Chapter Fifteen - The Serpent Appears
Straight after the exam I had headed back to my dorm to eat, shower, and change. I had no idea what time Dimitri would be back at, so instead of waiting up in the living room for him I decided to sit on the centre of our bed wrapped in his comfortable pale blue bath robe, my Russian book in my hands.
It was a little past eight in the evening by the time I heard the door open and shut from elsewhere in the apartment and, just to make sure, I placed my book on the side cabinet and approached the back of the door cautiously. I had just placed my hand on the handle, prepared to knock any intruder on their ass, when the familiar Russian voice called out. "Roza? Are you here?"
I tightened the robe around me, silently giggling to myself as I realised it reached my ankles, before heading out into the front room. Dimitri was just placing his duffel bag onto the kitchen counter when I entered, immediately looking up at me. He initially smiled, though upon seeing my borderline furious expression, quickly retracted it.
"How in the shit did you not tell me that you would be taking my exam?" I accused with my arms folded as I approached him, halting right in front of him while looking up at his full height.
"Because I didn't know until I got there, Malýshka." He explained genuinely, cupping either side of my face with his hands. "As a Blood Master 7 they jumped at the opportunity to get me involved in the exams. They assigned the Guardians to the Novices when we got there in the early afternoon. I found out mere hours before you did."
I pouted childishly at him as if I was still upset with him, though in reality I realised that he couldn't have told me any sooner. He returned the pouty expression as a joking mimic, and upon seeing my scowl at him, he laughed and pressed a quick kiss onto my nose.
He picked up his bag and slung it over his shoulder without another word, heading into the bedroom. I furrowed my brows at the air in front of me as he just walked away, quickly following him with a vigorous stance.
"Aren't you gonna tell me how I did?" I pestered as he placed the bag on the bed, unzipping it to begin sorting his uniform and other clothes out for the morning. I leaned against the doorframe with my arms folded as I watched him, an eyebrow raised.
"Roza, you know that wouldn't be right of me." He reasoned with a teacher-tone, and I looked at him with disbelief.
"Are you kidding me? I'm gonna find out Monday anyway - why not just tell me now?"
"Because," he chuckled, shoving the empty bag underneath the bed and turning to me with an incredulous smile on his lips. "I don't actually know what grade you got next. After we finished the final fights, the examiners requested that we rank the Novices we fought from each year in order of whom we thought was the best and the worst. They'll then take that into consideration while they officially mark the fights."
"And where did you put me?" I skipped questioningly towards him, looking up through my rapidly blinking lashes as I tried to coax the information out of him.
I watched as he rolled his eyes, though he couldn't hide the affectionate smile on his face as he wrapped his arms around my waist. "You, my talented Roza, were easily the best person I fought out there today."
My face lit up at that, and I reached onto my tiptoes to wrap my arms comfortingly around his neck. "Really?"
"Mhm," he nodded with a lazy smile as he looked down at me, rubbing soft circles through the fabric at my hip. "Nobody managed to pin me, though you were the one to get closest. You were thinking outside of the box, using different moves to what you typically use in training. I was thoroughly impressed, Malýshka."
I grinned victoriously as I wrapped my fingers around the collar of his hoodie, biting my lower lip and fingering the fabric mischievously. "So, do I get a present for doing so well?" I looked up at him through my lashes with a seductive wink.
"You are insatiable, Roza." He chuckled, but nevertheless found himself automatically lowering his lips to mine and tightening his arms securely around me.
"Hurry the hell up!" Viktoria shouted at me from where I was lulling behind her as she almost full on ran towards the Guardian notice board. I rolled my eyes at her, mentally commenting that the gradings were still gonna be there in fifty seconds if she just slowed down.
Monday morning came sooner than anticipated and, after Dimitri and I's usual morning training session followed by breakfast, Vik was desperate to find out what she had gotten in her exams. Dimitri hadn't been the one to spar with her, so he didn't have much of an inkling on how well she did.
