After all that had been going on, I felt like I needed a break. Dimitri and I had been working out a way to tell Court about Lissa, our engagement, and try to plan our wedding all at once, and he wouldn't let me do any of it. So much for trying to help….. Anyway, I couldn't believe it. In a few days I would be Mrs. Belikov! It was way too much to think about, but I had a feeling that everything would calm down after the wedding.

"Rose, do you want to pick the cake?" Dimitri asked, looking through the book. This was the first time he had asked me to help him.

"Sure!" I exclaimed, rushing over before he could change his mind. "What kind of cake were you thinking of?"

"Either chocolate or marble." He replied, sliding a hand around my waist, pulling me closer.

"Hmmm…." I thought. "I like chocolate, but not too much. Let's go with marble."

"Whatever you want, Roza." He said, lovingly. That nickname again! It made me warm all over.

"You know, I think I'd be an insane, shadow-kissed girl with too much spirit in her system if it weren't for you, Dimitri." I said, taking his hand.

"Do you ever just say 'I love you', Roza?"

"No, but I can show it." I leaned in and kissed him. Warmth spread through my body like fire. I thought of his lips pressed firmly against mine, and the night in the cabin, where we felt so close. Now, every day would be like that. My desire for him escalated and became more intense. I loved him. I didn't say it enough, but I would make up for that. I pulled back enough to whisper in his ear, "I love you more than you could ever imagine." He smiled, and hugged me.

"I love you too, my Roza. But now is the time we must make a decision." He said. I tensed and looked up. "Where will the wedding be?" I laughed. He had got me for a second. I thought the decision would be like a life or death thing, something dangerous.

"Russia, Dimitri. Our wedding will be in Russia." It was his turn to laugh.

"My love, you bring me all the joy in the world." Dimitri said, his voice full of affection.

"Do you like cheese?"

"What?"

"Cheese. Do you like cheese?" I asked trying to keep a straight face.

"Why?" He asked, confused.

"Because whenever you try to be sexy, it always comes out cheesy, like some romantic movie." I replied, my straight face turning into a smile. Dimitri rolled his eyes, pulling me closer.

"You never drop your attitude, do you?"

"Hey!" I exclaimed, trying to look offended. "I like my attitude!" Dimitri laughed. I always make him laugh.

"No offense, Rose, but you don't always make the best jokes." He said, a glint in his eye.

"Ha ha. Very funny comerade." I said, landing a playful punch on his shoulder. He cried out in pain and doubled over. "Oh my God! Dimitri, are you okay?" I said, worriedly. He straightened, smiling.

"Gotcha."

"Not funny." I said, seriously.

"Sorry. When I try to return the attitude thing, it always backfires."

"No dip Sherlock." I smiled. "Attitude is my thing."

"And I'm perfectly happy with that." Dimitri said, running a hand though my hair.

"Well, now that we're done with that, maybe it's time we give the Court the news they've been dreading."

When we went to Court, the first person we went to was Christian. Dimitri let me talk to him, but I'm pretty sure he would have done a lot better.

"Hey, Christian." I said, casually walking over to him."

"What are you doing here? Is Lissa here?" Christian asked, longingly.

" Ummmm..." I froze, but Dimitri came to my rescue.

" Christian, there was an accident a few days ago." Dimitri took a deep breath and continued. "Lissa is a Strigoi." There was silence.

"Christian?" I asked. He didn't respond. He just spun on his heals and walked away towards the apartments. I shrugged. It'll sink in soon enough.

"Now for the a easy part." I told Dimitri. He grimaced. Then, we made our way to Court.

Once we got there, Court was already assembled for us. Dimitri had sent a message telling them we had some very important information. We entered the large, circular room and stood by the podium. Dimitri let me talk again.

