I KNEW YOU COULD MOVE THOSE HIPS BETTER THAN THAT.

[ season 1 — episode 7 ]

Mischa trailed almost shyly behind Lissa and Dimitri as her younger sister tried to explain the last-minute trip they wanted to make. As expected, he shut it down almost immediately, sparing a few glances back at Mischa, surprised she was involved with this as well.

"A trip into the human world." Dimitri had to scoff as they stopped near the steps leading out of the hotel. "Do you realize the kind of pre-planning that normally takes? It's a playground for Strigoi out there. Route planning, recon, coordination of guards. We don't have the necessary clearances. They won't so much as open the provincial gates for us."

"They will for me," Adrian spoke up confidently, alerting them to his presence. He was leaning casually against the wall, dressed in a suit with his sunglasses on and a flask in hand.

Dimitri sighed and looked back to Lissa, hating that Adrian was even there in the first place. He had exactly one interaction with the man, which ended in a night with Mischa where Adrian was miles away from either of their thoughts. He'd have been content to never see the man again. "This is foolhardy. Go another day when I know I can keep you both safe."

Before either girl could speak, Adrian was opening his mouth again, as he so often did. "Wow, you got a real earnest one here. Are you sure he's cool for what we got to do?"

"We trust him implicitly," Lissa said, facing Dimitri one more time with a determined look.

But the Guardian didn't waver and instead set his jaw and crossed his arms. No way was he letting his charges do this, especially without the proper protection. So, Mischa did what Rose asked her to and pulled Dimitri's attention away. She was there to convince him any time he wavered in the plan.

She gently touched his arm, and his gaze fell on her hand before his head tilted to the side so he could look at her. With his face turned from the others, his eyes softened only for Mischa.

"Dimitri," she began softly. "I promised to take my own safety into consideration when it came to things like this and respect you enough to come to you. And I know why you don't like this, but it's important. This is what we're doing — Lissa is going with or without either of us. And do you really want to leave me to the human world with only Adrian to protect me?"

At that, they all looked back at Adrian, who simply shrugged. "I am useless in a fight," he admitted. Then he pouted at Mischa while slowly removing his sunglasses and putting a hand to his heart. "And you wound me, my Little Mouse." Dimitri's nostrils flared at the use of the possessive nickname. Mischa wasn't Adrian's anything as far as he was concerned.

Mischa simply grinned at Adrian and moved past Dimitri toward him. But she only made it a few steps before the Dhampir grabbed her wrist, making her hesitate for a moment. Mischa looked back at him over her shoulder, and they shared a meaningful look. With their hands hidden between their bodies, she carefully brushed her thumb over his knuckles, silently telling him everything would be okay.

"Please?" she whispered, knowing they needed him to go.

After a moment, he released the tense breath he'd been holding and nodded. Misch smiled thankfully and descended the steps with Dimitri and Lissa to join Adrian.

"And now we have m - our Dhampir," Mischa told Adrian, who slid his sunglasses back on for his hangover. She nearly slipped up and called Dimitri 'her Dhampir' which would certainly bring up questions given that he was currently assigned to both Dragomir girls.

"Speaking of which, Lissa," Adrian said, looking at the youngest twin. "You told me that I would have my own... Guardian."

It was then that Rose arrived on the scene, dressed in the official jacket given to Guardians and with a silver stake strapped to her side, causing Adrian to trail off. "I know, I'm late," she breathed back, looking at her friends and then the unfamiliar face.

Adrian spotted her and leaned off the wall, removing his sunglasses once again so that he could admire her without the obstruction. It was evident the ever-so-flirty Moroi liked what he saw. "Well, hello, little Dhampir," he greeted, his lips turning up.

Rose looked at him in surprise as Mischa giggled and Dimitri rolled his eyes. She soon moved on to Lissa, not looking rather impressed with him. "This is the guy? The one Mish is always telling stories about?" she asked doubtfully.

"Oh, you'll learn to love me just like Mouse does," Adrian said, wrapping an arm around Mischa's shoulder and truly testing Dimitri's patience with the move.

His words only earned an eye roll from Rose, but she paused when she saw the large, expensive-looking car that was parked outside with a valet attendant guarding it. She looked at Adrian with an excited glint in her eyes, letting out a laugh. "I'm driving," she declared.

