Chapter 15

Lissa POV

I sat in Janines' guardian complex trying to comfort her after the lose of Rose her one and only daughter and my best friend. Hmm, best friend doesn't even seem to cover it, she was and always will be my sister. Rose the very thought of her sent me on a roller-coaster wave of emotions and I let out another sniffle. Internally I was in a deep, dark hole with no way of getting out trying to claw at the walls begging for someone to help me but no one could hear me or help me. Inside I was crying out in pain as my heart felt as if it had been ripped to shreds. On the outside I was barley pulling myself together as I tried to be strong for Janine but it was all to overwhelming for me. On Janines' other side was a man that I had only met in the last 12 hours. His name was Ibrahim Mazur, Rose's father. We were all mourning the death of both Rose and her mentor Dimitri Belikov. Janine was in total state of shock just whispering over and over and over again, "I shouldn't of let her go... I shouldn't of let her go"
No one could console her and it was like this across the entire academy.

Alberta was inconsolable as well but she was shedding her tears loud and for everyone to hear, her guardian mask well and truly removed. Eddie her life long friend, felt solely responsible for her death as he believed that if the rescue team had not come to save them Rose would still be here. It was bad enough when he lost Mason but now to lose Rose as well! He would never be able to forgive himself and he would never be the same again. Then there was Adrian who could not take any more of the darkness around him and drank himself into a stupor. His love for Rose was so great that I feared we never quite knew the extent of it and now he barley leaves his room and when I tried and look at his aura it was void of any color. I only hoped that this was a faze and would pass for him and he would soon get back up on his feet and help me heal this school. I felt this was my burden to bare, I would try and restore the balance of this school, my home with all the power that Spirit would allow of me before I in turn became insane not that I was far off from that path already having lost me bond mate.

Christian was by my side, my rock consoling me even though I knew that this had to have been tough for him as well because even though he would never care to admit it he loved Rose in his own special way. Yes they would bicker and fight but they had become good friends in the end and her presence was sorely missed. In amongst all this sadness I hoped we would get though it all but I knew I was just in complete and utter shock , barley managing to put any coherent thoughts together. I feared that if I let my self really understand the consequence of not having Rose in my life the darkness would eat me up whole. Deep down I knew the darkness was there in the background ready to take hold of me as soon as I let it. At the moment I was trying to console everyone else but I feared that as soon as I was left alone for even a single moment I would finally fall apart.

Yet I would not let darkness take me, even though I yearned to just get a tingle from the bond there was nothing... nothing. Even though I was never able to read her mind as she could read mine I was always able to sense her, I knew when she was right around the corner. I could sense her presence but now there was absolutely nothing for I could not feel or sense Rose in any sense and I feared that she was truly dead. I knew if I thought about that too much I would drown in the darkness so I tried to keep my mind on the task of comforting Janine and all the people that needed me right there and then. As I contemplated all this I felt my phone ring. Confused at finding that is was a private number I looked at Christian silently asking him to take my place at Janines' side while I took the call.

"Hello who is this?" I asks with an empty voice, void of any emotion.
"Lissa it's me! Dimitri and before you say anything I need you to remain calm and not to say anything. Please just trust me!" The hairs on the back of my neck stood to attention and I felt for the first time since I heard that her best friend/ soul sister was missing... hope. My blood was prickling and my heart was beating out of chest. I tried very hard to keep my emotions in check and not scream for joy at the sound of Dimitris voice, because if Dimitri was alive then Rose had to be right?

"Oh my goodness Dimitri is it really you? Where is Rose? Is Rose ok? Where are you? Why can't I sense her?" I rambled on desperate to understand what was going on because I could not contain my excitement and fears.
"Lissa please calm down and listen I have some grave new to tell you!" What grave, aren't they ok? Dimitri seemed to sound ok, maybe a little hesitant and worried but all in all he sounded ALIVE! What does he mean?
"Dimitri what is it you're scaring me?"
"Lissa I don't have much time so please listen! Rose has become Strigoi!", and just like that my world came crashing down again and I started hyperventilating.
"What?, no, no, no!" I was feeling light headed and faint. This could not be happening! This was not real Rose was not a Strigoi! What was Dimitri saying he must have been mistaken, maybe he hit his head and had a concussion and was now delusional! Maybe they had been taken by Strigoi and he was just confused! I tried to slow my breathing as I spoke into the phone again.

