LAST SCION COMPANION STORY

by savannah0707

THIS IS A COMPANION STORY TO 'LAST SCION'. IT ISN'T REQUIRED THAT YOU READ 'ls' FIRST, BUT IT IS A GOOD IDEA. THIS COMPANION STORY FOLLOWS BELLAMY PEACE, GUARDIAN TO JESSE ZEKLOS, A MOROI ROYAL. BELLAMY IS FACED WITH A DECISION WHEN NEWS OF A LOST LOVE SURFACES. SHE WILL HAVE TO FACE HIM AND ASK THE QUESTION: WHY? WHY DID HE LEAVE? WHY DOES HE BLAME HER?

15. Chapter 15

CHAPTER 15: AFTERMATH

Note to Readers: This story has taken quite a while to finish and pull together. This version does not end the way I had initially planned, but it is one way to go. I may write up and post the alternate version, but by request, there is a Marvel story I am going to start on next. My thanks to those who have stuck with me through this one, and my apologies for the length of time it has taken. Let's get to it. Here is the final chapter

BELLAMY

I was going stir crazy. A week after I'd been released from the Court hospital, and mandatory bed rest, I was doing all I could not to lose my mind. Although, one good thing about being forced to rest for so long is that Jesse and I were taking every opportunity we could, to really sit and talk. He had rarely left my side over the last seven days, and I was okay with it. Seeing me hurt had shown him the truth that rested below our friendship. The truth was that I would always be the one to sacrifice for him.

I was happy to see Rose at the door on day seven of my confinement. She'd come bringing coffee and a message. It was requested that I attend a meeting in the royal advisory chambers as soon as I felt up to it.

"Is this an official word from the Queen," I asked, "or more of a general update conversation?"

"Select members of the Moroi and Guardian Councils will also be present." Rose told me.

I thanked her for the coffee and asked that she relay a message for me in response to the royal advisory committee. Twenty-four hours later, I was on my way to a meeting with the Queen and our Councils. I approached the receiving room as the doors were pushed open. Hans Croft was exiting. He saw me and smiled. This was a first. He asked about my wounds and my overall health before letting me know that he too had been called in to see the Queen.

"There is a room full of Guardians and royals who are not altogether happy with you." He gave me a heads up.

"With me or my decisions?"

"Both." We both heard a third voice join us. Dimitri walked up to my side, clearly called in as well.

"They asked for a detailed rundown of what occurred with Mason." Hans explained. "I told them that I have never seen such a well thought out, well planned, and controlled mission."

"You stood up for me?"

"I was honest about what I saw and experienced." Hans told me. "And yes, I did."

"The Queen is ready to receive you." Another of Lissa's Guardians interrupted.

Hans smiled again before walking into the opposite direction. I looked over to Dimitri. He winked, and stayed put as I entered the room, the doors closing between us. His faith in me knew no bounds. I took a deep breath and walked into the very spacious and deliberately luxuriously decorated room. I saw that not only was I meeting with members of both Councils, as well as the Queen. Mason's Court attorney was also in attendance.

"Interesting." I said to myself, curious to see what was coming next. I sat down, given a folder full of new information. The first thing I saw was Mason's departure date. He would be leaving tomorrow morning. I nodded slowly, reading that he would also be escorted by Guardians from both Courts.

"Welcome back, Bellamy." Lissa greeted, kindness in her voice.

I prepared myself, ready to be reprimanded for conduct or decisions I had made.

"I hope that you are recovering well."

"I am on the mend. Thank you." I politely returned to Lissa.

"We called you in because we have received a request." Lissa began. "I am certain that you have heard by now that Mason Ashford is being held in the cells below Court before being transferred to…"

"I'm aware." I put a stop to the rest of the information.

"He has asked to speak to you and your Moroi a final time before his transfer." Alicia Jordan informed me. "We feel it may not be wise…"

"Is it my decision?" I again cut off the opinions being given.

Alicia nodded.

"Then I will be the one to make the decision."

My words were met with silence. I hadn't expected any arguments, but still…

"You didn't kill him." I barely heard the words spoken by the Queen.

I looked over at her and shrugged. "I wonder, did anyone truly expect that I would kill Mason? He and I have an understandably complicated past, but we all know that the Mason we knew died years ago."

Everyone in the room nodded in agreement. I could see in her eyes that Lissa sympathized with me. I did not want her sympathy or sympathy from others.

"Jesse and I have decided together that we should take some time away from Court." My eyes met with Howard's. He did not seem terribly happy hearing the idea. "We have discussed this at length. Jesse will be taking a leave of absence from his duties here and overseas."

"You are well entitled to do so." Lissa granted. "But, how long…"

"I do not know." That was the truth. I honestly did not know how long we would need to be away from this place, but I knew that we both needed a break.

"Take the time that you need and deserve." Alicia and Lola also granted.

I stood, ending our conversation, exiting the room. Dimitri entered after me, but I was not finished answering for my crimes. Rose caught up to me before I could completely escape.

"How long have you had Mia in your pocket?" Rose and Mia had become better friends over the last several years, so I needed to be careful about what I could or should say.

"Mia is not in my pocket. She asked if there was anything she could do when Mason was first brought to Court. I refused and told her that he is too dangerous. I did not want her involved."

"That changed."

"No." I maintained.

Rose seemed to temporarily drop the subject, but inevitably all of this would come up again. She disappeared back into the same room where I could just see Dimitri sitting down to be questioned. I was not worried for him. He was always calm under pressure. He always knew the right things to say, and what to do. My phone rang as I approached my car, and I now had new problems to deal with.

"Hi Eddie." I picked up, expecting bad news. "What's wrong?"

"Why would you automatically assume something is wrong?" He asked innocently, but I was not so naïve.

"Because when I'm at Court, something usually is wrong."

He gave a soft laugh, ignoring my complaint. "Bells, I need you to meet me at Prisoner Handling and Circulation." He requested my attention and presence on the other side of the Court. "There is something you will want to see."

I sighed loudly, indicating to my friend that I was right. Another problem.

"I'll be there in ten minutes." I agreed, climbing into the driver's seat, and turning the engine over before storing my phone in the passenger seat. I drove at a somewhat slower pace, reaching the Prisoner Handling building in fifteen minutes rather than ten. I entered slower than usual as well, seeing Eddie in the lobby waiting for me to arrive. He smiled sweet and brightly as soon as he spotted me.

"What is the trouble?" I asked, smiling back as sweetly as I could. Exhaustion was again ready to take over my body.

"No trouble." Eddie replied. "I just wanted you to be here to see…"

"Bells!" I heard a familiar deep voice behind me.

I spun to see my friend exiting the back section of the building that led to the prisoner cells.

"Dean!" I was surprised to see our friend back at Court. I moved quickly into his open arms, hugging him tight. Seeing Dean Barnes back at Court for any amount of time had me happily tearing up as I backed away, letting my arms drop back to my sides.

"What are you doing here?" I hated to admit that I had not seen my friend in several years due to both of our schedules. "Are you working?" I slowed my breathing. "I have missed you."

"I missed you too, Bells." He took my hand with his, squeezing kindly.

"I'll leave you two to talk." Eddie made a half-excuse to disappear.

"Did he know you were coming?" I asked. Dean could never disguise guilt well. "Uh-huh." I noted the look on his face.

"Don't be mad, sweetheart. He wanted to surprise you."

I smiled slowly again.

"He and I talked about a week ago. He mentioned that you and Rose are having a rough time with Mason returning unexpectedly.

"I'm fine, Dean."

But he wasn't about to believe that.

"Being fine and coping are two different things. How about we tell your coping mechanisms to take a walk for a while."

"But then I won't be okay."

Dean and I walked hand in hand outside, sitting at a table, under an umbrella.

"No one expects you to be okay with any of this Bellamy." Dean said the one thing I was struggling to fully understand. "Nothing about this situation is okay."

"Yuri said the same thing."

"Smart man, your husband." Dean changed the subject for a bit. "How is Yuri?"

"Good." I too was happy for the temporary change in subject. "Endlessly supportive."

"I expect nothing less."

"He would be happy to see you. How long are you here at Court?" I snuck in my own hidden agenda.

"About a week."

"The three of us should have dinner."

Dean agreed and we were soon talking about Mase again.

"I went in to see him." Dean admitted, pointing back inside of the building. "I wanted to see that he was real. When I heard about it, I…"

"He's real alright."

"I told him to lay off you. And then, I said goodbye."

"I do not need you to protect me from him, Dean."

"I know." He leaned forward onto his elbows. "But I do it anyway, because we're friends. I hear even Jesse stood up to him." Dean mentioned that he knew more than he was saying out loud. "You've taught your Moroi well."

"A little too well. He's cocky."

Dean shrugged. "Some things never change."

Another hour of conversation had us laughing, reminiscing, tearing up, and promising to meet for dinner in the next night or two. I hugged my friend before we went our separate directions. I found myself driving to Christian's apartment a few minutes later.

When I arrived, I knocked, despite having a key of my own.

"Bells." I was not expecting to see Dimitri. "He is asleep." His words were soft.

"Can we talk?" I asked, wanting to ask him all about his meeting with the Queen and Councils.

He invited me right in. "How are you feeling?" He immediately asked, but I was not sure how to answer at first. Was he asking how I was physically, after being shot, or was he asking about my emotional and mental health?

I shrugged. "I've been better." Either question resulted in the same response. "Mason has asked to see me and Jesse." I stated. "Before he is transferred, he asked to talk to us."

"Rose mentioned that. Will you…"

"I don't know. Maybe. I feel like I should."

"You don't owe him anything Bells. You're not obligated to see him."

"I know. But I might owe it to myself. I need closure. Real closure this time. Don't I deserve that?"

"You do." He was empathetic o the circumstances. "Just remember, we don't always get the closure we are looking for."

True enough, I considered. "I also have questions about Liam. Right now, Mason is the only one who can answer them."

"Eddie says that you chose not to assist in the mission to apprehend Liam Kane."

