hand was just trying to figure out what I was thinking.

I finally broke the staring contest we were having as I took her hand in mine and led her to our room. It felt like days since I had last slept. I had been worried about my Aunt getting captures by the Strigoi, or killed by them. My eyelids were heavy as I walked into the room.

Once Rose stepped into the bedroom I shut and locked the door behind her quickly, so people wouldn't be able to walk in on our conversation.

"Rose, we can't just go out and find him we need help first." Obviously when I meant help, I meant our friends, no matter how much people appreciated Christian's idea they wouldn't go on a suicide mission for him.

"Eddie will help us."