Only Him

Chapter 21

*Dimitri*

"Would he really do it?" Lissa asked quietly. "Would he really turn her?"

Dimitri didn't have to think hard to answer that.

"Yes," he said, voice cracking. He cleared his throat and tried again. "Yes. He'd do it because it would hurt Rose more than just killing her would. But he'd still kill her eventually."

"Then we have to agree to his terms," she said in the tone she reserved for giving royal decrees.

"No," Hans said immediately, turning to look at her. "We've already discussed this."

"What choice do we have?" Lissa demanded. "Things have changed. You heard him and he's absolutely right. There are other Moroi. Other people who can take the crown. There are two other spirit users in this room right now for Christ's sake!" Lissa flung a hand towards Sonya and Adrian where they sat at a small table in the corner of the room. "There is only one Rose and goddammit Marlen was right. That baby is something this world has never seen before. We don't know for sure if it will be a regular dhampir or if it will be a new race but we can't risk not knowing. It could change everything!"

"We cannot willingly surrender the queen!" Hans protested. "For all you know you can replicate Hathaway's condition with another dhampir couple." Dimitri felt a protective surge towards his unborn child. The child was not a 'condition' and he was about to say so when Abe spoke up.

"Of all of the people in our world," Abe said slowly. "This room holds most of the people with the highest clearance. And out of all of them Rose is the most dangerous to have pitted against us. She has access to information that could upend the guardian system. If she were to be turned Lissa wouldn't be safe, Court wouldn't be safe. Nobody would be safe. It would put you all back ten years in information and security. Not to mention that she'd probably find a way to kill Lissa." Lissa and Christian flinched at that. Honestly, Strigoi Rose was a terrifying thought to contemplate, not only for their personal reasons but because Rose would become an extremely dangerous weapon.

"But you heard Rose," Mia objected. "Not only would she be pissed if we did the trade but she's right. Our society is finally on its way to bridging differences. We are healing and finally moving into the modern age. Without Lissa that would all be lost. I love Rose as much as anyone else but we have to consider this from all angles."

"We're approaching this the wrong way," Sonya cut in, speaking for the first time. She left the small table and moved towards the computer, re-opening the video. She played it again and Dimitri couldn't help but look away. He couldn't stand to see Rose like that again.

"There!" Sonya crowed, drawing Dimitri's attention back to the screen. She'd paused it after Marlen had hit Rose. Dimitri didn't see anything useful from the image, only a terrible sight of his beloved. "We keep arguing over who we can stand to live without. But we can save both!"

"But we don't know where Rose is," Stella pointed out. "That's been the problem this entire time. We've dug up no useful leads."

"But we have another shot!" she pointed to the screen. "The Strigoi knocked Rose out. Knocked out not compelled her! Her mind isn't ensnared by compulsion right now. It's Adrian's chance!"

Adrian looked startled. "That's true enough," he agreed and Dimitri felt hope surge forward. "But we don't know if she's still out."

"The video was taken an hour ago," Sydney said. "Based on the force behind the blow I'd be willing to guess she'll be out for a few hours. You need to try."

All talk of who was the better sacrifice was put on instant hold as the rooms attention turned to Adrian.

He moved to the couch in the corner of the room and began settling himself down for the task.