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.

No copyrights have been infringed on maliciously.

A/n: This chapter took far longer to write than I thought it would.

A Conflict of the Soul

Chapter Twenty-One

"Alright, seniors. Quieten down and listen up."

Settling quickly, the senior dhampirs gathered on the bleachers took their seats and focused their wandering attention on Alberta. It couldn't have been easy; the anticipation and excitement in the gym was palpable. You couldn't help but get caught up in it.

Trials would begin in less than an hour.

A little after 5pm, the seniors had begun arriving for warm ups and final instructions an hour before. Most of what was now required of them were stretching exercises and reminders about the rules they would have to follow once they were in the obstacle course, but more importantly, it was a final mental preparation by all instructors to their students…and mine was no different.

Finding her now, Rose sat on a middle row between Eddie and Meredith. I had watched her closely as she limbered up; concerned that the confidence I had left her with after our training session had ended the night before would have waned, but it hadn't. If anything, the waiting now seemed to build her anticipation to almost fever pitch. She could hardly sit still.

Catching my eye now, she gave me a small, almost hidden grin before she turned her attention back to Alberta. There hadn't been much time to talk to her since arriving, but we would at least have a few moments to ourselves before she was sent into the course. As I had suspected and feared, I wouldn't be allowed anywhere near it once her name was called. The four guardians sent by Court would be the only ones to enter. They stood to the side of the gym now, surveying everything, but not participating.

All well over six feet tall, leanly muscled and lethally capable, they made for an intimidating quartet that even our guardians seemed to find daunting. They were polite, but not exactly approachable. When arriving in the gym, Rose had immediately sized them up, knowing that they would in all likelihood be the obstacles she would face off against in her attempt to get her decoy Moroi to the finish line.

In typical Rose fashion, she was almost disdainful of them now; refusing to be unsettled by their presence, and of that I was grateful. It wasn't like there was anything more than I could do or say for her now anyway. From the time we left this gym and Trial's began, I would be doing nothing more than playing a waiting game. I didn't like it; if I could have changed it, I would, but I had made as much peace with it as I was able.

"Here is the order in which you will proceed to the obstacle course," Alberta announced, looking down at the paperwork on a clipboard. "As well as the guardian who has been assigned to you as your decoy Moroi." Looking up, she focused on Eddie first, negating for once to go by alphabetic order. "Eddie Castile. You will be up first and are paired with Guardian Dalca."

Nodding once, Eddie looked towards the eagerly grinning Emil. Continuing to read, Alberta paired off the seniors with their mock Moroi. We had already been briefed on who would be decoys. Those of us left would be in the obstacle course as the simulated strigoi. Listening as the West twins were paired with Dustin and Gregor, the last on the roster was Rose. Looking up at her, Alberta frowned a little. She was obviously remembering the last time she had been in this gym to announce who Rose would be paired with and the tantrum that had followed.

"Rose Hathaway. You will go last and are paired with Guardian Bogdanovic."

Smiling in easy acceptance at the assignment of Daniel Bogdanovic – a replacement guardian sent from Court after the attack had depleted our numbers – Rose nodded at Alberta. Clearly surprised by the lack of argument from her, Alberta looked at her a little warily and waited a moment longer before she was satisfied that she wasn't going to get a reaction. Returning to her paperwork, she asked vaguely. "Does anyone have any other questions?"

When none were raised and she knew that continuing to wait would only further erode the senior's focus, Alberta nodded and tucked the clipboard beneath her arm. "Each of you has been given a knife and a blunt-edged stake. The stake isn't going to pierce or kill any of the guardians you go up against, but they will get the point, if you get my meaning. Once they are satisfied that you have 'staked' them," she emphasised with her fingers raised as inverted commas. "They will instantly drop away from you as a kill, alright? Good. The others would have started to arrive at the arena by now, so let's get going."

Walking out into the bright sunshine, the seniors were bunched tightly together; chattering excitedly as we made our way to the arena. Following behind them, it only took a few minutes to reach the sport field in which it had been built. Equipped with shaded areas for the Moroi students, teachers and dignitaries, once the sun had set, the existing floodlights would illuminate the entire area in bright light.

The time it would take each senior to complete the course averaged between twenty-five and thirty-five minutes, depending on how long it would take to defeat their attackers and get their target to the other side. Given the total of an hour to complete it, if they exceeded the limit – even if they successfully completed Trials – they would be penalised and might even fail as a result. With Rose at the end of the pack, it meant that it would be at least three and four hours before it was her turn.

I would be busy for most of it – having been assigned as a simulated Strigoi for the majority of the students – but it would take a great deal of effort to concentrate on my own job when I was worried about her. The tarot cards were always at the back of my mind, and it meant that I would have to wait at least that long to see if Rose and I could beat them.

Beginning to disperse as we closed in on the arena, the level of noise from within was almost deafening. Decorated with colourful banners depicting the Academy emblem, the Saints and each of the Royal Houses insignia's, the setup reminded me of the Colosseum, but with more modernisation and grandeur. Designed to seat about two hundred, it wasn't just the entire student body and the teachers that would be attendance, but also the parents of most Moroi and some dhampir. The dhampir graduation ceremony coincided with the Moroi's, which meant that guest housing was fuller than normal. Most of the graduating students would leave after the ceremony with their parents to begin their lives post Academy life.

