Ch. 19
RPOV
Songs: Teardrop by Massive Attack, Black Sheep by Metric
My foot was tapping impatiently on the granite floor as we waited for the elevator to arrive. We skipped our morning training session and headed straight to the hotel that Abe had secured for Christian and Adrian. They were probably exhausted from traveling, but I didn't want to wait another minute. I hadn't been visited by Adrian through his spirit dreams in a while and was anxious to hear what they had learned.
The elevator pinged, and Dimitri grabbed my arm to keep me from launching into it before the other patrons had a chance to get out. I impatiently nodded as each of them passed by and when it was clear, I scurried in with Dimitri and Eddie in tow. I had no idea what to expect. Did they meet someone that had seen the restoration process performed? What all did it entail? Were they able to teach it to Adrian?
Another bell from the elevator signaled that we had arrived on their floor and I briskly walked down the hall to their designated room. I raised my hand to knock, but before my fist could make contact, the door swung open. Adrian stood there with one hand on the door and an excited grin spread across his face. "Little Dhampir," he pulled me in for a tight hug. "It's so good to see you."
"You too," I returned the gesture. I briefly shut my eyes and let out some of the tension I was holding onto. Our visits in my dreams had given me some comfort, but I was relieved to see him in person alive and well. I knew their journey wouldn't be easy and leaving them without a Guardian only amplified my worry. I knew Chris could take care of himself, I had seen it firsthand, but Adrian was more vulnerable.
Adrian pulled back so we were facing one another, still keeping me in his reach. "Next time I agree to something like this, remind me to choose a more enjoyable companion."
"Aw, Fireball got you down," I teased.
"Eh, nothing I couldn't handle, but your gorgeous face would have been a much more welcoming sight," he winked. I heard an uncomfortable grunt from behind us and Adrian's eyes flicked to Dimitri. He dropped his hands from my shoulders and greeted the other two Dhampirs. "Ah Belikov, Castile. Glad to see our Rose hasn't scared you off yet. Please come in." Eddie shook his head at Adrian's antics and Dimitri remained hidden under his stone Guardian mask.
I gave him a small smile and followed them into the room. It was modest enough and looked like a typical hotel room just slightly larger. Christian was seated on a nearby sofa looking like he hadn't slept in days. Eddie plopped down next to him and patted him on the shoulder.
"I heard that Fireball comment," Chris voiced my way. "And I'll have you know, he wasn't exactly a cup of tea either." I let out a small laugh at his snarky tone.
"I'm surprised Sparky, I thought you two would have been best buds by now." Eddie chuckled at Christian's exaggerated eye roll and Adrian made his way to an adjoining chair.
As happy as I was to see them in their current state, the previous impatience began to rise and I quickly jumped into question mode. "So, what have you learned? Is it something we can use?"
Christian sat up a little straighter and began to explain their findings. After Seattle had been a bust they relocated to California where Oksana had given us a lead. It turns out that a group of renegade Spirit users there had not only witnessed the restoration process but had performed it themselves. I was interested in hearing more about this group, but for some reason, Christian was remaining skeptically vague. I pushed it aside when he finally started getting into the specifics of the process. "They said it's similar to the healing technique," Chris started. "Through the use of stakes charmed with Spirit."
"Like your ring," Adrian added. I briefly looked down to my hand before bringing my eyes back up to meet theirs.
"So, all we have to do is get Adrian to charm my stake and I can use it to bring her back," I asked.
"Not exactly," Christian gave Adrian a sidelong glance. "It requires a combination of Spirit magic and the staking." I looked to Adrian who seemed to be studying the space above me; my aura. What was he so worried about?
"Okay, so Adrian will have to do it? It's not ideal, but I think with Dimitri here we could implement enough training to get you ready for it." Dimitri's eyes were fixed on Adrian as if he was assessing his potential. Adrian shifted his gaze away from me almost shamefully, so I prompted him for an answer. "Adrian?"
He took a deep inhale before responding. "Spirit affects us all differently; you know this firsthand, Rose." I nodded, not quite understanding what he was getting at. "I'm not a healer. I was practicing with Lissa before, but don't have enough skill to bring a plant back to life, little less a Moroi."
