Chapter 2 of A Shift in Perspective is now up. Thank you all for the amazing responses! I have seen some time travel stories here and there but I wanted to give it a go. Let me know what you think and where I can make improvements in my stories. All mistakes are my own as this story is un-beta'd.
No Copyright intended, all characters belong to Richelle Mead.
As I walked into the kitchen, I felt nervous about how they would respond. I am not even sure if I truly believe that what is happening to me now, is actually real.
Here they both were. Lissa, looking flushed after she had fed. Dimitri, looking just as stoic as ever, leaning against the kitchen wall.
"Honestly, I am not sure where I should even start. I guess the thing that would make the most sense to you, is to tell you I am not the same person I was several hours ago. Lissa, when we went to bed, I was 17 years old and wouldn't have been able to defend you if we were attacked by a strigoi," I started, ignoring the incredulous look she was sending me. "When we woke up however I was, currently am, a freshly graduated guardian." Looking to Dimitri,
"I have already lived this year. I know what is going to happen in the next upcoming months and it won't be pretty." I looked down at the table, breaking eye contact with Dimitri. I just wanted to throw myself into his arms and hope that he would make everything better.
Forcing myself to continue, I told them about what lies ahead in the next two months. How we go back to the Academy. Convince Kirova not to kick me out and Dimitri agrees to start training me. Find out that the person who has been watching Lissa and Ms. Karp is Victor Dashkov. How he uses Lissa to heal him and has Natalie turn into a strigoi to break him out of the Academy's prison.
I have to hand it to them both, if I was the one who was hearing this crazy story, I would have already interrupted over a 1,000 times. But now here Lissa and Dimitri sit, listening to everything I have to say.
"I know that this is hard to believe but I am telling you the truth. Lissa, you know I would never lie to you. You have been with me -we have been together since kindergarten- you know who I am.
"Dimitri, you don't know me yet, but I know you. We get to know each other over these next couple of months and you learn to tolerate my outlandish ways. Will you give me a chance to prove to you that I am telling you the truth?"
I leave out how close Dimitri and I actually do get. I wasn't about to tell Mr. Perfect, he sleeps with his student. At least not right now and not in front of Lissa.
"Far be it for me to question those that have the power of sight. My Babushka--"
"Oh yeah, Yeva. That crazy witch is probably behind this whole thing." I laugh, interrupting Dimitri.
He gave me a strange look.
"I met her a couple months ago."
Again leaving out the part where I go to Russia and try to kill the man I love.
"Well, like I said, it would be unwise for me to go against advice given to me by one who has foresight. But if I can just ask one question," I nod my head for him to continue, "if we are as close as you say, what is one thing about myself that I would never tell anyone, unless I trust them completely."
I catch his eyes and motion towards Lissa, "Are you sure that you are open to sharing this with Liss?"
"I need to know," was all he said.
Lissa being her angelic self can tell that this conversation was going to become very personal, "I can go into the other room and wait."
"No, if what Novice Hathaway says is true then we are all about to become very familiar with each other."
"First, please call me Rose, Comrade. Second," taking a deep breath, I remember the conversation we had about his father, "While you have never told me his name, your father was a part of your life, in and out, until the age of 13. He is the biological father of your three sisters and he used to beat your mother but you put a stop to it.
"Probably the most important thing you try to control is your mask. Constantly worn because you do not want to end up like your father. You fear that if you let your emotions show, you'll end up the same way as him.
"But you are nothing like him. He drinks because he never amounted to anything, you are only 24 and have built an amazing and badass reputation. He is mean and selfish, you are the kindest man I have ever met and so generous. You never told me, but I know that 90 percent of your paycheck is sent back home to help your family.
"And the reason you read those stupid western novels, like the one you have in the front pocket of your duster, is because you want to be just like those sherifs. The ones that throw the rules out the window and do whatever it takes to do what is right."
Silence fills the kitchen as Lissa and Dimitri process what I just said.
'Oh my god. You are in love with him,' Lissa says in my head. I lock eyes with her and nod.
