ROSE
Driving through the gates of St. Vladimir's for the last time was far too simple. One moment, I was standing within the walls of the place I had called home for most of my life. The next, I was staring at a place that would never welcome me back.
It was simple, but that didn't make it easy.
Dimitri was in the driver's seat of our borrowed Honda Accord, speaking with one of the two guardians positioned at the entrance. He was probably telling him that we were leaving so the message could be passed along to Alberta, Kirova, or whoever cared enough to make sure I was gone. As I endeavored to memorize every last detail of the ancient buildings and manicured grounds, a tap on the glass made me jump.
Celeste waved at me, and I rolled down the window. I wasn't particularly close to her, but with so few female guardians these days, it was always nice to see a friendly, feminine face in the sea of testosterone.
"I just wanted to say goodbye. We'll all miss you around here, Rose."
I scoffed, casually brushing off the well wishes with sarcasm. "I'm sure your job will be ten times easier without me breaking curfew and sneaking out of windows. Let's face it, I'm nothing but trouble."
She chuckled a bit but didn't bother to correct me in any way. "Still, this place won't be the same without you."
"Thank you." I knew she meant what she said; there were people who would miss me beyond my little circle of friends. That was comforting, even if it didn't change a thing about my fate.
I was tempted to step out and give her a hug, but I could hear Dimitri finishing up his conversation with the other guardian. As he shifted from park into drive, Celeste and I settled on a sincere, if slightly awkward, hand clasp through the window.
"Bye, Rose," she said with eyes that almost seemed watery. Maybe she really would miss me.
"Bye, Celeste."
"Good luck, Rose," I heard from the other side of the car. I didn't know the male guardian's name, but I had seen him more than once around the elementary campus. Maybe John? James? Either way, I appreciated his kindness, even if he couldn't seem to meet my eyes.
"Thank you," I replied, grateful for any luck I could scavenge, even from this stranger.
I nodded to Dimitri, steeling myself as we crossed over the invisible ward line. No more than ten feet later, I felt a sudden panic deep in my chest. I unbuckled my seatbelt, turning 180 degrees in my seat to look out the rear window. The car lurched to a stop.
"Rose?"
I didn't answer him, instead fighting the urge to jump out of the car and sprint back towards the Academy and everything I had ever known.
The only reason I held back was because I knew it would be useless. Celeste and John-James would have to hold me back, regardless of how sympathetic they had been moments ago. Worse, Dimitri would probably be the one forced to drag me away, and no matter how much my heart begged to go back to my friends, I couldn't do that to him.
"Rose?" he prodded again. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah," I said, swallowing my emotions before I started to choke on them. "Just drive."
I half expected Dimitri to insist on me sitting back down and buckling up properly. He was a stickler for the rules, after all. Instead, he surprised me by saying nothing as he slowly started moving again, allowing me to watch as the Academy eventually faded out of view and out of my life...once and for all.
The drive was quiet, save for the retro music playing softly in the background. I guess it wasn't "retro"-retro, but it was certainly older than me. Some songs transcended time, though, and even I knew the lyrics to the Michael Jackson hit currently playing. I'm confident Dimitri did, too. However, this wasn't some road trip where you rolled down the window and belted out along with the radio. Neither of us sang along or even hummed the tune. We just let the sound of the whooshing cars driving past fill the silence between us. I think my mind was so busy trying to focus or make sense of my thoughts that I couldn't actually voice any of them.
Eventually, something did stick out in my mind. I perked up a little, double-checking to make sure the road sign actually said what I thought it said.
"Why are we going to Spokane?"
He stiffened a moment, understanding the unspoken question that was really on my mind: why are you taking me to the place where Mason died?
There weren't many places in the world that both physically and emotionally hurt to think about, but Spokane was at the top of my list. Almost immediately, the image of my childhood friend flashed through my mind. Mason, bloodied in my arms with open, unseeing eyes and an unnaturally contorted head. I tried to shut my eyes against it, but it only made the memory sharper.
