The Disappearing Act (Vampire Academy Fan Fiction Book 2)

Chapter 11: I'm Sorry

Chapter 11: I'm Sorry

                I wished she were a Strigoi. I could handle that. A stake through the heart, a toss of a match; they were easy.

                A pissed off ex-best-friend, Queen, and mentally unstable Moroi was not.

Cassie was pleading on the other side of the seemingly thin glass. “Your Highness, they need to get out before–“

“They’ve got time to steal Mia, they’ve got time to deal with me,” Lissa retorted, white knuckles slamming against the window again. I wished it was tinted darker.

“Your Majesty, please.” Eddie now, begging just like Cassie.

“Move out of the way before I have you arrested!”

                Annessa was fussing in the back seat, babbling about Auntie Lissa and being consoled by an irritated Mia. Dimitri’s eyes were on the steering wheel, but I could hear his thoughts as if they were screaming from his lips. We both knew we’d have to deal with this eventually; avoiding the problem couldn’t last forever.

                I had promised not to talk to her because this was her fault. She pushed everyone into the Strigoi’s trap, green and gold flags blazoned on the bloody path. We had pleaded and begged back then, too, and it had gotten us nothing but a forced wedding and half our friends in coffins; her dictatorship had begun before my roses had even started to wilt. I had never been okay with being bossed around or used, and I thought she’d be the first one to understand that. But she hadn’t. And it’d cost me my heart, my safety, and my happy ending.

                Still, she wanted to talk; she wanted to yell at me for not remaining as one of her pawns and for breaking off on a suicide mission. I knew she’d never apologize. Queens didn’t have to, after all. But, I also wanted to get out of here and miles away from this hell hole again. She’d only move her limo if I talked to her and, unless Dimitri was in the mood for off-roading, we didn’t have another choice. Damn the Dragomir determination.

                I unlocked my door and his head shot up.

“Are you sure, Roza?” he whispered. He didn’t offer a comforting hand or smile; just the cautionary warning in his eyes.

“I don’t have a choice,” I answered and unclipped my seatbelt.

                I shoved the door open and heard a shout of anger, accompanied by snickers, as it rammed into a body. I stepped out of the car while the Queen righted herself, standing proud in her heels and tiara.

Silently, we faced each other.

                Out of everyone, including me and my blonde transformation, she was the most changed. She had chopped hair that came to her shoulders in a pointed, platinum bob. Her suit was cut sharp on her lengthy frame, heightened by the heels and the attitude that had her nose stuck in the air. She radiated power and cruelty and the ability to have you beheaded if you disagreed with her; she showed the darkness that we’d once fought to keep away.

                And I hated her.

“Guardian Belikov,” she nodded coldly, her eyes studying me. They lingered on my hair and my thinner, more muscled frame; they also avoided my gaze.

“Vasilisa,” I answered. She wasn’t my Queen anymore; she hadn’t been since the day she murdered my entire world.

                Cassie’s breath caught at my voice. She was still a slave here, but I wasn’t. I was free, and it was time I got back to enjoying it.

“You have my advisor,” Lissa said, her words slicing like a silver stake.

“She was never yours to begin with,” I retorted.

                Her lips pursed, catching the double meaning in my tone. “Rose–“

“Guardian Belikov,” I corrected, Eddie now biting his tongue at my rudeness. They were both so brainwashed; I wondered if she’d ever compelled them, like she did with half her enemies at Court.

                She frowned. “Guardian Belikov, you will not be allowed to leave until–“

                I snorted, shaking my head at her. She really thought she was in charge of me. I had given her almost half of my life; I’d sacrificed so much to keep her happy. But, she didn’t deserve to come first; monsters didn’t deserve crowns. “Do you remember the day I ran away?”

“I could never forget it.” Her frown deepened, a scowl pulling on her lips as she finally let her eyes snap into mine. This conversation wasn’t going the way she wanted; she would use her “secret” weapon to pull it back on course. But, I’d learned a long time ago how to resist compulsion; I was still one of the best dhampirs and Guardians, even if I’d been out of practice for awhile.

I could feel her tugging on me, soothing me with her Spirit powers that held more darkness than light these days. Without breaking a sweat, I shoved them away, skirting them around myself. Compulsion was more will-power than strength; the anger helped to fuel my shield.

“Really?” I said, keeping up my end of this war. “Then you’ll move your limo so I can get back to fixing your royal screw-up.”

                The pulling stopped abruptly, her eyes almost flickering with hurt. “That wasn’t my–“

“Intention?” I suggested, my feet stepping forward to close the distance between us. “Idea? Plan? Because it sure as hell was your fault.”

                The pain came to life on her face, etched into years of frown lines and crow’s feet. Even with her own healing powers, the wear of time couldn’t be erased; but she was still a monster. She had still ruined my life after everything I’d done to keep hers happy.

She began again, her voice breaking with the first emotion I guessed she’d shown in years. “Rose, I didn’t–“

“You did,” I interrupted. “You knew what would happen. We warned you! All of us!”

                I was inches from her now, an accusing finger stabbing her fragile shoulder. Cassie and Eddie were bristled for a fight, but I had to wonder who they’d try to save; did they love their friend or their Queen more?

“Cassie, Eddie, Christian, me! We told you it wasn’t safe,” I continued, my voice dancing around shouting levels. I had waited so long to say this to her. “Everyone who died, that’s your fault. Andrew, my mom; you killed them because you couldn’t be wrong, just for once. You couldn’t put anyone else before yourself.”

                Her face mirrored mine as I’d watched Dimitri almost get staked that day. If his name had been on that list, I wouldn’t be here right now; I’d tried to live without him before and I’d never do it again. The hurt grew in her eyes, like a snowball being fueled by my arsenal of evidence. If anyone should have gone to jail for that massacre, it should have been her. She was practically advertising for it.

                Silence hung heavy, my panting face in hers, leaving her with nowhere to run. She had to accept this; she had to know it was her fault and she had to let me go. I could never belong to her again after what she did.

                But she didn’t. Her eyes held hurt, but not remorse; sadness, but not a single trace of regret.

Finally, her lips moved. “Rose, I’m s–“

“Queens aren’t supposed to apologize,” I shot as I stepped away from her. I turned my back, being shielded by Cassie and Eddie as a heel clipped towards me. That was not my best friend; that was the carcass of a girl who had once been compassionate, loving, and strong. This new being was none of those things and I wanted nothing to do with her.

I opened the car door as Cassie held her back, Eddie standing in front of me to keep me out of her reach. She was yelling after me, but it meant nothing; her heart was too cold to mean it.

Over my shoulder, I said, “Goodbye, Vasilisa.”

She wasn’t my Lissa anymore.