With the help of Dimitri and Eddie, we managed to walk the last stretch of the road. The adrenaline slowly subsided and I began to feel a burning pain in my arm scratched by a bullet. Dimitri bandaged the wound temporarily, but we knew it should be looked at by a medic in sterile conditions. The pain in my chest eased, but the strangulating discomfort remained. I leaned on Dimitri while walking, and he watched my struggles with worry, allowing me to use his arm for support.

As we emerged from the forest onto the paved road, I noticed more than ten cars with our guardians ready to attack any enemy. And then our friends came rushing to hug us. Adrian was the first to grab hold of Jill, who asked Eddie to put her down. Sydney and Angeline were not left behind, hugging her tightly.

"Sydney, don't you know that you are hugging the evil creature of the night?" I asked with a smile. She looked at me reproachfully.

"You are impossible," she remarked, hugging me as well. I laughed and caught the amused gaze of Adrian, who was shaking his head.

"It's true, Rose. Do you know how scared we were?" He asked, but it was clear that he was not angry with me. Everyone felt too relieved about getting Jill back to dwell on such petty things.

"And did you think about us and the fact that we were the ones who had to tell Dimitri that we had let you go alone?" Sydney asked, letting go of me. Dimitri's hand on my back strengthened its grip.

"I did think about you guys. I thought about how much I felt sorry for you," I joked and Dimitri snorted. Sydney rolled her eyes and turned to Jill, who looked weakened but relieved.

"The most important thing is that Jill is with us. Let's go home to take care of you two."

Dimitri set up a driving plan with the guardians and took the key to the only car for seven people. Since he was going to drive, I settled into the passenger seat, wrapping myself in his duster, which I still hadn't given him back. He smiled slightly at this sight and made sure everyone was ready to drive. Jill sat in the middle, between Eddie, who was watching his surroundings with utmost vigilance, and Adrian, on whose shoulder she laid her head. He was saying something to her in a hushed voice, which made Jill giggle quietly, and I relaxed at the sight. Angeline and Sydney sat at the end, where Sydney was already talking to police representatives, and taking care of the paperwork.

Dimitri drove first, and a string of guardians' cars joined the traffic behind us. I looked out through the mirror.

"Shouldn't we also have someone in front of us?" I asked and Dimitri nodded.

"They should join us right away, but I hope we will remain discreet. The last thing we need now is to draw extra attention."

"We have a lot of guardians here... maybe we seriously needed to attack from the front," I began to think out loud. Dimitri looked at me and caught my hand lying on my knee and gently squeezed it.

"The rest are going to assist in the attack. I heard they are already finishing. They met less resistance than they thought," he said quietly. I furrowed my eyebrows.

"There were more than forty guards, armed and on full alert. I saw them all on the cameras."

Dimitri shrugged his shoulders slightly.

"Maybe our guardians have prepared well thanks to your information. Or the rest of them are in that forest, hoping to catch you and Jill."

"Which means that a large part of them can escape," I noted, and Dimitri nodded. I sighed and leaned my head against the seat. We drove through forest roads, and I wondered if we had made the right choice. The discomfort in my chest grew with each passing moment, prompting me to massage the area trying to alleviate the pain, which did not escape Dimitri's notice. He looked at me alertly.

"Your heart hurts, doesn't it?" He asked with concern. I made a face.

"It's nothing, it's just that this march has strained me a bit, but it will pass soon."

The concern evident on his face did not diminish, but he squeezed my hand in a gesture of reassurance.

"You can rest now. We will be home soon."

I leaned back comfortably and allowed myself to relax after this eventful day. I started by calling the spirits, which almost cost me my senses. Then I broke into Prince Drozdov's property, and finally, I walked with Jill more than nine miles in the forest. I definitely earned the right to rest.

With one ear, I heard Adrian making Jill laugh, getting into some meaningless discussion with her. I didn't understand half of what he said, but it made Jill laugh softly. I remembered Adrian babbling something about dresses when we flew to the Court for the first time, and I had a terrible migraine. After all, it happened this year, and it seemed as if it was a completely different life.

