Ch. 33
RPOV
Song: Family and Genus by Shakey Graves
"Guards, arrest that girl!"
His booming voice reverberated off the walls, pulling everyone into action. The two Guardians behind him immediately flanked his sides, one pulling out a silver pair of handcuffs that felt like a noose tightening around my neck. Pavel moved directly next to me to take up a similar defensive stance. "Guardian, move aside. This is Royal Court business," Croft directed.
"I do not work for the Royal Court," Pavel's thick accent rang. "I answer to Mr. Mazur, and Mr. Mazur alone."
Admittedly, his reaction completely threw me off. He was always so poised and controlled, a true Guardian. Yeah, I was training to be the same thing and had no problem standing up to authority in the past, but this was Pavel. He was nothing like me and seeing him stand between me and his colleagues— superiors even—was something I wouldn't have expected.
If Guardian Croft was irritated or impressed by Pavel's loyalty, his immovable expression didn't show it. Instead, without taking his eyes off of us he attempted to alleviate the situation again. "Well then, Mr. Mazur I suggest you advise your Guardian to stand down or he will be taken into custody for Obstruction of Justice." The Guardians behind Croft leaned forward onto the balls of their feet, the desire to take action coursing through them, but they waited on an order from their commander all the same.
Abe crossed the room to stand beside Pavel and placed a calming hand on his shoulder. "I understand Guardian Croft," he politely replied to the request. His eyes brushed to me, glistening with a knowing look and I held my breath as I waited for what would come next. After a short pause, he dropped his arm and turned to face the rest of the room, putting me directly behind his back. "Unfortunately, I can't do that."
Slight confusion crossed the Guardians' features. They were trained to protect the Moroi with their lives, and now there was one standing in their way of upholding what they believed to be their duty. "This young woman has done nothing wrong and I won't allow you to arrest her under false pretenses," Abe retorted. That was the first time Abe had referred to me as someone more mature than an adolescent, granted he hadn't really treated me like the "little girl" he had so cleverly coined me as, but hearing him say that to Hans made me feel a few inches taller.
Guardian Croft opened his mouth again to speak, but before anything could come out he was interrupted by another voice. "Neither will I," Christian bellowed as he moved to stand beside Abe.
I was about to shove him away and tell him to stop being a colossal idiot but was distracted by another supporting shout. "Or I," Adrian gallantly added as he made his way over to us.
This was not part of the plan. We were all supposed to remain calm and help Lissa. I was not supposed to be bothered with as long as the Queen was able to hear her out. I saw my shock mirrored in Guardian Croft when I looked over Abe's shoulder to see him peering confusedly at my barricade of Moroi. Not only was he faced with the difficult decision to intercept one Moroi, but now that two Royals were also involved—including the Queen's favorite nephew—a million scenarios were running through his head.
I looked to each of the men standing before me with awe. Christian, whose already fragile reputation was on the line was risking it being completely disintegrated by allying with an accused traitor; Adrian, who was defying his own family—not to mention our entire society's ruler—to keep me out of harm's way; and Abe, my father, willing to risk everything he'd worked for—his reputation, his business, and his ability to protect those he had been keeping secret from us—all for a daughter he had only recently met. My breathing felt tight and deep at the same time, rising salt water pricked my eyes, and my throat shrunk as I tried to swallow those feelings down. My whole life I struggled to push passed this empty feeling that was buried inside me. Lissa had helped alleviate it for a time but it was always still there, hidden in the shadows behind a mother's embrace or echoes from a father's encouragement. That familial sense that my life had always lacked. But as my friends stood by me, putting me first, I felt like I was finally a part of a true, loving family. Something I thought I would never be part of.
"Queen Tatiana, they're right," Lissa's sweet voice carried across the room, helping to placate my surging emotions. "Please, just hear us out before you make any decisions." A true diplomatic response. I could feel through the bond that Lissa was terrified for me and wanted to leap up and join the others, but that also meant she would lose the opportunity to accomplish what we came here to do. She was playing it smart and I was just as grateful to her for it.
"The Princess has had quite the journey and you all would benefit from listening to her," Abe piled on. "If you still feel the need to place Miss Hathaway in custody after you've heard what the Princess has to say, well then, we'll just have to cross that bridge when we come to it."
