SPIRIT BOND: Anna and Vladimir's story

CHAPTER 8: Meeting An Old Friend

Anna's POV

The city entrance was beautiful and sparkled in the rising sun. Our carriage stopped in the middle of the city, Danila and Vladimir got out "What's going on?" I asked climbing down from the drivers seat "This is as far as he can take us for now, we have to walk the rest of the way to reach our destination" Vladimir explained "What is this friend of yours?" Vladimir looked at me "Why do you ask?" I tapped my index finger against my head "I can feel that a part of you is anxious, and that your not telling us something" He smiled "Lets just say she's second on the most wanted list" "WHAT!" Dani and I both yelled "It's not as bad as you think" I stared at him in disbelief "You want us allow you to go to some crazy ass friend of yours and just be okay with it" He nodded and started walking towards an alley "People get killed in allies Vladimir" Dani said as he followed behind Vladimir and me "I doubt I'd be in any danger with you two with me" His emotions told me that he was calm and relaxed but his eyes seemed alert "Are you sure this friend of yours can be trusted?" I asked looking around searching for any movements in the shadows "Anna I trust this friend of mine as much as you trust Belikov" His eyes were on me "Fine, then I guess I won't argue" I saw a faint smile on his lips before I heard is thoughts "Oh you will" I wanted to ask him what he meant but I let it go instead something I usually never did.

Vladimir turned around and walked back through the alley "What are you doing?" He stopped "The entrance to the underground isn't in this alley" "What underground entrance?" Dani and I both asked "You'll see, now come" He stared walking again and we followed. We repeated our tour of alley ways two more times until we reached the fourth ally way. "Here it is" Vladimir said tracing a symbol in the wall with his finger. I recognized it as the moroi magic for a moroi specializing in the earth element, the symbol looked like a flower. Vladimir pressed it and a part of the wall moved revealing a stairwell "We're going down there" Vladimir said starting to move, but I stopped him "No, I go first, then you then Dani" He said nothing and allowed me to go first. It was dark, cold and clammy, after a while of climbing down I saw a light and two really big, bulky guardians guarding it "Who are you?" One of them asked, stake in hand "Well you two are still as grumpy as ever" Vladimir said causing them to back down "Could you please announce our arrival" "Yes sir" The one said and disappeared around the corner "You knew they'd be waiting" I said turning to Vladimir. He looked down at me with his entrance blue eyes pouring into mine "Yes, I was aware they where here, but they are not a threat Anna" His voice was soft and for some reason warm to me.

"You can come through, please follow me" The big guy said, we followed him through the entrance they guarded. The place looked like the inside of a mansion it was hard to believe that we were underground "Well, well, well when Fabio came in here telling me Lord Vladimir Dragomir was here, I could hardly believe my ears" A moroi women about my high with exotic features, brown eyes and long curly brown hair said walking over to Vladimir "It's good to see you too Rina" Vladimir said as he hugged her. I stood closer to Danila watching them, he let go of her "Rina these are my guardians Anna Romanov and Danila Belikov, Anna, Danila this is my friend Rina Mazur" She walked up toward me and hugged me taking me by surprise, she let go and did the same to Dani, he looked like he had been frozen in place "Nice too meet you two" She said taking a few steps back "Like wise" I said. She motioned us to sit "So what brings you here Vladimir and don't tell me it's to say hi" He laughed "No I'll admit I need your help" She took a seat and motioned us to do the same "And why would you need my help?" His face grew serious "Because you're the only person I know with the expertness I need to pull of a really big job" She grinned wildly "What do I have to steel?".

I tuned out of the conversation after that his friend Rina was a thief and apparently a master thief at that "Anna is something wrong?" Dani whispered "No, I just don't feel comfortable" He nodded "Is Vladimir revealing anything about his plan to you through the bond?" I closed my eyes and searched his mind "No he's blocking me out, whatever it is he doesn't want me to know" I felt angry at him but at the same time I knew I wasn't allowed to inter fear my duty was to protect him not to know his every plan. "You want me to go where?" Rina's voice grew louder and brought me back to reality "Yes I want you to go with me, Anna and Danila to the Moroi court in America" Vladimir said trying hard not too smile at her reaction "So you don't want me to steal anything, but go with you too court. How is my expertees  useful in that way?" She asked a flicker of annoyance washing over her face. "Because you have power over a few of the moroi who specialize in water and air" She frowned but almost instantly caught on "You want to power a boat with water and wind magic. Not a bad idea it would cut our trip short and where we would normally travel six months we'd only travel three" He nodded "Yes, but the problem is we need a boat and at least six of each moroi" She stilled thinking about it "Won't be hard to organize. When do you want to leave?" "As soon as possible" She nodded "Then consider it done". She told us to make ourselves at home then she headed out, she left one of her guardians to guard the entrance. Dani and I decided to take shifts watching Vladimir as he slept, he took first the first shift and I laid down, sleep came instantly and I welcomed it.

