Dimitri sat down in his seat next to Ivan, his thoughts still on the strange dream he had. He didn't know if it was real or not and till he was sure he was not going to tell anyone about it. Alberta picked up the second book and opened it. Another letter fell out of the book. Alberta signed before picking up the Letter
Please fetch Mason Ashford and Edison Castile. They must join you for the next book,
Good day Vlad.
"I'll go and ask my guardians to fetch the two boys," Tatiana said getting up and moving to the door.
"How are we going to explains this all to the boys?" Abe asked looking at Alberta, as she knew the students better than anyone ells.
It wasn't very long till the two boys joined the group. Dimitri observed the boys as they walking in looking rather worried, Dimitri knew that the one with Red hair was Mason and that made the other one Eddie. They boys looked around the room looking at everyone. Alberta got up and picked up the first book.
"Now boys what I'm about to tell you, you might find impossible but please bear with us. Do you two know who St Vlad was?' Alberta asked looking between the two boys
"Yes mama," They nodded
"Okay. Now listen well…" Alberta began and explained most the things they all have learned from the first book. It took a while because Mason kept interrupting Alberta and that was starting to annoy Dimitri and Ivan who just wanted to start the next book.
Finally Alberta finished and retook her seat. Eddie smiled at everyone before sitting down between Christian and Dimitri's couch. Mason just stood there and glared at Dimitri, he didn't like the older man anymore.
"Mas let it go. None of that has happened yet and plus he going to have a good influence on Rose so let it go," Eddie said glaring at his best friend Mason just sent Dimitri another glare before sitting next to Eddie, closer to Christian then Dimitri. Eddie just smiled apologetically at Dimitri
PROLOGUE
THINGS DIE. BUT THEY DON'T always stay dead. Believe me, I know. There's a race of vampires on this earth who are literally the walking dead. They're called Strigoi,
"We already know that why is this in the book?" Eddie asked looking around.
"Recap in case someone new joined. Perhaps we didn't have to explains to them, the book was going to," Adrian smiled
"Why is he here?" Mason asked looking at Adrian. Mason also didn't like him, he knew all about the Queen's favorite nephew.
"We shall see," Ivan smiled at the red head.
and if you're not already having nightmares about them, you should be. They're strong, they're fast, and they kill without mercy or hesitation. They're immortal, too -which kind of makes them a bitch to destroy.
"Same old Rose," Eddie chuckled, everyone nodded with small smiled on their faces
There are only three ways to do it: a silver stake through the heart, decapitation, and setting them on fire. None of those is easy to pull off, but it's better than having no options at all. There are also good vampires
"That is a very lose term," Karolina said glaring at the Queen who just ignored her. All the dhampirs in the rom along with Christian nodded agreeing with her
walking the world. They're called Moroi. They're alive, and they possess the incredibly cool power to wield magic in each of the four elements - earth, air, water, and fire. (Well, most Moroi can do this-but I'll explain more about the exceptions later). They don't really use the magic for much anymore, which is kind of sad.
"Agreed," Christian and Abe said at the same time. They wondered if the books would ever show them if that rule will change. They had a feeling it would as the book kept bringing it up
It'd be a great weapon, but the Moroi strongly believe magic should only be used peacefully. It's one of the biggest rules in their society. Moroi are also usually tall and slim, and they can't handle a lot of sunlight. But they do have superhuman senses that make up for it: sight, smell, and hearing. Both kinds of vampires need blood. That's what makes them vampires, I guess. Moroi don't kill to take it, however. Instead, they keep humans around who willingly donate small amounts. They volunteer because vampire bites contain endorphins that feel really, really good and can become addictive.
Sonja, Olena and Karolina all shivered remembering their own experiences with the bite. Dimitri, Abe and Ivan wanted to go and kick Jessy's ass for trying to bite Rose in the first book
I know this from personal experience. These humans are called feeders and are essentially vampire-bite junkies. Still, keeping feeders around is better than the way the Strigoi do things, because, as you might expect, they kill for their blood. I think they like it. If a Moroi kills a victim while drinking, he or she will turn into a Strigoi.
"Never really understood how that worked," Christian said looking at the book questionly. No-one knew how to answer him so they said nothing
Some Moroi do this by choice, giving up their magic and their morals for immortality. Strigoi can also be created by force. If a Strigoi drinks blood from a victim and then makes that person drink Strigoi blood in return, well...you get a new Strigoi.
"See that makes sense," Christian pointed out. Tatiana just glared at him while everyone ells looked intrigued,
This can happen to anyone: Moroi, human, or ... dhampir. Dhampir. That's what I am. Dhampirs are half-human, half-Moroi. I like to think we got the best traits of both races.
All the dhampirs in the room nodded, smiled on their faces
I'm strong and sturdy, like humans are. I can also go out in the sun as much as I want. But, like the Moroi, I have really good senses and fast reflexes. The result is that dhampirs make the ultimate bodyguards -which is what most of us are.
