6 months. 6 months since I lost my best friend. 6 months since my world flipped on its axis. A lifetime of change in just 6 months, and it was still changing. I'm on a plane to America so I can hunt down and then guard a teenage princess. The princess had run away with a novice nearly a year ago now, and with no explanation, it's commonly believed that they are partying and have been for the last year.
Standing to stretch my legs I walked up and down the length of the private jet that the Academy is using to transport me and the team sent from court to hunt down the runaway teens. Once the pins and needles in my legs stopped I returned to my seat at the back of the plane. Pulling a western novel out of my duster pocket I covertly ran my fingertips over my left hip. Suppressing a shiver I imagined the rose that I was tracing.
The mark had appeared on my 15th birthday, just like the texts said it would if you were one of those blessed to have a soul mate out there waiting for you. I should have woken up that day and been overjoyed to find that rose sitting on my hip. But I wasn't. I couldn't. The fairytale magic of soul mates is a magic known only to Mori, I'm just a lowly Damphir. If anyone but my babushka had seen that make life would be very difficult for me, probably in a lab. The rose on my hip connected my very soul to another, I hated that rose. Because of that rose, I could never truly do my job, because of that rose my life was not my own, and because of that rose I would have to leave the job I love.
But it wasn't even my opinion on the mark that mattered. Only Mori got soul marks, and there had never been any stories or rumors of a Damphir with a mark. Which meant that mine matched a Moroi. One of the living vampires that saw their half-blood sons and daughters as lesser, second class, inferior. We were cattle to send into the strigoi slaughterhouse. I hoped to never meet the Moroi that the fates cruelly placed me to be fated with.
Sparks flew over my hip and I stiffened, it took 2 years before I gave up my childish desire to feel those sparks back. It had been 3 years since I last intentionally touched the mark to send those sparks to my fated other half. My soul mate, the perfect half for me, she was touching our connection, reaching out to me. I couldn't imagine how disappointed she would be should we ever meet. The feeling still brought a now rare smile to my face. I hope she can find happiness in life without me.
The plane landed in Montana 2 hours later and I was taken to the head guardian's office for a debrief. The woman in the office was around 50 and must be a hell of a fighter to have survived this long. We shook hands and sat down to get to business.
"These are the complete academic records for both missing students," She pushed forward 2 folders, one over an inch thick. She tapped the significantly thinner file. "This is Princess Vasilisa Dragomir's file. It includes all the common information in a charge file as well as all her academic records." Guardian Petrov tapped the other folder, "This is Novice Rosemarie Hathaway's folder. This contains the same information, Rose was a troublemaker from the day she was dropped off at 4 though." I nodded my understanding.
"What can you tell me about their relationships with each other and other students here before they left?" I inquired, maybe learning about their relationships I could determine where they went, but with a fresh set of eyes and without an emotional bias.
Guardian Petrov chuckled, "The first sheet that went in Rose's folder was on her first day of kindergarten, she threw a book at her teacher for telling her and Miss Vasilissa to write their full names. After that day the two girls have been inseparable. The Dragomir's were always kind and inclusive to Rose when they met her at the end of that year. Vasilisa was very popular with all the students and also very kind to them all, no matter their class. But she never had any close friends outside of Rose. Rose was always outgoing and protective, she constantly starts fights with Moroi that were picking on each other, and Novices that were taking the jokes too far. She was close to Mason Ashford and to a lesser extent Eddie Castiel. Those two may know something but they have never told me or anyone else if they do."
"Thank you" I picked up the two folders and stood, "I think I should talk to Ashford and Castiel. Where might I find them at this time?" It was about 7 pm so Moroi morning on a Friday. "They should be in the gym right now" she replied. I nodded and left her office. I left the admin building and waved down a school guardian to point me towards the gym before heading in that direction. The building came into sight and the tingles returned to my hip, bringing a smile to my face. I had to stop outside the building in front of me to school my features.
