Knowing she has no other choice for survival, Rose stakes Dimitri. His body falls into a river and is washed away. She’s grief-stricken that it’s come to this and thinks he’s dead—that she’s killed the man she loves—but Dimitri isn’t quite that easy to kill. She missed his heart—she always did have trouble figuring out where it is.
On her return to St. Vlad’s, she begins to receive love letters from him that promise they’ll be seeing each other again—and next time, she will die.
One of the few downsides to being awakened is that we no longer require sleep; therefore we also no longer dream. It’s a shame, because if I could dream, I know I’d dream about you.
—Spirit Bound, page 11
FINDING BEAUTY
In Russia, Rose heard a rumor about a man who restored a Strigoi to life. It seems impossible—but that’s never stopped Rose before. Driven by the possibility that there’s a way to save Dimitri, she breaks Victor Dashkov out of prison so he’ll lead her to his brother, a spirit user who was responsible for the miracle she heard about.
Q&A WITH RICHELLE MEAD
DO YOU FEEL THAT ROSE WAS TOTALLY JUSTIFIED IN WHAT SHE DID TO SAVE DIMITRI—BREAKING BOTH LAWS AND HEARTS? IS ALL FAIR IN LOVE AND WAR?
Rose’s decision to save Dimitri in Spirit Bound—and the choices she made to pull it off—was definitely a key moment in the series for her identity and growth as a person. Throughout the entire series, Rose has been shaped by two powerful forces. One is her loyalty to the guardians and the rules they’ve established for her world. The other is her devotion to those she loves and willingness to do anything for them. These two forces clashed frequently in the series, but she was always able to balance them just in time—until Spirit Bound. Dimitri’s salvation forced Rose to finally choose where she truly stood, and despite her faith in the guardians, it was her love for others that won out. Once that decision was made, everything else that followed was justified as far as Rose was concerned. She certainly regretted the laws and hearts that were broken along the way, but standing by and abandoning Dimitri was not an option at this point.
But Lissa is the one who must ultimately wield the spirit-charmed stake and restore Dimitri to his former dhampir self—although he’s guilt-ridden and nearly destroyed by the knowledge of what he’s done as a Strigoi. The thought of seeing Rose, facing what he did to her in Russia, is too much for him to bear, and he avoids her at all costs.
But Rose is stubborn and won’t give up on him. Even though she’s now dating Adrian, she refuses to let Dimitri go—but his repeated rejection wears at her confidence that he still loves her.
When Rose is accused of murdering Queen Tatiana, Dimitri can’t turn his back on Rose any longer. While he continues to fight his true feelings, his duty calls him to step up and help the woman who has been there for him at every turn. He assists in Rose’s escape from Court and tries to keep her safe, but her plans veer elsewhere—toward the search for the missing Dragomir. Dimitri goes along for the ride—what other choice does he have when dealing with Rose logic?—and the more time they spend together, the more he sees it’s impossible to ignore how much he loves her.
But Dimitri’s guilt over being Strigoi continues to torture him. One night he loses control of himself, and his bloodlust takes over as he slaughters a Strigoi. It’s only Rose who’s able to pull him back. She makes him try to see beauty in the world again—and he does. He sees it in her.
“Your hair,” repeated Dimitri. His eyes were wide, almost awestruck. “Your hair is beautiful.”
I didn’t think so, not in its current state. Of course, considering we were in a dark alley filled with bodies, the choices were kind of limited. “ You see? You’re not one of them. Strigoi don’t see beauty. Only death. You’ve found something beautiful. One thing that’s beautiful.”
—Last Sacrifice, pages 255–256
When they give in to their passion for each other and make love again, Rose knows the only thing stopping them from being together is Dimitri’s guilt. If he can’t love himself, it’s impossible for him to truly love Rose. She insists that before she can be with him for real, he has to forgive himself once and for all.
But then Rose gets shot in the chest while trying to save Lissa’s life—and Dimitri automatically chooses to protect Rose over Lissa. In that moment, it’s finally clear to them both that they’re meant to be together now and always.
