Chapter 27 - The Interrogation

Present day - March

Dimitri POV

We had been arguing with hushed voices for a while, not reaching any common ground on the matter.

Spiridon insisted that now that Rose's sickness was over, we should interrogate her. We obviously needed answers from her, but I wasn't going to let him force her. I had seen some of his interrogation tactics, and while I knew he wouldn't do any physical harm to her I was afraid he would push her too far without consideration of her frailty. I needed him to understand the trauma she had been though with Moore in the basement, not to mention everything else we didn't know about, but I still couldn't muster up the resolution to tell him how badly we had fucked up by waiting too long to get to the Institution. I was sure we could've prevented that animal from forcing himself on her if we would've done the search right and found the signs of compulsion earlier. I was also terrified of how Rose would react when she learnt that we were watching Moore's abuse of her and that we could've prevented some of it.

I looked at Spiridon and cringed internally as I saw the bruises that I had inflicted on him a couple of days ago. Although it had been necessary, I didn't like knowing I'd hurt him. A part of me felt a little better knowing he'd gotten a few nasty punches on me as well, unconsciously my hand wandered to my sore ribs.

Normally, when we sparred, we would be close to the same level. I was only marginally better than him, with some advantage of my bigger size as well. But when I stepped between him and Rose, it had been different. He'd been violent, doing everything in his power to incapacitate me, the one thing that stopped him from going into that room where Rose was. His strikes were aggressive and fierce, but not calculative and strategic. He had really, truly lost all control that time, and neither of us had ever seen nor experienced anything like that. Taking him down had been fairly easy, getting him to snap out of it had been less so. And so far, it had been difficult for him to let go of the guilt that he had come so close to hurting her, almost doing the unspeakable. It was probably that guilt that clouded his judgment and made him willing to cross boundaries that shouldn't be crossed at this point.

"We can't pressure her, she'll tell us what she knows when she's ready. I refuse to pressure her and make her more afraid than she already is for our own gain," I said, crossing my arms over my chest.

"But it's not solely for our own gain! I don't know what the hell is going on with her and us but we need to know more, it's for her own safety as well. And if I have to push her to get the answers we need, I will." He mirrored my stance. "You don't have to play an active part in it."

He and I simply had different priorities right now. I wanted to do everything I could in order to protect Rose, and he wanted to get as much information as possible to never risk hurting someone who needed our protection. While those weren't mutually exclusive, they were however fighting for the highest priority. And right now my highest priority was the girl's safety, not only physical, but her mental wellbeing as well. Arthur was doing his best to hide the other children, we had warned him about the sickness and at this moment there was nothing else we could do to help him or other taken ones. We had to focus on what was right in front of us, and after we had secured Rose's safety, we would have time to further the cause and get to the bottom of the dhampir disappearances. With that said, we did need to know more about her sickness simply for the fact that it would be impossible to keep her safe without it, but I wasn't willing to put pressure on her quite yet.

"I agree with you that we need more information in order to take precautions to similar situations in the future, but that doesn't mean we should intimidate her into te-"

"For almost four days I've been imagining fucking that girl on every single surface available, and then some. And it's not only being in the same room as her, it fucking lingers on my thoughts. I fucking hate it. I hate being like this. I hate where my mind keeps going. I never want to experience anything like this again. And if I need to persuade her to give us answers, I fucking will," he said through gritted teeth. "No matter what."

I ran an exasperated hand through my hair, knowing exactly what he meant. But that didn't mean I would let him scare her or harm her in any way. I pressed my lips into a thin line and shook my head, glaring at him.

"We will try to get some answers, but pushing her is not an option. She is traumatized, alone and afraid, and it won't do any good if we force her. You will not interrogate her, I won't allow it." I hated to pull rank on him, and from the narrowing of his eyes he caught my reminder of which one of us was ultimately in charge.

"Do we understand each other?"

He didn't answer, only gave me a tense nod. I turned around and started walking away from him and the house. "I need to make a few phone calls, I'll check the perimeter while I'm at it," I said over my shoulder.

Tasha had agreed to send us the Ozera private jet in order for us to exit the country. Flying with their jet combined with Tasha's help would allow us to evade border control, but it was still far too risky revealing our identities to the crew at the private airport and on the airplane. There was also a risk that other guardians or Morois would fly with the jet back to the States, and Tasha could not guarantee an empty cabin.

