"Oh my God! What are you guys doing here?" Chelsea gasped as Eddie sat next to me, Meredith beside him.
"Had our trials this morning. Here ready to graduate tomorrow," I laughed, dropping our bombshell with a cheeky lift of my eyebrows. It was wonderful to see old friends, and while I'd never been super close with Chelsea or Ryan something about seeing them here made me feel more at home.
Artyom and Elizaveta stood, coming to stand at the table beside us.
"I thought you were graduating from St. Michael's?" Elizaveta said with barely contained animosity. "Your mother said that's where you three and Blake were going?"
"Nope. We left Court hours after you, and we've been training privately since" I retorted smugly. "Although Blake did go to St. Michael's."
"Private training?" Ryan groaned. He knew the three of us were already good, and now we'd probably be even better. "Where? With who?"
"In a little town, two hours from here called Baia. We've been training with Belikov and some other Guardians," Eddie supplied.
"You trained with Guardian Belikov?" Chelsea asked, a little smile on her face.
"Yep!" I said gleefully, popping the p. "Eight hours a day six days a week. Stayed at his house for a month and a half, too!"
Meredith was smirking at Chelsea's dreamy expression. Dimitri had his fair share of female admirers, as I well knew!
"Does he have any younger brothers?" Chelsea asked, a blush forming on her cheeks.
"Three sisters," I replied apologetically.
"How lucky Guardian Belikov was available to train you," Elizaveta snapped. "How did that come about?"
"Rose's father organized it," Eddie said easily. "He flew us over here and paid all our expenses. The training was great. We worked with Belikov and a few of Mr. Mazur's Guardians every day. And each weekend we participated in an open fight club sort of thing. I learned loads!"
"I bet the two of you loved being over here away from your mother's attention," Elizaveta said in a nasty tone of voice giving me a loaded look.
I tensed, wondering what she knew when it dawned on me that she still thought something was going on between Eddie and me! I couldn't help but smirk, which only fueled her erroneous assumption.
"What scenarios did you get for your trials?" Artyom asked, quickly changing the subject after shooting his sister an annoyed look, wordlessly telling her to drop it.
"Outdoor obstacle course for me," Meredith replied.
"I got classrooms," Eddie piped up.
"I got that one, too," Elizaveta replied in a friendlier tone, seating herself on one of the empty chairs at the table.
"I got an outdoor amphitheater filled with junk," I added.
"I got that one!" Ryan commiserated. "Made it hard to get past the Strigoi!"
"Yeah, I know! I pushed one over the edge of the cliff, so then on the next attack I had them in front and one behind," I bitched.
"How many Strigoi did you all get?" Chelsea asked. "I only got one!"
Meredith confirmed she'd also only got one, while Ryan and Elizaveta mentioned they'd each had two, but in separate attacks. Eddie told the others about his three.
Artyom wasn't saying anything, which made me suspicious.
"How many did you face?" I asked him.
"Five, in three attacks," he said quietly, a little embarrassed. "You?"
"Nine," I said with an attempt at nonchalance. "Across three attacks, although I faced the one I threw over the cliff twice."
"Shit girl!" Ryan said whistling through his teeth.
"You know Hathaway," Eddie jumped in. "Never does anything by half!"
The way he said it sounded admiring. Proud even. I looked up to see a devilish twinkle in my old friend's eye. He knew the direction of Elizaveta's thoughts and wanted to have a little fun with her. But if Elizaveta picked up on Eddie's tone, so did Artyom.
"You've earned another molnija," he commented in an almost tender voice, looking at the back of my neck.
I shivered but shrugged off his interest.
"Yeah. Eddie, too. Separate attacks."
"God damn, Hathaway! How many do you have?" Ryan asked copping a look at my neck. I'd forgotten when they'd left St. Vlad's I'd only had the two from Spokane.
"Ten and a zvezda," I answered in a 'don't ask any more questions' tone of voice.
After that, we gossiped for a while. Ryan was in touch with some of the other St. Vlad's Novices, so was able to tell us our friends at St. Christopher's had graduated yesterday and that St. Michael's were graduating their Novices next Friday.
