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This chapter was a really hard on to write which is why it has taken me a few days to upload. I hope you guys like it!
Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Academy.
I woke up to the sweetest sound I could wish for. Adrian's voice.
"Rose? Baby, wake up." he said gently, I felt him take my hand in his and I opened my eyes to look at him.
I was expecting a look of relief and happiness but instead I got worry and concern. Maybe I thought everything that had happened on the plane at the airport wasn't real; Adrian's expression proved that I was wrong.
"How are you feeling, Rose?" I heard Dr Olendzki say. I did a quick inventory and realised that my headache had gone completely, I wasn't seeing any ghosts and I did feel a lot better.
"I'm fine." I said. I started to get up. "Can I go now?" Adrian gently pushed me back on the bed and I scowled at him.
"Rose." Dimitri was standing on the opposite side of my bed with a similar expression to Adrian. "You were definitely not fine at the airport. What was all the screaming? Who are were the things you wanted away?"
I looked into the faces of Dimitri, Dr Olendzki, Alberta who was hovering in the background and Adrian. What could I tell them? I fell? Stress? None of those options would work. I had to tell them the truth. I looked right at Adrian, ignoring the others. He grasped my hand tighter and leaned forward to cup my face.
"Tell me, little dhampir." He whispered.
"Ghosts." I told him. "I saw ghosts. Mason, Andre, Prince and Lady Dragomir, other people." His expression never changed but I could see in his eyes he was shocked.
There was a moment of silence until Dr Olendzki spoke. "Ghosts?" she sounded sceptical and I couldn't blame her. Another moment of silence. "Can I talk to you three outside, please?"
Alberta and Dimitri followed the Doctor out of the room; Adrian kissed me lightly on the forehead and left to.
I counted to ten and followed them. They were just outside the door and I listened in through the gap.
"...something to do with being shadow-kissed. I looked into it; it worries me, especially with the black in her aura. She returned from the world of the dead and that connection will never break. Other shadow kissed people have gone mad with the side effects of this. Think of Anna and what happened to her." Adrian was saying. He researched shadow kissed effects? What happened to Anna?
"Maybe we should stop the field experience. Put her through counselling. We never offered her after Mr Ashford's death. She needs help." Alberta said.
"Woah there is no way I am stopping the field experience!" I burst through the door, blowing my cover.
"Rose, you should be in bed." Alberta chastised me but I ignored her.
"I need to pass the field experience to become a guardian. Lissa's guardian."
Dimitri spoke next. "Maybe we could compromise. Rose does half time, three days guarding but without staying overnight and have the rest off. Put her in counselling, she can have extra training with me and enough time to...relax." he said and shot a dark look at Adrian. To add insult to injury, Adrian wrapped his arm around my waist pulling me close to whisper in my ear.
"That doesn't sound too bad does it?" he kissed me lightly and I sighed.
"Will it affect my grade doing half time?" I asked Alberta.
"No, Rose. Besides all your grades and marks in your guardian training more than make up for it." she smiled and I agreed.
The doctor said I was free to go now so I started to make my way to my room. All my things had been taken there and Alberta said that Adrian could go back with me for an hour and she would send a guardian to take him back. Dimitri was headed in our direction as well and the awkward silence descended on us again.
I walked with Adrian. His arm around my waist and my head against his shoulder.
"Why didn't you tell us before, Rose? How long as this been happening?" Dimitri asked and Adrian's arm tightened around me.
"I saw Mason for the first time when you caught me outside when you told me about Victor Dashkov's trial. And then again when I froze when Stan attacked." I whispered and Adrian kissed my hair.
"Then why didn't you tell me?" Dimitri sounded irate and that immediately got my back up.
Stopping in my tracks it turned to face him. "You don't think I wanted to? I'm seeing ghosts for fucks sake and you wouldn't have believed me anyway!" I shouted at him. "And why the hell would I tell you? If I was going to tell anyone it would be Adrian, not you because he is my boyfriend and I love him." I said. There was no need for me to add the last bit but I wanted to stick the knife in that little bit more.
He looked a bit taken aback. "I thought you could come to me with anything that you could anyone else. Even your...boyfriend." he glared at Adrian who I noticed was trying not to laugh but was still glowering at Dimitri.
I lowered my voice for my next comment. "Just because you're jealous of Adrian and bitter that I chose him does not give you the right to assume that I would talk to you about anything. If it had affected my training sessions then I would have told you. Otherwise, back off." I turned away from him, grabbed Adrian's hand and stormed off towards my room.
Great, now me and Adrian only had forty-five minutes until the guardian came and got him. I dragged him faster.
"What's the hurry, little dhampir?" Adrian laughed as I dragged him into my room.
"We have forty-five minutes, Adrian." I giggled and pushed him down on the bed, straddling his waist and kissing him deeply.
"Rose, we need to talk and you know it." he said seriously, cupping my face and pulling back to look in my eyes.
Since when was he so responsible and reasonable? I shook my head. "Sex now, talk later." I moved to kiss him again whilst gripping his shirt but he gently pushed me away.
"Rose." He moved away from me to sit at the foot of my bed. I went to sit next to him but he stopped me, "Stay there. I want you to tell me everything."
