The next day I woke up with a pounding headache. I groaned and rubbed my temples. I flipped off the quilt and felt the cold on my bare skin. It was then that I realized I was in nothing but my bikini from last night. I tried to remember all that happened but I couldn't. The only thing I could remember was meeting Adrian and Dimitri's last words after he helped me back to my room. When I stood up I felt sick but managed to keep down. I was on my way to the bathroom for a shower when Lissa came out. The moment she saw me she gave me a wicked smile.

"Morning sunshine," she said loudly making me cringe. "Have a nice sleep?" she asked sarcastically.

"What happened last night?" I asked.

"Well you, my dear, had a few too many cocktails and ended up taking a wrong turn into the feeders room. Adrian told us that you had a panic attack at the sight and went back to your room for the rest of the night," she said. Flashes came back to me of Adrian, the pool, the drinks, the feeders, and Dimitri.

"That sounds familiar," I said and groaned as my head pounded harder.

"Here," said Lissa and gave me a bottle of pills. Aspirin.

"How do you have these?" I asked.

"That might have been your first time drunk but it wasn't mine and I always come prepared," she said smiling. I don't know how she could be so cheerful if she had a hangover especially if it was anything like mine.

"Thanks," I said and took two pills before going into the bathroom for a shower. The aspirin and shower helped a bit. The throbbing pain in my head was gone and I didn't feel so groggy. Afterwards, I got changed into a pair of black jeans and a navy long sleeve shirt with a pair of comfortable boots. After my hair was dried, I pulled it back into a low bun and kept a few strands out to frame my face. My hair was getting longer and my side bangs have grown out longer than my chin. I didn't want to have to cut my hair even when I become a guardian. I had grown up with one feature never changing, never being told to be fixed because of imperfections. My hair. It was the only thing that has never changed and it was the one thing I never wanted to change. Instead, I would put it up. Lissa was already gone by the time I was ready so I was alone. I pulled my cover back onto my bed and made my way to Dimitri's room. Just as I was about to knock the door opened and Dimitri came out.

"Rose?" he asked. "What are you doing here?"

"You told me to yesterday. I remembered," I said almost embarrassed for what happened.

"Yes I did but that will have to wait. Everyone is being called to the main hall for a meeting," he said and I knew what the meeting was about.

"Will the queen be there?" I asked and he nodded.

"Yes so we will have to stay to the back out of sight," he said but I blanked out after 'we'. He's still looking out for me. We made our way to the hall where everyone was. Academy students were seated to one side, with the guardians and teacher with them, everyone else was standing and shouting. Dimitri and I snuck through the crowd and found a spot behind a pillar where we would be hidden but could still see what was going on. I spotted Lissa through the crowd. She wasn't seated with the Academy, instead, she was with the Royals and beside her were Christian and Tasha. Two men were standing raging at each other about the attacks and what should be done. I blocked out as much as I could but some parts make it past my barriers and into my ears. Saying how it was the Guardian's fault for not protecting them and how there weren't enough to protect a large family. The other was fighting back on our side, even though he was a royal, saying that nothing could have been done and the guardians couldn't stop what they didn't see coming. The house was warded. They believed it was safe and even when the attack started they were outnumbered and not prepared. This went on and on for a while until everyone fell silent and the queen stepped in. she wasn't dressed in robes or anything overly majestic. She was just wearing a plain pearl pink suit dress, similar to what I would have worn as an alchemist; she looked more like a politician than the queen I last saw. Everyone took their seats and she came in and bowed their heads. I followed suit blending in with the crowd.

"Thank you for coming everyone. This meeting has been called to order to explain what happened and find a solution. Academy students, you are here because we know this also affects you and it does not seem fair to keep you in the dark in these wretched times," she said. We all raised our head as she spoke. Her words were fair and she was right, we did deserve to know especially since this does affect us.

She went on to give a detailed report of what happened. The story was the same as what I heard. After she finished she sat down and asked people to stand up and speak out any proposals. One by one people stood up, one person said there weren't enough guardians and that the age for graduation should be lowered to sixteen. I sucked in a breath and Dimitri noticed because he placed a hand on my shoulder to keep me calm. Another said that there should be more wards but others argued that takes too much energy for one family to keep them up. A guardian I didn't know stood up and explained his ideas that we should allow guardians to go out and hunt down the strigoi packs. Again that idea was turned down because it was a suicide mission and an unnecessary risk to Guardian's already dwindling numbers. All hope was lost until Tasha stood up and announced her idea.