I shook my head, still not quite processing what he was telling me when a door to the bedroom creaked open. Dimitri, Eddie, and I jumped to our feet ready to take on the intruder, but one look at her kept us frozen in place. I don't know if it was instincts from years and years of ingrained training, but the sight of a Moroi caused us all to pause rather than attack; despite the fact of her unfamiliarity and certain hostility written all over her face. What was more shocking was that Chris and Adrian seemed unphased by her presence.
"Who the fuck is she?!" My emotions were heightened already, but the fact that this girl had just heard everything we were discussing increased them exponentially.
I waited for Chris and Adrian to reply, but before their flapping jaws could get anything out, the surly redhead piped up. "I'm the one here to do what you and your friends can't. So how about you put those stakes away and back the fuck off." Eddie and Dimitri looked at me confused, and my blood started to boil as I, again, waited for Chris and Adrian to provide some sort of insight.
When they continued to sit there in silence I practically growled at them. "You mean to tell me you brought some stranger here to help us bring my best friend back from the dead by staking her through the heart?"
Adrian gulped at my aggressive tone and slowly stood with his hands held out in front of him like he was calming a wild animal. "Listen Rose, we didn't have a choice. I can't perform the kind of magic we need and Eva here—"
"What the hell were you thinking? How the hell are we supposed to trust her," I gestured over to the petite Moroi.
"Her name is Eva, and it sounds to me like you don't have any other options." I moved my death glare from Christian and Adrian towards the intruder and looked her up and down. She was thin, like most Moroi, but couldn't be any taller than I was. Her massive untamed hair seemed to swallow her, and her wild amber eyes stared back at me with equal fury.
I looked back to Adrian and Christian, unable to hide my hurt by their aggressive ploy. "I can't believe you didn't even consult me on this. Were you just going to hide it from me until her stake plunged into Lissa's heart? That's saying that she can even wield a stake." Eva let out a cocky huff and crossed her arms over her chest.
"Listen, novice, I've probably staked more Strigoi than you can even count, judging by your quick assumptions and obvious lack of intellect." Before I could even think I lunged at her from across the room. Christian stood up to try and block me but was no match for my burning rage. Luckily for Eva, Eddie grabbed me from behind and pulled me back before I could reach her. If I wasn't so busy snarling at the little brat I would've been surprised by the fact that she didn't move an inch as I raced towards her. Eddie was struggling to get ahold of me, but when I finally broke out of his grasp I didn't immediately pounce at the Moroi girl again. I whipped my gaze towards Adrian and hissed through my teeth, "I trusted you. With her life."
Before I could hear a response or register the look on his face, I turned on my heel and walked out of the room, slamming the door behind me.
DPOV
Song: On Call by Kings of Leon
After we returned from the hotel, Rose immediately took off down the street and had been gone for hours. I knew when she was like this it was best to leave her be until she cooled off, but it would be dark soon and I was starting to get worried. Despite my better judgment, I decided to go looking for her and headed towards the lake. The gym would have normally been my first guess, but I had heard Mama telling her about the lake a few days ago and seeing how I had spent many long nights stewing after visits from my father there, I took a long shot that she would venture there as well.
Turns out I was right. Despite our differences in demeanor, we were still alike in so many ways. The closer I got to the water I could hear light, feminine grunts followed by a plunking splash. When I moved through the tree line at the end of the trail I could see her trying, and failing, to skip rocks; each one landing with a clumsy thud rather than a graceful skim. I could tell she noticed my presence but refused to acknowledge me as I walked up behind her.
I stood next to her for a moment, watching as she tried to hurl another rock into the lake. I reached down and grabbed a smooth, oval stone and whipped it with my wrist into the water. I watched the growing ripples meet at each place it skipped until the water stilled again.
Rose frustratingly ran her hands through her hair. "Do you have to be so good at everything?" I let out a small closed mouth laugh and instantly regretted it as her face turned towards me. She was still pissed. I reached down and found another suitable skipping rock and tossed it up in my hand.
"It's all about finding the right stone, you have to let it do the work for you." I held out my hand in offering to her. Her curt expression didn't change as she reached over and roughly grabbed it out of my palm. She cranked her arm back like she was about to throw a baseball and I halted her movement.