"Thank fully only most," Karolina smiled down at her son, she couldn't imagine how her live would have been if she had to leave him behind to go and protect some Moroi who thought they were better than her and her family
"Not all of us are so bad," Ivan smiled at Karolina who looked shocked at him before smiling shyly at him and nodded,
We're called guardians. I've spent my entire life training to protect Moroi from Strigoi. I have a whole set of special classes and practices I take at St. Vladimir's Academy, a private school for Moroi and dhampirs. I know how to use all sorts of weapons and can land some pretty mean kicks. I've beaten up guys twice my size both in and out of class.
Abe, Dimitri and Mason looked proud at that, while Janine and Alberta shook their heads, but they had smiles on their faces
And really, guys are pretty much the only ones I beat up, since there are very few girls in any of my classes. Because while dhampirs inherit all sorts of great traits, there's one thing we didn't get. Dhampirs can't have children with other dhampirs. Don't ask me why. It's not like I'm a geneticist or anything.
"You can say that again," Christian, Mason and Eddie said at the same,
Humans and Moroi getting together will always make more dhampirs; that's where we came from in the first place. But that doesn't happen so much anymore; Moroi tend to stay away from humans. Through another weird genetic fluke, however, Moroi and dhampirs mixing will create dhampir children. I know, I know: it's crazy.
"You can say that again," Victoria shook her head thinking back to her one lesion at her school that had to do with that,
You'd think you'd get a baby that's three-quarters vampire, right? Nope. Half human, half Moroi. Most of these dhampirs are born from Moroi men and dhampir women getting together. Moroi women stick to having Moroi babies.
"Which really isn't fair," Eddie and Mason said at the same time. Tatiana just rolled her eyes at them,
What this usually means is that Moroi men have flings with dhampir women and then take off.
"And sometimes the woman are the ones who run away," Abe said looking at Janine hoe looked ashamed at her past actions.
his leaves a lot of single dhampir mothers, and that's why not as many of them become guardians.
"And sometimes we choose to place ourselves and our families first, not some random Moroi," Olena said looking at her family, she never regretted her decision to choose them over a Moroi,
They'd rather focus on raising their children. As a result, only the guys and a handful of girls are left to become guardians. But those who choose to protect Moroi are serious about their jobs. Dhampirs need Moroi to keep having kids. We have to protect them. Plus, it's just...well, it's the honorable thing to do.
"No it's not," Yeva said with no emotions. Tatiana glared at the old lady, who in turn just glared back at her with no fear in her eyes,
Strigoi are evil and unnatural. It isn't right for them to prey on the innocent. Dhampirs who train to be guardians have this drilled into them from the time they can walk. Strigoi are evil. Moroi must be protected.
The Belikov girls all shook their heads while all the guardians in the room nodded agreeing with the book,
Guardians believe this. I believe this. And there's one Moroi I want to protect more than anyone in the world:
"Lissa," Everyone said at the same time.
my best friend, Lissa. She's a Moroi princess. The Moroi have twelve royal families, and she's the only one left in hers –the Dragomirs.
"That why she needs the best to protect her," Everyone said at the same time. Tatiana looked at Dimitri and wondered if his and Rose's relationship would put Lissa in danger, she choose to wait and see what the books were going to show her.
But there's something else that makes Lissa special, aside from her being my best friend. Remember when I said every Moroi wields one of the four elements? Well, it turns out Lissa wields one no one even knew existed until recently: spirit.
Adrian sat forward, he knew that he had the same power as her and he was quruios to see if they were ever going to learn more about their power. Eddie and Mason also sat forward whey wanted to hear more about Lissa's power,
For years, we thought she just wasn't going to develop her magical abilities. Then strange things started happening around her. For example, all vampires have an ability called compulsion that lets them force their will on others. Strigoi have it really strongly. It's weaker in Moroi, and it's also forbidden.
"For good reason," All the dhampirs in the room said at the same time, Tatiana just rolled her eyes,
Lissa, however, has it almost as much as a Strigoi. She can bat her eyelashes, and people will do what she wants. But that's not even the coolest thing she can do. I said earlier that dead things don't always stay dead. Well, I'm one of them.
"What?" Eddie and Mason said at the same time. Alberta had not been able to figure out how to explain that and had hoped the book would explain that.
"Wait and see," Christian smiled looking at the two boys,
Don't worry I'm not like the Strigoi. But I did die once. (I don't recommend it.) It happened when the car I was riding in slid off the road. The accident killed me, Lissa's parents, and her brother. Yet, somewhere in the chaos-without even realizing it-Lissa used spirit to bring me back.
