Rose Hathaway once again making headlines, it was nothing new of course. My stubborn nature, the inability to follow the mandatory school rules and of course my red hot temper had in the past been my show stopping numbers, though lately it was my hardcore soon-to-be guardian side that was gaining all of the publicity. Obviously the 'think first' notion was lost on me otherwise I wouldn't have charged Lissa's room two nights earlier to face down with a Strigoi vampire with nothing but my charming personality and cracking wit for backup; Something which was currently being thrown back in my face in the form of one of Kirova's' notorious bitch fests.
"...do I make myself clear, Miss Hathaway?" Her icy glare widened, waiting impatiently for my response.
"Crystal." I responded swinging my legs over the side of the clinic bed ready to high tail it back to my own dorm room before my get out of jail free card expired. "Though I've got to ask," I jumped up from the bed and landed on my perfect, steady two feet. "Would it kill you to say, well done Rose?" Being locked up in purgatory for the past two days and having a visitor ban forced upon me tended to bring out my sarcastic side. "I mean, honestly...it's not like I'm expecting a pat on the back but a little acknowledgement that I stepped up to bat and took a hit when no one else could would be nice." A mocking smile encased my mouth before I had a chance to check myself. If my words hadn't propelled hurricane Kirova to category five then surely my contemptuous smile would.
A deep sigh escaped her lips, her icy glare faltered and suddenly I was no longer staring at the hardnosed bitch who had placed me on probation follow my return to the academy – no, now I was staring at a very exhausted woman who looked like she could do with a long overdue break. "Rose," She said skipping her usual formalities and moved across the room to sit down on one a chair. Her hand half circled the air as she motioned for me to sit on the chair closest to hers.
I moved across the room and obeyed more out of intrigue than requirement and sat down on the chair closest to hers.
Her eyes looked up and regarded me seriously. "We were the only school housing both Moroi and Dhampir to be attacked which suggests that either this was a test run to see how well they," She said with complete and utter disdain in her voice, "could infiltrate the school perimeter." In other words we were their little test rats, how fun. "Or..." She paused, "There was another motive behind this attack."
"Like what?" I asked completely forgetting my place; I was a student not a guardian.
She ignored it. And suddenly rose from her seat, her ice cool regard back in its place. "We have taken extra precautions and increased security on and around the school grounds. Your lessons and training sessions may be disrupted at any point without any advanced notice." Headmistress Kirova turned and sauntered across the room.
I sat in the chair completely dumbfounded over what had just happened. The world must have turned on its axis and started to spin backwards.
"Oh and Miss Hathaway," She turned over her shoulder and looked back at me. "Consider your probation period expended...of course knowing your temperament I expect this expended period only to be temporary." She added cooly before walking out of the room.
And the bitch was back.
--
After a quick check up to make sure that I wasn't sporting blood red eyes and the need to chow down on some O Neg, not to mention the promise I had to make to Doctor Olendzki, "I promise that next time I enter the clinic it will not be because I've fallen through any rotten benches, been on the receiving end of a bitching black eye from dear ol' mommy or by any bite marks from immortal vampires" they finally released me. Hallelujah. I wasn't even that bothered that they had released me an hour before classes were due to start, I was more than ready to get back into the swing of things.
Even after showering, changing and walking at a slow but steady pace to the gymnasium for Advanced Guardian Combat Techniques I was still going to be one of the first ones to arrive for class, hopefully giving me a little one on one time to ogle my favourite guardian! Pulling on the metal handle of the door I found myself face to face with all of my class mates...all of whom were already practicing.
"You're late!"
I closed my 'O' shaped surprised mouth to find the owner of the loud voice staring across the room at me, arms crossed looking less than impressed to find a straggler entering what was apparently his session...late.
"My check up ran over." There was no apology. Walking around the edge of the gymnasium, knowing that all eyes were focused on me I shot the new guardian a quick grin. "Next time I'll get a doctor's note." Dropping my shoulder bag to the floor, letting it mix with the other novices' bags I turned back around, placing my hands on my defiant hips. "Where do you want me?"
"On the bed..." I heard someone mutter.
"Against the wall..."
The other novices laughed as the Guardian leading the morning session threw daggers at me with his eyes. "Rose Hathaway, 5'4, raven coloured hair, brown eyes... 110lb's..." He read out my statistics without missing a beat and getting both my height and weight wrong. "Has a fond disrespect for following school rules, an extremely unruly temperament. Is also the only girl novice in the senior class and the only novice in the senior class who has earned two molnija marks..."
"You forgot enjoys long walks on the beach..." I added sarcastically. My good mood quickly soured by the newbie in the front. "Is there a point to this or are you just trying to gain brownie points by showing that you've read and memorized my school record...which by the way, is a little creepy." My eyes quickly scanned the room and found Alberta shaking her head with disapproval though I couldn't tell if it was directed at me or her new little pet. Standing to her right I found myself locking eyes with a pair of dark eyes. Opps. Probably not the best time to show off my 'unruly temperament.'
The guardian leading the session turned to the other novices and regarded them, his hands animated as he explained. "In order to defeat your enemy you must know them. Use your knowledge to your advantage!"
"So I'm your enemy?" I asked confused.
A smile touched his lips, "You are for today's session." He motioned with his hands for me to join him on the practice mat at the front of the class. Great, I was going to be his punching bag for the next hour. Well this punching bag was going to punch back...and kick, and pretty much do anything to gain an advantage.