Tatiana looked between them as she mulled over their responses, then gave Hans a relenting nod as she said, "Guardian Croft, please tell your men to stand down." The Guardians stepped back in unison, signaling they were no longer on the offense and the others made their way back to their original posts, all the while glancing back and forth between the Guardians and each other.
I maintained my position on the other side of the room but held Lissa's gaze to let her know I wasn't going anywhere, no matter what. A flicker of worriment crossed her features as she prepared to tell the Queen the events from the past couple of months, so I opened the bond the tiniest bit once again so she could feel my encouragement and confidence in her. She took in a deep breath and nodded to me in gratitude, then turned her focus back to our Queen.
She started from the very beginning with the attack on the campus and how the fear of her situation caused the bond to open. The Queen knew about our connection after the events from Victor Dashkov and nodded along as Lissa explained the intricacies. I could see the smallest tells slip out as she spoke the word Strigoi: a flick of her nail, her tongue pricking the edge of her fangs, a tiny shiver as she held in the most gruesome parts of her memories—all thankfully going unnoticed by the enraptured Queen.
Soon enough she made it through to the more pressing information that we needed both Councils' help with. "A group of Strigoi called the Order are working together to conquer the Moroi." I could see Tatiana go rigid as Lissa continued. "They are ancient and organized. The Strigoi that awa—turned me," she stuttered. Adrian shot me a nervous look that I tried my best to avoid in an attempt to deter any attention to her slip up. "He was working with them and quickly recruited me. Their plan was to infiltrate some of the higher ranking Moroi and were beginning the process through specific groups. The one that I was charged with was the Mână."
"The social club," Guardian Croft asked. "I thought you said they were after high-ranking Moroi. The Mână don't really associate passed grade school or university." I was shocked Hans even knew who the Mână were, but I guess you didn't become Head Guardian with naivety.
"Well with some of the recent discord due to conflicting views on the use of offensive magic, a lot of these groups have started convening again," Abe interjected. "Several of them have hosted meetings in some of my establishments and I have detailed records of these dates." Abe opened the briefcase he had brought in and handed them a couple of documents as Lissa continued.
"Within a few short weeks, I had already gotten several members to agree to the Order's terms. In exchange for information centering around court and their undeniable compliance, they would be granted positions of power and allies once they were turned."
"Can you provide proof of these agreements? Or at least give us a list of names that could help us start an investigation," Hans asked hopefully.
"I can do you one better." Abe radiated with self-assurance as he pulled out another document from his briefcase. I recognized it immediately. "Miss Hathaway recovered this from one of their meeting locations. A contract of terms along with signatures from those who agreed to them." Hans and Tatiana's eyes briefly flicked to me before taking the contract from Abe's grasp. Their expressions widened as they looked over the list of familiar names. I stole a moment to glance over at the Guardians behind them and through their stern masks, I could see an underlying look of disgust adorn their features.
I undoubtedly related to how they felt. These were people Guardians had trained their entire lives to protect, had given up everything for, risked their lives countless times and lost friends and even family for. And how were they repaying us? With deceit and betrayal in its highest form. It was beyond sickening.
"All of these Moroi agreed to work with the Strigoi against us," Hans asked as calmly as he could, but we could all see his simmering anger threatening to rear its head.
"I can validate that I personally met with the majority of those who signed that document and any others were obtained by Moroi that they associated with," Lissa deduced. "Rose and the others can also vouch that they were at an event hosted by a particular Mână faction where Strigoi were present."
Tatiana's face shot to Adrian with a combination of anger and worriment crossing her expression. "Is that true, Hathaway," Hans addressed me. "You saw these people associate with Strigoi?"
"Yes," my voice was slightly hoarse from the lack of use and I cleared my throat before continuing on. "We attended undercover in another attempt to retrieve Lissa, but were unsuccessful," I shuddered thinking about the events on the night of the ball. "We saw one of them drain a Dhampir man and transform into Strigoi in front of the entire assembly. We would have stayed and fought, but we were severely outnumbered and had to get Christian and Adrian out of there before anything could happen to them too."
