CHAPTER 13
DIMITRI
The drive from the airstrip to the Zeklos estate was not as long as I had anticipated. Yuri made a point to hand me a piece of paper with directions written on it. Once the jet touched down with me and Christian on board, Bellamy had a car waiting. I drove the exact roads instructed to, soon coming to a set of large iron gates. I admired Bellamy and Yuri's security. No one was going to scale these gates. Pulling to a stop at the gates, we were met by three guards. They were not Guardians, but they also were not unskilled or untrained. My guess was they were personal bodyguards, hired by Bellamy and Yuri, and they'd had at least some personal training from the two Guardians they worked for. I also wagered a guess that they were smart enough not to ask questions about Jesse, Sophie, or the rest of the Zeklos family.
"Name." The guard at the driver's side window demanded.
"Belikov."
His eyes went from questioning, to what I first assumed was either fear or respect.
"They are expecting you in the main house."
The second guard was currently circling the car, checking underneath the vehicle and around it while I was distracted by questions.
"That really isn't necessary." I offered.
"Just doing our jobs." The second guard made her way to the driver's side as well. "She insists." I knew the she they spoke of was Bellamy. "Follow this road all the way down."
I gave a nod as the gates opened, and I was given full access to drive onto the property. The actual house that our friends occupied was a good mile and a half down a long oak tree lined drive, making it harder for any enemies to get to Jesse, Sophie, or their children. Bellamy and Yuri planned this layout well. Through the trees, I could see members of the Zeklos day staff tending to the gardening and security matters.
Over the past several years, Bellamy had surprised me more times than I could count on both hands. This time was no different. I was not at all surprised that she'd decided to return home, taking this battle directly to Mason. We were all on her playing field now, and the rules were changed. I was however surprised when the doorbell rang through the house, thirty minutes after my arrival with Christian.
"Could you get that?" She was setting me up for this one.
"Part of the plan?" Not that I needed to ask. I opened the door, pleasantly bemused to see Guardian Reyes and his Moroi counterpart standing in front of me. Bellamy immediately greeted the two men, both confusing and entertaining me.
"I was under the impression that you and Bellamy were not seeing eye to eye these days." I mentioned to Shane, as we both moved to the side of the room. Both Christian and Jesse soon joined us.
"You and much of the royal Court is under that impression." His voice lowered. "Bellamy asked me to come across as antagonistic towards her. She…" He did not say more, but Bellamy would.
"You need to talk to me, Bells." I finally got her alone while our Moroi were off on their own. I closed the door to her office, catching her in the expansive room. "I know there are a lot of things that you cannot say, but there are things that I should know."
"Shane." She offered the subject up for discussion. "You want to know why he and Aaron are here."
"Sure." Yes, I wanted the answer to that question as well as others, but for now I would take what I could get.
She sat down, preparing to say what she could. I watched her hands squeeze shut, giving more insight to her state of mind. She was ringing her hands and twirling the same strand of hair, using these behaviors to control her emotions and any anxiety she was feeling. I sat down beside her, trying to help rather than push.
"I have had to be ahead of Mason from the start. I needed him to think that he was ahead of us. When I first arrived at Guardian Court and was told about him, I knew that if I was being asked to track him, I would need a plan that could not be seen through or broken. One of the first things you learn as a tracker, is to consolidate. At Court, my allies needed to be united but unaware. For obvious reasons, I could not disclose what Shane was doing, and vice-versa."
"I guessed that much." I did my best to sound less petulant. "Did Shane know any more than that?"
"No." Bellamy answered the question, ignoring my own behavior. "But Shane is the reason we knew Mason's movements. He is the real reason we knew Mason would attempt escape."
"How?" I was genuinely curious how the two had managed to keep these things quiet from every other Guardian around them.
"Before we left for Vienna, I asked Shane to work with me, gathering information."
"You mean work for you."
"No. I mean with me. And I do not appreciate your tone, Guardian."
"Bells." I used her name with a far sharper sound.
"Sorry. I needed someone that Mason would talk to. He clearly was not going to be upfront with me, and you are also…"
"Persona non grata." We were in agreement about that, but that only provided me with more questions.
I briefly considered the thought that I was pushing her too far, to say too much. Others may have assumed at this point that Bellamy could or would not answer their questions, but I also had to figure that as long as I had her talking, I should continue to ask.
"How did you know that he would not speak to me either?"
"I didn't." She confessed. "Honestly, it was clear that Eddie was not going to deal well, Rose would have had a hard time with confronting him more than once, and I had to be careful. I figured if Mason did talk to you, so much the better, but if not, I had to cover my bases."
"Smart. But-"
"But you are concerned because I didn't tell you what I was doing." She smirked. "I would not be good at what I do if I couldn't keep my own secrets."
I agreed with her. But it wasn't just her secrets she kept.
"I couldn't tell you. This was never about whether I trust you Dimitri. This is simply part of my job."
