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Thirteen

Chapter 14

RPOV

The guardian that found us, Mikhail, I think, separated us as soon as we boarded the private jet that would bring us back to our academic prison. He said something about us forming an escape plan in minutes if we were allowed to sit together. I'd scoffed and stormed down the aisle to the front of the plane where he'd told me I was sitting. He was right though. I had been whispering to Lissa that I'd get her out of this somehow. Dimitri was pointedly not looking at me and my heart that had finally started to heal broke again. Mikhail sat next to me, telling Dimitri to stay seated next to Lissa. I was completely floored that they'd bring a novice on this kind of mission but Dimitri had been worlds ahead of everyone when I was still at the academy so it made sense in some way.

"Were you really going to attack all of us back there?" Mikhail asked, conversationally. I simply glared at him, then turned to look out the window. "It was very brave. Stupid, but brave nonetheless." I barely heard him as an intense surge of guilt sucked me into Lissa's head. She was studying Dimitri from the corner of her eye and my heart leap into my throat. He'd perfected his guardian mask over the past couple years and was staring straight ahead.

"Dimitri?" Lissa whispered. His eyes turned to her, sorrow flashing in them so quickly I don't think she'd noticed. But I had. The hard brown eyes softened slightly at Lissa's grief-stricken face.

"Yes, Princess?" he acknowledged her formally. His voice wrapped around me like honey and for the first time since the bond formed, I didn't struggle to get out of Lissa's head.

"None of this is Rose's fault," she whispered. "She missed you so much while we were gone. She was only protecting me." His eyes hardened back up as a frown took over his face.

"She still left me, Lissa," his tone was slightly harsh, surprising both of us. She swallowed past the lump in her throat, as another thought jumped to the front of her mind.

"Why'd they let you come?" she asked cautiously. He turned his head away from her to stare straight ahead as he answered.

"Mikhail started mentoring me six months ago," he began. "Everyone thought it would be a good training opportunity for me. Plus, they thought you two would be more receptive to coming back if there was a familiar face involved." She nodded in understanding, dropping the conversation and I returned to my own head. Mikhail sighed heavily, standing up. I guess he thought we wouldn't spring up and jump out of the plane. Another body soon replaced him and I tensed, the familiar scent of sandalwood filling my nostrils.

"Rose," Dimitri greeted, tone void of all emotion. I turned towards him and my breath caught. He was somehow even more sexy after not seeing him for two years. He'd grown a couple inches and had to be around six foot seven at this point. His hair was a little longer and he had the ghost of stubble lining his jaw. I wanted nothing more than to run my hands along the planes of his face.

"Comrade," I breathed, finally.

"Are you going to run again when we get back?" he asked, so softly that I barely heard him.

"I…I don't know," I whispered back. "If Lissa still isn't safe-"

"She hasn't been safe for the past two years," he snapped, startling me as he cut me off. "The academy is heavily guarded and ringed in wards. You made her, and yourself, Strigoi fodder."

"I kept her alive," I bit back, as my heart shattered at his anger. "You wouldn't understand."

"You're right," his tone was almost condescending. "I will never understand why you thought leaving was a good idea." He stood abruptly as tears filled my eyes. I refused to let them fall, blinking hard as one of the other guardians sat beside me. I was grateful this one didn't want to try to talk to me. We landed about half an hour later around six PM human time. Breakfast time for those on a vampiric schedule. And the bastards lead us straight through the cafeteria to get to Kirova's office, regardless of there being at least four other ways to get there. The room went silence as we walked down the middle of the tables. I grasped Lissa's hand, head held high as I met the eyes of anyone that dared stare. It only took a couple of minutes to make it to our destination but it was torture. The chatter that erupted behind us was nearly deafening. We sat next to each other in front of Kirova's desk and the few guardians that stayed with us, along with Dimitri stood against the back wall.

"Princess," Kirova greeted warmly before turning to me with a glare. "Hathaway." My name was spoken with venom and I glared in an attempt to not flinch.

"I'm thrilled to have you returned safely," she addressed Lissa, then turned to me. "And what the hell were you thinking?" I opened my mouth to answer but Lissa beat me to it.

"This isn't Rose's fault!" she blurted. I tried to meet her gaze to will her to stop with my eyes but she was focused on Kirova.

"Of course it is," Kirova scoffed. "You could have orchestrated the entire thing but it was still her responsibility to report it. To keep you safe."

"She did keep me safe!" Lissa continued to defend me.

"Vasilisa," a gravely voice spoke from the other side of the room, startling both of us. I mentally scolded myself for not noticing him the second we walked in the room. Lissa's honorary uncle stood shakily from his chair as she leap to her feet to hug the frail man gently.

"Uncle," she whispered. "I'm sorry to have worried you." He patted her hand, kind green eyes regarding her tenderly.

"I'm just glad to have you back safely," he told her, then looked over her shoulder to meet my eyes, "Both of you." I smiled weakly, nodding in acknowledgement. Kirova cleared her throat.

"Anyway," she continued as though nothing happened. "You will obviously pick back up with your classes immediately, Princess. But as for you," her beady eyes turned to glare at me, "You will be sent…away." My throat went dry.

