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Early the next morning, I was dressed in loose pants and a hoodie for my first day of training. I rubbed the back of my neck while I walked to the gym I was instructed to report to. I slept, but not well. My constant tossing and turning caused me to pinch a nerve in my neck. I tried turning my head to the side and grimaced. How was I going to be able to beat up a Russian God if I couldn't even move my neck? The brisk wind was biting my skin through my hoodie, so I picked up my pace and hurried the rest of the distance. Once inside and safe from the cold, I immediately spotted Dimitri. He was sitting cross-legged on a practice mat, reading a western. I couldn't help a small smile. For such an intimidating man, he had a soft side. I checked out my surroundings, surprised at how large the room was. Dummies that eerily resembled real people stood off to the side. Pads, mats, and other necessities for fighting lined all the walls except one. The wall opposite where Dimitri sat housed five rows of bleachers. Most likely for students to watch one another fight, I presumed.
Dimitri looked up once he heard me approach. With grace I couldn't comprehend from a man so tall, he was off the ground and standing. How in the world could someone with such long legs move so easily? Years and years of practice, I realized. He knew his body well.
"How are you feeling?" he tossed his book aside and crossed his arms over his chest. The softness he had in his voice last night was gone, his face showing no emotion. He was the epitome of calm and collected. For him now, this was all business.
"Fine." I said. It wasn't exactly the truth, but I wasn't to sit around and feel bad for myself.
He just nodded. "Come over here and stand directly in front of this bag." He motioned toward a punching bag.
"What-" I started, "you're just going to have me punch that thing?" I was a bit disappointed. I didn't know what I expected, but this wasn't It. "I thought we were going to fight."
"It won't be much of a fight if I can't gauge your strength. Judging by the fact you have never fought a dhampir, I am going to assume you won't have much." He said matter of factly. It pissed me off.
"Assumptions will get you into trouble, comrade." I strode over to the bag, glaring at him.
"Don't call me that." He chastised. "I am your instructor, and you will address me as such. You will address me as Guardian Belikov." He handed me two open finger gloves. "Put these on. They will protect your hands." He stepped back once I slipped the gloves on and motioned to the bag. "Now show ne what you can do."
"Easy." I smirked. I took my stance, and swung at the bag. Nothing. I frowned and hit it again. "What the hell is this thing made out of?" I grunted as I hit it again and again. I was getting nowhere, and I was growing increasingly frustrated.
"You're weak." Dimitri stated simply.
I spun around. "I am not weak."
"Then prove it." He shrugged.
You want me to prove it? Fine. Watch this. Hoping to catch him by surprise, I attacked. Hoping being the figurative word here. I lunged at him, swinging my fist. With speed I could never dream of, he grabbed my hand. I scowled. I kicked my leg out behind him, hoping to at least make him lose his balance. All I did was accomplish giving him an opening to take me down. As my leg swung behind his, his other arm snaked out and grabbed me around my waist. He slammed me onto the mat, making my head jerk back and hit the mat. Hard. Dimitri pinned both my hands above my head, his lower body trapping mine.
"Shit." I struggled against him, trying to break free, but it was useless. He was too heavy.
"Watch your language." He warned. He pushed himself up and reached a hand out to me. I took it and he pulled me up. "Now, let's go back to the bag. Hit it again."
On and on it went, and by the end I was exhausted. I stripped my hoodie and was just wearing a black tank top. Sweat dripped off me, signaling I really need a shower. Once Dimitri finally dismissed me, I ran back to my dorm to hurriedly shower and dress for school. Dimitri had been stoic and guarded during our session. Any of the kindness or electricity I felt between us was gone. Well, not for me, anyway. I shoved the thought to the back of my mind. I couldn't think about that now, not with the daunting task of taking on another new school ahead of me.
After I got cleaned up and a quick blow dry on my hair, I changed into my new school uniform. Most of the ensemble was black, save for the white button up under my cardigan and the St. Vladmir's crest on the chest of the cardigan. The skirt I was given went to about mid-thigh, showing off my long legs. Unfortunately I couldn't show off my tan because of the tights that were required to go under the skirt. I scoffed. Prudes. I grabbed my backpack and raced out of the dorm. My stomach tightened when I saw other students that were also scurrying off to classes. Those who noticed me watched me with curious eyes. I got the feeling they didn't get new kids any more often than Belmont.
I pulled out my schedule. The first half of the day was the usual math, science, and history. The second half of the day is where the dhampirs and Moroi split off. Moroi went on to study magic and politics while us dhampirs got to beat each other up all afternoon. Until I got more training from Dimitri, however, I wouldn't be able to join the normal training classes. I was stuck with my one on ones with Dimitri for the time being.
