Snakes In The Grass

25

Despite Dimitri scolding me a few days ago about coming down here, I needed to show him what he needed to fight for. If he wasn't fighting for me, I knew he would fight even harder to be there for her. He knew I had grown up without a father, and he'd grown up with an abusive father. He wasn't going to let Briar miss out on anything.

When I opened the door I was faced with a different person. The man turned and glanced at me but turned back around, facing the tunnels.

"Dimitri will be back soon. He's trying to take care of some things," he said, his voice heavy with an Italian accent.

"Thanks?" I said and started to step back but something caught my eye. Dimitri seemed to appear out of thin air and nodded at the man in front of me.

"Thank you, Joseph," Dimitri said as he clapped Joseph's shoulder. He nodded at Dimitri and then at me, dashing off in a blink.

"I told you to stop coming down here," he scolded but I pulled my phone out.

"I tried to send this to you, but I guess the service isn't strong enough here," I said handing him my phone. He shook his head and looked unimpressed before the video started. He watched it silently, his face showing nothing until the moment I knew he watched Briar walk for the first time.

"I missed it," he whispered and I daringly stepped through the warding, wrapping my arms around him.

"But you didn't, you'll see it again. I just didn't want you to miss out. And look at who she was walking to. She looks for you in every room we go into, she cries for you at night. You have to keep fighting," I urged. Dimitri's body tensed before he hugged me gently.

"I am fighting," he whispered. I looked up at him and nodded.

"You have to keep fighting. Because I'm fighting for us, and I've always fought for us. Remember?"

Dimitri nodded and dipped his head down, his hand cupping the back of my head as he kissed me. Everything felt the same, but he was careful not to kiss me hard. After a moment I pulled away to breathe and he brushed his thumb over my bottom lip.

"Trust me, I'm fighting. For you. For me, For Briar. For all of it."

I nodded and breathed him in before he lifted me and pushed me back over the warding. I was taken by surprise and slid against the flow, bumping hard into the wall. I hissed with pain but realized why he did it when I saw who was standing in front of him.

"I see you still have your plaything. Do you think you'll be able to keep her for long?" Galina asked him.

"I'm not above giving him a glove and a stake," I grunted as I sat up, rubbing the back of my head. A few other Strigoi appeared behind her, almost like they were circling in on her. There was clearly a riff in the hierarchy.

"I'm sure you aren't, little Guardian," Galina said before Dimitri shut the door between us.

_____________________________________

I furrowed my brows when I opened the door, Croft and a woman standing on the doorstep.

"Are you here to hustle the package out of me?" I asked with a raised brow.

"No. I'm here to snuggle that adorable one-year-old that's having a glorious nap," he said dryly. I rolled my eyes and let the two of them in. I led them into the living room and picked up the package I had finally finished and handed it to Croft.

"I was being serious, I'm not here for the package," he said, "This is Marleen."

"Hi Marleen," I said with an awkward wave. Marleen smiled at me. She was clearly Moroi, a descendant from the Ivashkov line based on her eyes.