Chapter 14: Reunions (Lissa & Adrian & Janine)
DPOV
The princess burst into the room and all but threw herself at Rose.
"Lissa be careful her injuries." Warned Adrian as he came up behind her.
"Liss, Liss I can't breathe." groaned Rose.
"OH my God Rose! What did they do to you?" Gasped Lissa surveying the damage. Tears flew down her cheeks.
"It's nothing." Rose said coughing a little.
"Now get to healing." She said trying to sound stern, but her voice was shaky and weak.
My family was standing in the back of the room quietly watching and Abe Mazur had not moved from his position. Worry was etched into his face. His eyes widened when he heard Rose say get to healing.
"I inhaled deeply and Lissa raised he hand to Rose's Neck and closed her eyes. She then placed her other hand over her chest and concentrated deeply. After a few minutes I could see that it was draining her. Rose looked somewhat better, but not fully healed. The princess looked as if she were going to collapse.
"Lissa, let me." Said Adrian stepping closer and pulling Lissa away from Rose. She tried to protest, but was too weak. She stepped aside and Christian took her into his arms as she collapsed from exhaustion.
"Adrian lay his hands on Rose's ankle and her legs using the same look of concentration as Lissa had."
After a minute or two the color returned to Rose's cheeks and her breathing returned to normal.
As Ivashkov stepped away looking exausted he fell into the chair on the opposite side of the room.
"Roza?" I questioned. She sat up straight rubbing her eyes. "Good as new Comrade." She said with a smile. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes.
I let out the breath I had been holding in. She was alright. We were all here safe with my family. She looked up suddenly at something behind me. I turned my head slightly to see what she was looking at.
"Mom?" she questioned seeing Janine who had stepped out from behind me to get a better look at Rose.
Janine didn't hesitate. She had Rose in her arms in two seconds flat. They embraced tightly both crying tears of happiness.
Abe Mazur had an odd look of amazement on his face as he watched Rose who had been nearly dead come back to life good as new. But when he saw Janine step forward to embrace Rose he began to smile. He never took his eyes off them.
I looked around the room. My sisters and my mother were confused as they should be. Abe was still staring at Rose and Janine. Lissa had come to and was crying softly while Christian soothed her. Adrian was sitting in the arm chair staring blankly at the wall. He looked exhausted.
Mama can you get some water for the princess? I asked. She nodded and went to the kitchen.
I crossed the room to where my mother kept the liquor and grabbed a glass filling it with strong Russian Vodka I walked over and handed it to Ivashkov who looked at me in surprise.
"Thanks." He mumbled downing the glass in one gulp. I then went over to explain about spirit users to my family.
LPOV
As soon as Dimitri gave the oka,. I jumped out of Christian's arms and ran to the house. I nearly plowed over an old lady on the way in but I didn't care. I was anxious to see Rose. It had been over a week that she had been missing and it was the longest time we'd spent apart since we were toddlers.
I saw her on the couch in the corner of the living room. She looked just awful. I couldn't contain myself as I threw my arms around her holding her so tight.
"Lissa be careful her injuries." Warned Adrian as he came up behind me.
"Liss, Liss I can't breathe." I pulled back and took a good look at her up close. I couldn't believe how badly she was injured. How could she have survived such a horrible ordeal. I couldn't stop the tears that began to flow freely down my face. My best friend in the world was in so much pain. I had to help her.
"Oh my God Rose. What did they do to you
"It's nothing." Rose said coughing a little. She was being brave for me. She was always putting my needs before hers even when she was so sick. God I loved her so much. I shuddered at how close I'd come to losing her. I couldn't lose her.
"Now get to healing." She said trying to tough, but I could tell that she was scared."
I put my hands on her and I could feel the magic building up and flowing from my hands into her body. I concentrated very hard. She was so weak and I could feel my strength waning. Just as I felt like I couldn't go on any longer I felt Adrian's hand on my shoulder.
"Lissa let me." He said helping me as I fell into Christian's strong arms. I think that is when I passed out.
When I came to I was still crying and Christian was holding me tightly on the floor. Adrian was in the arm chair in the corner with a glass of what was probably Vodka and Rose's mom was with her. Dimitri and his family were standing off to the side talking softly in Russian. Then there was Abe Mazur. He was just standing in the corner watching Rose and her mom with a strange look on his face. If I had to take a guess I'd say it was love.
I looked from Rose to Abe and then back again. He was Moroi he looked to be Turkish with darker than average skin for a Moroi. His eyes were brown and his hair was dark.
I gasped. Janine knew him. He was so concerned for Rose's life. He'd stayed with her even after he'd gotten her to the Belikov's safely and he was looking at them with love in his eyes.
Abe was Rose's father I just knew it.
I was staring at him in awe with my jaw hanging wide open when he looked over at me.
"Princess Dragomir" he greeted me. I don't know what was wrong with me, but I couldn't stop staring at him.
He must have realized that I'd made the connection because he brought his index finger to his lips and motioned for me not to say anything.
