30. Stranded

(Sonya POV)

Oh God.

Rushing to get a small suitcase from my wardrobe, I stuffed the dressing gown inside along with a few clothes and toiletries, improvising a plan as I packed. I had to find Misha, even if it meant stopping at every hospital between here and the east coast. Yes, I had other responsibilities at school, but I wasn't obliged to stay. I was an adult, I had plenty of personal leave days stored up, and there were other teachers who could cover my classes – nobody had a right to stop me from leaving and if they tried to I had no hesitation about using compulsion to get my own way. Not knowing how long I would be gone for, I did one last round of the apartment, quickly watering the plants on my balcony and my favourite orchid in the kitchen, before turning out the lights and locking the door behind me.

Step one – I needed a car. I hurried out into the morning light, planning to book out a school vehicle at the Guardian Office, but when I rounded the corner of the Moroi Staff Accommodation building I found my way blocked by a figure in black.

'Miss Karp? What's the matter?' the Guardian looked at me with concern. It was Celeste – the woman who sparred with Mikhail during the Zabóta masterclass I attended. All Guardians were trained to assess a situation quickly, but in this case it wasn't difficult for Celeste to guess that something was drastically wrong. My crumpled clothes, frantic eyes and the overnight suitcase were glaring warning-signs, not to mention the fact that I was wandering about in the sunlight after curfew.

'It's Mikhail. I have to get a car,' I stammered out as I tried to pull my arm away from her, annoyed that I was being detained when there was so much at stake.

'Wait. I'll come with you,' she insisted sternly.

I'm not sure if she wanted to escort me because she understood what I was saying or because she thought I was deranged and needed to be under guard, but either way, at least she wasn't blocking my path anymore. Celeste accompanied me – silent and vigilant – as we walked across campus, and when we approached the Guardian Office a few minutes later she stepped ahead of me to open the door.

'This way,' she urged, whisking me past the curious eyes of the Guardian at front desk and into a small private room down the hall. The sign on the door read Cptn. Alberta Petrov. 'Wait here,' she instructed me before ducking out to make a phone call.

I paced impatiently across the carpeted floor until, a few minutes later, I heard footsteps approaching and Alberta entered the room. She took one look at me then closed the door behind her.

'Miss Karp. How can I assist you?' she asked carefully, and suddenly all of the anxiety and stress that had been mounting up over the past few hours broke loose and I burst into tears.

Alberta might have been a trained killer but she had a maternal side as well and she was beside me in a moment. An arm wrapped around me and I wept into her shoulder, trying desperately to regain control.

'Breath slowly, Sonya. In and out. In and out. That's it,' she told me, and I followed her directions until I was finally able to speak.

'Mikhail's hurt,' I broke away from her and hastily wiped the tears from my eyes, angry with myself that I had let my guard down. Standing taller and assuming my most assertive tone, I continued on with my explanation. 'He needs help. I'm here to borrow a car – I have to go to him.'

'Mikhail Tanner?' the Guardian Captain clarified, 'What happened? How do you know this?'

Damnit. This was just wasting my time – I needed to be out of here. I edged a step closer to the door, prepared to compel my way out if she obstructed me further.

'Please. Just let me have a car. I'll find him. He needs me,' I insisted.

'Miss Karp,' Alberta moved to put herself between me and the doorway. 'Guardian Tanner is my responsibility and if he is in danger it is my duty to provide him aid. The quickest way I can do that is if you stay here and tell me everything you know. Now sit down and start from the beginning.'

There was an authority to her voice, and truth in her words. Perhaps I could trust her? I lowered myself to sit on the chair beside her desk and watched warily as she walked over to perch on the edge of the table, waiting quietly for me to explain myself.

'Mikhail was due home from Court at 7:00am but he didn't show up,' I began.

'I am aware his flight was due in at five,' she replied, 'but it's possible he has just stopped off for dinner on the way home. He isn't officially rostered on for Guardian duty until classes begin tomorrow, so there is no reason for him to rush back.'

I felt uncomfortable revealing private information about my relationship with Mikhail, but I couldn't see any other way of making her believe me.

