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shawtygonemad · 1 year

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CORRUPTED: CHAPTER 4

Hostage

Masterlist

Rose Hathaway x Dimitri Belikov

Chapter Trigger Warnings ⚠️:

Blood, Injuries, Death

I wanna be alone. Alone with you. Does that make sense? I wanna steal your soul, and hide you in my treasure chest.

[Rose POV]

I always imagined he would look so peaceful when sleeping. The closest I ever came to seeing it was when we were lying together in the bliss of having slept together for the first time. This man constantly has to be the one to carry the world on his shoulders. But I’ve never seen him like this before. Not through this new set of eyes.

He was still as beautiful as ever. His chocolate brown hair was still damp from a shower he must have taken recently. That tanned skin I always made excuses to touch looked as soft and warm as ever. I can see all of his features in high definition and it was amazing. Though what I find the most astonishing is how weak he looks. I know nothing has changed with him, but with my new world view I just know that I can over power him now. Much like my mother, I know if I underestimate him it’ll be my downfall. If he and I ever engage in battle I need to stay sharp and on top of things. I couldn’t let my ego get the best of me.

I buckled Dimitri in the front seat before getting into the driver seat. Pulling out of the parking lot, I fell back into my thoughts. I haven’t fully decided what I was going to do with him yet. All I know is that I need him to be out of the picture in order to get to Lissa. With Dimitri locked away and my mother out of commission then it shouldn’t be too hard to get to her. That moroi, Abe Mazur, she was with basically gave away their entire location. They were at the nearest vampire medical center where my mom must be recovering. It wasn’t too far from here at all. Four and a half hours by car, but about thirty minutes via private jet. Unfortunately, as soon as they realize Dimitri isn’t going to show up on that runway they’ll probably take off again. So I had two options: drive or sneak on that jet.

Suddenly, my body jerked sideways as our car was slammed into by another. It all happened so fast. The car began to roll and there was nothing I could do to take control. When we stopped the car was right side up, thankfully. I was slightly dazed, but shook it off quickly. Through the shattered windshield I could see someone getting out of the other vehicle. I growled as anger suddenly filled me. It was Felix. He was a strigoi that worked with the one who awakened me - Nathan. Ever since I’ve been awakened, Nathan has been bugging me non stop to join him and his motley crew. I’ve continuously said no. I had absolutely no interest in joining a strigoi mafia that worked out of Russia. The man just wouldn’t take no for an answer.

I tried to open my door, but it was dented shut. Without wasting any more time, I got from my seat and kicked out the rest of the windshield. Disregarding any shards of glass, I climbed out and slid down the hood. Soon I came face to face with the towering man.

“What the fuck are you doing!” I hissed.

“You keep running, so it was the only way to get you to stop,” he shrugged before crossing his arms.

“I keep telling you that I’m not interested in Nathan’s little Russian Godfather business. So leave me the fuck alone!” I growled.

“That’s no longer an option. I’ve been told to retrieve you kicking and screaming if I have to,” he smirked smugly.

I narrowed my eyes, “You don’t want to try me.”

He laughed and loosened his stance. I took that as a chance to attack. I kicked out my leg to his knee which caused him to buckle. After his initial shock wore off, he was back in the game. He was bigger than me, but I was faster than he was. I maneuvered out of his attacks and grasps. When I had the opening I coiled my legs around his torso like a boa constrictor. Then I used all of my weight to bring us down to the ground. He struggled against me, but my thighs kept his arms locked at his sides. This allowed me the time I needed to snap his neck. I knew it wouldn’t kill him, but he would definitely be immobilized for about ten minutes. There was only one thing that could finish him off quickly.

I climbed back into the car in search of Dimitri’s silver stake. He always kept it on him, so it was probably in his duster pocket somewhere. After giving him a quick once over, I knew he wasn’t going to be dying in minutes. However, his damn long legs have been crushed by the caved in dashboard, so who knows how bad it’ll be once I remove him. Before looking further, I grabbed a spare t-shirt from his bag. I had no intention of burning myself in the process.

Once I had the shirt handy, I started to feel for the stake in each of his pockets. He had it in one of his breast pockets, so I wrapped my hand in the t-shirt before dipping it into the pocket and taking the stake. Within moments I had the stake piercing Felix’s heart. It was a little surreal killing one of my own like I used to as a dhampir. However, it was so much faster than decapitating and burning him.

Now the next problem was getting us to the safehouse where I can stash Dimitri away. From the looks of the smoke coming out of the hood on Felix’s vehicle, I’d say that wouldn’t be able to take us very far. With a huff, I dug into my bra and pulled out a phone. Some habits never die, and I’m pretty glad for that. It may feel uncomfortable, but if you want important things like your phone, money, keys, whatever, to stay safe then that’s the best place to put them.

