Blood Promise Chapter Twenty-Six

I remember the profanities that came bulge of my mouth when I hit the ground would have been graspable in any language. It hurt.The bush was not particularly sharp or pointy, scarce it wasnt cushiony by any stretch of the imagination. It broke my fall slightlywhat, though it didnt present my ankle from twisting underneath me. Shit I give tongue to finished gritted teeth, come up to my feet. Russia sure was making me swear a ken. I tested the weight on my ankle and felt a twinge of pain hardly postal code I couldnt stand on. A sprain, thank God. The ankle wasnt broken, and Id had worse.Still, it was carriage out to slow polish up my getaway.I limped away from the bush, trying to pick up the pace and ignore the pain. Stretching before me was that stupid hedge maze Id public opinion was so cool the other night. The sky was cloudy, but I doubted moonlight would have made it easier to navigate. No way was I di margence to fight that fine-leafed mess. Id find where it end ed and get out by there.Unfortunately, when I circled the house, I discoered an unhappy truth The hedge was everywhere. It encircled the estate like some kind of medieval moat. The annoying part was, I doubted Galina had still had it installed for defense. Shed likely through with(p) it for the same reason she had crystal chandeliers and antique paintings in the hallways It was cool.Well, there was nothing for it, indeed. I picked an opening to the maze at random and started winding my way through. I had no idea where to go, no strategies for getting out. Shadows lurked everywhere, and I often didnt sympathize unfounded ends approach shot until I was right on top of them. The bushes were tall enough that once I was only(prenominal) a little way into the maze, I comp permitely lost sight of the top of the house. If Id had it as a navigation point, I dexterity have been able to hardly move in a straight (or nearly straight) line away.Instead, I wasnt entirely sure if I was going tooshieward or in circles or what. At genius point, I was pretty sure Id passed the same jasmine trellis three dates. I tried to think of stories Id read about people navigating mazes. What did they use? Bread crumbs? Thread? I didnt know, and as much time passed and my ankle grew sorer, I began to get discouraged. Id devoured a Strigoi in my weakened state but couldnt escape some bushes.Embarrassing, really.RozaThe voice carried distantly on the wind, and I stiffened. No. It couldnt be.Dimitri. Hed survived.Roza, I know youre out there, he called. I so-and-so smell you.I had a feeling he was bluffing. He wasnt close enough for me to feel sick, and with the cloying perfume of the flowers, I doubted he could scent me yet-even if I was sweating a lot. He was trying to bait me into bounteous up my location.With new resolve, I chaired good deal the next twist in the bushes, praying for the exit. Okay, God, I thought. Get me out of this and Ill stop my half assed churchg oing ways. You got me past a pack of Strigoi tonight. I mean, trapping that one between the doors really shouldnt have worked, so clearly youre on board. Let me get out of here, and Ill I dont know. gift Adrians money to the poor. Get baptized. Join a convent. Well, no. Not that last one.Dimitri continued his taunting. I wont kill you, not if you give yourself up. I owe you. You took out Galina for me, and now Im in charge.Replacing her happened a little forrad of schedule, but thats not a problem. Of course, there argonnt many people to control now that Nathan and the others are dead. But that can be fixed.Unbelievable. He truly had survived those odds. Id said it before and meant it Alive or undead, the love of my life was a badass. There was no way he could have defeated those three and yet, well Id seen him seduce on crazy odds before. And clearly his being here was proof of his capabilities.The path ahead of me split, and I randomly chose the right hand path. It spread off i nto the darkness, and I breathed a sigh of relief. Score. De pique his breezy commentary, I knew he was as well as moving through the maze, getting closer and closer. And unlike me, he knew the paths and how to get out of it.Im not up zeal about you attacking me, either. I would have done it in your plant. Its just one more reason why we should be together.My next turn took me into a dead end filled with climbing moonflowers. I kept my swearing to myself and backtracked.Youre still dangerous, though. If I find you, Im probably going to have to kill you. I dont desire to, but Im starting to think theres no way we can both live in this world. Come to me by choice, and Ill awaken you. Well control Galinas empire together.I intimately laughed. I couldnt have plunge him if I wanted to in this mess. If Id had that kind of ability, Id My stomach swirled a little. Oh no. He was getting closer. Did he know it yet? I didnt to the full encounter how the amount of unwellness