Vampire Academy: A Desperate Cause

Chapter 21 of my Vampire Academy story, enjoy.

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Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: Vampire Academy belongs to Richelle Mead.

Chapter 21

ROSE POV

I grit my teeth as the sounds of battle behind me faded, I didn't have time to dwell on what might be happening back there, I had to focus on what was in front of me. I had to find Lissa. I relied on the information given to us, praying it would work out.

I slowed down as I approached the door at the end of the corridor. I advanced carefully, stake at the ready, preparing for anything. I examined the door carefully and then, reached out cautiously, nothing, I carefully pushed and the door opened. When nothing else happened I carefully slipped into the room.

'Okay, something is not right here, I should...wait...' I thought before realizing, to my relief. 'LISSA!'

I was startled, horrified at the state of Lissa. She was seated on a chair, tightly bound, still gagged, clad in just her soiled panties, she must have lost control and wet herself recently; covered in sweat, dirt, grime, as well as her various injures, such as the blood around her left hand, where her finger had been removed.

Her eyes were wide, a blush colouring her cheeks but relief flooded her eyes as she saw me.

"Rhfm, thhng Ghd." She mumbled.

I began to move towards her, smiling, relieved that she was safe, when suddenly it happened, there was a loud bang, and suddenly I felt a searing pain in my right shoulder.

"RHFM!"

I stumbled, suddenly aware I had been shot. Clutching at my injury I turned in desperation, looking for the shooter.

I looked around wildly, and then froze when I saw the culprit standing there, still holding the gun, aiming at me. It was a familiar woman, clad in black fitted pants, a tight red T-shirt, black leather motorcycle jacket, black socks and shoes finishing the outfit.

Recognizing her I glared and spat. "Tasha!"

Tasha Ozera returned my glare with equal venom.

"Rose, I should've known you'd continue your interference." She snarled.

I shook my head, edgy, clutching at my wound, trying to think, I needed to get the gun away from Tasha, but I had no idea what to say.

"I must admit I'm surprised." Tasha remarked darkly. "I would've thought you'd be rotting in jail for kidnapping by now."

I narrowed my eyes at that. "So it was you, you and Victor carried out the kidnapping personally didn't you? You planted my sweatshirt in the room, trying to frame me."

"Indeed, given how arrogant they are, I'm surprised you were able to convince the Guardians to let you go?" Tasha replied, sounding pleased with herself.

I glared furiously, wanting to puncture that arrogance, not the wisest course of action as Tasha held a gun in her hand.

But I wasn't thinking I merely spat. "I had an ironclad alibi of being with Dimitri that night, training. He was more than willing to back me up on it."

Tasha froze at that.

I wondered if I had gone too far, her face was white with rage and her grip on the gun tightened.

"You are shameless Rose, trying to use Dimitri for your own gain."

"NO!" I yelled, angered. "You're the one trying to use him, obsessed by him. I love him."

I didn't care I was admitting this openly, in front of Lissa too. Tasha snarled and shook her head, aiming carefully at me.

"Last mistake Rose, get on your knees and beg for mercy, and maybe I'll be convinced to kill you quickly." She said. "If not, I can always do it painfully slow."

I grit my teeth, measuring the distance, thinking carefully. Then I closed my eyes and knelt down.

Lissa cried out in horror at that. "Rhfm, nh!"

I could already feel the rough floor against my bare knees, I knelt, but did not speak.

"Well, start begging you bitch." Tasha growled.

She stalked closer as she said that and that was what I wanted. I could hear her and opened my eyes, perfect. Acting swiftly I lunged, Tasha cried out and fired the gun, but I had hit it, so I avoided a bullet between the eyes. But not the sharp pain as the gunshot struck my left thigh.

Nevertheless, I fought on, relying on my adrenaline to keep me going as I grappled with Tasha for the gun. We struggled and fought back, Tasha attempting to claw at me with her nails.

In the end however I succeeded in my hope as Tasha lost the gun, it clattered to the floor. Before long we were fighting, a mixture of expert fighting from training and just plain brawling and seizing any opportunity we could.

I cried out as Tasha also used her magic, burning me several times. But I gave as good as I got, managing to strike Tasha heavy enough to make her cry in pain. She counted with a heavy blow to my uninjured shoulder.

"Bitch, you'll die!" Tasha screamed.

We struggled some more before suddenly I choked and gagged and struggled as Tasha managed to get behind me and closed an arm tightly around my throat. The other fended off my hands as I struggled. Tasha tightened her grip, choking me and I growled.

'No, not like this, not like this!' I thought furiously.

Taking no chances I tried to kick out. Tasha's response was to burn my arms with her magic and, while blinded by the pain, she stomped on my left foot, I felt it break just as she did the same to my right hand. With a savage cry I resorted to the last thing I could do and gripped her by the hair and yanked, hard.

The childish tactic surprisingly worked. Tasha screamed and ended up letting me go. Ignoring the pain and burning in my lungs as I could breath again, I spun around and struck at Tasha, one, twice, three times, she fell down.

I fought desperately for breath, I was well aware I had received two gunshot wounds by now, along with other injuries. Several cuts and bruises, my broken hand and foot, I knew I'd have strangulation marks on my neck and burns from Tasha's magic, mostly on my arms and torso, the burns having burned holes in my clothes.

'Okay, that's a little embarrassing.' I noted as I saw the hole in my shirt.

It was showing a burn that had been branded into my left breast, luckily, not too much was showing. I had seen the same brand on Lissa's chest, amongst her other injuries.

I looked over at Tasha, desperately, I could see she wasn't faring much better, a large clump of her hair had been ripped out by me, she was suffering a broken wrist, a split lip, several cuts, heavy bruising, a broken ankle and, I guessed, broken ribs, from the way she clutched them.

I grimaced at the pain, while Tasha and I were both still young and reasonably fit, Tasha had the advantage of her body not still recovering from a bout of alcohol abuse.

I was about to go and finally subdue Tasha, putting an end to the fight when suddenly she moved and I froze. She had retrieved the gun and now held me at gunpoint once more, I was at her mercy again.

End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.