Dimitri appeared at that moment, accompanied by Viktoria.
"Vika! Come show me what's worth eating here!" I said, jumping up and linking my arm through hers. Eddie, Meredith, and Dimitri followed us up to the servery. Vika indicated a few things that were ok, and more to the point things that were best avoided, and the five of us returned to the table with loaded plates. After the exertion of the trials, I was ravenous, despite eating earlier. Not that I needed extra reason to stack my plate - I always ate as though every meal were my last!
"This is my sister Viktoria Belikova," Dimitri said a little awkwardly to Ryan, Chelsea, and the Vitsins as we sat at the table. The rest of us needed no introduction, so we started in on our food.
It was so odd to be sitting with my old classmates, Dimitri's sister as well as the Vitsins. It was like three separate parts of my life were coming together. But the strangest thing was sitting so close to Dimitri and not being able to touch him. After the last few weeks where we'd been so publically affectionate, I wasn't used to holding back. I'd had no idea how often I looked at him until now when I had to stop myself from lifting my eyes to meet his. It was back to being student and mentor again, and I hated it!
"What was Elizaveta getting at with her comments?" Dimitri asked after breakfast. Viktoria had to go to her final classes for the year, so Dimitri was taking the opportunity to show Meredith, Eddie and I around campus. We were in the chapel, and he stopped in the aisle for a moment as Meredith and Eddie went further down to look at some of the stained glass windows.
"She thinks something is going on between Eddie and me," I said with a giggle. "And Eddie is playing up to it."
Dimitri raised an eyebrow then shook his head but let it go.
"Artyom hasn't got over his interest in you," he continued acerbically. "He couldn't take his eyes off you."
"Really? I hadn't noticed," I said in an innocent voice.
"It is beautiful in here," I sighed looking about me. "It makes the St. Vlad's chapel seem so small." The St. Basil's chapel, like every other part of this academy, was more extensive and older than the one at St. Vlad's. I couldn't help but feel my home paled in comparison.
"St. Vladimir's will always be very special to me," Dimitri said, his voice tender. "It's where I fell in love with you."
Since we were the only ones in the chapel, other than Eddie and Meredith, we shared a quick kiss.
"You were outstanding in your trial this morning. Sokolov and I got there just after you started and you were magnificent. You got the second fastest time through the course."
"Yeah, they said someone did it in fifteen and a half," I sighed.
"With only two Strigoi in separate attacks," he interjected. "Are you looking forward to tomorrow? Making your promise?"
"I haven't thought about it much. I've been too busy focusing on getting through everything to get to this point."
"You've had more to deal with than most," he acknowledged, stroking my hand.
"But I've had you to help me," I said, twisting my fingers in his and closing the distance between us again. We would have kissed, had the outer door to the chapel not opened. I jumped back, wrenching my hand from his and putting a respectable distance between us. It was Guardian Sokolov.
"Ahh, Belikov. Guardian Bollen said he thought he saw you come in here. I have a message from Guardian Croft. He's just arrived for graduation and the elimination fights. He's requested dinner tonight with you and your Novices as well as the Vitsin twins."
Dimitri nodded, his Guardian mask in place, but with my lover's eyes, I could see he was alarmed.
"Six o'clock in the small dining room off the dining hall," Sokolov confirmed. "I'll leave you two to it," he added with a knowing smirk.
"Guardian Croft is here? Does he usually come for graduation?"
"He wasn't at mine, but he did come the year before I graduated."
"So why do you think he wants to meet with us?" I said, voicing the sixty-four thousand dollar question.
"I honestly don't know," Dimitri replied, troubled.
After the news Guardian Croft wanted to see us, we were all a little on edge, but particularly Eddie, Dimitri and I. Dimitri pulled Eddie aside to tell him if somehow Croft knew about the break-in, he was to tell him that Dimitri had coerced him into not saying anything.
"You don't have to take the fall for me," I said to Dimitri when we were alone afterward.
"Roza – if Croft knows, there'll be no saving you or me. The least we can do is make sure Eddie keeps a clean record."