'Yes there is. He was meant to have dinner with me. He wouldn't miss a date without letting me know.'

The Captain's face twitched at the news. Clearly she didn't know there was anything going on between Mikhail and me, but she did her best to hide her reaction.

'He could have gotten caught in traffic,' she suggested.

'It's not that,' I said roughly, clenching my fists on my knees. 'You know he always keeps his phone on in case of an emergency, but when I called him it went straight to message bank. I know he's hurt. If you won't let me go and find him, at least ring Hans Croft at the Royal Court. He will know if Mikhail made it safely onto his flight.'

She eyed me doubtfully for another second then shrugged her shoulders and nodded in agreement. Thank God. As she walked around to sit at her chair on the other side of the desk, the office phone rang unexpectedly, startling us both.

'Hans. What's going on?' Alberta demanded when she saw the incoming number on the display. 'I've got a Moroi teacher here telling me Mikhail Tanner is in some kind of trouble.' There was a brief silence as she listened to the reply. 'Yes, she's still here. I'll put you on speaker.' There was a beep as she pressed a button on the phone then placed the handset back in the cradle.

'Sonya? Sonya Karp?' The voice on the other end of the line sounded weary and strained.

'Yes,' I choked out, rising to stand closer to the phone.

'My name is Hans Croft. I am the Captain of the Royal Guard and a friend of Mikhail Tanner's. I regret to inform you that your partner has been gravely injured.'

My legs gave out beneath me and I sank back onto the chair. 'Where is he? What happened? I asked desperately, gripping the edge of the table until my knuckles turned white.

'We believe Mikhail stopped off in Pittsburgh to have a farewell drink with the Guardian who was driving him to the airport. At some point they were separated and Mikhail was attacked by a group of unknown assailants. When Guardian Kardos arrived on the scene he was also injured but he managed to scare off the attackers, and his emergency broadcast was picked up by the Alchemists who had a team in the area. They delivered the wounded Guardians to a local safe-house for urgent medical treatment, but unfortunately the Alchemists didn't think it necessary to inform anybody at Guardian Headquarters that they had two of our men. We only found out there was a problem when Guardian Kardos failed to return the car he'd borrowed, and it took us several hours to track down their location. I'm so sorry we weren't able to let you know sooner.'

I knew it – the image I saw through the mist in my daydream was the truth.

'Is Misha safe now? Will he be okay?' I practically pleaded.

'When the Alchemists collected Mikhail he was unconscious and his vital signs were erratic. Their medics put him under heavy sedation and needed to perform surgery to treat a serious head wound and repair damaged ligaments around the site of his broken collarbone. It's true that Mikhail's injuries are extensive, but I think he's out of the woods for now.'

I didn't know what to say, but I must have made some kind of noise because Hans stopped talking before quickly launching on again.

'Dhampir genes are very hardy, Sonya, and I expect Mikhail will make a full recovery, however we need to wait until he regains consciousness before we will know for certain. I hope it will give you some comfort to know that I've just been in to see him, and while he isn't awake yet, he has called out your name several times since they brought him in. Even in his current condition, Mikhail hasn't forgotten you.'

I had no words. It felt like my entire world was crashing down around me and I pressed my fingers to my mouth to stop a cry of distress escaping from my lips. Thankfully Alberta stepped in.

'It sounds like both Guardians had a lucky escape,' she commented sternly. 'There's no point rushing Mikhail back to St. Vladimir's – I don't want him to jeopardise his recovery by coming back to work too soon. Are you happy to take care of him at Court once the Alchemists sign his release?'

'Of course,' Hans replied. 'I was going to suggest the same thing. He might be your Guardian on paper, but he's been part of our family here for years, and will always be welcomed back with open arms. He can stay in our medical centre as long as he needs to, and after that I can roster him on light duties for a few weeks to let him get his strength back before approving him to return to his full Guardian responsibilities at The Academy.'

The two Captains were trying to be supportive but something in their words chilled me. A few hours ago I had been so excited that Mikhail was going to secure a permanent transfer to St. Vladimir's, but now everything had changed. Misha had been brutally attacked and was fighting for his life in some unfamiliar place – even assuming he did survive he would be stranded in Pennsylvania for weeks, maybe months while the Court physicians oversaw his recovery process. If only I could go to him, I could heal him right away and this whole nightmare would be over.

