CHAPTER 10

The next day . . . ,

  We were all headed to the library to find out more about . . . me? The others already started but didn't find anything. I was getting really irritated with this mystery moroi crap. All I wanted was a normal life. Whether it was human, moroi or dhampir but it looks like mine will always be interesting and adventurous.

 Once we gathered at the library, we were separated into groups. I, of course, was with Daniel since the others were already married and in pairs. Lissa and Christian sent Andre to his friend's house near the college for the weekend and Sara and Valerie went shopping. I really gotta hand it to Mikael and Joseph. They were actually going shopping with two shopaholics. Good luck to them.

But, my activity is much worse. I had to sit down and read books. HISTORY BOOKS. I've always loved history but when it came to history about moroi politics . . . ? Hell no! We were all getting bored to hell about reading. Aunt Sydney actually had three large cups of coffee and Adrian had a few drinks. Sparkling wine, actually ... Nobody wanted to get him anything stronger.

Just when I was thinking the time flew by slowly, I heard Christian say it was ten. I groaned and dropped my head on the book. Daniel chuckled beside me. Adrian had slept off and my mom was holding her hair as if she was going to pull it off instantly. Lissa was leaning on Christian's shoulder.

Jill and Eddie were also half asleep but carried on. Sydney looked like she was reading something important. I felt my eyelids close but instantly open them when someone jumped from their chair screaming "I found it!" probably Sydney. Everyone ran to her in fast speed and looked at the book she was reading. It was hard to read with everyone trying to read it. "IT's in Latin" my mom complained. Adrian woke up staring at Sydney.

"Good thing you have me" said Sydney cheerfully.  She started reading it slowly. Translating every word into English.

A child will be born to two and will be least expected by mortals. The child will be the one to destroy the evil that lurks between the mortal and immortal worlds. This child will not be a miracle but will inherit the rare element that drives one mad. With the help of the guardian, the child will be the strongest only to be stopped by death and unbinding.  The child will specialize in all elements.

FIRE- danger

EARTH- love

AIR- desperation

WATER- broken

The child is able to conjure up all elements without being exhausted by being bound to the lover. Since birth. The  child is marked by none other than a birthmark that only the closest ones would know about. The child will wield such great power that  once known, will be in grave danger all the time. Those dearest would pay heftily. A mission shall be brought upon as the last Vladimir is shown to the world and is bound by love and darkness to the once famous shadow- kissed Anna . . .

"Well, that's deep" Adrian commented.

"It's not completed . . ." Sydney said.

"What do you mean?" my mother asked.

"There's a tear at the bottom of the page so, . . . I reckon that whoever found it first to prevent someone from finding out more"

"Then we find out how old the tear is and who did it" Dimitri said.

"No point. It's late" Christian replied. "Could be anyone too" he added.

"Looks like we've got no leads then" said Lissa.

"I wouldn't say nothing . . ." said Sydney.

"Let's call it a night" Mikhail answered.

The minute I reached my bed, I plopped on it and fell straight into the blackness of sleep. Another vision creeped into my mind and I watched it patiently. It was neither good nor bad. It was . . . amazing. It was an image of my mom's wedding. There was a small boy on Adrian's lap. It must have been Daniel.

I started tearing up. If Daniel and I ever have something like this, it would be life changing for me. But then, I can't control his love. Even, my spirit hasn't kicked in. assuming I do have it.

                                    *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

I woke up smelling bacon and eggs. I got up and walked downstairs. At the counter, everyone was already eating their breakfast. "Morning" I yawned.

"Good morning, Sophia" my mother said. I stared at her. She was in a good mood...

"Good morning, Sofiya" said Dimitri happily.

"Morning" whispered Daniel.

"I'm starving" I confessed as my stomach grumbled. Everyone chuckled.

Just as we were about to finish breakfast, my mother's phone rang. She walked outside and started talking. Dimitri followed behind her. I just sat there and ate my breakfast like there was nothing going on. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Just hungry." I said truthfully.

"When are you going to tell your father?" asked Daniel.

"When I feel like it's the right time to"

"Okay... but just so you know, don't wait too long" he squeezed my hand.

"Okay..."

When my mother came back in, she rushed us all to get ready. As usual, I was the slowest. I took a quick shower and grabbed the first thing I could find in my closet to wear. I put on my flats and took my phone. There were a few texts. i opened it and found it was from Sara.

