The ownership of all characters related to and involving the novels of The Vampire Academy and Bloodlines Series remain the sole property of Richelle Mead, the Penguin Group and any affiliates.

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A/n: Thank you all so much for the lovely reviews. They always make my day. Also, thank you to those who answered my question. Happy reading.

A Conflict of the Soul

Chapter Twenty-Two (Part Two)

Weaving my way in-between the wooden support struts of the additional grandstands, I paused to conceal myself behind a heavy column when I saw Janine in the distance.

Features tightly pinched, she was visibly upset and walking at a fast clip in the opposite direction to where I thought Rose might be. Obviously her second attempt at making her daughter see her point of view had failed as dismally as the first. I couldn't help but feel a little compassion for her, even though she didn't deserve it. She had done, at the time, what she had thought was best for her child. It made me think suddenly of my own mother's lies about the father of her children.

Olena had done it to protect us…hadn't Janine done the same?

Moving silently forward again, I found Rose standing in the deeper shadows created by a small grove of Fir trees clustered closely to the stadium. The set of her shoulders was tense; tightly bunched with emotions she was trying to suppress...or control.

Reaching her within seconds, my intention had been to enfold her from behind; to offer her the same comfort she had offered me on returning from Court, but her keen hearing picked up on my approach before I could. Whirling around to face me, the aggression on her expressive face was hard to miss; as if she was expecting to find someone she was more than willing to fight with.

Relaxing only slightly as she instead found someone she wasn't mad at; Rose blew out a heavy breathe and paced a little; still too tense for anything else, including me touching her. Mumbling a little to herself, she scoffed quietly before turning to face me again. "Janine gives me all this crap about my bad life choices, and she let herself get knocked up by him!" Stabbing a finger in the general direction of her father, Rose glared. "She is such a hypocrite!"

Staying where I was; willing myself to be patient and let her vent, it took more effort than I expected. "I'm guessing you told her that?"

Smiling slightly, there was vindictive pleasure in the way her mouth curved. "Yeah, she really enjoyed being called a hypocrite. God, she makes me so angry. And now with him…" Gazing into the distance, where we could still hear the noise from the remaining crowd, Rose frowned. "He's known about me this whole time, and this is when he chooses to introduce himself? Do you know how many times I've thought about how our first meeting would play out? What we would do…what we would say to each other, and this is how he does it? I had hoped he would be someone decent, at the very least, for a Moroi. And now all I can see is that he's a selfish bastard."

Rolling her shoulders, Rose closed her eyes and winced as stiffness began to set in. Seeing it as an opportune moment to get closer, I walked towards her before she could stop me and rested my hands lightly on her shoulders; gently massaging the tight muscles. Watching me from beneath heavy lids, she didn't resist the help and relaxed slightly into my touch.

"I'm sorry, Roza."

"Don't be. You know more about having a bastard for a father than anyone, comrade."

"True, but I wanted something more for you, especially tonight. They should have made this all about you, but instead they made it about them."

"I hate her...I hate them both."

"No, you don't. Not really. That's why it hurts."

Falling into my chest, Rose mumbled from between the folds of my t-shirt as my arms wrapped tightly around her. "You can't just agree with me for once?" Hugging herself closely to me, I smiled against the top of her head before kissing it and rubbing my cheek against it. This was what I had wanted to give to her…a return of the solace she had given me.

"I agree with you more than I disagree, and if you'd stuck around long enough, you would have heard just how unpleasant my conversation with Janine was. In fact, I very much enjoyed telling her that she was completely powerless when it came to interfering with us in the future as I was being transferred to Court on Monday."

Tilting her head back, Rose rested her chin on my chest with an arched brow. "You told her about the transfer? How did she take it?"

"She changed colour a few times."

Laughing suddenly, a little of her anger drained away. "Good for you, comrade. That's something I'd usually do."

"I should have restrained myself, but…"

"She makes you as angry as she does me?" Nodding wryly, Rose rubbed her chin up and down my sternum. "I just hope she actually listens to me about not being at graduation. I don't want that ruined too…by either of them."

"Well, I can't speak for Janine, but your father confirmed that he would be leaving the grounds in a few hours, so he shouldn't be an issue."

"Father… hmph." Scoffing, Rose shook her head. "I don't want to think of him as that."

"That's understandable."

"I mean, how did he think that I was going to react after crashing Trials?"

"A bit differently, I would imagine. He's accustomed to people acting a certain way around him, and you didn't do as he expected."

"Because he knows nothing about me, because he knows nothing about anything. I mean, did he actually think that I was just going to go along with taking a quick trip to Turkey to learn about his family and my Moroi heritage? I've known him for less than an hour."

Rubbing her nose against my chest, Rose pulled back a little against my hold to get me to let her go. Reluctantly complying, Rose was still too wound up for standing still and began to prowl a little before she looked at me questioningly. "How did you know it's not what he would have expected? How much do you know about him?"

