Chapter 31 - The States

Present day - March

Rose POV

I was thinking about all the times I would sit in the classroom, listening to Ms. Carmack, thinking that it was the ultimate boredom. That she somehow had a talent of making time stand still. If I wasn't crammed in this suitcase I would've looked around to see if she was there, morphing the time to stand still. My legs were aching and I was dying to stretch them out. I knew I could breathe just fine, but it was so claustrophobic in here. I wanted out.

Luckily the plane had stopped vibrating and I was pretty sure we had landed. Staying in the suitcase had been even more scary ever since that blond Moroi girl had found me. During the brief discussion before boarding the plane Dimitri had made it clear that she was in fact the Dragomir princess, unless there were other princesses onboard. Ms. Carmack had taught me that the Dragomir line had emerald green eyes and blond hair as their signature traits, in line with the girl's appearance.

A Dragomir. If Ms. Carmack's words were true I should feel honored to have met one, but I could only feel unease.

I stifled a yelp as someone dragged the suitcase and lifted it, effectively squishing the last of my comfort. Last time we were moving it hadn't been for that long luckily, and I knew that Dimitri would set the suitcase down on its wheels as soon as he could. Then it would be easier for me to maintain my position. I heard their voices, although slightly muffled. Dimitri and Spiridon were thanking for the ride, saying their goodbyes.

This was good, this was really good. Soon I would be freed from the confinements of this horrible, stupid suitcase. I vowed to myself to hit Spiridon with the empty water bottle that he had stuffed into the suitcase with me. Next time I would shove him into a damn suitcase. Thinking about all the ways I could make Spiridon pay somehow was helping me endure the last minutes of being trapped, and soon enough I felt the little wheels of the suitcase hit the hard ground. From the hole that had provided me with some much needed air I felt the coldness seep in and I welcomed it. The crisp air felt like heaven.

"Wait!"

I groaned loudly, unable to stop myself. Did she really have to stop us now that I was so close to my freedom? It was as if she was playing a cruel joke on me.

"Princess," Spiridon acknowledged, bordering on rude in his tone.

"I need to speak with her." I wasn't sure what Spiridon or Dimitri said but it was clear that they were not willing to let her do that.

"Please, I said to my guardians that I would return your book to you, and used some compulsion. We have a few minutes, I just need to know that she's okay."

Someone was carefully pulling the zipper to the side, allowing more cold and fresh air inside. I looked up and saw a pair of emerald green eyes that were looking at me with worry. She didn't open the suitcase a lot, only so that she could see me through the opening.

"What's your name?" she asked.

"My name is Rose, princess." I recalled all the times the teachers had drilled us on how to conduct ourselves in front of a Moroi, nonetheless a Royal Moroi. A princess. I couldn't curtsy her the way I felt the impulse to, but I was determined to do my best given the situation.

"Call me Lissa," she smiled. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, princess."

Her gaze flicked over to the final traces of the bruises Moore had inflicted on me. "Have these men hurt you?"

"No, princess. They are helping me," I answered immediately. She eyed me for a moment but I was unable to meet her gaze, looking away in hope to show her the respect I needed to show her.

"I want to help."

This time she wasn't talking to me. She was looking at Dimitri and Spiridon instead of me, and a larger hand appeared in the opening, closing the zipper to the suitcase. I wasn't sure if it was Dimitri or Spiridon, but suspected the latter since the zipper closed completely. I was sure Dimitri would've left an opening to allow fresh air in. I could not hear what they were saying since they were whispering, and the sounds from a nearby airplane lifting or landing was obscuring their discussion. After a while the suitcase started moving again, hopefully towards my freedom.

I've had it. I needed out. My fingers were searching along the zipper to the suitcase, trying to find an opening. Finally I caught it and I started pushing, wedging my finger through the hole. Then two. Then three. I continued until I could fit my hand and started dragging it more open.

"You look like Ace Ventura in the rhino when you shove your hand out the hole like that."

