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Kira took my arm and dragged me through the hallway, leading us down to the common room. I could smell the cookie dough already and my stomach grumbled.

When she opened the door, I discovered that she wasn't alone. Chloe was here too. I hadn't seen her since the night I had gone undercover in Eric's club. Out of all the girls here, she hid in her room the most. She was a dhampir and only fourteen years old—the youngest out of all of us—so maybe she felt out of place. Today though, she was out of her room. Just like Kira, she as dressed in sweats, but her long, wavy brown hair was down. She was kneading the dough in her hands to make it soft. Perhaps doing little things like this comforted her.

To my surprise, she offered me a smile. "Hey. I didn't expect to see you here."

I smiled back as I unzipped my coat and threw it on a nearby coat rack. "I was just popping in to check on everyone. How are things going with you?"

Chloe kept her eyes on the dough, speaking softly. "Better, I guess. My therapist recommended activities like this. It helps a bit."

"I'm really glad to hear that," I told her. "Do you talk to any of the girls?"

"Just Kira," she said. "Well, you too, I guess. Do you want to help me?"

"Of course." I lifted the sleeves of my sweater and washed my hands before standing beside her and ripping chunks of the softened dough. I could now see why her therapist recommended such a simple activity. It relieved a lot of stress.

"So, um, have any of you ever talked to a girl named Avery?" I asked, rolling the dough in my hands into a ball. Chloe paused, looking up at me.

"Avery?" she repeated. There was an uncertain look in her eyes. "I'm not sure how I feel about her. I don't interact much, but there's something a little off about her. Maybe it's just me."

Beside me, Kira started preheating the oven. "That girl is strange. She said she was in the same business as us, but I don't remember seeing her. The other girls here say the same thing. I don't know, maybe she just wasn't noticeable. What bothers me about her is that she talks about being trafficked like it was nothing—like it doesn't bother her. I don't think she realizes we were all affected."

Kira was right. It wasn't something any of us talked about so openly. I didn't think Avery intended to make anyone uncomfortable, but I could agree that it was unsettling.

We didn't say anything else until we put the cookies into the oven. Chloe and I washed our hands before sitting down on the other couch.

"Oh, I forgot to mention," Kira said, putting her phone away. "Christmas is coming up soon and our parents are visiting us for the break. They wanted to meet you and thank you for what you did."

"Kira, they don't need to thank me. None of you need to," I said, waving my hand.

Chloe chuckled beside me, poking me in the arm. "Just accept it. Without you and your guardian crew, we'd still be stuck in that ugly place."

I rolled my eyes, but I knew she was right. I was just glad that she was here and no longer getting abused. "Will your parents be here too?" I asked.

Chloe nodded. "Yeah. As soon as I told them I was alive, they were so happy. You have no idea how thankful I am."

I was about to say something, but our conversation was interrupted when another person walked into the room. It was Avery.

"Ooh! Are we having a party in here?" she asked. I could already sense Kira and Chloe's discomfort. I didn't want an awkward situation, so I answered her.

"Actually, we were just talking."

"About what?" she asked curiously, opening the fridge to grab a water bottle.

"The holidays," I replied. "You know, with Christmas coming up and all."

"Speaking of upcoming events," Avery exclaimed, jumping on the couch next to me, "I'm hosting a New Years party in the basement dorms. I was going to ask if you wanted to come."

"You're hosting a party already?" I asked, raising my eyebrows in shock. This girl was good at making friends.

"Of course I did," she said as it was the most obvious thing in the world. "You should come. It'll be fun."

"I don't really do parties anymore—"

"Oh, come on, don't be boring now. There'll be alcohol," she said secretively. "Oh, and all the hot guys are going."

The last comment put Chloe and Kira on edge and I couldn't blame them. I wasn't about to be rude, but Avery had a lot of audacity to say something like that to them.

"I'm going to check on the cookies," Kira said, getting up from the couch.

"Yeah, me too," Chloe added. Avery eyed them but didn't make any further comments.

"I'm not looking for guys." I wasn't going to share any information on my relationship with Dimitri, but I could tell Avery's presence was making things awkward. "But I'll think about it."

"That's the spirit," she said, stressing the last word. She got up from the couch, flipping her dark hair back. "Looks like those cookies are ready."

As soon as Kira took the tray out of the oven, Avery took one of the cookies and bit into it, not flinching in the slightest from the burning heat. "Hm. Not bad," she said. "It's nice to experience the things you half-human creatures eat."

What?

