I stretched my arms above my head, feeling my muscles pull as we waited for someone to come our way. Yuri, Jean, and I were dressed in black, hidden in a small grove of trees that ran along one of the lesser used pathways. The distance sound of voices alerted us to someone's presence and the three of us stilled, waiting for our chance.

It was about halfway through the trials and time for us to throw the students for a loop. We always threw a snag in here and there, sometimes in the form of several daytime raids, sometimes by teaming up on students back to back without time for them to recover, sometimes attacking them in places where they expected to be safe such as the feeding room or clinic. This year, we decided to attack them on the day they were promised off: Sunday.

There were several places that we were planning to attack the students around campus, and it was only pure luck that Rose happened to be walking pass the area where I and my group were stationed. I could see Yuri and Jean flash me a questioning look, offering me the final say on whether we let her and the others in her group walk on by without assault or press forward in our attack plan. None of the guardians participating in the trials had approached Rose since her move to half-time, not even Alto, and I knew it was beginning to drive Rose up a wall. She was ready to prove herself again, not only to her fellow students and the faculty, but to herself as well.

I gave a sharp nod, signaling my partners that we were ready, that Rose was ready, and I knew that this would be the biggest test for us both.

Jean started towards Rose first, with Yuri following after her. That left me with the other student, Novice Dean Barnes. Part of me was grateful. I knew that I couldn't go easy on Rose, but not fighting her at all would keep the temptation to do so from even being an issue. Jean didn't know her very well and would treat her like any other student, and Yuri knew her well enough to give her all that he could.

It was clear within moments of my fight with Barns the he was not at his full potential. While I hadn't fought Barnes before in the trials, I had seen him fight plenty in his classes and his technique was completely sloppy at the moment. It was more than just nerves or confusion. It was inebriation. I could practically smell it on him when I got close enough. He did try to fight me off a little but I was able to actually knock his stake out of his hand with a block. Not an attack, not a disarm tactic, but a simple block.

The look of defeat and fear was in his eyes. He knew he was done in the battle but just as I was about to go in for the kill shot, he disappeared. A flash of dark hair rushed him, shoving him away from my line of sight, and for a breath I almost wondered if Jean had come to finish him off before Rose stood to square off against me.

I allowed my eyes to wander for just a moment, seeing that both Jean and Yuri were both off the side, obviously done with their own parts in their fights, and now just watching the events unfolding before them. While Jean seemed to be studying the match intently, taking notes to relay later for the final report, Yuri looked almost amused and ready to take bets.

Focus, I reminded myself. You need to fight her. Give her everything you have. Don't let her down, and don't go easy.

I could see the slight uncertainty in her eyes, recognizing perhaps for the first time that it was me, right before she sprang forward with her stake at the ready. I wasn't expecting her to attack quite so quickly, but she tended to open with the same move so it was easy to anticipate her strike and counter. I winced as my blow glanced off the side of her head, knowing that it hit hard across her temple and would most likely be sore later, but she wasn't reacting at the moment to any pain. Adrenalin was a godsend in battle.

Like so many other fights between us and the senior novices, I could hear other people starting to gather and cheer. Unlike those other fights, it wasn't limited to just students. Even nearby guardians joining in to watch the show.

Rose and I were focused on one another though. Incredibly focused. Within a few moments, I realized that this fight was starting to test me almost as much as it was testing her. I knew her patterns and movements, but she also knew mine from hours upon hours of practices, month after month. She was using it against me and it was working. I wasn't breathless quite yet, but she was giving me quite the run for my money.

It eventually became clear that I wasn't going to beat her on technique and skill alone, and our fight was going to come down to brute force, which was something in my favor. I had strength and weight on my side, so if I could pin her, I could win.

Looking for my opening, I watched for the smallest falter in her attack where she was just barely off balanced, and the moment I found it I pushed forward and didn't let up until she stumbled, then followed with that momentum to take her to the ground.

While I had size and strength on her, she had me on speed. I didn't even see her elbow, but I sure felt its impact when it struck my face. It didn't cause a break, but it was enough to make my vision blur for a moment and cause a knee-jerk reaction, loosening my grip on her. That's all she needed to turn the tables in her favor.

Quick as a whip, she had me on my back, straddling my waist with her body, one of her legs pinning each of my thighs down and her forearm at my collarbone, threatening to slip to my throat if I didn't play nice. I tried to throw her off but she was relentless in keeping me pinned while she struggled for her practice stake. I didn't have time to escape before she found her grip and I felt the sharp point come down over my heart, signaling the end of our match.

