"Auntie Rose? I want to see you, Meredith and Eddie compete in the elimination fights. Can I stay at St. Basil's after your graduation and watch them?" Paul asked as the family was having an early lunch on Thursday ahead of our midday train.
"Paul - Roza, and the others are going to be too busy participating in the fights to take care of you," Dimitri replied in a tone of voice that indicated the discussion was closed.
"But I can hang out with Vika. Her classes finish tomorrow. I could come back with you all on Thursday? Please, Uncle Dimka? No one at school has seen the elimination fights."
Karolina was looking at her son in surprise. She'd evidently had no clue he'd hatched up this plan.
I looked at Dimitri and shrugged. If Viktoria was happy to look after him, I had no objections. He might even be able to crash in her dorm, but if not there was bound to be a sofa he could crash on in our suite in guest quarters.
"It's not up to me," Dimitri said, sidestepping the question. "It's up to your mother."
"I don't know. You're still young," Karolina said trying to make up her mind.
"It's a school Mama! It's filled with young people. And I'll be going there next year."
"Let the lad stay, Karolina," Yeva urged. "He doesn't get to go many places – telling his friends about the fights will be exciting, and he'll be with Dimka and Vika."
"Is that alright Dimka?" Karolina checked.
"Fine," Dimitri huffed with pretend annoyance, although I could tell he didn't really mind his nephew staying. "I'll call when we get there. If there's somewhere for you to sleep you can stay, but Vika looks after you, and one toe out of line and I'll send you back home with one of Abe's Guardians." It was an empty threat, and we all knew it. Paul threw himself into his uncle's arms before doing likewise with me.
Not long after, Pavel was at the door with the van to take us to meet the train. We each carried a duffel. We didn't need a lot since we'd be in training gear the next few days, and Olena had larger bags for each of us she'd be bringing up with our evening wear on Saturday.
Our farewells were brief as we'd be seeing everyone the day after tomorrow, but Olena still insisted on a phone call tonight to let her know we were in safe, and another tomorrow night to hear about our trials. It was sweet the way she'd pseudo-adopted not just me but Eddie and Meredith as well.
Abe was in the van for the short trip, wishing us all well and reconfirming the arrangements for Saturday. They were going to be leaving at 7 am for the two-hour trip, getting in an hour or so before the 10.30 am graduation ceremony. We'd have lunch with the Belikovas, and then Abe would send the ladies back at around 3 pm so they'd be home well before sundown.
"Oh I forgot to say, Paul is going to stay for the elimination fights with us. Vika's meant to look after him, but can you keep an eye out for him, too?"
"Yes, that's fine." Abe had a bit of a soft spot for Paul, probably because he thought Abe and Pavel were both too cool for words. The expensive gifts Abe had given him every Sunday probably hadn't hurt, either!
With final hugs and handshakes, it was time. We slipped into the station, Abe handing us tickets he'd prepurchased before we could make it to the ticket window, and then the train was pulling in. Climbing on board, we found a set of four seats facing each other over a low table. By the time we sat down, there was just enough time to wave to Pavel and Abe on the platform before the train pulled out.
Dimitri sat beside me, giving me the window seat. Grasping my hand, he pulled it to his lips.
"Nervous?"
"A little?" I admitted.
"It's my turn to show you three my school now," he laughed, excited to be returning to the site where he learned to be a Guardian.
"Belikov! It's been a long time!"
We were at a train station in the middle of nowhere, and the place was empty other than a single Guardian in his fifties.
"Guardian Sokolov," Dimitri said with a grin, stepping forward to shake his hand warmly. "Can I present Novices Hathaway, Castile and Edwards?" he said gesturing to each of us in turn. "Guys this is Guardian Sokolov, Captian of the Guard at St. Basil's. I didn't expect you to be the one to meet us."
"Everything's crazy up at the school, and to be honest I needed half an hour's peace and quiet," he chuckled. "Come on let's get you lot settled."
He led us to a van, and we piled in Dimitri riding shotgun.
"I've set the four of you up in guest accommodations. Your Novices will be called for their trials at 6.30 tomorrow morning. It's crazy in the dining hall; tomorrow's the last classes for the year, and most of the Novices have already completed their trials, so I've asked catering staff to bring you your meal to your suite tonight, so you're not disturbed."
