I am so sorry! I swear I never forgot about you...I just got busy! And then I was working on a different story that meant a lot to me... THE POINT IS I am sorry...but better late than never, right?

PLEASE READ: This chapter contains some *spoilers* of Bloodlines. I don't remember the story perfectly, but a general idea is included. Consider yourself warned.

This is shorter, but I wanted to get the new story introduced first. I hope you enjoy! Reviews will help me get the next chapter out faster (hopefully!)

[All rights belong to Richelle Mead...]


WHEN EVERYTHING FALLS

I was back in the hospital wing.

It seemed that ever since my recovery from the gunshot wound, life had kept finding ways to make me pay. First it was a fractured rib during sparring practice. Then it was a broken wrist incurred from a Strigoi attack. Now it was a twisted ankle from sheer clumsiness.

I had tried to keep Lissa from healing me as much as possible. I hadn't allowed her to tend to the rib, which had been a bad idea; not only was it horribly painful, but because of the injury, it caused my lapse during which the Strigoi broke my wrist. Injury on top of injury, I finally relented and let Lissa embrace the spirit.

Now she was being called back to the injury wing to heal my sprained ankle so that I wouldn't be at all impaired for tonight's queenly gala.

Lissa hustled in, worry etched all over her bright face, but she let out an exhalation of relief as she saw me healthy, minus my foot.

"Thank God," she said, collapsing next to me on the mattress. "I was worried sick. They told me that you were injured and needed my assistance immediately, but they wouldn't tell me what was wrong. I was half-expecting something drastic."

I gave her a sheepish smile. "Naw, just my own clumsiness."

Lissa leveled me with a cautious look. "Please tell me this doesn't have something to do with Dimitri."

I blanched, glancing at the guardian who had accompanied her into the room standing post at the door. The guardian kept a blank face, keeping the façade that he wasn't listening, but I knew better. He was hearing every word, and there was a good chance that it would be the next joke going around the coffee table tomorrow morning.

"No!" I said too loudly. "Gross. Cut it out."

Lissa exhaled slowly. "Then what happened?"

I sighed. "I tripped and fell down the stairs."

Lissa glared at me. "You're kidding."

I shook my head shamefacedly. "No. I was going too fast, because I was trying to get to my grilled cheese before it burned—"

Lissa held up her hand abruptly, cutting me off. "No more. I don't want to hear it." She dropped her hand to my black-and-blue foot and closed her eyes. "Just relax," she said soothingly.

I felt the heat spreading through my body. The uncertainty I harbored over Lissa's wellbeing slowly faded as the spirit coursed through me, erasing the pain and dark feelings. For a moment I was blinded by contentment, ignoring everything else that I should have worried about.

Then the healing completed, and I was instantly worried about Lissa.

"How do you feel?" I asked rapidly, leaning towards her. Her eyes were slightly glassy, but not vacant, and she had lost a bit of color. Her pale complexion was quickly returning to normal, however, and her eyes darkened in annoyance at my reaction.

"I'm fine," she snapped. "I should be asking you that, considering you were the one with the broken foot!"

"Sprained ankle," I corrected. "And I'm just worried about the darkness, Liss. This is the first time you've had to handle it on your own."

Lissa huffed. Her green eyes were wide and pleading, and when she spoke, she sounded like a child. "Yes, but I am strong enough. Give me a chance to prove it."

I bit the inside of my cheek to hold back any comments. I knew that Lissa was right—she needed that chance to prove herself—but releasing the reins and taking a giant step back was harder than it sounded.

The silence between us was heavy, simply because neither of us knew how to fill it. Finally, the guardian standing at the door cleared his throat.

"Your Majesty?" Lissa nodded, giving him permission to continue. "Princess Jill wishes to speak with you before tonight's gala."

I watched Lissa carefully, gauging her reaction. At the sound of her newfound sister's name, she blanched and went uncomfortably rigid.

"Of course," she said tightly, forcing a smile. "Tell Jill to meet me in the study, and we can speak there."

The guardian relayed Lissa's message through an earpiece, then went back to standing stoically.

Lissa turned to me. It was times like these when I especially missed the bond; I was at a complete and total loss as to what was going through her mind. Lissa's relationship with Jill was troubled, to say the least, and it didn't help that she refused to discuss any aspect of the sisterhood.

"Will you walk with me?" she asked, anxiety riddled in her voice.

"Of course," I said with a reassuring smile. We got up together, and I nodded briefly at the guardian as we passed him. Alone in the wide, marble halls, I whispered, "She probably just has a fashion question to run by you, you know. Stop expecting World War III."

Lissa flushed, but covered it with a sharp glare my way. "I'm not expecting the next World War," she objected, "I'm simply getting used to having a sister giving requests."

Bond or no bond, I knew that was a lie. At the very least, Lissa still harbored unresolved feelings about Jill's parentage. Jill was the illegitimate child of Lissa's father, a man whom Lissa had spent her entire life adoring in both life and death. When the truth about Jill emerged, Lissa had gone through an emotional roller coaster ride, questioning everything she knew about her family. Allegations against her older brother Andre's reputation earlier in our high school careers had rocked the boat initially…now this? It didn't take a rocket scientist to know that Lissa was having trouble adjusting to this new perspective of her family.