Dimitri drove quietly through the city, and I looked at it in a completely different light than yesterday. The nightlife rumbled around us, making me wonder if we could also take advantage of what Palm Springs had to offer. If we took care of all the security paperwork for Jill and made sure she had enough guardians around her, maybe I could drag Dimitri to a nightclub. I smiled at the thought of all the convoluted logic I'd have to use to convince him. But in the end, I knew he would agree. He knew how few such opportunities we had, and that I wanted to take advantage of them whenever I could. With him by my side, I could easily enter all the clubs I dreamed of; no one had asked me for ID when I was with him

My dreams of little black dresses and deafening music were abruptly interrupted when I felt a fit of strong, overpowering panic. Fear and despair overwhelmed my mind, and a paralyzing sense of helplessness spread through my veins.

Before I knew what was going on, I found myself inside Lissa's head, where she stood paralyzed in front of a bound man. I saw in a split second what had happened. The Royal Court had been attacked and this man was being interrogated to find out what the purpose of their offense was. Lissa, unable to bear the fact that we were being attacked from every side, used compunction to ask the burglar why they did it. He couldn't repel Lissa's charm and said the words that shocked Lissa so much.

"We were to distract you so that you could not communicate with the team in Palm Springs. The rest of our people are waiting in their hideout. They were to shoot them as soon as they reached the meeting place with the princess and seize her if possible. They are probably just now opening fire..."

Hans rushed to the phone, but I was faster. I got back to my own head and recognized that we were passing the last intersection leading to Clarence's house. II frantically grabbed Dimitri's arm.

"Turn, now!" I shouted in a panic, with as much force as I could muster. Dimitri was in the wrong lane, and suddenly dread seeped through me. I feared he would ask me what was going on and those seconds would cost us our lives. However, Dimitri went against logic and guardian protocol. He trusted me without hesitation.

He made an abrupt right turn, triggering a chorus of horns that was quickly drowned out by gunfire from Clarence's house. The roar of the gunshots was chilling, and suddenly there was panic on the road, and the streets were filled with the screams of terrified civilians. Everyone in our car screamed, and Dimitri pressed the gas without waiting for an explanation or further instructions. We looked at each other fleetingly. He must have read fear and shock from my eyes, but before he could ask what was going on his phone rang, so I quickly picked up.

"Rose, what's going on!" cried Eddie, but I answered the call from Hans. I glanced at Eddie, who pulled out his gun and looked at me with that deadly seriousness and readiness characteristic of guardians.

"Belikov, don't go to the hideout! It's a trap!" Hans shouted at me on the phone in a feverish voice.

"I know, I was in Lissa's head when you discovered it," I replied hoarsely. Dimitri gave me a shocked look but went back to looking at the road. He appeared focused and determined despite the circumstances. "We turned and were getting away, but shots were fired…"

"Then run. As far away as possible. I'll call you right away…" he hung up before I had a chance to answer with an "okay". I looked at my friends, whose pale and shocked faces betrayed that they felt the same as I did. In Eddie's face, I saw readiness as he observed his surroundings. Jill huddled tightly beside Adrian, who embraced her tightly and pulled her close. Angeline sat upright, and Sydney tightly gripped the handle above the car door Dimitri was speeding without regard for traffic regulations.

"They attacked the Royal Court," I said with disbelief in my voice, "I don't know how, yet, but Lissa questioned one of them and he admitted that it was to distract the guardians while they were getting rid of our people at Clarence's house and preparing an ambush on us. They were going to execute us and try to take Jill away," I looked at Dimitri, almost noticing how he was putting all the facts together, "Hans told us to run as far away as possible. He will get back to us later with further instructions."

"How many of them were in Clarence's house?" Eddie asked, but I shook my head.

"I don't know, Lissa only found out that we were going to get killed. I somehow entered her mind again." Dimitri gave me a strange look that I didn't manage to decipher when a heartbeat later he returned his gaze to the road.

"If Hans told us to run away, it means that others will be told to capture these people. We have to take Jill as far away from danger as possible," he stated in a confident tone. His decisiveness contrasted with the chaos in my thoughts. I closed my eyes, entering Lissa's thoughts. She and Christian were being hurried by the royal guardians to a safe hiding place, of which we had many available. I didn't see Hasn anywhere, however, I calmed down a bit seeing my mother, vigilantly looking around for danger.

"So, are we just going to drive as far as possible until Hans calls?" Sydney asked, with undisguised fear in her voice, which brought me back to our car.

"We don't have much choice. Before we decide where it's safe, we need to get information from the other guardians," I replied looking at her. She wasn't convinced. Dimitri seemed to have noticed it too through the rearview mirror.