I didn't know if Janine was here; we had been too busy with other things to take much notice of those coming and going, but I hoped for Rose's sake that she was. I shouldn't have felt that charitable towards a woman who had tried her hardest to drive a wedge between us…a wedge I had been stupid enough to provide, but more than anything, I wanted her to acknowledge her daughters achievements.

As the guardians without students left the group and entered the arena to take up their attacking positions, Alberta, Gregor and Dustin went to talk to the small group of Council members standing to the side of the entrance. They had arrived shortly after lunch and amongst them was Hans Croft, just as he'd promised he would be. Catching my eye, he gave a subtle nod before turning to smile charmingly at Alberta and I again wondered at the man's motives.

"You're going to get worry lines on your face if you carry on frowning like that, comrade."

Turning with a small smile, I found Rose at my side. She had been so silent, so stealthy; I hadn't even heard her approach. It said more about her skill than it did about my preoccupation. "There's no room with all the ones that you've already given me, Rose."

"Ha, ha. Is that Hans Croft?" Nodding towards the group, Rose knew of him, but had never formally met him.

"It is."

"Come to see the show?" She asked with only a hint of resentment.

"Probably." Looking around, I found that we were relatively alone as the others broke off into either pairings or small groups, and it gave me the opportunity to ask a question I had wanted to voice since arriving at the gym. "How do you feel?"

Turning her attention back to me, Rose checked that the topknot of her hair was secure. Dressed simply in a dark green t-shirt, brown tights and black trainers, she looked fit and comfortable. I could just see the links of her chain from beneath the neckline of the t-shirt; reassuring me that she was wearing the medallion. "Ready. Impatient. You?"

"Me? Why are you asking how I'm feeling?"

"Because you're more stressed about this than I am."

"Don't worry about me, Roza. Just worry about yourself."

"Easy enough to do. I'll…" Trailing off, Rose's gaze had been focused on the banner of the House of Dragomir flapping in the gentle breeze, but it suddenly seemed as though she wasn't really seeing it at all. Moving around to face her, I instantly recognized her engrossed look; Lissa was in her head. Waiting for a few moments, she blinked slowly at first and then more rapidly as the only voice in her head became her own.

Gently touching her arm to gain her attention, she turned to face me. "Lissa?"

"Yeah."

"Everything alright?"

"Yeah. She's just letting me know where she and Christian are sitting and that she wants me to find her before Trials begin and I'm sent to wait with the others." Slanting me a sly look, Rose suddenly smiled sweetly in a way that made me instantly mistrust it. "She also says that Tasha is with them."

Groaning quietly, I should have expected this. She hadn't returned to the Academy since leaving the day after Rose's birthday, but she had phoned regularly. The conversation always went the same…her trying to talk me into a relationship. So far, I had manged to gently turn her down by using my loyalty to Lissa as the excuse, but once she found out about my transfer, I would have to come up with something else. The last thing in the world I wanted to do was hurt her, but maybe once she found out about Rose and I, she would stop trying.

"You know she's here for Christian's graduation." I reassured Rose.

"Do I look like I was born yesterday, comrade?" She countered witheringly. "She's here for you just as much as she's here for him."

"I can't help that, Roza. She knows I'm not available."

"Yeah, because you've always used Lissa as your excuse. What's going to happen when she finds out that you've been reassigned?"

"I'll be at Court. A place she has no desire to be." That wasn't a lie, but neither was it a good enough answer and the look Rose gave me said as much.

"She's still going to try."

"I know, but that's not going to happen right now, so I'll cross that bridge when I come to it."

Looking sceptical, Rose crossed her arms and stretched out the muscles in her upper back and shoulders, but didn't add anything else. She knew better than to be jealous, but I couldn't say I blamed her. Every time Adrian was anywhere near her, my blood boiled. Thinking about him now, I was a little surprised that he had been true to his word. I hadn't entirely expected him to keep his mouth shut about our connection, because if he thought he could cause trouble for me with it, he would have, but I hadn't heard even the faintest of whispers about it.

"Lissa knows not to distract you during Trials, right?"

Rose threw me a dirty look – like I should have known better than to ask such a stupid question – she completed her stretching. "Yes, comrade, she knows. She's not going to risk me, so relax. When are you going to tell her about the transfer?"

"Later tonight or tomorrow. I can't wait longer than that. I don't want her finding out from anyone else." By some miracle word of it hadn't yet reached the collective ear of the Academy, but I didn't want to push my luck for much longer.

"Yeah," Rose agreed, watching as the others began to enter the arena. "That would be a disaster."

Checking the time, we had less than fifteen minutes before Trials began. I didn't really want Rose distracted by anyone, even Lissa, but she obviously wanted to see her and there wasn't any point in trying to dissuade her. "Let's go and find Lissa and the others, and then it's time to move to the waiting area."