ROSE & ADRIAN
THE WARRIOR AND THEBAD BOY
It only takes one look at the bruised and sweaty—but gorgeous—Rose Hathaway for Adrian Ivashkov to be smitten by the girl he nicknames “little dhampir.” In the beginning, Rose believes he’s only pursuing her for the same reason other Moroi guys pursue dhampir girls—for sex. But despite his royal, rich-kid trappings, Adrian’s deeper than that.
And Adrian has a special ability to help him spend more time with Rose. Because he’s a spirit user, he can dream-walk through Rose’s dreams. He’s also able to see auras and smartly pinpoints that Rose’s dark moods are directly related to her taking Lissa’s spirit darkness away and absorbing it into herself.
He is continually intrigued and amused by Rose’s brash, tough-chick exterior and falls hard for her, willing to do pretty much anything she asks of him, even funding her trip to Russia to try to kill Dimitri after he’s turned into a Strigoi. He does it because he knows it will help Rose heal and finally let go of Dimitri . . . and maybe give him a chance.
Q&A WITH RICHELLE MEAD
HOW DID ADRIAN FIRST DISCOVER HIS SPIRIT MAGIC?
When we first meet Adrian, he doesn’t even really know what his magic is called or that it might be bigger than he realizes. Adrian’s had a mixed history of both belonging and being an outsider. He can easily fit into any social situation and always stands out as the life of a party. People love him, and he’s always invited to the hottest, most popular events. At the same time, there’s a part of Adrian that always feels a little different, and that’s why we often see him put on this lazy, wacky persona that Rose finds so infuriating. That’s Adrian’s way of coping. So, when he initially thought he had no element and then later realized he had bizarre and unknown powers, he pretty much accepted that as par for his life. It was just one more way in which he didn’t quite fit in with everyone else. It wasn’t until he met Lissa (and other spirit users) that he began to realize he wasn’t weird. He was special. That’s gone a long way to change his attitudes about himself and the world (though not done much to change his crazy partying nature… yet).
When she returns, haunted by what she did in Russia, she does give Adrian that chance. They date . . . and it’s kind of awesome. They have a lot of fun together. He is even willing to go so far as giving up cigarettes and drinking to please Rose, vices that normally are his crutch to deal with the side effects of his spirit magic.
Even though Rose has agreed to date Adrian, she hasn’t given up on finding a way to help Dimitri—especially once she learns of a potential way to restore a Strigoi to life. She feels bad about lying to Adrian, but she can’t tell him when she takes off on a quest to find the answers she needs. Adrian follows her credit card trail—it’s the credit card he provided her with for her trip to Russia—and surprises Rose by showing up in Las Vegas, thinking she’s there for a fun weekend with Lissa. And Adrian’s all for fun Vegas weekends!
He’s hurt and angry to learn her real reasons—and that she lied to him—but he still gathers himself together enough to help when she continues to assure him that her feelings for him are true. After Dimitri’s restored and rejects Rose to her face, she almost sleeps with Adrian just to feel like somebody still wants her. Almost. Instead, she lets him bite her, a mutually satisfying alternative—but ultimately empty since Rose’s heart is still with another.
I shifted closer to Adrian on the bed and pressed my head against his chest. “We can make this work, I know we can. If I screw up again, you can leave.”
“If only it were that easy,” he laughed. ?
??You forget: I have an addictive personality. I’m addicted to you. Somehow I think you could do all sorts of bad things to me, and I’d still come back to you.”
—Spirit Bound, page 437
Adrian helps Rose escape from Court after she’s accused of murder and visits regularly in her dreams to make sure she’s okay. While he’s uneasy about her spending so much time with Dimitri, she continues to assure Adrian that she’s with him now.
Q&A WITH RICHELLE MEAD
WHAT WAS IT THAT ATTRACTED ADRIAN TO ROSE? IS HE NATURALLY INCLINED TO FALL FOR GIRLS WHO ARE LIKELY TO BREAK HIS HEART?