"There is nothing simple about your job Bellamy."
"I know."
I leaned back, appreciating the comfort of having a real conversation with Bellamy, away from Court.
"Eddie was right."
She lifted an eyebrow in curiosity. "Eddie is right about a lot of things."
"You are the best tracker we have since Bridgette."
"Well, she did train me."
"I didn't see any of this Bellamy. I never guessed that you were doing any of this. Behind the scenes."
"You weren't supposed to see it." The color in her eyes changed again, as it often did when her mood changed. The bright blue color darkened. "I don't like lying to you or others, but…"
"You did what you had to do Bells. I can understand that. What I don't get is…"
"Why I went to Shane instead of you." She could usually guess my reservations. Bellamy and I worked well together, so it was often easy for us to read one another.
She surprised me with her response. "You were compromised." She said the words more matter-of-factly than I liked, and again she noticed my reaction. "Step back and look at this from any other position."
I relaxed my posture, considering a more unbiased view of the circumstances She made another good observation. "Dare I ask, is the answer more about you or Rose?"
Bellamy smiled sweetly this time, seeing that I had begun to recognize more about Mason's current state of mind, and ultimately his more extreme motives.
"Both." She answered my question. "But this isn't all so black and white. Look deeper than me or Rose. I am slightly amused that you still haven't picked up on the bigger issue.
'Bigger issue.' It was the way that she phrased the words that confused me. What was driving Mason's unusually punishing behavior?
"Eddie." I finally said out loud.
Bellamy smiled as I now began to see what she saw. It should've been more obvious to me. Eddie Castile had started out as a student of mine at the same time, with Mason and Bellamy. Eddie was in Seattle with Mason, Rose, and Christian. He had been drugged and fed on by the same Strigoi who'd killed Mason. After the death of his friend, Eddie went through many drastic changes, as did we all. He trained harder and focused completely under my instruction. He became a sought after Guardian, easily picking up offers.
"Bells…" I attempted.
"You're thinking that it should have been clearer, sooner. You're trying to understand why and how something so basic went unseen. If it helps, I didn't see it at first either."
It didn't help. "It helps a little." I lied. "So. Is that it, or are we expecting more visitors?" I stood.
"Actually," Bellamy paused, looking somewhat guilty, "I am expecting one more person. She should be here soon. I gave her specific instructions, and asked her to keep an extremely low profile."
If I hadn't been worried before, I was now. "I don't want to know yet." I opted for ignorance until the time in question came.
Bellamy agreed not to say anything. She stood, making her way back to the doors.
"I've missed it." I confessed to her, stopping her before she left her office.
"Missed what?"
"Going into battle beside you."
"Me too. It has been a while." She too was somewhat reflective. "Don't tell my husband."
"Don't tell my wife." I countered.
BELLAMY POV
Things were bad-much worse than I had expected. News of Mason's miraculous return from the dead circulated around those who needed to know most, and those I trusted most. Unfortunately, it was also starting to slowly spread to others at Court. I had a plan, and now I needed to put the right pieces into this new puzzle. I picked up my phone and made my first call.
"Gather your troops and put them to work here at Court. Do not compromise yourself." I spoke to Yuri. He was always my first call in these situations. He was prepared and had his own allies that he relied on.
"Be careful, Bells." His voice was soft, as comforting and calm as it often was.
"Always."
The second call was going to be a much more complicated one. I decided that maybe an in-person discussion was needed. An hour later, I was waiting inside of one of the furthest and quietest mausoleums on Court grounds.
"Hey." I greeted Shane, watching him cautiously enter through the large doors. The place was virtually empty, other than the dead.
"Care to tell me why we are meeting in such an unsettling place?
"I needed a place that doesn't have indoor cameras." I told him, seeing his eyes dart around us. "No witnesses. I need to ask a favor, and you are not going to like it."
"Nothing could possibly get any worse than it is." He thought out loud, but he was wrong. It could get so much worse. "Let's talk." Shane motioned to a bench nearby. He was at least willing to hear me out.
"I have a confession to make. "I began, still slightly uncertain that I was doing the right thing. What choice did I have? I could only hope that I had approached the right person, and that my trust would not fail. "What I am about to reveal means that you are sworn to the highest degree of secrecy, not only by me, but by both Courts and Councils." I warned him. He was still in, so I told him more details than most others were aware of when it came down to this situation with Mason. I told him as much as I could, and what he needed to know.
"What do you need from me Bells?" He questioned, in shock at some of the things I had disclosed to him.
Here it was. The favor. "Deep cover." I informed him. "I need you to be welcoming to Mason when he is returned to this Court. I need you to be the ally in his corner until I know more. I also need you to resist much of my judgement.
"You must be joking Bellamy. What you're asking is something that I cannot do."
"You must. You are the only person I trust to play this part."
"Ask anything else of me." He was pleading with me. "Please."