I dialed a local who has been helping me these past few days. As much as I despise humans, they are the easiest to manipulate. Especially when they have nothing left to lose. Today was Erin’s day off, so it didn’t take her long to arrive in her CRV.

“Holy shit!” She exclaimed as exited her vehicle and ran over. “Are you okay?! What happened?”

“Fine. I haven’t removed him yet, because I know the bleeding will start once I do,” I explained to the shorter woman.

“Smart thinking,” she breathed. “If you can get him removed then I can take him to the nearest hospit-”

“No,” I sharply interrupted her. “He’s not human, so I need you to fix him up at your place.”

“Rose, I don’t have everything he’s going to need. I have no pain medication to give him,” Erin tried to reason.

“He’s a dhampir, so he’ll heal faster than a human. If anything’s broken just wrap it up and brace it. He’ll be healed in a week or so,” I snapped.

“But his pain-”

“Let me handle that,” I growled at her before gripping the passenger door and pulling.

It took a few times, but it finally broke open. We had to do some maneuvering tactics to get Dimitri out since his legs had been crushed by the dash. Damn his long legs! Also, my suspicions had been correct and he did start to bleed profusely. His right leg was definitely broken. However, both legs had some deep, nasty, gashes in them. Ones that even a dhampir required stitches for.

Once we reached Erin’s townhouse, I lifted Dimitri onto my shoulders in a fireman’s carry. It was the easiest way for me to carry his weight and height all at once. The human ran around her home in a flurry, trying to gather medical supplies. You’d think for someone in their medical residency program she’d be a little more calm.

I placed Dimitri onto the guest bed and positioned him for the doctor. Realizing she’ll need to get to his legs, I ripped the dhampir’s jeans and turned them into shorts. The thought of seeing Dimitri in a pair of shorts made me chuckle and he would kill me for it. My hand ran up his bare bloodied leg as I walked toward the head of the bed. I could tell his cheeks were starting to pale from the blood loss when I traced my finger over them. Gently, I gripped his chin and tilted it to the side and inspected his neck.

“I’m gonna do a closed reduction to the break in his leg before I do that stitches and splint it. What’s your plan for his-” she started, but I cut her off once more.

“I told you, I have it handled,” I snarled.

When the human shrank away and back to her work, I turned to Dimitri once again. Instantly, my eyes landed on a neck vein. I licked my lips as my throat suddenly burned with a yearning hunger. My head dipped down and caressed his neck. I gave a light kiss to the area before opening my mouth enough for my fangs to protrude, and sinking them down into the sink. As the vein was punctured it was like biting into a sweet gusher.

I swallowed back the succulent lifeforce that is Dimitri. He was the first dhampir I’ve tasted. It was different from how moroi or human blood tastes. Not as sweet as a human or as tangy as a moroi, but definitely had a punch to it. After one last gulp, I licked the wound and turned away. I needed to remember this was just to give him the endorphins to help fight the pain. That didn’t stop me from humming in contentment as I licked any last drops from my lips.

Glancing at the bedside clock, I realized that I’m fifteen minutes past the time Dimitri should have been at the airport. My annoyance flared up and I mentally added Nathan and his entire squad to my kill list. I turned from the bed and stepped out of the room. With the jet gone, I lost that element of surprise. I’d need to check in with Lissa to see how I should form my next steps. Closing my eyes, I relaxed my body before reaching myself out to her. Once I could feel her warm, I latched on. She gave her classic shiver upon my arrival.

Her anxiety was high as she sat in her chair watching Abe pace back and forth. He was having a quiet conversation with someone on the phone. A warm hand placed itself onto her bouncing knee while the other that was clasped in hers gave a squeeze. She glanced over and met Christian’s blue eyes. He was reassuring her that everything was going to be okay, but Lissa could tell her was also anxious. When Abe hung up the phone Lissa turned her attention back to the man and stood up.

“He’s still not answering?” Lissa asked as worry dripped into her voice.

“No. Paval and his team went to search the surrounding area. A few miles away they discovered two abandoned cars that must have been in a collision, and one dead strigoi,” he explained to the teens.

Just the mention of a car accident sent an unwanted jolt through Lissa. She took a deep breath and tried not to let her own memories of our accident fill her mind.

“You.. You don’t think Rose is behind this, do you?” Lissa frowned.

“It’s hard to say. They found Belikov’s duffle bag in the one with the most damage, so he was probably in there. It had two passengers though, because they found an excessive amount of blood on the passenger side,” Abe further explained as he began to pace.

“Who would be driving?” Lissa asked, confused.

“Unless he wasn’t the one behind the wheel,” Christian suggested.

“Meaning he’s still out there and probably bleeding to death,” Adrian chimed in.

“I’ll make sure the team continues looking for him,” Abe reassured Lissa. “I’ve known Dimitri Belikov most of his life. He’s a tough kid. I’m sure he’ll be okay.”

That seemed to pique both mine and Lissa’s interests.

