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Chapter Text

Aberta was working in her office when a knock sounded, thinking it was Stan Alto coming to no doubt complain about one of his students. it came as a surprise when queen Tatiana waltzed on in, one of her guards carrying a box of books.
Tatiana Ivashkov handed her the list and explained that the books had appeared and that It was imperative that these people were to be at the reading and they needed to arrive as soon as possible.
Dimitri Belikov
Ivan Zeklos
Christian Ozera
Abe Mazur
Janine Hathaway
Olena Belikova
Yeva Belikova
Viktoria Belikova
Karolina Belikova
Sonya Belikova
Paul Belikov
Adrian Ivashkov
Alberta Petrov
Tatiana Ivashkov

After making the appropriate calls,it was time to get started

Chapter Text

Only a true best friend can protect you from immortal enemies.

Dimitri and Ivan shared a smile.

Lissa dragomir is a mortal vampire,

"Isn't that the princess that ran away?" Viktoria asked the room looking around "Yes" Janine Hathaway answered her not looking happy.

She must be protected at all times from the fiercest and most dangerous vampires of all-the ones who never die. Rose Hathaway,is Lissa's best friend-and body guard. Now after 2 years of illicit freedom,they've now been dragged back inside the iron gates of St Vladimirs academy.

"It takes us 2 years to find them" "it's already been over a year since they disappeared" Alberta says looking worried. "If we are going to read about them then why is my family here?" Olena says looking around the room. "I don't know but let's continue and find out shall we" Tatiana says looking around.

The girls must survive a world of forbidden romances, a ruthless social scene and terrifying nighttime rituals.

Chapter Text

I felt her fear before I heard her screams

Everyone looked around confused

her nightmare pulsed into me, shaking me out of my own dream, which has,had something to do with a beach and some hot guy rubbing suntan oil on me. 

Everyone who knew Rose looked amused glad she was still herself.

Images- hers not mine- tumbled through my mind: fire and blood,the smell of smoke. The twisted metal of a car. The pictures wrapped around me suffocating me, until some rational part of my brain reminded me that this wasn't my dream.

Yeva leaned forward with a knowing smile thinking that was might very much like this young girl.

I woke up,strands of my long,dark hair sticking to my forehead. Lissa lay in her bed thrashing and screaming. "Liss" I said, shaking her. "Lissa wake up" her screams dropped off replaced by soft whimpers. "Andre" she moaned "oh God" I helped her sit up. "Liss you aren't there anymore. Wake up" after a few moments, her eyes fluttered open, and I could see a flicker of consciousness start to take over. Her frantic breathing slowed and she leaned into me, resting her head against my shoulder, I put an arm around her and ran a hand over her hair. "It's okay" I told her gently "everything's okay." 

Dimitri had a small smile on his face proud of the way Rose was taking care of her friend, it reminded him of his friendship with Ivan.

"I had that dream." "Yeah, know." We sat like that for serval minutes, not saying anything else. When I felt her emotions calm down, I leaned over to the nightstand between our beds and turned on the lamp it glowed dimly, but neither of us needed much to see by. Attracted by the light of housemates cat, Oscar, lept up onto the sill of the open window. He gave me a wide berth-animals don't like Dhampirs, for whatever reason- but jumped onto the bed and rubbed his head against Lissa, purring softly. Animals didn't have a problem with Moroi, and they all loved Lissa in particular. Smiling she scratched his chin, and I felt her calm further.

"How is this possible?" " How is she able to feel what the princess is feeling?" Tatiana asks looking at Alberta , "I'm not sure they have always been extremely close but every since the accident they have been closer." Alberta responds. Dimitri,Ivan and his family look between Janine and Alberta not understanding why her mother wasn't asked.

"when did we last do a feeding?" I asked  studying her face,her fair skin was paler than usual, and dark circles hung under her eyes and there was an air of frailty about her.

Janine sucked in a shocked breath hoping she was wrong, and that her daughter wasn't about to do what she thought.

school had been hectic this week, and I couldn't remember the last time I'd given her blood. 

Everyone around the room were shocked but for different reasons, the Belikovas were impressed but not all that surprised given all the had heard so far, that the seventeen year old you'd do such a thing for someone she clearly loved. Janine was horrified she would do such and thing and beside her Abe was starring at her confused at why she wasn't proud of their daughter as he was. After all she loved by the notion that they always come first no matter what.

"its been like.... More than two days,hasn't it? Three? Why didn't you say anything?" She shrugged and wouldn't meet my eyes. "You have been busy. I didn't want to-" "screw that." I said, shifting into a better position. No wonder she seemed weak, Oscar, not wanting me any closer, lept and returned to the window where he could watch at a safe distance. "Come on, let's do this." "Rose-" "come on, it'll make you feel better" I tilt my head and toss my hair back, baring my neck. I saw her hesitate, but the sight of my neck and what it offered proved too powerful. A hungry expression crossed her face and her lips parted slightly, exposing the fangs she normally kept hidden while living among humans. Those fangs contrasted oddly with the rest of her features with her pretty face and pale blonde hair, she looked more like an angel than a vampire. As her teeth neared my skin, I felt my heart race with a mix of fear and anticipation.

