Shadow Bond

CHAPTER 21

The trails went by fast and the novices that past were sent back to their rooms to prepare for the event were we get promised. I chose to sleep, I fell on my bed and almost immediately I was asleep. "Lilia wake up!" Tress yelled in my head waking me up "I'm up, I'm up" I heard her laughing in my head "Get ready you have an hour" I jumped up at her words and ran for the shower. After getting out I chose to put on a pair of black jeans, a v-neck shirt and my black combat boots with a black jacket. I chose to put my hair n a braided up to style so that my hair wouldn't get in the tattooists way. I headed out the door and almost walked right into Sofia. We walked together to the gym, one of the bigger part of it had been made into a temporary hall for the ceremony. The hall was silent as it filled up with guardians. The tattooing prosses was slow but not as painful, I followed Anna's advise and infused the ink with spirit as the ink touched my skin. When it was finally finished the guardians walked past us one for one acknowledging us and wishing us luck for the future. Reidan of course gave me a smile.

After it all, I decided to go with the others to the dinning hall. We walked laughing and talking "Lilia" I heard my name and turned around to see my dad coming towards me, I stopped telling the others to go ahead. Reidan passed me giving me a 'I'll stay if you need me to look', but I shook my head telling him to go ahead "Yes dad" He looked like something was bothering him "I need to talk to you" I nodded and followed him towards a bench. All the while my mind was spinning with questions. What does he want? Why is he talking to me so much? What's bothering him? He took a seat motioning me to sit, I did "What's the matter dad?" He looked up at the stars "I'm sorry" He said softly "for ignoring you after your mother's death" I was silent, I couldn't say anything. He had shocked me by admitting that he ignored me "When she died Lilia, you were a painful reminder of her. So I thought if I lost contact with you that the pain I felt over loosing her would go away" I saw tears escape his eyes and I knew it still hurt him, like it hurt me.

"Dad stop, it's okay" He turned to me "No Lilia it's not" His voice was filled with emotion "I blamed you for not saving her, but in reality it was my fault" I fell silent for a moment "No, nobody could have stopped it, know one knew it would happen" His eyes had a haunted look in them "Lilia those strigoi got the best of my team, they got passed us and headed straight towards you and you mother before any of us could even signal the alarm" I felt tears coming down my cheeks "Dad stop" He looked at me, staying silent "Dad that strigoi was a special one, even if you had staked him you wouldn't have killed him" He frowned "What do you mean?" I closed my eyes. How, how was I going to tell him that a strigoi that came after me and Tess killed my mother and I lived but she didn't. How was I going to tell him that I had the power to save her life and I didn't have enough power "Lilia?" I opened my eyes looking at him "Please dad just trust me" He watched me "Alright".

We were almost at the dinning hall, Reidan, Santana, Sofia and Andrew were waiting for us "What's wrong?" My dad asked once we met them. But I didn't need to be told because at that exact moment I felt the familiar sick feeling I felt when strigoi were near and I heard Tressame in my head screaming my name. Her emotions were so strong that she pulled me into her mind and what I saw sent chills through my body. Ivan had Tressame they were surrounded by his fellow stigoi and he was pulling her to the end of the ward "Tressame!" I yelled as I came back into my own mind "Reidan hurry find Anna, tell her enchanted danger" I didn't wait for him to answer, I took off into the direction I saw and felt her emotions the most. I heard my name and footsteps behind me, but I wasn't going to stop Tress needed me and there was no way in hell that Ivan was going to take her from me, I promised her that.