--
An hour later and I felt like I had gone ten rounds with a perfectly vigorous Mike Tyson, though I wasn't going to show the new guardian that he had beaten me. After all I had landed a fair few jabs on the arrogant and surprised newbie. He obviously hadn't read Dimitri's training session reports otherwise he would have released that I was no longer trailing in my classes but skipping to the front and whistling while I skipped. The other novices started to pack up the gymnasium as I quickly caught my breath only to realise that during my sparring matching that my audience had grown, not only had novices and guardians seen my public beating but so had Moroi students...including my friends.
Straightening my spine I strode across the gymnasium to them, my face flushed from the heavy work out, my hair half hanging out of its high pony tail and matted together from sweat.
"Hathaway, who knew you, could actually fight? Most of the time you just fall down unconscious..." There was a compliment in there somewhere, I was sure of it.
My fist impacted against his shoulder without a second thought and caught Christian off guard. Our newly found appreciation, well maybe that was pushing it a little far – it was more like we had found neutral ground. I wasn't braiding him a friendship bracelet just because he happened to show up and half save the day.
"I can't believe you're still standing..." Her disbelief in me once again was ringing loud and clear through both her words and her emotions.
"Apparently you can't believe a lot of things to do with me lately." My clipped tone was again catching her off guard. I wasn't almost sure that the anger buried deep inside of me wasn't directed at Lissa but rather surging from her. What had Adrian said? 'You have shadows. You take them from Lissa.' I felt a rush of hurt feelings surge from Lissa and felt instantly guilty. It wasn't her fault. "I'm sorry Liss..." I said before Christian could take a step back from our neutral ground and unleash his verbal whiplash at me. "I'm...just." I struggled to find the words. I could hardly say it's not you, it's me, how clichéd. "I'm pissed that the new guardian wanted to use me as his little lab rat, that's all." Mostly...well kind of, I added silently.
Lissa smiled and touched my arm gently, "What I meant was that I couldn't believe you were still standing after having a training session with Guardian Davies!" She exclaimed.
"Great," I swallowed hard. Not only had I gone one on one with a renowned guardian, but I had also let loose the Rose Hathaway banter on him.
"Don't worry, I'm sure he was enthralled by your personality just as I constantly am." Adrian Ivashkov was suddenly standing beside Lissa.
"How do you do that?"
"What?" He asked confused, but a grin tugging at his lips.
"Appear out of thin air just when I think that you've done us all a favour and gone back to whatever sleazy brothel you crawled out of." The fun thing about Adrian was one of the few people who could both handle and find a quick retort to the famous Rose Hathaway banter. "Was that an example of my enthralling personality?" I asked, quoting him.
He laughed in response. "Oh you have no idea how much I enjoy your company little Dhampir," Adrian turned to Lissa, "Let's go cousin, I wouldn't want to endure Ms Carmack's wrath by being tardy...especially if it's one like our dear Rose had to endure." He winked at me before turning in his expensive shiny black shoes and leaving the gymnasium.
"Tell him next time if he wants to endure a public thrashing, I'd be more than willing to be on the giving end of one...with him being on the receiving end." I smiled imagining the moment far too clearly.
Lissa shook her head at me; she was far too kind to the little leech that followed her around. "I'll see you at dinner tonight," She said before turning around and following Adrian out of the gymnasium. Apparently she wouldn't be seeing me at lunch, she was mostly likely going to be practicing magic with leech boy. We were going to have words about that.
"Hey Rose..."
I turned to Christian raising my brow, "What?" I asked confused by the sudden smile on his face.
"Promise me one thing..."
"Too many people are asking me to make promises today..." I retorted.
"When you give him a public thrashing just make sure I'm there to witness it." And just like Adrian he winked at me before leaving the gymnasium, though unlike Adrian's wink it left me feeling uneasy. Adrian flirting with me, that I was used to...Christian Ozera winking at me for whatever purpose, I was not.
The other novices started to file out of the gymnasium, the majority of them nodding at me as they did so. Apparently getting your ass kicked by a renowned guardian brought you respect, awesome. "Rose Hathaway..."
I turned and found myself face to face with Alberta, Dimitri and Davies. "Present." I said, unearthing the Rose Hathaway sweet smile which hadn't been used since I was...like five. Hopefully it would gain me brownie points with the new guardian.
"You're afternoon training session with Guardian Belikov has been cancelled." My heart sighed; missing out on an hour with my favourite guardian was so not okay with me.
"Trials are coming up soon..." I complained completely ignoring what Kirova had said earlier, that lessons and training sessions would be cancelled without advanced notice. She probably had said it to me hoping that by having this knowledge I wouldn't throw a major bitch fit. "And I haven't even had my Qualifier yet," Due to the fact that legendary guardian Arthur Schoenberg who was supposed to head my qualifying exam had died in a bloody massacre along with the Moroi family had was assigned to protect.
"You'll be training with me instead." He interrupted my rant and frowned. "So do yourself a favor and be on time." His cold voice sent chills down my spine.
I met his gaze and tilted my head rebelliously, so much for trying to gain brownie points. Well if we was going to unprofessional and give me attitude then I was going to give him a little back. "I've heard you kill on command," Turning around I bent down and picked up my shoulder back throwing it over my neck and turned to meet his frosty gaze again. "Do you also bark and roll over?" I knew this much, even if I wasn't late to his session I was going to pay for that remark later but I didn't care.
A/N: I just want to say a BIG thank you for everyone who reviewed my last chapter. I wanted to update sooner but I just had a mental block. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter...and I promise more Dimitri in the next one. I'm having serious Belikov withdrawals!!