She held out a hand, and Adrian pulled out the car keys, dangling them in the air. "I am in your hands," he said with a smirk, dropping the keys into her palm.

After that, Adrian and Lissa headed to the car, planning to ride in the back. Mischa grinned at Rose. "I'm in your hands too, so don't crash," she teased before following after them and leaving the two Dhampir at the entrance.

Dimitri looked at Rose while raising an eyebrow. "Have you ever even driven a car before?"

Rose's smile dropped at the smug look on Dimitri's face. She hardly budged as he took the keys from her hands. Though she knew the best way to pay him back while staring ahead at Mischa. Adrian was offering her a hand and helping her into the car.

"Guess she's in your hands."

☾

It was embarrassing how many times Dimitri looked back in the rearview mirror to keep an eye on Mischa, who was to the left of Adrian and right behind him in the backseat of the car. He didn't like how Adrian kept his arm slung over Mischa's shoulder. And it was the hand he kept his flask in, meaning she was brought close every time he wanted a drink — and the alcoholic wanted a lot of drinks.

Rose noticed every time he did and bit back a smirk each time. She'd heard Mischa insist enough times that the Moroi crammed in between the twins wasn't really interested in her despite his flirty nature. They were just close, but Dimitri seemed to be worried it was more. He was almost too jealous to ignore the angry pounding in his ears to actually overhear the odd discussion that Lissa was having with Adrian, which Mischa rarely interjected in.

"And they just comply? Whatever you tell them?" Adrian asked, fascinated by the concept of compulsion.

"Most of the time," Lissa replied, remembering how it didn't quite work right when she used it on him.

Adrian smiled and leaned back a bit. "When you tried that with me, I could feel you knocking at the door of my consciousness. I'm envious."

Mischa elbowed him lightly and grinned. "Says the man who can just stroll into her dreams," she reminded him, thinking it was just as impressive.

"About that, be sure to expect a visit from me," he said, leering playfully at her. Then he cleared his throat and leaned toward the front seats, setting his sights on Rose. "Now, Rose, just so you know, when I start making inappropriate cameos in your dreams, just know that's not Spirit Magic, all right? That's just your intense attraction to me." Mischa and Lissa grinned while Rose just looked at Adrian in disbelief, who held his flask out to her. "Are you a whiskey kind of lady?"

She scoffed and faced the front again. "Where did you find this guy?"

"At a party of his in Portugal a few years back," Mischa revealed. "Andre snuck me in."

Adrian sighed and relaxed against the seat, taking a sip of whiskey. "I remember that pink miniskirt like it was yesterday."

"Because you tripped and knocked a shrimp cocktail all over it, and I had to throw it away," she said, crossing her arms and leaning against the door. "A great way to ensure I never dream of you all on my own."

"Anyway, Adrian, have you ever healed anyone?" Lissa asked, not wanting to get off track.

Adrian looked at her with wide, shocked eyes, wondering if he'd misheard her. "He - heal? You can heal? How?" He wasn't the only shocked one. Dimitri was listening carefully, his confusion over it all evident on his face.

Lissa had to shrug, not sure how to put it into words, as it just came to her. "Well, it's just like the other power. It's like this part of me drops inward and pools, and I get this warm rush, and I can do stuff."

"Amazing," Adrian told her. "Have you seen the auras yet?"

"Auras?" she asked, her interest piqued even more. "No. Not yet."

"What the hell is all this?" Dimitri finally spoke up. And he directed his next words at Adrian, not bothering to hide his frustration over it all. "And where are we going?"

Rose took in a deep breath and looked at him as well. "Time to clue us in."

After a moment, Adrian nodded and cleared his throat. "There is a scholar that we think has some answers that Lissa and I very much need."

"A Moroi scholar in the human world?" Mischa asked, looking at him in wonder. She had no clue Moroi could live amongst the humans.

Adrian nodded. "She's written some things about St. Vladimir that haven't made her very popular with the church. Or the Queen. Or anyone, really."

"A heretic?" Dimitri asked, clearly mad over it all now. This was beginning to go against every belief in the Dominion.

"An iconoclast who's been accused of heresy," Adrian corrected before chuckling.

Mischa couldn't see Dimitri's face well but she could tell by his tense shoulders that he wanted to turn the car around and go right back to the safety of the province. But then he met her eyes in the rearview mirror after seeking her out yet again and kept driving as she smiled hopefully at him.

