I Took Rose Hathaway's Place

Dhampir?

"You're a dhampir? How?"

"Genetics. Or, well, we went to a clinic, and they used my, stuff  to get your mother pregnant. It's not possible for true dhampir-dhampir conception and-"

I cut him off. "Enough of the talk. We're leaving."

"Straight for Russia?" He asked.

"Yeah."

"Really? Just like that? Ohhh, you know, you need to talk to Abe."

"Ibriham Mazur?"

He nodded. "He has... contacts. They will help you."

"Rose Hathaway's father. Your brother-in-law."

He nodded again. 

Dimitri and I turned to leave, but Darren grabbed me. 

"At least give me a hug."

I carefully hugged him, and I felt him slip a piece of paper into my pocket.

I nodded, and left.

The metal detector went off as I passed through.

They stopped me, and waved a wand. By then, I had put the paper into my bra, and knew there was something in it. 

The guard looked at me pointedly. 

I shrugged. "It's just my nipple piercings. I don't feel comfortable showing you though."

He shrugged, and waved us through. 

As soon as we were out to the cars, Dimitri burst out laughing.

"Alice, really? Nipple piercings?"

I smiled. "How else was I supposed to get through."

He shook his head, kissed me, and got in his car. 

In the car, I opened the paper. 

Inside was a key. The note read: "Alice, you need this key. It will take you to my home, where you will call Ibriham Mazur."  There was an address and a number. I began driving, and Dimitri followed me in his car.

Soon, we arrived at an old warehouse. I got out of the car, stake in hand, as it was night. Dimitri did the same. 

I looked around. "Damn. This is where he lives. But... it's been years."

I began walking toward the warehouse, aware of my surroundings. Dimitri followed.

Carefully, I kicked the door open. There wasn't anything inside.

But when I stepped inside, I got sick.

Like Rose did. Strigoi. My mind was quick to remember that, and I backed out, into Dimitri, right as a Strigoi jumped at me. 

He was fast, and used to be a dhampir. But I was fast too.

I grappled with him for a moment, before staking him.

I turned, and saw Dimitri stake one of his own.

Then, it was eerily silent. 

My stomach wasn't churning anymore.

"We're good," I whispered.

But before he could reply, a car drove up. And Ibriham Mazur stepped out.