(Riley's Gym)
Two weeks later, when Dimitri walks into Riley's gym, he sees Riley, Christian, Mikhail, Rose, and Mason running laps around the edgy of the facility. Additionally, he spots Tatiana, Adrian, and Vasilissa sitting at a table in the center of the gym, enjoying tea, as the guardians circle them.
Tatiana responded, "Mason, you are falling behind the others; pick it up." "You have to rebuild your muscles after being out of the loop for a while." Mason said, "Sorry, Queen Tatiana."
Dimitri waits for Mikhail, Rose, Riley, and Christian to pass by him and notice that Mason isn't keeping up with the group. He understood that Mason had to rebuild his muscles again, while the other had kept up with the workout. But notice that Christian was in the middle of Mikhail, Rose, and Riley.
Vasilissa was refilling tea cups, while Adrian was speaking to Tatiana about something significant. After a moment, Dimitri stepped over the table to inquire about what was happening. Tatiana turned to face Dimitri and remarked, "Guardian Belikov, it was about time you joined us." "Join the other guardians in doing laps." "For being late, you give me thirty laps." The queen gave Dimitri an order; he knew it was one of her instructions.
Dimitri removed his duster and laid on the back of one of the two empty chairs before joining the others in their laps around the gym. Dimitri joins the other guardians as they do their laps around Riley's gym. Dimitri ran up next to Mikhail, Christian, Rose, Eddie, and Riley to ask what the reason was for them doing laps around the gym.
Mikhail continued, "Our Queen, make sure that we are keeping up with the workout." glancing at Dimitri. "Tatiana, Come out of the house every few weeks to make sure Riley and I keep up with our workout," stated Christian. "When did Christian start working out?" inquired Dimitri. Riley stated, "I started working out again to build up my muscles again after being in prison for 18 months," "when we arrived at Tasha's home in New York."
Abe and Janine entered the gym to discover the guardians were doing laps around Riley's gym, while Tatiana, Vasilissa, and Adrian sat in the middle of the table, having tea together. Mason had stopped completely to take a few deep breaths. "Mason!" said Tataina! "You weren't told to halt by me." Mason said, "No, I just need to catch my breath."
my queen. Tatiana said, "Take your time, Mason." "We can wait for you." Mason nodded gratefully and continued to catch his breath, feeling the pressure of the situation weigh heavily on his shoulders. Tiatian said, "You just add five more laps to everyone else's workout."
Riley, Christian, and Rose exchanged shocked looks as they realized that their already difficult workout had suddenly gotten harder. "But we're up for the challenge." "Body check!" exclaimed Christian. Rose and Riley agreed with a nod of their heads, and they all forced themselves to put in their finest work. Rose and Riley began to sprint more quickly than the rest. Mikhail and Dimitri turned to face Christian and tried to figure out what he meant when he mentioned a "body check."
Mason was still catching his breath in front of Tatiana. Rose and Riley appeared behind him. Rose hit Mason in the back, making him stumble forward, while Riley hit him sideways, knocking him to the ground. Mikhail, Christian, Eddie, and Dimitri then understood or realized the true meaning of a "body check." Rose and Riley keep running as they catch the group wearing smiles on their faces.
Tatiana smiles to see that Rose and Riley had followed Christian orders by giving Mason a body check. Vasilissa said, "Mason, alright?" Tatiana, "Mason is fine." Additionally, it will teach him to follow the queen's orders." Abe and Janine stepped over Tatiana, Adrian, and Vasilissa to notice there were two empty chairs. They wondered who was supposed to be sitting there. But they couldn't find any clues. Abe sits down in one of the chairs and notices Dimitri's duster lying over the back of the other chair.
Tatiana said, "Guardian Janine Hathaway." "I believe it is time for you to start your morning workout." "Please join the group in doing thirty-five laps." "Before you start doing your push-ups," Janine took a deep breath and nodded in agreement. Janine took off her jacket and began stretching her arms and legs and other body parts, and before she started running to do her laps, she felt a surge of determination.
Soon after, Janine joined the other guardians in the morning run. Until Eddie, Mikhail, Rose, Christian, and Riley stopped running and walked over to stand in front of Tatiana. As they waited for her to give them an order, Tatiana said, "Alright, everyone, let's begin our training session!"
Christian and Riley chose boxing gloves from a nearby table next to the wall. Riley chose a red pair of gloves, and Christian chose a blue pair. Walking back in front of Tatiana, Riley and Christian warmed up for the intense workout that was ahead of them.
While Adrian, Vasilissa, Abe, and Tatiana watched, Christian and Riley began their training session. The group was thrilled with their progress. Christian struck Riley, and her lightning-fast reflexes caused her to counter and block. Eddie, Rose, and Mikhail observed Christian and Riley's training. They also noticed that Riley never hit Christian with full force and wondered if there was a reason behind it.
