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A/n: Hi all! Sorry it's taken so long to post the next chapter, but it's an important one for so many reasons and I wanted to make sure that I captured it all; not just for accuracy, but for the continuation of future events for my own storyline.
Fair warning, its long.
By the Baring of my Soul
~ Chapter Twenty-Five ~
"I need to ask you a question, Dimitri, and I want you to answer it honestly…is something going on between you and Rose Hathaway?"
Stoney silence filled the space that followed as the questioner sitting across from me grinned broadly whilst I watched him dispassionately and said nothing in return. Realising eventually that I was neither in the mood for his humour or going to answer his question, Konrad sighed and sank back into the plush armchair.
"Hey, you owe me, Belikov. The least you could do is humour me by answering my questions."
"When I find the amusement in them, maybe I will."
Shaking his head in disgust at my lack of cooperation and flat tone, Konrad took a large bite out of his muffin; chewing thoughtfully as he watched me whilst others milled around us in the lounge. Our party was due to leave in a little over an hour but none of us were keen to leave the warmth of guest housing as the weather since the end of the trial had steadily worsened.
"Don't worry about it, Dimitri," Konrad mumbled around a mouthful of chocolate chip, still determined to provoke me. "Nobody here would think any less of you if there was something going on; Hathaway's hot."
"Enough, Konrad." I warned, raising an eyebrow as he grinned and took another bite.
"What?" He swallowed. "She is. I mean, yes, she's only seventeen," he continued on regardless; reckless mirth filled the green depths of his eyes as he sat forward. "But that's so close to eighteen. I'm sure they'll be lenient with you. They probably won't even throw you out."
"And you would be the expert on that, wouldn't you?" I reminded him softly.
Amusement fading slightly at the taunting reminder, Konrad sighed and gave up. "You never were any fun to bait, you know that?"
"That didn't stop you from trying though, did it?"
"Well, you can't say that I'm not persistent."
"Or delusional."
Wadding up the crumb-lined wrapper, Kon grinned broadly as he tossed it into the bin between us and dusted off his hands. "Delusional or not, I wouldn't let what Dashkov said get to you. It was a desperate attempt from a desperate man. Everyone I've spoken to agrees; none of them think you're capable of anything underhanded…you're too boring."
If you only knew, Konrad, I thought as I took a sip of cooling coffee, hiding my unease at the situation I now found myself in as he reached for another muffin.
The trial was over. Victor would be locked away in Tarasov for what remained of his life, and despite his attempts to circumvent that fate by exposing the lie that Rose and I had hidden for so long, we had somehow managed to escape unscathed.
Not a single soul in that Courtroom had believed him, and for that, I should have been grateful. I should have been relieved beyond words that Rose was safe and that neither of us would have our careers affected by his accusations, and I was, but the relief was overshadowed by something far stronger.
Guilt.
Lying under oath to protect not only Rose, but myself had been one thing, but by accepting the praise, trust and belief of others after the fact made me feel as though I was still living a lie…I felt as though I was still betraying the trust of them because I couldn't tell them that I didn't deserve it.
And what was worse, was now knowing with absolute certainty, that Alberta knew the truth.
Whilst none of the others might have suspected that Victor's claims were a last gasp attempt to discredit our testimonies, the look that Alberta had given me only hours ago when leaving the Court couldn't have meant anything else.
What I didn't know about that look was if it came with a different noose to the one that Victor had created for us…one that was far more dangerous, because we wouldn't be able to wriggle out of it this time.
There had been no direct confrontation from her – and I had expected there to be – but that didn't mean that Alberta wasn't biding her time; waiting for what she thought would be the right moment to approach me about it. If she did…if she asked me directly, I wouldn't lie to her. I admired her too much to treat her with anything other than the respect she deserved, but that didn't mean that I wouldn't still try and shield Rose in whatever way that I could.
If that meant taking action against me, then I wouldn't fight it or whatever else followed.
"That's what we told him earlier. Well, not the boring part, but the rest." Dustin grinned, pulling me away from my grim inner musings as he perched on the armrest of my chair and clapped me lightly on the shoulder. "But I know that he wasn't really listening because I can see that it's still worrying him."
"Of course it is," Alan chipped in with raised brows. Sitting across from us, he was drank from yet another cup of coffee. "Hell, Dustin, it would do the same to you. Being accused of something that outrageous isn't something you can just forget."
And forget was exactly what I wanted to do, but the conversation that Konrad had started and I wanted to end wasn't about to go away. I had already accepted that it would be talked about for weeks to come, and unfortunately – or maybe fortunately in my case – Alberta wasn't here to interrupt this version of it.
"Guardian Belikov?"
Turning to my right to face the concierge whose approach had been all but silent, the immaculately dressed Moroi smiled down at me almost apologetically for interrupting, but I couldn't say that I didn't return the sentiment.
"I apologize for the interruption, but guardian Petrov has just called down to the front desk. She asked that you see her in her room as soon as possible; it's 12b, on the second landing to the right of the main stairway." Turning with a polite smile and a nod, he walked away.
"What's that all about?"
Draining the last of my coffee, I stood and flicked out the folds of the duster around me and turned towards Konrad to answer him. "I don't know. Maybe some last minute arrangements that she wants me to take care of before we leave." I hedged; beginning to feel the unease I was expecting, but had hoped would come after we had returned to Montana.
Rising with me, Konrad checked his watch before picking up his coat. We had said our goodbye's earlier, but somehow he had managed to swop another of his shifts with whatever poor guardian he had sweet-talked in order to hound me over the trial and was due back on duty in ten minutes.
