I had my eyes closed, but I knew that I was safe. The presence around me wasn't heavy, but instead, uplifting and peaceful.

"You seem to be in better spirits."

I rolled my eyes even though I hadn't opened them.

"Funny," I said, knowing that Ivan's statement was pun intended.

He laughed and I cracked open one of my eyes, smirking at him. His accent was much heavier than Dimitri's. I wondered if it was because living in the States Americanized him, or if he purposely tried to cover his accent to make it easier to be understood.

"How's lookout duty?" I asked him. The one thing that was nice about being able to see the dead was that I had a handful of people who kept an eye on me even when I couldn't see them. Or when I was asleep. Savanah-May had clearly been the southern gossip I knew she was and told Mason and Ivan, meaning that the two of them were around more often at night.

"Fine," Ivan said with a shrug, resting his elbows on the railing in front of us.

"Just fine?"

"Haven't seen what you saw in the bush. But I did find out what it was," he said.

"And?"

"Nothing good."

"Oh really? I thought that it made my skin crawl looking at it because it wanted to braid my hair and read Teen magazine," I retorted.

"It's a demonic entity. Like heavy-duty stuff," he said solemnly. I sighed and shook my head.

"Great. Any ideas on how to keep it from coming back?"

"Still working on that," he drawled and I shook my head, looking out towards the water. The sun was setting, and it was like the sun had turned up the dial. The sky was so bright, the orange and pink bouncing off the water. I could feel it on my face and I soaked in the feeling, using it to keep me from letting my mind slip into the darkest places I could conjure.

"Dimitri seems to be doing better," Ivan added after a few minutes of silence and I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye.

"Are you going to ask me when I'm going to have the 'talk' with him too?"

Ivan shrugged. "I don't have to; you asked it yourself."

That earned him another eye roll.

"Go away."

"I can if you want me to."

I turned and found Dimitri standing behind me on the deck, hands tucked into his pockets with a grin on his face.

"I wasn't talking to you," I said with a smile. Ivan made a comment in Russian before vanishing.

"I figured as much," Dimitri said as he approached, leaning against the railing beside me, "Who were you talking to?"

"Your annoying best friend," I snickered, "Still a pain in my ass."

"He was everyone's pain in the ass, but he was a good man."

"I heard that!" Ivan's voice floated by me and I rolled my eyes again.

"He says he heard that," I repeated and he smirked.

"Good, but he's nosy. I wouldn't be surprised if he listens in on conversations."

I smiled and glanced at him before glancing down.

"I didn't think that you owned a pair of shorts," I teased. Dimitri rolled his eyes.

"Emily made me by them," he said looking down at the cargo shorts. I had to admit that they looked good on him, accenting the muscles in his thighs while showing off how nice his calves were. It was a strange thought, but I shook it off. I always thought he was hot and gorgeous, and that hadn't changed.

As I looked at him, I got a chance to really look at him.

"Your scar is gone," I said reaching up, brushing my fingers against the side of his temple. There was always a scar there, but now it was gone.

"Yeah, after the Princess restored me, all of my scars went away. It was almost like I was reborn," he said with a shrug, "It took a lot of getting used to; not seeing my scars when I looked at myself in the mirror or changed my clothes."

I nodded. "I can understand that," I said with a smile. I turned and pulled myself up to sit on the railing. It put me at eye level with him. I crossed my ankles and let the wind ruffle my head.

"I didn't think you wore dresses unless it was to endanger the entire population," he chirped and I grinned at him before looking down at my skirt. He was right, I didn't wear dresses, but it was so warm out today that I couldn't pass it up.

It was mid-calf length and cream-coloured. The slip under the dress only came down the back of my knees, and it was almost a lacey pattern. It could have been used as a beach slip, but it was comfortable and light for the warm weather.

"Well, this one could still endanger the population," Dimitri said after a moment, looking me over. I rolled my eyes at him but felt my cheeks redden. I looked at him again and watched the wind ruffle his hair, brushing around his face and neck.

"You're different here. In a way that I didn't really get to see before," I said softly.

"I am different here. I feel like I can breathe here. I feel like I can be myself here. I don't have to be guarded all the time. I don't have to let go or be dragged."

I snorted a laugh. I hadn't heard something like that in a while. I looked up at him and smiled.

"There's the zen master I had grown to love," I said softly. He laughed and looked out towards the water.

"I haven't felt very zen in a long time," he whispered, "But I feel more like that when I'm here. Sheila really never what she was doing when she picked this place."

I smiled again and he looked at me again, a soft look on his face. He leaned toward me and pressed a soft kiss to my lips. It felt like it did before, the same zap of electricity. It made me feel warm and I looked up at him from under my lashes when he pulled back.

