Oh, look, the chapters are getting a little longer again. There's a little hommage to the 7th book in this chapter.

Thanks for the reviews, xXxKaraBeckerCutterxXx. To answer your question: yes, we are getting close.

Reviews are nice and stuff… :P

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN ANY OF THIS, EXCEPT FOR ANY CHARACTERS YOU DON'T RECOGNIZE. JK ROWLING IS QUEEN!

CHAPTER 95

She pulled her hood off.

The room was dark and Audrey couldn't confirm if it was who she thought it was, until the lights had been lit.

"Who are you?" Afanasi grumbled, pointing his wand at her throat.

"Audrey Fiona Dalio." Audrey's eyes narrowed, surprised that the vampire would even interrogate her.

"Prove it." Afanasi hissed.

Audrey let her eyes flash yellow, then let a gust of wind move some papers off of the dingy table.

Afanasi sighed, lowering his wand, pulling her into a hug and then holding her at shoulders length.

"My…how you have grown…I'm so sorry." He said, giving her a sad smile. "Can't be too cautious nowadays, too many impersonators, too many imperiused."

"I understand, it's the same in England." Audrey said quietly, discarding her cloak. She had been to Afanasi's flat before multiple times with Sven, it now looked a bit dilapidated.

"I don't mean to be rude when I ask this, Audrey…but why have you returned? St. Petersburg is not what it used to be! It's more dangerous than ever before, if someone were to see you here…I don't even want to think of what would happen!" Afanasi exclaimed, pointing his wand at the tea kettle in the kitchen, it began to whistle. Two cups flew to the table and he sat, motioning for her to do the same.

"I don't know…" Audrey began, staring at her cup for a moment. "I've just been having all these weird dreams, visions, and your flat kept coming up. 1031, 1031, over and over."

Afanasi was listening to her with rapt attention.

"I've always meant to come back, Af. I have… even after-" Audrey choked for a moment, tears filled her eyes. "After the incident, but I just couldn't bring myself to…but something's been pulling me these last few months, I needed to come back. I need to know the truth…it's been plaguing me for years, I need to know why. Why my family kept a large secret from me, what that secret is, and why everyone else seemed to know it when I didn't."

Afanasi nodded. "It's a good reason to come back, but it will be difficult getting into St. Aleksander's. No one's been in there for six years…or near it for that matter."

Audrey nodded. "I need all the help I can get, and I wanted to know-"

"If I'd be your second?" Afanasi replied, resembling his old self with an all knowing look.

Audrey nodded.

"Of course." He replied.

"And I've got to ask…what of Sven and Karl?" She said, after a few seconds of silence.

Afanasi said nothing, but got up, and strode over to a mirror in his apartment that Audrey had known well. It was a large square with a gold intricate frame. He delicately placed his fingers on the right side of it and there was a click. Slowly, the mirror opened, revealing a large, well cut, circular tunnel. Afanasi motioned for her to go first, and he followed, closing the mirror behind him and lighting his wand. They switched spots and he led the way.

Audrey let her eyes glow in the dark as she crawled and followed him, in the distance she heard murmurs and chatter. Another mirror appeared at the end of the tunnel, and he pushed it lightly.

The chattering stopped, and Audrey couldn't see who was in front of Afanasi, but he hopped down from the tunnel, and helped Audrey out. The murmuring began once more…

"Is that?"

"It can't be."

"I heard that they were all dead."

Audrey saw a crowd of witches and wizards, it was a large room that had several bunk beds, hammocks, cots, and a fireplace. They had a makeshift Christmas tree in there as well.

Before Audrey could ask Afanasi where they were, a voice rang out, a voice that melted Audrey's heart.

"Audrey?"

Karl Gregorovitch pushed his way through the crowd, followed by Sven.

There were no words after that, she hugged both of them tightly, sighing. For the last six years, she had wondered and worried. She studied them both, Karl had a cut up lip and Sven had a visible scar under his eyelid.

"Audrey, what are you doing back here?" Karl asked, holding her at arms length. His blue eyes were shining with a mixture of emotions, happiness, sadness, love.

"I came to know the truth, Karl." Audrey replied calmly. "I need to get into St. Aleksander's palace."