I had just managed to open the suitcase completely and fell out of it ungracefully. I looked up at Spiridon from the ground. "Who?" I managed to groan.

"You know when Jim Carrey plays-" he paused and sighed irritably. "Never mind."

I noticed the empty water bottle next to me and threw it at him. Like a cobra his hand caught it in the air, his guardian reflexes kicking in. He tsk at me which made me want to do more hurtful things with the bottle, but instead of letting him goad me I focused on my stinging limbs.

I was massaging my leg but stayed on the ground, afraid that I would collapse if I tried to stand up yet. Spiridon lowered himself down in front of me and I only flinched a little bit. "May I?" he asked with his hands stretched towards the leg I wasn't massaging. When I gave him a small nod I felt his strong hands force the blood flow back into my limb, much more efficiently than my own hands were doing to the other. After a while he switched to the other, ignoring my hands on my upper thigh and focusing on the lower parts of my leg.

"Where's Dimitri?"

"Retrieving a vehicle," he answered with a disinterested tone. I wasn't sure if it would be stolen or not, and decided I would rather not know.

"Do you think she'll tell on us?" I couldn't help but ask, but Spiridon remained silent.

Meeting the princess had startled me, and I was suddenly painfully aware of her position and the power she held. We had not discussed potential perpetrators in depth, but Dimitri had made it sound as if Moore wasn't the most dangerous thing out there. This was in line with the limited information Moore had sprung on me in the basement and it was imperative that I was to remain hidden. During the plane ride I was discovered, so I deduced that the discovery had put me and my guardians in danger.

My guardians.

I snorted at the thought and Spiridon looked curiously at me, but I didn't say anything. A silver sedan rolled in front of us interrupting both of our thoughts, and we silently got in. Spiridon in the front, me in the backseat behind him.

"Seat belt, Rose."

I looked down and noticed that I had forgotten to secure it, quickly pulling it across my body. The click was loud in the silent car.

"Are you alright?" Dimitri continued as he drove further away from the small airport.

I was about to answer that I was fine, but instead I thought about his questions for a while. "I'm okay, considering-" I trailed off. "I need to move more, I don't think I'll manage to sit in the car for long. And I'm a little hungry and thirsty."

"You know what, I'll buy you the greasiest, nastiest hamburger we can find for doing so well in the suitcase. I wouldn't have managed to do that," Spiridon said as he handed me a bottle of water. I greedily gulped it down.

I reasoned that there wasn't any point in throwing the empty bottle at Spiridon, but settled instead of hitting him in the head with it. I bided my time, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. He was humming along to the radio, giving Dimitri instructions where to drive every now and then. The next time he would open his mouth I would strike. I sat completely still, observing, waiting, spying.

"Take the next exit, we ne - "

Before he had finished his sentence, I was giving him a blow to the head. However, amazingly so, one of his hands caught mine mid air and the other snatched the bottle from my hand. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Dimitri's hand dart out and secretly turn Spiridon's seat warmer on. Before I could think more about it Spiridon was pounding my head with the plastic bottle.

"You are so obvious, temptress. I spotted your rigidness six exits ago. We really need to work on your stealth skills," he said between his playful hits. Normally, I would have taken the bait and gotten irritated by his taunting. But my attack did result in something good. It had given Dimitri the opportunity he needed. I pulled back my arm and leaned back in my seat trying to play it cool. My gaze flicked over to Dimitri but he was an impenetrable and void mask of guardian essence. Spiridon continued his humming, but before the song had ended he cursed out loud and turned off the seat warmer again.

He turned around and stared at me, only to then stare at Dimitri. "Nothing good can come of you two teaming up against me." He huffed and started giving Dimitri instructions again as we were closing in on our destination. I caught Dimitri's cheek twitch into what I assumed was a smile he attempted to hide. He had never joined in on the bantering between Spiridon and I, and I was pleased to note this new side of him. It wasn't only that I was more comfortable with him knowing that he smiled and behaved a bit carefree. It was mostly a weird sensation of wanting him to be carefree, to revel in his joy. I realized I wanted him to be relaxed, to be himself. And I wanted to learn what being himself entailed.