Olena,yeva and the older two sisters closed their eyes as they remembered how it had felt for thing, and wishing Rose didn't need to go though those same emotions.

I always hated feeling the latter, but it was nothing I could help,a weakness I couldn't shake. Her fangs bit into me, hard and I cried out at the brief flare of pain. Then if faded, replaced by a wonderful, golden job that spread through my body. It was better than any of the times I'd been drunk or high, better than sex- or so id imagined- since id never done it

Alberta and Janine were shocked by that, they always thought she had.

It was a blanket of pure, refined pleasure, wrapping me up and promising everything would be right in the world. On and on it went. The chemicals in the saliva triggered an endorphin rush, I lost track of who I was. Then regretfully,it was over. It had taken less than a minute. She pulled back, wiping her hand across her lips as she studied me. "You okay?" "I.....yeah" I lay back on my bed, dizzy from the loss of blood. "I just need to sleep it off,I'm fine." Her pale Jade-green eyes watched me with concern, she stood up "I'm going to get you something to eat." My protests came awkwardly to my lips, and she left before I could get out a sentence. The buzz from her bite had lessened as soon as she broke the connection, but some of it still lingered in my veins, and I felt a goofy smile cross my lips. Turning my head I glanced at Oscar, still sitting in the window "you don't know what you're missing." I told him

That got a few chuckles from everyone in the room except Janine and Tatiana.

his attention was on something outside, hunkering down into a crouch, he puffed out his jet-black fur. His tail started twitching.

All the guardians in the room went on full alert worried something is about to happen.

my smile faded,and I forced myself to sit up. The world spun, and I waited for it to right itself before trying to stand. When I managed it, the dizziness set in again and this time refused to leave. Still, I stumbled to the window and peered out with Oscar, he eyed me warily, scooted over a little, and the returned to whatever had held his attention.

"She really needs to lay down" Olena says worried, but the guardians in the room didn't agree knowing she needed to look outside .

a warm breeze- unseasonably warm for a Portland fall- played with my hair as I leaned out. the street was dark and relatively quiet, it was three in the morning, just about the only time a college campus settled down, at least somewhat. The house in which we'd rented a room for the past eight months sat on a residential street with old mismatched houses across the road, a street light flickered, nearly ready to burn out it still cast enough light for me to make out the shapes of cars and buildings. In our own yard, I could see the silhouettes of trees and bushes and a man watching me.

"Well that doesn't sound creepy" Victoria and Christian say at the same time.

I jerked back in surprise. A figure stood by a tree in the yard about thirty feet away, where he could easily see through the window. He was close enough that I could have thrown something at him.

"That would have been fun the watch" Ivan said smirking. He looked over at Dimitri "I bet it's you" Dimitri shook his head "if it's me then that means something has happened to you, and I'm not okay with that"

he was certainly close enough that he could have seen what Lissa and I had just done, the shadows covers him so well that even with my heightened sight, I couldn't make out any of his features, save for his height. He was tall really tall.he stood there for just a moment barely discernable,and then stepped back, disappearing into the shadows cast by the trees on the far side of the yard. I was pretty sure I saw someone else move nearby and joined him before the blackness swallowed them both. Whoever these figures were, Oscar didn't like them. Not counting me, he usually got a long with most people, only growing upset when someone posed a immediate danger. The guy outside hadn't done anything threatening to Oscar, but the cat had sensed something, something that put him on edge. Something similar to what he sensed in me, icy fear raced through he, almost but not quite- eradicating the lovely bliss of Lissa's bite. Back away from the window I jerked on a pair on jeans that I found on the floor, nearly falling over in the process.

Viktoria laughed at that, thinking of all the times she had done and almost done that herself.

once they were on, I grabbed both of coats,along with our wallets, shoving my feet into the first shoes I saw, I headed out the door down stairs, I found Lissa rummaging through the refrigerator. One of our housemates Jeremy, sat at the table hand on his forehead as he stared sadly at the calculus book.

"Understandable" Christian muttered

Lissa regarded me with surprise, "you shouldn't be up" " we have to go,now." Her eyes widened, and then a moment later understanding clicked in, "are you ...really? Are you sure?" I nodded. I couldn't explain how I knew , I just did.

