Hey everyone! My apologies for taking so long to post this chapter, but like I mentioned in my last one, uni just got a bit too hectic! But everything has calmed down now, so I'll be back to posting every week!

This chapter is extra long, as I just didn't want to stop writing! So I hope you all enjoy! ;D

Chapter fifteen

I WASN'T SURPRISED THAT THE Warriors of Light were the ones who attacked, I didn't think it would ever be possible to be shocked by their wickedness. But I was definitely angry. But not because my friends had just been attacked. But because it meant that someone had leaked the information of where Eddie, Angeline and Jill's new location was. And there was only a certain amount of people that could have been.

After Sydney had been taken by the Alchemists, Eddie and Angeline moved Jill to a new safe location. They went to the same place I had been when I was on the run, the Keepers.

Because of Angeline, the Keepers were happy to help, and promised to keep them safe and their presence a secret. But, promises can be broken.

Dimitri and I had been moved to the private jet, and were currently on our way back to Court. A trained medic had arrived with the new team of Guardians that had been dispatched, and was able to give me some stronger pain killers. Now the only thing that hurt was my mind, as it reeled through everything that was happening.

The only thing that kept me calm was knowing that my friends were safe, including Lissa and everyone at Court. As soon as Eddie told us about the attack, we immediately rang Court to make sure everyone safe. If they had executed an attack on Jill, who knew what else they had planned?

As I watched Dimitri talk to Eddie about all the details of what went on, I could tell that he had come to the same conclusion that I had.

"I just don't get how they found us!" Eddie started up again. "I mean, we knew it was a risk coming here, because of Angeline's connection to the Keepers, and because the Alchemists occasionally stop by. But that's why we thought it would be the last place they'd look. But they didn't just look, they knew we were here."

Dimitri and I shared a look. "I don't like throwing around accusations, but the only logical conclusion is that one of the Keepers must have let slip your location to the Alchemists," Dimitri stated firmly.

"Bull shit!" A voice, which I knew belonged to Angeline, shrilled out of the phone. Dimitri grimaced. Whoops, it looked like we were also on loud speaker. "They would never do that! They kept us safe! They fended off the attack, and risked our lives for us! If they didn't know how to fight, they'd all be dead right now!"

"I don't mean to offend you, but look at the facts. No-one else knew you guys were there."

But Dimitri was wrong. There were three other people knew of their location. Abe, Dimitri and me.

I immediately sat upright. My body should have ached with pain, but it was numb. And I didn't think it was the pain killers making me feel that way.

All that time that I couldn't remember when I was captured, that I assumed I had been asleep for. What if I hadn't been sleeping?

"Rose?"

A sharp pain shot through my skull, as images flashed through my mind.

These images were memories. And Avery was in every single one of them.

Oh no…

I buried my face in my arms, unable to believe the truth.

"Roza, what is it?"

Dimitri brushed his fingers across my arm, making me shiver. I looked up and met his eyes.

"What's going on?" Eddie questioned, his voice sounding worried. Dimitri placed the phone on his lap, so he could wrap his hands around mine. "Is Rose okay?"

Neither of us answered.

I didn't know how to tell them.

"Hello?"

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. There was no simple way to say what I had to, so it was better to just get it over and done with.

"It's my fault that you guys got attacked." I stopped, and took another deep breath. "They got the info out of me, and who knows what else, and clouded my memories."

Silence.

"What are you talking about Rose?" Eddie asked softly.

Dimitri's eyes widened with shock and realisation.

"The missing time…"

I nodded.

"How?"

I couldn't look at him, as I muttered, "Avery."

His grip hardened on my hands.

Dimitri opened his mouth to speak, but Eddie bet him to it.

"Avery? Missing time? What's going on Rose?"

"Eddie, I'm sorry but we're going to have to call you back. Stay out of sight, and keep safe."

"What? Wait-"

Dimitri hit the red button on the phone, cutting Eddie off.

He then turned to me and pulled my head up, forcing me to look him in the eyes. His warm, dark, gorgeous eyes.

"Do you remember what else you told them?"

I shook my head.

"The only memories I have is of Avery using compulsion on me. I have no idea what was said, or what information she got from me though. But from what's already happened, and from the amount of time I was captured for, I'd say they know pretty much everything."

At my words, Dimitri practically jumped up from his seat, and hurried towards the front of the jet. He disappeared behind the door that led to the cock pit, and returned a few moments later, his expression stern.

Before I could even ask what he was doing, he told me.

"If what you say is the truth, then the Alchemists and Warriors know all about how our operations work. And if they really have united in order to wipe our species out, then there next move would be to hit us at the core."

At the core… My jaw slackened, and my fists tightened as I realised what he meant. And he was right. Their next move would be to wipe out everyone at Court.

