Chapter 8:
1 Year Ago
I laid across my bed on my side, staring at the movie playing on my computer. I had just gotten off of a long shift that overlapped with my overnight duty. This wasn't supposed to happen, Hans wasn't that cruel. But of course, a guardian had suddenly come down with a nasty flu virus and I had reluctantly taken over their place. It wasn't like I had anything better to do.
When I had real non-guardian time with Lissa she kept wanting to excessively talk about my feelings since Dimitri left. There wasn't really anything left to say about him; he was gone. Now it was time to let go of the pain and move on with my life. Find happiness that I knew I rightfully deserved.
Someone knocked at my door and I rolled over, glaring at it. It better not be another guardian needing me to do something. There was no way I had the energy to do anything more for Court at this moment in time. Pausing my movie, I sat up in bed and yelled that they could come in. Heck, I was even too tired to lock the door when I got to my room.
I wondered if it could be Adrian, Eddie, or Lissa, but instead Christian walked into the room looking slightly sheepish. Giving him a surprised look, I sat up a bit straighter eying him.
"What are you doing here Fire Boy?" I said. I was slightly embarrassed about the state of my room, considering a mixture of clean and dirty clothes were scattered amongst the floor. My garbage cans were over filling and who knew how many food wrappers and empty bottles there were. Rarely anyone would pay me a visit in my room, so I never saw a point in maintaining it.
"Haven't really gotten a chance to talk to you lately, so wanted to catch up," said Christian shrugging his shoulders. He tentatively looked at my desk chair that was piled with clothes, then gave me a slight look of disgust at the state of my room. "When was the last time you did laundry?"
"Some of it is clean. I don't have a personal maid like you royals," I said, climbing out of bed. Quickly grabbing the heap of clothes, I combined it with a pile of stuff in a corner, noticing the disapproving glance. "Seriously though, what do you actually want?"
He sat down on the chair and I sat on the edge of my bed giving him a curious glance.
"How are you doing with everything since he left?" Christian asked me. I wondered if Lissa had put Christian up to this, considering I had dismissed talking about Dimitri the past few times with her. Although by his expression it appeared that he had come here out of genuine concern for me. Christian was only one of the people who truly knew the extent of my feelings for Dimitri. He had suspected them for quite some time, but never mentioned it until there was a chance Dimitri could be restored.
I gave him a shrug. "I'm fine."
He eyed me carefully, unsure if I was telling the truth. Sometimes I wasn't even sure if I was being completely honest with myself. Was I actually fine? Or was I just convincing myself that I was?
"It's funny how much has changed in this past year and a half. Never would have thought we would actually like each other, Hathaway," He said, with a snide expression.
I let out a sarcastic laugh and shook my head. "I tolerate you Fire Crotch. That doesn't mean that I like you. I do it for Lissa's sake because she is completely head over heels in love with you."
Christian broke my eye contact and let out a smile at my comment about Lissa. They had this easy and great love that I had always envied. Being a Dhampir guardian, this simple love was nearly impossible. Take my parents for example: they were in love, had me, but couldn't be together for a multitude of reasons. Now they were kind of getting back together years later (I think), yet it still wasn't easy. I often wondered if Christian and Lissa understood how lucky they were.
"I actually have a question to ask you, Rose. About Lissa."
"What about her?" I asked.
"I'm saving up to buy her a ring," blurted out Christian, just loud enough so I could hear.
I opened up my mouth, slightly stunned. I didn't even know how to respond to that comment, especially since we were still young. Lissa was nineteen and not going to be twenty for another six months and still figuring out her life post-St. Vlad's. Did it make sense for them to get engaged? Then again, everyone knew that they were soulmates. Why even bother to wait if you just know who you will be with?
"Why are you telling me this?" I questioned.
"Lissa doesn't have any parents and you are her best friend so I wanted your blessing," He said sheepishly. Shocker, Christian Ozera was being somewhat traditional by finding someone close to Lissa. "It won't be for at least another year, but I just wanted to tell you before I truly started to save."
I gave him a smile, while seeing the hope and love across his face. I thought I had found my other half with Dimitri, but fate seemed to have it a different way. Ever since Dimitri and I fell for each other I had dreams of actually becoming a couple and not having to hide our affection for one another. I believed for quite some time that he was the one for me, but not anymore.