“How do you know him?” Lissa asked, curiously.

“His grandma used to be my Spades partner,” Abe chuckled and sent her a wink.

I was pulled from Lissa’s head by a gentle hand on my crossed arms. My eyes blinked a few times to retake in my surroundings. I was back in the hallway outside of the guest room. I glanced at the human beside me.

“What?”

“He’s stable. The best thing he can do is hang out in bed for a few weeks until his break heals. Definitely no walking on it. And whatever you’re giving him for pain should be done every eight hours,” the human doctor informed me. “Who is he, if I might ask?”

“His name is Dimitri,” my voice came out lost.

I had Dimitri here with me. I never thought I'd see him again. But now he's lying in that bed seriously injured all because of me.

I shook those thoughts away as I ran a hand through my hair. There was that stupid mortal feeling again. I turned my intense gaze back to Erin. The last thing I needed was for him to charm her into allowing him to escape.

“He's dangerous. Do not enter this room unless I say, understand?" The human nodded. "Good. Now I need you to go do some shopping for me. I won’t be able to leave for a while with the guardians sniffing around.”

“Sure, just make me a list,” Erin nodded.

I grabbed a sheet of paper and pen before writing down a bunch of essentials that Dimitri may need. Clothes, personal hygiene products, ABBA CD’s, western novels - Dimitri essentials. My hand paused in its writing as I looked up and met Erin’s gaze. I could feel the mischievous glint in my eyes.

“You don’t have handcuffs by chance, do you?”

{Song Inspo: Hostage by Billie Eilish}

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shawtygonemad · 1 year

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CORRUPTED: CHAPTER THREE

Let Me Save You

Masterlist

Rose Hathaway x Dimitri Belikov

Chapter Trigger Warning: Slight NSFW thoughts

[Dimitri POV]

Let me save you. Let me save you. It’s not a rescue if I just want to. Just say yes now, and I won’t tell anyone else. So let me save you. Let me save you.

I approached the CD player with one of the mixed tapes I had in my office. Just as I was about to place it in Rose’s loud voice bellowed out.

“Oh no! We are done listening to your old man music!” She huffed as she stormed over while hastily throwing her hair into a bun. “Give me your phone.”

“What?” I chuckled, thinking she was joking. “No.”

She stared at me for a moment with a challenging look. A second later, she turned on her heels and headed towards the doors that led to the locker rooms and guardian offices.

“Rose!” I called for her, but she ignored me and stepped through the doors.

My lips formed into a tight line as I gave a quiet growl of frustration. With irritation building, I followed her. She was so stubborn and headstrong. I wish she’d just listened to me for once!

I found her in my office. She was sitting on the edge of my desk. Her legs were crossed as she intently stared at my cell phone in her hand. I briefly had to close my eyes. Seeing her sitting like that, in my environment no less, did shameful things to me. Her lips had been slightly pursed as she tried to figure out my passcode. Lips that looked so utterly kissable.

“Comrade, what’s your passcode?” Rose asked with the most irresistible pout.

It was hard to stay mad at her most times. I playfully rolled my eyes as I took the phone from her. After entering the code, I passed the unlocked device back to her. She gave the biggest smile at this. I approached as she was downloading an app. My towering figure leaned against the desk beside where she sat. This made it easy for me to peer down and see what she was up to.

“What’s Spotify?” I asked.

“It’s a music app,” she explained. “We can finally listen to music from this decade!”

“Has it ever occurred to you that I enjoy listening to my current music selection?” I raised an eyebrow.

Rose gave a sigh through her nose before speaking again. “Alright, let’s compromise. What if we create a combined playlist? That way, we can both have the music we like on it. Deal?”

“Deal,” I smiled as I shook her extended hand in agreement.

Her hands were so small and soft compared to mine. She only had a few callouses, which I could tell made her self-conscious. There was nothing for her to worry about, though. Everything about her was perfect. Every bump, dip, scar. It was all incredible and made Rose who she was. All of her imperfections helped turn her so beautiful.

‘Enough,’ I mentally scolded myself. ‘You can not keep thinking of her like that. She is your student, and you are her mentor.’

I needed to take my mind off of her, off of how close our bodies were. Focusing on the task at hand usually helped. My eyebrows furrowed when I focused back on what Rose was doing.

“Why are you adding a song from a playlist named ‘He’s a 10 but he’s in jail’?” I asked, amused.

“Jail isn't fun, but some pretty good songs can come from it,” Rose stated nonchalantly.

“You’ve been to jail?” Amusement dripped in my voice as I raised my eyebrow once more.

“Once,” the novice so plainly confirmed. “In Monopoly.”

This caused her to laugh out loud at her own joke. I chuckled and shook my head at her antics. How was this girl the most humorous person I’ve ever met? Ivan would have been so disappointed to learn that she took his triumphant place as the comic relief in my life. He would have loved her, though. They are so much alike. Their humor, mischievousness, and overall confidence. The two of them would have been as thick as thieves and definitely would have conspired against me.

