Another big chapter to sink your teeth into - including scenes from both Sonya & Mikhail's POV.

Happy reading...

47. Fugitives and Captives

(Sonya POV)

It was well and truly dark by the time I reached Detroit, and while I felt relieved that I'd escaped the Guardian threat, now I had a new problem to consider – rogue Strigoi. I had to find somewhere I could blend into a crowd, and seeing as most shopping malls would be closed by now I headed for a familiar place I knew I could take shelter. Parking in a well-lit underground lot, I took an elevator up to the building above and breathed a sigh of relief as I stepped out into the packed lobby of the Fisher Theatre.

Emily and I had been to a few shows together at this venue and I'd always imagined there was something solid and safe about the old building. I allowed myself a moment to drink in the stunning architecture and luxurious decoration; marble walls, rich red and gold carpets, glittering chandeliers. Even the people were beautiful, dressed in formal suits and elegant gowns as they sipped at cocktails and critiqued the first act of the show. I thought back to what Dimitri told me about finding something beautiful to hold onto – this was definitely something to add to my list.

After a few minutes I heard the call to signal the end of interval, and as the audience gradually wandered back into the theatre to resume their seats I followed after them. Settling down in one of the private curtained balconies (thanks to a little compulsion, the couple who had reserved the seats suddenly found they needed to go home), I closed my eyes and relaxed my tired muscles. Tuning out the noise on stage, I focused on connecting with Spirit and summoned the image of my old garden in Paris as I tried to seek out the faces of my friends in their dreams.

I thought Jill would be the first to nod off but Victor must have been keeping her awake to stop me from contacting her. I did manage to get through briefly, though – just long enough to learn that she was alive and safe, for now. I decided to try again in half an hour; Victor and Robert might be crafty but even they had to rest at some point and that's when I'd have my chance to talk to Jill.

My next thought was to try Mikhail but he wasn't asleep either, and Emily would probably be awake for hours undergoing intensive questioning – harbouring fugitives was a serious offence but hopefully Sydney would find a way to convince the Guardians that the Mastranos were innocent. Finally, just as the stage-show was drawing to its conclusion, I made a connection with Rose.

'Thank God,' I breathed as she materialised into my daydream. The young woman looked more feminine than usual in a long black-and-white dress, her hair cascading loosely over her shoulders – more like she was going out to dinner instead of running from the law.

'I was afraid you'd be up all night watching your back,' I added, relaxing into a garden chair and gesturing for Rose to join me under the apple tree.

'I would if I had my choice,' she replied, pacing restlessly as she spoke. 'Dimitri thinks we're in a secure location – though he's awake, of course.'

'Of course,' I nodded with a knowing smile. That casual familiarity in her manner when she talked about him; the way he always considered her needs first. I knew I was right about those two. Funny that Rose couldn't see how connected they were.

'Where are you?' the Dhampir asked suddenly, bringing my attention back to the present. 'Did the guardians put you in holding?'

'They didn't get me,' I replied, secretly pleased I'd been able to elude them. 'You were their priority, and a little compulsion made sure they didn't see me.'

Rose's worried expression lifted and she turned towards me hopefully. 'So you're free? You can get Jill to Court?' she clarified.

I grimaced and bit my lip, shaking my head in apology. 'I can't get to Jill. Victor and Robert took her.'

'What?!' Rose exclaimed, the birds in the branches above us falling silent at her sudden cry. 'She's with them? Is that why they called the Guardians?'

I frowned slightly at her assumption. 'Victor and Robert didn't call the Guardians, Rose. Victor's as wanted as you are. It was only Robert's magic that would have gotten them out.'

'Then who...' she asked in agitation.

I'd wondered that too. 'I think it was John.' He was the only one who wasn't accounted for when I was in the living room with Emily and Jill. He knew our visit had upset Emily and that going public with Jill's identity would change all of their lives forever. Finally, he wouldn't want his family accused of harbouring fugitives. It must have been him. 'He probably thought he was doing everyone a favour…' I suggested weakly.

