AN: Hello my dears
Hope you enjoy this chapter!
Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Academy or its characters. Everything belongs to Richelle Mead.
My earlier concerns about instructing novices came back to me. Taking on Strigoi was no easy task, but even that seemed more doable than teaching a bunch of caustic, inappropriate, and hormonal teenagers!
"I can't instruct students!"
"Why not?"
"I'm not qualified."
"Your very impressive record says otherwise."
"My record...is okay."
"That's an understatement," Volya chimed. "You graduated at the top of your class, and within the first five years of field work you've created many connections around the guardian community and have killed five Strigoi. That's more than most guardians twice your age can say."
"But I'm not trained to teach students."
"No," Guardian Petrov admitted. "But you are trained to fight. You are an expert in that field and that's exactly what you'd be teaching them to do. That is, if you are to instruct them at all. Your responsibilities won't include teaching a class, just monitoring the classes and the grounds. You may be asked to sub from time to time."
They wanted me to be a sub?!
"Besides," said Guardian Alto, speaking for the first time since I'd met him. "Your position at the Academy would only be temporary."
"Temporary?" Now I was confused. What was going on? Were the guardians mad that I lost Iv- my charge and this was their way of punishing me? A "serve your time" kind of thing? "Why temporary?"
"Because your new charge hasn't graduated yet, and when she does you will be leaving the Academy with her."
I almost sighed in relief. They were giving me a charge. I wouldn't be a sub the rest of my life! But then I realized something that confused me even more.
"But students don't receive guardians."
"They do when they are the last Moroi in their royal line," Alto exhaled impatiently.
The Dragomir Princess then. Wow, this was truly an honor. The Dragomirs had been very few in number and then a year or so ago a car accident had finished the rest of them off except one. I tried to think of the Princess' name, but then, as if reading my mind, Guardian Petrov voiced the answer for me.
"Her name is Vasilisa Dragomir. She is the last of the Dragomirs, and so we want the very best guardians for her. We have handpicked you for the extremely paramount and esteemed task of being one of her guardians. And just so we are clear, this isn't an option or a request. It is an order."
I suddenly felt stupid for questioning this so much. I couldn't pick and choose my assignments or charges. The guardians did that for me. My job was to protect Moroi. My opinions didn't matter.
"I understand," I said. "How soon can I meet her?"
"That's another problem. You can't meet her. Not yet. We don't know where she is."
What!? Well this was very unlike the guardians. "Why? What happened to her?"
I may have just received this assignment a minute ago, but she was still technically my charge now, and so I felt responsible for her safety. Not only that, but also the fact that she is the last of the Dragomirs and a minor. If something were to happen to her it would be a big loss for the whole Moroi and dhampir world.
"A novice took Vasilisa and escaped from the Academy about a year ago." Petrov explained.
"A kidnapping?"
"Unlikely. The novice was the Princess' best friend. I've never seen two people so close. She was always very protective of Vasilisa."
"Don't try and defend her," Alto sneered with clear disgust. "She doesn't deserve it. What few good qualities she has are all outweighed by the bad. And no "protective nature" argument can justify taking the last Dragomir."
"I wasn't trying to defend her or justify her actions," Petrov replied calmly. "I was simply stating the facts. She wouldn't have taken Vasilisa, exposing her to all sorts of danger, without a reason."
Back and forth they went for a while. Guardian Alto showed some obvious disdain for the novice, and Guardian Petrov, though she didn't agree with the decision to escape, seemed to be fond of her. But who this girl? They hadn't said her name once, and so I decided to ask.
"I don't mean to interrupt," - That was a lie. I actually had meant to discontinue their argument because while Petrov was a perfect picture of patience and composure, Alto was about to start foaming at the mouth. - "but what is the girl's name?"
They both looked at me. The question brought them to a standstill. Then, after a dramatic pause worthy enough to be in a movie, they both said her name in unison.
"Rose Hathaway."
"Hathaway," I pondered aloud. "Where have I heard that name before?"
"Well, Rose is the daughter of Janine Hathaway," Petrov suggested.
Of course. The famous Janine Hathaway. One of the most respected and talented guardians out there. Stories about her many Strigoi kills and techniques have circulated throughout the dhampir world. But I had no idea that she'd had a daughter. She seemed too dedicated to her guardian responsibilities to ever have the time for a child.
"But I also wouldn't be surprised if you heard about Rose from the accident that claimed Vasilisa's family. She was in the car when it happened, one of the two lucky survivors."
"Rose and the Dragomir family were close?" I asked.
"Very. Eric and Rhea, before they died, had requested that Miss Hathaway be Vasilisa's guardian when they both graduated."
Guardian Alto was apparently sick of hearing Rose's praises because he piped up with his own narration. "But now, once we find them, Rose will be lucky if she even gets to become a guardian let alone the Princess'."
"I take it you don't like her, Guardian Alto."
"I'll give you points for your observation skills. Before she left, I had the displeasure of having Miss Hathaway in my classroom. You see, she has a unique reputation and she always enjoyed living up to it by getting into fights and using her expressive, crude, and brazen commentary. So, to answer your question, no. I don't like Rose Hathaway. And my opinion was only amplified by the run away stunt."
"She can't be all that bad if the Dragomirs trusted her with their daughters life. I met them a few years ago, and they were very level headed people."
I didn't know why I was defending Rose. I didn't even know her. Maybe it was because of what Guardian Petrov had said about her protectiveness over Vasilisa. This Hathaway girl might be reckless and disrespectful (according to Guardian Alto), but when it came down to it, a guardian's responsibilities started and ended with protecting Moroi. It took most guardians a few years to fully understand our mantra: They come first. And to have a high school student have that mastered was truly incredible. Or maybe I was just defending her in order to contradict Alto. I was starting to develop a distaste for him.
