Fuck. How had he survived that? The three-on-one odds were amazing. Rose almost was vaguely proud of him - even though it meant he was again hunting her.
She wound her way through the hedge maze, praying that the next turn would see her free of the maze.
Sure he couldn't see her, but Dimitri knew Rose was out there. "I won't kill you, not if you give yourself up," he promised. "I owe you for helping me take out Galina. It may have happened sooner than planned but now I'm in charge." He stalked quickly and quietly through the maze, calling out to her in an almost taunting manner. "Of course, there aren't that many to control now that Nathan and the others are dead, but we can fix that!"
Okay, God, Rose started to bargain. Help me the rest of the way, and I'll do anything. Start going to church. I'll donate all of Chuck's money to charity. I'll get baptized. I'll join a convent...okay, not that one.
Dimitri knew the paths through the maze, and Rose could hear his voice getting closer. She hurried up again, trying to stay as quiet as possible as she turned down one row then the next.
"Don't worry, Roza, I'm not upset about you attacking me, either," he called out into the darkness. "I would've done the same in your position. Yet another reason we should be together!" Not that he thought he'd be able to let her live if she didn't show herself. Unpredictability was not a bonus with Strigoi.
The ankle she'd hurt jumping out that window throbbed as she hurried forward, trying to figure out how close he needed to be before he picked up her trail. Rose closed her hand on the stake in her pocket, reassuring herself that her weapon was still there. She was still weak from the days of blood loss, but he'd gotten beaten up too. She might be able to take him.
"If I find you, I'm probably going to have to kill you," he admitted, not bothering to mince his words as he stalked her through the darkness. "I don’t want to, but I doubt there's a way we can both live in this world. Come to me by choice, and I'll still awaken you. We'll control my new empire together."
She almost snorted. She was lost. How exactly was she supposed to find her way to him? God, another dead end, Rose spun around, trying to calm the panic in her mind. Panic would get her killed. She had to stay cool. Even if the nausea was increasing every moment he got closer.
With every step he took, Dimitri was getting more frustrated that she wasn't coming to him. "Even if you get out of this maze, where will you go?" It wasn't like she had a car. "We're in the middle of nowhere!"
Not listening to him. Not listening. If she let herself listen, she'd just curl up in a little ball and wait for him to find her. She had to keep going. Lissa needed her.
Rose took a sharp turn and - she was out. Out and in the middle of nowhere just like Dimitri had said. She turned slowly, her eyes scanning the dark horizon until she saw the slight glow of a city that she had to think was Novosibirsk. Knowing she couldn't hope to make it all the way there, Rose took off running through the dark.
Stalking her scent through the chill air was difficult with the pine all around. He ran through the garden, feeling the toll of the earlier staking and fight in his body. Blood, blood was what he needed to get through this and if he found Rose, there would be plenty.
Bursting out of the end of the maze, Dimitri's keen eyes looked out on the open field, scanning for any sign of which way Rose had run. The line of trees between where he stood and the river were the path Dimitri would've chosen, so that was where he headed.
She couldn't run much farther. Her ankle wasn't going to hold her weight even if she managed to find the energy somewhere. Rose made it into the trees, trying desperately to think of a plan - any plan.
Finally she looked up just as she remembered Tasha Ozera saying that sometimes you had to pick your stand and fight. Fine. She'd try it. Hopefully she wouldn't get killed. Rose pulled herself up into the branches of the nearest tree, climbing quickly to try to get high enough.
"Roza!" Once in the trees, Dimitri tried his talking too much tactic once more. "I swear it's not too late!"
Moving deeper into the trees, his voice dropped lower as he scanned between the tress. "I know you're here. You have no chance of running. No chance of hiding."
Just a moment. Just another moment, and Rose gripped her stake more tightly, afraid of attracting his attention if she wiped the sweat off her hand. Finally he was just under her.
No more waiting, Rose leaped, attempting to knock Dimitri to his back and stake him all in one move.
He'd been looking down, not expecting her to come at him from above. His back slammed against the ground and he immediately blocked her stake, trying to throw her off of him.
She could tell how exhausted he was from the previous fighting, but it wasn't like Rose was doing much better. She clung to him, refusing to be thrown off as she struck out with the stake aiming for that rip in his shirt where she'd managed to stake him earlier.
The sharp end raked across his chest, leaving quite the burning pain, but no instant death. Dimitri aimed a backhand toward her face, willing to do whatever necessary to knock her out so he could drain her.
She wound her way through the hedge maze, praying that the next turn would see her free of the maze.
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Dimitri knew the paths through the maze, and Rose could hear his voice getting closer. She hurried up again, trying to stay as quiet as possible as she turned down one row then the next.
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Probably not though.
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Rose took a sharp turn and - she was out. Out and in the middle of nowhere just like Dimitri had said. She turned slowly, her eyes scanning the dark horizon until she saw the slight glow of a city that she had to think was Novosibirsk. Knowing she couldn't hope to make it all the way there, Rose took off running through the dark.
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Bursting out of the end of the maze, Dimitri's keen eyes looked out on the open field, scanning for any sign of which way Rose had run. The line of trees between where he stood and the river were the path Dimitri would've chosen, so that was where he headed.
Reply
Finally she looked up just as she remembered Tasha Ozera saying that sometimes you had to pick your stand and fight. Fine. She'd try it. Hopefully she wouldn't get killed. Rose pulled herself up into the branches of the nearest tree, climbing quickly to try to get high enough.
Reply
Moving deeper into the trees, his voice dropped lower as he scanned between the tress. "I know you're here. You have no chance of running. No chance of hiding."
Reply
No more waiting, Rose leaped, attempting to knock Dimitri to his back and stake him all in one move.
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