"Dimitri," I said as I nudged him. "Dimitri, we're here."
He raised his head slightly to look at me before sighing. It had taken some coaching to even get him to take a nap during the flight, but I had finally convinced him that the only trouble we could possibly run into a few thousand feet in the air were issues that he couldn't really do much about.
He raised his seat to sitting position and began neatly folding his blanket. I would like to take the time to share some wisdom with you: if you're on an international flight, first class is the only way to go. The first time around I had wanted to conserve money and had flown coach; this time Lissa had bought our tickets and spared no expense.
While Dimitri and Christian were renting a car, Lissa and I headed to the baggage claim. We hadn't brought much with us; each only bringing a suitcase. The two of us quickly located them and pulled them off the carousel.
"Here, let me help you with those."
I looked up and met the hazel eyes of a cute guy. "No thanks," I said. "We're set."
His smile oozed cheesy, chauvinistic 'charm'.
"I couldn't just walk off and leave a pretty girl to fend for herself."
I struggled to not roll my eyes and show him just how well I could 'fend for myself' firsthand. I had been trying this new thing lately called self-control. I didn't care much for it, but Dimitri and Lissa both assured me it was the cool thing to do. Instead, I picked the suitcases up and headed toward the rental car counter.
The guys weren't there; they must be pulling the car around. We sat down on a bench to wait.
"Are you more anxious or excited?" Lissa asked.
I thought before answering. "Excited. I'm really nervous about seeing Viktoria, but I can't wait to see everyone else."
"If there's going to be a cat fight, can I watch?" I looked up at the voice to find the pig from baggage claim. Beside him was yet another pretty boy, with carefully styled blonde hair that you could just tell was his pride and joy.
"You should probably just go away." I said.
He sat down next to me. "We haven't even been introduced. I'm Larry, and this is my friend Rob. "
Rob walked to Lissa and held out his hand to her. "I gotta say, you are absolutely gorgeous."
I glanced at Lissa who was trying her best to keep from laughing. Finally, she said "Go ahead Rose, you know you want to."
"Rose, huh?" Larry asked. "Beautiful name too. Listen to your smart friend."
Ahh, if only he knew what he was asking for. I turned to him. "She is smart. In fact, she's so smart that she knows that 'go ahead' doesn't mean yes, sleep with this Neanderthal. She's smart enough to know that what I really want to do is use my fist to crush every bone in your face. And I just got permission from my boss to do just that. Oh, and before you start thinking you could take me, you should look at my record. I have a very bad habit of breaking things." I didn't mention that half the things I had broken in my life were rules.
"It's true," Lissa said with faux regret and looking up at Rob with sorrowful eyes. "She breaks everything she touches."
I shot her a mischievous grin as the pig and friend considered their options. Finally, he stood and tossed me a "Your loss" look and quickly walked away, Rob trailing behind him. I'm pretty sure I heard the word 'bitch'.
Lissa and I laughed at his retreating back.
She sighed and I was grateful that she seemed relaxed and content. "I miss this." She admitted.
"You miss hearing me threaten obnoxious guys? Didn't I just threaten Christian a few hours ago?"
"You know what I mean. I always have to be so mature and Queenly now. It's nice to be away from all that, to just let go and be a normal girl."
"Glad I could help" I said as I waggled my eyebrows at her.
A throat was cleared to the right of us, and I looked up to see Christian. "Hey you, how long have you been there?" Lissa asked.
"Long enough to catch you in the act of standing by as Rose almost beat a guy."
Lissa looked chagrined, but I just tossed my hair back and gave him a winning smile.
"Anyway, Dimitri's got the car outside."
We loaded up the car, then we were off to Baia. Lissa, Christian and I kept up a running commentary, and every once in a while Dimitri would add something. I didn't mind. I knew where his mind was, and the only reason I was talking so much was to keep my mind away from that subject as long as possible.
Once we got to Novosibirsk we stopped at a hotel. Lissa and Christian would spend a couple days here with Abe and my mom while Dimitri was reunited with his family. Part of me wanted to stay here, too, but I knew Dimitri wanted me there, so I would go.
Mom was waiting in the lobby. "Abe had some business to see to," she explained.
"Of course he did." I said wryly. None of us knew exactly what my father's 'business' was, but I was completely sure it wasn't legal.
"Don't get caught out at night." I told them. The three of them nodded.