They had told me that we were going to stay at a motel, but that we would only take one room due to precautions. I had a feeling that safety wasn't the only reason, but they did not disclose further. I hadn't really allowed myself to dwell on the fact that I was about to stay in one room with two guardians, but now that the motel sign was visible I was very anxious. Spiridon would check us in while we waited in the car. If anyone would ask, I was Dimitri's sister and Spiridon was Dimitri's friend. This constellation was far better than the initial suggestion of me being Spiridon's or Dimitri's girlfriend. I would just have to remain silent in order not to reveal that Dimitri and I had very different accents.

Dimitri made the final turn towards the parking lot of the motel and my stomach turned. I tried to reassure myself that if they wanted to rape me they would have had a picnic doing so the entire last week. I trusted them. I trusted him.

I was repeating the last part in my head, comforting myself with Dimitri's proximity and once again surprising myself of how much he had come to mean to me and how safe I felt with him. I jumped in my seat when Spiridon got out of the car, and when he was closing his door he looked at me and shook his head. I could barely hear him muttering under his breath 'scared again are we'. Dimitri didn't break the silence, only exuding calmness.

After a while Spiridon was making his way towards the car and we both got out to get the gear out of the truck. I realized I was breathing heavily when we walked towards our assigned room. I didn't carry anything, Dimitri insisted on doing it for me so my arms were awkwardly hanging to my sides. What did I usually do with my arms? I fidgeted now as Spiridon opened the door and entered. Dimitri signaled with a slight bow of his head that I should follow him and I gulped as I took the step over the threshold.

There were two twin beds in the motel room. The floor was covered by a stained carpet, and everything looked very much out of date. However, it was a vast improvement to where I had spent the last few days - the tent and the suitcase. The bed looked like heaven, but it was too close to the other one. I looked around trying to see if there was somewhere else to sleep but the only other furniture in the room was a small desk and a chair, as well as the bedside tables. When I noticed the door furthest in I realized how full my bladder was and quickly made my way to the bathroom. Luckily the door had a lock.

When I got back out it was clear that they had decided on our sleeping arrangements. My meager belongings were placed on the bed closest to me, furthest away from the exit. I wasn't sure who was taking the other bed and I was afraid to ask. To be honest I didn't know who I wanted to sleep so close to me.

Dimitri POV

Rose came out of the bathroom looking anxiously around the room, her gaze avoiding Spiridon and I. I didn't want to dwell on how uncomfortable she must be, so opted to give her a distraction.

"You must still be stiff from traveling, would you like to accompany me to the closest gas station?" I offered politely, and after receiving a small, timid nod we made our way out. When I held the door open for her I quickly scanned her appearances, making sure nobody would be alarmed by her looks. She shied away from me when she moved past me, trying to put as much distance as she could between us in the limited space. Her arms were folded over her chest, and it made me wonder why she did that.

Spiridon stayed behind this time, and I once again felt a slight gratitude for his ability to read the room. It was clear that she was more comfortable in my presence despite their banter. They may joke around and play around, but when worse comes to worst she seeked safety from me. It was one of those things that had me convinced that she remembered me, at least subconsciously.

We walked in silence towards the gas station. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence, but I could tell she was deep in her thoughts and nervous. When we reached the door I turned to her before opening it, my hand grabbing the handle.

"Pick anything you want," I murmured, and pulled the door open. She slipped inside and despite the obvious nervousness she scanned the limited number of aisles, unsurprisingly finding and staying at the one with candy and snacks. I grabbed us several packs of water and walked back over to Rose. She was carrying different kinds of candies and chocolates, her hands were so full that she dropped a chocolate bar on the ground. I bent over and snatched it up before she could and she looked up at me with a hint of timidness. I realized I was towering over her and took a step back allowing her some space.

"I'm sorry, I can just put these back."

