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Eddie staked the Moroi

Dily cooi to be hurt by a stake through your heart And, let’s face it, a stake through the heart didn’t actually hurt It killed Tatiana was proof The man’s knife actually made contact with Eddie’s neck-- and then fell before piercing skin The man’s eyes ide in shock and pain and then saw nothing at all He was dead Eddie leaned back on his heels, staring at his victied battle lust that followed any situation Shouting suddenly caught his attention, and he leapt to his feet, ready for the next threat

What he found was a group of guardians, ones who had responded to Lissa’s earlier cries for help They took one look at the scene and i drove the a bloody weapon The guardians went for Eddie, throwing hi his stake away Lissa shouted to the, that Eddie had saved her life and--

"Rose!’

Dimitri’s frantic voice shockedon the bed, and he knelt before ripped ? Are you okay?’

"No!’

I pushed hio back to Court Now Lissa’s in danger She needs me’

"Rose Roza Slon’ He’d caught hold of rip He turned me so I faced him His hair was still damp from the shower, and the clean scent of soap and wet skin surrounded us "Tell me what happened’

I quickly repeated what I’d seen "Someone tried to kill her, Dimitri! And I wasn’t there!’

"But Eddie was,’ said Dimitri quietly "She’s okay She’s alive’ He released , and even though my friends were safe, I couldn’t shake uardians were pissed--’

"Only because they don’t know the whole story They see a dead body and a weapon, that’s it Once they get facts and testi will be okay Eddie saved a Moroi It’s his job’

"But he killed another Moroi to do it,’ I pointed out "We’re not supposed to do that’ It sounded like an obvious--and even stupid--stateuardians’ purpose was to protect Moroi They coinable But then, so was the to kill each other

"This wasn’t a normal situation,’ Dimitri affirmed

I tippedher undefended I want so badly to go back and keep her safe Right now’ Toain?’

"Other people are there to protect her’ Dimitri walked over to ht of the grim events "Believe me, I want to protect her too, but we’d risk our lives for nothing if we take off right now Wait a little longer and at least risk your life for so important’

A little of the panic faded "And Jill is important, isn’t she?’

"Very’

I straightened up Part ofto calm me about Lissa’s attack while the other fully processed e’d acco a sainst all reasonsomehoe found Lissa’s lost sister Do you realize what thisshe’s entitled to now They can’t deny her anything Hell, she could be queen if she wanted And Jill ’ I hesitated "Well, she’s part of an ancient royal faht?’

"I think it depends on Jill,’ said Dimitri "And what the after-effects of all this are’

Guilt over potentially ruining Jill’s life returned, and I stared down atmy chin back up His brown eyes ar No one else would have tried soa Abe’s rules--and it paid off It orth it’

"I hope Adrian thinks so,’ Iour "safe house’ was the stupidest thing ever’

Dimitri’s hand dropped "You told him about all this?’

"Not about Jill But I accidentally told hiinia anyh,’ I added hastily "No one else knows’

"I can believe that,’ said Dih he’d lost so "Hehe seems pretty loyal to you’

"He is I trust him completely’

"And he makes you happy?’ Dimitri’s tone wasn’t harsh, but there was an intensity to it that put the exchange on par with a police interrogation

I thought about a "Yeah He does I have fun with hi sometimes--okay, a lot of the time--but don’t be fooled by all the vices He’s not a bad person’

"I know he isn’t,’ said Diood man It’s not easy for everyone to see, but I can He’s still getting hiether, but he’s on his way I saw it in the escape And after ’ The words caught on Diue "After Siberia, he was there for you? He helped you?’

I nodded, puzzled by all these questions Turns out they were only the war one

"Do you love him?’

There were only a few people in the world who could askpunched Dimitri was one of them With us, there were no walls, but our complicated relationshipsomeone else to a man I’d once loved? A man you still love, a voice whispered inside ain, I res for Dimitri They would fade They had to fade, just like his had He was the past Adrian was er than I probably should have "II do love hi was, Dilad as he stared blankly out theMy confusion grew Why was he upset? His actions and words no longer seemed to ?

"Nothing I just want to make sure that you’re okay That you’re happy’ He turned back toon a forced smile He’d spoken the truth--but not the whole truth "Things have been changing, that’s all It’sme reconsider so much Ever since Donovanand then Sonyait’s strange I thought it all changed the night Lissa saved me But it didn’t There’s been sothan I realized’ He started to slip into pensivenew Sootten to feel Some revelation I totally missed Some beauty I didn’t see’

"Hey, o on that list, okay?’ I teased "You were in shock’

The forced srew natural "No, Roza It was beautiful It’s beautiful now’

"The dress is just throwing you off,’ I said, atteaze

Those dark, dark eyes looked at me--really looked at me, I think, for the first time since he’d entered the room A mixed expression came over him that made no sense to me I could pick out the emotions it contained but not what caused theret

"What?’ I asked uneasily "Why are you looking at me like that?’

He shook his head, the sht up in the details that they miss the whole It’s not just the dress or the hair It’s you You’re beautiful So beautiful, it hurtssensation in my chest Butterflies, cardiac arrestit was hard to say what exactly Yet, in that uestroo very close So beautiful, it hurts me It was back in the cabin at St Vladimir’s, the one and only time we’d had sex He’d looked at me in a very similar way, too, only there’d been less sadness Nonetheless, as I heard those words again, a door I’d kept locked in s and experiences and sense of oneness we’d always shared Looking at him, just for the space of a heartbeat, I had a surreal sensation wash over me, liked I’d known him forever Like ere boundbut not in the way Lissa and I were, by a bond forced on us

"Hey, guys, have you--oh’ Sydney came to a halt in the half-open doorway and promptly took two steps back "Sorry I--that is--’

Dimitri and I immediately pulled back from each other I felt warm and shaky and only then noticed how close we had been I didn’t even re, but only a breath had separated us What had happened? It was like a trance A dream

I sed and tried to slowon?’

Sydney glanced between us, still looking uncoht be non- existent, but even she knehat she’d walked in on I was glad one of us did "Ithat isI just wanted to co on downstairs’ I attes Why did Dimitri look at me like that? Why did he say that? He can’t still want me He said he didn’t He told me to leave hi,’ I said She obviously didn’t believe me I tried harder to convince herandabout Jill Do you have any ideas on how to get her to Court--seeing as we’re all outlaws?’

Sydney ht not be an expert in personal relationships, but puzzles were fa inward as she tried to figure our problem out

"Well, you could always have herfrom downstairs abruptly cut her off As one, Di for the door, ready to combat whateverto a halt at the top of the stairs e heard lots of shouts for everyone to get down

"Guardians,’ Di the house’