Bringing myself back to reality, I knew I needed to bring my focus back to Christian. "Of course, you can marry her, Christian. I know that you two belong together. That being said, if you cross any lines, I will not hesitate to show you what true pain feels like. Do we have a deal?"
Christian let out a laugh, shaking his head. "Deal, Ghost Girl. I can assure you that I won't do anything to hurt her."
I leaned over and gave him a light punch in return. I trusted that Christian wouldn't do anything to hurt Lissa, but a part of me was worried. Dimitri had promised me that he wouldn't do anything to hurt me, but look where I was now.
Present Day:
As the plane began to land on the Court runway, I looked out the window to see Lissa and Christian standing there to greet me. Smiling, I turned towards Eddie, Jill, and Meredith who were chatting about the festivities that were always so grand at Court. Jill was excited to see her parents and spend her first Christmas at Court, mostly to take in the grandness of the holidays that everyone always gushed about.
"Let's not forget that there are two dances at Court, with many Moroi coming in across America to go to. There is the Christmas ball and then the New Year's Eve party, that always has an elaborate display of fireworks," rambled on Meredith. I rolled my eyes, forgetting how Meredith could sound like Lissa on occasion. Those two certainly loved the formal, party atmosphere.
"Don't you have to work on both of those days?" questioned Jill.
Meredith shook her ahead. "I arranged with Guardian Steele to have both of those days off, so I could enjoy myself. What about you Rose?"
"Only have Christmas off. The start of my shift for New Year's Eve begins halfway through the party. I might not even go," I stated. "I don't really have anything to wear."
Jill nodded her head eagerly. "I only brought a few nice clothes because I figured my parents and I wouldn't be doing anything major. I'm not sure if my parents are even going to want to go to the Christmas or New Year's party, we usually have quiet nights back in Michigan."
"If you are at Court and a Moroi you are expected to go," stated Eddie. We made eye contact, knowing that Queen Tatiana would expect the secret Dragomir to be there. It was all to make Jill's face more recognizable, so when the secret would come out some Moroi would actually recognize her.
The plane gently came to a stop and I was the first one to jump out of my seat. I was ready to see Lissa and start distancing myself from Dimitri, who I hoped to not see until Christmas.
I grabbed my duffle bag and walked towards the door, waiting for it to open. As I stood there waiting, I picked up on a scent that I immediately recognized. Dimitri. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw that he was standing behind me.
"Does it feel weird being back here?" I whispered to him, knowing I should at least say something to make it less awkwardly silent.
"A little," said Dimitri.
The doors opened, and with no hesitation, I started walking off the plane. Lissa waved excitedly and I quickly walked over to her, not paying attention to anyone else. We gave each other a tight hug, as soon as we could. It felt good to be back to my best friend, even though we only had a short period of time apart. The excitement she felt radiated through the bond.
"I missed you," She told me.
"Missed you too, but you know I was never really apart from you," I teased, hinting at the bond.
Lissa laughed lightly, pulling away from the hug. "Just have gotten so used to you always being around me since you're my guardian," She confessed. Her expression soon turned from excitement to shocked, as she stared behind me. I knew Dimitri must have gotten off the plane.
I noticed Christian tensing up beside her, confused on why he was getting off the plane. "Calm down, Sparky," I murmured to him.
"Guardian Belikov, nice to see you again," greeted Guardian Steele. "Thank you for the last-minute assignment for Jill's temporary second guardian here for the holidays. I hope it wasn't any inconvenience."
Lissa gave me a look, wondering why I had failed to mention to her that Dimitri would be returning to Court with me. Giving her a look back that I would explain later, I could feel the shock subside slightly from the bond. She knew that she needed to be nice towards Dimitri, even though she was still bitter what he did to me.
"It is no problem at all. I had no other plans for the holidays," stated Dimitri, giving Guardian Steele a firm handshake in return. Eddie, Meredith, and Jill shortly followed off of the plane and happily greeted Guardian Steele.
"Princess," said Dimitri walking over to Lissa. I stepped away from Lissa, to give them space. Plus, I already felt awkward enough in this situation and it was best if I got away from this.