'When can I see him?' I interrupted the man on the phone, who seemed to have forgotten I was still here. 'I can take the first flight out if you just tell me where he is. I know he will be more comfortable if I'm there to look after him.'

'I'm afraid that won't be possible,' Hans answered tiredly. The Alchemists don't allow visitors into their complex – it was lucky they even let me in to check on the condition of my men. By the look of his injuries, I'd say Mikhail won't be fit for transfer for at least several days – maybe a week. I know it's not what you wanted to hear, Sonya, but the best I can do is keep in touch with you and let you know when he regains consciousness. I'm sure he will want to speak with you as soon as he wakes up.'

My heart fell. 'Thank you,' I answered sadly, the time without Misha already stretching out ahead of me like a gaping hole that threatened to swallow me up. I slumped forward on the desk and rested my head in my hands, trying not to lose control again.

'Thanks for keeping us in the loop, Hans. I'll call you back later for an update,' Alberta finished the conversation quickly before hanging up the phone and coming around to stand beside me.

'I'm truly sorry, Sonya,' she rested a hand on my shoulder. 'A Guardian's life can be brutal. It's one of the reasons so many of us choose not to let others get too close. I can't say I agree with Mikhail's choice to drag you into our lifestyle, but I understand that he must care for you very much if he can't live without you, and he must believe that you are strong enough to handle the trouble along with the good.'

I looked up at her, my eyes stinging with unshed tears.

'I'm not saying you shouldn't grieve for his suffering, but when Mikhail wakes up he will have a long road to recovery, and the best way you can support him is by showing him how strong you can be.'

There was a ring of truth to her words, and I gave a small nod, setting my lips in a grim line and sitting a little taller. Alberta leant back against the desk and looked at me searchingly.

'Now do you need something to help you sleep?' she asked. 'I can get Dr. Olendzki to send something over if you'd like, or I can arrange for you to have a chat with the school Counsellor if you think that would help?'

'No,' I replied hastily, rising from the chair and glancing towards the door, sensing it was time to leave. 'Please, let's keep this between you and me. It will only be harder if I have other people asking me how I am every day. And besides, I don't want to advertise the fact that Mikhail and I are together just yet,' I added. 'I don't want anybody making life harder for him when he needs to concentrate on his recovery.'

The old Guardian eyed me with a new respect. 'I can see why he chose you,' she said with a tone of quiet approval as she walked me to the door. 'I'll contact you as soon as I hear any news, but please let me know if you need anything in the meantime. Anything at all. It's like Hans said – Guardians are part of one big family. Mikhail is one of us, which makes you a part of our family too, and we always look after our own.'

I nodded gratefully to her and left the room.

When I got back to my apartment I threw my suitcase down on the bed, staring at it for a minute before slowly beginning to unpack. Alberta was right – there was nothing I could do for Mikhail at the moment except be strong for him. But how could I be strong when there were so many uncertainties in my life right now?

With a great effort, I separated myself from the emotions and thought about my situation logically; I knew who was following me and their agenda, so I knew who I needed to avoid. I knew who else was in danger, so I knew who I needed to protect. When it came down to it, I had looked after myself for the past twenty-eight years – I'm sure I could last another few weeks by myself.

I took out my phone and dialled the number I had committed to memory.

This is Mikhail Tanner's phone. Please leave a message.

'Misha,' I spoke softly, imagining he was listening on the other end of the phone. 'I know what happened. I love you. Please don't worry about me. Just concentrate on getting better. I'll come and visit you as soon as I can, but until then, look for me in your dreams.'

Author's Note:

This was such a break-through chapter for Sonya – she finds her own hidden strength when confronted by Mikhail's weakness. As a reward she earns the respect of Alberta, and inherits a new family of Guardians to support her. Dear Sonya - I just want to give her a hug!

I enjoyed delving a bit more into Alberta's character in this chapter, and thought it was another good opportunity to play on the lack of respect/co-operation between the Alchemists & Guardians.