Chapter 9

Sunlight was streaming in through the pretty Victorian bay windows and for a second I basked in the warm yellow glow that is until I realized I was in a house I didn't recognize. Though I felt abnormally safe, it was day time so that should have been a given, I spun around as soon as I felt his presence.

I stared at him in confusion, I had heard about spirit dreams my entire life though I'd never had the pleasure of being in one. Uncle Adrian seemed a little taken aback by my confusion, almost like he expected me to have known that this would happen.

"Little damphir!"

He exclaimed when I stared at him in surprise that faltered and turned into a huge grin at the endearing term.

"I believe you wanted to talk?"

He questioned, testing the words as he spoke, when I didn't speak. Again I was completely confused. While I did want to speak with Uncle Adrian, I couldn't quite fathom how in the world he would know that. Had I texted him subconsciously? I was sure I didn't, but my I wouldn't put it past my sleep deprived and over-worked brain to have forgotten.

"I've dreaded this day, if I'm being honest, but we knew it was coming. Take a seat Lily, we've got much to discuss it seems."

I did as I was told, without question, and took a seat on an extremely soft and luxurious tan leather couch. Though I've never had the pleasure of being in a spirit dream, it all felt extremely familiar and rather than put me at ease, it made me a little anxious.

"Where are we?"

It wasn't the question I'd been burning to ask, but it was the one that escaped my lips. I looked around, out of the bay windows, trying to place any identifying landmarks. The scenery was beautiful and extremely green, but I didn't know if I had ever seen this place.

"You're in my head, in my dreams."

I rolled my eyes at him, I had known that already and he chuckled softly at my facial expression.

"We're in Maine, Lily. This is where your Aunt Sydney has been staying for the last 22 years. Where I had stayed until I moved back to court. It's beautiful isn't it?"

He questioned and I had to agree, it was supernaturally gorgeous. I secretly wondered if he wasn't embellishing the details just slightly, because never in my life had I ever seen such beauty.

I wasn't sure how long I had been taking in all the little details – the high ceilings, the dusky pink walls, the renaissance paintings and the old Victorian style fireplace – before Uncle Adrian had finally cleared his throat.

"I know this must be confusing, because I'm talking but not saying much, but I need you to know something before you wake up. You, Lily, are more special than you know, but you are not the first."

Uncle Adrian paused to asses my reaction, but with my jaw practically on the floor it wasn't hard to know what I was thinking. There was so many questions running through my head, but I didn't quite know where to begin. I wasn't a hundred percent sure what he was referring to, but his words could only mean one thing, I wasn't the first damphir born to dahmpir parents. While I didn't want to believe it, I couldn't help the fact that the thought seemed right, I wasn't the first.

My whole life I had been told that I had been the first of my kind, how didn't my parents know about this? And if they did, why did they keep it from me? My vision was starting to swim and I felt my heart thunder in my chest as the questions turned around in my brain.

"Look, I'm glad that there are more out there, don't get me wrong, but why are you telling me this now?"

Uncle Adrian seemed to be struggling with the next part and when he spoke I knew why that was. What I didn't yet know was how intertwined he was in all of this, it made me angry but at the same time I did actually understand his actions.

"Not more, just one other besides you."

He sighed audibly before he continued, as if the full weight of the world rested squarely on his shoulders and I gave him a sympathetic half smile.

"Twenty two years ago a friend of ours, a damphir who had been changed back by spirit, had a baby. She was killed shortly after giving birth and with her final breath she made me promise to keep him safe. Sydney and I moved to Maine afterwards and raised Declan as our own, no one knew he wasn't ours and no one ever questioned because I'm moroi and Sydney is human so it wouldn't raise any suspicion if we raised damphir kids. I moved back to court after you were born, with James, to keep an eye on you and see how the moroi world would react to you."

Uncle Arian paused yet again. I was almost sure my big brown eyes had become the size of saucers – liquid chocolate filled saucers, my brain had turned to mush, but deep inside I was glad – glad to know that I had Uncle Adrian to guide me.

"I knew of Declan's abnormal abilities and I was waiting for you to start exhibiting the same telltale signs, but when you didn't, we thought that maybe Declan was just extra special. Turns out you were just really good at hiding them."

I thought about that for a second, but I was really confused. I had no idea what he was talking about, I didn't have any special or abnormal abilities other than having heightened strength and speed even by guardian standards. Uncle Adrian seemed to catch on pretty quickly and narrowed his eyes at my confusion.

"By the look you're giving me right now I'd hazard a guess that you have no clue what I'm talking about. Good thing that Declan is on his way to shed some light then."

I vaguely felt like someone was shaking me and with a start I realized that it technically was just a dream, I looked around me absentmindedly, the shaking got worse then and just before I woke up I thought I heard Uncle Adrian say: Be careful, he's still an Ivashkov. Followed by a light chesty chuckle.

When I woke up on my bed I was soaked in sweat and I saw, the last person I had expected to, Guardian Kalashnik sitting by my side – shaking the living daylights out of me, literally. It would probably take days for me to stop shaking after that, if not weeks and I probably have a serious case of fucking whiplash. What a way to wake up indeed.