The Queen turned her focus from him to me at the mention of Adrian's name, and I thought I saw a hint of gratitude behind those cold eyes. I squashed the notion when her steely gaze moved directly back to the documents in her hand.
"You said in exchange for information," Tatiana finally spoke out as she continued looking over the names. "What kind of information?"
Abe handed Lissa the map Eva and I had discovered in her parents' office and she laid it flat across the coffee table's surface with shaky hands. "They would provide intel about the Royal Court, informing the Strigoi on weak points around the community that could be infiltrated if an attack was to occur. The plan was for them to turn when they were already inside the wards on a designated day of attack to increase their numbers and aid them from the inside."
"These breaches would be detrimental to our security. When is the attack," Hans hastily asked as he looked over the map.
"There wasn't a set date yet. I was scheduled to meet with a new contact within the Order, but my rescue came first. It was most likely delayed since most of my...associates that dealt with the Moroi were killed that day as well." Lissa paused for a moment as visions of blood and gore then light and resolution flashed through her memory. When those unsettling visions stilled, she slowly turned her head to me.
"The day that Rose saved me," her voice was quiet and filled with reverence. "She fought and fought. She didn't stop until I was restored. Even after I—" she paused, her gaze momentarily shifting to her lap. "After I proved myself to be anything but worthy." Christian walked up behind her and placed a loving hand on her shoulder, pushing her forward. "There were so many times where she could have given up on me. Where she should have given up on me...but she never did. She took down countless Strigoi to get to me and saved me from myself. I was my own worst enemy and somehow she fought through that and brought me back." A small tear fell down her face as she spoke. "Without Rose, I wouldn't be here. I owe her more than my life. I owe her everything."
I wanted to tell her she would never owe me anything. That it was my duty to protect her and going after her was part of that promise I'd made. But that wasn't quite true. What I did wasn't because she was my charge, or even because she was the last Dragomir. It was because she was my family. I loved her, and every part of my being propelled me to protect those that I loved—even more than my sense of duty. It was dangerous to think that way, especially since I had others that I loved now that were not my charge, but that's just who I was. Who I will always be.
I faintly heard someone ask how exactly we saved her and Adrian took the opportunity to explain how they discovered the process through the use of Spirit magic, but I couldn't take my eyes off of Lissa. I could feel warmth surging through the bond as she looked into my eyes and knew that she understood everything I was feeling. I raised my hand to my cheek to find it wet with tears and quickly wiped them away, slightly embarrassed for getting emotional with an entire room of people staring at me. I did my best to cover it up with a facetious smile and sent Lissa a message through the bond.
Well, you saved my life, Princess. It's only fair I returned the favor. I gave her a small wink, causing her to giggle.
When Adrian finally finished laying down the basics of Lissa's restoration, the room went completely silent. Everyone's eyes were glued to the Queen as we waited for her to speak. Her focus moved achingly slow from Adrian's face to mine. Her expression was frustratingly unreadable. I had no idea if she believed a word we said, or if she was ready to throw us all into Tarasov for being raving lunatics.
"Guardian Croft." His already pristine posture somehow managed to straighten up even more as the Queen addressed him. She kept her face aligned with me and I met her unyielding gaze with one of my own. I wouldn't say I was being defiant, necessarily—although my mother would probably suggest otherwise—but if she was going to summon her guards to arrest me then I wasn't going to let her think she had broken down my resolve. The air went stale and I could feel Lissa's nervousness start to rise through the bond, but I resisted the urge to settle her and maintained the little standoff I had found myself in. I imagined being transported into one of Dimitri's western stories. Two of us stood at opposite ends of a dirt road, ready to face our opponent head-on. Except here, only one of us had a weapon—and unfortunately, it wasn't me.
She stared at me for one last lingering moment before finally tearing her gaze away and moving it down to the map that still rested on the table. "Take this with you and make sure all of these points are secured. Round up the Court Guardians and seize all of the men and women on this list. Do so as quickly and quietly as possible. We don't want word to get out about this. It could cause unnecessary panic and some of these Moroi may use the opportunity to flee."
