Dmitri POV

Walking down the corridors of the prison, I couldn't shake the anxiety associated with this horrible place. These cells held the memories of the first hours of my return to being a dhampir, hours of despair, anguish, and depression. Within these walls, I experienced my worst nightmares and lost the will to live. And then, they imprisoned Rose here, giving me a new purpose. I could hate myself all I wanted, but I couldn't let my unrestrained Rose stay behind bars.

Well, that goal remained the same

When the truth about Victor Dashkov's death came out I and Christian were outside the Court, and Rose and Lissa were in the center of the Palace, so when the guardians came for her, she had no way to escape. She had to surrender, especially when Lissa tried to shield her with her body and prevent her friend from being arrested. Rose knew that they would have to immobilize Lissa and she followed them voluntarily.

By the time I arrived and learned about the whole situation, Rose had long been locked up in a remote, inaccessible cell. I wanted to see her right away so I got to the Court's prison using my connections and influence, but inside the cells, I learned that she was not simply locked up like last time. Because of her abilities, influences, and connections that could facilitate her escape (which was unfortunately confirmed when she was accused of Tatiana's murder), she was locked up in the most guarded corner of the Court, which I had never heard of until now. She was to be watched by independent guardians day and night and physically locked in a fortress with no way out. The thought of my Rose imprisoned in this way fueled a surge of fury within me. I wasn't going to waste a moment - I had to get her out as soon as possible.

Like the last time, together with Rose's friends and parents, we pondered what should we do. Lissa was gathering evidence that could take the blame off her, to prove that Rose was not in control of her actions under the influence of the spirit power. This had its consequences, so Lissa had to consider all the implications. Abe, Eddie, and I, discussed the alternative of getting her out of jail. Abe was starting to raise sources and, of course, Eddie and I were ready to go at any given moment.

Our official decision was to wait and try to solve the problem peacefully. Not only was this best for her long-term future, but it also was the safest option for her. The worst part was that we couldn't establish anything directly with Rose. She had an absolute, unrelenting ban on visitors, including her attorney, Abe. We could not get through to her by any means.

However, I didn't stop trying. For a week I went out of my way to contact any of these "independent" guardians through my friends and acquaintances and through the complicated system of favors and debts that prevailed with us. I couldn't sleep or eat anything knowing she was confined in a cramped cage like an animal, deprived of contact with another human being. I imagined how she must have been going out of her mind in four walls and my heart sank. That's why I didn't let go until I found the people involved in guarding her cell. When I finally got directly to the guardian in charge of Rose, I incurred a debt that I would likely be repaying for years to come.

He mumbled something about how his initial debt, which was now passed to me, was not worth it. He was well aware that I was the last person who should have access to Rose, but I didn't care, as long as he was going to take me to her. He thoroughly searched me and the blanket I had smuggled in for her from our apartment - bottle green, warm, and very soft, her favorite. My duster also had to undergo a thorough inspection, and my weapons had to be put away in his office.

After passing through a corridor with familiar cells, he led me to a basement where no light reached. My hands trembled with frustration at the thought that Rose might not even know what time it was or how much time had passed. The guardian typed in various codes, obscuring them from me, but by the sounds on the keyboard, I tried to remember the combinations. I also tried to memorize the location of all the cameras watching every corner of the prison.

As we approached the sad, massive door Steve tapped out the code and then took out the keys. He looked at me with a cold, impassive stare.

"Just don't even think of plotting any escape plans. If I only hear something like that, I will report it. No matter what consequences await me."

Fuck off, I thought but refrained from saying it aloud. In the end, he was the last thing that stood between me and my Rose. I was determined to get her out, but not today; it was too risky at the moment. Now I just wanted to see her, to reassure her that she was not alone. That I was thinking about her all the time. That we would do everything to get her out of there as soon as possible. I also wanted to see her, because I just missed her like hell, I missed her incessantly. But above all, I wanted to do anything to make her feel better.

He opened the door, and I froze, feeling my heart break in half. My feisty, irrepressible, and spirited Rose was sitting in the farthest corner of her cell, entwining her arms around her knees so tightly that it must have been painful for her. In the bright fluorescent light, it seemed to me that she was trembling and breathing at an accelerated pace.

"You have five minutes," Steven growled, and she startled at the sound of his voice. I wanted to punch him for scaring her, but Rose had my full attention. For a moment, I saw madness and fear in her eyes, but when she realized what was happening, relief flashed in her eyes and she jumped on her feet towards me. I moved towards her as well, unable to bear a second longer when she was not in my arms. She wrapped her arms around my neck, snuggling into me. I held her as tightly as I could without causing discomfort. Something told me that this was what she needed at the moment.

