I heard that you shouldn't stare at the sun, but as it was the one thing to keep us safe, I couldn't help but gaze at it and wish it would stay in the sky for longer. We still had three hours of decent sunlight, but we had to keep an eye on the shadows. They moved from that old warehouse to another abandoned building on the other side of town. The alleys and towering buildings around us would be our enemy the lower the sun set.

Apprehension made my stomach twist in knots. I couldn't sit still—a buzzing under my skin kept my leg bouncing or my fingers tapping on the door handle. There were twenty guardians—all the best and wore stern expressions as Janine and another gave the orders. Moroi stood behind us, fire and earth users ready to follow us after the first wave of guardians.

I was in the second wave, expected to stay back and watch my mother and Dimitri storm the building. I had to wait for the call to advance—I doubted I would stay back.

It wasn't the idea of fighting that set me on edge, if anything, I was excited to throw some punches and use some energy. No, it was the fact I would see Victor. I was going to walk into a building and straight up to the powerful monster that is supposed to kill me.

It could be my death march.

I could be walking straight up to the executioner's block and passing them the axe.

That's how Dimitri saw it. He didn't say it, but I saw the fear in his eyes and felt the desperation in his touch before we left the compound. Maybe it was a stupid plan, but I needed to be there. I had to fight for my own life.

But that still wasn't what filled me with dread—I wondered if I would hear his call again. Would we get there, and I would feel that same pull? Would I want to go to him again?

I hadn't dreamt of Victor in a while, but each time I tried to sleep I would feel that sliver of fear that I would.

She will be drawn to the Ancient.

The prophecy said it, and I was scared of how true it would be.

Straight to the executioner's block…

We gathered down the block, praying it was far enough away that the Strigoi weren't alerted before we moved. Dimitri took the same controlling role I had seen a few times from him—the guarded expression reminded me of when we patrolled together.

"Stay with Ivan," he instructed, nodding to his friend when Ivan stood beside me with a cheerful smile that was very out of place. I rolled my eyes but didn't fight the decision, it made Dimitri feel better, and I rathered him focused on fighting instead of worrying about me.

Ivan spoke about something, more of a stream of consciousness than anything important; I tuned it out and stared at the building Victor was in. Sonya gave us an idea of how many Strigois were possibly in there—usually, there were only ten, but mentioned Isaiah needing more to protect Victor as we grew closer to the Hunter's eye.

I found out it was a Hunter's full moon they were waiting for—my expiration date was October. Two months away.

The Strigoi would be out in hordes to find me; the time was slowly ticking down. I would be on edge waiting for that churning in my–

"Somethings wrong." My words interrupted Ivan's rambles, but he didn't panic until I was already rushing down the street.

"Rose!"

I hadn't felt any pull to the building—hadn't heard a single call in that cold voice. There was no churning in my stomach that warned me of the Strigoi. If there was only one, it would make sense, but there should be at least ten—I should be able to feel something.

I felt nothing.

"Rose, what are you doing?" Dimitri's voice was sharp, hand around my wrist and attempting to pull me back. I shook him off and continued forward. He caught me again and held me firmly. "Stop!"

"They aren't there!" I shouted at him. "I can't sense anything. We're too late!" I pushed him off and continued to the building, anger coursing through me. It was our one chance to get ahead of them, and we missed it.

They knew Sonya was caught, and even where we kept her. They had to know if they found us on the road—lying in wait to drive straight into us. Isaiah knew we would be coming.

The building was unassuming, built a hundred years ago and left to fall apart just like the others in the street. The door wasn't even closed properly and a note was taped to the wood.

'See you soon, Rose.'

I wanted to throw up.

"They knew we would come," Dimitri murmured, cursing before relaying the message through the radio. It was all for nothing.

I ripped the note off the door and then kicked the wood as hard as I could; it flew off the hinges, cluttering across the dark room and disappearing into the shadows. Not a single sound in the building, just the wind whistling through cracks in the boarded-up windows. It was completely empty.

Dimitri pulled out a flashlight from his duster, shining the white light into the entrance room, and we both staggered back a step. A kind way of describing the scene was a bloodbath. I wanted to turn away, but I couldn't. Bodies laid about the room, the leftover of a feast. The more I looked, the worse it got.

What I first thought were just pieces of paper scattered, I realised, were photos, and they were all of me. They weren't old, most of them recent—one even of Dimitri and I sharing a tender kiss outside the compound when he told me he was committed to a relationship. They followed us. No—stalked.