"Dimitri."
"Konrad."
Shaking hands, he grinned devilishly. "I'll be sending you my laundry. Remember to separate the white and colours, and don't shrink my unmentionables. They're tight enough already." Shaking my head in amused exasperation as Dustin and Alan laughed uproariously; I couldn't stop the answering grin as I turned on my heel and walked out of the lounge with the sound of their laughter following me.
Climbing the stairs swiftly and following the directions I had been given, I crossed the landing towards Alberta's room and knocked briskly with a calm, controlled motion of my fist…the action that belied what I felt inside as whatever amusement I might have felt in the lounge vanished with every step I took.
Opening a few seconds later, Alberta was on the phone. Gesturing for me to come in, she turned and walked back in the room on socked feet whilst she continued with her conversation…"Yes, I agree, Hans. It was an unfortunate set of events, one that none of us could have predicted. Hopefully the trial and Victor Dashkov's punishment will be warning enough for anyone thinking they could try the same thing…hmmm, that's true…yes, Dimitri Belikov and Rosemarie Hathaway."
Frowning as I realised that the conversation wasn't just about me, but Rose as well, I closed the door quietly and walked into the room; sidestepping Alberta's luggage as the grip of panic began to invade my muscles.
The person on the other end of the line was Hans Croft, head of the Guardian Council and a man who could single-handedly decide the fate of a guardian. I had no idea what the conversation was about, but considering that our names had been mentioned could either be very good…or very, very bad.
Breathing deeply and reminding myself that I had already made the decision that I would deal with whatever came next, I continued to listen…"I know she's young and has a reputation for being impetuous and somewhat rebellious, Hans, but I feel she would still be the best choice. I've known her since early childhood and her loyalty to Princess Vasilisa is unquestionable."
Swinging around to face me, Alberta's brow cocked as she listened to the reply…"Despite that, you can't ignore the advantages that the bond brings. I know she hasn't proven herself in the field experience yet, but for goodness sake, she kept herself, a fellow dhampir and two Moroi alive and killed both of her captors in the process. You can't overlook that."
Running her fingers through her short, messy hair, Alberta shook her head in exasperation. Obviously whatever point she was making wasn't getting through to Hans.
Feeling slightly intrusive for listening in, but unable to find it in myself to leave, I walked over to the window. Watching as the wind whipped and howled through the grounds, the rain had at least stopped, but it was it seemed to get colder by the minute.
…"Yes, she's young, but Belikov's experience will balance out her inexperience…She'll learn on the job when they're paired together just like the rest of us did…hmmm, I hear you….Yes, that is my professional recommendation….Of course, the decision is yours and the council's, but I think it would be foolish to ignore what's in front of you. Belikov and Hathaway make the perfect pair to be assigned to the Princess after graduation."
Feeling a twist in my stomach at her words, my panic began to slowly fade as the crush of disappointment replaced it. I had known this would happen, or at least, I had suspected it would and had thought that I was prepared for it, but actually hearing it confirmed out loud made me realise that I wasn't anywhere near ready for it.
By assigning Rose to Lissa, it would mean that she would be far guard to my near during the times that Lissa would need both of us. We would be on duty together; mere feet away from each other, but never able to anything other than protect Lissa.
When not on guard together, one of us would always be away from the other as more than just swinging shifts kept us apart…duty, sacrifice, loyalty, honour. They all conspired against us and were too powerful to fight all together.
Turning to face Alberta again, I rested against the wall beside the window and tried to reason with myself that this was for the best, that it was what Rose would want, but I couldn't. Sinking my hands into the duster's pockets to wait for her, the conflict raged within as to whether or not I should make the most of what little time I had left with Rose or start the isolation early.
"I understand your misgivings, Hans," Alberta continued on, oblivious to my inner turmoil. "Once the field experience has been completed, I will send you my detailed assessment…sure, that's sounds reasonable...You can't ignore the pedigree or the history either – Janine's track record started out a little uncertainly as well, and look at her…All right, I'll keep you informed. Thank you."
Ending the call, Alberta glared briefly at her phone before slipping into her back pocket and muttering to herself before glancing up at me.
"You know who I was talking to?"
"Hans Croft."
"Yes. He and the Council will meet early next month to start discussing the assignment of the novices after graduation."
"So early?"
"Hmmm…they still seem a little jumpy after that happened last year. I think they want things finalized as early as possible."
"You've recommended that Rose be assigned to Lissa after graduation."
"I have."
"Even though she hasn't proven herself yet in the field experience?" I pushed, wanting to hear that her faith in Rose wasn't just because of the bond. Alberta's seal of approval would be an important swing in Rose's favour with the council, but she was also putting herself at risk by recommending someone who had done nothing but stumble so far.
"You don't think she's proven herself already?" Alberta countered, watching me from eyes that were narrowed slightly and still closely guarded.
"I do; she proved that in Spokane, but it's your opinion that the council will want to hear."
"Yours will matter as much as my own. Obviously they won't make any firm decisions until after they've assessed the novices at trials, but you'll be called in to give your assessment of her before that."
"That's standard procedure?" I asked, having never trained another.
"For the most part, yes. Galina was called in to give her thoughts on you before you were assigned to Ivan Zeklos."
"Galina was a more experienced guardian that I am, Alberta." I pointed out, a little surprised that they would take my input so seriously. I had never felt as thought I had any influence, but that obviously wasn't the case. Maybe Rose had been right – if I had spoken up about them being allowed to the trial, would they actually have listened?