I couldn't disagree, but it was a sobering thought.
Eddie, Meredith and I spent the afternoon with Chelsea, Ryan, and the other St. Vladimir's students hanging out in the common room. I was stunned to find the St. Basil's students had heard of us thanks to Elizaveta and Artyom.
"I knew you'd all be nice," a pretty dark eyed, dark haired Dhampir called Albina said. "Elizaveta was telling us you were horrible and rude, but she doesn't like anyone, so I figured you had to be nice!"
"She's not popular here?" Meredith asked curiously.
"No. She's very competitive and is jealously possessive of her brother. Artyom is so nice, but she's horrible."
Eddie and I stifled our laughter. Just as Albina had finished her words, the woman herself appeared in the doorway, her brother a step behind. They were too far away to hear what Albina had said, but her timing was impeccable!
"Guardian Sokolov said we're requested for dinner this evening," Artyom said, but it was more of a question – like he was asking if we had any idea what it was about.
"Yeah," I said, telling him with my eyes not to mention anything more in front others.
Artyom and Elizaveta ended up joining us for the rest of the afternoon, but gone was the easy conversation and banter we'd enjoyed before they'd arrived. Elizaveta used every opportunity to be rude to me, and to a lesser extent Meredith. And Dimitri was right; Artyom's eyes barely left me the entire time.
Dimitri and I lay on the bed in our bedroom holding each other as we counted down the minutes 'til our evening meal. I couldn't shake the ominous feeling that tonight was going to change everything.
"No matter what happens, promise me we'll find a way to be together? To make it work?" I begged half an hour before we were due at dinner.
"Roza you're my everything. Whatever it takes I'll do it," he said simply, kissing me until I forgot how terrified I was.
Meredith and I had wore dark jeans and pale shirts. Not quite Guardian clothing, but close to it. It was the best we could do – it was that or training clothes. It wasn't like we'd planned to be eating with the head of Guardians when we'd packed! I spent ten minutes putting my hair up into the bun holder, then putting on a little subtle eyeliner, some mascara and finishing off with my usual lipgloss. Then I helped Meredith put up her hair. While she might not appreciate quite why we were on edge, there was no escaping the tense mood. But we plastered on smiles and did our best to appear relaxed as we made our way to the dining room just before six.
"I was worried enough when Croft called us weeks ago," Artyom said as soon as he saw us. "Do you have any idea why he wants to meet?"
"None," I said, taking solace in the fact Artyom and Elizaveta had received calls, too. "But they won't serve Croft shitty food, so hopefully it'll be a good meal," I said feigning cheerfulness.
We lined up outside the doorway to the dining room, Dimitri knocking and entering when bidden.
"Belikov," the man who must be Croft greeted as soon as we came in, shaking my Russian God's hand. "Good to see you again. Introduce me to the Novices," he instructed with an easy manner.
"Guardian Croft," Dimitri replied respectfully. "This is Novice Eddie Castile, Meredith Edwards, Rose Hathaway, Artyom Vitsin and Elizaveta Vitsin," he said, pointing to us one by one.
"It's nice to meet most of the team who did such a sterling job on their mission," he said, sitting and gesturing for us to do likewise.
Dimitri and I had discussed our strategy, and we decided to sit opposite one another, Meredith beside me. That way I wouldn't appear to be seeking Dimitri out, but I'd still be able to get a read on his facial expressions and visa versa.
"You're all over eighteen, right?" Croft asked with a chuckle, looking at us Novices. When we nodded, he surprised us all by whipping out a bottle of iced vodka from a nearby ice bucket, quickly pouring a round of shots. We all downed them, as per Russian custom, before he poured a second round, which was polished off with equal efficiency.
Servers entered with plates with our first course. Tefteli, which Dimitri explained to Meredith, Eddie and I was like meatballs with herbs and rice. It looked ok, so I dug in, relieved to find it tasted great!
"So how are you enjoying Russia and St. Basil's?" Croft asked, looking to the end of the table where us St. Vladimir's Novices sat.
"It's very different, Sir," Eddie volunteered respectfully, answering on our behalf. "Both are bigger than I imagined, but I've enjoyed both so far."
