DIMITRI

As thrilled as I was to be out working in the field again, I had almost forgotten how taxing it was to plan around a college schedule. Both the academy and Court had given me plenty of freedom. I could easily carve out time to hit the gym, talk to Roza, or even do something truly selfish and just read for a bit. Now, there was a rigid timetable that offered hardly any flexibility.

I quickly checked my watch and tried not to groan. I wasn't the only one adjusting to a new way of doing things.

"Do you want me to go get her?" Eddie had perfected the 'casual student' look and was wearing a burgundy hoodie with the Lehigh University logo. The hoodie was big enough to subtly hide his stake without drawing attention. His first priority was protecting Lissa, but the laptop and heavy textbooks in his backpack were real. He hitched the pack a little higher on one shoulder and gave me an expectant look. Lissa wouldn't be the only one late to class if she didn't hurry.

"Yeah," I said, nodding up the stairs to where Lissa's room was. "You better."

Before he could take two steps towards the stairs, Lissa emerged. "I'm here, I'm here! Sorry. I couldn't find my charging cord. I'm ready."

We'd have to hurry, but we could still make it in time. Contrary to what some might believe, it wasn't a smart idea to rush a charge from one place to another. Sure, getting them from A to B as fast as possible might seem like the logical thing to do since there was theoretically a smaller window of opportunity for an attacker (strigoi or mortal) to make a move. However, the trade-off meant that I wasn't able to fully take in and track possible threats around us. A steady, moderate pace when we were in the open was much safer unless we were actively under attack and needed to find immediate shelter.

Technically, we could take a vehicle. There was a car in the garage and we did have a university pass. However, I knew it would take significantly more time to find a parking spot on campus, and even then, we'd probably have to walk quite a distance to get to the proper building. Nope, the best option was just to get moving and hopefully, we'd make good time.

Eddie helped Lissa shrug into her cardigan while I stepped out and gave the area a cursory look, focusing an extra moment on the tall hydrangeas that ran along a portion of the side fence. Beautiful as they were, they were one of the few shortcomings of this residence. If I had my way, we'd cut them down because they provided a hiding spot for potential risks, but they were technically on the neighbor's side, so I couldn't touch them. I just had to keep an eye on them until winter when the leaves would die off.

Once I confirmed the coast was clear, we were on our way. I fell back a little as Eddie and Lissa walked ahead. Even though they were discussing an upcoming test, I could see Eddie glance around, just as vigilant as I was. He had melded into his guardian role quite well, thriving even more than I had initially anticipated. With our mutual respect, shared experiences, and training prior to his graduation, we were a well-oiled team now.

There was a small lull in their conversation while Lissa looked up something on her phone, and I took advantage of the moment to double-check our radio. "Still hear me alright?"

Eddie lifted his arm, giving me a thumbs-up without turning back to me before replying. "Loud and clear, Belikov."

We arrived with only a minute or two to spare before Lissa and Eddie's class started. As they took their seats side by side, the professor gave me a quick nod to acknowledge me. I offered him the same in return. I don't think any of the professors were happy to have me hanging around (with Lissa's Russian language professor, Professor Sokolov, as the only possible exception), but all it took was a quick donation to the school for them to overlook my presence.

From my perch in the back, I not only had an overall view of the room, but I was close enough to the door to intercept anyone if need be. I scanned over the class and tried to identify any new faces, but none stood out. Thankfully, class sizes at Lehigh were relatively small. Even the general education core courses like English were only a little larger than those at St. Vladimir. While my unusual appearance had garnered some attention from the other students initially, now that we were a little over a month into classes, I was nothing more than a silent puzzle that most people just shrugged off. There had been quite a few rumors early on about who I was and why I was here, especially once people discovered that I was acting as Lissa's personal bodyguard, but things had quieted down.

Eddie and I had two separate but distinct roles in guarding Vasilissa. Mine was to be noticed and intimidate; his was to be overlooked and ignored.