"If you prefer I drop you off in a cafe or a hotel, of course I'll do it, Sydney, but given the current situation, I doubt it is a good option. I think you might be safer with us, however, I don't know for sure what can happen."

She seemed to consider his words, her brow furrowing in thought before she nodded.

"I will stay with you," she decided, although there was hesitation in her eyes.

Dimitri had managed to leave Palm Springs and was heading for LA when Hans called us back. He informed us that the situation at the Court and Clarence's house was under control, but they still did not know who Prince Drozdov's informant was in our ranks. This meant that our communications could still be unsafe and there were traitors at the Court as well as in Palm Springs. He could not tell us what was going to happen with Lissa and could not hear from us where we were.

"The safest thing for the princess now is to disappear with you when no one else knows where she is. In other words, take her somewhere and protect her. We can't send you support without risking revealing your location and bringing in enemies. You are on your own. You will, I hope, be kept informed of what is going on at court through this bond of yours with the queen... By the way, I thought you didn't have it anymore."

"I thought so too," I replied bitingly. I heard a sigh on the other side.

"I want Belikov to be the leader of this task. Put him on the phone for me."

I handed the cell phone to my boyfriend, slightly irritated. Dimitri had more experience because of his age, but I was making up for it with my daring actions, which started even before I left school. And now, Dimitri was going to be the leader. His word would be an unquestionable order. I knew that Dimitri would not abuse his position as a superior. And he had an unquestionable right to lead us, as a guardian with the highest military rank, which he had earned the hard way.

Dimitri accepted all orders without batting an eye. When Hans was about to finish speaking, I whispered to Dimitri to ask about Lissa. Hans assured us that she was safe, together with Christian, and that they would not let her out of their sight.

"Don't separate them," I said as Dimitri returned the phone to my hand. Christian may not have had military training, but I knew he would sooner die than allow Lissa to be harmed.

"Stop worrying about what's going to happen here. Focus on Princess Jillian. Good luck with that."

"We can use that," I muttered, after which Hans hung up. Conflicting emotions were brewing inside me. Some part of me felt a sense of satisfaction at being by Jill's side. She was in danger and I could finally take care of that directly. I would have gone crazy if it was someone else who was going to take care of her now without the slightest contact with the guardians. On the other hand, I felt an almost palpable urge to go straight to Lissa and make sure she was safe. The realization that the Court had been attacked and I wasn't with her was killing me, but I knew that she was now surrounded by a dozen guardians, ready to give their lives for her.

"So what's going on?" Eddie asked, snapping me out of my musings. I looked at Dimitri, who was clearly lost in thought, analyzing the next steps.

"We need to run, get Jill as far away from everyone as possible until the guardians in the Court eliminate the threat. We don't know what kind of ranges the prince has, or how many people serve him. Evidence has been found that there are probably many more hired guards working for him, including human guards, than those found in the manor."

"It's good to know where the Court's money is going…" I snorted and Dimitri continued.

"I don't think we have a tail, so we'll go north and try to cover our tracks behind us. We need to change the car as soon as possible. I think the easiest way to do it will be in Los Angeles. Then we will drive north and stop in Las Vegas, it is possible that we will have to change cars again. Then we will look for a safe hiding place."

I grimaced at the thought of how he was going to switch the car. I didn't think we had time to rent a car.

"Adrian, Sydney" Dimitri caught their glances, looking in the rear view mirror. "In Los Angeles will also be the last place where you can separate from us. I can leave you there and you can call someone to pick you up. The later we separate, the bigger the clue for the kidnappers in which direction they should look for us. So you must make this decision as soon as possible.

"I will not leave Jail-bait," Adrian declared firmly, grabbing her hand. She regarded him with concern, yet gratitude also flickered in her eyes.

"Sydney?" Dimitri asked gently, but firmly. "You know we'll do everything we can to protect you all, but I can't guarantee your absolute safety if you stay with us."

I turned to look at Sydney, but her face was determined and resolute as opposed to past hesitation.

"I will stay. You won't last more than a day without me."

I smiled broadly at her, and she responded with a tentative half-smile.

"Well, it seems we have an interesting road trip ahead of us," I joked to lighten up the mood. I saw almost everyone relax at this remark. Small smiles appeared on Angelina and Adrian's lips, Sydney rolled her eyes playfully, and I noticed that only in Jill did the tension persist. I caught her gaze. "Hey, Jill. Don't worry about anything. We'll make sure you're safe."

