(Seven days later)
Dimitri came walking down the stairs, noticed the kitchen light was on, and turned his head to notice that the living room light was turned off. Janine had fallen asleep on the sofa, turning Dimitri's head back to the kitchen, and thought it must be Mikhail fixing breakfast. Dimitri stepped into the kitchen to find pancakes, bacon, and hashbrowns sitting on the kitchen table and the scent of coffee already made on the counter, with seven coffee cups on the counter.
Dimitri walked to the coffee pot, peering into the kitchen sink to discover one coffee cup, plate, and fork already used and sitting on the drying rack. Dimitri moved his head and hit his forehead on the open cabin door and said, "(Дерьмо) (Shit!). Dimitri reached up to close the cabin door. He started making his coffee and getting some breakfast.
Christian came into the kitchen to discover that breakfast was already made and that Dimitri was sitting at a table, rubbing his forehead with his large hand. Christian said, "Guardian Belikov, I see you've already made breakfast for everyone." Dimitri said, "I just arrived less than five minutes ago and found that someone had already made breakfast before everyone was up."
Dimitri noticed that Christian had two notebooks in his hand and placed them on the table. Christian walked to the counter, got his plate from the stack of dishes, and got his coffee cup to discover two packs in one cup with hot cocoa mix waiting for him. Christian stopped and just kept looking down at one of the coffee cups. He remembered that when he woke up this morning. He was thinking about having hot chocolate with breakfast.
Christian asked, "Where is Riley?" Dimitri said, "I guess she's still upstairs in her bed and sleeping." "Why do you ask?" Christian said, "Soon after I woke up, I was thinking about having hot cocoa with my breakfast." Someone has already placed hot cocoa mixed in one of these cups. Dimitri said, Someone decides to change their mind about hot cocoa this morning." Christian said, "Maybe!"
Dimitri reached over and picked up one of the Riley's notebooks and asked, "What is this?" Christian turned his head to observe Dimitri peering into Riley's notebooks and said, "These are the notebooks that Riley used to translate Anna's first two books." Dimitri asked, "Did you discover anything important in your notebooks?"
Christian said, "Yes! In the first notebook, Anna speaks about the shadow-kissed abilities." "Anna's abilities include seeing ghosts, taking away the darkness, seeing their bond-mate's eyes, hearing their bone-mate's thoughts, emoting, and sending messages through their bond. Dimitri realized that Rose had expressed the same thing about shadow-kissed abilities, but when Vasilissa could alone send Rose a message threw their bond. But to hear that Anna could send and receive messages from St. Vladimir.
Christian said, "Laying out everything in detail and finding out that Anna could be forever branded by the land of the dead, plagued with ghosts from the other world constantly, unless the person places a mental barrier around themselves or is inside a ward." "Rose was forever bound to Vasilissa until her death." Dimitri was really surprised to find out Anne wrote everything about shadow-kissed abilities.
Adrian had stepped into the kitchen and listened to Dimitri and Christian speak about Riley's translation from the first book of Anna's books. Adrian thought it was very interesting that Anna would speak about her shadow-kiss abilities in her first book. He knew he wanted to know more and turned back to listen to Christian speak about the second book.
Christian said, "In the second book, Anna stated she was married to Vladimir and became pregnant with a set of twins before Vladimir became a saint." Anne started experiencing visions while she was pregnant with the twins." Dimitri and Adrian found it surprising to discover the truth that was hidden from everyone. Christian said, "Anne, while pregnant, was seen experiencing visions of her own death and that Vladimir would bring Anna back from the land of the dead."
Adrian said, "Holy crap!" Christian and Dimitri snapped their heads around to see Adrian standing by the door frame, looking surprised to find out this information." Christian said, "The first book is the late book in the set with mean Anna, who wanted to make sure people knew the truth was hidden from everyone."
Janine stepped into the kitchen, slowly moving her head from one side of the room to the other in hope of finding her daughter whereabouts. Soon, she realized Riley wasn't in the kitchen with friends. Adrian noticed Janine standing next to him and said, "Something wrong?" Janine asked, "I went to check on Riley, and she was missing from her bed." "By any chance, do you know where Riley has gone?"
Christian looked at the clock on the wall and could see that it was eleven o'clock in the morning. Christian said, "Holy shit, is it really that time?" "I believe that Riley has gone to work already." Dimitri and Janine peered down at their watches to find it was eleven o'clock in the morning. Adrian asked, "So you believe that Riley made our breakfast and has gone to work like nothing happened?" Christian said, "Yes! I believe that Riley could have been exhausted, and the fever reappeared again."
Janine and Dimitri looked at each other and knew that something else was at play. Dimitri stood from the kitchen chair, picking up his plate, coffee cup, and fork and putting them in the sink. He spun around to face everyone, walked by the kitchen table, stopping next to Janine, and said, "I go and check on Riley to make sure she's alright." "I will call you, arrive, and check on Riley."
Janine said, "Thank you! Guardian Belikov." Dimitri picked up his duster from the coat rack and exited Riley's house, heading to Riley's bookshop.