"True, but they're not a panel of idiots." Sitting on the bed, Alberta began to pull on her boots; zipping up over the socks as she kept her head lowered. "The council like you, Dimitri. They consider you a model example of everything a guardian should be."
"I'm only doing my job, Alberta." I answered modestly, beginning to feel as though I had been over-anxious to see her.
"Exactly. You understand what that job entails perfectly and you also understand that it means sacrifice and that's not something that everyone is able to do. Especially if there is a conflict of loyalties that clouds that focus."
Suddenly attuned to the very subtle change in the conversation, I said nothing in response; waiting for what came next as my relaxed posture stiffened and the invisible rope slipped silently over my head and tightened around my throat.
Checking the fit of the boot, Alberta stood and adjusted the fold of the sock; continuing as I remained silent.
"But I know that that isn't something that I have to worry about with you. You're a very driven, dedicated guardian, Dimitri. You've always been able to stay focused on what needs to be done and I'm sure that you'll be able to keep Rose focused too on what really matters…protecting the last of the Dragomir's."
Straightening, Alberta briefly smiled at me before reaching for her jacket. Not waiting for my response; which was a good thing, because I didn't know if I could have answered her if I wanted to, she slung it over her shoulders and checked her watch, frowning enough to tighten the tanned skin across her brow.
"We're cutting it very close."
"Cutting what close?" I asked quietly, having to swallow repetitively against a dry, tight throat before I could speak.
"The reason I asked you up here in the first place. The Princess and Rose decided to use their extra time here to visit the spa." Shaking her head, Alberta smiled almost fondly through the visible exasperation she felt towards pointless pampering – especially for a novice.
"They were supposed to be back here twenty minutes ago, but have probably lost track of time. Could you go and fetch them, please? I've already phoned ahead, so they should be expecting you. I'll make sure your luggage, as well as their own, has been loaded and will send a car to fetch you in…twenty minutes or so? That should give you enough time to find them."
"Of course."
"Thank you, Dimitri. I know that I can always count on you. See you on the tarmac."
Turning away from me before I could flinch at the reminder, Alberta went about the last of her packing. Leaving as distractedly as I had arrived, I closed the door quietly behind me and started my way back down the stairs whilst I tried to sort through the chaos in my mind.
Alberta's warning – and it couldn't be misunderstood as anything else – wasn't something that I could ignore as I felt the noose begin to loosen, but remain around my neck. I would be a fool not to listen to her, not only because I knew she was right; Rose and I needed to focus only on Lissa if we were paired after graduation, but also because it was so apparent to her, how long would it take to become apparent to others…others, who wouldn't be as merciful?
The fear of discovery should have made my decision easy: start the isolation now, begin to distance myself from Rose so that when, and if, it became necessary, I could fool myself into thinking that it wouldn't hurt as much, but I had tried that before and it hadn't worked.
What reason did I have to think that it would this time?
Reaching the lobby, I bypassed the others, the waiting pile of luggage and the questions that I didn't want to answer, pushing through the door and into the cold. Shivering against the heavy buffet of the wind, my fingers dug deeper into the pockets of the duster as the iciness of indecision settled heavily into my chest.
Crossing the wide expanse of deadened grass and shrubbery lit brightly by the massive floodlights dotted around the grounds, the buildings looming were roughhewn with old sand and flag stone brought in from Eastern Europe when the facility was built.
Outwardly antiquated, I knew from Konrad that the townhouses, Royal housing and spa facility were internally ultra-modern and were a perfect balance of tradition and transformation that matched every building on the property.
Tucking my hair behind my ear, the wind whipped it about my face irritatingly. Reaching to the back pocket of my jeans, I found the woollen cap I had folded into it before leaving the lobby. Tucking the strands once more, I pulled on the cap.
Passing by younger shift guardians on my way into the spa, we exchanged nods of acknowledgement before they moved on, but not before I saw from the corner of my eye that they had turned to look back at me. They were at least respectful enough to wait until I was out of earshot to talk behind my back, but I had already accepted that I would be a topic of conversation for longer than I would want.
Turning the ornately fashioned handle, the heady combination of steam, acetone and shampoo was sucked out towards me and into the cold through the door as I opened it. Moroi – both guests and residences – didn't spare me a glance as they continued on with their treatments, but the receptionist seated behind a wide marble desk smiled politely at my entrance before standing.
"Hello, Guardian Belikov. Guardian Petrov told us to expect you."
Nodding, I looked around the room for Rose and Lissa, but they were nowhere to be found. Focusing again on the receptionist, she kept the same smile of friendly efficiency on her pale face as she answered my unspoken question.
"The Princess and her friend have already finished with their spa package. They were taken to see Rhonda."
"Rhonda?"
"Yes, she's our resident…fortune-teller."
Shelving for a moment the decision I knew I had to make – no matter how long I argued with myself over it for – I masked my surprise at the answer. Call them what you will; psychics, gypsies, clairvoyants, mediums, there had to be a certain level of belief or faith to what they offered in their predictions to ever truly work – and Rose Hathaway wasn't a believer.
"Was a visit to Rhonda part of the package the Princess booked?"
"No. It was suggested by one of the masseuses, Ambrose; Rhonda is his aunt. Princess Vasilisa's friend seemed sceptical and not interested in going, but the she was talked into it."
By Lissa, no doubt, I thought as it now made more sense. Asking for directions, I was pointed towards a narrow passage on the right. Thanking the receptionist, who said she would phone ahead and warn Suzanne that I was on my way, my footsteps echoed across the polished marble floors as I weaved my way through a maze of halls.
