Chapter 13:
RPOV
Monday morning was torture. Not just because I craved contact with Dimitri and would have to wait an entire week before we could be free and open again, but also because morning academic classes, especially the ones on Monday were boring. I was relieved when lunch came around. I saw Ivan and Dimitri sitting at the table of some of the teachers and guardians and I knew we were on our own for lunch.
I joined Christian and Lissa.
"So, how was your weekend, Christian. Finally calmed your crazy aunt down?"
He looked a little exasperated at my comment but mostly tired, no doubt she had been tirading all weekend.
"Rose, she is not crazy. And I don't appreciate you calling her that."
"Well I don't appreciate her calling me a blood whore."
He sighed.
"Yeah sorry about that. I tried defending you to her, but she wouldn't let up about the thing. She really has it in for you."
I snorted.
"It might help if I could defend you with some actual facts about what happened to you two over the past two years."
I looked over to Lissa and I heard her ask the question through the bond. Maybe it was time.
"Meet us in Lissa's room after classes. We'll discuss things."
Christian was about to ask more questions when Viktoria joined us.
"Oh my God Rose, you know about the holiday dance thing we have coming up?"
I actually didn't. Their calendar was confusing. They celebrated Christmas in January. God knows what holiday it was now.
"Anyway. It is a boy-girl dance, you know with actual dates."
I rolled my eyes. Fifteen year old me would have been very excited about the prospect of a dance and boys. Tortured seventeen year old me that was in a committed relationship actually couldn't care less. Seventeen year old princess however was almost screeching.
"Oh that would be fun, all dressing up and everything. Christian you want to go?"
He just shrugged much to Lissa's disappointment.
"Anyway. I hear there will be an actual line in combat class of boys trying to ask you out. I even hear some Moroi fighting their way into the gym to beat them."
I just rolled my eyes. I hadn't been a stranger to the attention of boys at st. Vladimir. I just had hoped my unknown status had bought me some indifference. I guess I was wrong.
"I am not interested in a date Viktoria. But maybe I'll go with Lissa and Christian. Would be nice to dress up a bit."
Actually I had to say that because for the last few moments Lissa had been shouting in my head she wanted to prim me up. It was a constant noise in my head and I knew the only way to get rid of it was to give into her.
"It would be easier if you have a date Rose. I mean out of all those boys isn't one of them at least acceptable to take as date?"
"Oh sparky. I thought you would like the idea of two women escorting you to a dance. Gives you swagger."
I smirked while he just rolled his eyes.
"I just thought you enjoyed the attention."
"Actually I do, but you know my boyfriend will go crazy jealous if I show up with a date."
I started laughing and so did Viktoria.
"Actually I do think he might."
"oh come on you two. Guardian Belikov is very level headed." Lissa said
Viktoria and I started laughing again.
"no he is not, he is just very good at hiding his rage."
"But not so good at hiding is hands under the table."
Viktoria said while taking a drink from her class. I just looked at her shocked.
"Oh God." I groaned. Those women already knew way too much about our personal life.
"Yeah heard that several times."
I just blushed. Actually I think Lissa blushed more.
"Wow, wait, what are you saying, you and Belikov."
I nodded and covered Viktoria's mouth before she could elaborate.
"How the hell did that happen?"
"Well why don't we talk about it after class. It sort of all comes together."
"That is why Tasha is so vindictive towards you. I think she had had a crush on him for years. I saw she was absolutely over the moon when she realized he had returned to St. Basils too. I swear she was practically picking their children's names."
"Well she might wait to actually have his consent before she starts and imaginary relationship."
I was pissed. Who did she think she was? Not only was she ogling and pursuing my man, she was also taking away his free choice in the matter. As if his input wasn't needed. Damn Royals.
With that I got up to go to my next class even though I was at least half an hour early.
Viktoria had been right. I had seen the girls looking at me a little faul in the locker room and once I emerged there was an actual line waiting for me.
I saw the line was composed of Moroi and Dhampir both. I even saw one girl in there. Interesting. Maybe that would shut them all up. Although there was less of a class divide here than there had been at St. Vladimir's there was a divide now. I suppose when it came to mating options, Moroi had first dips. The Moroi were first and it seemed they actually organized themselves on basis of wealth.
The first offered me a lot of Rose's. Cliché.
Before he even opened his mouth I shouted next.
I saw a few of the boys snigger in line and it seemed I had won over a few girls with that one to.
The second actually offered me a nice dinner first and was pretty sweet. I pulled him closer by his shoulder and whispered in his ear. Nothing sexual, more like a comradery.
"Now I know your friends made you do this. I know it isn't me you want, it's Elena. But when all your friends say they would confess their undying love for me in a ridiculous way and boasting about it you couldn't just stay behind. I actually liked your offer. It was romantic; if you offer it to Elena later I am sure she will say yes."
He actually looked like a kid in a candy store. And everyone thought he had brought home the prize. That was until I shouted next.
After the fifth one. I had had it.
"Are you really all here to ask me out to the dance?"
They all nodded.
"and you think lining up was the best course of action?"
They nodded again.
"If you had known me at all you would have actually had a match about it. I think fighting over a girl is a major turn on. But since you all failed to see that I am just going to go alone to the dance."
I saw them all throw their hands up in the air. All but the girl that was standing in line. I walked over to her.
"So you wanted to take me to the dance too?"
She nodded.
"I think you are amazing. Not just because you are beautiful, I mean you are, but I have seen you in class, you picked up things so fast even if you were behind and your smile. I like your smile."