"Ok."

Entering the arena, it was an impressive sight. Modelled slightly to resemble that of a gladiatorial exhibition, it was a mixture of contemporary and historic architecture. Finding it almost filled to capacity, the level of noise increased as Rose was seen. It should have made me happy to hear the support for her, but all it really did was remind me sourly that they were probably taking bets against her here too.

Climbing the private stairway attached to the first grandstand on the right, it led to specially constructed balconies – similar to those found in an opera house – for the Royals. Finding Lissa at the entrance to hers, she was practically bouncing in the doorway. Wrapping Rose in a tight hug, the pair clung to each other for a long moment. Coming up behind Lissa, Christian shook his head at the pair, but he was grinning just as widely as his girlfriend.

"Liss…don't squeeze her too tightly. She's going to use it as an excuse to get out of Trials."

"Oh, shush." Lissa admonished over her shoulder, squeezing again before she released Rose. "You ready?"

"You know it," she replied, brushing aside a stray strand of white-blonde hair lying against her pale cheek.

"I wish they were still alive…my parents, and Andre," Lissa mused quietly, blinking at the formation of moisture in the corner of her eyes. "They would be so proud of you, Rose."

Taking a moment to answer, Rose seemed to need it to compose herself. I knew Lissa's family had meant a great deal to her. She had considered them her own. It would have meant the world to her to have them here, supporting her, especially as the only parent she had seemingly couldn't have cared less. Suddenly I wished mine were here; cheering her on, lending their strength and support. They would have made sure she heard them above everyone else.

Clearing her throat, Rose tried to downplay the emotional undercurrent. "I haven't passed yet, Liss."

"Oh, don't give me that. You know you're going to crush it in there."

"Yeah, you will. All jokes aside, Rose. Good luck, not that you need it." Moving around Lissa, Christian pulled her into a quick hug. Rose wasn't as surprised by it as she would have once been, and eagerly returned it. Over the last few months, during the continuation of their training, the two former foes had put aside their differences and formed a strong friendship.

"He's right, you know? You don't need luck."

Peering around Christian's shoulder, Rose found a beaming Tasha standing a few feet away. Concentrating on only her for the moment, she pulled Rose out of her nephew's arms and into a hug as tight as Lissa's. Returning it easily, I wasn't sure how Rose would handle it, but there wasn't anything in her body language that alarmed me. She had been nothing but polite to Tasha the last time she was here, and there wasn't really any reason for that to have changed.

"Thank you, Tasha. It's nice to see you again." Rose graciously replied, surprising me again. Sometimes she was a complete enigma. Stepping clear from her embrace, Rose hesitated moving away for a second, knowing that once she did, Tasha would head straight for me, but as Tasha's bright blue gaze landed on me, she simply walked around Rose to enfold me in a full-contact hug that left me in no doubt as to what she still wanted.

"Dimka…it's been too long."

"Hello, Tasha." Meeting Rose's eyes over Tasha's head as she turned to face us, the dangerously narrowed expression in them had me cutting the hug short and moving away from her without causing her any hurt. "You're looking well."

Laughing softly, Tasha reached up to cup my jaw before I could move out of her range. "Always the gentleman, Dimitri."

"Yeah. He's a regular Knight in shining armour."

Hearing the snide comment from beyond the doorway, I didn't need to see the owner of it to know who had said it. Sauntering in a few seconds later, Adrian smiled in greeting at the others but otherwise ignored me. He obviously hadn't forgotten my warning. Walking to Rose, he stopped a few steps away from her and bent to smile at her with a level of intimacy that set my teeth on edge. "I'm two balconies over with the Szelsky's, but I wanted to wish you good luck, little dhampir. If you need anything, you ask. I mean that. You don't even hesitate."

Eyeing him suspiciously, Rose nodded. "Thanks, Adrian. I appreciate it."

Allowing him to hug her, she was a little stiff and didn't fully return the embrace. Stepping away from him as soon as it was polite to, she very subtly distanced herself from him. Noting it straight away, Adrian covered it up with a cocky grin, but the rejection must have stung. I tried to dredge up any remaining sympathy I might have for him, and failed. Excusing himself, he made his way to the door, but not before throwing me a look of intense dislike.

"I wonder which Szelsky's are here?" Tasha pondered, turning to Rose. "Probably Archer. Is your mother here, Rose?"

Rose shrugged. "No idea." Archer Szelsky was the Royal Janine Hathaway was assigned to as primary guardian. If it was him, then Janine would definitely be here, although I would have expected Adrian to have mentioned it. Rose didn't seem too concerned about the possibility of her mother's presence. She expected very little of Janine.

"Well, whoever it is, I'm not surprised Adrian is with them." Casting a sly look at Rose, Tasha asked with genuine curiosity. "Why don't you give Adrian a chance, Rose? He's clearly crazy about you. He's handsome, charming and would clearly do anything to please you." Turning to frown at her nephew as he snorted at her words, she waved him away before turning back to Rose, who arched a brow.

"He's also arrogant, bone-idle and a drunk. Thanks, but no thanks, Tasha."

