AN: Hello, I've been away for a while, taking time to write out the middle and end of this story. I went back to the drawing board and restarted, now that I have a direct path to the most important parts of a story that's been living in my head since Fall of 2020.

Thank you for all the kind reviews I've received so far. I have material written for the next few chapters, and I hope you're ready to (re)start this journey with me.

Chapter 1

Rose always seemed as if she were going on some great adventure.

She ties double knots in the laces in her boots, patting each side pocket and both of the pockets on her rear as she stands. She glances down at her smartwatch and gives the screen a series of taps before jogging to catch up with the flock of guardians lining up at the SUVs. A heavy ponytail is coming loose at the back of her head.

Dionysus has been watching her long enough to know her hair will be the last thing she adjusts before going into a fight. It's one small detail that makes her stand out in the collective memory of every person who has worn her face before her.

The pang of familiarity when he looks at her has not faded over the years.

He met Rose when she came to court to testify against Prince Dashkov. Finding one precious jewel was a rare enough occasion, but then something happened that Dionysus was sure had never happened before. Another familiar face accompanied Rose, a mortal man who watched every move of hers carefully. They weren't a couple yet but he was already obsessed with her. He introduced himself as Guardian Belikov.

In all of his years of searching for this pair of faces, they had never been found together.

He thought the Fates had finally granted a reprieve, that this was a sign these two mortals would be the end of a long curse on his family.

That was until Dimitri was turned into a strigoi and all of his hopes were shattered.

That's where Rose is going now. Dionysus watches her be ushered into the backseat of the first SUV in the convoy. The Dragomir princess is being held hostage and the moroi queen has spared no dhampir with a promise mark to safely retrieve her and kill the offending strigoi.

He knows that Rose will succeed at killing Dimitri.

If he was stronger, he would kill Rose tonight to restart the curse and bring about a new generation.

If he was stronger, he would have killed Dimitri himself the moment he was turned.

Dionysus sits on the palace rooftop and waits for Rose to return. He hadn't informed anyone besides Hestia that he found this generation's eidolon, but maybe it was time to call in Ares to kill Rose quickly and compassionately.

He tips his head back to the night sky. He never truly understood how little mortals could see, but he pitied that they had to invent tools just to see the worlds dancing around them. His gaze locks onto the distant planet whose namesake represents what he's lost.

Dionysus stays there with his thoughts until the SUVs approach the gates.

They return at breakneck speeds. This doesn't alarm him, especially if the princess could be requiring medical attention. Two of the vehicles park at the gates, a handful of guardians getting out to have a heated discussion, while the rest of the vehicles approach the palace.

Dionysus looks down his nose to watch them.

Rose hops out of the first SUV before it's fully stopped and beelines for the second one, but the driver of the second vehicle reaches her and grabs hold of her waist before she can grab the backseat door. A group of guardians race out of the palace doors to assist the second vehicle. The guardian holding Rose calls for two more to help him.

Dionysus almost chokes when Dimitri emerges from the backseat, multiple pairs of hands on him. He's handcuffed and his head is bowed. Rose is calling his name and trying to resist the guardians holding her back.

Dimitri is escorted inside by a dozen guardians, which would be overkill even for a strigoi. But he can't be strigoi, since Dionysus can still feel the presence of the wards around court.

His fingers twitch with the urge to call his family and raise every color flag there is.

Rose and Dimitri keep surprising him.

He leaves the rooftop and makes his way through the palace.

Guardians swarm the main entrance, though a not so subtle cluster of them near the east wing indicates their interest in the jail cells. He debates going there first, but Dimitri will still be in a cell tomorrow. He chooses to see Rose.

If he can confirm what he's sure he just saw, he'll call in reinforcements. His brothers and sisters, who say they've given up, but if he calls, they'll come.

Outside, Rose is no longer being held back by guardians. She's sitting on the steps with her elbows on her knees and her head hung low.

He takes the steps down until he stands before her. She looks like her predecessor in the way identical twins who are raised in separate households, eat different foods and play different sports are the same, yet different. She was created from the same blueprint, but forged into a person that is unique.

"Rose." He hates that he tenses in anticipation to see those eyes on him.

She looks up and pinches her brows in surprise. "Ambrose?"

RPOV

If I had all the time in the world, I don't think I would be able to process what happened tonight.

I don't have to. I can accept it. Dimitri is a dhampir, end of story.

