Reality Bites - Wattys 2018 Shortlist

Chapter 68 - The Dawn

Rose looked to Pavel, and then Kirk. And then she looked at no one. I could see her pulling back into herself, her aura contracting to a tight ball around her. Her eyes were open, but she could no longer see. She turned to face the window. And then she was gone. There was silence for maybe a minute or two. And then all hell broke loose.

Lissa was screaming. Not just shouting. Blood-curdling shrieks. Looking at Rose, she completely lost it.

"Make it stop? Make it stop! Rose? PLEASE!? MAKE IT STOP!"

Lissa was looking at Rose in desperation, but there was no response. Rose didn't even move. Lissa was on her knees, smacking her head against the floor trying to knock herself out. "JUST MAKE IT STOP! ROSE? PLEASE! I CAN'T HANDLE IT!" she was screaming.

Christian was on the floor beside Lissa in an instant, restraining her from hurting herself. Looking at me, he freaked out. "Adrian? What the fuck's happening?!"

I honestly didn't know. I was looking at their auras, trying to work it out. And then it was obvious.

"It's the bond. Lissa is feeling some of Rose's feelings through the bond."

"SOME of her feelings?" Christian said, incredulously.

"ROSE AND DIMITRI ARE SOULMATES" I roared, suddenly furious for them. "Rose and Dimitri are one. You're hearing an echo of Rose's SOUL BEING RIPPED IN HALF."

Lissa's screams were heartbreaking. She was begging for the pain to stop. Begging to die if it would put her out of her misery. Christian was completely freaking out. Abe and Janine were looking on in horror, so I took charge.

"SEDATE Lissa. NOW!"

I shouted for a Doctor, and finally one came. One look at Lissa convinced them that she needed to be knocked out. Lissa's face was covered in marks and was screaming uncontrollably. They gave her a shot. And then another. She was still moaning and crying in her sleep, but they said they couldn't safely give her anymore. Christian climbed next to her on the hospital trolley, holding her as she moaned even in her sleep. They wheeled her into another room, but even through the walls, you'd hear the occasional cry.

Meanwhile Rose sat on the edge of a chair. Saying nothing. Responding to nothing. Abe and Janine went to sit beside her – one on each side – but to be honest I'm not sure she even noticed. Nothing they said seemed to make any difference.

Abe was rubbing Rose's back, between her shoulder blades. It was such a loving tender thing to do. Kirk was sitting on the floor, his head between his legs. Pavel stood beside Abe.

"So what happened?" Abe asked, in a tired voice.

"There was a second wave," Pavel said. "The first batch was the warm up. After the van left, another twenty or so appeared. Ancients – so much stronger than the first round. They were looking for Rose. Dimitri ended up facing off with the ancient Kristoff. They were fighting inside when the roof collapsed."

"Are you sure he couldn't have escaped?"

"I don't think so. I ran around the back when the roof came down. One Strigoi made it out through the flames, but I staked it" Kirk said, joining the conversation for the first time.

"Only Guardians made it out through the front," Pavel added quietly. "We were evacuating the building when the second wave attacked. We'll know more in a couple of hours. The Alchemists are mobilizing to attend at first light. I don't think there'll be much for them to do, though – the house was all but burnt to the ground when we left. We threw any Strigoi bodies we could find into the flames. There are some Guardian bodies they'll transport back to here, though."

Pavel then went through the confirmed dead, the missing, and updated Abe on the status of each of the injured. I had to hand it to Abe – he knew each of his Guardians by name, even a little about some of their families.

"We'll wait until the Alchemists have attended. Then please prepare a list, and I'll ring their families," Abe said sadly. "Take a break now, Pavel – I think someone needs some reassurance," he said, looking to where Suzanne sat quietly weeping.

Pavel nodded gratefully, walking over and pulling Suzanne into his embrace.

"I should see the injured" Abe said to Janine. "Don't leave her," he ordered me, looking down to Rose. I sat down beside Rose taking his place, rubbing Rose between her shoulder blades just as Abe had.

"Ivashkov? What do you know of soul mates whose mate dies? What happens?" Abe asked. It was the same thing I'd been asking myself.

"They won't physically die. But their soul keeps searching for its other half. The pain must be unimaginable," I said sadly.

Abe nodded, turning away but not before I saw the tears in his eyes. I felt the same way. Looking towards the window, I could see the light from the false dawn. True dawn would be here in half an hour.

It was hard to imagine a Rose without Dimitri. While I'd hoped at one time to claim her heart, once I'd seen them together, really seen them, I knew it was never going to happen. It was like they were made for one another. Belikov knew her every answer. I didn't even know enough to ask the questions. When she was with him she was happy. All the time. His mere presence in a room was enough – I could see it in her aura. And it wasn't one way – it was the same for him. The two of them could have whole conversations just with their eyes. The tiniest look was all it took. Rose and Lissa might be able to hear each other's thoughts – but with Dimitri, it was more. Dimitri and Rose could see into one another's souls. They were the same soul. Losing him would crush her. I honestly think death would have been a kinder option than her wandering the world feeling as she must feel now.

I sat for another half hour, rubbing her back. Waiting and hoping for her to come out of this. Janine tried talking to her, but she hadn't responded. In fact, she hadn't moved at all other than to put her right hand on top of her left, fingers resting on top of the ring Dimitri had given her for her birthday.

Through the window, I could see the sun slipping over the horizon. And while the sun was no friend to a Moroi I was glad to see it. I was glad that the darkness and the night were over.

To the side, I could hear Pavel's phone ring. He had a brief conversation before hanging up. Abe walked back in at that moment.

"The Alchemists are going in now. They've requested vehicles to transport the fallen back here. I'll organize it with Alberta," Pavel said, leaving the room.

Abe gave me a pointed look, and I stood up. He returned to Rose's side – picking up the rubbing of her back from where I'd left off. I sat in another chair watching the sunrise. It had been years since I'd just sat and watched it and it was strangely soothing. Peaceful. It was beautiful. And then I was crying. And I didn't know why, but there were tears pouring down my face. Tears for Dimitri. Tears for Rose. Fuck even tears for myself - for this fucked up life I was living.

Pavel was back. "The vans are leaving for the farmhouse now," he said. Vans to bring home the dead. I hoped they'd be able to identify Dimitri's body. Rose deserved the opportunity to bury him.

The full sun was over the horizon now. The sky was full of pinks, reds and pale orange. The color of roses. So beautiful. I hoped in her world of pain, Rose could see it. See the beauty in her first day without Dimitri.

Pavel's phone was ringing again.

"Pavel." He was listening intently. "Hang on," he said quickly. "Abe? How many molnija does Dimitri have?"

Abe shrugged, but Janine answered "Nine plus his promise mark."

Pavel was relaying this information into the phone. He was listening further, and then I heard him say "With a rose gold band around the top?"

Abe spun to look at Pavel who was looking dumbfounded. "Please do absolutely everything you can." Closing his phone, Pavel looked to Abe.

"The Alchemists have found a living Mazur Guardian in the barn. It looks like a Strigoi was draining him when he staked it. He's lost a lot of blood, and they're not sure he'll even make the trip back here. But by all accounts it's Dimitri."