Another new chapter is here! The battle comes in Chapter Twenty-Three, so there's still quite a bit to happen before then. It's mostly Rose/Christian's relationship developing before the massive coming battle.

Hope this chapter is enjoyable!


Eighteen

Rose

The six of us sat squashed into the little cabin, all with books on our knees. Christian sat beside me, but we made a conscious effort not to get too comfortable. There was no resting his head in my lap this time.

I flicked through the pages. Most of them were offensive moves that served the same purpose: shooting fire at the enemy. Doing anything more than sending fire in their direction was showier than we needed.

There'd been a few that we'd written on our master list and bookmarked, though. One which created a defensive line of fire on the ground. We figured it could be a similar technique for earth wielders to manipulate the ground.

I skimmed over the page in my hand, and my lips quirked. The picture showed someone manipulating a flame into a whip, and hitting another person on the ass with it.

I nudged Christian and showed him the picture. He grinned, fangs on full show, and his eyes sparkling.

I felt Lissa's pang of jealousy at our easy interaction and hurriedly went back to the book I was reading. Christian did the same, though there was still a small quirk on his lips. I glared at him. "Don't get any ideas," I muttered.

He chuckled, flicking over the page of his own book.

An alarm blared into the cabin, and we all jumped, looking towards Lissa. She flushed, grabbing her phone and turning it off. "Sorry, I have a meeting with the Queen. I had to set an alarm so I didn't forget."

She put a bookmark in the book to show where she'd gotten up to and stood up. Eddie followed suit. Tasha stood up, too, and took the book from her. She enveloped her in a quick hug. "It was good to see you, Liss. Hopefully we'll see you again soon. You too, Eddie."

"Of course! I love it up here in the cabin, it's so cosy." She turned to me and Christian, who were still sat on the floor side-by-side. We'd given up the couch for Lissa and Eddie, and the table for Tasha and Dimitri. "I'll see you guys on campus at some point. We can get together and study."

"Sure, Liss." Christian smiled. "I'd get up now, but my legs have gone numb."

She laughed. "No worries. See you later."

We all said our goodbyes, and Christian got to his feet, offering me a hand up. "I'm never being that chivalrous again. The floor is way too uncomfortable."

We both collapsed onto the couch, still reading our books. This time I put my feet up over the arm of the sofa and rested my back against Christian's arm.

"I really don't know why this guy felt the need to learn how to throw balls of fire in every shape under the sun," I muttered. "I mean, does throwing a cube rather than a sphere really make that much difference?"

Christian laughed. "Tell me about it. Oh." He turned a page. "This looks good." He turned to show me. It was a picture of someone conjuring a wall of fire. "I bet water and earth wielders could use this, too."

Tasha snatched the book from his hands to have a look. "I'll add it to the list," she agreed, then yawned. "I've really had enough of this for tonight." She started rummaging through cupboards. "I just want a family night, for fun. We never get to just chill out without something hanging over us anymore."

Both Christian and I raised a brow when she retrieved a bottle of wine from the cupboard and some wine glasses. A pack of cards came next. "Do you two fancy just relaxing for a change?"

"Actually, relaxing sounds really good," I agreed, knowing that Christian was waiting for me to confirm that was what I wanted before he did. "I forgot that word even existed."

Dimitri set his book aside, too, and we all settled in. Dimitri and Tasha pulled their dining chairs around the coffee table and Tasha poured the wine. "Considering what you've both been going through, I feel like you're old enough to deal with a bit of wine."

"I don't doubt that Rose has dealt with more than a bit of wine in her time," Dimitri teased.

I held my hands up defensively. "You have no proof."

Christian snatched the pack of cards from the table and began shuffling. I watched his hands work as he perfected some fancy technique. "Since when are you some kind of card whiz?"

"Me and Aunt Tasha always used to play cards," he explained. "With my parents before. My dad taught me how to do all the fancy shuffling."

Tasha was staring at him, eyebrows raised, but he paid her no mind.

"I've never played cards before," I admitted. "I mean, beyond snap, anyway. I vote for that. I'm sure I have better reflexes than you."