I would have walked over and smacked Christian's gaping mouth shut if I wasn't so busy trying to gather my own jaw up off the floor as well. Guardian Croft immediately went into action, calling out orders to his men and into a walkie-talkie that he pulled from his belt. He gathered the documents he needed and headed out of the room as he began listing off names to whoever was on the other side of his channel.
"You...you believe us?" It fell out of my open mouth before I could catch it. The Queen looked over to me again, wearing that same serious expression that always made me slightly uncomfortable.
"Yes," she voiced simply.
I was speechless. Dumbfounded even. Could this really be happening?
"Don't look so shocked Miss Hathaway. It doesn't suit you," her scolding tone reeled me back in.
"I'm sorry your majesty. I'm just surprised that…" I tried to come up with the politest way of saying it.
"That a salty, old hag like me would believe something as fantastical as this?" She stole the thoughts right out of my head, but I held my tongue all the same. "I have complete trust in Vasilisa and Adrian and am beyond grateful that she had the courage to come forward, despite the scrutiny that might await her." Her countenance softened as she turned to each of them and I was surprised when she turned to me again, that compassionate expression stayed the same. "However, even if I didn't have absolute faith in them I still would have believed in your innocence."
"You would," I asked speculatively.
"Yes. The evidence provided by Vasilisa and Mr. Mazur undoubtedly clears any blame placed on you, but what ultimately convinced me was the reaction from your friends when they thought you were in danger." My eyes flicked to Christian and I could see him shift nervously behind the sofa. "Their compassion and willingness to stand by you, despite the severe charges against you and the consequences they would face for aligning with you, showed me the truth. For Mr. Mazur and two young Royals to confidently stand by someone like you," meaning a lowly Dhampir girl, "well, let's just say you must have done something remarkable to earn loyalty like that."
If at all possible, I was even more taken aback now than I was before. Moments ago, she had been ready to send me to a jail cell, and now she was...praising me?
"I want to thank you for bringing the Princess back. You went above and beyond your duty to her and I am immensely grateful for it. I will have to speak with the Guardian Council first, but I believe you deserve special recognition for all your efforts to protect your charge."
At that last sentence, I finally found my voice again. "She's not just my charge, she's my best friend. I would do anything for her," I looked to Lissa as we shared a sentimental smile. "Besides, I couldn't have done it without help."
"Modesty," Tatiana chuckled. "I must say I'm not sure if that suits you either, but it is welcomed all the same." Adrian joined in her amusement with a full-hearted laugh and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at him in front of the Queen.
"Well, Tatiana I am thrilled we were able to clear this mess up. You have always been known for your humility as well as your exceptional judgment, so it should come as no surprise," Abe spoke proudly as he ran his fingertips over his bright green scarf and god help me I saw the faintest sign of a blush appear on the Queen's cheeks. "However, there is something we must ask of you. A favor, more or less." Her interest was piqued, and she shifted in her seat to face him.
Adrian looked at me curiously as he tried to guess what on earth Abe would want from his great aunt, but I couldn't return his gaze. My eyes were wide and fixed on my father as he asked for the one thing that I desperately hoped he would.
Eva POV
Song: Someday by Phantogram
I had been staring at the clock for what felt like hours. Its consistent ticking was both irritating and clarifying—which only pissed me off more. I expected them to take a while, but I didn't expect it to drag on, and on, and ON!
"Ugh!" I yanked at my hair and scoffed at the clock's mocking face.
Guardian Hathaway peeked at me out of the corner of her eye, then turned her gaze back to the window. She had been standing there with her arms crossed, gazing outside since they left. How on earth she managed to stand completely still for this long was beyond me.
"It won't be long now," the same irritating words she had spoken to me over the course of being in this room.
I heard a soft pitter-patter against the window and saw that it was starting to rain. I normally welcomed the rain, it had a way of washing away all the muck in the world and leaving it feeling reborn, but now it only made me uneasy. Eventually, the soft fall turned into a full-on downpour. All you could see out the window were gray waves of mist. Guardian Hathaway still held her position though, despite her inability to see more than a couple inches away.
Another few moments went by. The deafening silence of the occupants in the room combined with the constant reminder from the clock that more time had passed was putting me on the verge of complete insanity.