"Darling, I did warn you. It is a big ask, but I would not ask if I was not sure."
"It has to be me? You are sure?"
"I can't ask Eddie. He will crack under this sort of pressure. Yuri detests Mason far too much to be nice. Plus, I have something else that those two are working on."
"What about Belikov? You two are usually knee deep in this kind of strategy game together."
I said nothing more. Instead, I lowered my face, then giving my friend a look that I hoped he could read.
"Okay." He backed off. "Belikov is not an option, and it is the last we will say about it. What exactly should I do?
The door to my office opened slowly before Jesse popped his head in. I was happy to see him. His emotions were more relaxed than my own, so it was easy for me to soak up his emotions.
"I don't mean to interrupt your Guardian plotting," He looked at Yuri laying on my couch with folders in his lap, "but can I have a word?"
"Of course Jess."
Yuri stood, handing over the files we were both concentrated on, giving me and Jesse our privacy.
"There is no Guardian plotting going on Jesse."
He smiled sweetly, trying to ascertain whether or not I was keeping more from him.
"I know things are bad." Jesse began the conversation. "I don't know how bad, but I would wager a guess that we are looking at life and death." He was spot on, but confirming his suspicions was not the way to go. "I want to help. There must be something I can do, because the last thing I want is to lose my Guardian, my friend to someone who couldn't keep it together after getting his heart broken."
"You are helping. You are home and you are safe. That is enough."
"I can help you." He persisted. "I can do more Bells. I know that Mason doesn't just want you. He wants all of us. You, me, Ozera and his Guardian, and possibly Aaron and Shane depending on what sort of transgressions he blames them for. It's what they're here for. Bait."
"Where did you hear that?" I felt defensive listening to Jesse run through pieces of accurate information.
"Your emotions always say more than you do."
I wasn't about to tell him that he was right. I didn't need the hassle of him freaking out on top of everything else. But the problem remained. Mason was fixed on the idea of hurting all of us in some form or another.
"So. Help me out here, Bells. Can he really hate me that much?"
"I don't think it is that simple Jess." I tried to make him understand. "I've had time to consider more about this ordeal, and especially about Mason's motives."
"And?" My Moroi urged to know as much as I would tell him. "What sort of insight have you collected?
"You and Mason were at odds when we were all at the Academy. You actively challenged one another mainly over…"
"You and Rose. That's no secret. "He hated me because of my friendships with you and Rose? I let the thought that I'd been friends with him back then go. This was not the time to debate our past.
"Yes, but I also don't think that he hated you specifically."
"You could've fooled me."
I smirked. "He resented you."
Jesse lifted an eyebrow, confused by what I tried to explain.
"What I mean is. Mason disliked the idea of you. He hated what you represented to me and Rose then, and what you continue to represent today."
"And that is?"
"A life outside of the bubble created at the Academy." I saw him nod, grasping everything I said. "You represent the thing that Mason could never provide. Rose has always known that she would be a Guardian. I too have had a mostly straight-forward goal in my life. We need to put our skills where they will do the most good for others."
"Bells, any Moroi you chose to guard was going to whisk you away from him." He did understand. "So, why was his anger focused on me directly back then too? We never planned to be together like we are today."
When I finished explaining more complex details about Mason's psyche to him, Jesse looked satisfied by the answers given. I stood in the doorway as he left my office, watching as he deliberately walked over to where Christian was quietly keeping to himself. Christian still looked wary to trust Jesse, even after all this time that had passed. Jesse sat, and the two began talking. Jesse knew what we were facing, and he was my best hope of preparing Christian and Aaron better.
"He's not going to come quietly this time, is he?" Shane was standing in front of me. I had not seen or heard him, proving just how stealthy we Guardians could be.
My first thought was to be optimistic and give hope, but we had passed optimistic in the rear-view several exits ago. I had to be pragmatic and realistic with those I was putting in this situation.
"I don't know." I said. "The minute I think that I can get through to Mason, he says or does something that sets me right back to square one in my head."
"So, what is our first move?" Dimitri rounded the corner, entering the room. I felt as though he were testing me now.
"The first move is not ours. It's his. He will want my head and my attention turned."
"Which means that he won't be working alone." Dimitri was all caught up. "If he has your attention focused on him, you're not concentrated on us." Yes, we were finally on the same page.
"Precisely."
The three of us continued talking, reasoning every detail as best as we could. Shane finally had enough. He looked exhausted. As he exited, Dimitri moved from a chair by my door to the couches in the center of the room. He positioned the chess board on the table in front of him.
"Shall we?" He suggested a game.
I sat down on the couch across from him, repositioning the board. "You first." I offered.
He made his first move and just as I did when Yuri and I played this game, I analyzed his strategy. I tried to get into his head.
Dimitri was more interested in getting into my head this time though.
"You purposely did not let me get close to him." He deduced.
