Hi everyone! I know I know, I'm horrible I made you all wait way longer then you were probably expecting to and I wasn't really planning on that happening, but I had a friend come visit me from out of town for 2 weeks and I was too busy to get another chapter posted. However it did give me time to map out some future details and I also managed to read the Indigo spell in like 24 hours which was just super amazing and so many Adrian and Sydney scenes I couldn't get enough of! Anyways here it is chapter 6! I hope you enjoy!
Sophia POV
I sighed as I dragged my butt, slumped over across campus. It was early morning and I was walking toward my training session with Landon. The last week had seriously kicked my butt as I juggled all my daily activities. Arabella and Jake were making serious progress with their magic training and had me observing their technique and teaching them different combat moves almost every day. To add to it all, homework was piling up and Landon was really kicking my ass lately. I couldn't tell what was going on with him these days. He was always so serious and didn't even try to throw my smart ass bantering back to my face. I walked into the gym to see our usual set up of dummies around the gym. At the beginning of the week Landon finally decided we were going to start learning to use a stake, my excitement quickly faltered when we had spent the days practicing where the heart is and how much force was needed to stab through the ribcage. I threw my stuff onto the bleachers and walked over to Landon stretching my arms and neck.
"The usual I'm guessing?" I asked completing a few more stretches. Landon turned towards me and to my surprise he was flipping a stake in and out of his hands. I watched as his lips quirked a little into a smirk. He grabbed my hand and placed the stake firmly into it, clasping my fingers around it tightly.
"I figured you were ready to spice it up a bit." Landon replied, shrugging his shoulders. I clenched my hand around the stake tightly and could feel my grin from ear to ear.
"Let's do this!" I exclaimed, and do it we did. Train obviously, don't get your head in the gutter, mine wasn't or anything… Anyways I meant the next two hours were brutal. After getting the hang of the staking motion and hitting the dummies directly where I needed to, I figured I was a complete natural. Landon clearly thought otherwise. Over and over again Landon pushed me, making me do it again and again, barking and shouting at me as if I wasn't trying hard enough, breathing down my ear telling me it wasn't enough. About 15 minutes before the end of our session I finally snapped. "Alright, enough!" I shouted, throwing my stake to the ground. Landon glared at me and knelt down to pick up my stake.
"You're not working hard enough." Landon said simply, but still accepting that the session was over. I glared back towards him and stomped up to his face.
"What is with you this week? I've been working my ass off! Doing everything you say, barely refusing and you can't except that I'm doing my best?" I shouted then stepped back to catch my breath. The room remained silent for a few minutes, but my eyes grew wide when I felt Landon's hand on my shoulder.
"Look, I'm sorry I've been such a hard ass this week, I just want you to be at a point where no matter what you are able to defend yourself." Landon said softly. I stood there close to him for what felt like several minutes. All I could smell was the intoxicating cologne he wore. He stood so close; I could feel his gaze lowered down on me and the warmth of his breath against my neck. I didn't know what to say or what to believe. I had a hard time believing that was all this was about, but I decided to brush it off.
"Alright fine, but lay off a bit next time alright? I'll do the best I can." I replied. I gathered up my belongings and left the room, to go on with the rest of my crazy busy day.
Sophia's POV
"So do it like that then?" Arabella asked, demonstrating a jab punch and then a high kick. She had come a long way since we had started training, especially since it really hadn't been very long. I sighed and shook my head; she was particularly having trouble with this move.
"No Airie, it's more like this." I said demonstrating the move for her for about the 10th time. She looked at me thoughtfully, and then her expression turned to puzzlement.
"Huh, I really thought I had it that time." She said quietly. She shrugged her shoulders and sat down on the grass admitting defeat for the day. I laughed than joined her on the ground, patting her shoulder lightly.
"Don't worry, you'll get it, just need a little more practice is all." I said reassuringly. We sat in a peaceful silence for a couple minutes enjoying the nice breeze and listening to the birds that were around. "So where's Jake tonight?" I said smirking, watching as Arabella's cheeks turned a flushed pink.
"He had to study with Cory after dinner tonight, they have a big test tomorrow." She said quietly, cheeks still blazed red. I continued to smirk as she tried to avoid my gaze.
"Oh come on Arabella, just tell me, you guys are clearly screwing or seeing each other, or something. I see the way he looks at you, the guys is in love with you." I said rolling my eyes at her fake expression of shock.
