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Chapter 15
I was a little satisfied with the transaction that just happened. Rose and I were actually getting along in what seemed like forever and I realized that she still obviously cared for me, not in some selfish school crush way, but she was completely in love with me because she put my interest before hers.
How could I ever walk away from that?
It was really time for me to talk to Tasha. It wasn't right to keep treating her that way –giving her false hope when all I felt was friendship towards her.
I went back to my room to contemplate on what to do about the situation. Later, I received a telegram to meet Guardian Hathaway once more.
Fucking dammit, I cursed silently in Russian. Could a man ever sleep? I bet we were just going to go over the same damn stupid details again, not doing anything like wussies.
Jeeze, Rose was having a bad influence on me.
I guess it was because of what she had said before; she sort of made me feel I don't know, incompetent. Useless almost or well that she expected better of me.
Not everyone has as much courage to do whatever they feel like as she does.
Oh Roza, how I missed her already.
I just wanted to hold her in my arms.
She was right though, we should go attack the Strigoi before they attack us.
The truth is though; it would kill me to ever have Rose in the way of any danger.
I walked in the room though and recognized that look. It was the look of a mother concerned for her child; it was written all over her face and suddenly my heart sank.
"What happened?" I asked immediately feeling my adrenaline kick in.
"Rose is missing," she began, I felt like I couldn't breathe. "Along with Christian Ozera, another Moroi named Mia Ronaldi and the two novices, Eddie Castile and Mason Ashford. They left in two separate groups. The first group was Mia, Eddie and Mason and we believe that the Moroi girl may have used compulsion to get out after interrogating the Guardian on watch. Later Rose and Christian left, they didn't use compulsion however, and instead Rose assaulted the Guardian by hitting him across the head and knocking him unconscious."
Her voice was hard, but I could see in her expression how troubled she felt.
Normally, I think she'd be angry at her daughter for hitting a Guardian, it was a serious offense but right now, all I saw was deep concern for her daughter's welfare.
I didn't understand it at all though. Why would Roza leave? Especially after the conversation we'd just had.
She left and I asked where she was going, and she answered to break someone's heart.
Who's heart? I wondered.
Adrian, I hoped, if he even had a heart.
Mason, maybe, she didn't want him.
Or worse and all the more devastating –me.
Maybe she left because of me.
My stomach sank.
What if Rose had left the Academy so that I would choose Tasha's offer.
A thousand thoughts were going through my head.
Janine interrupted my thoughts thought, "Guardian Belikov, do you have any idea where they would have gone? Why they left? Why Rose left?"
I had lost the ability to speak for a moment as a terrifying thought crossed my mind, what if I never found her?
"No," I answered, it was all I could manage.
I had to snap out of it. I had to find Rose. Suddenly, everything in the room was just shaking. And just like that, my mind woke up, determined to find Rose.
"They couldn't have gotten far; I know there's a bus station close by. I'm sure they might have some information." Then I made an observation, "What about the Princess? Did she go with them?"
"No," she answered flatly.
That was bizarre. Rose would never leave Lissa. So why had she left? What had gone wrong? And why had they left in separate groups? Nothing was making sense.
"We should go to the bus station," Janine noted.
"Of course," I nodded and we headed towards there while some other Guardians continued to go over some details.
The bus station was small and more like a transition bus station rather than a big port.
In the Moroi world, we could easily interrogate whoever we wanted, no questions asked. Out here though, we had to keep a low profile. The last thing we needed was the human police involved so we had to just work with what we had.
There was a man working the bus station tickets and I went to question him.
"Hi, excuse me, I lost my…." I thought for a moment and decided for "sister, my mother and I can't seem to find her anywhere, and we're afraid she might have left on the bus, have you seen any teenagers around?" Calling Rose my sister seemed like the most awkward thing to do. I had to remember that we were also looking for the other four idiots, not just Rose. Except, without Rose, there just wasn't anything for me.
"Not today," he answered. "Most the people that come here are adults. And honestly, I would've easily noticed teenagers."
Janine chimed in then, "Are you sure?" She pulled out a picture of Rose, "That you haven't seen her?"
The man studied the picture, "Pretty girl like that, no, I would've remembered her face," he replied.
My hope seemed to dwindle. But honestly, there was no way they would've gotten anywhere on foot.
"How long have you been working?" I asked.
"Sir, that isn't really any of your concern," he replied.
My patience diminished, "Look. I need to fucking find my, this girl. So I need to know how long you have been working and when your last shift ended. Understood?" My words came out harsh.
Janine seemed to keep her head a little better because she passed a twenty to the man, "Please, sir."
Of course the idiot tucked the money away, I came in just a few hours ago, but there really isn't any way to tell where they could have went.
Great.
"Can I have the details as to where all your ports transfer to.
Yes, sure. About fifty different stops, not to mention that they transport to the stops.
Great, we weren't really going to achieve any of this.
Think Dimitri.
Where would you go if you were Rose?
I don't know.
