Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I don't own VA, just the plot and anything you don't recognize from the cannon!

Enjoy!

I didn't have a lot of time to take in my family's history with the Ozeras and Alberta wasn't any kinder, so here we were after lunch attending one of Christian's afternoon classes. Lissa was in this class and she had been shooting me weird looks the entire lesson. Thankfully class ended and she stopped shooting me weird looks and decided to talk to me instead with Mason not very far behind.

'Are you okay Rose?' Lissa asked.

'Yeah, I'm fine. Just a bit drained after using all that magic yesterday,' I said lying smoothly.

'Well I hope you get better soon, the ball is tomorrow and I doubt you would like to miss it!' Lissa exclaimed before saying her goodbyes and leaving for her next class with Mason.

I tried to raise an eyebrow, it almost worked but both eyebrows lifted anyway, 'Is it just me or did Lissa seem all jittery?'

'My thoughts exactly … wait did we just agree on something?' Christian asked stopping in his tracks.

'It would seem so,' Alberta's voice came from behind me, sounding amused.

What the hell was she doing here? If I didn't know any better I would think she was stalking me. Usually I only saw Alberta if I was I trouble and I'm pretty sure I haven't done anything wrong since she last saw me.

'I had forgotten to tell you in the morning. You are going to be requested to train with your mentor for a couple of weeks and you will not be able to attend your classes or complete field experience. Don't worry, since Mister Ozera already knows and is your charge, both of you will not need to attend classes until you return as I have arranged so that both of you will be away at another intensive training academy while you are training.' Alberta said quietly, even though there was nobody around. You could never be too careful.

'What am I going to do while Rose trains?' Christian asked.

'You will be learning offensive and defensive fire manipulation with the other teachers or with Rose,' Alberta said looking a bit surprised.

'You really did think this out, didn't you? What did my mum do?' I asked

'Your mum? She was a sly one that one, she acted like she had been kidnapped by the strigoi. All the cuts and bruises from her training only made her story more believable but she had only been gone for a few weeks and was weaker than you Rose, so I'm afraid your training may take longer and that excuse would not work as the strigoi usually kill their victims after a month.' Alberta explained carefully, 'Well I believe it is time for you two to go to your next lesson, we wouldn't want to be late!'

Alberta turned around and walked off.

'If she wanted it to be kept a secret why didn't she just use High Elvin?' Christian asked watching Alberta's retreating back before turning around and leading the way to his next class.

'I have no idea Christian, no idea. That didn't quite feel right through, almost as if there was something off about Alberta,' this got me thinking, why would Alberta tell me and plan all this in advance? I normally dealt with everything that came my way, just that, my way.

We continued walking to Calculus, not pre-calculus like I take or advanced calculus like Lissa. We were running a bit late, but I figured I could use the Alberta excuse, when a raven flew down to me and landed on my shoulder.

'Is it just me, or are ravens just normal post-men … er I mean post-birds.' Christian said, taking a step back shocked.

'I'm sure that's not normal,' I agreed, absentmindedly untying the note on the raven's foot. I recognized the handwriting but couldn't place it for a while, until I read the hastily written note.

Rose,

I have been captured by the Strigoi working for the people who want you dead. They know what you are but not who you are. Only the strigoi that you killed at the mall knew who you are, and that is lucky.

I will protect your secret with my life, and now that I have been captured I'm afraid that is something your secret will cost. As you probably know there is an imposter at the academy that looks like me. Don't you dare trust her!

I'm sorry, Rose, goodbye.

Alberta

PS. Destroy the note after you read it.

My fears were confirmed at the splatter of blood at the bottom of the letter, which slipped through my fingers as soon as I noticed the blood, knowing it as Alberta's blood.

Christian bent down and read the note, paling drastically as he finished the note, his hands shaking slightly, crumpling the edges of the note, 'Impossible, Guardian Petrov,' he whispered in horror.

We stood there stunned, Christian burned the note as I knew that if I even tried I would have probably burned half the academy down with the state of shock I was currently in.

Alberta…my first motherly figure… dead…to keep me alive… my fault… dead… Alberta

'NO!' I shouted and crumpled, my legs no longer supporting me. It felt as if my world was falling apart, and tears began streaming down my cheeks. I had never felt so alone in my life. I wasn't the only one crying at that moment, Christian had also been silently crying beside me.

