Chapter Eighteen - What Lies Beneath
It had been a rough week, to say the least, but I was proud to be able to say that I'd survived it. The memory of Mason's death had plagued me all week, far worse than I was expecting, though the nightmares hadn't resurfaced... I hadn't been forced to relive that night over and over again, like I had so many times before. I guess Yeva's gift really did work.
Friday I'd been feeling at least somewhat better and was physically capable of dragging my ass out of the dorm, managing to make it through a whole day of classes. People had the decency not to ask me what was wrong, but I could tell the question was on their lips as they danced on eggshells around me all day. Saturday was better, spent in the comforts of the locked dormitory with just Dimitri and I. He'd cooked us breakfast and lunch, and even helped me better my Russian.
By late afternoon we'd both been feeling slightly agitated, so we decided to go for a late training session, which turned out to be exactly what I needed. For five hours straight - right up until curfew - we trained in the mostly empty gym, sparring and just generally getting out frustrations out. From 6pm onwards the place had been deserted, most over Novices and Guardians relaxing or at dinner or doing homework. It was a blissful and much welcomed peace.
It was now Sunday evening, and standing in front of the bathroom mirror I was trying not to psych myself out. I shook my hands out besides me as I took in deep breaths, looking my reflection directly in the eye as I gave myself a pep talk. Stupid, right?
"It's just your father, Rose." I told myself sternly, giving my reflection the meanest Guardian face I could muster. "Your scary, Turkish, could-kill-a-man-with-just-a-stare, mobster, father."
"Looks like you have that in common." Dimitri chuckled from besides me at the bathroom door, forcing me to practically jump out of my skin. Instinctively, I turned to him with my fists raised in a defensive stance. He took one look at my position with an arched eyebrow before laughing uncontrollably, doubling over and holding himself up against the door frame with one hand.
I rolled my eyes in a huff, storming past him and slapping him full force on the chest as I went. "Cut it out." I grumbled as he followed me into the living room, still laughing though now it was starting to subside. I lifted up my leather jacket from the arm of the sofa, ignoring his mock whimpering as I shrugged it on.
"I'm sorry, Roza," he choked out as he wiped the tears away from his eyes, trying to recollect himself. I turned on him with an angry scowl, and I watched as he pressed his lips into a tight line as he tried to hold back the laughter. "Really, I'm sorry."
"Yeah, yeah." I mocked as I walked up to him, shoving him playfully against his chest before wrapping my arms around his neck. "Sure you are."
"I am!" He pleaded, wrapping his own arms around my lower back. "Though my point still stands - you could easily kill a man with just a stare. May I also say how sexy you look?" I saw his eyes darken with lust as he pulled back slightly, looking my body up and down.
I had decided to go for a typical Rose outfit, complete with tight leather trousers, a black vest top with a diagonal hem, and killer three inch ankle boots. The leather jacket itself was loose yet warm, reaching my waist at the front and but the centre of my back. I felt Dimitri run his hands greedily underneath it as he grabbed as much of me as he could, lowering his lips to mine.
"Nuh-uh-" I cut him off reluctantly as I grabbed his wrists, forcing them back to his chest as I broke the kiss. "You're not making us late for this, okay?" My Russian pouted childishly, and I rolled my eyes at how the kiddy action did not suit his manly face. I lightly kissed his pout before stepping out of his grip, about to check the time when there was a knock at the door.
"Guardian Mashir," a deep Russian accent called through, and I vaguely recognised the name as the man who had met us the day we arrived in Russia. "The car is waiting for you outside, Belikov."
"Thank you, Mashir." Dimitri called back through the closed door. I heard footsteps leaving outside, and let out a low whistle as I turned back to Dimitri.
"We still need to talk about what we're going to tell my father." I said, seeing Dimitri's hesitant glance towards the door. He looked at me incredulously, as he had before when I brought up the matter. "We need to tell him, Dimitri! If he's going to have any luck in protecting me then he needs to know the truth. The whole truth."
"Roza, Zmey would gut me like a fish if he found out a twenty four year old Guardian deflowered his seventeen year old daughter, who is also that Guardian's student!"
