Chapter 2:
The week went quickly, and, also considering that the meeting was on Wednesday, I didn't really have time for, well, anything. Everyday after school, dad would come to help me pack my bags. And believe me, it took at least two hours each evening. I have a lot of stuff. Each time we packed, dad would look at me and ask if all of it was necessary. I would look at him in horror and exclaim how important everything was. He would just laugh and murmur something about me being just like my mother.
On Friday night, my father 'insisted' I go to bed early so I can wake up easier. I've been known for sleeping in and missing breakfast on many occasions. It was Saturday morning now and I am, for once, grateful I listened to my father's advice.
My father is a very smart man. When I started pre-school at St Vlad's, he resigned from his charge, Christian Ozera, to come and watch over me at the academy. I know he loved his job guarding the Queen's husband, but he made the sacrifice for his family. I remember when I was about four, when I was still in kindergarten, he came in one day to pick me up. Since most dhampires have no idea who there father was, and that the male moroi left the picking up to their wives, my dad probably looked very out of place walking in to pick me up. The first time he picked me up, I remember seeing him ducking his head when he went through the door so he wouldn't hit it on the frame. When he called out my name, I bounded up to him and he lifted me off the ground and threw me in the air and court me. I giggled and kissed his cheek. He would speak to me in Russian, since I learnt it fluently at the young age of three, and I would reply. I remember the funny looks I got from the other four-year-olds and I would giggle again. Dad would sign me out and then run on the grass with me until I got tired, which was pretty much an hours worth of sprinting.
Now saying good-bye too him was hard. I knew now he was going to try to get his job back guarding Lord Ozera, but he didn't mind if he stayed at the academy. The sky outside was reseeding into dusk. The sky was a dark mirage of orange and pink as the sun faded away slowly. Parked out the front of the academy's big wooden doors was one of its private black SUV's. It had tinted windows and looked very threatening. If the car was a human or a vamp, it would have looked the same.
Standing before it is Guardian Alto, who was talking to the driver, and Guardian Smith. Sam was hurling my many bags into the cars boot. I actually, now, felt embarrassed that I had so many of them with me. I heard the heavy doors of the academy open and close. Looking behind me, I see Kirova accompanied by Alberta. Well, Kirova actually having concern for a student was something new. My mother once told me that, when she was my age, she thought that the only reason Kirova took the job was to have the right to yell at kids for even the slightest of things. Being my fathers daughter, I never really did anything wrong, though I did, according to my peers, have a smart ass and defiant side that I inherited from my mother.
I felt my dad put an arm around my shoulders and pulled me close to him. Kirova and Alberta stopped next to me and said there good-byes. Since my dad was one of the top guardians at the academy, I got to know and become quite close to many of his guardian colleagues. A lot of them were very young, because of an age law that used to be present in our society. Thankfully our queen, Vasilisa Dragomire, changed it as soon as she could, but even though the law was abolished, the under trained dhampires weren't put back into school.
Alberta was clearing some things with Stan and Sam and Kirova leaves soon after, saying she had a meetings with the school board. My father's arm was still around me and he pulled me into a hug. He murmured things to me in Russian, saying that I would be ok and that he'd call tonight when we arrived. I don't why I started to cry but I did. My body shook and he held me tighter. Dad kept murmuring things to me and held me for a long time. When I pulled back I also heard the heavy doors open and close once again and I look up to see Hamish Ozera, Christian and Lissa's son.
Moroi are naturally tall and slim. Also very pale and dislike the sun (which is why we are awake during the human night and sleep during the human day), but Hamish looks different from most of the other Moroi at the academy. He's got a slight tan, hard to equire when you rarely go out in the sun. Also he's far more built than most of the other Moroi guys, not like the male novices and guardians, but pretty good for his kind. He looks like his mother I think, but has his fathers jet black hair and icy blue eyes. He's also kind like his mother but has his father's snarky side. He's like a reverse of me.
"Hey Greta!" He yells. "You forgot to say good bye to someone!" Alberta and Stan look up at me and say something about me not telling anybody. I mouth back 'I didn't'. I quickly look back at Hamish. It's such a pity he's a Moroi because I have a slight crush on him, but there's no point in saying it because Moroi-dhampire relationships never last. Usually, Moroi men are interested in Dhampire women because they have a more curvy figure than the Moroi women. But the relations don't last long. Most of the time, the Moroi men sleep with dhampire women, get them pregnant and then leave them to marry one of there own. Also, since he's the queen's first born son and eldest child, there is no way in the world, no matter how much Aunty Lissa loves me, that she would let Hamish even consider dating me.
"I'll leave you two." Dad whispers in my ear and looks at Hamish before walks off to join Alberta and Stan. I watch as he slinks off, but I see a smile on his face. Damn. I must be obvious. Looking back at Hamish I say:
"I was sure I'd remembered everyone." I say. "But the list of students was zilch because no one was supposed to know. How'd you find out?" I ask.
"I was talking to my mum and she accidentally mentioned it." He says.
"Ah, right. Well here I am. Ready to go to my secret location."
