Ch. 13

Amsterdam - Gregory Alan Isakov, This Feeling - Alabama Shakes

RPOV

Dinner at Dimitri's home was probably a normal affair for most families but was a completely foreign concept to me. All the Belikova women, apart from Sonya who was still at work, rushed around the kitchen to prepare the food and get things ready while Eddie and I tried our best to stay out of the way. Dimitri assumed the role of "Uncle Dimka" and kept the kids distracted while their mother helped Olena. We sat in the living room listening to Paul barrage Dimitri with a thousand questions while the tall Russian bounced Zoya in his lap to keep her from repeatedly reaching for his hair. Every once in a while, she would succeed in snatching a piece and he would have to gently pry her little hands from it. There was a huge grin plastered on his face and he actually seemed amused by Paul's rambling. Dimitri never lost his patience with the young boy and politely answered all of his prying questions, switching between English and Russian effortlessly.

Observing that softer side of Dimitri as he played with the little ones caused me to see him in a whole new light. I had witnessed him as a full-fledged warrior god, scolding mentor, and scorned lover all in a short amount of time, and watching him completely at ease in his childhood home made me realize there was still so much about him that I didn't know.

This place—the people, the smells—seemed to exude warmth and comfort. Well, everything except Yeva. I hadn't had the honor of meeting Dimitri's grandmother until we sat for dinner and it was apparent the old woman was not a fan of me. She didn't speak much, and only in Russian, but the looks she gave me spoke legions. Dimitri had told me once that she was a witch. Looking at her now, it was extremely apparent how she had gotten that reputation. She looked like she was over 100 years old, but the pointed gleam in her eyes was sharp enough to pierce right through you. I met her surly gaze a few times and refused to back down, but I could tell our little standoff was making the other Belikova women uncomfortable and reverted my attention to the large plate of food in front of me for the remainder of the meal.

After dinner, Olena had insisted she didn't need any help cleaning up and shooed us away. Dimitri beckoned Eddie and I outside so we could talk, and I immediately hopped up, relieved to get away from the ancient woman shooting daggers at me from across the table.

"Man, that old lady is creepy," I whispered to Eddie once we were in the hall.

"You have no idea," he smirked back and wrapped an arm around my shoulders to pull me outside.

Dimitri had started a fire in a stone pit in the backyard and was seated at one of the chairs surrounding it. The flames' yellow glow revealed a serious look on his face, all the earlier complacent emotions hidden behind a stone mask. We matched his disposition and took our seats across the fire from him. Eddie tried his best to look self-assured, but I could tell he was intimidated by the seasoned Guardian in front of us. I wasn't sure how much information they had discussed while I was unconscious, so I waited for one of them to speak first. Dimitri gave Eddie a small nod—not sure what that was about—and my star-struck friend turned to me to begin the conversation. He told me that after I had fallen, he questioned the human girl in the alley hoping to get some answers but apparently, she turned out to be just an addict and didn't seem to be in collusion with our attackers. He skimmed over the events of our arrival in Baia and briefly mentioned that a Moroi named Abe Mazur had given them access to means of transportation but didn't go into as much detail as I would have liked. I would have to come back to that later but true to Rose Hathaway style, I was more interested in discussing our plan of action first.

I told Dimitri about my Lissa vision during her meeting with Grigory and our initial plan to get more information out of him. It now seemed like it was all a ruse to get us to come to her, but something told me not to discount that last bit of intel we received from Arthur about the group of Moroi and their matching rings. If they were all part of some underground organization, it was very possible that they were all working together with the Strigoi.

"What was up with that last Strigoi in the alley," Eddie questioned. "I didn't think they had loyalties to anything." I was confused by those eerie last words just as much as Eddie was. Dimitri finally spoke after listening intently for the duration of our little powwow.

"Occasionally they develop a sort of gratitude for the Strigoi that has turned them, but I have never seen anything to the extent of what we saw." He seemed to ponder this for a moment. "A lot of times they end up turning on each other, even on the ones who created them, but ending his existence to escape interrogation of her whereabouts...it's unheard of. They value power and immortality above all else."

"He said 'she is everywhere'. Do you think she can get into their heads too...like you, Rose?" Eddie waited for my response, but I was lost in thought, remembering her pulling me in and trapping me inside her mind. I tried to push away those spine-chilling memories and added an extra barrier to the wall I kept up.