"I'm sure he'd clean up his act if you made it clear that you wouldn't put up with it. He also is very well connected at Court. You could use that."

Canting her head to the side, Rose's lips twitched. "Are you trying to set me up with Adrian so that you can take advantage of those same connections, Tasha?"

Her lips twitched just the same, pulling at the disfiguring scar. "Maybe."

Lissa and Christian laughed as Rose rolled her eyes at Tasha's scheming. Hearing the announcer over the loudspeaker requesting all seniors to immediately report to the waiting area, Rose sighed and looked at me. "Time to go?"

At my nod, Rose received another tight, brief hug from Lissa, as Christian and Tasha wished me good luck for the obstacle course; making us promise to meet up with them once Trials were complete. Agreeing easily, I ushered Rose out and down the stairs. Neither of us spoke as we made our way to the designated area; both of us mentally preparing for what awaited us as we joined the others.

Finding Alberta at the entrance to the obstacle course, she checked her schedule one last time before gathering everyone's attention. "Seniors, once you are through the course with your mock Moroi, you will be taken to the Council members judging your performances. It is with them that you will learn if you have passed your Trials. You will then be taken to another waiting area. Only once the last of the novices has made it through will you be allowed to leave this area. Your official times and scores will be revealed at the graduation ceremony tomorrow night. Any last questions?"

Satisfied that they were none, Alberta nodded. "All guardians participating in the obstacle course please enter it now and take up your assigned positions. Mr. Castile will enter the course in exactly," checking her watch, she looked up at Eddie. "Five minutes."

Distracted by the sudden flurry of activity from both the seniors and the guardians, I took advantage of it to turn to Rose; bending over her to murmur. "I'll find you before your turn. I'll have both of the West twins in the course, but there will be a little bit of time between them completing and you starting to go over any last minute details."

"Got it."

When I didn't move, Rose smiled gently and gave me a push in the direction of the entrance. "Go, comrade. You've also got a job to do."

Knowing she was right – and that if I didn't leave now, it would be impossible for me to leave at all – I turned away without a word and walked into the entrance of the course. Once inside, I was surprised by what I found, even though I had been prepared to expect anything.

Resembling the inside of a derelict factory or warehouse, the course had multiple levels made of wooden and rope bridges, exposed beams, rafters and tunnel-like openings wide enough only to crawl through. Trenches with 6 or 7 feet drops had been dug beneath the rickety walkways and bridges. Narrow, they would allow only one person at a time to cross. Crates built up to resemble walls would easily hide a full-size man, and would make it very difficult for the novice to know that they were there until it was almost too late for them to react.

It strongly resembled a maze.

The course was designed to test the most basic of the skills taught to the seniors: Agility, speed, balance, accuracy and ability to adapt. It also meant that the persuasion techniques there were taught would come into play. Some of the pathways were boxed in to simulate claustrophobia and disorientation. The mock Moroi would have been told to act scared, to act intimidated and to freeze when the novices least expected it. It would mean the novice would not only have to get them through to the end of the course, but have to coax them when needed. It would slow everything down, and they would have to keep an eye on the time as well as everything else.

It was going to be a very difficult course to successfully navigate. Even with all the real world experience the novices had acquired with the attack, I honestly didn't know how many of them would pass it. Rose might be my main concern, but that didn't mean I wanted any less for the others.

"Ready?"

Turning towards Alberta, she was with Stan and Gregor. All of us were dressed in black so that we were more easily concealed by the shadows that would lengthen as the sun set and the lights were turned on. They all looked dangerous… determined, and it only increased my fears for Rose and what she would face against the Court guardians. "Castile will enter the course in less than a minute." Alberta confirmed, looking up at the large digital clock attached to one of the grandstands. "Everyone knows where they have to be, let's go."

Nodding, we dispersed and took our places. I was at the last stage of the course, meant to be Eddie's final obstacle in getting Emil over the finish line. Hidden from sight by a large packing crate, he would have to defeat me before he crossed the final bridge. Counting down the time, I heard the buzzer sound at the start of the course and waited. Five minutes passed then ten and then fifteen.

The cheering from the crowd was loud and distracting, but it did give me a frame of reference on where Eddie was in the course. Every time he defeated a guardian, the noise level rose almost deafeningly. So far, it had risen in pitch twice, which meant he had already defeated both Stan and Gregor. Alberta was next. I estimated it would take him no more than five or ten minutes to reach me, as long as he defeated her first.

Seven minutes later, I heard the students again applaud and knew he had taken out Alberta. Bracing myself, I heard him round the corner that would lead him directly into my path. He was talking to Emil; cajoling him in a low, soothing voice in order to get him to keep moving. Impressed by how calm Eddie sounded, I could hear him telling Emil that there was just one final bridge to cross before they were at the end.

Sinking to my haunches, I listened closely to his footsteps; the muscles in my legs bunching and gathering, preparing to launch myself at him when he was close enough. During Eddie's final encounter, Emil had been instructed to not drop for cover and hide when attacked, but to clutch at him in terror, therefore hampering his efforts in defending both of them. It was a very likely scenario he would encounter in his career, as most Moroi were prone to hysterics when faced with certain death.

