Vampire Academy - Dimitri's POV:
A/N: I recently finished all of the VA books, and became completely obsessed. I wasn't quite ready to let go of the world yet, and I was really intrigued by quiet, calm Dimitri, so I thought I'd give his POV a try. This is the first thing I've written in a while, so please review and give me some constructive criticism, or tips - I'd really appreciate it. Other than that, I hope you like it! This is just the first chapter, but if you guys like it, I might extend it further. Let me know if you'd like that! :)
Chapter 1
The street, despite the lack of sunlight and the breeze rustling through the trees, was unusually warm. Especially for Portland in late September, but being raised in Siberia, though it didn't match the tundra stereotype, immunises you against the cold. Or maybe it was the duster. Probably the duster, really.
I folded my arms, and attempted to disappear into the shadow of the trees as subtly as possible, while still maintaining my vantage point. Five minutes before, the house we'd been watching had been pitch black, as dark as all the others on the street. Even college students had to sleep sometime (though I questioned this upon hearing faint shouts and drunken laughter from a few blocks away). Now, though, one of the upper windows was illuminated, creating a stark contrast to the rest of the night. Silhouetted in the frame, like a single picture in the gallery of the dark night, were two figures. One, a slim, willowy girl, and the other a shorter, fuller figure. At last. The second was sat next to the first, seemingly comforting, with a hand around the first's shoulders.
Unconsciously, I stepped forward, slightly out of the shadows. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw one of the other guardians, too close to the house to see what I could, motion at me to get back. I ignored him, and kept watching. The second girl flicked her hair to one side, a whole mane of it, and I watched with bated breath as our princess, the elusive last Dragomir, sank her carefully hidden fangs into her friend's neck. The dhampir flinched at first, before relaxing into it. Less than a minute later, Lissa Dragomir, the girl we'd been searching for for almost two years, walked past the window, close enough for me to see, as if there was any doubt left, that this was our girl. She disappeared from my view point and was replaced by a large cat who'd hopped into the window.
I could see it watching me warily, and I knew I'd gotten too close. Cats don't like dhampirs, but have no problem with humans, or even Moroi. I stepped back into the shadows. A whisper of wind blew a strand of brown hair out of my ponytail and into my face. I brushed it away impatiently. The cat hunched it's back, its tail stiffening and puffing up in a show of aggression and dominance. I inwardly smiled, though my face stayed blank. Try what you like, cat, you aren't going to hit six seven any time soon, I thought.
The girl stumbled up to the window frame, and the cat disappeared. I knew instinctively that there was no way I could blend in, no matter what. A six foot seven man in a duster does not resemble a tree, no matter how dark it is, though I doubted she could make out many, if any, of my features. The light from her window cast a vague glow onto the yard I stood in below, and her spine stiffened as she saw me. Try as she might to stay calm, she vanished from the window, and a few seconds later reappeared, nearly running out of the room after the princess.
It was evident she was going to run. I would have, had it been me. I motioned to the other guard to remain, while I took off around to the street. Most of the others followed me, spreading out across the road, melting into the shadows like ghosts. I crouched uncomfortably behind a car a ways up the street. It was a red Civic. A common car: nothing to draw her attention or to make her look twice at. If they'd lasted two years, no matter how little her training, she must have been good. Rose Hathaway, I'd been told. Serial rule breaker, with a disciplinary record long enough to rival Tarasov's. Well, not really. Her stunts involved more petty rule breaking than serious crime. As far as I could tell, she'd only ever danced along the line of illegality, never quite daring to cross it, only to push it out.
A door slammed. They'd left the house's confines, and were heading my way, closing the few hundred meters of distance between us. In the dark, I couldn't see what way around they were, but one clung to the other for support, being pulled along as they ran. I'd assumed the princess would be the dragee, rather than the dragger, so I was shocked when they passed under a faint street lamp glow and could see for myself. The dark haired head of Hathaway was bent down, and I could see how much effort went into just keeping up with Princess Dragomir. She stumbled, and it suddenly occurred to me her lack of blood. She should have been laid down, rebuilding her sugar levels rather than overexerting, but I was nevertheless impressed with her dedication to her charge.
Behind them, I heard maybe two or three other guardians gaining, closing the distance. But the larger the distance from those two or three, the closer to me. They were almost level when I stepped out in front of them. Hathaway's dropping head immediately snapped up, her eyes dark and feral like a cornered wild cat as she yanked the princess behind her, away from me. The princess' eyes betrayed her fear and confusion, and concern for her friend as Rose threw herself between the two of us. She fixed me with a stare that could have taken down Rome, and she sized me up. At around a foot shorter, with limited training, she was no match for me, but her sheer confidence and demeanour made me rethink myself. She was smart.
"Leave her alone," she growled. "Don't touch her." I put my hands up, wary of this girl's animal instinct, and attempted to seem non-threatening. I stepped forward, slightly closer, and she sprang, as if without thinking. Forgetting she was only seventeen, and no real threat, my training kicked in, and I threw her away from me. Her expression melted into one of surprise, and I thought the princess gave a small shriek. Just as quickly, I caught her before she hit the ground. She didn't thank me. Not that I expected it.
As she'd fallen, that thick, near-black hair had fallen from her neck, exposing her recent bite. I couldn't help but stare. When she noticed, which it took her endorphin addled brain a while to do, she irritably brushed it back across the wound, staring defiantly at me. My eyes lingered a moment longer and let her go as she jerked away. This girl was taking 'they come first' to a new level. She backed up once again to the princess, always trying to keep her circle of predators, as I thought she saw them, in sight all at once.
The princess knew it was impossible, and caught her wrist. "Rose. Don't." At her quiet voice, Rose appeared to calm down, though sagged defeatedly. The fight and adrenaline that had kept her upright were waning fast. She'd given up - for now - and I knew it. I stepped forward warily, keeping in mind what had happened the last time, and bowed.
"My name is Dimitri Belikov," I said. Whether we'd just chased and cornered them or not, pleasantries and manners were still important. Admittedly, it was done in a slightly dry tone, since I didn't really think either of them cared how they were addressed at this point. "I've come to take you back to St. Vladimir's Academy, Princess."
A/N: Hope you liked it! Please R&R and let me know if you'd like to see this continued.
