So I've decided to continue this. Frostbite definitely needed a lot more Dimitri anyway.

Let me know what you think if you want me to keep going.

Thanks

-Val

Chapter Two

I made a phone call to get some Guardians here to clean out and sort through this mess. I think Rose grew bored after a while because she quickly left and went to the car and left me and the other Guardians to examine the house further. Finally, I decided to go sit with Rose and make sure that she was ok. She was still a kid, no matter how old she seemed sometimes and I wanted to make sure that this hadn't traumatized her for life. This whole situation would take a few hours to get cleaned up anyway.

I entered the car then and sat next to Rose, neither of us speaking while we waited for the end of the assessment. I could tell she was taken aback by the whole situation, seeing so much death had definitely taken its toll. I wanted to hold her, comfort her and assure her that she was going to be okay, and that nothing like that would ever happen to her because I would always protect her. Instead, I just sat there like a complete idiot and mentally kicked myself for thinking that way –teachers shouldn't feel that strongly for their students. It was inappropriate.

The group of first Guardians finally finished and then I opened my car door, realized that Rose should probably take a look at how this is done and told her as I glanced over, "You should see how this is done."

I didn't want Rose to see any of this again, but I wasn't supposed to be protecting her, and the only way to really protect her is to teach her to protect herself.

Rose didn't look like she wanted to come, but she gathered her strength and did anyway. That's my girl.

I knew every Guardian in the group, but we skipped formalities. I think they were surprised I brought Rose, but none of them commented because they knew better than to question my measures.

Everyone was kneeling by the bodies, examining bloodstains and broken windows, careful not to touch any of the evidence. Everyone spoke in harsh tones, trying to not let their emotions get the best of them. I could see the eminent struggle it was to maintain control –especially with someone like Art… dead.

Then I noticed Tamara crouched over Art's body –damn, couldn't they get someone else. He was her mentor. I spoke to her trying to ease her pain that was plastered all over her gray eyes. I wonder how Rose would react if she found my body dead.

Finally, she seemed to bring herself together, her face turned businesslike once again and we went on with our business. That is how it was supposed to be –self-control was crucial –and it was a waging battle every day for me.

Suddenly, Rose blurted out, "How could they do that?"

All six pairs of eyes turned to a beautiful girl. I just looked curiously at her. How do you think Rose? They came in here with a group and slaughtered them.

"How could they kill him," elaborated Rose. Ahh… it was Art's death that surprised her. I was actually pretty surprised too.

Tamara answered then with small shrug, "The same way they kill everyone else. He's mortal, just like the rest of us."

"Yeah, but he's…you know, Arthur Schoenberg," sounding like a little girl swearing that Santa had to be real. She sounded so… innocent and angelic. I had to teach her this though, tough-love.

"You tell us, Rose. You've seen the house. Tell us how they did it," at least she'd learn something today, I thought.

Everyone watched her and Rose looked a little nervous under the group's gazes.

Finally, she gathered her courage and began, "There were four points of entry, which means at least four Strigoi. There were seven Moroi…and three guardians. Too many kills. Four Strigoi couldn't have taken down that many. Six probably could if they went for the guardians first and caught them by surprise. The family would have been too panicked to fight back."

"And how did they catch the guardians by surprise?" I prompted.

Rose hesitated, and then came to a realization, "Because the wards were broken. In a household without wards, there'd probably be a guardian walking the yard at night. But they wouldn't have done that here."

The wards had been staked, which meant…humans working with Strigoi. It was a terrifying thought. Without the wards, Guardians would need to be on watch constantly, and there just weren't enough Guardians for that sort of thing.

I nodded to her approvingly, and then the group continued with their survey.

I noticed writing on the bathroom mirror then, in blood that read: Poor, poor Badicas. So few left. One royal family nearly gone. Others to follow.

Great –not like my charge was the last Dragomir royal and the Strigoi would only have to kill her to eliminate her bloodline.

In contrast, while the Badicas were a smaller royal clan, there were still at least two hundred left. That would take a lot of killing. On the other hand, the Ivashkovs wouldn't, and of course not the Dragomirs. Lissa was the only one left.

I could see Rose's face processing the same thing; she stood frozen looking at the message, our brain waves crossing once more. Poor thing, she worried about Lissa so much.

When we finally finished with the house and got into the car, Rose slammed the door with such force that I had to check if she had broken it. I just glanced at her in surprise –is she trying to ruin the car? I know it's a Honda pilot, but I don't want to have to pay for it.

"What's wrong?" I asked her.

"Are you serious?" she exclaimed with an edge of calling me an idiot for asking, "How can you ask that? You were there. You saw that."

"I did," I answered her, "But I'm not taking it out on the car." I don't have the money to pay for it Rose.

She glowered at me then, "I hate them. I hate them all! I wish I'd been there. I would have ripped their throats out!" The venom in her words surprised me, I was used to my naughty girl –but this was almost villainous.

Besides, she wouldn't have been able to do anything, and I don't know what I would do if something happened to Roza.

Sometimes she acted so naïve. I let her vent, and waited until speaking again, she wasn't going to like what I was going to say.

"You really think that's true? You think you could have done better than Art Schoenberg after seeing what the Strigoi did in there? After seeing what Natalie did to you?"

It was harsh –but it was the truth –and I wasn't going to lie to her when her life could depend on it one day.

Rose took a deep breath, understanding in her face and said, "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," I assured her, and then reached over and put my hand over hers.

Dimitri, what the hell are you doing? You're going to go to jail for being a pedophile and then you will bring shame upon your family.

I removed it then and started the car, "It's been a long day. For all of us."

By the time we got back to the Academy, everyone was aware of the massacre. Teenagers have an amazing ability for not being able to contain any sort of news. I took one look at Rose who looked tremendously sluggish, being awake for 24 hours had taken its toll on her and I immediately ordered her to her room to get some sleep. She promised me she'd go right to bed and then I continued to make rounds.

I discussed with Alberta what had happened at the Qualifier exam later.

"How did Rose take all this?" she finally asked.

"She did okay, it's a lot for such a young girl," I told her.

"Rose is strong girl, she can handle it, and she's not that young, only a few years younger than you," she answered.

You probably wouldn't say that if I told you I was in love with her, I thought. Remembering the way she reacted, and her face, I worried more.

I think Alberta sensed it because she immediately said, "Dimitri, you worry far too much about Rose."

"I have to," I told her.

"No…you don't. It's strange you too…it's like you're perfect for each other. You're the only one that can get some control into her."

And she's the only one that can make me lose mine, I added silently.

"She looks up to you, you know," she continued. "I think she even has a crush on you. She looks at you like you're god's gift to Earth."

I averted my eyes then, trying to suppress my smile and keep up the facade, "I don't think so."

"Yeah well, as a friend, I'm telling you be careful with that one, Rose is a beautiful girl, it'd be anyone's temptation," she said.

"Hmm," I nodded. "Well I better go," I said, this conversation was getting awkward.

Finally I managed to get to my room and hopefully get some sleep tonight. It was weird; I was just one of those people that needed barely any sleep.

But if I didn't sleep, my imagination ran wild. I remembered that night, when I finally held Roza, when I had her naked body pressed against to mine, felt her soft skin and what it was like to kiss them.

Eventually, I drifted away from my blissful haze and into some boring sleep.