'And instead, he lost his stepdaughter,' Rose finished for me. 'But why would Victor and Robert take her?'

'Hard to say exactly,' I sighed, 'but Victor has always wanted power and control. Keeping the missing Dragomir with him is a good way to possess that.'

There was a silence as Rose processed my words and she slumped against the trunk of the apple tree, sliding down to sit on the grass in defeat. 'We'll never get Jill to Court,' she muttered.

I'd always thought of Rose as a woman of action, brave and full of fire, but right now she seemed like she was on the edge of giving up. I know we'd all been through a lot, but I needed her to stay strong now more than ever – for Jill, for Vasilisa, for me. It was time to give the girl a boost.

'We just have to find her, which I should be able to do once she's asleep.' I assured Rose, using a tiny bit of Spirit to push positive thoughts into her mind.

'More dream-walking,' she said with a roll of her eyes, but her posture straightened a little and I knew she was ready to keep fighting.

'I've attempted to contact her several times already but she's not asleep,' I explained quickly. 'I'll keep trying, though, and let you know when I get through.'

Rose nodded seriously, her eyes distant as she thought ahead to her next move.

'So how are we going to stay in touch?' I asked, realising the impracticalities of our situation. 'I can't always wait for you to be asleep.'

'Why don't you just come to us?' she suggested after a brief hesitation, going on to describe the location of the campsite where she and Dimitri were staying.

I nodded in agreement. Getting Jill back would be easier if we worked together, and frankly I'd rather have two Dhampirs watching my back than be out here by myself. I was just about to end the dream when Rose called my name, a note of anxiety in her voice.

'Sonya...' she paused nervously. 'What did you mean in the car - when I said I'd shared a dream with my boyfriend? You looked surprised.'

I studied her for a moment, wondering what brought on this sudden interest. 'Auras tell a lot, Rose, and I'm very good at reading them,' I explained. 'When people are in love their auras shine. When you were dreaming, yours was bright but not what I expected from a boyfriend. Of course, not every relationship is the same and I would have brushed it off, except...'

'Except what?' she asked sharply.

'Except when you're with Dimitri your aura is like the sun. So is his.' I smiled gently at her stunned expression. 'You're surprised by this?'

'I... that is... we're over,' she stammered. 'We used to be together, but after his change he didn't want me anymore. I moved on. That's why I'm with Adrian. I'm happy with Adrian,' she added defensively.

'Behaviours and feelings rarely line up,' I replied carefully, hoping I wouldn't offend her. 'Don't take this the wrong way, but you've got some issues to work out.'

'Okay, let's suppose it's possible I'm still holding onto some feelings…,' she conceded begrudgingly, '…but Dimitri's not. You didn't see him after he was changed. He was depressed. He said he wanted to avoid me at all costs, that he couldn't love anyone again. It wasn't until recently that he even started acting like his old self.'

Poor Rose. Poor Dimitri. They clearly loved one another but they'd both suffered unimaginable pain and stress after Dimitri turned Strigoi, and now they couldn't see a way for their relationship to move forward.

'He and I talked about that – about the depression,' I began slowly, moving over to sit cross-legged on the grass beside her. 'I understand it. After being Strigoi... doing what we did... you don't feel worthy of life. There's just guilt and darkness and the crushing memory of that evil.'

Rose looked up at me, surprised that I was sharing so much with her but desperate for answers. 'But you've acted differently from him,' she shook her head. 'I mean, you look so sad sometimes, but at others... it's like nothing happened. Why are you two so different?'

'Oh, I've still got the guilt, believe me,' I admitted. 'After Robert changed me I hated myself for what I'd done. I wished I'd been staked to death. Then Dimitri talked to me and helped me recover more quickly than I would have on my own. He said that while the guilt is inevitable, I can't let that stop me from living my life again. We've both been given a second chance and we can't throw that away.'

