The next couple of weeks passed in a blur. When I wasn't training dhampir women, including the children around Baia, I was scrapbooking and documenting moments for my baby - and Dimitri. The more I built his scrapbook, the more I knew he would regret not being here to experience it himself. I didn't leave anything out, wanting to give him as much information as possible because I couldn't bring myself to try reaching out to him again.

I checked in with Lissa regularly, mostly by spying through the bond, and watched as she got herself nominated as a candidate for the throne to buy more time to figure out who killed Tatiana. I knew Lissa was in regular contact with Sydney as they – and the rest of our friends – tried to figure out who had hated Tatiana so much that they would stake her. If I was there, I would have tried to shake some sense into Lissa and talk her out of trying to solve the murder. As it was, I was a little pissed that none of our other friends had tried. Instead, Christian simply helped her, and Eddie stepped in as an extra guardian for Lissa despite not being formally assigned to her. He was similar to Dimitri in that way.

As they got closer to suspecting Daniella Ivashkov, I began thinking back to my interactions with her, trying to view it through a killer's eyes. No matter how much I tried, though, I couldn't see Daniella as being someone capable of murder. I shared as much with Lissa in a text message, and she agreed.

I watched, proud, as Lissa made it through the trials one by one in the election until it was just her and two other candidates left. They'd be giving their speeches soon, and I persuaded Viktoria to watch them with me. As remote as Baia was, they still managed to get a decent enough internet connection that I was able to pull up the election feed on her laptop. While I had an inside look at the trials that Lissa had been going through, thanks to the bond, the rest of the vampire world had been left in the dark. The election night speeches were the only thing open to the general public, and after some finagling, someone at Court managed to get a stream loaded so that people outside of Court could watch the candidates.

I sat next to Viktoria on the couch, a bowl of popcorn on my lap. We watched the feed, waiting for Lissa's turn, and we scoffed in unison when Rufus Taurus used part of his allocated time to attack Lissa and the other candidate, Marie Conta. When it was Lissa's turn, we were both on the edge of our seats, watching. As Lissa concluded her speech, I could see the people in view of the livestream cheering.

Yeva walked past the living room, glancing at the stream as she went. "She'll be our next queen."

I looked up. "She can't be," I said. "She's not eligible; it was only meant to be a distraction."

Yeva gave me a look and walked away without another word. I mumbled a few things under my breath, causing Viktoria to smile.

"You'll get used to it," she said. "It'll take some time, but eventually."

I gave her a look that showed how much I disagreed with that, and Viktoria smiled wider.

"You're enjoying this?"

She nodded. "It's a bit funny."

Some time later, the stream was shut down. It was determined that a vote wouldn't happen that night due to the uproar over Lissa being deemed ineligible without any family to stand by her side. As we shut down the computer, I turned to Viktoria.

"We haven't really gotten a chance to talk," I told her softly. She had been busy most days working her summer job, and I had been busy most of the days, too, intent on following through with my offer to Hans. I was determined to stay in shape as much as possible during my pregnancy, and the training helped with that.

"If it's about what happened in April," she said, "I'm over it."

"Really?"

Viktoria nodded. "Yeah. I was really upset then, but I've realized some truths since then." She gestured to where Katya was sleeping in her swing. "I talked to Sonya when I came home for the summer. Katya was a month old or so then, and I could see some of Rolan in her. I remembered what you had said, and so I asked Sonya about it. I could tell by the look on her face that you had been telling the truth."

"I'm sorry," I said. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

Viktoria hugged me. "I know. And it's okay. I forgive you."

I continued checking in on Lissa over the next day, waiting to see if a decision had been made about the election. The Moroi were still fighting over it, with the majority calling for the quorum law to be changed.

Over the past couple of weeks, I had continued helping around the Belikova house, running errands as needed for Olena. And though I wasn't very good at it, Olena had started to teach me how to cook certain Russian dishes, such as the black bread I loved.

It was getting late in the Moroi day at Court, and late in the human day in Russia, when Lissa's panicked thoughts shot through the bond. I had been watching Olena make bread as she shared stories from Dimitri's youth – as if to prepare me, I thought. I flinched at the onslaught from the bond, and Olena stopped what she was saying.

"Rose?" she asked. "Are you okay?"

I shook my head. "Excuse me for a second."