"So, there was an accident a few days ago, and your queen is now a Strigoi." I paused, letting the crowd react. People were shouting about how it was our fault for not protecting her, and I started to wonder, how did she become a Strigoi? Once the room quieted, I continued. " Therefore, Guardian Belikov and I have decided to refrain from guardian duties and get married." I finished, taking Dimitri's hand. This caused even more commotion, and we were swept out of the room and into a suite, where we were expected to stay for the night.

I sat down on the bed and sighed. "That was not what I expected."

"Roza, you know it was the right thing to do." Dimitri replied, sitting down and putting an arm around me, pulling me close. I leaned into him, my head resting on his shoulder.

" Is everything going to be normal, now?"

" Maybe." Dimitri whispered, moving his lips to my forehead. " First, we have to get married, and then we'll see."

Dimitri and I had decided on a small wedding in Russia, our audience consisting of Christian, Adrian, my mom and dad, Dimitri's family, Sydney, Mia, and Eddie. It wouldn't be large, but that was fine with us. We had plans to move to Russia, but not for a while. Dimitri thought we should take it slow, but I don't see the point.

"OMG, Rose! You have to try this dress on!" Mia squealed, holding up a strapless wedding dress. I shrugged.

"It looks okay."

"Oh, Rose! You just have to try it on!" I slipped into it perfectly. It molded to my body, emphasizing every curve, with little diamonds lining the waist of the floor-length skirt. "It's perfect!" Mia exclaimed. I agreed, silently swearing not to tell Dimitri what it looks like.

The wedding day came very quickly, and I was more nervous than ever. I had my hair cut from my lower back up to my upper back and layered it. With a quick swipe of the flat iron, I looked unbelievably sexy. I went light on the makeup and slipped on a pair of silver flats, just to be sure I didn't trip.

" Little Dhampir." Adrian said, walking in the room.

" Adrian! I am sooo freaking nervous!" I exclaimed, grabbing him. " What if I trip? What if Dimitri changes his mind?"

"Whoa there, Little Dhampir." He said, putting an arm around me. "Everything will be just fine."

It turned out that Adrian was right. Everything went smoothly and before I knew it, I was Mrs. Belikov and Dimitri was all mine.

At the reception, Dimitri and I were hand in hand. We never left each other's side. We talked to my parents and Eddie first, and then moved on to the rest. A toast was made to us and a meal of some of my favorite Russian dishes was served.

Everything was rushing by in a blur, unfocused. I couldn't see straight or hear much at all. I didn't drink, so it couldn't be that. I started seeing spots and in my head I was thinking like, what the heck? I couldn't stand and I was starting to stumble.

"Roza? My darling, are you okay? Let's sit for a while." Dimitri said, concerned. I shook it off.

"No. I'm fine, Dimitri. Just over excited. It's okay." My body told my otherwise and I sunk to the ground, darkness taking over. In the background I could hear Dimitri shouting and other voices, until I heard nothing at all.

I woke up with Dimitri holding my hand in a cold, white room.

"Dimitri?" I croaked, squeezing his hand.

" Roza! Thank God!" He cried, hugging me. Where was I? Why was I here? Why was Dimitri so worried about me?

" What happened? Where am I?" I questioned, confused.

" First you passed out, then you stopped breathing, then your heart stopped." Dimitri said, counting on his fingers. " So this is a hospital."

"Oh." I replied, not knowing what else to say. Then, I realized that for the first time ever, Dimitri was all mine.

"How do you feel?" Dimitri asked, moving closer, putting his arm around me.

" Better." I remembered the dizzying darkness that overtook me during the wedding reception. " Why did I pass out?"

" They say it was a delayed reaction from the conclusion of Lissa's spirit." I cringed at the sound of my best friends name. " And your body couldn't take it, so you started to shut down." Dimitri explained.

"How am I alive, then?" I asked, leaning into him. He held me close.

" I don't know, Roza. I don't know. But what matters is that you are alive and well now."

" You're right. And now you're all mine." Dimitri laughed.

" And you, Roza, are all mine to love as well."

" I hope it stays this way." I smiled at him.

" Me too, Roza. Me too."

