Dimitri's POV

That one scream from Rose shattered my heart into a million pieces.

I strained with all my might against the ropes tying me and could feel the nylon cords bite into my flesh, drawing blood.

But the pain seemed minimal in comparison to the cruel sight unfolding before my eyes.

Rose's face had acquired a blissful expression as all her senses were numbed by the vampire endorphins as the poison seeped into her, making her passive, inching her towards death and awakening with every passing second.

"Christian, do something, use your fire," I hissed, still trying to untie myself.

"I won't. I can't lose Lissa. A Strigoi will be destroyed in fire," he said, his eyes determined.

"Fool," I said through clenched teeth, "Burn the ropes. The other Strigoi."

And immediately I felt the heat burn through my already torn skin as the fire melted the nylon. I bit my lips to prevent myself from screaming.

At the same time, the five Strigoi in the clearing lit up all at a time, the smoke billowing out with the smell of burning flesh.

Breaking free, I jumped on Lissa with a stake.

She left Rose, spun around and lunged for my throat. I deftly avoided her fangs, balancing myself on my foot and knelt down. This caused her to get dis-balanced for a while, giving me a clear shot at her heart.

"No," a scream rang out and in the flick of a second, a fire lit up between me and her. Before I could fathom the situation, Christian was between my stake and her heart, guarding her with his body.

"Christian don't," I screamed, but it was too late.

Lissa had grabbed him by the throat and was backing off. She looked around nervously for her entourage, which had been burned to ashes by this time.

"I should have turned you first. A fire user is a danger," she whispered menacingly to Christian.

"Christian, she isn't what she was. She doesn't love you anymore, she's all for power. Use your fire," I commanded.

But he was too shocked by Lissa's betrayal to answer. He had never expected her to use him as a pawn, when he had fearlessly jumped in to prevent her getting staked.

"Dimitri," she addressed me, pointing towards the ground, where Rose lay still, pale as death "I am giving you one last choice. Rose is dying due to blood-loss. You have two choices, let her perish or let me awaken her. It's up to you now."

I flinched. That was no choice at all. I was in a dilemma.

Would I prefer Rose dead, than awakened? Could I be selfish enough to force her into a soulless, cursed existence, just to keep up the pretense that she is still alive?

My entire body shook with anger. I was defeated.

"Fine," I threw away my stake, "I surrender. Turn her. It's better to exist with black-magic that to leave me forever."

Lissa pushed away Christian and knelt down beside Rose. Her teeth sliced through her wrist, as the dark blood flowed freely, drenching Rose's lips in red. Rose's face grew paler until at one moment, a shock wave ran through her body. Her eyelids quivered and opened and I could see the ruby gleaming in the dark eyes, I so loved.

"Dimitri," her voice, cold as frost-bite, rang out with a mixture of ecstasy, desire, and love as her eyes gleamed with blood-lust.

I instinctively moved back a step.

And then she looked at her hands, touched her face and froze. I could see her demeanor changing from desire to hate and loathing. Her face was contorted as she placed a hand on her heart.

"No," she looked at me, shaking her head, her hands shaking "This can't be happening. Tell me this is not true, Dimitri."

The pain in those few words felt like a dagger through my heart. I had once been turned against my wishes, in a battle. I had tried to destroy myself. I knew the pain.

"Rose," I tried to move closer, ignoring the look of glee that Lissa was gave me, as she started drinking from Christian.

I knew it was too late to save him. His foolishness would be the cause of his awakening.

Rose hid her face in her hands.

"Come with me Rose. I'll ask Sonya to charm a stake and thrust it into your heart. I'll bring you back, at any cost. You have to just trust me, come back to me," My voice was persuading and gentle as I moved in closer, not bothering to care for the fact that she was twisted now, a Strigoi.

I just knew one thing and that was, Rose was dying inside. She needed love now. A love that only I could give.

"Dimitri, I can't come back to civilization with you anymore..." she began to say but was cut-off by Lissa.

She stood there, arms crossed, savouring the sight of a confused Christian

"Enough talking lovebirds. Rose, you owe your eternity to me. You'll serve me from today. And Dimitri is the only one left. Why don't you help me turn him too? We both couples can enjoy eternity," Lissa took a threatening step forward.

"Stay away from him, you bitch. I would never let you do that to him. He can't be turned for the second time," Rose shouted, her lithe form, taking up a pose of a huntress in front of me, defending me.

"You're a fool," Lissa moved in closer.

"Dimitri, run" Rose commanded, "I have your back. She won't touch you."

"But..."

"Run, you've no time to lose. She won't touch me. The best of the best  has mentored me. Nothing can happen," she insisted.

There was almost a brief flicker of a smile at our old jokes.

"But where do I find you?"

"You'll find me where you lost me before," she managed to say, before the two brute forces collided.

I dithered for a minute and then, I turned back and started running.

My feet crashed through the forest, my footsteps were echoing in the chilly night.

Suddenly I stopped short.

I was a coward to leave her behind. What if something happens to her? I couldn't ever live with myself.

Her words rang in my mind, "I've been trained by the best..."

Was my training enough to help her win against two Strigoi? She had tactics, they had force.

I doubt that she would be able to destroy them though. Her morals and her views on friendship would stop her.

But what if that one dithering costs her life?

The more I thought, the guiltier I felt.

I sunk to the ground, clutching my head in my hands. What had I done?

I doubted if I could go back, find clearing again. I didn't know the way.

There was only one way to find her. I'd take a spirit user and meet her.

But where?

FIND ME WHERE YOU HAD LOST ME BEFORE...

How had I lost her and where?

That was a mystery that I needed to solve, before I could see my love again.

1200 words completed.

A/N For the green belt contest by action....

Myths say that, Vampires have substances called endorphins in their saliva, which numbs the senses of their victims and makes them passive and weak.
A Moroi or a Dhampir can be turned, only if a Strigoi drinks their blood and then feeds their own blood to the victim...

Any more questions, look into other chapters. Dimitri had once been turned but restored... The only way to restore a Strigoi is to stake them, by a Silver stake charmed with spirit magic...

Thanks Pipigrin KashishBelikov teamhathaway for reading and supporting me... Do check out if the story has both mystery and action as per requirements.