"Something's wrong," I finally breathed out. "They should be back by now."
Abe's Guardian, whose name I hadn't quite caught, looked up from the paper he was casually reading. "Mr. Mazur will notify us if anything is amiss." As quickly as his focus shot up to me, it moved right back down to the crinkling distraction in his hand.
"They said an hour, two tops! What if something happened to them? What if they never even made it far enough to plead their case?"
"That's highly unlikely," Guardian Hathaway insisted. "We would have heard about a disturbance by now and besides, Ibrahim will notify us if anything is wrong. You just need to be patient."
I was starting to see why it was hard for Rose to get along with this woman. "Unless he was thrown into a cell alongside them," I murmured as I crossed my arms and plopped down onto the sofa defiantly.
Guardian Hathaway looked at me for a lingering moment with that same infuriating look that all Guardians wore before letting out a small sigh and turning to face the window again. "It won't be long," came out of her again, but this time her tone gave me the feeling that she was saying it to herself for reassurance rather than me.
Not even a minute later our worries were momentarily squashed when the front door swung open. Four drenched figures emerged into the room and my eyes darted around until they spotted her pale blonde head. Lissa's clothes were soaked and tiny droplets dripped down from the ends of her hair. If at all possible, she was somehow even more beautiful in a state of slopping mess than when she was pristine and perfect.
Her pale green eyes found mine and she rushed over to me, pulling me into a tight hug. I didn't care that her soaked clothes were seeping water into mine, I was so happy she was back I could've held onto her forever.
"We did it," she whispered into my hair before slightly pulling away to look at me. Pride lit up her dazzling features, nearly taking my breath away. She held onto my shoulders as the others walked further into the room and I couldn't help but smile under her excited gaze.
"Where is Rose," Guardian Hathaway's voice yanked my attention away from Lissa and I looked around the room, noticing for the first time that Rose wasn't there. Lissa, regretfully, dropped her hands from me and walked closer to the others.
"She's fine, don't worry. Her and Abe had something to take care of, but they will be back soon," Lissa soothed. I saw Guardian Hathaway's shoulders relax the tiniest bit as she gave Lissa an appreciative nod.
"Now that we are all back, can someone please tell me everything that went on in that room? I tried to eavesdrop, but the other guards were watching me like a hawk and that door was surprisingly soundproof." Eddie walked in from the kitchen with a dish towel and rubbed it vigorously over his wet head as he spoke.
Lissa enthusiastically obliged his request and began spouting out the details of their meeting with the Queen. I went into the bathroom and grabbed a towel to drape over her. She gave me a quick, appreciative look as I placed it on her damp shoulders before continuing her rave.
When she finally finished she was practically out of breath. I couldn't believe how well she did. She had only recently been able to start talking about her time as Strigoi without it triggering darker emotions within her, which was still only surface-level details.
"You were magnificent Princess," Adrian piped in.
"She really was, wasn't she," Christian softly spoke as he looked at her adoringly. He reached for her hand, the contact from him causing her cheeks to turn pink. That strange feeling of resentment coursed through me again and I did my best to push those feelings down, trying to remind myself that he was my friend, not my opponent.
The others began asking some questions about what would happen next and what the Queen planned to do. Adrian moved over to Lissa and said, "Why don't you go get cleaned up. Chris and I can fill them in on the rest." She gave him a grateful smile and nodded before turning to leave.
I felt an unreasonable pang of disappointment ring through me as she was about to leave, but before Lissa walked out the door she turned to me again. "Eva, would you come with me," she quietly asked.
I nodded enthusiastically and we both headed down the hall to her room. It was similar to Abe's, modest yet still big, but I guessed now that the Queen knew she was back she would move into a more lavish suite. Something more fitting for a Princess. I sat on her bed and ran the events from her story through my head as she went into the bathroom to dry off and change. When she came out, she had a surprisingly serious look on her face.
"You alright," I asked as she took a seat next to me. Her brow was slightly furrowed, and her gaze was unfocused as if she was trying to pull her jumbled thoughts back together.
