Big thank you to Big J Ivashkov, Deanna64, xDropDeadBeautifulx, melissamary55, Kris Ivashkov25, Taiora-AAML-Serena-Darien and 13 for the favourites and reviews, it is very much appreciated.
I approached the battle like I did with Spokane. Everyone knows what happens so I didn't feel the need to write it but as some of you guessed there are a few twists! I hope you like them.
I have to admit, this chapter did take me a while and I was up for most of the night trying to get it right, so I apologise if there are any mistakes or it is really rubbish!
Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Acadmey.
The battle was brutal. Several guardians had been killed and more had been taken along with Moroi. Eddie being one of them. Christian and I had taken down a lot of Strigoi alongside the guardians. Who knew so many could launch an attack of this scale?
We were currently on a rescue mission. I'd managed to find where the Strigoi were with the help of Mason and a group of about fifty guardians and some fire wielding Moroi had agreed to fight with us . I was part of the group that was to go into the caves and get the people out while the other groups in front of us engaged the Strigoi.
Getting everyone out had been the problem. Because we were unsure exactly how many Strigoi were in the caves and where they were so it involved several trips to get the Moroi and dhampirs out as most of them were unable to walk or unable to defend themselves. After what seemed like forever, we managed to get everyone out without losing anyone. Thank God.
Alberta ordered us to get out as quickly as we could, the sun was still out so the Strigoi couldn't pursue us and we'd be back behind the wards long before nightfall. I was walking in between my mother and Dimitri, scanning the area, luckily the last two prisoners had got out before us, when they attacked. Nausea had washed over when we reached a T junction and seven Strigoi attacked us before I had the chance to alert the others. They'd been lying in wait for us, three on one side, and four on the other. One guardian was taken down straight away and we all formed a group between the two groups of Strigoi to take them down.
Me and Dimitri had taken down two and I saw my mom take down another when Alberta ordered us to retreat and get into the sunlight. Dimitri pushed me towards the cave entrance/exit and I ran alongside some of the guardians while Dimitri continued to engage them, I killed a few on the way out of the caves that had tried to trap us and even managed to stop two from attacking Stan, I didn't like the guy but guardians defended each other.
"Thanks, Rose." Stan said standing up and grabbing my arm. "We need to move." He dragged me out of the cave and we both exchanged glances. Maybe now he wouldn't hate me as much now that I had saved his life. Wishful thinking, maybe?
I was finally outside and waited for the others to follow. After five minutes, Dimitri was the only one who hadn't come out and I was beginning to get nervous. He had to come out, he couldn't be killed. He just couldn't.
"Come on." I whispered under my breath and I felt someone put their hand on my shoulder. It was my mom. I touched her hand she squeezed it gently. Our way of saying we were glad we were alive. After everything that had happened when we were at the ski lodge was forgotten, she was my mom and no matter what, I loved her and she loved me. We'd never quite see eye to eye but at least we wouldn't be at each other's throats all the time.
I caught a glimpse of Dimitri near the cave entrance and breathed a sigh of relief. He looked pretty beat up but he was alive and for that I was grateful, I was still mad at him for what he'd said to Lissa and kissing me but I didn't want to see any harm come to him. I smiled at him slightly and he smiled back.
He was so close to the exit when a Strigoi grabbed him. Dimitri lost his grip on his stake and was struggling with the Strigoi. I didn't think I just sprang into action. I bolted towards the cave ignoring my mother and Alberta shouting at me and I attacked. I managed to take the Strigoi down but he had already bitten Dimitri and he was now unconscious. Other Strigoi were coming out of the cave towards us and I started dragging Dimitri out of the cave.
"Help me!" I shouted and Stan came and lifted Dimitri's legs as I was struggling to lift his shoulders, my mother came and helped too and we managed to get him to the safety of the sunlight.
"It's half an hour until the sun goes down. We need to get back behind the wards!" Alberta shouted and we all made our back as quickly as possible to the academy. We put Dimitri on one of the stretchers that we'd brought and I held his hand as we made our way back.
Dimitri was mumbling incoherently and groaning in pain. "It's ok, Dimitri. I'll get you help. I'll take you to Lissa, she'll heal you." I whispered to him and a slight smile touched his lips.
We had managed to save everyone, only losing one guardian but with the numbers we had lost at school it was one guardian that we desperately needed, on top of that we had nearly lost Dimitri, one of the best at the school.
Back at the academy, we went straight to the med clinic where Lissa and Adrian were helping out.
"Lissa!" I shouted as me and Stan got Dimitri off the stretcher and onto a bed. "He needs help; he was bitten by a Strigoi." I said as she stood over him and extended her hand.