Dimitri and Guardian Sokolov were talking, but Eddie, Meredith and I were quiet, watching the trees get thicker and thicker as we turned off the main road and onto a well-kept road through the forest, eventually pulling up at a twelve foot stone wall with ornate iron gates. Greeted by a Guardian in a gatehouse, Sokolov wound down the window to identify himself, and we were waved straight through.
"It's a lot bigger than St. Vlad's," Meredith said in awe as the first of campus became visible. Set in a clearing, St. Basil's had the same square shape as St. Vlad's, but was much more extensive. And while St. Vlad's had the whole faux gothic thing going on, St. Basil's was the real deal.
"This place is enormous," I agreed, taking it all in.
"The layout is very similar to St. Vlad's," Dimitri explained, pointing to the various buildings and describing their purpose. We pulled up in front of an imposing three-story structure.
"Guest quarters. I'll show you to your suite."
Shouldering our bags we followed Guardian Sokolov up to the top floor, stopping in front of a door halfway down the long corridor. Suite 224. He opened the door to a stale smelling but otherwise clean set of rooms.
"Three bedrooms, one bathroom," he explained. "I'll leave you here, but your Novices need to be at the gym at 6.30 am tomorrow. I'll catch up with you then," he said to Dimitri.
"Sure thing, and thanks."
We looked in the bedrooms – one was a king, the second had a double and a single the final just a double.
"Rose and I will share this one," Dimitri said grabbing my bag and his and taking them through to the largest room. "Meredith you take the room with two beds. If anyone queries it, you can say you're sharing with Rose."
Meredith nodded, and I had to smile. It was now a given that where Dimitri slept so would I – a far cry from when we'd first left St. Vlad's. We were unpacking what little we'd brought with us when there was a knock at the door. Vika. Dimitri let her in, and she flopped on one of the two sofas in the small living room.
"I've got some good news for you," Dimitri told her as he checked out the fridge in the small kitchenette. "Paul's going to stay to watch the elimination fights, and you're going to watch him."
"No fair! I don't want to be on babysitting duty!"
"I'll call home, and you tell him he can't stay then," Dimitri shrugged.
Vika pouted but gave in.
"Fine. But he can't stay in my room; he'll have to stay here with you."
I could see Dimitri about to offer up the spare bed in Meredith's room, so I butted in.
"Sure. He's only ten – he can crash on the sofa."
That aspect of things decided, Vika filled us in on the info about the trials she'd heard from the gossip around campus. According to rumor, there were four different courses, and the candidates had to steer their Moroi through the course, navigating different challenges. Some of the stories she'd heard sounded a little farfetched, but we were able to determine there were two outdoor courses, two indoors, and we had half an hour to get through the course otherwise we'd be stopped however far we made it through.
We'd been sitting talking for an hour when there was another knock at the door. Dimitri opened it, and a Guardian in his forties greeted him in Russian. They spoke for a moment before Vika translated what was being said.
"It's Guardian Oskey. Sokolov sent him up to do the molnija you're owed."
I'd almost forgotten I'd earned another molnija. That would be ten now for me, and Eddie's third.
"It will only take a moment," Dimitri said as the Guardian set up on the small dining table.
He was right. Ten minutes later Eddie and I were freshly inked, and Guardian Oskey was on his way, Vika taking her leave at the same time to go to dinner.
"I'm catching up with you," I said once they'd gone, giving Dimitri a long hard kiss.
"You are," he said, taking my hand and pulling me into the room we'd be sharing for the next week, firmly closing the door behind us.
We walked into the gym at 6.25 am with Dimitri. Four other Novices were waiting there, but no one we knew. Until I was promised, Dimitri and I had agreed to keep affection behind closed doors, so he stood to one side chatting with Guardian Sokolov as we were handed clipboards to fill out our details. That done, I held the clipboard between my knees as I finished tying up my hair, putting it into a high ponytail and then securing it with the bun holder Dimitri had given me for my eighteenth. He didn't say anything when he noticed me using it, but I saw the corners of his mouth curl slightly in a smile.
We were called four at a time, Eddie, Meredith and I all in the first batch, lending credence to Viktoria's intel of there being four simultaneous courses.
