Moving Objects

Chapter 19

I was bored and boredom and I didn't mix well. I had hoped to go to Lehigh this weekend to see Lissa and Dimitri, but she had an upcoming test and couldn't spare the time. I scarcely saw either of them in the last few weeks, but this was the life we lived as Guardians. Dimitri called me every morning, well night my time, and we spoke for an hour before doing the same at the end of his day. There was the occasional Facetime, but my internet was too hazy for that these days.

I had a bad feeling in my gut, and I couldn't place my finger on what it was.

"Rosemarie, pay attention please."

I looked to Dad and shrugged in apology. Dad was able to find some books and logs about our abilities in the palace library and brought those and his own supply out for me to go over. There was only so much practical he could teach me.

"Sorry, Dad. I didn't sleep well last night."

Dad rolled his eyes and set the book down in front of him. "You haven't slept well since Belikov went to Lehigh with the Princess," he said, smirking and raising an eyebrow at me. I blushed and looked away. He was right though. I got used to sharing my bed with him, and now I have a hard time sleeping without him. I've had to sleep in his dorms a few times, but even then, it didn't put a warm body beside me.

Dad shook his head and placed a bookmark in his spot.

"Anyways, I was saying that I think this may be of some interest to you," he said sliding the book in his hands to me. I sighed and took it. My brain was about to burst with all of this reading. The text was old considering the pages were yellowed and felt different beneath my fingers, but it was thankfully in English.

The passage made sense. Dad and I abilities were different but whenever I looked at energies, Dad's was always like Lissa's; gold in colour mixed with other emotions. I had to read the passage a few times before it really sunk in. Spirit was a natural essence, and it appeared that someone people could carry traces of it and pass it down through generations.

I lifted my head with a smirk and Dad started opening his mouth to speak but I didn't hear a word he said. I was too busy being sucked into Lissa's head.

This time though, I watched in horror as my worst nightmare came to light. I watched as Eddie dragged Lissa away while fending off a Strigoi, Dimitri just a few steps behind fighting his own. Eddie shoved Lissa into the car and turned in time to stake the Strigoi, but when he moved to help Dimitri it was too late. It was like the caves all over again. Except this time instead of him squaring off with one, there was five.

"Dimitri!" Lissa's voice rang through the night and in that moment, he looked to her, and I could see every emotion on his face; fear, sadness, bravery, but most of all, regret.

"Get her out of here!" Dimitri yelled and I watched Lissa look to Eddie, getting ready to beg him to help Dimitri, but Eddie knew better than to defy a direct order from her head Guardian. Eddie looked to Dimitri before climbing into the driver seat and peeled out of the parking lot, leaving the love of my life to his own death.

"What are you doing!? We have to help him!" Lissa shouted but it was no use.

"We can't. I have to get you back to Court," Eddie said bluntly, his hands white on the steering wheel.

"But Rose –"

"Rose will understand! She's a Guardian. It's our duty! She knows that and Dimitri knew that. If we turn back now there is a slim chance we will get out of it alive."

Lissa looked back out the rear window, watching the figures fight and she felt hopeless. She felt scared and she felt heartbroken for me.

I quickly pulled myself out of her head and was out of my seat, tearing out of my dad's house. I could hear his voice call after me, but I needed to get help. I got a lot of odd looks as I tore through Guardian Headquarters, and a few people called after me, claiming I was entering a restricted section of the building. I knew exactly where I was, and I was heading for Croft's office.