"Alright, class, quiet down." A hush fell over the room as the students settled and turned their focus to the front of the room. "We're going to pick things up from Tuesday by looking at the role of media in politics, particularly in relation to how knowledge can shift power dynamics between officials and constituents. Now, earlier we were discussing…"

I began to tune out the lecture. Occasionally I made a passive effort to keep up with the lesson or mentally test myself by answering questions, but Lissa's political theory course was often too advanced for me to really take in without doing the additional reading. Thankfully, that was on Eddie and not me, though I did make an effort to give him plenty of study time. It wasn't always easy with just the two of us, but splitting my days into two parts and taking a biphasic sleep schedule helped. Even with the wards placed around the house, I wasn't comfortable with us both sleeping while the sun was down, so while it meant dividing my sleep schedule in two (6pm-10:30pm and 4:30am-7:30am, respectively) it allowed Eddie plenty of time to study and rest while providing essential coverage for most of the day. It wasn't an issue while we were at Court, but as long as we were beyond the strongholds, it was necessary.

Scanning quickly to make sure nobody was acting suspicious and finding that all was well, I pulled out my phone and opened my text conversation with Adrian. It was a bit late for most people at Court, but like almost everything else where Adrian was concerned, his sleep schedule was erratic.

I typed out a quick message.

(Belikov) Any news?

When he didn't respond right away, I figured he was busy and slipped my phone back into my pocket.

"...but the rise of social media influencers has changed the landscape of media just like blogging did over a decade ago. Does anyone have any other examples of changes to how we consume information that has impacted…" The professor drowned on, and I glanced over at Lissa and Eddie again. Eddie took diligent notes but otherwise looked incredibly bored. Like Rose, he preferred action over lectures. Lissa, however, seemed to be absorbing every ounce of information like a sponge. She was way too young to be thrust into a frankly archaic government system that thrived on the oppression of certain classes, but if anyone could impact change in a positive manner, it was her. While I didn't bother entrenching myself in Court politics much, I knew there were a few more progressive council members. Lissa's presence could be a significant vehicle for change.

My pocket buzzed, and a second later, I was looking at a reply from Adrian.

(Adrian) Not yet. My aunt prefers not to get involved in small picture things like who is or isn't allowed through the gate. After I told her about the circumstances, she agreed that Rose probably isn't a threat and shouldn't be barred entry, but she's also worried that overturning something like that would set a bad precedent. Don't give up, though. I'm still trying to wear her down.

I sighed, understanding Tatiana's position but still annoyed and somewhat discouraged. Perhaps Lissa could talk to her? I wasn't sure I liked the idea of Lissa playing political games for what would essentially be personal gain, but it could be a good opportunity to put some of her new debate skills to the test. Typically I wouldn't have approved having an additional club or team outside of her typical classes because it required so much more from Eddie and me, but she was right when she argued that the skills that activity would develop would be all but essential to her future.

(Dimitri) Okay. Just keep me updated. I don't want to get Rose's or Lissa's hopes up until we know for sure.

It was a long shot, but Adrian and I were hoping that we could get Rose over here for Christmas. I had called in a favor with Mikhail Tanner over in the records room to go over some of the paperwork concerning Rose's restraining order from Jesse Zeklos. I had briefly glanced it over when Rose was initially expelled, but I hadn't looked closely at the details. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the order had some leeway. As long as Rose stayed at least 300 feet from Jesse and didn't attempt to contact him in any way, she was legally in the clear. Better yet, the entire order expired nine months after it was issued, meaning that by mid-December, the whole thing would be a problem of the past. We would be able to put it behind us and move on with our lives.

Unfortunately, it wasn't the restraining order that was the problem, but the exile order. Rose was barred from Court, the academies, and any other Moroi stronghold for ten years. On top of that, the fine print stated that it wasn't just the locations that she was prohibited from, but she also couldn't be within 5000 feet of the reigning monarch, any of the Moroi council members, or a presiding head of a royal family. That included Lissa.

Breaking that order could land Rose in prison for up to twenty-five years, and if they suspected that Eddie and I had allowed her to get close to Lissa or otherwise circumvent the order, then we could very well end up as her cellmates. It was excessive, but the Zeklos's lawyer had wanted to make an example of Rose and succeeded. The only way the exile order could be overturned was either by getting every member of the council to sign a repeal—something that we all knew was impossible—or by direct decree from Queen Tatiana.

