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I looked around and seen all the curtains covering the windows, and the lights turned off except for the little one on the bedside table. In the distance I heard the bell Yeva told me warned the town of strigoi. Dimtiri had a stake in his hand. "Rose you're going to wait in the attic. I need to go to to my family. Don't move. Please promise me you won't move." I stared at him in disbelief.

"No, you aren't going alone, who knows how many there are!" I yelled in a whisper at him. "You can't expect me to wait in here and hope that..." I couldn't say the thoughts going through my head, they scared me. "I'm coming. I'll stay out of your way, but don't leave me. Please." I knew begging was not part of my usual facade, but I couldn't let him walk out alone. I seen him weighing his options. A few moments later he agreed.

"But you must stay right beside me and do exactly as I say. No Rose Logic." The only other time I had heard this tone was durning the school attack. He put a flashlight in my hands. "Don't turn it on unless you need to buy yourself some time." Dimitri peered out the window beside the door and then pulled back the curtain. He went to the front door, and just as he put his hand on the door nob, the bell stopped. It was absolutely silent.

A few seconds later, a blood curdling scream rang out. It was probably less than a quarter mile away. I seen Dimitri's face twist into a look of pain for a moment before returning to guardian mode. He opened the door slowly and silently. Swiftly, I followed him down the hundred meter path to his families house. When we reached to door, it was understandably locked and all the windows where shut. Dimitri pointed to the roof, and pulled me over to the gate surrounding to front porch. In a nearly inaudible whisper he said. "Be careful."

I took his hand and as quickly and as carefully as possible, I stood on the fence and found a spot on a column next to me to put my foot. I tried to pull myself up but my baby bump got on the way, and I had no way of hoisting myself up without squishing myself. I went back down. "You have to go first I can't get myself to up. I seen the look on his face falter a little before he effortlessly got onto the roof. I went back to the same position in was in before, but this time I grabbed Dimitri's hand instead.

Not so gracefully he managed to haul me up. He made his way over to the chimney, that thankful led wasn't lit. "I'm going to drop down, and I'm going to catch you." I nodded. I wasn't doubting Dimitri's strength, I knew he could catch me. But the chimney was only the width of a few feet. Dimitri held himself over the opening and looked me in the eye for a few seconds before dropping down. Even though I know it was probably a five or six foot drop for him, it still probably hurt. Just as he said I swung my legs over the brick and into the hole. "Come on Roza." I let go and fell down the chimney.

Just like he said he would, Dimitri caught me, but it was still awkward. I heard him groan so I knew hurt him a little. He held me under my arms. While and my legs where dangling for a few moments before he put me down. I felt my head spin for a second, so I leaned against the soot covered brick. Dimitri whispered form behind me telling me to get out first.

I slowly slid down to a sitting position with my butt on the remaining pile of ash and burnt wood and my feet sticking out to fireplace. I slide out and started to wipe away the dirt while Dimitri wiggled out. When I looked around the dark room I noticed Dimitri's family where all huddled on the couches looking at me in absolute horror. I let out a gasp. "Sorry, it's Rose."

"I'm here too, don't turn on the light mother." Dimitri still had the tone in his voice that told me now was not the time to make a joke about Santa coming down the chimney early this year. "I need to leave Rose with you." Just as I registered what he was saying, I felt it. My hands flew to my stomach as I swallowed hard on the vile that started to crawl up my throat.

"No! You can't leave. They're right outside." My body made an involuntary gagging reflex. Dimitri pulled me to him and held my chin so I was looking at him.

"Rose you have to promise me that no matter what you hear, you will not come outside after me. You will stay in here and only attack in defense." Dimitri pulled two stakes out of his pocket. He slipped one into my hand and then looked around the room. He took a step forward and to my surprise handed the other stake Viktoria. Dimitri came back to me and put something cold in my other palm, and closed my fingers around it. He looked me into the eyes again. "Promise Me!" I nodded slowly.

Then he kissed me, and without another word left. In the deafening silence, the door shutting sounded like a firework being set off. Opening my hand I seen a dog tag, that had a Rose stamped into it. On another tag was the Dragonir crest, and in front of both of them was a little cross, similar to the ones I would see all around St. Vladimir. It was from Lissa, and he was clearly waiting to give it to me. I put it around my neck and forced myself to not think about it.

