loving the one you protect

chapter 14

My hand lands on Adrian's chest. I shove – hard. "Get back!" I yell as he stumbles a safer distance behind me. I can feel the shadows of darkness swirling around him. The idiot was trying to use his magic! God, I have to keep him safe.

I whip out my stake and bare my teeth at the strigoi. He cocks his head mouth twisting into a sadistic grin. I take a breath. He lunges. I parry, stake meeting his arm. The tip slices into him creating a vicious wound and he howls in response. I spin landing a kick to his chest and striking out again with my stake. He cowers in pain. I grin feeling my imminent victory and stab for the heart. Suddenly I'm flying backwards. Stars spring to my eyes with blinding pain as my head smacks the concrete. I stifle a whimper and try to roll over. There's blood. Lots of blood. I run my hands over my skull wincing at the contact. They're clean. Oh god, Adrian. My heart races, I lurch to my feet, bent over and unsteady with the ringing in my ears. My eyes follow the blood, dreading what they'll find. A mop of sandy blonde hair mottled with blood rests at an awkward angle on the ground. Empty blue eyes stare at me, face frozen in a howl of pain. I'm going to be sick. The strigoi growls behind me and I whip around, fighting the nausea in my gut. I swing violently and my stake finds its mark, burying deep in the strigoi's chest as he lunges for me. We fall together to the ground. His sharp nails scrape my side, gouging deep into the skin, jaws snapping for my neck. With a shriek I twist my stake shoving it further in. The growling stops, replaced by a slow gurgle, and finally, nothing at all.

"Adrian" I whimper, "Get it off! Get it off! Get it off!" I shout, fighting my growing hysteria. Silence greets my bubbling panic. "Adrian?" I dare to whisper. The reddened eyes of the strigoi's corpse stare into my soul. I keep expecting him to snarl, or try to rip my throat out. Finally I feel the dead weight start to shift; I roll quickly from underneath it and stagger to my feet. The world sways dizzyingly before my eyes, nausea threatening to overtake me.

"Rose" Adrian's gentle voice cuts through my turmoil, his firm grip holding me level.

"Are you ok?" is all I manage before the nausea surges. I wretch and wretch into nearby bushes until my stomach can't empty itself anymore. The entire time Adrian's gentle hands don't leave my hair, holding it back and stroking my head.

"James" is all I can manage. Adrian nods solemnly and passes me a piece of mint gum. I chew it, glad to be rid of the bitter taste in my mouth, and press a hand to my side. The scratch marks deeper than they seemed.

"I'm sorry Rose, he tried his best, but... it was just too strong, and..."

"And I not fast enough" I finish, ignoring the slippery feeling of my blood between my fingers. I can't afford to think of it.

"Rose, you can't blame yourself" Adrian whispers, pulling me into a hug. I breathe deep. Inhaling the comforting scent of his cologne; trying to calm my racing heart. His fingers trace my spine leaving tender tingles beneath their caress.

"I guess that's another molnija mark to add to my collection" I remark, sarcasm biting my tone.

"Another mark of your bravery, Rose...you saved my life." I only nod in response, my forehead pressing into the soft linen of his shirt. Adrian's breath tickles my neck as he whispers "I think they make you beautiful. What is a rose without her thorns?" Electric shivers slink down my spine and butterflies tighten in my core.

We can't go on like this, or I'll do something I regret. Get it together Hathaway, his potential fiancé is like five feet away.

I pull away and take a steadying breath. "I'm glad you're ok. Is Anna?" I say desperate to change the subject. I can feel Adrian tense beneath my fingers. I hate myself for having to push him away.

"She's fine, shaken up for sure, but to her James was nothing more than a servant. That it was his duty...to die for her... for us." Disgust taints Adrian's tone and I can't help the fury bubbling in my blood. I push away from Adrian's warm hug and watch Anna on her cellphone. She's no doubt contacting the other guardians at the court. Good, it's the once useful thing I've seen her do. She stares at me, her gaze empty and complexion ashen from shock. Anna yells something into the phone. It doesn't sound good, something about them not being fast enough. There probably won't be more guardians any time soon. I sway on my feet, dizzy from the blood loss. We need to get out of the open. There might be more strigoi nearby. Nausea rolls through me again. I can't tell if its strigoi or James' mutated body that is the cause.

"Rose?" Adrian's panicked voice reaches my ears, his emerald eyes locked onto my every move. I hate Anna for causing the dark circles beneath them.

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