We wound around a few more mazes and finally ended up in the study. I wasn't going to lie; I didn't know squat about getting around. I got lost more often than I liked to admit, being a badass guardian and all.

Jill was waiting for us in the study, fidgeting awkwardly with a chain around her neck.

I greeted her with a kind smile and a hug, while Lissa hung back stiffly. A few seconds passed where nothing was said or done, and then Lissa finally settled into a seat. Jill and I followed suit.

It seemed as though neither of the sisters were going to speak at first. I braced myself for intervention, but finally Jill found her voice. I was both surprised and proud of the young gawky girl.

"Your Majesty," she began.

"Lissa," I interjected, shooting a warning look at my friend, who was sending me daggers.

"Lissa," Jill amended cautiously. "Thank you for meeting me so quickly. I had a question I wanted to broach to you before you left for Lehigh. With the gala tonight and your departure within the next few days, now seemed to be the only chance for me to possibly get an answer—"

"Jill," Lissa interrupted. Jill and I both froze, unsure of what was to happen next. Lissa smiled, though, and said, "Just get to your point."

Jill swallowed thickly, regaining composure, and said with a strength that seemed likely to crumble at the first sight of Lissa's disagreement, "I would like to return home to stay with my mother."

I was the first to fill the silence that followed. "That's not safe, Jill."

Lissa looked dismayed. "Jill, you're my only blood relative." I noticed how she dodged intimate references, like "family" or "sister." "You can't be far from Court." As an afterthought, she added, "It puts you in too much danger."

Jill's face dropped, and her brows knit together. I was unsure whether she was angry or upset, but didn't dare question it in front of Lissa. The girls' relationship was shaky enough as it was.

"Okay," she said stiffly. "Thank you for your time." Her long legs carried her to the exit briskly, and she exited without turning back.

As the door shut behind her, Lissa turned to face me with a miffed expression. "How rude!" she exclaimed in frustration. "I am the queen, you know, and there's a certain etiquette that needs to be followed."

I cocked an eyebrow at her. "She's your sister." I crossed my arms over my chest. "You don't make me bow."

"That's different," Lissa objected, though a flush spread throughout her cheeks. She rose and started for the door.

"Uh-huh," I said sarcastically.

Lissa opened the door and was greeted by another guardian. As soon as he saw me, he stepped aside and let me follow Lissa alone. I was about to bring up Jill again when my cell phone jingled. I had a missed call, and the caller left a voicemail. I smiled as I heard the recorded voice on the other end.

Lissa knew instantly. "Go," she said with a smile. "I'll see you tonight at the gala. Can you be to my wing forty-five minutes before?"

I promised, and then took off running towards my personal wing. (Being friends with the Queen had some major benefits!)

I unlocked the door and bolted inside, only to find it empty. I bit my lip to refrain from pouting, but then an idea struck me. I ran up to my bedroom and rummaged through my dresser until I found exactly what I was looking for.

Twenty minutes later, I heard the front door click open, and a deep, silky voice floating through the echoing halls. I could only hear his light footsteps thanks to my guardian training. I laid across our mattress on my side, propping my head up on my hand, and splayed my legs out casually. The sheer fabric spread a little, and I felt the flush of anticipation flood to my cheeks as the door creaked open.

"Hey there, Comrade." I said seductively. I watched his eyes darken as he drank in the sight before him.

"Shouldn't you be with Lissa?" he murmured, but his voice sounded far away. He was suddenly in front of me, his long legs carrying him across the room in a matter of milliseconds. He leaned against the bed, taking my face in his hands, and put his warm lips to mine. I found it difficult to answer.

"I was," I said between kisses. Dimitri moved his mouth down to my collarbone. "Then I got your message and she sent me away."

He kept his lips against my skin. "I'll have to thank her for that."

Dimitri gently pushed me down onto my back, bracing himself above me. One hand tangled in my hair while the other roamed beneath the flimsy lace of the lingerie. His fingers were chilly yet hot against my skin.

The taste of his mouth drew me in, kept me hooked, and left me wanting more. I wrapped myself around him, relishing his strength and warmth. He smelled of wind and nature, and I wanted to breathe him in unendingly.

Somewhere along the way, my slight clothing disappeared. Dimitri's hands wound around my waist, gripping the soft flesh tightly. I knotted my hands in the fabric of his shirt, pulling him toward me, closing the gap between us. Dimitri moved his lips down the length of my body, tracing a path with kisses until he reached my navel.

I was writhing in pleasure, heat flooding my body, and anticipation mounting quickly when it all paused as Dimitri sat up.

"Where are your bruises?" he asked suddenly, though his voice was still husky.

"What do you mean?" My voice was still in my throat, choked up and half-gone.

