The next morning was kind of weird. I didn't know what to do with myself. I was so used to waking up, training, eating, and going back to bed, that now that I had the day to myself, I was kind of at loss. I mean, yesterday I'd kept busy, but now it was kind of weird. When I went downstairs, everyone was sitting around, relaxing. I walked into the kitchen and got a bottle of water, before sitting down at the table. I looked around to notice that Landon was missing. I wondered where he was and how his eye was doing. It had looked pretty bad the last time I saw him. I still felt horrible for hitting the kid. I got up and walked past the window, when something caught my eye outside. I looked to see someone outside running the track. I turned back to the door and walked out. As I got closer, I could see Landon coming around the far side of the track. I reached the gate the same time he did. He stopped and smiled at me slightly.
"Trying to find something productive to do with your time too?" I asked.
"Yeah, I guess. This sitting around thing just isn't working for me." He told me, chuckling. He lifted his shirt, and wiped his face that was pouring sweat. I'm not going to lie; it was kind of hard to ignore Landon's rockin' body.
"I know how you feel. I've been used to being up and going for the last few days, this laziness is throwing me off." I admitted. He chuckled.
"So, where'd you and guardian Belikov go yesterday? I saw you guys leave, and you didn't come back until this morning." It was then I realized that I hadn't come up with a story yet. I debated on telling him. Regardless of what Dimitri has said, I felt I could trust Landon. I thought better of it though, and came up with a story.
"We had some things to clear up with the guardians at the academy. We had to meet up with them to take care of some stuff about me being here." I lied smoothly.
"Oh. Is everything okay?" He asked, obviously buying my story.
"Yeah, but it was such a short notice thing that they really didn't do any paperwork or anything, so I had to sign some stuff, and so did Dimi-, I mean Guardian Belikov." I told him. I hated lying to the only friend I had here, but it was necessary, obviously.
"Oh, I gotcha." He said, nodding. I smiled.
"So, what did you do all day yesterday?"
"A whole lot of nothing. I was losing my mind." He told me, running his hands through his hair. I laughed.
"I would have much rather been here, doing nothing than driving for three hours with Guardian Belikov to meet up with the two people responsible for kicking me out, and separating me from my best friend." I told him. He shrugged.
"I guess you do have me beat."
"I do… always." I told him, chuckling.
"You had to bring it up, didn't you? Jeez Hathaway, you can't let it go." He teased.
"Nope… I kicked your ass. I'm never letting it go. You should get that through your head now."
"I knew I'd never live it down." He told me.
"Never!" I repeated. He chuckled, and shook his head.
"You're something else, Hathaway."
"Don't be jealous." I said.
"Oh, I'm so jealous of you."
"Isn't everyone?" I asked.
"Close." He teased. I laughed, shaking my head. I heard the back door close, and saw Dimitri walk around the side of the estate. I stood there for a second, wondering what he was doing.
"Hey, will you excuse me for a second?"
"Yeah, I'm gonna get another lap in before I go take a shower." I just nodded, and turned away, walking towards where I'd seen Dimitri disappear around the corner of the house. When I got over there, he was sitting on an old stack of cross ties, rubbing his face.
"Dimitri…" I murmured.
"I wanted to be alone." He said.
"Yeah, I said something similar the night you found me on the sidewalk crying, but you didn't leave, therefore, I've earned a right to stay." I told him. He just shook his head at me, obviously annoyed. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing." He lied. I rolled my eyes.
"Dimitri…" I started.
"Rose, really… nothing is wrong. I just need a minute to think… alone. Just go inside."
"You're a bad liar."
"It's an order, Hathaway." He barked. I stood up straighter hearing the authority in his voice. I knew any good novice would listen to her mentor and walk away, but it was then that I realized something.
"It's yesterday, isn't it?" I asked.
"Rose…"
"Dimitri, tell me." I snapped.
"They think I made a stupid choice taking you to see Lissa. They think it's not fair that you got to see her when the rest of the novices have been cut off from all of their friends at their original schools. They also think it's not fair because you were sent her on discipline, but regardless." He told me.
"It's not the same thing. I don't expect them to understand." I said, shaking my head.
"I don't either." He said.
"I'm sorry that you had to endure that for me. I really appreciate what you did for me. You know that, right?" I asked. He nodded.
"I know. That's why I don't regret it. They wouldn't understand, and of course I'm in no authority to make them understand. I guess what I did wasn't fair to the other novices, but like you said, the situation is different."
"They don't suffer from being apart the way Lissa and I do." I admitted, looking down.
"How bad is it?" He asked.
"It's like half of your soul is missing. It's almost like being half strigoi." I said.
"Because naturally, you'd know what being full strigoi is like." He teased. I was surprised when he have me half of a smile.
"Naturally."
"I said I'd take the heat for it, and I did." He said.
"It's not without cost though."
"I know." He said, looking up at me. "You ready for combat tomorrow?" He asked.
"You mean it?"
"I do. You better rest good tonight, because you're going to be hurting tomorrow."
"I doubt it. I almost took Eddie down, remember? I'm sure you can't be that much better than him." I said. Dimitri turned and revealed the back of his neck to me. Along with the promise mark that was underneath his hair line laid seven molnija marks.
"You've killed seven strigoi?"
"I've probably killed more, some just went unaccounted for." He said.
"I'll get a mark for everyone I kill. I want the marks to prove how badass I am." I informed him. He shook his head at me.