"You were training with Belikov in his hometown, is that right?"
"Yes. The other academies were full. Since we'd already been on the mission with Guardian Belikov, it was the easiest option given it was only a few weeks," Eddie replied, approximating the truth.
"Guardian Sokolov told me you and Hathaway both earned molnija over the last few weeks?"
"Yes that's right, Sir," I piped up. "Both single attacks on the roads surrounding Baia."
"It's a mixed Dhampir/Human township," Dimitri explained, continuing from what I'd said. "Strigoi are often on the roads looking for casual visitors."
The distaste in my Russian God's voice was evident, and we all knew the sort of visitors he meant. The Moroi male kind.
"Quite," Croft replied delicately.
"So I've wanted to speak with you all more about your mission," he continued, looking up from his meatballs. "Her Majesty has received favorable reports from the Alchemists. We're at a critical juncture in Moroi Alchemist relations, so anything additional you can tell me about the mission or your interactions would be useful."
We were all quiet for a moment, and even though I could see Dimitri shooting me a look, I opened my mouth anyway.
"Critical how Guardian Croft? I'm sorry to ask, but it's hard to know what is or isn't relevant when we don't know what's going on."
Croft leaned back in his chair, eyeing me speculatively.
"I'm not sure how much you know about the history between Moroi and the Alchemists?" he asked.
I shrugged, gesturing for him to continue.
"Much like Moroi politics, Alchemists have different political groups with varying agendas, too. Their ruling process is at least as complicated as our own, and for the last three or four decades, a particularly rightwing group of Alchemists have been in power. However a year or two ago, a more progressive group of Alchemists have taken the lead. In the past, our interaction with the Alchemists has been strained at best – however, your mission was a trial of sorts for cooperation between their new government and our own."
My eyes flicked to Dimitri's. So far this wasn't sounding too concerning.
"In the past, the Alchemists' sole purpose was to conceal knowledge of our kind from humans. They dealt with us under sufferance, and actively avoided Moroi altogether. However, with the new more progressive group at the helm, they're more willing to deal with Dhampir and Guardians in particular. While they appreciate our priorities are different, they see that overall our purposes align, and they have indicated a greater willingness to work cooperatively with Guardians against the common threat of the Strigoi."
I nodded. What he said made sense.
"Your mission was the first step in forming a new understanding with the Alchemists. It was about establishing trust and motivation to work together, and I am delighted to report it was a resounding success. The Alchemist family whose property you stayed at were impressed with your interactions, and willingness to abide by their wishes."
As he said it, my heart lurched. For perhaps the first time I appreciated just how much I'd risked by what I'd done. While it looked like my actions had gone unnoticed, I was feeling ill when I realized the scope of what I'd endangered with my curiosity.
"The hope is that going forward we'll find ways to interact more cooperatively. With Strigoi numbers rising, and fewer Guardians, we need to do something to ensure Moroi are kept safe and humans remain ignorant of us all," he explained grimly.
Our next course arrived. Pelmeni. That needed no explanation. Not only had we enjoyed them frequently at the Belikov house, but it had also been one of the first things Dimitri had shown us all how to cook on our mission, along with the vegetarian equivalent Vareniki. We dug in with relish, and while they were good, they weren't a patch on Dimitri or Olena's!
The conversation had morphed into something more general, Croft enquiring about our trials and other topics. I was half listening to the conversation around me, meanwhile working through a concept in my head. I waited for a natural pause in the conversation when I launched my idea.
"Guardian Croft? You know how you were talking about Guardians and Alchemists working more closely? I had an idea about that."
"Oh I'm sure this will be worth hearing," Elizaveta muttered sarcastically not quite under her breath. The whole table could hear it, even Croft.
I looked up, and Dimitri was watching me apprehensively. I gave him a reassuring nod before I continued, ignoring Elizaveta's rude comment.