'she has good instincts' Dimitri thought

Jeremy watched us curiously, "what's wrong?" An idea came to mind, "Liss, get his keys" he looked back and forth between us. "What are you-" Liss unhesitatingly walked over to him, her fear poured though me through our psychic bond,

Everyone went dead silent shocked that they were hearing this, this type of bond hasn't been seen in hundreds of years, thought to be a myth but now these girls have one.

but there was something else too: her complete faith that I would take care of everything, that we would be safe. Like always I hoped I was worthy of that kind of trust

Dimitri and Ivan shared a look that was how their friendship worked. Ivan thought that he was starting to like these two girls.

she smiled broadly and gazed directly into his eyes, for a moment Jeremy just stared, still confused and than I saw the thrall seize him, his eyes glazed over and he regarded her adoringly 

Everyone sat there stunned "compulsion?" Sonya asked horrified that Lissa was using it. " Seems so " Tatiana replied briskly not happy that It was being used and by Lissa of all people

" we need to borrow your car" she said in a gentle voice "where are your keys" he smiled and I shivered, I had a hight resistance to compulsion, but I could still feel it's effects when it was directed at another person that,and I'd been taught my entire life that using it was wrong

"Which is why Vasilissa shoulda been using it" bitched Tatiana while the other just shuttered

reaching into his pocket Jeremy handed over a set of keys hanged on a large red key chain. "Thank you" said Lissa "and where is it parked?" "Down the street." He said dreamily, "at the corner by Brown." Four blocks away. "Thank you"  she repeated backing up, " as soon as we leave I want you to go back to studying, forget you ever saw us tonight"

"Smart" Ivan said really starting to like them

He nodded obligingly. I got the impression he would have walked off a cliff for her right then if she'd asked.

"That's not creepy at all" Viktoria says

All humans were susceptable to complusion, but Jeremy appeared weaker than most. That came in handy right now, "come on" I told her "we've got to move."we stepped outside, heading towards the corner he'd named, I was still dizzy from the bite and kept stumbling, unable to move as quickly as I wanted, Lissa had to catch me stopping me from falling a few times. All the time that anxiety rushed into me from her mind, I tried my best to ignore it, I had my own fears to deal with. "Rose...what are we going to do if the catch is?" She whispers"they won't" I said fiercely"I won't let them" 

" Strong words coming from a novice" Tatiana scoffs. "Well it's not like she hasn't done it before" Yeva replies smirking

"but if they'd found us" " they found us before, the didn't catch us then we'll just drive over to the train station and go to L.A. they'll lose the trail" 

"Smart" Dimitri says nodding that should work

i made it sound simple, I always did. Even thought there was nothing simple about being on the run from people we'd grown up with, we'd been doing it for two years, hiding wherever we could,and just trying to finish high school, out senior year had just started and living on a college campus had seemed safe. We were so close to freedom. She said nothing more, and I felt her faith in me surge up once more, this was the way it had always been between us, I was the one that made sure things happened- sometimes recklessly so.

"Sometimes? More like always" Alberta says with a found smile she missed the girls like crazy.

she was the more reasonable one, the one who thought things out and researched them before acting. Both styles had their uses, but moments like this called fore recklessness. We didn't have time to hesitate. Lissa and I had been best friends ever since kindergarten,

"Oh lord I remember this one" Alberta says

when our teacher had paired us together for writing lessons, forcing five-year-olds to spell Vasilissa dragomir and Rosemarie Hathaway was beyond cruel,

"Totally understandable" victoria says. Abe leans forward in his seat excited to hear what his daughter does.

and we'd- or rather id- responded appropriately. Id chucked my book at our teacher and called her a fascist bastard,

Abe bursts out laughing "Janine glares down at him whispering that she gets it from him"

i hadn't known what those words meant, but I'd known how to hit a moving target. Liss and I had been inseparable ever since. "So you hear that" Lissa suddenly asks, it took me a few seconds to pick up what her sharper senses already had. Footsteps, moving fast. I grimaced, we had two more blocks to go. "We've got to run for it" I said grabbing hold of her arm.

"She really shouldn't be running" Olena says worriedly

"But you cant-" "Run" it took nearly every ounce of willpower not to pass out on the side walk. My body didn't want to run after losing blood or while still metabolizing the effects of her saliva. But I ordered my muscles to stop their bitching and cling to Lissa as our feet pounded against the concrete. Normally I could have outran her without any extra effort- particularly since she was barefoot- but tonight, she was all that held me upright. The pursuing footsteps grew louder,closer, black stars danced before my eyes. Ahead of us I could make out Jeremy's Green Honda. Oh god if we could make it- ten feet from the car, a man stepped out directly onto our path.

"I wonder who it is" Paul asks his mum, Karolina smiles lovingly down at him "I'm not sure hunny, but let's find out"

we came to a screeching halt,and I jerked Lissa back by her arm it was him, the guy I'd seen across the street watching me. He was older than us, maybe mid-twenties, and as tall as I'd figured, probably six-six or six-seven: and under different circumstances - say when he wasn't holding up our escape - I would have thought he was hot. Shoulder length brown hair tied back in a short pony tail. Dark brown eyes, a dark brown coat - a duster I thought it was called. 

