Sorry it's taken so long to update! As ever I'm having internet issues but I also found out via the post that I've not longer got a job. Yes, my boss forgot to tell me I'm no longer employed. Anyway, before I rant... I'm working on getting my own book published on Amazon kindle so when that's all up and running I'll let you know so that you can check it out of you want.

Anyway, I got a review asking for a sparring scene with Janine. At first I read the review I imagined a hot tub and an awkward conversation, but that would be 'spa', not 'spar'. I'm not sure I like it, but I wanted to get something out. So, this chapter with sparring is for the reviewer. Unfortunately I can't find the email in my overflowing inbox, but yeah... Hope you like it!

Dimitri kicked me in the stomach so hard he winded me. I fell back on the sparring mat with a groan and figured out how to breathe. For a moment it felt like I was learning to breathe for the first time. I stayed down too long apparently because Dimitri appeared above me, hair falling from the tie and worried, concentrated eyes. I waved him off and sucked in a deep breath.

"Light sparring, Dimka? What happened to that?" I asked with a grimace.

"Sorry," he said.

"I thought you learned your lesson when you concussed me. I think I hate you."

"You don't have time to hate each other," Janine Hathaway said flatly from somewhere way above me.

I turned my head and saw her standing a little way off to the side with Art. They were both in gym clothes and holding water bottles. It worried me more than it probably should have. I sat up and didn't feel quite so small.

"That was a vicious kick you took there," Janine said.

"It only comes out when he gets carried away," I said. "I should be used to it by now."

"If it happens that often you should know how to defend against it," she said flatly and walked away.

Ouch.

Art chuckled, pulled me up and passed me his water bottle. I took a gulp of water and passed it back.

"Why don't you both go against Janine?" he asked with a crooked smile. "See what you're really made of."

Dimitri and I looked at one another and both shrugged. We walked over there and Janine gestured Dimitri into the circle. He glanced at me for a moment and then stepped in taking on a defensive stance. They circled each other for a while each sizing the other up. I knew what Dimitri was thinking – she'd have to get in close, he would have to bend a lot to get over (or maybe under) the height difference and she'd go for him then, she was probably more agile than him (somehow) and she was lighter on her toes and, most of all, do not under any circumstances underestimate her.

Then she struck out in a fast manoeuvre, fist first followed by a foot and then another fist. He dodged them all successfully, beautifully even and struck back seeing an opening I hadn't. She backed away but just as quickly was back on the offensive making Dimka defend for a few long moments. And whilst they were fighting I remembered how nice it was to simply watch Dimitri do what he did best. Even now up against a modern legend he was calm and composed, some moves well thought out, others instinctive. He was all about clean lines and elegant grace.

The height difference was staggering, at least a foot and a half, but even so he was struggling against her. It was amazing to see. Until now I'd been the only one to give him any real pause for thought in the sparring ring. I really wanted him to win and for a moment it looked like he was gaining ground on her, but then she took him down, slamming him harder to the floor with more force than was necessary and, with just as much force, she got him in the heart with a training stake.

Dimitri cried out in pain and I dashed over, kneeling by his side, pushing Janine away. He was coughing and spluttering and – someone was tearing my hair out?

I grabbed the hand squeezing down on the pressure point and twisting the hand away. At the same time I managed to get a leg up and trip her over it. Janine tried to pull me with her but I let go of her hand and backed off, almost standing on Dimitri who was still on the floor. Ok, now I was worried about him. But before I could turn Janine launched an impressive, almost overwhelming offensive which I only just about managed to defend against without giving ground.

It was knackering. Before I knew it I didn't have much breath left to spare but I'd be damned if I let her win after she hurt Dimka. There was just no way. I was too mad to let that happen. And then I saw it, the opening I needed to slam her down on the floor, face first, hip second and it was going to hurt. For some reason I wasn't understanding all to clearly I softened it for her. As soon as the was on the floor I let go of her and went back over to Dimitri surprised at how far we'd moved away from him.

