Author's Notes:

I'm starting this off from the section at the end of chapter 21 of Shadow Kiss where Jesse and Ralf are asking Lissa about joining Mână. I've added a few small quotes from Mead's original text so you can (hopefully) tell where she leaves off and this starts, and also where the story just wouldn't entirely diverge that much from the original (mostly, this will only happen in the first few chapters), but I've tried to vary anything that isn't actual words out of a character's mouth.

--=o0/&\0o=--

"Fine? With your Strigoi boyfriend and slutty wannabe guardian?" Ralf said, loud enough for Eddie to hear. Eddie looked pissed.

"Be quiet," said Jesse, anger coloring his voice. Then, to Lissa, he said, "He shouldn't have said that...but he's kind of right. Your family's reputation is all on you, and the way you're going, no one's taking you seriously. The queen's already trying to keep you in line and get you away from Ozera. You're going to crash and burn."

At that, Lissa had had enough. I could feel the spirit-driven anger bubbling up inside her. She looked into Jesse's eyes and I could feel her working her compulsion on him, "I've never used compulsion," she said, "I'm completely clueless about it. Now, tell me what this Mână thing is and why you think I'd want to be in it." I could see the glazed-over look on Jesse's face and I knew that this battle was over better than if a guardian had defended her against a physical attack.

"We're using magic on people ... over by that jenky pond on the northwest edge of campus ... if they can compel us to stop, they're in ... We got the impression you were excellent at compulsion ... we thought you'd want to make a difference in the way the legal system works ... get us royals more protection ..." His words were almost like they were being dragged out of him and his responses were jerky and stilted, but he couldn't hold back.

"I don't want any part of any of that. And you and your friends aren't going to bother me about joining anymore." Jesse nodded, mouth gaping open and still dazed, as Lissa continued her compulsion on him.

Ralf was still staring at Lissa, "What?" he practically hissed, "You just used compulsion on him - didn't you?" At that, Lissa turned her gaze on Ralf, still using that same compulsion stare. "Ralf," she said, "You know I didn't use compulsion. I couldn't possibly have that kind of ability," Lissa turned back to Jesse, "Now, tell me what you know about the queen's plans for me."

"She wants you to marry Adrian Ivashkov." Jesse muttered, in a daze. Lissa nearly laughed at the idea.

"We're done here," Lissa snapped, as she walked towards Eddie.

"Are you okay?" Eddie asked.

"Yeah. Thanks, Eddie," said Lissa.

"What was that about?" asked Eddie

"They're obsessed with this royal society of something and want me to join so they can have every royal family in it. They were kind of fanatic about it."

"Well, they can annoy you all they want, but they can't make you join something you don't want to," said Eddie.

"Don't worry - they won't be bothering me anymore," Lissa replied.

I slipped back into my own body and opened the door to my own dorm and headed upstairs to bed.