My gaze then shifts to Dimitri who is looking at me in amazement. His head tilted as he studied my expression.
"Okay." He exhales slowly, "What do we do then?"
"I have been thinking about it and I believe that we need to spend the next couple of months in Baia."
I have been thinking about the different outcomes and the best one revolved around going to Baia and staying with Dimitri's family for the next couple of months. Baia was secluded enough where a dhampir girl can blend right in.
Baia also has Oksana and she will be able to make Lissa a concealment ring. While teenage Moroi do not typically stay in a dhampir community, it was not unheard of. We would only stay there until after Christmas.
This would hopefully save the most lives. If we were in Russia then Victor would not have easy access to Lissa and he would hopefully die from his Sandovsk's Syndrome, like he was supposed to.
Natalie would not turn into a strigoi and be able to mourn her father without him putting crazy ideas in her head.
I would have to send notice to the guardians at the Badica's and Drozdov's residences. Saving Mia from having to lose her mother. She might end up staying a bitch though.
Mason. If there weren't any attacks on the royal families then there would be no need to go on the ski trip and no Spokane. Mason would live.
Lissa and I will also get to spend time with another spirit bonded pair, which we haven't had the opportunity to do yet. While I did pick up some of the shortcuts Mark and Oksana use, there is always more that I can learn to better protect Lissa. Plus she will also get to practice her spirit with Oksana, which will help with controlling spirit madness.
I explained my reasoning to Dimitri and Lissa but left out the part about the attacks on the Badica's and Drozdov's residences as well as Mason. No need to overwhelm them.
"There are more people like me, us, out there?" Lissa said in a hopeful voice.
"There is also another point I should bring up. It will actually help us, believe it or not." Shooting a quick smile to Lissa, "I know who my father is- Dimitri you know him as well- his name is Abe Mazur. Also known as Zemy."
Dimitri's laser sharp eyes search the room as if Zemy was going to walk out at any moment. While Lissa is sitting with her mouth hanging open.
Very unflattering for the otherwise beautiful Moroi.
"You are Zemy's daughter." Dimitri's tone was flat and I realized that I just lost some, if not all, of the trust that I previously held.
"When did you meet your father? Are you sure that you can trust this man? He hasn't even been in your life! What do you mean that this could help us? Why didn--" Lissa was rambling and I had to cut her off before she really started to go.
"Liss, please. Dimitri, yes I am Abe's daughter. I just found out in April-- will find out?-- point is, he has not been in my life at this point in time. Everything that I have told you is the truth. You have looked me in the eye and you know that I am not lying. I told you something that I know Zemy would never know about you, aside from who your father actually is. He wouldn't look at how that has shaped you into the man that you are today."
As I pleaded my case to Dimitri, I could see his glare sofen and the accusation leave his features. Sighing in relief, "Lissa like I just said, in this timeline, or whatever you want to call it, I haven't met my father yet. That is why I didn't tell you. My mother and Abe decided, probably before I was even born, that Abe would not be in my life until I turned 18.
"You see, my dad is sort of a mobster. He has a lot of enemies that would use me against him if they knew I existed. I'm pretty sure that my parents actually loved each other, which is so weird to think about, and he would have been in my life, if he didn't have such a dangerous job."
I rolled my eyes. I could take care of myself but I guess that wasn't the case when I was a baby. Still the fact that Abe is considered to have an even more dangerous job then his dhampir guardian daughter is hilarious.
Lissa let out an un-princess like snort and laughed, "Of course your father is a mobster. You make a lot more sense now."
"Hey!"
Abe and Janine would need to be called soon. Word would have most likely reached Kirova by now that Lissa and I have been located and are refusing to go back to the Academy. Speaking of…
"Hey Comrade, what did you tell those other guardians to get them to leave?" My curiosity was getting the better of me, which wasn't new.
"Don't call me that. I told them that my charge wished to stay where she was and to inform the headmistress that I would no longer need a room at St. Vladimires." He says while glaring at me.
"Please we both know you love it." I smirked and then asked, "Did they say anything about me?"