Dimitri and I found a small house in the suburbs of Baia, Russia, right next to his family. It was white and blue, with a well manicured backyard.

" Hey, Dimitri. Can you help me with this box?" I asked, straining to lift on of the many boxes on the front step.

" Be right there." He replied, placing the box of china dishes on the kitchen table, and then heading out to help me. Together, we lifted the box into the kitchen and onto the table. I sat down.

" One box down, one million more to go..." I sighed. Too many boxes.

" Don't worry, Rose. I'll do it all by myself." Dimitri said, pretending to be sad.

" Oh no you won't!" I ran out the door to grab another box.

This was how it worked. I would give up, Dimitri would get me back on track. It was a perfect system. We were, what you could call, a "flawless" couple. We rarely got into fights and agreed on almost everything.

Finally, after hours of moving boxes and unpacking, we were moved in. Both of us were sweaty and tired.

" Roza, are you really as tired as you look?" Dimitri asked, lounging on the couch. I looked at myself. My hair was plastered to my neck and my clothes sported not so pretty sweat stains.

" Yup." I sighed. He put an arm around me.

" Why don't you go clean up. I'll get dinner ready." Dimitri stood up. I stood up too, and made my way to our newly decorated bathroom to take a shower.

In the mirror, I saw the reflection of someone older and stronger than me. Her dark, brown hair, sleek and shiny, and her body, full and curvy. I had definitely changed since leaving the Academy. I scrubbed myself clean of the sweat and grime from cleaning, and headed back downstairs, where Dimitri had some fried chicken waiting.

" Whoa! How long was I gone?" I exclaimed, raising my eyebrows at the mysterious fried chicken.

" Enough for me to run to the store." He stretched, yawning. He was tired, though I knew he didn't want to admit it. Instead of calling him out on it, I sat down and started eating. The doorbell rang. I sighed. When would I ever get some peace and quiet?I stood up, opening the door to two Royal Guardians. On was buff and muscular, the other one tall and muscular. I smiled pleasantly, trying to hide my confusion.

"Hello. May I help you?" I said, still smiling. They didn't budge, smile, or give any warm greeting. Typical Guardians.

"Rosemarie Belikov, come with us please." The tall one said, reaching for me. I looked behind me for Dimitri.

"Um... Hold on a second." I said, quickly jerking out of their reach. "Dimitri!" I shouted. He was instantly by my side, but he was too late. The buff Guardian grabbed me by my shoulders and slammed my head against the wall. The last thing I remembered before passing out, was Dimitri's anguished cry as I was dragged away.

Rose is gone. I should have been able to save her. Two Guardians dragged her out before I had time to react. Every time I replay that moment in my mind, I hear Rose scream my name, over and over again. It kills me to know that I wasn't there for her when she needed me. My goal now, is to find Rose, wherever she may be. So I beg you not to worry, and I will come back to Baia. With all the love in the world, Dimitri.

I put down my pen. I doubted that my mother would worry, but better to be safe than sorry. Rose had been taken just a few hours ago, but there was no time to waste. I had already packed a change of clothed, my credit card, and my stake, so I grabbed my bag and ran out the door, stopping briefly next door at my family's house, leaving the note on the doorstep. Then, I got in our car and drove towards the airport, calling Adrian on my cellphone. He picked up at the first ring.

"What do you want?" Adrian said, rather sharply.

"Lord Ivashkov, I need you to dream walk with Rose." I said, calmly, trying to be polite. We had a little argument over Rose a year before.

"Why?" Adrian seemed curious now. I sighed, then continued.

"She was taken just a few hours ago. I have no clue where she is! Please Adrian, you've got to help me!" I said, getting frantic, forgetting to use his proper name.

"Whoa. So your telling me Little Dhampir was taken by force?" I could tell he didn't believe me.

"Yes!" I said, wanting to get done with this conversation. I was getting really frustrated.

"Okay, then. I'll see what I can do." And then, he hung up. I slammed down the phone and rubbed my face. Adrian cared about Rose, and would do anything for her, but I wasn't sure he'd do anything for me.

