CHAPTER 10 FRIENDS AND FEARS.
We walked into one of the many common rooms in the moroi dorms. There were a few people sitting in the room. They all looked up at our entrance. There were looks of shock o many of their faces. I think it was because of the way I was dressed and armed. I hadn't thought about it all day until they were staring at me intently. "Everyone this is my mentor Guardian Rose Hathaway. Guardian Rose this is everyone." James initiated the introductions. "Hi everyone." I replied as I looked around the room. I noticed that there were 4 other damphires and 5 moroi. 2 were snuggled up on the couch together and I could see the way James was eyeing the guy that this must be Holly and the player Justin.
I walked into the room further, I looked at Holly and then James who simply nodded his head at me. "You must be Holly Badica, it is nice to meet you. I am Rose." I stretched out my hand to shake hers. She looked at me stunned for a moment then shook my hand and replied. "Yes I am Holly. I am pleased to meet you Guardian Rose. I am glad that James has you as a mentor. Maybe with your help you will be able to keep him from getting expelled." With that she smiled up at me. I returned her smile at continued to glance around the room. A pair of damphires came up to me then. One girl and one boy, they looked related. "Hi, my name is Ashlea Pointer and this is my twin brother Cameron. We are pleased to meet you Guardian Rose. Are you the famous Guardian Hathaway's daughter? That must be so cool. I heard that you saved all those people that came here a few nights back in the vans, is that true too?" she asked me very quickly. "I am pleased to meet you Ashlea and Cameron." I said stretching out my hand to shake theirs, as I continued. "Yes Janine Hathaway is my mother. And yes the vans that arrived here a few days ago were full of people I saved."
James came to stand beside me then. "I'll introduce you to everyone. This is Faith Doyle," he pointed out to a damphire sitting in the couch on her own. "That is Rubin Shaw," he was sitting on the couch with a moroi. "That is Jade Tomlin," he pointed to the moroi sitting next to Rubin. He was about to continue when I noticed an amazingly familiar set of green eyes. "You must be an Ivashkov." I said to a beautiful moroi girl sitting on a love seat next to someone else how had eyes that I also remembered. "Yes I am. I am Lea. How did you know I was an Ivashkov Guardian Rose?" Lea asked me. "I know an Ivashkov very well. He has the same eyes as you. That is how I knew." I replied to her. "Who is it that you know Guardian Rose?" she asked me again sounding generally interested on how I would know a member of her family so well. "His name is Adrian. He is a good friend of mine." I replied. I heard an intake of many gasps around me, not that this shocked me. I knew his reputation. To ignore them I turned to the last person I had not been introduced to. "You I believe must be an Ozera. I also recognise you because of your eyes." "Yes, I am Benjamin. But everyone just calls me Ben. Who in my family is it that you know Guardian Rose?" Ben asked me. "Well I know Christian and his Aunt Natasha, or Tasha as we called her." "You know the strigoi lover?" Ben responded to me. Well that just made me furious. "Don't talk about Christian like that. You have no idea of what you speak. He is not a strigoi lover or is there any chance of him becoming strigoi. He has helped me battle strigoi on 2 occasions and one of them was when there was an attack on our school. So I would suggest you get your facts right before you ever speak about anyone like that again. Especially when that person is a member of your family." When I finished my temper was rising again. I was furious for the accusation made about Christian. He and I may not have been the best of friends but we had come to an understanding and well somewhat of a brother/sister relationship. Thinking back about how we battled together calmed me a little.
"How do you know Adrian and Christian, Rose?" James then asked me. "Well Adrian is a good friend as I said. My friends and I meet him at the ski lodge over Christmas break. Christian is going out with my best friend and hopefully one day charge Vasilisa Dragonmir." I replied hoping that, that would end the conversation. "How well do you know Adrian?" James continued. Now I was starting to get pissed again. "As I said James, Adrian and I are just friends. Nothing more, I am fully aware of his reputation but I am not that kind of girl. And if you even think that about me then you are very much mistaken." I hissed the last of that through my teeth. James was going to pay for ever thinking anything like that about me. I was about to leave then when Holly called out to me and asked. "You are friends with the last Dragonmir princess. Wow. How long have you know her? What are doing here if you were suppose to be her guardian? And let me apologise for James, he doesn't know when to shut his mouth." With that she turned and glared at James. "Lissa and I have been best friends since we both started at the academy. Only she and I survived the car accident that claimed the life of the rest of her family. And I am here on business that I must attend to before I can return to her. Lissa understands this. Now if you will excuse me I must depart, I have other guardian matters to attend to." I nodded at all of them, glared at James and left the room.
I was reeling in my anger when I heard James call out to me. "Rose, Rose. Please stop. Please." I continued walking, still furious with his last comment. "Rose please, I want to apologise, I know I had no right to say what I said. I did not mean it. I am sorry. Rose please I really am sorry." James called out to me. I spun and turned to face him. "I already warned you James what would happen if you ever spoke to me like that again. I am your mentor and deserved to be treated with respect. I will not tolerate the insulations you made or the way you spoke to me. Be warned this is your last warning. I could have you expelled for that comment. Your afternoon practices will be twice as long for the next month. We will see how you can handle that. Don't ever push me James or speak to me again like that." I growled at him. I was absolutely furious with him. I spun on my heel again and continued to storm out of the dorm. James continued to follow me still calling out apologises. I knew once I was outside I would be able to run and get away. I knew after all the training I had had that there was very few who could keep up with me.