"Regardless if she can, it's obvious she is three steps ahead of everything we do," I finally mustered, unconsciously rubbing the side of my head. The fire had mostly died down leaving behind a jumble of orange and white flaked coals that pulsed with color and heat as the light breeze brushed over them. I stared at the hot masses, watching the glowing waves move through them, and subtly fought the temptation of reaching out and grasping them in order to banish the chill that never seemed to leave me.

"I think there is someone who can help us with that," Dimitri's reassuring voice broke me out of my trance and I snapped my eyes away from the smoldering pit. "There is a couple in the village who are bonded, like you and Lissa. Now that you are feeling better we can visit them tomorrow and see what they know about these visions."

Eddie furrowed his brows as he looked at me, silently questioning if I had known about this before. I realized this couple was probably who Dimitri was referring to before I left the academy when he told me he wanted to contact someone that could help. I felt a pang of guilt rise again for doubting him and leaving him behind. The light crackles from the last of the dying fire disrupted the silence as the two Dhampirs in front of me waited again for my response.

I nodded and said, "Okay. Let's do it. What's the worst that could happen, right?" Eddie let out a light chuckle and Dimitri rose to go inside and ring them.

"C'mon. I'll show you to your room. You must be beat," Eddie motioned for me to follow and walked me inside to one of the bedrooms upstairs. Along the way he pointed out where the women and children were sharing rooms and said he would be sleeping downstairs on the couch where I had been resting earlier. I spotted my duffel bag from the hotel in Novosibirsk at the edge of the bed. As I walked further into the room it suddenly dawned on me that this was Dimitri's bedroom.

Convinced that I was settled, Eddie headed back downstairs leaving me alone with my thoughts. I changed into some casual sleepwear and started to look around, noticing the little details of Dimitri's pre-Guardian life. His room was pretty sparse, similar to the one at the academy, but with a few more photos here and there, some old books scattered on top of table tops and dressers, and a much larger bed covered in worn quilts. One side of the room had a window looking out towards the street and the other had a small fireplace housing light crackling flames. I supposed Olena must have lit it while we were outside. Although the days had been relatively warm, it had gotten significantly colder at night and the Belikov's didn't appear to have ample central heating. I pictured them all huddled together in the living room wrapped in handmade blankets, providing warmth with each other's company and laughter. There was so much love in this home, nothing at all what I had pictured in the stories I had heard about Blood Whore communes. Being around them made me almost feel whole, but at the same time shamefully jealous for missing out on this companionship for the majority of my life. Lissa's family was the closest thing I had to one of my own, but after their death, it had just been me and her. Now...now there was nothing. There was no one.

I heard a throat clear and jolted around, almost dropping a photograph in my hand that I hadn't even realized I'd picked up. Dimitri stood in the doorway and looked at the frame in my hand. Still slightly startled I fumbled to get something out.

"I, I'm sorry. I uh, didn't mean to pry. I just..." I trailed off, not sure how to finish since I wasn't entirely sure what I was doing in the first place. Dimitri took a few steps towards me and gently took the photo from my hands. He gazed at it for a moment, admiring the captured memory. I finally noticed the image it held and watched as Dimitri's expression morphed into a sad smile.

"This was taken after graduation when I found out I would be assigned to Ivan." A younger Dimitri and a handsome blonde Moroi had their arms around each other with huge smiles on their faces. I wasn't sure if I had ever seen Dimitri that happy. It dawned on me that the part of me that had been missing since I lost Lissa had left a similar hole in Dimitri all those years ago. He walked over to his dresser and carefully placed the picture back on top before turning to look towards me again.

"There are extra blankets under the bed if you get cold, but the fire should keep you warm throughout the night." He turned towards the door and started to walk out. I thought about the rooms upstairs that Eddie had pointed out to me and suddenly wondered, "Wait. Where are you sleeping?"

He looked over his shoulder and responded. "There's a recliner downstairs that will do just fine. Sleep well, Rose." He turned to leave again.

"Hang on. You mean that old rickety chair you were sitting in earlier?" I placed my hands on my hips and attempted to raise an eyebrow at him. He turned around to face me fully this time looking slightly annoyed.

"I would hardly say 'old and rickety', but yes. I slept in it the past couple of nights and was perfectly fine." I knew from the others that I had been predominantly on the couch while I was out of it, so I wondered why he didn't occupy his room then. Was he watching over me while I was asleep?

