From romantic fluff to Spirit battles... This one covers all bases!

44. Dreams and Promises

(Mikhail POV)

In the days that followed Rose and Dimitri's escape, the atmosphere at Court had become unbearably tense. Eddie Castile and I were extremely lucky that our involvement in the prison break was never discovered (thanks to a bit of Spirit magic from Adrian Ivashkov and some unexpected help from Rose's dad Abe Mazur), but even so, the consequences of our actions were grim.

Within hours of the incident, Hans Croft had handpicked an elite team of Guardians to track down the two fugitives who were now charged with a string of crimes including escaping arrest, destruction of state property, grand theft auto, assault, treason and murder. Due to the severity of their offenses and the fact that both criminals were highly skilled fighters, all Guardians had been given clearance to shoot on sight, and I held my breath every time the phone rang expecting to hear the worst.

Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise, but I found I had little time to dwell on my personal worries since I'd been assigned additional guarding shifts in the Moroi Council chambers. The process of selecting a new monarch to replace the late Queen Tatiana had already begun, and I was surprised to learn that Princess Vasilisa had nominated to contest the throne on behalf of the Dragomir family. From what I understood, Vasilisa couldn't rule without a quorum and being the last of her line made that impossible (short of miraculously giving birth to an heir in the next few weeks or digging up a long-lost relative to support her claim). Even if it was only a token gesture I was glad she was in the running and I resolved to do everything in my power to assist her - there were so many problems with the current regime and maybe a young, open-minded Queen was the difference we needed.

I'd just pulled my third double shift of the week, and when I arrived home at eight in the morning I fell straight into bed still wearing my work clothes. My eyes were closed the second my head hit the pillow but the stress from my day found its way into my dreams as a slideshow of chaotic images looped through my mind until suddenly everything went still. I squinted against the glare of a blinding light then the scene gradually dimmed to a warm wash of green and I found myself in a lush garden – there were birds singing in the fruit trees, and the air carried the sweet scent of freshly mown grass. The whole scene felt strangely familiar and as I looked around in quiet wonder I thought I spied somebody watching me from a distance so I moved closer to get a better look.

'Sonya?' I whispered in disbelief, watching as the figure took a tentative step out from the shade of an apple tree, her long summer dress shifting gently as she moved.

I'd dreamt of her countless times before but this felt so real. I stepped forward cautiously, silently praying that she wouldn't vanish – even if she was just a figment of my imagination I wanted to savour every second we had together.

Drawing another step nearer, I took a sharp intake of breath as I saw her clearly for the first time. Ever since Sonya had turned Strigoi I'd dreamed of her with red eyes but now they were a rich, azure blue.

'Sonechka?' I asked again, my heart racing as I realised why the dream felt so familiar. This had the same eerie feeling as a Spirit dream. 'Is that really you?' Hope surged within me. Could Rose have found a way to bring my Sonya back to me?

'Misha,' she said simply and I knew without a doubt that it was her.

I wanted to run to her, wrap her in my arms and tell her I loved her, but there was something desolate and forlorn in her expression that made me hesitate. It took all of my self-control to wait for her to make the first move, but when I saw her start to tremble I closed the distance between us in an instant, reaching out to run my hands up and down her bare arms.

The beautiful woman pushed my hands away. 'I'm not cold,' she said falteringly as another shiver rocked her body. Something in her expression reminded me of the first time we sat together in the lake-side garden at St. Vladimir's – the look of a wounded animal ready to flee. I had to be so, so careful. I couldn't bear to lose her again.

'What it is it, Sonechka?' my voice cracked with emotion as I studied her face, my heart breaking as I remembered every line and curve, regretting each moment I'd spent without her, each day I'd woken without her by my side. 'This is real. The nightmare is over. You're here with me now. Talk to me, sweetheart. Just tell me you're okay.' I hated seeing Sonya in this much distress and wished there was a way I could take away her pain.

After a long pause she looked up, fixing me with those haunting blue eyes, and I instinctively lifted my hand to brush the hair away from her face. I could see the emotions warring within her and my breath caught in my throat as she wrapped her fingers around my wrist, holding on tightly as her expression crumpled with grief.

'I'm just so sorry, Misha' she broke into a sob, and I couldn't hold back any longer. I folded her in my arms and pulled her close to my chest, stroking her hair and running my hands in soothing circles down her back.

'You have nothing to be sorry for,' I assured her gently, planting a dozen kisses in her hair.

'How can you say that?' she pulled her head back to look at me, clearly horrified at my response. 'I let the darkness win. I killed innocent people – drank Moroi blood. I left you and became everything you despise.'

I shook my head, gazing seriously into her eyes. How could I ever despise this perfect creature? I loved her – nothing could ever change that.

