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Chapter 10 - Molnija

He stood back up and unbuttoned his shirt. I tried to keep my eyes on anything but his undressing but it wasn't an easy task, I knew that if I caught sight of it I wouldn't be able to look away. I heard the fabric hit the floor and Dimitri sat back down. Don't look Rose. Don't look at his chest. My eyes went to his arms instead, which were still extremely distracting but I ignored the muscles as much as possible. He had many scratches and a few areas that had chunks of skin ripped out. I lifted my hand over those ones first and waited until the magic flowed from me into him. They healed quickly and I moved onto the other cuts until his arms were all clear and mouth-watering. "Anywhere else?" I asked, desperately trying not to look at his chest.

He didn't answer straight away and I looked up into his eyes to see them staring right back at me. "Your amazing Roza" I smiled.

"I am?"

He nodded. "I don't know how you do it and I'm not just talking about the magic. We were just attacked out there again and you're not scared, frightened or worried. Most people would be sitting in a corner crying, but not you. No, you fought Strigoi two days ago and Psi Hounds just now without any hesitation or any knowledge on how to actually kill them."

I felt my cheeks heat from the compliment. "I... I'm not frightened, because your here Dimitri."

His eyes held mine for what felt like hours. We just sat there looking at one another. I thought of everything I wanted to say to him yet couldn't. I was still underage, he was my Guardian and therefore if we had a relationship it could compromise how he protected me and they might send him away, and it could ruin us both socially, not that I cared about that part. He was a member of the staff here at St Vlad's. Therefore he might as well have been my teacher. And yet I want nothing more than to lean in and kiss him. I could see him reading it all. He understood, we both did. This couldn't happen. I finally broke eye contact.

"Do you think we're stuck in here for a while?"

"Yeah" he sighed standing up and looking out the window. "Get some sleep Rose. I'll wake you if anything happens."

I nodded and yawned. Dimitri pulled the covers of his blanket back. "Lay with me?" I whispered. He hesitated and our eyes met again before he nodded. "Do you have anything I can sleep in? I love the dress but not that much." He looked down after I mentioned the dress and his eyes ran over the material. He shook his head and got up and opened a wardrobe door and pulled out a white t-shirt that would fit me like a dress. "Thanks."

I changed in Dimitri's bathroom leaving myself only in my Victoria secret panties and Dimitri's shirt. I emerged from the bathroom to see Dimitri sitting on the edge of his bed with his head in his hands. I walked over to him and leant down. Until we were eye level. "You ok Comrade?" I said softly. He nodded before sitting up and gesturing for me to climb in. I did as he asked and I swear he stopped breathing when I finally came into his line of sight. Dimitri climbed in beside me and got comfortable.

After a few minutes of silence I decided to break it. "Do you know what this means?"

"Hmm?"

I turned over until I was facing him. "It means that I have a Moroi enemy that wants me dead. Psi Hounds don't attack anything unless their master commanded them too."

He froze for a moment before turning to me. "Your right."

"I usually am."

Dimitri chuckled. "Who would want you killed Rose?"

I thought about it for a while. "Well I'm a Moroi that not only knows how to fight but can do more magic than anyone I know. Which could be an issue to any Moroi that didn't want to fight. I'm princess and soon-to-be queen. So I guess anyone that had their heart set on something like that wouldn't be all that thrilled. And that's not including the enemies I've made just because I have a bit of an attitude. They are a few reasons but no, no one I can think of that would want me dead. Except perhaps Kirova, but I'll be out of her hair soon anyway." I chuckled at my own joke. Dimitri gave me a stern look that said that this wasn't something to joke about. I sighed "Sorry."

He gave me a small smile. "Go to sleep Rose."

I nodded. "Goodnight Comrade."

"Goodnight Roza."

I woke up the next morning to see Dimitri lying beside me wide awake. "Did you get any sleep?"

"Someone had to make sure you weren't attacked again."

"Dimitri" I whined "you need sleep."

"No, I'm fine Rose. I'm use to not getting much sleep. You've been spoiling me Rose" I sighed but didn't argue the matter. Dimitri showered and changed before we headed back to my dorm room.

Guardians were out in full force after last night's attack. "Any word on the Psi Hounds?" I asked Dimitri and he scanned the area.

"I checked in with Guardian Petrov before you woke. The fire that distracted the Guardians had been created by a Moroi but no one seen it happen and after a full campus search the Psi Hounds were nowhere to be found." I nodded figuring as much.

I didn't expect to see Kirova this early in the morning but here she was walking straight towards Dimitri and I. How unlucky, I was only 10 meters away from being able to escape her into the Moroi housing. "Rosemarie."

"Ellen."

