"You were on the roof at daybreak?" Galina asked curiously. "What were you doing up there?" We were in her sitting room, and she'd dismissed her personal guards. As I'd suspected, my movements were being reported to her.
"Yes. I miss feeling the sun," I said with a shrug. "And it's a quiet place to think."
"And what have you been thinking about?"
"Well, today I've been wondering what Nathan and Marko have to say to one another that needs to be said outside. Twice I've seen them slinking off to talk with one another privately."
Nathan was probably the closest Galina had to a second, although I knew she didn't trust him. Marko was one of the seniors charged with organizing the meeting in a month's time.
"Do you think I need to be concerned?" Galina asked looking at me carefully.
"Yes."
From my observations, I'd determined all Strigoi were ambitious, to an extent, but like many Moroi, Dhampir, and humans they weren't going to waste energy pursuing supremacy if their needs were already being satisfactorily met. Nathan was cut from a different cloth. He was the type that needed to be in charge. He craved power. While he might play along in a subordinate role for a while, eventually he'd make his play to usurp Galina.
"He reminds me of Nikita," I explained, referring to a student we'd both known at St Basil's. Unfailingly ambitious, Nikita's abilities hadn't been on par with his sense of entitlement, and he'd come spectacularly unstuck. "Nathan is a lot smarter, but he has that same need Nikita did," I explained.
"So what do you suggest I do?" Galina queried shrewdly, and something about it seemed familiar. Like the way she used to quiz me when I was a student, and she already knew the answer. Either she was already aware of a plot involving Nathan and Marko, or it was a test. Whichever the case, what I was saying was not news to her, but I could tell she was pleased I had picked up on it.
"You could kill one or both of them," I started, "but if there is a plot, you won't know how deep the rot has spread. Maybe the gardeners need to put some microphones outside? They like to talk in the rose garden…"
"And then?"
"Find out what they're planning, thwart it and use them as a public example to remind the army that you demand absolute loyalty. Maybe at the meeting?" I suggested, knowing such a plan would appeal to Galina's showmanship and sense of occasion.
"Who do I put on the job to investigate? You?" Another test, but this time I was expecting it.
"No. Nathan is already suspicious enough of me. He knows we have a history, so he'll be careful when I'm around. Look for someone with a similar personality among the newly awakened. Probably a Dhampir who agreed to be awakened as soon as they got the offer. Someone he has no reason to suspect. Present it to them as a special project with a chance to gain favor with you. Nathan pays no attention to any of the junior ranks. If you choose someone unremarkable, he's unlikely to even notice them. Place them in close proximity to Nathan, but not directly interacting with him. It's easy to gather information when you're all but invisible.
"As for Marko? Keep an eye on what he's doing. If he suggests anything unusual for the meeting, then it's probably significant and worth paying attention to. Check the orders he's giving to the human security forces, too. But don't let him know you're watching or suspect him. He strikes me as a lot less clever than Nathan, so you're more likely to get an idea of the details of any plan through him."
Galina looked thoughtful.
"Today he suggested accommodating some of the visiting awakened outside in temporary lodgings. He said we didn't have enough room for everyone to stay inside the main building," she revealed.
"Don't you? Have enough room?" I challenged, lifting an eyebrow in disbelief.
"It could be tight," she admitted with a pleased smile.
Shit! How big was the full army?!
"What if you also used the Dhampir and Moroi dorms and had the troops sleep in shifts? It's only for what – two days? Strategically, I think that's safer than splitting your forces. You know better than I, the first rule in warfare is divide and conquer," I stated with authority, drawing on her extensive experience and teachings as a Guardian.
"What would we do with those currently in the dorms?"
"You must be almost through the force that the Royal Council sent by now? We were the best of the best - recruiting anyone else at this stage will be more of a drain on your resources than an addition. As you don't have time to train them, rabble in the ranks of the main force will make your army look weak. Once you process those already in the dorms, if you recruit no more everyone will already be awakened or deceased, and their beds will be available for use." I steeled myself not to flinch when I spoke of those who elected not to be awakened. With such a large army all fed on blood, those who chose death were used to supplement the blood procured in other ways.
Galina looked at me, her eyes shining.
"You haven't lost your touch, Belikov. We still make a great team. So, do you have any questions about being awakened?"
I cursed my rookie mistake. I needed to pay more attention to appearing to consider her offer. Had I been genuinely considering being awakened, of course I would have questions!
"Yes, I do actually. I've been thinking about my family. I'm not sure how I'll feel about them if I'm awakened, but right now it would make my decision easier if I knew I could take care of them financially. Presently, my Guardian wage supports my mother, grandmother, three sisters, nephew, and niece. Once I'm declared missing presumed dead or awakened, they'll get my Guardian pension - but with such a large family it won't go far…"
Galina seemed unsurprised.