"The past few weeks, all I could think about is how guilty I felt for what I did." Her voice was quiet and contemplative. "About how sorry I was for the innocent lives I ruined. As I should, it's my fault that they're where they are now, despite not being able to control it." Her eyes shut as she took a pause and I knew she was struggling between batting away those images from the past and letting them come out so she could atone. Eventually, her eyes opened again and her serious demeanor returned. "But after meeting with Tatiana today, seeing her take action like that I realized something. Instead of thinking about how bad all of those things made me feel, I should have been thinking about how to right the wrong I've done." She crossed her legs under herself and turned to face me fully. "The only thing is, I have no clue where to start. All I know is I don't want to go back to the way things were and just pretend like none of this happened. I get that I need some normalcy to keep my thoughts from spiraling again, but there has to be something I can do."
Her words astonished me. She was so much stronger than I imagined a princess to be. I'm not sure if it was the fragile stereotype from all of those fairy tales I had read as a kid or being around someone more polished like Adrian, but somewhere along the way my perception of how she would act had become completely skewed. Now, after meeting her and being around her, I couldn't have been more wrong. She wasn't a frail damsel waiting for her knight in shining armor to rescue her from some tower in the sky— she was the knight.
As strong as she was though, she still needed protection. There were others after Moroi like us, hoping to leverage our abilities to their demented cause. The Order had come after my family years ago, like many others within the Salvatori, and Kristof paid with his life. I knew it would kill Lissa if one of her friends fell to the same fate.
"I know of a way for you to help," it was out of my mouth before the thought even fully registered in my brain. Her eyes widened a little, signaling her interest was piqued. "Now that I've finished my deal with Abe, I'll be leaving soon. He's arranged for me to go back home to my family in about a week's time." She looked down solemnly, we both knew that day would come eventually and as much as I missed Josette, I was dreading leaving Lissa too. "Come with me."
Her eyes shot up to mine at those three words. "You mean...to the Salvatori?" Lissa's voice was quiet and uncertain as if we were just two adolescent girls sharing a secret. In an attempt to get her to open up to me in the first few days of her restoration, I had told her all about where I came from and the impact the Order had on my life. I wanted her to feel like she had someone that could relate to her, even on a basic level. She had been pushing me to tell the others about Kristof and my need to find him, but I had been hesitant to give in.
"Yes. There are others there like you and me that can teach you control. That can help you to harness your powers for good, rather than fear the implications of them." She stayed focused on me as I spoke, her eyes lighting up with eagerness. "If we find Kristof, we can get more information than any of us ever thought possible. We can put an end to the Order once and for all." I could see her wheels turning as she considered my offer. When a couple minutes went by and she had yet to speak a word I added, "Think it over for a couple of days. I don't want you to feel pressured under a countdown, but the offer stands. If you truly want to jump off the sidelines and fight back, this is the best way to do it."
I reached out to touch her hand and could feel our Spirit magic gravitating towards one another. I had felt hints of it before, it was another way to recognize others like me, but with Lissa, it was so much stronger. During the restoration, my magic burned like wildfire all around us, consuming every part of her that was dark and restoring it to her natural, beaming light. Even now, that kindled flame seemed to spark whenever our skin touched. It was if a part of my magic fueled hers, tying us together in some unspoken way.
She gave me one of her sweet smiles that could melt even the coldest of hearts and said, "Thank you, Eva. For everything. I don't know what I would do without you." And I instantly knew there was no way I could leave her behind.
RPOV
Song: Sunshine of Your Love by Cream
Walking down the cement-lined halls I kept wondering how this place was as cold as it was clammy. I get that it was meant to house prisoners of the highest degree, but you would think they'd at least make it slightly more tolerable for the Guardians working down there. The only thing that kept me from going on a full-on rampage was the fact that those Moroi scum that had betrayed our kind would soon adorn these cells.
They looked smaller than I imagined. I wasn't sure how Dimitri could even fit inside one. Each steel cage that we passed caused a restricting feeling in my chest. I spotted someone with their back to us crouched on a bed with long dark hair and had to blink away the visual as I reminded myself I was on the outside. It's not you, it's not you. The Queen believed her.