Rose made things difficult for Adrian from the very beginning, and honestly, I kind of think that’s what attracted him! Adrian has a lot of problems with a lot of things in his life, but charming people (especially women) isn’t one of them. He’s always been able to get former girlfriends, his mother, and even prickly Queen Tatiana to do whatever he wants. So, it was kind of a shock for him when Rose wasn’t instantly taken in by his usual tricks. The part of Adrian that just likes to be contrary and difficult couldn’t resist the challenge. It’s almost impossible for him to believe that a girl wouldn’t instantly fall for him. At the same time, he secretly likes that. Girls who give in too easily bore him, and he had been waiting for someone to stand up to him. Rose’s strength spoke to him and ignited a hidden piece of his personality that actually longs to be stronger too.
So, when Adrian learns that Rose has cheated on him with Dimitri, the man she loves more than him, Adrian can’t help but be heartbroken . . . and really pissed off that she’s abused his feelings for her. He’s not willing to just forgive her for betraying him. It’s clear to Rose that Adrian is strong, he’s wonderful, but he’s not meant for her—and that he’s leaning on his addictions when he should be leaning on the strength he hasn’t yet found within himself.
“You’re better than this . . . better than whatever it is you’re going to do now.”
Adrian rested his hand on the doorknob and gave me a rueful look. “Rose, I’m an addict with no work ethic who’s likely going to go insane. I’m not like you. I’m not a superhero.”
“Not yet,” I said.
—Last Sacrifice, page 581
Rose is convinced that despite his current heartache, Adrian’s a hero in the making. He just has to realize it for himself someday soon . . .
ROSE & LISSA
Lissa and I had been best friends ever since kindergarten, when our teacher had paired us together for writing lessons. Forcing five-year-olds to spell Vasilisa Dragomir and Rosemarie Hathaway was beyond cruel, and we’d—or rather, I’d—responded appropriately. I’d chucked my book at our teacher and called her a fascist bastard. I hadn’t known what those words meant, but I’d known how to hit a moving target.
Lissa and I had been inseparable ever since.
—Vampire Academy, page 8
BEST FRIENDS FOREVER
Rose and Lissa were best friends for years, even before the event that would bond their lives even closer together. After a horrible car accident takes the lives of Lissa’s parents and brother, she’s able to bring Rose back to life by using spirit, a mysterious fifth element that gives her healing powers. This act results in a one-way psychic bond. Rose is able to read Lissa’s mind, sense her location, and even slip into Lissa’s head and experience the world through her eyes. While intrusive, being “shadow-kissed” helps Rose be an even better guardian to her friend.
Q&A WITH RICHELLE MEAD
DID LISSA’S PARENTS INITIALLY HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THEIR PUREBLOOD MOROI DAUGHTER HAVING A DHAMPIR AS A BEST FRIEND? WHAT HELPED THEM ACCEPT ROSE AS A PART OF THEIR FAMILY?
A lot of people wonder how Lissa’s parents could have been so accepting of Rose and Lissa’s friendship, particularly considering what we know about the divisions in Moroi and dhampir society. The biggest taboo in this area is actually when it comes to love and romance. That’s when Moroi-dhampir pairings become dangerous. Friendships aren’t looked down upon as much, and it’s actually pretty common for guardians who have protected a family long enough to be treated as just another family member. This is certainly what happened with Rose and the Dragomirs. Lissa’s parents also were understandably concerned about Lissa’s safety, and they knew that having someone like Rose—who was devoted as both a friend and guardian—would be the best way to ensure Lissa was always protected.