We both felt that loss, especially after the conversation we had that morning. After a while of just standing there and staring at the ashes of the note that had long since flown away, we gathered our bearings and began walking back to the dorms, not bothering with going for the rest of the afternoon classes. If we got in trouble, I could just take us back and we would attend the classes and that would mean that they wouldn't tell us to go to class, which meant we would go back to go to class anyway.

We didn't end up going to my dorm anyway, we ended up going to the library to visit Anna and wallow in pity. Nobody noticed us pass and enter Anna's room, not even the librarian who we had passed by a few centimeters on the way, it was like Christian and I were invisible.

I hadn't noticed but Raph had met up with us after abandoning us at breakfast for hunting some mice in the church attic, something which Lissa would have been thankful for, I'm sure, if she knew, but that information was on a need to know basis as no one noticed my 'pet' 'snake' yet.

I entered Anna's Lair, as Raph dubbed it, and nearly had a meltdown … well I did have a meltdown, but Anna was smart enough to notice the signs and immediately put up some shields around me, while I expelled all my anger with my magic destroying almost everything it came into contact with, I even felt Anna put distance between myself and her almost mechanical-but-can't-be-destroyed body that she had created between the last time I saw her and now.

After like half an hour of screaming and shouting choice cuss words at the room in general, while dispelling dangerous-looking magic; I calmed down, and Anna removed the shields.

'Sorry about that,' I muttered sheepishly to Christian, who was still staying close to the wall, Anna, who looked very worn out, and Raph who was currently returning back to the room after escaping through a hole to go outside.

'I have never seen you lose control like that, Rose. It was downright scary and your eyes went cold and dead, I prefer the normal Rose to that one any day, with the pranks, moodiness and weird magic, thank you very much,' said Christian, starting of shakily before sounding like he was back to normal.

'Thank Merlyna you stopped when you did! I'm not sure how much more of your raw magic I could block before my shields collapsed, you are more powerful than I or your mother ever expected. Now, why have you come into my Lair with such a temper?'

And soon I was spilling everything that happened today, to her. She looked sympathetically at me, 'It must be hard for you, your only parental figure dead, but Rose don't grieve for Alberta. I'm sure she would not want it, remember all the happy times you spent together and keep her living inside of you,' Anna said finally, in a calming voice.

Ro? Are you okay? Raphael asked a little while later, curling around my arm.

I looked around and saw Anna and Christian conversing softly, I couldn't hear what they were saying but it obviously worried Christian as he was looking around the room every few minutes almost worriedly.

I'm as good as I could possibly be considering the circumstances, and the fact that I have to face an Alberta look alike until I graduate, I came my whispered reply.

Are you okay Rose? Christian asked from behind me as I had turned my back to Anna and Christian to talk to Raph.

I jumped a little, I hadn't noticed Anna and Christian finish talking, I'm fine thank you for asking. Anything I would need to know? I asked looking pointedly at Anna and Christian.

It's not the time for that now Rose because if we tell you, you will prevent it from happening and it must happen in order for you to be able to leave the academy without suspicion from the fake Alberta, Anna said carefully, not dropping any hints on what was supposed to happen or what I could change.

'C'mon Rose, the others will be waiting for us by now and I know you will want to have a sleep over with Lissa tonight so you can get an early start on getting ready for the ball tomorrow,' Christian said quickly switching languages.

'I guess, wait the ball is TOMORROW!' I nearly screamed at Christian. Loosing some of the control (very little control) I had on my magic.

'Chill Rose! Adrian is taking care of your outfit remember?' Christian yelped as he got burned by a bit of my fire.

I calmed down quickly, 'Oh yeah. Sorry.'

'C'mon Rose, it's been a long day. Let's go get some dinner before you go off with Lissa,' Christian repeated calmly, well as calmly as he could after being burned for the first time.

I nodded my head. 'Bye Anna,' I called turning around.

'Bye young Rose, enjoy your ball tomorrow!' she replied.

A/N:

So the ball is next chapter, and I still haven't found a dress for Rose. Any suggestions?

I have even less time to write now that I have restarted piano classes, but i seem to update faster. *sigh*

Well until next time

Hilary

XD