"Lissa. Mish," Rose said suddenly, her eyes glued to the window.

They'd finally gotten off the long, winding roads that took them further from the hotel and toward the human world, which they were finally seeing. As Lissa looked out hers, Mischa looked out her own window in wonder.

The brightly-lit streets of the city were packed with countless humans. They were around every corner, piling in and out of restaurants and other establishments. Some traveled in groups with wide smiles on their faces and others braved the exciting night on their own. As they kept driving, Mischa cracked her window, letting in the noise of laughter and music that put an even wider smile on her face.

"This is amazing," she breathed out, unable to believe they'd missed seeing things like this growing up. There was so much they didn't know about humankind and their culture — but so far, it looked beautiful.

Mischa wasn't the only one realizing how misinformed they were. Lissa glanced at the girls their age in the street and what they were wearing before looking down, taking in her fur-lined coat and expensive jewelry that would make her stick out like a sore thumb. "We need different clothes."

☾

The girls were full of giggles as they ran around the human store with wide eyes, taking in all the bright fashion. Mischa found all the clothes so colorful and wonderful, wishing the people of the Dominion dressed this way more instead of always staying so formal.

While in the dressing room, Rose was throwing plenty of options to her over the door. They would certainly be getting more than a single outfit so that they'd have something to remember their time here by. Lissa was compelling the store worker to let them leave with the items they wanted without calling the authorities — there wasn't exactly a convenient way to exchange their money to human currency here.

"I know you're getting the purple one, but totally put on that tiny crocheted top for tonight," Rose instructed, standing on her toes to peer at Mischa over the door. She couldn't help but smirk. "I bet it'll drive Dimitri crazy."

Mischa's cheeks heated up, which didn't go unnoticed by the Dhampir watching. She simply lowered back down, leaving Mischa to get changed. And maybe she did take Rose's advice when she paired the shirt with the skirt she was wearing, admiring herself in the mirror.

Her outfit consisted of a white, pleated skirt that only fell to the top of her thighs but was high-waisted. She paired it with a small, cropped, checkerboard-pattern tank top that was crocheted out of white and green yarn — the same color of green as Dimitri's eyes. That's why Mischa was interested in it when she picked the hanger off the rack. Rose was interested in it, though, because it was, in Lissa's words, 'skimpy.' It fit less like a shirt and more like a bra — something Mischa noticeably couldn't wear with the human garment.

"What if I get cold?" Mischa asked, turning and admiring her reflection in the mirror. Her entire back was basically exposed, as well as her shoulders and midriff. "Grab me a jacket?"

"Absolutely not," she refused while going into her own changing room. "If you get cold, give an overdramatic shiver, and Comrade will wrap you up in that ridiculous fucking coat he's wearing."

"I like his duster," she murmured shyly, looking down at her shoes. Lissa made her trade out a pair of nice flats for some white platform sneakers that gave her three extra inches of height. There was also a pair of green socks to match her top.

Now finished with getting dressed, Mischa went out to wait for Rose with Lissa. Her sister was wearing a red skirt made out of some kind of shiny fake leather and a puffy red jacket that looked like something Mischa would see someone wear in the human tv shows she would watch with Adrian when he found a way to get the DVDs. And she loved every bit of it.

"Am I ready to play human?" Mischa asked, holding out her arms.

"Not without these," Lissa said with a grin. She held up a handful of accessories that she swiped, having already put on the ones she wanted for herself.

There was something so fun about slipping on cheap, acrylic rings and beaded necklaces with random words on them as opposed to the ancient, priceless family heirlooms they always wore. After that, Lissa took a thick, white headband and put it on Mischa, sliding her long, black hair back away from her face.

"Perfect," Lissa finally declared, finished with her little touch-ups. "Now, what do we want to grab for Rose?"

"Maybe something with color. Her outfit was mostly black, from what I saw," Mischa said, going over to the accessory area. She and her sister decided on a thick, gold chain necklace and a few other matching pieces, knowing Rose would love them.

"Okay," Rose said loudly as she came out in her new outfit while admiring the twins. "We are so hot."

Lissa laughed and went up to her, handing over the jewelry. "Well, get even hotter."

"Then we can take pictures to show Mason when we get back home," Mischa added, wagging her eyebrows. "We can also tell him all about Adrian to get him worked up and jealous."