"I think its time Moroi learn to fight, to use their magic so they can fight along side the guardians and protect themselves," she announced. People laughed and argued against her calling her crazy and that would risk Moroi lives. She argued that they used to before Moroi became soft and only used their powers for little things. Again that caused outrage among royals and people questioned how any Moroi could use their magic to fight.

"Like this," she said with a smirk and in her hands, created a fireball and threw it at the Mable wall across the room. Being stone it didn't catch on fire but it did leave a black scorch mark where the fire had hit it. Jaws dropped and eyes widened. The room was silent for a minute you could hear a pin drop and then the chaos broke out.

The academy students were rushed out leaving Lissa and Christian with the crowd of royals. Dimitri stood up.

"Come on. Let's go now when she won't notice. We aren't needed here anymore," he said. I stood up.

"What about Christian and Lissa?" I asked.

"They have to stay but don't worry they will be fine," he said and I followed him out.

"So you said you had to tell me something?" I asked as we made it to a corner where we were alone.

"Yes, but before I begin, what were you doing with Adrian Ivashkov?" he asked. I thought back into my messed up memories.

"Well, I had met him when I was on my way to dinner with my friends. He was talking with Abe," I said and Dimitri looked surprised.

"Abe? What is he doing here?" he asked.

"I have no idea. I didn't know what to do so I stayed still and listened. They were talking about Abe's family and trying to find them and talking to Tatiana. After they had finished I tried to leave but Adrian saw me and that's when he called me the wrong alchemist. We talk for a bit before I ran off to join the others. The next day I had met him again and he had invited me to a party. With nothing else to do and a gloomy air hanging over us I thought it would be fun and a way to distract us from what happened. I can't remember much but I got drunk and went out to get some food made a wrong turn to the feeders room and I felt really sick from that. He helped me sober up slightly and was about to help me back to my room when you came and instead you took over. He was just trying to be nice I promise nothing happened," I explained.

"I believe you but I don't trust him," he said.

"He was really nice and understanding when he saw how I reacted to the feeders," I argued. I didn't want Adrian to be turned into a bad guy after helping me.

"Yes everyone knows that wouldn't be a great thing for you to witness and I'm glad he helped you but I don't want you to be alone with him. He has a bad reputation and-" he started.

"I can look after myself. And believe me, I am not interested in Adrian," I said and smirked. "is that all you wanted to talk about?" I asked.

"No. There is more information that was brought in last night about the Strigoi from the attack. I shouldn't be telling you this but you were there when we discovered the first attack, you have a personal connection to this one and I think this would help you learn the other side of being a guardian," he said and I smiled.

"Well thank you for this but I don't want to get you in trouble for telling me something I shouldn't know," I said.

"No, it's not classified just most people are saying we shouldn't tell Academy students. But I know you are mature enough to handle this," he said.

"Thanks."

"We've managed to track some of the Strigoi," he said. "Or at least the humans with them. There were witnesses who lived nearby who spotted a few of the cars the group used. The plates were all from different states -the group appears to have split up, probably to make it harder for us. But one of the witnesses did catch one plate number. It's registered to an address in Spokane."

"Spokane?" I asked. "Why Spokane?"

"No Idea," he said, deadpan. "The address was fake, but other evidence shows they really are there. There's a kind of shopping plaza that has some underground tunnels. There've been Strigoi sightings around that area."

"So what's going to happen?" I asked.

"Nothing," he said voice flat of emotion.

"Nothing? Can't they send people down there to get them?" I asked.

"No, we would be risking lives for something that we don't fully understand. we don't have enough information," he responded.

"Do you think that what Tasha said in there was right? That Moroi should be learning to defend themselves?" I asked wanting an honest answer.

"I think it is the Moroi's decision whether they want to fight or not. Dhampirs should always be protecting Moroi as we have been for centuries but it wouldn't hurt to have help from fire uses or other elements. I just don't think it should be illegal and that people should have the right to decided to learn to fight or not," he said and I nodded.

"That sounds reasonable," I responded.

"Unfortunately I don't think anyone will allow it," he said.

"Why?" I asked.

"Because they haven't changed their way in hundreds of years. They don't like change, even if it would help get rid of Strigoi," he said and I could tell it annoyed him.

"Maybe one day they will. Maybe someone will come along and convince them to change," I said and he smiled at my words.

"We can only hope Roza," he said.

"Well I guess I should get going," I said and he nodded.

"Stay out of trouble," he warned jokingly.

"Don't I always?" I smirked and walked off.