Reaching an unmarked door at the end of the third corridor, I knocked twice before entering. Finding a smaller room that resembled a waiting room with a few chairs placed neatly against the wall to my left. Another receptionist sat at a small desk to the side of a closed door.
"Are you Guardian Belikov?" The woman asked, running over me from head to toe with eyes that said she was interested in more than just knowing my name.
"I am," my brusque answer sounded in the small room. "I'm here for Princess Vasilisa and Rose Hathaway. They have flight to catch."
"Of course; Eleanor phoned ahead. They're both in with Rhonda now for their readings, but you're more than welcome to go in. They shouldn't be much longer."
Thanking her, I walked to the door and knocked politely. Opening it, the difference between the almost sterile settings of the waiting room and the interior of Rhonda's crimson chamber was jarring and a little disorientating. Draped from ceiling to floor in blood red furnishings, the influence of the Mediterranean Roma was very noticeable.
Finding Rose and Lissa sitting closest to the door on cushions placed precisely on a richly woven carpet of scarlet and gold, a young, shirtless dhampir man, presumably the nephew, Ambrose, sat on a matching sofa to their right. All of them turned to look at the intrusion with a range of emotions reflected on their faces in the dimmer glow of the room.
Lissa looked captivated by whatever her reading had predicted; Ambrose looked amused by whatever had been said as his gaze oscillated around the room and Rose…Rose looked completely and thoroughly disgusted.
The very epitome of a sceptic, Rose wasn't even able to disguise that for the sake of sitting through this for Lissa. Frowning at me now, she looked back down at the cards facing up and scowled deeply at them, as if she was offended by just looking at them.
"Ah, they said you were in here." I voiced softly, announcing my presence as I stepped into the room and quietly closed the door behind me. Lissa smiled gently in greeting before looking down at the same cards Rose was still glaring at and Ambrose stretched his bare arms over the back of the sofa; smiling broadly and perfectly at ease.
Having heard enough about him and his…popularity from Konrad, I could understand his carefree attitude, though it wasn't him that captured my attention.
Sitting across from Rose and Lissa was a woman far younger than I had expected. Traditionally practicing diviners were older, but Rhonda looked to be in her forties. Dressed conservatively in black, there were no jangling earrings, rattling bracelets or burning sticks of incense to be found anywhere…how disappointing it must have been to Rose to find that she fit none of the stereotypes.
Viewing me as intensely as I was her, the dark eyes seemed to pierce me as easily as Alberta's usually did when she knew more than I was saying – they both shared the ability to see what was in front of them and look far deeper.
It was a gift they had in common with my grandmother.
Lowering my head in a gesture of respect at her abilities; abilities that others might scoff at, but ones that I had been taught to take seriously and appreciate, I felt a moment of unease as Rhonda continued to watch me with unblinking eyes.
"I'm sorry to interrupt," I interrupted anyway, fighting against a sudden urge to look away. "But I need to bring these two to their flight."
Reaching forward, Rhonda gathered Rose's discarded cards from the carpet and began to expertly reshuffle them; her soul-seeking eyes never waiver from my face. "There's nothing to apologize for. But maybe you've got time for a reading of your own?"
Normally it wouldn't have been an issue; I was familiar with the patterning of the tarot cards as well as their meanings, but for some reason, her giving me a reading felt too personal…too intrusive. Aware that I had four sets of very curious eyes on me, I relented after a few seconds and nodded politely in acceptance.
Folding my legs beneath me, I sat beside Rose as Rhonda finished shuffling. Closing her eyes briefly, she drew three from the pack and dealt them; turning them face-side up in front of me with slow, careful precision as I felt a twist of recognition in the pit of my stomach and the answering chill that slide down my spine.
Firstly, The Knight of Rods – a card that signified a man of honourably intentions; strongly driven and determined to succeed. Secondly, The Wheel of Fortune – a card that carried two meanings determined by the position of their markings and meant a turning point; that could either be very good, or very bad as the Wheel continued to spin. And last, the Five of Cups – a card that meant loss and the difficulties of dealing with that loss.
All three of them were eerily accurate.
That the Knight was me was clear. My determination to honour my duty was a strongly driving force. The Wheel and it's ever spinning Fortunes signified the crossroads of my life as I tried to decide on how I would act, but it was the last card that was the most telling.
The Five of Cups and the loss that it represented to me was obviously Rose.
I wouldn't lose her physically, but I would lose her to duty…and to Lissa. It was only more proof of what Alberta had said before, and should have finally decided for me, by fate wasn't simply determined by cards, and neither would my decision be.
Rhonda glanced up at me briefly before returning to study the cards again from narrowed eyed. Her reading was brief, but it only confirmed what I already knew. "You will lose what you value most, so treasure it while you can." Tracing a polished nail in ruby read around wheel, she looked up at me again, only this time her eyes were strangely shuttered. "The wheel is turning, always turning."
Aware of what she was saying; that everything was changeable, and that it was in my own hands to shape the path of my destiny, I inclined my head once again in respect of a trade that was a dying art form and thanked her.
Nodding in response, Rhonda said no more as she turned the cards upside down and shuffled them into the pack again, frowning at them as we rose and looked down at her. Taking a step back, my hands found their way into the pockets of the duster again as Ambrose joined us. Standing close to Rose, a little too close for my liking, his lips stretched into that same broad grin.
"Don't worry about the fees for Rhonda, Rose; I'll sort it out with Suzanne later."
"No," Lissa protested, looking down at Rhonda, who still had the same troubled expression. "We can't do that. Please, let me pay."