"I exhaled softly. "It couldn't be my idea for you to get closer to him." I said, making my move on the board. "He knows that you and I are close. If I trust anyone as much as Yuri, it's you. Mason was not going to trust you."
"And when you let him capture me…"
"I need you on the inside, watching and listening."
His eyes tilted up to me. "You really have thought this all through."
"Were you ever in doubt? I did learn from the best."
"Bridgette." Dimitri modestly assumed.
"And you." I lifted my eyes to his. "I give credit where it is well more than due. I would not be where I am today without your guidance and training too, Dimitri."
"That is kind Bellamy. Thank you."
"I'm not saying it to be kind. I'm saying it in honesty."
Dimitri simply nodded this time, focusing on our game once more.
While more time passed, and our Moroi were occupied, entertaining themselves, Yuri and I took the time to walk Shane and Dimitri through and around the property, giving them access to the layout and to the surveillance systems, installed by Yuri and myself. The two seemed to admire the attention to detail in our personal security measures.
"You have drones." Shane pointed out as we were exiting the last room, his voice rising to a more excited tone.
"Ideal for tactical situations." Yuri said. "It took forever for me to convince Bells to let me have them."
"They're toys." I provided my opinion. "And we are close to a no-fly zone."
"But, we can use them to fly over the perimeter to spot anything unusual." Yuri added.
I rolled my eyes. There was no turning back now. We were all in this mission for better or worse, together. It was a thought that both comforted and made me uneasy.
"I'm worried about Aaron." Shane traded places with Yuri, coming to stand at my right.
"So am I." I knew that Shane's worry stemmed from Aaron's tragic experience with Strigoi years before this, and although we were not facing the same threat this time, it worried us both that this sort of thing might trigger those memories, impacting Aaron in a negative way.
"If this is too much for him…"
"He says it isn't."
"And you believed him?"
"Not entirely, no."
Before Shane and I could come up with any kind of solution, a squeal of excitement sounded through the house. It was coming from the front of the house. Jesse found me a minute later.
"She's here."
"Who is here?" Shane inquired, his senses alert and now on edge.
I opened the door leading to the foyer, greeted by our guest.
"Bellamy!." She rushed past Sophie and Christian.
It took seconds for Dimitri, who was already becoming skeptical of my plans to push and pull me into the adjoining sitting room for a more forceful conversation.
"What's your damage, Heather?" I pulled myself out of his grip, aggravated by his abruptness.
"What exactly is Mia Rinaldi doing here? I could tell that he was trying to keep his voice down. "How exactly does she fit into this plan of yours? You're playing with fire again Bells."
I was expecting his questions. I would expect questions from others as well.
"I want to real reason she is here." Dimitri demanded.
This answer I had to give him. "The real reason she is here, is because of her magic."
"Bellamy." He was holding back trying not to sound so exhausted by my revelation.
"I know what you're going to say."
"I don't think you do."
"I approached Mia shortly after her conversation with you. She has something that Mason doesn't, something that he will not expect."
"Magic?"
"Patience." I corrected him. Water is patient. It waits. And Mia is as patient as her magic. Or perhaps she is patient because of her magic." I considered the differences.
"How does the patience of a Moroi help us?"
"Think about it logistically. If we move anywhere towards Mason with Guardian tactics, he will see us coming. The element of surprise is still on our side. Mason knows how I feel about magic and Moroi in the field. I told you, we are not doing this by Council rules this time. We do not make any fast and reckless moves towards him. Mason is smart. He has been studying all of the Guardians at Court, especially you and me."
"So your plan hinges on using water magic against him?"
"Yes and no. I won't use her unless it is absolutely necessary."
"Use her in what way?"
"Mia is my wildcard. She is also a safety card. If this goes pear-shaped at any point, she is the one we will need. But as I said, that is a card I will play only when all other options are exhausted."
"Bringing in another Moroi could complicate things more. What if…"
"I would never let any of our Moroi come here if I thought even one of them would get hurt."
"That's not what I'm saying and you know it." Dimitri countered my arguments. "I only meant…" He tried to recover.
"I know what you meant Dimitri, but we need to set our personal politics aside and look at this from a personal point of view. There is no reliable state of play where normal Guardian strategy will work. I've done the math."
"So our last ditch option, if it comes to it, is to utilize Mia and her magic." He was sounding more and more cynical by the second.
"Yes and no."
I watched his arms cross his chest, and his brow furrow before he turned away. "I suppose that is all you will say on the matter."
"That is all I can say on the matter Dimitri. You know how this part works."
We returned to our group of friends together.
"This was taped to your door." Mia apprehensively handed over a small piece of paper, folded in half.
I opened it, not expecting what I read. Written of the paper were numbers. Under the numbers was a date. "Tomorrow." I said out loud.
Jesse and Yuri were both at my side within seconds, the look on my face saying far more than I would.
"Bells, what is it?" Dimitri joined them.