She glared at me and I smirked back. "Oh, I'm so sorry, how rude of me Headmistress Kirova." I half faked innocence.

"Queen Ivashkov has organised your Molnija ceremony for today, both you and Guardian Belikov will receive your marks. Meet at the Guardian Headquarters in an hour." With that she turned on her heel and strutted off. I gave Dimitri a sad look before we entered the building. Thankfully it seemed as though no one knew about mine and Dimitri's involvement in the attack last night. So we made it to the door without any more interruptions.

Dimitri held the door for me and closed it behind him. "What do you wear to a Molnija Ceremony?" I asked him scanning my closet. I was still wearing the dress from last night. I didn't need any rumours spread as to why I was only wearing one of Dimitri's shirts and nothing else.

"Usually... Guardian uniform."

"Oh, right." I muttered feeling stupid for asking. Of course that's what they wore, it was what they always did. I spent the next 10 minutes trying to find the perfect outfit. "You know what? Screw it" I said grabbing the outfit I had been tossing up about wearing or not.

I walked into the bathroom to shower and then did my hair pulling it up into a high bun so the tattooist had better access to the back of my neck. I did minimal make up and threw the clothes on. I wore a black suit and white buttoned top underneath. It was Guardian uniform except for the fact my suit was fitted to my curves, the pants were skinny legs and it all had a designer label. I didn't want to be disrespectful to the Guardians by matching them completely. I was still the Princess and a Moroi after all. I grabbed my black pumps from last night and put them back on and added a thick gold twisted chain around my neck and matching stud earrings. Much better. I now looked like a professional princess and guardian all in one.

I walked out to Dimitri and turned in a full circle. "What do you think?"

"Uhh.." "Comrade?" I asked when he didn't say anything.

"It's perfect Rose."

I grinned. "Ok let's go get some food before we leave for headquarters." We stopped at the feeders first and then made our way to the cafeteria. By the time I sat down with the food in front of me, I felt nauseous. Just thinking about what was about to happen, made my appetite disappear. Lissa gave me worried looks but didn't push the matter.

I walked toward the table the Guardians sat at. Dimitri looked up straight away. His lips formed a fine line but he didn't say anything. He knew. "Come on Rose, let's go get this over with." All I could do was nod and let Dimitri lead me away.

When we got to the Guardian Headquarters a bunch of them filed inside and through large double doors down the end of the hallway. The room was large and looked like it was where they held all their meetings. There were only two seats in the room and a Moroi man covered in tattoo's was setting up some equipment beside them. Dimitri led me over to the seats and made me sit down and he took the seat beside me. The room quieted down as all eyes turned to us. No one spoke, no one smiled. They just stood around with mournful looks on their faces. I dropped my head so they couldn't see the tear that escaped my eye.

The tattoo's hurt. Molnija meant 'lightening' in Russia and that was exactly what the tattoos were two jagged lightening lines crossed over to form an 'X'. When the tattooist finished he moved onto Dimitri. I didn't look up once the entire time. The events of the car park were going through my head over and over. Watching Guardian Vetrov get his neck snapped and the sickening sound of it. Seeing Guardian Karev fall and the blood thirsty Strigoi drink from him until there was nothing left. My heart ached more than my neck did.

When Dimitri's was finished that man gave me a mirror and held one behind me, I angled it to see the tattoo's. "Everyone I have done Molnija tattoo's on had a 'Promise' mark to signify that they were Guardians. I've never had to do this one someone that didn't have one." He said softly into my ear. Four small crosses sat at the top of my neck in a line going straight down my spine. I gave him back the mirror and nodded. He gave me a small smile and offered the mirror to Dimitri who shook his head.

One by one the Guardians walked towards us offering words of encouragement to the both of us. "You did well, Princess."

Some gave me small smiles and a hug. A couple leaned forward and kissed me cheek.

"I am proud of you Rose." Alberta said when it was her turn and she pulled me in for a warm hug. I had always liked Alberta, she was one of my father's Guardian before she was assigned here so I had known her my whole life.

Stan was the last one to come forward, I was expecting a stern glance and maybe even a flare of his large nostrils. What I wasn't expecting was "I'm proud of you Rose, it's an honour to defend Moroi like yourself."

No one said 'congratulations' and for the I was glad. There was no glory in death. After that they exited the room leaving Dimitri and I alone. I walked over to a window that overlooked the courtyard below. Dimitri's hand rested on my shoulder as he stood beside me. "That wasn't what I was expecting." I whispered but I knew he could hear me.

"It wasn't for me either the first time I got a mark." I nodded. I was expecting to feel happy about getting my marks. But in reality it was like a small funeral for the deaths you took and the lives that were lost in battle.

What do you guys think of Dimitri and Rose at the moment?

-Skye (FeminineHeroes)