Rose ignored how her cheeks warmed up at the mention of Mason and shoved Mischa back. "Yeah, 'cause he's totally the only one that needs to be jealous. Adrian's been glued to you all night, much to someone's annoyance."

"Whose annoyance?" Lissa asked cluelessly.

"Oh, my gorgeously stupid best friend," Rose said in a litly tone. God, it wasn't as if they'd been traveling with a large group of men the whole night. "You'll figure it out soon."

"Are we ready?" Mischa asked, wanting to move the topic along, knowing Adrian only really wanted Rose out of the three girls he'd been spending his time with that day.

She glanced hesitantly at the worker who was still compelled. She'd have to write down the name of the store so that they could mail money for the clothes — because they'd taken a lot of clothes, which they stored in brightly-colored paper bags that were by the register.

Rose glanced out the window, seeing Adrian and Dimitri talking to each other, and the Dhampir looked incredibly over it. "Yeah. We should go before he punches Adrian."

"This is so fun," Lissa said, heading to the door while continuously looking down at her outfit. And as soon as the door opened, ringing some kind of bell, it gained the boys' attention. "Do we look human now?"

Dimitri pushed off the wall he'd been leaning on and gave a once over of Lissa when she came out, followed by Rose, thinking they did look like all the young girls that'd walked past the street while waiting. Then Mischa walked out from behind Rose while still grinning, and he held his breath for a moment, eyes raking down her form and taking in the exposed skin. Then he let out a breath, his expression softening as he met her eyes and saw her shy smile.

The moment passed as soon as it came, interrupted by Adrian who shoved his hands in his pocket and began walking. "Okay," he said, trying to pretend like he didn't see the nauseatingly evident look of love on both of their faces.

"All right," Dimitri said, tearing his eyes from Mischa. "So where's this friend we're meeting?"

The Moroi smiled mischievously, knowing he was about to introduce the four companions to a whole new world. "Who wants to go clubbing?"

☾

They could hear the pounding bass of the music before even making it into the club. Despite the long line of humans waiting to get in, Adrian seemed to be a familiar face as all five of them were let in right away, which Mischa was thankful for because of the cold night air. And that was something she didn't have to worry about as they stepped into the humid club that was packed to the brim with bodies.

Mischa looked around in awe at all the humans dancing and drinking together to music so odd and loud with an interesting beat. She'd grown up on classical music and the occasional dance song at parties, but it was nothing like this, which was so loud she could practically feel it in her chest.

The music wasn't the only new thing. The club seemed to be in what used to be a warehouse of some kind. Clear, vinyl tarp-like strips hung from parts of the tall ceilings, creating an illusion of separation in some parts, with the material also catching the bright blue and pink lights. Mischa reached out to touch the plastic as they passed, looking at the people dancing intimately on the other side. And she was quite aware of Dimitri, who hardly left two feet of space between them as they walked through what was a nightmare scenario to Guardians.

"What is this music?" Lissa asked, her eyes just as wide as her sister's.

"I love it," Mischa said quietly, not overheard because of the music.

"It's fսcking perfect," Rose said, letting out an excited laugh. She could go to a place like this every night.

"And all these people. I mean, have you ever seen this many... anybody?" Lissa asked.

"I've never been in a room where I literally know no one," she admitted.

Mischa watched the grinding couple, barely catching how the man seemed to tell the girl his name. "I don't think anybody knows anybody here," she told them, her grin growing.

"No?" Rose asked, unable to believe that.

But surely these people had to be strangers to each other because as they continued to walk, no one in the crowd seemed to have a problem with coming up to get them to dance. A girl that was only a few years older smiled at Mischa and reached for her hand, which she gave her, seeing no harm in it. The girl pulled her close, and Mischa began to mimic the way she was moving her hips, bringing their bodies closer as she learned to dance as humans did. Rose was doing the same with the cute guy that'd been previously dancing with the girl. Then Adrian came up behind Mischa, putting his arm around her shoulders and chest from the front, pulling her back against him as she laughed.

As if this whole ordeal wasn't bad enough, seeing that made Dimitri's blood boil. And when Adrian caught his eye and raised an almost mocking eyebrow, silently asking what his problem was, the Dhampir was questioning his oath to never harm a Moroi. He didn't care how jealous it made him seem as he walked toward them and pushed Mischa away from Adrian, using his whole body instead of just his hands to do so. He also reached for Rose and snatched her away from her partner, knowing she needed to take this more seriously.