Hearing their footfalls, I pinpointed their position and sprang from behind the crates to block Eddie's path. Lurching to a sudden stop, Eddie shoved Emil protectively behind him to square off against me. Emil, as instructed, clung tightly to his waist and dropped to his knees, dragging him down with him. Gritting his teeth, Eddie pulled at him until he had him wedged in between crates and a beam and with as much gentle force as was needed; he loosened Emil's arms from around his waist.

Free to face me, I didn't give him any time to orientate himself and immediately attacked. Countering quickly, Eddie matched me strike for strike, move for move. Taking a blow on the jaw as he fended me off from a tackling manoeuvre, I decided to switch targets to Emil in an attempt to catch him off guard, but he anticipated it and swung out with his stake in a wide arc that caught me square in the chest. Falling back immediately, he looked a little stunned that he had defeated me, so with a small smile, I nodded to him and looked at the bridge to get him moving again.

Reaching for Emil, he dragged him to his feet and led him over the bridge, single-file until they were both on solid ground again and the buzzer sounded to signal the end of the course. Rubbing at the tender spot on my jaw, a spot that I knew would have a bruise before long, I didn't mind it. Not when the sight of Eddie's joy and relief at completing Trials fed my own sense of elation. He wasn't my student, but I had never been more proud.

Ushered up the podium housing the officials; all of them Council members, including Hans, he was about to learn his fate. They had a birds-eye view of the entire course and were better able to assess the execution and technique in order to score the novices performance. Eddie was well within the time limit, so I didn't see any reasons why they would find any faults with his run.

"How's the jaw?" Alberta asked with a small smile, walking past me on the way to join them on the podium. As the designated guardian within the course to also give her evaluation of Eddie's performance, it would be added to that of the Council's before they made their final decision.

Waggling it with an exaggerated wince, I saw that she had taken a few hits to the face herself. "It's still attached. Thanks. He was quick."

"He was." Alberta agreed, jogging up the stairs to join the others. Standing to one side, Eddie waited respectfully for the verdict as Alberta spoke quietly with the others. Judging from the amount of enthusiastic nodding and smiles, it seemed as though it was going to be a favourable verdict. Turning to face him collectively, it was Hans who delivered it; shaking his hand as Eddie grinned from ear to ear. Hearing the crowd roar around us, the electronic scoreboard positioned beneath the podium flashed up Eddie's full name and confirmed that he had successfully passed his Trials.

It all reminded me a little of a sports game, but with higher stakes and futures on the lines.

Turning away, I moved to the front of the course with the others to re-set for Ryan, the next senior to enter. We would all have an opportunity to congratulate him, and the others, later.

Almost three hours later, the last of the West twins was successfully through the course, and thankfully I was no longer on duty. Wincing in genuine discomfort this time, I rubbed at my sore ribs. Samantha West had connected with them in the middle of the obstacle course during her run; feeling like she'd stuck a knife between them. Blinking under the glare of the floodlights, I headed towards the waiting area that would have only Rose left in it; watching as the Court guardians entered the course and implemented the modifications made for Rose yesterday.

Slowing my walk as much as I could, I tried to see what they were doing, but I was blocked by other officials and directed away from the arena before I could see anything. Opening the sliding door to find Rose pacing anxiously a minute later, I was grateful that we were alone and that the area was enclosed. Seeing me, she grinned and walked towards me. "Are you done?"

"Yes."

"How did they all do?" Completely cut off from what was going on around her, the waiting area had been sound-proof so that the waiting novices wouldn't be distracted by anything and could maintain absolute focus.

"Shane completed the course, but not within the required time. The other's all passed without any issues. They all did excellently." And they had, forestalling my fears that they would stumble at the last hurdle.

"What does that mean for him?" Rose worriedly asked.

"Technically he's passed, but it will be under review."

"That's so stupid. Time limits don't exist in the real world." Rose grumbled in disgust.

"I know, Roza. But it's the rules." Tilting my head, the overhead lights highlighted the bruise on my jaw. Reaching up, Rose gently ran a finger across it.

"Who gave this to you?"

"Eddie. I think he might have set the fastest time…possible a course record. We'll only know tomorrow night for sure."

Grinning in sisterly affection, Rose softly praised him. "Go, Eddie. Are there any other bruises that I can't see?"

"A few, but don't worry about them." Hearing the announcer call out her name and count down the time for her to enter the obstacle course, the angst and anxiety I had only barely been able to keep from crippling me surged through my bloodstream and made my hands shake as I cupped Rose's face and tilted it up. "Remember what we went through…remember what I've taught you…remember what you've learnt…remember that you are Rosemarie Hathaway…remember…"

"Comrade," She stopped me, cupping my own jaw. "I won't forget. I promise." Kissing me with lingering purpose, she whispered against my lips. "I love you. I'll see you on the other side." Walking away from me, she opened the doors as I helplessly followed; hating the sight of her going into something unknown. Instantly flanked by Court guardians, she was joined by Daniel a moment later. Taking his arm, she clamped her fingers over it in a secure hold and without a backwards glance; she walked with him into the arena.