Vasilissa appeared concerned about Christian's safety during the training with the guardians. Riley's reflexes made her counter and block, so she wondered if Christian wouldn't get wounded when training with the guardians. Mason, Dimitri, and Janine had to give up their running to watch Christian vs. Riley. Holding her breath was the only thing Vasilissa could do as Christian versus Riley. Christian punches Riley over her head, spins around Christian, and shoves him to the ground. Riley exclaimed, "Pryo! I win!"
Tatiana said, "Christian, keep your guard up." "Next time, be ready to defend yourself properly." Christian stood up and said, "Yes, Tatiana." Tatiana said, "Why are the three just standing around watching Christian and Riley?" "When should you be training?" Rose, Eddie, and Mikhail looked surprised that Tatiana noticed their presence and quickly dispersed to resume their own training.
"Honey, are you alright?" asked Vasilissa. "Vasilissa, stop cuddling Pryo," Riley urged. In response, Vasilissa said, "I was just worried." Riley simply looked at Vasilissa and said, "Pryo, not baby, and you don't have to hold his hand." "Christian, it's evident to all of us that you're in love with him, but Pryo has fallen in love with someone else." "Stop trying to hide it; it makes my head hurt. "Just accept the truth and move on."
Vasilissa started blushing, and Christian hit Riley, making her stumble backwards. Riley looked surprised that Christian had caught her guard and said, "It was about time you started paying attention in training." Riley's remark was met with a smirk from Christian.
Adrian, Abe, and Tatiana smiled at the exchange, knowing that Christian had finally proved himself. Tatiana looked at Mason, Dimitri, and Janine and said, "Keep running." Dimitri, Mason, and Janine started running to finish their laps.
After moving to the same table, Eddie, Mikhail, and Rose began discussing what had happened with Christian and Riley. Mikhail said, "It's impressive that Christian is training so diligently." Rose says it shows that Moroi care about their physical health and are willing to make the necessary sacrifices to protect themselves. It demonstrates that Moroi could defend themselves against strigoi or other threats, according to Eddie. "Just in case guardians aren't around to help them out, they are determined to develop their skills and be self-sufficient in protecting their own lives." This dedication shows their resilience and determination to never be helpless.
Mason, Janine, and Dimitri stopped running and made their way over to the area where Riley and Christian were still boxing. Everyone gasped in surprise, when Riley was struck by a powerful punch from Christian. Riley was knocked to the ground by Christian's extremely powerful blow.
Riley began to stand up, freeze, and watch as a scenario began to unfold in front of her, portraying a future filled with suffering, death, storms, earthqueaks, and strigoi attacks. Riley was so terrified by the horrific vision that it paralyzed her. Christian bent down to see Riley; her eyes had clouded over, and she was having vision.
She could only hope that it was just a nightmare and not a glimpse into reality.
Christian stated that Riley experienced a vision. Adrian dashed to Riley's side to make sure everything was alright. Mason said, feeling uneasy, as if the ground were shackling under his feet, and feeling water wash over him. Mason quickly stepped back, his heart racing and his mind consumed with dread. He feared that Riley's vision could be a sign of something much more sinister.
Vasilissa was giving Mason a sidelong glance and saw the expression on his face. Vasilissa saw that Mason had shadow-kissed Riley. The same way that Rose was shadow-kissed to herself, she soon realized that Riley was a spirit user. Vasilissa was intrigued as well as alarmed by this revelation.
Tatiana questioned, "What's wrong?" as she turned to look at Vasilissa's face. Mason has shadow-kissed Riley. The same as Rose is to myself. Riley is a spirit user, Vasilissa added, turning to face her. Tatiana said, "Riley might be a Moroi and not dhampier like we initially thought." Riley could have mistakenly identified as Dhampier and not a Moroi when she was a child.
Vasilissa asked, "How could it happen unless someone made a mistake?" Tatiana replied, "It's possible that a mix-up occurred or they couldn't determine her true identity." Vasilissa said, "Could Riley be both Dhampier and Moroi?" Tatiana responded, "No, it's not possible for someone to be both Dhampier and Moroi, or unless she is a new breed."
Abe said, "Good thing that Riley has to see a specialist today to confirm her true nature." Vasilissa and Tatiana looked at each other in confusion, wondering what Riley's true nature could possibly be. Vasilissa said, "Does Riley know what's happening to her?" Abe said, "I don't know." "If she does on some level, she hasn't mentioned it to me." Tatiana added, "We should speak to Riley to find out who she knows."
(Guests)
The door opened, and two old women stepped inside the gym. Dimitri looked up and saw Miss Ozera and his grandmother, Yeva Belikov. Together, they began to move across the gym. Yeva replied, "It's good to see you again." As they made their way to the table, she glared to look at Miss Ozera and Yeva. "It's good to see you too, old friend," Tatiana remarked. We had just been talking about Riley."
Yeva responded, "I might have some information about Riley's connections with Mason." "Mason is shadow-kissed to Riley," stated Vasilissa. "Which makes Riley a spirit user." Miss Ozera responded, "Yes and no." Adrian, Vasilissa, and Abe looked at both older women and tried to understand the implications of Riley being a spirit user. Riley is special, but Mason is linked to the shadow world." "Depending on how they are connected, perhaps."