"How did he get out then?" she asked as she was healing him. "He wouldn't have been able to do that without help." She spoke frantically; she was exhausted with all the spirit she was using.
"I went back for him." I told her and she looked at me with shock on her face. Through the bond I could hear Dimitri's words to her: Rose and I are in love. Shit, I hadn't spoken to her about it yet. "Liss, it isn't what you think." I begged but she walked away to tend to the other wounded.
"You alright, Hathaway?" I heard Stan ask and I nodded and walked out of the med clinic and towards my room, ignoring Adrian's glares.
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A two days after the attack, there was going to be a memorial for the people we had lost, and it would also double as the molnija ceremony although all the guardians would be getting a different mark, a sort of battle star. Even the Moroi who had fought were getting them.
The day before the ceremony I was going to talk to Lissa. I knew I should have gone to see Adrian but I needed a bit more time. It has been the hardest few days of my life.
Dimitri was alive and well and I managed to avoid him after he was discharged yesterday, I went and saw Alberta to tell he that I didn't want extra training any more, she never questioned it but said she'd let Dimitri know. It was a complete over reaction and extremely childish I knew that but I didn't want to face Dimitri anymore than I had to. I don't regret saving him but this could create major problems, for all he knew I saved him because I loved him and not Adrian.
I knocked on Lissa's door and waited for her to answer. When she opened the door she didn't say anything but let me in, directing me to sit on her bed. She sat next me and I could feel a combination of confusion and annoyance coming through the bond.
"Lissa, will you please let me explain."
She stared at me for a moment. "Fine, what is going on?" her tone was sharp it didn't surprise me but I wasn't used to hearing her talk like that, especially to me.
I took a deep breath and told her everything. "Dimitri was right on one thing he told you the other day. It was a lust charm in the necklace Victor gave me and I used to be in love with him, and before you ask Adrian knows all of this." That shocked her a little bit. "Dimitri lied about our feelings for each other. Yes, he still loves me but I don't love him. I love Adrian, more than anything else in the world and I know you know that, Liss." I reached out and took her hands.
She was silent for a while. "Rose, I believe you. But that doesn't explain why you would risk your life to get Dimitri out of that cave. Not that I'm not happy he's alive, because no matter what he's said, I still like him but why risk your life for someone you don't love?"
She had a point, but then I'd have risked my life like that for anyone. I had risked my life for them, I even saved Stan. "Liss, my job is one big risk. I would have gone back in there for anyone. And even though I am angry at Dimitri...I wouldn't wish death or being turned on my worst enemy." I told her truthfully.
She leaned forward and hugged me and whispered "I believe you but you need to tell Adrian."
I pulled away and looked at her. I nodded my head and left the room, making my way towards Adrian's. Time to stop being a coward and face the music.
Signs of the battle were all over campus. Smashed windows being repaired, students weeping over lost friends, the distinct lack of guardians, others had been drafted in for the battle but most of them, including my mother, had gone back to their regular guarding positions. We were so desperate even some novices had taken up patrolling the wards because so many had been lost or were out of action. There was an eerie silence on campus and I didn't like it. Shock and anger and panic I could cope with but I hated silence.
Adrian looked shattered when I entered his room but that didn't stop him grabbing hold of me and kissing me with so much force I was shoved against the wall. I let him kiss me for several minutes before he pulled away to plant kisses all over my face, my cheeks, my nose, my eyes.
"Rose, why have you been avoiding me? It's been killing me not seeing you. I love you so much." He said frantically holding me against him.
I buried my face in his chest, inhaling his scent deeply, silent tears running down my face.
"I'm sorry, Adrian." I whispered. I pulled away and went to sit on his bed. "We need to talk."
He came and sat next to me, brushing the tears from my face. "What's wrong? Are you hurt? Are you seeing ghosts again?" He said.
"No, Adrian I'm fine." I paused. "It's about Dimitri."
He stiffened. "You're leaving me for him aren't you? I knew it as soon as I saw you come in with him." he got up and started pacing the room.
"No! How can you even think that?" I said, shocked. Adrian always jumped to conclusions. Mostly the wrong ones.
"I'm sorry." He said but continued pacing, refusing to look at me. This was going to harder than I thought, tears were already streaming down my face. What if Adrian left me over this? Does he really think I want Dimitri over him? "Carry on."
"I'm going to start at the beginning, before the battle. Ok?" I looked at him and saw him nod, his gaze still on the floor. "After what happened with Jesse, Dimitri took me away for first aid...he...kissed me. I stopped him; well I punched him in the face actually, and walked away." His expression was murderous.