"I know, but…" Jill could not maintain eye contact with me for long. She lowered her gaze to her hands, "... the fact that we have to run away because of me... I feel so guilty…"

"Jill, it's not because of you that we are running away, it's because of this maniac Drozdov. Because we will not let him do anything to you," I said firmly.

"It's true, after all, it was Rose who got you involved in all this, so I think it's only fair that now she will make sure that nothing happens to you," Adrian said in a joking tone, brushing her hair. His words hit too close to my deepest fears, so for a second I ran out of words. I saw that Dimitri froze and was already opening his mouth, but I was faster. The last thing we needed was some kind of conflict between the two of them, especially since Adrian had behaved far better than I expected.

"Well, Adrian is right. There is no other place we would rather be," I pointed vaguely at myself, Dimitri, and Eddie, "...than by your side right now, to make sure you are safe. Not because you are a princess. But because there's no way we're going to let anything happen to you."

I reached out to her and she squeezed my hand. Hope shone shyly in her eyes, as if she wanted to believe me, but she didn't dare.

"Besides," Eddie remarked shyly. Until now he had sat as still as a statue, "It's been a good two months since Rose was on a crazy expedition. She can't get out of practice after all."

Jill laughed, and the rest joined her in small smirks. I rolled my eyes and was about to reply something but I felt strong emotions on the side of Lissa's mind to which I had left the mental gate open. It had been a long time since I had been trying to get inside her head, but I found my way in with ease. It turned out to be a skill you don't forget, just like riding a bike.

Lissa was sitting in one of the Palace's safe rooms, conducting a battle worthy of being recorded in history with Hans and Harvey, captain of the royal guard. It had been a long time since I had seen her as furious as she was now when she argued fiercely with them about the possibility of getting her out of the palace. Lissa's maids brought her and Christian suitcases with a supply of clothes, and Hans and Harvey came to inform her that they were evacuating her outside the Court, to one of the secret, safe hiding places.

Lissa categorically and loudly voiced her objection. Since it was safe in the Court she was planning on going to the hospital wing to help the wounded guards. She was not going to abandon her people. She was not going to save her own ass by taking the guardians with her and leaving her people to the mercy of the persecutors.

The dispute was coming to an end when she issued an order to Hans that her wish was to stay in the Court. He could not ignore the monarch's order, but the captain of the guardians did not give up and used the last ace up his sleeve. He was accustomed to persuading Tatiana by implications of her safety, which did not work on Lissa. So he struck from another angle.

"Your Highness, let me explain what this entails. We don't know who we can trust in the Court, so your highness will have to be surrounded by twice as many guardians. Your Majesty's movements will be restricted and watched, and I will have fewer guardians to help defend the gates of the Court, to keep its residents safe, and to help with the investigation regarding Prince Drozdov. Which is directly related to the greater risk to Princess Jill, guardian Hathaway, and Belikov.

Lissa froze with her heart beating furiously. She felt this was a blow below the belt, yet she could not find fault with his logic. Unfortunately, according to what she would like to believe, she knew that Hans would put all the guardians on standby to take care of her, which would slow down proceedings at the Court. She realized that her presence could negatively affect the course of events.

Christian, standing by her side, gently put his hands on her shoulders, offering comfort as she analyzed what she could do in this situation.

"Liss, let's go. The guardians will do what they need to do here, and we can help review the available information while we're in a safe place."

Not without difficulty, Lissa gave in. She forced Hans to promise to keep her informed and send her all the documents and data she could help with. She was still enraged when they took off on her private jet, and even Christian's presence couldn't improve her mood.

When the plane took off, she felt angry and powerless. She felt angry and powerless. She was sick of the fact that, while she was consumed with worry over Jill's fate, I had been the one risking my life in a secret mission to get to the prince's headquarters. Now, I was running away with Dimitri to ensure Jill's safety, while she was being evacuated. She felt that she had failed as a queen, as a sister, and as a friend.

She wanted to act. She wanted to do anything. She couldn't bear to be evacuated like the last coward. She hated herself for it.

I had forgotten how infuriating the one-sidedness of our bond was. How annoying it was to know all those thoughts and not be able to take them away or get them out of her head right away. I wanted to call her and talk some sense into her, but first of all, I couldn't do it, and secondly, Reece, one of the more important guardians, was just approaching her. She let go of Christian's hand, which she squeezed tightly, and assumed a composed expression.