correlated t o distance, but it didnt matter. He was too close, period. How close did he essential to be to truly smell me? To hear me walking on the peck? Each second brought him closer to success. Once he had my trail, I was screwed. My heart started racing even more-if that was even possible at this point-and the adrenaline pumping through me numbed my ankle, even though it still slowed me pot.Another dead end spun me around, and I tried to calm myself, knowing panic would make me sloppy. All the while, that nausea grew in increments. tied(p) if you get out, where will you go? he called. Were in the middle of nowhere. His countersignatures were poison, seeping into my skin. If I focused on them, my fear would win, and Id give up. Id crape into a ball and let him come for me, and I had no reason to believe hed let me live. My life could be over in the next a couple of(prenominal) minutes.A turn to my left led to another wall of glossy green leaves. I side buttstepped it quickly and head ed in the opposite direction and axiom-fields.Long, vast stretches of grass spread out ahead of me, giving way to trees scattered off in the distance. Against all odds, Id made it out.Unfortunately, the nausea was strong now. This close, he had to know where I was. I peered around, realizing the truth of his words. We really were in the middle of nowhere. Where could I go? I had no idea where we were.There. To my left, I saw the faint purple illumination on the horizon that Id observanced the other night. I hadnt realized what it was then, but now I knew.Those were city lights, most likely Novosibirsk, if that was where Galinas gang did most of their deeds. Even if it wasnt Novosibirsk, it was civilization. There would be people there. Safety. I could get help.I took off at as fast a run as I could manage, feet pound hard against the ground. Even the adrenaline couldnt block that much impact out, and pain crackled up through my leg with each step. The ankle held, though. I didn t fall or go to a true limp. My breath was hard and ragged, the ride out of my muscles still weak from all Id been through. Even with a goal, I knew that the city was miles away.And all the while, the nausea grew and grew. Dimitri was close. He had to be out of the maze now, but I couldnt risk looking back. I just kept running toward that purple glow on the horizon, even though it meant I was about to enter a cluster of trees. Maybe, maybe it would provide cover.Youre a fool, some part of me whispered. Theres nowhere you can comprehend from him.I reached the thin line of trees and slowed just a little, gasping for breath and pressing myself up against a sturdy trunk. I finally dared a look target me but saw nothing. The house glowed in the distance, surrounded by the darkness of the hedge maze. My sick stomach hadnt grown worse, so it was possible I might have a lead on him. The maze had several exits he hadnt known where Id come out.My moment of respite over, I kept moving, keep ing the soft glow of the city lights in sight through the separatees. It was only a matter of time before Dimitri found me. My ankle wasnt going to let me do much more of this. Outrunning him was slowly becoming a fantasy. Leaves left over from last fall crunched as I move, but I couldnt afford to step around them. I doubted I had to worry anymore about Dimitri sniffing me out. The noise would give me away.Rose I swear its not too late.Shoot. His voice was close. I looked around frantically. I couldnt see him, but if he was still calling for me, he likely couldnt see me yet either. The city haze was still my channelize star, but there were trees and darkness between me and it. Suddenly, an unexpected person came to mind. Tasha Ozera. She was Christians aunt, a very formidable lady who was one of the forerunners of teaching Moroi to fight back against Strigoi.We can retreat and retreat and let ourselves get backed into corners forever, shed said once. Or we can go out and work th e enemy at the time and place we choose. Not them.Okay, Tasha, I thought. Lets see if your advice gets me killed.I looked around and located a tree with branches I could reach. Shoving my s dispense back into my air pocket, I grabbed h sure-enough(a) of the lowest branch and swung myself up. My ankle complained the whole way, but aside from that, there were enough branches for me to get good hand- and footholds. I kept going until I found a thick, overburdened limb that I thought would support my weight. I moved out onto it, staying near the trunk and carefully testing the limbs sturdiness. It held. I took the stake out of my pocket and waited.A minute or so later, I heard the faint stirring of leaves as Dimitri approached. He was much quieter than I had been. His tall, dark form came into view, a sinister shadow in the night. He moved very slowly, very carefully, look roving everywhere and the rest of his senses no doubt working as well.Roza He spoke softly. I