"Great." I grumbled to myself. I got to get beat up before, during, and after school. I was almost to my first class period when I saw a familiar head of black hair. "Christian!" I yelled, hurrying after him. He turned around, his expression melting into relief. Like me, he was wearing a school uniform. How are you?" I asked once I reached him.
"Peachy." He grinned sarcastically. "I'm clearly thrilled to be back at Vampire Academy."
I winced at the mention of "vampires". I was still getting used to this even being a possibility.
"No, I mean with the guardians coming back for you." I tried to ignore the increase of whispers around us. It seemed the arrival of the son of Strigoi Ozeras and the famous Guardian Janine Hathaway was top news around here.
His expression darkened. "It was a surprise, for sure. Tasha ripped me a new one when I got back. I'm not the only one in trouble, though. She's facing termination for hiding Adrian and me. At first I was angry, I thought you sold me out. Then the guardians told me what happened." His eyes held sympathy. "I'm sorry, Rose. That must have been terrifying."
My stomach tightened and I had to blink back the tears threatening to escape. "It was, but now I get to learn to defend myself in case it happens again." I said, a lot braver than I felt. I wasn't one to let people feel bad for me, no matter what the situation was. Images of Sonya danced behind my eyes. "Speaking of the devil, where is Adrian?"
Christian shrugged. "Probably passed out in his room. This is a bit early for him." I followed him as he continued walking to classes. "Once word gets to the Queen, which I'm sure it already has, she'll order him back to Court. For now, he's holed up in guest housing."
"Oh. Is he going to be in trouble?"
Christian nodded. "I'm going to assume so. But who knows with his aunt. He gets away with everything. It's his parents he needs to worry about."
I felt a bit guilty at the thought of them both being in trouble. I was just doing the right thing, right? "Anyway, what's your schedule?" My cheery tone was forced, and Christian knew it.
The concerned look on his face didn't leave, but he dropped it. "We have most of our morning classes together." He scanned the paper holding my class information. "How was your first training with Belikov?" he handed the paper back and I shoved it into my backpack.
I groaned. "I'll be lucky if I can move tomorrow, let alone throw a punch."
Christian snorted. "It's only going to get worse from here." I rolled my eyes and pushed him through the doorway to our first class. He stopped abruptly, causing me to run into him.
"Hey, what gives?" I stepped around him, and made eye contact with two jade green eyes. "Ah." I smirked. "It's your girlfriend."
Christians face turned bright red. "Will you shut it?" he shook his head. He skulked off, refusing to look at Lissa. How cute.
Lissa strolled over to where I was standing. "Hi." Her voice was like sunshine, and I instantly felt calm in her presence. She gave me a warm smile.
"Hi." I smiled, actually meaning it for the first time.
"I heard about your family. Everyone did, of course. You'll learn news travels fast around here." She gave me a sympathetic look. "I know how you feel. I lost my family a year ago." Her warm feelings turned to something darker, and instantly my mood went dark. Wait a minute, was I feeling her emotions? She noticed about the same time I did.
"Thank you." We watched each other curiously for a few moments. She glanced just over my head and frowned. I looked up and saw nothing.
"Is it true you just barely found out you're a dhampir?" I snapped out of my weird stare down with Lissa and saw a handsome blonde boy. Not just handsome, he was hot. And familiar.
"Jesse," Lissa scolded. Have a little tact.
"I just don't know how that's possible." Jesse crossed his arms. A few people behind him snickered.
"I guess beauty doesn't always mean brains, does it?" I glared. Hot or not, he was annoying me.
Lissa grinned. "I think we're going to get along quite well." I grinned in return. "Do you mind if I come sit with you?"
"No, not at all." I led her back to where Christian sat. Christian was back to scribbling in his notebook when I sat next to him. "Hey," I nudged him. "We have a new friend." He looked up and paled, if possible, when he saw Lissa.
"Hi." Lissa reached a hand out to Christian. "I'm Lissa. You're Christian, right?" He grunted and turned back to his notebook. Lissa frowned and dropped her hand.
"Damn, sparky. Maybe a little more social and a little less hostile, yeah?" I shot Lissa a sympathetic look. "Sorry. He's apparently above introductions."
The rest of the morning through lunch passed by as uneventfully as a first day goes as at a school for vampires. By the second half of my day, however, I was getting increasingly pissed off by the stares and whispers. I was headed to change for my afternoon session in the guardians gym with Dimitri when I someone shouted at me.