"Focus, Rose. This is a protective nightmare," Dimitri said, his eyes scanning the crowd. And as he did, he kept a warm hand on Mischa's back. She could feel his fingertips on her spine and struggled to stop herself from reaching back and holding his hand.

"I got it, Mr. Perimeter Control," Rose said, rolling her eyes.

"Really? How many entry and exit points?" he asked quickly, not really giving her time to reply since there wasn't an answer. "Yeah, I don't know either. You've got three-hundred and sixty-degree exposure on our three charges with only two of us to cover."

Rose wasn't phased by his lecturing as they continued to follow Adrian, who finally began leading them again. "I'm aware, but we're good."

"We could be walking through a Strigoi buffet line!" he argued, tempted to snake an arm around Mischa's waist and just run back to the car with her.

"I'll know if there are Strigoi," Rose said simply before walking a little faster.

Dimitri took in a deep breath before looking back at the overwhelming crowd once again. This was agony to him, knowing they could be picked off so easily in a setting like this. As each second passed, he was more sure that he was going to call it off and force them all back to the safety of the hotel behind their wards.

But then he felt Mischa's soft hand touch his arm. Given that he left his coat in the car, he could feel her warmth better through his thin, long-sleeved, black shirt. He turned his head back around, seeking out her eyes that were staring up at him softly.

"It's going to be okay," she assured him. "I know you're worried, and I love that you are—" A startling feeling in his chest told him that he didn't mind hearing that particular word fall from her lips. "But Adrian comes here a lot, and nothing bad has happened. I trust him."

"Well, I don't," he muttered, eyeing Adrian's back for a second.

But then he looked back when Mischa's hand slid down his arm and to his hand. "This is so important, Dimitri. Please, don't make us stop when we're so close," she said as softly as she could with the music so loud. Because if Dimitri really asked her to leave with him, she would. She'd give up on helping her sister for the time being, even if it was the last thing she really wanted.

He looked at her for a moment longer, the resolve in him crumbling the longer he gazed into her eyes. After a few more seconds, he sighed heavily and nodded, fully giving in. Mischa smiled and pulled him through the crowd, following Adrian as he led them to the very back of the club.

It was a well-guarded area compared to the rest of the human club, Dimitri had to give them that. Three bouncers stood at the entrance, one manning the door and two a little closer by a velvet rope. They didn't have any kind of outward reaction as Adrian sauntered forward and clapped his hands while smiling charmingly. "Hi."

One of the men glanced at Adrian before eying Rose and Dimitri, immediately clocking them as Dhampir. "Muscle stays out here, Ivashkov. You know that," he said flatly.

As Lissa looked back at them doubtfully, Rose waved a hand. "Go. Be quick."

"Got it," Adrian said as the velvet rope was pulled to the side. "One drink, maybe two."

"Absolutely not," Dimitri said, grabbing Mischa's wrist before she could even think about stepping away from his side.

"Dimitri," Mischa began softly, "it's just a few—"

"I'm not letting you out of my sight," he said lowly. And it was evident that no number of arm touches was going to change his stance on that.

Mischa saw the desperate look on Lissa's face and knew they'd come too far to have Dimitri send them packing. Besides, she didn't need to go into the room like the Spirit Users did. "Then I'll stay out here," Mischa offered, looking up at him. "You'll have eyes on me, and Rose will know if something happens with Liss."

Sure, they hadn't explained the bond to Dimitri, but he was smart and had certainly noticed how Rose reacted to a Strigoi being near and somehow knew any time Lissa was in danger. So, he felt better knowing he'd have his eyes on Mischa, and Rose's would be on Lissa in some odd way.

He didn't particularly care about anyone having eyes on Adrian.

"Fine," Dimitri said stiffly. And as a bouncer opened the large, metal door leading to the VIP area, he at least got a look inside. "No uncovered entry points. They'd better be quick."

Lissa smiled in relief and walked backward to join Adrian. "We're only here for information." But then, when she glanced at the bar inside, she got a little giddy, still anxious to experience the world past the yards. "And maybe one drink."

Once they stepped through the door and the bounder shut the rope, Adrian made sure to look back and shoot Rose a flirty look. "Hey, uh, Rose, try not to get too bored without me, all right?"