"I'm serious. Stay with Mom and Abe's guardians. Don't let them out of your sight, and do not go out at night."
Dimitri chuckled. "Roza, they'll be fine."
Mom took my hands in hers. "I'll take care of them. Abe has hired a few young dhampirs to help guard them, and I promise you that the only time they can possibly leave my sight is when they are in their hotel room."
I eyed Christian suspiciously. "You hear that, don't you? Don't get into trouble, not here."
"What trouble could a young American get into here, I wonder? Certainly a young lady couldn't kill dozens, get kidnapped, and help save someone a few thousand miles away around here." Startled, I turned to see Abe standing there, guardians in tow. Besides his own guardians I saw…Dennis, Tamara, Lev and Artur. Abe grinned at the shock on my face; shock that was mirrored in the faces of the unpromised dhampirs standing before me.
"Rose?" Artur asked hesitantly.
"We thought you were dead." Dennis said soberly. I felt the blood rush to my face.
"I, I was captured. I managed to escape."
"And now you serve the Moroi?" he responded with a sneer.
"I protect my friends." I answered firmly.
"Moroi are never friends to dhampirs." Artur said. I sighed. "Then why are you here, with Abe?"
This time it was Lev that answered. "Mr. Mazur was willing to pay us well. A week of following him around and killing threats in exchange for a lifetime of comfort. He knows how to give you an offer you can't refuse."
I looked at my father in wonder. "A lifetime of comfort, old man? Guess being a drug lord pays off."
His guardians, used to my constant quest to figure out exactly what he did, chuckled.
Abe must not have told the unpromised who I was to him, because they tensed at the scoffing note in my voice. Lev went as far as to take a step toward me.
Suddenly, Dennis went pale. I looked behind me and didn't see anything. When I turned back to him, he had pulled out a stake and was coming at me. My shock lasted about half a second before I tackled him. Usually it took me some time before I got the upper hand on someone with this much size on me. Then again, I was usually fighting the best Guardians in the world, not some slayer wannabe. It took me less than a minute to pin him. I heard shouting and looked up to see the other unpromised being restrained by my mom and Abe's guardians.
It took Lissa's pleading voice for me to realize what had happened.
Slowly, the pandemonium cooled down. Lissa and Christian were standing on either side of Dimitri, both looking fierce and protective as he sat with his head down, unable to defend himself without making matters worse. If it weren't for the danger of the situation, I would have had to laugh at the irony. Here sat the most dangerous dhampir I had ever met, protected by his charges.
Dennis spat in my face. I punched him, feeling a slight thrill at the sound of crunching bones.
"He's not Strigoi." I told him. I met Dimitri's eyes and repeated my words slowly. He nodded and stood to meet the gaze of each unpromised one by one, speaking in Russian as he did. I guessed he was explaining what had happened, or at least giving them a general overview. I watched each face as the truth of his words dawned on them. Finally, he came to stand beside me—still straddling Dennis—and met the dhampir's eyes. After a couple seconds, I felt Dennis relax, his fist letting go of the silver stake. I grabbed it—just in case—and stood, my arm going around Dimitri.
"How?" he choked out, looking at me. Guess Dimitri's explanation wasn't good enough for him.
"Spirit." I said wearily. I knew that wasn't any kind of explanation, but I was exhausted and grumpy, and didn't really feel like being very helpful to the guy who had just tried to attack my boyfriend.
He turned to Lissa and Christian. "Why would you stand in front of him? Guardians protect Moroi, not the other way around. If we had gotten past the other dhampirs, there is nothing you could have done, and to try would have been suicide."
Christian smirked as my hand suddenly burst into flames. I shrieked at the pain, and then it was gone. I turned on him, but Dimitri grabbed my shoulders. I had enough momentum that he stumbled before gaining his footing, but I didn't manage to get close enough to break Christian's hand.
I glared, but Dimitri just chuckled and said in his Zen master voice that took me back to St. Vladimir's "They come first."
Christian managed to look both amused and contrite. "Sorry, just proving that I'm not defenseless."
"Why'd you have to show it on me?" I demanded.
His face said that the answer was obvious. "Because I could."
Abe laughed at that and thumped Christian on the back. "The two of you could be siblings."
"The constant fighting definitely reminds me of Lord Szelsky's children." Mom commented.