RICHELLE, ON THE BOND BETWEEN ROSE AND LISSA:
When I set out to write the series, I had a lot of characters’ stories and subplots in my head, and I had to decide early on how I was going to address those. Rotating characters with a third-person narrative certainly lets you get a lot of stories out there—but can also leave you with a thousand-page book if you’re not careful. I ultimately decided Rose was the character I was most interested in and that her story really formed the heart of the series. I chose her as my narrator but was still drawn to Lissa, both because she’s fascinating in her own way and also because of her close connection to Rose. I soon realized, though, that their very connection would let me get away with slipping in another character’s narrative. Rose’s ability to see the world through Lissa’s eyes allows us these moments of third-person POV that we wouldn’t ordinarily get in a first-person series. I ended up with a sneaky kind of hybrid style of storytelling that was ultimately told with Rose’s voice but expanded the world beyond her own experiences. This system became a really useful tool in Blood Promise, when Rose and Lissa were separated for the first time. Even though Rose was by far and away nearly everyone’s favorite character at that point in the series, I think we all would’ve been sad to have a book where we didn’t know what was going on with Lissa, Christian, Adrian, and the others. The bond let me continue keeping track of everyone, which became even more essential in later books as Rose and Lissa began to increasingly follow their own paths.
“You’ve been kissed by shadows. You’ve crossed into Death, into the other side, and returned. Do you think something like that doesn’t leave a mark on the soul? . . . You should have stayed dead. Vasilisa brushed death to bring you back and bound you to her forever.”—Victor Dashkov on the bond the girls share,
Vampire Academy, page 317
When Lissa’s spirit ability—although at the time they still didn’t have a name for it—puts Lissa’s life and mental health in serious danger, she and Rose run away from St. Vladimir’s Academy and hide in the human world for two years, until guardians find them and forcibly bring them back to the school.
The more Lissa uses spirit, the more it wears on her mentally, threatening her sanity. Without realizing what she’s doing, Rose begins to absorb her friend’s darkness, saving Lissa but endangering herself for a time.
While Rose is able to know everything about Lissa through the bond, it doesn’t work both ways. When Lissa finds out Rose has been keeping her relationship with Dimitri a secret, she’s hurt that her best friend hadn’t confided in her. She’s even more hurt when Rose chooses to leave her behind to go on a quest to find and kill Dimitri when he’s turned into a Strigoi. Rose never wanted to have to choose between the two people she loves most in the world, and it’s a terrible, heart-wrenching decision for her. But when it comes to Dimitri, she’s never had a choice.
The mental bond still allows Rose to check in on Lissa while she’s away, and this connection is all that helps save Lissa’s life long-distance when she’s targeted by Avery, another spirit user, who wants to kill Lissa and bring her back to life in order to create another psychic bond.
Lissa accompanies Rose on her next quest to find out how to restore a Strigoi to life, an act that will rely completely on Lissa’s spirit magic. While Rose draws the line at putting her friend in direct danger at the hands of a Strigoi, Lissa is determined to save the man her best friend loves. However, when the restored Dimitri then looks at Lissa as a goddess, Rose can’t help but feel jealous.
While they have their share of difficulties—as all long-term friendships do
—their devotion to each other never wavers. Rose pledged to give everything she has to keep Lissa safe, and she proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that’s true when she throws herself in front of Lissa to save her from being shot—and is shot instead. This time it isn’t Lissa’s spirit magic that heals her. It’s Rose’s own willpower. The act of successfully bringing herself back from such a close brush with death breaks their psychic bond once and for all.
Despite a severed shadow-kissed bond, the friendship between the two girls is stronger than ever, and Rose officially becomes Lissa’s guardian as she embarks on her new life as a university student and queen.
LISSA & CHRISTIAN
THEPRINCESS ANDTHEOUTCAST
Christian Ozera isn’t exactly the kind of guy who normally ends up with a princess. Stigmatized by the choice his parents made to become evil Strigoi and looked down on by other students who assume he’s a Strigoi-in-waiting, he prefers to be alone and has built up a snarky sense of humor to act as his armor against the rest of the world.
When Lissa finds Christian’s hiding spot in the chapel attic, he realizes it might be possible to open up his heart to the beautiful blond princess. Christian battles self-doubt when it comes to Lissa’s true feelings for him, never feeling worthy enough to be with her. But his strong feelings for her, and a sense of wanting to protect her, lead him into a real relationship.