"You make it sound so much worse than it is!" I squealed as I stepped towards him, placing my hands on either of his cheeks as I forced him to look at me. "I, love you, Dimitri Belikov. And if he means what he says about wanting to know his daughter, then he'll have to realise that. Otherwise I'll kick his ass," I finished with a light hearted laugh, just trying to make him less serious.
He looked at me with a defeated expression and sighed, evidently giving in. I leaned up and pressed my forehead to his, closing my eyes. "I love you, Comrade. Now let's go meet my father." I pressed a soft kiss to his lips and pulled away, gathering my keys and phone as I shoved them into my pockets.
I felt Dimitri wrap a hand around my wrist as I turned to the door, pulling me to face him with a neutral expression. He slipped his hand into his duster which he wore over his Guardian uniform and pulled out one of his silver stakes. He placed it into the palm of the hand he was holding. "Take this. I know your father will have Guardians on sight, and I will also be there, but I like the thought of knowing you can defend yourself."
I looked down at the piece of silver in my hands in amazement, raising it to eye level as I peered at it up and down. It was the first time I'd ever held a real, solid, silver stake. The faux ones we used in training were blunt and wooden, nothing like the real thing at all. I laughed in disbelief as I looked at it, before up at Dimitri. "You're sure?"
"Of course," he whispered, taking the hand that was holding the stake and kissing the back of it. He took the stake out of my hand and opened up the inside of my leather jacket as I gazed into his eyes blissfully. He placed it into one of the inside pockets and assured it was safely tucked away, before laying my jacket back down flat against me. "Right where it belongs."
"Holy shit." I murmured, gobsmacked, as I walked into the restaurant Abe had taken us to.
It was a Moroi and Dhampir hotspot in Omsk that was also open to the human world named Panorama, which Abe had assured me sold both traditional Russian food as well as other Asian and European cuisines. The inside was utterly stunning, the 360-circular room being covered floor to ceiling in windows that showed almost the whole of the city. It was three floors high in subsequent circular levels, a bar in the centre of each floor. The chairs were all plush sofas in varying colours and styles, some being circular to seat eight and some being basic to sit two.
A young Moroi woman greeted us as we entered, and a part of me noted she looked eerily a lot like Lissa. Brilliant blonde hair that was almost white, with beautiful green eyes that were a stark contrast to her milky white skin. I shook my head as I tried to ignore the girl, the similarities being too creepy for me to even look at her. "Reservation for Mazur?" I heard Abe greet the woman.
"Right away," her lyrical voice replied, and I felt Abe's hand lightly on the back of my arm as he guided me over to our table.
Abe had brought two Guardians with him for his protection - Pavel and Alicia - who had their own table alongside Dimitri near by. Abe and I were seated opposite each other right besides the window on the bottom layer on matching blue sofas, while our three Guardians were sat diagonally across from us on the inside of the room, behind Abe. If I looked out of the corner of my eye, I could see Dimitri watching us - or maybe just me.
"I know, you know." Abe brought me from my day dreaming, and I looked across at him with furrowed brows. His own gaze was focused outside the window at the passing evening life. "I know you think I don't know, but I know."
"And what exactly is it you know that I think you don't know?" I said, slowly dropping off at the end as I tried to wrap my own head around the sentence. I'm pretty sure it made sense, right?
"You and the Russian." I inhaled a sharp take of breath as I tensed up, clenching my jaw as I realised his words. He looked over at me, then, and must have seen how uncomfortable I looked. "I'm not going to tell anyone."
"How did you find out?" I narrowed my eyes at him, eyes darting over to Dimitri for a split second. I could see him on the edge of his seat, nearing towards me. I subtly shook my head to tell him to stand down, focusing my attention back on Abe.
Our starters arrived before he had a chance to start explaining himself, and my appetite consumed me. Abe had forewarned me that the meals were petite, so I had had the insight to order two starters, anticipating they would be small. I was right to do so, as I mentally noted one would never have been enough for me. I'd gotten one lot of dim sum and another assortment of deli meats with olives and different vinegars, while Abe had gotten marinated wild salmon with caviar across the top.