By the time Dimitri and I rounded the corner, Viktoria was already at the front of the notice board, about fifteen other Novices from varying years surrounding her as they eagerly searched for their name. I watched from a distance as she scanned down the 'Senior' list with her finger, stopping at a name near the top before continuing across to see her grade.
"I did it!" She screeched, probably deafening all of the people around her as she skipped through the crowd and back to where Dimitri was stood. He was stood at ease beside me, though a vague look of interest was on his face as he looked down at his sister. I widened my eyes questioningly. "I got a Quarter Black Moon!"
"Vik?" I grinned with a wide expression, opening my arms to wrap her in a tight hug. "That's amazing! Well done!"
"Thank you so much." She squealed into my ear as she returned the hug.
"Congratulations, little sister." I could hear the smile in Dimitri's face as she pulled away from me and moved to hug her brother instead. "You're gonna make an incredible Guardian."
"Thanks." She smiled coyly as she pulled away, before turning to me with an incessant tap on my shoulder. "Come on, Rose, you have to go find out what you got!"
"Fine, fine, fine!" I groaned just so that she would stop hitting my arm, rolling my eyes as I reluctantly squeezed my way through the crowd to get to the head of the notice board.
It wasn't that I didn't want to see the grade - I did! I knew that I had at least improved since my last exam. The problem was that I held myself to too high a standard, and I always felt like everything I did wouldn't be good enough. I wanted to be the best Guardian of this generation, yet a part of me knew that would never happen.
With a deep breath I scanned my eyes down the sheet of paper, looking through all the Russian names. I was lucky Dimitri had told me what the Russian translation of my name looked like, otherwise I never would have been able to know which was mine without help.
Finally my eyes settled on it - "Хэтэуэи, Розмарй". Translation: Hathaway, Rosemarie. I bit my lower lip as I continued the line across to where the grades sat on the opposite side, my mouth dropping open immediately upon seeing it.
"This must be wrong." I shook my head as I mumbled to myself in disbelief. "There must be some kind of mistake."
"Rose?" Viktoria called me from behind, and I gasped as I turned around to where her voice came from. She was still stood besides Dimitri where I left them with an expectant look. I nodded, making my way back through the crowd of Novices to reach them once again. "Well? What did you get?"
I could see the concern on Dimitri's face as I looked between the pair of them, eyes still wide with shock. "I got a Full Black Moon." I finally said aloud, the wonder and disbelief evident in my voice.
Immediately I was being grabbed and spun around as Viktoria hugged me tightly, squealing in my ear the whole time. "Rose! That's so incredible! Even Dimka only got that on his final exam. At this point he was still a Half Moon!"
She finally let go of me and I laughed at her words as the realisation began to set in. I'd did it. I actually did it! I wasn't the Senior with a measly New Blue Moon - I was the girl about to graduate with top grading!
"I'm so proud of you, Rose." Dimitri looked down at me with a rare smile, one that he usually never showed when he was on duty. "I knew you had it in you. Congratulations."
I smiled up at him while spinning my body side to side, warmth flowing through me at their comments. "Thanks, Comrade. I owe it all to you."
The news of my grading had managed to spread through the school like wildfire, Dhampir and Moroi students alike congratulating me. Although the Moroi didn't quite see the significance in such a high grading, it was still nice of them to acknowledge my accomplishments. The Novices seemed a lot more genuine, though, the sophomore I'd sparred again even approaching me during the lunch break.
"I had a feeling you'd be good." He laughed as he shook my hand after congratulating me. "Not many could hand me my ass as quick as you did - at least not in my year. It was nice getting the opportunity to spar with you."
The rest of the week passed much the same, though by Friday the talk of gradings had simmered down. The Novices were still quietly celebrating amongst themselves, though it wasn't as widely discussed as it had been on the Monday. The Novices were planning a party on Saturday as congratulations for their gradings, some of the Guardians having allowed it. I guess they remembered their own joys of getting their grades when they were a student.