"No, not like that," I gently grabbed her wrist and moved behind her, lowering her arm to her side. I placed my other hand on her shoulder and turned her torso so that she was facing slightly away from the shore. "Start from the middle and flick it across the water so that it barely grazes the top of its surface," I lowly directed into her ear. We reached our arms back in unison and she released the stone into the water, just as I had told her. It skimmed along a few times before finally sinking into the dark depths of the lake. Rose leaned back so that her shoulder blades pressed into my chest and turned her head to the side, eyes still fixed on the water.
"Always in mentor mode eh, Comrade?" Her familiar nickname elicited another chuckle from me and her shoulders relaxed as the movement from my chest reverberated through her back. She let out a small sigh and looked up at me with her beautiful, dark eyes. I stared into them for a moment, trying to gage what she was thinking before she finally spoke again.
"Why don't they trust me?" Her voice was meek and unsure. The overbearing anger from earlier had dissipated and all that was left was hurt and confusion.
"They do, Rose," I assured her.
"Then why didn't they tell me about her. Why did they keep all of this from me?" She looked down to the ground for a moment then turned around to face me, pulling out of my embrace. "Did you know?"
The stern look she was giving me would have seemed accusatory to anyone else, but I could see the desperation behind her mask. Underlying hope that I didn't betray her trust as well. I selfishly warmed at the fact that she cared whether or not I had been privy to information outside of her knowledge and that my trust was important to her, but quickly righted myself. "No. I did not."
She let out another frustrated sigh and walked towards a nearby bench. I followed her and we both sat on the familiar perch. I looked out to the calming water, thinking about all the times I had used this place as an escape from my worries back home. My sisters' constant pestering, my father's inability to leave us be, and my mother's inability to send him away. I used to spend hours here, reveling in the quiet peacefulness of the still water and desperately trying to recreate the slow ripples inside me to dull my racing pulse.
"How did everything get so turned around? I hate that I feel so helpless. I've always been the one to protect the people I care about and now...I feel like everyone is constantly trying to protect me." She distractedly played with the ring on her finger as she spoke. "I don't want it to be like that. I don't want them hiding things from me because they think I can't handle it. I'm not fragile, Dimitri." There was a bite in her last sentence and she looked up at me like she was ready for a brawl.
"I know you're not, Rose. You're the strongest person I've ever met, and they know that too."
She looked back to the water and let out a huff. "Ha. Tell that to Eva."
"What she said doesn't matter. She doesn't know you," I grabbed her hand and pulled it towards me. "Adrian and Christian didn't keep this from you to hurt you. You know they had good reason or they wouldn't have done it. We are all in this together and will do what it takes to get Lissa back." The mention of the princess' name caused a small reaction from her, and she stared at me unable to reply. Eventually, she nodded in agreeance and moved her focus to her hand as she laced her fingers with mine.
"You're right," she quietly replied. "I guess I'm just not used to being on the sidelines and don't really know what to make of it." I traced small circles on her palm with my thumb as she spoke. "I just want so badly for this to work out, but it's hard to be sure about everything when I'm constantly kept in the dark."
"I understand. But it won't be like this forever," I nudged her silver ring with my finger and she nodded before looking up at me. All of her former hostility had completely melted away. She gazed at me with a sense of bewilderment, catching me slightly off guard.
"How is that you always know what to say, Comrade?" Things had been unbearably distant between us since the night in my room, but I felt so close to her now. It felt like just another day in the academy gym, where we would talk like old friends.
I leaned in and playfully lifted an eyebrow at her, "Zen logic." She giggled at my response and her laugh was infectious. I grinned widely at her and she shyly looked up at me through her long, full lashes.
Satisfied and pleased that she was settled I rose from the bench and regretfully slipped her hand out of mine, not wanting to ruin this pleasant moment with rash actions like I had the other night. Those memories were still weighing on me. That night after bringing her back to reality, I cradled her in my arms until her sobs finally broke and we hadn't spoken a word about it since. I was glad to have stopped it before things escalated between us but had also been feeling guilty for not wanting to. Having her body on mine again, feeling her soft skin in my hands brought out something carnal in me. Something that didn't want to be caged. I knew it was wrong but being denied her love for so long caused my judgment to falter. I felt the need to apologize to her and hopefully clear the air, but her clear signals of distance and uneasiness around me lately told me to keep my mouth shut.
