Author's note: I do not own Vampire academy or any of the characters. (Except one; Jenessa. That I know of for now.) I have done some editing to the chapters and made some changes. (Some of them subtler than others.) I hope you enjoy. (Only updated if you see this header. If not, I am working on it.) Thank you, and please enjoy. 😊

Chapter#2

On the drive, I opened my window to allow the early summer breeze to weave through my hair.

It was the first taste of freedom that I had felt in a long time, and I was set on savoring as much as I could on this trip.

Plus, I had to do something to drown out that awful music that Dimitri had chosen to play. The argument replayed bitterly in my head when I had politely asked him to play something else.

Something from this century.

Well politely was a term of endearment, especially to me. Polite to me meant not punching someone in the face (like I had done to Mia, another Moroi who was sitting next to me.) or only using one curse word per sentence. What I actually said was I can't stand this old people music. Can we turn something else on? He said no, of course, and brought up the argument that he was driving and he could pick. When I offered to drive he told me that I was too young, well young as in inexperienced. (Which was true. I didn't know a lot of these highways) I then proceeded to call him an old ass.

Some things never change.

"Thanks again for having me."

I turned to Mia, who regarded me softly beneath her perfect china doll face and bouncing blonde curls.

We hadn't always gotten along, especially in school, when she raged a war between Lissa and I. I think it surprised her that I had persuaded Lissa to bring her along.

That made two of us.

But a lot had happened after that. She was there for me after I made my first two Strigoi kills, which normally was a happy event, but it had only come at the price of another person's life. One who, even though I could never fully love him the way he did me was someone that I cared for deeply.

His name was Mason.

I smiled, even though the thought of him sent a heaviness through me.

"You're welcome Mia. We are happy to have you."

Plus, she wasn't rich, not like Lissa she couldn't have afforded to go on her own. I felt sorry for her. Plus, her mother had died, so she really didn't have anyone. It only felt right to have her along.

After a silent awkward exchange, I turned back to the window to feel the breeze, but it died when Dimitri stopped the car.

"I'll be right back." He said reaching his head around to us.

I realized that we had stopped at a hotel. I knew it wasn't the same hotel, but it looked oddly like the one that I had hidden out at when I was accused of killing the former queen.

The same one that Dimitri had yet again declared his love for me. In words and in action.

He climbed out, but then paused and came bounding back over.

"Do you have your stake?"

I shimmied through my pockets, and bitterly discovered them empty. Other than my cell phone.

I turned to the trunk, towards my bag and then turned to him.

As if understanding that I stupidly had packed it he huffed and rolled his eyes.

"Take this. Just in case." He said holding out his silver stake towards me. It was a weapon every guardian had.

"Don't lose it." He warned with gritted teeth.

Dude? How stupid did he think I was, but I was feeling low right now so I didn't fight him. Instead I took it and nodded before he made his way back out of the car.

It was one of the three ways to kill a strigoi; the evil, undead vampires. You could either stab them in the heart with it, decapitate them, or set them on fire.

I held the silver object in my hand squeezing at the warmth that still fumed from it. The warmth of his body heat.

I watched as he greeted a woman with cascading dark hair and honey gold eyes.

If she wouldn't have been so nice I would have thought she was a bitch, just by the way she was with Dimitri. The way she held him, kissed his cheeks.

But she was nice, in fact annoyingly so, which I bitterly discovered as she entered the spacious cabin of the car and greeted us all by name.

Apparently, she had been briefed on who each of us was and was polite enough to remember us all.

I smiled and held out my hand to her. She received it with a warm smile.

"Hello Roza." She even had his thick Russian accent.

Crap. I might like her.