'Ssh,' I ran my thumb across her lips. 'You didn't choose to do any of those things. You battled the darkness for as long as you could – nobody else could have survived as long as you did against such a powerful negative force. I'm so proud that you lasted as long as you did.'

'You shouldn't be proud of me,' she lowered her gaze and drew her brows together tightly. 'I nearly drank your blood.'

'What?' I laughed out loud at the ridiculous suggestion. 'I think I would have remembered that!'

Sonya didn't laugh in return. 'I used compulsion to make you think it was a dream – but it really happened,' she shook her head sadly. 'What if I'd gone through with it, Misha? I might have accidentally drained you, or turned you into a monster like me. Just thinking about it makes me feel sick.'

'The clock-tower in Seattle – that was real?' I asked, taken aback, and she nodded silently.

'Sonechka,' I took her hands, dropping to kneel on the thick bed of grass and drawing her down to sit beside me. 'That dream was what kept me going through my darkest hours. Sometimes when I was searching for you in the night I'd replay the fight we had to keep myself alert. Sparring with you in my dreams actually saved me on a few occasions when I faced other Strigoi.'

She looked at me doubtfully but I pushed on, lacing my fingers through hers and stroking her hand reassuringly with my thumb.

'The few times that I considered giving up on my search, wondering if everybody else was right and you had become a monster, I remembered how you held yourself back from the bloodlust and told me you would always love me. I saw a glimpse of my Sonechka behind those blood-red eyes and remembered who I was fighting for all along.'

I paused for a moment before going on, feeling suddenly self-conscious.

'And whenever I felt lonely I imagined that look on your face in the clock-tower, when you threw yourself into my arms and forced me to remember how much I wanted you.'

Sonya frowned in surprise. 'I thought I disgusted you. I was a Strigoi, Mikhail!'

I leant closer to cup her face in my hands, burying my fingers in her hair and lowering my voice. 'Maybe it was wrong of me to feel that way, but I wanted you with every fibre of my being. I only turned away because I felt guilty that I didn't have the self-control to stay focused on my mission, and afraid I'd enjoy you so much that I'd beg you to turn me so we could be together forever.'

Our faces were so close by now that they were nearly touching and there was a new tension building up between us.

'And now?' she whispered.

'You are my passion and my peace, Sonechka. Now and always,' I answered, closing my eyes as I pressed my forehead against hers. 'I have never stopped loving you. Please be mine again.'

It felt like the whole world held its breath as Sonya hesitated for the longest moment. Everything fell silent, the wind died down, insects hovered noiselessly, suspended in mid-air, each blade of grass stood perfectly still.

Then my Sonechka tipped her lips up to mine and time must have started again because I'm sure I heard birds begin to sing. The warmth of her mouth, the taste of her was like coming home, and a deep, secret part of me that I thought had been broken forever was mended in the space of a heartbeat. Kissing away her tears of loss and joy, I laid her head on my shoulder and encircled my beloved in my arms, silently promising never to leave her side again.

We could have stayed in that garden forever, but I gradually felt my surroundings begin to shift and fade.

'I have to go,' Sonya whispered against my shoulder. 'Someone is calling me.'

'Who's there Sonya?' I asked, feeling the anxiety pressing in around me as I realised we were about to be parted. 'Where are you? Tell me so I can come and find you. I need to be with you.'

'Sorry, Misha. I'll explain later,' was all she said, and then I was alone in my bed once more.

(Sonya POV)

Mikhail still loved me. He still loved me! Nothing else mattered now except getting back to Court so I could be reunited with him. There was just the small issue of slipping away from my two Dhampir guards and the other less desirable company who had invited themselves into my home.

'Sonya,' Rose's voice cut through my dreams and plans. 'We wanted to talk to you about something.' She spoke gently, the way one might address an upset child.

'Mm-hmm,' I acknowledged her disinterestedly, watching in fascination as a bee landed on the delicate petal of a honeysuckle flower and set about his business.

'Is there a relative of yours ... someone who, uh, had a baby a while ago?' she asked hesitantly. Rose was trying to sound casual and non-threatening but it was obvious she was impatient for answers, and there was a subtle shift in the mood as Victor and his brother Robert stopped talking to listen to our conversation.

This again? Why was she so desperate for information about Eric Dragomir's illegitimate child? If news of the scandal got out it wouldn't be the Dragomir Prince who suffered – he was safe in his grave – the real victims would be my cousin Emily and her daughter Jill. Well, Rose didn't get any answers out of me under torture yesterday and she wouldn't get any now either.

'Sure, lots,' I responded vaguely, and I smiled privately as my interrogator's jaw tensed with frustration.

'This would be a secret baby,' Rose continued more boldly, showing her cards as she fished for more information. 'And you were the beneficiary on a bank account that took care of the baby... an account paid for by Eric Dragomir.'