"And whether or not you're willing to admit it, you two are a lot alike." Lissa added. We glared at them all. Dimitri laughed.
The unpromised looked confused. Tamara said something in Russian and I looked to Dimitri for a translation.
"She says that even with his magic, it was stupid for the two of them to try to stand in the way."
I looked at Dennis levelly as I responded. "I've seen a lot of stupid things in my life. Hell, I think I've done the vast majority of them. I'd never let Lissa get hurt. She knows that. I think I might even stand in the way of someone hurting Christian if it's the right day of the week. But do you really want to know how this happened?" I asked, pointing at Dimitri.
They all nodded.
"He kidnapped me that night I disappeared while walking Tamara home. I don't want to go into details, but eventually I escaped and made it home. Once I realized I hadn't killed Dimitri, Lissa let me start concocting all kinds of plans. She helped me break the one man she hated and feared most in the world out of Tarasov. She took a trip to meet a crazy, dangerous man to learn how to do this. She managed to get a silver stake, learned how to charm it with a special element, learned how to stake a Strigoi. She was kidnapped for me, and so was Christian. And they beat me back every time I tried to get close enough to kill Dimitri. Christian used his fire to make sure that Dimitri was contained and I couldn't get near him while Lissa staked him. These Moroi, who don't care about lowly dhampirs saved a Strigoi and returned his soul. Ask them why."
The unpromised turned uncertainly to face Christian, but it was Lissa who answered.
"Because she loves him." She said simply, then sighed at the confusion on their faces. "Because Rose Hathaway is the best friend I have ever known, and because I would go to the end of the world for her. She loves Dimitri, and that alone is enough reason for me to love him too."
"Enough to risk your life?" Lev asked hesitantly.
"I think Rose just told you that." Christian responded dryly.
Mom spoke up. "You have plenty of time to question the loyalty of friendship. Meanwhile, you need to be briefed on your duties."
Dennis' cocky face was back. "We don't answer to the Guardians. For now, we will answer to Mr. Mazur, after which we will hopefully never have to deal with Moroi again."
Abe stepped forward, aiming his chilling look at Dennis. "Yes, you will answer to me. And your orders are as follows: for the next two days you belong to Vasilisa and Christian. Guardian Hathaway" he pointed at my mom "is your superior. You will act in a manner fitting the best of guardians." He hesitated as he looked at me. "I should rephrase, seeing as Rose and Dimitri are two of the best guardians I have ever met, and between running away—countless times—stealing prisoners, getting non-qualified best friends elected Queen, and romantic involvement with minors, they aren't the best examples for behavior. Amusing, yes. Good, no. Do as Guardian Hathaway tells you, and do it perfectly, or there will be consequences." I would never understand the pride that radiated from my father whenever he spoke of my misadventures. I didn't hide what I had done, but at the same time I didn't constantly search a conversation for an opening to brag about them like he did.
I stared hard at Dennis. "Let me make that even clearer. If anything happens to Lissa or Christian, and I mean so much as a cat scratch, I will be showing you the business end of your own damn stake."
"Now then," Abe said with a jovial smile "Let's get to know each other, shall we?"
Dimitri and I said our goodbyes and left.
"I'm hungry, comrade." I said as we got back in the car.
"You're always hungry."
"Well, maybe if the airlines would feed us more than three bites…" I grumbled.
We stopped at McDonalds for a quick bite.
A few hours later, we were entering Baia. Our conversation had dwindled the closer we got to Dimitri's hometown.
"It won't be like that here," I told him. "We called ahead and explained, so they're expecting you."
"I know. It's still hard to do."
"Hey, it's not like they won't have questions for me too. I just took off one night. The only one who knew anything about it was Yeva."
"You haven't killed…" he began, then realized who he was talking to.
"I haven't killed innocent people." I finished for him. "I also didn't lose my soul. The only things you have killed while you had a soul were Strigoi, which puts me firmly in the negative category."
He chuckled. "That isn't what placed you in the negative, Roza."
I shrugged. "Who cares? Even if people don't know it, I've never done anything illegal or wrong without a great reason. Yeah, I've broken some rules, but never for the hell of it. Okay, rarely for the hell of it."
On that lighthearted note, we reached the two-story house he had grown up in. The smile faded, but I was grateful that not all the amusement had left his eyes. Once at the front door he hesitated. I was ready to get this all over with, so I knocked for him.