The blaring sound of my phone’s ringer went off, disrupting my dream. My eyes scrunched with annoyance as I tried to bring myself to full consciousness. I rolled over and leaned on my elbow as I snatched the phone from the bedside table. The ringer must have still been all the way up from being at the club last night. God forbid Zmey lets me miss one of his phone calls.

Speaking of which, his name was on the caller ID. I glanced at the last retreating strands of daylight slipping behind the hotel curtains. Why would he be calling me this early in the Moroi morning?

“Belikov,” I answer, my voice deep from sleep.

“Guardian Belikov, please don’t hang up! It’s Lissa. I need to talk to you,” Vasilisa’s sweet, but anxious, voice came through the speaker.

Hearing her voice kicked me back into my guardian drive.

“Princess? Is everything alright?” I asked, wide awake now.

“Yes. Well… no. I need you to stop your search for Rose,” she pleaded. “Please.”

“Princess, I-”

“Just listen! I think there is a way we can save Rose. She trusted you, so I know that means I can trust you too. Now I just need you to trust me,” Vasilisa said.

I paused for a moment to consider before responding. “Okay.”

“I know Rose told you about everything: the car accident, my abilities, our bond. After some research, I have a theory that I’m confident will work. My spirit brought her back from the dead once, and I believe I can do it again,” the princess explained. “As a strigoi she’s technically dead, or undead, or whatever! If I stake her, bringing her to the brink of death again, then use my spirit… I think I can resurrect her. I can bring her soul back.”

My whole world froze. The only sound I could hear was my heart rapidly beating inside my chest. Could this be true? I’d be absolutely anything to bring my Roza back to me. Only this sounds like a fairytale. There have never been any recorded instances of Strigoi being resurrected. Although that’s what I’ve always thought about Spirit.

I knew my neighbor in Baia, Oksana, claimed to be a Spirit user. Sadly, I just never fully believed her. It wasn’t until I saw it used right before my eyes with Vasilisa. Rose was living, breathing, proof that it was real. I’ve read reports on their accident. There should have been no survivors. Yet those two girls lived to see the next day. So maybe the princess is right. She brought Rose back from death once. Why couldn’t she do it again?

“Hello? Are you still there?” Vasilisa’s voice called out through the receiver.

“Yes. I’m just… processing,” I replied.

“I know it’s a lot to take in. We- ooo!” Her voice waiver before she took a quick pause. “Sorry about that. I just got a random chill. Anyway, we need your help. Where are you? We can send someone to get you.”

“Princess-”

“No buts! Listen, I know you basically threw everything away when you went looking for Rose. If you help with this then I can personally promise you’ll be welcome back to the guardians with no repercussions. All we need to do is get a plan together. I believe we can do this. We all do!” She encouraged me.

“Thank you, princess. That’s all very kind of you. But if I do return to the guardians then I will take whatever punishment they hand out to me. I went AWOL and it’s nothing to take lightly.” Then something clicked into place. “I’m sorry, did you say we? Princess, before I forget to ask, why are you calling me from-”

A new voice joined the line. The same one that always managed to send chills down my spine. He spoke in fluent Russian. I assume to be sure those near him didn’t hear what he had to say.

“Belikov,” Zmey greeted. “I need to know that you’re fully on board with this. I know that all of this sounds like nonsense, but I believe this could work. I’ve heard stories of Strigoi being restored in the past. Maybe two or so cases. However, the Dragomir princess’s theory sounds the most plausible when it comes to the how. I think it can be worth a shot.”

I sighed before speaking. I needed to remember that this was for Rose.

“I’m in,” I answered.

“Excellent. Now, are you in the same location I gave to you a few days ago? I can send for a plane to come get you,” Zmey continued.

“No. It was a deadend. I’m in Wilmington, Delaware, now. Choice Inn and Suites near the airport,” I replied.

“You’re not too far from here then,” he said before speaking aloud and in English. “Paval, have a plane sent to pick Belikov up in Wilmington, Delaware.”

A distant voice of Paval could be faintly heard.

"Well, his hotel is about a 10 minute drive to the airport. So he can just meet you there," Zmey discussed with his guardian.

“Where are you? And why are you with the Dragomir princess?” I snipped as I could feel my frustration building.

“Lord Szelzky typically resides in Nepal. However, he does have an estate in Pennsylvania for when he is needed at Court. That’s where he’s been residing for the last month or so. However, the home was attacked by a Strigoi. Lord Szelsky and one guardian were killed. Can you guess who that Strigoi was?” Bitterness seeped into Zmey’s mouth.

My blood ran cold, and I prayed that I wasn’t right. “Rose.”

“There was only one survivor she left alive, and that was her mother. She has a severe concussion, a few broken ribs, and chest contusions. All of that so she could give you a message,” more venom dripped into his voice.