know youre here. Y ou have no chance of running. No chance of privateness.His gaze was fixed low. He thought I was hiding behind a tree or crouched down. A few more steps. That was all I needed from him. Against the stake, my hand began to sweat, but I couldnt wipe it off. I was frozen, retentiveness so still that I didnt even dare breathe.RozaThe voice caressed my skin, cold and deadly. Still scrutinizing his surroundings, Dimitri took one step forward. Then another. And then another.I think it occurred to him to look up the instant I jumped. My body slammed into his, knocking him to the ground back-first. He immediately tried to throw me off, just as I tried to drive the stake through his heart. Signs of fatigue and fighting were all over him. Defeating the other Strigoi had taken its toll, though I doubted I was in much part shape. We grappled, and once, I managed to rake the stake against his cheek. He snarled in pain but kept his chest well protected. Over it, I could see where Id ripped his tog the first time Id staked him. The wound had already healed.You. Are. Amazing, he said, his words full of both pride and battle fury.I had no energy for a response. My only goal was his heart. I fought to stay on him, and at last, my stake pierced his chest-but he was too fast.He knocked my hand away before I could fully drive the stake through. In the process, he knocked me off of him. I flew several feet away, mercifully not hitting any trees. I scrambled to my feet, dazed, and saw him coming toward me. He was fast-but not as fast as hed been in previous fights. We were going to kill ourselves in trying to kill each other.Id lost my good now, so I ran off into the trees, knowing hed be right behind me. I was certain he could outrun me, but if I could accrue just a tiny lead, then maybe I could secure another good attack place and try to AhhhMy scream rang into the night, jarring against the quiet darkness. My foot had gone out from under me, and I was sliding rapidly down a st eep hillside, unable to stop myself. There were few trees, but the rocks and my ill at ease(p) position made the fall painful, particularly since I was wearing that sweater dress. How I managed to keep holding the stake was beyond me. I hit the piece of tail roughly, managed to briefly stand, and then promptly stumbled and fell-into water system.I stared around. On cue, the moon peeked out from the clouds, casting enough light to show me a huge expanse of black, fast-moving water in front of me. I gaped at it, utterly confused, and then I turned in the direction of the city. This was the Ob, the river that ran through Novosibirsk.The river headed right toward it. Glancing behind me, I saw Dimitri standing on top of the ridge. Unlike some of us, hed apparently been watching where he was going. both that, or my scream had tipped him off that something was amiss.It was going to take him less than a minute to come running down after me, though. I looked to either side of me and then in front. Okay. Fast-moving water. Possibly hidden. Very wide. Itd take the pressure off my ankle, but I wasnt thrilled about my chances of not drowning. In legends, vampires couldnt cross running water. Man, I wished. That was pure myth.I did a reprise take to my left and just barely saw a dark shape over the water. A bridge? It was the best shot I had. I hesitated before going toward it I needed Dimitri to start coming down here. I was not going to run off and let him pace me up above on the ridge. I needed the time his hill descent would buy me. There. He took one step onto the slope, and I tore off down the shore, not looking back. The bridge grew closer and closer to me, and as it did, I realized just how high it was. Id misjudged it from where Id landed. The slopes around the bridge reached farther up the more I ran downriver. I was going to have a hell of a climb.No problem. Id worry about that later-by which I meant in about thirty seconds, since that was probably how long itd take Dimitri to catch up with me. As it was, I could hear his feet splashing through the shallow water on the bank, the sounds growing nearer and nearer. If I could just reach the bridge, if I could just get to high ground and to the other side. The nausea surged in me. A hand closed around the back of my jacket, jerking me backward. I fell against Dimitri and immediately began fighting him, trying to free myself. But God, I was so, so tired. Every piece of me hurt, and no matter how frighten away he was, I was worse.Stop it he yelled, gripping my blazonry. Dont you get it? You cant winThen kill me I wriggled, but his hold on my upper arms was too strong, and even holding the stake, I couldnt do anything with it. You said you would if I didnt surrender myself. Well, guess what? I didnt. I wont. So just get it over with.That phantom moonlight lit up his face, eradicating the normal shadows and making his skin stark white against the nights