The New Rose
Chapter 3:
When I awoke we had landed at the airport and there was a man in a black suit waiting. He was tan with dark brown hair. I bet he had brown eyes like me too. There was two men standing beside him in suits and black sunglasses. It looked like something out of a cop movie. I giggled slightly to myself. I got up. "I have your bags Miss, I'll put them in the car for you," a man said, holding my three duffel bags. I descended the plane and found myself walking over to the man in the suit. And of course, yes, he did have brown eyes.
"Rosemarie!" he said, enveloping me in a hug. I awkwardly hugged him back. "It's so good to finally meet you! You will love it here!" He had a Russian accent. It reminded me of Dimitri and I inwardly sighed.
I looked up at him. "Hey, you must be Abe!"
One of the men opened the door. "You will love your new home. I'm guessing you're not doing Guardian Duties like your mother?" Abe asked.
I hopped inside. "No, things happened back home, things I'm not willing to discuss. I needed to get away. But maybe when Lissa graduates, I may reconsider."
"Oh that's right! The princess Vasilissa, you're best friend. You were meant to be her Guardian. Hmmm," he said enthused.
The drive was short and when we arrived at his, err, mansion, I was dumbfounded. It had gardens up the driveway to the house, it looked like something out of a movie. It was large and at least three storey's high. "The whole third storey is yours," Abe said, smiling.
"Wow," I replied. I felt like I stepped into a movie or someone else's life. "The whole third storey?"
"Yes. You'll have your own main bedroom with an ensuite, walk in wardrobe, a lounge room, dining room, kitchen and spare bedroom for guests," he stated.
"This is ridiculous! Normal people don't live their life in a Boarding school, with no money, to a mansion the next day. This stuff happens in movies, not real life," I told him. "All I have to know is if there is a gym?"
He laughed. "Of course! We all need to stay in physical shape! The gym is on the first floor, I'll get someone to show you around. Someone will grab your bags."
The car pulled up and I jumped out, all I could do was stare. It looked bigger up close. Vines hanging from it, giving it an eerie and "rich people" live her vibe. I think Royalty even lived this prestigious. I walked inside, Abe behind me. "Welcome home Mr Mazur. This must be Miss Hathaway," the man at the door greeted us from inside, guarding the door.
"Hey," my voice trembled.
"Mr Mazur," a lady came from a small room behind the back dressed all business. "We've encountered some problems!"
"Lead the way," he said, following her. "I'll be back Rose!" He walked into the room the lady came out of and shut the door.
"That's his office," a lady said, "I'm the housekeeper. I'll be showing you around."
I followed her around. Gym. Outside dining area. Pool. Downstairs bathroom one. Spa room. Powder room. Downstairs bathroom 2. Kitchen. Living room. Dining room. Ball room. Who the heck needs a bloody ballroom? Elevator. We went up to level 2 and the door dinged as it opened. I stepped out. Everything was neutral colours. My bed room. I was in love. Silk red bedspread and black and red curtains hung from double windows. A window seat. My walk in wardrobe was the size of a room, everything was remote control operated and I even had seats in there! My ensuite was amazing. I had a jet bath in it, separate shower that had shower heads on every wall and buttons to stimulate how much pressure you wanted and what temperature you wanted the water. I had pretty much my own cinema room as a lounge room. A gourmet kitchen with oak wood benches. Everything. The main bathroom on my floor was just as grand and so was the bedroom. I quickly put all my clothes away, they look so old and scraggly against everything, it made me feel a pang in my chest, walking over to the window that gave me the whole view of the backyard I seen a nice in-ground pool with lights that sat along the edges. "The lights turn off when the pool is closed," a voice said from behind me. I turned to see Abe, staring out to what I was seeing. "Is that all you have to wear?" he asked looking at my clothes.
"No. But if you meant daggy, guardian like clothes, then yes." I replied feeling stupid.
"Well then obviously we're going to go shopping." he said and is voice started getting more and more excited by each word.
"You're the first guy I know that likes shopping, every time I mention it, they run." I said amazed. "This isn't what I would normally wear. I actually have a sense of style unlike mum and I also like shopping, guess I get all that from you."
He started chuckling. "She never changes." he then sighed. He had a little distant look on his face and a small smile. Remembering the days where he, obviously, fell in love with my mum but circumstance changes everything. I could tell I was really finally going to get my father/daughter relationship I always wanted, I just didn't realize until now. I knew we'd get along just fine. "I came up to tell you Dinner's been served, we can eat together on the main floor." We started walking to the elevator, I couldn't help but wander why I had a kitchen if I wasn't going to use it. "Sometimes I work late doing business, so you won't see me much sometimes, but when I am home we can have dinner together on the first floor but when I'm not, I'll have someone make you something."