"Anyways, I'm off to bed. Sorry for interrupting your secret chat." Avery winked, strutting away before she left the room.

Another week passed, and it was time for parents to visit their kids. Anyone who didn't live too far away was taken home while students who lived from another place in the world had their parents stay in guest housing.

Because of the holidays and family visits, the academy was a lot more crowded than it usually was. People were socializing a lot more often now while getting ready for Christmas. Classes weren't in session during the break, so everyone was mostly having fun in the dorms or outside in the snow. Some of the moroi even came out during day time when the sun was out. It wasn't usually allowed since it was past curfew hours, but guardians were lenient during this time of the year.

My friends had invited me to come out and I couldn't pass up the opportunity. We had already slept through most of the day and the sun was setting now, but it was going to go down soon.

Outside, I found Adrian, Lissa, Christian, and Eddie. Like me, they had their winter clothes on. They were playing in the snow, throwing snowballs while chasing each other. I heard Lissa's screams and laughter as Christian threw snow at her head and coated her hair with white specs. It was a nice sight to see.

"Took you long enough," someone said from behind me. I gasped and turned around, noticing Avery sitting on the steps of the building's entrance. She was bundled up in the shade.

"What are you doing here?" I asked her. I hadn't noticed her before. She must have been invited out, but it looked like she was purposely sitting here on her own.

"I was invited to go out and play, but I'm waiting for the sun to go down," she answered, sighing as she looked in the direction of the sun. She looked away almost immediately and it looked like the light bothered her eyes despite being in the shade.

"The sun won't burn, you know. It might just look a little bright, that's all," I said encouragingly. "Come on. Have some fun."

"Really, I'm fine," she said. "The sun irritates my skin a lot. I'm the type of moroi that needs a load of sunscreen."

I laughed, taking a step back. "Alright, suit yourself."

Avery smiled at me before I ran off into the sun, grabbing a handful of snow in the process. Before anyone had time to notice me, I threw it into their little circle, hitting Christian's head. He spun around, pretending to be hurt.

"Lissa, save me!" he gasped. "I'm so hurt! I think she gave me a concussion!" Technically, with my strength and speed, I could have literally given him a concussion, but I held back.

"You deserved that one," Lissa laughed. She tugged on my hand, pulling me against her. "You know what? You three against me and Rose."

"Is this a 'girls versus boys' thing now?" Eddie joked, gathering more snow in his palms.

"How?" Christian asked with an evil smirk. "Rose is barely even a girl."

I went for him again in no time, picking chunks of snow off the ground and hitting him in the arm. It wasn't long before our little war began and it soon became a game of dodgeball with snow. My fast reflexes helped me dodge all their hits and the boys were getting frustrated. Not a single part of me was covered in snow.

Well, until I noticed a familiar guardian stepping out of the building. As soon as I was distracted, I felt three snowballs hit my head, my arm, and my leg. I started moving away.

"Dimitri!" I shouted, waving my hands and shaking the snow off of my body. He noticed me instantly and smiled, shaking his head as he walked over.

"What are you doing?" he asked in amusement. I could hear my friends teasing me behind us.

"Knocking these idiots out with snow. Join us," I offered, taking his hand.

"Rose, I don't think—"

"Come on! It's the holidays, Comrade. Have some fun!" I tugged on his hand, dragging him out into the field.

"I'm technically supposed to be on duty right now," he said, sounding unsure even as he picked up some snow from the ground. He looked like he was tempted to join in on the fun.

"If you're around me, that also counts as being on duty." I smirked at him, lowering my voice. "You are my guardian after all."

"Belikov," Adrian called, walking up to us. He had a mischievous grin on his face. "Is this motivation enough?" Suddenly, he grabbed my face and smacked his lips against my cheek, making an obnoxious sound. He was gone a second later and bolted as Dimitri went for him, throwing the snow he had against the back of Adrian's head. For the next few minutes, Dimitri chased him around and the two started throwing snowballs at each other.

"Poor Adrian," Lissa said, wrapping her arms around me from behind as her chin rested on my shoulder. I watched in amusement as Dimitri took Adrian to the ground. Snow flew everywhere, getting all over their clothes. I could tell Dimitri wasn't seriously mad at him and it wasn't long before they started laughing with each other.

"I never thought I'd see those two having fun with each other," I murmured. It was quite a surprise to see Dimitri and Adrian having a snowball fight of all things. They stood up, brushing the snow off their coats as they walked back. Adrian said something that sounded a lot like another joke, resulting in another playful punch from Dimitri.