Except it's not the end of the story, since the royal guard kidnapped Dimitri and now I have a headache the size of Texas pounding behind my eyes, and Ambrose is standing in front of me looking like a lost puppy.

"Look, I'm sure you're wondering what all these guardians are doing looking like a mess outside your girl's place, but I'm not in the mood for twenty questions at the moment, maybe you can-"

"Is Dimitri back?" he asks.

I reel back, his direct question felt like a splash of cold water. "I… yeah. He is. How did you know?"

He gives me a wan smile and shrugs. "You did say this is my girl's place. I know some things."

I nod. "Well Dimitri is a dhampir but not everyone is convinced so they threw him in a cell."

He scratches his collarbone absently. "And you're sure?"

"Yes," I seethe. "I'm positive." I raise my voice for any of the guardians nearby to hear. "Dimitri is a dhampir, he's not a threat to anyone here."

His smile grows a fraction. "I believe you. They're not going to let him out of his cell tonight regardless, so don't waste your energy by waiting outside. Let me take you back to your room."

I look him up and down. "I told you I'm not in the mood-"

"I'm not coming on to you. I'm suggesting you get some rest. If you're right and Dimitri came back from the dead -" he holds his hands up to ward off the argument on my tongue. "And I believe you are right, then things are going to get more chaotic around here."

He holds out his hand to help me stand. He seems earnest, though I don't know why he would bother to help me. He's not a guardian, I remind myself. He doesn't need a reason to be kind to me. Or maybe the queen asked him to keep an eye on me.

He is right about one thing, I would only be wasting my time here. There's no way the guardians will let me into the cell block tonight when I've pissed off most of them and kicked two in the shins.

I take Ambrose's hand and stand. He doesn't let my hand go but pulls me in closer so we're standing only a hair's breadth apart. He's wearing a thin line of golden eyeliner that accentuates his almost black eyes, eyes that twinkle with excitement. "Tonight is the beginning of history. Efaga ton kosmo na se vro."

I don't know what he said, or even what language he spoke, but I'm glad for the first part of what he said. I was so caught up in worrying about whether spirit magic would work - if it were possible that Dimitri could be restored - that I didn't think about how court would react when faced with a former strigoi. And here's Ambrose, who believes in fate and tarot and he believes me, in Dimitri. I wrap my arms around him and hug him tightly. He responds with a rib crushing hug. The implications of a strigoi being restored must mean a lot to Ambrose, too. "Thank you," I wheeze.

"Why are you thanking me?"

"For believing."

"I've always been a believer," he murmurs. We step away from the hug but he keeps his hands on my shoulders. "You don't need to convince me. I'm all in."

"You care a lot."

He blows out a puff of air and lets his hands fall off my shoulders. "This is a big deal. It changes everything. C'mon, let's get you back to your bed."

We cross the courtyard, ignoring the small crowd of moroi and dhampir spectators who are whispering about the guardians and SUVs parked outside the palace.

I tell him "I'm sorry," before I can stop myself.

"What are you sorry for?"

"You lost someone too."

Ambrose cuts me a sidelong look. "It feels like they're still around sometimes. And tonight… Well, let's just say there's hope now."

I smile at him. "If there's anything I can do, you'll let me know?"

"Oh, I will," he says with so much conviction I laugh. This earns me a more real smile from Ambrose. I don't know why but that smile means something to me, I want to see more of it.

"So how did you do it?" he asks. He nods back toward the palace.

"What makes you think I did anything?"

"I get feelings about these things. Is it a secret or something?"

"No… it's not. It wasn't me. I helped do some… research but it was Lissa in the end. She infused a stake with spirit magic, you know, with all the other elements too, and when she staked him there was this huge burst of healing magic and he -" I swallow the knot that formed in my throat. "He's back. Just like that. I knew right away, before I even saw his eyes."

Ambrose is studying me intently. "Spirit magic. I never thought…"

We exit the elevator on my floor.

Adrian is sitting on the floor by my door, flicking his lighter open and closed. He stands as we approach and wipes his hands on his slacks. He gives Ambrose a nod of acknowledgement and pulls me into his side, pressing a kiss to my hair. "How did the rescue go? Are Lissa and Christian okay?"

"They're fine. You haven't heard anything else?"

"No. I know tonight was hard for you. I came to see if you'd want any company. If you want to be alone I get that too."

"Company is fine, but she needs rest," Ambrose interjects. "I'll check in on you soon." He pauses as if unsure he wants to say what he says next. "I'm going to help you, you know that, right?"