“A message?”

“She told Janine to tell you to come and find her. That she’ll be waiting.” There was a pause before he continued. “Be at runway nine in two hours. Guardian Pavel will be there to greet you.”

The line went dead and I felt my stomach sink. I was the reason for Guardian Hathaway’s injuries. But how did Rose discover that I was tracking her? I’ve kept my location and plans secretive. People made assumptions, but they never had concrete evidence. I just turned in my resignation to Alberta and left without further notice.

I groaned as I could feel a headache forming. My hands ran up and down my face a few times in hopes of alleviating it. Sadly, it didn’t help. So instead, I decided to get up and take a shower.

It wasn’t very long. Most times I use the shower to think and contemplate. Sometimes even daydream about a certain brunette being in there with her. Her warm, wet, skin pressed up against me from behind. Her worn hands sliding up the sides of my back before meeting together in the front. Then she’d slip those hands down my chest agonizingly slowly. Moving down their path until they graze the dips in my hips before grasp my-

No. It had to be a short shower. My things still needed to be packed up before I headed off to the airport. From the sounds of my stomach suddenly growling, I should probably grab something to eat on the way as well.

It didn’t take long to pack, so that left me with plenty of time to get food. By the time I stepped outside, darkness had completely fallen everywhere. My guard needed to be up even more now. Especially since Rose knows that I’m looking for her. As I made my way through the parking lot to my car, I kept my eyes scanning the surroundings. Everything looked to be clear. I unlocked the door and quickly got in. Or as quickly as I could get into a Honda with my 6’7” frame.

Once inside I locked the doors and tossed my duffle bag to the front seat. Just as I turned the car on and settled in, I heard her voice. Like a beautiful angel of death coming to reap my soul.

“Hi Comrade,” Rose whispered in my ear.

Before I could even move, everything went black.

{Song Inspo: Let Me Save You by Emily Rowed}

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shawtygonemad · 1 year

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I'm still so obsessed with this. 🥹 I love you so much, Lily! @lilythemadqueen

3D - Daryl and Rose - smutty art - #1

ok ok it's not that smutty like the last one, but enough to post it on the sideblog.

Thanks to @shawtygonemad for the inspiration and for Rose. If you don't know the stories of Daryl and Rose, you should go and read them. They're so damn good and absolutely addicting.

So and here you have a few renders of Daryl and Rose after they found again after such a long time

Im still struggling with the lighting, since I'm not an expert at this. But it's better than the last one.

Daryl:

Genesis 8 male

face, scars,tattoos morphing by me

clothing: Kool - Willis Figure

Hair and beard: Bad Boy by Alibama

Rose:

Genesis 8 female

face, body morph by me

clothing by esha

hair by outoftouch

Environments: Abandoned house by tesla3dcorp

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shawtygonemad · 1 year

Text

CORRUPTED: CHAPTER TWO

Now I'm The Villian

Masterlist

Rose Hathaway x Dimitri Belikov

Chapter Trigger Warning ⚠️:

Blood, Death

I can’t look back at you. After what you put me through. But I did the same to you. Maybe I’m the villain, too.

[Rose POV]

The final streams of hot copper liquid slipped down my throat. I retracted my fangs from the vein of my victim before licking the remnants from my lips. Mmm, bitter and tangy. It tasted so damn good! Especially when it came from a royal Moroi. This time I’d get to cross off two names from my list. Two birds with one stone. Priscilla and Alexander Voda.

Both of them voted and endorsed the age law, which lowers the legal guardian age to sixteen. They wanted to put children in the field to protect them. Clearly, they had a death wish, and I was just simply helping them out. A smirk formed on my face at the thought as I stepped over the siblings' limp bodies. When my eyes landed on the deceased guardians lying on the ground, I glared. Pathetic. I was hoping for a challenge here, but they made it so easy that it pissed me off.

With my booted foot, I easily rolled a limp guardian off the discarded office supplies. It laid in a pile on the ground after I had thrown this guardian into the work desk during the fight. Grabbing the blood covered pen, I opened the cap before removing a folded piece of paper from my back pocket. It was my kill list. On it held the names of all the pretentious Moroi scum that don't deserve to breathe. Eighteen names were on the list. Seven, now nine, names were crossed off. At the top of the list was the queen bitch herself, Tatiana Ivashkov. However, everytime I open this tattered paper my eyes always glide down to the bottom. The one name with a question mark next to it. Lissa Dragomir.

She would love being awakened. During our entire friendship she always complained about feeling weak. She hated having other people protect her. Once awakened, she wouldn’t feel that way. She’d be strong and powerful. No one would ever need to protect her again. Together we could do anything. We’d be the most feared Strigoi out there. Nothing will be able to stop us.

I just need to get close to her somehow. I’ll take her willingly or not. Though it would be much easier if she agreed. But if it comes down to it, and I’m not able to awaken her, then I’ll just have to kill her.