How did he know what I was thinking? I thought as we exited the elevator. "What kind of business are you in?" I asked, casually. But from what mum told me, the whole time she knew him, he never told her. She always guessed he was in the mafia or some kind of drug dealer because he never told her, no matter how many times he asked.
He smiled. "Kizz, that's for me to know," he replied casually. I sighed, smelling the aroma of a nice buffet of food I sighed again, this time with delight and to my dismay my stomach growled and he laughed. I elbowed him and he looked at me all fake-offended. "You are very grouchy when you're hungry."
I laughed, he knew me so well already. I walked into the dining room and seen all sorts of food laid out on the table. Bacon. Eggs. Grapes. Red AND green. An array of steaks and roast potato and pumpkin. "What? Are we feeding an army?" I asked shocked.
He laughed. "We all need to keep our strength and who'd want to die on an empty stomach?" he asked.
"I've thought that my whole life," was all I responded, while grabbing as much of everything as I could, filling my plate up, and ate until I couldn't eat anymore. Abe's Guardians even ate with us, which I thought was strange considering no one really ate with their Guardians. Not even the Queen herself.
When I finished, a lady took my plate and washed it up, I wasn't used of getting this kind of treatment. I looked up at Abe. "Do you mind if I go out for a little midnight scrounge?"
Abe looked at me shocked. "I thought you were here for pleasure not business?" he asked.
I lifted my head and met everyone's gaze, not willing to show how uncomfortable I was by their staring. "Of course, but why can't I do both? I'm a terrific Guardian, well, I would've been but killing Strigoi is what I was born and raised to do. So I can't just sit idly by as they kill people. I can shop during the day and have fun, but at night is where the real fun begins," I told him.
He looked at me straight and serious. "So you want to be a Huntress? Do you have a stake?" he asked.
"Of course, the Academy can't just not provide you with a stake because you decide you don't want to be a Guardian," I told him. I slightly pulled the hem of my shorts up from underneath the table and pulled out both my stakes. "They gave me two, I kill with both hands not just one." I smirked at him.
He looked at me impressed. "That's my girl," he whooped. "Now come on, I have something to show you." He got up from his chair and I followed him. He walked to a door that had a keypad lock and thumbprint scanner. He typed in a code and pressed his thumb against the pad, the door unlocked with a click. "We have some of the best state-of-the-art weapons and technology." He opened the door and I stepped inside.
I couldn't believe what I was seeing, the room had a layout of weapons, ranging from .44 guns and .22, pistols, bows and arrows, large and mini small handheld ones, silver bullets and bullets that glowed purple, stakes, knuckle busters, everything. Holsters, varying types of holsters to keep concealed from the human, untrained eye, silencers of all different varieties.
"Wow," I mumbled, amazed, but confusion swept over me. "But why do you have all this?"
He shrugged nonchalantly. "Because I like to have weapons at hand. Test the newest models out. But we haven't had a chance to use any as Strigoi sightings have gone down. Not that they aren't here or attacking, because they are, a lot, we just don't go out searching for them."
Seemed legit. I walked up to the array of glowing bullets and to get a better look at them. They glowed, I got one from it's case, holding it up to the light for a better view. I couldn't figure out what was in them. "What are these bullets?"
"Ultraviolet ammunition."
"Daylight harnessed as a weapon." I smiled. "Cool."
He pulled one out of the shelf and studied it. "We haven't tested them yet, so I can't tell you for certain if they work, but shoot them directly into the blood stream, and it lets out this toxin," he pointed to the glowing purple, "and they should burn up and disintegrate, no body, no mess, therefore no having to clean up the bodies so no human can find them."
"Amazing," I was in awe. "But why doesn't the Academy teach us this?"
He shrugged. "Well if you get used of a distance and easy battle, how would you do one-on-one?" he looked at me with the facial expression that said I should know.
I nodded. "They want us good at hand-on fights, not get used of shooting 'poof' and gone. Understandable. But when you get cornered, you can't always fight one-on-one and have to be good at multi-tasking, some of them can't do that, I'm just lucky. Some of them aren't that lucky."
"Exactly," a voice said from behind me and I turned to see one of the Guardians. He was really tall, blonde and had bright green eyes, he reminded me of Adrian except he was more muscly and boy was he hot. "You can't always fight with both hands. Sometimes you'll be bound, sometimes you won't. But sometimes you don't even have time to reload which is why hand-to-hand combat is very useful."
I smiled at him. "So can I just take anything I need or wan?" I asked Abe.
He smiled. "Of course but it has to be logged in and out every night with a detail of pros and cons. Some weapons might jam, that's where we'll have to write out a detailed report so they can fix any issues so the later models will have no defects." I nodded. "The arrows are a lot like the stakes, sometimes you can't always get the heart, so you need to slow them down. This is how. But if you can aim for the heart with a clear shot, take it. The more undetected you are, the better. But if you can't, my advice is aim for the head." He knew a lot for just a Moroi, which made me question what he actually did. "Now, the swords, pretty much like the stakes, but easier to decapitate your opponent. Sharp enough to need one good swing, but you always need to sharped and clean your weapon, otherwise after a while, defects will happen and it won't be easier next time."