"It's definitely you" Ivan says looking at Dimitri smiling shaking his head looking sad. "It can't be me,if it is it means something bad has happened to you"

but his hotness was irrelevant now he was an obstacle keeping Lissa and I away from the car and our freedom. The footsteps behind us slowed, and I knew our pursuer's had caught up off to the sides I detected more movement, more than a dozen guardians closing in, I couldn't believe it. The queen herself didn't travel with that many.

"Well she is the last of her line" Tatiana states not thinking it was the bid deal Rose was making it out to be.

panicked and not entirely in control of my higher reasoning, I acted out of instinct, I pressed behind me and away from the man who appeared to be the leader. "Leave her alone, don't touch her" I growled 

"Why doesn't she want the guardians near her?" Tatiana asks looking at Alberta. "I'm not sure" she responds

his fave was unreadable ,but he held out his hands in what was apparently supposed to be some sort of calming gesture, like I was a rabid animal he was planning to sedated.

"That was oddly detailed" Adrian says laughing with Christian

"I'm not going to-" he took a step forward, too close I attached him, leaping out in a offensive maneuver I hadn't used in two years,not since Lissa and I  had run away. The move was stupid, another reaction born of instinct and fear and it was hopeless. He was a skilled guardian, not a novice who hadn't finished his training. He also wasn't weak and on the verge of passing out. And man, was he fast, I'd forgotten how fast guardians could be. How they could move and strike like cobras.

"Weird way of putting it" Ivan says chuckling but he also understood where Rose was coming from after watching Dimitri train for so long.

he knocked me off as though brushing away a fly, and his hand slammed into me and sent me backwards, I don't think he meant to strike me that hard- probably just intended to keep me away. But my lack of coordination interfered with my ability to respond, unable to catch my footing, I started to fall,

Olena didn't like hearing of her son hurting Rose but understood that he wasn't doing it on purpose

only it didn't. Just as quickly as he'd blocked me, the man reached out and caught my arm keeping me up-right 

Dimitri smiled at him mother and grandmother happy that they were proud of how his book self was treating Rose

when I'd steadied myself,I noticed he was staring at me- or more precisely my neck. Still disoriented I didn't get it straight away. Then slowly, my free hand reached up to the side of my throat and lightly touched the would Lissa had made earlier, when I pulled my fingers back I saw slick dark blood on my skins. Embarrassed I shook my hair so that It covered my neck . Id grown it out for precisely this reason.

"Stop staring" Karolina whispers at Dimitri understanding how she felt that was why her family had long hair. Dimitri nods at he embarrassed he would do that.

the guys eyes lingered on the now covered bite a moment longer than meet mine.i returned his look defiantly and quickly jerked out of his hold,he let me go though I knew he could have restrained me all night if he wanted. Fighting the nauseating dizziness,I backed towards Lissa again. Bracing myself for another attach. Suddenly her hand caught mine "Rose " she said quietly "don't" her words had no effect on me at first, but calming thoughts gradually began to settle in my mind,

"Compulsion?" Viktoria asks looking around the room "No, that's just how they have always been" Christian replies "how was you know? Do you watch her often?" Tatiana asks him glaring at him "they are hard to ignore" he tells her smirking at her glower.

coming across through the bond, it wasn't compulsion -she wouldn't use that on me- but it was effectual, as was the fact that we were hopelessly outnumbered and outclassed. Even I knew struggling would be pointless. The tension left my body and I sagged in defeat. Sensing my resignation, the man stepped forward, turning his attention to Lissa his face was calm he swept her a bow and managed to look graceful doing it, which surprised me considering his height. "My name if Dimitri Belikov" he said, I could hear a faint Russian accent. " I've come to take you back to st. Vladimir Academy, princess"

"Congratulations guardian Belikova" Tatiana says "It doesn't mean something has happened to me" Ivan says taking in Dimitris heart broken expression"and we can always change it if I somehow have, remember " Dimitri nods not looking confident. "Alright let's take a quick break and have lunch. Everyone one but Tatiana follow olena to the kitchen breaking off into small groups to talk.

Chapter Text

After a filling lunch, everyone sat back down,to read what happens next. Alberta opens the book and begins.

My hatred notwithstanding I had to admit Dimitri Beli-whatever was pretty smart- after they carted us off to the airport to and onto the academys private jet he'd taken one look at the two of us whispering and ordered us separated.

"Good idea" Alberta nods at Dimitri.