As Rose rolled her eyes playfully, Mischa just snickered. And Dimitri only felt jumpy as Adrian and Lissa disappeared behind the door. So, he took in a breath and looked at Mischa, secretly comforted by her at his side. Then he looked around the rambunctious, dancing crowd to yet again search for threats.

"Want to do a shot?" Rose suddenly asked them, inching toward the dance floor. Dimitri was the very definition of 'not impressed' as he stared blankly at her, giving her his answer. Rose put her hands up in defense. "Joking. Ish."

Dimitri crossed his arms across his chest. "Walk the perimeter," he ordered, knowing she had to as she was still a Novice.

"Aye, aye, Comrade," Rose said under her breath. She did start to walk away and do as told, though not before stopping for a second to whisper in Mischa's ear. "Make him chill the fuck out."

"Give him a break," she replied, sharing a small smile as Rose went off to keep an eye on the place. Mischa knew how hard this was for Dimitri and she'd certainly spend days trying to make up for all the stress they'd caused him once back behind the wards.

With Rose gone, Mischa looked at the crowd of humans and smiled, taking the time to listen to the new song that was playing. She began to move her shoulders to the beat like the girl was earlier while turning to face Dimitri, who looked as stiff as a board amongst the free and happy humans.

Mischa looked at Dimitri pleadingly, suddenly wanting nothing more than to see him dance again. But he didn't so much as twitch, which caused her to pout while coming closer.

"This isn't our world, Princess," he reminded her.

"No, it's not. But it is fun," she said, glancing at the dancers. Then she looked back at him and couldn't help but laugh. Dhampir were raised and trained to blend in, but here, away from Moroi society, Dimitri stood out like a sore thumb. "You're so awkward."

Dimitri hardly furrowed his eyebrows, holding back a scoff. "I'm doing my job," he reminded her. "I'm protecting you."

"I think we know I can protect myself," she said with a smile. "And maybe you don't know what to do with yourself when you're actually kind of free. No Dhampir. No Moroi bossing you around. None of your rules. Just the music and us — nothing we could get in trouble for."

As she spoke, Mischa continued to dance, moving closer to him as she did. While she got more into it, he turned his head to the side and did a little eye roll that Mischa found far too cute for her own good.

"Just dance with me," Mischa said softly.

With the bass pounding, Mischa moved her hips a little more, letting her whole body connect with the music, all while moving closer. Dimitri tried his best to ignore her, looking around once more half-heartedly. But as she placed her delicate hands on his chest, he was practically a goner.

It was a hardly visible reaction as reactions went, but Mischa knew Dimitri well enough to know he was growing flustered as she let her hands wander along his chest, going lower and lower, earning a quick, deep breath from him as she felt his abdomen tighten. Finally, Dimitri's hands found her hips while pulling her closer.

"There you go," she said, grinning up at him. He leaned down, his forehead touching hers while he danced with her. Mischa's hands moved down his abs before she hooked her index fingers in his belt loops. Her lips grazed his jaw as she murmured in his ear. "I knew you could move those hips better than that."

Dimitri's eyes darkened as he looked down at her, remembering quite well how she could move as well. While continuing to dance and roll his hips against her, he moved his hands from her hips and up her bare sides, seeing how she took in a sharp breath at his touch, especially when he grazed the side of her chest before reaching her arms and taking her hands in his and away from his belt loops.

He held their arms out to their sides for a moment before spinning Mischa underneath his arm and out. Then he quickly pulled her back against his chest, making them both grin. It'd been a long time since Mischa had that much fun, since she felt so truly relaxed as Dimitri turned her around in his arms, pressing her back to his front.

Heat radiated between them and the nonexistent space left in between as they moved in sync. Though he towered over her, he brushed her hair to the side and leaned down to brush his lips against her uncovered shoulder. She felt breathless and like her heartbeat must have been the same speed as the music pounding in their ears, and all from Dimitri's touch alone.

His hands left a burning trail behind as they moved down to her hips again, going even lower, daring to slip his fingertips underneath the fabric of her skirt as he felt her thighs. Once he brought them back up to her hips, Mischa's eyes fell shut, and she covered his hands with her own, intertwining their fingers. When Dimitri's teeth nipped at her jaw, she let out a hardly audible whimper and turned her head to try and kiss him.