"Well I wouldn't put it so vulgarly, but yes fine, we've been spending a lot of time together and he's really sweet to me. We've been getting romantic in private, but I don't want to ruin anything by saying something because I don't know if he wants something from this." Arabella said looking very unsure. I rolled my eyes and placed my hand on her shoulder.
"Please Airie, I wouldn't be seeing him caressing your cheek in the hall in public if he didn't think this was something." I said as if it was the most obvious thing out there. Her face lightened up and I felt happy that I could reassure you. As I thought of how nice it was that Jake and Arabella had found each other and were obviously head over heels for each other, Landon's beautiful green eyes and teasing smile flashed through my mind. I shook my head to shake the visions and grimaced. "At least you're getting somewhere with a cute guy. All I have is busy schedules and endless training sessions with Landon who's on my ass like crazy. Especially lately, he's been acting so strange and has been on my case, it's so annoying." I said aggravated. We both stood up, grabbing our belongings. It was getting late and we both knew we needed to head back to our dorms before curfew.
"Come on Soph, I'm sure he's not that bad. Maybe he's just going through a stressful time right now. I mean I'm sure his work load is just as rough as yours. Not only does he have classes and homework, but he also has your training to take care of and is probably still working on maintaining his. I'm sure he doesn't mean to take it out on you. If I were you, I would be praising the higher powers in thanks for giving me the opportunity to spend so much time with such a fine looking young man. I mean come on Soph, he's so dreamy and has those amazing deep green eyes, and you should be all over that. From what Jake has told me, he seems to really admire you. He says when they are hanging out he speaks rather fondly of you and says how you're at the top of your class." Arabella said rather reasonably. I remained silent taking in every word she said. Fine, okay, I admit it; Landon really is a hunk, godlike, which I know I mentioned before the moment I first laid eyes on him. At the time I had meant his build and how I knew he could kick some serious strigoi ass. What really threw me off guard was hearing that he apparently really admired me. All I thought I did to him was drive him insane. I felt myself smile softly at hearing those words, but was soon shaken from my thoughts when Arabella and I had stopped at the path that led us to separate dorms.
"By the way, I meant to mention something earlier. Jake told me he's worried about the charmed guards around the grounds. Apparently there's been so rumors that the guardians are having trouble with keep them up. Do you think its history repeating itself? That maybe there are human's working with the strigoi trying to get back into the school again? Like what happened when your parents were here? Arabella asked with concern. I didn't answer her right away. This was the first time I had heard of this. I thought back to when my parents told me about that battle that day. The day my dad had been taken away and turned strigoi. I shivered at the thought and tried to smile reassuringly at Arabella.
"I'm sure it's nothing Airie, and if the guardians have wind of it, they'll take care of it and make sure the school is protected. They are prepared unlike last time." I said as lighthearted as I could be, but I couldn't shake the feeling that I wanted to protect her now more than ever. She nodded and we hugged before we went our separate ways, but I stood still outside watching her walk through the dorm before I continued on my way to my room.
Landon POV:
I felt extremely exhausted, it had been a long two weeks and I had never felt more like a nervous wreck. After what seemed like a few therapeutic sessions with Hunter, helping me keep my act together in front of Sophia, I had actually managed to make it to this day without her suspecting much. It was the day of the "camping" trip. The school day was over and I was in my dorm room preparing for the night, packing up weapons and a tent. I had told her that the overnight camping trip in the woods was just a tradition for all juniors and their mentors, a time to reflect on what they had learned and to also adapt to what may feel like an uncomfortable situation that they might have to face in the future. I looked at my watch and realized it was almost time to meet Sophia on the grounds, right before the forest. As I walked out of my room and towards our meeting spot I felt an overwhelming feeling of guilt take over me. All week Hunter had been telling me I had nothing to feel guilty about, this was my role and Sophia had to complete hers. All I could think about was her gorgeous, breathtaking, smiling face. No doubt in my mind, I knew Sophia was a hard ass and could really do a number to someone. She had managed to perfect the staking skill perfectly the last two weeks, yet I worried about how she was really going to handle a situation that felt completely real and wasn't just another day in the gym. I had all the faith in the world that she was going to get through this as the survivor, it was her innocence and how she would be traumatized that frightened me. I shook out of my thoughts as I reached our meeting place. Sophia was already there, her long, dark locks pulled back into a ponytail and her dark brown eyes looking at me in annoyance. She stood there wearing, nicely fitted jeans, running shoes, and a dark green pullover hoodie. Her arms were crossed across her chest and a backpack hung from her shoulders. I smirked as I stopped in front of her. There was something I just loved when I saw how annoyed she was with me.