Seeing how well we were getting along, I was tempted to bring it up now, but building this friendship with her felt more important and I didn't want to sully it with memories from that night. "We should be getting back. Mama is planning a farewell dinner for us." Rose stood up next to me and I turned towards the worn trail back to the house.
"Dimitri," she called out from behind.
I turned back to face her, "Yes, Rose?"
"Thank you. You should know—through all of this—there's no one I would rather have by my side."
My heart swelled with pride to hear those words. I nodded and gave her a small smile as she fell in line next to me. The rest of the way back to the house we walked in comfortable silence, reminding me of how we used to be.
/
Mama and Vika greeted us as we walked inside pulling Rose in for a conjoining hug. I could see her appreciation of the gesture when a small smile crept up the corner of her mouth. Admiring the three of them for a moment, I soaked up how my family had completely embraced her here and how Rose seemed to be just as comfortable around them. I could tell she was going to miss them and leaving was starting to weigh on her almost as much as me.
Eventually, I stepped around them and peered into the kitchen to see it full of enough food to feed us for months. "Mama, eto slishkom mnogo." She was really going overboard this time.
"Oh hush Dimka, nothing is too much for your last nights," she called behind me.
"Plus, we invited a few people for the memorial," Vika chirped.
"Memorial?" Rose's expression dimmed as she looked between them.
"Yes," Vika started shyly. "We thought for your last night we would have a memorial for your friend Vasilisa." I stilled, waiting for Rose to react. I knew their intentions were genuine, but I really wished they would have told me about their plans sooner so I could've at least warned her.
"She's not dead," Rose replied with a deadpan tone and hardened look.
"We know that Rose," Mama reached out her hand to Rose's shoulder and lowered her voice. "In Russia, it is custom to remember the life of our fallen loved ones. To share our fondest memories of them to keep those moments alive. We thought it would help you with your travels ahead." Rose looked unsure for a beat and I was about to step in and tell them to forget the whole thing when instead, she spoke up.
"You're right, Olena. She deserves to be remembered how she was. Thank you." I was shocked at how reasonable Rose was being. I half-expected her to react emotionally and was still a little worried that she might be just trying to appease my family, hiding behind politeness instead of voicing her true thoughts. Noticing my uncertainty, Rose nodded and gave me a relaxed look that said she was honestly okay with it. A breath of tension eased from the room and we all walked towards the kitchen to help with final preparations.
Slowly the guests began to arrive starting with Mark and Oksana. They joined Rose in the living room for a hushed conversation. Eddie and I gave them privacy as we helped Mama set the table, but I couldn't help but steal glances in their direction every once in a while. When Chris and Adrian arrived with Eva, Eddie and I stiffened looking between the two groups. Rose stood from her place between Mark and Oksana and calmly walked towards Adrian. To our surprise, she pulled him into a small hug and whispered something into his ear. His anxious look quickly faded, and he relaxed into that same cocky demeanor he usually wore.
"Rose, I would like to officially introduce you to Eva," Adrian shifted and raised his arm towards the ill-tempered redhead behind him. Rose's friendly demeanor faded a little and was replaced by a hint of reluctance. Still, civility prevailed and she jutted her hand out towards the Moroi girl, "It's nice to meet you."
"Likewise," Eva replied with just as much hesitancy.
"Well, now that we've gotten that over with, who's hungry," Eddie chimed in.
Rose chuckled at him, thankful for his effort to pacify the tension and Eva stood there rigidly, seemingly unamused. She was unlike any Moroi I had ever met. Don't get me wrong, I had seen my fair share of irritable looks and brusque dispositions, but it usually came from haughty Royals that saw themselves as superior and looked down on us. Eva didn't appear to be either of those, but there was something about her morose attitude that stood out. It wasn't just that she didn't want to be here, it was almost like she was uncomfortable in her own skin.
