"Hello Little Dhampir..." He called to me, my body moving towards his voice. "I'm waiting..." I felt a ghost of a caress on my neck, ice cold fingers sliding down my hot skin. Someone's lips were against my throat, pressed gently against my artery. When I tried to turn around, I found I couldn't move. Something held my feet in place. My heart beat faster as I felt teeth against my skin, just gently scraping, not piercing. A soft whimper escaped my lips. He grasped my hips and stuck his thumbs into my pants.
"No..." My voice came out strangled and weak. There was a feeling of dread spreading all throughout my body, my chest constricting with fear. My breathing was hitched as hands ghosted over my body.
"I'll see you in your dreams, My Little Rose." And then I was released. I shot up in bed, the bed creaking as I sat up. There were goosebumps raised along my flesh. Last time I take a nap after eating too much sugar.
"What the hell!" My hands were shaking. I could still feel the fear in my chest. I leaned over and looked at my alarm clock. Well, at least I was up on time.
Dimitri was waiting for me when I made it to the track. He lifted his eyebrows and glanced down at his watch once. "I know, I know, I'm late. I'm sorry." That guy's voice was still ringing in my head. I had the chills, and it didn't help that it was freezing out here. Literally, freezing. I felt like my fingers were falling off.
"Are you okay? You look sort of shaken up." The cold wind stirred up my hair and sent a chill into my sweatshirt. The rest of the school was still asleep. See, Moroi couldn't do sunlight. So St. Vladimir's students all ran on a nocturnal schedule. Dimitri thought it was fun to run while the sun rose. I thought he was just being cruel.
"I'm fine. Did you talk to Kirova?"Dimitri paused in his answer.
"She said it would be fine as long as you don't cause any ruckus. And, you double up in training sessions." I hadn't actually expected her to say yes. I mean, she didn't exactly not like me, she didn't trust me. I tended to act before thinking...hit first then ask questions later. I guess that kind of worked when you're a guardian.
"No way. How long did it take you to convince her?"
"Lissa did most of the work for me. She was very very convincing." He smiled, a little chuckle coming from his lips.
"What's so funny?" Dimitri didn't say anything else, other than, "Time to run. Try to make it under forty minutes this time." I threw a glare Dimitri's way before trotting off.
I was showered and dressed when Lissa knocked on my door. I opened it with a smile, but was greeted by shadows. I inhaled when I noticed darkness radiating from Lissa. It hadn't engulfed her golden light, but it was definitely tinged. "Hey Rose." Though there was a smile on her face, I could sense there was something wrong. I reached tentatively through our bond.
"Hey Lissa." I touched her mind slowly, sensing for any kind of red flag. She didn't seem upset, but there was a definite darkness. As my mind touched the black spot in her mind, I felt a wave of sickness wash over me. I gagged and then I felt Lissa's soft hands on my bare shoulder.
"Woah, Rose, you okay?" I looked up at her and licked my lips. The darkness was gone. I touched her mind to be sure. No trace. But suddenly, I didn't feel so sharp.
"Yeah, I'm fine. How have you been? Everything okay?" She looked at me strangely but nodded.
"Yes, Rose, I'm fine." She looped her arm through mine and smiled that bright dreamy smile at me. "So, I was thinking."She walked me out of my room and shut the door behind me. She lead me down the corridor as he smile brightened.
"Uh huh?"
"This summer I'm supposed to go to Court." With Lissa being the last Dragomir, our Queen liked to watch closely over her. Plus, she though Lissa would make a good match for her great nephew, Adrian. "And I think it'd be great practice for you if you were to accompany me..." I grinned and nodded.
"Of course. It's all a learning experience!" I'd always been curious about Court life. It seemed so...interesting. Kind of evil and cutthroat, but interesting. "Hey, have you been having any nightmares lately?" I thought that maybe because of our bond, we might have shared a dream or something. It wasn't as farfetched as her bringing me back from the dead.
"Um, no, why?" I bit my top lip thoughtfully.
"No reason." Rose tilted her head in my direction. I smiled slowly, trying to look unconcerned. "I just had a Freddy Kreugeresque nightmare and thought I'd ask." I laughed, like it was a joke, even though it was far from it. Lissa rolled her eyes.
"You watch too many horror movies, Rose." Guilty. Maybe that's all it was. Just a little imagination. It sure didn't feel that way.
"Hey, I have hand to hand combat first, want me to walk you to class?"
"That'd be my job." Christian Ozera emerged from the shadows, his looks all bad boy chic. He was the King of Sarcasm and I was the Queen of mean. We tended to rub each other the wrong way.
"Hey there. I see you're still working that whole mysterious and troubled look."
"Rose." Lissa patted my arm. I looked back to her and smiled.
"Sorry, I slipped." I looked at Christian. "Sorry." He looked like he wanted to say something, but with a glance to Lissa, he thought better of it. It's kind of funny. Both of our lives often revolved around Lissa and her safety or happiness.
"Well, we should get going..." Christian put his hands in his pockets.
"I'll see you at lunch, right Rose?" I nodded. She squeezed my hand as she walked away, slipping happily under Christian's arm. I sighed and ran a hand through my hair.
"Hello little dhampir." My heart froze, my blood ran cold. "Woah, Rose, you okay?" It was only Adrian. I swallowed and nodded.
"Why does everyone keep asking me that lately?" It was frustrating. I was fine.
"Sorry..." He stepped back. He smelled like peppermint, cigarettes, and liquor.
"Have you been drinking?" His emerald eyes twinkled. He broke out into a sarcastic self confident little grin.
"Only a little."
"When did you wake up? Like five minutes ago?"
"So concerned for me...Are you afraid I'm going somewhere, little dhampir?"
"Don't call me that. And no. You're supposed to be helping Lissa." He pouted and I had to admit, he was extremely good looking. His light brown hair looked messy but in that 'I paid way too much money for this haircut' kind of way.
"I could help you too..."
"Never going to happen, Adrian." He smiled lazily, probably in an alcohol haze, and shrugged.
"We'll see."
"Hey, did you do that dream walking thing to me last night, by any chance?" Adrian thought for a second but shook his head.
"Why, you have a naughty dream?" I almost laughed outright.
"No, I didn't. But you're sure you didn't?" Adrian's face slowly turned serious as he regarded me.
"What happened?" I shifted my weight to my other foot and tried for a nonchalant shrug. Why was everyone so worried about me all of the sudden? I was a big girl.
"Nothing. I have class." It was a long time before he responded. And he did so slowly.
"See you around, Rose." He leaned against the wall as I left, hurrying off to a class I was already late for. And there was no way I was going to be able to focus. Not with that man's voice so clear in my head. It couldn't have just been a dream. That gnawing feeling in my stomach told me that.
