I sleep for a long time before the sun finally begins to melt behind the snow-covered pines and firs. As soon as the last of the sunlight drains from my window, I jump out of bed, hit the alarm clock, and jump into a cold shower.

By the time I get out, it's 7:58. I have to be at a guardian meeting in less than twenty minutes. Things are hectic as I dress in my guardian's uniform (black dress pants, white dress shirt, and a black jacket) and I grab what I need. I stuff everything into a bag that I borrowed from Lissa before I left for the Contas', shoving my keys, To Kill a Mockingbird, and a notebook to take with me.

I am out of my housing unit in a record time of ten minutes, leaving me with eight minutes to arrive at the building where the meeting will be held. When I walk in, I am immediately enveloped in a hug.

"Rose," a familiar voice says, "you look like the guardian you were meant to be."

I pull back and look in the face of Alberta, a smile tugging on her skinny face. I cannot help but smile back. Alberta takes my arm.

"How's the job?" she asks, a smirk on her lips.

I think about it for a minute. I mean, how is the job, really. I open my mouth to reply, then shut it, then open it again. "It's great. Incredible, I guess."

"Good," Alberta says. "All we're doing today" - she jabs her thumb in the direction of the large table in the middle of the room, guardians dressed the same as me surrounding it - "is discussing some security details and making sure everyone knows their place."

Alberta turns and starts to walk away, but I grab her arm and pull her back. "Wait, what are you doing at Court?" I ask. "Shouldn't you be at the academy."

Alberta looks like she is taken by surprise. There is something in her eyes, something secret. Something wrong.

"Alberta?" I whisper-ask, releasing her arm from my grip. "Is the academy okay?"

Alberta sucks on her bottom lip before pursing them, then looks up at the ceiling. "Everything's fine, Rose," she says. "Things are just. . . a little out of hand. And. . . I need to be here for now."

This time I let her walk away, and I collapse into a nearby chair. What the hell is that supposed to mean? I continuously rub my eyes and sigh until Jack Chang walks in. I immediately pull him to me and whisper in a low voice, "Hey, have you heard anything about the academy? You know, St. Vladimir's?"

Jack thinks for a millisecond, then shakes his head. "Not that I know of," he says in his deep voice. "Everything okay?"

I slowly nod. "Yeah, I'm fine. Keep an ear out for anything about it, though, okay?"

Jack nods and walks away, joining a small group of guardians huddled against the wall. They talk until Alberta and another guardian, a guy named Gin, call the meeting to order. I stand up, brushing the wrinkles and creases out of my pants, and listen to what they have to say.

"Alright." Alberta pulls out a green, dusty-looking folder and opens it. She pulls out a slip of paper and places it on the table in front of her, looking up at the crowd of guardians' around her. "We will be tripling the number of guardians at the front gate, and we will also add heavier security to the airport gate. This is nothing to be alarmed about, but we will be taking some high security measures in the next few days."

"Any volunteers are welcome to discuss that with me after the meeting," the guy named Gin says. He has a thick Irish accent, and he is constantly scratching at his morning shadow.

"We are already short on the number of guardians, so we will be pulling some strings." Alberta looks around. "We'll be taking some guardians from St. Vladimir's academy and bringing them here."

Everyone stays quiet, a heavy silence grasping the air and suffocating anyone who dares to breathe it. I exchange glances with Jack. We both know - we both understand - what is happening. The academy is already short on guardians, the numbers of dhampirs falling each year. How can the Court possibly take more of the academy's guardians' without making it disastrous? The academy wouldn't stand a chance against Strigoi if they were to attack now.

"A few of you will be sent to the front gates, others to the airport." Alberta reaches into the folder and retrieves another paper. "Those that are not listed here will either be with their current charges" - she glances at me - "or off for the day."

"We ask that you please keep this information to yourself," Gin speaks above the mumbles and whispers of some of the guardians. "This is not to be discussed with Moroi or the guardians that are not present in this room. They will be informed later." There is something in his voice that warns us. Whoever doesn't keep their mouth zipped, will regret it. Very, very badly.

I tune out the rest of Gin's instructions, thinking about the academy. They are still losing a huge amount of dhampirs. How could the Court, the guardians at Court, be so selfish as to keep taking and taking guardians from the academy. I think of the hundreds of students at the academy. Less protection. Less guardians.

"That isn't fair." I stand up, directing my words toward Alberta and Gin. "Why are you taking guardians' from the academy? They need protection, too."

"Yeah," someone says in the crowd of dhampir guardians.