Once outside the building I took off. I ran to calm myself down, I knew I needed to blow off this anger. For me there were only 2 ways run and fight. I was not currently up to fighting. Okay so I had removed the bandage from my wrist and had to still wear the brace for my ribs but that didn't mean I wasn't going to run. I may not be able to hit or kick something right now to help me release this anger but I could run and that would have to do. I ran the border of the school. About half way around I got this weird feeling I had not had since we arrived. I could sense that someone was out there watching me. I stop running, I stopped dead in my tracks. I could tell they were outside the wards watching me. I couldn't see them though, but I could sense that that they were watching me intently. I didn't like this feeling and I decided it was best to return to the guardians building, get something to eat and then get some rest.
I entered the
guardians building and headed straight to the dining room. They had
food in there at all hours of the day because of shifts and all the
other jobs guardians had to do here. Mikhail and Danil were the only
ones still sitting in the dinning room. They were quietly talking
between themselves. They didn't hear me enter the room. I walked
over to the buffet looking for something small to eat. Doughnuts
I thought. I needed the carbs, and the sugary goodness of them. I
finally found some and grabbed a couple. I was about to walk out when
I got called.
"Rose, will you come over and talk to us for a
moment?" Danil called out to me. I rolled my eyes. All I wanted to
do was run up to my room and stay there for the rest of the night.
But instead I walked over to Danil and Mikhail. "Yes Danil, is
there something I can help you with?" I asked as I reached the
table they were sitting at. Danil pulled out the chair beside him and
made a hand motion at me to sit down beside him. Again I rolled my
eyes but I sat down beside him.
"Rose is that all you are eating?" Danil asked looking down at the 3 doughnuts in my hands. "Yes Danil, I am not overly hungry." Danil looked at me questioningly. I continued, "What is it Danil? Why did you call me over here?" I asked. "Rose how did things go with James?" "Well they could have been better. But I have worked things out with him. We have our training set up and at the moment Mikhail has agreed to help me if you are able to make sure he is not on duty at the times I need him. Is that going to be a problem? I will not need him in the morning sessions but the afternoon ones I will need him for part of the time, at least until I can train again. I can't fight him yet, I'm sure that the doctor would be extremely unhappy with me if I re-brake my ribs or anything." I finished. I didn't need them knowing the way he had spoken to me and how I had reacted. "Rose, that shouldn't be a problem. I can cover for Mikhail while he is helping you. I hope that you can help James. He has promise." Danil replied to me. Mikhail looked at me then, and he must have sensed something. "Rose is there anything else troubling you?" I looked at Mikhail then. "Why do you ask Mikhail? I am fine." I replied to him, I knew I was lying but I didn't think I could explain what I had felt out by the boundary before. "Rose, I have known you a long time. I can sense something is troubling you. You still get that same look that you use to get when you were a girl back at the academy, and you were worrying about something. What is it Rose?" Mikhail asked in a somewhat exasperated tone. Danil then jumped in. "Rose please tell us if something is wrong, if something is troubling you." I rolled my eyes and gave in then. "After I spoke with James and meet his friends I went for a run around campus. And before you start in on me about that I am fine. Running is relaxing and I didn't push it so my ribs are fine. I need to stay in good physical condition. Anyway that is not the point. While I was running I got this weird feeling that something or someone was out there watching me. I can't explain it. I could sense them watching me but I couldn't see anyone. I don't know what it means, but I would ask that the patrols keep an eye out for anyone outside the wards. I know someone is out there. Even now I can still sense them. I don't like it." I finished with a sigh. I knew someone or something was out there watching the school, but I sensed that they were more intent on watching me then anything else. Danil and Mikhail looked at me then, I could see concern on there faces. They both knew about me being shadow kissed and my ability to sense strigoi. "I will notify those on duty. I will have them keep an eye out." Danil said to me in his business guardian voice. "Thanks Danil, but I have a feeling that whoever is out there is more intent on watching me then the school, but I would suggest that we have them keep there eyes peeled. If they see anything please let me know. Maybe that way I figure out what is going on. Now please if you will excuse me, I need to go get some rest, and I have an early morning training session that I need to prepare for." With that I stood up. "Goodnight Rose." Danil and Mikhail said to me in unison. With that I left the room and headed upstairs to my bedroom.
I walked into my room, finished of the last of my doughnuts and continued to prepare for bed. Once ready I crawled into bed and let the blackness of unconsciousness take over. It wasn't very long until I started dreaming. But this was a new dream.
