"It would seem that being a queen was a little more glamorous," I muttered, tired of carrying the pile of binders we were bringing to Lissa's office.
She shot me a murderous look, implying strongly that I was responsible for our current predicament.
"You don't say?" she said with sarcasm. She tightly squeezed all the papers she considered relevant from the archive, making sure not to lose them. Only one of her guards, Justin, followed behind, carrying the stack of folders Lissa had equipped him with. The rest of the guards were distributed by her earlier either to their homes or to various guardian tasks.
We spent half a day in the archives trying to dig through all the old documents that could be used by Lissa in the case of abolishing the quorum law. We spent days and nights trying to create a sufficient appeal to take the role of being the only person enabling Lissa to rule off of Jill. This would not only strengthen Lissa's position, but more importantly it would provide more security for Jill. It was a priority for Lissa right now, especially after the events at the end of July. We were going to carry all the documents we had selected and subject them to further selection.
"I thought we'd avoid this kind of attraction in our gap year from education," I sighed, looking with disgust at the pile of documents that suspiciously looked like homework.
"I think once we go to college, classes will be a true rest for us compared to this," Lissa said with a tinge of longing in her voice. I knew how much she wanted to go to college this year. Her inner nerd never gave up on seeking new sources of knowledge. However, after the attack on Jill, the chance for a Strigoi vaccine, Tasha's prolonged trial and the attempt to abolish the dhampir age law, Lissa decided that she would focus on the Court's matters in the first year of her reign, and go to college next year.
I, too, longed for the vision of university, though it was for different reasons. I was looking forward to getting a taste of college life and was ready to dig into it with my best friend. However, staying at home also had its perks, in the form of a tall Russian guard with whom I could spend every day while at the Court. Dimitri took up residence in my quarters very soon after regaining his guardian status, but even so, we always seemed not to be close enough.
While Lissa and I were dealing with the whole legal and social mess, Dimitri and Christian were gathering more and more people willing to learn to fight with magic. Even though it wasn't "legal", Christian made no secret of his actions, and Lissa made no secret of encouraging him in this project.
It didn't surprise me that Dimitri became totally involved in this project with Christian. If they weren't recruiting new members, grilling anyone with experience they had heard of, they spend their time at the gym, where together they tried to develop the best techniques for fighting with magic and how the guard and Moroi could work together.
With both the magic training and Strigoi vaccination, Dimitri had his hands full. He and Lissa and a team of scientists were trying to come up with some reasonable analysis from what they had so far. I knew how much this project meant to him, emotionally as well, so I too tried to help whenever I had a little free time between the rest of the chaos.
The results of their research came from Dimitri, Sonia and everything they had managed to find out in Palm Springs during that long, lonely month when Dimitri and Sonia went to join the team in California. The work was still going on, but fortunately Dimitri was able to return home and deal with the matter at hand.
"Your highness!" Liana, Lissa's secretary, ran down the corridor to us. Liss threw me a mocking horrified look, but turned to her and smiled warmly. I had to restrain myself from rolling my eyes.
Liana had worked as Lissy's secretary since the beginning of her reign and probably knew all the laws by heart. We wouldn't have managed without her knowledge, but that didn't change the fact that Liana was the most overzealous and pedantic person I knew. This came in handy in keeping an eye on all of Lissa's duties, which is why my friend there held her in high esteem, but her constant control of our movements made me furious.
"Your highness," Liana clumsily stopped in front of Lissa and bowed respectfully. Lissa nodded her head in greeting, "At your highness' request, I have ordered the tables to be laid out as it will be during the All Saints Ball. If you could spare some time, your majesty, it would be very important to decide how you would like to seat your guests…"
"Please, Liana," I snapped out before I could stop myself, "We have a thousand things to take care of and we're supposed to worry about where the guests will be seated? After all, these are…"
"It's not so trivial," said Lissa deep in her thoughts. In her eyes I saw a glimmer of the idea that was being created in her head, "I wanted to choose the seating very carefully, so that we could have the opportunity to exchange opinions in the right places and steer the conversation in our favor."
I raised my eyebrows in shock. When did she have time to think about this?
"And you think this requires detailed planning of who sits where to prevent tension? This is so childish."
"Maybe, but all's fair in love and war," Liss smiled at me and directed her gaze to Liana, "We will be there in ten minutes."
I groaned loudly, but no one cared. On the way to her apartment, Liss listened to my complaining with her usual patience. After organizing all the folders on her wide desk, she already had counter-arguments ready.
"Rose, I know you are tired. We all are. That's why I'm anxious to push through my ideas as quickly as possible. If we take care of pressing matters, we can slow down a bit."
"As if you really would slow down once we take care of this. You have about a thousand ideas a minute,' I snorted, leaning against the edge of the desk and putting my hands on my chest. The corner of Lissa's mouth twitched, as if she was holding back a smile.
