Chapter One: We are back

Rose's Point of View

The guardians dragged us back to St. Vladimir's Academy. Vasilisa Dragomir, my best friend, was walking behind one of the guardians. She is the Princess for a vampire race called moroi. Moroi are the good vampires. They have magic, usually. The guardians around us were dhampir, like me. Dhampir are moroi, human hybrids.

There was one guardian on the edge of all of them. He was the youngest, probably fresh out of school. He was more of a shadow than a guardian. He had longer black hair and was tall. He was probably six foot five. He watched his surroundings as if a strigoi would jump out of any place. He would always let his eyes fall on Lissa and I every few minutes.

The guardians pulled us into the academy and dragged us to Head Mistress Kirova's office. "Good you are back," said Kirova. "What would you like to say for yourself?" Kirova added. "You are a massive b-" I didn't finish. "Head Mistress Kirova, we are terribly sorry for our absence." Lissa said. "Sorry is not an answer, Princess Dragomir. You ran from a heavily guarded facility for a world full of travesty." Kirova said in anger. "Hey, don't get mad at her. She didn't do anything wrong." I snapped at Kirova. "Vasilisa you may go. Hathaway, stay here." Kirova said. Alberta, the head guardian, grabbed Lissa's arm. "Hathaway you are most likely going to get expelled." Kirova said. "What," I exclaimed. "Mrs. Kirova, Rose protected me. "Please, let her stay." Lissa pleaded. Ha, she used compulsion. The tall guardian in the shadows grabbed my arm. "Let us leave, now." He said quietly. His voice was deep and you could tell he was American.

The dark guardian showed me to my room. "Welcome back, Rosemarie Hathaway." The Dark Guardian said as he walked out of my room. There was a knock on my door only a few minutes later. I opened the door expecting to see Lissa, but instead I saw Mason Ashford. "Rose," said Mason. "Hi Mason," I said. "You are back. The law finally caught up with you." Mason laughed. I punched him in the arm. "That is so funny, Mase." I said sarcastically.

Lissa's Point of View

After the guardian brought me to my room I left the room for the church. I walked with caution as I walked across campus. "Lissa," said a voice. I looked up to see my ex-boyfriend Aaron. "Aaron," I said. Crap, I was almost to the church. "When did you get back?" Aaron asked. "About an hour ago," I said. "Oh," He said. The bell rang above our heads. "I have to go," I said. I ran to the church. I climbed into the attic of the church.

A person was sitting in a chair. "Who are you?" I asked. "Christian Ozera," the boy said. Christian Ozera! He is the descendant of two moroi that had changed their selves into strigoi. "Who are you?" Christian asked. "I am Lissa Dragomir." I answered. "Great another royal brat," Christian said. "You are a royal," I snapped. "I am not respected. I am the most looked down upon royal here." He said. "You are still a royal," I said. "Not to Tatiana. Not to Kirova. Not to anyone. I am just an "evil" person that people are frightened of. They are too scared of strigoi to see the truth. Their fear blinds them." Christian said fury and disgust were trapped in his words.

Rose's Point of View

I was sucked into Lissa's head. She was talking to Christian Ozera. Is she out of her mind? Christian's parents turned themselves into strigoi. He was just as dangerous as any strigoi on the outside of these walls.

I was thrown to the ground. It didn't have time to catch myself. My face made contact with the mat that was under my feet. "Don't take your eyes off of your opponent." The Dark Guardian snapped in a deep voice. "Ashford, teach her some of the fighting tactics that we were learning." Alberta told Mason. "Yes Guardian," Mason said. The Dark Guardian was observing the class to see our progress. I still can't figure out why I am here. "Hathaway, you have been gone for almost two years. You need to catch up with the others in your class." The Dark Guardian said. I scrambled to my feet to face The Dark Guardian. His black hair was in his face and made a dark shadow over his face. "Hathaway, you need to learn these. You will not protect Vasilisa if you don't graduate." He said and walked away.

Lissa's Point of View

Christian was looking at the stained glass window. "It is beautiful," he said. I looked at him. "I would love to come up here and watch the moon light stream through the window. I was so young then. This place seemed sacred to me, like I was only safe when I was here in this room." I said as I watched the moon light cause the colors to shift on the floor. "I agree," he said. "The sum will be up, soon." I said. "I wish you could stay." Christian said with a sad smile. "I wish I could, too." I said as I climbed down from the attic.

I was walking back to my room when I spotted Rose running laps. "Rose," I yelled. Her head turned in my direction. She stopped to look at me. "Keep running, Hathaway." Alberta yelled to her. Rose looked away and started to run again. I looked at the ground and walked silently back to my room.

When I was finally in my room I noticed a note was on my bed. "Leave Princess, you are in danger here." It read. There was no name. What did it mean?

Rose's Point of View

I was done with my laps not long after Lissa had left. I was walking to my dorm when someone called my name. I turned around to see Jesse Zeklos standing against a wall. "Jesse," I said. "Hi Rose," He said. "It has been so long." He smiled, evilly. "Jesse I have to go." I said. "Okay, maybe you can come by my room later." Jesse smiled. "Unlikely," I said.

I was almost to the dorm when another person yelled my name. I turned around to see The Dark Guardian. "Rose," he said. "What do you want, Dark Guardian?" I asked. "What? I needed to tell you something about training. Did you just call me Dark Guardian?" His words were fast. "Oh," I said. "Why did you call me Dark Guardian?" He asked. "I didn't know your name, and you like to hide in the shadows, Hence the name Dark Guardian." I answered. "Whatever, You start training with me and Ashford tomorrow at twilight." He said. The Dark Guardian turned and left back to the training area.

I walked up the stairs to my room. I shut the door and fell on my bed. There was a not beside my face. "Dear Rose, Lissa is not safe here. She was never safe here. You got her away once Rose. There are few people here to trust with this information. Rose, keep Lissa safe." The note was written in neat handwriting and had no name. That is strange.

The Dark Guardian's Point of View

I was stationed in my normal spot against the wall. After talking to Rose I began to wonder. She called me the Dark Guardian for one. I didn't care about that. What bothered me was that when I got back there was a note in an envelope taped to the wall with my name on it. It had said, "Rose is to protect Lissa. You will be there to help here with this. Lissa is in danger at the academy. There are not many people in this academy I trust with this information. Protect them both."

Protect them both.