"Why bother asking? I thought you didn't want anything to do with him?" Concerned that she was regretting her decision and wanted contact with someone who was dangerous; someone who might put her in danger; however inadvertently, I couldn't hide my worry.

Frowning at my tone, Rose shrugged. "I don't, but I'm still curious; the man is my father, but I'll be damned if I ask him, so spill."

"As long as it's only curiosity, Roza. You need to stay away from him."

"What do you mean?"

"You were right about him being a criminal."

"He doesn't scare me, comrade."

"He should. Not just because of who he is, but of who he associates with. Janine and I don't agree on much, but on this we do. His enemies are a real concern. She was right when she said that once they find out about you, they will use you against him, and they won't hesitate to hurt you in order to do that. Everything your parents were arguing about is relevant."

Hearing the dread in my voice, Rose sighed and walked back to me before reaching out to cup my jaw. "I face off against Strigoi on a regular basis. I think I can handle a few old men holding a grudge."

"I wished I shared your optimism, but there is so much of our world that you know nothing about. So much of it that would scare you more than any Strigoi." Turning my head, my lips pressed to her palm. "Please just remember that not all monsters have red eyes."

Crinkling her brow, Rose slide her fingers beneath the hair tied at the nape of my neck and lightly massaged. "You're really worried about him, aren't you?"

"Yes, but not just for the reason I've already given you."

"What other reason is there?"

"I owe him a favour, and owing something like that to a man like Ibrahim Mazur is never a good thing."

"What do you mean? What favour?"

"He's the one that my mother went to for information on how to contact me after the attack."

Frowning, Rose thought about it for a second. "You think he had an ulterior motive for helping Olena, don't you?"

"Yes."

"What though? What would holding a favour over your head gain him? I mean, you're an exceptional guardian, but you don't have anything that he would want…" Trailing off, Rose's calculating mind; the one she had inherited from her calculating father, came up with the only answer that made any sense. Staring at me with eyes that grew larger with realisation and horror, Rose whispered. "Does he know about us?"

"Yes."

"How?!"

"Spies…both here and at Court."

Digging her nails lightly into my nape, Rose swore beneath her breath. "He has spies working for him? Who the hell is this guy?"

"Your father."

Skewering me with a dirty look, Rose dug her nails in hard enough to make me wince. "Will he use it against you…against me?"

"He's already tried to."

"How?"

"By trying to use me against you. He thinks that I'll be able to persuade you to spend time with him."

"I hope you told him to go fuck himself." Rose hissed.

"Not quite, but he did get the message. I'm not naïve enough to think that he's given up, but for the moment, he's backed off. There's also the other issue of you owing him."

"The hell I do."

"He was the one that threatened Hans into telling me about the rigged Trials. I then told you. The favour has come full circle; Roza and we've both played straight into his hands." It was infuriating to admit, but from the moment I had set foot on Court grounds, the man had manipulated me from the shadows. Maybe even before.

"Wonderful." Quietly scathing, Rose rubbed little circles with her fingertips over the marks left by her nails. "Now he thinks he has the upper hand. Did he say who the spies are?"

"No, only that it would surprise me to find out."

"Does that mean it's someone you know…someone you trust?"

"That what I'm thinking."

"I thought we had been so careful."

"So did I."

"Do you think he could cause trouble for us at Court?"

"I'm sure that he could, but I'm not certain he will try that now. He's already overplayed his hand with you and he's smart enough to know it. What he'll probably do is stay quietly in the background; waiting for the right time to try again. If that doesn't go his way, who knows what his next move will be?"

"Great. Just when I thought all our problems would be over with graduation, he comes along." Hugging herself suddenly to my chest, Rose rested her ear against the steady thump of my heart. "What about your family? He won't try anything with them, will he?"

"No."

Shifting a little restlessly as she heard the flat, hard certainty in my voice, Rose didn't question it as she tilted her head up to look at me. "What about us? What about our plans?"

Stroking my thumb over the arch of her brow and soothing the small bruise forming above it, I sighed and for the moment, pushed aside the worry to concentrate on the triumph and the joy of Rose passing Trials. "You're as good as graduated, and that's not something either of your parents can interfere with. The issue of the spies aside, our plans are still on track." Clasping her suddenly around her waist, I lifted her off her feet and swung her around until she shrieked with laughter; ignoring the protest of my aching ribs.

Lowering her to the ground, I held her tightly to my chest. "We'll deal with whatever happens, when it happens, but for now, let's just enjoy this moment, because it's been a long time coming, and is worth celebrating."

Cupping my face, Rose stretched up to kiss me before grinning broadly against my lips. "I don't want this to go to your head, but as usual, you're right. We'll cross that bridge – whether Ibrahim Mazur is on it or not – when we get to it."