I couldn't help but smile at her comment. I knew most of the boys here just wanted to walk in with the prettiest girl in school. I was nothing more than a show piece to show who had to most influence. I was their tool in exerting dominance over the other males. I was like a walking animal behavior chapter. But this girl was different. She wanted to go with me because she liked me.
"Thanks, but I am actually going solo, but I'll save you a dance."
I winked at her and she lit up.
"Okay now that we have concluded the convoluted mating rituals of the teenager can we get back to the actual class. I do believe you boys have history now."
The teacher came in and basically disbanded the party. When he saw me he smiled as he shook his head.
"I haven't seen such a line since Ivana six years ago."
I chuckled.
"Must be my exotic looks, men dig that."
He laughed and started the lesson.
After classes Lissa was meeting me at the gym.
"Is it true there was an actual line, Rose."
I nodded.
"I heard there was even a girl in there."
"Also true."
We both giggled as we walked to her dorm. I was getting a bit nervous about telling Christian and so was Lissa. Or maybe I was just feeling Lissa's anxiety. It was more than just telling him what happened. It was divulging spirit to him. It left her vulnerable but she trusted him. She had checked his aura this morning and she had seen love reflected in it. She trusted him and if she did, so did I.
He was already waiting at the door. He actually looked a little green.
"You guys don't have to tell me what happened. I already know. Rose I had no idea that you were Abe Mazur's daughter."
"Man, he works fast. If he only had divulged that before lunch I am sure the line would have been much smaller."
Lissa and I laughed as she opened the door.
"Come on in, Christian, so you can hear the truth."
We sat down on her bed. She was fidgeting with her hands. I wondered if she was getting worse again. She had been using a lot of magic on the weekend to train.
"So what Abe said isn't true either. He said that to protect us and to stop rumors from going around…Why do you think we left?"
I asked him. I know he had been giving it some thought.
"I just figured you two ran because of what happened at the party before you left."
"Well we didn't exactly leave by choice. I mean we did, but we didn't actually want to."
He looked confused.
"We left because we felt Lissa was threatened. Miss Karp helped us escape, but we didn't get far. Do you remember Victor?"
"Victor Dashkov, yeah. Natalie's father. I know he was close to you and your family."
He said to Lissa.
"I haven't heard from him in a while."
"That is because he is dead. My father killed him."
"What, why?"
Lissa was on the verge of crying. She didn't want to relive it. I knew it was up to me to tell the story, she wasn't ready to tell it yet. I'll let her tell him about spirit.
"Because he tortured us for two years."
He was definitely shocked. Of all the things he envisioned, I knew this wasn't one of them. He was acting on the premise we left by choice. And even if our lives hadn't been glamourous he thought it was our choice to leave and stay away. The truth was very different.
"Christian. I have to tell you about my specialization."
"I thought because you hadn't really been able to practice, you hadn't specialized."
"Well that isn't really true. I specialize in a very rare element. An elemant which has been forgotten over the years. We only know of two other people with this element including Victor's brother who helped him."
Rose maybe we should show him.
I nodded. Luckily I had just come back from combat class and was covered in bruises. I lifted my sleeve. There was a real nasty one forming on my lower arm where I had blocked a kick. It had hurt like a bitch but I was glad it was my arm and not my side.
Lissa extended her arms and she focused on my arm. I felt the familiar warm and cold sensation I had come to associate with Spirit running through me. The bruise was gone in a manner of seconds.
I heard Christina gasp.
"It is called spirit. I can heal people. Another spirit user has been helping me control it better. I can now also see aura's around people. Colors which tells me how a person is feeling and stuff like that."
"That is crazy."
"Well that is another thing about Spirit. Where normal elements use physical strength, spirit requires mental strength. If I use it too much I can get unhinged. It is a delicate balance between using my powers and staying sane. Victor's brother, Robert, hadn't been able to have that balance and went insane. Rose is a big help with this. Rose and I are bonded. After the car accident I healed her even if I didn't know what I did. She actually died and I brought her back. It created a bond between us. She can read my mind and see through my eyes. She also can take a bit of the darkness from me when it becomes too much to keep me from going insane. But we have met another spirit user that is helping me with it."
"So what does this have to do with… Victor. He was sick. He wanted you to heal him."
Lissa nodded.
"Victor was chronically ill. He needed continuous healing. He didn't want to use his brother for it. I don't think he could. Robert was too far gone. To unstable. He would come by the house he held us in every few weeks so I could heal him."
He seemed to be able to take everything in.
"So what about you, Rose."
Both of us cringed. I know Lissa feels guilty about what Victor and Robert did to keep her sane. I needed to pick my words carefully.
"They kept me in the basement. To keep me quiet Robert would come into my dreams and… kill me. It is another talent spirit users possess. They can warp your dreams. And although I would wake up once he was done with me, dying still hurts even if it is in a dream. They realized the more pain I was in the more darkness I burned. They kept us in that house for two years."
"wow, definitely not a blood whore."
I shook my head. He was right about that.
"Rose, I am so sorry my aunt is saying that. Certainly not after what actually happened."
"Its okay, she doesn't know. And Christian, she can't, no one can. If this gets out, Lissa will be in danger. Other people might get the idea to use her. The queen is aware and it keeping the whole thing quiet, so as far as the outside world is concerned, Abe's story is true."
He nodded.
"I understand."
He grabbed Lissa's hand, which had started to shake again.
"It's okay, Liss. It's over. You're safe now. I won't let anybody hurt you."
It was so sweet I could cry. I felt her calm down under his promise. I believed him to.