"I thought you couldn't read my mind anymore?" She knew full well that I couldn't do it. I smiled, too.
"I don't need insight into your head to be able to read your mind. Just one look and I can see all the chaotic plans in your eyes."
Lissa laughed.
"You know me too well for me to argue with you. Now come on, let's go take care of this task so we can get it over with."
I sent Justin a look full of resignation, and he shrugged his shoulders and tilted his head in a gesture of solidarity. I led Lissa out of her apartments, and he closed our formation. On the way, she managed to draw me into a discussion about seating the various guests, which we dragged all the way to the ballroom. There, Lissa deftly circulated between the tables, leaving cards with the names of the most important guests.
- I really want Lady Esme Ivashkov to sit next to Adrian's father. It seems to me that she is one of the few people who are able to talk some sense into him…"
"Did I miss something, or are you throwing a party that you didn't invite us to?" We heard Christian's voice coming from the entrance. Justin let him and Dimitri pass inside and my heart beat faster when I saw him. I smiled broadly at him and he caught my gaze and his face softened. The serious and impenetrable mask of the guardian gave way to tenderness and love. On his shoulder were two gym bags that he had left at the entrance.
Christian walked up to Lissa and kissed her on the cheek. She smiled embracing him, but was clearly busy contemplating the layout of the seats.
"Surely, no. This is just a visualization of what the All Saints' Ball will be like."
"Not true. Me and Lissa are doing an event for people who don't talk incessantly about fighting with magic. We've had enough," I said, approaching Dimitri, who was watching my every move with attentiveness, as if he couldn't concentrate on the conversation at the same time. I also lost my concentration for a moment seeing him. As usual, he exuded a power over the room by which it was impossible not to notice him. Or take your eyes off him in my case.
"You don't even know what you're missing"" Christian answered me brusquely, but I had already thrown my arms around Dimitri's neck.
" But I know what you guys are missing out on by spending your days at the gym," I said quietly. This made Dimitri smile, putting his hands on my waist.
"Maybe somehow we can make up for it," he whispered and leaned in for a brief kiss. I accepted it with joy. Dimitri was not fond of public displays of affection, especially not during work. But lately he could not resist kissing me more often than not.
Christian started to walk behind Lissa, and I caught Dimitri's hand and he squeezed it. I could feel the warmth spreading through me. We had officially been together since Lissa became queen, but I continued to feel electricity run through me when I could touch and kiss him so carelessly. I had long believed that such small signs of affection would be off-limits to me. Now, I couldn't stop the wild joy that rose in me every time I could be with him.
"How was your day?" He asked in his warm voice, pushing a strand of my hair away from my face, and I smiled wider as I felt his fingers on my face. They were a tad rough from the harsh conditions he was accustomed to, but to me they were much sexier this way. Nothing excited me more than the thought that the same fingers that stroked my skin with such tanderness were capable of killing an enemy with a single jerk.
"Exciting as ever. We've dug through hundreds of papers, which brings us back to the starting point, so we have to dig into them again tomorrow with the hope that they will help us abolish laws that shouldn't exist in the first place."
Dimitri grimaced in sympathy.
"Every step leads us closer and closer to our goal."
"Too bad it doesn't lead you to abandon all this zen master bullshit."
Dimitri laughed, and I felt pleasant shivers down my spine at the sound. Jeez, how handsome he was, especially when he smiled so sincerely, with eyes full of warmth and love. His facial features softened, but continued to sharply draw his jaw, pronounced cheekbones and pretty nose, and his deep eyes lit up, becoming even more enticing. I gazed at him, unable to hide the smile pressing on my lips.
"Find a room," Christian called out, mockingly. I turned to see Lissa slapping him on the shoulder and then he stopped smiling. Unfortunately, Dimitri had already let me go and assumed his friendly but professional mask.
I showed Christian my tongue. He knew that it had taken Dimitri a long time to allow himself to show me affection in front of my friends (and one very awkward conversation with Lissa, who had to assure him that it didn't bother her, even in a work environment, as long as we maintained some boundaries of decency). Now Christian wouldn't stop teasing us, but I knew I would find suitable revenge soon enough.
They continued circling around the ballroom, Lissa and Liana discussing the most strategic places, and Christian following Lissa blindly. I directed my gaze to the two bags by the door.
"Why do you have two gym bags? I know you like to torture yourself at the end of the day with godawful exercises instead of resting, but why do you want to drag me along?"
Dimitri's lips twitched in a smile as he tried to put on a feigned surprised face.
"What do you mean? I remember you promising me that we would go to the gym after the shift."
"Like when?"
"When I tried to go to the gym this morning," Dimitri's eyes sparkled with amusement. I smiled, reminding myself that I actually could have said such bullshit when I tried to stop him from leaving the bed.