Reece faced them, and I knew he was waiting for Lissa's official permission to sit down. However, she was so preoccupied with the awaited information that it didn't occur to her he was waiting. Knowing guardian etiquette well, Reece began to speak while standing.

"Guard Croft informed me before the flight that nothing was lost. No valuables or papers. However, three guards were killed."

"What were their names?" Lissa asked with a voice filled with irrepressible sadness. I wanted to hug her for asking this question.

"Miraz, Phillips and Grykov. We have their bodies, so we will give them proper funerals," he said quietly and respectfully. This was a serious problem for the guardians when the bodies of their colleagues were taken by the Strigoi or destroyed by them.

"I would like to be present at their funeral. Is that possible?" she asked, hope evident in her voice. Reece swallowed hard.

"I don't think it is possible, your highness. But, of course, I will notify Guardian Croft to take your wish into account."

Lissa stared into space, feeling a sting in her heart. She couldn't even pay tribute to them, or commemorate their sacrifices in some way. Even in this, she was useless. I wanted to kick her for these thoughts.

"Moving on," Reece grunted, saying "the attackers didn't steal anything, they didn't attack anyone from the Court. All indications are that their attack was indeed intended to distract us from Palm Springs."

"So it was all to kidnap Jill," Christian concluded, tightening his grip on Lissa's waist. It seemed to me that since I was in her head, he had never once taken his hands off my friend. The fact that I was grateful for that and didn't react with a vomiting reflex showed the progress I had made.

Lissa felt nauseous at the thought of all the dangers she had put Jill in. And her sister had sacrificed so much to help Lissa.

"Or kill," Reece's words wounded Lissa's heart like a knife. "For all we know, they released a hail of bullets in the direction of the princess's car. Admittedly, those sitting in the front should suffer the most damage, but they had no guarantee that Jill would survive."

In a stifled voice, she asked, "Who was driving in the front?" although she knew the answer. Since I reacted so quickly when she received the information, Lissa guessed that I must have either been driving or in the passenger seat next to Dimitri. At the thought that she could have so easily lost us today, she wanted to fall apart, but forced herself to hold herself together. They are okay, she repeated to herself.

"We don't have that information," Reece answered softly.

"But the other guardians were hit?" She asked, again focusing on Reece's eyes, who lowered his head.

"Yes, two passengers from the other car are dead. There were six other cars there. Our guardians have already taken control of the situation, but we are not sure how large a force Prince Drozdov has. The information provided to us by the guardians who searched the manor in the forest indicates more forces than we have overcome so far."

"So what about Jill, Rose, and Dimitri now? Do we know anything?"

"Guardians Belikov and Hathaway are taking the princess to a location of their choosing and will protect her. Captain Croft decided that in the current situation, the safest option for the princess is to disappear from the radar together with our trusted guardians."After a brief hesitation, he finally voiced his thoughts. "Frankly, we are pleased that they are the ones taking care of the princess. Not only have they proven that they are loyal to the crown and are both outstanding guards, but I believe that there are no two guardians who would do as well as they did in such a crisis-ridden and creativity-demanding mission."

Lissa nodded, cheered up by his words. Heck, I was cheered up too. Ever since I started working as a guardian I always argued with Reece. He always created problems for me and we never agreed on anything. I thought he thought of me as an inexperienced, snarky teenager. Well, in his defense, he had his reasons.

"And who are these people working for Prince Drozdov?" asked Lissa, thinking of the sixty-year-old man sitting on her council, who always had wise, worried eyes. She would never have suspected him of such horrible actions. "Did you find him?"

"No, he hid somewhere, but we are looking for him. These people... they won't admit to anything, but we don't think it could be anyone else. For some reason, he wanted to get Jill. We didn't have time to ask why before we lost contact with the Palm Springs team. Hathaway started saying something, about some kind of research…"

"It needs to be investigated," she said. For a moment she thought about what I would have done and wished I was there with her. Gee, how many compliments were showered on me today. Then she looked at Reece, who maintained a guardian's upright posture. "Guardian Reece, why don't you sit down?"

He hesitated then smiled and Lissa realized her little mistake. She invited him to sit down, after which they began to discuss at length and in detail what Jill might have in common with Prince Drozdov, what to do about the rest of this family, and which residences to search. They also decided that it would be a good idea to question the guardian Dimitri had found suspicious, just before we had to flee. Lissa felt a surge of hope that she might actually be of some use after all.