This was a plan I needed to take slow and strategic. She’ll be heading to Court any day now, which will make it nearly impossible to get to her. Actually, today is the day we should be graduating. I would have been given my promise mark and completely vowing my life’s mission to protect the Moroi. The thought of it now made me want to laugh. I can’t believe how blinded and brainwashed I was. The Moroi don’t care if Dhampirs live or die. They’re expandable. Dhampir lives are sacrificed every day in order to save a race that doesn’t even bat an eye towards them. It’s pathetic. The worst of them all is that fucking queen. She really thinks that sending out sixteen year old Dhampirs will save them. I can’t wait to show her how wrong she is.

Unfortunately, she likes to hide behind her wards and guardians like a coward. Otherwise I would have gone after her first. No, I’m going to need to come up with an intricate plan to get to her. But saving her for last is going to make the kill that much more sweet.

As I stepped outside, the warm summer night caressed my now ashened skin. Once Lissa is at court, I’ll be able to start planning. The last I heard, the queen wanted to take Lissa under her wing. I’ve never been more grateful for that stupid psychic bond of ours until now. Surprisingly, it never went away when I was awakened. I just don’t like to go into her head anymore. It always leaves me feeling strange, weak. Like I was a Dhampir again. The last thing I want to do is feel as weak as I was. I’ve already made a pretty bad reputation for myself amongst the Strigoi, and not in a good way. None of them like that I’m taking out more royals than they are, and especially since i’m not sharing. Fucking vultures!

I decided that I might as well slip into Lissa’s head for a little bit, regardless. It was a long way to the car I parked. Returning to Lissa was like riding a bike. No matter how long it’s been, it instinctually comes back to you. My essence was wrapped in warmth as I entered her. She shivered upon my arrival. A habit she just recently picked up.

Excitement and irritation hit me like whiplash. Lissa was in her usual hangout in the church’s attic. Christian was slouching in a chair that faced her. He was dressed well. Black dress slacks and, to my surprise, a white button-up shirt with a matching black tie. Lissa really did it. She managed to get him into a suit for graduation. She always joked that she would. I shouldn’t be surprised, though. The boy is pussy-whipped.

Standing in the doorway behind Christian was the prior bane of my existence, Adrian Ivashkov. Him and his father are also on my list. Nathan doesn’t leave Court too often, so he will be a bit of a challenge, but Adrian? Easy. I’ve gotten word that he likes to party it up outside the wards on occasion, with humans no less. A species more worthless than the Moroi.

“Do you plan on spending all night up here, Cousin? I’ve heard there’s a few parties happening across campus,” Adrian smirked.

“Good luck getting her to leave,” Christian scoffed. “We’ve been here for hours and she still hasn’t even taken off her cap and gown.”

“I’m so close to something,” Lissa announced before bringing her eyes back to the book. “I can just feel it.”

The page she was on dove into the history of the silver stakes and how they were charmed with elemental magic. That’s how they were painful and effective against Strigoi. But why was she looking into that? This was basic knowledge we learned in elementary school. She already knows this stuff by now.

“Close to what?” Christian asked.

“She wants to help Rose,” Adrian answered as he stepped further into the room towards Lissa.

“We all know there’s only one way to help her, and Belikov is already on that,” Christian snapped.

“Easy with the hostility,” warned Adrian. “She just wants her best friend back.”

“And I want my parents back, but that’s never going to happen. You need to-” Christian’s voice blended together with Adrian’s as the two started to argue.

Lissa rolled her eyes at them before forming a tight lip as she tried to concentrate. This isn’t the first argument the two men have gotten into over Lissa’s current obsession. Honestly, I was with Christian. This was a loss cause. There’s no way to save a Strigoi, only kill it.

Belikov is already on that. The statement finally just hit me. Dimitri isn’t there. He’s on his way to find me. To kill me. My stomach clenched, and I wasn’t sure if it was in fear, excitement, or dread. I shouldn’t be surprised. He’s always proudly said that he was a man of his word. And all those months ago, we made a promise to each other that we’d free the other’s soul if they ever became Strigoi.

“Intention,” Lissa whispered as the theory formed in her head, breaking me from my thoughts of Dimitri. “That has to be it!”

The two men were still in a heated argument and didn’t seem to notice Lissa’s revelation. She raised her voice to catch their attention.

“Guys! Enough!” She quieted them. “I think I’ve got it. It’s all about intention.”

Adrian cocked his head in interest. He swiftly moved to her side to try and see what she was seeing on the page.

“What about intention?” Her boyfriend asked.

“Our magic is all about the intention, right? When the wards are put up, all of that magic’s intent is to protect those inside. When the stakes are charmed, the intent is to harm or kill,” the princess started to excitedly ramble.

“What are you getting at?” Christian furrowed his brows.

