Thank you for all the reviews! In order to repay you for the long wait last time, here's another chapter today. Enjoy and let me know what you think!
Disclaimer: I own the plot. Anything you recognize belongs to Richelle Mead.
Chapter 8
No one seemed to know what to say. They knew what I had gone through after Dimitri was turned Strigoi, even if they didn't know the entire story. Pulling myself away from Christian, I walked over to the large windows overlooking a small patio in the middle of the guardian building.
Do you trust me? I had asked Dimitri the last time I had sat out there.
Yes, he had answered, the hesitation nearly non-existent.
I wished things had stayed as simple as trying to pass my field experience, but I was learning life was never simple. Apparently an easy life was way too much to ask for. Now here I was, integrating myself with people that I would've become just like had Dimitri taken me into his arms instead of pushing me away.
And yet, I couldn't regret leaving everything behind. If I hadn't done it, I never would've become the person I was, or met the amazing people who had taken me in and become my family. A life without Artur, Lev, and Denis didn't sound like a life to me at all now that I had been a part of their group for so long. And my sibling-like relationship with Christian was something I would never take for granted. I was thankful for everything I had found in Russia, even if my life hadn't been easy over there. And meeting Ion…I would never regret that either.
"Rose…don't." Christian gently placed his hands on my shoulders and turned me around to face him. I could feel everyone watching our interaction, some completely shocked and some simply intrigued. I could feel jealousy coursing through Lisssa, but I pushed her feelings back behind a mental wall where they belonged.
"It was my fault…"
"We've been over this time and again," Christian said. "It was not your fault, do you understand me? There was nothing you could've done. He made his choice."
"But if I had-
"If you had completely changed who you were, then maybe. But he loved you for you and never would've wanted that." Several people sucked in air loudly at that revelation, but my boys surrounded me, and like they often did, tried to cheer me up.
"What happened?" Eddie asked. He received a few glares from Denis and Artur, but it was a story that had to be told. If Ion was coming after us, it was better for everyone to know what they were getting themselves into.
"Ion and I…we had an argument and he left our headquarters alone. We always take at least one other person with us, no matter what the circumstances, because so many Strigoi want us dead. That night, Ion was attacked and…turned. The only way we even found out was when we recognized him in a warehouse full of Strigoi that we raided."
"And now he's coming after all of you?"
"Me in particular," I said softly. "He wants to turn me too."
"So why come here in order to do that?"
"Because he knows that I would come back if it meant helping you," I told Eddie. "I would never abandon my friends in a time of danger."
"But you'll abandon them any other time." I looked over at Lissa to see her glaring at me. "Not only that, but you steal your best friend's boyfriend."
"I didn't steal him, you pushed him away. He decided to come with me all on his own. I know it's shocking that anyone would want to leave a little angel like you, but the world doesn't revolve around you." As I had spoken, I had walked over to her. Now, as I stood directly in front of her, I could see how pissed she really was at me. And how much she actually believed that I had taken Christian in order to gain some sort of revenge.
A guardian that I'd never met before shoved me backward a few steps. "Back off," he growled. Lissa looked pretty smug that I'd been stopped.
"She's going to be queen, so that's Your Highness to you," he continued. He was only a couple of inches taller than me, but his stomach protruded a good few inches, making him look pudgy. His face was very narrow and his nose reminded me of a bird's beak. Needless to say, he wasn't very handsome.
"What's your name?" I asked, regaining the two steps he'd made me stumble. This put me right up against his chest. Tilting my head, I looked directly up into his beady little eyes and noticed their odd dark grey color.
"Guardian Miller," he answered, seeming slightly uncomfortable with our close proximity.
"Well Guardian Miller," I began. I slowly bit my bottom lip and I noticed his eyes dart down to watch. When I was sure I had his complete attention, I said, "She isn't queen yet." Moving around him, I was sure to ram into his shoulder. I heard Lev snicker behind me.
"And don't forget that, Princess. I wouldn't expect any special treatment. Not from me or my boys." After looking her in the eyes and being sure she got my message, I re-approached the table.
"Maybe we should take a little break," Eddie said. "We all need to eat and get settled in. I'll call when we're ready for another meeting."
