CHAPTER 2
"Rose Hathaway." Alberta yelled.
"Yeah?" I called from the top of the bleachers.
"You're going to help me show how to fight a Strigoi."
Was that what she was talking about?
Crap.
I sighed and walked down. "Yeah, so who is who?"
"You will be the guardian. Than you can be the Strigoi."
Oh, this was going to be fun.
We stood on the mat, "Show the class how you would protect yourself." I nodded.
"Go Rose!" Some of my friends yelled. I waved and that's when she lunged.
Adrenaline shot through me. At the last second I ducked she wasn't prepared. A mistake!
I grab her wrist and swung her the other way, it was like flicking a light switch. She came flying the other way and I swear her arm popped out of her socket. She landed on the mat with a hard thud and as she had her pathetic attempt to get up I hit her in the chest with my boot and I leaned down, "And this is the part where I break the Strigoi's neck."
She glared, and got up. "Now, Rose, it's your turn."
This was getting personal, the whole class could see it and they were happy.
I smirked, "Got it."
I lunged, she ducked but I gripped her shoulders as I flew past, slamming her to the ground. She got up, but I was quicker. I grabbed her wrist and bent it behind her back, forcing her upward as I pushed on it, a little harder than I should.
Okay, fine. A lot harder than I should.
She struggled and tried to break the hold but I've done this hold on a lot of my… Victims.
"Rose, release!" Dimitri snapped.
I let her go and she fell to the ground. I rolled my eyes, flicked my hair and walked back up to the bleachers, people scooted away. Pretty scared. I sat beside Mason and Eddie and they both stared.
"What?" I snapped, a snarl in my voice. I was hungry and my thirst was killing me. I was strong, but I drank fresh human blood anytime and everyday.
"You just schooled Alberta, twice." Mason said.
"Serves her right." I mumbled.
"MISS. HATHAWAY!" Alberta snapped, "I didn't say you go back!"
"And she wants her trash kicked again." I mumbled, getting up and walking down again. A smirk on my face.
"You will be the Strigoi and Belikov will be the guardian." She growled walking to a bench, pissed that I kicked her butt in front of so many people.
Dimitri walked out to the mat and I joined him. He nodded and I moved quickly to the right.
Lunge, all he needs to do is lunge. He swung his fist to hit me, like old practices. It was slow. Or I was too fast. It was probably both.
I dodge it. He swung again and I grabbed his fist, people gasped, he looked shocked. I totally blew it. I swung my fist slowly and he blocked it, I let go of the other and we got into a hand-on-hand combat.
As he tried to take me down I moved my leg quickly under him, he didn't see it. He fell and I was on top of him in seconds.
"Guess that does it." I growled, getting up. My temper was getting worse. A lot worse. I leaned against the bleachers and people moved away. I wasn't going back to my seat because they'd probably call me back. Before anyone could ask me a thing, Ms. Koski walked in.
"Rose!" She snapped, "My office, now!"
"See ya'" I said as I followed Ms. Koski out. As soon as I was out of sight I ran to her. She was a few good yards ahead and I was there at her pace in seconds.
"Can I eat?" I asked, trying not to think about biting into her neck…
"Yes, you can." I ran ahead. Down the halls, silently but quick. A creature of the night. A monster. I slipped into her office and saw a human. My sprits nearly soared. Ms. Koski was inside before I could taste my prey.
"It seems that the bags won't work. I was looking through the window while you were fighting Alberta, you seemed hungry, weren't you."
I nodded, "I usually eat whenever I want."
"Well, you have to get use to eating on a schedule." I nodded and she gestured to the human, it was a girl. 16. She hasn't been bitten yet. Tainted by others. I walked over to the girl, smelling her fear. It was the same mouthwatering feeling as before except it didn't have the goodness. I put my teeth in her neck and began sucking.
Not too much.
Not too much.
I told myself over and over. After a few minutes I released her and she sighed.
"I've only been bitten once but that…" She sighed. "It was 10 times better than a regular bite."
Ms. Koski nodded, "Why don't you go to the cafeteria, get yourself some sugar?"
The girl nodded and walked out.
"She was tainted." I wrinkled my nose. It wasn't as good as pure blood. Pure blood… My mouth began watering.
"Rose!" Ms. Koski snapped, "Stop thinking that."
"Right," I said, pulling myself from the word. I sat down as she began going through papers. Before she could say anything Dimitri walked in.
"Ms. Koski, sorry to interrupt…"
"It's fine," Ms. Koski waved him off, "Go on, say what you need to."
"Alone."
"I know it's something about Rose, so does she. She'll eventually find out, you might as well say it to us both now to save us some time."
"But-"
"I have a war to prepare for, and you are wasting my time." Ms. Koski snapped.
Dimitri was speechless. Guess war of Strigoi wasn't on the teacher hand-out.
"War?" Dimitri asked, shocked.
"Yes, war. Now spit out what you have to say."
"Rose is Strigoi isn't she?" He asked, Ms. Koski set down the paper she was looking through down and I stared at him.
"Why would you think such a thought?" Ms. Koski demanded.
"Rose, she has gotten faster." He said.
"Everyone gets faster."
"A lot faster, and she's stronger than the average Dhampir."
Ms. Koski thought for a moment. "Do the others suspect?"
"No, I barely even had the thought cross my mind, but when she battled me…" His voice trailed off and I cursed myself silently.
"Yes, Belikov, she is a Strigoi."
"But how? She doesn't even look-"
"Rose herself isn't sure, but she has risked her life to be a spy."
"Spy." Dimtri's tone told me he hated the idea.
"Yes, spy. She has to leave campus frequently to tell her leader false information and to keep us in the loop. She has already told me they are planning to attack in a month."
"A month?"
"Yes, that's why the guardians are training harder and the Moroi are learning to use there magic to fight."
"But what will the Queen…"
"The Queen, I have talked to, she doesn't know that Rose is the spy but all I said was I have Intel that the Strigoi are going to attack in a month. She went into hiding." Ms. Koski shrugged. Than she turned to me. "Rose, your mother will be here soon."
I nearly died of fright. But that isn't possible, seeing I'm already dead.
"My mother?"
"Yes, her Moroi went into hiding and is being guarded by new people. I asked her if she would teach the guardians here and she agreed."
"She'll-she'll kill me!" I gasped. Not like it would be easy, but she could. And she probably would.
"We won't tell her till we absolutely have to."
I nodded, still not sure how I like this. "Ok."
"Don't worry Rose." She said, "You're not in danger yet."
Yet. The word echoed in my head. Yet. I could die at anytime. If a guardian found out and didn't go to Ms. Koski, say goodbye to me. I nodded.
"Rose, you can go back to class with Dimitri, but I'd like you to come back to my office at lunch, understand?"
I nodded and I walked out, Dimitri behind me. "So you really are-?"
I nodded and looked at him sadly.
"I was into my monster self till most recently. I was going to come to the school and," I broke off, not wanting to say it, but I did. "To kill Lissa and attack some of the other royals."
Dimitri nodded, still not saying anything. "Anything else?" He asked.
"Yeah, I'm engaged." He stopped short. I love him but my Strigoi self didn't.
"When I was in the… Dark," I decided that was the best word, I turned towards him and leaned in, "The leader saw me and wanted me. I was engaged last week, he loved my monster self. But I love you."
He didn't say anything so I continued to walk.
He grabbed my arm, "I love you too Rose."
"Even if I'm a monster?"
He nodded, "But you aren't a monster."
"You have no idea do you?" I asked, I pulled my arm away and ran my hardest down the hall, leaving him standing.
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