Does Love Really Fade? {Vampire Academy}

Rose Gets Played

I don't know where this is coming from since I really never write this often, but I can't seem to stop writing right now.

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We were both out the door in a matter of minutes. And all I can say is it's a good thing I had picked New York since Dimitri was still in just his boxers and a T-shirt. Dimitri had started heading for the subway, but I shook my head, "No, too slow." 

I wasn't proud of it, but we ended up stealing a car. Surprisingly, Dimitri didn't protest when I sat in the driver's seat. Smart. We'd made it out of the city in what had to be record time. It helped that I had risked a few one-way streets to get out faster, but it was still too slow. As soon as we broke out of the city traffic, I floored it. I don't remember ever going so fast but I had to get to her.

I'd seen it as soon as I felt the fear. Apparently, Dimitri was taking too long to bring me home and she'd decided the best option was to come to me himself. The only problem was that meant leaving the wards around Court. Not to mention the fact that she'd had to sneak out of Court so she didn't have a number of Guardians she should have. Luckily, she was smart enough to bring Eddie and Christian along with her.

She was fine that morning, but as soon as night fell they were attacked. Eddie and Christian had done a good job, but neither of them had been able to stop one sneaky little bastard from grabbing Lissa and getting out before they could react.

They were still traveling, and I kept as much attention on where they were going as I could. Lucky for us, it seemed they were coming straight for us. The situation in the car was almost as tense as the one in my head.

It took what seemed like days, but was really closer to a few hours to reach her. It was only when I got close enough that I realized something was wrong. I waved Dimitri over to where I was standing. "There's no Strigoi nearby." I hissed.

"What are you talking about?" I saw something unrecognizable flash in his eyes.

"I don't feel any. Lissa wasn't taken by Strigoi."

"Why would anyone else take her?"

I glared, this conversation was going on too long. "I'm guessing people who want her to stop stirring things up at Court. I don't know. But she's not hurt as far as I can tell. They won't kill her."

To be honest, there were much worse places to end up being brought to after a kidnapping. The place itself was nice but dark. Reaching out with the bond I realized Lissa was being held on one of the upper floors.

The weirdest part of this whole thing was that when we got there, no one was there besides Lissa. And I don't mean they weren't in the room, there wasn't anyone anywhere in the building. Dimitri and I scouted the entire building and there was nothing.

So you can imagine my surprise when I felt someone wrap their arm around me before I had a chance to react. It was in that moment that the barrier I hadn't even realized Lissa had put up fell. Damn it.

----

I woke up in the back seat of a Honda, and I nearly screamed, "Well I can't say this is the first time I've been knocked out and woken up in a strange place." My eyes found Dimitri's in the rearview. It was a low blow, and I knew it, but pretending Lissa was kidnapped was too.

He didn't outwardly flinch, but I saw something flash in his eyes. Good. "So," I continued, "Whose plan was this? Wait, don't tell me. I already know. It was Guardian Belikov. If you actually have been reinstated, that is."

"Rose," Lissa, who was sitting in the front seat, sighed, "I know you know he has. I know you've been spying on me."

"I figured it was an unofficial thing. That it was just him fawning over you, as usual."