"I told you that you can pick anything you want. Even if that is diabetes," I smiled, turning around and getting us a basket. I heard her steps as she followed me and we both ignored the clerk who was staring at me with obvious wariness. She dropped all the stuff she had picked into the basket and I made sure to grab Spiridon's favorite chocolate bar and a bag of chips. I heard her steps move towards the cooler with the drinks and when I looked up she was standing in front of it, trying to decide which one to pick. After getting her a toothbrush, feeling guilt that I hadn't thought about it before, I joined her. We stood there looking at the different sodas for a while, until my curiosity won.

"Have you ever tried a soda?"

"Yeah, uh, Igor once gave me a coke. It was a little weird and left my teeth feeling fuzzy, but I kind of liked it at the same time."

Whenever Rose would answer one of my questions it would only raise several new ones. Who was this Igor? Had he hurt her like Moore had, or done something worse? Something I barely prevented Moore from doing? Again, my curiosity got the best of me. "Who is Igor?" I asked, noticing how she tensed up. Just a little bit, and she probably didn't think I would notice. But my training has made me very good at reading people. "Is he your friend?" I added, hoping that a more casual tone in my inquiries would help her relax enough to answer.

"He is, or was, a guardian at the place you took me from." She frowned a bit. "Not a friend, no, but friendly enough, I think." Her body language was closed off when she opened the cooler and grabbed a coke. In my mind I scanned through the names of the guardians that were mentioned on the time schedule we had found but they were all last names. I wasn't sure that it was a good thing that she was on a first name basis with one of them. We moved towards the register. I walked behind her and looked at the young teenage boy working the register. His eyes lingered a bit too long on Rose for my liking, but I ignored it and paid with cash.

"How come we're not wearing the charms?" she asked when we stepped outside into the cool air of late March. I contemplated her question, surprised with her ability to observe and comprehend what was going on around her.

"The charms don't react well to security cameras. It would draw more attention to us wearing them, should the boy in there have looked at the security footage when we were inside. And Spiridon and I both feel that it's safe enough for us out here, so far away from where Moroi usually stay. We're only staying one night before moving on."

She nodded and we both started walking back to the motel. For the third time within ten minutes I couldn't curb my curiosity. "Do you remember anything about our first encounter?"

"When you manhandled me in the woods?" she replied drily. We came to a stop at a crosswalk and I turned to her, but she kept her eyes trained on the traffic light ahead.

"I suppose I did that. Both times."

Her silence only spurred me on. If she really didn't suspect, really didn't remember anything she would have objected to that, reminding me that we've only had one encounter in the woods.

"I know that I look a bit different, it was over ten years ago after all."

"Can you not? Please, I'm sorry. It's just- I can't right now." Her voice was a hoarse whisper and she made a hasty attempt to flee, determined to cross the road without waiting for the light to turn green. My hand shot out and I grabbed her hoodie, pulling her back so that she wouldn't get run over by the car that was passing just that second. She stumbled a bit and my hand pressed flat against her back, steadying her. Even after both her feet were steady on the ground I kept it there.

"Why are you so afraid? It's me, Dimitri." Now my voice was almost as hoarse as hers, pleading to her to remember me. Perhaps I was pleading for her trust.

She shrugged my hand off her back and started crossing the road the second the light switched. My long legs quickly caught up with her. We walked in silence again, her angry steps determined to get to the motel as fast as possible. Why would she not admit that she had some recollection of me? Why couldn't she come to terms with the fact that she has met me before? Maybe our first encounter wasn't as significant for her as it had been for me. For me it had been life-altering, steering every decision in my life towards helping her and others like her. Maybe she had been too young to have any real recollection. When that thought came, I quickly dismissed it. I had caught her glances, her silent questions, her reactions. I knew she remembered me on some level and it was up to me to gain her trust and comfort enough to embrace that. I decided not to push her further, but felt that I owed her some kind of apology.

We had reached the motel and stood in front of the door to our room. I used the key to open the door and turned to her. "I'm sorry I manhandled you." Before I let her in I couldn't help but add. "Twice."