In my body, I felt pressure on my hand, so I went back to my head. Dimitri was squeezing my hand and looking at me, undoubtedly trying to make contact with me. It seemed that this wasn't his first attempt.

"What's going on?" I asked, returning to my reality. Dimitri's eyes showed something strange—perhaps anxiety, concern—but I couldn't keep my gaze on him for too long, because he quickly turned his eyes to the road. I noticed that we were entering the city.

"We're in Los Angeles. We need to plan how we will get a car."

"Do we have any possibility of not stealing any cars?" I asked. Dimitri thought for a moment but shook his head. My hopes of avoiding the grand theft auto had subsided.

"In my opinion, it is too much of a risk and will take too much time. Besides, we will probably have to change the vehicle again soon."

"We will probably have to get two cars," Eddie remarked. I agreed with him. Looking for a suitable seven-seater car didn't have as many benefits as it did risks. Dimitri nodded in agreement.

"Eddie, can you start a car without keys?"

"Come on, that wasn't a standard skill taught at the academy," I groaned and rolled my eyes. To my great surprise, Eddie smiled, half apologetically.

"Actually... I can start the car without the keys." I turned to him and assessed him in disbelief. He looked as if he was about to laugh at the look on my face.

"I hope you are joking. I've known you forever. When did you supposedly have time for this?"

"There will be time for that later,"" Dimitri ordered in a commanding voice. He looked at Eddie through the rearview mirror. "So the plan is that we will part ways. Me and Eddie will try to start some uncharacteristic cars and we'll all meet at some agreed place."

"Actually…" I said looking at Sydney and Adrian. "It would be better if we didn't go in such a big group," I suggested. "Adrian should go with Eddie. In case of problems, you could always use the spirit."

"To start the car?" Adrian asked with sarcasm in his voice.

"To convince someone to give us access to his car and forget that he had one. And Sydney should go with Dimitri. Angelina and I will ensure Jill reaches the agreed place safely"

"I can start the car, too," Sydney huffed. I rolled my eyes.

"Great. You can go wild then," she threw me a sinister look, but Dimitri made the final decision.

"We will do as Rose says. We will split into three groups and meet at the agreed place."

It was already dawn when we entered the infamous City of Angels. I couldn't help but watch the city in awe for a short time when Dimitri drove slowly, looking for parking lots with lots of cars. I felt terribly silly, but I couldn't help a slight regret at the thought that my first visit to this city fell under such circumstances.

You could have been dead, a voice in my head reminded me. Dimitri and I were literally seconds away from getting shot, and most likely killed in Palm Springs. We probably wouldn't have had time to realize what was happening. After that realization, the rays of the rising sun seemed even more beautiful to me.

Dimitri parked in a hidden alley without cameras, hoping to slow down the discovery that we had abandoned the car. Stepping out of the car, I grimaced putting my feet on the ground. I hadn't had time to recover from my march through the woods, and now I had to turn into a fully vigilant guardian. There was one guardian in each group, so we had to focus one hundred percent.

We didn't have any luggage, so we left the car empty. I figured we'd have to do some shopping before settling into whatever hole Dimitri was undoubtedly thinking of.

Everyone started to gather slowly, and Dimitri approached me. He had his hand extended in front of him, in which he held his credit card and my documents. One real and one fake, stating that I was twenty-one years old. He handed them to me with a serious look on his face.
"If we didn't make it in an hour, run away with Jill and don't look back," he said quietly. There was no hesitation in his face. The thought that he could find himself in trouble and I would have to run away hurt my heart, but I knew I couldn't think twice about it. With a heavy heart, I accepted the card and documents, nodding in agreement.

"Just like last time," I joked. When we escaped from prison after I was accused as Tatiana's killer, we had a similar arrangement. Dimitri was late, but I waited for him, and he arrived.

Just as I had hoped, Dimitri smiled slightly. He walked closer to me to put a strand of my hair behind my ear.

"Be careful, okay?" he whispered. We both knew I would do everything I could to protect Jill. But he couldn't pretend that he wasn't also worried about me. Not with that deep concern breaking through his eyes.