"Excuse me." I looked up, smiling. "I need to make a call." I left the foyer as calmly as I could manage, closing myself in mine and Yuri's private office a short time later. I dialed Eddie's cell back at Court, knowing that he would have a lot to say about my swift and covert exit from Court. But before he had the chance to shout, I needed information. I needed his help.
"They're not just numbers." He informed me, his voice tense with what I figured was resentment. "They are coordinates. Longitude and latitude." Eddie paused.
"A location." I should've realized sooner, both Eddie and I doing the math to reveal the actual location I was looking for.
"So Bells, do you want to tell me what you are doing?"
"Nope."
"Because you can't or won't?"
"Both." I said, and my friend sighed.
"Alright." He kept calm. "You are on assignment, and I know the drill. Be careful Bells."
"You know me Ed."
I do. That is why I'm saying this."
I promised to be careful, and we hung up. I had a location. Greenwich Park. Mason had taken his first step. Now I had to decide what would happen next. Not willing to leave them out of the loop, I met quietly with Yuri, Dimitri, and Shane.
I asked Shane to tag along with me after deciding to meet with Mason. I knew that showing up with Shane at my side would raise suspicion in Mason's mind. Not to mention it would irk him. It was a petty thing for me to do, but after letting myself publicly unravel at Court, making sure Mason had seen much of it, I now wanted him to know that I was very put together. Much of my theatrics led us here, to this point. This was where I wanted him. This is where he and I would begin to face our past. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever expect to get closure.
Greenwich Park, located in the southeast part of London was a small journey for me and Shane. We drove into the city center, taking the train to the Meridian line in the park grounds. It was familiar to me as Bridgette and I had come here often enough.
"The park overlooks the Thames." I played guide for my friend, who'd never been here. "The royal Observatory and the Planetarium are that way." I pointed out. "There are two or three types of deer on the grounds."
"Which area are we going to?" Shane asked.
I pointed an area on the map that he carried. "We are headed to the cherry blossom trees there." It was starting to rain, so there were fewer people going to the same area of the park. The cherry blossoms were closer to the Queen's orchard, where many fruits and veggies were grown.
"I see you brought company."
Shane and I both arrived to see Mason had beaten us to the location. Rather than the word 'company', I knew that 'back up' was the phrase he really wanted to use.
"You didn't expect I would come alone, did you?"
"You're smarter than that." Mason acknowledged with as much sincerity as he could muster. "I hoped we could speak alone."
He was asking to talk alone. I considered whether or not there could be anything remotely worthwhile he might say in private. I agreed, whispering to Shane. Shane reluctantly took a few steps back. He paused, looking back at me. I was not surprised that Shane would not trust Mason alone with me. He turned back several times before disappearing into the trees, the blossoms falling behind him as the wind swept around the area.
"You still wear the same mask."
"My mask?"
"Your façade." He clarified. "Your façade is making people think that you know more than you do. You like to look as though you know everything."
"I don't know everything."
"I know."
"What do you want from me?" I posed a more important question, leading him away from his attempt to pry. "I'm here. I'm meeting with you in a somewhat public place. What do you want?" I grew increasingly bothered by his silence on the question.
He had learned to keep his own counsel.
"I will not stay if you have no intention of answering my questions." I tried leading him to believe that I didn't know the answers to my own questions. He needed my attention on him right now. He had his own plans, and there was very little I could do about that yet. I had to play my own role, bickering with him .
"Let's call your being here a test of faith."
"A test of trust you mean." I made the point to correct him. "Say what you mean, Mase. You don't trust me."
"Should I?"
I looked insulted. "What reason have I given you to distrust my word or my actions?"
"So you didn't follow me to kill me."
I sat down on a nearby bench, settling into our conversation.
"Disappointing as it may be, I'm not here to kill you babe." I met his stare. "Despite what you believe, my goal is not to see people hurt. I hope to return to Court with no lives lost."
"I do want to believe that." He moved to sit beside me, and it took all the strength I had not to jump or show any sort of fear.
"I'm telling you the truth." I actually was truthful about this with him.
"We'll see." Mason finished our short conversation. He stood, hovering over me for a few seconds before backing away.
I stayed seated, reviewing every word and gesture made, looking for any sort of deception or deceit. Did I miss anything important? Was he hiding something more? Which direction would he go next?
"So, you really aren't going to kill him?" I figured that Shane had not gone too far. Staying close enough to watch and possibly listen. He also would've gone around, checking all points in the area for anyone assisting Mason.
"Not if I can help it." I told my friend in confidence.
Shane made a small laughing noise. "I am almost tempted to ask what that means, but I also feel that if you tell me, it only causes more trouble."
I agreed with him and we laughed.
"We are going to be more vulnerable to him this time." I made a point to say. "My priority is protecting our Moroi, but I don't intend to see Guardians hurt either. We've already lost Dimitri, so this next bit is on you, me, and Yuri."
"Right." Shane listened. "Wait. What do you mean we've lost Dimitri?"