"When you become a promised guardian, the trivial things like molnija marks don't matter anymore. What matters is that you escaped that battle with your life. The mark is just like a scar, it's a reminder of the pain." He told me.
"That's what I want." I said, rubbing the back of my neck, which was empty. He just smiled.
"You'll see when your finally promised, and out in the real world with Lissa."
"I've already been out in the real world. Two years, Lissa and I were on our own… remember that." I said.
"I know you were, but did you kill anything while you were on your own for two years?" He asked.
"I killed a psihounds." I admitted. I hadn't ever told anyone about that.
"I mean strigoi."
"No, I haven't, but I would have if I needed too." I told him.
"Would you have made it out of that battle as unprepared and unskilled as you are?" He asked.
"Hey, watch it now… I'm not that unskilled."
"Compared to me, and some of the other guardians, yes… you are." He said.
"But Eddie-." He cut me off, knowing where I was going.
"Yes, you took down Eddie. He was going easy on you, and don't repeat this, because if you do… I'll deny it. Eddie doesn't have the best defense… he's more of an offensive player." He told me. I smirked.
"Hello blackmail." I said.
"He'll believe me before he'll believe you."
"We'll see… just keep that in mind when you make me angry." I told him. He rolled his eyes at me.
"Whatever." He said, simply. It was obvious that he was in a better mood now. I was happy to know I was the reason, and I didn't know why.
"I guess we'll see tomorrow, won't we?"
"I guess so." He said.
"Are we meeting in the gym then?" I asked. He shook his head.
"No, we'll be meeting at the track."
"But the other novices-." He cut me off.
"For someone who's used to sticking out, you sure are concerned with what all the other novices are doing." He told me. I narrowed my eyes.
"Watch it." I snapped. He chuckled and stood up.
"Just be ready for tomorrow. You might wanna get a lot of rest. You're going to need it." This was asking for a witty, Rose Hathaway quip, but I let this one slide.
"I'll be ready." I said, simply. He nodded and walked away, leaving me standing there for a second. I watched as he disappeared and walked back to the track to find Landon gone, like I knew he would be. I started on the fence and ran a couple laps before sitting down on the sidewalk, and letting myself go to Lissa. When I finally got into her head, she was staring at someone that kind of shocked me. Christian Ozera. At first, panic flooded through me, due to the fact that his parents had become strigoi by choice, but when I was finally able to focus on the words, I noticed they were having a civil conversation. The place they were located though through me off a little bit. They were in what looked like an attic of sorts. Then I realized they were in the attic of the church on campus. What was he doing there? I thought that was Lissa's hideout. I listened to their conversation for a few minutes, before I got bored with them. She was okay, and that was all I needed to know. I slipped out of her head, and when I opened my eyes, I found Landon standing before me. I jumped.
"Rose, are you okay?"
"Yeah, why?" I asked, looking up at him.
"I've been calling your name for the past five minutes, and you were like zoned out." He told me. I smiled.
"Sorry… I do that from time to time. I was in my own little world." I said. He chuckled.
"I'll say... Jeez, you were like in a coma." He said. It was quite obvious I was completely out of it when I was fully in Lissa's head. I'd have to remember that.
"I'm sorry." I said again. He chuckled and sat down next to me.
"Why are you out here all alone?"
"Just thinking about some stuff, and we all know I don't have many friends in there." I said, motioning to the house. He chuckled.
"I guess you're right." He said. I sighed.
"It kinda sucks not having many friends when you're in a new place." I said.
"You have me."
"I know, and that's cool, but when the rest of them are around, and you feel like an outcast, it's different." I told him. He nodded.
"I bet, considering how you fit in so well." He teased, elbowing me. I laughed.
"Shut up." I muttered. We sat outside, talking for awhile before we finally went inside. Landon hugged me, and went upstairs to go to bed. I made me some dinner, and sat down at the table to eat. When I was finished, I went upstairs and laid down in my bed. I sat there for a few minutes, before I let myself slip into Lissa's head. She was worried about something, but I couldn't quite figure out what it was. I picked through her head, looking for what was wrong, when I found out what it was. Christian knew she was cutting. My body flooded with head. How could she let someone know? Why would she-. I cut the thought off, because I realized it was an accident that he'd found out. He'd seen the scars. Damn it. I continued searching her head, making sure that was ALL he knew. From what I found, it was… but I still thought it was too much. She got up and went into the bathroom, standing in the mirror. She looked down at the counter to the razor blade. No… No, Lissa… no. She was debating with herself whether she needed it or not. I was screaming at her, trying to get her to hear me, but I knew she couldn't. She stared at it for the longest time before she picked it up. She brought it to her wrist, taking a deep breath, before I screamed as loud as I could NO! The moment I screamed, she dropped the razor into the sink. I could feel her confusion. She looked around as if someone was in the room. Oh my God, did she hear me yell?
"Rose?" She whispered, looking around her empty bathroom, and looking out the bathroom door. She'd heard me. Oh my God, she'd heard me. I couldn't believe that she'd actually heard me. I wondered if I'd broken some boundary or something between us. I couldn't help how excited I was. I was bouncing around my room like an idiot. I was glad I was alone. When I was finally calm, I crawled into bed, hoping to get a good night's rest before combat with Dimitri in the morning. It was difficult, but I finally managed to force myself into unconsciousness.
