𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐎𝐑 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐘𝐎𝐔 ▸ After his restoration, the unthinkable happens - Dimitri tells Rose that loves fades and his has. To add insult to injury, Queen Tatiana ends up murdered with Rose's stake. Dimitri had asked Rose to give him tim...
"I'm worried about Dimitri," Lissa said to Christian as the two lay in bed, about to start their day.
"Why? The guy is happier than I've ever seen him."
"Well, that's it. Before he was consumed with guilt. But since Rose is back, it's like she's all he thinks about. I mean, he hasn't been to church once since we've been here."
Christian thought Dimitri was a lot happier and more himself than he'd ever been—including the time at the academy before he'd been turned—and it was a relief not seeing a morose Dimitri head off to church, only to return even more withdrawn and subdued. But there was no point arguing with Lissa when she had a thought in her mind.
"I'm not saying he shouldn't be happy. It's just like he's forgotten all he did when he was undead. I know he's crazy about her, but to be honest, I am surprised Rose forgave him so readily. And now they're going off into the human world, when they barely know one another. Not really."
Eyeing his girlfriend, Christian didn't need to see auras to discern what was really going on here. If he'd been there, Christian would have checked with Adrian. But he was certain the male spirit-wielder would have confirmed his suspicions that Lissa was sporting a mild case of the green-eyed monster. Treading carefully, he asked a few follow-up questions to test his theory.
"Well, you can see his aura — does he really love her?"
"Without doubt. It lights up when she is even mentioned, and when they're together, it is almost blinding."
"And hers is not the same?"
"No. It is. It's just as bad." Lissa appreciated she was doing a poor job explaining herself. "It's just almost too much. The two of them are so consumed by one another they have little or no regard for anyone else."
Bingo. The green monster it was.
"I am sure it's not on purpose, and that Belikov is still very much aware of his actions when he was undead. Like you said—you've seen their auras. It's natural that they're enjoying that first flush of new love, especially given everything they've been through. In time, it will no doubt settle into a deeper, more devoted love that's less in your face."
Lissa paused to consider. What Christian said had merit. She'd been unable to see auras when she and Christian were falling in love. And come to think of it, she'd seen no other new couple since. Yes, Rose and Belikov were almost sickening in the way they reacted to one another, in thought and action, but perhaps, like Christian said, that was normal? She could see Christian's love when he looked at her, and while it was not the fiery deep red and hot pink Dimitri and Rose shared, she could nonetheless tell he loved her deeply. Nodding thoughtfully, she replied, "You're probably right. I'll ask Adrian next time I see him. But I'm still going to talk to Dimitri. I want to make sure he isn't losing himself, just in a different way. And I need to see if he really wants to go out into the human world."
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