"Good luck you three," Dimitri said as we went to follow four different Guardians to our courses. His smile was for all of us, but his eyes lingered on me.
"See you back here in half an hour," I smirked.
The Guardian I'd been entrusted to led me outside and across the campus to a wooded area. Following a wide path, I found myself at the foot of what looked like a mountain of junk. On closer inspection, I realized it was an outdoor amphitheater. Built into the side of a natural slope, the stone-edged terraces were about six foot wide, and three foot tall. There were eight or ten of them spanning a wide area. You'd easily be able to seat a thousand people here, which was the point, I suppose.
Looking up at the terraces, there was a range of man-made equipment and impediments situated on different levels, which was why I'd initially thought it was a rubbish dump. In addition to the man-made debris, there were shrubs and greenery which would be the perfect hiding spot for 'Strigoi.'
"Novice Hathaway?" a female Guardian in her mid-twenties asked. "From St. Vladimir's?"
"That's right," I said confidently, offering her my hand.
"But you've been training elsewhere?"
"Yes. Myself and a couple of others trained privately the last six weeks. It was that or St. Michael's," I joked.
"I understand," she said with a friendly grin. "For your trial, I will be your Moroi. You need to get me from one end of the course to the other. There will be Strigoi along the course, and you can't cross over any of the red lines. For the purpose of the trial consider them three-hundred foot drops onto jagged rocks.
A quick glance at the terraces showed me the red lines were everywhere, some hidden behind shrubbery or equipment. It would mean lots of doubling back which would increase the amount of time it would take to get through the course. Waiting for the siren to sound indicating it was time to start, my eyes flitted over the levels, trying to chart a route. We were at the bottom of the amphitheater, which meant we'd be traveling upwards – giving any Strigoi above us a distinct advantage. I'd worked out how to traverse the bottom four levels and had picked up a plastic practice stake, and a spare, when the siren blew and my trial started.
I started urging my Moroi toward the logical entrance point. She was pretending to be freaked out, not following my orders as promptly as I would have liked. One stake in my grip, the other sheathed on my thigh, I coaxed her forward, explaining we were better off moving and not sitting ducks for Strigoi. We made it through the first level and were making our way to the second when the first attack came. Two 'Strigoi.' Dressed all in black they tried to get between my charge and me, but I was too fast for them. Shoving her behind me, I immediately leaped into an aerial maneuver, kicking the foremost Strigoi straight in the solar plexus. He fell back close to a red line, and I rushed at him pushing him over the 'edge,' and I watched him kiss the dirt falling down the mountain.
"Incapacitated climbing three hundred foot cliff," the first Strigoi said in an accented voice, picking himself up and standing off to one side. Meanwhile, I was hand to hand fighting with the other. This part of the course had piles of filing cabinets, chairs, and other office equipment, so I had to be careful not to trip on chair legs and the like sticking out of the pile. After about a minute, I was able to kill the second Strigoi and keep moving. However, I was aware I had a Strigoi potentially behind me now as well in front.
Slowly climbing over the next bunch of obstructions, a pile of metal bed frames, we had made it to the third level and straight up to the fourth when we were attacked again. Three this time! The first was dead in seconds. I had them staked before they knew what was happening. The second I pushed into the third, staking the second from behind before they could right themselves. However the third was playing hard to reach, going on the defensive and trying to get me to wear myself out. I was pondering the strategy until I did a quick spin and spotted the Strigoi from the three-hundred-foot drop approaching from behind. Clever!
Appreciating I had to rid myself of one Strigoi, else potentially be fighting two at once, I charged the one closer to me, forcing them to engage. They got me to the ground at one point, but after battling a man as strong and heavy as Dimitri, I could buck a lighter Guardian off with no worries. I swung them onto their back and staked them, getting up just in time to deal with the Strigoi I'd sent over the cliff.
A short man, but stocky, he was strong but lacked my speed. I flitted around his periphery for a moment or two before sneaking within his range and delivering some painful blows before stepping back out of reach. The third time I did this, he reacted by lifting his arms in an attempt to bring them down in a bone-crunching attack on my shoulder. Sadly, for him, I staked him while his arms were in the air, his chest undefended.