I was walking around in blackness. But it wasn't night, this blackness was different, weird even. I noticed ghosts, this must be the land of the dead. I spotted Andre, Lissa's older brother. He walked over to me. "Andre, is this the land of the dead?" I asked in nothing more then a whisper. Andre nodded his head at me. "Does it always look like this?" I continued speaking in a whisper. "No, Rose it doesn't always look like this. But I am here to warn you, there are those out there that wish to threaten you, and bring harm to Lissa. We can not allow them to hurt her. She is the last of our family and she has the potential to great things Rose. I know this, I know you know this as well. I need your help. There are 2 out there watching you and the school. Once you have the strength I need you to go out and face them. I can help you, but I am going to ask that you have to trust me and it is going to require a large sacrifice on your part. You will not die, but it is going to be a sacrifice you are going to have to make." Andre said to me, tears almost rolling down his cheeks. "Andre you know there is nothing I wouldn't do for Lissa. I would give up anything for her. I would sacrifice my life if it would save hers. You know that. And you know I trust you, you are like my brother. Well the one I always wished I had. You always said that you went to school the year Lissa started and came home with a new sister by the first break. We have been inseparable since the first day we were put into class together. So you don't need to ask. I will give anything up for her. I love her, and I trust you." I responded to Andre. "But Andre it will be a month before I can go out and face them. I need time to heal. I have broken ribs." I replied, with a little stress in my voice. "Rose, that is fine. It does not require your immediate action. They are going to continue to watch you. I suggest you get some rest. I will talk to you again soon." With that my dream faded and I was in the blackness of unconsciousness again, but that didn't last very long.
I was in Adrian's grandmothers beautiful garden again. Adrian walked out from behind the apple tree. I smiled, I was happy to see him. "How are things going there Adrian?" I ask, fully concerned with how all my friends we doing. "Everything here is fine, little damphire. We all miss you. How are things at the Volsky academy? I found you. Can we come and visit now that I know where you are?" I sighed. I knew Adrian would find me. With his resources I doubted that he would have a problem with finding me. I just didn't think I t would be this soon. I had only been here 2 nights. "How did you find me so quickly Adrian?" I asked him genuinely intrigued. "Lea called me. I believe you met her this evening. She said you recognised her because of her eyes and made reference to me. She also said something about you becoming a mentor to her friend, James I believe his name is. This relationship is not going to be like your last student-mentor relationship is it?" Adrian said to me angrily. I growled at him. "Jealous much? And no it is not the same. I loved him. James I am ready to knock out. So don't worry." I replied annoyed with him for his reaction.
"So little damphire can we come and visit? Everyone wants to see you." Adrian eyes lit up at that thought. "Adrian, it isn't safe here right now. I have this feeling that I am being watched. Actually I know I am being watched, and I know it has something to do with Lissa. I can't have her here where she will be at risk. I need you guys to stay there. I need Lissa to stay safe, and I need you guys to look after her. I am really worried about her Adrian, I know she is not okay, I know she blames herself for me leaving, I know she is struggling with spirit side effects and I am doing what I can. But I can't take it all from her. I can't risk that until I have finished what I set out to do. He may have thought I was strong enough, that I wouldn't end up like Anna, but I'm not. But I will do what I set out to do. I am strong enough for that." I replied to Adrian, my voice expressing all the emotions I felt at that moment. They were concern, fear, love (for Lissa), pain and despair. Adrian was silent for a moment, looking thoughtful. Then he continued.
"Rose, this wouldn't have anything to do with why I couldn't get into your dreams a while ago?" Adrian asked me, I could hear the concern in his voice. I sighed. "Do you really want to know?" I asked him, not sure if he really wanted to know everything. "Yes little damphire, I want to know. Please tell me, I here if I can help you." Adrian replied his voice and eyes full of sincerity. I was shocked to see Adrian being so serious. "If I tell you, you can not say a word to the others. They can not know. Lissa especially can not know. You have to swear to me Adrian that you won't say a word. This is really important. I need you to swear to me." I said my voice conveying how important it was to him to promise this to me. "Yes Rose, I swear to you not to say a word." He replied to me with a look of full seriousness. "Adrian, I was pulled to the land of the dead. Andre was there. Lissa is in danger and only I can save her. The only problem is it is going to take some kind of sacrifice on my part. I am not going to die but I have to make this sacrifice. I don't know what is but I don't have a choice. This is Lissa we are talking about and there is nothing I wouldn't give up to protect her. There is someone watching the academy and they are the problem I am going to be facing. Adrian, I am going to go out and face whatever I have to in a month. I need to recover before I go out and face whatever this is. I am going to do this for her and I don't want Lissa to know about it. Adrian if you really want to visit I guess you can come. But it can only be you. I will not put Lissa in further harm, I cannot risk her being hurt Adrian. She is meant for great things. I know this, she is the last of the Dragonmirs. She is destined to change our world, just as I am destined to kill the undead. So if you are going to come here they can't know you are coming, they can't know where I am. Adrian, I'm sorry." I finished and hung down my head. I knew I was apologising that I wasn't going to keep my promise to him. But this was what I had to do.
"Little damphire, you take to many burdens on yourself. I am coming to see you. I promise not to tell the others. I will see you very soon Rose. But for now you need your rest. Bye little damphire I will see you soon." Adrian told me before everything turned black and I was pulled into a deep state of sleep.