"I think I have done enough. If Eddie needs my help, he will call. Jesse and I are leaving Court for some time." I kept any answer to the amount of time vague. "We need a break."

"Agreed."

A short time later, I left Christian's apartment, promising to return. Now, I was on my way to see my favorite Guardian. Yuri was out spending time with Stef and Hans while I met with the Queen. The men were hanging out together in the game room back at the Zeklos estate.

Despite my recently healed injuries, I ran at full speed to Yuri as soon as I arrived and opened the doors. I didn't stop until I felt myself almost slam against his chest. The tears I felt falling were the last thing I expected. I broke down.

"I take it your meeting with the Queen did not go well."

"Mason wants to see me and Jesse."

"Yuri looked concerned, nodding as the other Guardians slipped out of the room.

"Bells, is that wise?" Yuri sat down on one of the couches, pulling me down with him.

"Honestly," I laid my head onto his chest, "I don't know. But I need answers from him before we leave." I expressed more about my concerns about Mason and Liam. "Dean is at Court." I also mentioned.

"And you want to convince him to…"

"I want to discuss a new job opportunity with him."

"I checked out his file." Yuri revealed. "You're right. He could be a good fit."

I had not realized that I'd fallen asleep next to Yuri, also asleep, until I opened my eyes, unaware that my Moroi was anywhere near me. I spotted him exiting the room. His emotions were fairly level, making it easier for him to conceal any real emotion from me, and making it more difficult for me to sense him at all. I looked at the time, noticing that Jesse was up earlier than usual. I followed him out, stopping him before he reached the front doors.

"I need to talk to you."

"Uh-Oh."

"About Mason."

"Double uh-oh."

"Sit down." I requested rather than ordered. After talking to Yuri, I had made one more clear decision about Mason. I was not going to allow him to mentally or emotionally hurt my friend anymore. Jesse was done. He had played enough of a role in this horrible game.

"I had a meeting with the Queen earlier today." I told Jesse. "I was informed that Mason is calmly and quietly requesting a final sit down with you and me."

"Well, that won't turn out well." Jesse commented honestly.

"Which is why you will not be going with me to see him."

Jesse's reaction hit me hard. He was calm on the outside, but inside he was stunned by my decision.

"I will be politely refusing for you." I did what I could to temper his reaction. "The Queen and Councils are upset enough. I do not wish to further provoke them by blatantly putting you in danger again, here at Court."

"But I am not in danger if he is behind bars." Jesse argued.

"We are not going to argue this matter, Jesse." I put my foot down. "We have one week to settle any unresolved affairs at Court, and then we are going home." I could feel all his relief in the last statement.

We left our conversation there, and I watched Jesse leave. I was surprised that he had not asked anything more about my meeting with the Queen. Afterall, his father was a prominent and sitting member of the royal Council. I had seen the look in Howard's eyes when I mentioned the leave of absence Jesse and I had decided to take. He was not at all happy to hear it. There would be a conversation coming, whether it was between me and Howard, or me Howard and Jesse.

While I had vetoed Jesse tagging along to antagonize and instigate trouble with Mason again, I had chosen to go see him. It was necessary. However, I was going to need a new approach. Mason was going to shut down if I took an offensive stance again. Also, if I feigned being nice, he would see right through me. I made a quick stop before driving back to prisoner control.

"Is this a good idea?" Alberta had clearly been updated about Mason's request, and about my need to retrieve information from him. As I entered, she had been talking to Ingrid Korlov, a Guardian who worked the front desk of this massive building.

"No. it is not a good idea." I agreed with her. "But it is also unavoidable. I need to do this, Alberta."

I shifted by her, hearing her sigh knowing she wouldn't change my mind, and that I was done discussing the matter. Alberta stayed behind as I disappeared behind the doors where Mason was being held.

"You're here." Mason did not hide his surprise as I was allowed entrance to where he was kept. "Lissa said that you might not come."

"She and the Councils do not think that I should be here." I pulled a chair over to sit and talk. Through the strong steel bars, I handed him a strawberry banana smoothie, and was amused by his reaction.

"You just missed Eddie. He came by to see me." I was surprised to hear. "He wanted to say goodbye. It was the last time I will see him." Mason sounded sad by the fact. "And you, is this the last time I will see you?"

"Yes." I was not going to lie to him. "More than likely."

"Okay." He sat back, readying himself to talk this final time. "You were watching me, tracking me," He corrected himself, "the entire time. Even here at Court."

"That is my job."

"You mean your side-hustle." Again, his tone was full of umbrage.

I shot Mason a contemptuous look, but he did not back down.

"Let's be honest sweetheart." I scoffed at the word honest as he used it. "Jesse is your full-time job. You have made that abundantly clear to me. This," he motioned around, "me… I am just a hobby. Albeit a hobby you are quite good at, but a hobby nonetheless."

I was so close to opening the cell door just so that I could punch him again.

"You said it yourself. Your first priority and obligation is to Jesse Zeklos."

"You're right. My job is to make sure that he and his family are always kept safe."

"I don't want to hurt Jesse." Mason admitted to me.

"Just me." I coldly shot back at him. "You just want to hurt me."

I grew angrier as he quietly chuckled.

"You and I have our problems Bells. Maybe one day in the future we will work things out enough to be civil with one another. I don't want to hurt you. I don't want to see you dead. But they do." He pushed this point, leaning forward. "The Strigoi out there, they want you and Christian Ozera turned."

"I know that." I almost shouted back at him. "I do not need a warning. I need to know what you know."

Mason contemplated what I was asking for.

"Liam is still out there, and I need to know what we are dealing with."

"And what do I get in return for this information?"

A favor for a favor, I thought. "Time off for good behavior." I offered him, knowing it was the only offer that would move the needle. It was the only thing that he would want.

"Is that something you can give?"

"It is something that I can suggest." I heard his interest in the offer. "It is something that I have the power to suggest."

Mason gave another laugh. "You have had this card in your deck all along?" He laughed again. "Well played."

"What can you tell me?"

"You are an obsession to him Bellamy. He has an axe to grind, and he cannot get to you on Court grounds. He is in exile."

"He is supposed to be in exile." I corrected. "Instead, he is using good dhampir to do his dirty work." I let him in on what more I knew.

"He will also need to regroup now. He mentioned something about going to a dalmatian. I don't understand why he needs a dog."

"He's not talking about a dog." I said after a few beats, considering the geography of where Liam had been exiled. "He is heading to the Dalmatian Islands. Croatia."

"You had him followed?"

"No." I shrugged. "I simply know him better than many. I have a few very good tracking systems at my fingertips, and a group of allies who are also very good at what they do."

"So, you are going to track him down and capture him?"

I was not worried about Mason getting this information to anyone else, so I kept talking.

"I am not going to capture him. He is not my mission. But others might not be so kind as to keep him alive. What happens to Liam Kane is now out of my hands. Jesse and I are done."

"You're leaving?"

I gave a nod.

"When?"

"About a week. There are things that me, Jess, and Yuri need to wrap up around here."

There was a silence as Mason paused, taking in everything I had said. I suddenly did feel like Mason was carefully pressing me for little bits of information. That made me think about why. Why would he still want specifics, such as itinerary times?

"If this is the last time we will talk, there is something I should confess to you." Mason spoke, his expression and tone changing dramatically. "About Meredith."

"Really Mase," I stopped him, "that's how you want to end this? Confessing your sins about Guardian Nikolai? There is no need." I told him. "I already know. I have known for years."

Only Tuesday, and I was already exhausted from school and the extra training sessions I had been given. Today was Dimitri's turn. The sun was still an hour from rising, and we were meeting for an early run. I reached our meeting point at the front gates before him. This was a first. Usually, Dimitri Belikov was ready and waiting on me hours before my alarm would go off. I shrugged, doing a few stretched before his arrival. Ten minutes later, I spotted a figure running towards me. I didn't realize that it was Yuri Tverskaya until he was much closer.

"Did I get my training schedules mixed up?" I questioned him as he slowed his approach. "I thought I was running with Dimitri."

"Change of plan." Yuri said, passing right by me to get the gates open. "Dimitri and I switched. Something came up."

He went on to talk to the Guardians who were opening the gates for us, and I could just tell that there was more to this half-concocted story. Dimitri would never arbitrarily not show up for a run or training. Yuri was acting suspicious. His words were careful, and his voice was lower than normal. Not to mention he was not making eye contact with me. A dead giveaway.

"Is Dimitri alright?" I asked as we started our run.

"He is fine." Yuri now answered as though I was asking a ridiculous question. The look on my face must have said something to him. "I'm sorry." He too recognized his tone.

We ran mostly in silence, taking the path we usually did. I kept my thoughts to myself, trying to figure out why this felt so off. There was more to the story. We stopped about three miles from the Academy, catching our breath and hydrating. If I was going to ask questions, now was the time.

"Are you going to tell me the real reason Dimitri isn't here, or do I get to start taking wild guesses?" I grinned at the prospect, and Yuri conceded.

"Alright." He caved. "Dimitri is dealing with a couple he found sneaking out of a dorm this morning." Yuri still looked nervous, so I let it go.

Once we finished our run, I was half expecting Yuri to immediately disappear, avoiding any further questioning.

"Hey Bellamy?" I was visibly surprised when he stopped me from leaving. There was a strange look in his eyes. I had not seen him look so…off before this moment. He stood completely still. I had never seen him look so…off before now. It was throwing me off too. He clearly wanted to say something to me but couldn't. Was he forbidden from talking, or did he just not have the words?

"Everything alright Guardian Tverskaya?"

"Yes." He brushed off whatever it was that he was trying to say.

I shrugged, unable to call him out on anything specific. I turned away again, preparing to return to my dorm.

"If you need anything Bellamy," Yuri spoke up again, stopping me in place, continuing to confound me, "if you need to talk…"

"Talk about what?" I urged, trying to subtly pry information from him.

"Anything."

"What is going on Yuri?" He shook his head, refusing still to give away specifics. His evasiveness was not fully pissing me off. "First Dimitri cancels a run. He never does that." I pointed out. "I know better. And you," I was accusing him now, "you have been cagey and mysterious all damn morning. What the hell is going on?"