"There's something else I hadn't had in a long time," I quipped as I climbed off the railing. We may not have had a conversation about our relationship, but we seemed to be on the same page.

The next morning Sheila and Martin were standing together in the kitchen, heads bent together as they spoke. I walked in but quickly backed, letting them have a moment together. It was clear that they needed it, and I wanted them to have it. They lived in a house for of people and rarely got time alone.

I gave them a few more minutes before I went in.

"Morning," I said as I walked in. They looked up at me and smiled.

"Good morning," Sheila said sweetly, glancing towards Martin. I raised my brows at them.

"What's going on?" I asked with a laugh.

"We were hoping to get away for the weekend," Martin said, "Twentieth wedding anniversary."

"Okay, and?" I asked as I poured a coffee.

"We wanted to know if you guys would be okay with keeping an eye out for Michael."

I raised a brow. "He's sixteen," I pointed out.

"Well, more or less being a warm body in the house in case he needs anything," Sheila reiterated, "Do you think the others would be okay with that?"

I shrugged. "I don't see why not. You guys are your own people too. You should be able to get away for a weekend," I said as I took a sip of my coffee, smiling at Michael as he came into the kitchen. Sheila informed him that they were going away for their anniversary.

Michael shifted on his feet. "I was hoping to go to a party I was invited to this weekend."

I could tell that Sheila was excited but tried to cover it up.

"That should be fine. I can leave the car keys here for Gabriel or Rose to pick you up," she said.

"I can drive myself," Michael pointed out.

"Not if you intend on drinking. I'd rather one of them get you from the party," Martin said with a raised brow.

Michael nodded and his parents said that he needed to be home by eleven. He looked disappointed but I winked at Micheal. I wasn't going to make him leave the party three hours after it started.

"We'll pick you up at twelve," I mouthed to him. His smile grew a little before he lost it to avoid detection.

I had tried calling Michael three times before I got out of the car. We made an agreement that he'd be outside by midnight, but it was now twelve-thirty and still no sign of him. I didn't want to be that person, given that I would never deprive someone of the opportunity to go to a party, but I was in charge of getting him home safely tonight.

I climbed the front steps of the house, the vibration of the music meeting my ears. We let ourselves in and weaved between the sea of drunken teenagers.

"I have no idea where to start!"

Gabriel lifted his head slightly, his nostrils flaring before he gripped my wrist and led me through the house. I followed after him when we came into another room, a handful of people sitting on the floor in a group, Michael among them.

I opened my mouth to call out for him when I realized what they were doing. There weren't six people in the group. There were only five living.

"What the hell do you think you're doing!?" I exclaimed, standing over them. Michael jumped and started to move but I stopped him.

"Do not take your hand off the planchette! Say goodbye. We're leaving!" I snapped, glaring down at him. How could he be so reckless!? The others looked at me like I was insane, but Michael moved the planchette to the good-bye written on the board and stood up.

"Do you have any idea what you were communicating with?!" I exclaimed before looking at the other teenagers.

"A little boy," one girl said with a roll of her eyes.

"No! It's not a little boy!" I said, my eyes moving to the ghost that was settled between them. He was the one that was moving the planchette, and the sinister look in his eyes was unsettling and made my skin crawl.

"When you said you lived with a house of freaks, you weren't kidding," one boy said and my eyes slid to Michael. He looked embarrassed and guilty, not quite meeting my eyes.

"Let's go," Gabriel said sternly, but he was much more gentle than I would have been. I was fuming as I left, noticing just how many ghosts and other entities were in the house. I climbed down the stairs and waited for the two of them, my arms crossed over my chest. I had to bite my tongue to stop myself from speaking. I knew he was a kid, but he knew better. He had seen all of the protections I had put up around the house, the smudging, the crystals I wore. Jerry had told all of us not to use spirit boards, that they opened gateways and portals. When you called on spirit forward, all of them could hear you. Even the ones that had never walked this Earth in human form.

When they came outside, Michael looking at his feet as he walked, I handed Gabriel the keys. I wasn't in a position to drive. I climbed into the passenger seat and bit my nail, looking out the side window the whole way home. The ride was silent other than the country song that played faintly on the radio. When we got back to the house, Gabriel turned off the car with a sigh.

"Mikey, head inside," he said quietly and Michael got out, heading to the house. Once he was inside, Gabriel looked at me.

"Breathe."

"I could strangle him," I whispered, "Why would he do that?!"

"You know why," Gabriel placated, "You know those kids are the ones that are bullying him."

I nodded and rubbed my hands over my face with a sigh.