Now that the sun was down, I could see Avery approaching us. The wind caused whatever strong perfume she was wearing to invade my nose. "I must say, Rose, those tosses were pretty sharp. You've got strength."

"Damn straight she does."

Another familiar voice caught my attention. Someone else was coming our way and recognized it to be my mischievous, intimidating father. He had his usual expensive clothing on and was using his earth magic to move the snow beneath him.

"Thanks, Dad." I hugged Abe and he squeezed me firmly before letting me go.

"I see you're having fun without me," he said, lifting a brow.

"Hey, if you want to have a match with me, I'm all for it."

Abe chuckled, gathering more snow in the air and lifting it until it was hovering over his palm. With more specs of it accumulating, I realized he was using his magic to form a snowball. "I would love to, but that's not why I'm here. Your mother and I have decided to host a dinner in one of the private dining rooms tonight before curfew. We'd like you and your friends to come. You too." He cocked his head at Dimitri who nodded, accepting his request.

"As long as Mom isn't cooking," I said, scrunching up my nose.

Abe chuckled. "Believe me, I'm well aware of how horrendous her cooking can be. You seem to share that in common with her."

I resisted the urge to slap the forming snowball into his face. "Ha-ha, very funny. Don't you have a class to teach?"

Abe checked his watch with his free hand and my eyes nearly bugged out of my head. How much money did this guy have?

"I suppose you're right. Time to go teach those young imbeciles useless magic that they'll probably never use in the future." Just as Abe was walking away, he said, "You can bring Nevaeh with you."

The dining room that Abe had reserved for us was small but exquisite. It had the same setting as the usual dining halls for students, but this room only had one table and was specifically made for staff. The room was fairly big and there was an open area with couches, a coffee table, and a fireplace.

My friends were talking with each other at the table while I sat on the floor in between the coffee table and the couch with Nevaeh. Our food wasn't ready yet, so I took the time to help her with her homework while we waited. It was simple math at the junior kindergarten level, so it wasn't hard for her despite being a bit of a slow learner.

Someone else sat on the other side of her, bending their leg and propping one arm on their knee. "What are you two working on?" Dimitri asked.

"Easy math," I answered, showing him the half-filled page full of addition tables.

"This is so boring," Nevaeh whined, shoving the paper away. "I'm hungry, Mommy."

"I know, but once you get this over with, you won't have to worry about it," I told her. Nevaeh was never difficult with her school work, but she hated doing anything that involved math. I was the same way, but I wanted her to finish what little work she had to do.

"I don't want to do it," she said stubbornly, standing up. Before she could go anywhere, Dimitri gently grabbed her arm, pulling her back.

"Wait," he said warningly, keeping his tone gentle with her. "Don't walk away. Finish this."

Nevaeh groaned, plopping back down on the ground. "Do I have to?"

"Mhm," Dimitri murmured, placing Nevaeh's pencil back in front of her. She sighed but didn't argue and continued her work. For the next ten minutes, we helped her with whatever questions she had for us. She was doing well until she got to the last line and it looked like she was ready to fall asleep.

"Alright, how about this," Dimitri said, grabbing her attention again. "If you finish the last line by yourself, I'll give you chocolate after dinner. Deal?"

"Chocolate?" she gasped, getting back to work again. "Deal for me!"

I smiled and leaned against the couch, grabbing Dimitri's hand. "You're a genius," I whispered. He gave me a wink before Nevaeh suddenly jumped up and handed him the paper. Dimitri looked it over, nodding in approval.

"See? You're so smart," he said, pinching her cheeks and making her giggle.

"Food's ready!" my mother announced, pulling a huge turkey out of the oven. I was a little surprised as I had expected some kind of traditional dish from Abe, but they had instead settled for food that everyone else here was used to. It was probably because it was Christmas time, but Abe didn't celebrate Christmas.

Someone else walked into the room and I was surprised—and a little bit annoyed—to see Avery walking in. I was hoping that this would only be a dinner for close friends and relatives but she must have been invited. She was good at socializing and getting people to like her, so maybe that was why.

"I was wondering why it smelled so good in the hallway," she said to herself. After greeting my friends, she wandered over to me and I quickly stood up along with Dimitri.

"I didn't know you were coming," I mentioned.

Avery winked. "I might have convinced Adrian to invite me." Before I could answer her, she looked down at Nevaeh who was clinging to my hand.