Spiridon thought that we should consider staying in Russia since it would be impossible to hide Rose on the plane ride. I was sure that after the raid of the last Institution, word had spread out and potential informants were looking out for young girls traveling with former members of the Division. I knew that if someone took one look at us three together they would know that something was up and I wouldn't risk anyone guessing that she was one of the taken ones.

Once I was far enough not to be overheard by him I took my phone out and dialed the familiar numbers.

A wave of longing washed over me when my mother answered the phone. She sounded a bit flustered, and I smiled thinking about how she must've rushed from the kitchen to answer the phone in the hall. It had been a long time since I visited Baia, and I was feeling especially home-sick now that I heard my mother's joy in hearing my voice. We talked for a while and she told me how my sisters were doing, and I shared some anecdotes about Spiridon. I wanted to continue the easy-going conversation but I knew I had to cut it short.

"We miss you so much, Dimka. I know your work is very important, but I can't help but hope that you would come home more often. Do you think you'll be able to take leave soon?"

The thought of going back to Baia was so tempting, but I knew I couldn't risk Rose that way. The whole point of escaping the country was to get some distance between her and the Institution, knowing that they would look for her here, assuming she would not be able to leave Russia undetected. We also needed to get closer to Court, as contradictory as it was, in order for us to continue investigating and helping the taken ones.

"Not for a while," I sighed, wishing things were easier. "I'm sorry, mama."

"It's okay, we'll be here waiting for you. Any news on Rose?"

After all these years she would always ask about Rose. The tone of her voice revealed that she was expecting the same answer as always, bracing herself for yet another disappointment. I wasn't the only one who hadn't been able to move past Rose's kidnapping, it had cast a shadow on my entire family. I swallowed hard trying to find the right words.

"Dimka?"

"It's her, it's just so hard to believe but it's Rose." My voice was hoarse and I swallowed thickly. "I found her. Mama, I found her."

I heard a sharp intake of air on the other end of the line, followed by sobs. "Is she well?" she asked after she had taken a moment to collect herself.

I was struggling to hold back my tears too. "I'm not sure, she's been through a lot. Too much, really."

"Oh Dimka, you´ve made me so proud. I knew that you wouldn't give up but I'm so glad that you can finally be freed of the guilt I've seen in your eyes. You've done so much, you found her." The love in her voice echoed through me but I wasn't free from guilt, I've just failed Rose again.

"Yes I've found her, but she's not safe yet." I didn't want to explain my failure to mama, but felt that I needed guidance. After all, my mother had suffered abuse by the hand of my father and she might know what to do, how to handle the situation. "Mama, she was r-"

I was interrupted by the sound of a familiar voice in the background, and I cleared my throat. Perhaps it was for the better to not disclose what I had seen in the basement and spare her the guilt and pain. I knew that like me, my mother would carry the pain with her, putting so much blame on herself for not being able to do more that time they came for her. I knew she was struggling to forgive herself from choosing her children over Rose and preventing further investigation of the matter in order to keep her family intact and safe.

"Nevermind all that sentimentality, let me talk to him. We need to get everything in order." I could hear the phone transferring hands and then Yeva spoke directly to me.

"Now that you've found her, what do you intend to do with her in order to make this time count?"

I thought about her question for a moment, and had to admit to myself that I had no idea what to do, and as much as it was scary to rely on others' help I knew that I could trust Babushka's judgment. I scratched my stubble with my thumb before I spoke.

"I don't know, any ideas?"

Rose POV

"Hey, you foul temptress, are you decent?" Spiridon's voice called out from the living room. His voice was joking, but laced with a palpable seriousness that made me cautious.

I opened the door to my bedroom and stepped out into the main room, noticing the chair that was placed in the middle of the room. I didn't think much about it and started walking towards the kitchenette to grab something to drink, ignoring that stupid, blond man. Ever since my sickness he had begun calling me foul temptress, and I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of reacting to that nickname. I had only taken a few steps when he strode across the room and stepped in front of me, effectively blocking my path.

"What are you doing?" I asked, the nervousness creeping in on me. I had started to feel somewhat comfortable in their presence, but now Spiridon was scaring me. I glanced up at him only to notice that he was serious and focused, staring me down. His calculative eyes bore into mine with an intensity I could only guess wasn't good news.