"I'm sorry, Rose. I looked for other airports, but there weren't many options available. This is the closest to the Academy to get you where we need you to go." The apology was laced with bitter remorse. Dimitri had been the one to find me in that house of horrors. He was the one who had to convince me to drop my weapon so that I didn't attack my rescuers. He had been the one to stand by my side for weeks when every day was filled with anger and self-loathing before giving way to nightmares every time I tried to sleep. He wouldn't have chosen to take me to Spokane if there had been any other option. It didn't alleviate the pain, of course, but I understood.
"Plus," he added while I watched the mile markers count down towards our destination. "I wanted to take you on a date. A real one."
"A date?" For some reason, the idea of actually going out on a date with Dimitri seemed absurd. We were guardians. At least, he was a guardian. Either way, the concept of 'dating' in that profession was simply ludicrous. It just didn't happen.
"Yes, a date." He reached for my hand, squeezing it tight before resting it in my lap. "I think we deserve at least one. Don't you?"
I didn't answer him, but I'm sure my grin made my opinion on the matter clear. I bit my lip and turned to hide my blush before I began to seem too eager. I had never really been on a date with anyone. Well, not a dinner-and-a-movie kind of date. There were dances and after-parties, but I usually went to those with a few friends as a group rather than committing to some sort of boyfriend/girlfriend deal. Even on the run, I had been too busy. There was the guy who took me to a football game once, but honestly, I was more interested in the tickets than him.
The closest thing I had ever gotten to an actual date was the occasional meet-up with a guy in some quiet lounge for a little, well, face-to-face time. And if that was the case, my last 'date' had ended a bit abruptly. Thanks to Dimitri, no less.
"That sounds perfect," I finally admitted. "Are you going to give me any hints as to what this date may entail?"
"Absolutely not." He squeezed my hand again, keeping his eyes fully focused on the road ahead while leaving me excited for what was to come.
Dimitri said we would be spending the night in a hotel before my flight tomorrow, but nothing could prepare me for what I was looking at now.
I was almost reminded of the lodge from last Christmas, but instead of antler chandeliers and stuffed dead animal heads lining the walls, this place struck an impressive balance between rustic and modern. There was still a whole lot of wood everywhere, but instead of a color pallet named '50 Shades of Brown,' there were bright pops of color scattered around the open space. In the middle of it all was a massive fireplace that instantly drew me closer. It was a real wood-burning fireplace too. I could hear the crackle and smell the hint of burning logs the closer I got. While Dimitri checked us in, I sat in one of the oversized teal chairs nearby. It was too bad that I wasn't much of a reader. This would have been a great place to cozy up with a book. Dimitri would probably love it.
"Roza." I scanned the lobby until I spotted Dimitri near the bank of elevators. He tilted his head towards one as it opened, urging me his way. I quickly abandoned my little nook and rushed to his side, slipping myself under his arm as he offered it to me. "Let's get settled in."
Our room was almost as stunning as the lobby had been. Sure, there was no giant fireplace, but the view made up for it. You could see the large park below us and the skyline beyond. The river flowed through the park, and if you looked closely, you could even see the waterfalls the park was named after.
"Wow, Comrade. This is...amazing! Look at that view!"
Coming up behind me, Dimitri wrapped one arm around my waist and pointed towards a structure nearby that almost seemed to hang over the churning water. "See that building over there? That's where we're going to dinner tonight."
The lights weren't on, but perhaps it was just too early for it to be open. Something told me that it was the sort of place that didn't bother serving lunch or all-day breakfast. It seemed like a dinner only established where the waitstaff wore fancy suits and ties while offering an extensive wine list. It looked elegant. And probably expensive, too.
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" I asked, looking over my shoulder as he pulled me even tighter against him. He wore an almost blissful smile that seemed so out of place with his typically stoic demeanor. I had seen it more and more since our moment in the cabin and I had to admit, I was falling in love with that grin. "It looks really nice. It's just...I'm not sure I have anything other than jeans in my bag. Seriously, I'm fine with something less…" I struggled for the appropriate word "…swanky."
"Swanky?" It almost sounded like he was testing out the sound on his tongue. His brow lifted at my description as his lips tilted into a smirk.
"You know, fancy or whatever."
He chuckled low enough that I felt the sound more than I heard it. "I understand. And yes, it is a bit more 'swanky' as you put it, but don't worry about that. I want to take you somewhere nice. You deserve somewhere nice. I wouldn't worry about your outfit either. I slipped something in your bag that should work just fine."