And that was Rose in a nutshell. She didn't dwell; she simply moved on. "I haven't congratulated you properly yet on passing, have I?"

"You haven't, but as you were surrounded by people we'd prefer remained in the dark about us at the time, I'll forgive you. How much of the obstacle course could you see from the waiting area?"

"Not much. I had to piece together what was happening in the maze by listening to the crowd and by watching Lissa."

"Lissa?"

"She was my lookout. It wasn't until you had reached the end of the course, just before the bridge, that I could see for myself what was going on. Tell me everything that I missed."

Going through every step of the maze for me, Rose was almost jittery with adrenaline; her movements and speech were animated as she described the guardians she faced off against, the moves they used against her, the moves she used against them, having to drag Daniel along as he acted terrified...it was like she was reliving the entire experience and by the time she had finished, it felt like I had been watching it for myself.

"By the time I reached the bridge, I thought I was in the clear. Finding the ambush threw me a little; even fully expecting the council to have planned something like it."

"I saw, but you handled it brilliantly. You remembered everything you had been taught and improvised when you needed to, which is exactly what you were meant to do because it means you had situational awareness. There is nothing more important than that, Roza."

"Did you see the move I pulled at the end?"

"I did, and full disclosure, I thought you had blown it." It felt as much a betrayal saying it out loud as it had when thinking it.

Making a tsking sound, Rose looped her arms around my neck and tugged until our lips met. "Where's the faith, comrade?"

"I'm very, very sorry. I'll grovel if I have to." Carefully biting into her soft, plump lower lip, I sucked on it gently in apology, though there wasn't any real anger behind the words. "Congratulations my beautiful, brave Roza. I couldn't be more proud of you and everything that you've accomplished...and it was your accomplishment. The spectacle that your parents created can never take that away from you. It was your moment. You did prove that you are worthy. Your Trials have established that you so much more than just Janine Hathaway's daughter and that your abilities as a guardian have been confirmed in spite of her."

Smiling sweetly – for once genuinely and not as a forerunner to the revenge she was plotting – Rose stroked her thumbs along my cheekbones. "Thank you, Dimitri. And that was very good by the way, so no grovelling is required, but you can make it up to me later." Suggestively arching a brow, Rose smiled at my groan before she softly spoke. "I need to thank you in return."

Trying to think clearly; not easy when Rose was pressed against me from shoulder to hip, I asked hoarsely. "For what?"

"For pushing me the way you have. For training with me, for motivating me, for watching out for me. For believing in me. I don't know if I would have been ready for Trials without you."

"I didn't do much, Roza."

"Yes, you did. Enough with the modesty. You not only disciplined and conditioned me, but you pushed me to be the best, so thank you, comrade…for keeping me in line, even when I constantly complained about it."

Feigning a pained expression, I raised my eyes heavenwards and groaned in Russian. "You're welcome, though I don't know if I agree with you completely. You are an extraordinary talent, whether I was here or not, but I do agree about the complaining…oh, the complaining."

Laughing, Rose playfully slapped my back and answered in kind. "You're a strong man, Dimitri Belikov…you'd have to be to love me."

"And I do love you, Rosemarie Hathaway." Locking her as tightly to me as our lips locked, for a few seconds we blocked out the world and everything that could keep us apart or ruin our future. There was no cards, no warnings, no Victor Dashkov or even Ibrahim Mazur. It was only us. Breaking the kiss, I pressed my lips to her forehead. "We're so close now, Roza. So close to having everything we want, everything we've worked for. I want it now; I'm impatient for it."

"Just a little longer." She agreed; more patient for once than I was.

"Yes, just a little longer." Pressing one last kiss to her forehead, I started to turn us; intending to start moving her back to the entrance when I thought I saw someone in the murk of the shadows. Releasing Rose suddenly and pushing her behind a support strut, I narrowed my eyes but there was nothing but darkness to be found.

Frowning in confusion at my behaviour; but understanding that I would have done it for a reason, Rose peered around the wooden pole. "What is it?"

"I thought I saw someone, but…" Shaking my head, I looked again, but still found nothing. Joining me, Rose focused on the area too.

"Can't see anything, comrade. Maybe you need to get your eyes checked?"

"I'm not that old yet, Roza." Clasping her hand lightly, I kissed the back of it before pulling her forward. "And we both now know that there are those on these grounds who are reporting back to your fath…sorry, Ibrahim." I amended quickly when I saw Rose's scowl and was reminded that she didn't want that word uses. "We can't assume that just because he's has made us aware of them that we aren't still being watched."

"Assholes," Rose grumbled. "If you had to take a guess, who would you think they are? Probably someone new, right? Like one of the replacement guardians. I wonder if Alberta would...Oh," Turning to me suddenly and stopping, Rose was wide-eyed. "I was so pissed earlier that I didn't think about it, but Alberta knows about him."

