I Never Told You I Love You - Complete

Chapter 56 - Gatecrashed

Turning to Dimitri, Rose gave him a look, peering back down into the alley meaningfully.

She saw him follow her gaze, clueless at first as to what she was trying to communicate. She watched Dimitri look at the two girls, then saw the moment realization dawned. When Dimitri recognized that the girls in the alley facing off four Strigoi were his sister and her friend.

Dimitri turned back to look at Rose imploringly and apologetically. Once he knew it was Vika and Inna, he'd, of course, come to the same conclusion she had. They would have to fight. Without the need of words, they were inching silently down the alleyway, listening and watching – keeping to the shadows for as long as they could, and trying to remain unseen.

Inna was standing there like a dolt – rendered entirely insensible by the presence of four Strigoi. Viktoria, on the other hand, had the good sense to try and stall for time. Immediately identifying them as Dhampir, and seeing they were unpromised, the Strigoi had incorrectly assumed them to be bloodwhores. Vika, knowing human and Dhampir blood was a poor consolation for Strigoi, compared to that from a Moroi, was trying to delay the inevitable by claiming they were waiting for their Moroi dates for the evening.

"Moroi hey?" one Strigoi drawled.

"Not just any Moroi. Royal!" Viktoria announced, laying it on thick.

"We keep track of the Royals. Who are you meeting?" a female Strigoi asked suspiciously.

"You wouldn't know them. They're American."

"Well maybe I would?" a third Strigoi said with an American accent. "Who are they?" he demanded, in a tone not to be disobeyed.

"I'm meeting Lord Adrian Ivashkov," Vika volunteered without a moment's hesitation, and then quickly added, "and she's meeting Lord Christian Ozera."

Rose was impressed. They were probably the only young male Royal Moroi American names Vika knew, but when it counted, she had come up with the goods. A hiss ran through the Strigoi. These names were not unknown to them.

"Lord Ivashkov is in the country," one confirmed. "That is certain. There have been several confirmed reports."

"What about Christian Ozera? What is he doing here?" the female quizzed Vika, more interested in gathering intel than draining blood - at least for the time being.

"He's here with his Aunt, I think? Tasha Ozera?"

"She's speaking the truth," the American said. "Tasha Ozera is also visiting Russia. She was spotted in Baia last weekend."

By this stage, Rose and Dimitri were relatively close behind the group. They knew the plan would be they'd try and stake the first two from behind before tackling the remaining two.

They were stepping forward to do just that when Inna spotted Dimitri. Her face lit up with hope and relief, and she looked behind the Strigoi facing her to try and say something to him. Rose's Strigoi was dead before they had a chance to turn to see what Inna was looking at. But thanks to Inna, Dimitri had lost the element of surprise – the three other Strigoi turning to face him.

Just when Rose thought she couldn't dislike that stupid bitch Inna any more than she already did!

With three Strigoi to account for, Rose could do little more than throw a hopeful look, and a wordless prayer in Dimitri's direction before the female Strigoi was upon her. She looked as though she were human before she'd been turned, but her age made up for her lack of training. Circling one another, Rose kept looking for an opening that never came. This one evidently thought that a good defense was a good defense. Trying a few basic moves to see how she'd react, Rose quickly got a sense that she was well versed in standard battle moves. Apparently Rose would need to try something a bit more novel.