Building the Tension | ✔ | 18+

Chapter 25 - Spiritual Warfare

Author's Note:

First off, a huge THANK YOU to everyone who has hung around for reading this story! I can't tell you how much it means that people are reading and enjoying my work. I appreciate your patience and support.

If you've been around the sites for a while or just have put a lot of thought into it, you have probably already come to this before, but keep in mind that fan fiction is something done voluntarily by the authors in their spare time for the sake of the writing itself, no payout other than the words coming to life and people reading them. At the moment, I'm just not feeling a strong connection to the Avery part of the storyline, so she is going away.

-=o0/&\0o=-

Adrian's POV:

I had almost packed the last of my suitcase. My flight was leaving tomorrow. I'd only had a couple of drinks since I woke up this morning. After sobering up to make Lissa's anti-compulsion charm, I figured I might as well stay mostly sober while I finished packing so I could make sure I got all of my things. It seemed like there was no way I'd be able to come back to get them any time soon while Rose was still on campus.

Rose. I guess I hadn't gone about it the right way, but I loved her, with all of my heart. Her fiery spirit, her beauty, her passion, her smart-ass comments, her fighter's spirit. I wanted her - no, I needed her -, but she felt like I had mistreated her and she didn't want me anymore. I didn't think what I was doing to her was wrong, but she seems to have felt that way.

Everything between Rose and Belikov had started because of compulsion. If it wasn't for Dashkov's earth compulsion charm, she wouldn't be with him today. She had given her heart because she succumbed to the desires of her body. Those desires all started because of the charm. Couldn't she have desired me the same way?

I love her. I know I shouldn't, but I do. I need her. I love her, and she rejected me ... for now. I knew the time would come to let this drag me down into a drunken stupor, and I would let it, but the anti-compulsion ring on my finger was proof that Rose still cared about me. I still had hope that I could win her back. I stroked the ring thoughtfully after I tossed another folded shirt in my suitcase.

All of a sudden, I heard a bunch of yelling out in the hallway. I opened my door and asked, "What's going on out here?", stepping out of the doorway.

Avery Lazar was standing there. I had only just been introduced to her yesterday, but I would recognize her striking gray eyes anywhere. If Rose didn't already have my heart, I might have tried to take a shot with her, especially since I'd been told she was a spirit user. Avery hadn't admitted it, but her aura showed me that she was. I took in the scene. Lissa was there, along with Avery and her guardian, who was hold Lissa's wrists behind her back and pushing her down the hall.

Avery looked into my eyes and said, "It's nothing for you to worry about. Go back in your room."

"Oh, I think it is something for me to worry about," I said, to myself. Avery and the others began walking back down the hall towards Lissa's room. I don't think they saw me as an obstacle or even expected me to follow.

Before Rose's father had visited, I'd been attending the Moroi defense training with the rest of the group. I knew I couldn't take down a trained guardian, but I could probably land a punch or kick on him if I had to. I might've been sober enough to compel him, if I had to. Though I wasn't good at it yet, I was also starting to learn how to use telekinesis with my spirit work I'd been doing with Lissa - although, Lissa and I also hadn't met since Mr. Mazur's visit.

When they got to Lissa's room, Avery said to her brother - I think his name was Rod, but I never really paid attention -, "Don't just stand there! Open the damn door!"