So that's how they found out – bank records. I'd kept the secret for the last seventeen years and Emily had been betrayed by some archived paperwork. Life was stupid sometimes.

I narrowed my eyes suspiciously and shifted in my chair to take up a more assertive posture. 'No. I don't know anything about that,' I responded coolly. I'd made a promise to keep Emily's secret and I wouldn't let my first act as a Moroi be to betray somebody I cared for.

'She's lying,' Robert rasped, and even the blonde Alchemist who'd just joined us from inside the house seemed to want to register her opinion on the topic.

'Sonya, we know you know,' Rose did her best to ignore their interruptions, 'and it's really important we find this child. This is how you can help Lissa. She needs to know. She needs to know she has another family member.'

Vasilisa – of course that's why she wanted to know. I'd always thought it was my duty to protect Eric, Emily and Jill by hiding their secret, but I never really considered that Vasilisa Dragomir had a right to know she had a half-sister. But why the sudden urgency to make contact now?

'I don't know anything,' I repeated, but couldn't hide the faint quaver of doubt in my voice.

'Then why were you on the account?' Victor's cut in rudely.

It was possible that Rose's intentions were innocent, but I didn't trust Victor Dashkov for a minute and his interest in the topic made me instantly resolve not to answer any more questions.

'I don't know anything,' I flashed back sharply. Back off old man – I'm onto you.

'Stop lying,' Victor snapped. 'You know something, and you're going to tell us.'

Rose sensed Victor was pushing too far and glared angrily at the man before trying to placate me with a softer approach.

'Please,' she begged me. 'Lissa's in trouble. This will help her. I thought you would want to help her, like you helped her before?'

Yes, I'd love to help Princess Vasilisa, but not to the detriment of my own kin. Feelings of stress and confusion built up within me as I considered Rose's plea. I was still coming to grips with being Moroi again – I couldn't deal with this right now.

'I promised...' I mumbled weakly, shaking my head. 'I promised not to tell.'

'We wouldn't ask you to break your promise if it wasn't important,' the Dhampir tried again. 'Maybe... maybe you can get in touch with the person you made your promise to and see if it's okay to tell us?'

'Oh for God's sake,' said Victor irritably. 'This is ridiculous and it's getting us nowhere.' He glanced at his brother. 'Robert?'

I'd barely paid any attention to the other Dashkov since the conversation began, but now he leaned forward on his chair and fixed me with an intense stare.

'Sonya?' his smooth, lulling voice dragged me in. 'Tell us what we need to know. Tell us who and where this child is. Tell us who the mother is.'

Yes. I should tell them, I thought dreamily, unable to look away from the frail man's gaze. There was no harm telling them about Emily – they already knew so much…Wait. No. I'd kept the secret for so many years, so why did I want to give it away now? My body began to shake as I struggled with the puzzle and then I finally realised what was going on. Robert was using compulsion on me!

No! I will not bend to you! I shouted internally as the Spirit user's aura pulsed with gold. I know what you're trying to do – you have no power over me!

As soon as the link was broken I shot up, towering over the old man who sat with a stunned look on his face. Clearly he wasn't used to being out-matched when it came to magic.

'How dare you...' I hissed. 'How dare you try to compel me?'

My indignation quickly escalated to a burning, self-righteous anger and without any guidance from me, my Spirit powers that had lain dormant for so long returned with full force. Plants and vines suddenly sprang to life, weaving themselves around the legs of Robert's chair and wresting him roughly to the ground. I thought that would be enough to deter him but he rose up on one elbow and narrowed his eyes menacingly.

Compulsion won't work a second time, you old fool, I challenged him silently before the wind was knocked from my lungs and I was flung violently into the wooden fence behind me. Telekinesis? Seriously? Let's see if you'd like a taste of my Illusion magic. I summoned up my powers and attacked, planting a vision in his head that made him believe he was being buried alive, his body crawling with insects that were slowly burrowing into his flesh.

I could feel Robert struggling to resist the illusion and was just about to change my tactics when something thudded against my chest and I lost eye-contact with my opponent. Rose had knocked me to the ground but I couldn't give up now. The excessive magic use had already weakened me but I dug deeper and sent a coil of vines shooting towards the old man in an attempt to subdue him. He started this. I was going to finish it.

'Get him inside! Get him away from her!' Rose yelled next to my ear.

No! Leave him to me - I'll take care of him! I vowed to myself.

But as I turned to see who she was calling to, I saw Dimitri drag Robert indoors and the connection snapped. Rose was constricting my airways as she pinned me to the ground and I stopped struggling against her, suddenly too weak to lift my head. Burnout. My old friend. It was different from how it felt before – duller somehow, but I was still recovering from my Strigoi ordeal and couldn't hide from the rising panic and desperation any longer. When Rose saw my change in mood she hurried to help me up and I leaned against her weakly, sobbing into her shoulder. I just got my life back – why should I have to waste my magic on self-serving scum like Robert and Victor. Why couldn't everybody just leave me alone?