"Fine by me," Denis said. He led Artur and Lev out of the room, but Christian waited for me by the door. He wasn't going to leave me alone with a pack of wolves.
"I'm sorry, Eddie," I said quietly as I passed him. He squeezed my shoulder in understanding. As I got to the door, I heard someone say my name. Turning back around, Alberta was making her way towards me.
"It's really good to see you, Rose," she said. I smiled and offered my hand, but she gave me a brief hug. I guess today was Hug Rose Day.
"It's really good to see you too," I said before Christian and I made our way to guest housing.
A few hours later, I was still unpacking. Surprisingly we had been given a suite, which made it nice because it allowed us all to be close to each other. Two bedrooms sprouted off a living room and kitchen area, each with two beds and its own bathroom. The kitchen had plenty of counter space, a refrigerator, microwave, and cooking utensils. Pots and pans were stored in overhead cupboards, as well as cups and plates. Needless to say, Christian was in heaven and itching to cook something. The living room had a beige pull-out couch and recliner and an oak table all situated around a big screen television.
The suite was completely silent, mostly because Christian and I were upset to be dealing with people from our past and it was affecting Lev, Artur, and Denis. Whenever one of us was experiencing a powerful emotion, the rest of us normally experienced it right along with them. Finally, enough was enough and I went into the living room.
The three Russians were sitting in different areas of the room, looking blindly at various objects. Christian was in the kitchen examining pots and pans. Taking my iPod and plugging it into speakers, I quickly scrolled to "Edge of Glory" by Lady Gaga. I wasn't an enormous fan of her, but this song definitely had an awesome beat, which is what I needed. As the opening cords rang loudly through the room, everyone looked at me curiously. Walking towards Christian, I pulled out a random drawer and lifted out a wooden spoon. I started singing, using the spoon as a makeshift microphone.
There ain't a reason you and me should be alone,
Tonight, yeah baby,
Tonight yeah baby,
I got a reason that you-hoo should take me home tonight
I danced myself around the room, the boys catching onto my happier mood. Messing around with them always made me feel better. Smiles spread across their faces as they watched me bounce around. Lev jumped up from his seat on the couch and wrapped his hand around mine on the spoon, singing the next verse in a high-pitched voice.
I need a man that thinks it's right when it's so wrong
Tonight, yeah baby,
Tonight, yeah baby,
Right on the limits where we know we both belong tonight
We alternated the next lines, dragging the "microphone" back and forth. The others were laughing hard as they watched us wrestle for control over it.
It's time to feel the rush,
To push the dangerous
I'm gonna run back to you, to the edge with you
Where we can both fall o'er in love
As the chorus started blaring, Lev ripped the spoon from my hand and through it behind him. It nearly hit Christian in the head, but Lev didn't pause to even see where it went. He grabbed me and started bouncing me across the room. His hand on my hip and the other interlaced with my own hand, I'm sure we looked absolutely ridiculous. Denis shoved him out of the way and took his place. As the chorus came to an end, a knock sounded on our door. Denis handed me off to Artur and went to answer it.
"My turn!" Christian called. Artur grabbed the edge of my shirt and spun me over to him. We yelled the lyrics to each other and just enjoyed ourselves. For the moment, it was as if we forgot where we were, and even though we were half way across the world, it felt like we were back home.
Someone cleared their voice over the top of the music and Christian and I looked over to see who had come in. Denis hurried over and turned off the blaring music and a silence so tense and heavy settled in the room. Lissa stood before us, glaring at Christian's hands on my waist. Dimitri stood behind her, his guardian mask in full force. Well, his openness sure didn't last long.
"Well, I see some things never change," Lissa said. Her voice resonated with fury as we still hadn't moved yet.
Pulling slightly away from Christian, I said, "You mean me wanting to have fun and you never letting go enough to have any?" I examined her slowly from head to toe. She was dressed in a cashmere sweater and grey slacks, her hair hanging down beautifully around her face. She looked perfect, way too perfect to be real. "By looking at you, I'd say you're probably right."
If steam could erupt from someone's ears, it would be rushing out of Lissa's. Her face was even turning bright red, and her anger pushed its way through my mental barriers. Only, it wasn't completely her; it was the darkness.