"I've been watching you for two years, Rose." He explained as we were eating, not looking up from his plate as he spoke. "I have Guardians on the inside of St Vladimir's who have reported your every move back to me. Who your friends were, what you did in your spare time, how you were acting on your day to day life."
"Okay, first of all," I put my cutlery on the plate to hold up a finger. "That needs to stop, Old Man. The whole stalking, spying, watching - whatever the hell you wanna call it - needs to stop. I need my privacy, and I can't exactly have it if you've got secret ninjas hiding in the shadow of my every move."
Abe seemed to find amusement in that as he laughed, lifting his napkin to his lips as he looked up at me. "Consider it done. I only did it as a means to ensure you were protected, but now you are a mere fifteen miles away from my residence I can check up on you myself. That is, given you've accepted me as your father, of course."
"Now, back to Belikov-"
"Dimitri." I said firmly, reaching for my glass of water. "His name is Dimitri."
"Right, Dimitri," he nodded politely as he continued. "One of the Guardians I had working at St Vladimir's had also been on the mission sent to retrieve you from Portland - thus, he and Dimitri became pretty close. He informed me that the two of you had been spending an awful lot of time together since your return, so I asked him to keep an eye on both of you."
"While he didn't find anything incriminating, persay, he had said that the two of you were a lot closer than your typical mentor-student pairing. That initially piqued my interest, but by then you were on a plane to Russia, with my informer still in St Vladmir's."
"The way you reacted around him when I came to see you last week was confirmation enough." He explained as I finished eating, wiping my fingers on the fabric napkin besides me. "Anybody else would have sent them away with such confidential information. But you didn't."
I looked down at my hands as the waiter came and took away our empty plates. I could feel Abe's eyes on me as I fiddled with my hands in my lap, though I didn't look up to see if he was angry, confused, or something else entirely.
"I love him, Abe." I said simply, looking up at him with complete vulnerability - no mask. "He's been there for me when I was falling apart. Every. Single. Time." I closed my eyes desperately as I emphasised my words, before looking back at him. "I know it's unconventional, and he could get in serious trouble. We tried to fight it, we did... But the separation was too much."
"I'm not mad at you, Rose." He defended with kind eyes, reaching across the table to hold my hands in his. "You're my daughter, which means your happiness is one of my top priorities - and it always will be. If he makes you happy, then I won't get in the way of that." He narrowed his eyes as a wicked glint appeared in them. "Though if he hurts you, then I won't hesitate to break both his wrists." We both laughed at that as he let my hands go, just in time for the main course to arrive.
The rest of the evening was spent catching up on lost time both of us had missed over the course of seventeen years. Abe told me more in depth details precisely about what his work entailed, not wanting to keep any secrets between us. Truth be told it hadn't been the nicest conversation to be involved with - it was dark, and difficult to hear... Yet surprisingly it didn't scare me away from him.
He was my father, and I'd waited almost eighteen years to know him. My mother took me away from him before I could even remember, and now, after all this time, he'd come to me, wanting a relationship with his only child. And I wanted that too.
Monday came sooner than expected, and I felt genuinely refreshed and ready to take on the day. I was awake before even Dimitri was up, showered and dressed by the time he had woken up. 5.30 training wasn't a drag as it usually was. Instead I found myself enjoying the newly found adrenaline it presented to me, even managing to take Dimitri down two out of three times we sparred.
After the second time I knocked him on his ass it was time for breakfast, and not even Kai's incessant attempts to gain my affection could knock my good mood.
I wasn't blind - I could see Malakai's feelings for me ever since we met those five short weeks ago, in the exact same spot we sat two or three times every day. He constantly gave me compliments at the most random of times, whenever I wasn't myself or I was late he would constantly be worried for me. It reminded me of Mason all over again, and I couldn't let either of us go through the same situation. I'd told Viktoria as much, and she'd agreed with me.