Hey,  Val  and  I got you something. Come over when you're free. Shopping was awesome though the guys were pretty freaked out. Enjoy your long night in the library . . . oops. I kinda found out. Sorry. J

I smiled and quickly replied :-

Great. Thanks! It was tiring and too bad for the guys though. I'll be sure to come IF I'm free. See ya! ^_^

Once we got to the SUV, my father drove us off to the library. Again. I skipped up the stairs to the library and opened the double doors. When I walked in, Sydney, Adrian, Christian, Lissa and well, everyone was there. I jogged over to their table and sat down. Daniel, my mom and Dimitri arrived a while after. "Hey, guys!" my mom greeted. Everyone noticed her cheerful character and grinned. I raised both my eyebrows waiting for an explanation but there wasn't any.

"Okay. So basically, we know you're moroi but it isn't much to go on" Sydney said.

"Actually, there is something important" Sonya suggested. "Remember, Sophia?"

Daniel nudged me and I side glanced at him. He was motioning me to tell them. I took a deep breath and sighed. "Guys . . . , I have something to tell you ..." I started.

"I knew it! You're in love with Daniel aren't you?!" Christian suggested.

I froze. Daniel froze. Dimitri shifted uncomfortably.

"Nope. Something else more important" I said softly.

"Are you pregnant?" my mom asked awkwardly.

My eyes widened. "What?! No! of course not!"

"What is it?" asked Dimi.

"Sophia, please tell us" my mother begged.

"I . . .  I really don't know how to put this but . . . ." I said. "I see things. Well, not consciously but when I'm asleep, I get . . . visions. They're kind of about ..." I trailed off.

"About?" Lissa asked curiously.

I stared at them. Watching their expressions. Some showed curiosity, some amusement, annoyance and some anger (mother). Christian and Adrian showed the amused expressions. "Mum" I squeaked confidently. They stared at me dumb- founded.

"Excuse me?" my mom said.

"Yes, mother. I get visions of you"

"Do you have any proof that you're not making this up?" asked Sydney.

"Of course sh-" Started Daniel.

"I do" I said firmly. "I dod have proof but Dimitri and my mom aren't going to like it" Dimi raised an eyebrow and everyone looked at my mom whose cheeks flushed pink. Dimitri slipped his arm around mother's waist and smiled down at her.

"What's your proof then?" said Lissa.

"When you were in Russia . . ." I whispered. "Only a handful of people actually knew what happened in Novosibirsk . . ." I said unsure if I should continue or not. Mother stared at me and shifted uncomfortably while Dimitri tensed.

"Continue" she said casually.

"Dimi held you captive in Galina's Estate. He . . . he . . . used you . . . he wanted you to become strigoi but you kept asking questions to distract him from your . . . escape" I said softly.

"How do you know?" mom asked. "Lissa, did you tell her?"

"No! you told me not to tell anyone and I didn't!" she defended.

"Sophia . . . , who told you this?" Sydney asked.

"No one" I said confidently.

"No one?" Eddie asked.

"No one, okay! Jeez. What is with you people..." I exclaimed.

"Calm down" Daniel whispered. His breath on my neck made me shiver. Oh, how I wish he'd kiss me and hold me close. To feel his lips on mine and the touch of his silky soft sandy brown hair. I felt a tingle go down my spine. Christian cleared his throat. "Okay . . . is that all you know?"  he asked.

"No. I know a lot more"

"How much?" Dimi questioned.

"Enough . . . to know what happened when you were 17"

"No..." mom whispered.

Everyone looked at her. They were all clueless as to what was going on. "What is it, Roza? Please tell me" Dimitri said frantically. "She knows . . ." she said. "She saw"

"Saw what?" he asked her.

She whispered something to him and his eyes widened. He turned and looked at me. I smiled sheepishly. I mean, think about seeing your mom naked. I cringed. It couldn't get any more awkward but it did. Every guy either smirked or grinned and every woman blushed. My mother's cheeks were so red they almost looked like a brilliant red color. "So . . . , what are we here for?" I asked desperately trying to change the topic.

I was failing miserably since everyone was looking at their partners with passion, affection and . . . lust. I took that as my cue to leave. I grabbed Daniel's hand and walked out the door. He stopped outside the library and I turned to look at him curiously. He stared at me and walked towards me in slow strides. His sexy smile was plastered on his face. Something was definitely wrong. He pushed me to the wall and pinned me there. I couldn't move. I did not expect that. He brought his lips to mine and started kissing me. I reacted quickly and kissed him back. Our lips were moving in sync. I ran my hands through his hair while he slid his hands around my waist. Our kisses started soft and slow but became full of lust and passion. That is, until someone cleared their throat.

