(Paris Kentucky)
In a small cafe in Paris, Kentucky, Alexander, Rose, and Jasmine are sitting at table together. Jasmine thought to herself as she gazed over at her brother and sister for the first time that we been together. Their always something happening or other people in the room. The last time was before we were born. Jasmine was living in the details, spending quality time with her family without having to worry about other people interfering with their happiness.
Rose began to experience the Jasmine sensation once more, as well as joy and contentment. Rose cautiously shifted her sight to Jasmine, who greeted her with a friendly grin. When Jasmine was gaze at Rose, Rose realized something was wrong. "Jazz," Rose inquired. "Is there a problem?" "I was thinking about the first time all three of us were together without other people around or something occurring," Jasmine explained. Rose cocked her head to right and looked surprise that Jasmine was right.
"So, Jazz, what brought us to Paris in the first place?" Alexander inquired further. "Father Andrew and Guardian Lionel are peacekeepers assigned to seek for and protect the Element at St. Vladimir's Academy. Father Andrew gave a sermon and piece of paper that would help me while I was at the church. "So, what was on the paper?" Rose inquired. Jasmine remarked, "We're going to see an old acquaintance. But first, we need to stop at a nearby hardware store to pick up a few items."
Rose and Alexander cocked their heads, bewildered, as they tried to figure out what Jasmine was up to. When Jasmine began to chuckle, she noticed that both her brother and sister had the same expression on their faces. When Rose inquired, "What's so funny?" Jasmine replied, "Have you noticed that when we get puzzled like Papa does, all three of us are cock our heads to the right." "No, we don't," Rose replied. "Yes, Rosie," Alexander replied.
When Jasmine's phone began to ring, she reached into her back pocket and pulled out her smartphone, where she discovered that the caller ID was Belikov. "Hello!" exclaimed Jasmine. "Baby girl," Dimitri remarked. Cowboy, Jasmine exclaimed. "Where are you?" Dimitri inquired. "Please understand that we had to leave St. Vladimir's Academy to journey with place where Alex can transforming to be my guardian."
Roza, Alexander, and you had departed St. Vladimir's Academy two days ago, according to Guardian Petrov. Dimitri continued, "We know you're going to Cherokee National Forest in Tennessee's Great Smoky Mountains." Jasmine giggled and remarked, "We haven't yet arrived. It's something we need to take care of first. We're going to see an old acquaintance." Dimitri inquired, "Baby girl, please tell me where you are?" Jasmine said, "Are you following me?" Dimitri remarked, "Yes, indeed! I'm currently in Lexington, Kentucky." Jasmine giggled and said, "Paris!" Dimitri said, "Paris France!" Jasmine said, "No! It's a lovely city. I went their with Pyro and Sierra to search for the keys.
"Wait, are you Paris Tennessee?" Dimitri inquired. "No, we're in Paris, Kentucky, just eighteen miles away from you," Jasmine explained. "I want you to wait for me in that cafe," Dimitri stated. Rosie, Alax, and I are enjoying breakfast, Jasmine said. Just a moment. Jasmine told Alexander to "slow down, you don't have to eat fast, appreciate your meal the way it tastes, and quit acting like a savage beast," which Dimitri overheard. You must keep an eye on him, Rosie. "I'm sorry!" Rose apologized. I'm back, Jasmine said. Is everything okay with your brother Alex, Dimitri inquired? Jasmine was concerned about Alex, and Rose sensed Jasmine's concern and stretched across the table to say, "Please don't be concerned."
"Time is running out for Alex before he transforms into the animal, Jasmine remarked. But now I'm being put to the test to determine if my plan will work? We'll discuss when you get here, but till then, hurry up or we will have to leave without you. As Jasmine hung up on Dimitri. As a result, Dimitri scrambled to catch up with Jasmine before they left the cafe to discuss about the test. Dimitri drive faster to make it get to the cafe and realized didn't know which cafe they where at.
Dimitri receives a text from Jasmine a split second later. Dimitri opened it was the name of the cafe was Happy People coffee café on Main Street. Please purchase an industrial-strength chains and two padlock to hold strigoi at hardware storie. Dimitri try understand what baby girl going to need with a industrial-strength chain and padlock,Three red hearts appeared beneath the statement. Dimitri gave a kind smile.
(thirty minutes later)
When Dimitri walked into the cafe, he saw Rose, Jasmine, and Alexander sat at the same table. Dimitri came over to the table and gazed down at them, as if they were mischievous children. Seeing Alex coloring a picture with crayons like a small child. Alex was also seen with a collar around his neck with a leash dangling from it.