I stopped at a walk in motel for the night, hoping to stay out of sight until Adrian contacted me again. Now, there was nothing to do but wait.

I woke up with an unbearable headache. Remembering what had happened and where I was, I sat up quickly, taking in my surroundings. I was in a cold, white room, just like the one I was in for being tried for killing Queen Tatiana. A sudden thought registered in my mind. They think I purposely allowed Lissa to become a Strigoi! That is soooo not what happened! Or is it? I was getting too confused and my brain was fuzzy. My headache did not make things better. To escape the confusion, I tried to sleep, and found myself being pulled into a spirit dream.

I was in the backyard of my new house, wearing my wedding dress that I loved so much.

"Ahem.." Someone cleared their throat behind me. Startled I spun around, coming face to face with none other than...

"Adrian?" Why was he here?

"Long time no see, Little Dhampir."

"Why are you here?" I asked, more curious than angry.

"I thought you'd be glad to see me." He replied, trying to look hurt. I sighed heavily.

"I'm not in the mood, Adrian."

"Too bad, cuz I'm on a mission for Little Lover Boy back in Russia." That caught my attention.

"Dimitri?" Adrian nodded, smoothing back his hair with his right hand. "Oh, Adrian! Court thinks I abandoned Lissa to the Strigoi! They're going to put me on trial and most definitely kill me! You've got to help me! I'm in the same room as I was when they thought I killed Tatiana!"

"Whoa, calm down Little Dhampir." I glared at him. "Rose." He corrected himself, then continued. "Dimitri will be there as soon as possible, I'll make sure of it." I smiled.

"Thanks a million, Adrian." I said, hugging him. I saw his eyes widen in shock. I giggled. "Just because I'm married, doesn't mean I can't hug another guy." He shrugged.

"See you soon, Little Dhampir." He whispered into my ear, and the scene faded, leaving me in the dark room at Court, alone and worried. Would Dimitri ever find me? Would I die here, alone and afraid, with no one to hold me? I guess I just had to wait and see.

I picked up my cell phone at the first ring, my heart pounding against my ribs. Finally, Adrian was calling back to tell me where Rose was!

"Hello?"

"Yo, Dimitri. Rose and I had a little chat last night, and your chances don't look too good." My heart skipped a beat, hearing her name.

"Is she alright? Where is she?" I asked, hoping that he actually knew some things.

"Well... she's kind of locked up at Court right now, in the same cell she was in when they thought she killed Tatiana." I sighed. Well, at least she was alive.

"Why would they lock her up?" I wondered aloud.

"Wow, and I thought you were smart." Came the voice from the other end. I ignored it. "Just because I know you are highly capable of killing me in my sleep, I'll answer your stupid question." He took a deep breath. "They think that she purposely abandoned Lissa, and left her alone to become Strigoi. They're putting on trial, and will, eventually, kill her." He said, his voice catching. Poor Adrian. He cared for Rose so much, even though there wasn't the slightest chance that they would ever be together.

"Thanks, Adrian. You don't know how much I appreciate this." I replied, hanging up. Now, my wait was over. I would go to Court, rescue Rose, and find out what really happened with Lissa, because honestly, I didn't even know how she became Strigoi, only that it was too late to save her and my top priority was Rose. I started to pack my bags right away, heading out the door of the motel, almost forgetting to check out. By the time I was in my car, it was pretty late in the Vampire night, leaving my some time to travel before I would reach Court.

My plan was I would find Eddie, Mia, Christian, and Janine (Rose's mother). Then, I'd act like I wanted to visit her, because I was angry with her. The plan then, was to get her out of Court and into a country other than Russia, with the help of Janine, Mia, Christian, and Eddie. I wasn't sure how this would work, but it was definitely better than going in with no plan at all.

How Dimitri managed to find me before my trial was a mystery to me. To get from Russia to Court should have taken about six hours by plane, but he was here in two.