"You too," I whispered. Dimitri hesitated, but when the others' attention was diverted, he quickly kissed me on the lips. Gently, tenderly, with a promise hanging between us. As we went our separate ways I forced myself to stop thinking that this could have been our last kiss. In this profession, we remember that every moment could be the last, and the events in Palm Springs proved exactly that. However, in order to perform my role well, I had to keep myself together.

"Let's get moving," I said confidently to Jill and Angelina. Jill looked barely conscious and exhausted as we walked through town. If I felt tired after our adventures, for her it must have been agony. I indicated to Angelina with my head to walk close to her, and I positioned myself on the other side in case Jill should fall.

If I had been walking with Dimitri or Eddie I would have shared the observation area with them, but Angelina had never been taught this, so I used the solo observation method that Stan had taught us. I asked Angelina if she wanted to learn about this method, and she surprised me by expressing interest, so I told her the basic principles. I knew that she was a good fighter and that she had the potential to be a good guardian. However, she had to undergo training.

We arrived at the Angel Hotel, the place we had agreed upon, half an hour after parting ways with the others. We sat Jill on a bench in the shadow and waited anxiously for the rest. We did not relax even for a moment, watching out for any enemies. I sat down, feeling my legs refusing to obey. I needed to rest to be ready for a possible fight. Dimitri's credit card weighed down in my pocket. Would I manage to leave him this time and run off to save Jill?

Eddie and Adrian pulled up in a black Subaru about fifteen minutes after us. I was glad that they were with us and that they met no complications. I was also relieved to have another guardian who could help me if the situation got out of hand.

Five minutes remained until the appointed hour. I rose from the bench and began to look out nervously for Dimitri and Sydney.

"Why aren't they here yet?" Adrian asked, coming up to me and looking around the street. I shook my head and met his gaze. It seemed to me that he had the same worried look as I did. I paused, surprised, thinking about it. Surely he wasn't worried about Dimitri.

"You said you didn't have any problems, right?" I turned to Eddie, asking. He stood right next to us but kept his eyes on the road.

"None. I only feel sorry for the owner of the Subaru."

"Me too," I admitted and covered my eyes with my hand, as the sun was beginning to obstruct my vision. "I hope the Las Vegas police will give them back their cars."

"We can write apology cards," Adrian said, grinning at me with his teeth, and I laughed, imagining an elegant card saying "Sorry I stole your car. Have a nice day :)"

Exactly one hour after our separation, a dark blue Honda pulled up next to us with Dimitri and Sydney inside. Relief spread through my body, but I wasn't going to show it.

You've got to be kidding me. You can't tell me you're not obsessed with Honda!" I called out as they were getting out of the car. Sydney sent me a smile and Dimitri shot me an amused look. He asked if anyone had any complications and quickly divided us into cars.

In our car, Dimitri was to drive with Sydney, and I was to sit in the back with Jill. I grimaced angrily at not being able to drive, but Dimitri, with one look, made me realize that he wanted to give me a chance to rest. In the second car, Eddie was to take care of Adrian and Angelina.

When everyone was packing into the cars I gave Dimitri the credit card with satisfaction. He hesitated but accepted it.

"Thanks for thinking of Sydney. I'm dying to rest a little bit" I admitted yawning, "And to eat something. I'm starving.

He smiled warmly, and I felt a little better in all the chaos.

"When we find McDonald's I'll wake you up," he promised. Then he looked at Jill, who had already settled down to sleep in the car. "We also need to find some feeders for Jill. We'll take care of everything in Las Vegas. That will be our last big stop."

I nodded and he gently steered me toward the car, kissing me on the forehead. I settled down comfortably, covering myself in Dimitri's duster, which he handed me again for the trip. Sydney was already waiting with a map, with which she was looking out for potential hiding places for us.

Jill fell asleep not long after we set off, but I waited for my hamburger and fries, trying to keep my eyes open, to Dimitri and Sydney's amusement. They laughed a little at me, which I thought was cruel considering that I had dragged Jill out of the manor on my own and hadn't eaten anything since yesterday. Seeing the yellow logo made me beam all over, but I didn't have a chance to relish my win because I heard Lissa's urgent voice in my head.

Rose! Rose! It's important!

I immediately moved to her head. I learned that they had already landed on a small island in Canada where one of her shelters was located. Lissa had barely had time to carry her belongings into the small bedroom when my father, accompanied by two other guardians including my mother, entered the room.