“What if I used my spirit to bring her back?”

“Liss…” Christian started somberly.

“Don’t tell me it’s a fairytale, Christian! I brought her back from the dead before. Why couldn’t I do it again?” Lissa questioned as tears of frustration pricked her eyes.

Christian approached his girlfriend before gently placing both hands on her cheeks. He stared into her watery eyes with mountains of empathy.

“I know you want her back. I do too. But how would you do it?”

“You could stake her,” Adrian nonchalantly suggested, which earned him an angry glare from Lissa. “I don’t mean to kill her. If you’re right, and it’s all about intention, then why not jump start her heart again by stabbing it? Bring her back to the brink of death before using the spirit that brought her back the first time.”

“Adrian, you’re a genius!” Lissa squealed before happily throwing her arms around Christian for a celebratory hug.

“I like to think so,” Adrian smugly agreed.

“I hate to rain on this parade, but there is no way you’re going to get close enough to Rose to do anything, let alone stake her heart. It takes guardians years to be trained how to do that, remember?” Christian reminded.

“This is Rose we’re talking about. She won’t hurt me,” Lissa naively stated.

“Lissa, listen to me! They are not who they once were. She may look like Rose and sound like Rose, but it is not Rose! Look what my dad did to my aunt Tasha! That was his sister. They wanted to kill us. They wanted to kill me, their own child.” Christian’s fiery gaze bore into Lissa’s.

Guilty filled Lissa at Christian’s statement. Again, I found myself agreeing with Christian. Strigoi are shells of themselves. They aren’t who they once were.

What the hell am I saying?!

Aggressively, I pulled my essence out of Lissa’s mind. Anger filled me so much that I punched the brick wall beside me. Debris and dust went flying from the impact. I grit my teeth and squeeze my eyes shut. This is what I was talking about! Being inside her head does something to me. It makes me start to think like I did as a Dhampir.

A growl left my lips as I continued on my way. Daybreak would be approaching, and I needed to find shelter.

***

Dark giddiness fluttered inside me as I approached the countryside estate. Iron gates stood on the perimeter of the entire property. It gave the illusion that it was protecting this place. The real protection lies within the ground. An invisible ward. It used to be a solid invulnerability against Strigoi. However, we’ve all learned recently that it’s not as reliable. I’ve seen it first hand that all you need is a silver stake to break the wards. I can’t wield one anymore, but that doesn’t mean a human can’t.

“So you want me to just… stab this in the ground?” The guy, whose name I didn’t care enough to learn, asked.

In his weak hand held a silver stake. I acquired it from one of the Drozdov's guardians that stood in my way. This guy was about my age. Maybe a little older, considering I met him at one of the nearby bars. He was under the impression that we were breaking in to swim in the massive pool on the property. His hopes were probably to get lucky with me afterward, which was absolutely not happening.

“Mhmm,” I hummed before sending him a seductive smile. “There’s this invisible alert system beneath the ground that we don’t want to trip. Silver weirdly interferes with it.”

“How do you know all of this stuff?” He eyed me suspiciously.

“My dad installs security systems for a living,” I lied easily. “He was actually the person who installed this one. How do you think I even knew where this awesome mansion was?”

“Going against Daddy? That’s pretty hot,” The man grinned and winked at me before plunging the stake into the ground. “So, are we going to be skinny dipping?”

Before he could even stand up from his crouched position on the ground, I was behind him. My hands were placed on either side of his head. With an unnatural twist, I snapped his neck. It wasn’t soon enough, honestly. His constant flirting was irritating.

I stepped over his corpse and ascended on the estate. It was early for Moroi. The sun was down just enough for me to be out in the open. I can get them while they’re sleeping.

The guardians will be the hardest to get past this time. That excitement bubbled in me again. This was the home of Lord Szelzky, my mother’s charge. We’re going to have one hell of a reunion.

As I approached the home, I tried to stick to the shadows as much as possible. There should be two guardians here. My mother and the spare. Most double guardians take shifts. Since my mother is the lead guardian she’ll take the shift with the most likely danger, which is during the night. She should be starting her shift soon then, if she hasn’t already.

Underestimating my mother would be my greatest downfall if I wasn’t careful. She is one of the best guardians out there. The woman was always prepared for anything. However, if I’m able to catch her by surprise, then I might be able to get the upper hand.

I can’t use the doors or windows. When we were in Stan’s class and she, unfortunately, was a guest speaker, I remembered the security measures she said they took in the home. They have sensors on all the doors and windows that’ll alert if they’re opened. So this break-in will need to be unconventional. Since it’s summer, the likelihood of them using their fireplace was low. Looks like Santa’s coming early this year.

