I was practically buzzing in my seat but the time the seminar let out, ready to tackle Dimitri with questions.

In the midst of class, with him breathing down my neck, offering translations to what I saw unfolding before me, I could barely breathe. Whether it was from the excitement, the novelty of what was going on, or else just his proximity was beyond me.

When Ivan had first introduced the class name, Dimitri's translations right next to me, I had snapped my face towards his, leaving the space too intimate considering how closely he usually leaned into me to avoid disturbing my classmates. In the span of a heartbeat, I had take a sharp breath, convinced that Dimitri had glanced down at my lips as he jerked backwards. I really needed to get a grip on myself.

Back at St. Vladimir's, Moroi magic was something dhampir novices were rarely privy to outside of the odd argument where a Moroi might whip it out to show his dominance over a classmate. Even then, those kinds of arguments were quickly dissolved by a flock of instructors. Instead, Moroi kept most of their practical magic use to their elemental courses – where students were divided up into their specialties and taught how to yield them.

I hadn't even seen Lissa use much magic in all the years we were gone because, though Moroi maintained a decent control over all over them at once and specialized in one exclusively early in high school, Lissa had never taken control of one in particular. Instead, she had just been able to manage short spurts of each, enough to think about lighting a candle, lift a lock of hair in a breeze, shift the water in your glass, or make a plant look a little less wilted… if you squinted. We'd always just figured maybe her powers lay in an eerily supernatural control of compulsion.

But right before my eyes at St. Basil's, magic was unfolding.

Not in the literal sense for most students – Ivan was still in the lecturing phase, posturing how these techniques may be useful in the long term and how to go about them with the most accuracy, control, and effect. There had been a short demonstration by him – in fire - and other elemental professors which had set the room alight.

Throughout the lecture, I had been able to watch the reactions of students around me. For more than a handful of the Moroi students in the class, probably royals who would never be convinced to lift a finger in life, the class seemed to almost be boring in their eyes. But when the magic came out, even the most diffident person in the room leaned in, internal wonder sparked.

This kind of magic could change the world. Why wasn't out whole society keyed into this?

Guardian numbers were low. We relied on communities like those the Belikovs grew up in to bolster the populations because longterm Moroi-dhampir relationships were few and far between and dhampirs relationships, a true rarity, didn't end in conception due to our sterile genes. With some students going to school just to protect their own homes, like Viktoria, that was a resource that wouldn't be going to Moroi protection. Thus, guardians were very specifically distributed and many non-royals didn't receive one in their lifetime, leaving them open to Strigoi.

Moroi would actually stand a chance at survival if they were using their magic both defensively and offensively. In tandem with a dhampir guardian, no Strigoi stood a chance, especially when you regarded fire users.

I could hardly believe that any other element would be as useful in a fight, but Ivan completely changed my mind around. Air users could incapacitate them with strong winds, or throw them off with asphyxiation. A water user could control the blood they had in them, manipulating it and choking them enough for a guardian to get a clean shot. And earth users could, with practiced magic, encase them in stone or earth, rendering them immobile in the face of a stake.

There was potential everywhere. Beyond being mystifying, it was infuriating.

Why wasn't Queen Tatiana considering this as an option? Why weren't we empowering all Moroi with the ability to control their own fate?

Viktoria bid Dimitri and I farewell, setting off for her last class of the day.

Every student and guardian had vacated the room, leaving me with Ivan and his two guardians, I skipped down the steps towards the Moroi in question, ready to spout off all my questions.

"What the actual fuck?" I started, at a loss for words to explain the emotions warring inside me.

"Woah woah woah, Kolyuchka," Alexei said as the group came together at the front of the room. "This is a distinguished academy. There will be no such fucking language from you."

I rolled my eyes at him, Dimitri sharing the same sentiment.

Ivan, for his own part, just answered my question thoughtfully. "Don't you think it's time that we Moroi evolve and become proactive about our own protection?" he asked thoughtfully. "A few years after we graduated, the three of us got into a bad situation in Moscow. We were just goofing around suddenly there were four Strigoi, more than Alexei and Dimitri could handle alone."

I grimaced, packs of Strigoi that large were unheard of, and deadly. Luckily, with the three of them around me, the damage couldn't have been permanent.

"I just remembered feeling so helpless, like I was going to watch my best friends die in front of me. My adrenaline kicked in," Ivan continued, rejoicing in the comforting smiles his guardians were giving him while he recounted the tale. "I decided I was at least going to go down swinging, so I threw a fire ball. At the time, it was the most sophisticated thing I had learned in school. It was so small but it hit one of them and the momentary distraction was enough for Dimitri and Alexei to both get an upper hand and my fire helped us incapacitate all the Strigoi.

"So I vowed to learn more about how magic, even all of the elements beyond fire, could be used in this way. Before we settled down at this academy this year, we did quite a bit of traveling, all sponsored by Abe." Abe? He'd known about this all along? "We came across fringe communities of Moroi who, without traditional rules to govern who they were and how they lived, stood alongside dhampirs as a united front, as equals even. Strigoi didn't even test them because, besides being so isolated, they put up the greatest fight at all, even without the regimented training of sending their children through academies. It was remarkable."