"You should check in on Aaron." I stepped around that mine field of questions for now. "We don't want him falling into old habits because of this."
"Or because of what's to come." Shane agreed.
Shane and I returned to the estate as the sun was setting, met just inside the front doors by our panicking Moroi.
"He's gone." Sophie told us.
"One minute he was with us, and the next he disappeared." Mia went on. "We tried to find Guardian Belikov, but…"
"They wouldn't go back to Court without telling us."
"Who?" Shane asked, helping to keep the peace. "Who is gone?"
"Chris." Mia spoke with far too much panic in her voice.
"This is bad." Sophie said.
Jesse went to comfort his wife. Shane, Yuri, and I all did everything we could to help calm and comfort everyone. My eyes scanned the room, settling on Jesse. I tilted my head subtly to the door, indicating the need to speak to him. I left the room, followed a moment later by my Moroi. We entered the library, hoping not to be disturbed.
"I don't know what happened." His emotions rose to screaming levels within seconds. "What the girls said is fairly accurate."
"What happened exactly Jess?"
"One minute Ozera was with us, the next he wasn't. I figured he had wandered off in the house somewhere." He was in full alarm mode. "I don't know what to say to them Bells. You have got to tell me what's going on. Please don't leave me out."
"Okay. Keep it together Jess."
He sat down, and I casually sat close to him, lifting my legs over his lap, laying my head on his shoulder.
"You and I have come a long way since the Academy." He joked at the comparisons of our friendship then versus now.
"We were both different people back then."
I'm not leaving you out of the loop." His arm hugged me around my shoulders. "We planned for this. And it is extremely difficult to willingly tell others that Chris and Dimitri are being held by Mason and whoever he is working with."
"Right." The information settled into Jesse, and his entire sense of optimism started to fracture. "I know that there is a well thought out and perfectly timed plan, but I'm losing sight of it. How does our friends being captured help?"
"Mason will use them as bargaining chips. He knows that I will not let anyone be harmed."
"Help me understand why you don't just find him and take a very well-placed shot to his head?"
"Two reasons." I lightened my tone more. "One, because going up to random persons and killing them is a crime, even in our society. And two, I don't want anyone, including Mason, to be hurt."
"After all of this," Jesse stood, lifting me up with him, "you're still going to let him live?"
"In a manner of speaking. We will see it as living. He won't."
Jesse walked to the door, and stood, considering what I'd said.
"Would you send Mia to see me. I should speak with her in private."
He nodded.
Mia knocked, entering the room a few minutes later, looking around in what seemed to be a mix of awe and interest. She spotted me and smiled, sitting on the same couch. The stress in her eyes was still clear to me. After a good twenty minutes of catching up and reassurances, I needed to have a more in depth talk with my friend.
"I need you to do me a favor."
"Anything Bellamy." She was willing to comply.
After the most recent events, and with the things still to come, I need you to stick to Yuri while you are here."
Mia's expression turned more wary than I would have expected. She hesitated, contemplated what I was asking in her head.
"Is that a command?" She surprised me by framing her question in a way that I also did not expect. Her question made me curious, so I played along.
"It is a request. I do not command Moroi."
"You do not command royals. But I am not royal."
"You are my friend." I returned, keeping the quiet cadence of my voice. "I do not command my friends. Think of this as a request made from a friend, who is trying to keep you safe."
"Mia still balked at my proposition.
"Do you not like Yuri?
"No, it's…it's not that."
"Then…" I pushed for more information, but she continued to hesitate. "Yuri and I are both here to protect you." I assured. "Your safety is one of our highest priorities."
"I don't think that he likes me very much." Mia finally answered. "I think he resents me or blames me. Other Guardians do. After Seattle…" She brought up the subject.
"That is in the past." I cut her off, sitting down with her. "Yuri is not like other Guardians. He would never judge anyone for past transgressions. He is a good man, and I trust him implicitly."
She smiled. "I guess that is why you married him."
"It's one reason."
I could see that she was still unsettled by my request, but I could not push her any further. I offered to speak with Yuri, dropping the matter for the moment.
DIMITRI POV
Bellamy's information was pretty accurate. She had clearly been studying Mason longer than she wanted to say. I'd been on a short early morning run when I was ambushed. My first thought was naturally relief. Christian was not with me. I hoped that he would be left alone, hoped that maybe Mason would leave the Moroi out of our conflict.
I counted only three men waiting and watching my run before being ensnared. Three men meant that Mason had help from somewhere. And under more normal circumstances, I would've pretty easily subdued such a small group, but Bellamy made it clear that she wanted my eyes and expertise on the inside of this operation. I did what I could not to resist, and I let myself become a hostage. My eyes did us no good while blindfolded. My hands were bound with zip ties, and I was thrown into the backseat of what felt like a mid-sized car. No one spoke while in the car, and it was better for those around me. No voice recognition. The car drove around for an hour or so, indicating that it was done to throw me off of my surroundings. It felt as though we had circled back around, keeping to the same area. When Christian and I drove to the Zeklos Estate, I had taken note of the roads. The property was not near any tourist areas, so there were fewer cars or people in the area. When the car came to the end of its journey, I couldn't tell if we were near the same stretch of property or further away. I did my best to stay calm and compliant as one man pulled me from the car.