"don't let them talk to each other." He warned the guardian who escorted me to the back to the plane. "Five minutes together, and they'll come up with an escape plan," I shot him a haughty look and stormed off down the aisle. Nevermind the fact we had been planning a escape.

"Do you think they will try and escape again?" Victoria asks around the room. "I'm not sure, I wouldn't put it past them" Alberta replies

as it was,things didn't look good for our heroes-heroines rather. Once in the air our odds dropped further. Even supposing a miracle occured and I did manage to take out all ten guardians,we'd sort of have a problem in getting off the plane.

"She won't do something like that,right?" Adrian asks "Not with Lissa, with her" Alberta replies back.

I figured they might have parachutes aboard somewhere, but in the unlikely event I'd be able to operate one,there was still that little issue of survival,seeing as we'd probably land somewhere in the Rocky mountains no, we weren't getting off this plane until it landed in backwards Montana. Id have to think of something then, something that involved getting past the academys guardians. Yeah, no problem 

"Well she's done it before" Victoria says with a small smile, ignore the dirty look Tatiana shoots her way.

Although Lissa sat as the front with the Russian guy,her fear sang back to me, pounding inside my head like a hammer. My concern for her cut into my fury. They couldn't take her back there, not to that place. I wonder if Dimitri might have hesitated if he could feel what I did and if he could feel what I did and if he knew probably not. He didn't care.

"Id probably have told the head guardian" Dimitri replies to the questioning looks he was receiving

as it was, her emotions grew so strong that for a moment, I had the disorienting sensation of sitting in her seat-in her skin even. It happened sometimes,and without much warning.

"That does sound weird" Ivan says nodding

she'd pull me right into her head. Dimitris tall frame sat besides me, and my hand-her hand- gripped a bottle of water. He leaned forward to pick up something revealing six tiny symbols tattooed on the back of his neck;

Dimitri rubs the five marks he currently has, not looking forward to killing another, no matter how evil they are.

Molnijia marks. They looked like two streaks of jagged lighting cross an x symbol. One for each strigoi he'd killed, above them was a twisting line, sort of like a snake, that marked him as a guardian. The promise mark

The guardians in the room all rubbed the back of their necks.

Blinking I fought against her and shifted back into my own head with a grimace I hated when that happened. Feeling Lissa's emotions was one thing, but slipping into her was something we both despised she saw it as an invasion of privacy. So I usually didn't tell her when it happened neither of us could control it, it was another side effect of the bond. A bond neither of us fully understood. Legends existed about psychic links between guardians and their Moroi, but the stories had never mentioned anything like this. We fumbled through it as best we could, near the end of the flight Dimitri walked back to where I sat and traded places with the guardian beside me I pointedly turned away.

"Oooo she does not like you" Alberta says amused

staring out the window absentmindedly several moments of silence passed finally he said "were you really going to attach all of us?" I didn't answer "doing that....protecting her like that's it was brave."

"Don't incourge her" Janine she's glaring at Dimitri, he just nods back at her.

he paused "stupid,but still brave" why did you even try it" I glanced over at him brushing my hair out of my face so I could look him in the eye. "Because I'm her guardian " I turned back towards the window 

"She's not a guardian" Tatiana snaps

after another quiet moment, he stood up and returned to the front of the jet. When we landed. Lissa and I had no choice but to let the comandos drive us out to the academy. Our car stopped at the gate,and our driver spoke with guards who verified we weren't strigoi about to go off on a killing spree after a minute they let us pass on through the wards and up to the academy itself. It was around sunset- the start of the vampiric day- and the campus lay in shadows it probably looked the same gothic; the Moroi were big on tradition; nothing ever changed with them.

The Dhampirs in the room all nod agreeing with what Rose was saying.

this school wasn't as old as the ones back in Europe, but it had been built in the same style. The building boasted elaborate, almost church like architecture, with high peaks and stone carvings wrought iron gates enclosed small gardens and doorways here and there

"That sounds pretty" Victoria says wanted to look around herself, hopefully she will have time after these books are all finished.

after living on a college campus I had a new appreciation for just how much this place resembled a university more than a typical high school, we were on the secondary campus which was divided into lower and upper schools. Each was built around a large open quadrangle decorated with stone paths and enormous centry-old trees. We were going towards the upper schools quad, which has academic buildings on one side with Dhampir dormitories and the gym sat opposite. Moroi dorms sat on one of the ends, and opposite them were the administrative buildings that served the lower school. Younger students lived on primary campus farther to the west, around all the campuses was space, space and more space. We were in Montana, after all miles away from any real city. The air felt cool in my lungs and smelled of pine and wet, decaying leaves overgrown forests ringed the perimeters of the academy, and during the day, you could see the mountains rising up in the distance. As we walked into the main part of the upper school,I broke away from my guardian and run up to Dimitri. "Hey,comrade"

Everyone burst out laughing at that, no one laughed harder than Ivan he looked over to his best friend "I really like her" Dimitri shakes his head at him trying not to smile.

he kept walking and wouldn't look at me "you want to talk now" "are you taking us to Kirova?"