"Listen Comrade, I am not going to be responsible for putting a crick in your neck or giving you a stiff back. You're not getting any younger you know?" My attempt at humor brushed off him and he just rolled his eyes. "Besides, Eddie snores like a bear in hibernation. It would be cruel of me to subject you to that."

Dimitri let out a light chuckle, unable to hold it back any longer. "And what is it you are proposing then," he questioned as he crossed his arms over his chest. I thought about it for a second before responding. What was I proposing? The bed was certainly big enough for the both of us, but could I handle being so close to him while still maintaining my control? I took a gamble.

"You should stay in here. With me." His eyes grew a little wider. I put out a bit more seriousness in my tone to continue my argument. "You'll need a proper night's sleep with what we are up against. We all need to be in top form." I thought about the events we discussed around the fire and the possibilities that lie ahead.

"And…." I hesitated.

"Yes, Rose?" There was a hopeful note in his voice. He dropped his hands to his side, waiting for me to continue my last thought. I suddenly realized that my reasons for asking him to stay weren't just for his benefit, but for my own as well. I didn't want to admit it, to myself or anyone, but I was afraid to be alone.

"And if she comes—if she tries to get in my head again—you can snap me out of it. Shake me or slap me or something to bring me back. Like you did before...with the darkness." The meekness of my voice surprised even me, and I could tell Dimitri was startled by it as well. I nervously scratched my arm and looked anywhere but at him while I waited for him to make up his mind. I suddenly felt extremely vulnerable under his gaze.

"Okay," he said softly. "I'll do what I can. Whatever you need Rose."

"Alright," I put a false bravado back into my voice and walked over to the bed. "I get the right side."

He smirked at me and walked around to the other side without arguments. We simultaneously lifted the covers and got into the bed. I looked over at him, finally noticing how exhausted he truly looked, and felt a sense of pride for winning my argument and granting him the simple pleasure of sleeping in a comfortable bed. I laid my head down on the pillow and was immediately wrapped in his scent. I inhaled the familiar combination of pine and—what I could only describe as—Dimitri and let my eyes close heavily. The sound of his easy breathing began to lull me into sleep and I thought of his smiling face next to a blonde Moroi boy as I drifted off.

…...

Sleep came easily but didn't last long.

I felt my world shifting and started to feel panicked. Would Dimitri notice? Would he be able to get me out?

Suddenly the air was filled with moisture and I could see the sun reflecting off the specs of light rain before they grazed my face. I felt the familiar tingling of spirit magic and I spun around frantically searching for Adrian. I finally spotted him near a tall pine tree casually holding an umbrella.

I launched myself into his arms and clutched onto him. My hysterical reaction caught him off guard and I think he had half expected me to punch him rather than hug him by the stupor on his face and his stiff posture. After his initial shock wore off, Adrian wrapped his free arm around my back and pulled me in a little tighter. "Not that I'm not glad to receive such a warm welcome, but is everything okay Rose?"

I released my hold on him and pulled back a little, slightly embarrassed by my reaction. "Sorry. I'm just so relieved it's you. I thought it was," my voice trailed off. Adrian didn't need further explanation.

He gave me a comforting smile and nudged my chin with his knuckles. "It's okay kid. It's just me." He lazily draped an arm over my shoulder and held the umbrella over us as we walked towards a lake.

"Is this where you are? I've never seen this place before," I asked him.

"Yes. I've been dealing with this insufferable rain for days. You should see my hair right now," He looked seriously disturbed at the mention of his ruined hair and I couldn't help but let out a laugh. Adrian mock gasped at my reaction and feigned insult.

"Sorry," I composed myself. "But can't you make it stop. I mean in here at least?"

"That, I can do," he wiggled his eyebrows and wore a cocky grin. The mist around us quickly dissipated up towards the sky and the sun creeped out behind a group of gray clouds. "Ahh, much better," he sighed. "So Little Dhampir, care to tell me what you've been up to?"

"You mean my trusty babysitter hasn't been informed of all my mishaps the past few days? Eddie must be slacking," I taunted.

"Hey, I resent that! And yes, Castile has kept me 'informed' but I thought you might want to chat about some of the intel you gathered." I suppressed a groan to hearing they were still keeping tabs on me when I remembered there was information I wanted to discuss with him.

