Chapter 29
Adrianna POV
Three weeks, Three weeks since that embarrassing meeting where my feelings towards Nikolaus had come out into full knowledge and I had broken one of the rules that had been put in place, no more sneaking out but yet here I was sitting out in the clearing after curfew just waiting for the moment Nikolaus comes and join me.
The snow had cleared up and even though it was still on the colder side, sitting in the sun like this was reasonably warm for this time of year.
"What are you doing out here" the accent surprised me, I turned my head and found Dimitri heading my way. I was confused as to why Dimitri was out here with me instead of Nikolaus, there was a small part of me hoping for once we could have a moment to ourselves.
"Couldn't sleep, what are you doing here? Last I heard you were in Russia" I replied while turning my head away from him, I didn't want him to see the disappointment in my face for not being able to have a moment alone with Nikolaus. It didn't matter if I was happy to see Dimitri, I wanted to see Nikolaus more.
"Rose and I returned a couple of days ago and Adrian asked if we could come out here"
"How's the family?" I questioned knowing he wouldn't tell me why dad wanted them out here.
"They're good, they miss you"
"I miss them too" I said softly.
"I know Dri but it's hard with you here and them in Baia"
"I know, I just hate it. They're family to me as well but I don't get to see them as much as I do my little family here, it doesn't matter if I spend most of the year out here. Dad is here, Ellie visits regularly as do you and Rose, Christian comes out every now and then and I know Lissa visits are rare but I still get to see her when she comes out here" I snapped at him.
"Dri…" there was such authority in his voice that I had no choice but to turn my head and finally look at him sitting beside me. "What are you really doing out here?"
"What are you doing out here? Something tells me you weren't wondering the grounds, I don't believe it's something we share"
"I came across Anastas and he mentioned that you were out here"
"And let me guess you punched him the face?" I smirked at him and I saw the slight hint of a smile and the amusement in his eyes.
"No, it would have been a different story had something happened between the two of you" I turned away, feeling guilty for not telling him the truth.
There had never been secrets between Rose, Dimitri and myself, I knew I could trust them with anything and they wouldn't go to dad unless I was in serious trouble and this was something I thought they would go to dad about.
"Did Olena say anything about Zoya?" I finally spoke, I wanted to try and weed out of Dimitri about whether or not I would see them all during the summer.
"Yes she said Zoya is excited about finally graduating but I have a feeling you're trying to find out whether or not Zoya is excited about seeing you"
"Fine yes, I want to know if she is. Come on all fresh Guardians come out to Court for their placements along with most Moroi" I grinned at him.
"Yes Zoya is excited about being able to see you during the summer, she misses you probably as much as you miss her and I'm incredibly worried about what's going to happen at Court between you and your friends and her and her friends" I knew where his concerns came from.
Zoya and I had shared emails in the past and even though we didn't communicate as often as we both liked we still tried to keep each other updated but this year, I had barely thought about letting her know what had been happening in my life this year and I haven't even mentioned my break up with Spencer to her.
From what I heard with Zoya she didn't take after her brother or even Dimitri, she was more like me than Dimitri liked. Her and her friends were in trouble just as much as I was but she had one down side, she wasn't the top of her class like I am and am able to get out of being out of as much trouble had the situation been different. I knew Olena and Karolina aren't happy with her behaviour.
"Oh come on Dimitri, it will be a lot of fun having all of us at Court"
"I'm thinking about talking to Adrian about that actually"
"Oh come on, it won't be that bad. Do you honestly think that with all of us being freshly new Guardians we would do anything to risk our placements? I've worked long and hard to keep my place at the top, why would I do something so stupid during the summer to risk a decent placement?"
"Like falling for your teacher?" he scolded, I wondered when he would loop back around to this.
"I didn't do that on purpose, you can't yell at me for that! Nothing's happened and with dad watching us every goddamn session nothing ever will" I snapped in response before standing up and walking away from him.
When Dimitri didn't say anything in response I turned around and looked at him, he was watching me and it was weird. It was like he was trying to work something out and I don't remember the last time I saw Dimitri watching me like this, he still didn't say anything and I shook my head at him before heading back to my dorm.