I paused as I thought back to the big Dhampir's advice.

'He also told me to embrace life and its beauty and the people I love before it was too late. He said he'd already lost some things forever but refused to let go of the rest.'

'He said all that?' Rose blinked in amazement. 'I ... I'm not even sure what half of it means.'

'I'm still working it out too,' I gave her a small smile. I think it would take me a lifetime to really come to terms with what had happened but at least now I'd made a start.

'And as for your auras,' I continued thoughtfully. 'You've got to figure that out for yourself. I don't believe in soul mates, exactly, but I do believe in souls being in sync. I can see that synchronicity mirrored in both of your auras, and love too, but it's up to you to choose what you do with that information – if you even believe it.'

'No pressure,' she muttered, digging her fingers into the soil distractedly.

I grinned briefly at the sarcastic remark then my expression became serious once more. 'There's something else about your auras, Rose. Something you need to be careful of. The darkness in Dimitri's aura that's left over from his trauma fades a little each day, but the darkness you carry isn't fading.'

The young woman shivered and I knew she understood what I was talking about. 'Lissa. It's the darkness I'm taking from her, isn't it?' she asked, with a haunted expression.

'Yes.' She had to know the truth. 'I don't know much about bonds, but what you're doing is very dangerous. Spirit tears us apart, and if you take too much I don't know what'll happen. I'm afraid of it building up until one little spark will make it explode inside you.'

'What happens then?' she whispered.

'I don't know.' I shook my head slowly as I released her from the dream.

(Mikhail POV)

'Oh good. You're still here,' the Captain of the Guard looked at me wearily as he dumped a stack of folders on the front counter of HQ.

'Another two hours or so here, then I'll be heading across to The Fort at midnight,' I nodded, glancing down to check my watch.

Nearly fourteen hours since I'd seen Sonya in my dream, but still no contact from her. Was she okay? Should I request to be excused from duty so I could go and find her? Something in the old Guardian's expression made me hesitate and I eyed him carefully. 'How's it going, Hans?'

He sighed heavily and rubbed his temples. 'Well, I've got a princess who claims she was attacked, one of my own men locked up for the murder of a Moroi, and Guardian Dyatlov's team managed to let Hathaway and Belikov slip though their fingers. Excuse the French, son, but it's a shit-storm out there.'

'Anything I can do to help?' I asked gravely, ready to support my captain in any way I could.

'Don't suppose you could go and sire me a few dozen Guardians to bolster our ranks?' he joked wryly before returning to business mode. 'Actually, I'm about to begin interrogating key witnesses to tonight's murder. Here's a list of the people I need to talk to – they've all been confined to quarters for now but will need to be escorted to Interview Room One in fifteen minutes.'

I scanned the list of names. Vasilisa Dragomir, Adrian Ivashkov, Christian Ozera. 'No problem,' I replied. 'I'll get it done. Is there anything else?'

Hans picked up his files in preparation to leave then paused. 'Yes, there is something else actually,' he began, lowering his voice and coming around to lean on my side of the desk, looking down at me tiredly. 'I know we haven't had much of a chance to catch up lately with everything that's been going on, but I've been meaning to have a word. You probably feel like I've been keeping you in admin all this time as punishment for leaving in search of your Moroi lady.'

I began to object but he held up a hand to stop me.

'I realise it's been difficult for you readjusting to Court life after what you went through with Sonya, and I'm aware that a lot of people have gone out of their way to make things harder for you since you returned... I guess what I'm trying to say is, I'm proud of you.'

I flushed at the unexpected praise. Hans had a reputation as a hard-arse, but there were times when he felt more like a father to me than my boss.

The old Guardian shifted his weight slightly and fixed me with a thoughtful gaze as he continued to speak. 'No matter what I've thrown at you, you've demonstrated tireless dedication to your job – in the face of great personal hardship. I know I probably don't show it sometimes, but I value your loyalty and determination, and count myself lucky to have you on my team.'