" Rose." I turned. Dimitri was putting a key inside the lock to the door, peering though to see me. " Rose, I'm going to get you out now. We'll have to run for it. Don't ask any questions. Just go." The door creaked open and I sprung out. Dimitri had brought my stake, so I was ready and armed. We sprinted out the gates of the prison, when the alarms sounded. Guards came from every direction and quickly surrounded us. We were stuck in the middle of the road in front of Court, surrounded by them.

" You run towards the right, I'll take the left. Maybe we can surprise them." Dimitri whispered into my ear. I nodded slightly, so they wouldn't see. Then, we both took off sprinting for the woods beyond the road, narrowly missing some of the guards who were shooting at us. I felt a sharp stab of pain in my left arm, but kept running. We leapt over rocks and fallen branches as we ran deeper into the forest, the pain in my arm becoming a painful throb.

After what seemed like hours, we finally stopped by a small stream in a clearing. I sat on the ground, panting, right next to Dimitri. He had his arm around me, but took it away when I winced.

"Rose, where are you hurt?" Dimitri asked, worried. He was looking at his bloodstained hand that had been right where I was hit. He couldn't have told I was injured, because I was wearing the standard prisoner's black clothing.

" Um... here?" I said, gently tugging on the sleeve of my shirt, feeling a trickle of warm blood run down my arm. Dimitri bit his lip and cut open my sleeve with a knife he had hidden in his jacket. A small stream of blood dripped down the length of my arm. Luckily, the bullet had gone straight through, but it was still an open wound. Dimitri tore a strip of cloth from his shirt and wet it with the water from the creek. Then, he gently cleared the dried blood off of my arm. It was amazing how he could be so fierce and dangerous in battle, but yet so gentle with an injury. He then tore another strip of cloth off and gently tied it around the hole the bullet had made in my arm. I winced even though he was being gentle.

" There." He sighed, sitting back to inspect his work. " That should do."

" Thanks." I said, squeezing his arm with my good hand. He smiled at me.

"I'd do it all over again if I had to, Roza. Having you back was completely worth it." I scooted closer to him.

"I hope so, because I'm not too keen on the idea of being caught again." That made him smile. Our lips met, a warm fire spreading through my body, making me shift closer and press against him. We both knew where this was going. Dimitri pulled away.

"I don't think that we should get too extreme. We're only a few miles away from Court. We should move." Reluctantly, we stood up and continued our journey, wherever that path would lead us.

It was about a day before we reached the camp. Dimitri and I had been there a few years ago with Sydney, so everyone knew us. We were welcomed with cheering and slaps on the back, and a grand dinner of stew, cider, and apple pie. It was hard for me to enjoy being there when I had my mind on Lissa. I couldn't stop wondering what really happened that morning. Dimitri woke me up, Lissa was a Strigoi, then we escaped. How did Lissa become Strigoi? Why did Dimitri not kill her? Why weren't we watching her all night? I was pulled out of my thoughts by someone tapping my shoulder.

" You look like you're doing some very serious thinking there, Roza." Dimitri's soft,warm voice soothed my confused brain. I sighed.

" I just can't figure out what really happened that night. How did Lissa even become a Strigoi?" Dimitri sat down next to me on a log by the big bonfire the camp had started. The light from the flame cast a shadow on his face, illuminating the other side with golden light. He sighed, frowning.

" I don't remember what happened. Just that Lissa Became Strigoi and that I had to save you." A sudden idea formed in my head.

"What if the Strigoi that turned Lissa used compulsion on us?!" I exclaimed, excited that we were actually getting somewhere.

" That's possible." Dimitri said, coming out of his daze.

" Okay, so where do we start?"

" I'll see if I still have any Strigoi connections and we'll start the search tomorrow." Dimitri replied, pulling out his new iPhone. I'm surprised he still had reception out here. After the calls were made, we both drifted off into a restless sleep, dreading the days to come.