Reassuring my Moroi, we kept going, safely negotiating our way to the fifth and then sixth layers. I thought I knew the best path to get to the seventh level, only to discover a red line I hadn't seen earlier indicating we were at a dead end, so had to double back looking for another opening. But I found it, and we made it up to level seven.
There was literally stuff everywhere on this level. It was physically challenging to negotiate a pathway through the 'stuff' they'd used to fill the terrace. Almost labyrinthine in its design, I had to continually coax my Moroi who was complaining of being tired. Finally, through and onto level eight, the second last level, I saw four Strigoi approaching. I swore under my breath. These trials were meant to be hard, not impossible!
Securing my charge as well as I could between an upended sofa and an old mattress, I took them on one by one. While the adrenaline was pumping, I was tiring, too. But not completing the course was not an option, so I picked them off one after the other, booting one of them so hard in the jaw I knocked him out.
"I'm so sorry! I was aiming for the shoulder," I said after I'd staked his prostrate form.
"He moved at the last moment," a female Strigoi I'd staked moments before agreed, clearing me of an intentionally dangerous move. While we were meant to treat these as realistic exercises, we weren't supposed to intentionally injure the Guardians pretending to be Strigoi. When I'd finally downed my last opponent, I retrieved my charge and successfully led her to the final level and over to the large bell sitting on a table there. I picked it up and rang it, signifying the end of my trial.
"That was great!" the Guardian pretending to be my Moroi said enthusiastically. "Just on seventeen minutes!"
"Is that a good time for this course?"
"Not bad. The fastest was fifteen and a half, but they only got two Strigoi."
"What? Why'd I get nine?"
"We heard you already had molnija," she said pointing to the back of my neck. "We wanted to see if you were any good."
I muttered something colorful almost under my breath and looked up to see Guardian Sokolov, Dimitri, and some other Guardians step out from where they'd been obscured in the treeline. They'd been watching the trial unbeknownst to me. Sokolov's face was impassive, so gave me no idea of how I'd performed, but the warmth in Dimitri's eyes told me I'd done well.
Shaking the hands of the Guardians I'd fought, and asking them to pass on my apologies to the one I'd sent to the infirmary, I trailed Dimitri and Sokolov back to the gym. Meredith was already waiting and we'd only been there a moment when Eddie came in.
"How'd you go?" I asked them.
"Good I think? I had a floor of the classrooms in the teaching block. Some of the rooms and corridors were locked or blocked off, so I had to get my Moroi through them. I saw three Strigoi," Eddie said.
"Mine was outside," Meredith replied. "Only one strigoi, but lots of climbing over walls and under nets and that sort of thing." Well, that explained why she looked a bit worse for wear.
"I had like a tiered amphitheater sort of thing with lots of junk on it. Had nine Strigoi."
"Nine?" Eddie hissed. "That doesn't seem fair?!"
"Some girls just get all the luck, I suppose," I joked.
We'd each had a light breakfast before the fights, but none of us wanted to be fighting on a full stomach, so we'd decided to wait until after the trials to have something more substantial. But now we were done, and I wanted to announce my presence at St. Basil's!
"Anyone fancy a second breakfast?" I asked hopefully. Eddie was always as hungry as me, so he was quick to agree, and Meredith was keen to come, too.
"I've got to go sign off on some forms in Sokolov's office," Dimitri replied. "I'll find Vika and see you at the dining hall in fifteen."
Giving us directions, he explained there was a hierarchy of seating in the dining area, and where we were most likely to find our friends. It was approaching 7.30 am. Breakfast should be in full swing. The three of us found ourselves outside the dining hall, and peering in I was able to identify Chelsea's bright red hair in the section Dimitri had indicated. She was sitting with Ryan also from St. Vlad's and I was delighted to note Elizaveta and Artyom were at the next table! Giving Eddie a wink, and swinging my hips just a little more than usual, I sauntered across the room to where my St. Vladimir's friends sat.
Ryan looked up in surprise as he saw the three of us approach, but didn't manage to get anything out before I sat down next to him giving him a man-eater smile.
"So tell me – is the food here any good?" I asked loudly, laughing at Chelsea, Elizaveta, and Artyom's stunned expressions when they spotted Eddie, Meredith and myself.