"Honestly, this one is one me, Your Highness. It was worth it." Winking down at Rose, I watched her reaction closely, but she only cocked a brow when he teased her. "Worth it to see you think twice about your fate."
Opening the door, I ushered Lissa out into the waiting room as Rose snorted at Ambrose. "No offense, but those cards didn't make me think much about anything." Listening to him laugh at her answer, I had to wonder at what conversation had started this off. Nodding to the receptionist, we were about to reach the outer door when Lissa suddenly stopped and walked briskly back toward Rhonda. Rose followed after as I listened from the door and Ambrose leant over the receptionist desk.
Hearing her ask about what element Rhonda specialised in, I suddenly realised why Lissa had been so determined to see her. It had nothing to do with a reading, and everything to do with the hopes of finding other Spirit users. Hearing that it was Air, I could almost feel her disappointment from where I stood. Closing the door behind her, she sighed and shrugged as Rose rubbed between her shoulders consolingly.
Checking the time, I opened the outer door, eager to leave. "We need to hurry; the car should already be waiting."
"What about our luggage, Dimitri?" Rose asked, looping her arm through Lissa's as we left the waiting room and walked quickly through the warren of corridors and out into the main reception area. This time those milling around did take notice, but it was Lissa they stared at. Noticing the attention, Rose tightened her arm and moved protectively closer to her.
"Guardian Petrov has already arranged for your bags to be collected." Opening the door for them, I saw over my shoulder that the SUV was waiting. "They'll be in the car." Escorting them out, both of them shivered violently against the cold brace of the wind. Pulling away as soon as the door was closed, we were on the tarmac within minutes.
"Oh, there's Christian." Lissa announced happily, looking out the dark tint of the window as the car stopped a little away from the plane. Grabbing her bag from the empty seat beside me, she was out the SUV before Rose and I could move.
Shaking her head, Rose reached for her own bag, but I was faster; slinging hers and mine together over my shoulder. Opening the door, I stood on the tarmac and waited for her as she eyed me strangely. Handing over her bag, we walked together toward the plane and the rest of our party in silence; Alberta stood with her back towards us, and was on her phone.
"Are you still thinking about what Rhonda said? That woman's a total scam."
"Why do you say that?" I asked, disguising my chuckle of amusement at her words with the clearing of my throat.
It was strange having someone who knew me so well…someone that I had known for so little a time, yet could understand what exactly what I said – and what I didn't say. She could see that I was lost in thought and that it was Rhonda's prediction that had caused my preoccupation, but she could never truly know why.
"Because she didn't tell us anything!" Rose complained with loud disgruntlement. "You should have heard my future. It was, like, one sentence stating the obvious. Lissa had a better fortune, but it wasn't really anything that profound. Rhonda said she'd be a great leader. I mean, seriously, how hard is that to figure out?"
"Would you be a believer if she'd given you a more interesting reading?"
"Maybe if it was good." Rose replied and this time I couldn't hide the laughter. Smiling up at me, the generous curve of her mouth straightened a little. "But you're taking it seriously. Why? You really believe in that kind of stuff?"
Shivering a little against the cold draught sweeping beneath the cap, I pulled it lower down before answering her. "Its not so much that I believe…or that I don't believe. I just respect people like her. They have access to knowledge that other people don't."
Growing up in a household that not only encouraged, but embraced the unique gift of foresight, I was more open-minded than most. Not exactly superstitious, I had to concede that there were something's that were unexplainable in this life…something's that defied logic or understanding.
"She not a spirit user, though, so I'm not really sure where she's getting this knowledge. I still think she's a con artist."
"She's a vrajitoare, actually.
Tucking a strand of lose hair behind her ear, Rose threw me a confused look. "A…a what? Is that Russian?"
"Romanian. It means…well, there's no real translation. 'Witch' is close, but that's not right. Their idea of a witch isn't the same as an American's. My grandmother was like Rhonda. That is, she practiced in the same kind of arts. Personality-wise, they're very different."
"Your grandmother was a…v-whatever?" Rose waved almost dismissively at the word, watching me with wide eyes.
"It's called something else in Russian, but yes, same meaning. She used to read cards and give advice too. It was how she made her living."
Looking more sceptical by the moment, I half expected Rose to say something, but she seemed to bite her tongue. "Was she right? In her predictions?"
"Sometimes." I admitted, my eyes following the movements beyond us over Rose's head as my ears picked up the complaints. Adrian was grumbling about not being allowed to board; Alberta frowned at him and seemed to take more effort than normal to control herself. Walking away from him, she approached the co-pilot checking the landing gear. She didn't spare a glance in our direction.
Glancing down at Rose again, she still watched me as carefully, but with a dubious look on her face that I recognized all too well. "Don't look at me like that."
"Like what?" she queried innocently.
"You've got this look on your face that says you think I'm delusional, but you're too nice to say anything."
"Delusional kind of harsh," she grinned. "I'm just surprised, that's all. I never expected you to buy into this stuff."
"Well, I grew up with it, so it doesn't seem that strange to me. And like I said, I'm not sure I buy into it 100 percent."
"I never thought of you as having a grandmother either. I mean, obviously, you'd have to. But still…it's jut weird to think about growing up with one. Was it weird having a witch grandma? Scary? Was she always, like, threatening to cast spells if you were bad?"
Shaking my head as a grin crept across the cold muscles of my face, I looked down at Rose with more of the indulgence that seemed to apply to her. "Most of the time she just threatened to send me to my room."
Frowning, Rose cocked a brow. "That doesn't sound so scary to me."