"Nice to see you again, Dimitri," greeted Lissa. Her face had a happy expression across it, but I could tell that she was confused on how to behave around him. I was happy she wanted to defend me, but I knew she shouldn't be rude to him in return. He was my problem, not hers. "I didn't realize that you were going to be returning to Court so soon. You look well."
I admired how regal and contained Lissa could be, even though I felt a hint of anger through the bond. She definitely was meant to rule, unlike me who had trouble retaining my feelings. Instead of continuing on the conversation with Dimitri, she politely excused herself and walked over to greet the others.
Christian and I stood there, watching Lissa interact with the others. I saw him gazing at her with so much admiration in his eyes and I quickly gave him a light punch in his arm. "Snap out of daydreaming, Sparks," I grinned.
"I got the ring," He murmured to me. We made eye contact, with my eyes widening at his statement. This was really happening and, of course, Christian would be doing a cliché holiday engagement. "I'll show it to you later, if you want."
I nodded in reply.
Soon enough, we were walking back towards the main part of Court with little to no talking. Guardian Steele was informing Jill that her parents would be arriving soon and telling her where to find things at Court—since it was her first time. He also made to point out that my guardian schedule was posted and that I would be having a long shift tomorrow, since I had the benefit of an extended vacation at St. Vlad's. Yeah, as if I planned for that to happen. Steele could be such an asshole.
As we parted ways with Guardian Steele and the others, who were being shown their rooms, Lissa quickly pulled me aside in an empty hallway. "Rose, why didn't you tell me Dimitri was coming back? What even happened to Guardian Thomas?" She urgently said.
I took her arm off of mine, then looked around to make sure no one was around. "Guardian Thomas was murdered by Strigoi, when she was arriving at the Academy. They were waiting for her, so as the car stalled to wait for the gate to open they could attack."
Lissa looked absolutely horrified. "Were you there?"
I returned her question with a slow nod, not wanting to dive into the details. Especially about Guardian Thomas dying in my arms. "Got another mark," I whispered, with Lissa giving me a small smile.
She knew that killing a Strigoi wasn't as glorious as it was always built up to be. For the longest time, she would congratulate me on the kills, but she started understanding, once I thought I killed Strigoi Dimitri. Being a guardian did have its perks, but killing former humans, Dhampirs, and Moroi was not one of them, especially if they weren't willingly turned.
"I'm happy you're safe," said Lissa, grabbing my hand and giving it a light squeeze. "Are you going to be okay with Dimitri here?"
I shrugged. "I'm angry that he is in my life again, but I know it is only temporary. I don't feel sad around him, but just confused on how to act around him. It has been a lot of up and down in emotions on both of our parts . . . still not sure why he came back to America."
"You still think his reason doesn't make sense?"
"No, but I doubt he would tell me the truth. It has already been a struggle to have a conversation with him that doesn't result in yelling," I laughed.
Lissa giggled and shook her head. "I know what will make you feel better," She said slyly. I gave her a look and she grabbed my arm and pulled me down the hallway towards her room. "As part of my Christmas present to you, I ordered some amazing dresses for you to try on for the Christmas ball."
"Lissa, you did not need to do it. I could just wear one of my old –"
"Rose, just accept the gift. Besides, wait until you see some of the dresses. I know you won't be able to resist," She teased.
After her convincing stare, I agreed to trying on the dresses as we walked closer to Lissa's room. I knew I should take a nap to rest up for my shift, but I needed this time with Lissa. Besides, her making me try on an obnoxious amount of dresses would help take my mind off of things. Not to mention, a part of me wanted Dimitri to turn his head at my appearance at the Christmas ball. See what he lost when he cut things off completely with me.
As soon as my overnight into Moroi morning shift was over, I checked my phone wondering if Adrian had sent anything to me. I hadn't heard from him since my return back, which surprised me. I figured the news would have spread about Dimitri's temporary return back to Court and he would immediately text me, but he did not.
Seeing no messages from him, I sighed and pocketed my phone. Not wanting to go back to my empty room, I just decided to just go to his room and surprise him. It was early enough in the morning where he would still be in bed and, quite frankly, I didn't care if I would wake him up. If anything, I would be willing to take a nap with him.
Knocking on his door, he took his time to answer. He looked disheveled, with dark circles underneath his eyes and he looked like he hadn't shaved in a few days. Running his hand through his hair, he gave me a crooked smile with his intense green eyes. "Little Dhampir, I heard you came back yesterday. I missed you," He said, grabbing my hand and pulling me into the room.