The expression on Hans' face was serious but there was a rare depth of emotion to his eyes and I acknowledged the compliment with a simple nod of thanks, unable to find the words to respond. A moment later he rose from the desk and I followed his lead, tucking the witness list into my jacket pocket so I could go and carry out my orders, but Hans wasn't quite finished.

'Guardian Tanner,' he spoke the words meaningfully. 'If you feel you're ready, I like to offer you the opportunity to return to active service. We can discuss the particulars at a later date, but just give it some thought for me, will you?' he finished, extending his arm to shake my hand.

I gripped the broad, calloused hand firmly. 'Thank you, Captain. I'll think about it and let you know,' I replied, my mind already buzzing as I considered the implications of his offer. My old job back. Being useful again. New respect and better pay. If Sonya made it back safely I could provide a comfortable life for her. Maybe things were going our way at last.

Hans smiled briefly and nodded in farewell before heading off to his next appointment.

As I went about my duties throughout the night I kept an eye on my phone in case Sonya tried to make contact, but I realised it was impossible to go after her while Hans was so short-staffed. On top of the drama of a fresh murder investigation, the monarch elections were currently in full swing and I spent the next few hours with my ear glued to the phone; assuring out-of-town royals that their family members were safe and answering dozens of enquiries about the progress of the monarch trials.

When midnight rolled around, Don came to relieve me at the front desk and I stopped by the Guardian mess hall for a quick snack before signing on for my next duty at The Fort. Running my eyes down the open page of the prisoner register I saw that Eddie Castile had just been returned from his interrogation with Hans. It was absurd that he had been arrested for murder when he was just doing his job – in my opinion he should be given a medal for protecting Princess Vasilisa, not thrown in jail for killing a Moroi assassin. I couldn't begin to imagine how Eddie was feeling right now, and figured I wouldn't be breaking any laws by checking in see how he was holding up.

I found the young Guardian in his cell, staring up at the ceiling from his cramped position on the small cot. He sat up as soon as he heard the keys in the lock, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed and rubbing his eyes as he watched me approach – probably trying to figure out if I was here as an ally or a spy.

'Mind if I sit?' I asked, and he nodded to the spot beside him before looking away again. I thought he would be stressed or angry but his expression was unreadable, the perfect Guardian mask.

'I know what happened, Eddie,' I spoke quietly so the guard at the end of the hall wouldn't overhear. 'I know you killed a Moroi, and I know you did it to save Princess Vasilisa.'

The young Guardian blinked steadily, still silent and guarded.

'You did the right thing,' I continued seriously. 'The life of the Dragomir princess is more valuable than a murderer's any day – regardless of whether that person is Strigoi or Moroi. Hans might not recognise that yet, but he'll come around once he's had the chance to consider all of the evidence. The Captain is a hard man, but he's not cruel and he's not stupid. This will all work out in the end – don't worry.'

Eddie looked at me then, and I caught a glimpse of fear in his eyes. 'I hope you're right, Mikhail,' he sighed wearily. 'Hans certainly seemed set on proving I was guilty during tonight's interrogation.'

'So how did it go?' I asked evenly, not wanting to stress him further, but genuinely interested to know what had happened.

'Well, Lissa was great. She stood up for me the whole time, and Christian and Adrian did their best to help as well, but Hans wasn't convinced they were reliable witnesses because they're my friends. I guess he figured they might be covering for me.'

'Damn,' I swore under my breath. 'That's rough, Eddie, but it is standard practice. Without an independent witness to verify the facts it will be difficult to build a strong case for your innocence… but not impossible. Have the investigators confirmed any details about Lissa's attack yet? The motive? The identity of the assassin?'

'Maybe,' Eddie answered uncertainly. 'When Hans showed us a photo of the dead man, Lissa thought she might know someone who could identify him – Joe, that janitor you interrogated. Apparently the guy I killed might have been the same Moroi who bribed Joe to testify against Rose. There seems to be some kind of link there anyway.'