Having nowhere else to go, I moved to the off-duty area and found the other Academy guardians already there. "Why are the Court guardians in there with Hathaway? They weren't in there for any of the others." Emil wanted to know, frowning as I sat slowly, heavily beside him.

"Isn't it obvious," Dustin drawled from opposite him; nursing a bandaged hand. "They're going to appoint her as Princess Vasilisa's primary guardian if she graduates and they want to make sure that she can hold her own."

"That's not exactly fair," Stan grumbled, holding a bag of ice over his swollen eye. "She's proven herself time and time again."

"No one here is going to argue that, Stan." Alberta agreed, blotting at a bleeding cut on the bridge of her nose.

Blocking them out as they continued to argue over inequalities, I listened instead to the crowd; trying to pinpoint where she was in the maze. They had cheered raucously when Rose had entered the arena, but there was a quiet hush now that held a note of anticipation and nerves, and it did nothing to calm my own. Looking up at the grandstands, I found Lissa's balcony. She was standing whilst the others sat; one arm crossed over her chest whilst the other was held to her mouth as she nervously worried a fingernail.

I understood exactly how she felt. I hated that I was out here and not in there, but at least she had a view. Trying to focus on something else, anything else, to take my mind off my fears, I almost jumped out of my skin as the students shrieked and applauded; chanting Rose's name. Smirking beside me, Emil held out a single finger.

One down. Three to go.

Almost immediately, there was a collective gasp from the crowd. Swivelling around quickly to look at Lissa, her pale green eyes were wide and she held both her hands to her mouth to smother her cry. Standing beside her, Christian wrapped his arms around her waist and hugged her tightly to his chest; apprehension clear in the laser-like blue of his eyes. Panicking at the unknown, a second later they both relaxed and cheered as the crowd around them joined in.

Feeling almost nauseous with stress, I hung my head between my legs.

Two down. Two to go.

Listening to the students egging Rose on, the sounds of encouragement were different now. I didn't think she was facing off against any guardian, but having to navigate the more dangerous aspects of the obstacle course. Flinching at the sound of wood snapping and the crowd crying out, my fingers clenched over my knees until the knuckles turned white and ached. A moment later, the noise rose to a crescendo and joined loud clapping.

Rising to my feet, I couldn't sit still for a moment longer. Pacing, the others looked at me but didn't question my restlessness. Alberta sent me sideways glances, but I was too on edge to take them seriously. Finding Lissa again, she was still standing, but this time she was looking down at me and not at Rose. Gesturing to her that I couldn't see anything from where I was but that she could, I asked her to be my eyes. Nodding in understanding, she found Rose and mouthed to me, almost at the end, before holding both thumbs up to show me that she was doing well.

Continuing to pace, I found myself on the edge of our waiting area. From there, I could see the last stage of the obstacle course. A moment ago, it had been closed off, but as Rose made her way through, different areas were adjusted for her and now it was open. Standing dead still, I could clearly see a rickety bridge; similar to the one that Eddie had crossed over. I could also see the last two guardians approaching it. From what I knew in passing, the blonde was Wilson; the brunette Damos.

Wilson quickly crossed the bridge and positioned himself halfway across it whilst Damos jumped nimbly up onto a crate to conceal himself in an ambush position. He could stop Rose from trying to double back on herself, or could attack from behind. Either way, she would be trying to protect Daniel whilst on a bridge that was constantly shifting beneath their feet.

If either of them fell off the bridge, it would be game over.

"Shit." Emil muttered; standing beside me as the others joined in to watch Rose. "That's not going to be easy."

Too tense to answer, my focus was centered solely on Rose as she and Daniel came into view. Skidding to a stop as she saw Wilson waiting for her on the bridge, she didn't suspect that another was lying in wait for her. Leaving the cowering Daniel on solid ground, Rose quickly crossed the bridge to engage him, but as their battle began, Damos leapt off the crate and landed a few feet away from Daniel.

Alerted by the noise of his landing, Rose's head whipped around. Lashing out with a vicious kick to the stomach of Wilson that had him doubling over in pain, Rose swung around and sprinted towards Daniel; pulling him bodily up and onto the bridge as Damos followed. Effectively trapped between the two of them now, Rose had no other option but to outthink her way out of this.

Swinging her head between the two advancing guardians, Rose seemed to swiftly calculate her position and reassess her best strategy. Hunching over Daniel, it looked like she was trying to console him, but I saw her take his hand and curl his fingers tightly around the rope handrail of the bridge. Pulling out the knife she had been given with her stake, she pivoted to her right and cut away at a rope support; sending it lurching to the side in a violently swinging motion, but not snapping it in two. Caught off balance, Wilson tried to stabilize himself, but in doing so, it left him vulnerable. Launching herself at him, Rose tackled his legs and hefted him over her shoulder, using sheer strength and her momentum to heft him over the side of the bridge.

The fall wasn't far, but it simulated death and as he got to his feet, he immediately nodded and moved aside.

