While it was impossible for my mother to completely ignore me over the next week, she gave it her best shot. She was professional when she did have to speak to me, but she went out of her way to avoid it where she could. She hadn't said a word about my father, or what she'd said on the pavement outside the diner, and I don't think she intended to.
If we weren't due to leave the house at the end of the week, I probably would have left it. But I'd been right when I'd told Eddie I could lose her at any time. While Mom had said things that could never be taken back, I didn't want to leave things like this.
"Mom? Can I have a private word after dinner?" I asked at the communal dinner table, so she didn't have the luxury of being able to ignore me.
"I'm sorry, Rosemarie, I have some urgent reports to finish up. I don't have the time."
"It will only take a couple of minutes," I said softly.
Noticing the other table occupants observing our terse interaction, she capitulated.
"Fine. In my office after dinner."
I barely tasted the food as I ate my meal. I really didn't want to do this – there'd already been too much confrontation between us. But our relationship was like a festering wound; and one way or another it needed to be cauterized.
I helped clear the dishes from the table, and Artyom and I did the dishes as per Mom's roster.
"Things seem not well between you and your mother at the moment," he observed in his accented voice.
'Not well.' What an understatement.
"Things are rarely well between us," I said with a sigh.
"Does she disapprove of you?"
"She wished she'd never had me."
"I find that hard to believe," he said, looking at me with tender eyes. Ugh. I'd hoped he'd gotten over that. Seeing that sort of look from anyone but Dimitri was gross!
I turned to face him fully.
"Actually, she does. She said so," I told him in a matter of fact voice.
I set the last dish into the drainer and dried my hands before crossing the entryway, into the library and through to Mom's study. My Russian God gave me a concerned look as I walked past him. Since the events in Sheridan, he'd given up trying to get me to interact with my mother. Hearing what she'd said had convinced him some things were best left alone – which is why he was no doubt surprised to see me initiating a conversation with my mother.
Inside the study, I pointedly turned and shut the doors leading through into the library. Not that it would give us much privacy if my mother decided to start shouting, but it was more a symbolic gesture, I guess?
"So what did you want to talk about?" Mom asked. I'd hoped she was going to make it easier on me by raising the topic of my father, but apparently not.
"Well we're finishing up here in a few days, and I wanted to clear the air before we left."
"I don't think there's anything to say," she said brusquely, dropping her eyes to her paperwork.
"I do," I said, steeling myself for another explosion. "I know you didn't intend for me to ever know about Abe, but I do now. I'm sorry if that upsets you, I don't think it was his intention, and it certainly wasn't mine."
"I kept you from him for a reason," she hissed. "You have no idea about him! What he does. What he's capable of! If you had any idea of the things he did for a living…"
"You mean the illegal arms, drug running, gambling, protection money, and extortion amongst other sordid activities?"
"He told you about all that?!" Mom asked in surprise.
I shrugged. Abe had hinted at it, although Dimitri had been the one to flesh out most of the gruesome details, outlining all the many operations Zmey was known, or reliably rumored, to have interests in.
"I know he's called Zmey, and I know what he does, Mom. He was surprisingly open with me."
"Was he open with you about what he wants?" she mocked. "Because he always wants something, don't ever doubt that, Rosemarie!"
"Well, he said he wanted to get to know me."
Mom snorted dismissively.
"Just because you don't want to know me doesn't mean everyone else feels the same way," I said sadly. "I don't know if he wants any sort of ongoing relationship, but he flew half way across the world to meet me. That counts for something."
"I didn't say I didn't want to know about you," my mother said looking decidedly uneasy.
"No. You said you wished you'd never had me and you didn't care where I went," I said, trying not to tear up.
"I said a lot of things I didn't mean," she snapped, her eyes dropping to her hands. "That man could always get under my skin…"
"It doesn't matter…" I muttered.
"It does," she growled. "I didn't mean it. He'll make me the villain in this! He'll tell you all sorts of horrible things about me!"
"He hasn't said a bad thing about you," I defended, and it was true. Other than joking about her temper, he'd been surprisingly restrained in his description and references about my mother. "He's been respectful, and he's barely mentioned you. Mostly he told me about his life growing up, his family and his life now."
"He doesn't have any family," she declared quickly, trying to prove a point.
"Yeah, he said they were all dead," I supplied refusing to rise to her bait. "But I still liked hearing about them. He said I looked a bit like his mother."
"Well you always resembled him more than me, even when you were a bairn," Mom acknowledged, perhaps a little more gently than her previous statements.
"I want to get to know him, Mom. I'm not stupid – I know he'll probably show interest for a few weeks or months and then disappear out of my life again. But I want to know where I came from. I can't force you to tell me about your family and life, but while I have a parent willing to talk and share with me, I'm going to make the most of it. I want to feel I come from somewhere."
I gave her a final look and turned to leave.
"I still love you, Mom. I know you didn't want me, but I'm here, and I'm willing to talk anytime you are."
"That's the last of it," Stan announced, closing the tailgate on the SUV. It was Saturday, and we were packed and ready to go.
