Dimitri's Point of View
I was trying to make sense of what Sophia had just told us but I couldn't.
Why would two men pretending to be members of the Royal Guard abduct Rose? They had to be working for Victor, but to get into court they would have needed help. Was it possible what they said was true, that they really were working for the Queen?
"This is preposterous!" Abe cried, slamming his hand down on the small table in his sitting room. "There is no way those buffoons were really working for Tatianna."
It was no secret that he held a high regard for the Queen, although I couldn't say I understood why. They had very different political and personal views, but for whatever reason he respected her.
"I'm just telling you what they said!" Sophia shouted back.
You had to admire the girls spunk, she didn't cower away from anyone…even Abe Mazur.
I halfheartedly listened to their conversation while trying to work out my own issues in my mind.
And then my phone rang.
I sprang out of the chair to grab it out of my duster pocket.
A small foolish part of me kept hoping it was Rose calling to say this was all just some big misunderstand.
But unsurprisingly it wasn't.
"Guardian Belikov" I answered when I noticed it was the area code for St. Vladimir's.
"Belikov, it's Guardian Petrov. There is someone here that wants to speak to you…"
I couldn't for the life of me imagine who could be calling me from there and with Rose missing going on 15 hours I was hardly in the mood for a chat.
And then I heard the voice on the other end…
"Dimka!" A tiny little voice cried.
I'd know that sweet little girl's voice anywhere.
"Frankie! Are you okay? What's going on? Where's Rose?" I shouted, asking far too many questions at once.
I heard her start crying on the other end and immediately felt guilty for frightening her.
"Shhh, it's okay Milaya. I'm sorry; I didn't mean to scare you. I'm just so worried. Can you tell me what happened?" I tried again, feeling relieved when her little sobs started to quiet down.
"It was the bad man." She told me. "The one with the red eyes. He locked us in a basement and it was cold."
She was still crying but at least I could make out what she was saying.
"What happened then Frankie…?" I encouraged her to continue.
The fact that Rose and her were no longer together wasn't promising…
"The bad man told Rose he'd let me go if she went with him, so she did."
Oh no…
"Where did they go Frankie, did he tell you?"
"He said the Innefremy." She hiccupped.
Innefremy? What the hell is that?
"The infirmary Frankie?" I asked, hoping to God that wasn't what she meant.
"Yeah that it's." She confirmed after another hiccup.
Son of a bitch
"Okay Frankie, now I need to ask you another very important question okay? Can you tell me how long it took you to get from the bad man's house to where you are now?"
Frankie told me they were holding them in a basement, and I couldn't help but wonder if he had returned to the scene of the crime. Could it really be that he was stupid enough to return her to Spokane?
"I'm not sure Dimka…they let me watch two Disney movie's in the car."
I'd seen enough of them with my nephew back home to know each movie was about an hour and a half, putting the car trip at right around 3 hours.
Just the right amount of time to travel from Spokane…
"Okay, that's good Frankie, that's really good. Can you put Guardian Petrov back on the phone now?" I asked, needing to talk to the woman I knew had the resources we needed.
"Alberta! I need you to dispatch a team of guardians to Spokane immediately. That's where Victors holding Rose, the rest of us on our way from court right now!"
She didn't argue with my request or bother questioning the Intel of a five year old child. She simply did as I had asked and with no further explanation necessary the rest of us sprang into action.
Adrian's Point of View
I didn't want to believe it.
My aunt was the Queen of the Moroi world and a good person.
At least that was what I had always thought...
*Flashback*
News about Roses abduction had spread like wildfire and the whole court was abuzz with the action.
I hated to admit it, but one look at Belikov and I actually felt bad for the guy. He was clearly beating himself up over this, and I knew all too well what it felt like to lose Rose. I wouldn't wish that pain on anyone.
Sure Rose had never really been mine, but that didn't lessen the hurt any, and Rose wasn't the kind of woman you ever really go over.
My relationship with Sydney had helped, but my heart would always belong to Rose, and even if she wasn't mine, I would do whatever it took to help find her.
I knew the affection my aunt felt towards Rose and so I thought my best bet would be to start with her. She was the ruler of the free world with unlimited resources at her disposal. If anyone would be able to find Rose it was her.
I was just about to enter her private chambers when I caught sight of two strange auras on the other side of the door. I wasn't really sure what to make of that, so I chose not to enter, and listened from the outside of the door. Thanks to my Moroi senses I could hear their conversation perfectly.
"Is it done?" Tatianna asked in a weary voice.
She sounded sad for some reason, although I couldn't say why.
"Yes your majesty. Lady Mazur and the girl were delivered there late last night.
"And no one suspects anything." The second aura chimed in.
What the hell were they talking about?
I leaned in closer, but it wasn't really necessary. I could hear them just fine, even if they weren't making any sense.
"Very well then…" Tatianna sighed.
I didn't need to see her face to imagine the look on it. She sounded defeated, and almost ashamed.
"Your majesty, it had to be done. Lady Mazur crossed a line; she was disturbing the balance in our world. You couldn't let her make a mockery of the system our ancestors spent a lifetime building." One of the voices tried to console her.
Something told me I wasn't going to like what I heard next.
"Yes well it will all be for nothing if that little girl doesn't play her part. Are you sure she'll be able to lead Belikov to the hideout? He's the reason for all this; he's the one that needs to be eliminated."
What was she saying? Did my aunt have something to do with Rose's kidnapping?
"We made sure the girl ended up at St. Vladimir's like you asked. Surely Belikov will be able to put two and two together. I wouldn't be surprised if he's on a plane there right now." One voice answered her smugly.
Who were these bastards?
"Good. Now let's just hope he takes that band of merry misfits with him. We need the whole lot of them eliminated for this to work"
"And what of Lady Mazur?" The other voice asked. "How will you go about rescuing her?"
"Why Adrian of course." Tatianna replied.
I could hear the smile in her voice when she answered.
"Adrian will no doubt come to me wanting to help, and when does, I will suggest he dream walk with her. Victor wouldn't say where he was taking her, even though he believes I care little for what happens to her. But once Adrian discovers where he's keeping her, we'll send in a rescue team. By then Belikov and the rest of them will be eliminated in that house in Spokane and Rose will come home to find she is all alone, with no one to lean on except Adrian."
That's why she was doing all this? So Rose would have no other choice than to be with me? Didn't she know anything about Rose? This plan would never work!
Tatianna could kill everyone Rose ever loved but that still didn't mean she'd fall in love with me. She'd just spend the rest of her life pinning away for Belikov, the same way she did when he'd left her at the academy….
*End Flashback*
I didn't stick around to listen to anymore after that. I knew all that I need to know.
Racing down the hall to Abe's guest quarters I prayed I wouldn't be too late to warn them.