"Headmistress" Janine says

"headmistress Kirova" he corrected on the other side of him, Lissa shot me a look that said don't start something "headmistress. Whatever she's still a self righteous old, bit-" my words faded as the guardians led us through a set of doors-straight into the commons. I sighed were these people really so cruel there had to be at least a dozen ways to get to Kirovas office, and they were taking us through the center of the commons.

"What's wrong with that?" Victoria asks "It sounds like it's around breakfast which means everyone will be around to watch them arrive" Christian says

and it was breakfast time Novice guardians -dhampirs like me- and Moroi sat together, eating and socializing, faces alight with whatever currant gossip held the academies attention. When we entered, the loud buzz of conversation stopped instantly, like someone flipped a switch. Hundreds of sets of eyes swiveled towards us.

"Oh, goodie" Sonya says sarcasm dripping from her voice

i returned the stares of my former classmates with a lazy grin, trying to gay a sence as to whether things had changed, nope. Didn't seem like it. Camille Conta still looked like the prim, perfectly groomed bitch I remembered,

Dimitri,Ivan and his family looked shocked they thought she respected royals with how she treated the princess but seems that's not the case.

still the self-appointed leader of the academy royal Moroi cliques. Off to the side, Lissa's qawky near-cousin Natalie watched with wide eyes, as innocent and naive as before. And on the other side of the room.... Well that was interesting Aaron poor,poor Aaron

"Who's that?" Karoline asked "Lissa's ex" Christian replies a scowl on his face

who'd no doubt had his heart broken when Lissa left. He still looked as cute as ever- maybe more so now- with those same golden looks that complemented hers so well. His eyes followed her every move, yes. Definitely not over her.

Tatiana smiles pleased hoping she can get them together again

it was sad,really, because Lissa had never really been all that into him. I think she'd gone out with him simply because it seemed like the expected thing to do. But what I found most interesting was that Aaron had apprently found a way to pass the time without her, beside him, holding his hand, was a Moroi girl who looked about eleven but had to be older, unless he'd become a pedophile during our absence with plump little cheeks and blond ringlets. She looked like a porcelain doll. A very pissed off and evil  porcelain doll. She gripped his hand tightly and shot Lissa a look of such burning hatred that it stunned me.

"That's not going to end well" Alberta says hoping that there won't be a fight

what the hell was that all about? She was no one I knew. Just a jealous girlfriend I guessed. Id be pissed too if my guy was watching someone else like that. Our walk of shame mercifully ended, though our new setting- head mistress Kirovas office- didn't really improve things. The old hag looked exactly as I had remembered, sharp-nosed and gray-haired. She was tall and slim like most Moroi, and had always reminded me of a vulture.

Christian and Alberta both nod agreeing with her description.

i knew her well because I'd spent a lot of time in her office, most of our escorts left us once Lissa and I were seated, and I felt a little less like a prisoner. Only Alberta, the captain of the school guardians and Dimitri stayed, they took up positions along the wall. Looking stoic and terrifying, just as their job description required. "Vasilissa" startled, I realized there was someone else in the room a guardian, even a novice one.

The guardians shake their heads not impressed with her lack of awareness.

With a great deal of effort, Victor Dashkov rose from a corner chair Prince Victor Dashkov, Lissa ran to him throwing her arms around his fraile body. "uncle" she whispered, she sounded on the verge of tears as she tightened her grip with a small smile, he gently patted her back "you have no idea how glad I am to see you safe Vasilissa." He looked towards me, "and you too Rose" I nodded back, trying to hide how shocked I was. He'd been sick when we left, but this- this was horrible he was Natalie's father, only about forty or so, but he looked twice that age. Pale, withered hand shaking- my heart broke watching him with all the horrible people in the world it didn't seem fair that this guy should get a disease.

'sadly life isn't fair' thought Abe

that was going to kill him young and ultimately keep him from becoming king

Tatiana frowned not liking the thought of someone else being in her place

although not technically her uncle- the Moroi used family terms very loosely especially the royals- victor was a close friend of Lissa's family and had gone out of his way to help her after her parents died. I liked him: he was the first person I was happy to see here. Kirova let them have a few more moments and then stiffly drew Lissa back to her seat. Time for the lecture, it was a good one, one of her best. Which was saying something, she was a master at them, I swear that the only reason she'd gone into school administration, because I had yet to see any evidence of her actually liking kids.

Alberta nodded agreeing with that

the rant covered the usual topics responsibility, reckless behaviour, self-centredness.... Bleh... I immediately found myself spacing out, alternatively pondering the logistics of escaping though the window in her office. But when the tirade shifted to me- well, that was when I tuned back in. 