backdrop. It was like all the colors in the world had been blanked out. His eyes merely looked dark, but in my minds eye, they glowed like fire. His expression was cold and calculating.Not my Dimitri.Itd take a lot for me to kill you, Rose, he said. This isnt enough.I wasnt convinced. Still holding onto me with that unbreakable grip, he fragileed toward me. He was going to checke me. Those teeth would pierce my skin, and hed turn me into a monster like him or drink until I was dead. Either way, Id be too drugged and too stupid to know it. The person who was Rose Hathaway would leave this world without even realizing it.Pure panic shot through me-even as that part of me that was still in withdrawal cried out for more of those glorious endorphins. No, no. I couldnt allow that. Every nerve I had was set on fire, ramping up for defense, attack, anything anything to stop this. I would not be turned. I could not be turned. I wanted so badly to do something to save myself. My whole being was consumed with that urge. I could feel it ready to burst out, ready to. My hands could touch each other but not Dimitri. With a bit of maneuvering, I used the fingers of my left hand to pry off Oksanas ring. It slipped off and into the mud, just as Dimitris fangs touched(p) my skin.It was like a nuclear explosion going off. The ghosts and spirits Id summoned on the road to Baia burst between us. They were all around, translucent and luminescent in shades of pale green, blue, yellow, and silver. Id let loose all of my defenses, let myself succumb to my emotions in a way I hadnt been able to when Dimitri first caught me. The rings healing power had barely kept me in check just now, but it was gone. I had no barriers on my power.Dimitri sprang back, wide-eyed. Like the Strigoi on the road, he waved his hands around, swatting the spirits as one would mosquitoes. His hands passed right through them, ineffectual. Their attack was more or less ineffectual too. They couldnt physically hurt him, but they could affect the m ind, and they were damned distracting. What had Mark said? The dead hate the undead. And from the way these ghosts swarmed Dimitri, it was clear that they did. I stepped back, scanning the ground below me. There. The rings silver gleamed up at me from a puddle. I reached down and grabbed it, then ran off and left Dimitri to his fate. He wasnt exactly screaming, but he was making some horrible noises. That tore at me, but I kept going, running toward the bridge. I reached it a minute or so later. It was as high as Id feared, but it was sturdy and well built, if narrow. It was the kind of country bridge that only one car at a time could cross.Ive come this far, I muttered, staring up at the bank. It was not only higher than the one Id fallen down, it was also steeper. I pocketed the ring and stake and then reached out, digging my hands into the ground. I was going to have to half-crawl, half-climb this one. My ankle got a slight reprieve this was all upper-body strength now. As I clim bed, however, I began to notice something. Faint flashes in my periphery. An impression of faces and skulls. And a throbbing pain in the back of my head.Oh no. This had happened before too. In this panicked state, I couldnt maintain the defenses I usually did to keep the dead away from myself.They were now approaching me, more curious than belligerent. But as their numbers grew, it all became as disorienting as what Dimitri was now experiencing.They couldnt hurt me, but they were freaking me out, and the telltale headache that came with them was starting to make me dizzy. Glancing back toward him, I saw something amazing. Dimitri was still coming. He really was a god, a god who brought death closer with each footstep. The ghosts still swarmed him like a cloud, yet he was managing progress, one agonizing step at a time. act back, I continued my climb, ignoring my own glowing companions as best I could.At long last, I reached the top of the bank and stumbled onto the bridge. I could barely stand, my muscles were so weak. I made it a few more steps and then collapsed to my hands and knees. More and more spirits were spinning around, and my head was on the verge of exploding. Dimitri still made his slow progress but was a ways from the bank yet. I tried to stand again, using the bridges rails for support, and failed. The rough pebbly on the bridge scraped my bare legs.Damn.I knew what I had to do to save myself, though it could very well end up killing me, too. With trembling hands, I reached into my pocket and pulled out the ring. I shook so badly that I felt certain Id drop it. Somehow, I held on and managed to slide it onto my finger. A wee surge of warmth radiated from it into me, and I felt a tiny bit of control settle into my body. Unfortunately, the ghosts were still there.The traces of that fear, of dying or turning Strigoi, were still in me, but it had lessened now that I was out of immediate danger. Feeling