I had given her everything I had, and she had won. Rose had beaten me at my best.

I couldn't be more proud of her. I could hear the cheers and clapping of everyone around us, but I was so completely enthralled by just how magnificent she was. My Roza. She was amazing. She was a fighter. And, dear God, she was beautiful.

This close, it was practically impossible not to notice every detail of her beauty. It was also difficult not to react to everything. Her body was still straddled on top of mine, and I could feel way her hand still gripped my chest, nails digging into my skin slightly. I could see the way her chest heaved, struggling to catch her breath after the intensity of our fight. Her skin glistened with fresh sweat, and I wanted to explore every inch of that skin.

Maybe it was animalistic of me, but the fact that she beat me was only fueling my desire more. I had always been competitive, but the fact that she had matched me was so satisfying. I tried not to think about that fact too much and it was actually fairly easy because there was something more pressing at the moment...

...besides that...

...the look in Rose's eyes said that she felt the same. She was thinking the exact same thing as me. She wanted me as much as I wanted her and both of us were fighting the fact that we couldn't simply rip one another's close off right this moment. I was somewhat bitterly thankful that this match had taken place in front of witnesses, because if it had happened during an early morning practice session, then I'm sure Rose and I would already be naked and halfway to our first orgasms by now.

Thankfully, before the heady spell of lust could override the common sense that even a public place could offer me, a hand reached down to help Rose off my prone body. Yuri helped me up a moment later.

"You okay?" he whispered lowly, loud enough for only my ears to hear.

"Yeah, just an intense match. I'll be fine." I turned away from him and the others under the guise of shaking out my limbs and brushing out my clothing, while I actually tried to breathe and adjust myself.

I could hear Yuri huff, obviously not convinced by my ruse at all, but considerate enough to take the focus off me for the time being.

"Well done!" he called over to Rose, "You took down all three of us. That was text book perfect."

It really was. I didn't see her fight with Jean and Yuri, but she must have taken them down quickly to match up with me as well. And Yuri was fairly skilled. I had practiced with him quite a few times in the gym and he wasn't easy to beat.

"I hope...I hope I didn't hurt any of you." Rose was still catching her breath, but her statement was uncharacteristically timid. I could tell she was still a bit flustered. So was I, honestly. I let out a sharp laugh while the others broke into hysterics.

"That's our job," Jean insisted with a kind smile she perfected at the Elementary Campus. "Don't worry about us. We're tough." The look she gave me held a bit of teasing however. "She got you pretty good with that elbow."

I rubbed at the spot where she got me again, just below my eye. Like I thought, Rose hadn't broken my nose, but there would probably be a good bruise. I could see the apology on her lips and smiled gently to reassure her. "The student surpasses the teacher...or stakes, rather."

From several feet away, I could hear Yuri's chastisement towards Dean, "Alcohol isn't allowed on campus."

"It's Sunday! We aren't supposed to be on duty."

"There are no rules in the real world. Consider this a pop quiz." Jean glanced at Rose again. "You passed it, Rose. Very nice job."

"Thanks." Rose was beaming, glowing in her self-esteem and hope. I knew how much it meant for her to prove herself, not only to me, but also to her other instructors, and her peers, and most importantly her herself as well. She had done all that and more. Our eyes met briefly and I could feel that fire build again in an instant, as if someone had struck a match inside of me. She must have felt that heat as well because she looked down, catching sight of her muddy shirt and pants. "Wish I could say the same for my clothes. I'm going to have to go change, Liss. I'll meet you for dinner."

Lissa bid her farewell, the enthusiasm and pride clear in her voice. Yuri was already prepping Dean for an official reprimand for drinking on campus, because day off or not, it was still against the rules of student conduct. I knew Jean would follow Yuri, probably filling out the initial reports. I had to fill out mine as well, but I was just as much of a mess as Rose was. We had both been rolling in the mud and dirt during the match and could use a good shower.

I couldn't help my sinful smile as Rose warily glanced my way over her shoulder. My thoughts were drifting into dangerous waters again, and the recent memory of her body pressed against mine wasn't helping things any. Already I could envision her under the spray of the shower, my hands washing away every drop of mud and sweat, kissing every ache and bruise, whispering soft words of praise as I gave her a reward deserving of all her hard work.