"Away?" I repeated, fear filling me. "Where to? My mother? Did she even know I was gone? Or maybe you'll send me off to a blood whore community? Try that, and we'll be gone by morning." The fear was suddenly replaced with rage and I clenched my fists so tight it was a wonder they didn't draw blood. I felt someone shift behind me as a warm hand rested on my shoulder. I nearly melted as electricity coursed through me under Dimitri's rough hand.

"If I may, Headmistress," he began. "Rose Hathaway was one of the best novices this school, or any other really, has ever seen. It would be a shame to waste such potential, especially a girl, with our numbers already dwindling." My heart soared at his praise, then promptly fell when he mentioned our numbers. I resisted the shudder that wanted to overtake me.

"None of that is really your place to say, novice Belikov," she answered primly. "However, you have a couple sound points. Regardless, there is no way she could possibly catch up to her classmates and graduate on time."

"She can join the training sessions Belikov and I already have in place," Mikhail spoke from his place on the wall. "Between the two of us, we should have her back on track in a couple of months."

"And we just let her go unpunished?" Kirova leaned back in her chair, sighing in annoyance.

"Of course not," Mikhail answered. "Find some other way to punish her." Dimitri dropped his hand from my shoulder as the adults took the conversation back over. I nearly cried out at the loss of contact.

"Even if she stays, there is no way such a reckless, impulsive girl would be a good fit to guard the last Dragomir after the stunts she's pulled," Kirova was out for blood.

"But my parents!" Lissa started to protest once again but Kirova held a hand up.

"I know what your parents wanted," she placed the hand on her chest. "God rest their souls, but Miss Hathaway is nothing more than a delinquent."

"They have a bond," Dimitri blurted from his spot on the wall. I felt my mouth drop open and Lissa's heart sink. I gripped the arms of my chair so I didn't fly out of it and punch him in the face.

"What a gift," Victor murmured.

"That's not possible," Kirova breathed at the same time. "That hasn't happened in centuries."

"Rose told me several months before they left," he said, as I turned to glare at him. He shot me an apologetic look that I almost missed. "She's the ideal future guardian for the Princess."

"The boy has a point, Headmistress," Victor jumped in to defend us. "It would be foolish to waste such an extraordinary gift." Kirova looked about ready to explode. She pinched the bridge of her beaklike nose before letting out a long sigh.

"Very well," she finally conceded. "Hathaway can stay. She will join Tanner and Belikov's training sessions before and after normal classes. She will otherwise be bared from any and all social activities outside of meals."

"Thank you, Headmistress," Lissa leaned forward, holding her eyes. She softened slightly and nodded in answer before releasing us…and sending us straight into classes. Cruel.

"Dimitri!" I called as he walked briskly to the defense class we were bond to share. I had to jog to keep up.

"What do you want, Rose?" he bit out, not looking at me. I almost stopped walking, shocked with how cold he was being towards me.

"I…I thought maybe we could talk," I told him, uncharacteristically sheepish.

"About what?" he shot out, glancing at me with emotionless eyes. "You left me, remember?"

"I'm sorry," I whispered, slowly slightly. He spun on his heel, stopping me in my tracks. I tilted my head to look up at him.

"You're sorry?" he laughed bitterly. "Sorry doesn't cut it in this case, Rose. For two years, I had to sit around and worry and wonder if you were even alive. Now that I know you are, we can both move on with our lives."

"Why'd you defend me back there then?" I asked, anger sparking deep inside of me.

"Lissa needs you," he replied, glaring down at me. "She was my friend too. You've made it perfectly clear that she comes first. I was looking out for her, not you." With that, he turned and stalked off. I had no choice but to follow him, as we had the same defense class. I forced myself into a sense of confidence I didn't feel and sauntered into the gym.

"Hathaway! Don't run away!" A sing-song voice rang out and I turned to grin at Mason and Eddie.

"Pick your jaw up off the floor, Ashford!" I laughed. "Now's not a good time to think about me naked!"

"It's always a good time to think about you naked," Mason smirked, Eddie laughed and just like that, the novice's welcomed me back with open arms. I swore I saw Dimitri tense up at our flirty exchange, but if he was going to be a dick, he could watch me flirt with other guys. I partnered up with Mason for our sparring drills, and promptly found out just how far I'd fallen behind. I groaned as he pulled me back to my feet.

"I hate you," I bit out, rubbing my lower back.

"You'd hate me more if I held back," he answered, sounding genuinely sorry. We headed off to Stan's class, along with Eddie.

"Does Dimitri hang out with you guys anymore?" I asked, curiosity filling me. Eddie shrugged.

"Sometimes," he said. "He went extra antisocial right after you left. Throwing himself into classes and extra solo workouts."

"As soon as Guardian Tanner got here like eight or so months ago, he started asking him to be his mentor," Mason filled in. "He finally agreed after watching a couple classes where Dimitri took down over half of the rest of us, singlehandedly." I nodded, soaking in the little information I could get. We got to Stan's class just as the bell rang and I plopped down at the closest desk. I glanced around the room, stiffening when I noticed I'd sat right next to Dimitri. Great.

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