Chapter 2

I watched them together, they were whispering. Again I had that feeling that they were connected.

"Don't let them near each other" I said informing the other guardians to split them up, "Five minutes together, and they'll come up with an escape plan."

Personally I don't know how good it would be, see how we were flying over the Rocky Mountains, but Rose, something about her made me uneasy. Like, she would come up with an escape plan, if we weren't in an airplane. I wondered what made them want to leave the Academy. I decided to sit next to Vasilisa for the first part of the airplane ride. She was shaking and looked really nervous.

"Would you like some water Princess?" I asked, she took the water from me politely and held it tightly.

I could see that Rose had been the backbone to this escape. I didn't know the princess that well but from what I heard and how she's now acting she seems like a kind person,a perfect princess, the last person people would expect to escape the Academy. I leaned forward in my seat to get a western novel. My secret pleasure. I loved those books. After a whileI switched seats with the guardian next to Rose. Seeing that I was seated next to her she stiffly turned to the side, looking out the window. She was obviously pissed at me.

"Were you really going to attack all of us?" I asked. She looked blankly out the window. "Doing that... protecting her like that- it was brave," I was telling the truth. I had realized this early, only true guardians protected their Moroi no matter what.

"Stupid, but still brave. Why'd you even try it?" She turned to me then, like the question was absurd and the answer was obvious. I realized what nice hair she had.

"Because, I'm her guardian." she turned back to the window. I looked at her, sighed inwardly and left to the front of the jet.

When we landed we drove them to the Academy. Our car stopped at the gate and we continued into the Academy. We were on the secondary campus, going to the upper school's quad. As we walked into the main part of the upper school Rose left her guardian and came to me.

"Hey Comrade." Comrade? I didn't look at her and I wasn't gonna talk to her either but then I felt myself saying, "You want to talk now?" Yea Dimitri really grown-up.

She ignored my question however and said, "Are you taking us to Kirova?" "Headmistress Kirova," I corrected. This girl really needed to understand the importance of titles.

"Headmistress. Whatever. She's still a self-righteous old bit-" Her words faded as she realized where we were going.

I realized then that our route was taking us right through the center of the commons, and it was breakfast time. "Oh well", I said to myself, "You don't want to be embarrassed, don't run away." I hadn't meant to sound rude or be mean but hey, that was how I felt. The only thing was that Rose was exactly the opposite of embarrassed. If I didn't know any better I would have said she was enjoying the attention. Vasilisa had a blank face. I couldn't tell if she was nervous or what. We finally ended up in Headmistress Kirova's office and I stayed remembering that I was Vasilisa's guardian. Alberta also stayed reminding me of her place as captain of the school's guardians. I liked Alberta. She was fair and didn't play favorites. I was surprised when she anointed me head of the rescue mission. I guess she wanted to she what I could do. I was new after all. I stood against the wall. Let's just say that I'm glad that I'm not Rose because Kirova looked really scary. She looked like my grandma when I was young and did something bad. Kirova opened her mouth to say something but a voice interrupted her.

"Vasilisa."

I looked across the room to see Prince Victor Dashkov rise from a chair. Damn. he did not look good. From what I had heard Dashkov had been diagnosed with a disease that was killing him and keeping him from becoming king.

Vasilisa ran over to him hugging him tightly."Uncle," she whispered "You have no idea how glad I am to see you safe, Vasilisa." Victor said, "And you too, Rose."

Kirova let them have a moment and drew Vasilisa back into her seat. I guessed it was time for the lecture. I admit it I really wasn't listening, and guessing from the blank look on Rose's face she wasn't eiether. She tuned back in when Kirova started on her.

"You, Miss Hathaway, broke the most sacred promise among our kind: the promise of a guardian to protect a Moroi. It is a great turst. A trust that you violated by selfishly taking the princess away from here. The Strigoi would love to finish off the Dragomirs; you nearly enabled them to do it." Jeez, Kirova cut right to the chase.

"Rose didn't kidnap me." Vasilisa said vouching for her friend. She looked utterly calm and confident. "I wanted to go. "Don't blame her."

Okay, this I didn't believe 100%. Sure maybe both of them wanted to go, but Rose seemed like the one that had really carried out the whole thing. Kirova's next words told me that she was probably on the same track as me.

"Miss Dragomir, you could have been the one who orchestrated the entire plan for all I know, but it was still her responsibility to make sure you didn't carry it out. if she'ddone her duty, she would have notified someone. If she'd done her duty, she would have kept you safe.

"I did do my duty." Rose shouted, jumping up from her chair. I flinched but decided to leave her, she wasn't trying to hurt anyone. She continued on, "I did keep her safe! I kept her safe when none of you could do it." she said pointing her finger around the room.

I looked at Vasilisa's face she looked like she was trying to clam Rose down. The only thing was that... she didn't touch her. They have a bond. Kirova stared at Rose, her face wascompletely blank. I don't think she expected that from Rose.

"Miss Hathaway, forgive me if I fail to see the logic of how taking her out of a heavily guarded, magically secured environment is protecting her. Unless there's something you aren't telling us?" Rose bit her lip. "She's hiding something."My instincts told me.

Kirova went on, "I see. Well, then. By my estimation, the only reason you left-aside from the novelty of it, no doubt-was to avoid the consequences of that horrible, destructive stunt you pulled just before your disappearance."

Oh yeah. I had forgot about the mess that Rose had made in a room before she left. It had been in her file. She had been on suspension for "destruction of property" when her and Vasilisa had left.