As usual, Dimitri had urged me to go, though after the last party I attended I decided to opt out. He could see why I didn't want to go, but that didn't stop him from his incessant urging.
"You're the highest graded Dhampir St Basil's has ever seen." He announced guiltily. "They're expecting you to go. Don't you want to rub it in their faces?"
"I did enough of that all week." I smirked victoriously as I straddled him from where he sat in the centre of the bed in some casual clothes. With one hand I cupped the side of his neck and with the other I stroked his silky smooth hair that was out of its ponytail, gazing thoughtfully into his eyes. "Besides, I'd rather spend the night with you."
It was now a little after eight in the evening, and Dimitri and I were sat on the sofa snuggling up under a blanket in our pyjamas. In Dimitri's lap was a bowl of popcorn he'd managed to snag from the Guardian Staff Room, and on the TV opposite was some action film I'd seen while I was out in the human world. It was a good film, from what I'd remembered - something about a CIA man who'd lost his memories after a near death experience and was searching for his identity. I didn't pay attention to much of it, though, being too distracted by the kisses being placed to the back of my neck and the hand skirting suspiciously close to my thigh.
I'm sure things would have gotten even more heated if it wasn't for the obnoxious ringing that sounded from Dimitri's Guardian phone. I groaned in complaint as I paused the film, Dimitri sliding out from behind me to pick up the phone from the kitchen counter. "Belikov."
I tapped the remote absentmindedly against my chin as I watched him, his brows furrowing as he listened to whoever was on the other end of the line. "Of course," he nodded. "We'll be over right away."
"What was that about?" I looked up as he placed the phone back on the counter with a sigh, looking over at me.
"Alexei requires you at his office. He wants me to attend, as your official Guardian." He reached for the blanket and began folding it up, gesturing for me to get dressed into more suitable clothing.
Once I was dressed in a pair of thick, warm, black leggings, and a grey hoodie with St Vladimir's on the back, I was ready to leave. Dimitri had also changed into his usual Guardian uniform and was waiting for me besides the front door.
He guided me across the campus to the Guardian quarters, and a part of me could vaguely hear the quiet sound of party music, and I laughed to myself at how oblivious the Moroi and the other Guardians - the ones whom hadn't allowed the party - must be not to realise.
Dimitri knocked twice at Alexei's door once we approached, announcing our presence. "Guardian Belikov with Novice Hathaway."
"Come in!" Alexei's familiar voice hollered from the other side of the door, Dimitri then pushing it open. He allowed me to step in first before promptly following behind, glancing around the room cautiously as he went through standard Guardian protocol. There was a man in one of the seats in front of his desk, though I couldn't see his face from this angle.
"Ah, Rose, thank you for coming so urgently." Alexei greeted with a formal nod, gesturing for me to sit at the other spare seat. Although I didn't look behind me, I knew Dimitri would be taking an 'at ease' stance besides the door as he watched over me. I obligingly sat, crossing my legs over and placing my hands over my knee as I looked up at him curiously. "Rose, this is-"
"Please, allow me, Guardian Mikhailov." The man in the other seat put a hand up to stop Alexei from talking, though in a polite manner. He turned to face me, and I allowed myself to turn as well slightly so I could see him better.
He was a Moroi and, by the looks of his clothing and the way he held himself, a very wealthy one. He was older, maybe mid forties, and his hair was jet black with a respectable yet typical middle-aged-man style. He had brown, deep set eyes, and laugh lines on his forehead and around his eyes. Odd, since he didn't seem to be the type of man whom would laugh at much. He seemed more serious, stuck up somehow, yet had an air familiarity surrounding him.
"Good evening," he smiled with an unreadable glint in his eyes, outstretching a hand for me to shake. "My name's Ibrahim Mazur - but you may call me Abe."