"I've already told you Bellamy."

"Please don't make me go over your head." My threat to do so did not go over well.

"You do not outrank me." Yuri shot back in his more authoritative tone, irritated by my threat. "And even if you did…"

"You are right Yuri," I diffused the anger between us, "I do not outrank you. But I do have contacts high enough to get to the bottom of whatever this is."

Yuri shook his head again, refusing to take me seriously, and obviously still displeased by my threat.

"Do what you have to do." He said, walking off in the opposite direction.

The rest of the day was equally as vexing. I could not concentrate on much of anything. I couldn't sleep. I was restless and anxious thinking that Dimitri was intentionally and so obviously keeping something from me, and Yuri was helping him. It was marginally easier to distract myself once the sun set, and I could prepare to attend classes and training. I spotted Dimitri in the halls a few times, but I had no opportunity to pull him aside while he busied himself with Guardians and other students. He too had a job to do. After I finished my 'Bodyguard Theory and Personal Protection' course, I threw my notebook into my bag, rushing to catch up with Eddie whose class was next door to mine.

"Hi Bells." He too was acting different this evening, more circumspect than usual.

I shook it off, trying not to put much more thought towards the matter; towards the fact that everyone around me was acting odd. I was starting to think it was just me. Was it me? Was I reading too much into this?

"Not you too." I groaned.

This made Eddie stop and pause. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing." I returned. "I'm just in a bad mood because Belikov canceled a run with me this morning. He had Guardian Tverskaya take over, but then he started acting weird."

Eddie started to walk slowly. "What do you mean by weird?" I could clearly hear his voice reacting the same way Yuri had.

"Weird." I repeated. "Strange. He was acting unlike himself. It was like he was hiding something from me."

"I'm sure it's fine." Eddie said, definitely trying to pacify me. "I have to go meet Dean." He was making an excuse to escape my questions. "I promised him I would help him study." Eddie kissed my cheek, and disappeared down the hall of students, leaving me with far more questions.

I had an hour to kill between my last class and my next, so the library was my next stop. I made my way there, finding a quiet table to myself. I flipped the study lamp on and pulled out my notes to study. It was no use. My writing all seemed to blur together as I tried to concentrate still.

My attention was redirected and brought back at the sound of a finger tapping on the table in front of me. I looked up to see Dimitri's looming presence, hovering over me. He tilted his head to the side, silently requesting me to follow him. I did. He quickly and quietly stepped through the library front doors, and I followed him, stopping under a light. My arms crossed as I waited for an explanation from him.

"Yuri mentioned that you are bothered by my absence this morning."

"Is that all he mentioned?" I was curious to know if Yuri had mentioned any other part of our conversation.

"It is the only part that I am worried about."

Okay. Time to explain myself. "We both know that I can pick up on behavior pretty quickly."

Dimitri agreed.

"Obviously something is up, and after far too much thought, I gather that something has to do with me. Otherwise, you and Yuri would not act so nervous and evasive. Yuri told me that you were dealing with a pair of students this morning. You are a Guardian and that is your job. It shouldn't be such a big deal to me." I was half talking to Dimitri, half lecturing myself.

"But it is." I heard Dimitri speak calmly.

I stayed silent for a moment, choosing my words carefully. I had already irritated Yuri this morning by allowing my emotions to override my head.

"I do not get it." I started. "I'm not saying that you should not do your job, or that I would ever consider myself a priority above your job." Dimitri made a move to speak, but I stopped him. I was not finished. "But last week, there was a fire on campus. A literal fire in a dorm. And you still showed up for our run."

"I should have been there this morning Bellamy. You are right." He showed the apology in his tone.

"No." I refused. "That is not the point."

"What is the point?"

I did feel bad for blaming him, for doing his job. "Maybe I'm being silly. Maybe I am making too much out of this."

His mouth thinned, and the look in his eyes changed ever so slightly. I saw it. It was the same look Yuri had given just after our run ended earlier this morning.

"What?" I demanded.

"Have you spoken to your friends today or this evening?" It felt like an odd unrelated question, but where Dimitri was concerned, I had to consider it meant more.

"Of course, I have, but…"

"Have you spoken to Mason Ashford yet?"

"What does that have to do with anything, Dimitri?"

He kept quiet, the same look on his face, never changing. It had me thinking. Dimitri put a hand to my arm, comforting me in some way. Did I need comfort?

I returned to my table in the library, still questioning the people around me. As I studied more, the time passed quicker. I made my way through the library stacks, collecting the guides and references I needed, and found myself feeling better. Once my hour was up, the same pit in my stomach returned. I gathered my things back up and left the library to meet Christian in the courtyard near our next class together. We walked quietly, hand-in-hand, until reaching our class. I spotted Mason waiting outside of the room. I recalled Dimitri asking whether I had spoken to Mason. Why? Was his own mysterious behavior to do with Mason? Had they been in a row? Was it because of me? I let my hand drop from Chris, moving to speak to Mason. As I moved to speak, all of my questions took over. I walked away, leaving Mason baffled by my behavior. I kept walking, making it outside, uncertain of a firm destination until I realized where I was. I was closing in on the Guardian housing buildings. I spotted Yuri in a courtyard, talking to Guardian Alto. Guardian Alto motioned towards me as I kept my distance. Yuri turned around and my emotions were suddenly overwhelming me. He approached and my arms wrapped around my midsection.

"Bellamy." There was definite surprise in his voice and on his face. I had to assume he'd be surprised to see me after the way I had reacted this morning. "You should still be in class."

"I know." I felt a few tears fall down each side of my face. I blinked, clearing any more. "I… I need to talk." I used his own words against him, hoping he would not send me away yet. He had offered earlier to talk, if needed.

We walked a few paces away, coming to a wood bench. I sat down as Yuri pulled over a nearby chair, sitting opposite me.

"I'm sorry." I said first, my hands nervously folding and unfolding. "I'm sorry about earlier this morning." I offered him an apology. "The non-threat. I did not mean to…"

"It's alright Bellamy. I know." His hand reached over, touching mine, my fingers warming under his.

Silence took over between us again.

"Bellamy." Yuri finally pressed for more conversation.

"I'm such an idiot Yuri."

"I don't believe that."

"Then you are blinded."

He smiled and I felt better for a moment or two.

"How am I going to be a good Guardian if I cannot see the truth in front of me? How can I protect someone else if I can't even protect myself from bad things?"

He looked utterly confused by my questions.

"I don't always trust the right people." I confided. "Do you think that means that I don't love the right people?" I looked up to see his eyes focused directly on me. It made me nervous and comforted me all in the same breath.

"I think that whoever you decide to love; whomever you decide is worthy of your love, is lucky beyond measure, and they already know that. You don't love just anyone. You're picky."

"Is that bad?"

Yuri laughed loud. "No sweetheart. It's not bad at all."

"Maybe I should be pickier."

"Is that possible?" Yuri smiled, his fingers coming to rest on my cheek, slowly wiping away tears that were no longer there.

It was still hard to deny any attraction between me and Yuri. It was certainly there, and it was growing, although neither of us was willing to risk our careers on a fleeting attraction. I smiled back at him and backed away.

I stood. "I'm sorry about Guardian Alto. Please relay my apology if I interrupted anything important in your conversation." I also tried to stay on Stan Alto's good side.

"Don't worry about Stan. If he didn't think it was important, he would've sent you straight back to class."

"Of course. I should get back."

Yuri nodded. "I am here if you need me."

I smiled back at him before making my way back to my Calculus class. I made it back without incident. Both Mason and Eddie looked concerned as I entered the room, taking my seat beside Christian. Two hours later, we were finished. Class had ended, and the night was free. I wasn't scheduled to train with Chris or Guardians, so my night was my own.

"Are you okay Bells?" Mason inquired as I gathered my books together. He too was concerned about my out of sorts behavior tonight.

"Sure." I told him. "All good. Hey, do you want to study with me tonight?"

Mason grinned. "Aren't you the one who says we never get any actual studying done?"

I laughed a little. "I did."

His smiled faded, and my pit returned. "I can't. I have detention. Who knows how long Guardian Belikov will keep me."

And there it was. "Dimitri? You have detention with Dimitri?"

Mason gave a short nod, giving off an unease in his body language.

"He missed our run this morning." I mentioned as we exited the room. "Yuri said that Dimitri caught two students sneaking out of a dorm together this morning."

Mason said nothing in return before I could press the issue anymore. Christian was waiting outside as I separated from Mason.

I had more or less blocked out the rest of the memory long ago.

"Believe me Mase, you aren't doing either of us any favors by bringing up the past." I warned him not to go on. "Besides, it's nothing I don't already know."

"Oh. "He suddenly sounded concerned about what I knew. "Who told you?"

"Does it matter anymore?"

"Was it Eddie?"

"No." I confirmed. "It was you."

"Me? But…"

"As I said, it does not do either of us any good to relive that part of our past."

"Okay." Mason agreed to drop the subject. "Can we talk about…"

My phone rang, interrupting the net topic of interest Mason would dwell on. I held a hand up to him, looking down at my caller id. I needed to answer the call.

"Dimitri? I'm in the middle of…"

"I need you to meet me at my apartment." I could hear the order in his tone. "Now." Yes, it was definitely an order.

"On my way." I wasn't about to hesitate or ignore an order from Dimitri. "We will have to pick this up again later. I'm needed elsewhere." I informed Mason, leaving him with questions.

I drove as quickly as I could to the townhome of Dimitri and Rose Belikov, fearing the worst. I parked and ran to the closed door, knocking.

Dimitri answered, a straight-forward no tell look on his face. "Come in."

I did as requested and was instantly hit by another unexpected turn of events.

"Bellamy!" Viktoria Belikova shot up from a chair, rushing to hug me.

I was stunned in place, unable to say much of anything. I saw Rose sitting on the couch with her mother-in-law, Olena. My eyes slowly moved to Dimitri. He beckoned me to follow him. I did.

