spirt kissed

chapter 9 (kat)

I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous. As soon as the doors opened I wanted to run. All eyes were on me.

I slowly walked down the aisle, being escorted by a guardian, Marcia, one of the only women that work here.

This wasn't like anything I've seen before. The royal families were separated, and all the dhampirs were standing against the wall, wearing all black.

I got to the end, being stopped by an old ass man. He just stared. I mean, my dress was all ripped and covered in dried up blood and dirt. It was the same dress I wore during my time with the strigoi.

The old man held out an old, dusty book, "Put one hand on the cover and the other up." I followed his instructions, "Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?"

"Yes, I do,"

He moved out of the way and let me sit. Woah... this room was packed. I looked up at my aunt who gave me a small smile.

"Counselor Goodwell," Lissa said to him, "You have the floor."

I looked around to figure out who this Counselor Goodwell was. He's Lily's lawyer. He had this annoying smug face, a punchable face.

"Don't punch him!" Asher thought through the bond.

Counselor Goodwell walked over to me, "Miss, Belikov, who are your parents?"

This guy must be living under a rock. I looked up at him and said, "Rose Hathaway and Dimitri Belikov."

"Tell me about your dad."

I thought this was about me. I just answered the question, "He's a guardian, born in Russia. Guarded a Zelkos before going to St. Vlad's, where he was assigned to Lissa Dragomir, but then switched to Christian Ozera. He helped develop the anti-strigoi tattoo ink."

"What was his role in developing the ink?"

"As a former strigoi-"

He cut me off, "Dimitri Belikov was a strigoi, just like Lily's mother, Sonya Karp. Making Lily and Kat the same species."

"We aren't the same."

"I beg to differ." He looked at the crowd, "Miss Belikov, you and Miss Tanner have the same genetic makeup. Can you describe these 'blackouts' both you and Miss Tanner have."

I sighed, "No."

He looked at me baffled, "No?"

"I don't remember them, I know they happen, but I don't remember a thing. I can't tell you what they are because I don't even know."

"Why did you leave court, kidnapping four moroi and getting two dhampirs in trouble?"

"I was compelled."

"How do you know, maybe it was one of those crazy voices in your head."

"Have you ever died?"

"What?"

"Have you ever had your throat ripped out and left there to bleed out?"

He looked at me like I asked a trick question, "No?" He looked puzzled.

"Something interesting I found out during each time I've died. Compulsion breaks. I remember everything."

"Why did you leave, if you weren't compelled to anymore."

"It was between my life or the life of every dhampir in here. The strigoi were going to attack, leaving stopped them."

"Why take your classmates, if they wanted you?"