He was sat up now, but was obviously in a lot of pain. I was about to help him up and take him to see the on side doctor that I felt the cool, hard edge of a real stake being pressed to my back in the perfect position to slide up between my ribs and through my heart.

"Dead," Janine said and then let me go.

Ok, that was so it. I stood up faster than I could blink and grabbed her shoulder. "Would you care to tell me what that was all about?"

She looked up at me completely unfazed for a moment and then calmly said, "Not everyone in infallible."

"Well, duh! But there was no need to hurt Dimitri to prove that point!" I snapped, livid, absolutely livid. "And not only do you not stop there you cheat when you knew he was hurt so that you could prove some point to me but in doing that I nearly stood on him, and you think that's ok?!"

She looked behind me and quirked an eyebrow. "Another lesson learned."

I didn't have to turn my head to see that Art was standing over Dimitri with a stake in his hand.

I growled. "I don't need to learn these lessons. And I already know Dimitri isn't indestructible."

"He got the second highest score ever," she counted oh so calmly.

"Scores don't mean much when you're faced with Strigoi," I oh so calmly said right back.

"What would you know about Strigoi?" Indignation coloured her voice.

I laughed mirthlessly. "A bunch of them attacked my dad and left him with PTSD which he's only just recovered from meaning I didn't meet him until last summer, I distracted a couple that were trying to kill my mum and they nearly killed me in the process, Dimka and I were up against one at school and it could have killed both of us even though he'd been Moroi because they're just that fast and just that strong. We didn't need these lessons. I learned them when I was fourteen, Dimitri learned them a year ago and death is not a lesson you forget."

I turned away from her, shaking and mad as hell, and got Dimitri over to see the doctor. It was a cool, clinical space the same way that all placed doctors worked in were, but there were touches of the hotel's luxury too – a large TV, a bowl of sweets, a food menu, a piano in the waiting room which was decked out in comfortable chairs as well as a few plastic ones for if you were bleeding all over the place and a feeder room.

Where the beds were (like they imagined a spat of ski accidents, or people cutting each other up and open on the rink) everything was white apart from the dividing curtains which were light blue. Dimitri lay down on a bed looking up at the ceiling.

"You probably shouldn't have argued with Janine again. I thought she was going to, how do you say it, knock your living daylights lights out," Dimitri said.

"Near enough. Either 'knock your lights out' or 'knock the living daylights out of you'. I we edging for 'living daylights'," I said perhaps talking slowly so that I could forestall the inevitable conversation.

But even back then Dimitri Belikov knew how to keep you on track, especially if you didn't want to talk about it. "It's not a good idea to keep fighting with her."

I rolled my eyes. "We're both more professional than that," I admitted knowing where he was going with this. If something happened and Janine and I needed to work together I had no doubt we'd be able to do so, mutual animosity aside. "And don't you tell me she was right 'teaching those lessons'," I made air quotes around the words. "And she most definitely did not have any business injuring you for the greater good or whatever she wants to call it." I was nearly shouting and my breath came heavy and fast to match my shaking fists which I'd bunched up in the quilt Dimitri was lying on top of.

He moved a hand to cover both of mine. "I'll be –"

"Off work for two weeks!"

"I'll be fine," he said trying to soothe me. If anything it made me feel worse.

"You're just… Whatever," I said and stood up abruptly. "I'm going home. Will you be alright?"

He just closed his eyes and waved me away.

He text me later:

1 cracked rib. 2 weeks off.

Janine stopped by to apologise.

Stop by for dinner as often as you want.

This is still not OK.

Would you have left me if we were somewhere else?

I don't know.

Like I said I'm not sure I like this chapter, but I hope you thought it was ok. Back to normal uploads of every/every other day depending on if the computer wants to connect to the internet. Please leave a review!

VA belongs to Richelle Mead