He grinned at me. "Absolutely not. I am going to savour this night of destroying you."

I scoffed. "I'm a quick learner."

"We'll see."

We ended up playing a game called Whist. It was simple enough, and yet somehow I managed to lose every time.

"This is so unfair," I complained as Christian gathered the cards in again. "I was hoping you'd somehow be just as bad as me, Comrade."

"You know my family is massive. I grew up playing cards, too."

"So unfair."

I'd drained a glass of wine by this point, though my tolerance was still relatively high. A pleasant buzz sat on my mind. A bottle worked out at about one glass each between the four of us, and Tasha retrieved another bottle to pour.

"Why am I beyond unsurprised that you're a sore loser?" Christian teased, dealing the cards.

"Why am I beyond unsurprised you're a sore winner?" I fired back.

"I know which I'd rather be."

I turned to Dimitri. "Is there some kind of massive tactic that I'm missing here?" I begged.

"I think you've been a bit unlucky, to be honest," he said.

"Please. That means there is and you're unwilling to tell me."

Tasha was watching us all with the biggest grin on her face. She looked beautiful normally, but here she was in her element and stunning wasn't adequate. Dimitri, when he looked at her, was the epitome of a man in love. My chest ached in the best way possible. "It's okay Rose, after a few more games you start remembering cards, and then it gets better," Tasha said.

"I don't know if I can sit through Christian's smug smile for another few games."

"Sore loser," Christian chorused.

I flicked his forehead, and picked up the wine Tasha had just poured. "Thanks."

We played a few more rounds, until I was slamming down my final card with a victorious, "ha!" I grinned. "In your face."

Christian smirked. "Yep, that's ten for me, one for you. Congrats on getting onto the scoreboard."

"Please, just let me bask in my victory."

Dimitri and Tasha watched us with an amused smile, and I leant back on the couch, the alcohol definitely getting to my head by now. Christian set the cards down on the table and leant back on the other side of the couch. It wasn't very big, so our thighs pushed together. It was a comforting presence I didn't think I'd ever get used to having.

"What time actually is it?" he asked. "I don't know if Dimitri will mind walking us back if it's past curfew again."

I wondered when Christian had started thinking of him as Dimitri instead of Belikov.

"I don't mind," he assured us. His face had relaxed from the wine, too. He checked his watch. "And yeah, it's already an hour past curfew."

"Damn, time really flies," Tasha said. "It's been nice, though. It's so long since we've done something like this. Did I tell you about the last time I visited our cousins over in England?" Tasha asked Christian.

I drained the last of my wine and put the glass on the coffee table, sinking down in my seat and placing my feet in Christian's lap. He rested his hands on them without hesitation, answering Tasha's question. "You didn't."

"We played cards and drank then, too. God, if you thought Rose was competitive, you've seen nothing. They were smashing their shot glasses against the wall by the end of it. It was a little bit terrifying."

"I assume you won," Christian teased. "And that's why they were all smashing glasses."

"They couldn't quite believe that this American woman was crushing their dreams."

"When was the last time you were in Russia?" I asked Dimitri. He was glowing in this environment, too. He must be missing his family like crazy.

"About three years ago now, just before I was assigned to the school."

"We're planning to visit, though," Tasha said. "After Christian's graduated." After we've survived my sister's onslaught, was left unsaid. "We thought he might like to come too. See somewhere outside of America for a change."

"That's great," I grinned.

This was obviously news to Christian, who looked equally as excited by the news.

No doubt I'd be living in court with Lissa by then.

The sudden of question of whether Lissa and I were compatible rocked me, but I forced myself to ignore it. Compatibility wasn't an issue; being her Guardian was my duty, not my choice.

"That would definitely be fun," Christian said.

A yawn escaped my mouth and I felt the weight behind my eyes. "Sorry," I apologised.

"You better not fall asleep here," he warned. "There's no way in hell I'm sleeping on a couch because my Guardian drank too much, and I'm not carrying you home."

I smirked. "You think you could carry me home?"

He arched an eyebrow. "Are you doubting me?"

"I'd have used the word challenging."