"She does. I think she's always known. Janine probably convinced her to keep your existence a secret and to answer your previous question; I don't think that the spies are new arrivals. I got the impression that they were here long before I arrived."

"Why do they do it? Why betray a fellow guardian? When you swear that Oath, it's not just to the Moroi, but to your fellow guardian as well."

"Money, Roza. Plain and simple. My family is fortunate that they don't need much money from me to live on because they've always worked, but many others aren't as lucky." I hadn't actually given it much thought until now but being assigned to the QG would come with a significant pay rise. My own expenses were minimal, with most being covered now by the Academy, and in the future by Court, so it meant that I would have more to save, more to send home if needed…more to spend on Rose.

"Maybe if they paid guardians more they wouldn't have to sell out to make a living."

"Maybe, but I have a feeling that Ibrahim would find a way to use something as leverage against them."

Standing on her toes, Rose stretched her arms over her head and groaned at the ache in her joints and muscles. My own didn't feel much different, but I was concerned suddenly as the adrenaline declined and the stiffness set in, that she had been injured more seriously. Running my hands lightly over her ribs, she squirmed a little, but that was more from being ticklish then pain.

"I'm fine, comrade. I don't have any serious injuries, but this looks worse than it did earlier. Eddie really packs a punch." Gently rubbing the pad of her thumb over my bruised jaw, the touch soothed the throbbing a little. "Aside from this, what else is wrong with you?"

"Same as you...possibly some cracked ribs on my left side. Nothing major."

"Nothing major!" Yanking up my shirt before I could stop her, Rose gently probed at area. "You call cracked ribs, nothing major?" Peering down at her, I smiled at the look of concerned absorption on her face. Gingerly prodding over the curved bones, I couldn't stop from wincing as she found the spot.

Glaring up at me, Rose straightened and let the shirt drop back into place. "Dammit, Dimitri!"

"I'm fine, Moye Serdtse."

"No, you're not. Who cracked your ribs?"

"Samantha."

Muttering beneath her breath, Rose walked around me; clearly not believing the downplay of my injuries. Amused at the almost maternal attention she was giving me, I waited until she was back in front of me to point out. "You weren't this worried about me being injured during the field experience."

"Of course I was, I just couldn't do anything about it then. Now I can."

"Really?" A little curious, and more than a little turned on, I felt more reckless than I had any right to be as I crowded Rose backwards and up against a bulkhead to conceal us. Somewhere at the back of my mind, I knew that I was taking a massive risk, but at the moment, hormones trumped common sense. Trapping her against the partition, my head lowered to nuzzle her damp neck. "What would you have done then?"

"Remember in the quad, when I tackled you away from Christian and landed on top of you?"

Just the memory of it was enough to make me sweat. "I do."

"I wanted so badly to kiss you then...and more." Running her fingers along the waistband of my jeans, they playfully traced over the marbling of my abs before wandering upwards to my taut pectoral muscles. Finding the stiffened nubs of my nipples, I couldn't stop a groan rumbling from my chest as she slowly rotated the pads of her thumbs over them. Feeling the sensation sizzle through my blood to my groin, my hips rocked against hers; pushing the thickening erection tightly against her.

Laughing softly with feminine awareness, Rose swivelled her hips so that my heavy crotch rested perfectly for one moment in the cradle of her own before the contact shifted. Growling in frustration against her neck, Rose plucked at my nipples and sent my hips rocking again. She was deliberately teasing me; knowing that I could do nothing more than this. It was a dangerous game that she played...one that she had mastered over the last few months.

Grappling with control, and cursing myself for starting a conversation I knew would lead to this, I swallowed hard and tried to remember what I had wanted to ask. "How much more?"

"Well, if we had been alone, I would have..." Reaching up to my ear, Rose whispered just how much more in graphic detail; detail I knew from experience she could back up. Groaning, my head dropped to her shoulder as my grip on her hips tightened, but I pulled her no closer and forced my fingers to unclench as I took a step away from her. Much more of that kind of talk and we would be caught.

Leaning back against a support strut, I closed my eyes for a moment and breathed heavily to try and calm the fever raging in my blood as I heard Rose softly snicker at the visible effort it took to control myself. Shifting to ease the uncomfortable pressure in my jeans, the snickering got louder.

"It's not funny."

"Hey, you started the conversation."

"We were talking about injuries."

"Yes, we were, and you side-tracked me. Are you sure nothing else is broken?"

Hearing the genuine concern helped to deflect my thoughts away from stripping her naked and discovering for myself all the bumps and bruises I couldn't see. "I am. I promise." Walking took some effort, but Rose met me halfway as I chastely kissed her forehead. "Don't think that I'm going to let you only talk about what you want to do with my body, Roza. I expect there to be more show than tell."