He pressed a button and a drawer came out, other stakes were in that drawer, except they were curved, some spiralled and some were just amazingly crafted. Walking over to the computer in the corner he flicked through some screens. "Now this is where you log your weapons. Make sure to do it, and when you return it, rate it out of five stars, write what you thought about the use and what needs improvement, if it's too heavy, too light, if it needs to be shorter, longer, if it jams, harder to reload, anything really."
Then he left, after putting my thumbprint in the system, and let me get prepared. After standing for a minute I got prepared; I shoved some holsters in my pocket, ultraviolet bullets and silver bullets, a pistol and silencer, mini crossbow and five arrows, I logged everything out and shut the door.
Pulling on my black shorts, a loose-fitting tank and a black leather coat that came down to my knees, I started fitting my holsters. Tightening them here and there, fastening, strapping, everything I need to be prepared. I had everything concealed but easy enough to pull out. Time to kill some Strigoi! I thought to myself as I walked out the front door, suited and all weaponry strapped to every single inch of my body.
It was so beautiful at night, I couldn't help but look at the beauty of the city lights as I walked from street to street. The light breeze ruffled my hair in the wind. Now I regret not putting it up, it could be a used as a weakness.
My feet padded against the cement as I jogged. Everything was secure, nothing bounced around or flopped about. I walked around, looking in the shadows. Then I came across a nightclub, people were inside. He spoke to me in Russian. "Do you speak English?" I asked. He looked at me confused. Obviously not. A man from behind me spoke up.
"You come to Russia but don't bother to learn the language?" he asked, amusement in his eyes. He said something to the man in Russian and the guy let us in.
"Thanks but I'm not going to hang around," I told him over the music, walking off. There were dancing bodies all over the dance floor but I clung to edges, looking for my prey that was preying on innocent bodies. I noticed a man clinging to edges, looking over at the dance floor hungrily with his companion. Red eyes. I approached them. "Why don't we take this outside and bring your friends with you?" I asked, pulled my jacket back to show him my stake strapped to my hip.
He snarled. "Of course, I haven't tasted a Dhampir's blood in so long." He had a thick Russian accent and licked his lips. He moved like a snake.
I left the club, walking around the corner to the alley. Most girls wouldn't every go into an alleyway alone, but I wasn't like most girls, I wasn't even human, sure I was half human and half Moroi, but I'm a Dhampir, strong, capable and a hell of a fighter. I got out the gun, screwing the silencer in. And just like that they appeared. Four. This would be easy. I eased my finger on the trigger. Pop. The Strigoi man screamed as the bullet lodged under his skin. He started clawing at his chest, the skin peeling back and leaving marks, he was bleeding. He lit up, it started from his chest and spread, then just like that he burst and turned into ash. Cool, was the first thought in my head. The other three snarled. One woman and two other men. They ran forward at the same time. Pop. I only had enough time to shoot one. The woman did the same thing the other man did, except this time she didn't turn into ash, she just laid on the ground, convulsing. I kicked one of the Strigoi back, which gave me enough time to unsheathe my stake. The other Strigoi threw punch which I couldn't block or dodge, without getting knocked to the ground or bitten by another Strigoi that creeped up behind me, so as a calculative move, I took the hit. He swung and hit me in the side of my face, it hurt, a lot. Black stars danced in my vision that I blinked back but with that swing left an opening and I thrust my stake forward into his heart. His body slumped as I struck his heart, blood oozed from the wound and I pulled it out, he fell back, lifeless eyes that stared at nothing, frightened. I swung back and kicked up, hitting the Strigoi behind me in the chest. He fell backwards. I spun throwing a punch at the other Strigoi I had kicked earlier, and staked him. I spun around to face the last Strigoi. He was fast. Real fast. He lunged at me and before I could move and step out of the way I was plummeting to the ground. I was struggling to keep him from biting me. Pushing with all my might but he was strong too. I gripped my stake with strong determination, and let go. As he bit down on my neck I thrust my stake up into his chest, but then his deadweight held me pinned against he hard ground. But he was sure enough dead, with his head at my neck. I slowly eased my way out of his grip, and stood. Brushing dirt off, I seen the female Strigoi still convulsing on the ground, hissing.
"Kill me," she hissed through gritted teeth. "Kill me. End it. It. Hurts"
I plunged the stake into her heart and she slumped, eyes wide, I stood and that was when I noticed a girl, standing in the alleyway, shock all over her features. My whole body stiffened. I had just been caught.