Fifteen minutes later I was led back inside and seated on the couch. Sydney sat next to me, stroking my hand in an effort to soothe me as I stared off into the distance, catching snatches of the hushed conversation between Rose and Dimitri.

'What were you thinking? She's too weak!' Dimitri ranted.

'Hey, I was doing fine until Victor and Robert got involved and everything went to hell,' came the smart reply.

The argument became more heated as it progressed and by the time Rose came to her point, the anger and frustration in her voice was barely constrained.

'We found out she knows about Eric Dragomir,' she hissed. 'The problem is she promised not to tell anyone about this baby.'

'Yes, I promised,' I interjected as firmly as I could but my voice came out sounding thin and shaky.

The squabbling pair turned in unison to look at me, clearly unaware that their private dispute had become very public.

Sydney squeezed my hand in reassurance. 'We know. It's okay. It's okay to keep promises.'

Her words and expression were genuine, which came as a big surprise to me. It felt like I'd been coerced and manipulated ever since I'd been changed back to my Moroi state, and I didn't expect such understanding from an Alchemist who fundamentally believed that all vampires were monsters. I looked at her properly for the first time and thought there might actually be a sweet person under that fastidious, business-like exterior. 'Thank you,' I looked at her gratefully. 'Thank you.'

'But,' said Sydney carefully, 'I heard that you care about Lissa Dragomir.'

Okay – maybe her motives were more self-centred after all. 'I can't,' I interrupted her, feeling like I was on the brink of tears again.

'I know, I know,' she spoke calmly, never dropping her eyes from mine. 'But what if there was a way to help her without breaking your promise?'

How? How was that possible? I frowned in reply but let her continue.

'Well... what did you promise exactly?' Sydney asked. 'Not to tell anyone that Eric Dragomir had a mistress and baby? Not to tell who they were? Or where they were?'

I nodded in answer to each question.

There was a pause before she spoke again. 'Did you promise not to lead anyone to where they are?' The Alchemist smiled warmly and I could see that she was trying so hard to make me feel comfortable.

Well, technically no. I shook my head slowly, trying to understand where she was heading with this line of questioning.

'So ... you could lead us to them. But not tell us where they actually are. You wouldn't be breaking the promise that way,' Sydney concluded with another encouraging smile.

'Maybe...' I replied hesitantly, still feeling uncertain. If she'd suggested this an hour ago I probably would have dismissed the idea immediately, but I did want to help Vasilisa and I wasn't sure I had the strength to argue any more.

'You wouldn't break the promise,' Sydney repeated. 'And it would really, really help Lissa.'

Rose stepped forward. 'It would help Mikhail too.'

'Mikhail?' I breathed. Just hearing the name was like finding an oasis in the desert.

'He's my friend. He's Lissa's friend too,' Rose explained. 'And he wants to help Lissa. But he can't. None of us can. We don't have enough information.'

'Mikhail...' I looked down at my hands as silent tears began to fall. He was so far away and I'd waited so long to be reunited with him. Maybe if I gave these people what they wanted they'd finally let me go so I could be with my Misha?

'You won't break your promise.' Sydney reassured me gently. 'Just lead us. It's what Mikhail and Lissa would want. It's the right thing to do.'

The right thing to do… I looked up at Vasilisa's friends. They had risked their lives to help the princess – they were prepared to fight a Strigoi for this information, and in doing so they granted me my life back. Surely they deserved my help.

I finally met Rose's hopeful gaze. 'I'll lead you there,' I whispered, praying I'd made the right decision.

'We're going on another road trip,' Sydney declared. 'Get ready.'

Author's Note:

So pleased to give Sonya & Mikhail some closure in this chapter - can you believe they were first separated all the way back in Chapter 25?! They will meet in person soon, but I thought it was important to give them a chance to go through the process of re-acclimatising to the idea of life together before they actually meet.

One of my favourite things to include when I'm writing is call-backs to previous chapters (i.e. Sonya's 'frightened animal' expression reminding Mikhail of when they were at the lake-side gardens). I think this shows that even though characters grow and change they still have some basic idiosyncrasies that make them who they are. Also, as this story has blown out to 50+ chapters it's nice to remember what happened all those chapters ago! (I re-read early chapters every few weeks to make sure I've kept a sense of flow through the book, and constantly find things I forgot I even wrote!)

The dream sequence basically wrote itself, but the interrogation/Spirit fight scene took a little longer. It was interesting including a bit more about Sydney's character - I didn't really connect with her when I was reading the VA series (it felt like Rose was friend-cheating in Lissa's absence a bit!) but she is kind of cool I guess :-)