He pulled me into a hug and gave me a kiss. As much as I wanted to partake in these activities, I was too exhausted to even think about that. Not to mention, Adrian looked like he could fall back asleep standing. Pulling back from the warmth of his lips, I gave him a smile. "Want to watch some trashy TV and nap on the couch?" I suggested.
"That sounds perfect," He admitted, quickly guiding me to the living room area in his room. Without even asking, Adrian had grabbed one of my favorite fluffy blankets and handed it to me, as I sprawled across the huge sectional sofa. He turned on the TV and sat close to me, pulling my legs in his lap. "Overnight shift?"
"Yes, Steele's fucking punishment for me being gone a couple of days. Not my fault him and Alberta had terrible coordination with the winter storms approaching," I said bitterly. "At least I have the rest of the day and tomorrow off. Can't believe it is already Christmas."
Adrian started rubbing my achy feet and I let out a groan. I certainly needed a foot rub after all of the standing and walking I did for my long shift. I would have thought that my feet would be used to the long hours, but nope they never quite adjusted.
"How do you feel about Belikov being around?" He asked.
So, he did know after all. I did my usual shrug response, mostly because I was tired of people questioning me about Dimitri. Yes, it sucked that I was being forced to be around him, but there was nothing I could do about it. It was only temporary and I didn't want to let it get to me, but the constant reminders forced me to think about everything.
"Stop looking at my aura, damn it," I said, after seeing Adrian intently staring at me. He was had always been fascinated with my aura, ever since we met at the ski resort. After spending a significant amount of time with him, I could always tell from his expression when he was looking at it.
"It just looks different than its usual," He said.
"Well I have been through a lot the past couple of days. I feel fine right now, just tired and need to relax," I snapped back at him.
Adrian grinned and stood up to head over to his little kitchenette area. Pulling out a bottle of tequila and a shot glass, he walked back over to me. I gave him a disapproving look, considering it was still the morning. "You want me to stop looking at your aura and you want me to stop smoking, so this is how I take the edge off."
He poured himself a shot, then raised his glass towards me. Downing the shot, he proceeded to pouring himself another one. I glared at him and quickly pulled the blanket closer to me and bringing my attention to the television. Adrian was always one for being overdramatic, especially when it came to having a drink to subside spirit.
"Have I ever told you that you are absolutely ridiculous?"
"Have I ever told you to live a little?" He said, pouring a shot then waving it in front of my face. I gave him a look, but he pouted his lip begging for me to have a shot. "A little bit of alcohol can put you in a good sleep, Little Dhampir."
I rolled my eyes, knowing I couldn't escape out of this one. I didn't have to report for duty the rest of the day, so I figured one shot before a nap wouldn't do anything. Taking the glass out of his hand, I downed the shot and felt the burn racing down my throat.
Adrian gave me a laugh, before placing the bottle and the glass on the coffee table. Lounging back in the couch he turned up the volume, as I snuggled closer to him. I started to attempt watching the show, but my eyes began getting heavier to the point where I could barely keep them open. Letting out a yawn and curling up in a ball, I quickly drifted off to sleep.
Author's Note: And there you have it! Please review, I would love to hear how you are feeling about this story.
This chapter was kind of a filler chapter to lead up to the big Christmas chapter. Sorry if it wasn't very eventful, but occasionally you need a few chapters like that. :P Also there will be PLENTY of Dimitri in this Christmas chapter, sorry for the lack of him in this chapter.
Thanks again for the reviews. It honestly means the world to me when I see an email saying a review was left for me. Also, thank you to all of my new followers. I appreciate the growing and continued support by each one of you. :)
I'm uploading this early because I have a horribly long 17 hour car ride to my family in Canada tomorrow. I live in the United States, but all of my extended family is still up in Canada. So around Christmas every year we wake up at 3:30 am and drive straight there. 17 hours close to my family...yikes. On the bright side I'll be able to get some good writing in. ;)
I hope everyone has a safe Christmas, if you celebrate. Next chapter should be up Christmas night or the 26th in the morning. Christmas chapter will be longer than this one, as a little present to all of my lovely readers. 3