Daniel and I broke apart from each other and faced the people watching us. We've been busted. It was Lissa, Sonya and Adrian. All with spirit. I blushed furiously. "Well, I knew something was up" said Lissa.

"We could have told you were very much in love without that kiss" said Adrian.

"Your auras are brighter than anything I've ever seen. Brighter than Dimitri and Rose's-" answered Sonya.

"And? You're going to tell us we can't be together, right?" Daniel asked.

"No, son. We're here to tell you that we knew. And I'm here to tell you to treasure her" Adrian replied.

"What's with the sudden change of heart, dad?"

I kept my mouth shut. It was rare to see Daniel talk back to anyone and it was getting interesting. I could tell Lissa and Sonya were as amused as I was. Daniel and Adrian ended up arguing for a long time. I finally got tired and got their attention. They looked at me curiously. "Stop. Arguing. NOW" I said sternly. Lissa and Sonya gasped.

"You used compulsion on me!" exclaimed Adrian.

"Sofiya, how could you?" Daniel grumbled.

I scoffed and glanced at the both of them. I sighed. "You guys were getting on my nerves. Besides, it doesn't have as much power unlike a spirit user's compulsion" I said calmly. Lissa exchanged a look with Sonya and Daniel then glanced at me and Daniel. "Adrian . . . did you notice?"

"Yes, Lissa. I did." He replied with his eyes fixated on me.

"Sophia, only a spirit user can control more than one person at compulsion." Sonya said.

"Not necessarily" answered Daniel.

"What do you mean, Dan?" asked Adrian.

"If a moroi practices compulsion a lot, their compulsion is stronger"

"True . . . we still have no leads" Sonya said.

"Will you tell my mother?"

"Tell Rose what?" questioned Lissa.

"About . . . us" replied Daniel.

"Oh... I don't know" she answered.

I suddenly remembered something. She said something about auras. That mine and Daniel's being brighter than my mom's and Dimitri's. I opened my mouth to talk but no words came out. I didn't know what to ask so I just said "Auras . . . you guys said something about auras"

"Yes, we did. What about it?" asked Adrian.

"You said our aura is brighter than Dimi and Rose's aura . . . what do you mean?"

"Yes. Tell us what it means" agreed Daniel.

"Very well. Dimitri and Rose's aura is always glowing and very bright around each other but yours . . . it's both the same color and always glows. It's also sometimes too bright as if its blinding your eyes. It's like looking at the sun" answered Sonya.

"Also . . ." continued Adrian. "Sometimes we can't see your auras. It's like there's something blocking it. Like you're strigoi or something." I shuddered.

"Thanks for explaining" thanked Daniel.

"No problem. And I won't tell Rose." Said Lissa.

"Adrian and I won't too. Though, we should get back" said Sonya.

We bade goodbye and parted. They head back to the library and Daniel and I headed . . . nowhere. "Where are we going?"

"The park" he replied.

At the park, we sat on the bench, happily talking about the people walking to and fro. Until, a girl and her friends screamed. Daniel and I immediately stood up, ready for battle but it turns out, they were my . . . fans. Some kids were running towards us while their parents rushed after them. Teenagers stood their grounds, admiring the scene and whispering. Guardians looked blank but had an amused shine in their eyes. Couples stood and looked at Daniel and I in wonder. Soon, many people were crowding us. Daniel tugged on my arm and pulled me towards my house's direction. We were running in full speed and during the whole journey, we were holding hands. People glanced at our escapade, wondering what the hell was wrong with us.

Once inside, he closed the door and we bust out laughing. Sadly, footsteps made us stop and changed our mode into guardian mode. Well, novice for me but whatever. Some came out of the kitchen. My eyes widened. It was my grandmother. And that wasn't the weirdest part. Nooo!  She was in an apron. A freakin apron. Behind her, Abe was smiling broadly. They stopped in their tracks. Janine raised her eyebrows and Abe's smile, if possible, became more bigger.

"What were you two running away from?" Janine asked.

"Lord, Janine. They just came back. Why are you tackling them with questions?" Abe asked, annoyed.