"When they get back I'm going give that girl whatever she wants," Mason and Eddie said at the same time,
"Hey just remember she's Christian's girl," Adrian smiled at the two before looking at Christian who was glaring at the two. Eddie and Mason nodded
We didn't know about this for a long time. In fact, we didn't even know spirit existed at all. Unfortunately, it turned out that one person did know about spirit before we did. Victor Dashkov,
"The question I have how did he find out about it?" Abe said worried,
a dying Moroi prince, found out about Lissa's powers and decided he wanted to lock her up and make her his own personal healer -for the rest of her life. When I realized someone was stalking her, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I broke us out of school to run off and live among humans.
"One of the most badass things she has ever done," Mason, Eddie and Victoria said at the same time.
It was fun-but also kind of nerve-wracking-to always be on the run. We got away with this for two years until the authorities at St. Vladimir's hunted us down and dragged us back a few months ago
"So it's going to be a while before things start to get fun again," Mason and Eddie pouted
That was when Victor made his real move, kidnapping her and torturing her until she gave into his demands.
"Please tell me she hit him," Mason asked looking at Alberta.
"No she didn't," Alberta answered
"Oh so it still has to come, she isn't going to let him go unpunished for that," Eddie said thinking about how protective Rose was over Lissa
In the process, he took some pretty extreme measures -like zapping me and Dimitri, my mentor, with a lust spell. (I'll get to him later).
Abe, Janine, Mason and Adrian all glared at Dimitri, while Eddie just looked at Dimitri trying to see what Rose liked in him,
Victor also exploited the way spirit was starting to make Lissa mentally unstable. But even that wasn't as bad as what he did to his own daughter Natalie.
Everyone shook their heads not liking how he manipulated his only child to do what she did,
He went so far as to encourage her to turn into a Strigoi to help cover his escape. She ended up getting staked. Even when captured after the fact, Victor didn't seem to display too much guilt over what he'd asked her to do. Makes me think I wasn't missing out on growing up without a father.
Abe looked down ashamed, he wished so much that he had been part of Rose's live,
Still, I now have to protect Lissa from Strigoi and Moroi. Only a few officials know about what she can do, but I'm sure there are other Victors out there who would want to use her. Fortunately, I have an extra weapon to help me guard her. Somewhere during my healing in the car accident, spirit forged a psychic bond between her and me.
Mason and Eddie smiled happy that Rose would be able to keep a closer eye on Lissa.
I can see and feel what she experiences. (It only works one way, though. She can't "feel" me.) The bond helps me keep an eye on her and know when she's in trouble, although sometimes, it's weird having another person inside your head. We're pretty sure there are lots of other things spirit can do, but we don't know what they are yet.
"Yet?" Tatiana asked not liking the idea of Lissa going of her meds, Adrian looked happy at that. He wanted to know more about his power and now he was going to get some to practice with.
In the meantime, I'm trying to be the best guardian I can be. Running away put me behind in my training, so I have to take extra classes to make up for lost time. There's nothing in the world I want more than to keep Lissa safe. Unfortunately, I've got two things that complicate my training now and then. One is that I sometimes act before I think.
"Sometimes?" Everyone smiled at the same time.
I'm getting better at avoiding this, but when something sets me off, I tend to punch first and then find out who I actually hit later.
Abe smiled proudly, while Janine just shook her head
When it comes to those I care about being in danger...well, rules seem optional. The other problem in my life is Dimitri.
"Aww now you're a problem in her life," Ivan teased his best friend who just glared at him before shaking his head.
He's the one who killed Natalie, and he's a total badass. He's also pretty good-looking. Okay -more than good-looking. He's hot-like, the kind of hot that makes you stop walking on the street and get hit by traffic.
"Why do we have to hear that?" Mason asked feeling uncomftrouble,
"Because it's Rose," Eddie smiled and shook his head at his best friend
But, like I said, he's my instructor. And he's twenty-four. Both of those are reasons why I shouldn't have fallen for him. But, honestly, the most important reason is that he and I will be Lissa's guardians when she graduates.
"Oh he is defiantly going to transfer to someone ells," Ivan smiled looking at his best friend
"Well only if I die," Ivan added
If he and I are checking each other out, then that means we aren't looking out for her.
Tatiana nodded agreeing with the book,
I haven't had much luck in getting over him, and I'm pretty sure he still feels the same about me. Part of what makes it so difficult is that he and I got pretty hot and heavy when we got hit with the lust spell.
More glares are sent to Dimitri
Victor had wanted to distract us while he kidnapped Lissa, and it had worked. I'd been ready to give up my virginity, and Dimitri had been ready to take it.
Mason and Abe looked about ready to kill again,
At the last minute, we broke the spell, but those memories are always with me and make it kind of hard to focus on combat moves sometimes.
"She is going to have to work on that," Janine said thinking about how much trouble that would get Rose in
By the way, my name's Rose Hathaway. I'm seventeen years old, training to protect and kill vampires, in love with a completely unsuitable guy, and have a best friend whose weird magic could drive her crazy. Hey, no one said high school was easy.