"Let's take a photo," I suggested. "Of all of us."
It took some maneuvering, but with the help of Meredith's backpack, I managed to position my phone on its side on the bonnet of one of the vehicles and set the timer function. We lined up; girls at the front, guys at the back. We had to hunker in close, and while I was always going to smile, feeling Dimitri pressed close to me from behind certainly added a sparkle to my grin.
With a final look at the property, we climbed into the cars – Mom, Stan, Blake and Eddie in one, Dimitri, Artyom, Meredith, Elizaveta, and I in the other. While I wanted to call shotgun, Dimitri named Artyom as his second. Admittedly Artyom was a buff guy, and the back seat wasn't huge, so it made sense for us girls to share the rear. But I think part of Dimitri's reasoning was also not wanting Artyom seated anywhere near me! Preferring not to sit beside Elizaveta, I claimed the spot behind Dimitri and Meredith took the middle. Artyom did the final checks, and we were off.
Overall the mood in the car was positive. We'd got through the mission. Of course, only Eddie, Dimitri and I knew how close some of had come to not making it! However, that wasn't the only reason I was excited. Tonight I'd be back at St. Vlad's – even if it were just for a night or two. I couldn't wait to see Alberta, and access to the rest of my wardrobe would be welcome, as well! We'd left the house at 2 pm, so by the time we factored in a dinner stop, we'd probably be getting in around 9 pm.
I cuddled under my quilt, leaning against the door to give Meredith as much space as possible. Artyom was talking about how much he was looking forward to visiting Court, but I was only half listening, instead staring at the back of Dimitri's neck – admiring his promise mark, molnija, and zvezda, and fantasizing about kissing them, and him, over and over again.
We hadn't had much of a chance to be alone together since Sheridan, but he'd been affectionate and loving when he could. As stupid as it seemed, weathering our first big fight together made me feel even closer to him. I was crazy in love, and I couldn't wait until the world could know it!
I smiled, fingering the blossoms in my pocket. I'd woken up this morning and bounded into the bathroom eager to start my day. When I got back to my bedroom, everything was undisturbed, but a few Spring blossoms had been placed on my pillow. I'd wondered about it, but smiled when I saw Dimitri at the kitchen table half an hour later holding a sprig of the same white flowers to his nose. It was such a sweet thing to do!
"Are you looking forward to Court, Rose?" Meredith asked pulling me out of my sexy fantasies about Dimitri.
"Yeah. I haven't seen Lissa since she left so I can't wait to catch up with her," I said. Of course, seeing Lissa would mean also seeing Tasha since Liss was staying at the Ozera family house. Our group was scheduled to stay at the Guardian Dorms at Court, but I was fearful Tasha would want Dimitri to stay with them and immediately resume his role as Lissa's Guardian.
"Hey, Dimitri? Have you heard anything about where they're sending Blake, Eddie, Meredith and me?" I asked.
The twins would be returning to St. Basil's, but the fate of us four had not yet been disclosed.
"Last I heard, they were ringing around the academies to see who had room. With the influx of Novices across the year levels, most Academies are filled to capacity," he replied.
"I just hope I don't get Kansas," I groaned. St. Michael's wasn't well regarded, and its fighting program was the weakest of any of the academies.
"Bet they send Blake there," Meredith muttered under her breath.
"Too right," I chuckled. While Blake was a lot better than he had been at the start of our mission, he still lagged well behind the rest of us Novices.
The time passed slowly. Elizaveta and Artyom talked about friends they were looking forward to seeing back at St. Basil's.
"I'm fascinated to see St. Vladimir's," Elizaveta said in a tone bordering on sarcastic. "Although I have heard it's tiny. Not even half the size of St. Basil's?"
I shrugged. I wouldn't know, and I wasn't going to rise to the implied slight on my home and where I'd trained.
"St. Basil's is larger geographically, but the equipment is newer at St. Vladimir's," Dimitri announced diplomatically. Of course! Sometimes I forgot he had attended St. Basil's.
"Do you miss it?" I asked him, meaning St. Basil's.
"I graduated a long time ago now, Rose," he laughed, "but I miss Russia very much. It's been too long since I've been home..."
He sounded wistful, which made me sad.
"You could go on holidays there?" I suggested.
"Maybe," he said in a tone of voice that meant no. He wouldn't admit it in front of the others, but I knew finding the time and money to go would be difficult. It was a stark reminder how tied Guardians became to their charges and their jobs.
It was still too early to slip into Lissa's head; she'd no doubt be sleeping, so I tried to sleep a little myself. I must have succeeded, because the next thing I knew the car was empty, and Dimitri was in the back seat, leaning over me whispering, "Wake up, sleepy. We're in Bozeman for dinner."
I opened my eyes, and it was dark outside. We were parked in the lot of a fast food restaurant, but there was no one in sight.
He leaned over and kissed me gently, his warm, soft lips lingering against mine.