"As soon as we're alone, comrade. You won't be disappointed."

Chuckling weakly at the lascivious promise in her words, I tugged her along again and asked a random question as a distraction. "How do you feel about being half Turkish?"

Rose shrugged as prosaically as she was able. "The same way I feel about being half Scottish, though if I'm grudgingly going to admit, I do like the thought of being more exotic." Arching a brow, Rose grinned saucily at me. "How do you feel about me being half Turkish? Do Turks and Russians have a good relationship?"

"I can't vouch for the rest of them, but these two certainly do."

"Yes, we do." Watching as a small smile crossed her face, Rose looked up at me with a curious expression. "And how do you feel about me being half him?"

Hearing her insecurities; usually something she kept well hidden, I suddenly didn't care who saw us as I pulled her to my chest in a move that had her eyes widening in surprise. Kissing the tip of her nose, I rubbed my own against it and reminded her she had no need for them. "You're not half him, you're all you and nothing will ever change the way that I feel about you. I don't care who your father is. He played no part in who you are or in who you will become. Your acceptance of my parentage has been unequivocal, Roza, so how could you expect mine to be any less?"

Lips curling upward, Rose nodded and bumped my nose with her own. "I hear you, comrade. Loud and clear." Looking over her shoulder suddenly, Rose's brow suddenly crinkled in concentration. The look was one I knew well and even though the medication Lissa was on lessened the dangerous side-effects of the bond she and Rose shared, the link of communication between them was still as strong as ever.

"Lissa?"

"Yeah, she and the others are looking for us." Suddenly eager to see her, Rose pressed one final soft kiss to my lips before she turned and almost towed me out of the shadows; only releasing my hand as we cleared the arena and found the last of the remaining crowd. Most had already left for housing but all the seniors were still waiting for Alberta to dismiss them and amongst them stood Lissa, Tasha and Christian. Smiling broadly when she saw us, Lissa pulled out of Christian's arms and ran; almost leaping into Rose's. Adrian was nowhere to be seen, for which I was glad. I didn't have the tolerance to deal with him right now.

Kissing and hugging her enthusiastically, the two shrieked and laughed so loudly they caught the attention of anyone still in the area, but neither of them seemed to care. Lissa had waited for this day longer than I had and their joy couldn't be dampened. Joining in the celebration, Christian wrapped his arms around Rose and momentarily lifted her off her feet in a hug which she returned as enthusiastically before it was Tasha's turn to join in. Clasping her face, she kissed both cheeks with almost maternal fondness before hugging her.

"Congratulations, Rose. That was truly something to witness. I know they won't post the times until tomorrow night, but I think you were fastest. I was out of my seat the whole time."

"Thank you, Tasha. Really. That means a lot." Sounding genuine, I wondered if the animosity she felt towards Tasha was beginning to fade as she returned the hug, but a moment later, I had to amend that way of thinking as Tasha reached up to brush against a crusting cut on my jawline and Rose scowled at the familiarity of the touch.

"Poor Dimka...you look like you've gone to battle."

"I feel like it." Chuckling wryly, I shifted slightly away from her fingers without making the brush-off look obvious.

"Did you get that from Eddie?"

"Yes."

"He was impressive to watch, and I think he might have been faster, Aunt Tasha. He didn't have two guardians waiting on the bridge." Christian argued, keeping one arm around Lissa.

"Why didn't any of the others face two guardians on the bridge?" Lissa asked, frowning in confusion.

Looking at her, Rose shook her head in an apparent lack of understanding, but Tasha was smart enough…and jaded enough, to know the answer when she replied. "It's probably because they're testing to see if Rose is good enough to be assigned to you."

"But that's ridiculous and completely unfair," Lissa scoffed whilst Tasha shrugged, but mercifully said nothing more. I didn't want questions asked now that would bring up my transfer. I was going to talk to Lissa about it only after the graduation ceremony tomorrow night.

"It's probably nothing, Liss. The main thing is, Rose passed." Looking questioningly at her, Christian's icy-blue eyes were curious. "What was going on between you, your mom and that guy? We could see from the arena that there was some kind of fight going on. Who is he?"

Grimacing, Rose crossed her arms over her chest before she turned to Christian to answer, but before she could, Tasha beat her to it.

"Ibrahim Mazur."

Looking at Tasha in surprise, Rose arched a brow. "You know him?"

"I know of him, and I'm guessing by that little display with Janine, that he's your father."

"What?!" Shouting as one, Lissa and Christian looked at Rose, who nodded ruefully in confirmation. This was the last thing she would have wanted to discuss right now; already angry that the attention was constantly shifting away from her and towards him, but the proverbial cat was already out the bag, so there was no point in trying to deny anything.

"Yeah, he's my father."

"Tell us everything," Lissa demanded, gripping her hand tightly.