"Amen to that," All the teenagers in the room said at the same time. Alberta looked around and held up the book.
~~~~
Dimitri got the book and opened it, worried about what they were going to read
One
I DIDN'T THINK MY DAY could get any worse until my best friend told me she might be going crazy.
Again.
"Poor Lissa," Mason and Eddie said at the same time. Alberta, Adrian and Christian nodded agreeing with them
"I... what did you say?" I stood in the lobby of her dorm, leaning over one of my boots and adjusting it. Jerking my head up, I peered at her through the tangle of dark hair covering half my face. I'd fallen asleep after school and had skipped using a hairbrush in order to make it out the door on time.
"Well, at least she is trying to be on time. See he is a good influent," Alberta said with a small smile looking at Abe and Janine then at Dimitri how just looked over the edge of the book.
Lissa's platinum blond hair was smooth and perfect, of course, hanging over her shoulders like a bridal veil as she watched me with amusement.
Christian smiled at the thought
"I said that I think my pills might not be working as well anymore."
Tatiana looked worried at that, while Adrian looked excited, he couldn't wait to have someone who can learn about Spirits along with him.
I straightened up and shook the hair out of my face. "What does that mean?" I asked. Around us, Moroi hurried past, on their way to meet friends or go to dinner. "Have you started ..." I lowered my voice. "Have you started getting your powers back?" She shook her head, and I saw a small flash of regret in her eyes.
"But why regret. Her powers were driving her crazy, shouldn't she be glad that they were away?" Eddie asked looking around
"Her powers are a part of her, imagine it like you losing a limb. You would miss it as well," Christian said with no emotions.
"No ... I feel closer to the magic, but I still can't use it. Mostly what I'm noticing lately is a little of the other stuff, you know...I'm getting more depressed now and then. Nothing even close to what it used to be,"
"That is good," Tatiana said relaxing.
she added hastily, seeing my face. Before she'd gone on her pills, Lissa's moods could get so low that she cut herself.
That shocked Eddie and Mason who would never have imagined that Lissa would do something like that. The rest of the room's mood seems to be getting darker again.
"It's just there a little more than it was." "What about the other things you used to get? Anxiety? Delusional thinking?" Lissa laughed, not taking any of this as seriously as I was.
"She still the same all Rose, more worried about Lissa then Lissa was worried about themselves," Mason shook his head, a few people chuckled,
"You sound like you've been reading psychiatry textbooks." I actually had been reading them.
"The world is going to end," Victoria laughed, she had gotten very fond of Rose and couldn't wait to meet her. Even if she had never met Rose she knew it was strange for Rose to read,
"I'm just worried about you. If you think the pills aren't working anymore, we need to tell someone." "No, no," she said hastily. "I'm fine, really. They're still working...just not quite as much. I don't think we should panic yet. Especially you -not today, at least."
"What was going to happen?" Sonja asked worried,
"Probably her Qualifier," Dimitri answered thinking about it. Alberta nodded agreeing with him
Her change in subject worked. I'd found out an hour ago that I would be taking my Qualifier today. It was an exam -or rather, an interview-all novice guardians were required to pass during junior year at St. Vladimir's Academy. Since I'd been off hiding Lissa last year, I'd missed mine. Today I was being taken to a guardian somewhere off-campus who would administer the test to me. Thanks for the notice, guys.
Alberta nodded looking slightly ashamed, she made a small note of that,
"Don't worry about me," Lissa repeated, smiling. "I'll let you know if it gets worse." "Okay," I said reluctantly. Just to be safe, though, I opened my senses and allowed myself to truly feel her through our psychic bond. She had been telling the truth. She was calm and happy this morning, nothing to worry about.
"I wonder if Christian had anything to do with her good mood," Adrian snicker looking at Christian who just blushed, making everyone but Tatiana laugh
But, far back in her mind, I sensed a knot of dark, uneasy feelings. It wasn't consuming her or anything, but it had the same feel as the bouts of depression and anger she used to get. It was only a trickle, but I didn't like it. I didn't want it there at all.
"Agreed," Christian said nodding
I tried pushing farther inside her to get a better feel for the emotions and suddenly had the weird experience of touching. A sickening sort of feeling seized me, and I jerked out of her head. A small shudder ran through my body. "You okay?" Lissa asked, frowning. "You look nauseous all of a sudden."
"What was that?" Abe asked worriedly. But no-one knew what to say.
"Just...nervous for the test," I lied. Hesitantly, I reached out through the bond again. The darkness had completely disappeared.
Ivan and Dimitri felt uneasy. Something told them that the darkness couldn't just disappear it had to go somewhere
No trace. Maybe there was nothing wrong with her pills after all. "I'm fine." She pointed at a clock. "You won't be if you don't get moving soon." "Damn it," I swore. She was right. I gave her a quick hug. "See you later!" "Good luck!" she called. I hurried off across campus and found my mentor, Dimitri Belikov, waiting beside a Honda Pilot.