I blink. Strigoi have affected everyone in different ways, and I can't blame him for feeling so strongly about this, after all, I was in his place not even an hour ago. He could have a mother or sibling out there. I repeat what he said to me outside the palace. "All in."

"Remember that I said that." He reaches for my hair and plucks out something that was snagged in there. He pulls away holding something small, white and crumpled, something I must have picked up rolling around on the warehouse floor. I shake out my hair and more white pieces float down. He inspects the debris in his hands like it's bitten him.

"Was there confetti where you were?" Adrian asks.

"It's probably drywall. I need a shower."

"I have to make a phone call," Ambrose says, suddenly urgent. He turns on his heel, his phone already pressed to his ear as he walks away.

I look to Adrian, who seems hopeful that I'll invite him in. "I'll leave you alone if you're tired," he offers.

I shake my head. He should hear the news from me first. "We need to talk."

Rose.

Rose, wake up.

The headache from last night hasn't gone away. The pressure behind my eyes has begun to throb, and Lissa's soft voice feels like I'm being stabbed in the head.

Call me.

"Ow." I groan and roll off the bed, collapsing on the floor. The duvet comes off the bed with me and if Lissa would stop sending more messages I could fall asleep on this scratchy carpet.

Are you awake yet?

I crawl to the other end of the bed where I discarded my jacket and jeans on the floor and dig around for my phone. I mutter a few swears. I have missed calls from Lissa, Christian, Adrian and a few texts from each of them. I had put my phone on do-not-disturb before we left for the warehouse mission and haven't checked it since.

I call Lissa and she picks up on the second ring. "There you are." She sounds far away.

"Whatever you woke me up for better be good."

She pauses and I hear her and Christian laugh. "Did you drink last night?" Christian asks.

Now I pause, rubbing sleep from my eyes. "No, why?"

"You sound hungover."

"I wish I was."

"It's spirit darkness isn't it? I used so much last night." Lissa sounds worried.

That has to be it, the surge of healing magic used to restore Dimitri was so large that it knocked the whole room on our asses, and now I'm paying the price. "It's fine, Liss. It'll pass."

"Christian is making lunch, he's going to bring over soup and sandwiches for you."

Now that may be worth waking me up. "Is that why you wanted me to call?"

"Actually it's about Dimitri."

I straighten, more alert. "I'm listening."

"He's asked to see me, I'm on my way to talk to him."

"Okay, I'll get dressed and meet you there."

"No, Rose. He asked only to see me. I just wanted to let you know so you could watch."

Liss tries to offer me comfort but I hang up. She's wrong, he'll want to see me. I leave the door unlocked for Christian and sit back on the couch. I'm in Lissa's head now.

She makes it to the main entrance of the palace when the alarms go off. The alarms at court are set to ring out from every building. I hear the alarms blare through her ears and my own. Court is being alerted to an immediate threat on the grounds.

I'm back in my own head, throwing on shoes and bolting out of my room to reach the palace.

Everyone else is racing somewhere too. Guardians, sprint from housing to where they think their charge is most likely to be. The alarms don't drown out the sound of panic coming from the residents at court.

I'm okay. Christian and I are together with the royal guard. Adrian's here too. I don't know what's happened but we're okay. I slow down a fraction and allow myself a moment to take in my surroundings.

I'm not the only one going to the palace, but a lot of moroi seem to be running from the palace. I spare a glance behind me to see where they're headed - the garages.

There's a middle aged guardian running toward the palace so I sidle up to him. "Is this a buria warning?"

His breathing isn't level already but he's keeping pace well. "Dunno. Could be several things, but treat it like buria until you hear otherwise."

I pick up my pace and leave the other guardian behind. I can feel Lissa's anxiety, but it's tempered.

I make it to the palace entrance where Lissa was moments ago and the alarms cut off just as suddenly as they started.

The entrance hall is crowded. The guardians' attention is on the east wing. After one more check on with Liss to make sure she's safe, I push my way into the crowd but I can't get through to the east doors. Everyone who is close enough is looking down the hallway with intense curiosity.

All of the guards around me are turning to each other and asking questions, they don't know any more than me.

I'm in the queen's suite. We're about to discuss what happened… It's Dimitri.

Of course, I think. The cells are in the east wing, all the guardians here are trying to catch a glimpse of the door that leads to the basement. I turn and push my way back out of the crowd.