A clambering noise behind us shook my careening thoughts and I made it a point to stare directly at the back of the Guardian ahead of me and avoided glancing into any of the other cells. He was a stocky built Guardian with red hair and a fair complexion. When Hans initially sent him to escort us I noticed faint remnants from a black eye and busted lip. I didn't think these guys got much action in the field anymore and sparring matches usually didn't result in facial injuries except for the occasional slip-up, so I briefly wondered who he managed to piss off.
When we rounded the last corner and approached Dimitri's cell, the Guardian's face contorted into a scowl and I no longer had to guess where he had earned those "badges of honor".
"Back for more, Conall," a groggy voice echoed across the bars. "I thought you had enough."
I hadn't heard his voice in weeks and suddenly, as I stood only a few feet away from him I felt...nervous. The redhead Guardian scoffed in response keeping his eyes fixed into the cell and I slowly made my way to stand beside him. When I laid eyes on Dimitri I had to physically stop myself from launching at the bars in a feeble attempt to pull them apart. He was perched on a tiny cot with his back to the bars. My fists clenched at my sides and my back strained from the pull in two directions.
"You have visitors," the Guardian's Scottish accent was thick and full of disdain.
"Don't you think that joke is getting a little stale? Even for someone as dimwitted as you," Dimitri added the insult under his breath.
"If that's the kind of lame humor they are babbling down here, then maybe I need step in and give some lessons on practical jokes. This guy looks like he could use some advice from the master." I placed a hand on my hip, adding to my cheeky bravado as I waited for Dimitri to react.
At first, his body went rigid at the sound of my voice, but he still didn't turn around. "Roza," he breathed out just barely above a whisper, his gaze moving to the back corner and his shoulders slightly slumping forward.
"Comrade?" I added more sincerity to my voice, hoping he would finally look at me. With that one word, his face whipped around to the front of the cell. His eyes narrowed as if he was trying to see through a mirage, but when I gave him a loving smile his expression softened and he bolted to the bars, his strong hands wrapping around the steel almost desperately. I noticed the man Dimitri had called Conall flinch at the quick movement, but I didn't dare take my eyes off of my love. There were sunken circles as dark as thunderclouds hovering under his eyes and his brown orbs flashed across me, storming with conflicting emotions. Adrian had told me he hadn't been sleeping but seeing him now he looked lost somewhere between exhaustion and frenzy.
"Is it really you," he quietly asked.
I noticed a small cut on his head that was mostly healed and reached up to run my finger across it. "Yes, it's me. I'm here." His eyes closed as my skin made contact with his and he let out a rasped sigh. My hand moved down to his cheek and one of his instantly gravitated towards mine to rest on top of it. Despite the chill in the room, Dimitri's skin still had that blissful warmth it always held. Just from that small touch, I found myself fighting back tears. I'd missed him so much and now that he was so close to me my emotions were threatening to boil over.
"Why did you come?" His eyes finally opened again, but they were pained as he spoke. "Didn't Adrian tell you it was dangerous?"
I smiled at his endearing concern and moved my palm from his face to grip his hand between the bars. "Well, that's the thing, Comrade. I can never resist the opportunity to throw myself into the middle of danger."
Dimitri let out a small huff to cover up his amusement, but the grin tugging at the corner of his mouth gave him away.
"Miss, you need to back away," Conall commanded with annoyance.
Dimitri's grip around one of the bars tightened and he practically growled back at the Guardian. I didn't want to lose this contact either, even if only for an instant, but I obliged the pushy Scott's request and took a step back.
Dimitri's death glare was fixed on Conall and followed him as he moved to step between us. That look rivaled the one he wore in battle. He was usually so poised and careful about letting his feelings manifest on his face, which made me question either the extent of his exhaustion or his burning hatred for this man. However, that look slowly morphed into something resembling confusion then eagerness when Conall pulled out his keys and placed one into the lock stationed between us.
The Guardian hesitantly turned the key and wrenched the bars open, causing a hideous screeching noise to echo down the hall. Dimitri seemed alarmed for a moment as he looked at us through the opening and I wondered if we shared the same fear that maybe they were going to throw me in there after all, but when Conall finally stepped aside Dimitri rushed straight to me.