"How boring," Victoria shook her head. Dimitri hid his small smile,
How boring.
Everyone laughed at that
I supposed I couldn't have expected us to navigate Montana mountain roads in a Porsche, but it would have been nice to have something cooler. "I know, I know," I said, seeing his face. "Sorry I'm late." I remembered then that I had one of the most important tests of my life coming up, and suddenly, I forgot all about Lissa and her pills possibly not working. I wanted to protect her, but that wouldn't mean much if I couldn't pass high school and actually become her guardian.
Mason and Eddie were shocked they had never heard Rose be so responsible in their entire life. Abe and Janine were proud.
Dimitri stood there, looking as gorgeous as ever.
Mason and Abe glared at Dimitri
The massive, brick building cast long shadows over us, looming like some great beast in the dusky predawn light. Around us, snow was just beginning to fall. I watched the light, crystalline flakes drift gently down. Several landed and promptly melted in his dark hair. "Who else is going?" I asked. He shrugged. "Just you and me."
"Good luck," Adrian and Alberta said at the same time looking at Dimitri who choose not to look at Abe and Janine,
My mood promptly shot up past "cheerful" and went straight to "ecstatic." Me and Dimitri. Alone. In a car. This might very well be worth a surprise test. "How far away is it?" Silently, I begged for it to be a really long drive. Like, one that would take a week. And would involve us staying overnight in luxury hotels. Maybe we'd get stranded in a snowbank, and only body heat would keep us alive.
"And your Rose is back," Eddie chuckled shaking his head, Mason nodded a bright smile on his face. While Dimitri and his mother just shook their heads.
"She gets that from you," Janine said looking at Abe who pouted at her
"Five hours." "Oh." A bit less than I'd hoped for. Still, five hours was better than nothing. It didn't rule out the snowbank possibility, either. The dim, snowy roads would have been difficult for humans to navigate, but they proved no problem for our dhampir eyes. I stared ahead, trying not to think about how Dimitri's aftershave filled the car with a clean, sharp scent that made me want to melt.
Karolina, Sonja and Victoria laughed looking at Dimitri like he was the funniest thing in the world
"Aww Dimitri your girlfriend like your aftershave," Sonja teased with a baby voice. Dimitri just glared at them
Instead, I tried to focus on the Qualifier again. It wasn't the kind of thing you could study for. You either passed it or you didn't. High-up guardians visited novices during their junior year and met individually to discuss students' commitment to being guardians. I didn't know exactly what was asked, but rumors had trickled down over the years. The older guardians assessed character and dedication, and some novices had been deemed unfit to continue down the guardian path.
"She's right," Alberta said with a small smile. Victoria looked worried at her before looking to her brother.
"Don't worry about it Vic, you will pass," Dimitri reassured his baby sister
"Don't they usually come to the Academy?" I asked Dimitri. "I mean, I'm all for the field trip, but why are we going to them?" "Actually, you're just going to a him, not a them." A light Russian accent laced Dimitri's words, the only indication of where he'd grown up. Otherwise, I was pretty sure he spoke English better than I did.
Everyone nodded at that
"Since this is a special case and he's doing us the favor, we're the ones making the trip." "Who is he?" "Arthur Schoenberg."
"She's dead," everyone who knew him said at the same time. Hell even Tatiana felt sorry for Rose
I jerked my gaze from the road to Dimitri. "What?" I squeaked. Arthur Schoenberg was a legend. He was one of the greatest Strigoi slayers in living guardian history and used to be the head of the Guardians Council -the group of people who assigned guardians to Moroi and made decisions for all of us. He'd eventually retired and gone back to protecting one of the royal families, the Badicas. Even retired, I knew he was still lethal.
"You know when someone retires they tend to stop working, not just start working for someone ells," Olena shook her head. She really didn't understand most guardians and why they felt like they needed to work themselves to death if they weren't killed in battle,
His exploits were part of my curriculum. "Wasn't... wasn't there anyone else available?" I asked in a small voice.
"Good to know that she was still afraid of him," Alberta smiled getting worried for Rose
I could see Dimitri hiding a smile. "You'll be fine. Besides, if Art approves of you, that's a great recommendation to have on your record." Art.
"And since when are you, friends, with him?" Olena asked Dimitri who looked prettified.
"I don't know," Dimitri said in a small voice.
Dimitri was on a first-name basis with one of the most badass guardians around. Of course, Dimitri was pretty badass himself, so I shouldn't have been surprised.
Mason and Eddie looked at Dimitri trying to see what was so badass about him, but they didn't say anything.
Silence fell in the car. I bit my lip, suddenly wondering if I'd be able to meet Arthur Schoenberg's standards. My grades were good, but things like running away and getting into fights at school might cast a shadow on how serious I was about my future career.