"Roza," I sighed, kissing her hair and pushing her back an arm's length to assess her condition. Since she had been locked up my anxiety had been growing every day, but when I looked at her it turned into pure, stabbing fear. She was doing worse than I had anticipated. Her eyes, which I knew by heart, were now bloodshot and hollow, the bags beneath them turning bright purple. I put my hand gently on the pale skin on her face, noting that she held on to me to keep her balance.

As she met my terrified gaze, she snuggled into me tightly, seeking a shield from the world around her. I eagerly drew her closer, offering the comfort I didn't escape my notice how cold she was. The cell may not have been freezing, but it was definitely unpleasantly cold.

"What are you doing here? I thought I was too dangerous for visitors," she muttered with a taunt in her voice. I kissed her on the top of her head.

"You are, but I had to check how you were holding up," I replied and gently lifted her chin to look into her eyes. I was hoping for some sarcastic remark that would let me delude myself that it wasn't so bad, but Rose swallowed hard.

"I don't know, it's not great," she answered honestly. I felt a tight knot in my stomach. Rose grabbed my shirt in both hands and continued. "It's terribly cold here, and I can't sleep. And... ah fuck," she raised her eyes and looked at me with a mixture of sadness and embarrassment, "I feel very claustrophobic. Before, I also felt the walls pushing against me, but now... it feels like I'm about to… suffocate."

I wondered what consequences would await us if I now beat the guardian behind my back and led Rose out of her cell. Abe, however, scolded me not to make any foolish moves that could prove more dangerous than beneficial. But seeing Rose and imagining what she must be feeling here all alone, I found it hard to imagine what worse consequences could await her.

"I'm so sorry, Roza," I whispered and pulled out the blanket I had brought. I covered her shoulders, noting the faint smile on her face. I also took off my duster quickly and threw it on her makeshift bed. I hadn't planned to leave it behind, but I didn't need it, and for her, it could be an extra layer of warmth. She snuggled up to me once more, and I kissed her head, her temples, everywhere I could reach. "You know we're trying to get you out of here all the time…" Steve grunted warningly, and I suppressed a growl directed at him. "That we're trying to find evidence to pardon you. You won't be here for long," I assured her. I looked into her eyes meaningfully, so that she also knew that I did not mean only a pardon. That if she was to be convicted, we were going to unleash hell on earth here and pave her escape route.

This time Rose smiled, which made my heart relax a little.

"I know, comrade," she whispered, clinging to me. The vision of getting her out of here at Steve's expense began to tempt me again, although I knew it was a dangerous option. But it was so easy to forget about it when Rose held me so desperately, seeking warmth, security, and simple contact with another human being. "I missed you."

It cost me every scrap of my self-control I had not to get her out of that shabby cell. Instead, I began to whisper in her ear in my native tongue how much I too missed her, that every minute without her was a nightmare, that I thought about her incessantly, that I worried about her and how she was feeling, and that she was in my thoughts all this time. She seemed to be more relaxed with every word.

"Time's up," Steven commanded. I moved away from her and saw that her eyes had moistened as if she didn't want to let the tears out. I cupped her face in my hands and kissed her, deeply, with all the love I felt for her, with all love that I could convey in this far too simple gesture. "Hey!" the guardian shouted.

Rose let go of me and pushed me toward the door. Steven jerked me back and I saw that tears finally flowed from Rose's eyes, and she bit her lips to keep from crying. Again I felt my heart break in half.

"I will see you soon, Roza. Don't worry!" I shouted, but Steven slammed the door with a bang before she could answer me. For a moment I stared at the metal gates, not believing that my beloved Roza was locked behind them. I felt rage spill through my veins, and again I had to control myself not to throw myself at Steven and open the damn door.

On our way back upstairs, Steven scolded me for not heeding his instructions, but I remained unresponsive. I felt empty, as if I had left my heart with her, behind the massive metal gates. Every step away from the solitary cell seemed unnatural to me, going against my instinct. It felt absurd to leave without her.

Besides... I couldn't stop thinking about her tears. Rose so rarely cried. And now this isolation was having such a bad effect on her. Her exhausted features spoke for themselves. And I wasn't there for her.

My composure wavered as I gathered my weapons at Steven's desk. I could have neutralized him. I could have gone to get her. I considered which weapon to use, aiming to cause him the least harm (after all he agreed to help me, although reluctantly), but I was stopped by a text message from Abe. It instructed me to come to his quarters as soon as possible because he had obtained new evidence to free Rose.

"Regretfully, I abandoned my plans. I collected my weapons and said goodbye to Steven, but as I was leaving, my thoughts were already flying in Rose's direction.

I will come back for you soon. I promise.