Listening intently as Rose glossed over the details, she left out most of the more worrying information, probably for Lissa's sake, but it didn't fool Tasha who took hold of her by her shoulders once she was done, leaned down and looked her straight in the eye. "I know that you and your mother don't have the best relationship, Rose, but you need to listen to her warning about Ibrahim Mazur. He's a ruthless man who has made a living out of shady dealings and with those dealings; he has made some serious enemies. The less you have to do with him, the better."

A little bemused at the almost motherly concern from Tasha, Rose patted one of her hands. "Trust me, Tasha, after what he did today, I have no intention of being anywhere near the man. Honestly, I want nothing to do with him, but thank you anyway for the warning."

"Is he really that bad?" Lissa asked with a furrowed brow.

"Yes." Answering simultaneously, both Tasha and I nodded gravely at Lissa.

"But still, he's your father. Maybe you should give him a chance, Rose. He might surprise you."

"No, Liss."

"But…"

Squeezing her hand, Rose shook her head before tucking a wayward stand of pale hair behind Lissa's ear. "He's not like your dad, Liss. Eric Dragomir was a good man and Ibrahim Mazur…is not. He's certainly not someone I want to be associated with when my career is only just starting and I don't think he'll surprise me. I think he is exactly what I saw today. Nothing more. "

Saddened by the finality in Rose's voice, and by the thought of what might have once been a healthy relationship for Rose with at least one of her parents, Lissa hugged her tightly and rested her head on her shoulder. "I'm sorry." She mumbled quietly.

"Don't be. I'm not. I have an amazing life ahead of me. I have all of you in it, and that's all that I need. I'm not going to let him ruin that."

"But he did upset you, didn't he?" Tasha pressed; a worried frown pulling tightly at the scar on her cheek. "That's why Dimka went after you. To calm you down. What did he say to you?"

Fliting a quick look towards me from beneath her lashes, Rose knew she had to make her answer convincing as to why I had gone after her to avoid any suspicions. "It's not important, Tasha. Just like he isn't important. Dimitri reminded me of that when he came after me. He reminded me that I have worked all my life for this moment and that I shouldn't allow anyone to steal that from me, and that's exactly what I'm going to do."

"Thank you for always looking out for her, Dimitri." Lissa's expression softened with gratitude. "And for me."

"For you, Lissa, it's always been a pleasure. For Rose, well…"

Laughing at the face she pulled as it promised retribution, Lissa hugged Rose tightly to her side. "I think it's time to celebrate, don't you?" Having planned a party after Trials in Royal housing, Lissa was almost vibrating with excitement, but before she could begin herding everyone in that direction, Alberta broke away from the Council members and called everyone to attention.

"Seniors!"

Still running on an adrenaline high, the novices could barely stand still long enough to focus their attention on Alberta as they gathered around her. Leaving us on the fringes, Rose walked to the group and into the arms of a grinning Eddie who picked her up and twirled her around before setting her gently down. Keeping an arm wrapped tightly around her waist in celebration, the excited chatter amongst them forced Albert to again call everyone to order.

"Once again, congratulations are in order. You have all done the guardian corps proud in general and me in particular." Smiling at them with a warm fondness rarely seen from her, Alberta reached out to pat Dean on his shoulder. "As Guardian Croft said earlier, tomorrow night at 9pm sharp your official times will be revealed at the graduation ceremony. You will also receive your stakes and your Promise Marks, but until then, you have the rest of the night off. Remember that you will also need to pack your belongings for the flight to Court on Monday, where you will be officially assigned."

Clasping her hands together, Alberta looked at each of the seniors with what looked like a touch of melancholy. She knew the world she was sending them out into and all the dangers that awaited them. "Take advantage of these next few days, seniors. They will be the last days of your childhoods." Waving them all off, they cheered and immediately began to disperse. Rejoining us, Eddie was pulled into equally enthusiastic congratulatory hugs from the group, but as we turned to begin the walk back to housing, Alberta caught my eye before subtly motioning me over. Excusing myself from the group, I told them I would catch up with them before I made my say to her.

"How's Rose?" She asked straight off.

"I've calmed her down, but she's not happy with what's happened. Did you know that he was coming?"

"Not until it was too late to warn anyone. I assume you've cautioned her against him?"

"I have and so has Natasha Ozera, not that it would have taken much convincing. She wants nothing to do with him."

"Good. It needs to stay that way."

"At Court, he was what you were trying to warn me about, wasn't it?"

"Yes. Janine confided in me the day she left Rose here as a four-year old who the father was. She wanted her to be left some place that no one would ever look for her. Montana was perfect for that. She wanted to protect her child, Belikov, because his enemies are not to be taken lightly."

"Sounds like you're on her side."

"I don't take sides…normally." Arching a brow at me, it was a reminder that she had taken mine far more than I deserved.