What surprised me was the look of concern on his face, followed by relief, and I couldn't help but wonder how long he'd been waiting for me to wake up.

"God, you had me going for a second there Lilith."

Kalashnik barely got the sentence out before the door practically flew open and Andrei stormed in, with Micah and Dr. Olendski hot on his heels. I tensed visibly and Kalashnik put a calming hand on my shoulder. Micah stared at me with the same expression that Andrei was wearing, the same Kalashnik had when I had woken up. My heart broke for him, but I was suddenly hyper aware of the fact that I was only half dressed with three grown men in my tiny room.

"It's okay, she's fine. Just gave us a little scare. It seems she was just having a really bad nightmare, but she's fine now. Aren't you Lily?"

Kalashnik urged me on by squeezing my shoulder and I had to fight to keep my face neutral, because I couldn't really fathom why he was suddenly so concerned about me. I nodded at the three faces staring down at me and while Andrei and Dr. Olendski seemed okay with the fact that I said I was fine, Micah was hesitant. I gave him a small smile of encouragement and he followed the other two out seconds later.

I was truly flabbergasted at the sudden change in Kalashnik, he didn't seem like the kind of guy who would know anything about nightmares.

"Thank you Guardian Kalashnik."

I muttered, though I really wanted to ask why he was being so nice.

"I don't think I've ever heard you refer to me as a guardian before."

Kalashnik chuckled slightly at this and I felt just a little bad that I hadn't respected him enough to address him by his title, but it wasn't really about respect though I'd just grown up around so many guardians that the title isn't the way I show respect.

"No worries though, I get it. You felt like we were basically forced on you and you didn't have a say in the matter, but I think we're already friends here so you can call me Ilya – if you're comfortable with it of course."

I smiled at him, but internally I was giggling and giddy – doing my little happy dance. I contained it on my face though. I was finally getting there, what I'd been trying to accomplish for the better part of the week – we were friends.

"You really should look into seeing a therapist though, my little girl gets these night terrors too and she has really reaped the benefits after she got help."

He smiled down at me before he left and I instantly felt bad. I hated that I played on his emotions like that, but I didn't know about his daughter and to be honest it wasn't really my fault that he had jumped to conclusions. I know I could have set him straight, but where was the fun in that. It did break my heart to know that he'd been concerned because my nightmares reminded him of his little girl, but I couldn't really do anything about getting nightmares. They had been with me since I could remember and it didn't matter what I did, they never went away.

I looked at the alarm clock on my dresser and saw it was only 2pm, I sank back into bed and pulled the covers all the way up. I felt that familiar strange feeling building in my blood as I stared up at the ceiling and this time it seemed to happen so much quicker than I had expected, though I found myself somewhere I would never have guessed. I was in the gym with James, or rather – like with Lexi – I was James.

James was punching a bag something fierce and I could feel some kind of dark anger brewing deep inside him. It scared me a little, or did it scare him and then me by extension? This wasn't something I would easily get used to. I was still struggling with the semantics of emotion in these things, even though I didn't quite understand what these things were to begin with.

The door to the gym opened softly, but James' focus was laser sharp and he didn't once take his eyes off of the bag.

"Thought I might find you in here, little brother."

James stiffened for just a second, but excitement swelled within him, overtaking the anger that was there moments ago. He turned around slowly, half expecting there to be no one and that he'd just imagined his brothers' voice.

His brother was there though and good God almighty was he a sight for sore eyes. Again I had no idea if these were my feelings or James', but I was positive that James wouldn't be having feelings like these for his brother

"Declan, what are you doing here?"

James questioned as the boys went in for a familiar embrace. Declan's body was hard and muscular, no doubt been conditioned by years of training. They both stepped back, big smiles on their faces and this gave me a clear look at Declan's.

His hair was the exact opposite of Micah's – pitch black like a starless midnight sky, with warm amber colored eyes. He was just slightly taller than James, which made him so much taller than me, and I could see his black t shirt being stretched beyond capacity by the muscles in his arms and chest. I already knew those where hard muscle as I felt it through James by proxy. I had this overwhelming sense of familiarity looking at Declan, it was almost like I was a magnet and he was cold hard steel. I felt drawn to him, though I knew it could have something to do with the fact that we were the same.

"I need a favor baby bro."

Declan said as soon as they both stopped smiling giddily.

"Name it Declan."

Though James was younger by six years, I felt this fierce protectiveness wash over him. Almost like he regarded himself as his brother's guardian. It felt intrusive, knowing what James was feeling, though I couldn't actually grasp what he was thinking.

"Dad sent me here, I'm supposed to meet a friend of yours. I was hoping you'd point me in the right direction."

Declan didn't beat around the bush, but waited for a nod from James before he continued, and though I knew what his next words would be, it did still shock me immensely.

There was a hopefulness in the words and the sound of my name on his lips made me feel flushed, which was completely unlike me.

"I'm here to see Lilith Belikov."

I sat up straight in my bed, blissfully unaware that both James and Declan had been staring at me for the past few minutes.