Adrian couldn't believe he was sober at this time of day, but with Vasilisa and Christian leaving for Lehigh, this would be his last chance to see them for a while. And with Belikov serving as one of Lissa's Guardians, chances are Tasha would be there, too. True to his word, Adrian had been keeping an eye on Tasha without arousing her suspicion—which is what found him walking across Court to the Dragomir townhouse, ostensibly to say goodbye to his Royal 'cousins' before they set off for college.
He'd spoken with Lissa the day before and knew the plan was to leave around 1:00 pm, using the daylight as protection from any potential Strigoi attack. The building they'd stay in at college was warded, but there was no point risking the journey there in darkness. Besides which, going to a human college meant Lissa, Christian, and most of their Guardians needed to get used to a diurnal schedule.
"Hey," Adrian called out, stepping through the open doorway of Lissa's home just before midday. Five suitcases just inside the front door were waiting to be loaded into the vehicle.
"Hi Adrian," Christian greeted, sticking his head around the wall that separated the front room from the kitchen. "Come to wish us luck?"
"Something like that," Adrian replied with an affable grin. "See you're done packing."
"They're all Lissa's. My suitcase is still upstairs."
"What the hell is she taking?" Adrian asked, finding it hard to imagine how anyone could need so much stuff.
"She and Tasha assure me it's just the basics."
"Where is everyone?" Adrian asked.
"Liss is upstairs with Tasha and Celeste packing up her makeup. Dimitri and Eddie have gone to the motor pool to collect the van, and I'm clearing out the fridge. Don't suppose you want any asparagus?" he asked, lifting a bunch for Adrian's inspection.
"I'll give it a miss," the Moroi playboy replied with a grimace. Any further comment was cut short by the arrival of Castile and Belikov.
"We're back," Eddie called out to the household. Turning to Dimitri he asked, "do you want me to pack the van?"
Dimitri nodded. "I'll help you."
Hearing footsteps on the stairs, Adrian turned to see Tasha lugging a large suitcase. Christian's, if he'd had to guess, since it didn't match the other luggage near the front door. "Dimka? This is heavy—can you help me with it, please?"
Eddie was closer, so made his way across to Tasha. "Here, let me take that."
Tasha passed the suitcase to Eddie with a tight smile, but her aura gave a telltale flash of irritation. She'd wanted interaction with Belikov, not her nephew's new Guardian. Undeterred, she followed Eddie and Dimitri out to the vehicle, Adrian trailing in her wake.
"Be careful with that one," she said to Belikov, touching his arm to get his attention. "Lissa put her breakables in there."
Adrian snorted to himself. Tasha wasn't above using any excuse to put her hands on Belikov. Dimitri didn't acknowledge her presence, although his aura hinted he did not appreciate Tasha's advances. Both his aura and body language were saying leave me alone, even if he was too polite to voice the sentiment. If Tasha thought with gentle flirting Belikov would start to reciprocate her feelings, she'd be waiting a long time.
If he was entirely honest with himself, Adrian couldn't wait for Belikov to leave Court. Seeing him was the ultimate reminder of who wasn't here. Rose. Before her death, he'd reconciled that if she couldn't be his lover, he'd settle for having her as a friend. But now she was gone, leaving a hole in all their lives. He didn't blame Abe. Not really. Yes, it was Abe's plan that had ultimately killed Rose, but Adrian was holding someone else accountable; the person who had murdered his aunt and framed his former girlfriend.
"Hey, Tasha—what's news?" Adrian asked, walking over to where she was standing next to Castile and Belikov.
"Not a lot other than helping Lissa and Christian pack for college. I've been trying to get an audience with Ariana to put forward a Moroi offensive magic proposal, but she's booked out for months. What about you?"
"I've been talking to the Ivashkov family council about putting in a formal request for the Guardian Council to reopen their investigation into Aunt Tatiana's murder. The Council stopped all lines of inquiry when Rose died, but since she didn't do it, Tatiana's murderer is still out there."
Tasha's aura flickered with fear. As Adrian suspected, anyone re-examining the circumstances involving the former monarch's death was the last thing she wanted.
"Do you think they'll go for it?" she asked, doing a good job of feigning nonchalance. She was a wonderful actor, Adrian would give her that. But then, so was he. That he could stand and chat with Tasha without letting his fury show was a testament to that.
"I doubt it. Still, I feel I owe it to Rose to try." His words were for Tasha, but Belikov's reaction was telling. As per every time Rose's name was mentioned, his aura dimmed. The guy was still crazy about Rose, and Adrian understood. Because he was, too.
"Thank you. Rose didn't kill your aunt, and she deserves her name to be cleared," Dimitri said before turning and striding back into the house.
Inside, Dimitri lingered for as long as possible in the basement Guardian suite. Consisting of a living room with a sofa, TV, and an attached bedroom and bathroom, the bedroom had two twin beds; the norm being that each Guardian in a guarding pair would use the bedroom while their partner was on duty. While he could have shared the space with Celeste, Dimitri preferred his own quarters. Since there was no shortage of empty Guardian dorm rooms at Court, he'd chosen to stay offsite in the room allocated to him after his restoration. However, he'd checked out of that space earlier in the day, so had brought his duffle and a single box of belongings to store here.
