Chapter 2
'I'm fairly sure you shouldn't be here' I said in a lazy voice, my words were directed at Dimitri though I didn't meet his eyes. 'And I sure as hell know you shouldn't be' I glared at Christian, he was already looked down upon for being weird/dangerous/anti-social. It wouldn't be helping his case, or mine probably, for him to be cavorting with an ex strigoi and a reckless guardian in jail for treason. I spared a moment to wonder where Dimitri's guardians were before approaching the bars of my cell and the unusual pairing on the other side.
'Rose, nice to see you're still your old self.' Christian rolled his eyes before motioning with his head that I should come closer. He glanced down at his watch before whispering 'Check the bond' out of the corner of his mouth. I blinked at him in confusion for a split second before Lissa's voice sounded in my head; I hadn't even needed to slip into her mind.
Rose, we have a plan ok. Christians wearing a spirit infused ring to make him look like one of Dimitri's guardians, that's how they both got in. You should be able to see it's him with your high tolerance for compulsion. Anyway, they have a charmed ring for you so that you won't go so mental down there before we break you out.
My face must have looked as astonished as I felt because Christian smirked, Dimitri's face remained stoic as usual and he walked silently towards the wall and stood against it as if he were merely the messenger delivering Christian to me. He probably was just down here as a favour to Lissa, his saviour. An all too familiar resentment built up against my best friend before her words snapped me back to attention. Rose, you'd better be paying attention here or this won't work. Dimitri doesn't know what we're planning so don't say anything now but be ready ok. You'll know when it's time. With that she made a mental signing off note and my thoughts were once again my own.
'I believe you have something for me Ozera?' I sighed, impatience masking my true feelings of fear, unease, excitement and relief. Christian took a thin silver ring from his pocket and slipped it through the bars cautiously so as not to alert my guardians. As soon as I slipped the ring on my negative emotions faded measurably. I hadn't noticed the heavy weight in my chest before it disappeared and relief must have spread across my features because Christian leaned as close to me as he could before speaking. 'Sit tight Rose, we're coming to get you.'
With a wink from Christian and not so much as a backward glance from Dimitri they turned and left. I slumped on my cot and pretended I was asleep, wondering how long I was going to have to wait before their plan was set into motion.
I must have drifted off after a few hours of waiting and a familiar setting appeared before my eyes, we were in my room at Court and it looked just as I had left it, bed unmade, clothes that needed to be washed piled on the floor and Adrian lying on my bed.
'Rose' he spoke in almost a whisper, stood and kissed my forehead whilst wrapping his arms protectively around me. 'Are you ok?' his eyes roamed all over my body, looking for any sign of mistreatment by the guardians. 'Ahh, I see you got Lissa's present' he lifted my hand to look at the ring Christian had delivered to my cell. I took this to mean that he also knew about the break out plan. 'So you're in on this then?' I said, my arms wrapping around his waist and breathing in his familiar scent. 'The jail break I mean'. He stroked my hair and kissed the top of my head before answering 'Little Dhampir, it was my idea'. I tried to hide the astounded look off my face to no avail. 'Don't look so shocked, I have been to college. I'm not just a pretty face'. I laughed aloud then, happy to have something to smile about finally. Adrian may have been to college but he hadn't graduated. Just then I felt a drop of water land on my nose, then another on my cheek. I looked up surprised and saw a huge water patch growing on the ceiling. 'It's time to wake up Little Dhampir, we're getting you out.'