"I'll kill him. He won't get away with this."
"No, Adrian, there's more. He told Lissa about the lust charm and tried to convince her that we were in love with each other. When I told her I went back for Dimitri during the rescue..."
"You went back for him?" he said, his pacing stopped. "You went back for him? You risked your life for him! I knew you had helped him get back here but you went back to face Strigoi for him!" he shouted at me and I flinched. I went over to him and tried to cup his face in my hands but he stepped away from me. "Don't, Rose. Tell me why." There was pain in his voice alongside the anger and I hated having hurt him like this.
"Adrian I would have done the same for anyone. I wouldn't have wished that fate on anyone, not even my worst enemy." Repeating what I had told Lissa. I was hoping he'd see in my aura that I was telling the truth.
He paused for a moment. "Carry on then." I was hoping that meant he believed me.
"When I told her I went back for him she thought that what he said was true. That I still loved him. You know as well as she does that isn't true. You know how much I love you. I am absolutely, definitely, unquestionably and unconditionally in love with you, Adrian Ivashkov. I would do anything for you. Go anywhere for you. I would..."
"Shut up and kiss me, Hathaway." He said and I literally threw myself at him. He somehow managed to catch me but lost his balance and we both fell on the floor, me on top of him.
We both laughed. "So you're not mad?" I asked.
He sighed "No. Like I said before, I know when you're lying. And you're right, I hate Belikov but I don't wish him dead or Strigoi." That shocked me a little. "But it doesn't mean I don't want to beat the shit out of him." he kissed me again and we had effectively 'made up'.
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The ceremony was awful. All the people we lost were named and I was shocked at how many there were. More guardians had come to protect the school although the general consensus was the Strigoi must have moved on because we had seriously depleted their numbers.
It took longer to give all the guardians their marks than the ceremony itself. When I got mine I ignored all the novices looking at me with envy that I was getting marks when they had been made to stay behind at the school. They did the same to Eddie and even Christian. They didn't understand that with the marks came the horror of killing not the glory we were all brainwashed to believe; even with we were killing Strigoi.
There was nothing planned after the ceremony so our group decided we'd have our own little vigil in Adrian's room. I was pleased to see that he had cleaned up. That evening all we did was mostly sit and talk. None of us were in an exactly fun mood but I was pleased to see that Eddie and Jill had finally got together: we can't stop living because other's have died, no matter how hard it is sometimes.
It was just before curfew when we all left. I kissed Adrian goodbye and made my way back to my room, I went alone because Eddie walked Jill back to the Moroi dorm along with Christian and Lissa.
"Rose." I heard Dimitri say behind but I carried on as if I hadn't heard him. "Please wait."
I stopped and turned to face him. Might as well get this over with. I put my hands on my hips "What do you want?"
"I wanted to thank you for saving my life. I never expected you to do that, not for me anyway. And that just proves that you do love me. Adrian was just a distraction from me. You graduate soon and we can be together. I'll stop being Lissa's guardian, I'll get an assignment at Court and we can be together." His eyes were lit with excitement as he reached towards me.
Shit. This was why I wanted to avoid him. Dimitri was very much like Adrian with jumping to conclusions. I took a step back. "Dimitri, listen. I didn't go back for you because I love you; I went back because you're my friend and I didn't want to see you dead or turned. I don't love you." I said and his face fell.
"But...Roza...I can't...I can't just stand by while... while you're with someone else. I love you, Roza. More than anything in the world. Please, Roza...please." he looked like he was seconds away from dropping onto his knees and begging me; he had tears in his eyes.
"I'm sorry." I whispered and walked away. Wow, I felt like a horrible person but I could never love him back. It would hurt him even more if I lied to him because I knew I would never be able to resist Adrian. I couldn't do that to him.
I got back to my room and got ready for bed. I snuggled under the covers and thought about the events of the last week. With so much death and destruction, again, you really re-evaluated your perspective on life. I knew Dimitri had confessed he loved me like that because he had nearly been taken from me, it was the same reason Eddie and Jill were now together. But he needed to know that I could never love him back and I think me saving his life did more harm than good, but I could not bring myself to regret saving him. Lissa and Adrian knew that I didn't love Dimitri but I had a feeling telling Dimitri that was going to be a lot harder.
Let me know what you guys think!
I was torn between having Dimitri killed off instead of being turned but then I had an ingenius idea about something that is going to happen later on the story, which I am sure you guys will love but I'm keeping it firmly to myself, but let me know if you have ideas what it might be, it'll be interesting to hear your suggestions. Obviously it is going to be something about Dimitri so keep that in mind!
Get reviewing, my lovelies!