I plonked myself down gladly on a bench, anticipating a lecture. Instead, she sat next to me.
"I can't believe I'm doing this," she muttered to herself. Then to me: "I'm going to tell you about me."
"Um, ok?" Unexpected.
"I've had a difficult life. I don't need you making it worse." Jeez. It wasn't my fault. I though she liked me earlier. "I left this school at about your age..." And she settled into her tale. She told me how she'd left to protect Lissa from spirit darkness, and all about the powers Lissa had. Dream walking, healing. It all seemed like a fairy tale to me. She warned me never to run away, because, and I quote, "The guardians are always watching," which creeped me out, but it was true because she was caught. She told me how she fell in love with Dimitri, and how they couldn't be together. She flitted over a man called Victor Dashkov, preferring to tell me about her first two Strigoi kills. I shuddered at this point, and I thought I saw her smile. She explained how she'd seen ghosts, how Dimitri had been taken by Strigoi and how she left the school again to find him. She told me, whilst almost breaking down, about her trying to kill him. But we didn't cry. Because we're strong. "She told me about Lissa saving him, about her being accused of murder. How she got out, and found Lissa's half-sister. It all seemed so heroic, but there was always sadness. I couldn't believe that someone so young had gone through that.
"This time last year, I had been back at the Academy for a few weeks, and was probably with Dimitri." She sighed, remembering a time long gone. "You'd better go. I'm sure you have homework to do. We'll train tomorrow." With that, she left, and I headed off too. The paths were icy with the coolness of night, and I picked my way towards my dorm. But, instead of doing boring Economics revision, I called my 'mother'. She answered straight away.
"Hello?" Her voice was tired but restless.
"Hi, Mum."
"Amy? Is that you? Oh My Goodness you've got me worried sick! Where are you? Why did you leave?"
"I had to, Mum. It's who I am. But I'm safe. I'm at the Academy. What time is it where you are?"
"It's about half ten at night." Oh. That was why she was tired.
"Should I have called earlier? It's half three over here. School just ended."
"No, no. How was school, honey? Do you have friends."
"Yes, Mum."
"Don't use that tone with me, madam."
"Sorry, Mum. How are you?"
"Fine."
"Well, okay. I'll talk to you soon. Love you. Bye." I hung up. It had been good to hear her voice, but I was getting frustrated now. Rose's story kept spinning around in my mind. Her broken heart. The 16 marks and massive star on the nape of her neck. All the time she kills Strigoi. It was...shocking. If those marks, and what people say she is, I could be up against something so amazing I might actually die. Well, I though optimistically, unusual for me, at least I'll have a good teacher.