"I just want to know what happened. That's all!" she exclaimed.

"Stop it!" I exclaimed. "I am now a . . . celebrity" I said awkwardly.

"What?" my grandmother asked dumbly.

"We were at the park and some kids saw us and started running towards us. Everyone was practically admiring her" answered Daniel.

"Well, would you look at that. Eighteen and already a celebrity" grinned Abe. I scoffed.

We were forced into the kitchen to have some lunch before it became cold. My grandmother, as it turns out, baked some salmon and made a salad to go with it. Kind of fancy but it was nice. Not as nice as Dimi's food though. After eating, Janine stood beside me at the sink to make sure I actually washed the dishes.

Eventually, after four long hours of chatting with my grandparents, my parents finally arrived back home. When they walked into the living room, I swear to god, my mother's expression was priceless. I grabbed my phone and snapped a picture. She was too busy staring at her parents to realize I took a photo of her. I should make a bet with Christian. I bet I would make loads of money in a day . . .

"What are you guys doing here?" she finally spoke.

"We thought we'd give you a surprise" Abe answered.

"Clearly" mom said.

"Oh and in case you don't know, your own daughter is now a celebrity" Janine said.

"What?"

"Sophia, what happened?" Dimi asked. I shrugged.

Daniel was explaining to my family. In every detail, there was a lie. Especially what we were doing at the park. Only Dimi realized that it was fake ut he said nothing about it. Everyone except me and Daniel were amazed since we thought it was funny.

"This is serious" said mom.

"Yes, Roza. It is. But for now, sit down"

"I thought the guardians were supposed to keep it quiet?" asked Janine.

"Two words" I started. "Benjamin Zeklos"

"Son of a-" mom said.

"Calm down, Roza..."

Dimitri ended up taking her to their room to prevent her from losing her temper again and my grandparents left. They clearly understood that this wasn't the correct place to be at this time. I thought so too. I yelled "We're heading out!" no response. I shuddered. I don't even want to know what they're doing right now inside that room.

I took Daniel's hand and dragged him outside. Once we were outside, I let go of his hand and took a deep breath of the air surrounding me. I sighed. A breeze hit me so hard that my hair started flying and dancing in the air. When the surrounding was calm again, my hair was very messy. With my fingers, I slowly combed the mess of knots out of my hair. It wasn't as neat but it would have to do.

I slowed down my pace and stopped skipping. Daniel was looking at me with love and affection. I grinned at him. He replied with a huge breath taking smile. Once he caught up with me, he dragged me to the forest and pinned me against a tree.

"I love you" I whispered.

"I love you too"

His lips smashed down on mine. Even though I was prepared, I couldn't help the shock of it. My lips slowly moved together with his. In perfect sync. I raked my hand through  his hair. Boy, was it smooth and sil-

There was a sound of a branch breaking. We stopped kissing and Daniel dragged me towards court using another route. We ran non- stop until Lissa's house. I knocked on the door and Christian answered. "Hey, Sparky" I teased.

"Sophia? Daniel? What are you doing here?"

"Christian, who is it?" Lissa called.

"Come down and see for yourself" he answered her.

"We need a place to crash" I said when we got inside the house.

"You do? Why?" Lissa asked.

"Umm . . ., it's not the right moment to be in the house" I said awkwardly.

"Oh. I see" Christian grinned.

"Sorry if we caused any inconvenience" Daniel said.

"No. Not at all. Sophia, you know where your room is and are you still doing field experience?" I nodded.

"Okay then. I guess Daniel has to stay in your room" Lissa said.

"Where's Rosie?" I asked.

"She wasn't allowed to come home this weekend" Christian answered.

"Why not?"

"She has lots of projects to do and she hasn't started any of them yet"

"Oh. Sounds like you, Sparky"

"Oh, Sophia. You have no idea" joked Lissa. "Oh. Sara went to bed so it might get lonely"

"It's alright"

I showed Daniel to my room at their house. It was almost the same except this room only had about five books. There was mostly photos of me and Sara. There was also one when I was dating Andre. We were under a mistletoe and we were kissing. Somehow, I didn't really remember that picture.

"You were dating Andre?"

"Yeah. I broke it off though" I replied casually.

"Why?"

"He just . . . wasn't the right guy"

"Oh. Okay"

I was so tired after that so I just laid on my bed without changing into pajamas. The blackness of sleep welcomed me instantly.