Alberta leans against the table, a sympathetic look on her face. "I'm sorry, Rose. We can't risk anything. There's no other way."

""We can't risk anything?"" I stare at the two guardians that are the center of attention now. Aside from me. "You might be risking hundreds of Moroi's lives' if you continue to take the academy's guardians'."

"That's enough from you," Gin says, glancing at me up and down. "What's you name?"

"Rose Hathaway."

Gin leans against the wall behind him, crossing his arms. His accent is even thicker when he speaks next. "Well, Guardian Hathaway, what else do you suppose we do?"

I open my mouth to say something, taking on a defensive stance, before I see Jack out of the corner of my eye. He is shaking is head. No.

"Um," I mumble my words. "I. . . I don't know." I am at a sudden loss for words.

Gin sighs. Alberta slams the folder shut.

"We're done for today. Thank you for coming. Meeting dismissed." Alberta tucks the folder under her arm and walks past me in a breeze, giving me a warning look.

The guardians file past me one, or two, at a time. One guardian, a man with reddish-brown hair, who suddenly reminds me of Mason, stops and looks at me. He is young, maybe a few years older than me, but not much.

"For what's it's worth, I think it's a really stupid idea, too." He disappears through the doorway before I can say anything back. I stand there for a minute, my mouth in a taunt line, before Jack stops beside me.

"You know, that wasn't the smartest idea," he says.

"What?" I glance up at him, an eyebrow raised.

"You getting all defensive and causing a scene in front of everyone," Jack says. "That isn't what guardians do."

"What?" I ask. "They don't question motives'? What is wrong with you? They just might be risking hundreds of Moroi and dhampir lives. Don't you see that? Don't you care?"

"Of course I do, Rose," Jack says. He places a hand on my arm. "But we cannot go and do things such as what you just did. We can't question the system. We keep our mouths shut, and we listen to our orders."

"Yeah, well, that's not gonna work for me," I snap at him.

Jack exhales deeply. "I'm sorry, Rose," he whispers. "I have to go. I'm going to help at the front gate. Are you coming?"

I look at Jack for what seems to be the longest time. But we cannot go and do things such as what you just did. We can't question the system. We keep our mouths shut, and we listen to our orders. Jack's words mock me, repeating in my head.

But we cannot go and do things such as what you just did. We can't question the system. We keep our mouths shut, and we listen to our orders.

"No," I answer. "I have some things to do."

Jack looks down and nods. "Okay. I'll see you in a little while." He starts to leave before turning back to me. "Rose. Please take that into consideration what's going on. It might be our only choice."

He leaves after that.

But we cannot go and do things such as what you just did. We can't question the system. We keep our mouths shut, and we listen to our orders.

His words repeat in my head, over and over again. And then I can't think anymore. All I can think is what he just said.

I glare at the doorway.

"Yeah, well, hell with that."

"And the Master said unto the silence, "In the path of our happiness shall we find the learning for which we have chosen this lifetime. So it is that I have learned this day, and choose to leave you now to walk your own path, as you please."

Julius looks up at me and shuts the book in his hand. I glance up at him and furrow my eyebrows.

"Why'd you stop?" I ask.

"You weren't listening," Julius says, switching the book from one hand to the other.

"Of course I was." We walk toward the Lissa's apartment, the house she is staying in. She told me Adrian, Mia, and Christian will be there. I'm excited, my nerves jittery and all over the place. But all I can really think about is the guardian meeting earlier today.

It is early evening now, and my mind is still racing with this morning's events.

"No, you weren't." Julius points at me. "You still are not listening to me."

"Ugh," I say, looking at him, my shoulders slouched as if I am exasperated. "How can you tell?"

Julius looks up at the midnight sky. He begins to stroke his evening shadow, which, might I add, looks really good on him, though I hate to admit it. "Well, let's see." He continues to stare up at the sky. "First" - he raises one finger - "you keep looking either at the sky, toward nothing, or the ground, toward your feet. Second" - he raises another finger - "I have been through several chapters, and you don't even know the chapter I am on."

"Yes, I do!" I whisper-yell as a few Moroi pass me, their guardians trailing behind them by a couple of feet. They nod their heads at me in a respectful way, and I remember I'm still wearing my uniform.

"Fine," Julius says, "go ahead. Tell me what chapter we are on."

I think for a minute, blowing a strand of loose hair away from my eye. "Uh, six?"

"Wrong!" Julius says loudly. Then he looks up at the sky, arms spread out, and screams, "Rosemarie Hathaway is wrong!"