I approached the door and twisted the lock as quietly as I could. When I went back into the living room, I seen Sonya on the floor with a small candle in one hand and a baby in her other arm. It was the only source of light in the room. Dimitri's mother was sitting in the largest couch with the rest of her grandchildren. Karolina and Viktoria where on the love seat next to the window. I felt bad when I seen the look of self doubt and fear plague Viktoria's features. Yeva was in her rocking chair as always, and she was knitting as if nothing was wrong.

Paul was the only one of the grandchildren that was awake and I could tell he was trying his hardest to put on a brace face. I knelt in front of him and smiled. I gave him the flashlight Dimitri gave me and said. "Dimitri said to give this to you so you can protect yourself and your baby cousins." He smiled at me, and the resemblance he shared with Dimitri became even clearer. I sat near Sonya and waited, for the sun to come up.

My heart stopped, when I heard a loud grunt outside. I quickly tiptoed over to the front of the house and looked out the tiny slit in the curtains. About twenty feet in front of me I seen a strigoi laying dead on the floor. Beside it was a Dimitri and he was looking around for movement. The nausea hadn't completely vanished so I knew there was at least one still out there. Frantically I looked around the room for a clock, until my eyes landed on the coco clock on top of the mantle. It was almost five in the morning. Fifteen more minutes and the sun would start to come up.

The twisting in my stomach intensified just as I seen Dimitri's gaze focus on something to the left. The stigoi, came out from the trees and glared at Dimitri. Everything in my being was telling me to run out there and help, but I knew Dimitri would never forgive me if I did and something happened to me, or the baby, or his family.

They jumped for each other at the same time, but the strigoi managed to land a blow on Dimitri's shoulder. Dimitri fought back and kicked the strigoi in the stomach. He only stumbled a few steps because he was up before Dimitri could get in another hit.

I watched Dimitri switch the stake into his other hand, and I noticed how limp the other arm seemed. I was swinging next to him with little control. Dimitri swiped the stake, but the stigoi jumped back a little to avoid it. Quickly, Dimitri dropped down to a squatting position. He put the hand with his stake down on the ground and kicked the legs from under the strigoi. Dimitri took the second of unbalanced, to drag the stake across the strigoi's face. He howled in pain, but struck out at Dimitri. They both landed on the floor, but the strigoi was on top. I could see Dimitri couldn't get him off with one bad arm. I turned around only for a second.

5:07 A.M.

When I looked out the window again I could see Dimitri still trying to free himself. I turned to Viktoria. She seemed to read my mind, and nodded. I went for the door and opened it as quickly and as quietly as I could. I held my stake firmly in my hand. Moments after I shut it again I heard the lock click. The strigoi and Dimitri haven't noticed me yet.

I tried to make myself charge while I had the opportunity, but I world stopped, and time still. The strigoi sunk his teeth into Dimitri, and I watched his body go limp. Dimitri's eyes rolled back into his head and he started to make small groaning noises of pleasure. The strigoi, threw Dimtiri onto the ground and wiped his mouth.

I charged forward, and just as the stigoi turned to see me, I plunged my stake into his chest. He dropped to the floor with a look of shock on his face, and the nauseating feeling in my stomach instantly subsided. Looking up at the sky, I could see the dark sky starting to turn into shades of orange and red.

I dropped to my knees next to Dimtiri. He wasn't moving and his skin was a sickly pale. I ripped his duster open and lay my head on his chest and heard his heart beating. I sighed, and the idea he had been completely drained left my mind.

The bite marks on his neck had a little blood on them, but not enough to explaining the stain on his shoulder. I pulled the duster off him completely, revealing gash on his right arm. I heaved when I seen the torn skin and blood. I screamed. I pulled Dimitir onto my lap and my adrenaline suddenly vanished. I began to sob hysterically, apologizing to his still body for letting him get hurt so badly, and yelling for help.

The sun began coming up, and one by one Dimtiri's family began surrounding me, and then they took him away from me, and I was left on the ground, surrounded by blood and dissolving stigoi bodies.

Someone picked me up off the ground but I felt out of focus. I wasn't until I was in a truck sitting next to Dimitri's limp body, when I could start to think. I slid over and wrapped my arms around him as the truck pulled out of the property.

I had to force myself to not look at his arm, because I knew I would be sick if I did. Instead, I focused on his face, and I ran my fingers through his hair. His mother and sister where in the front of the car and I was sure they where listening to everything I was saying to Dimitri but I didn't care. I needed him back with me.

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65 is the target chapter to finish the story so we're getting there.