Everyone nodded at that
"You'll be fine," Dimitri repeated. "The good in your record outweighs the bad." It was like he could read my mind sometimes.
"That was very sweet of you," Olena and Karolina said at the same time. While Abe, Janine and Mason just glared at Dimitri
I smiled a little and dared to peek at him. It was a mistake. A long, lean body, obvious even while sitting. Bottomless dark eyes. Shoulder-length brown hair tied back at his neck. That hair felt like silk.
"Okay please stop. We don't need to hear that," Janine shook her head. She along with everyone ells felt very uncomfortable at what they were hearing, and the fact that Dimitri was the one reading it didn't help at all.
I knew because I'd run my fingers through it when Victor Dashkov had ensnared us with the lust charm. With great restraint, I forced myself to start breathing again and look away. "Thanks, Coach," I teased, snuggling back into the seat. "I'm here to help," he replied. His voice was light and relaxed –
"That is rare for you," Ivan smiled at his best friend. Dimitri just glared at Ivan.
rare for him. He was usually wound up tightly, ready for any attack. Probably he figured he was safe inside a Honda-or at least as safe as he could be around me. I wasn't the only one who had trouble ignoring the romantic tension between us.
Everyone nodded at that, well everyone but Mason and Eddie as they weren't there for the first book.
"You know what would really help?" I asked, not meeting his eyes. "Hmm?" "If you turned off this crap music and put on something that came out after the Berlin Wall went down."
Everyone laughed at that, the Belikova's the hardest
Dimitri laughed. "Your worst class is history, yet somehow, you know everything about Eastern Europe." "Hey, gotta have material for my jokes, Comrade." Still smiling, he turned the radio dial. To a country station. "Hey! This isn't what I had in mind," I exclaimed.
Everyone chuckled at that
I could tell he was on the verge of laughing again. "Pick. It's one or the other." I sighed. "Go back to the 1980's stuff." He flipped the dial, and I crossed my arms over my chest as some vaguely European-sounding band sang about how video had killed the radio star. I wished someone would kill this radio.
"agreed," Mason and Eddie said at the same time
Suddenly, five hours didn't seem as short as I'd thought. Arthur and the family he protected lived in a small town along I-90, not far from Billings. The general Moroi opinion was split on places to live. Some argued that big cities were the best since they allowed vampires to be lost in the crowds; nocturnal activities didn't raise so much attention. Other Moroi, like this family, apparently, opted for less populated towns, believing that if there were fewer people to notice you, then you were less likely to be noticed.
"Both are right and wrong," Alberta and Olena said at the same time
I'd convinced Dimitri to stop for food at a twenty-four-hour diner along the way,
"Well she does love her food," Alberta laughed shaking her head. Oh, how she knew that book Rose had Dimitri already wrapped around her little finger.
and between that and stopping to buy gas, it was around noon when we arrived. The house was built in a rambler style, all one level with gray-stained wood siding and big bay windows -tinted to block sunlight, of course. It looked new and expensive,
"Well what ells would you expect from a royal family," Tatiana said proudly. Everyone ells just shook their heads at her.
and even out in the middle of nowhere, it was about what I'd expected for members of a royal family. I jumped down from the Pilot, my boots sinking through an inch of smooth snow and crunching on the gravel of the driveway. The day was still and silent, save for the occasional breath of wind. Dimitri and I walked up to the house, following a river rock sidewalk that cut through the front yard.
"That sounds beautiful," Victoria smiled. Everyone nodded at that, the Belikova's all thought back to their home in Russia
I could see him sliding into his business mode, but his overall attitude was as cheery as mine. We'd both taken a kind of guilty satisfaction in the pleasant car ride. My foot slipped on the ice-covered sidewalk,
Janine, Dimitri and Alberta froze at the same time.
"What is it?" Abe asked looking worriedly at Janine, but she didn't answer him
"Please let us be wrong," Alberta prayed
and Dimitri instantly reached out to steady me. I had a weird moment of déjá vu, flashing back to the first night we'd met, back when he'd also saved me from a similar fall. Freezing temperatures or not, his hand felt warm on my arm, even through the layers of down in my parka coat. "You okay?" He released his hold, to my dismay. "Yeah," I said, casting accusing eyes at the icy sidewalk. "Haven't these people ever heard of salt?" I meant it jokingly, but Dimitri suddenly stopped walking. I instantly came to a halt too. His expression became tense and alert.
"What is going on?" Tatiana asked worried, again no-one answered.
He turned his head, eyes searching the broad, white plains surrounding us before settling back on the house. I wanted to ask questions, but something in his posture told me to stay silent. He studied the building for almost a full minute, looked down at the icy sidewalk, then glanced back at the driveway, covered in a sheet of snow broken only by our footprints. Cautiously, he approached the front door, and I followed. He stopped again, this time to study the door. It wasn't open, but it wasn't entirely shut either.