"Your wounds from the attack." He sat up straighter, analyzing my naked body. Normally when he took in my appearance, I felt sexy and hot. This time, there was nothing romantic about his gaze. He was studying me scientifically. "They're all gone."

I hadn't told him about my ankle this morning, and hadn't planned on sharing it, either. He and Lissa had both become extremely overprotective since the shooting, and I had taken it upon myself to shield both of them from my sheer clumsiness.

"Lissa healed me," I said, finding no way out of this one.

Dimitri's eyes narrowed. He sat up straighter, putting even more distance between us. "Why did you need healing?"

I groaned, rolling my eyes. "I tripped over my own feet this morning and sprained my ankle. It's not a big deal, Comrade."

He gave me a disapproving look. "It's a big deal to me."

I pushed myself up on my elbows and pecked his lips. "It's settled," I insisted, plopping back down on the bed. "Now can we get back to where we were?"

He dipped his lips down to my collarbone. "If you insist."


It all happened so fast.

Even with my guardian training, I had trouble recalling the events. It happened so quickly, I felt like I blinked once and it was over. The only memory it left was pain and suffering in its wake, and I knew no one had made it out unscathed.

Lissa and Christian were safe but rattled. Dimitri and I had been fast reacting and we removed the threat instantly, though Lissa had had to heal some gruesome gashes and what she could of a concussion. But Adrian and Jill…

Lissa sat numbly, barely blinking, hunched over on her bed. Christian sat beside her, tear tracks streaking his cheeks. They weren't speaking. Dimitri was in the corner, standing stiffly, his body in prime condition. Lissa had insisted on healing the two of us, though we could have survived without her doing as much as she had.

I entered the room slowly. All eyes flew to me. Dimitri drank in my health, and I saw him relax infinitesimally, despite the fact that he had been sitting next to me while Lissa healed me. Lissa's wide eyes bore into me, her face paler than usual, her body trembling under the sudden weight of her gown. It was Christian who asked, "How is she?"

I swallowed before saying, "She's alive."

Lissa collapsed, expelling a breath that she hadn't known she'd been holding. I wanted to be inside her head right then, hear what was rushing through her overwhelmed mind, and I wanted to ensure that she was okay. She would insist that she was, but I didn't believe her.

"But?" Christian prompted. He had heard the hesitation that Lissa had bypassed.

I kept my gaze firmly on Lissa. I needed to know how she would respond to this news. "She's bound now. To Adrian."

Lissa froze, her eyes locked on the ground. Christian inhaled sharply, raking a hand through his unruly hair. Even Dimitri looked saddened.

I tried to keep the flashbacks that kept harassing my memory at bay, blocking out the vague yet sharp recollections. I didn't want to have nightmares about tonight.

Finally Lissa looked up at me. "She needs to leave Court. She needs to go somewhere safe and away from me."

Christian looked at Lissa in disbelief. "She needs to be here to be safe—"

"She was attacked here, and look at her now." Lissa asserted firmly. "I thought Court was the safest place for her, too. But…this happened to her because she was here, with me." My charge brought her gaze back to me. "Jill needs to be placed into some kind of protection, far away, under an alias and under heavy security—"

"You can't hole her up like a prisoner," Christian interjected heatedly. "Stop thinking of her as an asset to the throne and think of her as a person, Lissa. She's your sister!"

Even though I had been thinking the same thing, I didn't want this to drive a wedge between the two of them. Lissa needed Christian to be her rock now more than ever, since our bond had been severed.

"She won't be holed up like a prisoner," Dimitri said suddenly. He was on the same page I was, and was doing me a favor by stepping in as the middle man. They would take his suggestion better any way, because there was no way he was biased in this situation. "She can be placed elsewhere, under an alias and with plenty of guardians, so that she isn't in immediate danger here. Maybe distance is the right answer."

"Maybe she can go back to her mother—" Christian offered.

"Too predictable," I said. "If she really is in danger, her mother's house will be the first target."

"If she really is shadow-kissed, she'll be safe enough. Send Adrian with her." Christian snapped.

Lissa glared at him. I leveled him with a dark stare. "Being shadow-kissed doesn't make you invincible," I whispered. "And it comes at a high price."

Christian realized the path he had gone down, and apologized. "I just don't want her life to be ruined," he said.

"No one wanted this for her," I agreed. "But we just have to work with it now."

"Look into secure locations for her," Lissa said. "Find somewhere that she'll like, Rose." Her eyes were sad. "I owe that much to her."

I agreed to make the necessary arrangements. I asked if Lissa wanted to go see her, but she shook her head adamantly.

"No," she declared. "Just tell her that I wish her a safe trip…and—and I'm sorry."

I sighed in defeat, but carried the message to Jill anyway.

Curled up in bed, her pale face streaked with blood and tears that she hadn't yet washed away, Jill glared at me, the messenger, and said bitterly, "Tell her I'm sorry too."


P.S. - could anyone tell me where Jill is relocated to in Bloodlines? I don't actually remember. If no one else remembers either, that's fine, I'll make it up!