No, not everyone. There was a reason why they went after Jill, because they knew that they only had to take one person out of the picture to make our already frail and vulnerable system collapse. And that person was the new Queen, and my best friend.

"Lissa…" I looked outside the window, and watched as the land beneath us rushed by. "We need to get back to Court, so I can save my friends and kill some Warriors!" I growled, my voice so harsh I barely recognised it.

Dimitri reached out for my hand again. I thought he would try to convince me that seeking vengeance was wrong, and that I have to be the stronger person, just like I had told him back at the docks. But it was the first time I had showed any resentment about what had happened since I had escaped, and he wasn't about to shut me down for feeling that way.

"I know, that's why I went and told the pilot to pick up the pace. I going to also ring the Guardians again and give them all the details of what's going on, so that they can be prepared. We should be there in less than half an hour."

Wow, that was definitely taking the definition of "picking up the pace" to a whole new level. But half an hour still seemed too long.

I reached down for Dimitri's phone, which had dropped to the ground when he had gotten up. Even though we had called Court not too long ago, I still needed to call Lissa and speak to her personally, to make sure she was okay.

Also, by letting Lissa know what was happening, she would be able to inform all the Guardians about the current situation much more effectively than we could.

Seeing what I wanted, Dimitri lent over and grabbed the phone for me, and handed it over without any questions. I smiled gratefully.

I dialled her mobile, both excited and nervous to hear her voice. But she didn't answer. I dialled it again. Nothing.

I was about try again, when the phone started to ring. But it wasn't Lissa, it was Eddie.

I answered it, and held the phone up to my ear.

"I'm sorry we haven't called you back yet Eddie, but-"

"You have to get back to Court right now!" A female voice shouted, hurting my ears. It was Jill. I pulled the phone away, and put it on loud speaker, knowing that Dimitri would need to hear this.

"We're almost there, what's happened?" I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. No, not now. This can't be happening.

"Adrian and Sydney have been captured! The Alchemists and Warriors attacked them, and knocked Adrian out! I can't reach him anymore…"

Lissa… she never picked up the phone. What if they already got to her? No, I couldn't think like that. She's fine, Christian's fine. Everyone was fine.

"Do you know how many of them were there? Did you recognise any of them?" Dimitri asked, analysing the situation.

"There were more than ten, but I didn't recognise anyone. But Sydney did call an older guy her Dad, and some were wearing symbols of The Warriors of Light, so I know that both sides were there. We have to save them!"

I noticed the plural in her last sentence.

"No, there's no we in this Jill. You guys need to stay out of this, and keep safe. You're still not in the clear. Besides, you're nowhere near Court."

"But, we're-"

"End of discussion Jill," I said firmly. We couldn't risk anymore lives.

"Fine, but you guys need to get there quick."

"I know."

"And Rose, I'm glad your back," she said softly before hanging up. If it was under any other circumstance, I would have smiled. But right now, her words just made me want to cry. I'm back, but it's not over.

Balling up my hands, I turned to Dimitri, who like me was ready to fight at a seconds notice. "What now?"

"Sydney was being kept hidden in a small house on the side of Court that no-one goes to anymore. If we're right, and they are after Lissa, then it will take the Alchemists and Warriors some time to get past all the Guardians. It's bold of them to try such an attack on Court, but it might just work because..."

He let his words trail off, but I knew what he was about to say. It might work because Lissa had sent two groups of her best Guardians to come find and help me, rather than stay at Court and protect her. And with the meeting about to happen in an hours time, it made Court and everyone in it extremely vulnerable, as that's what everyone's focus and attention would be on. And once again, it was all my fault.

I had to make things right again.

We started to form a plan as Dimitri tried to call the Guardians at Court multiple times to tell them what was going on. But just like Lissa, no-one answered.

It looked like we were on our own.

When we landed at Court, I expected there to be people running around, screaming with terror. But everything seemed normal. Which made me feel even more uneasy. As we got off the plan, we were greeted by one of the Head Guardians at Court, Jim Helm. He shook both our hands, and gestured for us to follow him. Dimitri asked why no-one had answered his calls, and Guardian Helm explained that their systems went down. As he spoke, I noticed a familiar glaze gloss over his eyes. So I did the only rational thing any person would do, and punched him in the face.

"He's under compulsion!" I shouted, as Helm struck out his fist and landed a blow in my stomach. I wanted to keel over, but I forced myself to stay upright, and managed to deflect his next punch. Dimitri was by my side in an instant, and together, we managed to knock him unconscious.

"Are you okay?" Dimitri questioned as we cautiously made our way from the small air field, to the Queen's quarters.