"I did not send for them." I explained to him, anticipating a row with him. I first and foremost did not need him under the assumption that I had gone over his head and planned any of this. "I didn't…I haven't…"

"I know Bellamy." Dimitri gave a slight chuckle, his demeanor changing. He sounded much more mellow. "I called them."

"What? Why? What?" I was trying to keep my voice down as I held back any sort of panic as well.

"Please calm down. Let me explain."

I did what I could to level my emotions as he spoke. He had gone over my head instead.

"After we spoke about this in Britain, I…"

"Thought about it, and realized that I had made some good points?" I offered.

"No." He went on, unamused. "I grew angrier, and I decided to call my mother. I then got an earful from her and my sisters, so I invited Viktoria and my mother here."

"But why? "I asked again. "I have not made any kind of firm decisions yet."

"Really?" Dimitri called my bluff. "I know you better than that Bells. And because of that, I thought I should invite Viktoria to see her train with you and Yuri." I know that you would never let anything happen to her, so I am trusting your judgement."

"I wish you would've given me a head's up." I held my hand to my head. "I don't have any sort of training schedule in place. I was not expecting…"

"That is why I did not tell you." He admitted. "We both know that you work better when you are…"

"Backed into a corner?"

"I was going to say under the gun." Dimitri put a hand to my shoulder. "Perhaps I should've mentioned my plan to you."

"You think?"

"Please don't be upset."

"I'm not upset. I'm unprepared. I do not like to be unprepared."

"I should've said something. Forgive me."

"Well, she is here now." I conceded. "I will come up with something. How long are they staying?"

"As long as you need."

Rather than putting myself through any more pain with Mason, I instead turned my attention to Yuri and Jesse. Jesse was still resentful that I had left him out of my meeting with Mason. Yuri on the other hand, was interested in the intel I had gathered concerning Liam Kane.

"Tell Guardians to look in Croatia." I informed him. "Specifically, around the Dalmatian Islands." Yuri nodded. He and Jesse could tell that something more was up. "Viktoria Belikova is here at Court. Dimitri invited her and Olena."

Both men looked shocked.

"Did you know he had invited them?"

"No." I maintained. Jesse put his arm around me, sensing my stress as Yuri and I discussed how we might manage the unexpected predicament.

With Dimitri and Rose keeping his mother and sister busy for the next few hours, and Jess and Sophie occupied for the night wanting to stay in, Yuri and I invited Dean over for dinner to catch up. It had been some time since I'd had the opportunity to talk to my friend. After sundown, I was finishing up my Court phone calls when Dean knocked on my door.

"Yuri said that you want to talk."

"I do." I invited Dean further into my office. "Come in. Have a seat."

"So, your dinner invitation is about more than you and I catching up." Dean guessed.

"No. Well, maybe." I replied.

Dean sat down in the chair across from my desk, waiting for an explanation.

"I need a favor."

"Anything for you Bells." Dean was willing to agree without any details.

"Dimitri invited his sister here to Court. She is a Guardian prospect for Jesse. I am setting up a training regimen for tomorrow, but I need an extra body. Eddie is overwhelmed tracking down Liam and taking care of his own Moroi. Shane is busy with Aaron and after the ordeal they've just been through with Mason, I am wary to involve him."

"I am here for you Bells. What do you need?" Dean continued to agree to help me. We spoke more in depth about the exercise and what it would entail.

I'd chosen to use the Guardian training complex at Court, rather than taking Dean and Viktoria on an arduous field trip into town. This area of Court remained a secure Guardian zone. If cleared to use any of these particular training rooms, our Moroi were not allowed to accompany us. This was an area of Court where Guardians could train for field missions and other dangerous parts of this job. Yuri and I were up early and met Viktoria just outside of the Guardian Security building. I should have been more surprised to see Dimitri as well. The two were in a very quiet discussion as we approached.

"Morning." I spoke to both.

Dimitri grumbled something, but Viktoria smiled sweetly.

"You joining us today?" I looked to Dimitri as I approached the two, but he shook his head. We both knew that his presence would only get in the way of any exercises.

"Good luck." I was unsure of which one of us he was speaking to.

A few minutes after Dimitri disappeared, Dean arrived.

"Bells." He greeted, kissing my cheek.

I introduced him to Viktoria, and the four of us were on our way.

"Let's take a walk." I started as we walked the first stretch of street. "What do you see?"

"Guardians." Viktoria said. "They look like normal Court Guardians."

"How many?"

She counted. "Five." She paused. "But we passed Guardian Administration and Security buildings on the way here. One or two blocks over, so…"

"Good." Yuri was pleased. "What about cameras?" He questioned.

"At least four on this street." Dean gave an answer.

"Not to mention the ATM on the corner." Viktoria added.

"And if this part of Court or any close to it comes under attack, that means…"

"That means we have fewer escape routes for Moroi and others at Court if needed." Dean answered, helping Viktoria out. "So, when you left St. Vladimir's, this was what you were learning? Surveillance?"

"Partly." I replied. "But tactical and strategic surveillance are only a small part of tracking. When I graduated, I was given the keys to the kingdom thanks to Bridgette's knowledge and experience. I didn't know it then."

"Why did you not become a tracker full time?" Viktoria was listening, and now added to our conversation.

I saw Yuri smile. These were questions only he and I knew the real answers to.

I sighed. "That is a long story."

"Dimitri mentioned that he and other Guardians were surprised when you chose your Moroi and returned to your Academy with him and others.

I tried not to sound surprised to learn that she had already been asking questions.

"That is an even longer story."

"Someday I hope to hear that longer story." Dean spoke. "I've always suspected more to your decision."

We spoke and all joked for a few minutes, coming to a table outside of a coffee and snack shop. I sat down, strategically positioning each of us, without making it obvious.

"There is a building about fifty yards down this block." I stated.

"The red one with all the glass and great architecture? Viktoria moved in a way that did not give her away. "It stands out."

"It's also bullet proof."

"Technically it is a private security building." Yuri mentioned. "All of that bullet proof glass is meant to be a protective barrier from any outside weapons."

"I did not think that we still had any private security businesses at Court after the last insurgence." Dean casually mentioned.

I leaned back in my chair. "This one operates under the radar, and they answer solely to the Guardian Council. I informed him and Viktoria, a look of condemnation on my face, and in my tone. "Looking for every threat needs to be second nature."

"Is the private security building a threat?"

"Potentially." I returned to Dean. "The company may answer to the Guardian Council, but they don't answer to Moroi Court Guardians, and they make that abundantly clear when pushed. All that security, with that sort of autonomy from Court rules means a large cache of weapons inside. If anything were to ever go sideways in this specific spot, those weapons get involved too."

"No Moroi or humans harmed." Dean reiterated a big rule.

"Exactly."

"How do we see who or what is in that building?"

"I have that covered." Yuri said, indicating to the small silent drone he controlled, flying it just above us.

"Can that thing see through walls?"

"As a matter of fact, it can." Yuri pulled out the controller, maneuvering the drone quietly and carefully down the street. He kept his position invisible. He was very good at his job, and even still I admired my husband's skills.

"Come on." I stood. "Let's get to work."

Yuri would have the answers to the questions asked in moments. As the four of us walked a few more buildings down, Yuri was sneaking into the walls of a supposedly secure and impenetrable building.

Yuri and I stopped walking, hanging back. "Your first test is for both of you to get from this part of the street to the end."

"Easy." Dean said, but Viktoria was more wary of any real reasons for my request.

"Without getting caught?" She asked.

"Without being seen." Yuri corrected her.

Viktoria and Dean both took closer looks at their surroundings, looking to see which Guardians might be threats, and which path to follow for this exercise.

"Is this actually possible," Dean inquired, "or is it a drill we are meant to fail for a bigger purpose?"

"You want us to fail?" Viktoria was confused.

"No." I instructed. "This test is very solvable. It is possible to get from here to the end of the street unseen. It is simply a matter of planning and execution."

"Good luck." Yuri said, ending the conversation, both of us waiting to see how this would play out.

Both Guardian candidates looked around, surveying the entire area now. They started talking to each other, quietly making their plan together, passing the first test. They were working together. Yuri and I would not hire anyone unwilling to work together with us or with other Guardians. Guardians in general needed to be trusted by both Moroi and Dhampir equally.

"How did you know they would work well together?" Yuri asked me.

"I didn't."

He took my hand and smiled.

It had taken some time for the pair to meet their full challenge, but ultimately, they were successful.

"Nice teamwork." Yuri congratulated both Guardians.

Dean looked pleased but suspicious. He was going to catch on to my ulterior motives sooner than later.

"Well done." I approached the two.

Not only had I commandeered Dean Barnes and my husband into assisting me this morning, I had also somehow in the last twelve hours managed to convince two more Guardians into helping me. Hans Croft and Stefan Chase were both waiting for us as we arrived at the gym I had chosen for the next test. As a tracker, I held keys to some of the more difficult Guardian training rooms on Court grounds, and as we entered one of these facilities, I could see the apprehension in the eyes of both Dean and Viktoria.

"Don't worry. They are mostly friendly. And I won't let them hurt you too much." I turned my attention to the other Guardians. "Gentlemen."

"Bells."

"Bellamy."

I smiled as Hans no longer greeted me by my title. Yuri and I introduced both men to Viktoria, as they already knew Dean.

"I'll take the girls first." Stef declared, a familiar glint in his eyes slowly revealing itself. He had no intention of going easy on me or Viktoria because of our gender, or our names. I was glad for that.

"Let's get to work."

This training session reminded me much of my training with Dimitri back at the Academy (I.e., Me trying to hit him, and him constantly knocking me on my ass). In the same breath, Viktoria was very much like Dimitri. She had been well trained at St. Basil's, she thought fast on her feet, she knew where her mistakes were, and she did what she needed to correct them, rarely making the same mistake twice. While Dean and Viktoria were attempting to get through the equipment used in the gym, and concentrated elsewhere, Yuri and I took time to discuss their futures.

"I like Dean for Sophie." Yuri agreed.