An hour or so later, the professor finished up his lesson, and the students started gathering their things to leave. Eddie and Lissa didn't bother rushing since our routine included them waiting until the room was relatively clear before we moved to their next class. Getting caught up in a crowd was an unnecessary risk that wasn't worth the gamble. I doubted that anyone here would actually hurt Lissa, but I didn't like taking chances. When there were only a handful of people left, I gave Eddie the all-clear.

He started packing up but had barely slipped his laptop into his bag when I stiffened. "Hold up. Check your six."

Forgetting his textbooks, Eddie spun in his chair. His hand slipped into the front pocket of his hoodie, gripping the stake that I knew was hidden just out of view as a vaguely familiar student approached Lissa. I stood, braced to jump in if needed. I didn't want to cause a scene if the person wasn't hostile.

"Vasilisa! Are you going to party at Sigma Alpha Epsilon tonight?" While it was somewhat muffled, I could make out the redhead's question over Eddie's mic. "I heard that they got that new band to play."

"Oh…umm." Lissa turned to look at me over her shoulder, and I just raised a brow. She already knew the answer. I could see her deflate a little as she turned back to her classmate. "I'm sorry, Melanie. I can't. Sounds fun, though. I hope you have a good time."

The other girl, Melanie, eyed me carefully for a moment before leaning toward Lissa. Eddie shifted a little closer too, and I was just barely able to pick up the conspiratorial, "You could always ditch the bodyguard. Just for one night."

Eddie cut in. "You know, the whole point of a bodyguard is to help keep her safe in potentially dangerous situations."

"It's a frat party, not a war zone." The girl rolled her eyes as if my presence was overkill. Then, shooting Eddie a sly look, she added. "Plus, you can come too. Surely her boyfriend could protect her for a couple hours of fun. No need for big, tall, and scary over there."

"Eddie's not my boyfriend."

Lissa's assertion seemed to surprise Melanie, and she looked between Eddie and Lissa with an amused expression. "Really? Are you sure? Because I don't think I've ever seen him more than five feet from you."

"I'm sure." Lissa's frustration was evident, and the other girl raised her hands a little in surrender.

I knew that Lissa hated the assumption that more than one person had made concerning my charge and my partner. At one point, I had suggested capitalizing on it since it made a logical excuse as to why Eddie was always right there beside her. She had turned that down quickly, making it clear to everyone involved that she didn't want to even pretend to be with anyone other than Christian.

I understood where she was coming from. If I didn't have Rose in the picture, I might have been okay masquerading as a charge's significant other. It was a convenient cover that didn't require much explanation. I couldn't imagine doing that now, though, not even for the good of the job. I had let the matter drop pretty quickly, and now they just used the 'friends and roommates' cover. It meant that some people made assumptions that Lissa and Eddie were always quick to deny, but it hadn't affected the job in any way.

Plus, this way, they didn't have to "break up" when Christian joined us for the spring semester.

Christian had applied to Lehigh but had missed the deadline, so he wasn't accepted for the fall semester. He'd be joining us after the holidays, but until then, he was busy working alongside Tasha as they advocated legalizing the use of magic for defense. It meant that the pair had to be satisfied with only the occasional weekend together whenever Lissa was called back to Court, but Christian was quick to remind Lissa that it could be a whole lot worse.

After all, they could have nearly 10,000 miles between them.

After turning down Melanie one last time, Lissa, Eddie, and I were finally on our way towards their Film Studies class. It was the elective that Eddie had chosen at Lissa's insistence, and while it was a fairly low-stress class, he seemed to be enjoying it.

I switched places with Eddie as we walked so that he could take a short break from near guard, and I noticed that Lissa seemed unusually quiet. "You okay, Liss? Is this about the party?"

While attending a chaotic frat party wasn't impossible, the amount of work that would go into making sure Vasilisa was protected would be immense. It was far safer to simply pass on the opportunity, but if she truly insisted on it, then we could try to find a way. I quickly made a mental checklist of everything that would be necessary, including scouting the area beforehand, securing a personal location beacon, and possibly calling in an extra guardian for backup. Honestly, with Christian joining us soon, it would probably be a good idea to get an additional permanent guardian.

