After the True Blood fun, we had snuggled up on the couch and watched a vampire movie marathon for the rest of the day. Throughout the day, we heard a few screams and sizzling. Apparently some of our minions had found the hole in the wall. One had the nerve to call us and interrupt the moment.

Dimitri just barked something at him in Russian and slammed down the phone, breaking it.

When the sun began to set, we turned off 'Twilight' (it was our version of comedy hour), and watched the bright bane of our existence move below the horizon. It was beautiful.

I didn't miss it.

"Ah, Dima…" I moved my head into the crook of his neck.

His cold voice wrapped around me like snow, something so much better than the fiery velvet it had been before. "Dimka, moi lyubof."

And the moment shattered. "No." I moved away, but he held me there. Firmly.

"If you would like, I could have Tasha killed." His eyebrow arched, eyes serious but somehow loving.

I melded my body to him in a comfortable position. "Does that name really mean that much to you?"

He sighed, as was common for him. "Dimka is what my family calls me. You will be my family soon, net?"

I groaned, but was forced to surrender. His mother had called him Dimka…as had the rest of his family…"Alright, Dimka." I gave him a peck on the lips. "Way to ruin the moment."

Dimka straightened up and positioned me to sit on his lap. "The sun has set…we have things to do."

I wanted this romantic moment to stretch on into eternity. But then again, we had eternity to make more of them. I wondered what was so important that we had to stop.

"Like what?" It came out sounding sarcastic, but I meant it seriously. He took it the first way.

"Like what? Like what?" His voice began to rise, and the grip on my body tightened uncomfortably. "Roza, there is business to attend to, food to eat, minions to order around, an empire to expand…I swear, even without that damned ring you still act like a stupid drugged dhampir."

The ring had finally worn off earlier in the library, we had figured out while on the couch. It had taken all of the shadow-kissed darkness I had obtained out of me, so now I was a more…normal…Strigoi. Not as violent or anything.

But man was I glad my 'soul' was gone. The darker Strigoi me was right, it turned me into a pussy.

"Relax, comrade. I meant it seriously." The old nickname slipped out. But hey, we were comrades now.

He did relax. "Ah. Act that way next time, then." Dimitri rose and held his hand out to me. "Shall we, my queen?"

I took his hand gladly. "We shall."

The door burst open. Some Strigoi blubbering Russian. They had not gotten the message. However, they were blubbering to Dimitri, so I guess that was an improvement.

I was growling at the act of being intruded on by a lowly peon, but Dimka gave me a look that told me to stop. I then heard "Vasilisa Dragomir", and understood why he had made me stop.

He was delivering Lissa.

Oh shit. I had completely forgotten about her.

Once the message had been received, Dimitri took a cruel tone of voice and the Strigoi scurried off.

A moment of silence passed between us. He sighed, and looked at me.

"The wall has been fixed, and Vasilisa Dragomir has arrived. And I told this piece of worthless awakening what would happen to him and anyone else if they dared speak Russian around you. Perhaps two will be able to deliver the message."

I merely nodded. It was all I could do.

"Right."

Silence.

"So where is she?" He obviously knew, I didn't.

"Foyer."

Dimitri's answers were curt. I don't know why, considering all he was doing was staring at the expensive wooden wall.

"Well, are we going to go see her, or are you just going to stare at the wall all day?" Anger was beginning to take the better of me.

"For one thing, it's night." He finally looked at me. "For another, I don't know. I want you the way you are." A soft hand picked my chin up and looked deep into my eyes. "I don't want you to be weak anymore."

I softly pulled his hand down. "I won't let her turn me into prey, Dimka. I'm stronger than you think."We just gazed into each others' eyes. "As you wish," he finally spoke.

As we entered the hallway, the staircase dilemma hit us again. "We need an elevator," I muttered.

Dimitri stopped to arch an eyebrow at me. "I agree. Remind me of that later at the meeting."

"Meeting?" We were now over the staircase.

"Yes. Meeting. We'll be having one in a few nights."

Okay, being left out of the loop was really pissing me off now. "And why didn't I know about this before?"

He sighed, exasperated. "Because I just found out now, lyubov. Now let me carry you down the stairs."

"Why should I? Can't I just walk behind you?" I wanted a reason to be angry with him.

"I think earlier I proved that I'm the alpha. In my arms. Now."

I crossed my arms. "No. I refuse. It makes me weak."

I heard a growl and was whisked into his arms. I tried to struggle free, but he was too strong. He kept a tight grip on me as we descended the stairwell.

He let me down softly on the ground floor and moved his mouth close to my ear. "Fight me here and what we have will be shattered." His voice was barely audible, but I understood very clearly. If we argued or physically fought, the others would see a chance to attack us.

So I just shut my mouth, took his hand, and walked to the area where I had fought Galina before. It had been cleaned up, and there were more decorations about now that the area wasn't being used for fighting.

But as my eyes glossed over the center of the former ring, I felt my undead heart stop.

There in a cage was my former, no, still best friend.

There in a cage was my soul…my weakness.

I stood petrified, even though Dimitri was squeezing my hand and urging me on.

I couldn't move. I didn't move.

There was a long moment of silence after her eyes found me.

She screamed.

((I think there'll be about 5 more chapters, then I end it. Opinions on this, and hell, this chapter? READ AND REVIEW!))