"If you're going to make me go on this crazy, pointless, overnight trip into the wild, you could at least be on time for it." She said in a snarky tone. My smirk grew wider expecting nothing more than a response like that. I nudged into her shoulder as I continued walking into the forest as my response and beckoned for her to follow. I watched her roll her eyes at of the corner of mine, but knew she would be right behind me.
About an hour later we had our camp set up and a fire burning. We sat around it at first in silence, but then being like any other girl, Sophia began to strike up a conversation.
"Excuse me if I sound offensive, although I think I'm allowed to after all, but tell me, what's your deal? Everyone says that you just came here and were right away so serious about all the training, trying to prove yourself." Sophia said questioningly. We were sitting close to each other; I could feel her arm brushing against mine. I turned to face her and smiled before answering her.
"People think what they want to think, but fortunately they're fairly right. All my life, it feels like it's been a never ending battle. I love my parents very much, but because of their decisions, they've made my life a very hard one. It's one thing for a moroi to hook up with a human, but to marry one, is still something not everyone has grown accustomed to. It's even worse when the moroi is of a royalty line. My father married a human and they created the first ever dhampir with a royal bloodline. Growing up I was constantly teased about being wrong, how it was a disgrace for a dhampir to carry a royal name. My parents always tried to encourage me, telling me that I was going to go on and make a wonderful guardian and show all those people how good I really am and then they would be begging my protection. So I guess what everyone says it right. When I came here it was my goal to do nothing but whatever it took to be the best I can be, to prove to those who think I'm a disgrace to the I vashkov name will be corrected." I stopped, feeling anger boiling within me. I took a deep breath knowing I couldn't get myself worked up. I watched as Sophia looked at me with something I couldn't describe then looked back into the fire. I watched as the flames danced in her dark brown eyes.
"We're not so different from each other after all then Landon are we? Two people just trying to prove that just because there's something different about them doesn't mean we don't deserve the respect that everybody else does. Well I think you're doing a good job of showing those moroi how well you can really kick their asses if they try and mess with you; I guess that's why most of them looked so scared of you." She paused and chuckled a little bit, I'm assuming imagining most of the moroi's faces when I normally walked by. I smirked at the thought, but turned back to her when I noticed the smile had been replaced with a look of puzzlement. "Hang on; if you've always had to deal with all that growing up, then why on the day we first met did you say all those horrid assumptions to me right away?" She asked as she looked at me in the eyes. I remained silent, tracing every single detail of her face then landing back in her eyes.
"I wanted to know how you were going to react. You definitely proved to me you had a fire within you. I just wanted to help you keep it ablaze." I said smirking at her. She rolled her eyes at me, but I was surprised to see her smile deeply at me rather genuinely. We sat there for a couple of minutes just staring at each other in silence, until I heard a twig snap somewhere in the distance. Sophia's head snapped forward and her eyes widened.
"What was that?" She asked a little unsure. I sighed quietly, knowing very well that had been my warning to move aside so Sophia's test could begin. I tried to smirk as if her concern was rather funny, knowing I was only nudging her towards fear.
"You want to stake strigoi, but you're scared of a twig breaking in the forest Belikov? Don't worry; it was probably just an animal walking around into the night." I smirked as I stood up. She glared up at me and crossed her arms around her chest.
"I wasn't scared; it just startled me, that's all." She said looking back towards the trees. I nodded silently even though she couldn't see me. I gulped knowing what I had to do; I could practically feel the guardians' eyes upon me, waiting for me to make my move.
"Look I have to pee, I'm just going to go find a spot over there, and I'll be back in a couple minutes." I said as normal as I could. I watched her roll her eyes again might I add and she nodded her response. I sighed and started walking darker into the forest. My part was done and I had left her in the guardians' trap. I wished her luck and muttered silently. "Let the games begin." And then it happened.
DUN DUN DUN! A little bit of a cliff-hanger, but hey the next chapter shouldn't take me too long and I promise you all its going to be action packed and possibly full of a lot more romance! What could be better than that? Please review it definitely helps encourage me and makes me think I need to stay up all hours of the night to write these chapters for you!