I was their prey.

I stumbled away from the sight, knowing I would never erase that image from my mind. When I closed my eyes, I saw blood and mangled bodies, lifeless eyes staring at me. The Strigoi didn't just kill—they had fun.

People passed me, but it all became a blur, with muffled voices, until I was back down the street and throwing up in an alley. Dimitri was by my side, whispering something that might have been comforting, but I didn't hear it—just a buzzing of sound in my ears. It was like I was underwater, and nothing was reaching me.

When nothing came up anymore, and I just heaved for air, I was passed between hands without paying attention to who it was and ended up in the backseat of a car. I stared out the window, the sun still in the sky and tormenting me with its lack of help.

I was back at square one.

"Why should I listen to you?"

Janine closed her arms, foot tapping on the tiles; she looked behind her at Alberta for help, but just received a shrug and a look that felt like 'she's your daughter'. "This is for your safety."

I groaned, dragging my hands down my face. I was sick of hearing those same words. "I am meant to be training to get better—even you said I needed to get stronger," I pointed out with a glare locked on Janine.

Her lips pursed. "I did."

"Well, how the fuck am I meant to get stronger if you won't let me go patrolling?"

"You can use the gym–"

"That's not good enough! And you know it," I retorted, pacing Lissa's living room. I never moved back in with my parents, and Dimitri never offered his room, so I stayed with Lissa.

Each day was the same. I would wake up knowing I was a day closer to dying and then train. I spent hours every day in the gym, pushing myself until my limbs shook and I felt like I could pass out. I challenged everyone to spar with me and managed to beat them the majority of the time.

Yet, each time the groups went out to patrol, I was left behind. It had been a month since Sonya was restored, and it had been a month since the last time I left the compound. My parents refused to let me out even during the day, and Adrian had fear put in him if he even considered loaning me his keycard. I suspected Alberta went as far as to take it off him.

Every day was spent locked in the building, my only chance of getting outside was the roof, and I had considered learning how to scale buildings just to break out for a couple of hours.

After the first two weeks, I was irritated and picked a fight each time I was denied to join the patrols. Dimitri used to be able to pacify me, but now he was in the line of fire just as much as everyone else. It strained our relationship to the point that he decided to steer clear of me when the sun set. The bastard was likely already on his way out into the city, able to actually do something.

I was stuck and I hated every moment of it.

Just sitting around and waiting was not my style, and it sure as fuck wasn't something I was agreeing to for another month.

"It's not like I'm going out there by myself," I argued, the words practically a script from the number of times I'd repeated them. "I will stay right by your side the whole night. I just need to be useful!"

Janine's eyes softened, placing both hands on my shoulders, "You staying here—staying safe—is useful." I knocked her hands off me and stormed away.

It was a tantrum; I knew that I was reacting like a kid. It even gave me flashbacks to being a teenager when I slammed the spare room door.

For two weeks, I'd accepted their reasoning, because it made sense. Isaiah wanted me and the Strigoi would keep trying to take me. I agreed that I needed to be stronger, it was why I pushed myself so much in the gym. But all of it was wasted if they were just going to keep me locked away.

None of them understood that while I sat on my bed each night and they went out, I had no idea if they would return safely. The Strigoi had tried to kill them all to get to me before, and I couldn't be there to protect any of them.

I curled up on my side, my pillow held close as I sulked. Janine didn't follow me, and I heard her and Alberta leave a couple of minutes after I closed my door. I wasn't even tired, but sleeping was the only way to take my mind off the anger that coursed through me. I squeezed my eyes closed and begged for morning to come already.

"Oh, Rose."

The smell of blood filled my nose, and felt drops of warmth hit my bare legs. I jerked up, still in my bed, but I wasn't in my room. I was back in that abandoned building, surrounded by the horrors Isaiah had left for us to find.

I covered my face with my hands, desperately trying to wake myself up.

Bodies were thrown about the room, piles of them on every side of me. I felt their dead gazes on me.

"It's just a dream," I reminded myself.

"Is it though?" It was that same voice. Victor. Shoes scuffed the ground, wet squelches that made bile rise in my throat. "I think this is a glimpse at what's to come."