Rose tried arguing with Kirova, "No, that's not-" But she was interrupted.

"And that only makes my decision that much easier. As a Moroi, the princess must continue here at the Academy for her own sfety, but we have no such obligations to you. You will be sent away as soon as possible."

Whoa. Rose has really stepped out of line. Students aren't expelled from the Academy all the time. This was really rare. Apparently Rose saw so to.

"I...what?"

Vasilisa stood up, surprise clearly displayed on her face. "You can't do that! She's my guardian."

Kirova was all business. She looked like she had her mind all made up. "She is no such thing, particularly since she isn't even a guardian at all. She's still a novice."

Vasilisa tried to argue. I could see that arguing was more of Rose's battle field than Vasilisa's. "But my parents-"

"I know what your parents wanted, God rest their souls, but things have changed. Miss Hathaway is expendable. She doesn't deserve to be a guardian, and she will leave."

As Kirova was saying this I saw a change in Rose's face. Their was disbelief followed by a sudden coldness. "Where are you going to send me? To my mom in Nepal? Did she even know I was gone? Or maybe you'll send me off to my father?" Something in her tome made me think that Rose and her father weren't in the best relationship. "Or maybe you're going to try to send me off to be a blood whore. Try that, and we'll be gone by the end of the day."

"Miss Hathaway," Kirova said, "you are out of line."

I decided to take this as my time to talk. "They have a bond." I said, every eye in the room turned to me. I looked at Rose, "Rose knos what Vasilisa is feeling. Don't you?"

Rose, however, didn't answer. It was Kirova that responded. She looked astounded. She looked between me and Rose.

"No...that's impossible. That hasn't happened in centuries."

Yeah maybe not in America but I know in Russia before I left, there were a few. No one could find out the cause however.. "It's obvious," I continued. "I suspected as soon as I started watching them."

No one responded and Rose looked away from me and confirmed my bond theory. "This is a gift, a rare and wonderful thing." Victor said softly. "The best guardians always had that bond, in the stories."

"Stories that are centuries old." Kirova said outraged. "Surely you aren't suggesting we let her stay at the Academy after everything she's done?"

I shrugged, "She might be wild and disrespectful, but if she has potential-"

"Wild and disrespectful." Rose interrupted. "Who the hell are you anyway? Outsourced help?" I rolled my eyes and sighed quietly.

"Guardian Belikov is the princess's guardian now, her sanctioned guardian."

"You got cheap foreign labor to protect Lissa?" Rose was really starting to make me question why I was defending her. Kirova threw up her hands,

"You see? Completely undisciplined! All the psychic bonds and very raw potential in the world can't make up for that. A guardian without discipline is worse than no guardian."

"So teach her discipline. Classes just started. Put her back in and get her training again." I argued.

"Impossible. She'll still be hopelessly behind her peers."

"No, I won't. " Rose argued, no one listened to her.

"Then give her extra training sessions." I said.

"Who's going to put in the extra time?" Kirova demanded. "You?"

This is when my arguement stopped short. This was not what I had in mind. "Well, that's not what I-"

Kirova was basically beaming with satisfaction, "Yes. That's what I thought." I frowned and looked at Vasilisa and Rose. Vasilisa was basically begging me with her eyes to mentor Rose, and Rose...she looked like she was trying to figure out what was going on in my mind as much as I was trying to figure out hers.

"Yes," I said, "I can mentor Rose.I'll give her extra sessions along with her normal ones."

"And then what?" Kirova angrily said. I think she was banking on me to back out on the lessons. "She goes unpunished?"

"Find some other way to punish her," I said, "guardian numbers have gone down too much to risk losing another. A girl, in particular." I saw Rose shudder. Few dhampir girls became guardians. This reminded me of my mom.

"I'm inclined to agree with Guardian Belikov. Sending Rose away would be a shame, a waste of talent." said Victor. Kirova sighed.I don't think she expected everyone to be against her.

Vasilisa looked at Kirova,"Please Ms. Kirova. Let Rose stay."

Kirova sighed which told us that she made her decision. "If Miss Hathaway stays, here's how will be." She turned to Rose, fixing her with a cold, hard stare. "Your continuedenrollment at St. Vladimir's is strictly probationary. Step out of line once, and you're gone. You will attend all classes and required trainings for novices your age. You will also train with Guardian Belikov in every spare moment you have-before and after classes. Other than that, you are banned from all social activities, except meals, and will stay in your dorm. Fail to comply with any of this, and you will be sent...away."

Rose gave a harsh laugh, "Banned from all social activities? Are you trying to keep us apart? Afraid we'll run away again?"

"I'm taking precautions. As I'm sure you recall, you were never properly punished for destroying school property. You have a lot to make up for." Kirova continued, "You are being offered avery generous deal. I suggest you don't let your attitude endanger it."

Rose opened her mouth to say something then she looked at me, I looked at her. From what I heard she was sarcastic and rude. Why am I doing this? The answer came to me before I even finished thinking the question. It was because I couldn't forget how she guarded Vasilisa against us. Bond or no bond in her heart I believed she was a good guardian. One that just need some training. "A lot of training." I thought. And, I was going to be the one to give it to her, if she accepted. She looked away from me, and looked at the floor for the second time during the meeting.

"Fine," she said "I accept."


Hey guys thx so much. I've had a lot of people faving my story and im happy! imma start getting more into Dimitri's thought and feelings, and pretty soon his complicated relationship with Rose! Also Dimitri will soon get a letter from his mom!