"That's because you haven't met her." And probably never would, I thought with more than just a touch of regret.
"Is she still alive?"
"Yeah. It'll take more than old age to kill her off. She's tough. She was actually a guardian for a while."
"Really? So she gave it up to become a – uh, to stay with her kids?" Rose corrected quickly, having recovered from her surprise and jumping, as usual, to the wrong conclusion about the roles that dhampirs played outside of guarding.
"She has very strong ideas about family," I explained. "Ideas that probably sound kind of sexist to you. She believes al dhampirs should train and put in time as guardians, but that the woman should eventually return home to raise their children together."
"But not the men?"
Grinning wryly, I shook my head. "No. She thinks men still need to stay out there and kill Strigoi."
"Wow," Rose admitted. "You were the one who had to go. The women in your family kicked you out."
Noticing over her shoulder that the cabin crew had appeared at the top of the stairs and were about to let us board, I glanced down at her again and laughed more at the expression on her face than that actual question.
"Hardly. My mother would take me back in a second if I wanted to come home." Hiding the melancholy of homesickness I felt when talking about Siberia, Rose seemed to notice it anyway as her expression softened, but her attention shifted as Alberta called for us to board.
Following after Rose, Adrian had already seated himself and was complaining loudly that we should have taken off already by. Smirking up at Rose as she passed, she arched a disparaging brow before moving further down the aisle and to the left but he wasn't about to be ignored as he swivelled in his seat to watch her; drinking deeply from a clear liquid that reeked of expensive Vodka.
"Come on," he called loudly, having already started drinking elsewhere it sounded like as his words began to slur. "Let's get going. I need enough time to drink before we land or else my hangover isn't going to form…at this rate, it'll avoid me altogether."
"Oh, yeah?" Rose retorted dryly, crossing her legs and fidgeting with her dark leggings. "Maybe your hangover has met you before."
Heading towards the same seat I had taken on the flight in, Alberta was the last to board as she sat across the aisle from me and didn't see the small smile playing around the corners of my mouth at Rose's pithy comment. Shrugging out of the duster, I folded it over the headrest and pulled off the cap before running my fingers through the strands and tucking them and settling back into the seat.
Buckling up as the sign glowed brightly to life; I could see Adrian grin widely at Rose from the corner of my eye as Christian snickered quietly from behind us; more than willing to challenge her remark.
"Yeah, they probably do know me really well. The real question is…how well would you like to know me?
"Not nearly as well as you would want."
"You sure?"
"Positive."
"I thought you were the wild and uncontrollable dhampir of St Vlad's…why not be a little reckless now and try a little Adrian?"
Arching a brow dryly, Rose smiled sweetly before leaning towards Adrian. "Because it's always drunk and would probably poison me."
Draining the last of his drink, Adrian winked at her. "You know what they say…you'll never know until you try."
"For the record, I've also never tried drinking sewage and yet I already know that I don't want to…same thing applies to you."
"Rose," Alberta called warningly over her shoulder without turning as the chuckles from behind us grew louder. Rolling her eyes, Rose settled back and glared briefly at Adrian before turning to talk to Lissa at her right.
"Is it safe enough to fly in this weather?" I heard Lissa ask with quiet uncertainty in her voice as the plan was buffeted around by the heaving wind.
"I wouldn't worry about it too much," I answered her softly; twisting in my seat to face her. "The pilots are experienced enough to know when it's safe or not and by the time we land, the ground-staff would have prepared safely for our arrival. We'll be out of the weather soon, Princess."
"You're Siberian; Belikov…shouldn't this weather make you feel at home?"
Thick with scorn, Adrian's drunken drawl scraped roughly over my nerves as I briefly caught his eye. "I mean, there must be something else to the Godforsaken place besides the weather. My Uncle loved it there, used to go all the time when I was a kid."
Knowing that I shouldn't engage, especially when he was in this kind of mood, I found myself wanting to defend my homeland, but I didn't have the chance to as Lissa, seeing that Rose was about to rant, changed the subject.
Talking about her visit to the Queen and her offer to send her to Lehigh after graduation, it wasn't surprising information. Lehigh was closely monitored by the Moroi, with a number of them actually attending. It was a small campus to control and would have less security concerns, but as Lissa continued to talk, I could hear the disappointment that she might not be able to attend a bigger campus.
She wanted the freedom, but she also knew that it would be a nightmare from a security standpoint. That was where Rose would step in. I couldn't follow Lissa around into classes the way I could here without raising suspicions from the human students, but Rose could.
That was why it was so important that she got through the field experience and trial at the end of the year without any further incident.
Five minutes later our take off was smooth, despite the deteriorating weather and the turbulence we experienced. Listening to the mechanical groan of the landing gear being raised, it was interrupted by a low groan of pain from behind me.
Recognizing the sound, my head swivelled around as Alberta's did the same; both of us watching Rose as she grimaced in her seat and pressed the palms of her hands over her forward. "Son of a bitch," she gritted out from between clenched teeth.
"You're sick again?" Lissa asked worriedly. At Rose's nod; which seemed to increase the grimace of pain, Lissa leaned towards her over the aisle. I wanted to join her, but with Alberta this close, it would be needlessly stupid.
"Have you always had trouble flying?" Adrian drawled from the seat in front of her; his glass once again full as he sloshed about more translucent liquid. Having already forgotten their previous argument it seemed, he viewed her strangely…like he was seeing her, but at the same time, not.
"Never. Damn it. I don't want to go through this again."