Something heavy landed on the bed, a cold hand draped limply over my legs. I pushed it away and pressed myself as close to the headboard as I could. I knew I shouldn't have looked, but my eyes searched out their face. A scream caught in my throat.

"He can't save you."

My whole body shook with fear as silent tears ran down my cheeks.

Dimitri's eyes stared at me. The way he looked at me… I knew he blamed me—there was so much fury in them. I failed him.

Boney fingers grasped my chin painfully, forcing my stare away from Dimitri. Bright green eyes glinted with hunger, leering at me. Thin lips pulled back into a sinister smile that showed fangs and blood-stained teeth.

I had heard people mention their brush with death—how it felt like all of the warmth was sucked from their body. They could sense it.

The ice that moved through my veins made me shiver as dread settled in my stomach like lead.

At that moment, I knew that Victor would kill me.

"You can't hide from me forever, Rose."

I surged up in my bed, gasping, and each time sounded like a terrified whine. The cold feeling followed me from the dream, and I knew it wasn't going away.

"Rose?"

I screamed and scrambled back, hitting the headboard when the lights flicked on. My mind easily made me believe Victor stood in front of me when in the dark, but with the lights on, I realised it was my father. With a stricken expression, he quickly crossed the room and sat on the edge of my bed.

"What's wrong? What happened?" he asked, searching for the cause of my distress. I couldn't form any words.

How could I tell my father that I knew I would die?

Instead, I leaned forward and buried my face in his chest. And then I cried.

A small glass was placed in front of me, the same tulip-shaped cup that Abe had at the house. He let me sit silently as he served a tea I hadn't had in years. With a fond smile, Abe added a cube of sugar to mine, remembering I preferred it sweet.

I hadn't said a word about my dream, clutching to him like a lifeline even as he led me from Lissa's apartment and to his. Ours. It was technically my home, especially after I unexpectedly gave up my apartment. That had caused a fight when I learned they ended my lease without telling me and packed my stuff into boxes. It all sat in my room, which I never used anymore.

I wasn't mad at them for ending my lease; I had accepted living in the compound weeks before. It was the fact they did it without telling me. The fallout was why I hadn't spoken to them much. Despite promises of the three of us sitting down and discussing everything, this was the first time I sat with Abe in weeks. I threw myself into training and ignored everything else. I still didn't even know what happened to Janine before I was born.

Abe eased himself onto the bar stool beside me, his cup in front of him. He didn't say anything, and I guessed he was waiting for me.

I didn't drink the tea, instead focused on the stream that rose. It smelt of apples. So many memories returned because of the scent.

"It's been a while," Abe finally spoke, fingers turning his glass before he took a sip. "Your mother still doesn't care for tea. I've missed having someone to share it with."

I didn't reply. My only response would be to point out that that wasn't my fault.

"Did you want to talk about your nightmare?"

"Why were you in my room?" I asked, not meeting his eyes.

I heard him breathe deeply, "I wanted to check on you. I know it's been difficult—"

I laughed. I pushed my cup away and stood. "Look, thanks for before, but I don't want to be a part of your pity party so you can make yourself feel better."

His lips pressed together. "It's not like that."

"You want me to listen to your shitty excuses and tell you it's okay," I retort, barely holding my emotions at bay. "Do you think I'm going just to forgive you?"

"I do want to apologise, Rose, but not because I expect your forgiveness. I understand that you might never forgive us for our choices. I want to apologise and try to do better. We keep making decisions for you and not even discussing them with you, something we grew used to after all these years. But you aren't a child anymore and we need to stop treating you like one."

"Took you long enough to notice," I snapped, crossing my arms.

Abe's expression became dark, a storm of emotions as he spoke, "I've been dreading your role in the prophecy since before you were born. Every day, I tried to find some way to prevent it—to protect you from ever being part of it. I don't want to see you die like I did your mother."

My chest constricted and the anger fell away. "You saw her die?"

The sorrow that filled his eyes drew me back to my chair, and I rested a hand on his knee. He gave me a weak smile though it was filled with pain. "I used to help them patrol when I was your age. Moroi used to go out with guardians more often and help fight the Strigoi. That was how I first met your mother.

"I used to love watching her fight—she is a sight to behold, and a dangerous one. We only knew each other for a few days before we began dating, we caused a lot of talk, but we were happy." He shifted in his seat to cover my hand with his, squeezing. "We were patrolling as usual when a Strigoi surprised us. He would have killed me if Janine didn't get in between us. I can't remember much, but I do remember seeing the Strigoi feeding off Janine before I was dragged to safety. It was only after I had healed that they told me that they never located her body."