The weather had changed. It was growing colder outside. The wind was speeding up, and it was preparing to rain. Bellamy mentioned that the rain was fairly prevalent for this area, and it gave visibility a shorter distance to help.
I heard the lock of a door being undone before being ushered into a building. I was quickly placed into a chair, my hands being retied to the object. Dangerous move for others who were not aware of advanced Guardian training maneuvers. I stayed in place, trying to anticipate what might happen next. The door opened again and another body entered. Nothing was said, but a second chair was placed in front of me.
My blindfold was taken off so that I could see those around me. Mason stood directly in front of me. He looked exhausted but still calm. He was searching for the first thing to say.
"You must know why you are here." He chose his words, attempting to intimidate. It wasn't working. He was not going to bait me the same way he had done to others.
"Why did you let Bellamy find you here?" I questioned in return. "You had the opportunity to leave Court and disappear all over again. You could've gone anywhere."
"Let her find me?" Mason sat in front of me, leaning back comfortably into the chair. "You think I would purposely want her coming after me?" Alright. Poor choice of words considering the Guardian in question. "No one just lets Bellamy find them."
Clearly Mason was now more aware of Bellamy's tracking skills.
"True." I agreed. "But, no other Guardians had spotted you until she and Eddie caught a small glimpse of you in Vienna."
"I did not need to be seen yet." It was a rather enigmatic reply.
'Need to be seen'. I could not get the words out of my head. What did he mean? Granted most Strigoi are not seen until it is too late, but what Mason had done was different.
"It has been years Mason."
He stayed quiet, his eyes on me, and arms crossed. "You are studying me and my words more carefully today." He noted my behavior. I was being too obvious, but perhaps I could use this to my advantage.
"I suppose I am trying to better understand."
"You still want to understand why." I saw the side of his mouth lift. My questions amused him. Interesting. "You want to know why I am doing all of this. You still want to know why I did what I did; why I chose to become Strigoi."
These were not the exact question I had, but I kept him talking. Any new information that I could get would be useful.
"You have been very careful not to talk about yourself or of the past until now. What has changed?"
"I'm not sure what you mean?" Mason avoided more eye contact.
"Let's not continue this game. Answer the question." I pushed him, pretty sure of how he might react.
"You are in no position to make demands."
He stood, turning away, preparing to walk away.
"On the contrary." I detected his growing defensiveness. "I am your bargaining chip. I am the only one who can get Belllamy to listen. That is what you want, is it not? You want her to listen. You want her here."
"Clever clever Guardian."
Bellamy was right. There was no way out of this without a fight. He wanted my head and he wanted Belllamy to pay in some way.
"What are you doing?" I heard a familiar voice being forced into the same room. "Take your hands off of me! Dimitri!" Christian saw me as soon as he entered the same room. He looked scared, horrified at the sight of me tied to a chair. Despite knowing that this moment would come, it was not easy for him either.
"Allow me to explain." Christian jumped, hearing Mason's eerily calm tone. "Take a seat."
"Let him go." I ordered Mason, ready to rip my hands from the binding that held me to the chair.
Mason looked to me struggling, quickly refocusing on my Moroi.
"Sit down." His demand was given with more force.
Christian tentatively sat in the chair now positioned beside me. Immediately the same men who had subdued me, approached Christian, holding him still while he struggled and fought not to be tied to another chair this way. I knew that it would trigger bad memories for him. Maybe that was what Mason wanted.
"You are here to serve a purpose." Mason explained. "As much as I would enjoy seeing you squirm," he leaned down closer to Christian, "it serves me no purpose until I get what I am here for."
"And what are you here for?" I used as soothing a tone as I could muster. I knew the answer to my question. It was not what he wanted, but whom in this case. Mason still refused to answer my question.
"Dimitri." Christian breathed softly
"Everything will be fine." I lied, trying to reassure him I was not sure how convincing my words were.
BELLAMY POV
"Bells," Jesse knocked, entering the library again, interrupting myself, Yuri, and Shane, "I think there is someone here to see you."
"Jess, can this wait?" I made an attempt to escort him from the room, shielding him from the worst of what might come.
"I don't think it can." He offered. "If I am correct, he is not part of your plan, and he definitely was not invited."
He gained my interest. My hand went to my hip, resting on my weapon. "You stay here." I ordered Jesse, keeping him with the other Guardians. "Where are Sophie and the others?"
"Entertainment room."
I cautiously moved downstairs, into the foyer. There were two silhouettes at the front door. One of them I recognized as a guard from the front gates. I opened the door, doing everything I could to mask my frustration and shock.