"This just isn't like Rose," I told Janine.
"Dimitri, she tends to do these sort of things. I wouldn't be surprised if she arranged the whole fiasco."
"No," I answered. "I spoke to her just a few hours ago, she was calm. I would've noticed. Besides she's changed, she's not that irresponsible anymore."
Maybe Adrian had something to do with this I thought silently. Arranging a questioning with him would be entertaining. Locked doors, no escape for him.
"Thanks for your help," Janine finally told the man and we walked away.
Janine seemed to be in pensive mode, "Well they couldn't have gotten far if they didn't take the bus. I'll send some other Guardians to check the perimeters. However, with Christian and Mia, the sun would weaken them too much to stay outside. They must have taken a bus somewhere."
"Yes, I'm sure they did… but where?"
"I don't know," she answered.
"No," I replied, "But I know who does."
Janine nodded and understood that I was speaking about the Princess.
Of course she'd fucking know.
Now if I just made her tell her, we'd sort this whole mess out before something bad happened to my Roza.
Janine was on the phone with Alberta telling her to send Guardians to make rounds.
I wanted to punch someone in the face. I could never forgive myself if anything bad happened to Rose. If I hadn't been so stupid, involved with Tasha, if I had been protecting Rose, doing what I was supposed to be doing, none of this would've happened. Instead, I was out being an idiot. With some woman I didn't even feel any feelings towards.
When we got back to the Academy we immediately walked to Lissa's room.
That part struck me as shocking. Why wouldn't she have gone? And of course she knew. Her best friend and boyfriend just left the lodge with some other friends. She had to know where the hell they went.
"She'll know where they went," I told Janine.
"She's been interrogated already Dimitri, she said she had no idea where they went" Janine replied.
Bullshit.
It was all strange though.
Why would they leave Lissa behind?
Something was missing.
I grabbed at the knob, not bothering to knock, my patience had been obliterated the minute Rose went missing.
"Where are they?" I asked immediately voice coming out much harsher than I meant it to.
"I don't know," she answered flawlessly, not an ounce of hesitation or lie written on any word. She said it like she'd been saying it over and over again, and I bet that she had.
Janine put her hand on my shoulder then and I looked over, "Dimitri, you aren't going to achieve anything like this. Rose and her have always protected each other. Try to approach this in a more strategic way."
Janine was right, and I got her drift. I had to keep my head to try to convince Lissa, try to have her see reason. I steadied and calmed my voice and began again.
"Lissa, I'm sorry, may we have a conversation with you?"
"Yes?"
I began, "I know you want to protect them, but we need to know where they are."
Lissa sat on the bed, across from us, a look of terror in her eyes as two angry guardians stared her down.
"I told you," said Lissa, "I don't know. I don't know what happened."
I could tell that she was frustrated but did she seriously think we were that stupid. That Rose and Christian would leave the lodge and not tell her about it.
"I can't believe they wouldn't have told you where they were going," said Janine, chiming in with my exact thoughts. While her words sounded flat, I could tell from her face that she was really worried "Especially with your...bond," she continued.
"It only works one way," said Lissa sadly. "You know that," she answered looking at me straight in the eye. The initial anger had boiled down a little and now I was really trying to read her. From her expression she looked sort of hurt, almost like she was sad that she'd been left out of something. Could it be true?
I knelt down then so I could look her straight in the eye, "Are you sure there's nothing? Nothing at all you can tell us? They're nowhere in town. The man at the bus station didn't see them ... though we're pretty sure that's where they must have gone. We need something, anything to go on."
Lissa gritted her teeth at me and glared probably angry and being asked the same questions over and over again. But hey, when your best friend is Rose Hathaway, this sort of uncomfortable things are to be expected.
"Don't you think if I knew, I'd tell you? You don't think I'm worried about them too? I have no idea where they are. None. And why'd they even leave... it doesn't make any sense either. Especially why they'd go with Mia, of all people." A twinge of hurt flickered through her eyes and realized then, unfortunately, that whatever ways I was thinking of torturing Lissa into telling me the truth were going to be useless because she had no idea where they went.
Besides the fact that Rose would kill me after.
I sighed, leaning back. I had no leads. Nothing to go on. There was nothing I could do but sit around and wait. What if Strigoi found them?
I put my head in my hands, so stressed out.
I think I was way worse than Janine or Lissa.
I just know Rose, and I know that if anything happened, she would throw herself in the way of danger to protect everyone else.
Then Lissa said something, "I'm not sure where they are. But I know someone who might be able to help."
"What do you mean?" I asked, a little hope rushing towards me.
"Adrian Ivashkov," began Lissa. Not that fucking name. "He's a spirit user too." Great, just perfect. "He can dream walk, he might be able to get to Rose and find out where they are Dimitri," Lissa told me.
I wondered but Janine didn't look convinced, "That's impossible."
"No really," she began. "Dimitri, he can help."
The last person I ever wanted to help was Adrian. But honestly, if it meant saving Rose, I'd do anything.
