Chapter Text
CHAPTER ONE
“DIMITRI!” I yelled as I struggled to run back into the caves where the Strigoi had just pulled him. “LET ME GO!” I fought against the arms that tightened around me. “JANINE YOU NEED TO LET ME GO!” I let my body go slack for a split second. The confusion at the fact that I was no longer struggling shocked her just enough for me to slip out of her grasp. Alberta took a step in front of me to stop me, but quickly moved out of my way as I felt someone else run up beside me. I had no clue when Christian had arrived but one look at the fireball he was holding in his hand is what caused Alberta to move.
“MR. OZERA?!” Alto called towards us.
Christian and I ignored the yells of the Guardians urging us that both Dimitri and Eddie were now lost. I couldn’t handle the thought of that. I felt Lissa’s urging through the bond to be safe. How is Sparky here? I asked more to myself, but was met with a response from Lissa.
I don’t know what happened, but I think you expanded the bond. I was pulled into your head when Dimitri was taken.
I came to a halting stop, pulling Christian back with me. That was not something I needed to think about right now. I shook off the feeling of how weird it was to know Lissa had been in my head and looked at Sparky. “Christian, you need to follow everything I say in here. We are on a rescue mission for Dimitri and whoever else we can save.” He nodded at me and I continued, “You are not to fully engulf them in flames. Only their heads like we were doing on the battlefield. I will stake them and you will stay behind me at all times. If it looks like I am about to fall, you run as fast as you can out of here. You have to protect Lissa if I don’t survive this.”
“Well Rosie, I’m not here to let you die. Lissa would never forgive me. We are going to rescue Belikov and everyone else.”
I nodded and we crept through the cave quietly. Before long, we came across a little carved out area where bodies were everywhere. I quickly spotted my Russian. His eyes were closed and I could tell he was bleeding from a bite on his neck. I surveyed the rest of the Guardians around the area. Eddie was alive and was applying pressure to a wound on his thigh. There were several other Guardians who were unconscious or looked high. There were a few I could tell weren’t breathing and I shallowed my breath in order not to alert the Strigoi to our presence.
I walked away from the room and pulled Christian a little ways down the cave before picking at my lip and whispering, “I don’t know exactly how many people are alive and will be able to help. I know there are at least four dead Guardians in there and I counted eleven Strigoi. We go for the ones closest to the conscious Guardians first. How many Strigoi do you think you can set on fire at one time?”
“I don’t know Rose. Four or five. I haven’t had much practice with this stuff.”
“Alright Christian. Concentrate it on those closest to the conscious Guardians. I have a few extra stakes with me and I think a few might be able to help. I’ll stake them as soon as you light them on fire, and then there’s going to be a battle because the rest will come for us.”
Christian nodded solemnly. “Rose, we will save them.”
I nodded once and slipped out two stakes, holding one in either of my hands. I did my best impression of Dimitri and schooled my features, slipping into Guardian mode before I made my lip bleed from the constant picking and biting. We quietly ran back to the area where the Guardians were being held, and I was happy to see Dimitri’s eyes blinking quickly like he was trying to focus. I sighed from relief that he was okay. A bit banged up, but okay regardless. I waited a few more seconds until most of the Strigoi were looking around at the Guardians who had woken up. As soon as they had their backs to us, I nodded at Christian and five of the Strigoi’s heads lit on fire. I decided to reach out through the bond and take some of Lissa’s darkness. I would need the adrenaline.
The Strigoi seemed confused by their peers suddenly on fire and I took my opportunity. Instead of going for the Strigoi on fire, I rushed the ones who weren’t. I took down three no problem. But the other three were efficiently working together to try and stop me. The biggest of the remaining three rushed me and tried to throw me off balance. I used all the training Dimitri had taught me, as well as the darkness rushing through my body and flipped him over. The two female Strigoi hissed at me and tried to come at me from either side. I quickly ducked and rolled towards the wall where Dimitri was. I could see the pain in his face as he tried to stand up. I shook my head and turned back towards the three Strigoi.
“ROSE! I CAN’T HOLD THEM MUCH LONGER!” Christian yelled at me through panting breaths.
I screamed and stabbed one of the Strigoi females on me, and felt a hand on my ankle. I jumped up and then brought my boot clad foot down on their wrist. A scream of pain startled me and I looked down to see I had caught Dimitri’s wrist. Unfortunately, it had been his dominant wrist. I tried to reach down to help him, but he shook his head. He reached out with his other hand and grabbed the hidden stake from my boot. He struggled to get up, but once he did I saw the Guardian mask slip over his face as he quickly went to stake the five Strigoi that Christian had set on fire earlier.
I felt a weight crash into my side as the bigger Strigoi of the remaining two ran at me. The force sent me propelling into the cave wall and my breath left me. I doubled over trying to catch my breath and the Strigoi rushed me again. I dropped to the ground and rolled out of the way. Dimitri had fallen against the wall again closer to Eddie who was trying to hold him up. The female Strigoi appeared near my face and I stabbed. She dropped and I only had the male to go. I felt for the bond and felt more darkness within Lissa. She must have been trying to heal some of the Guardians who had gone back to the Academy. I pulled the darkness from her and punched the male Strigoi as he ran at me again. I ducked out of his reach and spun too quickly for even the Strigoi to notice. I quickly stabbed him and watched as he fell to the ground.