Reality Bites - Wattys 2018 Shortlist

Chapter 89 - Going For It

We fell to the ground together, me rolling my Russian God onto his back and using all my weight to pin him. "Help me subdue him!" I screamed, fighting to hold him down while the Queen's Guard rushed forward to assist. He ended up with one Guardian on each limb while I was sitting on his hips. He was still fighting like a caged animal, even with five of us on hand to keep him down.

"Careful with that leg – I think I broke his femur," I instructed. "Dimitri? Darling, you've been compelled. You need to snap out of it," I said, looking at his battered face.

"Fuck you!" he spat back.

"Not the time or the place, Comrade. But maybe later if you play your cards right," I joked lamely. It was enough to get a smile from a couple of the Queen's Guardians. "Come on Dimitri. You've been compelled to attack me. I'm not Strigoi – look at my eyes."

He was thrashing beneath me, unwilling to look in my direction, although he was certainly well aware I was there. He was using filthy language – calling me every name under the sun and making threats of the carnage he was planning for me. Some of it was in Russian, but enough of it was in English for me to understand what he was saying. And to think my Russian God had been holding out on me all this time! While he regularly admonished my choice of words, in the heat of the moment, he swore like a drunken sailor, using a couple of expressions that painted such a gruesome picture that I wanted to gag.

"That's no way to talk to a lady!" I tried to joke, but my voice was starting to crack with worry. Shouldn't he be snapping out of it by now? I didn't think compulsion usually lasted this long? I'd never heard of it being permanent, so I guess I just had to keep on trying.

"Please Comrade? It's Rose. Your Roza. You need to fight this. You need to come back to me! Please baby – I love you so much. I can't lose you. You have to come back to me!"

I think it was the final words, so close to what I'd begged when he was in the infirmary after the farmhouse attack, which finally got through to him. I could see the mania leave his eyes, and the fight leave his muscles. Next thing, his eyes were looking into mine, pain and worry within.

"Roza? Are you ok? Are you injured? I'm so sorry! I love you so much. I never meant to hurt you. Tasha COMPELLED me!" he moaned.

"I know Comrade. It's ok. I love you, too" I admitted, leaning down in relief to kiss his forehead. "We're both pretty beaten up. I think you've got a broken jaw, ribs, and femur. I've got a broken hand, foot, maybe shoulder blade and definitely tibia. I'm going to get off you now. Let the Guardians help you up and don't fight their help, ok baby? We need to get you to the medics."

He nodded.

"Um – got a fucked up leg here – any chance someone can help me up?" I asked, looking up at the ring of Queen's Guards surrounding us.

A younger male Guardian slipped his arm around my waist and hauled me to my feet. Well, foot. I'd definitely broken my tibia. I could see Dimitri's eyes narrow at the way the young Guardian was holding me. I shot him a 'are you serious?' look before trying to hobble across the courtyard. It wasn't going to happen.

"Um – I hate to ask, but I think I might need to be carried?"

"Sure thing," the young Guardian said, scooping me up bridal style and carrying me towards the palace. Dimitri was on his feet following like a puppy after me. A guilt-ridden puppy being shadowed by several Guardians in case he suddenly decided to attack again.

Adrian and Lissa were waiting just inside the doorway with a complement of medics.

"Nice job little Dhampir," Adrian said. He was pretending to be fine, but I could see he was shaking. "Can't believe you took down Belikov!"