"What in the name of the Saints are you doing here?"
"Hello to you too Guardian." The other man greeted me.
"Why are you here, and how do you know where we live?"
"I've been sent to help you." Hans Croft shook off the man holding him in place. He stepped closer, moving inside of the house.
I acknowledged the guard still waiting for my instruction, nodding to him, giving him my okay to stand down.
"By whom were you sent?" I allowed Hans entry, closing the door behind us. Hans kept silent, turning to stare back at me, leading me to guess whom he had been sent by. "The Queen sent you."
"She did."
"Why?"
"Because her Guardian and others thought you might need…
"Help." I finished, relaxing my stance.
"When some at Court noticed the absence of yourself and Guardian Belikov, Alberta and I put two and two together. We went to the Queen and asked how we could help on our end."
I wasn't able to hide all of my surprise at his willingness to help me.
"When the Queen said I would be of better assistance here with you, I was immediately asked to give you this." Hans pulled out a sealed envelope, handing it over to me. It was from Eddie. I recognized his handwriting, placing it to the side temporarily.
Shane soon appeared at my side, equally as alarmed by the appearance of another Guardian. We were both able to quickly brief Hans on the current situation, watching his expressions shift every few seconds. He looked no less than horrified when I mentioned the capture of both Dimitri and Christian.
"Relax." I made the mistake of saying. "I expected this, and so did they."
"He is going to hurt them." Hans was in another mood to argue with me.
"No. He will not."
"You cannot know that."
"In this case, I can." I tried to stop any argument he might try to start.
"Battles are not predictable, Guardian Pearce."
"But, Mason is." I smirked. "Mason knows that I will not allow him to get away with harming anyone. He knows that I will go to them. It's a trap." I confirmed as the door opened behind me. Yuri entered, with. "He wants me to face him, but he is too much of a coward to do things simply. He won't just ask to meet face to face."
"And you're going to do it. You are going to walk into this convoluted trap."
"I have a plan." I told Hans, but he remained skeptical.
"I hope you have a contingency plan for your plan."
"I have four of them. The first contingency involves my husband." I looked to Yuri. "The second involves our Moroi, and the third involves you."
"Me? You knew I would be here?"
"I did not. But I am smart enough to plan for the unexpected."
For the first time since I had returned to Court, Hans Croft looked pleased. And while I was not looking for his approval, it was nice to see. The four of us sat down, now better prepared to discuss the situation in more detail.
"You are more than just a tracker."
I lifted my eyes to Hans as he continued to question and gain as much information as he could. This was his opportunity, and he took it.
"Yes." I kept my voice level and casual.
His demeanor shifted and he was now being cautious. "What are you?"
"I am a Guardian.
Hans now gave a deliberate look of disapproval. I hesitated shortly. This was not a simple straight-forward answer, but Hans was not one to let things like this go.
"I am what you would call a 'consulting tracker'."
"And what is that?" He found the nearest chair. "What does that mean?"
"It means that I am Jesse's Guardian first and always, but when the Guardian or Moroi Councils find themselves largely out of their depth, they come to me. And with recent revelations, I am-necessary."
The other Guardian seemed to reflect further on what I said.
"Can I ask you another question?"
I gave a nod, indulging the man for a few more minutes.
"Is it true that you did your field training under Pavel Kovalenko?
Pavel Kovalenko was one of the most well- known tracking agents. Both he and Bridgette had been very careful to keep much of my training under as much cover as possible. It is an unwritten rule that no one should know who our trackers are, until announced by Council.
"You know about that?" I did not let him see me flinch. Hans shrugged.
"Sort of. Guardians at Court have only heard rumors here and there. Belikov and Petrov have not been very forthcoming with answers, which makes me assume…"
"It is true." What harm could telling him at this point do, I thought. "But it almost didn't happen."
"Why not?"
"Because Pavel Kovalenko is not the type of Guardian to stroke the ago of a novice Guardian. Before he would accept me as his student, I had to prove my worth to him."
"How?"
"By admitting to both of us that I was not worthy."
I could see the confusion cross his face. "How do you prove your worth if you do not feel you are worthy?"
"Well, that was the point." I explained. "Humility. In case you haven't noticed, I am not always the most humble Guardian."
Both Yuri and Shane chuckled. Hans laughed slowly and I smiled back at him.
"Admitting that I am flawed as a Guardian is difficult, if not nearly impossible. Listing those flaws out loud to other Guardians is even harder for me to do."
"So, Pavel taught you to be a better Guardian by having you admit that you are flawed? We are all flawed Bellamy."
"No." I scoffed. "Pavel taught me to track Guardians. Tracking a Guardian is much harder than tracking Strigoi because Guardians can cover their tracks better. We can go places that Strigoi cannot."
"That is why you are tracking him so differently this time around."
"He is finally catching on." Yuri joked about the other Guardian.