I immediately wanted to go search through my clothes for what he might have packed for me, but he pulled me back and led me to the bed. "We should probably rest a bit first. Our reservation isn't until 5:30, so we have a little time."
The sun was still fairly high in the sky, dipping slowly towards late afternoon. The Academy had only been about a three-hour drive away, but with us leaving so early, we were riding on only a couple of hours of sleep. While a part of me thrummed with excitement to see what Dimitri had planned, I knew he was probably right. Unless…
"Do you mean rest or rest, Comrade?" I eyed the bed while butterflies fluttered low in my belly.
"Rest," he assured me, a soft expression gracing his face. He slipped off his duster and shoes but left the rest of his clothing on.
I shrugged, not quite sure if I was relieved or disappointed. I was admittedly tired, but my body had immediately reacted to the mere idea of being naked under Dimitri's talented fingers. Mirroring his earlier actions, I toed my sneakers off and joined him.
It felt like I had barely closed my eyes before his alarm rang out. A quick glance at the nearby clock showed that it was 4:30 in the afternoon, human time. Everyone at the Academy would still be asleep for a little while longer. It was a quick nap, but I was grateful for the extra time to prepare for the evening. If I didn't have anything super fancy to wear, then I needed to make sure my hair and makeup were on point.
Between my loose curls, an extra swipe of mascara, and the surprisingly nice green sweater dress and legging combo that Dimitri had managed to sneak into my suitcase, I ended up looking half-decent. I wasn't sure if it was "elegant dinner" worthy, but it would hopefully be enough to keep me from being tossed out on my butt. I was done being kicked out of things. I wished for a moment that I had one of Lissa's necklaces to borrow. I didn't have any real jewelry of my own, but a gold necklace would have helped dress things up a little more.
When I emerged from the bathroom, I saw that Dimitri had changed into slacks and a simple button-down with the cuffs rolled up a little. I took a moment to appreciate him, especially those enticing corded forearms of his, before he turned my way.
"The restaurant isn't far. We can probably…"
Dimitri had been fiddling with his wallet, but the moment he looked up and caught sight of me, whatever he had been about to say sputtered and died on his lips. Speechless, his eyes slowly took me in from head to toe and then back again.
"Do I look okay?" I asked, strangely bashful under his intense scrutiny.
"Roza, you look better than 'okay.'" He almost seemed offended that I had even asked. "You are absolutely stunning. It almost hurts to look at you without kissing you senseless."
I smirked, not opposed to the idea.
"Later," he said as if he could read my mind. "Right now, we have to get going before we miss our reservation."
Dinner was as delicious (and pricy) as I feared it would be. I was hesitant to order, but Dimitri didn't allow me to settle for the least expensive pasta on the menu. I eventually chose some fancy stake with a creamy white sauce that I couldn't remember how to pronounce, while he ordered some ahi tuna. I almost turned my nose up at the choice, only recognizing tuna as the flakes of fish that the cafeteria would put in sandwiches or casseroles each Friday during Lent. However, what ended up on his plate was a curious red-pink slice of something that looked almost meat-like. When he fed me a taste of it, I nearly moaned out loud and wished I had ordered it as well.
Dimitri had turned down wine, citing my age despite me reminding him that the drinking age in Russia was probably six years old or something. He did insist on dessert, however, and allowed me to indulge in a chocolate torte that quickly rose to the top of my "most delicious food" meter. When the waitress finally handed him the bill, he refused to let me even peek at it, instead holding it beyond my reach until I finally gave up and allowed him his victory.
Our outfits quickly morphed from under-dresses to over-dressed as he led me to the second half of our date. Within walking distance was a massive arena, and I was grateful that Dimitri had chosen something a little warmer than average as the chill of an icy rink appeared before me.
Apparently, Dimitri was a hockey fan.
Author's Note
Anyone still recovering from the season finale last week? No spoilers, but man I need at least one more season. Maybe three. Maybe ten.
Keep an eye out tomorrow for a special Halloween one-shot! (hint: it's one of my most popular one-shot requests!)
Thank you so much for reading. Please leave me a quick review if you've been enjoying the story and don't forget to use those 'like' buttons below to be notified of updates and new stories.