"So is this." I murmured, still buzzing in excitement for what was to come. "This could change our world."

From: RosemarieMazur

To: VasilisaDragomir

Hey Liss, long time no talk.

I meant to send you something earlier, but I got so caught up on the journey I didn't even know where to begin. I guess, first and foremost, I go by Rose Mazur here… just to avoid any torment that might come with the territory of the known kidnapper of the last heir of her line. Casual. Abe actually got me set up painlessly, and he seemed way excited that I wanted to be connected to him, even if just by name. He left pretty soon after I got established, always business-oriented, I guess. Regardless, I got swept into training so fast that I really didn't have enough energy at the end of the day to deal with him.

St. Basil's has this wild mentorship allotment that they credit with being the reason they produce the best guardians. I've been assigned to Alexei's guarding partner Dimitri who, besides being way hot, is an icon here!? Seriously, my classmates literally call him a god.

Speaking of… fiery, saw you hanging out with Christian Ozera… would it maybe kill you to fly a LITTLE more under the radar? Go back to making out with Aaron or something.

Anyway… I miss you a lot Liss.

Talk soon.

From: VasilisaDragomir

To: RosemarieMazur

Rose!

I'm so happy to hear from you, you wouldn't believe how crazy life has been here. Speaking of Aaron, he's dating some younger girl now, only by a few years, but honestly she's the worst. I swear, she has it out to get me, down to throwing ice-water down my back after church today. We love a water user, don't we? Hopefully she'll grow out of it when she realize I don't want him back! He's boring.

Anyway, Christian isn't THAT bad, he was actually kind of fun. I swear, you'd probably even like him – you both have the same sense of humor. He's also one of the only people who's treated me like a human since I've left, every other Royal has pretty much decided to cast me off, but I'm not complaining. Without you, I'd rather just finish this year in peace.

Mason, Eddie, Natalie, and I have become a mostly-functional group, the former two probably being your idea for protection, I'm guessing? They're really easy going and also treat me like a regular person, which is nice. I'm rooming with Natalie which is interesting… she honestly never stops talking, but I've gotten okay at tuning her out or leaving to study.

Now, tell me more about this handsome mentor of yours?

From: RosemarieMazur

To: VasilisaDragomir

I swear, Lissa, if I so much as SEE that Christian is messing with you, I'll get Mason and Eddie on him, they'll knock some sense into him best as anyone could. In fact, I'll sic them on that little girl Aaron is dating too, then she'll be out of the picture and you can have your boring safe bet back. There are worse things in life and then, after you graduate, you can find a man fit for a king.

Now, for a little bit about my pain in the ass. Dimitri (my mentor) is tall, dark, and beautiful, but he's running me ragged. I've barely gotten a break since I got here – mornings, the mentorship class block, and after classes end as well. Nearly all day on Saturdays. Mostly we've gone over a lot of theory that I missed, but I'm still exhausted. During our mentorship blocks, Ivan (Dimitri and Alexei's charge who is a Zeklos that puts Jesse to shame) teaches me Russian. Everything here is in Russian, it's driving me crazy. Dimitri has to sit at the back of my classes with me to translate what's going on… I'm hoping I can con him into taking my notes and tests too, here's to hoping. Anyway, Ivan says I'm getting better at the language, at least, so there's hope.

I'm glad to see the boys are treating you well. Wish I could be there too.

DO SVEDANEEYA! (Goodbye)

From: VasilisaDragomir

To: RosemarieMazur

You loon, I know what goodbye is in Russian, I actually paid attention in class, remember? I've got it again this year so maybe we can practice over skype one day or something. Speaking of conversing, I may have asked so nicely for the dorm matron to give me the phone number to her front desk, it's +1(406)867-5308. Call anytime, dependent on the time difference.

No way you'll get your boys to turn on Christian. They love him. He's started hanging out with us and we all make the strangest group at St Vladimir's but I'm actually starting to enjoy my time here. Why have I never flown under the radar before now? It's a dream not having to play proper anymore. After all our time away, I don't know if I could even try.

From: VasilisaDragomir

To: RosemarieMazur

Liss, watch your compulsion there! You remember what Crazy Karp said, mum is the word on those skills of yours.

Anyway, as far as I'm concerned, hanging out with Christian is the OPPOSITE of flying under the radar. At least Mason and Eddie are keeping somewhat of an eye on you.

You'd probably be surprised to hear that I've been flying under the radar as well. It's really

strange… at St Vlad's I had this need to be the top dog socially but here I've just been hanging out with Dimitri, Ivan, and Alexei and it's kind of nice… I mostly avoid my classmates but except for Viktoria, Dimitri's sister who goes to St Basils but isn't planning on becoming a guardian? Culture over here is so different….

Anyway, I want to try and talk with you over the phone soon. The class Ivan is teaching… is… unbelievable. I need to tell you about it with a real time reaction.

From: VasilisaDragomir

To: RosemarieMazur

It's weird, actually. Ms Karp is gone now, she doesn't teach at the school anymore, though no one will tell me why. Strange.

Glad to hear you're getting your quality Dimitri time all over the place. We should have a call or skype session soon to really get everything sorted.