"On one condition. Tell me what happened to Anna."
He looked long and hard at me. "I'm not going to lie, this will upset you and it has scared me ever since I found out this." He took a deep breath. "Anna...when the darkness got too much...taking the darkness from Vladimir like you do with Lissa, no don't say anything I will explain," he said holding his up his hand to stop me when I went to interrupt, "she didn't see another way out. She...she killed herself, Rose." He whispered the last part and I froze.
Killed herself? I know the darkness got so bad for the Lissa that she self harmed but what affect did that have on me? "How do I take the darkness from Lissa?" I whispered, still stunned.
"I see it in your auras. Whenever spirit gets too much for Lissa you can see the black in her aura. You instinctively reach through the bond and absorb that darkness into you. From what I've read, that cannot be helped." He ran his hand through his hair. I stayed silent. "I think that the shadow kissed affects have become more potent now after you have strengthened your link to the world of the dead. Whether that was killing or witnessing death I don't know but that is what it is."
I laughed. "Since when did you get so clever? I thought I was the sensible one." I tried to make a joke but there was no humour in my voice. And I realised something. Lissa bringing me back saved my life, but what life was it that I was constantly plagued by death? Haunted by the spirits that unwittingly let me leave their world?
"Seriously, Rose. We cannot ignore this. You need to open up to us. Whether that is me, Lissa, a counsellor, you cannot do this alone and you know it." He leaned forward to hold my face again and gently brushed away the tears that I hadn't realised had fallen.
"I don't want to be like this, Adrian." I sobbed and he held me against him.
So much for quality time with Adrian. All that happened was my relentless crying and Adrian's attempt at soothing me.
A guardian came and got Adrian and he reluctantly left. I got ready for bed but I don't remember sleeping. All I did was cry all night at the possibility of my self destruction and my best friend being the cause.
xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Counselling sucked. Big time. All she did was answer my questions with questions, and suggest stupid things like I resent Lissa for having to give up my life for her. Today she had the nerve to say that I am only with Adrian to spite Dimitri-I hadn't mentioned Dimitri's name but she somehow managed to get me to divulge every detail about how me and Adrian got together.
Whenever I left counselling I was angry and irritated so I made sure I had training with Dimitri afterwards so I could take my anger out on him and he seemed to notice. Not that I cared.
"Rose, you need to focus. It is all well and good for you to take your anger out on me but against a Strigoi it could cost you dearly." He said after he had successfully 'staked' me.
"Whatever, comrade. Training is over." I said picking up my bag and heading towards the showers.
"Roza I know you don't like it but the counselling..."
"I didn't ask your opinion." I snapped and went to shower.
When I had finished, Dimitri wasn't in the gym so I just walked out. I searched through the bond; everyone was at school so I headed to Adrian's room. As it was a Monday, I had the whole day off apart from two training sessions with Dimitri and my counselling. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday were my guarding days but I only guarded up until lunch on Fridays so on those afternoons and Tuesdays I have training and classes, giving me weekends off.
Despite it being nearly midday, Adrian had only just woken up. He invited me in and I went and sat on his sofa, avoiding all the clothes that were scattered on the floor.
"Ok, so I'm not a clean freak but seriously what happened?" I asked, gesturing to the room.
"Couldn't be bothered to unpack properly and this seemed like a good way to find clothes." He shrugged, running a hand through his hair and putting on a t shirt over his bare chest.
"Why can't you just put them all away? That's what normal people...ok yeah I get your point." I laughed and he came and sat beside me.
We sat wrapped in each other's arms not saying anything but I could tell Adrian wanted to ask me about my counselling session. He knew I hated them and knew that I thought they were a waste of time.
I silence got too much for me after a while. "Counselling went terrible before you ask."
"Want to talk about it?" he said, stroking my hair from my face.
I didn't want to tell him about what she said about him and Dimitri because I was a coward. "Just the usual stuff, answering questions with questions, making stupid comments."
"I know when you're lying, Rose. Or at least holding something back. What it is? I know it's bothering you." He said gently.
"We started talking about you and me that's all." I said reluctantly, burying my face in his neck inhaling his scent.
"And?" he prompted.
I took a deep breath. "She said that I was only with you to spite Dimitri."
"You told her about you and Belikov?" he sounded shocked.
"Yeah but I didn't mention names. She seems to think that because I was in love with Dimitri, who I couldn't be with, I went after the next best thing."
I surprised to hear him laugh. "That is the funniest thing that I have ever heard!"
"You're not angry?" I looked up in his eyes detecting nothing but humour.
"Why would I be angry? We both know it isn't true and that I am way better than Belikov." He stroked my face with his fingertips and kissed me lightly. "How about I get dressed and we go see everyone at lunch?" he kissed me again and got up, picking up random clothes off the floor.
I stayed where I was on the sofa watching him intently. I'm not gonna lie, Adrian was the sexiest man alive. He towered over me at six foot three, but then most people did because I was only five foot tall. He wasn't like other Moroi guys either who were traditionally really skinny, Adrian had muscle and although I had never known him to do any exercise in his life somehow he managed to have a six pack.
