Shadow Promised (ON HOLD)

Chapter 5: Coffee Time

Chapter Five

After witnessing Christian's and Lissa's little show, Dimitri and I had crept back to my room. It was strictly against rules for him to reside in my room for the night but who ever said I followed rules. That night I laid in his arms feeling loved and warm. I had always dreamed about this. Dreaming and reality were completely too different things though. For one, my dreams never gave Dimitri the credit he deserved. His hands were calloused from years of hard work but they still had a softness that not even my dreams could conjure up. That night I slept like a baby and for once, ever since the election, I slept without dreaming. No spirit dreams disturbed me and my mind drifted to simpler things like healing the two big holes in my chest.

So you can understand my disappointment when I was rudely awakened by a cell phone chiming in the morning. I knew it was Dimitri's since I didn't find the need to lollygag around with a phone plastered to my ear. I kept my eyes steadily closed not wanting to jostle myself out of the comfortable position I was in wrapped up in Dimitri's arms. I felt his hand slowly move to the bedside table and his deep Russian accent spoke into the phone, traces of sleep still in his tone.

"What is it, Jill?" He calmly said relaxing into my back once more. Jill? Well that was unusual. What could jailbait want with Dimitri?

He hemmed and hummed for a few more minutes before he concluded with, "Tell the Queen Vasalisa I'll be there then."

I heard him click the phone off and his face buried itself in the long strands of my hair before he rose from the bed and shook my shoulder. I knew he knew I was awake but I kept up the façade of pretending to have just woken up.

He smiled down at me and my heart melted. How many times had I dreamed of that smile? How I'd prayed to get one last glimpse of those sparkling eyes.

He ran his hand through his untidy hair before he spoke, "Lissa's asked for me to accompany her to a few meetings and she's asked for you to stay with Christian."

I frowned slightly curious to Lissa's weird arrangements. It was times like this that I could just dip inside her head for a few moments and see what she was up to.

"Did she say why?" I asked keeping my voice steady. I was hurt that Lissa had asked for Dimitri's company instead of my own but I was a guardian now. I wasn't going to show it.

Apparently I would have to work on that. Dimitri's hand traced the outlines of a scowl on my face and he murmured something in Russian that I didn't understand. He kissed my forehead once before departing the room. He hadn't answered my question and I didn't like the feeling I was getting in the pit of my stomach. Lissa couldn't be mad at me could she? Had I taken things too far this time? It was an honest mistake surely one Lissa would overlook. Or maybe the side effects of being queen were going to her head.

Either way I was completely distracted as I washed my hair and body in the shower and even as Idressed myself in jeans and a long sleeved shirt.

Lissa usually was the forgiving type so I was pretty sure I had looked to far into the situation. Maybe there was a logical answer behind her actions.

Christian's room was empty when I got there. I wasn't surprised since I was pretty sure he had spent the night with Lissa. I passed a fellow guardian I had met a few times and asked him if he knew where Christian was. Sure enough he did. I was slightly upset that Lissa had left me watching Christian. Especially since I was now walking to the jail I was all too familiar with where Tasha Ozera was being held for the time being. I kept a clear composure as I passed through the guardians guarding the prison cells and was slightly disturbed when I saw the piercing eyes of Tasha Ozera behind bars that I had spent days trying to break through. Sensing my presence Christian turned around and quickly mumbled something to his aunt. I goodbye I was guessing since seconds later I was following Christian back outside into the crisp cold air.

I took the liberty to speak first, "She seems to be holding up." I said referring to Tasha.

Christian looked bothered and sad which made me feel sorry for having said anything at all, " She's a tough lady. She earned what she deserves."

And that was all that was said about Tasha Ozera. I was still in shock that Tasha had shot me, let alone killed Tatiana. I wasn't sure how to feel towards her anymore but I was most defiantly not going to support her. She had wronged me in every way possible, framed me by piercing the late queen's heart with my own engraved stake and almost pointing every arrow back at me for the blame. But what had really got my blood boiling was that she had attempted to harm Lissa. Something I was not keen on forgiving. Christian seemed to be taking things hard, although he kept a calm attitude and played it off as just being mellow. I knew he was hurting deep down. After his family had turned strigoi, Tasha was the only one who had stepped up to the plate to take care of him. He was the only family he seemed to care for and her recent behavior and senseless crimes were sending his emotions on edge. Lissa had briefly told me after I had awoken from my beauty rest ( as Dimitri referred to my unconsciousness) she had confided in me that Christian had cried his eyes out the night off the incident.

Not wanting to wound his ego, I had kept my mouth shut but I was still worried.

Christian didn't offer much discussion so it laid in my hands to get fire boy to speak up.

"So, why the weird assignments today?" I asked trying to come off calm. I was still agitated at the fact that I was missing Lissa's first council meeting as queen.

Christian shrugged as we walked into a small café in the royal courts, " She was really embarrassed last night. Besides it wasn't her choice to take along Dimitri. The council wanted to question him about Aunt Tasha."

His words seemed to slightly fade away and I frowned, poor boy. I didn't get a chance to attempt to change the subject when he continued to talk, " Besides she's a bit mad at me as well. Not really mad but aggravated."

My frown deepened, "After what I saw last night, she's far from mad. You two were getting it on like a couple of wild monkeys."

He grimaced, but there was a twinkle in his eyes showing he though my remark was humorous, " After you left last night I asked Lissa how she would feel if we got married. She nearly flipped out on me. She told me I was crazy to even suggest an idea like that after all the changes she had just been through. I told her I didn't want to jump on a plane to Vegas at the very second but in the future. Either way she kicked me out of her room last night."

I nearly choked on laughter. So I had been wrong about Christian staying with Lissa last night. Christian caught on to my laughter and scowled, " Nothing about the matter is funny, Rose."

I swallowed my pride and reduced my laughter, " Give her time to warm up to the idea."

The idea of Lissa getting married was beyond my belief. She had nearly had a coronary over being crowned queen at such an early age. What would she think about teenage matrimony?

The café we entered was crowded of folks who were still at Court from the coronation and election and many of them recognized Christian and I immediately. I ignored the glances and the whispers that were circling the room as I ordered a cup of coffee (Dimitri's favorite) and a chocolate croissant. I rethought that choice since the last time I had chomped down on some croissants I had been thrown into jail minutes later so I stuck to the coffee. Christian seemed content with his own coffee and I watched as his eyes lit up at something ahead of him. I followed his gaze and was surprised to see two very familiar faces.

"Looks like you holding up, Rose." Said Mia Rinaldi

The petite girl at her side laughed, "There isn't a pesticide in the world that could tarnish, Rose."

Ignoring the bad humor I turned my gaze onto the figure at Mia's side.

I gazed into the jade green eyes I was all too familiar with. Here, in front of my eyes, was the second to last Dragomir that I had spent days trying to find. Jill Mastrano.