Chapter 6 She's Alive

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy its characters or plotline. I do however own a very cute pug!

DPOV

Ivashkov had been asleep for nearly an hour. I was getting frustrated. All I could think about was my Roza and if she was still alive. We didn't dare wake him in case he was with Rose. The princess was pacing around the room tearing at the ends of her golden hair. Christian was sitting very still just staring out the window.

I was getting impatient and I was about to go smack the drunkard awake when he opened his eyes and nearly jumped off the couch.

We looked at him expectantly.

"She's alive." My heart soared at his words.

"Where is she? Was she able to give you any information?" I barked.

"Is she hurt?" asked the princess timidly.

Ivashkov looked away grimacing. I figured as much. She had been beaten and bloody when we were in the caves and I'm sure it had only gotten worse after the bite.

"She doesn't know where she is. She's chained to a chair and it is very dark. There are two Strigoi. A man and a woman. She says the woman knows you."" He said gesturing towards me.

I raised my eyebrow at this.

"She says she was your mentor?" he explained.

"Galina." I breathed menacingly.

" You know a strigoi?" asked Christian incredulously.

"She wasn't strigoi when I knew her she was a guardian. She was later turned strigoi by force." I told them.

"What does she want with Rose?" I wondered aloud.

"She wants to turn her." Spat Ivashkov.

"What?" I roared. Why would she want to turn her? Probably so she could get to Lissa. I groaned.

This was bad. This was worse than bad. My beautiful Roza would be turned into an evil creature of the night. Her soul would be ripped from her body and then she would be a monster. I had to stop this. I couldn't allow her that fate and if it did happen. I needed to be the one to kill her. She'd once told me on a shopping trip to Missoula that she'd rather die than become strigoi. I would have to fulfill my promise to kill her if she was awakened. My heart ached so bad at the thought of never seeing her again or worse having to plunge a silver steak through her heart.

"Did she say anything else?" I asked trying to pull myself together.

"She said to tell us that she's lost to us and not to come and find her. Especially you Lissa." He said.

"That's not an option. Why would she say that?" the princess asked.

"She doesn't want you to get hurt. It's her way of protecting you." He replied.

"I don't' need protecting right now she does." The princess yelled defiantly.

"Hey don't shoot the messanger."

"Oh and Belikov she had a message for you too." He said reluctantly.

"What?" I asked hopefully. "Protect the Princess at all costs." He said.

"And.. "he said hesitantly. "She said to tell you. Я тебя люблю" He said in perfect Russian.

I was confused. "She said that?" I asked.

He nodded. "She said she learned it for you."

My heart was breaking. The girl I loved was in perilous danger and I was about to cry because she learned how to say she loved me in my native tounge. I cleared my throat and got back to business.

"Okay well she mustn't know about spirit users and dream walking if she allowed Rose to sleep long enough to tell you all of this." I said.

"I know where Galina might be." I added.

"She didn't exactly let her sleep I don't think." Said Ivaskov choking back a sob.

"What do you mean?"

"I think she was passed out from blood loss." He managed through sobs.

I cursed loudly in Russian.

"I have to get moving." I said heading for the door. I stopped to write down my cell number on a piece of paper.
"Try to get into her dreams again soon and call me if anything changes or you have any more information." I said quickly.

"No wait where are you going? We are coming with you." The princess said blocking the door.

I looked down at her and I could see that she was in pain and that she wanted to help her friend, but I couldn't risk the lives of three royal moroi out there. If something happened to them Rose would never forgive me and there'd be hell to pay.

"Princess, I know you want to help, but the best way to do that is to stay here and be safe until Rose comes home ." I said hoping she would let me go.

"Guardian Belikov with all due repect Rose is bonded to me. She is the most important person in my life and I will not stay here and do nothing while she is out there being tormented by strigoi. We can stand here arguing about this for another ten minutes until I use compulsion to get you to cooperate or you can just agree to take us along now and save us the trouble and the time and for the love of God call me Lissa I can't stand that whole princess crap."

I could see the look of determination in her eyes.
"As you wish Lissa." I said making up my mind. I'd rather them go having it be my decision than having her trick me into it.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"Russia." I answered.

Galina had an estate in Novosibirsk.

"How are we going to get there?" asked Christian.

"You really aren't that royal are you?" asked Ivashkov with a laugh.

"What does that mean?"

"It means that I will be requesting the use of the academy jet and that since I'm the only and favorite nephew to the Queen and have super compulsion abilities I shall get what I want." He said with a smirk.

Christian cursed under his breath, but I knew that we were all glad that Ivashkov had connections no matter how spoiled and egotistical he was.

In all actuality I thought I'd get a fight from Alberta on leaving the academy. Guardian levels were small after the attack and my leaving would leave them in a bind. She didn't ask where I was going she just wished me good luck. She of course did not know that I was taking two underage moroi and the nephew of the queen along for the ride at the time.

Ivashkov used his connections and compulsion to get us use of the jet and to get Kirova to agree to the moroi leaving 'd made up some story about how Adrian's parents were worried about the safety at the Academy and wanted him, Lissa and Christian to come for a visit. It was a stretch, but with compulsion they were able to get the okay.

I was almost to the plane when I heard my name being called.

"Guardian Belikov. Where are you going?"

I turned around quickly to face the one person I dreaded seeing.

I couldn't think of a good lie, but I didn't want to tell the truth either. The kids were already on the plane so I didn't have to explain that part.

"I'm leaving the academy and going home for a while." I lied hoping she would buy it.

"You're leaving the academy? But why?" "Guardian numbers are low." She said confused.

"I have some things I need to take care of."

"I don't believe you nor do I believe that you had any sort of innocent mentor/student relationship with my daughter." Snapped Janine Hathaway.

I looked away guiltily. She could read me like an open book. I hadn't even tried to hide the fact that I had been crying yesterday when Rose was taken. She had seen my emotions and made the connection.

I sighed. "Janine what do you want from me?" I asked. "We've both had a rough couple of days and I think you should go back to rest you've been through a lot." I said knowing she wasn't going to drop it.

"Not until you tell me the truth Belikov. Exactly what was going on between you and Rose and why are you leaving so abruptly?"

I figured it best to just come out with the truth about where I was going. We were in a hurry and I didn't want her going back to Kirova and asking questions. I didn't know how well the compulsion that Ivashkov used would hold up if she started snooping around.

"We have reason to believe that Rose is still alive. I don't want you to get your hopes up, but I am going to follow a lead and see if I can bring her home." I said.

"Rose is alive?" she gasped.

So I hope you like it so far. Please Review if you like Review if you don't. Does anyone think Janine will kill Dimitri if she finds out about them???