"I'm fine," I muttered, ignoring the blistering pain in my stomach. "Look, we have to do something that you're not going to like. But we have no choice," I stated as we picked up the pace. I couldn't let my injuries get the better of me. There would be time for rest once this was all over.

"We have to split up," Dimitri admitted, deflated.

I nodded.

"I don't want to any more than you do, but one of us has to go find Adrian and Sydney, while the other goes and makes sure Lissa and Christian are safe. And if Guardian Helm is under compulsion of all people, we can't trust the other Guardians to help us right now either."

Dimitri shook his head in disbelief. "This is a really horrible plan."

"But it's the best one we've got. We can't let the Alchemists get their hands on Sydney again, or hurt Adrian."

He knew I was right.

"So, we split up. Again." His voice was flat, and his body was tense. I don't want to leave him, but we had no other option.

We made it to Lissa's building, and I slowed down just long enough to reach up and peck him on the cheek.

"Yes, but this time, it won't be for long."

He nodded, but I could tell that he was still trying to come up with another solution as we stopped behind a brick wall, just short of the building's entrance. But there was no other one, and we had a duty to uphold.

They come first.

"Okay, you go find Lissa and Christian, and I'll go find Sydney and Adrian."

We locked eyes.

"Be careful."

"You too," I whispered.

And with that, we separated and hurried off in opposite directions.

It had only just turned dark about an hour ago, so there wasn't many Moroi out and about yet. But there were still lots of lights on, so I stuck to the shadows, so I wouldn't attract any attention. I had no idea how many others were under compulsion, and therefore didn't know who I could trust. So it was best to trust no-one.

As much as I had been trying to ignore it, I had to face the fact that Avery was most likely here at Court. And the thought of her being here, after how she had messed with my mind, made my blood boil with rage. I didn't know what I would do if I saw her.

Entering the building was easy, but it shouldn't have been. There was supposed to be two Guardians sanctioned out front at all times, but when I walked into the foyer, there was no-one in sight.

Ignoring the pain in my body, I forced myself into a run, as I quickly but quietly headed up the stairs to the third floor. Moments later, I was at the front door to Lissa's living Quarters. I didn't bother knocking, and instead kicked in the door and rushed inside. Silver stake in hand, I turned the corner of the short hallway to find Lissa sitting at her dining table, eating breakfast. She almost choked on her cereal at the sight of me, but was quick to recover, and rushed over to pull me into a hug.

"Why the hell didn't you answer you phone?" I scolded, as I pulled away from her and checked the kitchen out, to make sure it was secure. It was safe, but I didn't know how long that would last for.

Lissa stood there and watched me, clearly confused.

"I accidently dropped it in the fountain yesterday, so I had to get a new one… What's wrong Rose? You're injured, you should be resting!" She paused and looked around me. "Where's Dimitri?"

"Dimitri has gone to help Sydney and Adrian, and I'm here to—"

"What happened to Adrian and Sydney? Are they okay? And what about Zoey?" She questioned worriedly, cutting me off.

Zoey? What was Sydney's sister doing here? I thought she was on the Alchemist's side? I wanted to ask all these questions, but we didn't have time for chit chat.

"Look, I don't have time to explain everything right now, we have to—"

"What the hell is going on… Rose?"

I turned around to find Christian standing behind me. Both shock and amusement fluttered across his face. "You know, we heard you were found. There was no need for the dramatic entrance."

"I really wish that's what it was Ozera, but it's not. We have to get out of here."

Christian's serious side instantly kicked in. He moved so he protectively hovered in front of Lissa, and gestured for me to lead the way.

"Let's get going then."

Even though Lissa and Christian had no idea what was happening, they understood the severity of the situation and didn't question me. They silently followed my every move as we crept down the multiple corridors, and down the stairs. Taking the elevator would be too risky, but the echo of our feet in the stair well made it clear that either route was going to have its dangers.

After saving both parties, Dimitri and I had planned to meet up at the large oak tree in the forest that surrounded Court, and from there we would decide what our best course of action would be. But for now, our main focus was to protect those we loved, and to keep the Moroi safe. Which was hard to do when you had no idea who you could trust.

We reached the door at the bottom of the stair well that would lead out to the foyer of the building. When I had entered the building, there had been no sign of any Guardians. But as I quietly opened the door, and peaked through the small gap, I could see that the security blunder at been fixed. There were now five Guardians standing in the foyer, all facing in different directions. Their stances indicated that they were ready to fight. It was clear that these Guardians were also being compelled. Fantastic.

I carefully closed the door, and turned to Lissa and Christian.

"We have to back track, the entry way is being blocked by Guardians under compulsion," I whispered. I figured that since our footsteps hadn't alerted the Guardians that it was safe to talk quietly.

Lissa raised her eyebrows, shocked at what she had just heard.