I just nodded.
RPOV
Everything happened so quickly I couldn't keep up. Dimitri was here. He was here with me and he was holding my hand whispering his love for me. He wanted me to wake up. I was trying so hard to fight.
My eyes opened and I saw him there with me. The love in his eyes was unmistakable. One look into his eyes and I knew everything was going to be alright.
"Comrade?" I whispered.
I sqeezed his hand weakly to show him that I was alright.
"Я тебя люблю Roza." He said kissing me softly on her forehead. "You have no idea how worried we've been about you."
"I love you too Comrade." I said with a small smile.
"Hold on okay. I'm going to go get the princess so she can heal you." He said caressing my cheek with his warm hand wiping away a stray tear that had escaped my eyes.
I didn't want him to leave me and I gripped his hand tighter. "Roza you have to let go." He said "I promise I'll be right back." I looked into his eyes and felt that he was telling the truth so I grudgingly released my grip on his hand.
I glanced over at Abe he didn't seem surprised at our affection, however Dimitri's family sure did. I cringed. What if they didn't accept us? What if they didn't like me? They were so nice, but would they continue to be nice to me now that they knew I was with him? Maybe they didn't think I was good enough. I nearly slipped back into unconsciousness when I felt Lissa crushing me in her arms.
It felt so strange for her to be so much stronger than I was. Although almost anyone would be stronger than me right now.
"Be careful of her injuries." I heard Adrian's voice and I nearly burst out into tears. They had really all come for me.
"Liss Liss I can't breathe." I squeaked.
She released me and gasped.
"Oh my God Rose! What have they done to you?"
"It's not that bad." I said trying to reassure her I could feel her anxiety, fear and compassion coming through the bond.
As she put her hands over me I could feel her magic and the wonderful feeling it gave her shoot through the bond. All too quickly though I could feel her exhaustion. I was breathing better so I knew that my lung had been fixed.
Lissa was about to pass out when Adrian took over for her and as he put his hands on me I felt whole again. Everyone I loved was in this room. Well everyone except my mother. Then as I sat up I saw her come out from behind Dimitri.
"Mom?" I sad weakly. And in that moment despite all the other people in the room the only person's arms I wanted wrapped around me were my mother's. She stepped forward and embraced me tightly. We cried together for what seemed like an eternity. I could hear the others going about their business around us but I didn't care. She was the one person that I loved so much, but had never told her.
"I love you Mommy." I sobbed into her strong shoulder. "I love you to Rose don't you ever think that I didn't." she said holding me even tighter. "You are the most important person in this world to me Rosemarie." She whispered stroking my hair softly. "I thought you were gone and I'd never have the chance to tell you that."
"Thank you." I stuttered.
"For what? I haven't been there for you." She said softly.
"For sending me to become a guardian." I replied. "That was the best choice for us." I said pointing to her, me and Abe.
She then seemed to notice that he was in the room.
"Janine." He greeted her.
"Ibrahim." She replied. "You told her?"
He nodded and she smiled at him.
The way they were looking at each other was beginning to resemble the way Lissa and Christian looked right before they started to make nice. I nearly gagged.
"Er uh awkward." I said and disentangled myself from my mother's arms.
"I'll leave you two alone to talk." I said winking at my mother. "I'm sure you have a lot of catching up to do."
They both stared at me with their mouths agape.
"She really is my daughter eh?" I heard my father say with a laugh. My mother just slapped his arm playfully.
I laughed and got up off the couch. I stretched and it felt really good to not be in pain. Although as I tried to cross the room I was swept away by a bout of dizziness. I would have fallen, but a pair of strong warm arms was there to catch me.
"Thanks Comrade." I said knowing it was him that had saved me. It was always him who saved me.
"You still need to rest Roza." He chastised pulling me close against his body. He flipped me around so we were face to well I was going to say face, but man was I short. I only came up to about his nipples. He bent down and gently brought his lips to mine.
The kiss was soft and sweet, but conveyed the deep connection and passion we shared with one another. I knew from Adrian that my mother was privy to the knowledge of our relationship, but I had no idea how she'd react to us making out in front of her, but in that moment I didn't care.
We broke apart slowly, but he still held me tightly against his body. After the events of the past week I never wanted to leave his warm embrace.
The Belikova's approached us and I could see the curiosity on their faces. Dimitri said something to them in Russian. They seemed to be amused as they were all smiling brightly at us.
Dimitri however looked a bit uncomfortable. My eyes dropped to the floor. He was embarrassed of me. It was obvious that he was by the look on his face.
He automatically sensed the change in my mood. He knew me so well.
"Roza what's the matter are you feeling alright?" he asked with concern. "I'm fine." I said. "Just a little tired.
"You should get some rest." Said Olena.
She then said something to Dimitri in Russian. He nodded in response.
"I'm going to take you upstairs to rest Roza." He said. "It will be quiet and more comfortable up there." He continued.
He probably just wanted me out of the way of his family. I thought sadly.