He didn't want to admit he was hiding down here, although he had decided not to go upstairs until he was called to, or until just before they were due to leave. He wasn't especially looking forward to Lehigh, although it would be nice to be out in the human world. At twenty-one, Celeste could pass as a college freshman, so would attend classes alongside Vasilisa on a 6:00 am to 6:00 pm shift, leaving Dimitri to guard overnight when any attack was more likely. With Christian only having afternoon classes, at least in the first semester, he would roster Eddie from midday to midnight.
While Dimitri was not particularly excited about following the Royal couple to college, one advantage would be the distance from Christian's aunt. At one time a friend, she'd offered him what for most Guardians would be the dream—an easy guarding job, a relationship, and the opportunity to have a family of his own. Indeed, she'd recently let him know that if he was interested, the offer was still on the table.
He might have taken it—when she'd initially suggested it, he'd given it due consideration—were it not for Rose. The idea of a life, or a family, with anyone bar her was inconceivable. There was only one woman he wanted that sort of experience with, and it was her.
Before he was turned, he'd hoped he and Rose could find a way forward, balancing duty with a personal relationship, a fantasy that proved to be disastrously short-lived. The day after they pledged their love to one another, and shared a physical manifestation of that, he was turned. He didn't dwell on everything that happened thereafter. The people he'd killed. The way he treated Rose when she came to Russia to try and free his soul. Those recollections were unrelentingly clear—he couldn't forget them, no matter how much he wished he could. More fleeting and nebulous were the recollections from before that time. The stolen glances and fleeting touches as slowly but surely he and Roza had fallen in love.
Despite doing his best to ignore it, Dimitri wasn't incognizant of Tasha's ongoing interest in him. If he were staying at Court, it was getting to the stage where he'd have to say something. The move to Lehigh was timely from that point of view. Lissa and Christian had made it clear to Tasha that they didn't want to be visited at college, so he'd only have to endure Tasha's interest during their brief visits to Court. He hoped that with him away for most of the year, she would find another love interest and move on.
"You down there, Dimitri?" Matthews called out, descending the stairs into the basement suite. Guarding partners since he was first assigned to the Dragomir Princess, Celeste understood him in a way the others didn't. For example, she knew that right now he was downstairs, likely attempting to avoid Tasha Ozera's overzealous attentions.
That woman made her angry! For fuck's sake—it was obvious Belikov was traumatized by all he'd experienced while undead. Add to it losing the woman he loved, and it was no wonder the guy was in no mood to socialize. Frankly, throwing herself at Dimitri any chance she got made Tasha look both insensitive and desperate. Celeste would have commiserated or joked with Belikov about it but understood that's the last thing he would want, so she kept things strictly professional.
"Just getting the bags," Dimitri replied, standing up and grabbing his duffel, then Celeste's.
"We're all packed up and ready to go. I've checked the road reports and we should arrive by 4:00 pm if we leave now."
"Thank you," Dimitri said, following Celeste up the stairs and through the ground floor to the front of the house, Celeste locking the front door. Conscious it was now quite late, Moroi time, the group spoke quietly in consideration of the neighbors who would likely be asleep. Loading the last bags into the van, Dimitri pointed out where he wanted Lissa and Christian to sit before witnessing their last farewells.
"Have fun at college," Adrian said, his voice a sarcastic drawl. He couldn't think of anything worse than daylight hours having to study all the while surrounded by humans. Ugh. Give him spirits and a hefty trust fund any day! Once he would have added a supply of willing nubile women to that list, but he'd found himself disinterested in amorous company since Rose broke up with him. Yes, he'd eventually get back into the swing of things, but having sex—even with a casual partner—seemed akin to letting Rose go, and he wasn't quite ready to do that.
"Yeah, have a great time! I'm going to miss you two," Tasha added, stepping up to hug Christian and then Lissa. "And as for you, Dimka, make sure you keep these two safe. I'm counting on you!" Stepping forward, Tasha moved to hug Dimitri, too, when he abruptly stepped out of range.
"Please don't," he said firmly, albeit not unkindly. "I can't. I'm just not ready for anything like that."
Tasha nodded with a small smile, thinking this signaled Dimitri was slowly coming around to the idea of something developing between the two of them. Adrian knew better. Tasha's approach had the Russian Guardian's aura screaming its revulsion. When Dimitri said he wasn't ready, he'd meant he wasn't ready for anyone to touch him affectionately. As a betting man, Adrian would wager his very last cent that there would never be a time when Belikov would willingly endure Lady Ozera's affections. Yet it seemed the only person not to be aware of that fact was Tasha.
"You've been so kind to us! We'll let you know when we plan to be back at Court, and hopefully, you'll be here, too," Lissa said, smoothing over the moment by hugging Tasha again.
Posing for a photo Tasha insisted on taking, Christian and Lissa promised to text as soon as they made it to Lehigh. Then, climbing into the van, the doors were closed, and Dimitri started the engine. A few last waves and the two Moroi and three Dhampir were off on a new adventure.