less unstable, I sought for the barriers and control I usually kept up, horrendous to slam them into place and drive my visitors away.Go, go, go, I whispered, squeezing my eyes shut. The effort was like pushing on a mountain, an impossible obstacle that no one could have the strength for. This was what Mark had warned about, why I shouldnt do this. The dead were a powerful asset, but once called, they were difficult to get rid of. What had he said? Those who danced on the edge of darkness and insanity shouldnt risk this.Go I shouted, throwing my last bit of strength into the effort.One by one, the phantoms around me vanished. I felt my world settle back into its rightful order. Only, when I looked down, I saw that the ghosts had left Dimitri too-as Id suspected. And just like that, he was on the move again.Damn. My word of the night.I managed to get on my feet this time as he sprinted up the slope. Again, he was slower than usual-but still more than fast enough. I began backing up, neer taking my eyes off of him. Getting ri d of the ghosts had given me more strength, but not what I needed to get away. Dimitri had won.Another shadow-kissed effect? he asked, stepping onto the bridge.Yeah. I swallowed. Turns out ghosts dont much like Strigoi.You didnt seem to like them much either.I took another slow step backward. Where could I go? As before long as I turned around to run, hed be on me.So, did I go far enough for you to not want to turn me? I asked as cheerfully as I could manage.He gave me a wry, twisted smile. No. Your shadow-kissed abilities have their uses Too bad theyll go away when youre awakened. So. That was still his plan. In spite of how much Id infuriated him, he still wanted to keep me around for eternity.Youre not going to awaken me, I said.Rose, theres no way you can-No.I climbed up onto the railing of the bridge, swinging one leg over. I knew what had to happen now. He froze.What are you doing?I told you. Ill die before I plough Strigoi. I wont be like you or the others. I dont want that . You didnt want that, once upon a time. My face felt cold as a night shot blew over it, the result of stealthy tears on my cheeks.I swung my other leg over and peered down at the swiftly moving water. We were a lot more than two stories up. Id hit the water hard, and even if I survived that fall, I didnt have the strength to out swim the current and get to shore. As I stared down, contemplating my death, I thought back to when Dimitri and I sat in the backseat of an SUV once, discussing this very topic.It was the first time wed sat near each other, and every place our bodies touched had been warm and wonderful. Hed smelled good-that scent, that scent of being active was gone now, I realized-and hed been more relaxed than usual, ready to smile. Wed talked about what it meant to be alive and in full control of your soul-and what it meant to become one of the undead, to lose the love and light of life and all those youd known.Wed looked at each other and agreed death was better than that fate.Looking at Dimitri now, I had to agree.Rose, dont. I heard true panic in his voice. If he lost me over the edge, I was gone. No Strigoi. No awakening. For me to be turned, he needed to kill me by drinking my blood and then feed blood back to me. If I jumped, the water would kill me, not bloodletting. I would be long dead before he found me in the river.Please, he begged. There was a plaintive note to his voice, one that startled me. It twisted my heart. It reminded me too much of the animated Dimitri, the one who wasnt a monster. The one whod cared for me and loved me, whod believed in me and made love to me. This Dimitri, the one who was none of those things, took two careful steps forward, then stopped again. We need to be together.Why? I asked softly. The word was carried away on the wind, but he heard.Because I want you.I gave him a sad smile, wondering if wed meet again in the land of the dead. Wrong answer, I told him.I let go.And he was right there, sprinting out t o me with that insane Strigoi speed as I started to fall. He reached out and caught one of my arms, dragging me back onto the railing. Well, half-dragging. Only part of me made it over the rest still hung out over the river.Stop fighting me he said, trying to pull on the arm he held.He was in a precarious position himself, straddling the rail as he tried to lean over far enough to get me and actually hold onto me.Let go of me I yelled back.But he was too strong and managed to drag in most of me over the rail, enough so that I wasnt in total danger of falling again.See, heres the thing. In that moment before I let go, I really had been contemplating my death. Id come to terms with it and accepted it. I also, however, had known Dimitri might do something exactly like this. He was just that fast and that good. That was why I was holding my stake in the hand that was dangling free.I looked him in the eye. I will always