Rose's POV

I had just over an hour to prepare for my next class. After my conversation – if one could even call it that – with Dimitri, I had briefly considered not even going to that class, but what I'd said to him was true. I would never, ever put my own petty needs first if I knew doing so could hurt these children. They deserved better than that, and it didn't matter that Dimitri didn't believe I could recognise that. In fact, it didn't matter at all what he believed. I didn't need him anymore. I knew where he had stashed those files, and I had no doubt I could get to them if I wanted. Sure, he would have been an asset in helping me find out what was going on here, especially with him having the power to dictate where I went and when. But he would have to let me have some time off, and I was more than capable of solving this mystery by myself.

But that was something to be thought about later. Right now, I had to focus on that stupid textbook in front of me. Alberta's class that I was to teach today was Introduction to Solo Guarding, which was quite the relief. Having spent the last eight years protecting Sunshine all by myself meant I had a lot more experience in that field than I did in partner guarding. Once upon a time, I'd thought it would be different, but reality hadn't worked out that way. Lissa had become Queen, and I'd become a member of the Royal Guard, which employed entirely different techniques than other guardians – there had been more of us protecting one single person than any other Moroi in the world could ever dream of. The only time I'd really engaged in partner guarding was during our little trip to Tarasov, and I was really not trying to think about that. So, yes, it was a relief that this was a class on solo guarding, but it was also a bit infuriating. The textbook had some redeeming qualities, sure, but most of what it said was completely irrelevant to the real world, and some was even outright dangerous.

Keeping to a nocturnal schedule even in the human world is safer as it will allow you to rest during the day with little threat of a Strigoi attack. Yeah, right. Weren't these books ever updated? It was still technically true that this might have been the safest route, but the notion that daylight was safe was ridiculously outdated. Hell, I'd been kidnapped in broad daylight before! Strigoi working with humans complicated things immensely, but the textbook didn't say anything about that. Not to mention that it seemed Strigoi were now even working with Moroi, though I still had a hard time wrapping my head around that.

I wanted to give these children the best education I could, but this was a Freshman class. At no older than fifteen, could I confront them with these truths? Or would it be in their best interest to keep it from them just a little bit longer? Someone would tell them eventually, in a year or two. They had lots and lots of classes on personal protection ahead of them. They would learn… or would they? If this book hadn't been updated since my time here, had any of the others? I knew some of the guardians here cared enough – and had experienced enough – to know better, and I didn't doubt their devotion to make sure these kids had all the tools they needed to survive in the real world, but what of those that didn't have this experience? The younger ones, who may just be working off of what these books said?

It's not your place, I reminded myself. This wasn't even technically my class to teach. I was just a substitute for Alberta, who would hopefully be back by this time tomorrow. She would have more experience with this whole teaching thing, and I knew she would do what was best for the novices. She always had. With that thought as a consolation, I decided to scribble down some notes about what the first chapter of the book said.

With any luck, I wouldn't even get to any of that. There was some basic introductory stuff to speak about – what solo guarding is, when it is relevant, and so on – and if the students asked enough questions about that, I wouldn't have to go into too much detail of what the book said about how to solo guard a Moroi.

Mind made up, I made my way to the classroom. I found it easily – despite the long time since I'd been a student here myself, it was no struggle for me to navigate around the academy. No wonder. I had spent nearly my entire childhood and teenage years here, after all. The classroom was one I'd had a few classes in back in the day, and it was more than a little strange that I would be on the other side of the teacher's desk this time. Doing my best to appear more confident than I felt, I opened the door and walked in. I've got this.

"Good morning, novices," I said, and set my notes and the textbook down on the desk. "I am Guardian Hathaway and this is Introduction to Solo Guarding." I looked up, taking in the faces that were looking intently at me. "Guardian Petrov couldn't make it today, so you'll have to content yourselves with—" I stopped abruptly when my eyes found the guardians at the back of the class, and he was there. "—me."

I'd checked the schedule multiple times to make sure this wouldn't happen. He hadn't been on it. Dimitri wasn't supposed to be standing in this class and, yet, here he was. He must have switched shifts with someone else just to torment me. I clenched and unclenched my fist at my side, then took a few deep breaths. It didn't matter. He didn't matter.

I averted my gaze and sifted through my notes to find the list of students in this class, then handed it to the one that sat closest to me. "Check off your name on this, and don't even think about covering for your friends if they're not here. I'm not stupid. I can count."

The list eventually made it back to me, with two names not checked off. I didn't bother to count the students in the room despite my words, satisfied that the threat might have been enough.

