Broken and Alone (A Vampire Academy FanFic)

Chapter Eight

I had a horrible headache. Getting your head beat against a brick wall will do that to you. I opened my eyes, but the heaviness won and they closed again. After a few more tries, I was able to fully open them. I expected to see my bedroom or a hospital room, but all I saw were stone walls and cobwebs. Where's Brianna? I started to get up, then noticed that I was chained to the wall.

"Roza, are you okay?" his voice made him sound dehydrated. Maybe he is.

I looked over to him, gasping when I saw how beat up he was. His shirt was so torn that he might as well not be wearing one. His gorgeous body was covered in cuts and bruises. "I think I should be asking you that question. Where's Brianna?" He had a sad look in his eyes. He nodded to the corner on the other side of me, and I turned to see my daughter sleeping in the corner. She didn't have cuts or bruises, thank God. "What's going on?" I pulled at the chains again.

"There were too many Strigoi... I've been taking her beatings for her. I couldn't stand to watch them even come near her. Or you. Melissa will unlock your chains the next time she comes."

"Who's Melissa? Where are we?"

"I think we're somewhere in Canada. I could be wrong. Melissa is a woman who works for the Strigoi, but help the humans. She's been waiting to help us because you were knocked out. How's your head?"

"It's been better. Is Brianna okay?"

He smiled at her from across the room. "Yeah. She's fine. Melissa's been bringing her food. She reminds me of you, you know."

I laughed. "Really? She always reminded me of you." I know this isn't the time or place to talk about our troubles, but if what he said about Melissa saving us is true then I shouldn't worry, right?

His smile faded. "Why didn't you tell me?"

My smile faded also. "Because I was afraid you'd leave her, like you left me."

He closed his eyes. "I left you because I thought you'd be better off without me. I was a distraction. I never would have left if I knew she was mine."

The door opened and a human woman walked in. She looked about nineteen and her neck was covered in bruises. But, her long blond hair covered most of them. She quickly shut the door behind her, knowing a Strigoi might walk by. She walked over to me, and asked how I was. After denying that I needed pain killers, she released me from the wall. I fell to the ground, realizing just how weak I was. She unlocked Dimitri's chains next. She opened her coat, pulling out some crackers and handed some to me, some to Dimitri, and placed a small plate of crackers and cheese next to Brianna, along with a juice box.

"I'll be back shortly." she whispered in an urgent tone.

She closed the door, waking Brianna up. I crawled over to her, too weak to stand up and walk. She met me half way, wrapping her little arms around me. Dimitri came over, limping on his right leg. I noticed that his jeans had been ripped, a huge gash across his knee. He told Brianna to eat her food, and she complied without hesitation. My poor baby girl must be starving. Dimitri started to give her some of his food, but she declined his offer. I wish she hadn't. I would like Dimitri to eat, but our daughter needed it more than us.

He set the crackers down anyways, causing Brianna to sigh. We sat in a little circle, me and Dimitri forming a fence around Brianna. I didn't even realize I was doing this until the door opened. The metal door was pushed open with so much force that it slammed against the stone wall and dented it. We hid the crackers in what was left of our jeans and made our fence into a defense line. The Strigoi's calculating eyes took me in, and he smiled.

"My, my, my," his cold voice rang out, sending shivers down my spine. "Rose Hathaway. Do you remember me? Of course not. You were high every time we talked." he laughed, but there was no warmth in it. By the looks of him, I could tell he was a Moroi before he was turned. The blond hair reminded me of someone from school... that's when I got it. He was a friend of Andre's. Nathanael... or something like that. He continued speaking. "I am going to enjoy this." He smiled, further exposing his fangs. He inched toward me, and Dimitri stood up.