"I wouldn't expect you to understand Guardian Belikov. You haven't met her, but when you do, don't say I didn't warn you. That girl is trouble. I pray for the unfortunate soul of the man she ends up with. Assuming she finds one willing to put up with her."
"Miss Hathaway's future love life is of no importance right now," interrupted Guardian Petrov. "The only thing that matters is finding her and the Princess, and returning them safely."
Guardian Alto looked slightly embarrassed that he'd gotten so off topic, and I was kind of embarrassed for him. This mission had absolutely nothing to do with Rose's future lover, whoever he may be. It was apparently unlike him to go off on tangents. Rose must really irritate him.
"So," Guardian Petrov said, turning to me. "How soon can we leave?"
Before long, I found myself on a private jet, flying to America. Flying to my new life. I was glad to finally have something to do other than think about Ivan and Daniil. Images of gore entered my mind. The metallic stench of blood and the decaying smell of death was still fresh in my memory.
I looked out the window and took a deep breath. That was how I calmed myself. For some reason looking at the sky, and infinite expanse that was much greater than myself, was helpful. It reminded me that somewhere in the world there was happiness, music, and life. All of it under the same beautiful sky that I resided. It gave me hope for the future.
Thinking about the future, my future, refocused me. I was ready to move on to this new chapter in my life. I had to be ready. I couldn't dwell. I wasn't over the deaths of my friend and my partner, definitely, but having a new charge, a mission, would help me recover. It would give me a purpose, something to do. I realized that I needed this distraction. If I'd stayed at home for another week I probably would've gone crazy. Drowning in a sea of my own guilt and inactivity. Keeping rebellious teens in line would hopefully be a good outlet until Vasilisa graduated and I was in the field again.
I suddenly thought about what Viktoria said to me as she was saying good-bye.
"Take care of yourself Dimka," she whispered into my shoulder. Her arms wrapped around my neck in a tight embrace. Because she was significantly shorter than me, I was holding her equally tight about a foot above the ground.
"You know me Vika," I said, setting her down. "I'm always careful."
"I'm serious Dimitri." I could tell by her tone and facial expression that I hadn't answered correctly. "I don't just mean for you to take care of yourself physically, though, I want that too. I don't want you to get hurt or anything, but you also need to take care of yourself emotionally and mentally."
Her concern for my mental state surprised me. "Do you think I'm going crazy?"
"Of course not, but like I said this morning, I know that you're hurting inside. So do me a favor. While you're in America, find someone. Anyone. Make a friend that you feel you can trust and talk to, then let them behind those walls. Maybe it will ease the pain."
Back in the present, on the plane, it seemed unlikely that I would get close enough to anyone to actually open my self up to them. I was planning on devoting all of my extra time and attention to finding the runaways. No distractions.
After a few hours in the air, Guardian Petrov came and sat down in the seat facing me.
"What can I do for you Guardian Petrov?" I asked. "Other than help you find your missing students."
She smiled lightly. "Please don't feel obligated to use my guardian title when we are in a casual setting. Honestly, I'd prefer to be called Alberta, my first name, or just Petrov."
I was a little uncomfortable with this breech in etiquette. Not because I felt like I was being seduced or anything, but simply because I had been taught my whole life that using titles properly, for both dhampirs and Moroi, was respectful and correct. But since Alberta was now technically my boss, I thought it best not to contradict her wishes.
"Very well. Alberta, what can I do for you?"
"Nothing right now. I just wanted to let you know that we still have a while before we land. Because we have our own jet, we won't be making any stops so that will speed up the process. But even so, the distance between Siberia and Montana is a big one. I suggest you get some rest. You have a long day tomorrow."
She started to stand to her feet, but I still had a question that I needed to ask her. "What exactly do my new duties consist of?"
She put on a knowing smile and settled back into her seat, like she expected me to ask her sooner or later. "Well, Vasilisa and Rose will be your main focus since you will be put in charge of the team to find them, but finding them may not be as quick and easy as we hope. So while you are at the Academy you will be utilized for the same purposes that most of our guardian staff are. Things like watching classrooms, walking the grounds, running errands, and like we said before, considering your field experience and fighting skills, we will probably have you help instruct some classes."
My face didn't show it – I had become very good at displaying the emotionless expression that many guardians excelled at – but internally I was writhing. Watching classrooms? Running errands? My new job was becoming less and less appealing. Admittedly, being in the field wasn't always exciting. Strigoi attacks weren't a daily, weekly, or even monthly occurrence. Years could go by with no action, but there was always something important to do. Whether it be scoping out an area, searching a building or room, strategizing, or actually fighting the evil, soulless creatures of the night. After graduating, I had never expected to be an errand boy.
Thankfully Alberta didn't seem to notice my disappointment. She stood up again, apparently taking my silence as satisfaction with her answer.
"Everything will be explained in greater detail when we actually get to the Academy." She started to leave but then turned back and added, "Welcome to the team, Belikov."
AN: As per usual, what did you think? Please comment and/or review! \It will be very appreciated.
This chapter was actually supposed to be a lot shorter, but I decided to combine chapters 2 and 3 in order to make it a semi reasonable length. Sadly it's still fairly short and low on action, but since it is a shorter story it will not take long for the action to pick up. Also, the next chapter will be Dimitri arriving at the academy so we will be seeing some familiar faces pop up in the next two chapters. Yay!
Thank you so stinken much for taking the time to read! Have a terrific day!