"Point taken."

"Keep her away from him, Belikov."

"I'm not sure I can. Not indefinitely. He seems determined to have a relationship with her."

Frowning, this clearly confused Alberta. "Why? He's never shown the slightest interest in her before now." Muttering to herself, it was obvious that Alberta knew nothing about the spies in the Academy or that they were reporting back to him about his daughter's every move. There didn't seem like there was much point in telling her now, especially as I couldn't positively identify any of them.

Waving me off as she continued to stew over Ibrahim's motives, I found Hans watching me as I left to catch up to the others. He looked wary…and a little queasy, no doubt wondering what had occurred between Ibrahim and I during our conversation. Nodding once to him, I gave nothing else away; more than happy to make him sweat a little.

Finding the group about to cross over the upper campus, the seniors walked a little ahead of Tasha; still too hyped up in their excitement to even notice my presence but Tasha wasn't and their preoccupation gave us an opportunity for a quiet conversation.

"Proud of your student?" She asked quietly.

She really had no idea. "Very. Proud of your nephew?"

"Very." She repeated, smiling fondly at Christian. "He's had so much uncertainty and pain in the last few years, but I've never seen him happier. And with graduation tomorrow, well, it's something positive and he gets to share that with the people he cares about the most. Tomorrow will be a good day, Dimka."

"Yes, it will be. How long are you staying for?"

"Until after graduation. I've got a flight booked in the early hours of Saturday morning."

"That's good. He doesn't see you often enough. How's work?"

"It's great. Minneapolis suits me. I'm trying to talk Christian into visiting once he's graduated."

"That would be great for him. He doesn't seem all that sure of what he wants to do."

"No, he doesn't. We were discussing the same thing earlier. I won't pressurize him to choose. He needs to make his own decision about his future." Smiling as Eddie made a joke that had the four ahead of us laughing loudly, Tasha casually looped her arm through mine whilst leaning closer and almost whispering. "I was right about the bridge, wasn't I? I know you didn't want to say much in front of the others, but the course run for Rose was definitely harder than the others. Christian noticed it straight away."

Jaded and observant. "Yes, it was."

"It was the Council, wasn't it? They deliberately set out to sabotage her chances at passing as a way of proving she wasn't good enough to be assigned to Lissa, didn't they?" Making a sound of disgust, she didn't wait for me to answer her. She didn't have to. "Assholes." Muttering to herself, she looked at Rose nudging Eddie with her shoulder before grinning with relish. "She proved them all wrong, didn't she?"

"She did…just like she always does."

"Will she be assigned to Lissa on Monday?"

"I'm almost certain of it."

Smiling secretively, Tasha thankfully didn't push to find out why I was so sure so I decided to steer the conversation away before she did. "Have any of your contacts had any sightings of Victor?"

"None and I've reached out to as many of them as I know. It's like he's just vanished, Dimka. For all we know, by now he could have succumbed to his illness."

"We've never been that lucky, Tasha."

Raising a brow at my uncharacteristic lack of empathy, it caught Tasha a little off guard. "That's not like you. I know how you feel about the man, but I've never heard you be uncharitable to anyone."

"That man deserves no one's sympathy."

"It's a shame, really."

"What is? That he isn't dead already?"

"No, that Ibrahim Mazur is to be avoided at all costs. He has more connections than I have; worldwide. If anyone is going to know about Victor's whereabouts; or at the very least could ferret him out, it would probably be him. He would probably have him taken care of too…if you know what I mean."

I did, and as tempting as that sounded, Ibrahim Mazur couldn't be trusted any more than Victor Dashkov. Rose and I also didn't need to own him any more favours than we already did. Moving away slightly, Tasha's brow crinkled in concern. "I know that Rose said she had every intention of staying away from him, but she is serious, right? She does understand how dangerous he is, doesn't she?"

"She does, and as he didn't exactly make a great first impression on her, I don't think it's something anyone needs to worry about. She told him to his face that she wants nothing to do with him."

"She did?!" Realising she had almost shrieked, Tasha tried to modulate the volume of her voice as she gazed at Rose in amazement. "He is one of the most feared men in our world, yes, he's her father, but still…that takes guts. He must have really rubbed her up the wrong way."

"That's an understatement," I admitted wryly.

"Family, huh? Speaking of which, have you spoken to yours lately?"

"Yes, just last week in fact. They're all doing well."

"How old is Paul now?"

"Almost eleven."

"Already?!" Tasha expression was full of wonder at how quickly the passage of time had passed. "Any more grandchildren for Olena?"

"Karolina had a daughter almost a year ago; Zoya. Sonya had her first child; a daughter, Katya, a few months ago. Viktoria thankfully doesn't seem to have any plans to expand the family any further – not for now at least."

"I should ask about Yeva, but she'll probably outlive all of us."