Wrapping her fingers around Rose's wrist, the pale, understated pink of Lissa's nails clashed with the bold gold statement of Rose's. "Maybe you should go and see Doctor. Olendzki for a check-up when we get back. You've never reacted to flying like this before and she can do the scans there, you know she can."
Snorting at the suggestion, Rose shook her head once before wincing again. "Lissa, I spend enough time in that infirmary as it is. I'm not about to voluntarily go back in there if I can help it."
"Rose…"
"Enough, Liss. I'm fine," she interrupted, before suddenly raising her head to glare at Lissa through pain-narrowed eyes at whatever communication had passed through the bond. "Don't even think about it, Lissa. You know that it didn't work the last time, so stop wasting your time."
"But…"
"But nothing. It's only a headache; there's nothing life threatening about it."
"Stubborn," Lissa muttered whilst Rose smiled a very, very small smile to comfort her. Brushing aside her hair, Lissa stroked her finger along the length of her cheek. Resting back against the seat, Rose closed her eyes as her natural complexion continued to pale from the pain.
Sitting back against my own seat, but not restfully, I kept an eye on her peripherally, but she eventually dozed off. With a lingering stroke, Lissa sat back but watched her closely with a frown as the conversation around her died down; her facial features twitched occasionally, the only outward sign that her sleep was restless.
Lights dimming inside the cabin, the stewardess gently covered her with blanket as Adrian sat back down, but he glanced back occasionally with a frown of concern transforming the normally carefree contours of his face whilst his glass was steadily drained.
"This is concerning me," Alberta spoke quietly from shadows beside me.
"What is…Rose?" I answered just as softly, having an excuse to look back at her fully without having it seem out of place.
"Yes. Her behaviour of late has been so strange. All the fumbling with the field experience and now these strange headaches. I think maybe Lissa has a point; perhaps it would be a good idea for Rose to see the Doctor when we land."
"She'll put up a fight."
"Then I'll have to insist."
Nodding, I folded my hands over my stomach and stretched my legs, not wanting to admit to her that I was equally concerned. For some reason, the fortune that Rhonda had spun for me kept echoing faintly in my head.
Trying my best to ignore it, I tried to think of a way to get Rose to the infirmary once we had landed that didn't involve throwing her over my shoulder and carrying her there, but I wasn't able to come up with anything as the hours of the flight wore on.
Hitting turbulence south of the academy about an hour before we were scheduled to land, we were all jostled about as the seat-belt sign flashed brightly above us. Having been woken up by the jolting motion, Rose groaned and stretched, instantly putting a hand to her head. Lissa leaned towards her again with more than just concern on her face.
Worried, I was about to go to her when the flight attendant called to Alberta.
"Guardian Petrov?"
"What's wrong?" Alberta asked, alerted instantly by the frown of worry on her face as she almost apologetically explained.
"An ice storm just blew through the area. We can't land at St. Vladimir's because the runway isn't accessible with the ice and the winds. We need fuel, however, so we're going to land at Martinville Regional. It's a small airport a few hours away by car, but they weren't as affected as much. Our plan is to land there, refuel, and then fly into the Academy once they've cleared the runway. It's less than an hour by air."
Scowling, Alberta checked her watch before sighing as the groans of protesting dhampir and Moroi alike filled the cabin from behind us. "Well, it's not ideal, but I suppose if we have no other choice, then Martinville it is. How long are they predicting the storm will last for?"
"With the speed of the winds, not much longer than an hour and a half; that's there best guess. The tower will keep us informed on its progress as it moves West and we'll be on our way as quickly as we can once its safe."
"Thank you."
Tossing aside the paperwork she had been reading over, Alberta ran her fingers through her short hair and closed her eyes. She didn't like the fact that we had been away from the Academy for longer than she had expected and this just pushed us further behind schedule.
Eyeing Rose, she groaned and stretched; tossing aside the blanket as she fastened her belt at her waist before leaning forward to view through the window, grimacing at the storm outside. Beginning our descent through the rumbling clouds lit by flashes of lighting, the touchdown was anything but smooth, but the pilots again got us safely landed.
Unbuckling, I leaned forward over my knees; listening to the engines whine as they powered down and rubbing at the back of my neck when I heard a gasp, followed by a groan and a rapidly sucked-in gulp of air that stuck in the throat in shuddering wheezes.
Whipping around and looking over my shoulder, I saw Rose double over as she clutched at her temples. Keening in agony, her face contorted into ashen pain as she rocked back and forth in her seat before recoiling so swiftly she was on her set whilst still being held fast by her seatbelt.
"Rose…Rose?"
Stretching across the aisle, Lissa tried to reach her; her eyes widened in frightened panic, but Rose waved her hands wildly in front of her, as if trying to ward her off. Scrambling so frantically at the buckle for the belt that her nails scrapped and tore against the metallic clasp, Rose's pupils dilated so widely that I couldn't find see any of her iris.
Freeing herself, she plastered her back to the moulded interior of the plane and continued to throw her arms out defensively; tears rolling down her white cheeks as she cringed and sobbed.
Moving only slightly faster than Lissa, and driven by fear, I was out of my seat and at Rose's side a few seconds before she was. Reaching for her, she batted at my hands with none of her usual co-ordination…like she was hitting out at something that wasn't really there. Screaming a moment later, Rose threw herself back and covered her face with her arms, shrieking from behind them.
"Make them go away! Make them go away!"
"Rose!" I barked hoarsely; my voice locked tightly with fear as her spine-chilling screams filled the shocked silence of the plane; my hands shaking as I tried to restrain her. "Rose! What's going on…talk to me, Roza? Rose…Rose!"