"No, it's not that," Lissa said, waving my concern away along with the growing to-do list that I had been compiling. "I was just missing Christian after what Melanie said, and then I felt guilty for missing Christian because I saw him last weekend, and it's been almost two months since you saw Rose. Then I started thinking about how long it's been since I've seen Rose and…" she sighed, "It all sucks. That's all. Just ignore my pouting. I'm fine."

I was tempted to tell her about mine and Adrian's plan, but with it still up in the air, I kept my mouth shut. I wasn't lying when I said I didn't want to get her hopes up. That, and Lissa was literally incapable of keeping secrets from Rose because of the bond. Thankfully, the distance hadn't negatively affected either of them much. As long as Lissa limited her Spirit use and Rose kept her charmed ring nearby, they were both able to balance any adverse side effects. Still, I knew Rose checked in on Lissa through the bond from time to time, and the last thing I wanted was for Rose to get excited about the possibility of seeing everyone again, only for it to be dashed later.

As soon as Adrian was able to convince his great aunt to overturn the exile order, I'd tell Rose. Until then, I wasn't going to make promises that were beyond my control.

"It's fine to miss Christian. And Rose, too," I told Lissa as the arts building came into view. I was glad it was close, because when I glanced down at her, I could see that the hot, sunny day was already pulling at Lissa's strength. Her cheeks were already turning pink. I made a mental note to remind her to use her umbrella during our walk back to the main academics building. It was only going to get hotter as we got closer to midday.

When Lissa gave me a look that asked, 'Are you sure?' I chuckled and continued. "Seriously. Every relationship has different struggles, and just because the challenges in mine and Rose's relationship aren't the same as the challenges that you and Christian face, that doesn't mean that your frustration is any less valid than mine. After all, it's not like Rose and I have to deal with the societal pressure that you and Christian face."

Lissa's face twisted in irritation as I hinted at Lissa's conversation Lissa with Tatiana a few weeks ago. The queen had casually suggested that a relationship with some Conta lord that had introduced himself during a recent charity event might be a more politically advantageous match over Christian, and it had bothered her quite a bit. Not just because the queen was still critical of her relationship with Christian, but also because the man that Tatiana had suggested was over a decade older than her. I was hardly one to talk about an age difference, but setting up a nineteen-year-old with someone who was already in his early thirties was too much for me to stomach. When Rose found out, I was pretty sure she was going to show up at the Court gates and give Tatiana a piece of her mind, but thankfully Lissa was able to firmly yet respectably stand up to Tatiana's suggestion and insist that she was more than happy with Christian and that neither were planning on ending things.

In fact, I knew that Christian had started talking to Adrian last week about engagement rings. Adrian had enlisted me to confirm Lissa's ring size, and I expected that Christian would propose sooner rather than later. Most likely by the end of the year.

"I guess you're right," Lissa said. "Still, I wish things were different."

"Me too, Princess," I said, trying not to get caught up in how frustrated I really was whenever I allowed myself to think about it too much. "Me too."

Author's Note

Last week I received an absolutely wonderful review from a reader, LvInes. I wanted to quickly highlight it because I know some of you have had questions as to why I'm making certain choices and she was able to sum things up beautifully.

"I think Rose still has a long way to go. She's lost a bit of her confidence. Somehow, being excluded from the prospect of becoming a guardian made her feel ashamed, unworthy. It's a much more humiliating experience for her because it was at the core of her wishes and potential. It was what defined her and now that this disappeared, it's like she's got no value, nothing to bring to her world. Especially when everybody has already little consideration for dhampir girls. It's such a depressing experience. To me, for her to be a housekeeper is like doing it all over again. Starting from scratch. Building a life for herself over which no one can claim ownership be it the moroî society or even a relative or a rich friend. It was brave to refuse her father's offer when it could have been so easy to accept. She had to start somewhere and she has yet to master her newfound power: freedom."

Thank you LvInes, and thank you to everyone who enjoys this story week to week. I know I haven't been great at responding to reviews recently, but I do read each one, and I am grateful for every kind word. You guys are amazing. Have a great week.