With a slight huff she pushed through and entered the room. Spiridon was under the covers already. I noticed with relief that he was wearing a t-shirt, knowing well that he preferred as little clothing as possible when he slept. I wanted to shudder knowing all the private little details about Spiridon from spending so much time around him in close quarters.

"Why did Dimitri manhandle you? Didn't you behave?" he asked leisurely.

I threw his chocolate bar at him and watched Rose disappear into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. We both stared at the door until we heard her turn on the shower. I placed the toothbrush on her bedside table with a bottle of water, and started shuffling through my bag for some clean clothes for her. Spiridon took notice, and told me he had already placed some of his inside the bathroom. I looked around the room for something to keep me occupied but he had already laid out a place for me to sleep. It was closest to the wall, so that if someone opened the door they would not immediately see me. It would give us some precious seconds we needed to protect Rose, and we decided that it wasn't necessary to sleep in shifts. This would be the first night in a long time we could sleep for more than five hours straight.

I glanced at the clock and noticed that Rose had been asleep for a couple of hours. She was restless, tossing and turning in her sleep. I contemplated waking her up, but hesitated since it had taken her so long to fall asleep. It had been clear that she was afraid with both Spiridon and I in the same room while she slept, preventing her from drifting into unconsciousness.

I heard Spiridon get up from his bed with a groan. He sat on the edge of the bed for a while, his silhouette still visible in the darkness. He leaned over and rubbed his face and got up.

"Let's switch places," he whispered when he was by my makeshift bed on the floor.

"I don't think the sounds are any less audible from here than the bed."

"We need to do something, it's been like this since her sickness. She needs rest." I sat up and he continued. "She's more comfortable with you."

I nodded although not sure what to do. I got up and stretched. Spiridon immediately took my place. "Thanks for warming it up for me," he mumbled and rolled to his side facing the wall.

I wanted to roll my eyes at him but focused on Rose instead. I walked closer to her bed and tried to decide what was the right thing to do. I felt like a creep for towering over her sleeping form, observing her slight whimpers. It was clear that she was having yet another nightmare. Even though I could clearly see her distress I just couldn't bring myself to decide what to do.

"For fuck's sake Belikov, just hold her hand or something."

I sat down on the floor between our beds and tried to make myself comfortable. She was sleeping on her side facing me with one hand tucked under her chin, the other straight across the bed. I tentatively placed my hand in hers, surprising to find her hand so small compared to mine. I noticed traces of hard work, not nearly the same calloused hands and fingers that I had but it was still evident that she had earned her keep. Her hand twitched a couple of times before settling, and her breathing got heavier as she calmed down. I felt raw thinking that I was the one to bring her comfort, even if she didn't realize it.

I softly brushed my thumb against the soft skin of her knuckles.

When I was sure that her nightmare had passed I released her hand with a twinge of regret. I wasn't sure what I regretted, holding her hand without her formal consent or the loss of feeling her hand in mine. Before I could get up from the floor she started growing restless again, only to settle when my fingers wrapped around her small hand again.

I woke up with a start. Someone's arm was stretched out and had nudged my shoulder. My reflexes kicked in and I grabbed the wrist of the assailant. My legs got ready to spring me up.

I blinked and regained some clarity. I realized I was still sitting on the floor leaning against the bed, my lower back protesting against it. The wrist I was holding in a brutalizing grip was small, my fingers overlapping each other around it. It took another second to recognize the owner of the faint gasp and I immediately released Rose.

"I'm sorry, I just wanted you to be more comfortable," she whispered with regret.

I was still a bit disoriented and stunned so I obliged when her hand fell on my upper arm again, nudging me upwards. I slowly sat up on Spiridon's bed and let my upper body fall back, my feet still planted on the floor. Her fingers grazed the bare skin of my calves and I lifted my feet up and shuffled onto the bed until I was laying down under the covers.

I saw her get under her covers again, turning her back towards me and curling up into a ball before I closed my eyes and drifted off again.