"See something you like, little dhampir?" he chuckled coming over to me.
"I see a lot I like." And I kissed him, throwing my arms around his neck, feeling his snake around my waist.
We pulled away after a few minutes and made our made our way to lunch.
When we arrived I noticed that Eddie was there but Lissa wasn't. I felt through the bond and saw that she was with Dimitri and he'd told Eddie to go ahead without her. I slipped into her head.
"Guardian Belikov, what do you mean? Victor Dashkov said those things to spite you."
"No he didn't. Me and Rose lied at the trial. It was a lust charm in that necklace. Rose and I are in love."
"No, Rose loves Adrian, anyone can see that. It may be that it was a lust charm in that necklace but Rose does not love you. That much is clear." She started to walk away.
"I'll prove it, Vasilisa. I will show you." He called after her but she ignored him and carried on walking.
How dare he? How dare he do that? I could tell that Lissa didn't believe what he said. She was going to ask me about the charm but she knew that I loved Adrian and Dimitri was lying.
"Lissa!" She turned and saw Jesse and Ralph walking towards her.
Her thoughts immediately became wary. "What do you want?"
"I want to talk to you about something." Duh, state the obvious much? When Lissa didn't say anything he continued. "Me and Ralph have started a little group. Elite royals only. We want you to join."
That was a shock. "Do you even have to ask me? Why would I want anything to do with you?" she turned and went to walk away when she all of a sudden she couldn't beathe.
"Why don't you want to join?" Ralph said, stepping forward.
The suffocating stopped and Lissa was gasping for breath. "I don't want anything to do with you." she said when she had caught her breath and she was immediately hit by a shower of stones.
I pulled out of her head and ran to the courtyard where she was being tortured. It was the other side of campus. I could hear the others shout after me and begin to follow but I ignored them and carried on running.
When I got there I punched Jesse right in the face cutting off his concentration so he stopped torturing Lissa with water. As soon as that happened Jesse and Ralph were frozen to the spot with looks of pure terror on their faces. I could feel Lissa wielding spirit through the bond. Compulsion.
"Lissa, stop."
"No. They need to know what it feels like to be tortured. They're seeing spiders you know. Everywhere. They need to pay for what they did." There was a menace to her voice that I had never heard before and there was nothing but darkness thorough the bond.
"Liss, stop it. They will pay for what they did but it needs to be done properly. Not like this."
I could feel her concentrating. "I can't let them go." She whimpered "There's too much darkness."
"You can do it, Liss. Just focus." I could see Eddie, Meredith, Jill, Christian and Adrian coming into the courtyard surrounding us. I looked at Adrian and he shook his head. What did that mean?
"Rose, help me." Liss whimpered again and I realised what Adrian didn't want me to do.
I chose to ignore his warning. "Give it to me. The darkness. Give it to me." I reached into the bond and I don't know exactly what I did but all of a sudden Jesse and Ralph were back to normal and I was angry. Extremely angry.
I started punching Jesse again, shouting and screaming at him. I could hear people shouting at me to stop but ignored them. Eddie dragged me off Jesse while Lissa made his way over to him.
"Don't you dare, Lissa! Don't you dare heal him!" I screamed fighting against Eddie's grip.
Lissa touched Jesse's bloodied face and his injuries disappeared. Guardians showed up then, taking Lissa and Jesse away to the med clinic while someone took me from Eddie and started dragging me away.
"We can do this the easy way or the hard way. Your choice." Dimitri said as I continued to fight him.
"I'll fucking kill him for what he did!" I screamed but Dimitri ignored me.
"You need first aid." He said calmly taking me back across campus.
"Taking me to the med clinic?" I said hopefully.
"No, you'll get first aid elsewhere."
He took me out of the school building towards the cabin that Tasha had stayed in over Christmas.
He sat me on the bed while getting a chair and a first aid kit from somewhere. That was when I tried to make my escape.
I bolted towards the door but Dimitri grabbed me around the waist and pinned me to the wall holding me by my hands.
"Let me go!" I screamed beginning to fight him again but his grip tightened.
"No, Rose. You need to calm down." There was a pleading tone to his voice and I could see love and affection in his eyes. That just made me angrier.
"I don't want to calm down! I want to kill Jesse for what he did! He needs to be punished!"
"He will be punished. No doubt, but not by you, Roza." He whispered gently, moving closer to me.
"Don't you dare." I said before he kissed me hard on the lips.
I felt his hands move and he placed them on my waist. Mine clenched in a fist and punched him in the face, knocking him out of the way. I stepped out of his grip and kicked him in the stomach before bolting from the cabin, first aid forgotten. I'll get Adrian or Lissa to heal me.
"Rose!" I heard Dimitri call after me but I ignored him. "Rose, come back!"
I heard him behind me but I carried on walking until I saw him. Mason. Standing in the empty space pointing behind me.
"Mason? What is it?" I asked him. He was trying to speak but he couldn't quite form the words.
"Rose?" Dimitri took my hand but I pulled away.
I tried again. "Mason, tell me."
He pointed behind me again finally able to form the words. "They're...coming."
That was when I felt the nausea sweep through me and the saw the red eyes approaching us.
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