"Who's compelling them?" Christian questioned, as we started to make our way back up the stairs.

I didn't want to get into everything right now, but I couldn't lie to them either.

"Avery," I muttered as I glanced back at Lissa, who stopped in her tracks.

"No, she can't be here!" She hissed, her eyes darting back and forth with horror. "She's locked up!"

Christian wrapped his arms around her, and gently forced her to keep moving. We didn't have time to stop.

"I'm not going to let her, or anyone, hurt you Liss. Hell, I'll even make sure flame boy stays safe."

"Thank you Rose, that warms my heart," Christian snickered.

I smirked, and Lissa can't help but smile, momentarily distracting her from the situation at hand.

We were almost at the door that led to the second level of the building, when the stair well began to shake, and the sound of footsteps started to ring all around us. We were no longer alone.

The sound was coming from above, and I could tell there was more than one person heading our way. And they were definitely in a hurry.

I pushed my aching body forward, and thrust opened the door to the second floor. Christian and Lissa raced inside, and I quickly followed behind. We sped down the corridor, and took a right turn around the corner. Just as we disappeared from sight, I heard the door we had just come through burst open.

I had no idea where to go, my mind was too fuzzy to remember this part of the building.

Lissa seemed to realise this, and immediately took charge, and led us into a spacious room with double doors at the far end of the corridor. She shut the doors behind us, but we both knew that this was not going to slow anyone down. Thinking fast, Christian grabbed his belt and securely tied it around the two handles. It wouldn't hold it forever, but it would give us more time to figure out an escape plan.

I looked around the room, and realised that we were standing in the Council Chambers. This was where Lissa was meant to be having her meeting later this evening, but I doubted that was still going to happen.

The tables and chairs were shaped in a 'U' formation, except for one desk and chair, which had been placed separately at the front for all to see. It was where the Queen or King sat, and where Lissa would now sit for all her meetings.

I watched as she glanced at the room critically, before turning to me.

"It's not a mistake that she chose to attack today of all days is it?"

I shook my head and avoided her eyes. I couldn't bear to look at her, not when knowing it was my fault the Alchemists and Warriors knew when the most vulnerable time to attack was. Not when it was because of my capture, that Lissa sent her best Guardians away from Court to come help me, leaving them even more exposed. She thought it was Avery who was the instigator, but she was just the pawn. I didn't like keeping things from Lissa, but now wasn't the time to sit down and explain everything. Now was the time to act.

I stalked over to the window, and carefully peaked outside. It was completely dark, but thanks to my Dhampir eyesight, I could see as clearly as if it was day time. There was a field below, that led straight towards the forest. This was too perfect.

Using my silver stake, I smashed the window. The glass shattered with ease, but not silently. I crossed my fingers, hoping that it wouldn't attract anyone from below. There was a gutter hooked to the side of the building that we could use to climb down to the ground with.

I called Lissa and Christian over to the window.

"We're going to climb down this pipe, and then head across the field and into the forest. There's a tall oak tree towards the left side of the forest. That's where Dimitri will meet us with Sydney, Adrian and I guess Zoey, though I still don't understand why she's here. You guys need to fill me in on that later." Lissa's expression grew nervous at my words. Zoey must have had something to do with the secret everyone had been keeping from me.

Christian volunteered to go first, and I knew this was so he could help support Lissa climb down the pipe. As much of an ass-hole he could be, Christian was always ready to put his safety on the line to keep Lissa safe. It was pretty much the only reason why I tolerated him. That, along with the fact that he could make one heck of a delicious meat loaf.

I helped Lissa to step carefully through the window, and showed her the best way to grab onto the pipe. Once she was secured, I told them to start climbing down. I readied myself to step out of the window, but a bashing sound at the door stopped me. I leaned out the window, and gestured for them to keep going, but Lissa stopped moving and motioned for me to join them. But I shook my head, and locked eyes with Christian.

"Get her out of here, not matter what happens." He nodded in understanding, and I quickly glanced back at Lissa one more time before I walked back towards the door. Her eyes had been filled with tears, and as much as I just wanted to join her and tell her that everything was going to be okay, I knew I had to do what needed to be done to protect her. And this is what needed to be done.

The door swayed back and forth every time it was rammed into. Christian's belt was holding the door together well, but I knew that it would only take a few more tries before it would snap. Knowing that the element of surprise was always the best way to go, I took a step forward and sliced my stake through the belt, letting the door burst open.

Oh dear... Rose and Dimitri had to split up again! Everyone at Court is a threat, and according to Rose, Avery is stalking the grounds of Court!

Any guesses on what's going to happen? Let me know what you guys think! :D

Next chapter up soon- maybe even sooner than you think! ;D