Class started in fifteen minutes, and so the whole of our table got up to head to their classes. Sylvia, Evan, and Viktoria all had Weight Training and Conditioning first period, while Kai and I had Advanced Calculus. It would give me the privacy I needed to talk to him, without embarrassing him with anybody else overhearing.
We were just about to round the corner towards the class room when I grabbed his arm, stopping him short. Kai turned around to face me with a confused look on his face, and I subtly looked around to make sure nobody was watching us as I pulled him back behind the wall. "Rose, what's wrong?"
"Listen, Kai. I like you-" I started with a small smile, not expecting him to interrupt me as he so did.
"I like you too." He smiled affectionately as he took my hands in his. I took in a sharp inhale of breath as I slowly retracted my hands, watching as his face fell.
"I like you- as a friend." I explained slowly, gauging his reaction as I looked between his eyes. "And I know that you like me as more than a friend, but I just don't feel that way about you." He seemed thoughtful as he nodded, and I bit my lower lip guiltily. "I'm sorry."
"No, don't be." He offered a small smile as he shook his head, genuine kindness in his eyes. "I appreciate you telling me and not just... Stringing me along like perhaps some of the other girls would have. Maybe that's what I needed to hear to get a kick up the ass and make me move on." He laughed at his own words, and I attempted a smile as I looked down at my feet.
"You sure you're okay?" I arched an eyebrow at him.
"Definitely." He swung an arm over my shoulder as he usually did, turning us both around so we were facing the class room once again. "Now let's get going before Mrs Vitch gives us double homework."
"Just like that? He was fine with it?" Viktoria sounded confused at my words as we did our stretches at the beginning of Advanced Guardian Combat Techniques. I'd just told her my interaction with Kai earlier on in the day, and she seemed in slight awe.
I nodded, lifting my right leg up into a heel stretch as I placed my right arm in front to stretch my entire body. "Just like that, Vik. No bitterness, no insults, no change in his emotion..."
"You think he meant it?" Viktoria was on the floor with one leg crossed over the other as she rotated her body, looking up at me with furrowed brows.
"Yeah, I do." I switched over legs as I spoke, idly looking around the room as the other Novices warmed themselves up, awaiting our two teachers. "He seemed genuinely okay. Which I'm glad about, obviously - I'd rather not have a bitter, love sick puppy on my hands. Unrequited love isn't pretty."
"Alright class!" Guardian Charkov shouted through the entire gym as she stepped in with a clap of her hands, Dimitri close behind her. They walked to two separate sides of the gym as she spoke. "Today we're going to be working on flexibility and how to expand it, as well as use it to your full advantage in combat. Guardian Belikov and I were talking, and some of our methods are very different, so we thought we'd split the class in two. By first name, A through to Er," she called out, using the Russian alphabet, "you'll be spending the first half of the lesson with Belikov. The rest you're with me. Half way through, we'll switch it up."
"Looks like we'll be spending the lesson with your lover." Viktoria winked sassily at me as she jumped to her feet, looping her arm with mine and dragging us both over towards where Dimitri was stood surrounded by several other Novices.
"Vik!" I whisper-shouted, slapping her arm as she giggled. "You can't just say stuff like that in public. You'll get us into trouble."
"Oh, please, you know you love it."
I was about to retaliate when I was stopped in my tracks, a sudden wave of dizziness becoming me. I blinked a few times as I focused on a spot on the floor, unlooping my arm to place my hand to my throbbing head. "Woah," I stammered as I attempted to step forwards, feeling my legs almost cave in beneath me.
Viktoria immediately had her arms around my shoulders, looking at me with growing concern. "Rose? Are you okay?"
I swallowed hard, shaking my head as the feeling got stronger. I could barely hold myself up, and I found myself struggling to get to the side of the room so I could use the wall to support myself. "Something's not right." I could hear my own words slurring as I spoke, my eyelids getting heavier.
"Rose? Rose!" I heard Viktoria's frantic shouting right beside my ear, though it sounded like she was miles away. I'd barely stumbled two metres before my legs gave way, my mind going blank as I hit the ground and darkness consumed me.
#sorrynotsorry for the cliffhanger. DON'T HATE ME.