"Where is this 'secret location'? Is it L.A.? Because that would be awesome! Beaches and all that." He says.
"You guys don't go to the beach, let alone in the sun."
"That's why they invented umbrellas. And also since your avoiding my question I take it you can't tell me where your going. Or anybody." He inquires.
"Nope. There's a thing about secrets, nobody is really meant to know them." I say. "Wait, you haven't told anyone, have you?" He looks at me like I've said something crazy.
"I'm not that stupid. If told just one person, do you know how fast that would travel around? Faster than... Well I don't know, but it would be fast." Hamish makes a swooshing sound and moves his arm in a sort of wave motion. "Anyway, when I heard from my mum, I asked for details and she said you were leaving this morning, so I, for once, set my alarm and got up on time." He says
"Alert the press." I mumble. "I never knew you could actually wake up early."
"Well, I do need my beauty sleep. This face comes with a price after all." At this he struck a pose that I had to laugh at. He looked ridiculous.
From the SUV, I hear my dad calling me, saying that it was time to get in. I looked down at me watch and saw it was about 6 p.m. We had a flight at 9pm but had to be there earlier to check in and such. It also didn't help that be airport was at least an hour away.
"So this is goodbye, huh." Hamish says. I turn back to look at him with sad eyes.
"Yeah, but I'll be back soon. I hope anyway." I say quietly. I look up into his face and he smiles sadly.
"Aw, come here." Hamish says and holds out his arms. I move into them and hug him. "This would be so much better if you were shorter." Hamish says into my hair.
"Don't ruin the moment," I step out of his arms. I look at his face again and he's smiling at me. I can't really say smiling down at me because really we are both the same height.
"Come on, Greta. We gotta get going." I hear Stan say loudly behind me.
"I'm coming!" I yell back and quickly look back at Hamish. My eyes just ghost over him when grabs my arms and pulls me into another hug.
"Take care Greta. Be careful." He says into my hair. The words are so quiet that I barely hear them. I step out of his arms, turn on my heels and walk towards my father and the other guardians.
I wrap my arms around myself as a cool wind starts blowing. Even with my big jacket on, I still feel the cold. As I approach, Stan makes his way to the driver seat while Sam goes to the passenger seat. Alberta moves back to where Hamish was standing and looks at him sceptically. Hamish on the other hand looks uncomfortable. He has his hands in his pockets and a strange look in his eyes. But my eyes flicked off Hamish and land in front of me, on my dad.
His eyes are glued on my face. Usually his face is passive, showing no emotion. But now I see sadness and anxiety. He places a warm hand on my cheek and leans down to kiss my forehead. He stays there for a couple of seconds before moving back.
"You look worried, Dad." I say. He gives me a small smile.
"In a sense, yes." His face darkens. "You shouldn't be the one facing the consequences of my actions, Greta." Dimitri gets a far off and angry look in his eyes, and I know he's in a different place. One full of hatred and rage towards the stringoi.
"Hey," I say softly. "It's OK. I'm going to be fine. I have strong Belikov and Hathaway blood in me, it's going to take a lot to bring me down." At my words, his face brightens a bit. He reaches out and pulls me to him in a tight hug.
We hold each other for what seems like ages. I don't want to leave his arms. I feel like I'm five again when I became sad. He would hold me for a long time, waiting until I fell asleep in his grasp, before lifting me up and putting me into my bed.
I always felt small in his arms. There was this protective air that seemed to buzzed around him. He made me feel warm inside and out. I closed my eyes just before he pulled away. He leans down and plants one more kiss on my forehead while I fight the urge to cry again.
"You've got to get going, Greta. You'll miss your flight otherwise." He says and I nod. I don't think I can manage to say anything right now without to sounding weak. "I'll miss you, vozlyublennyy. Please be careful." I nod again. "I love you so much, Greta." He says.
I smile a little. "I love you too dad. I love you so much." I whisper. Dimitri steps forward and opens the back door of the car for me. I step up and sit down on the leather seat. I think this car may be reasonably new, considering it has that really nice new-car smell.
Dad leans down so he can see me through the car door and smiles sadly at me.
"I love you." He says again. "Take care, my darling." He leans down and kisses my forehead once more before closing the door.
I hear engine rev and we start moving. I look back quickly at Dimitri and Hamish. They both look sad to see me go, but I remind myself I could be coming back quickly. But I rather doubt it, but the chance is still there. Hamish lifts his arm and waves goodbye to me and I smile. I don't see Alberta anywhere and I take it she went back inside the school. My dad just stands there with a distant look on his face. I don't quite know what to make of it.
The SUV slowly drives up the forecourt of the school. When we reach the gates we stop while Stan talks to the guardian on duty. Soon enough they open the gates for us. The engine revs again and we move faster out the iron gates of the school and drive onto the road.
I pull out my iPod and the book I brought with. I press play and the Gorillaz song continues to play from where I stopped it last. I don't open my book though. I don't feel like reading right now so I just resort to looking out the window at the darkening sky. The song finishes and changes to some The Rolling Stones. I continue staring out the glass until we reach the airport an hour later.