I glanced over at Oksana studying her as everyone filed into the dining area. Something appeared to irritate Eva even more and she shot Oksana a menacing look. Mark grabbed his wife's arm and pulled her to the other end of the room, giving her an equally warning glance as they shared a silent conversation.
Before I could inquire what that was about, Mama called us to sit and we all took our places around the table. I made a mental note to pull Oksana aside later and ask her what she saw. If we were going to trust this girl with Lissa's life, I needed to find out everything I could about her.
APOV
Songs: After the Storm by Mumford and Sons
After dinner, we all congregated to the backyard around a large fire. The family had wrestled up enough mismatched chairs to fit us all in this quaint setting. I was a little hesitant at first to attend a party at Belikov's family home but so far, the evening had been quite pleasant and to top it off, his sisters were beyond a welcoming sight. Karolina had caught my attention first with her glimmering brown eyes and gorgeous features, but I had to admit even 8 months pregnant Sonya was absolutely beautiful and that Vika was a heartbreaker in the making. Good looks must run in the Belikova family.
Someone started passing around shots of Russian vodka and I happily took one, downing it as soon as the glass hit my hand. Karolina nudged me with furrowed brows and said I was supposed to wait until after someone told a fond memory about the princess.
"Oh?" I reached over to the bottle now resting at the edge of the fire and refilled my glass. "Well, in that case, allow me to get things started." She tried to hide her amusement, but I could see a slight smirk tugging at her lips.
I cleared my throat and grabbed the attention of the other attendees. "I would like to start a toast to my dear cousin, Princess Vasilisa Dragomir," I began. "I remember the first night I met her. I had heard rumors of her special abilities, or lack thereof I should say. People saw those of us who didn't specialize in a particular element as lacking, but I was anxious to meet her hoping that I had finally found someone like me. You see, it can be quite lonely not knowing what you are or if anyone else shares these crazy impulses and talents as you...even for someone as broodingly handsome as me." I could hear some of the Belikova's giggle and Chris murmur something under his breath, which only spurred me on. I ran a hand through my hair and flashed a wink at Sonya.
"That night I invited her and her friends to a small gathering. When I finally had a chance to speak with her, I was slightly disappointed that she didn't immediately recognize me as one of her own. I thought maybe I had been mistaken, and we weren't so alike after all...but when she touched my arm, her eyes lit up. Shock and realization crossed her face, and it was one of the most magnificent things I had seen. Well, apart from Rose in that red bikini," I wiggled my eyebrows at her and saw her roll her eyes in response. I returned back to the anecdote, with more seriousness this time. "At that moment, I knew I wasn't alone and I could see the same feeling mirrored in Lissa. We may have been polar opposites on several accounts, but she was my equal on so many other levels. She spent the next few months teaching me more than just about Spirit magic, but about friendship, family, and overall goodness." I paused for a moment, reminiscing how much my time with Lissa had truly meant to the both of us, no matter how short it was.
Raising my glass, I toasted loudly, "To Lissa. My confidant. My tutor. My friend." The others joined me in lifting their vodka and we all downed them in unison. I heard a gurgling cough from Rose and a matching look on Christian's face as he yelled out, "Poison!"
The Russians in the circle laughed at their inexperience with the potent drink. "I thought you said this was vodka," Rose accused Dimitri.
"It is," Belikov chuckled. "Russian vodka. Not that diluted crap you Americans call alcohol."
"You knew about this?" Rose pointed at me accusingly with the cup in her hand while wiping her face with the other. I shrugged my shoulders innocently and held out my glass as Vika walked around to refill them. I decided to do a quick look around at everyone's auras, knowing after a couple more of these I would lose my ability to.
The majority seemed to be in pleasant spirits. Rose's was still ringed with a tinge of darkness, but every time she and Belikov brushed against one another, I could see it lighten up. I made my way passed Chris' to see it was still in its same form, as usual, each of the Belikova's were similar but with a slight difference providing insight into their individual temperaments, Oksana's shined white with Spirit magic, and then there was Eva. She was standing off to the side in a corner away from the crowd, slowly sipping on her first shot. Her eyes were making her way from person to person, seemingly inspecting them as I was. I had been having a hard time getting a read on her the past few days and decided to take the opportunity of her distraction to my advantage. I could make out a small ring of her aura, a splash of colors slowly creeping out—before it completely vanished. I looked down slightly to see her staring directly at me. I looked away uneasily and downed my shot, earning another admonishing look from Karolina for not waiting until the proper time.