His body practically slammed into mine as he engulfed me in his powerful arms; it would have nearly knocked me over if his tight grip around my back wasn't holding me in place. I didn't mind it in the least though—it was heaven. I pressed my cheek into his chest and clung to his shoulders as I let the feeling of him wash over me. The feeling that I had been desperately missing for weeks. I took a few deep breaths, simultaneously breathing him in and steadying my nerves. I eventually tilted my head up to look at him and he immediately brought his mouth to mine. He kissed me with fiery passion, his lips recounting every hour we spent apart and all the unspoken words between us. My heart fluttered in my chest as I leaned in further and I lost myself in his warm embrace.
I felt like I was standing at the edge of a cliff and Dimitri's strong arms and soft lips were the only things keeping me from falling over the threshold. One of his hands moved to tangle in my loose hair and I let out a low moan, causing his chest to tremble. I had nearly forgotten where we were until an aggravated cough interrupted us. I regretfully pulled back from Dimitri but stayed enveloped in his arms, finally remembering where I was—and who I was with.
"Sorry," I cleared my throat, slightly embarrassed. Dimitri tore his smoldering gaze away from me to look over my head and I could see his Guardian mask snap into place when he spotted the owner of the intruding cough.
"Mr. Mazur," he greeted formally. I took a step to the side and entwined Dimitri's fingers with mine as I turned to face Abe.
"Belikov," he nodded. "Glad to see you're doing well." Abe had that sly, signature smirk on his face as he looked Dimitri up and down. I could feel my Russian god tense slightly under his scrutinizing gaze and he cast me a sidelong glance, silently questioning what Zmey was doing here.
"After we spoke to the Queen, she believed what we had to say and agreed to take action, but the topic of your release took some convincing." Dimitri turned to me as I spoke, listening intently. "She wants everything to be hush, hush for now to avoid panic and unwarranted scrutiny and thought your immediate release would raise a few red flags. But Abe here worked his serpent magic and convinced her otherwise." I repressed a shudder at the memory of his nauseating flattery and flirtation. "Thanks to him, you're a free man Dimitri."
My stoic Russian held onto his unreadable mask, but I could still sense hints of speculation. "Thank you, Mr. Mazur," he replied flatly.
"You don't seem all that pleased. Is there something that I'm missing here?" Abe crossed his arms disapprovingly and took a step closer to me.
"Apologies sir," Dimitri delineated. "I am grateful for what you did, truly, but am not sure what you expect of me in return. I already owe you more than I can give."
Abe dropped his arms and let out an exaggerated sigh. "Please, Belikov don't be such a cynic. Not everything I do has to come with an overbearing price. Besides," Abe flashed me a wicked look causing a stone lump to form in my throat. I shook my head, trying to halt his next words but his intentions were clear as day. "What kind of monster would I be if I just let my daughter's boyfriend rot in jail."
Dimitri's brow slightly furrowed as he tried to decipher the words that had just fallen out of Zmey's mouth, and as his expression slowly morphed from confusion to understanding, then eventually shock, Abe oozed with complete, unadulterated amusement.
I could have killed him. I shot him a look that said "seriously?!" and he just returned it with a shrug of his shoulders as he feigned innocence. No, we hadn't discussed when to tell Dimitri, but I didn't think I had to explicitly state that fact as we escorted him out of jail.
I looked over to a wide-eyed Russian frozen still as he was most likely running past interactions between the three of us through his head.
When most girls introduced their boyfriends to their father, it was at a nice sit-down restaurant or at their family home. They'd chat about the weather or discuss their family heritage, the usual boring crap that kept a conversation alive. Then there was me, in a jail cell standing between an accused traitor and a Turkish mobster. I was starting to think it was possible that nothing I would do in this life would ever be considered normal.
I dragged my hand down my face and let out a deflated sigh before remembering something I'd once heard Christian quote: if you can't laugh at yourself, then what the fuck is the point of living?
"Dimitri," I tugged on his arm and pulled his focus to me. "I'd like you to meet my father, Abe Mazur."
Any color left in his face completely drained, leaving him as white as a Moroi. I scrunched my shoulders up to my ears and cringed. "Surprise?"
A/N: Poor, poor Dimitri. What has he gotten himself into...
Thanks for reading! :)