"Hey Little Dhampir!" I turned my head (painfully) to see Adrian jogging across quad to me. "How was your first day?"
"Fine." I replied, snatching the cigarette he was about to light out of his mouth. "This is a school, Adrian. You can't smoke here. And you can't compel them into not seeing you." I crossed my arms and cocked my hip. He smiled one his dazzling smiles, flashing his fangs. It shocked me a little because all the other Moroi seemed pretty keen on keeping their fangs hidden. Most smiled with their top lips curled around their top teeth, others smiled without opening their mouths at all.
"I'm a little above the rules here." He pulled out another cigarette and lit it. "Christian told me Belikov has you training pretty hard."
"He does. I have a lot to catch up on." The smell of cloves around me was giving me a headache.
"Don't worry, you'll catch on faster than you think." He winked at and strolled away, exhaling cloud of smoke. I frowned. What in the world could that mean?
Dimitri was sitting on a bleacher reading his western from this morning when I reached the gym. "You're late." He didn't look up from his book.
"Sorry. I got held up." I set my gym bag down and shoved my hands into the gloves Dimitri gave me.
"Yes, by Adrian Ivashkov. I saw. He's not the type of person you should be spending time with. He's got a reputation. A bad one." The annoyance in his tone made me smirk.
"What, are you jealous?"
He scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous." He stood and looked me dead in the eye. "I have nothing to be jealous of." Ouch. That stone blank face of his was really grating on my nerves.
We resumed having me hit the punching bag. As time went on, I grew more and more frustrated. Hit after hit after hit and I was getting nowhere. I swear the damn thing was a boulder with padding wrapped around it. After my one millionth attempt and no results, Dimitri stepped in.
"You need to position yourself better." He pressed himself into my back, grabbing my hips witih both hands. My breath caught, and I froze. He twisted my body while he continued a firm hold on my hips. My skin lit up where his body touched mine. "Now hit it again." His breath on my neck made goosebumps rise.
I swallowed and brought my hand back. With as much force as I could muster, I slammed my fist into it. It swung fiercly, and I threw my arms in the air. "Yes!" I yelled. "Finally!" I turned my head to the side and looked up to meet Dimitri's gaze. His eyes sparkled. I looked down and saw he still had a hold of my hips. I turned slowly, his grip only loosening so I could turn to face him. He held my gaze for several seconds before he finally released me.
He cleared his throat and stepped back. "Rose," he began. His eyes were clouded with regret. "Victor contacted me today. He set a day for Sonya's funeral." I immediately dropped my eyes to the ground. My chest grew tighter and tighter every time I thought about her. "It will be this Saturday. I will accompany you."
"Okay. Thanks" I said flatly. I stripped the gloves off my hand and turned to put them in my gym bag.
"Rose. Rose, look at me." Dimitri said when I didn't answer the first time.
I shook my head. "It's late. I have homework." I slung my gym bag over my shoulder and headed for the door.
Dimitri came up behind me quickly and flipped me around. "If you need to talk about it, I can recommend a visit with the school counselor.
I gave him a humorless laugh. "Shrinks aren't really my thing, but thank you for the concern Guardian Belikov. Goodnight." His face stayed impassive, but worry flashed in his eyes.
"Meet me in the woods behind the school tomorrow morning." He instructed. I nodded and hurried out the door and to my dorm to shower. I hadn't spoken to Victor since the night Sonya died. It wasn't his fault, though. I shut my phone off and had it locked in a drawer. I didn't feel like speaking to anyone. Deciding to skip dinner, I went straight to bed, falling into a deep sleep the second my head hit the pillow. A dream began almost instantly. Vibrant colors of all sorts of flowers melted into view. Summer filled the air and birds sang. I looked around at the garden and frowned.
"What's the matter Little Dhampir? Not a fan of flowers? I can give you something a little less girly." Adrian stepped out from behind a tree and I groaned.
"What do you want?" I threw my hands in the air. "Can't you let me sleep in peace? I've been warned not to hang out with you, you know. Apparently you left behind quite a reputation when you disappeared."
He laughed. "Don't you want to get to know me a little better so you can get to know me?"
I frowned. "This doesn't seem like a normal dream."
"Well for one, nothing about me is normal, it's exquisite. Secondly, this isn't a normal dream. It's just one of the many gifts I possess."
"You can invade my dreams?" I gasped.
He smiled and stepped closer to me. "That's not what I came to talk to you about. Let's talk about the compulsion in your aura."
As always let me know what you think. Have a good night :)