The night continued in a similar fashion. Stories were exchanged, shots were taken, and laughter eventually filled the air. Castile reminisced about a time in grade school when Lissa threatened a Dhampir boy that was teasing Eddie for not wanting to play seven minutes in heaven with some Meredith girl. Apparently, despite her petite physique, this Blake fellow was thoroughly appalled by Lissa's verbal lashing, earning fits of laughter from Rose.
Christian described a night before they were officially dating when he opened up to her about his parents. Lissa was so understanding, unlike everyone else at their school or in our community really, and offered him the comfort he hadn't even realized he had been seeking. His story was so full of love and compassion, all of the Belikova women were swooning. Normally, I would have been put off by this kind of talk, but Christian had a way with words so that it was hard not to get wrapped up in the way he spoke about Lissa.
Finally, it was Rose's turn. I could tell she had already consumed her fair share of Russian vodka but didn't think she would have the nerve to speak if she hadn't. She was subtly swaying on her feet but managed to steady herself before beginning her story.
"I remem—" she cleared her throat to banish the shyness and began speaking with her normal confidence. "I remember one Christmas early on at St. Vlad's. Lissa's parents were traveling and wouldn't be back until Christmas Eve so she was stuck there with the rest of us orphans," she used air quotes over the last word. "I had been waiting months for a letter from my mother. Telling me she would be coming to get me for Christmas this year, or that she was even thinking of me during the holidays. But nothing came." A pang of sadness hit me straight in the chest as a vision of a small dark-haired girl waiting for her mother to care about her crept into my mind. "It was a pattern from the previous years that I should have expected, but for some reason, it hit me harder this time. I don't know if it was because I was tired of seeing our classmates get to spend time with their families, or if it was because I was getting older and starting to realize my mother didn't want to see me. Either way, I was a mess," she shook her head almost amused by the state she was in back then.
"Lissa came to my room to check on me, but I wouldn't let her in. I wouldn't let anyone in. I felt so alone, and as much as I wanted someone to alleviate it, I was scared to let her see me that way. I was only eight at the time, but I knew one day I would be a Guardian...her Guardian, and I had to be strong." Without even being able to read his aura, I could tell Belikov wanted to reach out to Rose. Instead, he just continued teetering on the border of abstaining and fulfilling his desires. "Eventually, she wore down my resolve and after her constant pestering on the other side of my door I finally let her in. She brought me a cookie in the shape of a Christmas tree and sat on my bed next to me, begging me to talk to her. I don't know if it was the reminder of the upcoming holidays from the green sprinkled cookie or the comfort of her presence but I broke down. I told her how I felt completely alone and would never truly have a family."
Dimitri finally caved and placed his hand on hers, causing her gaze to move from her lap to his face. She continued her story, speaking directly to Dimitri as if all the rest of us in the circle were forgotten. "Lissa shook my shoulders with so much force, the shock was enough to make me fall off the bed. But I was stuck in her grasp as I looked her straight on in those pale green eyes. She told me 'Rose, that's not true. Of course you have a family...you have me.' I could see on her face that she believed every word she was saying. She wasn't just telling me this to make me feel better, she honestly felt I was part of her family. It was the first time I truly felt like I belonged somewhere. She pulled me in for a hug and told me no matter what, I would always be family to her, and all those empty feelings of loneliness completely faded away. It was the best Christmas I ever had."
I noticed her subconsciously toying with the Dragomir chokti around her wrist and lifted my glass in the air, disrupting the heartbreaking stares in her direction. "To Lissa," I announced. "Rose's friend. Her family. Her savior." Rose looked at me and lifted her cup to mine, sending a ripple effect of small glasses of Russian vodka around us.
Not long after, Rose began drifting off in her seat from the abundance of hard liquor. A couple of polite farewells later, Dimitri deftly lifted her from her position, causing her to giggle, and carried her into the house. Rose waved goodbye from his arms, shouting a slur of words that could have been mistaken for Russian or English while still clinging to her tiny cup.