"Dimitri where are you? Are you being held by Strigoi is that what you mean?" But that didn't sound right how was he making a phone call if he was being held prisoner?

"Lissa I'm afraid what I am telling you is the truth! Rose was turned in the cave but she is ok, if you can call it that!, I am keeping an eye on her and making sure does not fed on any humans!"

What I could not believe what I was hearing and all of a sudden I wasn't feeling overwhelmed and shocked, instead I started to feel angry... really angry.

"What! How could you have let this happened Dimitri, you were supposed to protect her! How could you have let this happen!" I didn't mean to be so harsh with Dimitri but the darkness was rearing its ugly head and fuelling a rage inside of me.

"Lissa please listen! I have family friends in Russia who are coming to America in a search for a Robert Duru, do you know who he is?" This simply threw a spanner in the works and completely confused me. What Did Robert Duru have anything to do with this.
"Yes he is the half brother to Victor Dashkov, but why do you need him?". I managed to regain some self control over the darkness that was festering in the background tried to concentrate on what Dimitri was trying explaining to me.

"It turns out that Robert is a Spirit user and he has information on how to restore a Strigoi"
"What this is impossible!" Maybe Dimitri did hit his head?

"That is what it seems but I am willing to take that chance and they are willing to help me. The question is are you willing to help us?". Really was that a question needed to be asked?
"Yes you know I would do anything for Rose!" I could her a breath of relief escape Dimitri and that really annoyed me but I let it pass. He must have been through a lot these past few days.

"Good that is what I wanted to hear, now Lissa I need you to get over to Spokane as soon as you can! Oksana and Mark will be here in a few days and I think we will need all the help we can get. Oksana is a Spirit user as well and I think together with your power we can really restore Rose".

"Ok Dimitri I will meet you there in 5 days but I think it is wise if I confined in Christian, I think he will definitely be able to help us as well especially after the incident in Spokane. Plus I don't think he will leave my side, I won't be able to keep this from him" The mention of the town brought shivers down my spine. It seemed that this town was truly cursed to be a centre point for all their troubles and woe.
"Fine you can tell Christian but that is it, the less people know about this the better"
"Ok, we shall see you soon but can I ask, how is she?" I was desperate to hear anything about my best friends state.
"Rose is an amazing woman and she still has yet to feed off a human. She has only been living off of animal blood but I don't know how long she can hold on.". What off of animal blood was that even possible?
"Oh poor Rose, ok we will see you soon Dimitri you can count on us".

I was determined to help Rose and make sure that we could restore her in time before she regrets her time as a monster.
"Ok Lissa see you soon"

I hung up and quietly made my way back into the room and whispered in Christians ear that we needed to leave the academy. His eyes held a curious note to them but he did not say a word and just followed me out of Janines' bedroom towards my room, where I would discuss my conversion with Dimitri.

Christian could not believe what I was telling him but remained silent as he patiently absorbed the story and in the end pulled me into a fierce embrace.

"This is bullshit, I can't believe what Rose and Dimitri must be going through". I couldn't hold back my tears. "Shhh babe, we'll get her back!" Christian held me tightly and gave me a gentle squeeze.
"I just miss her so much and not being able to feel her through the bond is tearing me up so much". I let the tears fall freely then, as me heart burst with a fresh wave of pain.

"We will get her back babe, although this plan sounds delusional and very far fetched... I promise I will help get her back"

"I love you Christian"

"I love you Lissa".

It was times like these that I truly understood the meaning of everlasting love, for my love for Christian only grew stronger by each passing moment. I was eternally grateful to the heavens above that I was blessed to meet and fall in love with this man and he loved me in return. I just hope that we could get our happily ever after because with out Rose by my side I was not sure that I would have any room left in my heart to continue to love Christian as he deserved. So I prayed to the very same heaven that I could get my Rose back.

Christian and I were interrupted as there was a sharp knock at my door.

DPOV

After all the calls I made today I felt a weight lift off my shoulders. We were one step closer to restoring my Roza I just hoped that we would have enough time before things get out of hand. I made my way back to the house and made sure all the curtains were closed and that there was no hole that the sun could shine through. When all was clear I went down to the basement in search of Rose.