"Anna wake, up it's your turn" Dani woke me up softly "I'm up" I said getting up, he laid down and I took a seat in the chair taking in my surroundings. Her home was beautiful the room was decorated with bright colors and a lot of fine gold lines over some of the drapes, even though we where underground she still had curtains hanging against the walls, the colors she used made the place feel warm and save even to us as dhampirs, it made us calmer than we would be in a normal above ground building. I heard the room door open, and saw Rina poke her head "Oh, Anna good your still awake" She whispered. I walked closer towards her "Yes" She grabbed my arm "I want to show you something" I didn't move "They'll be fine Fabio will watch them." She dragged me out the door. "What is it you want to show me" I asked, she smiled "Well it's not really show, it's more like explain" I frowned, Okay so I have trust issues, show me one guardian that doesn't have "Explain what?" "I noticed that you frowned earlier when I mentioned stealing" I flushed "It's okay you probably weren't expecting it. But let me put the record strait, I'm not a thief Anna, I'm a business woman, I make deals with moroi, dhampirs and humans for a living and with any deal comes a prize apart from the money. I've you make a deal with me you owe me a favour in return and I collect that favour when the time is right." Her voice was serious and her eyes had a dangerous glint in them "I also own the underground, I shake fear into the hearts of many moroi, dhampir and humans alike my power in this city knows no bound" Her voice made me listen but with every word she spoke the air grew colder, I watched her not a single emotion on my face. She noticed "Anna, my business might not be all that legal but I am not a bad person or evil for that fact, If I was Vladimir would have never trusted me" She watched me as intently as I watched her.

"My turn" I hardly ever surprised myself with my sharkiness, but this one surprised me as much as it did her "I don't care what you do for a living or how shady your deals are, that's none of my business. But if your tricks, plans or deal or you yourself should ever but Vladimir in danger I will not hesitate to come after you" I almost didn't recognize my own voice. She smiled "Wouldn't dream of it." I relaxed a bit more "You know it's good he has someone taking care of him, where did you find him?" Her words caught me of guard "I didn't he found me the first time" I said looking at her she had a confused look on her face "And she found me the second time" Vladimir suddenly spoke entering the room, eyes on me. My mind flew into overdrive 'Shit how much of that did he heard did hear my threat? Damn him'. "So I take it you've gotten us a boat" Vladimir said not taking his eyes of me. Rina smiled "Yes, still working on a crew but that's tomorrow's worries, I'm not gonna find any moroi out there tonight, at least not with the festival." She said sighing "Why?" I asked trying to ignore Vladimir's gaze "There are a lot of strigoi in this city, Anna the festival draws them out of their caves and into the crowds" I looked at her in disbelieve "But they'll target the humans too" She nodded "Yes but they prefer moroi, there are guardians that patrol these festivals taking out as many as they can without letting the villagers see." She explained and I grew calm once more. "Well I'm ready for bed, see you two in the morning" Rina said as she stood and walked of to her room.

"So let me guess you're mad at me" I said as Vladimir took Rina's seat "No, more amused than mad" He said still watching me "I interfered, I'm sorry I shouldn't have." I said hiding my eyes behind my messy fringe "Anna, you shouldn't apologize, if you didn't inter fear you wouldn't be you." I looked up at him "Am I that predictable" He chuckled "No Anna, your unpredictable, reckless and you have a fire in you that most should fear." I didn't answer him. He stood up and held out his hand to me "Besides Rina does have to be reminded one in a while that she doesn't own everyone." I took his hand, he led me towards the entrance then let go of my hand and gave me my jacket "Where are we going?" I asked fearing his answer "To the festival.".