With my new Strigoi strength and agility, I was able to quietly climb up the drain pipe to the roof. The chimney was absent of any smoke, so that’s a good sign. Silently, I removed the chimney cap and hoisted myself up the side. It was a long way down. That wouldn’t be much of a drop for me, but I needed to stay as quiet as possible to keep the element of surprise. When I entered the opening, I held my back against one side and my feet on the other. I then slowly started to shimmy my way down. Thankfully, it didn’t take too long. When I landed on the smoke shelf, I could faintly hear voices. Damnit.

I removed the damper and very carefully peered through the fire box opening. The spare guardian was sitting in a chair facing the fireplace. His top half was hidden behind a newspaper, so he was clearly preoccupied. The voice I heard was coming from the far left and had a slight Scottish accent. It was my mother. She was sitting on the edge of a work desk in the corner. Her back was to me as she looked out the window and spoke. With the readjustment of her arm, a phone could be seen. She must be on a call. Now would be the perfect time, but I paused when she said the word princess. I had a sneaking suspicion as to who called her.

My jaw tightened in irritation as curiosity got the better of me. I closed my eyes and focused on where my mind was going. As expected, Lissa gave a chill upon my mental arrival.

She was in her dorm room surrounded by boxes. It instantly let me know that she’d be leaving today for Court. Slight bitterness hit me. It shouldn’t surprise me how different our lives were. She needed tons of boxes to fit her life into. Boxes that someone else will come pick up for her and transport them to a luxurious apartment at the heart of our society, no doubt. Meanwhile, my entire life would have been able to fit into a single duffle bag.

“Have you been able to reach Guardian Belikov since he’s been gone?” Lissa asked, anxiously.

A soft scoff could be heard from my mother. “I’m sorry, princess.”

“Has anyone?” Frustration seeped into Lissa's voice.

“Actually, I do know one person who’s been able to speak with him,” Janine trailed off.

“Who?” Urged Lissa.

“Someone even harder to get a hold of than Belikov. His name is Ibrahim Mazur,” my mother explained.

“Do you know this Ibrahim guy?”

“Unfortunately.”

“Would you be able to reach out to him? I need him to get Guardian Belikov’s location or phone number or something! It’s really important. I need to talk to him soon,” Lissa practically begged.

I removed myself from Lissa’s mind. The conversation was boring me and the least of my concerns right now. Lissa was living in a fairytale if she thought she could save me. That’s why she wanted to speak with Dimitri. She wanted to tell him her plan and try to convince him to call off his search. But I knew Dimitri. He wouldn’t believe a word she told him. Hell, I’m still not even sure he believed me when I told him I was seeing Mason’s ghost. If it’s not logical with proof, then the guy pretty much shuts down. There was no way he'd stop hunting me. We made a promise to each other, and that man was all about keeping his word.

Gracefully and quietly, I stepped out of the fire box opening. I approached the guardian with the newspaper. He truly had no idea what was about to happen to him. No wonder he was the spare. When I stepped into his peripheral view, he jumped in surprise. Quickly, I placed a hand over his mouth to stifle any noise and used my free hand to wrap around his neck. In a swift move, it was broken.

The sound was soft, but it could be heard in the quiet room. As my mom started to turn at the sound, I lunged for her. My hand tightly wrapped around her throat before throwing her against the wall. She crumbled to the ground, dazed for a short second. Soon, her fiery eyes lifted up to meet her enemy. Her breath caught in her throat when her eyes met mine.

“Hi mom,” I greeted.

Her moment of vulnerability was over and she was already back on her feet charging at me. I dodged her first attack since I saw it coming, but the others were a lot harder. She really was fast. Maybe I could try to get inside her head to cause a slip up.

“You’d really try and kill your daughter?” I chuckled.

“You’re not my daughter,” she growled as she kept up her offense.

“Ouch, that hurts,” I sarcastically said. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. You’ve never seen me as your daughter, have you? That’s why it was so early for you to dump me on the front steps of the academy when I was five. Why you rarely came to visit throughout the years.”

The woman growled as she kept on fighting even harder now. But I could see it. The slight glisten in her eyes. Possible tears on the verge.

“Let’s face it,” I went on. “I was your biggest mistake. Just say it.”

“You were my greatest achievement,” she huffed as she landed a kick to my stomach.

There, I saw an opening. I extended my leg out in a powerful kick that knocked the stake from her hand. It went flying to the opposite side of the room. I tackled her into the nearest wall and pinned her there briefly.

The force of it launched me backward. I quickly rolled on the floor and regained my footing before falling back into a defensive position.

“But I failed you. I’m so sorry, Rose," she earnestly apologized.

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to kill you,” a sadistic smile appeared on my face as I spoke. “I have a message I want you to deliver. Tell Dimitri to come and find me. I’ll be waiting for him.”

As she tried to wiggle and break free, I grabbed her head and slammed it hard against the wall twice. Not enough to kill her, but definitely enough to have her knocked out for a while.

Now let’s just hope that scuffle didn’t wake Lord Szelzky.

***

Song Inspo: Villian by Halflives

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