I ran pushing myself so hard that it felt like my lungs were on fire. I reached them "Let her go!" I stood a few feet away watching twelve strigoi's every movement. The footsteps behind me stopped just behind me "And why my little pet would I listen to you" His voice was menacing and sent chills down my spine, he was old and really powerful. I slowly took off each of my bracelets and put them into my back pocket. I put my hand behind me and summoned the four elements using spirit to bind them forming a stake. I heard Ivan laugh "Let's see what you limit is little shadow kissed" His minions came fast, I was ready I infused the stake with darkness "Don't attack them, only attack the once I've staked" I heard nothing but I knew they would listen to me. I charged hitting one straight in the chest with my stake. Silver dust filled the air as I pulled my stake out of the screaming strigoi and went for the next, I staked seven before I couldn't infuse anymore. My body might still be strong but my mind was exhausted and so was the darkness. Another enchanted strigoi came for me but Anna jumped in staking him with her infused stake.

"Lilia are you alright?" I was breathing heavily "Fine, I'm going after Tress" She nodded "Be careful he's strong" I nodded and ran towards him, but he waved his hand and an invisible force knocked me off my feet "No, little shadow kissed" He laughed, I heard Tressame scream, I jumped up and saw that he had bitten into her neck "No!" I screamed running towards them but I was too late, I saw as a dark cloud formed over her and her eyes went red. I fell to the ground as a searing pain shot through my mind I screamed and tears ran down my face I grabbed my head as I felt the bond to Tressame burn each time I tried to get through to her. "I heard Ivan laugh "I win!" He disappeared into a strange mist with Tressame at his side. I layed on the ground with my face towards the fading mist "Tressame" I whispered before I fell into the darkness.

"Lilia!" "Lilia can you hear me! Open your eyes kiddo!" I heard Anna's frantic voice, I opened my eyes. My vision was blurry but I made the world before me stabilize. I felt the warmth of spirit coursing through me "Tressame, where's Tressame" I got up but Anna pushed me back down "No you need to stay down" I struggled to get up "Lilia please you can't help Tressame if you don't let me heal you" Vladimir had a stricked tone in his voice "Will she be okay?" I heard a voice I made out to be the Queen's voice. Only then did I become aware of my surroundings. I was in the gym and there were a lot of people surrounding me. I got up slowly "Anna...he got her" She pulled me to her "We'll get her back Lilia, I promise" I cried. "Would someone explain to me what's going on" Brianna said in a impatient tone. I looked at her "Strigoi took Tressame" He face went white and she last her balance and almost fell, but my dad caught her.

I watched everyone in the room and I knew I would have to tell them my secret, but I needed to get away from them and get Tress back too. I got up "Those were enchanted strigoi they can't be killed by normal guardians unless they've been staked by a shadow kissed with a darkness infused stake" Everyone fell silent "How are you shadow kissed Lilia and to who are you shadow kissed?" My father asked walking towards me "I'm bonded to Tressame, and I became shadow kissed five years ago, the day that same strigoi attacked court and killed mom" His eyes widened "You died...." He whispered "Yes, but Tress brought me back and when she died I brought her back" I heard gasps of shock "I put my hand in the air made fire balls in the air.

There were more shocked gasps as I continued calling up water, earth and air "How is this possible?" Sofia asked looking at me with wonder. I didn't answer but Vladimir did "Spirit might generally belong to moroi, but spirit isn't just magic. When your will to save someone is strong enough it will come to you and stay with you because you awakened it" Silence fell once more until the Queen spoke "Who are you?" He smiled and turned towards Anna "Do you want to tell them or should I?" She looked at him "I did it last" He smiled "My name is Vladimir and this is my guardian Anna" Everyone frowned "No way as in Saint Vladimir and Shadow kissed Anna" He smiled "It's nice to meet you" More shocked whispers broke out at that. I stood up "Vladimir how are we goingmto get Tressame back" He turned to me "I've called Rina, she and Danila are looking for his hideout right now" I wanted to storm out of there and go find her but I knew it wouldn't get me anywhere so I sat in silent as Vladimir and Anna gave everyone a rundown on a plan to get Tressame back once we got news from Rina. But in the back of my mind Vladimir's prophecy kept playing in my head.

Two shall be born different but die and awaken with the same power bonded to one another they will fight the age old evil in a struggle for light in which one will die to protect and the other will live to carry both's legacy of the living and the shadows.....