"What you're requesting is not unusual. I can schedule a one-off payment to them. Given you'll be my second in command I'm prepared to be very generous – your whole family will want for nothing."
"That would be a weight off my mind," I murmured, suppressing a shudder as she played with the ends of my hair where they lay against the nape of my neck.
Mason was almost pulling me across to the table where Eddie and the others sat. Thank God it was in the corner, and they'd left seats for Mason and I facing the window, so my back was to most of the cafeteria.
"Just breathe, I'm right here. You can't run, Rose. If you run now, they'll go after you like a pack of psi-hounds. Ignore them and focus on us," Mason advised, holding my hand tightly. "We're here for you."
Chelsea nodded leaning across and squeezed my other hand.
"I know we're not close, but I'm here for you, too, Rose."
I sat in shock. How did this happen? I knew it wouldn't have been Eddie or Mason, and I doubted any of the staff would have said anything so that only left Lissa. My best friend. The person I'd spent my entire life defending and protecting. I'd potentially sacrificed my education and future when I'd taken her on the run. I'd lied and covered for her innumerable times, always at my expense. I let her feed from me when she needed to so we could stay concealed. Hell – I'd even denied myself a shot at a life with love so that I could put her first. How could she do this to me?!
I closed my eyes and did something I'd never done before. I forced my way into Lissa's mind – deliberately shoving aside her mental barricades. I knew it was wrong, but I wanted to know exactly what she was thinking, and I wanted to know now. It was easier than I'd expected, but maybe that's because her emotions were already running high?
The most immediate thought was satisfaction. Lissa thought she'd been deliberately kept in the dark and deceived. She was pleased that my lies and secrets had been so publicly exposed. Part of her thought I deserved everything I got. But then there was guilt. She'd known for some time things had not been right with me, but she'd intentionally ignored it and looked the other way. For the first time since returning to St. Vladimir's, she'd been happy, and she hadn't wanted to look too hard at anything that could bring her down; even though she'd sensed I was deeply unhappy but trying to put a good face on it.
Finally, there was uncertainty and a little anger. She'd been livid when she'd gone to Christian's dorm to tell him about what I'd just disclosed to her in the infirmary. She'd expected him to listen, agree with her that I was obviously lying, then keep his mouth shut until I was ready to talk to her and come clean with the truth. She hadn't expected him to call his Aunt and tell her everything! Something about the way Tasha had flown straight over for another visit, and was so quick to demonize me and share my secrets with everyone bothered Lissa. It was a side to Tasha she'd never seen before, and it alarmed her. Plus she was angry with Christian for putting her in this position. She felt he should have known what she'd said to him was in confidence.
Just now when she'd seen the stricken look on my face – a look of absolute betrayal and humiliation - part of her had wanted to come across and comfort me. To tell me this wasn't what she'd meant to happen. But then she was certain I was lying and had brought it all on myself in the first place.
I'd heard enough, so I pulled myself out of her head. Eddie was looking at me with concern.
"You ok, Rose?" he asked softly.
"Just thinking," I lied. "So I take it by now the entire school knows I'm pregnant?"
Chelsea's eyes dropped to the table. It was obvious she'd heard the gossip, but it was another thing to hear the admission from my own lips.
"I'm afraid so, Rose," he said softly. "Brandon came in this morning with Tasha Ozera talking at the top of their lungs about it. They apparently wanted everyone to hear. It was all over the cafeteria within minutes."
"What were they saying, exactly?"
"That you were taken to the human hospital because you're pregnant, that you were trying to keep it a secret until you graduated, and that you're claiming the baby is Guardian Belikov's. Tasha said you were saying it's his in order not to have to name the real father."
"A baby with another Dhampir?" I laughed mirthlessly, "did she say anything else about Dimitri?"
"She said he's been reallocated on a really dangerous mission and is unlikely to survive," Eddie continued.
"That part is true," I said sadly. "He never went to visit his family. He was reallocated in the first week of December," I said softly.
"You knew all this time, didn't you?"
"Yeah, I did. I'm sorry I didn't say anything, Eddie, but I was sworn to secrecy."
"That's why you started training with Guardian Matthews instead," he said, nodding his head as he put it together.
"Yep."
I could hear people at the other tables talking about me, and all I wanted to do was cry. But Mason had been right. I couldn't show weakness.
"Mase? Come get some food with me?" I implored.
"You got it," he said with false bravado.
"I want some more bacon – I'll come too," Chelsea generously offered. "Us Dhamp girls have to stick together!"
