Vampire Academy: Last Sacrifice (Dimitri's POV)

Chapter 30

I was wrong. Those two days were an incredibly long time to endure, and I found myself pacing the room over and over. I'd been allowed to bring Rose back to our room, and she was resting in our bed. Every so often, I would pause and sit in the chair beside her bed, taking her limp hand in mine and stroking the soft skin. She looked peaceful in sleep, an expression I hadn't seen in an incredibly long time, and her rich chestnut hair was spread across the pillows.

When I wasn't with Rose, I was busy doing errands for Lissa and the other Moroi. I had many duties to do, and I was desperate to impress Hans after placing my request for Christian Ozera to be my charge. Even when I received the part, which Hans presented to me with a firm handshake, a warm smile and a whispered, "Welcome back," I still couldn't muster up the courage to celebrate like I would've done if the situation had been different.

I knew in the back of my mind that I should probably call my family and let them know about everything that had happened in the past few months, but decided to prolong the call until Rose was awake to do it with me. I knew I would need her strength and moral support when trying to convince my family that I wasn't an evil bloodsucker anymore.

On the third day, by which time I was getting restless despite my constant exhaustion, I was sat by Rose's bed and talking to her about my first duties as Christian's guard and commenting on her new status as Lissa's head guardian.

"Head guardian for the Queen, Roza! This is going to be such a fantastic journey," I told her, "As soon as you wake up, I'm...I'm..." I faltered as I watched her on the bed, her hand twitching slightly. I paused in my speech, pulling away and leaning back into the chair. I'd been told not to crowd her when she woke up just in case there was any damage to her body that we were currently unaware of.

The next half an hour was agonising. I sat in hushed silence, watching Rose as her body gradually began to awaken. Her eyelids flickered, lashes fluttering against tanned skin, and then her eyes slowly opened to reveal those chocolate irises I'd always loved. I held my breath as her eyes flickered around the room, taking in her situation and adjusting to it.

"Sleeping Beauty awakens," I murmured. A smile flickered across her full lips and I felt a matching one grace my own face.

"Are you my nurse?" she asked cheekily, her voice ever so slightly shaky but still the same as it had always been. I pushed myself off the chair and into her line of view, smiling down at her and hoping to convey how glad I was to see her. It seemed so long since I'd seen her smile, seen the slight flush in her cheeks and felt a healthy pulse underneath her silky smooth skin.

She tried to sit up to me when she saw me, but I chastised her until she laid down again.

"No, no, you need to lie down." She winced as she reclined again, and I noticed how she was slightly out of breath after such a tiny movement.

"Then come closer. I want to see you." I kicked off my shoes as Rose rolled onto her side, shuffling backwards to make room for me on the bed. I laid down next to her, curling my legs up to stop them taking up so much room. Her face was inches from mine, dark brown eyes staring directly into mine.

"Is this better?" I wondered, wanting to fulfil her every need.

"Much." A lock of hair fell onto her face, resting on her cheekbone, and it was too much to resist; I reached out to gently tuck it behind her ear, stroking her cheek.

"How are you?"

"Hungry." I chuckled. Typical Rose. Full to the brim with love for the girl beside me, I let my hand fall to her back, drawing her closer to me.

"Of course you are. I think they've only managed to get broth into you so far. Well, that and IV fluids early on. You're probably in sugar withdrawal." She winced slightly, nose turning up.