I decided to begin my lesson with a few questions to assess what they already knew.

"What can you tell me about solo guarding?" I asked first. It was a broad question, but I had no idea exactly where they were at in their training at this point. The curriculum had shifted a bit since I'd gone here – they were learning things a bit earlier now than I had, it seemed, because I definitely remembered having missed this particular class while on the run with Lissa, which had not been my freshman year.

Several hands went up at my question, and I picked one of the boys in the front.

"Solo guarding is the practice of guarding one or multiple Moroi by oneself," he began. He didn't have his textbook in front of him, but he was quoting it verbatim. "It entails the techniques employed when one is the sole assigned guardian or one's guardian partner is not on shift."

I tried to see if he had the book in his lap or something, but it seemed he really had learnt it all by heart. "That is correct. Would anyone happen to know any of those techniques already?"

The boy raised his hand again, but I called on one of the girls in the back instead. She didn't answer my question, though, but instead asked me one of her own.

"Is it true that you left the Queen's Guard to hunt Strigoi on your own?"

I groaned. I should have just let the nerd in the front row answer my question. "It's a bit more complicated than that."

And, just like that, everyone suddenly wanted to ask me things that had nothing to do with the topic of today's lesson. The senior novices earlier hadn't bombarded me with questions because – at least most of them – had already learnt to respect their superiors. They may not have understood the gravity of our occupation, but they were starting to. These kids, though, were still young and had more trouble keeping their curiosity in check. No, there was absolutely no hope of conducting a regular class right now.

"Everyone, quiet!" I demanded, and the tone of my voice shocked them into complying. I had no doubt it was only for a moment, though, so I went on, "I'll give you five minutes to ask me your questions, but you will do so in a civilized way."

I was well aware that Dimitri was still at the back of the room, and that he most certainly wouldn't approve of me turning this class into a Q&A session, but even he had to know that it wasn't exactly a choice at this point. Several students had now raised their hand, and I picked one at random.

"How many Strigoi have you killed?" she asked bluntly.

I was taken aback, though it was a question I should have expected, and I didn't know what to say. Not least because I had absolutely no idea. "I'm sure you've all heard about the battle here. It was too chaotic to keep track of all."

"My brother said you have twelve molnija marks," another child said.

Yeah, the seniors might not have asked questions, but they sure had talked. "I do."

There were several more questions about my kills and my hunts and I did my best to answer them vaguely yet truthfully. But then, one of the girls asked a question I knew could only lead to pain. She was a bit timid, and there was something in her eyes. I knew that look well – she'd seen too much.

"Have you ever had to kill someone you knew before?" she asked.

My eyes immediately found Dimitri's. His expression didn't betray a trace of emotion, but I knew he was listening.

"I have," I admitted. "But facing someone you've known is harder than you might think. I couldn't do it, and I wouldn't wish that on any of you."

The girl nodded, and I knew I had been right. She'd seen the horror of Strigoi before, and I suspected she might have lost someone to them. "I heard… I heard there is a way to bring them back, and that you—"

"No," I said with more force than necessary. I couldn't give these children false hope. Not when I knew what using this kind of spirit magic could do to people's mental health. "There's very few people in the world that can do that, and it is not worth the toll such an action takes on them."

There was a sharp intake of breath from the back of the room, and I realised what I had just said. I looked at Dimitri, the shock in his eyes mirroring my own. The fact that he wasn't wearing his usual guardian mask told me all I needed to know. I had hurt him, and with the memory of our earlier conversation still fresh in my mind, I might have wanted that – but not like this. This was too personal, too low, too vicious. He must have known that, right? He must have known that I hadn't meant it. Another look at him should have confirmed that, but it didn't. No, his expression had not changed.

"Guardian Hathaway?" one of the students said, ripping me from my thoughts.

Right. I had a class to teach. No more questions and answers. I'd promised them five minutes, and they were up at this point. Tearing my eyes away from the pain on Dimitri's face, I gave my full attention to the students in front of me. Worrying about Dimitri would have to come later. "Yes. Everyone, back to the topic at hand. Solo guarding techniques, anyone?"

The boy in the front row raised his hand again, and this time I was smart enough to pick him.

Author's Note:

WHY ARE THEY BOTH SUCH IDIOTS?!

Ahem. Yeah. Well. We'll see how Dimitri takes this in the next chapter. I might have work tomorrow, though, so unless I can proofread/edit it later today, I might not be able to upload it before tomorrow night.