I find the first available elevator and take it up to the top floor. On the top floor a guardian with a pinstripe jacket blocks my way with a stiff hand to my shoulder. "You're not going in there."

"But-"

"All personnel that need to be in there are already present."

There's no point in arguing with him. I go down one flight and find a quiet alcove to hide in and jump into Lissa's head. My headache from this morning hasn't eased, I've only been distracted from it, but now, the image I see through Lissa's head is tinged at the edges.

Christian squeezes her hand reassuringly. All the princes and princesses are in the room already, with, it looks like, all of their friends.

Tatiana enters the living room (sitting room? It's a massive room with expensive furniture regardless of what it's called) with Hans Croft at her heels. She gives the small crowd a cursory glance.

"Guardians out. Now."

Guardians trickle out of the same door I was denied entry to and the crowd thins. The queen's gaze pauses on Christian and her mouth flattens to a tight line but she doesn't make him leave.

She clasps her hands in front of her and waits for the door to click shut. She lifts her chin - in her sky blue dress and tiara, she looks the part of queen.

"Not fifteen minutes ago a prison guard alerted his colleagues that our prisoner, Dimitri Belikov, was missing from his cell." Murmurs break out through the room. Lissa grips Christian's hand tightly. Tatiana continues. "The alarms have been called off because it was confirmed by multiple guards, Croft himself, that Belikov is in his cell."

"How did he get out?"

"You promised us he wouldn't be a threat!"

"How many guards did it take to apprehend him?"

"Did he get out of the palace?"

Tatiana raises a hand and the room quiets again. "Let me be clear. There is no evidence that the prisoner escaped. The guard who raised the alarms was mistaken. Belikov has been in his cell since he arrived here last night."

"Are they certain?"

"So the alarm was for nothing?"

"My grandson is already in a car to Vermont!"

Tatiana indicates for Croft to speak. He adjusts his collar and clears his throat. "He is not a threat. He is a dhampir and a weakened one at that. He never got out of his cell, and we don't know why the guard raised the alarm. I assure you this guardian will be investigated and reprimanded for causing a panic."

"Since a significant amount of damage has already been inflicted, we need to discuss what we're going to do with him," Tatiana adds.

"Do with him?" Lissa echoes. It's the first time she's spoken.

"I mean we cannot simply assure the hundreds of court's residents that they're safe, not once it gets out that one of our guards believed, even for a fraction of time, that Belikov escaped his cell. Last night, when Croft called me to tell me he wanted to bring a former strigoi to court-" she turns to Croft. "What is the term you used?"

"Restored," Hans supplies.

"Yes, a restored dhampir, to court, he promised me it would be safe for everyone involved. But now we have people running from court. This is unacceptable."

"But we can prove that he's a dhampir! He can go out in the sun-"

"It does not matter, princess. I will not have my people flee in fear of their own home. He has to go."

It's Adrian who asks, "Where would you send him?"

Tatiana shoots her nephew a reprimanding look. "I care not. Anywhere outside of court. Of course, not knowing his true nature, we cannot simply release him. Unless a moroi family with reasonable means - and I am under the assumption that every family in this room is of reasonable means - steps forward to imprison him elsewhere… then he will have to be executed."

Lissa gasps and I clench my fists. Murmurs break out in the drawing room, some disappointed but most are mollified.

Titiana adds, "That is my final decision. Either way, he must leave court as soon as possible."

No one steps forward to offer their family estates to keep Dimitri prisoner. Prince Drozdov scoffs. "You can't expect us to risk our families, our guardians!"

Lissa glares at him. "Dimitri is not a threat to anyone. All that's required is you keep him in your home as a guest until things settle down at court. He can go to the Dragomir house in Montana."

"No. You will remain at court as you have no heir, and he will not go anywhere without a trusted member of the council to keep a close eye on him. Is there anyone else?"

Adrian says hesitantly, "I'll go with him, to the Dragomir estate… if Lissa is okay with that." Lissa gives him a grateful look, agreement on her tongue but she's interrupted. "Absolutely not," Titiana bites back.

Prince Dashkov, the younger cousin of Victor, steps forward. "I say we call it to a vote, whether to execute him or not."

"You can't do that!" Lissa cries.

"I agree with the prince," Tatiana says. "As always, I will abstain from the vote unless I need to break a tie."

Lissa votes no, obviously. She is the only one.

"It's settled. We'll make the announcement and schedule a public execution."