RPOV
Little tingles and sparks radiated from my hip as I walked next to Lissa through the halls of high school. I grinned to myself and promised the person it was connected to that I would meet them soon. When I woke up on my 15th birthday I was shocked to find a mark there, Damphir don't get soul mates, we die for our charge, but the Poppy on my hip was what made me special, it was just mine, something that no one could insult or take away from me. Once Lissa was sitting in her seat in the last class of the week I scanned the room for anything dangerous, with one door, small high windows, and daylight, danger from strigoi was slim to none but I was still careful. The room was clear so I sat between Liss and the door as always, pulling out my notebook for class. I dropped my hand to my hip, stroking it and thinking about how wonderful it will be when I finally meet them. The teacher droned on and on about imaginary numbers and calculations or something like that, I didn't pay any attention, the only calculations I ever needed were whether Lissa was in danger and if the prank I had planned would get me caught.
I doodled on my page so it at least looked like I was taking notes, I drew molnia and the promise mark I would never get, after each doodle was complete I scanned the room for changes and dangers, I passed 55 minutes doing this, scanning and doodling while Lissa took detailed color-coordinated notes. Once the bell rang I stood and packed my bag quickly and efficiently while Liss carefully placed everything in its place. I had perfected this stalling technique within our first month of being away from the academy. Crowded halls made it difficult to keep track of who was where in relation to Lissa, so if she took her time packing up the main rush would have passed and she would be safer.
Once we left the school building I discreetly led her in a randomly chosen route to our apartment. We had been in Chicago for almost a year now and it had been nice to be away from the hubbub of the Moroi world. Lissa had calmed down greatly from the academy days where she was paranoid and manically depressed. It was getting close to the humans thanksgiving, and our fall festival so despite it only being 4 pm the sun was low in the sky. I had kept our routes home random the entire time we had lived here, even I didn't know how we were going to get home till we were on our way. Today my feet had taken us on the longest route, so the two of us stopped in a grocery store for some food on the way. We got 6 pre-made sandwiches for dinner, Lissa would maybe eat one and I would eat the other 5.
As we left the small dining area, after finishing our meal, in the store I got a sinking feeling in my gut. I ignored it, for the most part, keeping Lissa between me and the wall of buildings we went on our way back to the college town apartment that we were renting a room in. About 2 blocks from the apartment building the gut feeling of danger came true, it started with a distant howl, not uncommon for dogs to be howling, it was the answering call that was much closer that sent adrenaline shooting through my veins. I wasn't sure yet, but I wasn't waiting for the howling beast to get close enough for confirmation. Those were phi-hounds, moroi hunting dogs, which meant there was a hunting moroi here, chances were that Lissa was the target, which meant I was a target. No way was any mutt getting to my girl while I was still alive. Thinking on my feet I jerked Lissa into the mostly empty street and towards the busy shopping district. I had taught Lissa how to react in these situations, she needed to stay quiet so I could focus, only to make a noise if she was injured, and to follow my every command verbal or non-verbal.
We reached the closest bus stop just before the bus pulled away, I shoved Lissa ahead of me and lept on just before the door closed. We paid the all-day bus fare and stood in the back. I could feel Lissa's panic as the howling continued in the distance.
Are they going to get us, Rose?
I shook my head at her mental question. Hoping I was correct.
Why would they send Psi-hounds?
I shrugged, the school must be really desperate to risk her life by using psi hounds. While being incredible hunters, the hounds were notorious for only following commands to the letter, they did not do gentle either. We got off the city bus right past the Greyhound bus stop, walking up we bought 2 tickets to Manchester New Hampshire. I shoved the tickets into my back pocket and found a bus to Portland Oregon.
"Alright Lissa, we are going on that bus," I told her pointing to the one to Portland. "The driver needs to let us on and not remember us okay?" She nodded and I flashed her a smile. I clocked where the cameras were and where they would be able to see us. I led her to a waiting area that would get our faces on camera, then towards the Manchester bus. I made sure to look around frantically but never at the cameras. Once we got out of the camera shot we snuck towards the portland bus.
"We need a ride, you can give us that right?" Lissa asked the driver in a sickly sweet voice. "You are going to let us on your bus and forget we were here once we get off okay?" The driver's eyes glazed over and he nodded. She glanced at me to make sure that she did it right, I smiled again and led her to the back of the bus. She sat in the window seat and I watched the other passengers pile on. We left the city 10 minutes later. My hand found the poppy on my hip again as I let the adrenaline drain from my system, we were safe for now.