"I told them that they were more than welcome to try and remove you from the premises but if the princess requested that I help you, I would be forced to abide by her wishes." Dimitri said with the slightest upturn on the corner of his lips.
"You threatened them! That is brilliant. I wish I could have seen their faces." I cannot believe that he intimated them so readily with only the briefest look from me.
"I merely made the suggestion that they would have better luck if they called Headmistress Kirova to see if you still had a place at the academy without the princess by your side." His scowl eased.
"Let me guess, I've been kicked to the curb. You know, Kirova always said she wanted to expel me." I said with a little laugh. "I guess we really should get a move on. It won't take long before Victor finds out and tries to come after us."
"Oh no Rose, we didn't think about if he would follow us to Russia." Lissa let out a small cry.
"Don't worry about it, we'll figure something out. We always do."
In fact the plan that I had in mind involved Abe.
While Lissa and I have been relatively good at staying under the radar, it was due to Lissa's power of compulsion. Now that I know the true extent of the effect spirit has on the mentality of its user, I want Lissa to focus only on what she needs to.
Plus getting out of the country is a whole new level of compulsion. The power it would take to conceal not only herself but me and a 6'7" Russian. Lissa hasn't built up her powers to that level yet.
"Start packing Liss, I want to get out of here in the next hour or two." Once she was out of the room I turned toward Dimitri who was still eyeing me. "Dimitri, can I use your phone?"
He hands it to me, still rather reluctant. I take a deep breath and dial the number I have come to memorize these past couple of months he has been in my life.
"Mazur" Abe barks out when he answers the phone.
"Well good morning to you too, old man. What time is it for you over there anyway, 1 pm?" Good job Rose, start sarcastic, he doesn't even know it's you yet.
"Who is this? Do you know who you are speaking to, young lady?" Great, now he is in a mood.
"Don't get your panties in a bunch, Zemy. It's me, Rose. Rose Hathaway." The line on the other end went silent for a long time.
I bit my lip and waited for Abe to respond. Dimitri was sitting at the table with me, still looking at me. I should tell him to take a picture.
"How did you get this number? This is my private line… You know, a lot of people are looking for you." At that last sentence I could almost hear pride seeping through his voice.
I roll my eyes. Always the same with Zemy, proud that his daughter is evading guardians left and right.
"Not anymore." I replied, "That is why I am calling you. I need to get out of the country for a little while."
More silence.
"If you are asking for help, my prices don't come cheap. Even more so if you plan to bring the princess with you," He says in his business tone, trying to distance himself.
"Actually it will be for three people. Look old man, I know that you are my father. I know that you didn't really want to never be a part of my life. Please, I am asking you for a favor. We need to get out of the country."
"I'm sure I don't know what you are talking about." Abe retorted.
"We don't have time to play any games right now. Like I said, the people who have been looking for us, found us. The reason Lissa and I ran from the academy is because a madman was, currently is, after us."
"Do you have a place in mind?" He asked.
"Yes, Baia, it is a little dhampir town. We are staying with a family there."
"Okay."
Abe was being unusually quiet and it was freaking me out.
"The tickets can't be under our names either." I reminded him
"Funny, I figured that when you said someone was after you." There was the Abe I knew.
"And keep in mind that we are bringing along a very tall guardian, it would be cruel to make him fly coach."
"You wouldn't happen to be talking about a Guardian Belikov, would you? He is the princesses current guardian, is he not?" He asked in that annoying, all knowing, Abe Mazur voice. "Where are you?"
"In Portland, Oregon." I rattled off the address quickly. Ignoring his first question.
"A car will be dropped off in half an hour. Drive straight to the San Francisco airport. Give me a call once you are there and I'll give you your flight information."
"Thank you." I whisper into the phone.
"Anything for you, Kiz."
Just as I was about to hang up I thought of one more thing, "Hey old man, do you think you can talk to my mother and let her know that I have officially been kicked out of school? Thanks!" I quickly close the phone.
"I do not want to be the one that tells Janine Hathaway that her daughter was kicked out of the academy." I tell Dimitri