The next morning, we were up and packed before anyone is the camp was awake. No one would know where we were going, so no one could track us down. The Strigoi that Dimitri had talked to had said that Lissa had moved into Hawaii, and had settled down in a remote area, which surprised me. Strigoi liked cities, because they could kill and no one would notice. If one person lived in a twenty mile area, and they disappeared, it would be a lot more obvious.

We bought plane tickets with some money Adrain loaned us. Well...gave to us. I have no idea how we're going to pay him back. The trip took around seven hours, and most of that time was spent catching up on sleep in Dimitri's arms. Finally feeling safe, I fell asleep in Dimitri's arms, listening to his slow and steady breathing.

My eyes fluttered open, annoyed that someone had awaken me from my much needed sleep. It wasn't a person who woke me up, though. It was the screaming. Everyone in the plane was screaming. The plane was plummeting towards the ground at top speed And Dimitri and I could do nothing about it.

I frantically looked for an escape route, finding only the windows of the plane. Without a parachute, we were guaranteed a gruesome death if we jumped out. We searched through other luggage compartments looking for some sort of object that could help us, but we didn't have any luck.

Finally, I found a parachute in a closet, after pushing my way through the panicking humans. "Dimitri! Here!" I shouted over the commotion. The plane was quickly moving us down to our doom. We each grabbed a parachute and unceremoniously shattered the window next to us, leaping out of it before we had time to think.

The parachutes slowed our fall more than I thought they would. It took more than 15 minutes for us to arrive on solid ground. By that time, the plane had already crashed, exploding in a fiery burst of red and yellow. The screams still echoed in my ears and I was shaking all over.

We landed on the ground softly, but I was shaking too much to stand, so I collapsed on the ground, trying to calm myself, check our surroundings for immediate danger. We had landed on an island of rocks, out in the middle of a lush, green field of grass and wildflowers. Meanwhile, Dimitri easily untangled himself from his yellow parachute, and proceeded to help me with mine. I sat there, trembling and rocking back and forth, looking much like a Spirit user suffering from the effects of spirit. Maybe it was the fact that I was so close to Lissa, or maybe just shock from the plane crash. I couldn't focus on anything. It was like someone had put a cloud around the edges of my vision, making it fuzzy. Dimitri held me close, whispering in my ear.

"Shhh, Roza. We're safe. It's alright. We're alive." No matter how much Dimitri reassured me, I would always know the truth.

"They're not safe, Dimitri. They're dead." I cried, remembering the screams of the passengers in the plane, frantically trying to escape. Only Dimitri and I found a way out. Even though I felt lucky to be alive, I felt cold and helpless, knowing I should have done something to help them.

"Rose, you couldn't have done anything to help them. There was nothing we could have done." Dimitri said, Hugging me tighter. I closed my eyes, letting the screams fade away, replaced with the steady sound of Dimitri's heart beating. We sat there for a while until I calmed a little and the trembling stopped. Tears streaming down my face, I fell asleep in Dimitri's arms, wondering where this would take us next.

I'd been worried about Rose ever since I rescued her from Court. She seems sensitive, unlike the Rose I know. It's like if something happens, she will break into pieces, like a china plate. Small things make her cry. The most worrying part of this is that as we get closer to Lissa, Rose gets more and more fragile, afraid. She is my life and will do anything to protect her, but it kills me to not know why she's losing it. Every time I ask her if she is okay, she nods, but inside I know she is slowly crumbling, falling apart.

"Roza, please tell me. Are you okay?" I asked for the billionth time.

"Yes, I'm fine, Dimitri! I've told you that!" Rose replied, obviously frustrated. I hate making her angry like this, but it was needed.

" No, Rose. You're not okay! I can tell by the way you act, the way you look, the way you talk that something is wrong! It's like you falling apart right in front of me!" I said, kneeling on the floor in front of her, taking her hands in mine. I was desperate for an answer. She looked at the floor of our hotel room we had been staying in for about a week, her silky, dark hair shielding her face from me. After about a minute, she looked up. Tears were streaming down her cheeks, making my heart break.