"He knows the dangers," I whispered.

"I know that."

"And I know that he is just a kid. But I have been trying to protect all of you from the things following me, and then he does that!"

Gabriel nodded and rubbed my shoulder as I took a deep breath.

"Did you hear what that snot called us? A house of freaks? That Michael said he lived in a house of freaks…do you think he thinks that?"

Gabriel frowned. "I don't know, Petal," he whispered. Petal was a joking name that Bryce had used one day, but it stuck with Gabriel.

I sniffed and got out of the car, walking up towards the house. Buckley barked as we came in and I rubbed his head before heading upstairs. Michael's door was shut as I passed it, and I headed for the bathroom to shower.

Once I was finished in the shower I got dressed. I contemplated what to do but I headed down the hall. I peeked into Dimitri's room. He looked away from the book in his hand, his other arm folded behind his head.

"I see you stole my cuddle buddy," I said, gesturing to Nacho curled up on his stomach.

"He's grown on me. You okay?" he asked as he lowered the book, his brow furrowing together.

"Yeah, just a rough night. Can I hang with you for a bit?"

Dimitri smiled softly. I didn't need to tell him that something happened, he already knew. The same way that Gabriel would know. Dimitri nodded and pulled the covers down beside him. I climbed in and laid on my side, scratching Nacho's head.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Dimitri asked.

I looked up at him and frowned, scooting closer and resting my head on his chest.

"No," I whispered. Dimitri cleared his throat and lifted his head enough to remove his arm from behind his head, wrapping it around my shoulders.

"Okay," he whispered back, kissing the top of my head while he kept reading.

I hadn't spoken to Michael since we got home, and he wasn't speaking to me either. I wasn't going to push for conversation either. I was still frustrated with him.

Emily and Bryce knew something was up, but didn't push it either. Just looking between Michael, Gabriel and me. I ate at the island and drank my coffee, reading an email that my mother sent me. She had an upcoming trip to the States and was hoping to come and see me while she had to leave. Lord Szelksy would be safe at Court in her absence.

"We're back!" Martin called as he opened the front door. Michael tensed up at the counter, turning to look towards the hallway and then at me.

"How was the party?" Sheila asked Michael as she came into the kitchen, stroking the back of his head. I took a sip of my coffee. Michael's eyes flicked toward me almost in panic. He knew that his mother wouldn't approve of what he did.

"Michael seemed like he had a fun time. Passed out when we got home," I said without looking at him, setting my coffee down on the counter.

"Did you have a good weekend?" I asked.

"It was lovely, but I got an email from Hans Croft. I told him what happened with you in the bush, and he had some information."

"We learned that someone named Robert Doru is involved," Sheila said, making me choke on my coffee.

"What!?"

"You know him?" Dimitri asked. I bit my lip and shifted uncomfortably.

"You know how Victor was broken out of Tarasov?"

"Yes."

"I was the one that broke him out. Robert Doru knew how to restore a Strigoi, but the only person who knew where he was was Victor. They're half brothers," I explained with a slight cringe. Dimitri's brows raised and he blinked at me but didn't comment on the fact I committed a federal crime.

"How did he know?"

"Because he had done it before. He's a very powerful spirit user," I said, "How is he involved?"

"He's not involved directly with the Moroi. But more…going after people. And now it makes sense. He's gone after anyone that was connected with Victor being arrested," Dimitri explained as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"How?"

"He was using spirit to stalk you. Sort of the way that Emily can astral project. But instead, he's manipulating something much darker," Sheila said, "That must be what you saw."

"The shadow figure," I mused after a second, "He's shadow kissed. I'm not surprised that he can see the dead too."

"The thing you saw in the bush?" Gabriel asked.

I nodded. "Yeah. And he can dream walk."

"Adrian could do that too, couldn't he?" Dimitri asked.

"Like Emily?" Sheila asked.

I shook my head. "No. It's a spirit dream. They can visit you while you sleep. They can choose whatever location they want to be the setting of the dream," I explained.

"That's a little unsettling," Emily chimed in from the living room.

"Yeah. Especially because he's crazy," I whispered to myself and rubbed my brow.

"Like 'crazy' 'cause he's shadow kissed?" Michael piped up.

"Both. He's literally crazy. He's been without his shadow-kissed partner for so long that it's driven him insane," I explained as I rubbed my face, "I need a minute."

I stood up and walked out of the kitchen and out the back door, taking off towards the shoreline. This was a completely different type of messed up. Dealing with sanctimonious Moroi was one thing, but having Robert on my tail too? That was almost a little too much to handle.

Rough edit! It may be slow until the next update.