Alas, all I was able to offer her was a nod, a silent apology that I was not able to join her on her solitary walk to her dorm. The same one I'd be walking to my own apartment as soon as I could.

I barely got out of my shower, significantly cleaner, more relaxed, and less...tense than I had been since I had seen Rose last when my radio started chirping, signaling an emergency. It wasn't urgent enough to warrant all hands on deck alarm, but enough to make me stand at attention and listen to the broadcast that was going out and see if I could be of assistance.

"...stan Pond on the Northwest Boarder. Several Royal Moroi students involved in a physical altercation involving magic."

It was fairly far away, about as far from the main buildings as you could possibly situate yourself and that alone made it fairly obvious that whoever was involved had planned not to be caught in this little fight, but other than that, the details were vague.

Fighting among Royals was rare, but it did happen on occasion, and something like this had happened one year while I was in school back at St. Basil's during the Field Experience a few years before I had taken them. Some of the Moroi seniors had become a little jealous of all the attention the novices had been receiving over the weeks and started taking things into their own hands. Several had ended up with burns and severe bruising but mostly they had just walked away looking like idiots for their troubles.

I was already out the door and on my way when my phone rang next, Alberta's name lighting up the screen. There was little chance that it didn't have anything to do with the radio bulletin, but I couldn't imagine why Alberta would need me specifically if it was Moroi students causing issues. Lissa was hardly one to go looking for trouble.

I was wrong though. I didn't even get the chance to answer before Petrov was briefing me and telling me to get down there. I could hear her running to the scene herself.

"Belikov, I don't know what's going on, but Lissa is somehow caught in the middle. Rose took off a few minutes ago, shouting about something going on over near Dornstan Pond. The others are already half way there and you need to be here too." Alberta's voice paused and I could hear several other unknown voices coming over the phone.

"She's crazy, man."

"How did that bitch even know where to find us?"

"Geez, Ralph. What happened to your nose?" Alberta's voice sounded more exasperated than shocked as she apparently stumbled upon some of the students, and it was clear that at least a few of them were a little worse for wear. I had been hurrying before, but I quickened my pace even more, straining to hear what I could on the other side of the line.

Ralph's voice was muffled, not only by the distance from the phone, but also by what I could only assume was a bloody and quite possibly broken nose, "We were just...testing...some of Lissa's...skills. Yeah. Then Rose, she, like, she came out of nowhere and just, like...she just like, attacked me. She tackled me and punched me in the nose! I think she broke it!"

"Where is Rose now?"

"Back there, with Lissa and Jesse."

I was now running at a full sprint. While it was easy to tell that Ralph was lying about some things – namely that whatever they were doing with Lissa was not merely just "testing her skills" – I was fairly certain that he wasn't lying about Rose attacking him. I'm sure she had a very good reason to, or at least felt like she had a good reason to, but either way I needed to get there fast.

Most of the guardians on the scene were still trying to gather the students by the time I reached the group, and unfortunately Rose and Lissa weren't among them. Over the chaos my first reaction was to find Guardian Petrov.

"Where's Rose? Where's Lissa?"

"Still up ahead," she gestured towards the lakeside bank still hidden by overgrown brush. "We needed to make sure none of the Moroi here were injured first. Celeste ran ahead with some others. Eddie's with them."

Alberta knew me well enough to understand when I didn't wait for instruction before taking off towards the lake. My responsibility was towards Rose and Lissa, and they would always be my priority. Still, I didn't know what to expect.

Based on what little I had heard and seen from Ralph, I could have guessed that Rose was angry enough to attack Jesse. If he posed a threat to Lissa, then she would provide retribution. A broken nose, a split lip, this wasn't beyond her.

However, when Rose came into view, I didn't expect to see pure, unbridled rage. Jesse laid broken on the ground, Lissa already at his side and healing the worst of his injuries as Rose struggled against Eddie's desperate hold.

"No! You can't!" She screamed, practically spitting her words in anger at both Lissa and Eddie. "Let me go!"

Guardians started taking students away. Many were being led off for questioning, some for minor injury treatment, and others were being simply removed from the situation. What few guardians remained, watched and waited, poised and ready to spring into action at the first sign of distress.

As much as I wanted to go to Rose right in that instant, I knew I needed to check on Lissa first. She was my charge. It was my duty to make sure she was alright.