"Me too. And I like Viktoria for Jesse. There is so much potential in both with the right training."

We also spoke quietly to Hans and Stef. This all meant that any decision I made at this point would mean a much longer conversation with Dimitri.

"I will take them through a few of the Guardian courses over the next couple of days." Yuri offered.

I agreed with him. "I'll do the one-on-one work."

After Hans and Stef finished with them, we invited the two to meet us back at the Zeklos estate. After they showered and changed, they would meet us. Yuri would welcome Viktoria, and I had my own plan to speak with Dean.

Before I could return home and speak to Dean and Viktoria, I was summoned again by the Queen. I was sure this time that my most recent missions to apprehend Mason would come up. I expected a full reprimand and consequences to putting my Moroi and other Moroi in real danger, alongside Guardians in the field. Entering the same room that I'd been in before gave me déjà vu. I saw the Queen sitting with different members of the Moroi council. Howard had remained, but I should've expected his presence. Once invited, I entered the room fully and sat down.

I watched Lissa fold her hands in front of her, setting them calmly to her lap.

"Bellamy, in light of recent events, this Court would ask you to reconsider your leave of absence and ask you to stay a bit longer. Please."

This was not the conversation I was expecting at all. The Queen was more pleading than asking. Still, I knew that nothing good would come from extending our stay any longer. This particular discussion and subject were not up for debate, but I still needed to handle it with great care and the diplomacy it deserved. I suddenly wished that I had Jesse with me. He was so much better at international relations and these sorts of diplomatic matters.

"Your majesty, it is because of these recent events that Jesse and I must leave for a while. It would not be smart of me to continue risking the emotional, mental, or physical health of my friend. Additionally," I went on, "I won't continue to push the limits of my own emotional health."

Lissa looked shortly to her advisors and nodded.

"That was a very diplomatic response Guardian Pearce."

"We are leaving. We will not be gone forever. But…"

"We understand." Lissa replied. "Though, I wish there was something that I could do to change your minds."

"Well, short of shooting me, keeping me under lock and key, or compelling me to stay, there is nothing more to be done or said on the subject. Besides," I shrugged, "if you were going to shoot me, you're too late. Someone already did that."

Lissa smiled at my half-hearted joke.

"Jesse and I will return to Court."

"When?"

"I do not know. He and I simply need time together with our families, without the chaos of Court life and its distractions. I want my Moroi to sleep peacefully for a change. It is something he has not done in… well, since Mason reemerged and decided to wreak havoc on my me and my life."

"We do understand Bellamy. You have the full blessing of this Court to be absent for the time but do come back." There was pleading in her voice again."

"Thank you." I stood, lowering my head to her in respect. "If you will excuse me, I am welcoming new Guardians to our team." I stopped just before exiting the room. "There is one thing I might ask you to consider." Lissa met my request with skepticism, but soon softened to hear my full request.

I arrived back at Jesse and Sophie's estate just as Dean was pulling into the driveway as well.

"Good timing." I greeted him

Dean smiled, joining me at the front doors.

"Was that all planned today?" He asked me, realizing that there was more to my motives than just letting him assist Viktoria. "It felt like I was being tested too."

"Isn't that the point?" I returned. "The reason we refer to them as training exercises is in fact to train."

"So, what is the overall consensus? How did she do?" Dean followed me into my office, closing the door behind him.

"Viktoria? She did great. Yuri is happy, and I was impressed too."

I subtly watched his demeanor shift. His arms crossed, his brow dipped, and his attention was completely on me.

"And what about me?" His question held more than general inquiry. I lifted my eyes to him. He appeared genuinely curious about my response. "You didn't just want my help for a few training exercises, did you?"

"Of course not, Dean." I spoke. "I wanted to see how you two worked together, and ultimately how you might work with me and Yuri. Yuri and I have had our eyes on you for a while."

"You're offering me a position? You want me to guard…"

"I'm offering you an opportunity to settle down."

"Really Bells?"

"Really." I was surprised by his surprise. "Are you ready to stop running?"

"You want me to guard Jesse?"

"I want you to make the choice. Meet with Sophie and Jesse, then you should decide where you would like to be."

"You're not going to make the choice?

"I have my preference, but my opinion means little if you or your Moroi are not happy together."

Dean remained silent for a few moments, considering what I said.

"Can I ask you something?" I nodded, allowing him to go on. "Did you know you would be a good fit for Jesse at the beginning?" He wanted the truth.

"Yes and no." I watched closely as he continued thinking about my responses. "To be honest, I don't believe anyone can truly know if they are a good fit until you put in the work. I put the work in with Jesse, and so did he."

"Who do you think I should choose? As you said, you have your own inclinations."

"I do."

"And?"

"And I will give my personal opinion after you have met with both Moroi."

"Fair enough Bells. I accept." Dean agreed to accept the job.

I jumped up and hugged my friend. "We will sort the paperwork before we leave Court."

Once Dean and I were finished speaking, we were surprised to see that Viktoria had also arrived. She and Yuri were well into conversation. I smiled over at them before introducing Dean to Sophie and the kids. I should've been more surprised when Sophie stopped me fifteen minutes later, telling me all about the great conversation she'd had with Dean.

"Is he a Guardian prospect?"

I gave her a nod.

"Is he going to be a Guardian for me or Jesse?"

"That is up to him." I also let Sophie know that Dean's choice would be his own. She seemed excited at the possibility of finally bringing new Guardians into the family.

"He has an axe to grind- and he cannot get to you at Court." This phrase was bothering me.

The more I thought about the words, the more it continued to bother me. I could not get what was said out of my head. Mason had used these exact words when he spoke to me about Liam. The things Mason said were troubling me. There was truth to his words the last time we spoke. If Yuri and I were to leave Court with our Moroi now, Liam would be lurking outside. I would be setting us up to fail. Mason pointed out that I am an obsession to Liam. That meant that he would go pretty far to locate and get rid of me.

With only a few hours before he was set to leave Court, I needed to speak to Mason once more. Yuri joined me this time, both of us giving space to our Moroi and the newest additions to their Guardian team.

"I'll wait out here." Yuri offered to stay in the hall, close enough to hear trouble, but far enough away that he would not kill Mason.

I nodded and entered the cells again.

"You're back. I wasn't expecting…" He was visibly surprised to see me again.

"I feel like there is something you're not telling me." I crossed my arms, standing face to face with my ex.

"About what?"

"I don't know."

Mason began to pace back and forth, making me more anxious. I brought over the same chair I'd used earlier and sat.

"You'll be leaving in just a few hours." I sounded more sad than angry this time, surprising both of us.

"I know." I hoped that he might say more. I had hope that anything more he said would provide insight into what I was looking for.

He watched me close while I kept silent, trying to read more into his current demeanor.

"I don't know what you want from me Bellamy."

"For what it's worth," I could not resist, "I did love you. Even after we split, I loved you."

"I know." Mason turned away. "I know you loved me. It's what makes being here with you so much harder." He was purposely trying to make me feel bad. And it was working. Had the Mason I once knew always been so cruel?

We both went silent longer.

"I hear congratulations are in order. You finally chose new Guardians for Jesse."

"How did you hear that?" I was genuinely curious to know how he was getting his information now.

"Dimitri Belikov." He stated. "He stopped by to see if I needed anything."

I gave a simple nod.

"Do you think it is wise to allow Dean Barnes to guard Jesse again?" He implied that he knew more about the events that had occurred years ago. I was not about to let him use something he knew little about, to question my judgement in Guardians.

"I don't see where that is your concern."

I left Mason again, this time feeling defeated and empty. I was in a much tougher spot, and now needed to make a decision that even I was not sure I should make. I picked up my cell phone and found a quiet spot to call someone I would never call if not necessary.

He picked up on the second ring.

"Hmm. I wasn't sure you would be brave enough to keep the same number, let alone pick up."

"As I live and breathe." Liam was no less shocked. "Bellamy Pearce." I could hear the resentment in his tone. It was chilling. "It's been…"

"Let's skip the pleasantries, Liam. We need to talk."

"Hm. I must say, you are far calmer than I would have expected you to be."

He'd been expecting me to call him? I considered what he may have meant by his comment, keeping in mind that this was Liam Kane. He knew exactly how manipulate most situations to his favor.

"Do I want to know or even ask what that means?"

"You don't know." I heard him quietly say on the opposite end of the call. He sounded more contemplative about it than accusatory. "He didn't tell you. That gives him much more credit in my books."

I could only gather that he was talking about Mason. "Okay, I'll bite. What are you talking about?"

"The man you once considered the love of your life, was able to keep his biggest secret from you. I guess that means you did not know him as well as you thought." He went on. "All this time you have held him within your Courts, interrogating him, and he did not give up the one thing you of all people should know."

I knew Mason had been keeping something from me. I was right to be suspicious of him.

"I have spoken with Mason on multiple occasions. He is hiding nothing from me." I guarded my words and kept my voice level.

"No." Liam continued. "You would not be this composed if he had even remotely hinted at … Even with time you…"

"Enough Liam!" I did try not to shout. "I won't let you pull me into this game."

"I was under the impression that Court Guardians are very clear about their rules, including whom they allow to see prisoners kept at the Courts."

I did not let his words get to me anymore than they already had.

"As I said, we need to talk."

"Okay. Let's talk." He agreed.

By sunrise, our Moroi were all settled or settling in for the day, tired from the evenings they'd had. It was now time. Yuri and I were joined by Dimitri, Rose, Eddie, Alberta, and Shane to see Mason off. We were all silent as Guardians from Prison Control escorted our friend outside. If this was the last time I would see him, I could not leave things as they were. Through all my resentment and any regret I had, I did still feel sadness mixed into my emotions. I walked away from my friends, approaching Mason with caution. The other Guardians allowed me this last attempt to talk.

Mason half smiled as I moved closer to him. He stopped smiling as he realized my Guardian husband was also within reaching distance.

"I spoke to the Queen and her Council earlier. I am speaking to Rhys Bowen later today about your sentence."

"You kept your word." He kept his voice low.

