fairytale or reality

chapter 26 Sundown begins the fight

It was about an hour before sundown when we all met in the gym to go over the plan again. We had put anyone under the age of 17 in the Moroi dorms with two guardians out front. Dimitri's family was put there too, Victoria wasn't happy about it. In fact she put up a Rose Hathaway worthy fight, but in the end Yeva silenced her. She knew better then to fight with the old woman. Tatiana and Olena wished us well, Olena telling us we better come back alive. She didn't bother saying unharmed this was a battle. Tatiana's head guardian wouldn't allow her to join us. We all understood she is too important. We had about twenty minutes of sunlight left when we made it to the ward line, everyone was waiting and Tasha was screaming she wouldn't be helping us. I walked over to her and grabbed her by the hair on her head.

" You don't have a choice Bitch!" I growled at her. " Liss come here and make her help us." Liss walked over and fixed Tasha with her sweet gaze. I watched as Tasha's eyes glazed over. " You will take this stake and stake the wards, leave the stake in the ground. After you have done this you will come back to me. Do you understand?" she poured all of the compulsion she had into her to make sure she would obey the command.

" Yes I understand." we handed her the stake and watched as she drove it through the wards. I think we all flinched a little at this. She turned and walked right back to Lissa. Hopefully she didn't break free from the compulsion through this fight. Lissa would have to do a good dose maybe Adrian should help when it comes down to the actual fighting. When she got back to Lissa her eyes were back to normal and she went to screaming again.

" what the fuck did you make me do?" nothing she hadn't already planned I thought to myself " I told you I wouldn't help you. I will not die along side a damn blood whore and her brain washed idiots." she screamed at me. I seriously didn't have the time or the patience for her shit tonight. " Dimka, here is your last chance to come be with me, if not I'll make you." Dimitri shook his head no and looked away from her. We were going to compel her to help us in this fight but now I knew without a doubt it would be a bad idea . No amount of compulsion would make me trust her.

" Liss make her sleep and someone get her ass the hell out of here. She is nothing but a liability and we don't need anyone to fuck this up." Tasha started to protest but Lissa quickly did as I asked, and I was surprised when Stan stepped forward and tossed her sleeping form over his shoulder taking her back to lock up. The sun was setting now and my stomach was beginning to churn. The feeling was getting worse, they were probably able to use the trees for cover from the almost completely faded sun.

" They're coming get ready!" everyone listened to my warning not even questioning me. I was glad to be a leader and that they all trusted me enough to listen to what I had to say. The Moroi started looking a bit nervous and a few seconds later I knew why. As a Dhampire with our enhanced hearing I could hear the Strigoi coming. They weren't even trying to conceal the fact they were coming towards us. They broke through the tree line as soon as the last rays of the sun were gone, all of them stopping a few feet from the wards just looking at us all. Victor stepped forward, staring at Lissa first and then to me. I really hated this man.

" Ah Rosemarie, I'm assuming you have figured out Tasha's brilliantly idiotic plan? I told her she should just leave the Russian alone. But she seems to have become some what insane over the two of you. No matter her being the was she is now only served a purpose for me. I'll take pleasure in killing everyone you love. And since Tasha is out of the picture I'll start with your giant protector there." he talked to me as if I was a child and he was reading me a horrific bedtime story. " But alas how will we begin this little hmmm...what was the word, ah yes battle? Without Tasha I can't get in. Oh what is this I see here? A stake through the wards. It seems our little crazy friend did something for us after all." the strigoi standing behind him through what I'm sure he thought was a moving speech, laughed a cold bone chilling laugh. I just needed to get the strigoi to get between that stake and the second ward line. Adrian and Lissa had figured out a way to enhance the magic temporarily fixing the wards. The strigoi would be trapped for enough time to light a good portion of them up. The rest of them me, Dimitri, mom, Alberta, Eddie, and Celeste would take care of. But they would most definitely die tonight. The words came from Victor and I looked as only 15 not including Victor stayed back. I wasn't sure why he kept them back but I didn't have time to care. This was it.

" Now guys" I shouted and Adrian and Liss did their thing trapping them. The fire users lit them up and thanks to the air users they burned pretty quickly. The rest of the striogoi stood unmoving staring at what had just happened. We took and used that shock and opportunity to charge at them. Dimitri and I both took one out a piece before they could react and then the physical fight started. With two down thirteen to go aside from Victor. He was mine. I saw Victor standing off to the side smirking at me, this pissed me off. I charged at him but he was quick and shoved me. I almost fell but regained my balance, we started to circle each other. I don't care if it took me all night, this man would not leave here tonight. I heard grunts and bodies hitting the ground but I didn't dare take my eyes off of Victor. I could only hope and pray to whoever would listen that we all came out of this alive. I didn't even want to think about losing someone I cared for. Not again.

"I was so happy I could help you get your Russian back Rosemarie. Too bad your time together will be short lived again. Natalie couldn't rid the world of you but I can." I wouldn't take the bait like he wanted so he brought his arm out to hit me as I barely dodged out of the way. He was fast I'd give him that. But I was trained where as he was not. He made a move to hit me again and I brought my stake down slicing his arm, he screamed out enraged and recoiled back. I took the chance to make a kick to his stomach, he fell backwards and as I pounced to stake him he grabbed me and tossed me to the side. I hit the ground pretty hard and when my focus came back, he was hovered over me looking thrilled to have done it. I had no room to move. I could not go out like this. The next thing I knew he was leaning down to bite and then there was a ring of fire around his head, I used his shocked screaming to push him away and drive my stake through his chest. The second the cool metal pierced his chest the fire went out. While most strigoi look relieved when we released them from this state, Victor just looked annoyed. I guess this was yet another plan of his where he had underestimated me. I pulled my stake out and looked around. My mother, Alberta and Dimitri were finishing of their last remaining strigoi, Eddie was trying to catch his breath. All of us looking pretty bad but still breathing. We had fought and won and hadn't lost a single life other then the strigoi. I looked towards Dimitri and smiled, he smiled back. I knew not all fights would be like this, but this had paved the way for Dhampirs to possibly have an easier time protecting their Moroi. This was out first success and I could see everyone standing here was proud about it. We sent the Moroi off to see the feeders while we cleaned up the charred bodies. When we finished tossing them out of the academy grounds some of the Moroi had come back to re-charm the wards. Sydney dumped some of her magic potions, as I liked to call them, on the bodies leaving nothing but dust for the wind. I was just about to step back over the line when Ethan appeared beside me.

" You all did well, I'm glad I was able to warn you. A few fled but I don't think they will be back." I nodded. He had warned and saved us by doing so. Who knows what would have happened if he hadn't. I hoped he found peace now. He hadn't deserved to die the way he did, and he shouldn't have to roam as a ghost forever either. Like he knew what I was thinking he got a peaceful smile on his face as he faded to nothing. I smiled and stepped over the wards and into Dimitri's arms. I was exhausted and it was time for us all to get some sleep..