Freezing for a moment as my fingers locked around her upper arms, the unmistakable fear in her eyes began to fade as I leaned over her, only noticing then that I was panting in my panic; the sweat of fear slicking my back grew colder by the second as my blood chilled.
Watching as all recognition disappeared from the eyes that were all pupil, Rose struggled for a few seconds longer before her eyes rolled into the back of her head. Gasping in fright, I clutched her tighter as she went lax and began to slump to the side, giving way to unconsciousness. Lunging forward, I caught her fully and cradled her limp body to my own.
Checking frantically for a pulse, what I found was weak and thready, but it was at least there.
"Rose!" Lissa cried from beside me; her own hands shaking badly as she tried to push the hair away from her face; her fingers stroking against cold cheeks. "Rose, please wake up…please," she begged with soft sobs, her tears soaking into the shoulder of my t-shirt.
Shaking badly, I curled an arm beneath her and cradled her head against my shoulder. Brushing aside tendrils of hair from her face, I cupped her chin and turned her to face me; breathing over her in a rasp. "Rose…Rose, wake up! Rose!"
"Dimitri…Dimitri!"
Glancing up only when I felt Alberta's commanding hand on my shoulder, I don't know what she read in the anguished expression on my face, but her own softened more than I had ever seen. It wasn't exactly acceptance, but neither was it condemnation.
Squeezing my shoulder, she nodded towards the front of the plane and the thickly carpeted walkway. "Lay her down here, Dimitri."
Nodding, I rose unsteadily on legs that shook, locking my knees into place as the others gathered made way. Walking through the throng of concerned faces, I crouched and placed Rose gently down on the carpet, cradling her head for a moment before brushing aside strands of hair sticking to her clammy face.
Cradling her wrist and keeping my fingers on her weak pulse, Lissa sank to her knees on the other side of Rose; her shaking fingers searching for the same thing as the tear slowly continued to drip from her chin and onto the carpet. Christian knelt next to her with Eddie hovering over them with Dustin and Alan peering over his shoulder.
All of them wanted to help, but none of them knew what to do and didn't want to get in the way.
Alberta spoke quietly to the air hostess who was almost as white as Rose. She fidgeted with a small first-aid kit, but there wasn't anything in there that would help. I could hear them talking, but the words meant nothing.
The only thing that mattered was the unconscious girl at my feet.
Feeling the sweeping motion and the soft whoosh of air as a blanket was flicked out over Rose; I glanced up as Adrian covered her with the one that had fallen to the floor during her ordeal. Not so much as glancing in my direction, he knelt next to me and tucked in the sides of the blanket, very worried and suddenly very, very sober.
"We can't take her to any of the local clinics or hospitals; taking blood work would be disastrous. Is there anyway we can push through the storm to the academy without being diverted?"
"No, Guardian Petrov," I heard the stewardess reply to Alberta's question. "It's just too dangerous right now to land. We can cut our refuelling time at Martinsville, but not by much. We don't have of a choice here. I'm sorry."
"All right. I understand. Thank you."
"Is there anything else I can get her?"
"Another blanket, please. That's as much as we can do until we get back to the Academy."
"Of course."
Retrieving another blanket from the small linen cupboard, it was unfurled and draped lightly over Rose. Tucking in the edges with Adrian on one side, Christian did the same on the other with Lissa trying to help, but her fingers were still locked around the wrist closest to her.
Closing her eyes, she sniffed and wiped at her nose with the embroidered sleeve of sweater before her weeping started up again. Breathing deeply in jerking, heaving sobs, Lissa kept squeezing Rose's arm. It took me a moment before I realised what she was trying heal her, but she remained unresponsive.
"Liss…Lissa, stop. Stop it! That's not helping. Don't drain yourself."
"But it should work. Why isn't it working? It's the medication, I know it is. It's somehow affected my powers. This should work; I should be able to heal her…help her, but the meds. This is my fault, Christian."
"Stop it! It's not your fault," Christian ordered as Lissa became more distraught. "Your meds haven't done anything to your powers, you know that. What's happened to Rose is something else. You can't fix anything. Stop blaming yourself."
"But…"
"But nothing. Rose is strong; she'll be fine. Right, Dimitri?"
Glancing numbly at Christian, he was looking to me for a reassurance I couldn't give him or Lissa, because I didn't know if what I was saying would be the truth of not. I didn't know what was happening, I didn't know what was wrong with Rose or what had caused it…and I didn't know if she as fine as Christian was saying she would be.
Keeping my fingers lock around her wrist and her frail pulse; my only anchor to her weak life-force, the still trembling fingers of my free hand tucked the blanket around her neck. Still unnervingly pale, the sweat from before had dried and left behind skin that was cold to the touch as I smoothed her hair back gently from her face.
Forcing myself to focus on signs of life – the barely perceptible movement of her chest moving by the movement of her lungs, the pulse of her blood pumping through her veins from her strong heart – instead of the terror that threatened to cripple me, there was only one thought in my head…one thought that kept repeating itself louder and louder and louder every time it echoed through my consciousness.
…You will lose what you value most, so treasure it while you can…
I tried to reason around it, tried to tell myself that it didn't mean anything: Rose was young and strong, that this was something that could be explained…some medical condition that could be cured, but Rhonda's words only continued to repeat and for a brief moment, they mingled with those of Victor's in his cell.
I had thought I would lose Rose to Lissa and the Moroi, but now, I wasn't so sure that I wouldn't lose her to something else; something that would take her from me more permanently than duty…