Blocking out the noise of the screaming crowd, it was only Damos left. Ordering Daniel to stay low, she immediately engaged him in hand to hand combat, repelling his every move, but he was heavier, taller and outmatched her every move. Taking a step back, she had Daniel right behind her and couldn't retreat any further. Widening her stance to protect him, she took a step to her right and seemed to falter, losing her balance. Latching onto the rope handrail with the same hand that had her stake, she lost hold of her knife and dropped to one knee to regain her equilibrium; leaving Daniel completely exposed.

Strangling the cry of protest in my throat at the rookie mistake she had just made, Damos didn't waste any time and surged forward. With only a few feet separating them and Rose still trying to regain her stability, he didn't spare her a glance…which became his fatal error. Tossing her stake into her free hand, Rose pivoted on her ankle and swung it upwards into a thrusting motion, straight into his abdomen as he leaned forward to close his arms around Daniel.

Immediately falling away, he grinned ruefully and acknowledged her red herring with a nod as he swung himself off the bridge and cleared their path.

"Come on, Daniel. We're almost there."

Hearing her coax him across what remained of the bridge, Rose kept a cool head as he clung to her in simulated terror. Hearing the remaining ropes begin to snap and give way, Rose practically carried him over the last rung and onto solid ground. Hearing the buzzer sound, Daniel gave up the pretence of playing a petrified Moroi and hugged Rose enthusiastically; lifting her off her feet and spinning her around in a circle as the other Court guardians joined them. Grinning hugely, he set her down as she was congratulated in turn by each of them.

Looking over her shoulder at me, the joy and triumph was hers, but I felt it just as keenly as if it were my own.

"Hell…I thought she had blown it at the end." Emil sighed.

"So did I." Admitting that felt like a betrayal, but I had to acknowledge it. The move she had pulled to fool Damos had been unorthodox…and brilliant.

Placing his hand between her shoulder blades, Wilson, as her designated, directed her towards the podium and walked up with her to meet the others. Standing to greet her, Hans and the other wore almost identical looks of surprised approval and admiration. Waiting to the side, as the others had done before her, Rose looked out of the applauding crowd and waited for the decision that would affect not only her life, but my own as well.

It only took a minute of two of conferring, but it felt like a lifetime as Alberta come to stand on my left. I didn't look at her, but I could feel the same nervous energy radiating from her as it was from me. Finally, the officials rose and approached her. Reaching out to shake her hand, Hans was beaming as he clasped it with both of his and murmured words that none of us could hear over the noise, but judging from Rose's wide grin, were exactly the words she wanted to hear.

A second later, the scoreboard flashed up with her name and confirmed that she had passed.

Barely hearing the crowd or the guardians around me applauding and shouting, my knees didn't feel all that strong and for a moment, I had to lock them in place to keep myself upright. Joy, pride, relief…the combination of emotions left me feeling weak. I could scarcely believe that it was over…that she had beaten every expectation, every obstacle and every doubt. She had done it.

She was a guardian.

My fears that it was Rose who would be the one to jeopardise everything were suddenly banished, though I was still on guard. We might have beaten the cards this time, but there was just too much of a coincidence between both the warning from Yeva and Rhonda for me to completely ignore it…and Victor was still out there.

Jogging down the stairs, Rose was all but smothered by each of the guardians as they met her; most of whom had taught her since early childhood. Any lingering doubts they might have had about her abilities were forever banished as they congratulated her. She was dishevelled, bruised, scratched and bleeding, but she was victorious and for a change, they shared in her victory and not her failure.

Walking into my arms as she was released by Alberta, I knew that I should have kept it light and professional, but I couldn't. Not when all I wanted was her in my arms. Hugging her tightly, I murmured at her ear. "Congratulations, my Roza." Releasing her before it became suspicious – there would be time for private celebrations later – she smiled at me before wincing as the cut on the corner of her mouth pulled. Her adrenaline would begin to ebb soon; she was about to feel every sore muscle and laceration of skin.

Turning away from me, Rose found Lissa, Christian and Tasha standing and shouting on the balcony; waving to them as they all beamed broadly and waved back. Walking as a group to where the other seniors were gathered, they gave a mighty cheer as they saw her and rushed to her side; talking excitedly and congratulating each other. Smothered in a huge hug from Eddie, he kept her under his arm as Hans and the other Council members joined us.

"I don't mean to interrupt the celebrations, but can I have your attention, please?" Turning to him as a group, he addressed Shane first, who was more subdued and nervous than the rest of his euphoric peers. "Mr. Reyes, we have reviewed your time limit penalty, and found that despite missing your deadline, you passed the core requirements of your Trials with exemplary efficiency and therefore we see no reason not to award you a unanimous pass." Cheering him, the nerves gave way to a weak smile of relief and he was pounded on the back by the other novices. Seeing this reaction, the crowd joined in as they realised he had passed.

"As for the rest of you," he continued. "You all know already that you've passed your Trials. Again, on behalf of the Guardian Council, I offer my heartfelt congratulations. You've done the guardian fraternity and the Academy proud. Your official times and scores will be revealed tomorrow night at the graduation ceremony, where you will also receive your Promise Marks and your stakes. On Monday, you will all fly out to Court to receive your official assignments. Until then, enjoy what's left of your Academy life. I'll see you tomorrow night at the ceremony."