"Good idea" Ivan says amused

"you miss Hathaway, broke the most sacred promise among our kind, the promise of a guardian to protect a Moroi, it is a great risk that you violated by selfishly taking the Princess away from here. The Strigoi wouldn't love to finish off the Dragomirs; you nearly enabled them to do it"  "Rose didn't kidnap me" Lissa spoke before I could voics and face calm despite her uneasy feelings. "I wanted to go. Don't blame her" Ms. Kirova tskd at us both and paced the office, hands folded behind her narrow back. "Miss Dragomir, you could have been the one who orchestrated the entire plan for all I know, but it was still her responsibility to make sure you didn't carry it out, if she'd done her duty, she would have notified someone. If she'd done her duty, she would have kept you safe" I snapped "I did do my duty!" I shouted. Jumping up from my chair, Dimitri and Alberta flinched but left me alone since I wasn't trying to hit anyone. 

"Yet" Alberta mutters

yet. "I did keep her safe! I kept her safe when none of you'd I made a sweeping gesture around the room. "Could do it, I took her away to protect her. I did what I had to do. You certainly weren't going to"

Alberta was shocked she always had a feeling that the girls left for a reason but still didn't understand why. "What happened? Before the girls left?" Tatiana asked Alberta " nothing out of the ordernary other than miss karp"

through the bond, I felt Lissa trying to send me calming messages, urging me not to let my anger get the best of me too late. Kirova stared at me. Her face blank " miss Hathaway forgive me if I fail to see the logic of how taking her out of a heavily guarded, magically secured environment is protecting her. Unless there's something you aren't telling us?" I bit my lip. "I see well, then. By my estimation the only reason you left- aside from the novelty of it, no doubt- was to avoid the consequences of that horrible, destructive stunt you pulled just before you left" " not that's not-" " and that only makes my decision that much easier, as a Moroi the princess must continue on here at the academy for her own safety, but well we have no such obligations to you. You will be sent away as soon as possible." 

"Hell fucking no" Abe snaps "Can she do that?" Viktoria asks Alberta nods "sadly she can"

my cockiness dries up "I....what?" Lissa stood up beside me "you can't do that! She's my guardian" " she's not such thing particularly since she isn't even a guardian at all. She's still a novice." "But my parents-" " I know what your parents wanted, god rest their souls,but things have changed. Miss Hathaway is expendable. She doesn't deserve to be a guardian and she will leave." 

Abe growls hating someone calling his daughter expendable no guardian is expendable and he hated the fact that most Moroi had that mindset, thankfully all his guardians were well taken care of. And he would make sure his daughter knew and felt the same this time around.

i stared at kirova, unable to believe what I was hearing. " Where are you going to send me? To my mom in Nepal did she even know I was gone?" 

Janine flinched "I did, I just couldn't do anything about it" Abe kissed her hand and held onto her

or maybe you'll send me off to my father?"

"Id happily take her" Abe says loud enough that Dimitri and Ivan heard him on the other side of the room. Everyone stared in shock except Janine and Alberta. Dimitri and his family were shocked that someone like zemy would have a daughter especially with someone like Janine.

her eyes narrowed at the bite in that last word. When I spoke again, my voice was cold cold, I barley recognised it. "Or maybe your going to send me off to be a bloodwhore. Try that, and we'll be gone by the end of day" " miss Hathaway!" She hissed " you are out of line" "they have a bond." Dimitris low accented voice broke the heavy tension, and we all turned around toward him. I think kirova had forgotten him. But I hadn't , his presence was way too powerful to ignore. He still stood against the wall, looking like some sort of cowboy sentry in that ridiculous long coat of his,

Ivan and his sisters laughed at that glad they now had someone else to tease him about his wardrobe

he looked at me not,not Lissa his dark eyes staring straight through me "Rose knows what Vasilissa is feeling. Don't you" I atleast had the satisfaction of seeing kirova caught off guard as she glanced between us and Dimitri. "No... That's impossible,that's hasn't happened in centuries." " It obvious" he said. "I suspected it as soon as I started watching them"

"Because that's not creepy at all" Christian mumbles

neither Lissa not I responded and I averted my eyes from his. " That is a gift" murmered Victor from his corner. "A rare and wonderful thing" "the best guardians always had that bond." Added Dimitri "in the stories"

"Yes stories!" Tatiana snaps glaring at Dimitri, who just ignored her. He didn't have any respect for her, never had and he doubted he ever would.