Lissa may have treated me like crap since I returned, but I hadn't been any better. Even though part of me seemed to hate her, I knew that I would always care about her. Sighing, I let my walls crumble and opened myself up to her completely. Carefully, I began channeling the darkness into myself, being sure that my ring was on my finger. It was time to test how well it really worked. Lissa slumped as the darkness left her and her eyes darted to my face.
"Rose?"
"What did you just do?" Christian asked, looking between us. I inhaled deeply, still waiting for the side-effects to impress upon me. Side-effects that never came. I guess Oksana had done a better job than I had expected.
"I took the darkness," I said simply.
"You know you're not-"
"Yes Christian, I know. But Oksana's ring worked. I didn't feel anything."
"Nothing? No anger?" Artur asked, looked impressed. I shook my head.
"Rose?" Lissa said again. I turned towards her, slightly worried how she would react now that the darkness was gone. She opened her mouth to say something, then quickly shut it. Swallowing, she said, "Eddie's ready for the meeting. He sent us to get you."
I nodded and made sure my stake was in its holster on my side. After all, you never knew, right? We all walked silently to the meeting room; it was a bit awkward. Before I went into the room, someone grabbed my shoulder. All of the boys tensed up as I turned around to see Dimitri looking at me imploringly.
"Rose, can I talk to you?" Was I ready to face this yet? I had already dealt with so much today, I didn't know if I could handle this too. Taking a deep breath, I nodded slightly.
"Rose, you don't have to do this now," Christian said.
"I'll be right in," I said. Slowly everyone made their way into the room, leaving me alone with the love of my life. I remembered how often I had yearned to be alone with him in my days at the academy. Was it ironic that now I slightly wanted to avoid it?
"Rose, I-"
"Can I say something?" I interrupted. He nodded. "I'm not really ready to talk to you yet. I'm trying to keep an open mind because of our history, but I can't deny that I'm still pissed at you. Can we put this conversation on hold for now?"
"Can I just say one thing?" he asked. His velvety voice surrounded me, almost as much as his cologne. His intoxicating scent filled my nose and made me remember times in which we'd been so much closer. Memories of the cabin began flashing through my mind, but I quickly pushed them aside.
"What I said to you in the chapel…I didn't mean it. I was guilty about what I'd done to you in Russia."
"Aren't you still guilty?"
"Yes, but I've begun to forgive myself for what I did. I only pushed you away because I thought it would be best for you if you didn't have to constantly see the person who made you…"
I sighed. "Look, I have things I want to say, but we're both needed in there. They come first, right?"
"I thought you didn't believe that anymore?" he asked.
"I don't. I think everyone is as important as everyone else. Moroi are no better than Dhampirs…but saving lives is important, no matter who's they are."
Now he sighed. "Alright, Roza…but we will talk." I slightly flinched as he used my nickname, but I nodded my agreement.
Walking into the room, all of the guardians and Moroi involved in planning our security of campus and retaliation against the Strigoi sat at the table. As soon as we walked in, everyone looked up at us. Christian started getting up but I waved him back down, sitting beside him. Dimitri sat between Alberta and Eddie across from us.
"So what have you got?" I asked.
"We know that we have to have a plan besides the wards since the humans have only become more prominent in their plans…we just don't know how to do it." I rested my cheek against my hand, my arm propped up on the table. We passed different ideas back and forth, but nothing really sounded like a good idea. And then suddenly, as though it had been planted in my mind, it came to me.
Looking at Alberta, I asked, "Do you have any floor plans of the academy?"
"In the cabinet over there," she said, pointing behind me. I got up and opened it, seeing plans all organized by building and other specifications. As I turned to tell them my brilliant idea, nausea ripped through me. I sucked in a startled breath. It was so strong that it bent me in half as I grabbed at my stomach.
"Rose?" Christian asked worriedly. He got out of his seat, but I raised a hand, signaling for him to give me a moment. As I raised my head, my eyes took in the see-through shoes, followed by a body and head. The red-head gave me a sympathetic look as he took in my pain.
"Mase?" I asked, slightly disoriented. The nausea had completely taken me off guard, but I was pulling myself together as quickly as I could.
"You know what this means, don't you?" he asked. My brain began working in overtime.
Quickly turning to the table, I gasped, "The wards are down and there are Strigoi on campus."