Chills went through my body and a sick feeling rose in my stomach. Knowing that my mother had been saved from that fate didn't help. Just the thought of her being turned Strigoi was too much to truly comprehend. I couldn't imagine how my father felt learning the truth, or knowing that she died protecting him.

The image of Dimitri from my dream flashed in my mind and I quickly got rid of it from my mind. I couldn't even begin to imagine the pain of losing him.

"It took a couple of months to find her. Most called me crazy for holding hoping in some fairytale that she could be restored, but Sonya believed she could do it, and I refused to leave Janine to that fate." Abe finished his tale and drank what was left in his cup, something to give him a chance to rein his emotions back in. Even I had to blink back the tears in my eyes thinking of the pain my parents went through.

I licked my lips, my mouth dry. "Was it just you and Sonya?"

"Alberta and Mikhail helped. The three of us held her still so that Sonya could stake her," Abe replied, clearing his throat to ease the roughness of his voice. "It was very similar to when Sonya was restored."

I remembered the bright light that filled the room when Lissa staked Sonya, and then I thought of Sonya on the floor sobbing. "Was mom… Did she react the same way as Sonya?"

"The weeks that followed were stressful and almost worse than when I lost her. Janine was filled with guilt and wouldn't allow herself to feel anything. It took time, but she slowly found herself again." He paused, a wistful look at the photos on the walls, "She was never truly the same. Janine guards her emotions more—she lost a lot of her carefree attitude. She knew the price of what we did in a way most don't."

I swallowed, pulling away from my father. "Is this where you tell me I need to stop pushing to go out?" I should have seen it coming; a heart to heart just to make me agree to their terms.

"No, Kiz," Abe implored, "this is where I admit I've been wrong for letting our fear keep you caged."

"What are you saying exactly?"

"I'm saying that starting now, we won't limit you. If you wish to go outside—to go patrolling—you have my complete support. It's your life, and we need to step back and trust your choices." Abe reached out and took my hand in his, a sincere look in his eyes as they held mine. "I'll never stop wanting to protect you, and I always will with everything that I have. But it's time that I listen to what you want, Rose. So, tell me what you want."

What did I want?

It was a loaded question, but I knew the first thing I would do. "I'm going out tonight," I announced to Abe, crossing my arms and holding his eyes. "I can't just stay here every night and do nothing."

"Okay. What else?"

I wasn't used to having my demand answered immediately, stunned for a moment. "I want to be part of the conversation. I want to know everything that is happening. No more shielding or making decisions without telling me."

Abe nodded, "Of course. But I would like the same courtesy in return. I would like you to tell me what is happening with you. I want to be a part of your life again, Kiz." He sighed, shoulders curling in. "You used to tell me everything and I miss that."

"What do you want to know about?"

"I want to know about your life, what you've been through. And I want to know about what you are going through now. Your relationship with Dimitri."

I rocked on my heels while I thought. That was opening a can of worms, not because it was about Dimitri, but because it would mean opening up to my father again. He was right, I did use to tell him everything; even Janine would receive a rundown of my day after school.

It was one of the things I missed most after I lost them—I had no one to talk to. I lost the people I trusted most.

Since learning the truth, I understood that it wasn't their choice to leave me behind. It was a poor sense of judgement that they believed keeping me in the dark was the safest for me. I was pissed at them, but holding that anger every day weighed on me.

I could start small. I could try with just Abe for now.

"It's been going well… for the most part," I answered shyly. "He puts up with me."

"He cares for you deeply," Abe declared, a knowing look in his eyes, "I can see it. Dimitri loves you."

I nodded, unable to stop the smile that pulled at my lips. "I love him, too."

"I'm glad. Experiencing love in this world is a great thing."

At least I loved someone before I died…

A chill moved down my spine, feeling like cold fingers scratching down. I couldn't explain how I knew, but a part of me did. Victor would kill me, Yeva had already implied I would die, and now I believed her. It was even more reason for me to forgive my parents.

A month left until the Hunter's Moon—the Harvest Moon. I wouldn't waste that time.

Abe is my favourite... can you tell lol

I'm sorry to everyone that was expecting a big fight scene now, that would just be too easy :3

Hope you enjoyed the chapter!