So despite the conjecture of half the cafeteria, I got up and joined the food queue. Mason, Chelsea and I were waiting when a Moroi I barely knew in front of me said sarcastically, "Better get lots, now. You're eating for two…"
Chelsea bristled, but Mason laughed.
"That won't be a problem – Hathaway has always eaten enough for three people."
He smiled at me, and I gave him a high five. "Damn right," I said, heaping my plate with bacon, toast, and eggs. "You know, the best thing about morning sickness being over is being able to smell bacon again without barfing," I said conversationally, aware that other people could hear me. "There's nothing more sadistic than craving bacon but the smell of it making you want to hurl."
I wasn't going to give anyone else the satisfaction of knowing I was hurting. I knew Mason could see it – but he'd known me as long as Lissa had, and in some ways he knew me better than she did. For example, he knew his pity was the last thing I wanted or needed right now – that I needed a friend who could help me stay on my A-Game and pretend I wasn't having my heart ripped out.
"So Rose? I know you have training after class, but after dinner did you want to come study for the Senior Language Arts exam with Meredith, Angela and me? Only if you don't have other plans?" Chelsea asked nervously.
"I'd really like that," I said. It was a kind offer, and I appreciated it.
"Great! How about we meet at my room once you're finished training and then we can all go down to dinner together? We can head back up afterward to study. We usually use the small lounge at the end of the women's corridor," she explained.
"Sounds great!" I said with a tentative smile.
Back at the table Eddie and Mason did their best to keep the conversation flowing and off the topic of my pregnancy. Behind me I could hear Tasha's annoying voice trilling with laughter, my name occasionally mentioned, but I refused to give her the enjoyment of acknowledging her presence or giving her a reaction. It was almost time to head to class, and still, that group hadn't left, so I was working up my resolve to walk past them when Celeste arrived.
"Hey Rose," she said, flopping onto the bench beside me. "I went to the infirmary, but Dr. O said you'd already been discharged. I'm in your classes this morning – want to walk with me?"
"Will you be ok in combat classes with the baby?" Chelsea asked innocently. "After what happened with Blake?"
Celeste's eyebrows shot up, but she said nothing.
"The Guardians know about the baby and are running an adjusted program for me," I said to Chelsea. Turning to Celeste I said, "Pretty much the whole school knows I'm pregnant. Tasha Ozera decided to tell everyone."
Celeste muttered something particularly unflattering under her breath.
"Well come on then. Let's get you to class and show them that even pregnant you can kick ass." She stood up, and I grabbed my bag. The others stood to leave as well, and as a group, we walked through the cafeteria and off to class.
"You know I've been thinking of all the pregnancy-related shit I can pull on Alto now the truth is out," I joked to Celeste, knowing she could see the fear and panic in my eyes.
"He's actually been very supportive in the meetings we've had," Celeste said, sounding surprised herself.
"Stop it – you're just scaring me now," I chuckled.
It was Advanced Guardian Combat Techniques with Townsend first up. I walked in and put my bag down with the others. Guardian Townsend directed us all to start our warm-ups before coming over to speak with me.
"It appears the entire school knows I'm pregnant, so there's no need for secrecy anymore," I told him straight up. No point beating around about things. "I've got a copy of my approved amended training timetable which I'll work on with Celeste over here. Also, I might as well use one of the body protectors now everyone knows," I suggested.
"Good idea. I'll come over a little later and work with you. I want to assess where you're at so I can get you to be where you need to be to be signed off as soon as possible," he acknowledged.
"Thank you," I said with a small smile, before going to the supply cupboard to get one of the abdominal protectors. A bit like a padded singlet, it was a bitch to get on and off, but it would offer Junior protection if anyone slipped and landed a kick where they shouldn't. I selected one that looked as though it was the right size and brought it back for Celeste to help me get into. I straightened it on my hips, and Celeste tightened it at the back before I spun around to face her.
"How do I look?" I asked glibly, knowing full well I looked ridiculous. Celeste said nothing, but looked at me incredulously, pointing to my stomach. I looked down and absolutely lost it in laughter, as did she.
Townsend looked at us with irritation from where he was working with the rest of the class.
"Is there something funny ladies? Perhaps you'd like to share your little joke?"
I turned around with a smirk and pointed to my belly. Townsend's eyes flipped down to where I was pointing, and his lips curled at the corners before he, too, started laughing. In fact, the whole class was giggling as they looked at my abdomen.
"Surely not?" he asked between chuckles.
"Oh God no – don't wish that on me!" I said still laughing. "Definitely not the case!"
Without thinking, I'd picked up a protector made by one of the more popular boxing companies. There, emblazoned in pride of place directly over my stomach, was their name and logo. 'Twins.'