"Sit down," he said calmly, and motioned towards the chair with his head. I turned around and looked at the chair, which seemed a lot more intimidating than before.

"What's going on?" I demanded. I tried to sound unaffected but my voice cracked a bit.

"I'm not going to hurt you, I just want to talk."

"What if I don't want to talk?" I said defiantly, only to be ushered towards the chair. I felt the wood against the back of my legs and ungraciously slumped down. Spiridon stayed in front of me, towering over me for a moment, before taking a seat on the coffee table in front of the chair. Next to him was a floor lamp that was lit, and he directed the light straight in my face, effectively blinding me.

"What are you doing?!" I groaned, shielding my eyes with my hand. He chuckled, turning the lamp back away. "Haven't you ever seen the way they interrogate people in movies?" he said, and it was obvious that he was trying to disperse my fear with a joke. He was still smiling, but the smile didn't reach his eyes and was unnerving. His lame attempt to ease the situation didn't help though, and I reacted to his choice of words.

"Is that what this is, an interrogation?"

"I would consider this more of an exchange of information."

"Assuming it is only me exchanging said information, it seems a hell of a lot like an interrogation to me," I accused him through gritted teeth.

His tense smile didn't reach his eyes. "Call it what you want, but the sooner we can finish this conversation the sooner you can resume whatever it was that you were doing. I just need to know more about your sickness."

Conversation. That was exactly what Moore had said to Alto when he was punishing me, calling our interaction a conversation. Kicking me in the stomach was absolutely not a conversation, and I had a bitter feeling that this time wouldn't be any better. I grit my teeth together, trying to stare Spiridon down. I didn't know where Dimitri was, and if he was in on this. I knew it would benefit us all if they knew more about my sickness, as it was clear that they wanted to stay clear of me during that, but I had three blissful months until the next one and hopefully I would not be stuck with them for so long. There was really no need for me to tell anything to them, in case it would be used against me at a later point.

"I think you know by now that we don't wish to hurt you, as we've had plenty of opportunities to do so, especially during the time you were sick. You said that you have been sick all your life, what does it entail?"

I couldn't contain my cringe at what he said and pressed my lips together, looking down to avoid his intense gaze.

"We know at least some, but what are all the symptoms of your sickness? Other than the fever and the -" he stalled, trying to find the right words. I could tell that he knew that I knew what he was referring to. The calling, the part of my sickness I didn't even understand myself. I remained silent and my cheeks blushed with shame, although I wasn't sure why I was ashamed. I hadn't done anything wrong, but it was hard to convince myself of that.

"What would they do to you at the Institution when you were sick?"

I glanced up, and although he kept his expression neutral, I could tell he was starting to get annoyed by my lack of cooperation. The gray in his eyes bore into me like sharp ice. His foot hooked onto the leg of my chair, and he dragged me closer to him without breaking eye contact. I instinctively shrunk back in my chair, wanting to get further away from him in the very limited space I had.

"As much as I may joke around and seem easy-going, just know that I'm not a man of endless patience. In order to secure your and others safety, you will need to answer the questions I ask. Right now you are standing in our way to help others and yourself." He narrowed his eyes slightly. "Do you underst-"

The front door flew open and Dimitri had already crossed the room by the time I finished my gasp. Spiridon got up from his seated position so quickly that he bumped into me, sending me tumbling to the ground. I managed to brace the fall with my hands and heard the thuds from the chair hitting the floor.

For a second time staying in this cabin, Spiridon and Dimitri were going at it. Sensing my fear Dimitri seemed to be dragging Spiridon closer to the door, not saying a word in the process, but it was clear that he was seething with anger. I was relieved when they disappeared through the door. I heard their voices from outside and quickly got up, because for once, they weren't scheming in Russian. This time they were speaking English, and it was clear that they were arguing. I walked over to the front door, not wanting to miss out on anything they said.

Dimitri, closed in on Spiridon, and his tone raised the hairs on the back of my neck when he spoke. "I told you to leave her alone."

"Perhaps, but that doesn't change the fact that we need information. Why can't you see this objectively and come to terms with the fact that she needs to tell us what she knows, no matter how uncomfortable it may be for her?"