"Actually, now that you mention it, there was something one of the bartenders we talked to revealed. Grigory wasn't there, obviously, but the bartender said that he would come in with a group of other Moroi douchebags for secret meetings in the back room. He said they all had matching rings," Adrian looked less surprised than I would have expected. Actually, he looked rather sure of himself.

"You mean, like this?" He held out his hand and a small gold ring materialized in his palm. I inspected it and saw the same markings as the one I had seen on Grigory's finger and the Strigoi from the alley.

"Yes! That's exactly it. Where did you—" I picked up the ring and rolled it through my fingers as Adrian jumped in.

"I had a strange suspicion after you described it that this could be the same ring, but what you just said only confirmed it. I saw that ring once before in my father's dresser. It was the same one he wore at school. When he was part of the Mână." My eyes went wide. The Mână at St. Vladimir's were the ones responsible for the attack on the school. Their secret meetings, which really just consisted of pretentious royal pricks torturing each other into using compulsion, had tampered with the wards leaving us vulnerable and unprotected. They had also violently used their magic against Lissa to the point that Spirit's darkness took over her and caused to her fight back with uncontrollable force.

"Lissa hated those idiots. Why would she be seeking them out and making agreements with them?"

"I'm not sure Little Dhampir. But at least we've solved one part of the puzzle. We might be able to track her through these different Mână groups." I nodded and contemplated his suggestion.

"On another note," he continued. "Unfortunately, we aren't having much luck here. Our leads in Washington are running dry, more or less," he subconsciously touched his hair. "But there are a couple more places to check out before we try somewhere else."

With all the Mână talk I had forgotten to mention the plan Dimitri presented to us tonight. I told Adrian about the other Spirit user in Baia and our scheduled meeting with them tomorrow. "Maybe they will have some information about other Spirit users that can help us too." Suddenly, Adrian's gaze shifted from my face to just above my head and he looked like he was inspecting something. I felt a warm tingling feeling all over and Adrian's eyebrows rose to the top of his forehead.

"Woah!"

"What? What is it," I turned to look behind me but there was nothing there. When I turned back around, Adrian was still staring above my head.

"Your aura...it's lighting up like a Christmas tree." He looked back to my face with a sense of seriousness and wonder. "What are you doing right now, I mean back in your body?"

"Uh, sleeping. Duh," I gestured around us.

"Right," he mused, rubbing his hand on his chin. "Well, whatever it is, keep doing it. It's pushing the darkness away faster than I've ever seen." That warm tingling started to increase, and I could feel my body begin to stir.

I was waking up. Adrian seemed to notice before I did and was slowly backing away from me.

"Until next time Little Dhampir." He shot me a wink and the world around us quickly dissolved back into blackness.

Back in my body, I could still feel that warming comfort coursing through me. The chill that had been haunting me the past few weeks was almost completely gone, and I didn't want to open my eyes yet in case it was a side effect of Adrian's Spirit magic. I basked in the tranquil feeling and let all the tension I had been holding onto melt away. However, when I nuzzled my face deeper into my pillow it started to move. I snapped my eyes open and remained perfectly still, suddenly realizing that my pillow was no longer there. Where fabric and feathers once occupied the space beneath me, was now a cotton shirt over firmly sculpted muscles, radiating the sweet scent of pine.

I was laying on Dimitri's chest.

A/N: Well, as you have probably already guessed a familiar scene is coming up. This is one of my favorite scenes from all of the VA series, so I knew I wanted to fit it into this story but with my own rendition of it and (true to this story) some angsty role reversal. Get ready for some long-awaited Romitri action next chapter. Coming up we will also be moving away from the single POV and going to back to multiple POVs. I hope you enjoyed hearing from Rose for a while, but it's about time we get to know what's going on with everyone else.

As far as the songs go, I fell in love with Amsterdam and it just spoke Belikov vibes to me. Picturing Dimitri with the kiddos then again in his room brings a smile to my face when listening to this song. Also, This Feeling has such a dreamlike atmosphere to it I found it so fitting for a Spirit dream scene. Especially with Rose's initial reaction of feeling safe—the lyrics coincide with her in that moment.

On another note, a big shout-out to all you guest reviewers. Some of you have been amazingly supportive and I hate that I can't respond to you. So, thank you thank you and I hope you continue following this story.