"I can't do it, Dimitri. I can't kill Lissa." She whispered hoarsely.

"Oh, Rose. It's okay. Don't think about that until the time comes. You're making it too hard on yourself." I hugged her, wiping the tears away from her rosy cheeks with my hand. She sighed.

" I guess you're right. It wasn't this hard when I tried to do the same to you, because I didn't think. I just knew I had to do it. Lissa never told me to kill her if she became a Strigoi, because we never thought it would happen." I was glad she was rationalizing this situation. I could tell she was feeling a little better. It's amazing what a single person can do.

" Rose, no matter what happens, I'm always with you. I'm here to support youTo you can tell me anything." She nodded.

" Thanks Dimitri. I'm sorry I've been so depressed lately. You made me realize that I don't have to do this alone." I smiled.

" That's what I'm here for Roza." We leaned in and our lips met, warmth spreading through my body. Her lips tasted salty, like the ocean. She pulled away.

"Now, let's finish the journey that we started."

I woke up the next morning with Dimitri snoring beside me. Boy, do we make a good couple. I slowly rolled over to check the time on the clock beside the bed, careful not to wake Dimitri up. It was 9:34 a.m. and I was starving. I sighed, jumping when I felt an arm creep around my stomach, grabbing me and jerking me backwards. I yelped.

"You didn't think I could stay asleep when my beautiful wife is already awake." Dimitri whispered lovingly in my ear. I giggled.

"Dimitri, let go!" I laughed, struggling to get out of his strong, but gentle grip. This change in attitude was surprising.

"Fine, but only if we can get doughnuts." Dimitri smiled, tucking a stray strand of hair behind my ear.

"I'll do that only if you get up and dressed for the day. No jeans."

"You sound like my mother."

"Nice. Now get going!" Dimitri jumped out of bed, saluting me as he walked to the bathroom. I smiled. Now that I was in a better mood, Dimitri seemed happier as well. I slipped into black sweatpants and a black t-shirt, tying my hair up in a loose ponytail. By that time, Dimitri had already come out of the bathroom and sat down, opening one of his many western novels. I walked over and stood in front of him, hands on my hips.

"What do you think you're doing?" I said, mock disapproval in my voice.

"Reading. Should I be doing something else?"

"Nope." I grinned, sitting down next to him. He put an arm around me.

"You ready for tonight?" He asked, growing serious.

"I have no idea." I replied, honestly. I had no clue what would happen next, and wasn't at all excited to find out.

That night, Dimitri and I snuck out of the hotel, dressed in all black and armed with our silver stakes. I tried not to think about who we were hunting, but it was almost impossible to avoid it. As we slunk around the alleyways in the dark, I felt my stomach lurch. I nudged Dimitri, gripping my stake harder. For some reason, whenever a Strigoi was near, my stomach would feel really queasy. It was usually a good thing, because we had more time to prepare for an attack. This time, however, it was a little too late.

The Strigoi lunged out of the darkness and right at Dimitri. I could tell right away that it wasn't Lissa. This Strigoi had black hair and green eyes, ringed with red. Dimitri was ready, and slammed her against the wall. Judging from her lack of strength, she was newly turned, which was to our advantage. Pinned up against the wall and snarling, the Strigoi struggled, unable to get out of Dimitri's iron grip. I lept on her, pressing my stake against her chest where her heart would be.

"Where is Vasilissa Dragomir?" I growled in her ear, surprised how fierce I sounded.

"Why would I tell you?" She snarled back, hissing. I pressed the stake harder against her chest. Her eyes widened.

"Because I am Rosemarie Hathaway Belikov. Former guardian of Vasilissa Dragomir, previous queen of the Moroi." I said, relishing the fact that I made her uncomfortable. Her eyes widened even more as I pressed the stake even closer, a small stain appearing on her shirt.