"Wow. You have so little faith in me, Rose." My name rolled off his lips and I felt the shudder down my spine as he moved my legs off his lap to stand in front of me. He looked around the small cabin warily. "I don't want to break anything."

"Do you really want to be witness to how good I am at being a sore winner?" I teased.

He narrowed his eyes and slipped one arm under my knees, and the other around my shoulders, and hiked me into his arms. I gave a little shriek and wrapped my arms around his neck, laughing when I realised he'd lifted me as if I weighed nothing.

"I guess doing magic takes more effort than I always thought," I teased, allowing him to carry me out of the little cabin and into the cold sunrise.

"Damn right it does," he muttered. "I'm going to put you back down now."

I nodded and let him put me back on my feet, managing to unwrap my arms from his neck without hesitation. Dimitri was pulling his shoes on and Tasha stood in the doorway chuckling at us.

"I'll see you two tomorrow, and I'll see you in a few minutes." She gave Dimitri a peck on the cheek, and he wandered over to us.

I only realised how close I was still standing to Christian when we set off walking back to campus, and I had to move away from him. "I wish I had fire magic," I complained, wrapping my arms around myself. "You're always so warm."

Christian chuckled and wrapped an arm around my shoulder. "It does come in handy."

"I've never done anything like that before, you know," I told him as we walked. "Like, a family thing. It was nice." I turned to Dimitri. "You guys are here indefinitely, right?"

"Yes."

"We should do that again, then."

"I'm sure Aunt Tasha will be up for that. She loves hosting."

"She's good at it."

"I didn't realise you'd be a sappy drunk, Rose," Christian teased.

"Please. You've seen me drunk enough times to know that I'm a depressed drunk, not a sappy one."

"I think it depends on why you're drinking what kind of drunk you turn into."

I laughed. "Fair point. Besides, I'm hardly drunk. Pleasantly tipsy."

"Maybe you're a sappy pleasantly tipsy person, then."

"I should probably avoid drinking past this stage in future."

"What happens to the bond when you drink?" Christian asked.

"It numbs it."

"Oh, that's strange. Is it weird? Not having Lissa in your head?"

"It's kind of a relief, to be honest. Constantly having someone else's thoughts pressing on your mind, it takes a toll. I wouldn't be surprised if loads of shadow-kissed people have become alcoholics. I mean, it's fine when she's happy, but she's not always happy." I lifted a shoulder. "You live with it, though. I'm pretty good at ignoring it most of the time."

"I never thought about it like that," Dimitri mused from the side. "I only ever considered the advantages."

"I mean the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages, really."

"Do you think it would be strange being apart from her?" Christian asked, hand tightening on my arm. "I mean, I know it's like a mental bond, but do you think if you were away from her for a long period of time it'd… I don't know, do something?"

"Hmm, I'm not sure, to be honest. I doubt it'll ever happen for me to test it out."

"Yeah, I guess so," he murmured.

Dimitri nodded at the Guardian on duty again and they let us through without question. I tried my best to look as sober as possible. "And to think you used to be such a stickler for the rules," I teased Dimitri.

He chuckled. "Feels kind of refreshing to not have to work here anymore and patrol people."

"I knew you were secretly wanting to break the rules."

We got back to Christian's dorm room, and I to try and make light of the fact I'd walked the entire way practically crushed against Christian's warm side, I leant forward and gave Dimitri a quick hug. "Thanks for walking us back, and for the mini-party. It was a lot of fun."

"No problem. I had a good time."

We said out goodnights, and Christian and I started getting ready for bed. I was the second one to come out of the bathroom, and Christian was already in bed. I slipped in beside him, and instead of asking what I was doing, he just wrapped his arms around me, and held me from behind.

"I really like your Aunt," I said into the darkness, embraced in his warmth.

He chuckled. "She really likes you too."

"I hope so."

"She's told me she does. And that was at the ski lodge, when you were being a bitch to her, so she definitely likes you now."

I groaned. "Oh God, don't remind me. It feels like years ago since then. I can't believe I was such a child."

I could feel Christian's grin where his face was pressed into my neck. "And that was around the time I thought setting someone on fire would be a good idea to impress a girl, so we're probably even."