Royal Roulette

Chapter 6| Wishful Thinking

Every nerve in my body is tingling. My adrenaline is pumping, causing me to bounce from foot to foot. I take in my surroundings once more. Cedar trees all around me and a dark, overcast sky. I'm in Montana I realize. I hear a stick break behind me and take off sprinting to my right. The crisp, cool air pierces my lungs, making it hard to breathe. How long have I been running? I slow down and turn around. No one is there. I think I may have outran my pursuer, and no sooner had I thought that, someone grabs a handful of my hair. "Son of a bitch," I say through gritted teeth. They spin me around the face them, and pin me against a tree. He is a Strigoi, with pale blonde hair and Moroi features. He is the same Strigoi I killed years ago at the academy. "Just because I'm gone doesn't mean she is safe," he growls. "No shit," I say sarcastically. "They are coming for her," he whispers. He then releases me and disapears. What the hell? I start to walk in the direction I came from when I hear another voice. "Roza, wake up! You're having another night mare," it says. I know that voice. I jerk upright, my breathing heavy and my hands trembling.

"What was it?" Dimitri asks, his brown eyes troubled. I can't believe this. I haven't had nightmares since before Lacey's birthday and after Adrian was attacked. That was two years ago. Everything was fine now, there had been no Strigoi attacks against Liss or Lacey. Why was I suddenly dreaming of that arrogant bitch of a Strigoi again? "Nothing," I finally reply, giving him a tight smile. I get out of bed and splash some cold water on my face. Do my dreams actually mean something? Or am I just going insane? I walk into our room and get dressed before kissing Dimitri goodbye. Liss has to fly out to Montana to attend a funeral for some ancient royal, and of course I am going. I'm her head guardian. I walk out into the crisp fall air, taking in the setting Sun. It really is a beautiful sight. I head off at a brisk pace when I see Adrian walking over to me. His face is pale, even for a Moroi. I jog over to meet him and give him a strange look. He glances around and hands me a letter. I notice his eyes are bloodshot. He's probably been drinking. I raise my eyebrows suspiciously, but just open the letter.

Dear Mr.Ivashkov,

It is with a heavy heart that I write to you. It has been little over 2 years since I sent you a letter that you should have passed on to Vasilisa. I believe she has promptly ignored the threats I have discovered, but I have recently heard she will be leaving court to attend a funeral. If you didn't believe me last time, please believe me now. Even though I hate most of you and blame you all for what Rose did to Victor, I still am fond of Vasilisa. She is exactly what the Moroi government needs, and it would be ashame if her and her daughter were killed on this little outing. And mark my words. Once she leaves court, the Strigoi will pounce, as well as some Royals angry about recent Strigoi attacks. Pass this information on to the queen's distasteful head guardian.

Sincerely,

Robert Doru

"Holy shit," I whisper, and look up at Adrian in disbelief. Maybe my dreams weren't just dreams. "What do we do," I say quietly. Adrian looks off into the distance and then sighs. "I don't know what to do. You know Liss is going to go to this funeral no matter what. The dead guy was her advisor's father," Adrian says, clearly at a loss. I hug him and thank him for giving me the letter and then head off toward Lissa's house.

I knock on the door, and she opens and gives me a broad smile. I hug her and walk in to find little Lacey playing with her dolls on the floor. She has grown into a beautiful little toddler, with Christian's dark hair and Lissa's striking eyes and features. "Auntie Rose!" she squeals and runs over to hug my legs. "Hello my little princess," I say fondly, wrapping her in a hug. I would never let anything happen to Liss or her. "Liss can we-" I start to ask but she cuts me off. "We have no time rose," she says. I grab her arm and hand her the letter, my face giving away my fear. "What is this?" she asks cautiously. She opens it and begins reading it. Her eyes scan the entire page multiple times, then she glances at Lacey on the floor, then to me. "I don't think it is safe," I whisper. "I don't care. We are going. I'm tired of living in fear. If these, these monsters, want to come for me, then let them. After all, I do have the best damned guardian in the world," she says, smiling at me. "Whatever you say Liss," I reply, forcing a smile. I still didn't like this. Not one single bit. I carry our bags and Liss carries Lace on her hip. We set off toward the airport on the other side of court, both of us lost in our own thoughts. Hell, what could go wrong? Just the queen and her child with several other Moroi in one place, sitting like fish in a rainbow barrel. Nah, no way this could go wrong.