Rose turn head and said, "Hello! Comrade." Dimitri said, "Hello! Roza." Jasmine turn looked at Dimitri with gold eyes and patted seat next to her and said, "Come sit with me. We need speak about things. Dimitri sat down and asked, Why Alexander wearing a collar. "I suppose you're perplexed, Comrade," Rose responded. However, you should be aware that Alex exhibits erratic behavior at times, and this is the best method we've discovered for controlling him.
""Can you tell me why you wanted me to buy an industrial-strength chain and padlock?" As he sat down next to Jasmine, Dimitri said. "It's simple," Jasmine replied, "and we'll utilize it shortly." Dimitri noted, "More information would be beneficial." "Sonya Karp!" exclaimed Jasmine. "Come again?" Rose inquired. Jasmine stated that the peacekeepers are putting me to the test. Sending to Sonya Karp's house for one of two possible outcomes. I can either charm a silver stick and bury it in her heart to restore her to her Moroi state, or it could kill her.
Jasmine stated, It dawn and you know that strigoi don't sleep and can't walk around in sunlight or they will perish. Dimitri said, "Baby girl you must not get upset or anger. Because we don't need a storm." Jasmine nod and said, "Here honey have some coffee." Dimitri lean over to Jasmine and kissed her lips. Rose said, "That so cute!" Alex said, "Finished with picture." Rose said, "that beautiful Alex." Jasmine blushed.
(Sony Karp house)
Jasmine drove her mustang to Martin Lake while Dimitri trailed behind her. Everyone could see that there were just a few residences in the area, and only one of them was blue. But Dimitri and Jasmine good distance from the house out of sight. We all got out of the cars and took a short stroll while maintaining our distance. Rose asked, "what about Alex?" Jasmine turn to Alex and said, "Alex need you to listen to me and fellow my orders. I want you stay near house and out sight until I whistle let you know it come back." Alex said, "Yes! Sissy. I do as ask." Jasmine unleashed Alex and said, "Go!" Alex dash into shadows.
We looked closer at the yard. Rose bushes, full of pink and red blossoms, grew in front of the porch. Baskets thick with white flowers I didn't know the names of hung from the roof, and blue morning glories climbed up a trellis. Around the house, I could just barely make out a wood fence. A vine with orange, trumpet-shaped flowers crawled over it.
Then, an image flickered into my mind, gone as quickly as it had come. Ms. Karp watering pots of flowers in her classroom, flowers that seemed to grow impossibly fast and tall. As a teenager more interested in dodging homework, I hadn't thought much about them. It was only later, after watching Liss make plants grow and bloom during spirit experiments, that I understood what had been happening in Ms. Karp's classroom. And now, even deprived of spirit and possessed by evil, Sonya Karp was still tending her flowers.
Dimitri started to approached the front porch. Jasmine reached grabbed Dimitri arm and asked what are you doing? Dimitri said, Baby girl, you need to trust me. Jasmine just looked at Dimitri and nod her head. Dimitri turn around walked over to the porch studying every detail. He returned to my side. "Those are black-out curtains. They aren't letting in any light, so she isn't going to see anything. It also means she likely spends her time on the house's main floor, rather than a basement.' I could easily follow his line of thinking. "That's good news for us.
Dimitri remarked, "I'll look around the other side and in the backyard. Jasmine remarked, "No! We move as unit. Rosie with shadow-kiss sense could help." While Jasmine put her hand on ground and her eyes turn white seeing any strigoi where close by. While Dimitri waited Jasmine to return.
Rose moved as smoothly and quietly as she could around the house, soon discovering the wooden fence was going to create difficulty in seeing the backyard. I feared climbing over might alert Sonya to my presence and pondered what to do. My solution came in the form of a large rock lying near the fence's edge. Rose dragged the stone over and stood on top. It wasn't enough to let me look completely over, but I was able to easily put my hands on top of the fence and hoist myself up for a peek with minimal noise.
It was like looking into the Garden of Eden. The flowers in the front had merely been the warm-up act. More roses, magnolia and apple trees, irises, and a billion other flowers Rose didn't recognize. Sonya's backyard was a paradise of lush color. Rose scoped out what she needed to and hurried back to Dimitri and Jasmine.
"A patio door and two windows,' I reported. "All curtained. There's also a wooden deck chair, a shovel, and a wheelbarrow.' "Any pitchforks?" Dimitri asked. "Unfortunately, no, but there's a big-ass rock sitting outside the fence. It'd be hard to get it into the yard, though. We're better off using it to help us climb over. No gate in the fence. Sonya made a fortress.'
