I stood before the burning inferno. The tall flames of the fire engulfed all the woods. The licking flames rose high into the night sky.

I could see no stars or the moon as everything was bright as day. I looked at the pyre again.

My efforts had done a good blaze.

I moved a step forward attracted by the fire. A spark hit my skin and I winced. It hurt like hell.

I would be freed forever ,albeit without a soul, there was no heaven for me, but I would die a painful death...Could I do it?

I had tried out many ways to destroy myself. I knew none of the Strigoi present will tell me by other way for death other than being staked.

But I had always known that fire could destroy Strigoi .I didn't want this life and hence couldn't exist anymore in this vile, soulless world...I was ready to move.

For one last time I looked at the picture in my pocket. Nobody knew I always carried a picture of Rose with me.

This was the same that the Academy had shown me to trace her.

Since then it had stayed with me in life and death...I kissed the photo and admired it. Those dark tresses and mesmerising smile, the curl of those lips which felt so soft and supple beneath mine. The touch of those beautiful hands, soothing, the voice, the style, the grace,  the beauty.

Goodbye Rose! Adieu. I was going to leave her once and for good.

I kept the picture in my pocket, near to my heart and braced myself to take the leap.

I was moving towards the fire in a trance. Somehow I had to end this awful life! The face of that innocent lady I had killed flashed in my mind.

I was weak from abstaining of feeding for a whole day. But I didn't care.I leaped into the welcoming hands of death.

Then came the blow. Something hit me from the side and pinned me to the ground. A pair strong hands were holding me and I couldn't free myself .

Galina!

She slapped me hard, her eyes burning with anger. Then she lifted me from the ground and set me face to face with her.

"Coward," she screamed! "Fool! You think you can just destroy yourself in this way? Well I tell you. It's not possible. You must know any ordinary fire will burn and maim us but can't kill us unless we have some injuries with silver. If fire can destroy us it's Moroi magic's fire. So you just can't try to take your life. Moreover I won't allow that." She gave her twisted chilling smile, "And yes if you do anything funny I will hunt down Rose Hathaway. So be very careful."

She pushed me and walked away. I was dumbstruck.

I had to accept defeat and I was ready to be a Strigoi forever only if Rose stayed safe. Galina didn't give false threats. I couldn't gamble on Rose's life......

"Dmitri Sir! I have something to tell you," Marlen barged in through the door of the living room.

It broke my reverie. I was clearly remembering that day's events.

Galina looked up in anger and frustration.

I slammed the papers held in my hand down on the table. It shook with the impact.

Marlen cringed.

"I am busy," I replied in a  voice cool as ice but deadly as a dagger.

"Sorry, but it is urgent," he replied.

"I am currently working on our attack plans. Strategies and stuff... idiot!" I glared at him.

I was definitely busy. Galina had trained me for all these days. I was being schooled into the nitty gritty of this new life. And honestly I was beginning to accept my fate.

If I had to spend the rest of my life in this twisted way I had to learn their ways. I would be a Strigoi and serve Galina forever or else....I couldn't bear to think about what might happen if I betrayed her. Rose's life was on the line.

But sometimes I think. Is it really that I am doing it for Rose? Is that just an excuse for my transformation? Why do I feel as if it's really me who wants to be a part of this life?

My manners have undergone a drastic  change. I shout and hit without any excuse. I hunted with all one day and drank blood without a trace of guilt.

What was happening to me? I was changing...changing for the worse. I was becoming a heartless and soulless creature, incapable of any feelings. And the funny thing was that I had stopped hating myself...

Galina and her team were planning an attack on the Moroi royal families and I was studying maps and chalking out routes of attack and escape.

Nathan had wanted to destroy the last Dragomir.

I surprised myself by telling, "She is being guarded by the best gaurdians so just find someone else to attack."

It was as if I was an active partaker in their schemes.

Thank God that Rose couldn't see me in this incarnation of evil.

"Just go away Marlen," Galina hissed. "Belikov is busy."

Marlen was beginning to say something in defence when I said, "Fine, what do you want to say? It better be important or I will rip your head off and throw you into the fire." I heard the cold edge in my voice and shivered myself.

This was so wrong. I was becoming twisted.

I looked at Marlen closely. He had a gash across his cheek and multiple wounds on his body. His wounds were blackened and burned with silver. Though the wounds were healing at a fast speed as Strigoi are invincible.

Yet some sinister feeling was coming to my mind that he had been attacked with a silver stake.

"Where did you get hurt?" Came the question from Galina before I could point it out.

"I was attacked by a group of Dhampirs while I was hunting in Novosibirsk. They restrained me and tortured me," said he.

I could see panic in his face. He trembled once more.

"How many of them were there?Were they armed? What did they want from you? Did you defeat them? Or did they let you go? Because that's simply not possible," I was confused.

"I don't remember exactly," he began, "There were four to five of them. Two females and three males I guess and I hurt one of them very badly. Yet they overpowered me. Then they just tortured me to get answers out of me."

"And you let them just torture you, you fool. Shame on you," growled Galina.

"So what did they want to know from you idiot! What information do you have that could be of any importance to guardians?" I was irritated at his cowardice and somehow felt he was an insult to Strigoi prowess.

What was I thinking?  Oh ! I was now beginning to think of Strigoi honour?

"They asked about you."

A stoic silence fell in the room. I  controlled myself before my jaw hit the floor.

A group of guardians are enquiring about me? So close to where I actually was? Oh my God! How did they know where I was? How much had they extracted from Marlen! I honestly couldn't say anything.

Galina asked on my behalf, " And they left you? Why?"

"They wanted me to bring a message to you Sir," he looked straight at me, "The woman who tortured me the most asked if I know a particular dhampir Dimitri. When I replied that I had hunted with you and that you were one of us she told me to tell you..."

A woman? I was getting a bad feeling about this.

"Tell you...?" I enquired.

"Rose Hathaway is looking for you."

With those six words the whole world around me changed. The obscure world I had created in Novosibirsk would be shattered by one force of lightning. A force of nature with the purest love and passion.

Rose Hathaway.

Oh Why? How? When did she come here? How was it possible that she is so close to me?

I knew she could never find me here if I stayed low for a few days. She may go back dissapointed.

But a sudden desire took hold of me. She was so close. I wanted to drink in her beauty. I wanted to touch her again.

All the love and longings I had denied were welling up in me. How could I not see her when she is so close. I wanted to get her for myself and wanted to make her mine.......forever.

"What is this Rose Hathaway girl who affects you so much? Nathan was being vague about it," enquired Galina.

I could very well picture the smile that appeared in my face, a mixture of desire, confusion,  love mixed with Strigoi cunning and cruelty.

I replied, "A very, very powerful and deadly ally. And I am going to make her mine, forever"