Disclaimer: One of these is necessary for this chapter. Just so everyone knows: I don't own Vampire Academy. And, no matter how much my insane, gutter-residing mind would like to, I do not own Dimitri Belikov, Adrian Ivashkov, and Christian Ozera….Oh, and those other characters…I don't own them either.

Victor Dashkov's trial? That man wasn't in jail yet? That man wasn't even on trial yet? What the hell was wrong with people? I knew that common sense was dwindling lately, but really? This much?

He'd kidnapped my best friend so that she could be his own personal nurse. To postpone the rescue mission, he, knowing about the bond, planted a lust charm on a necklace that he had given me. I had forgotten what I had seen through the bond but a random voice in my head told me to visit Dimitri. Long story short, we'd almost done the deed, but, of course, he pushed through temptation and figured out that the necklace had the lust charm on it. It took a while, but we eventually found where they had taken Lissa. I'd lived through the torture that they put her through along with her. I honestly think she's traumatized by the whole thing. She'd be insane if she wasn't though.

So why wasn't he convicted yet? What he had done was awful. If I could, I'd probably kill him for the hell he put everyone through.

"Rose?" Dimitri's voice cut into my mental rant.

I crossed my arms, highly irritated. "Why hasn't he been sentenced yet?"

"Legal proceedings sometimes take a long time." He stopped for a moment, but must have sensed my fury and continued on. "But he has been in a cell at Court. Rest assured he hasn't been without punishment."

"Are Lissa and I going to the trial?"

His lips fell into a thin line. "No."

"No?" I frowned. "I think it would make sense if we could go. Christian too. After all, we have some information that the guardians don't."

"I know that, Rose." He sighed. "I don't have any say in it. If I did, I would make sure you three were allowed to go. The headmistress is, for one, hesitant about letting any of you go because of the field experience starting in a few hours. She's afraid that the trial will interfere with it and throw everyone off."

"So?" I threw my hands up in exasperation. "We could continue the 'attacks' at Court. Lissa and I can go. Christian and whoever is assigned to him can go. It's not that difficult to work out."

"You're not even supposed to know about it. So, I don't understand why—"

"I don't understand why I—we—shouldn't know about it! We're victims of it all!"

His eyebrows furrowed. "Rose, if I try to convince them that you all should be allowed to go, will you stop overreacting?"

"I'm not overreacting," I muttered as I looked down at floor.

I didn't hear Dimitri approach, but I soon saw his shadow and heard his steady breathing. He cupped my face in his hands, patiently waiting until I looked up at him.

"You are," he breathed. The scent of his aftershave overwhelmed me. "I will try to get you permission to go to the trial in a couple weeks. There are no guarantees, though."

I put my hands on his. I had calmed down, but I wouldn't let this go. I flashed him a smile. "You do realize that you have to follow through, right?"

His hands twitched a little, tapping my cheeks randomly. A smile was playing on his lips. "I've realized that I've made a deal with the devil."

I stuck my tongue out at him. "I'm not that bad am I?"

"I'd say that you are." He grinned, amusement twinkling in his eyes.

Before I could reply, he had taken me down and pinned me to the floor. I tried to wiggle free but it was no use. He used his height and weight advantage on my and I really couldn't move more than an inch.

I wasn't going to fuss though. I liked the position I was in. A lot more than I should.

"If you two are done with the romantic show," Viktoria interrupted my staring at her brother, "I'd love to be shown where my dorm is." She said this as she waved a sheet of paper frantically. "I don't know my way around campus at all."

Dimitri rolled off of me and stood up; I, begrudgingly, followed suit.

"Rose, would you mind showing her around?" he asked. "That was another reason I asked you to be here."

"Not that I won't, but why couldn't you do it?" I tugged on the bottom of my shirt, straightening it after it had been disheveled by both of his attacks.

"I figured you two should bond a little. Is that a crime?"

Viktoria rolled her eyes. "You can be the most confusing and annoying person on the face of this planet!"

"I couldn't agree more." I laughed.

When she joined in on the laughter, Dimitri ran a hand through his hair, which just fell in his eyes. "I never said that it was a wise decision."

Ignoring that, I snatched the paper out of Viktoria's hand and read her room assignment. "Sweet! Hello, roomie!"

"No way!" She let out a Lissa-like squeal.

I glanced over to her brother. Suddenly, I felt very mischievous. "Now I'll get all the dirt I need on him." I jabbed my thumb in Dimitri's direction. "I'll have plenty of new material just by tonight."

"Trust me; there's a lot." She grinned in the impish Belikov way. I couldn't help but laugh again.

"Definitely not my wisest decision," Dimitri muttered as he picked up her bags.

Really? How could I have missed the mountain of bags when I came into the gym? I was losing my touch.

…

"…So, after we untied him, he tried to run off. Unfortunately for him, the dress that we had forced him to wear got in his way and he tripped. It was quite the sight to see. Dimitri is known to one of the more graceful people in the family and to see him lose every ounce of grace was enjoyable," Viktoria mused.

By the time I had to leave for the gym, she had told me numerous stories that she had from what little time she spent with her brother when they were younger.

The amusement I got from the stories aside, I was envious. I didn't have a brother or sister while growing up. I never really cared until I saw how happy they seemed to be. Yeah, I grew up with the kids at the academy, but it didn't seem to be the same.