"I wish Rose was here," Lissa whispered from where she was tucked under Christian's arm.
"I know. I do, too."
"We've got a lead," Pavel said without preamble as he stood in front of the sofa where Abe sat. "As you know, I've had someone on Tasha Ozera for a while. She hasn't been doing much at Court, however, from time to time, she has been meeting up with a Guardian."
Abe nodded his head for Pavel to continue. Becoming impatient, he'd honored his promise of throwing every resource at identifying Tatiana's killer, including having Tasha Ozera tailed.
"Ethan Moore," Pavel declared, reading from a thick dossier contained within a manila folder. "The Guardian database had very little on him, so I got a copy of his record from…"
"The Alchemists," Abe completed, knowing how his Guardian worked. It was well known that the Alchemists held information on every known Dhampir, Moroi, and Strigoi. While Guardian headquarters' records would contain Guardian reports, rosters, allocations, and the like, the fully cross-referenced Alchemist record contained every mention of that individual within the Moroi world, making identifying trends and connections quicker and easier. An Alchemist file gave the deepest possible insight into an individual. "What do we know?"
"I've only done a quick skim so far. Thirty-three. Graduated from The Glen with a training score of sixty-eight, Moore was initially allocated to a Drozdov who died of old age several years after. Since that time, he has done many short-term allocations as a substitute Guardian while other Guardians were on leave. He's based at Court, and has three molnija, each gained in single attacks."
"Ok. So, what's your read on him?"
What Abe was asking is what Pavel inferred from reading between the lines. You could tell a lot about a Guardian from their service history. While it was no replacement for confirmed intel, Abe trusted Pavel to get a sense of the guy from what he'd read.
"Hard to say. Lowish training score, but didn't lose his charge to Strigoi. Of course, that might be because they were within wards most of the time. I'll know more when I pull his first charge's file and track his movements after they assigned Moore to him. The fact he's been on temporary duties for the last ten years tells me he's nothing outstanding. A good Guardian would have been snapped up for another role with a charge, but a shitty Guardian would have been relegated to Court duties. My gut is telling me he is amenable enough and doesn't draw attention to himself."
"And the link with Ms. Ozera?"
"They've met a few times at a bar on the outskirts of Court. Additionally, a couple of times a month, he discretely attends the Ozera townhouse at Court and stays the night."
"That doesn't prove shit," Abe stated, "other than she's possibly getting laid."
"True," Pavel agreed. "However, what is interesting is during his schooling at The Glen, Moore showed a particular interest and aptitude in his IT subject, and in particular CCTV and other video surveillance equipment. Between locum Guardian gigs, Croft has Moore maintaining the CCTV systems at Court."
"The failed live video footage from the corridor outside Her Majesty's rooms," Abe said with a hiss, everything making sense. If Tasha Ozera was schtupping Guardian Moore, then perhaps she'd tasked him with switching off the cameras so she could get in and out of Tatiana's rooms unseen.
"Yes. They questioned him as a matter of routine after Tatiana's murder, but with all eyes on Rose, no one was looking too hard at anyone else, if you know what I mean."
"Quite," Abe replied. "What's your gut telling you?"
"I'm certain it's Lady Ozera, and that one way or another, she's coerced this guy into helping her. I'm just not sure why."
Abe grabbed his crystal tumbler of spirits, taking a sip before replying.
"Ivashkov says Tasha Ozera is interested romantically in Belikov. It's possible she framed Rose to get rid of the competition."
"Framing someone for murder because they liked the same guy?" Pavel asked in disbelief. It sounded farcical to him. "And murdering the Queen? Surely there would be easier ways to get Rose out of the picture if that was Ozera's intention?"
"There must be more to it," Mazur agreed. "Either way, Ivashkov is certain of her involvement. It might be she convinced Moore to carry out the murder. Either way, Adrian says her aura is a dead giveaway."
"That's a problem, too," Pavel mused. "Even if Lord Ivashkov can see her guilt, that means diddly shit if no one else can. Unless there is proof, it will be his word against hers. As Rose's former boyfriend, and the great-nephew of the victim, Adrian will be seen as far from impartial."
"You have a point. Dig as hard as you can into Moore. Try to work out if his involvement is due to love, money, or something else. If he's involved, there has to be something in it for him."
"And Lady Ozera?" Pavel checked.
"Keep your eyes on her. I want to know everything she's up to and into. There's part of this we're not seeing."
"Agreed," Pavel said, nodding to Abe and taking his leave, determined to read Moore's file in detail to glean all he could from it.
Taking another sip from the tumbler, Abe let his mind wander. Pavel was right. Unless there was definitive proof of Tasha Ozera's involvement in Tatiana's murder, it would become a he said/she said issue. Since, so long after the fact, physical proof was unlikely, then at the very least, they needed someone else who could see the truth from Tasha's aura. Inspired, Abe picked up his cell, checking the time in Pennsylvania. Seeing it wasn't too late to call, he scrolled through his contacts, finding the pertinent name near the top.
"Adrian? It's Abe Mazur. I need you to tell me how you were first able to read auras…"