With one last look towards Eddie, purposely avoiding eye contact with Rose because it was almost terrifying to see the dark look in their depths, I confirmed his tentative, but still stable hold on her and rushed to Lissa's side.

"Princess, are you alright?"

"I'll be fine, Guardian Belikov." Her voice was shaky, and little more than a whisper, but still strong enough to tell me she was speaking the truth. "I'm a little beat up, but I'll be fine. I'm just tired now. Rose...something's wrong with Rose."

I gave her a questioning look, meeting the worried look in her eye when something sparked the furious fire in Rose's attempt to escape again.

"You can't let him go! You can't let him go!" Rose's fury was turned towards the medical team treating Jesse, as the prepared to take him towards the clinic.

"Rose, calm down." Alberta tried to calm her using the same tone a hostage negotiator would use. "It's over."

It was almost rabid the way Rose bore her teeth, eyeing Jesse like prey being carted away from her without her approval. "It is not over! Not until I get my hands around his throat and choke the life out of him!"

The chill that settled over all of us had nothing to do with the late winter breeze blowing through the Montana valley. Rose was murderous, and it was frankly terrifying to all of us, student, teacher, and seasoned guardian alike.

I thought I had seen every single side of Rose, but this...I had never seen this and I didn't know what to make of it. I don't think anyone else did either. I could hear the questions in the silence, but I didn't answer them.

Rose surged forward again, almost breaking from Eddie's grip and it seemed to be enough to shock us out of our stunned silence.

"Get her out of here," instructed Alberta, worry, confusion, and perhaps even pity, lacing her voice. "Get her cleaned up and calmed down."

While it wasn't an order specifically given to me, I knew it was my job to do. Even if it wasn't, I wouldn't have trusted anyone else to care for Rose at this moment. I needed her to know that no matter what, not even this (whatever this was) wasn't going to push me away.

Still, at this moment, I could see in her eyes that I was her enemy. She fought me as I took her from Eddie, relieving him from the difficult task of restraining his friend. I could tell that the mental energy of restraining her was more exhausting than the physical labor involved. Rose tried to make a break for it, slipping from our grasp and shooting me a venomous look as I pinned her arms behind her in a strong vice grip. The pure dark hate in her eyes, in her voice, in her countenance as a whole...it struck a fear in me that I didn't know existed and even more: it broke my heart.

This wasn't Rose. I was losing her. Maybe she was already gone.

Author's Note

I know many of you have been looking forward to this fight scene! I have been too! Granted...not as much as the NEXT chapter lol. I'll give you fair warning now, there might be a little delay because I'm not posting it until that chapter is 100% PERFECT. Romitri deserves that and so do you lovely readers. I promise I'll make wait worth it. Have I ever let you guys down before?

Otherwise, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the chapter. I hope there was enough sexual tension for you *wink* I've really been having fun building it up over the past few weeks. Oh it has been a real pleasure. Okay, I'm going to stop.

There has been an interesting debate that I kinda want to put to you readers. Writer/Reader ObjectiveHeartMuscle (who is an AMAZING author by the way, go read her work if you haven't already) and I were having a discussion about whether or not Dimitri ever well...took care of himself...before getting together with Rose. Now, we both pretty much agree that he all but admits to it during a flash back in Blood Promise (Chapter Five, roughly page 53 when they are having a little pillow talk) but I kinda want to know what YOU guys think. I've hinted about it here or there, but I haven't really been very graphic about the matter, at least not in this story.

However that isn't the Question of the Week, this is: Name a case in which hype ruined your reading experience.

For me, I'm not a huge Twilight fan. I also really haven't been able to get that into The Mortal Instruments. I feel like both have a HUGE following of people who love the series but...I'm just not that into them. I think part of it has to do with the fact that they were so over hyped to me that I just was left disappointed by the time I actually read them. Who knows? The books aren't that bad, honestly, just...not as good as I was almost expecting. Does that make any sense?

Thank you again for reading, reviewing, favoriting and following! You guys honestly amazing me week after week with how much love and support you show me and I am so grateful for everything. Please take a moment to say "hi" if you haven't already and I'll try to do my best to reply this week. I am still trying to catch up on some of the longer reviews from last week (you know who you are!) so please be patient with me. ALSO if you are a guest review, I do read and appreciate every review, but I am unable to reply if you leave your review anonymously. Thank you and I hope that you'll eventually create an account so we can get to know one another!

Until next week, all my dear friends! ~Andrea