(The Hidden Treasures)
Dimitri arrived at Riley's bookshop to notice that Riley was having a book fair. Gazing inside, to observed numerous people standing next to bookshelves, looking at the different books. Dimitri entered the Hidden Treasure when a young woman walked up to him and asked, "Welcome! How can I help you today?"
Dimitri looked down at the woman standing in front of him and said, "Riley." The woman said, "Miss Mazur is right over their pointing Riley cashing line of customers." Dimitri realized that Riley had changed her last name to hide from everyone by using a her father last name to hide from the people that what her died for some reason.
Dimitri walked over to his armchair and found Guardian Tanner sitting in it. Mikhail glanced up at Dimitri, standing next to the armchair. Dimitri asked, How is Riley doing today?" Mikhail said, "Riley's illness has vanished, and Riley is in a wonderful attitude today." Dimitri turned his head to view Riley cheerfully, and dancing while cashing out her customers.
Both Mikhail and Dimitri hear a song playing, Bon Jovi: Blaze of Glory, came from the speakers on the walls.
(Few hours later)
Soon Abe, Adrian, Christian, and Eddie arrived at the bookshop, noticing Riley's Bookshop was really busy with new customers and returning customers. Abe, Christian, Eddie and Adrian looked really surprise to found Riley busy. Christian said, "It's Riley's book fair was started today. Some of the students from the University of San Francisco arrived to help out with the book fair. to get crates for their business class's.
Abe entered the door, while Adrian, Christian, and Eddie followed behind him. Abe could see Dimitri sitting in his armchair and Mikhail standing on the other side of the shop, facing the front. Riley was standing at the counter, cashing out her customers.
As the music played, Scandal: The Warrior." Adrian notices Riley smiling across her soft, beautiful lips and her body dancing to the music, also noticing that Riley's aura is white with a little darkness around her and other colors that keep changing showing sickness. Adrian knew something was going with Riley and was so sure it was.
When a young human female walked up to Abe and asked, "Welcome! How can I help you today?" Abe peered down at the female human standing in front of him, showing him no fear. Abe smiled without showing his fang and said, "I am here to speak with owner Riley." The woman said, "Miss Mazur is right over their pointing Riley cashing line of customers."
Abe peered over the young woman's head at his daughter and could understand why she had changed her last name to his. It would help him get footing in the west. Abe started smirking to see that his daughter had given him change to grow his business in San Francisco. The young female human stepped back and looked nervous, seeing the smirk on Abe's face. She spun around, leaving him alone with his thoughts.
Eddie slowly moved around the bookshop, making sure everyone was not steeling. Until Guardian Tanner moved from his spot and grabbed the young man's arm, twisting it behind his back, and made a move forward to the front of the shop, everyone could hear the young man yelling. Making Riley's head peer up to see Guardian Tanner had the young man's arm twisted behind his back.
Mikhail said, Riley, this young man is trying to steal two books from your shop." Abe, Christian, Dimitri, and Abe could see that Guardian Tanner had two books in his left while holding boy arm in right arm.
Riley said, "Thank you, Mr. Tanner." Riley reached down, picked up the telephone, and called the police. The police arrived less than five minutes later and placed the young man in head-cuffs. Riley went back to cashing out her customers. Abe could see how the guardians were doing their job.
Christian was placing the new books on the books, Abe watched shop running, Adrian help Riley run the cashing out customers and placing books in bag for all the customers. Abe keep reading newspaper and not paying attaching what happening in bookshop. While Eddie and Mikhail place each side end of the bookshop.
Adrian was standing next to Riley when he started hearing Riley's watch start beeping. Riley face her customers, saying, "Sorry everyone, my shop is closing for the day." "Please come back tomorrow to buy your books." The guardians started moving around to make sure everyone left the bookshop. Christian and Adrian walking to front shop while Abe stood up from his chair.
(Unthinkable)
Christian, Abe, Adrian, Eddie, Mikhail and Dimitri were still standing in the shop, waiting for Riley to close her shop to normal customers." After the last customer left the shop, Riley locked the shop's front door while everyone gathered outside, watching as the shutter door descended.
Riley turns around to face her friends, when Riley eyes started cloud over. When something unthinkable happened, a black van pulled up behind Riley as the sliding door opened. Three human men jumped out of the side van, pointing guns at Abe, Adrian, Christian. Dimitri, Mikhail, and Eddie their guardian training kicked in and they jumped in front of Abe, Adrian, Christian to block them from danger. Before Riley could return her vision.
Eddie, Dimitri, Mikhail, Christian, Abe and Adrian could see male strigoi arm reached out reach out and grab Riley's back shirt, and pull her into the van. Three human males jumped into the side van, closed the sliding door, and speed away. Everyone looked surprised that they were after Riley and not Morois. Guardians watch as the van disappears, taking a side road that leads in front of Riley's house.
Abe asked, "What the hell do they want with my daughter?" Eddie said, "No clue!" Christian and Adrian looked worried about what would happen to Riley.
Mikhail said, "Riley is a guardian; take care of herself." Abe said, "Royle Court had stripped her of her guardian title." Christian said, "Riley is a Royle Guardian to the Queen."
Adrian said, "Which means Riley is Queen Guard now. Not a normal guardian.
Abe said, "Janine is going to be pissed." Everyone agree with that statement.