"Were you in doubt that I would?" I did not appreciate his non-committal shrug. I motioned for him to step a little farther away as I shared information with him. "You will spend ten years at the facility in Siberia. After that, you can rejoin this society."

"As a Guardian?"

"That is not my decision."

"Who knows. In ten years, it might be." Mason again nodded, this time showing more respect for what I had done to help him.

"Do they know?" He was referring to our small group of friends and confidants.

"No. I will inform them of your sentence later." I smiled at him as I began to step away.

"Hey Bells," Mason stopped me, "you always have a backup plan, right?"

"Yes." I told him.

"So does he." He was of course talking about Liam. "Be careful."

"See you in ten years, Mase."

"Is that something you might actually want? To see me in ten years. Is it something I can hope for?"

I was not too sure how to answer this question. And yet, ever the compartmentalist, I made room.

"Who knows Mason. Who knows how any of us will feel a decade from now."

"See you Bells."

"Did you get anymore out of him?" Rose inquired, and it was difficult this time to tell if she was asking for herself as a Guardian, or as a Guardian of the Queen.

"No." I told her. "Not really."

I took Yuri's hand as we both stepped back, watching with others as Mason was loaded and secured into a Guardian truck for the first leg of his long journey.

"So, Yuri indicated that we should be looking for Liam Kane in Croatia." I half heard Eddie talking. "Bells." His arm slipped around my waist, getting my attention. I smiled. "We have been looking in the areas that you suggested, but we are coming up with nothing."

I noticed Rose and Dimitri listening to what Eddie said as well.

"I'm afraid that if we keep deep diving in so many areas at once, Liam will get spooked and run again."

"He isn't running anywhere, but that does not mean there won't be a fight. Besides, "I mentioned, "he already knows."

"Knows what?"

"Liam knows that the Courts are coming for him."

"And how does he know that?" Dimitri questioned me.

"Because I told him."

"Bellamy," Eddie half growled, half sighed, obviously feeling betrayed by my actions, "you want to see him caught. So, do I. But taunting Liam Kane is not a smart move. His response could be…"

"Biblical." I finished, well aware of what Liam was now capable of. "Oh. I am counting on it."

Dimitri pressed his palms flat together, calming any storm I'd started within him too. He lifted his head and his eyes met mine. I could see the frustration and impatience in them.

"You are being reckless and juvenile."

"I haven't been reckless since I was seventeen Dimitri."

His expression did not change, and his stare never wavered. "Funny how some things never change."

I deliberately did not respond to his comment. It was insulting and he knew it too.

"What are you trying to prove Bellamy?" He made his point. Whether he was right or not was irrelevant. He was still being insulting. Both Yuri and Rose attempted to step in between us, to no avail.

"You are lying to yourself if you don't think everyone standing here has something to prove to someone, in one way or another."

"And you?" Dimitri continued to press the issue. "Who are you proving yourself to?"

"Myself." I turned my attention back to Eddie. He looked slightly unnerved by me and Dimitri arguing back and forth.

"Bells," Rose made an attempt to get us back on track, "if Liam Kane knows that the Courts are coming after him, he will be more cautious."

"Exactly." Dimitri maintained his agitated demeanor. "We have lost the element of surprise."

"Bellamy has known Liam longer than anyone else in this Court." Yuri came to my defense.

I squeezed his hand. "He will be more cautious, but that caution will make him less likely to see any other Guardians coming. He will inevitably slip up."

"We make him look at you instead of us." Eddie spoke up again, able to see the bigger picture.

"Exactly. It's all about misdirection. I am more of an illusion. Liam's grudge is against me. His attention and any response he has will be directed at me."

I ended out conversations, choosing to walk away before things got off track again. Most of us separated to go about our day.

"Okay Bells," Dimitri however was not finished debating his issues with me. He was waiting by my SUV as Yuri and I made our way back, calmly pulling me to the side, "are you going to tell me what is really going on? Why did you really contact and antagonize Liam Kane?"

With Eddie and Rose out of earshot, I could share a bit more with Dimitri

"Mason said something more." Dimitri could read my expression. "When Rose asked if you got anything more out of him, you could not say."

Keeping things from him or Yuri always gave me a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach.

"I'm having trouble with something Mason said earlier. He made it clear that when Jesse and I leave Court, Liam is likely to attack. But if that is true, if he had that kind of info, it would indicate that…"

"It would indicate that he is still being fed Court information. Someone other than Mason is helping to get information outside of Court." Dimitri gathered. "But who?"

"That is what we are going to discover."

"A trap. This whole thing is a trap. You weren't trapping Mason. You are trapping Liam."

I smirked. "Liam somehow knows the what and the why. He does not know the when or how. Let's see how long that lasts." I put a hand to Dimitri's arm, hoping he would stop worrying so much.

I dropped Yuri off at Guardian Security before making another big stop of my own. There was more I had to do before returning home to get a few hours of sleep. I drove through the gates of Council housing a short time later, pulling to a stop in front of a familiar townhome. I walked up to the front door, rang the bell, standing in shock as Rhys Bowen opened the door.

"Hello Bellamy. Come in."

He was wearing jeans and t-shirt. I had only ever seen the man in suits and his Council uniform and robes. He was wearing a pair of jeans and what I assumed was a cotton t-shirt. I made sure that my jaw was not literally on the floor before stepping inside. As I entered, I saw boxes all around. Kitchen cupboards were open and empty, and more boxes were on top of his countertop.

"Are you getting rid of the clutter?" I asked, catching up to Rhys in his office.

He was going through piles of folders and supplies. He looked up at me with the most unassuming expression.

"You have not heard." He voiced low enough for me to nearly miss. "Perhaps you should sit down."

"I prefer to stand when receiving bad news."

Rhys smiled, amused by my truthful comment. "It is not bad news." I sat down slowly. "It is simply a change." I stood back up, preparing for bad news. "I am leaving Court. I am retiring from Court." Rhys told me as matter-of-factly as he could manage.

"Retiring? Was this your choice?"

"It…"

"What is that?" I pointed to an ambiguous decorative item on his desk.

"A retirement gift."

"It is a brass ball." I described the sphere that sat atop a small stand. "A brass ball does not a retirement gift make."

"It is not brass." Rhys defended.

Was this retirement his idea? Why now?

"Is it gold?"

"It is copper. One of the Guardian Council's gifts to me as they force my retirement."

So, it was not his idea to retire. Interesting. But why would either Council want Rhys to retire? Who was pulling these strings?

"So, along with being heavy and positively useless, it is also insulting."

"Correct." We both laughed.

"Is there anything that I can do?" I asked him, hoping to help in some way.

"Yes. Your job." He smiled again as he said it.

Talking to Rhys did not do as much good as it often had, so after trying to better understand and accept his retirement, I made my way home. Yuri and I had been given so little time together lately, so when opportunities were presented, we took them. Dean and Viktoria decided to stay, engrossed in their ideas and conversation. Several hours later, I sat straight up out of bed, feeling as though I had been punched in the chest.

"Bells?" Yuri sat up, now awake. He pulled me close while I caught my breath.

As I calmed down, I considered the reason I had been forced awake. "Liam said that Mason was definitely hiding more from us."

"Liam is simply trying to wind you up because he knows he will be caught."

"No." I refused. "He mentioned Court Security. He specifically pointed out the rules pertaining to whom we allow in to see prisoners; More to the point, who Guardians allowed to see Mason. Who else did Mason see?"

"There are cameras. We will check the visitors in and out." Yuri agreed. There was sleep in his voice. "After you get more sleep." He insisted, and how could I argue with a man as beautiful as my husband?

We laid back down, his arms around me, and I slept for another two hours. Once fully awake, I carefully shifted out of bed, knowing Yuri could always tell when I left his side. I pulled on the oversized Lehigh University sweatshirt I'd stolen from Jesse and made my way downstairs.

"I sent Viktoria to get some sleep." Dean startled me as I entered the kitchen. I was not expecting him to still be here.

"You're on your own?"

"He's not alone." Rose then surprised me, coming around a corner. Seeing so many Guardians in the house was something I was not used to yet. It would take some time. "I stopped by to talk to you, but Dean said you'd already gone to sleep."

"We have been catching up on the Liam predicament." Dean added. "Speaking of which, I think I have come up with a solution to keep Sophia and Jesse out of the path of danger, if you're interested."

"I am interested." I spoke. "But first, I have something more I need to investigate. I'm off to Prison Control."

"Can I tag along?" Rose asked.

I was happy for the company. Not to mention, I now had the perfect opportunity to ask questions I had wanted to ask for years.

"Can I ask you…"

"Anything." Rose said even before I could finish my sentence.

"It's about Mason." I brought up the still delicate subject. There was no going back now. "More to the point, I want to ask about the moment that you saw him, after his death."

"You're asking about the moment that I saw his spirit, back at St, Vladimir's."

"Yes."

I could fully sense the apprehension that Rose was feeling, having this conversation after seeing Mason alive again. It was a difficult topic for us both.

"I admit, back then I was skeptical of what you claimed to have seen. I couldn't imagine anything like that being possible." Rose and I agreed on that point. "But now, after the things I've seen with my own eyes, after the things I've done, I think that there may be something connected to that moment and this one."

"What do you mean?" Rose was curious about where I might be headed with this topic. "What are you thinking?"

"Honestly, I don't know. Part of me keeps thinking that I may have done something wrong when I brought Mason back. Is that possible?"

"You stake was infused with spirit magic. Lissa used her own magic, and her magic is powerful."

"Well yeah, but what if it was me? I am a dhampir who can use fire magic. That's a Moroi ability. What if that somehow contradicts or cancels out the spirit magic?"

"Rose shook her head. "Not possible. If what you can do negated the spirit magic, your stake would've killed him." She did not say Mason's name.

"He was already dead." I pointed out. Rose made a good point though. The stake used would've indeed killed Mason had it not been imbued with spirit magic. "I have another theory." I continued to talk aloud as I parked the car, sounding uncertain of sharing this particular thought. "I feel like if anyone is going to understand, it's you." I took a second pause. "It's Mason. He is not complete."