love you.Then I plunged the stake into his chest.It wasnt as precis e a blow as I would have liked, not with the skilled way he was dodging. I struggled to get the stake in deep enough to his heart, unsure if I could do it from this angle. Then, his struggles stopped. His eyes stared at me, stunned, and his lips parted, almost into a smile, albeit a grisly and pained one.Thats what I was supposed to say he gasped out.Those were his last words.His failed attempt to dodge the stake had made him lose his balance on the edge. The stakes magic made the rest easy, stunning him and his reflexes.Dimitri fell.He nearly took me with him, and I just barely managed to break free of him and cling to the railing. He dropped down into the darkness-down, down into the blackness of the Ob. A moment later he disappeared from sight.I stared down after him, wondering if I would see him in the water if I squinted hard enough. But I didnt. The river was too dark and too far away.Clouds moved back over the moon, and darkness fell over everything again. For a moment, stari ng down and realizing what Id just done, I wanted to throw myself in after him, because sure as shooting there was no way I could go on living now.You have to. My inner voice was much calmer and more confident than it should have been. The old Dimitri would want you to live. If you really loved him, then you have to go on.With a shaking breath, I climbed over the rail and stood back on the bridge, surprisingly refreshing for its security. I didnt know how I would go on living, but I knew that I wanted to. I wasnt going to feel fully safe until I was on solid ground, and with my body falling apart, I began to cross the bridge one step at a time. When I was on the other side, I had a choice. Follow the river or the road? They veered off from each other slightly, but both headed roughly in the direction of the citys lights. I opted for the road. I didnt want to be anywhere near the river. I would not think about what had just happened. I couldnt think about it. My brain refused. Worr y about staying alive first. Then worry about how youre going to live.The road, while clearly rural, was flat and packed and made for easy walking-for anyone else. A light rain began falling, which just added affront to injury. I kept wanting to sit and rest, to curl up in a ball and think of nothing else. No, no, no. The light. I had to go toward the light. That almost made me laugh out loud. It was funny, really. Like I was someone having a near-death experience. Then I did laugh. This whole night had been full of near-death experiences. This was the least of them.It was also the last, and as much as I longed for the city, it was too far away. Im not sure how long I walked before I finally had to stop and sit.Just a minute, I decided. Id rest for a minute and then keep moving. I had to keep moving. If by some crazy chance Id missed his heart, Dimitri could be climbing out of the river at any moment. Or other surviving Strigoi could be coming after me from the manor.But I didnt ge t up in a minute. I think I may have slept, and I honestly dont know how long Id been sitting there when headlights suddenly spurred me to alertness. A car slowed down and came to a stop. I managed to get to my feet, bracing myself.No Strigoi got out. Instead, an old human man did. He peered at me and said something in Russian. I shook my head and backed up a step. He leaned into the car and said something, and a moment later, an older charr joined him. She looked at me and her eyes widened, face compassionate. She said something gentle-sounding and held out her hand to me, cautious in the way one would be when approaching a feral animal. I stared at her for several heavy seconds and then pointed at the purple horizon.Novosibirsk, I said.She followed my gesture and nodded. Novosibirsk. She pointed to me and then to the car. Novosibirsk.I hesitated a little longer and then let her lead me into the backseat. She took off her coat and set(p) it over me, and I noticed then that I was s oaked from the rain. I had to be a mess after everything Id been through tonight. It was a wonder theyd even stopped. The old man began driving again, and it occurred to me I could have just gotten in a car with serial killers. But then, how would that be any different from the rest of my night?The mental and physical pain were starting to drag me under, and with my last effort, I wet my lips and choked out another gem from my Russian vocabulary.Pazvaneet?The woman looked back at me in surprise. I wasnt sure if I had the word right. I might have just asked for a pay phone sooner of a cell phone-or maybe Id asked for a giraffe-but hopefully the message came through regardless. A moment later, she reached into her purse and handed me a cell phone. Even in Siberia, everyone was wired. With shaking hands, I dialed the number I now had memorized. A female voice answered.Allo.Sydney? This is Rose