"Who's this?" she asked, reaching her hand out. Nevaeh backed away quickly, hiding behind me. I sighed, wanting to help her not be so shy with people, but I didn't. I had to remind myself that she had a harsh upbringing and wasn't comfortable with new people. If she wanted to meet someone, I had to let her go at her own pace.

"She's a little shy with people she's not familiar with."

Avery waved a hand, brushing it off. "Oh, it's fine. Kids will be kids. Are you her tutor?"

"Actually, I'm—" I glanced at Dimitri, feeling a little unsure. I decided to lie and go along with things. Avery and I weren't close and I didn't want to share my personal life. "Yeah. I'm her tutor."

Dimitri tapped my shoulder. "Rose, I think it's time to eat."

"Sit beside me," Avery insisted, taking my hand before I could object. I gave Dimitri an apologetic look as she dragged me to the table. He waved it off and got himself and Nevaeh seated. He sat right across from me and I laughed when I saw Nevaeh's head just poking above the surface of the table. She was so short that I couldn't see the rest of her. She tapped Dimitri's shoulder, telling him she needed to use the washroom.

"There's a washroom right in that corner," he told her, pointing behind me. "Be quick."

"Okay." Nevaeh slid off her chair and headed to the washroom, leaving the seat empty.

On the table was cut turkey, roasted potatoes, cooked vegetables, cranberry sauce, gravy, buns, and another variety of meats for anyone who preferred something else. It was a very classic Christmas dinner with an odd combination of other meats, but I didn't question it. I was just hungry now.

"Christian, is your aunt here yet?" I heard Abe asking as he set some other things on the table.

"She should be," Christian replied, briefly checking his phone. Hold on...

My face dropped and I could barely hide the annoyance in my voice. "Tasha's coming?"

The door burst open at that moment, revealing the familiar moroi. Her sleek black hair had gotten longer, and despite the scar on her face still being visible, she wore heavier loads of makeup than usual and her back eyeliner made her pale blue eyes stand out. She wore a very revealing tight black shirt which complimented her slim figure and if it was even possible, she looked more...beautiful than she did before.

Great.

"Christian!" she squealed, giving her nephew a tight hug. I looked at Dimitri who looked just as confused as me. He hadn't known about her plans to visit.

She greeted everyone, thanking my parents in the process. I thought she would sit next to Christian, but instead, she chose the empty seat right next to Dimitri. There were two empty seats and she just had to choose the one right next to him where Nevaeh had originally been sitting.

"Tasha," he said in surprise, "it's nice to see you, but that seat is—"

"Dimka!" she shouted, throwing her arms around his neck and giving his body a tight squeeze. Dimitri was taken off guard, not expecting a hug like that, but hugged her back slightly to avoid making the situation awkward. The last time they had seen each other, Dimitri had turned her offer down.

"I missed you so much," she said, pulling back and running her hands over his arm. "You and I need to catch up over this break. I've arranged to stay in guest housing until New Years."

Dimitri cleared his throat, draping his arm on the back of his chair. "I've got quite a busy schedule."

"Oh, don't be silly now. I'm sure you can take some time for a friend," she said, settling herself in her seat so that she was more comfortable. She faced me and gave me a bright smile.

"Rose! It's been a while. How are you?" she asked. I was about to answer her, but I was cut off when a little girl's voice interrupted me.

"Excuse me."

Tasha turned around, seeing Nevaeh standing behind her. "Well hello there," she said enthusiastically. Nevaeh didn't share the same enthusiasm.

"That's my spot," she said, pointing to where Tasha sat.

"This is your spot?" Tasha repeated in a mocking tone.

"Yes. You're sitting in my spot." If there was one thing that sucked about being a kid, it was that no one took you seriously. Nevaeh was a little territorial with me and Dimitri, and she once told me that she wouldn't let anyone steal him away from me. I thought it was cute at first, but now I could see how much that actually meant to her.

"Alright," Tasha laughed. "I'll move. Sorry, sweetie." She moved away from Dimitri to sit in the other empty seat. Nevaeh sat in her chair again, planting herself in between them. She gave me a mischievous smile and I couldn't help but smile back.

Tasha tried to reach out to Dimitri again, but Nevaeh stuck her hand out at the last second and pushed her arm away. "Nope," she said, wrapping her little arms around Dimitri's bicep and hugging it tightly. "Sorry, but he's mine."

While everyone else thought the gesture was cute, Nevaeh was still looking at me with the same smile and a knowing wink that said: I've got you, Mama.

I fucking loved her.

What did you think of Nev here? Even though she's little, I always thought she was a little protective of Rose. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it and thank you for reading! Stay safe.