"See that door behind you? That's where I came from, and where Vasilissa hides. You might as well get rid of me now. She'll kill me anyways." The Strigoi said, sounding so indifferent to the situation she just put herself in. Whispering thanks to her, I drove the stake into her heart, Dimitri covering her mouth to muffle the sound of her cry.

I sighed, letting the body slump to the ground. "What I would give to have some of that potion Sydney used to get rid of the bodies in Russia." Dimitri cringed, remembering his painful past as a Strigoi in Russia. I gave him a sympathetic look. "Shall we?" I asked, referring to the task ahead of us.

"Let's get this over with." Dimitri replied, giving me a small smile. I grimaced in return.

"Let's go." I sighed, dreading to find out what waited behind that door. I walked over to the door, slowly opening it and coming face to face with none other than... "Lissa."

She stood in the dorrway her cold, calculating eyes freezing me to the spot. She ran down to the basement, us right behind her in the dark. we stopped, unsure of where to go. Luckily, Dimitri was there, or I would have been dead in an instant. She lunged at me with such hatred that I was startled, yet again, Dimitri did the same even though he loved me. Dimitri didn't even attempt to pull out his stake, he just shoved her aside, pinning her against the wall. Dimitri knew I needed to talk to her.

" Lissa, tell me. How did you become a Strigoi?" I asked, pulling out a tiny tape recorder.

" Got bitten. Duh."

" Did we leave you to become Strigoi, or was compulsion used?" I asked.

"Compulsion. Why do you want to know?" She growled, baring her fangs, never taking her eyes off of Dimitri. I nodded to him, our conversation finished. I grabbed my stake and buried it right in her heart just as Dimitri jumped out of the way.

Then the weirdest thing happened. She started to glow. All the times I've seen a Strigoi be turned back to a Moroi, it had always been in a huge flash of light, blinding me. But this time, it started out as a soft glow, growing steadily and becoming an intense golden light. It kept on like this for what seemed like forever. My body was frozen, sitting on the cold floor of the dark basement, already used to the pungent odor of the rotting corpses from the Strigoi's last meal, but even though I had seen so many crazily strange things in my life, this one had completely blown me away.

Dimitri was also sitting there, his eyes wide and mouth hanging open. As a guardian, he was always ready for anything, but his training couldn't compete with this. His hand slowly uncurled from around his stake, and it clattered to the cement floor. The glow had still not faded, and was growing even brighter to the point where my eyes had started to water. I still didn't take my eyes off her.

A loud crack and blindingly bright flash caused me to shield my eyes and look away, my ears ringing. I looked towards where Lissa lay, her red ringed eyes now the normally intense, startling green, her skin white, but not chalky. I had given up before, but now I knew miracles really can happen.

When the light faded, I opened my eyes to see Lissa sitting on the floor, looking absolutely appalled by the fact that she was no longer Strigoi. Then, she puked. It was probably the smell of rotting corpses, or maybe the fact that she just realized that she had tried to kill me. Sensing her worry, I stood up and walked over to her, getting down on my knees. She tried to move away from me, like she could turn Strigoi again any moment. I grabbed her arm.

" Lissa, it's me, Rose. You're okay. Nothing that happened when you were Strigoi was your fault. It's not your fault Lissa." I told her sternly. Tears were rolling down her cheeks as she nodded. I helped her up, putting an arm around her, both for support and to show that I was not afraid. Her eyes rested on my left hand. She ran a slender finger along the edge of my wedding ring. Dimitri came over and took my hand. I knew what she wanted me to say.

" Dimitri asked me the day you turned. Court want to kill me. Literally." She gave me a small smile. " I think it's time to tell Court that we were responsible for our actions."

"Did you just do it to save your life, or did you actually want me back?" She asked quietly. I sighed.

" What do you think?" I looked at her. She laughed, squeezing me arm. I turned my attention to Dimitri as we walked outside towards our hotel.

"Are you okay?" I asked him, laying my head on his shoulder. He kissed my forehead.

" I'm absolutely amazing."