Lissa wasn't surprised, although I didn't understand how anyone could agree to take Abe to the queen's hideout. If I had to make the decision, the old man would have been one of the last people I would have sent with Lissa. However, I found the answer to my doubts in Lissa's mind. When he learned that my and Lissa's bond had returned, he understood that this could be a link of contact that no one would be able to overhear. He convinced Lissa that he had a way to help us, and Lissa found a place for him in her plane.

"Can she hear me yet?" Abe asked, looking into Lissa's eyes as if he was looking for me there. In all the chaos, this almost made Lissa smile.

"I'm not sure. I called out to her, but there's no guarantee that she heard, or that she could transfer to me." For a moment, she imagined the dangerous situations we might have just been involved in. However, she forced herself to stop dwelling on them, choosing instead to focus on helping in any way she could."But it's possible that she might be able to pick up the information later."

"All right, Your Highness. Shall I begin?" Abe waited for her consent and when she nodded, he leaned closer to her, standing with his back to the guardians who had entered with him. He wanted this information to be for me alone. The words he whispered rang out so quietly that only Lissa could hear them.

"Rose, head for Sacramento. There, on Kiefer Boulevard, look for a place called Round Table Pizza. A new car will be waiting for you in the parking lot, a seven-seater with the keys attached under the right front wheel. From Sacramento, head north on State Road 5 all the way to the small town of Lamoine. There, my absolutely trusted man will be waiting in the bar; he will lead you to a safe house, to which I happen to have the keys. If you have heard, write me or Lissa a message with the number one. If you want me to repeat myself, send the number two."

"Thank you," Lissa whispered, feeling relieved that we were guaranteed such accommodations by Abe. She was surprised that none of the guardians had thought of this way of contacting us. Abe smiled sadly at her.

"Your Majesty, I have a very personal reason to see to their safety," he replied with visible determination in his eyes. Lissa had all sorts of feelings about Abe, but the fact that he was trying so hard to help me and give me as much security as he could, made her feel very moved. I wanted to roll my eyes hard enough for her to feel it.

I went back to my head, to the car where Dimitri and Sydney were already waiting in a car queue for our orders.

"Hey! I wanted to choose too!" I tried to sound outraged. Sydney turned around with a half-smile.

"Dimitri placed some elaborate order for you. Did you find something?"

"My caring father tried to contact me through Lissa." They both looked at me, but Dimitri had to move forward. "He arranged a car for seven of us in Sacramento and told us to take State Road Five and drive north as far as…"

"...Lamoine," Dimitri finished, and seeing my shocked look, he explained. "This was one of the places where we considered hiding you when we escaped. But Abe decided it was too far away."

"In any case, it may be useful to us now," I replied, trying not to roll my eyes while thinking about their excellent plan, in which I was to wait for a couple of months in a MOTEL in West Virginia, "We are to meet Abe's man there, who will lead us to this house."

"That was also the plan the previous time. Apparently, this house is so hidden in the woods that we wouldn't even be able to handle the clues."

"Sounds like the perfect place," Sydney concluded.

Dimitri gave me his phone to send Abe a text message since my phone was still out of battery. As we neared the window, I woke Jill up. She stretched sleepily, and it caught my attention how pale and exhausted she was. At first, I thought she was missing food when it dawned on me.

"Jill, how long has it been since you drank blood?" I asked softly, and Dimitri turned to us with a stone-cold face through which anxiety shone.

"Hmm…" Jill had to pause to think. "A day before the kidnapping. I would love to have some blood."

"We'll take care of it in Sacramento," Dimitri said and opened the window to take our orders. The smell alone made me think of nothing else but food.

"Sacramento?" Jill seemed slightly confused.

"Yes. A slight change of plans," I smiled sweetly, picking up our bags of food from Dimitri. I saw my favorite order and smiled broadly, catching his gaze in the rearview mirror. I could only see his eyes, but I knew he was also smiling.

We took the opportunity to park and make the others aware of our new plan. Fortunately, no one argued or questioned our decision to trust Abe. We wanted him to also arrange a feeder for Jill. We asked Adrian to try reaching Abe during his sleep since it was risky to discuss it over the phone. If unsuccessful, we planned to look for a feeder on our own. If we failed to contact him, we were to look for a feeder on our own.

As we set off on the road to Sacramento I let myself feel how horribly I needed sleep. I had taken care of everything I could for now, I had eaten my food, so having wrapped myself in Dimitri's duster, which I still hadn't given him back, I went to sleep.