"Can I be honest?" Rose added.

"Of course.

"I have been thinking this same thing for a while now too."

As we exited the car, our conversation was put to the side. We entered the Prison Control building, waiting to see anyone who might help. Finally, we were met by one of the prison guardians.

"Hello Guardian Pearce. Hello Guardian Hathaway." Guardian Isabelle Merritt said. "What can I do for you?"

"Hi Isabelle." I greeted her. "I need to see the evening sign in books for the dates that Mason Ashford was being held here. And I need the surveillance for that time as well."

The woman gave a sort of questioning look at my request to view footage from the cells.

"Wait here." She said, taking my request back to someone with a tad more seniority and knowledge of the system while we waited.

My appeal was then taken to someone with more seniority and knowledge of the system and protocol while we waited.

"What exactly are you looking for?"

"I am looking to see who, besides the usual suspects," I referred to myself, Rose, and our circle of friends, "has had access to Mason."

Rose nodded. "Why?" She asked a question that I could not fully answer. Not yet anyway.

"I have a suspicion that missed, might be in that footage."

"Bells?" I was far more surprised to hear Christian's voice as he and his Guardian entered the building.

"Chris." I smiled, happy to see him again, but concerned by his presence. "Why aren't you asleep?" I looked down at my watch. It was not yet three.

"He has been having trouble sleeping lately." Dimitri commented, and I knew that the problem was partly if not all my fault.

"I'm so sorry." I said to my friend. "Is there anything that I can do to…"

"Nah." Christian refused. "Dimitri and I have a system that works when needed. He lets me run errands with him until I exhaust myself enough to sleep."

I placed my hand to the side of his face, seeing just how drained his eyes looked. The usual piercing blue color was dulled.

"You do look tired."

"So do you." He returned. I turned to Dimitri. "Can we talk?"

His face suddenly took on a far more serious expression. He kissed his wife before we stepped several feet away, sitting. Dimitri pulled his chair around so that we were now facing each other.

"What are you doing here?" I inquired, but it did not help when he returned the same question. Again, I could not say anything for certain, but there were things that I could trust Dimitri to hear, that others would not understand. "Something Liam said." I mused out loud before explaining. "He alluded to some of the laws here at Court. He made a point to question whom we as Guardians allowed in to see Mason. Did you see anyone out of the ordinary?"

Dimitri shook his head.

"Do you think that Bridgette knew?"

Dimitri gave me that signature look of concern.

"Do you think that she knew you and I share the same Moroi father? Do you think that she…"

"What is really troubling you Bells?"

I took a deeper breath. "Something Mason said. Something Liam said."

"Which one?"

"Both." I answered him. "Mason mentioned that like me, Liam always has a backup plan.

"I watched Dimitri's facial expression change again. He was also attempting to recall any details that might have been missed.

"And Liam?"

"Liam made a point to tell me that Mason was indeed hiding something important from us. From me."

"What?"

"I don't know yet. But he was unusually amused by the fact that if I did know, it would throw me off kilt."

"So, that is what you are doing here now?"

"Yes. Mostly."

"If you need it, I will help." Dimitri offered and I gladly accepted.

"I'm glad you feel that way, because I need you to do one more thing for me and Yuri."

"Anything."

I reached over and took a piece of paper and a pen from his jacket pocket, making a short note before handing it all back to him. Dimitri read what I'd written before returning the paper and pen to his pocket. He nodded again and stood.

"Bellamy." Isabelle returned with another Guardian at her side. The man with her did not look happy about my request.

"Guardian Pearce." He greeted. "How can I assist you?

"I would like to review the video footage from the cell that Mason Ashford was being kept in."

The man cleared his throat. "According to the prison rules, I must inquire as to why you are requesting this material."

I really disliked it when Guardians, mostly male, would attempt to lord any power they held, over me. It was frustrating. But, if they wanted to play this game, I could play it with more authority.

"I am not obligated to share those details so long as I am working under the orders of the Council or Queen."

"No, but the prisoner in question is no longer on Court grounds, making any information…"

I held up a hand. "Isabelle, would you please excuse us for a moment or two. "

Isabelle was quick to accept my offer of escape.

"Guardian Pearce."

I held my hand back up. "You misunderstand me Guardian." I gave my voice more authority than I liked. "What I meant to say; what I should have said, is that my uniform is going to talk to your uniform, and your uniform is going to listen and immediately comply without question."

He laughed a bit, but then smiled. "I see. Well, I am sorry to inform you that those recordings are no longer in our files. They have been transferred toa private holding."

"Private holding?" Rose inquired further. "What does that mean?"

The man looked from Rose back to me, saying nothing more on the matter.

"I'm sorry ladies. That is all I can say." He walked away, using a low tone to admonish Isabelle.

I spent the next thirty minutes looking through the prisoner logs. Other than the usual expected names, I saw only family names visiting Mason. There were one or two names that I was not expecting to see.

"Mason saw his mum." I commented to Rose.

"Yeah. Lissa told me that she was coming to Court to say goodbye to Mason."

I walked out of the prison control building, planning to return home, saying goodbye to Rose as she rightfully decided to spend the rest of her time off with Dimitri. I was halfway home when I changed my mind, considering what I had been told. I pulled out my phone and made a quick call to Dean. Dean pulled his car up behind mine only five minutes after I parked outside of the private security building Yuri and I had shown to him and Viktoria during their training auditions. I quickly got out of my car to meet him.

"Why are we back here? I thought you said that these Guardians are not Court Guardians."

"They aren't." I returned. "But they are holding security videos that I want to review."

"Does this have anything to do with Mason?"

"Yes."

As Dean and I entered the highly secure building, I could feel the eyes on us. It felt as though we were in enemy territory with little protection. Description Dean indicated towards the front desk, a Moroi receptionist behind it. She was in the middle of helping another Guardian, so Dean and I waited, not knowing what we were truly facing. While waiting, Dean explained his plan to keep Jesse and Sophie safe off Court grounds. It was a good idea.

"Dean? Bellamy?" Dean and I heard our names, turning around simultaneously.

"Ry?" Dean cheerfully greeted the man only as I realized the man standing in front of us, was Ryan Aylesworth.

By the time graduation rolled around, Ryan was dating Camille Conta. He was immediately contracted by the family to guard Camille, but their relationship had inevitably gone downhill after six months, and Ryan had moved on.

"Ryan." I smiled at him as he turned to me. "What are you doing here?"

"I thought you were a Conta Guardian." Dean went on talking to Ryan, gaining more information.

"Only on special occasions these days." Ryan told us. "The Conta family calls is she needs me." He referred to Camile. "Other than that, I am…"

"Privately contracted." I finished, ruminating over what I now knew. "That is great." I kept things friendly.

"So," Ryan inquired, "what are you two doing wandering through here?"

"We need information." Dean revealed.

"I stopped by prison control earlier because I was looking for security footage, but I was told that exclusive recording has been given to a private holding. Would I be right to assume that it is here?"

Ryan smirked, amused by the fact that I had deduced more about this place than many Court Guardians could.

"There is a good possibility."

"I was on the right track again. "Good." I did not sound too eager. "Is there any way we might…"

"You want to see the footage."

I nodded.

"I might be able to get you a copy on one condition."

"Really Ry?" Dean protested.

I stopped him, stepping in closer to Ryan. He knew the game played at Court

"A favor for a favor. Name your terms." I accepted.

"I heard that you married the Guardian you trained with back in school."

"I did."

"You two are a great team. You always have been." Ryan complimented. "I saw you two spar once or twice at St. Vlad's. And I've seen you train together here at Court a few times."

"What do you want Ryan?" Dean interrupted

"I want to train with you two."

"You want lessons from me and Yuri?"

"I wouldn't call them lessons, but yes. You and Tverskaya are one of the best Guardian teams out there. I know Guardians in the field who would give up everything to be teamed up with you both." Another compliment.

"Okay." I agreed. "I'll have to talk to Yuri, but I'm sure he will agree. Call me. Set up a time when you are free."

By five, Ryan had sent a copy of the files I wanted. I called Yuri into our shared office after watching the first forty-five minutes of video. I had seen something suspicious.

"I'm not sure what I'm looking at Bells." Yuri said. But then, "Wait." He saw what I was seeing. "What was that?"

While we watched Mason meeting with his mother, we were both perplexed by a brush of blonde hair in the background. There was someone else in the room, and clearly it was not a Guardian. Another few minutes into the video, the women changed places. Mason took the woman's hand.

"Who is she?" Yuri and I watched as the pair kissed sweetly.

I looked closer at the section of video. I had seen her face before. I could not quite place her, but the woman with Mason was familiar. I made a call to Rose, telling her about what I saw, and she demanded to see it for herself. She and Dimitri arrived ten minutes later. Yuri then opened the door for Eddie too. Immediately the conflicting opinions began.

"The only reason anyone would not sign in alongside a family member, is if they are a spouse." Yuri stated slowly, looking at me cautiously.

"He would need to be married." Dimitri agreed, spouting off rules and regulations.

"Mason is not married!" I kept myself in check as much as possible, seething at the fact that Mason might have hidden something this serious from any of us.

"Are you sure of that Bells?" Eddie asked, ready to hide behind Dean and Dimitri as I shot him a contemptuous look.

"How can you ask me that Eddie? This is not something easily hidden if it is true. It can't be true."

"Bells." Yuri approached.

"I need to solve this." I stated, backing away from everyone in the room. I made my way outside, sitting on one of the benches out front.

"Hey Bells…" Dimitri was apprehensive to approach, careful of my current demeanor.

"I know it sounds crazy, but I know that Mason is not married to that woman."

Dimitri stayed standing, leaning back onto the wall behind him. He had a familiar look on his face. "Normally, I would have no problem agreeing with you and your often accurate intuition, but…"

"No." I stopped him. "You don't understand."

"Alright." He appeased me. "Let's go find this woman and talk to her. We can get answers."

"No." I refused. "I think that we need to speak to the Queen first. The woman is Moroi." I pointed out. "Which means that she is a member of this Court. The Queen or her Council will know something about her. Right?"