"Has she got her fangs?" Yeva questioned. They couldn't stop staring at one another, not knowing if Riley had developed teeth or not. Like in her dreams, Yeva knew she would be there before the transformation started, but this time she couldn't get rid of the feeling that something wasn't quite right. Miss Ozera said, "I don't believe so." Yeva nodded her hand and understood she had arrived before it started.
Mason stepped forward, lowering himself in front of Riley. Adrian looked at Mason, and Mason saw the worry on his face. Riley looked up at Mason's face, her eyes blinking. "What did you see?" Christian inquired? Riley turned to face Christian and said, "We're going to have strigoi attacks, a hurricane, and an earthquake." "More than 80% of the city was destroyed, and more than 3,000 people lost their lives." Riley's voice trembled as she spoke, the weight of the devastation evident in her words.
"When will there be an earthquake?" Jane inquired. "Riley announced it two weeks from now." "A hurricane is predicted to hit land one week from now. After the hurricane, it is now the middle of the night, and strigoi are about to attack the house. Mikhail, Eddie, Rose, Dimitri and Janine looked at each other and saw that they were in agreement. They were aware that they had to do all they could to keep everyone inside safe. As he watched, Abe realized he had made a choice that would permanently change their lives.
Riley spat blood on the floor, then reached up to her lips to spit out one of her K9's teeth. Mikhail, Eddie, and Rose turned to face Riley, who was clutching the top K9 in her right hand. Vasilissa approached Riley, brushing people aside as she went, saying, "Everything will be okay!" "We assisted during this trying moment, and I am here."
Riley looked up at Vasilissa and cried out, "What is happening to me?" Vasilissa said, "I don't know," as she reached across to pull Riley to her chest. "You will not walk this path alone," she said, putting her arms around Riley. "We are here, and we will help you." Riley extended her palm and spat out the remaining K9 teeth. Vasilissa was overcome with a sense of pride and resolve.
Adrian looked at Riley with admiration, knowing that they had found a true warrior in her. Seeing her aura as it reached out to Mason and Rose, he couldn't help but feel a surge of hope and reassurance. Adrian realized that Rose and Mason were taking away Riley's darkness to show her true aura, making him believe in the power of transformation and redemption.
Rose and Mason both stood up, their expressions displaying rage. They proceeded to punch bags, and both began punching them with all of their strength, while Dimitri realized that Rose and Mason were dealing with spirit darkness. "What is happening to both of them?" asked Janine. Adrian responded, "Both of them are Riley's darkness, consuming them in a battle for redemption."
Adrian looked back at Riley and saw that other hues, along with a hint of darkness and sickness, were still coming through in her aura. He was aware that this would be the first step in determining if Riley would prove to be Dhampier or Moroi.
Miss Ozera approached Riley and bent to give her a quick glance. As she did, she noticed that Riley was starting to transform into her true self, that she had blood gushing from her mouth, and that she was holding one of the K9 teeth. Miss Ozera remarked, "It started!" as she turned to look at Yeva.
Dimitri asked, "Grandmother, Do you understand what's happening to Riley?" When Yeva said, "Dimka, I'm surprised that you haven't figured it out yet." "The answer that you seek is in Anne's books." Dimitri knew that Anne's books held the answer to the questions. Dimitri said, "Faith!" Yeva nodded her head. Dimitri realized that the answer tos what was happening to Riley was Anne's third book.
Adrian asked, "Who is Faith?" Dimitri said, "Faith is Anna and Vladimir's youngest daughter from the twins." Everyone gasped, realizing the significance of Dimitri's revelation. They realized that Faith was the key to uncovering the truth behind the intentional deception in the Moroi community.
Tatiana responded, "When did they realize that Faith was Moroi and not Dhampier?" Dimitri responded, "Right now, Anna speaks about the sickness that Faith has; it would appear and disappear. But it's clear that Anne is hiding something." "Anna stated in the journal that Faith's fangs started appearing soon after they were attacked by strigoi."
Everyone looked at each other worriedly, wondering if Riley's illness had anything to do with the attack. Yeva said, "The Strigoi attack on Riley helped set her on her path." As Adrian, Vasilissa, Eddie, and Rose will be sent back to Royle Court, you might want to get your little friend Mia to help you discover the truth that is hidden from everyone."
Eddie recognized that, without Riley by his side, Adrian was not going to welcome being sent back to Royle Court. Adrian's affection for Riley was known to him. Riley used the other tooth to spit the second-top K9 into her hand. Vasilissa didn't know what had happened to Riley, so she was concerned about her. But in an attempt to protect Riley, she continued to cradle her against her chest like a mother would.
Abe was on the phone looking for a new home with a real estate agent. He was thinking about Riley's vision, thinking about what would occur in two weeks. He was happy that his youngest daughter, Riley, had a business and two big properties in San Francisco. He understood that Riley had helped him establish himself in the West. Acknowledged that the Albanian Mafia and the L.A. Mafia consistently made it extremely difficult for any other Mafia to enter the door.