But it was like a bucket of ice water was poured over her when she caught a glimpse of Rose while turning. The Novice had finished walking the perimeter and was leaning against the wall, watching the little spectacle with a smirk on her face — she wasn't the only one, as Lissa and Adrian had come out of the VIP room and caught a glimpse as well.

However, mere seconds later, just as Mischa spotted Rose, the Dhampir suddenly bent over and let out a loud groan. "Fuck," she cursed, a familiar and horrible feeling washing over her.

Dimitri and Mischa acted quickly, pulling away like each other's touch was painful as they ran to Rose's side. Mischa grabbed her arms and helped her stay upright as Dimitri began to question her.

"Which is it? Is it Strigoi or Lissa?" he asked, earning a surprised look from Rose, who didn't notice him and his perceptiveness as much as Mischa. "I've seen this enough times, Rose, at home, in Caroni. You feel things coming. Which is it?"

"Strigoi," she muttered, glancing at Lissa and Adrian, who were only four feet away and listening carefully. "We have to get out of here."

Dimitri nodded and put a hand on Mischa's shoulder while looking at Lissa and Adrian, glad they were there already. "Lissa, go. Go, go, go! Go!"

The five of them ran from the club at top speed, each of them keeping their eyes peeled for danger. Dimitri took up the front — never taking one hand off Mischa and the other off a silver stake — while Rose brought up the back, making sure that no Moroi was out of sight. Even though Mischa was a little scared, she trusted that everything would be okay, especially with Dimitri's protective touch guiding her out of the club.

They ran all the way to the car, the girls tumbling into the back seat while Adrian and Dimitri were in the front. The Guardian didn't even wait for their seatbelts to be buckled before he tore from the parking lot, checking all the mirrors for any Strigoi as he did.

"I don't see anyone following," Dimitri said in relief. His eyes then sought out Mischa in the rearview mirror. He knew she wasn't hurt but still needed the visual confirmation.

"What the hell was that back there?" Adrian asked, looking between the two Dhampir.

"There were Strigoi," Rose said, still a little shaken.

"I didn't see any Strigoi," he muttered, scoffing.

"They were there, trust me," she said stiffly. She'd seen one with her own eyes, staring into its red eyes with only one of those clear, vinyl tarps separating them.

As silence fell over them and Dimitri focused on getting them far, far away from the club, Lissa turned her whole body in her seat to face her sister. Given that she was in the middle, Mischa soon found Rose copying her on her other side.

"What the hell was that back there?" Lissa asked, making sure to whisper.

"Not the Strigoi," Rose specified with a little smirk.

Mischa looked between them with her eyebrows furrowed, daring to look confused after the scene she made on the dancefloor. But she got the gist when Lissa subtly nodded toward the man in the driver's seat. So, Mischa simply shrugged, her cheeks visibly heating up. She didn't want to speak and risk him overhearing — for all she knew, he already was listening.

"Took you both long enough," Rose muttered, shaking her head. Mischa looked at her in disbelief while Rose simply pointed to her nose, remembering that first-ever compliment, and Lissa smiled softly.

"I like it," her sister whispered, nudging Mischa's shoulder.

She smiled and looked down at her lap. Sure, her relationship with Dimitri was forbidden and they could never really be together in the public, Dominion eye, but knowing that her sister and best friend approved made her feel warm inside.

"So," Rose said, leaning back and relaxing as the nauseous feeling from the Strigoi passed. "Where are we going?"

Lissa smiled brightly, excited about how close they were. "A little moonlight boat ride, anyone?"

"You must be joking," Dimitri said, scoffing. "We're going back. There was a Strigoi back there."

"But it's gone," Mischa said, leaning forward as she spoke softly. "Rose knew it was coming, and it's gone now. There's not gonna be an army of Strigoi waiting on a boat. I understand why you're worried, but the worst is behind us. We're so close, Dimitri. Please, don't make us turn around. Please?"

Dimitri's eyes met hers in the mirror, her words hitting deeper and working better than any compulsion ever could. Because fuck, he'd do anything she asked of him so long as she always looked at him with those wide, brown eyes and asked 'please' in that voice that always made his hair stand on end in excitement.

"Alright," Dimitri said after a moment, looking back at the road. "Where's this boat going?"

Rose smirked at Mischa, unable to believe she had the strictest Guardian at St. Vladimir's school so easily wrapped around her finger. "Are you sure you aren't the one with compulsion?"