Dimitri's POV in Blood Promise Vampire Academy

Chapter 20

It was silent, the world before me. I felt cold, numb, lost. Hurt. I had been injured, terribly wounded. I couldn't feel the pain, but my subconscious refused to believe the serenity of it all. I'm hurt, I know it. I could feel myself at the brink of death, lost and alone. Even as I'm unconscious, I felt strong. Like all the power in the world belonged to me, yet I couldn't move a muscle. A force caged the remains of my soul into the body, as it began to work it's devilish charm. A dark, evil magic coursed through my veins, repairing the damage inflicted with its cold touch. It held no warmth nor life, yet it was, ironically, reviving me.

Slowly, as my body began to mend itself, my senses were coming back to me. First, the pain. The sharp, agonising stinging in my chest, which still hurt but thankfully lessened with every moment my body began to regenerate. Then, my sense of touch. The soft, plush carpets that embraced my damaged and lifeless self. My hearing returned, allowing me to acknowledge my frail, slow beating heart, which strengthened with every second that passed. My sense of smell . . . my sight . . .

My eyes met with a very white wall, no, a ceiling. I blinked a few times before trying to sit up. I groaned as pain exploded through me. Annoyed, I searched myself for the cause of my agony. A wooden object was pierced through my skin, half of it sunk into my chest. With great difficulty, I grasped the weapon and pulled it out. I stared at the, now crimson, object in my hand.

What happened to me? I looked around the room and stiffened. The memories of what happened flooded through my mind. With Rose, we were talking, the kiss, pain . . . She did this to me, but why? Wait, where is she? I couldn't sense her around. I looked down at the makeshift stake in my hands. It was a chair leg, I could tell by the rounded end. My gaze shifted to the broken chair, abandoned in the corner. I hadn't noticed it before, but now that I did, it seemed so obvious and it shocked me how I hadn't spotted it before.

I underestimated her strength. Even in her weakened state, she managed to overpower me. I can't let her go now, she's too valuable. Her strength is admirable and it's something I need to obtain to succeed at overcoming Galina and gaining immense power, I am very sure---

A loud bang outside of the room caught my attention, causing me to rush to my feet, alert. Marlen was on guard, against his will, as usual, and he seriously hates Rose. After surviving at the mercy of a dhampir, his status here has really plummeted to the worst. I'm surprised Galina hasn't killed him already for being so weak. I'm surprised no other guardians have managed to hunt him down yet too. The problem here was that guardians use weapons to kill Strigoi, and right now, Rose is probably weaponless. He was out there, most likely with Rose.

This is bad, Rose is in trouble, I can't let her die! I typed in the combination with quick fingers and opened the door, running through the narrow corridor. Marlen stood facing the second door, his bloodied fists pounded against something stained in blood. Rose? I shifted closer and realised it was the door he was charging into, in an attempt to break it down. Rose was nowhere in sight. I wasn't sure whether that was a good thing or bad one.

"Where is she?" I demanded.

"She got out." I grinned, thankful I couldn't smell her blood as it meant that she's still alive.

"Wait, she trapped you here didn't she." My words were mocking, and I already guessed what his answer may be.

"She did much more damage to you." He pointed at my blood stained shirt, clearly angered by my words.

"But she beat you without even having a weapon. You don't deserve to live as a strigoi, you insult my species." I shoved him out of the way and typed in the second code. The door had been dented and bruised by Marlen's fists, but the lock still surprisingly flashed green and granted access.