I did my best to hide my jealousy, though, and smiled. "I have enough material to bother him until graduation. Fantastic."

Yes, it was childish of me to blackmail him for what he did when he was younger, but I just couldn't pass up the opportunity. After all, he knew enough about my past. Why shouldn't I know his?

Viktoria and I parted ways when I had to go in the gym for the assembly. She was a year younger, a junior novice, than me and wouldn't take part in the field experience until the next school year.

I plopped down next to Eddie on the bleachers. Anxiety was radiating off him. I already knew my assignment and was anxious for a completely different reason. I got to spend the next six weeks with my best friend. I didn't have to worry.

I cancelled out the introduction of the assembly. I already knew that the guardians would randomly attack us as 'Strigoi' and we'd have to fight until one of us was killed. All while keeping our Moroi unharmed at best. I felt sympathy for Dean Barnes seeing as how he was assigned to Jesse Zeklos.

Beside me, Eddie was crossing his fingers, hoping to get someone he got along with.

We just didn't expect the bombshell as to who it was.

"Edison Castile," Alberta announced. "Vasilisa Dragomir."

I repeat myself. What is wrong with people?

Eddie reluctantly got up and sauntered across the gym floor to get his packet and practice stake from Guardian Chase. He was just as confused as I was.

At least it's someone I trust guarding her. I'd probably cause a riot if it wasn't.

Or maybe I would cause a riot, considering the assignment I received.

"Rosemarie Hathaway. Christian Ozera."

I sat there for a moment, staring blankly at the head of guardians. I sighed heavily before getting up and going to collect the pack and practice stake like everyone else had.

It took all I had not to march up to Alberta as soon as I looked over the details in the packet and complain about it. I stayed on the sidelines instead and waited until she was done. When everyone was being dismissed, I started marching up to her.

I just didn't make it that far. I felt a hand on my arm and my feet unwillingly sliding across the gym floor and out of the gym itself. I didn't have to look at who was dragging me away from the crowd to know who it was. And I didn't look at him until he pulled me into a vacant classroom.

"Sit," he ordered.

I sat down at one of the desks, drumming my fingers on the packet. I didn't do anything wrong that I was aware.

Dimitri turned one desk around and sat down in it, facing me. I then noticed that he wasn't in a professional mode at all, like I had expected him to be. Instead, he was calculating something.

I decided to break the silence. "So, Captain Fuchsia, why'd you drag me here?"

He glared at the new nickname. "How did you—I'll have a word with my sister later."

"Don't avoid the question."

"Oh, right." He shifted in his seat. For once, he looked uncomfortable. After all, he was practically a giant and his legs were stretched out to where mine were. He sighed. "I knew you'd be unhappy about your assignment."

I nodded. "Yes, I am. Furious, now that I know you knew ahead of time."

"I didn't find out until minutes before the assembly, Rose." He clasped his hands together, resting them on the desk. "Even if I knew weeks before, I wouldn't have been able to tell you."

I groaned, leaning against the back of the chair. "This really sucks."

He frowned. "Why's that? You'll be spending most of your time with Lissa anyway. Don't complain."

He had a point. For the most part. I just didn't want to spend all that extra time with Christian. We didn't get along that well. But I'm sure I'd be able to manage. There probably wouldn't be much difference

Dimitri seemed to be content with the lapse of silence because he smiled. "See? You have no reason to be upset with your assignment."

"No. I still don't like it though." I could be worse off. I could be guarding Jesse.

"Deal with it."

…

It was hard to believe that just hours before I was in one of the best moods of my life. Now, I was in one of the worst.

I was heading toward the cafeteria to meet up with Christian. But, of course, I never had more than a moment to think by myself.

"Little dhampir," Adrian mused as he fell into step with me. "Your aura's depressing. What has upset you today?"

I stalled from answering by tying my hair back. I didn't know how to explain everything to Adrian. Therefore, I mumbled, "Field experience."

"Oh?" He smiled. "I figured you'd be happy about that. After all, you were assigned to Vasilisa…Right?" I shook my head and his face fell. "Then who?"

"Christian."

I should have figured that his expression wouldn't be upset about it for long. He burst out into laughter. "Ozera?" He wiped away tears of mirth. "What were they thinking?"

"That's what I thought!" I waved my hands spastically, nearly dropping the packet out of my hand. "I think everyone is losing their minds!"

Adrian put his arm around my shoulders, slowing down our pace. "If it will make you feel any better, I'll visit your dreams for the next six weeks."

I feigned gagging. "If you do, you'll find yourself in the infirmary with no idea as to how you wound up in there."

He chuckled. "You wouldn't do that."

"You'd be surprised."

Confidence was dripping off of him by this point. "I doubt it. You'd be having withdrawals from not seeing my face."

I rolled my eyes and playfully shoved him away. He surprisingly lightened my mood. "I would not. Though, I think you'd be having withdrawals from not being able to look in the mirror and admiring yourself." He seethed in mock-pain as he threw his hand over his heart. I flashed him my best smile. "I didn't get my reputation for nothing, Ivashkov."

He composed himself, now smiling. "I'm very well aware of that."

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A/N: No random commentary today. I've procrastinated long enough on finishing up an English assignment. So, review, review, review!

Actually, wait. If you didn't notice, I pulled some lines out of Shadow Kiss, either directly or I tweaked them a little bit. I couldn't help myself. :)