Kirovas outrage returned "stories that are centuries old" she exclaimed "surely you aren't suggesting we let her stay at the academy after everything she's done?" He shrugged. " She might be wild and disrespectful-

"And now you have pissed her off" Alberta says laughing.

but if she has potential -" "wild and disrespectful" I interrupted "who the hell are you anyway? Outsourced help?" "Guardian Belikov is the princesses guardian now" said kirova " her sanctioned guardian"

Dimitris smile faded at the reminder that he's lost his best friend and charge " we have time to change it, don't worry I have no plans to die" Ivan reminded him not liking the look on his friends face.

"you got cheap foreign labor to protect Lissa?" That was pretty mean of me to say- considering most Moroi and their guardians were of Russian or Romanian decent- but the comment seemed clever again the time than it really was. And it wasn't like I was one to talk. I might have been raised in the U.S, but my parents were foreign born. My Dhampir mother was Scottish- red haired with a ridiculous accent- and I'd been told that my father was Turkish that genetic combination had given me skin the same colour as the inside of an almond along with what I'd like to think were semi-exotic desert princess features; big dark eyes and hair so deep brown that It usually looked black. I wouldn't have minded inheriting the red hair, but we take what we can get.

Janine touches her hair and smiles she didn't realise her daughter like her hair and it made her happy .

kirova threw her hands up in exasperation and turned to him. "You see? Completely un-dissaplind all the psychic bonds and very raw potential in the world can't make up for that" a guardian without discipline is worse than no guardian" "so,teach her discipline. Classes just started out her back in and get her training again" "impossible, she'll still be hopelessly behind her peers" " no I won't" I argued. No one listened to me , " then give her extra training lessons" he said they continued on the rest of us watched the exchange like it was a ping-pong game. My pride was still hurt over the ease in which Dimitri had tricked us, but it occurred to me that me may very well keep me here with Lissa. Better to stay in this hellhole than be without her. Through the bond I could feel her trickle of hope. "Who's going to put in the extra time?" Demanded Kirova "you?" 

"Well he is now" laughs Ivan

Dimitris argument came to an abrupt stop. "Well- that's not what I -" kirova crossed her arms in satisfaction. "Yes that's what I thought" clearly at a loss, her frowned his eyes flicked towards Lissa and me and I wondered what he saw. Two pathetic girls, looking at him with pleading eyes?

Oh they are good Ivan laughs "that'll get to you"

or two runaways who'd broken out of a hight security school and swapped half of Lissa inheritance 

"Probably a bit of both" Dimitri says to know one in particular.

"yes," Dimitri said finally "I can mentor Rose. I'll get her extra sessions along with her normal ones"

"Thank you" Abe says giving Dimitri a grateful nod

"and then what?" Retorted Kirova angrily "she goes unpunished?" "Find some other way to punish her " answered Dimitri "guardian numbers have gone down too much to risk losing another. A girl in particular"

The guardians in the room all grimace knowing exactly what he means

his unspoken words made me shudder reminding me of my earlier statement about "blood whores" few Dhampir girls become guardians anymore. Victor suddenly spoke up from his corner "I'm inclined to agree with guardian Belikov. Sending Rose away would be a waste of talent" Ms Kirova stared out her window. It was completely black outside. With the academies nocturnal schedule, morning and afternoon were relative terms. That and they kept the windows tinted to block out excess light, when she turned around Lissa met her eyes "please Ms Kirova let Rose stay." Oh,Lissa, I thought be careful. Using compulsion on another Moroi was dangerous - particularly in front of witnesses. But Lissa was only using a tiny bit- and we needed all the help we could get. Fortunately, no one seemed to realise that was happening 

Everyone was shocked by that, not knowing what to think. On one hand they didn't like the thought of someone being compelled but on the other they are just glad that Rose will be staying.

i don't know if the compulsion made a difference, but finally Kirova sighed. "If miss Hathaway stays, here's how it will be" she turned to me "your continued enrollment at St valdamirs is strictly probationary. Step out of line once. And you're gone. You will attend all classes and required training for novices your age. You will also train with guardian Belikov in every spare moment you have- before and after classes- other than that, you are banned from all social activities, except meals, and you will stay in your dorm. Fail to comply with any of this, and you will be sent away." 

"She won't like that" Christian says with a small chuckle. Remembering all the things Rose use to pull.

I have a harsh laugh. "Banned from all social activities? Are you trying to keep us apart?" I nodded toward Lissa. "Afraid we'll run away again?" " I'm taking percausions as I'm sure you recall, you were never properly punished for destroying school property. You have a lot to make up for." Her thin lips tightened into a straight line. " You are being offered a very generous deal, I suggest you don't let your attitude endanger it " I started to say it wasn't generous at all, but then my gaze caught Dimitris, it was hard to read. He might have been telling me he believed in me. He might have been telling me I was an idiot to keep fighting with Kirova  I don't know, looking away from him for the second time during the meeting, I stared at the floor, conscious of Lissa beside me and her own encouragement burning in our bond. At last, I exhaled " fine, I accept "