Author's Note: Well I'm back at school at the moment :( I know, it sucks. Thought I might update this while I wait for the new episode of Glee to download (it isn't on the tv yet here in Aus so that is why I am downloading it). This is the first chapter for Shadow Kissed so let's get crack-a-lacking.

Spirit Bound Countdown: 27 Days

Adrian Ivashkov walked lazily down the hallway with a cigarette in hand. He was bored which he often was here, but then again he always got bored easily. He blew smoke into the air and turned his head to watch it blow away. When he turned, he saw Rose Hathaway walking down the corridor. Even though he couldn't see her aura right now, he could see her face showing signs of anger and frustration. She was stomping through all the puddles in her way and she looked like she wanted to punch something, or someone.

"Why so glum, little dhampir?" Adrian shouted across the quad.

"Adrian, you are the last person I want to see right now," she said annoyed.

Adrian hurried up beside her, blowing a cloud of smoke into the air that drifted right towards her. She waved it off and made a great show of exaggerated coughing.

"Apparently," he said. "I've hardly seen you at all since we got back." That you know of. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you were avoiding me."

"I am avoiding you."

He exhaled loudly and raked a hand through his hair. "Look, Rose. You don't have to keep up with the hard-to-get thing. You've already got me."

"I'm really not in the mood for you so-called charm today."

"What happened, then? You're stomping through every puddle that you can find and you look like you're going to punch the first person you see."

"Why are you hanging around, then? Aren't you worried about getting hit?"

"Aw, you'd never hurt me. My face is too pretty."

"Not pretty enough to make up for the gross, carcinogenic smoke blowing in my face. How can you do that? Smoking's not allowed on campus. Abby Badica got two weeks' detention when she got caught."

"I'm above the rules, Rose. I'm neither student nor staff, merely a free spirit* wandering your fair school as I will."

"Maybe you should go do some wondering now."

"You want to get rid of me, you tell me what's going on."

Rose finally gave in, "I got assigned to Christian for my field experience."

There was a pause, and then Adrian burst out laughing. "Wow. Now I understand. In light of that, you actually seem remarkably calm."

"I was supposed to have Lissa," she growled. "I can't believe they did this to me."

"Why did they do it? Is there some chance you might not be with her when you graduate?" Instant fantasies of Rose being his guardian formed in his head.

"No. they just seem to think this is going to help me train better now. Dimitri and I will still be her real guardians later."

Adrian gave her a sidelong glance. "Oh, I'm sure that'll be quite the hardship for you."

"Like I said, your commentary isn't appreciated today."

Ignoring her comment he said. "What's the problem? Christian'll be with Lissa all the time anyway."

Adrian saw in her expression that she thought he had a point though she would never admit it. Adrian changed the subject as they neared the building.

"Have I mentioned your aura to you?" he asked suddenly. He was thinking about Rose's aura when she had returned from captivity by Strigori. Her aura had been so dark, almost completely consumed by the darkness. He frowned at the thought.

"I don't know. Yeah, once. You said it was dark or something. Why?"

"Hard to explain. Maybe it's nothing." He came to a stop near the door and inhaled deeply on his cigarette. He went out of his way to blow a cloud of smoke away from her, but the wind carried it back. "Auras are strange. They ebb and flow and change colours and brightness. Some are vivid, some are pale. Every once in a while, someone's will settle and burn with such a pure colour that you can…" he tipped his head back, staring into the sky. "You can instantly grasp what it means. It's like seeing into their soul."

Rose smiled. "But you haven't figured mine out, huh? Or what any of these colours mean?"

He shrugged. "I'm figuring it out. You talk to enough people, get a feel for what they're like and then start to see the same kinds of people with the same kinds of colours… After a while, the colours start to mean something."

"What's mine look like right now?"

He glanced over at her. "Eh, I can't quite get a fix on it today."

"I knew it. You've been drinking."

"Just enough to chase the chill away. I can guess what your aura's like, though. It's usually like the others, sort of those swirling colours -it's just kind of edged in darkness. Like you've always got a shadow following you."

"That's so cheerful," she said. "You ever think about motivational speaking?"

"Don't worry, little dhampir. You might be surrounded by clouds, but you'll always be like sunshine to me," he said grinning. She rolled her eyes. He dropped the cigarette onto the sidewalk and put it out with his foot. "Gotta go. See you later." He swept her a gallant bow and started walking away towards his room.

"You just littered!" he heard her yell.

"Above the rules, Rose," he called back. "Above the rules." Adrian smiled as he walked the rest of the way back to his room.

Author's Note: *btw when I was reading that part of the book again I noticed that there was a pun there. Am I the only one to notice this or am I just slow? Cos you know, you know he is a spirit user and he used the word spirit to describe himself, see? Okay I will shut up now. Forgot how much I love this book. I will update as soon as I can. Knowing me I have just jinxed myself. Oh well, it is the thought that counts.

Also I just finished watching Glee. I love that show so much. Not as many funny quotes as the last ep but I still thought it was good. Now I got to go do my math homework :(