Dimitri was practically yelling when he took a step forward, his entire body shaking with fury. "Because we let her get raped by waiting for the rest of the Division to arrive. You will leave her alone because when I found her she was in the fucking basement and that fucking animal was between her legs with his fucking cock out. Do you understand what she had to go through because of us?"

I stopped breathing.

I was listening and hanging on to his every word as he continued to roar at Spiridon, who looked like someone had punched him. Dimitri thought that Moore had raped me, and I realized why he had thought that. When the door had flown open to the basement and Dimitri had ripped Moore off me, Moore was already positioned between my legs. That much I had felt, as well as the terrifying moment he had ripped off my panties. I hadn't seen it, but apparently his pants had already been down exposing himself, and I wanted to throw up knowing exactly how close he had come to violating me. I was startled to realize that Dimitri had actually saved me, and it was clear that he was absolutely devastated thinking that I had been raped by Moore.

"No he didn't. You came in time."

I was impressed to hear my voice so steady despite all the internal turmoil. They both turned around, surprised to see that I was a witness to their argument. "He didn't rape me, because you stopped him," I said and looked Dimitri dead in the eye. I caught a flicker of hope in his otherwise so devastated expression, and he took a few steps closer to me.

I looked down at my feet in an attempt to gather my thoughts. "He didn't rape me. Not that night in the basement, or before that. I know he has done that to others, and he tried to do it with me. I mean he hurt me, and he has hurt m-" I rambled on but Dimitri interrupted me. While I was trying to put words to my thoughts he had closed the distance between us with determined steps, and I suddenly felt a pair of strong arms wrap themselves around me without hesitation. He drew me into his arms and his tall frame lifted my feet off the ground into the most overwhelming hug of my life. I barely had any experience of physical touch that wasn't unwelcomed, so my body reacted instinctively. I tensed up and turned absolutely rigid in his arms, but if he noticed he simply ignored it. I felt his face right next to mine, burying it in the crook of my neck, the rough stubble of his jawline against my skin. I couldn't help thinking that hugging me had been some sort of instinctive act on his part, something he had done to seek comfort and reassurance. Still, it was hard to force my lungs to breathe and dismiss my instinct of trying to free myself of his hold.

Despite the intimacy of the position, despite the closeness to a guardian, my mind still somehow welcomed it. Perhaps I was so starved of physical contact. Perhaps I just simply believed that he didn't want to hurt me. Now that the haze of the sickness was gone, I thought I would want to avoid both of them like the plague. But instead a big part of me cherished this very moment, the way his strong arms held me, and I felt safe. The way it seemed that all that mattered in this world to him was that he came in time into that basement and stopped Moore from raping me. And I believed him. For the first time since I met him, I truly believed that his intentions were good.

I drew in a large gulp of air and felt his scent wrap around me like a blanket, comforting in ways I didn't know was possible even though my sickness was over. One of my arms moved up and with a tense awkwardness I stroked his upper back, yielding to the bizarre urge to comfort him. My fingers brushed against his warm and solid back, feeling the planes of his muscles underneath my fingertips. The feeling of his warm ragged breath against my neck brought the dream back, but I pushed it aside.

Of course, Spiridon broke the spell we were under, and for once I was glad to hear his voice. The intense proximity to a guardian was starting to overwhelm me and it was getting harder and harder to suppress my instincts.

"I want a hug too, Belikov," he said and came over to us, pouting. I didn't know who was more shocked, but Dimitri put me back on the ground and immediately pulled Spiridon into a bear hug, lifting his feet off the ground as well. He even twirled around once, Spiridon laughing boisterously. After a while he let go of Spiridon, who was grinning like an idiot. Dimitri looked like the weight of a mountain had lifted off his shoulders.

He took a few unsteady steps back and dropped to his knees. He seemed to have a hard time understanding that he had truly made it there in time. Or maybe he just had a hard time believing it. He looked up at me through his thick, dark eyelashes, his eyes glistening with emotion. I smiled tentatively at him and he answered with a smile of his own. The corners of his eyes crinkled and I noticed that he almost had dimples when he bared his teeth in a smile. I was almost taken aback by the beauty of seeing this tall, taciturn man smile like that.

Oh boy.