Jasmine smirked. Rose said, "That right, Jasmine can break out anywhere or break into." "Its an issue we'll deal with ... later.' I recognized the tone in Dimitri's voice. He'd used it a lot at St. Vladimir's. It usually meant there was a private talk in our future, where we'd be grilled for more details.
Dimitri stood on the rock and surveyed the yard. He murmured a few last-minute instructions to us. before taking my hands and boosting Rosie, and Jasmine up over the fence. His height went a long way to make the maneuver as easy and quiet-though not silent-as possible. He followed us shortly thereafter, landing beside us with a small thud.
After that, we sprang forward with no delay. If Sonya had heard us, then there was no point in wasting time. We needed every advantage we could get. Dimitri informed Jasmine stand behind them just encase. Jasmine was caring the industrial-strength chain and padlock.
Dimitri grabbed the shovel and swung it hard into the glass-once, twice. The first strike was about the height of my head, the second lower. The glass fractured more with each impact. Right on the heels of the second hit, Rose pushed forward and shoved the wheelbarrow into the door. Lifting it and throwing it against the glass would have been a lot cooler, but it was too unwieldy to raise very high. When the wheelbarrow struck the already weakened glass, the cracked areas broke and crumbled altogether, creating a hole big enough for both of us to get through. We both had to duck-especially Dimitri. As Jasmine fallowed behind Dimitri.
A simultaneous attack through both sides of the house would have been ideal, but it wasn't like Sonya could run out the front door. Rose nausea had started to creep over her as soon as we were near the patio, and the sensation hit full force as we entered a living room. Rose ignored my stomach in the way I'd perfected and braced myself for what was to come. We'd broken in pretty quickly but not quickly enough to truly get the jump on Strigoi reflexes.
Sonya Karp was waiting for us, doing everything she could to keep the sunshine out of the living room. If she recognized us, she made no sign of it and snarled at Dimitri. It was a frequent Strigoi strategy to eliminate the more dangerous threat first. It irritated Rosie. But Jasmine knew reason strigoi would go after Dimitri first. Because big and stronger then Jasmine and Rose.
Dimitri stuffed his stake inside his belt so he could carry the shovel inside. The shovel wouldn't kill a Strigoi, but it could certainly hold Sonya at bay if it had enough strength and momentum. He hit her in the shoulder with it after her first effort, and while she didn't fall over, she did decide to wait before attempting again. They formed a circle around each other. They circled each other, like wolves readying for a battle, as she sized up her odds. One charge, and her greater strength would push him down, shovel or not.
Everything happened in a flash, and Sonya's calculations had left us out of the equation. Jasmine made her own charge, crashing into her opposite side, but she spotted me coming out of the corner of her eye and reacted instantaneously, hurling Jasmine across the room and causing her to fall to the floor, all the while keeping her gaze fixed on Dimitri.
She feinted, and Dimitri went for it. He just barely corrected himself as she leapt forward to take advantage of the situation. She thrust him against the wall, pinning him there and knocking the shovel from his grasp. He struggled against her, trying to break free as her hands found his throat. If Rose tried to pull her off, my strength combined with Dimitri's would probably free him. Rose wanted this over as quickly as possible, however, and decided to make a power play.
Rose ran toward her, stake in hand, and plunged it through her right shoulder blade, hoping Rose was nowhere near her heart. The charmed silver, so agonizing to Strigoi skin, made her scream. Frantic, she shoved Rose away with force that was astonishing even for a Strigoi. Rose fell backward, stumbling, and whacked my head against a coffee table. Rose vision dimmed slightly, but instinct and adrenaline drove me back to my feet.
Rose attack gave Dimitri the split second he needed. He knocked Sonya to the ground and grabbed my stake, pushing it against her throat. She screamed and flailed, and I moved forward to help him, knowing how hard it was to pin a Strigoi.
Dimitri started yell Roza get the chains. The chains sprang out of the bags like snakes and began slithering across the room, wrapping around Sonya's body like a boa constrictor. Rose and Dimitri to keep her restrained while first chain wrapped around her. The padlock slide across the floor hit Rose in the leg. Rose reached down, grabbed lock and using lock the chain.
Rose and Dimitri moved to our next task. We'd already spotted the best place to bind Sonya: a heavy, reclining armchair in the corner. Lifting her-which was dangerous since she was still thrashing wildly-we thrust her into the chair. Then, keeping the stake at her neck, Dimitri attempted to hold her down while Jasmine was still using magic to wrapped around her. Rose used second padlock keep chain around Sonya.
Dimitri and Rosa exchanged brief, weary looks. Rose felt dizzy, but fought through it, knowing our task was far from over. Dimitri said, "Now what?" Jasmine said, "Interrogation!"