I shove Julius playfully, laughing and smiling at him until he stumbles back into place beside me. We walk in silence, a hint of a smile on my lips, a hint of a smirk on his.

And then he grabs my hand.

I immediately pull back, out of instinct, and Julius frowns at me. "Why'd you pull away?"

"Um." I push back a strand of my hair. "I don't know. . . I don't like to hold hands. It usually means something. You know." I shrug. Suddenly the situation is awkward.

"Oh." Julius nods. He looks up and smirks. "What if I told you it doesn't mean anything at all?"

I stare, questioningly, at him. "Is this some sort of trick to get me to let you hold my hand?"

Julius laughs. "Of course not, Rosemarie."

I tread on careful ground, like on eggshells. "Okay. So if it doesn't mean anything?"

"Than we can hold hands without any meaning of emotions being attached," Julius replies simply.

I look at him reluctantly. And then I exhale deeply. "Okay."

"Okay?"

"Yes!" I say in an exasperated voice.

Julius smirks, and carefully, gently, as if he were holding an infant child, takes my hand into his and our fingers intertwine like ivy up a brick wall. The touch of his fingertips against my palm send something though me, a wave crashing down inside me. Something strange, yet good.

And I can't help but like it.

"Rose?"

I let go of Julius' hand abruptly and look up the path to see Lissa, Christian, - hands holding, bodies almost embracing - Mia, and Adrian all walking toward us. Adrian smirks, a lit cigarette in his mouth. It reminds of yesterday, when Julius was sitting at my door with an unlit cigarette in between his lips that always make him look like he is pouting.

"Little dhampir." Adrian strolls up to me and suffocates me in a hug that smells of clovers and expensive cologne. I smile against the fabric of his shirt and hug him back. When I open my eyes, Julius is standing on the sidelines, watching with a smirk on his lips, hands stuffed in his pockets.

"How could you not have told me you were coming?" Adrian asks. I realize how I haven't seen him in my dreams in the past few days.

I shrug. "I don't know. You should visit more often."

Julius almost looks confused.

Next up is Mia. We hug awkwardly, but exchange words as if we are old friends catching up. We are, but it is still a little weird that my best friend's former enemy is now one of our closest friends. Funny how things turn out in the end.

Christian walks up to me and I playfully punch his arm before we give a one-armed hug. And that's all of them. All my friends. Adrian. Mia. Christian. Lissa, who I hug tightly. All of them except for. . .

As if Lissa read my mind, she says, "I tried to see if Eddie could come, but he's working at the academy. Hopefully he'll get to see you when he comes up in a few days."

I nod, smiling as my friends surround me. I talk to Christin about Lissa, about the academy. I talk to Mia about how life is at Court, about Tatiana. And Adrian talks to me in a flirtatious way, but I ignore it like I always do. I glance over my shoulder to see Lissa frozen in place a few feet away from me, her body stiff and her eyes glazed over. She is staring at something in the distance, and she almost looks. . . scared.

I turn back to see if anyone is watching, and then I slip away and walk toward Lissa. I place a hand on her pale skin.

"Lissa?" I ask, suddenly worried at her expression, her rigid muscles. "Lissa?" I shake her. "Are you okay?"

She suddenly snaps out of her gaze and looks at me, her mouth agape. She blinks her eyes several times before grabbing both my hands and pulling me further away from the group. I almost yelp at her strong grip on my hands as she drags me farther and farther away from the group.

"Lissa!" I plant my slacking feet on the pavement and we come to a full stop. Lissa is breathing heavily, we both are. She still looks scared, and I cup her face in my hands, forcing her to look at me. No one can see us any longer. We are too far from them.

"Lissa, look at me!" Lissa looks at me and gulps. "Lissa, what the hell is wrong with you?"

She heaves, shaking her head.

"Lissa." I stare at her, wanting her to calm down. "Lissa, tell me what's going on."

"Rose," Lissa breathes. "Rose."

"Yes. Lissa, I'm here. What's wrong?"

She shakes her head and tries to look toward the group. We can see them, but they can't see us. No one seems to notice we're gone.

"No, don't look over there," I say in a calm, gentle voice. I force her to look at me again. "Look at me. I'm here, Lissa. It's okay. Tell me what's going on."

She nods, then shakes her head, then nods. "Rose."

"What?" I brush away a single strand of her golden hair. "I'm here, Liss."

And then she looks directly at me, her eyes suddenly revealing everything to me. Her next words show even more to me.

"I felt another Spirit-user."

And that's when I realize.

She was looking toward Julius.

Author's Notes:

Illusions by Richard Bach