"The other day Eddie killed a Strigoi on the side of the road. The car he was driving had broken down, and he was with Guardian Belikov's mother, grandmother, and sister," I explained, trying to set the scene. "We knew they'd broken down, and it was just at sunset, so a group of us headed out to retrieve them, but before we could get there, they were attacked. Eddie dispatched the Strigoi, but when we got there the Russian Guardians with us photographed the body then texted the details through to the Alchemists with the GPS location of the kill."
"There are only a few Alchemists for a large area surrounding Baia," Dimitri explained in an attempt to support what I was saying. "We have a lot of Strigoi activity, so it's something the Alchemists are trialing to more efficiently allocate their resources. The GPS location helps them locate the body."
I shot Dimitri a smile for supporting me. I appreciated his help.
Elizaveta obviously, and pointedly, yawned. I seriously wanted to lean over and slap the bored look from her face, but with difficulty, I refrained!
"Anyway, I thought one of the problems about tracking Strigoi movements is reports have to be filed to headquarters, and that's often a day or two later, then someone has to notice a pattern and report that back to the regions. By that stage, it's too late for any sort of early warning. But if every Strigoi sighting or kill was logged immediately by text, it could be input on a centralized system. Alchemists could divert their agents to clean ups more effectively, and multiple kills or sightings in an area would be much more likely to be observed and could be quickly communicated to Guardians, Dhampir communities and Moroi facilities in the region. If we knew there was increased Strigoi activity, we could be more prepared and alter our activities accordingly."
"And this information would be sent to the Alchemists? What guarantee do we have they'd share it in a timely manner?" Croft asked, playing devil's advocate.
"It could be the Alchemists who were texted, or you could set up a single number that alerts the local Guardian headquarters and the local Alchemists if you wanted."
"Is that possible?"
"Yeah – a single number can easily be set to divert to others," I said with a smile. "I mean the ideal would be to work together, but even if you don't, or not at first, that sort of up to date information could be useful for both sides."
"Yes. Yes, it could," Croft said thoughtfully. "And photographs would be useful, too. It couldn't replace proper reports. We still need that detailed information…"
"Yes, Rosemarie," Elizaveta sneered, stressing the full name I abhorred. "What's really needed is the report!"
It took a great deal of effort, but I managed not to roll my eyes or slap her. You know, I think I deserve some sort of medal for that!
"Yes, of course, the report would still be needed. This could be more like a pre-report. But it would give faster info to those who could use it and could also give Headquarters a list of reports to chase up if needs be."
Elizaveta was opening her mouth to deride me yet again but was stopped by a swift elbow in the ribs from her brother. If she couldn't see she was making an ass out of herself in front of the man in charge of every Guardian worldwide, he could.
"Yes. Thank you, Hathaway. It's an idea I'll certainly be exploring further. And please - let me know if any other ideas like that come to you."
Conscious I'd monopolized enough of the conversation, I returned my attention to the Pelmeni, listening as Croft subtly quizzed the others about their interactions with the Alchemists during our mission and each other. Now I was confident he didn't know about my infraction, I was much more relaxed, and through my lashes, I noticed so was my Russian God.
By the time dessert arrived, Eddie, Meredith, Dimitri and I were joking between us. We'd all known each other at St. Vlad's, but months of living and training in close quarters had given us an easy, comfortable manner of interaction. Artyom was awkwardly joining in our conversation from time to time, but Elizaveta was silent, glowering at the rest of us, even her brother. She was making no secret of her disapproval.
"That went better than I thought it would," I laughed as the four of us walked back to our quarters. "I was shitting myself before dinner!"
"Its hard to believe this time tomorrow we'll be Guardians," Meredith said as Dimitri opened the door. "I never thought I'd be graduating from St. Basil's!"
"I never thought Rose would graduate at all!" Eddie quipped, joking about my many misdemeanors over the years.
"Haha," I laughed, waving them both goodnight as Dimitri and I retired to our room.
"This time tomorrow I'll be a Guardian!" I mused, the idea finally becoming real to me. I'd be taking my promise, and with any luck, Dimitri and I would finally be headed in the same direction. Together!
"I can't wait to be the first to congratulate the new Guardian Hathaway," Dimitri crooned shutting our door before lifting my shirt over my head then starting on my bra.