"How about you second for the rest of the journey?" he suggested indulgently, straightening up and climbing out the other side of the car. I rolled my shoulders and followed, trailing him into the burger joint.
Mom, Stan, and the others were inside looking at the board and ordering their meals.
"Nice of you to join us, Hathaway," Eddie joked. "Heard you were snoring all the way from Sheridan."
"I don't snore," I snapped, a little annoyed to have been woken – even if it was by my lover's kiss.
"Sure you don't," Meredith said with a twinkle in her eye. "And you don't dribble, either!"
I quickly wiped the back of my hand across my lips, which only caused them to laugh more at me.
"You're assholes," I mumbled, checking out the menu. I ordered up big, knowing this would be my last chance for junk food for a while. Court had cafes rather than fast food joints, and while I didn't know where I'd be headed for my final training, the Academies were typically in the middle of nowhere well out of human sight, so it was doubtful there'd be fast food near wherever I ended up.
"You're not going to eat all that, are you?" Artyom asked, looking at my heavily laden trays in alarm.
"Sure am," I replied.
"You won't be able to finish it," he predicted.
"Want to bet on it?" Eddie asked, knowing I was virtually a bottomless pit when it came to food, but junk food in particular.
"No fleecing the Russians," Stan ordered, but with a slight pull at the side of his mouth. "We all know Hathaway could eat her bodyweight in food."
Everyone who knew me laughed, even Mom.
"We'll be back to eating St. Vlad's food, soon," I said before taking my first bite of my burger and groaning in pleasure. Chewing and swallowing, I continued. "I'd order up big too if I was you!"
The next twenty minutes were spent me eating, Eddie, Meredith and even Blake watching me with amusement. Artyom was staring incredulously as I put away my first and second trays of food. I could see my Russian God studying me as I ate, the ghost of a smile on his sensuous lips.
"That was good," I said with a grin, gesturing to my empty trays. Everyone else had finished, too, so I stood up and stretched ready to go.
"Hmm – anyone else want a sundae for the road?" I asked innocuously.
"You're kidding me?" Artyom gasped.
In truth I was – I was so full I could barely move – but I wanted to see his reaction.
"No eating in the cars," Dimitri directed, putting an end to that discussion.
Meredith and I headed to the bathroom and then we walked to the SUVs.
"Hathaway can second this time," Dimitri said authoritatively to our group. It was a small thing, but even sitting beside Dimitri felt right.
We set off first, Mom's vehicle following. It was a dark night, the moon hidden behind clouds, and the I90 was quiet. We followed it from Bozeman up through to just after Trident where we veered onto Route 287 up toward Helena. We'd traveled for almost an hour, and were just outside Winston when my stomach started to roll.
"Comrade? I don't feel so good…"
"You shouldn't have eaten so much," Elizaveta grumbled, and I was secretly thinking maybe she had a point.
"Do you need me to stop?" Dimitri asked, his voice filled with concern.
I looked at the darkness surrounding the road. We hadn't seen another car in ages, although turning to look behind me, I could see the lights from Mom's SUV trailing us, some distance back.
"No. Don't stop," I said with a shiver.
I couldn't explain it, but something was wrong. Off. Surely this road should be busier than this? It was a major interstate for God's sake. At just past 8 pm on a Saturday night, surely people would be going places?
My stomach rolled again, and that's when I recognized it wasn't a symptom of overeating. Trying not to freak out, I spun in my seat, making sure I could see Mom's headlights behind me.
"Comrade? Are you packing extra silver?" I asked casually, although it was futile – I could feel Dimitri instantly tense beside me.
"Yes. My second stake is in my jacket, right inside pocket. There are additional stakes in the glove box."
"What's wrong?" Elizaveta asked, sensing there was more to our words than was being said.
"I just have a funny feeling," I said evasively, reaching into Dimitri's coat and grabbing his second stake, then opening the glove box. "It's probably nothing, but take these just in case," I said passing Artyom, Elizaveta, and Meredith a stake each, making sure I'd be carrying Dimitri's spare.
While I was arming the Novices, Dimitri placed a call to Mom.
"Could be nothing, but we've not passed any cars for quite some time, and Rose has a feeling something's not right," he explained over the Bluetooth hands-free system.
"Rose has a feeling?" we could hear Stan sneer from the other car. "Excuse me if I'm not convinced."
"Arm the Novices," my mother barked. "It's probably nothing, but we'll treat it as a training exercise. Belikov? I'm going to come closer – maintain your current speed."
Dimitri was acknowledging her words when we came around a corner and almost straight into a massive tree lying right across the road. He slammed on the brakes, managing to pull up before we plowed into its massive trunk and branches.
"Tree down!" he replied in response to my mother's frantic questions when she'd heard the car skidding to a stop. "Slow down around the corner."
Dimitri was reaching for his door handle to step outside to take a look when my stomach rolled in an unmistakable way.
"Strigoi!" I warned him. "Quite a few."
"You're sure?" he asked me, his voice tight with tension.
"I'm sure," I said, pointing to the pale figures now appearing all around on the road in front of us. "Here comes..."