Dimitri POV
Adrian had asked both Rose and myself to come and visit him at St Vladimir's, he said he wanted to talk to us and it had to be face to face, it was then I wondered what was going on with Dri.
Before I left to go home to Baia I had heard that Dri had fallen for her mentor, at first I wasn't happy because of the situation she had put herself in but when both Lissa and Rose assured me that nothing had happened between the two of them I felt a little at ease.
Ever since Adrian had brought Dri home I had been protective over her, even at first I didn't want her to attend St Vladimir's, I wanted her to have another year at home getting used to everything before we threw her into the wolves.
Dri was family and not in the same way that Lissa and Christian were family, at one point we had found out that my father was in fact Adrian's uncle making us all family. When my mother first met Dri she was gushing over how cute the seven year old was and when we spotted Zoya and Dri speaking in hushed tones in the corner of the backyard with massive grins on their faces we knew it was only the beginning of a friendship between the two of them.
I did slightly worry about how Court was going to be once Zoya arrived after graduation but I knew Dri, she had worked hard to stay number one and wouldn't risk her placement, Zoya was something different though. She was sitting somewhere in the middle of her novices and I knew both my mother and Karolina weren't happy about her behavioural issues.
I had left Adrian's suite with the idea of heading towards the gym and getting a few punches in on the bag, I had only been back from Russia for a couple of days and I was still struggling. Every time I went home I was stuck with the images of what happened with Rose while I was a Strigoi and I hated it, I hated that I became that creature, I hated I did that to Rose and every day I was thankful that she had forgiven me.
"Anastas" I spoke shocking the younger Guardian, I didn't know why he was out here and at this point in time I didn't care. I was annoyed about the situation him and Dri were in and I wasn't impressed with him at all.
"Guardian Belikov, I didn't know you were at Court" he nodded at me.
"I'm not planning on staying here long, what are you doing out here at this time of night"
"I received word that Adrianna has snuck out of her dorm"
"I see, I will handle it, you head back to your own room" he was silent for a moment before turning and leaving, the only thing he said was the clearing by the dorms.
I headed to the clearing and was not surprised when I found Dri sitting on the bench enjoying the sun, more often than not during the summer she was found outside enjoying the sun instead of sleeping like she should be.
I didn't mean to scold her for falling for her mentor, I had been in the same situation with Rose and she was right when she said I couldn't exactly yell at her for it. I was just disappointed she had landed herself in a situation that could make her future worse, I knew she didn't do it on purpose, I didn't with Rose.
I was watching her hoping to figure out what was going on in her head, normally Dri let her guard down and made her emotions so clear on her face but right now her mask was up and I didn't know what she was thinking. It was like when she was first brought home all over again, she was staring at me as if I was speaking in another language.
After she left I placed my elbows on my knees and rested my head in my hands, I knew I should have said something to prevent her from walking off but I didn't know what to say.
"Everything alright comrade?" I heard Roza's voice and lifted my head to find her standing there with a scowl on her face and something told me she had come across Dri on her way.
"Depends on how much trouble I'm in, I've seen that face a couple of times and it never ended well on my end" I replied calmly hoping she would stay calm herself.
"You yelled at Dri for getting into a situation we ourselves were in?"
"I didn't mean it Roza, I just…"
"I know" she said softly as she walked over and took a seat beside me, it was then I knew she wasn't mad
"I just hate that she has ended up in that same situation, we struggled trying to prove ourselves. Roza she grew up at Court hearing some of the older Moroi whispering about us"
"I know this Dimitri and she hates that she's in this situation, she said it was easier before Hasting came forward and said something, she wished he had stayed quiet"
"But he did the right thing"
"Did he? Look at it, both Anastas and Dri were going by believing that the other one didn't feel the same, neither of them acted on their feelings because they didn't want to embarrass themselves but yet they were both embarrassed by having to sit through that meeting. What should have happened was two separate meetings so nothing would have happened, you heard Adrian earlier"
"I know, he wishes the meetings were done separately as well and he hates how he can see that Dri is hurting over this but she won't say anything to him about it"
"At least the two of them are talking now, before we left Dri said he was ignoring her" Rose replied and we were both silent, I was thinking over what Adrian had said and I assumed Rose was the same. I wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to my body.