"No," Tatiana whispered not wanting to believe what they were hearing. The tension in the room grew a lot thicker
It looked like it had been closed in haste, not sealing. Further examination showed scuffs along the door's edge, as though it had been forced at some point. The slightest nudge would open it. Dimitri lightly ran his fingers along where the door met its frame, his breath making small clouds in the air. When he touched the door's handle it jiggled a little, like it had been broken.
Tatiana was shaking her head, while everyone ells had gone paler.
"Send Rose way, she can't be there," Janine said looking at Dimitri who nodded his head thinking about all the dangers they were in now.
Finally, he said quietly, "Rose, go wait in the car." "But wh -" "Go." One word -but one filled with power.
"Thank you," Abe said with no emotions. Paul had gotten scared so he was in his mother lap her arms around him. Sonja and Victoria all moved closer to their mother hoping that their brother and Roza will be fine
In that single syllable I was reminded of the man I'd seen throw people around and stake a Strigoi. I backed up, walking on the snow-covered lawn rather than risk the sidewalk. Dimitri stood where he was, not moving until I'd slipped back into the car, closing the door as softly as possible.
"Smart." All the grownups nodded
"Please don't go in there uncle Dimka" Little Paul begged, looking about ready to start crying. Dimitri looked at him sadly and gave him a small smile,
Then, with the gentlest of movements, he pushed on the barely held door and disappeared inside. Burning with curiosity, I counted to ten and then climbed out of the car.
Almost everyone in the room facepalmed at that and shook their heads.
I knew better than to go in after him,
"Thank god for that," Janine said not believing that her daughter would do something so reckless.
but I had to know what was going on with this house. The neglected sidewalk and driveway indicated that no one had been home for a couple days, although it could also mean the Badicas simply never left the house. It was possible, I supposed, that they'd been the victims of an ordinary break-in by humans.
"Not likely," Dimitri shook his head, he hated the idea of what was happening in the book,
It was also possible that something had scared them off -say, like Strigoi. I knew that possibility was what had made Dimitri's face turn so grim, but it seemed an unlikely scenario with Arthur Schoenberg on duty. Standing on the driveway, I glanced up at the sky. The light was bleak and watery, but it was there. Noon. The sun's highest point today. Strigoi couldn't be out in sunlight.
"But they still could be in the house," Janine said worriedly
I didn't need to fear them, only Dimitri's anger. I circled around the right side of the house, walking in much deeper snow -almost a foot of it. Nothing else weird about the house struck me. Icicles hung from the eaves, and the tinted windows revealed no secrets. My foot suddenly hit something, and I looked down. There, half-buried in the snow, was a silver stake.
"What is that doing there?" Abe asked worriedly. They all knew a strigoi couldn't touch a stake and Rose didn't say anything about a broken window so how did the stake get in the snow?
It had been driven into the ground.
"What?" everyone asked.
I picked it up and brushed off the snow, frowning. What was a stake doing out here? Silver stakes were valuable. They were a guardian's most deadly weapon, capable of killing a Strigoi with a single strike through the heart. When they were forged, four Moroi charmed them with magic from each of the four elements.
"What would happen if spirits were added to that," Adrian asked looking at no-one in particle
"Not going to happen," Tatiana smiled at his sweetly. Adrian just pouted at her and smiled.
I hadn't learned to use one yet, but gripping it in my hand, I suddenly felt safer as I continued my survey. A large patio door led from the back of the house to a wooden deck that probably would have been a lot of fun to hang out on in the summer. But the patio's glass had been broken, so much so that a person could easily get through the jagged hole.
"Not good," Victoria shook her head, she wanted her brother to be saved and where he was now was not save,
I crept up the deck steps, careful of the ice, knowing I was going to get in major trouble when Dimitri found out what I was doing. In spite of the cold, sweat poured down my neck. Daylight, daylight, I reminded myself. Nothing to worry about. I reached the patio and studied the dark glass.
"No stay outside," Dimitri, Ivan, Abe and Janine said at the same time,
I couldn't tell what had broken it. Just inside, the snow had blown in and made a small drift on the pale blue carpet. I tugged on the door's handle, but it was locked. Not that that mattered with a hole that big. Careful of the sharp edges, I reached through the opening and unlocked the handle's latch from the inside.
"She gets that from you two both," Alberta said looking at Abe and Janine who looked about ready to blame each other,
I removed my hand just as carefully and pulled open the sliding door. It hissed slightly along its tracks, a quiet sound that nonetheless seemed too loud in the eerie silence. I stepped through the doorway, standing in the patch of sunlight that had been cast inside by opening the door. My eyes adjusted from the sun to the dimness within. Wind swirled through the open patio, dancing with the curtains around me. I was in a living room. It had all the ordinary items one might expect. Couches. TV. A rocking chair. And a body.