'Interesting,' I nodded slowly. Joe wasn't the most forthcoming person I've ever met, but I got him to talk in the end so I'm sure Hans will find a way to milk some information out of him. 'Hopefully Joe will provide us with some leads.'

'Yeah, hopefully. There wasn't really anything else we could add to support my case,' Eddie's voice was glum. 'Oh, hey,' he lifted his head suddenly. 'I don't know if you've heard – Rose and Dimitri were sighted outside Detroit but they got away. '

'It's amazing they escaped,' I replied. 'Guardian Dyatlov was in charge of the retrieval team and he's about as tough as they come.'

Eddie frowned slightly before continuing. 'One person was caught actually,' he informed me, and my breath caught in my throat. Sonya?

'Some Alchemist called Sydney Sage,' he explained. 'They brought her in for questioning while I was still in the room – must have chartered a private plane from Detroit to get her to Court so fast. Apparently she was trying to help Rose clear her name of the murder of Queen Tatiana.'

I raised my eyebrows in surprise. The idea of an Alchemist choosing to help a Dhampir – a convicted murderer no-less – seemed ludicrous to me. Their kind hated us. It didn't make any sense.

'So did this Alchemist say if they found any evidence to prove Rose's innocence?'

'That was the weird part,' Eddie replied.

It could get weirder? I thought incredulously.

'The Sage woman said they ended up at the house of common Moroi family. When Rose left, she took the teenage daughter, Jill Mastrano, with her. Hans is calling it a kidnapping.'

'What?!' I knew Rose had done some pretty crazy things in the past but I didn't think kidnapping was her style.

'I know,' Eddie shook his head. 'The last thing Rose needs is another charge against her name. I don't think there's any way Hans will consider lifting the death penalty now.'

He was probably right, but I knew Rose was uncannily determined and resourceful, and didn't think we should write her off just yet.

'Let's just wait and see what happens, yeah?' I suggested. 'And that goes for you too, Eddie. This…' I gestured around at the dingy cell, '… this is just temporary. You were the top graduate in your year, you have the support of Princess Vasilisa, and for what it's worth, I believe in you too. When it comes down to it, Hans won't waste a good Guardian when our ranks are so low. You'll be out of here in no time.' I patted him on the shoulder before rising to leave and returning to my duty.

As I settled behind the admin computer to check my work emails I tried to remember back to a time when my life wasn't this crazy. It seemed like everybody I knew was going through some kind of crisis right now, and I longed for an end to this madness – a calm in the storm. Hans had offered me the chance to return to active service, but right now, all I wanted was a simple life away from the violence and drama. My eyes flicked over to the time in the corner of the screen.

2:00am – eighteen hours since I'd seen Sonya. Hurry, Sonechka. I need you.

Author's Note:

This chapter opens with an original idea of how Sonya stayed safe after escaping from the Guardians. After researching King Street Station in Seattle for a previous chapter, I was keen to find an architectural landmark in Detroit as a setting for this scene & was excited to discover the Fisher Theatre - look it up on Google Images if you get the time - it's a stunning building.

The Sonya & Rose scene uses mostly direct speech from Last Sacrifice, though I've cut out a lot for the sake of time - hopefully I haven't gotten rid of any of your fav dialogue from this scene.

The Mikhail POV is all original - seeing as I don't have the benefit of seeing Court life through Lissa's eyes like Rose can, I had to find a way to narrate key plot points so the whole story still makes sense... giving Mikahil some conversations with other main characters seemed like a good way of getting the information across. Hopefully I've managed to make these scenes feel natural & not like I've just whacked you in the face with too much info!

Back in chapter 28 I included a scene between Mikhail and Hans and wanted to revisit their relationship since all that time had passed. In the VA series Rose views Hans as an uncompromising task-master, but I think of him more like the kind of man who only opens up to people when he really has their trust.