Turning to Alberta and Gregor, he and the other Council members paid the rest of us no further attention, but the seniors couldn't have cared less; too wrapped up in their celebrations to notice anything or anyone, including another guardian stiltedly approaching the group.

"Rose?"

Turning away from the group at the sound of a soft Scottish accent, Rose's wide smile fell away as she saw her mother standing a few feet away. Shocked by the sight of her, it was more the look of undeniable maternal pride and joy on Janine's face that seemed to catch her off guard.

"Mom?"

Grinning, she approached her daughter almost cautiously, not sure she was going to be received by her after the last time. "You look surprised to see me."

"I am." Rose answered honestly.

"You didn't really expect me to miss this, did you?" Not giving her the opportunity to answer, Janine threw caution to the wind and closed the gap; enfolding her in a tight hug. "Congratulations, Rose. I am so, so proud of you."

Stunned into stillness, Rose looked down at her mother in confusion, but nevertheless briefly returned the hug before taking a step back. "Really?"

"Yes, really." Laughing softly, Janine reached up to brush her fingers over a graze at her left temple. "That was remarkable to watch, Rose. Really, very impressive. The way you handled yourself in there, the way you handled Daniel. It was perfect. Absolutely perfect. "

"Wow. That sounded…genuine."

Ignoring her daughter's sarcasm, Janine nodded. "It is. I don't think anyone could have done it better. And as for the rest of you," she continued, addressing the other seniors. "Congratulations. You should all be very proud of yourselves for what you've accomplished." Smiling as they murmured their thanks, Janine placed a hand beneath Rose's elbow and pulled her off to the side.

"I'd like to talk to you. Alone, if we can."

Deliberately placing myself in their path to make my presence more than obvious to her, Janine's shrewd gaze narrowed as it landed on me. "Belikov." She acknowledged, but only because I had the feeling she was addressing me out of common courtesy, not because she actually wanted to. As I felt the same way about her, I didn't take it personally.

"Guardian Hathaway."

"Which one, comrade?"

Looking at Rose in confusion, she grinned as I asked. "Which one what?"

"Which Guardian Hathaway are you talking to? There are two of us now."

Grinning back, I nodded in understanding. "So there is."

"Please, Rose. It's important." Janine insisted impatiently, trying to tug her away, but as she looked over her shoulder to an opening in the crowd that she could pull her through, she balked and blanched. Frowning, I followed her gaze; wondering curiously who it was that had made the fearless Janine Hathaway flinch, but as I found just who it was, my own reaction was no different.

Ibrahim Mazur.

Instantly on alert, the sight of the man confused and concerned me, and I unconsciously moved to place myself between him and Rose. What the hell was he doing here? The Trials of novice dhampir's couldn't possibly hold any interest for him. Toying briefly with the idea that he might have been here for me, to collect on the favour my family owed him, I dismissed it just as quickly when it was clear that his attention was not on me, but on Janine.

Just as flamboyantly dressed as when I had seen him in Court two days ago, the rich golds, purples and reds of his clothing cast his black hair and goatee into stark contrast with his lightly tanned skin. Slowly grinning at her as he sauntered towards us, the expression in his dark eyes was calculating, self-satisfied and blatantly sexual. Clearly flustering Janine, her mouth tightened in disapproval. Moving quickly, she blocked his slow approached and hissed quietly. "I said no, Ibrahim. This isn't the time or the place."

Inclining his head towards her, earrings glinted in the bright lights overhead as he smiled indulgently down at her, completely unconcerned by her irritation with him. Spreading his ringed hands, the Turkish Moroi asked almost innocently in an accent marked notably by his heritage. "I disagree. She's proven herself more than capable, so why not now?"

"Because of where we are."

"Nonsense. There is no better time or place. Now will you introduce us, or must I do it myself?"

"Please. Not here."

"What is going on?" Rose demanded, clearly confused.

"Nothing," Janine insisted, pulling at her with more urgency, but Rose wouldn't budge.

"Be reasonable, Janine." Ibrahim countered smoothly. "A family reunion can hardly be described as nothing."

"A what?" Rose whispered faintly, looking more closely at Ibrahim than she had before…really looked at him. At darkened skin tone, the dark, thick curl of his hair, the sharp angle of his nose, the high-bladelike angel of his cheekbones, the deep brown of his eyes… all of which were exactly the same as hers.

Feeling a chill run down my spine, it wasn't until that exact moment that I realised why I had found something so familiar about him.

Looking directly at her, and ignoring Janine's glare, Ibrahim Mazur smiled a little cockily…in an exact replica of Rose's. "Do you not know who I am, child? Can you not see the similarities between us?" Chalky white, Rose slowly shook her head, but it wasn't a denial of knowing who he was, rather a denial of knowing what he was. "Then let me tell you," he continued silkily. "My name is Ibrahim Mazur…and I am your father."