I walked away, pulling out my phone as I did. When Lissa didn't answer, I slipped into her head, trying to figure out the source of her panic. I took in her surroundings instantly and realized she was sitting in an office before Ekaterina Zeklos again. I tried to shift through the bond to figure out what was going on when the person next to Lissa spoke.

"I know it's hard to believe, but it's the truth."

Lissa turned as the person spoke, and I realized I recognized the person sitting there, even if Lissa didn't. Emily Mastrano, our friend Jill's mother, was sitting next to Lissa, and I could just barely see Jill on the other side of her mom. I didn't have to wait long to get an answer about what was happening as Emily spoke again.

"She's Eric Dragomir's daughter; any DNA test will prove it."

Lissa's shock flooded the bond, and my shock wasn't far behind it. Emily turned to Lissa.

"I'm sorry to spring this on you," she said softly. "It was never my intention to have Jill be a part of this world, no offense. But after hearing your speech, I couldn't keep her hidden. She gives you the quorum you need to be elected queen, and we need you as our queen."

As Emily spoke, my thoughts flashed back to when we were in Vegas with Victor and Robert, and Adrian and I had overheard the Moroi man mention Eric and his love of the showgirls. I also thought about Sydney calling me a few weeks ago to see if I had been the one to steal the Alchemist records on Eric, records that might have helped prove that Jill was his daughter if the large deposits he was making into a Vegas account were any indication. Lissa still couldn't bring herself to say anything, and I wished I could physically be with her at that moment.

"We'll do a DNA test," Ekaterina declared. "In the meantime, there's enough chaos around the election that pushing it back a couple of days to confirm if Jillian is a Dragomir won't matter."

Lissa found herself nodding even as her brain was still processing what was happening. The room cleared out, and Jill went with Emily towards guest housing, while Lissa found Christian and Dimitri waiting for her on the other side of the office door.

"Rose called," Christian said, handing Lissa her phone and giving her a look. I had given Lissa permission to tell him shortly after I left. I knew that Lissa could keep a secret from him, but I also knew that she wouldn't like it. He also knew the baby was Dimitri's and had been sworn to secrecy. He was taking it a lot more seriously than I thought he would, and I hadn't caught him making thinly veiled jokes about the situation – at least not yet, I hadn't.

I watched as Lissa dialed my number, and it didn't escape my notice that Dimitri stepped out of earshot as she did. I pulled out of her head as my phone started ringing.

"Did you see?" Lissa asked as soon as I answered.

"Yes."

Neither of us said anything for a moment.

"What am I going to do?" she whispered. "A sister?"

"Say the word, and I'm there," I said.

Lissa was quiet on the other end. Finally, she spoke. "I can't do that to you," she whispered. "I almost lost you once because I wanted to be selfish. I can't lose you again by demanding that you be here."

"If you change your mind, just know I'll be there in a heartbeat."

"Stay safe in Russia, have my niece or nephew, and then get back here," Lissa said, smiling.

I smiled. "I will. Only seven more months to go."

"I hope you know I'm coming there as soon as you give birth," Lissa said. "And don't even try to argue."

"You can't come if Dimitri's guarding you," I said. "I don't want him here."

"You know you're going to have to actually tell him at some point, right?"

"I know," I said, rubbing at my face. "But that doesn't have to be when I'm giving birth."

Lissa made a noise low in her throat, but she didn't voice her concerns. I could still read them through the bond, though. Instead, she said, "I miss you."

"I miss you too. I'll see you soon."

We hung up a moment later, and I couldn't help but slip back into her head, and I saw Dimitri resume walking near her and Christian. They walked silently, Dimitri's head on a swivel as they headed towards Lissa's apartment. Dimitri saw them through the lobby and up to Lissa's room. She entered her apartment, but Dimitri spoke before she could shut the door.

"Lissa." He looked at her as if struggling with something before he spoke again. "Is she okay? Safe?"

Lissa didn't have to ask to know he was talking about me. She nodded after a moment. "She's safe."

Dimitri nodded, and for a second, he looked like he wanted to say something more. He didn't and turned away a moment later. Lissa watched him leave, not noticing what I had, and I slipped out of her head again. I returned to the kitchen, where Olena was finishing washing the dishes, and I jumped in to help her. I had been gone longer than I thought if the bread was already in the oven.

"You don't have to do that," she said.

"I have to do something to thank you for your hospitality," I said. "I insist."

Olena smiled at me. "You don't have to do anything. You're doing enough by being here and bringing us a miracle."