"I can't argue with you. She's still as sharp as a whip." And her warning is still dominating every second thought I have. "My mother has always claimed that her gifts weren't given to her just because she could interpret what others couldn't, but so that they could also prolong her life. As long as there was someone who would listen to her, she would keep talking."

Laughing, Tasha slipped as easily into Russian as I did English as we continued to talk about my family and Baia in general as well as mutual acquaintances. There had always been a certain ease between us; a familiarity that stemmed from shared history. At times, it had been easier to be around Tasha than Rose, because my feelings for the two had been so vastly different. It finally felt like things were normalizing between us.

"Hey, Dimitri. Do you have to work tonight?"

Focusing on Christian, I blinked in surprise to find that we were already at dhampir housing. "Ah, no Christian. I'm off duty until after the graduation ceremony." Gently disentangling myself from Tasha, Rose was eyeing me in annoyance from just behind Eddie's left shoulder.

"Great. Aunt Tasha is helping Lissa and I set up whilst Rose and Eddie are going to get cleaned up for the party. Will we see you there?"

"I wouldn't miss it. I'll meet you at Royal housing after I've changed."

Grinning, Christian reached out to grab Lissa's hand and then suddenly bent down to kiss Rose's cheek before pulling Lissa quickly away. Shaking her head at him, Tasha laughed at Rose's bewilderment. "He's in a very good mood and very proud of you, Rose. We all are." Hugging her again, Tasha winked at Eddie, who blushed furiously before muttering that he was going to shower and disappeared into housing. Raising a brow as Tasha let her go; Rose gave me a look before she followed after Eddie.

Part of the look was at the almost surreal situation of having Tasha acting like a mother with her, and the other was the silent communication between us that neither of us failed to ever understand. There wouldn't be many opportunities for us to be alone for the rest of the night, but we would make due when we could. We always did.

Watching until Lissa, Christian and Tasha had disappeared down the path, I made my way to guardian housing; stopping only briefly to speak to those guardians not assigned to anything near the arena. Most had the same questions...who passed, who failed, who gave me the bruised jaw. Showering took longer than I wanted; mostly due to the aching ribs I had assured Rose weren't an issue. Once out of housing, I was further delayed by students flagging me down to introduce me to their parents. I tried to escape as politely as I could, but it still took longer to get there then I wanted and by the time I reached Royal housing, the party was in full swing.

Finding McLaughlin – another replacement guardian on duty tonight – standing against a far wall, I walked to him and had to shout over the volume of the music. "Have you seen the Princess?!" It was always easier to ask for Lissa rather than Rose to avoid arousing suspicion. They were normally together anyway.

Arching a red eyebrow, he shook his head in amusement. "Aren't you off duty? Relax for a night, Belikov."

"Have you seen her?"

Hearing the impatience I didn't bother to hide, he nodded to the rear of housing, through the common area to the back patio. "She and Hathaway are out back with a few others. Horowitz is keeping an eye on them."

"Thanks."

Weaving my way through the dancing bodies; both Moroi and dhampir, I passed two more guardians on patrol before opening the sliding doors to find a smaller group. Gathered around a large, polished Yellowwood table almost buckling beneath the weight of more junk food then I had ever seen in my life, Lissa, Rose, Christian, Tasha, Eddie, Meredith, Shane and Dean sat comfortably relaxed; mostly in shorts and t-shirts.

"Oh, look. Belikov has arrived. Yay." Turning towards a sour, sullen voice on my right, I saw Adrian at the bar, but I ignored him as he tossed back another shot and walked towards the group. Leaning over the back of a chair next to Eddie, I saw him wince when he looked at me.

"Is something wrong, Eddie?"

"Yeah, I'm sorry about the…" Mimicking the blow to my jaw that had given him the opportunity to stake me, Eddie winced again in apology. He had been too caught up in the excitement earlier to notice the bruising.

"Eddie, don't be sorry about that. You did what you needed to do to get Emil to the other side of the obstacle course in order to pass your Trials. You did very well, by the way. I hope you know that. All of you did." Addressing them as a group, the smiles of relief and triumph were almost identical.

Pulling out a chair between Rose and Meredith, the general conversation picked up again. Most of it revolved around the Trials, graduation and leaving on Monday. The excitement at the freedom it would give them was contagious, but as with Alberta, I felt melancholic about it. Statistically, the first year of being a guardian was the hardest...and the most dangerous. By the end of it, some of these novices – novices that I had personally helped in training and bonded with – would have either survived it or they would be dead.

This could possibly be the last time we were all together like this.

Attuned as always to my moods, Rose picked up on the gloomy undercurrent of my thoughts and reached out secretively to rest a hand on my thigh beneath the table. The touch was fleeting, but enough to remind me that right now, it was celebration of the future I should be concentrating on, not the uncertainty.