Tatiana shook her head, she did not want to imagine that any of the royal family's had been attacked so brutally
It was a woman. She lay on her back in front of the TV, her dark hair spilling on the floor around her. Her wide eyes stared upward blankly, her face pale -too pale even for a Moroi. For a moment I thought her long hair was covering her neck, too, until I realized that the darkness across her skin was blood-dried blood. Her throat had been ripped out.
A few of the girls gaged and shivered
The horrible scene was so surreal that I didn't even realize what I was seeing at first. With her posture, the woman might very well have been sleeping. Then I took in the other body: a man on his side only a couple feet away, dark blood staining the carpet around him. Another body was slumped beside the couch: small, child-size.
Paul began to cry at that, while his mother just pulled him closer telling him everything is going to be okay,
Across the room was another. And another. There were bodies everywhere, bodies and blood. The scale of the death around me suddenly registered, and my heart began pounding. No, no. It wasn't possible. It was day. Bad things couldn't happen in daylight. A scream started to rise in my throat, suddenly halted when a gloved hand came from behind me and closed over my mouth.
Everyone started panicking at that. Hell even Dimitri who was reading. Paul was full-on sobbing, his eyes closed and red.
I started to struggle; then I smelled Dimitri's aftershave.
"Oh thank god," everyone said at the same time
"Why," he asked, "don't you ever listen? You'd be dead if they were still here." I couldn't answer, both because of the hand and my own shock. I'd seen someone die once, but I'd never seen death of this magnitude.
"Few have," Alberta said sadly. She knew how many young guardians froze when they saw scenes like that
After almost a minute, Dimitri finally removed his hand, but he stayed close behind me. I didn't want to look anymore, but I seemed unable to drag my eyes away from the scene before me. Bodies everywhere. Bodies and blood. Finally, I turned toward him. "It's daytime," I whispered. "Bad things don't happen in the day."
"Well it would seem that rule was also not going to last long," Janine said sadly. Everyone hated when things like that happened and the fact that it seemed to be happening in day time made everyone worried,
I heard the desperation in my voice, a little girl's plea that someone would say this was all a bad dream. "Bad things can happen anytime," he told me. "And this didn't happen during the day. This probably happened a couple of nights ago." I dared a peek back at the bodies and felt my stomach twist. Two days. Two days to be dead, to have your existence snuffed out -without anyone in the world even knowing you were gone.
"Why would it take us two days to realize that?" Tatiana asked worriedly
"What do you expect, moroi's life so spread out, I'm not surprised that this is not happening more," Abe shook his head. He wanted to snatch up Janine and Rose and take them to a save place,
My eyes fell on a man's body near the room's entrance to a hallway. He was tall, too well-built to be a Moroi. Dimitri must have noticed where I looked. "Arthur Schoenberg," he said. I stared at Arthur's bloody throat. "He's dead," I said, as though it wasn't perfectly obvious. "How can he be dead? How could a Strigoi kill Arthur Schoenberg?" It didn't seem possible. You couldn't kill a legend.
"That is the sad truth, legends die rather easily," All the guardians in the room said at the same time
Dimitri didn't answer. Instead his hand moved down and closed around where my own hand held the stake. I flinched. "Where did you get this?" he asked. I loosened my grip and let him take the stake. "Outside. In the ground." He held up the stake, studying its surface as it shone in the sunlight. "It broke the ward."
"What!" everyone yelled at the same time,
My mind, still stunned, took a moment to process what he'd said. Then I got it. Wards were magic rings cast by Moroi. Like the stakes, they were made using magic from all four of the elements. They required strong Moroi magic-users, often a couple for each element. The wards could block Strigoi because magic was charged with life, and the Strigoi had none. But wards faded quickly and took a lot of maintenance. Most Moroi didn't use them, but certain places kept them up. St. Vladimir's Academy was ringed with several. There had been a ward here, but it had been shattered when someone drove the stake through it.
"But who would do that, a strigoi can't touch a stake and no Moroi would do that," Adrian said worriedly.
"This means nothing good," Alberta said dead serious,
Their magic conflicted with each other; the stake had won. "Strigoi can't touch stakes," I told him. I realized I was using a lot of can't and don't statements. It wasn't easy having your core beliefs challenged. "And no Moroi or dhampir would do it." "A human might." I met his eyes. "Humans don't help Strigoi -" I stopped.
"This changes everything," Alberta said looking at Dimitri who nodded, terrified of what this meant for them all.
There it was again. Don't. But I couldn't help it. The one thing we could count on in the fight against Strigoi was their limitations-sunlight, ward, stake magic, etc. We used their weaknesses against them. If they had others-humans-who would help them and weren't affected by those limitations ... Dimitri's face was stern, still ready for anything, but the tiniest spark of sympathy flashed in his dark eyes as he watched me wage my mental battle. "This changes everything, doesn't it?" I asked. "Yeah," he said. "It does."
"Done, who is next?" Dimitri said grimly holding up the book.