I looked around the room, observing the other patrons beginning to part ways, but my eyes were eventually pulled to Eva. She was staring at Rose in Dimitri's embrace as they entered the house. As soon as the screen door closed and they were out of sight, her amber eyes shot in my direction exuding a knowing look. I wasn't entirely sure what the extent of her abilities were, she seemed keen on keeping the majority of them from us, but seeing how we were asking a huge favor of her, I hadn't pressed her that much. But that look...it caused an uneasy feeling within me that made me want to find a way to unlock everything she was keeping hidden.
RPOV
Song: Fear of Losing This by Florist
I woke up to a finger poking my shoulder. My head was pounding, and my eyelids refused to open. I let out an annoyed groan as the aggravator poked me again.
"What?!" My voice was hoarse and my tongue felt like sandpaper.
"Shh! You'll wake him." I peeked one of my eyes open to see Paul crouched down next to the bed. I suddenly realized where I was. How did I get to bed last night? I looked over my shoulder to see the back of Dimitri's sleeping form, the movement causing the pounding in my head to accelerate. I let out another groan and Paul stood up, motioning for me to follow him with a finger pressed to his lips.
His ability to sneak in here without disturbing Dimitri was either a testament to his stealth skills, or how much the Russian god drank last night. He really was a mini Dimitri in the making. I wanted to tell Paul to buzz off and go back to sleep until the churning in my stomach subsided, but his jabby finger was unrelenting.
Finally caving in, I flung the sheets off me and sat up. I looked down to see I was still wearing the same clothes from last night. Someone must have had to put me to bed. What the hell do these people put in their vodka?
Paul jerked his head impatiently and I slowly made my way over to the door. Dragging my feet down the hall, I followed Paul downstairs to the kitchen to see Yeva waiting for us, looking crabby as always. Great.
"Will someone please tell me what was so important you had to drag my ass out of bed at the crack of dawn?" I wasn't even sure what time it was, but complaining and hangovers seemed to go hand in hand.
Yeva spoke quickly in Russian, earning a confused look from me in response. "Babushka says that she needs to have a word with you before you go," Paul translated.
"Fine, shoot." I rubbed my temples waiting for her to speak. Another string of Russian words flung from her and Paul quickly began to translate. "She says your journey ahead is noble, but does not believe all your intentions are."
"Meaning," I asked, annoyed. I was not in the mood for an elusive conversation right now.
"She says your intentions with Uncle Dimka are...selfish," Paul timidly translated.
Well, that was bold. My eyes widened, and I finally felt awake. "Selfish? I didn't force him into this. Dimitri is here because he wants to be." My temper was starting to simmer.
"He is here for you," Paul said as Yeva pointed accusingly at me. "He will stop at nothing to protect you, even if that means his own demise, and you are using him."
"I am not using him, I lov—" The words flew out of my mouth without a second thought. I quickly tried to compose myself as a sly, knowing smirk formed on Yeva's face. My mind scrambled, trying to amend what I had almost said, but for some reason...I couldn't take it back.
"If this is true," Paul continued. "She says you need to stop fighting it. Stop letting your guilt rule your decisions before it's too late."
I wanted to tell her and Paul to mind their own business, but her stare suddenly reminded me of Rhonda's in that room as she read Dimitri his fortune. Like she knew something about us that had yet to happen.
That look left me baffled and before I could think of a reply she turned to leave the kitchen with Paul in tow, leaving me standing there alone with now a physical and emotional hangover.
A/N: This is by far the longest chapter. Hopefully, it didn't seem to drone on (and on) but I really wanted to dedicate the next one solely to the ball. Paris, here we come! Lots of POVs in this one and I'd love to hear what you guys thought. Thank you for all the love last chapter. I am thrilled about all the positive reviews from Eddie's POV. Isn't he the greatest?
On another note, as some of you already know a new VA project is coming out soon with some amazing VA/Disney crossovers. I'll be submitting two stories so if you aren't already following my author page, be on the lookout early next week for updates on some new stuff. Also, you can follow the tag "VA does Disney" on Tumblr to check them all out starting in April. Yay Disney!