Dimitri held out his hand to me. I hesitated, not knowing if it would be better to know or not know these answers. Ultimately, I took his hand, allowing someone else to lead me for a change. He and I waited as Lissa went through her long list of Moroi and Dhampir, demanding her time and solutions. Once inside of her waiting room, Dimitri sat down as I kept position near the windows. We told her pieces of what we now knew, and what we had seen on video.

"The woman you are going to see is Moroi." Lissa confirmed. "Her name is…"

"Bianca Lennox." I said, recalling the name of the woman I had seen in the video with Mason. "I know who she is. We went to St. Sebastian's together." I gave a short laugh. "She is the girl that Liam rushed to after I left. Bianca and I have history."

"Any of it good? Dimitri wanted to know.

"Nope."

Lissa nodded. "Bianca Lennox is under the protection of this Court and her Queen."

I tilted my head to the side, turning to face both Dimitri and Lissa. "Under normal circumstances, I would unequivocally agree. However, she is married to a Dhampir."

"Who?"

"Mason."

The Queen looked as skeptical as any of us had. "He didn't…"

"I know." I said, anticipating what she would say.

"They never applied for permission to marry, from the Courts." Lissa of course knew her own laws well enough.

"They technically don't need it." I saw the looks on both of my friends faces shift. I was going to be the bearer of bad news. I sighed in frustration. "There is a loophole in both the Moroi and Dhampir marriage laws."

Lissa was now fully engrossed in what I might say. She sat down with Dimitri, motioning for me to do the same. I explained to each of them what I had learned and discovered over my own years of extensive training.

"Aside from a few Council members, no other Guardian has spent as much time walking the halls and surveying the libraries of books at Guardian Court, as much as me. When I wasn't in school in Ireland, I was at Guardian Court. I grew up there. I was at Court after I left St. Vladimir's, during the Seattle incident." I made a point to mention, and Lissa looked empathetic. "I know the laws because I have studied the laws. It is the loopholes that kept me out of serious trouble in past years."

"Not surprising." Dimitri said under his breath with a smirk.

"So, this marriage loophole…"

"It comes down to extradition." I cleared up a technicality in the laws. "If Mason and Bianca were married in a country whose exile and extradition laws are basically non-existent, they do not need permission from either Court to marry."

"Aren't most extradition laws in other countries, created and enforced by human governments?" Dimitri made a good point. "We don't adhere to all of the laws of other governments."

"True, but Alchemists are human." I reminded. "They follow laws dictated by their own society and those of the human governments in whatever country they reside in. We are respectful towards and often beholden to Alchemist laws. That includes extradition."

"Can I inquire about how you found these loopholes Bellamy?" Lissa asked me.

I felt a tremor run through me. "I know because Mason and I discussed and seriously considered marriage after graduation."

"Oh Bellamy, I am so sorry."

I kept my expression as stoic as possible. "Don't be." I felt Dimitri put his hand to mine. I pulled back and stood again. "I would not change my life for anything. I am exactly where I want to be Lissa."

She and I spoke more about the laws of marriage and their clauses, among other suspicions I had. Before I left this impromptu royal meeting, Lissa handed me a file on Bianca Lennox. I took it and went straight home. Dimitri followed. We pulled into the driveway, meeting Yuri and Rose outside. Eddie, Shane, and Dean were also gathered. I looked to Yuri for explanation.

"They had a right to know too."

"Agreed." I wasn't going to argue the point. "But…"

"Bells, If I had known, I…" Eddie pulled me closer to him.

I pulled away from my friend. "Why is everyone apologizing to me?" I understood why they felt the need to apologize, but I did not want it. I held up the folder Lissa had passed to me. "I have the Court file of Bianca Lennox. Her address is conveniently listed on the front. I am going to pay her a visit."

"Is that wise, Bells?" Both Shane and Rose wanted to know if I was in the right frame of mind to conduct any sort of polite conversation with this woman.

"Whether it is or it isn't, I need to do this." Everyone seemed to understand. "Would anyone like to join me?"

"If you think that I am going to let you and your temper loose without supervision on a girl who married Mason without telling anyone, you're mad." Eddie volunteered.

Rose considered the thought of joining me, but ultimately declined.

"I'm going with you too." Yuri joined me as well.

So, I had two levelheaded Guardians willing to join me as I confronted Bianca. It was a half hour drive from the Zeklos residence to our destination. The closer we got to her apartment, the more uneasy I began to feel. Mason had married this woman, and he had not said a word or even hinted at the idea of a wife. The last time I'd seen or spoken to
Bianca before now, she had referred to us as rivals. She imagined herself as my competition when it came to Liam. That was a ridiculous belief on a litany of levels, but in the same breath, Bianca Lennox was often able to spark my more competitive side.

"By the way, I do not have a temper." I said to Eddie in the backseat as Yuri pulled the car to a stop in the parking lot of the complex.

"Not normally.' He agreed with me. "But a spark of temper does rear itself up when you are confronted with anyone who comes near Jesse, Christian, Yuri, and apparently Mason."

I gave an exhaustive sigh, denying the allegation as the three of us exited the car.

"Before we go in there, I should maybe expand on my relationship with Bianca." I spoke to both my husband and my best friend. "In order to understand you should probably picture me and Meredith Nikolai, multiplied by twenty."

"Whoa. That bad?" Eddie remarked.

"The truth is, she and I used to be friends, but Liam Kane came between us. Since then, I don't like her, and she likes me even less." I needed to put our enmity into terms that they would understand when it came to my disposition concerning the other woman.

"So, she is more of an adversary than Mere." Eddie said, but with a laugh. "Bells, no one can compete with you on a professional or appearance level. Your husband will agree with me."

Yuri took my hand and kissed me sweetly. "I definitely agree."

"But we all have a rival or two."

"Even you?

Eddie nodded slowly, smirking.

"Who?"

"Never you mind babe."

Our conversation ended abruptly as we arrived at the door of Bianca Lennox. Yuri knocked, and I could sense both men tense. Yuri's hand hovered over his weapon, unsure of what to expect. The door opened slowly, revealing the petite blonde woman I had known in what felt like a different life and time. She looked almost surprised to see Yuri and Eddie with me, but she seemed to expect me.

"Bellamy." She greeted me with as much acrimony as she could muster. "How good to see you after all this time. I admit, I was not expecting you so soon." She insulted my intelligence.

"You knew she…" Yuri was cut off.

"Oh, you must be Bellamy's husband." Bianca looked Yuri up and down, quickly turning her attention back to me. "Hmm. He's cute, but I honestly thought he'd be taller." She was intentionally trying to provoke me.

"We need to speak to you Bianca."

"By all means Bellamy." Her demeanor instantly changed, and I could not help but cringe as she said my name. It was much friendlier than we had been in so long.

"It's Guardian." I corrected her. "We are not friends."

"Sure." Her acrimony reappeared, allowing us to enter her home.

I walked inside, Eddie and Yuri keeping me positioned between them for practical reasons. I looked around, scanning the apartment for anything that would give me reason to believe that Mason and Bianca were truly married.

"What exactly are you here to speak to me about, Guardians?" Bianca innocently asked, sitting down in an oversized armchair, motioning for us to sit.

I refused politely.

"We would like to ask you a few questions about Mason Ashford." Yuri calmly began. "You were seen visiting Mr. Ashford while he was imprisoned here at Court recently."

"Yes." Bianca admitted. "I saw him briefly."

"Why would a Moroi marry a Dhampir she barely knows?"

Bianca twisted her body around to look at me, her eyes showing something that I did not recognize. It was a look I could not place on her.

"Wow. Your delusion runs deep Bellamy. I've known him quite well since you two split up."

As she spoke, I spotted curious and unquestionably out of place in this apartment. There was a very familiar pendant sitting on a table, in the open. I moved closer, getting a closer look to confirm suspicion. I bent down, whispering to Yuri. Without question or missing a beat, he continued to interrogate Bianca Lennox.

"If you don't mind my asking, where did you and your husband get married?"

The look on her face changed again. "Why?"

"Because you did not register your marriage with the Courts." I stated, gaining for ire from the woman.

"We were married in Romania."

"Bucharest?"

"No. Sighişoara."

"Why do I know that name?" Eddie quietly inquired.

"It's the birthplace of Vlad Ţepeş. Vlad the Impaler."

Eddie nodded.

"And it is interesting that you would choose that city to get married in." I spoke with just a hint of arrogance in my tone.

"Why?" Bianca crossed her arms defiantly.

"Because Moroi are forbidden from marrying in that city."

Her face went pale as I challenged her.

"Moroi laws don't prevent us from marrying there."

I saw Eddie out of the corner of my eye, looking to me for further answers. Answers I had in abundance.

"No. But human laws do. The Alchemists in Romania as a whole, are very strict and very clear on their laws surrounding Moroi or Dhampir marriages. Registering our marriages with them is nearly if not entirely impossible."

"You know so much on the laws." Bianca remarked. "I am surprised that you aren't an attorney for the Councils."

Eddie laughed. "Surprisingly, you are not the first person to say that."

As Bianca answered my questioned, I continued to consider the pendant she possessed. And then it hit me like a ton of concrete.

"I think we're done here."

"That's it?" Bianca asked. "That's all you came here for?"

"I came here to see what you know, and I can see you know very little."

"Bells." Eddie protested while Yuri joined me on the way out.

The three of us walked out, moving calmly but quickly back to the car.

"You really think she doesn't know anything?"

"She is not married to Mason. She is married to Liam. She knows far too much." I made clear to my friend.

"What?"

"The pendant on the table." Yuri pointed out that he had seen the piece of recognizable jewelry as well. "Only members of the Guardian Court possess them."

"Before he left, Mason said that Liam always has a plan. He was quick to point out that if Jesse and I left Court, Liam would know."

"I see." Eddie caught up. "If Mason is not here to feed information to Liam, others are."

"Others, meaning his wife. And the more Bianca thinks she knows, the better it is for us."