"Comrade, you can't use what I say, when I'm trying to seduce you, against me."
Dimitri shook his head with amusement. In the morning I had succeeded and Dimitri stayed with me in the bed, doing a completely different workout than the one he had planned. But I didn't get the impression that he was disappointed at all.
I chatted quietly with him as Lissa paced around the room for an hour. Christian, too, eventually got bored and joined our discussion. They told me about a guy they recently met. He killed the Strigoi together with his guardian by combining the skills of the guard and the powers of the wind.
"Lissa says we need to find as many examples as possible and document them well. Once we have many of them, they will prove a meaningful argument in the debate," Dimitri said. Christian frowned.
"One case should be enough. Magic saved his life, one more life of a Moroi and a guardian. Hell, even we've already shown that magic has saved an entire elementary school campus!"
I nodded, agreeing with him completely, which was rare in our relationship.
"I really don't understand how people can continue to think that banning magic in combat is the right thing to do. This is such backward, clownish thinking. It's been months since you guys ran this campaign."
"That's still not enough time for a great transformation of society's worldview," Dimitri defended, but as he met my indignant gaze, he smiled, "Of course not by your standards. But it must take time before society accepts the revolution implemented by teenagers. The rules against using magic have existed in our culture for centuries, if not for thousands of years."
I rolled my eyes. So what if something was tradition if it wasn't working, to the point where Moriu and dhampirs were losing lives unnecessarily? However, I refrained from a rant on the subject since Dimitri was on our side.
"I just think it's fucking stupid."
Dimitri smiled with amusement. We differed in how we showed our disappointment. I usually choose the more direct method.
Chrisitan watched Lissa work with Liana, following her movements with obvious tenderness. His gaze hadn't changed since high school. Better than that, it had taken on an even deeper intensity.
"You guys won't be able to sit with us, will you?" he asked quietly. We both immediately shook our heads.
"Not a chance. So many royal Moroi in one place will require all the guards in the room," I said, hoping they didn't hear the disappointment in my voice.
I knew what the life of a guardian was like and I knew my duties. I also knew that I wouldn't want to be anywhere other than by Lissa's side if there was any danger. However, I couldn't help feeling a slight sting of jealousy as I watched Lissa choose her dress for the ball, knowing that for me it would always be my official guardian attire.
Dimitri put his hand on my back, sending me an understanding look. I smiled sadly.
"This sucks," Christian concluded grimly. Along with his pro-magic movement, he was trying to spread the idea of better working conditions for dhampirs, but it was a long way to go before we will see any results. I laughed, not amused.
"That's true, but that's our safety is more important than a few hours at a banquet. Besides, I don't know if we're not the ones who have it better after all. You're the one who's going to spend the whole night running small talk with brainless, spoiled Moroi."
"I don't have to say anything. Nobody even wants to listen to me. I only have to stand next to Lissa and look like a polite trophy husband."
I laughed at the look Lissa sent him from across the room. Her keen senses caught his comment even from such a distance. She looked at me with an expression that said "and what am I supposed to do with him?" then went back to arranging to sit down.
When our shift was over we said goodbye to our Moroi and went to the gym. I embraced Dimitri's shoulder, who was carrying two bags anyway, and tried to talk him into some other activity, but he didn't yield. Halfway through, he raised one eyebrow high.
"I thought you wanted to get back into shape as soon as possible?" he asked slyly. This was usually his last line of defense. Unfortunately for me, it was effective.
"I'm already in very good shape, I thought I presented it to you enough this morning."
Dimitri fought with himself not to smile, but lost that battle. He muttered something in Russian, mixing in my name after which he gave me a bag and a kiss on the cheek, after which we parted at the entrance to the locker room.
Despite my complaining, I really enjoyed training with him. Since I got permission from my doctor to be physically active, Dimitri and I tried to exercise every day, each day increasing the extent of what I could already do. At first we ran, which wasn't my favorite activity, but there was something fun about running side by side. I would stop when I started to feel the burning in my heart, and Dimitri would continue running and join me for stretching.
This was the part I liked best. We were both warmed up, endorphins were racing through our veins. We had time to talk and engage in conversation while exercising. The smile wouldn't leave my face during the ever present banter, and Dimitri's eyes sparkled like diamonds. We usually then practiced on various equipment until it came time to lift weights. Dimitri always spotted me and I spotted him, although he lifted a lot more than I did.
When it came to gyms for guardians, the royal court had no equals. All the equipment was modern and well-maintained, and you could find any device or accessory you could dream of in the storerooms. The sports center also included a swimming pool, sports halls for those willing, large communal gyms and private rooms with mini gyms for those preferring a solitary workout. We usually ran on the common track, but for stretching and further exercise we often went to private rooms. I once wanted to use this opportunity for more unholy activities, but Dimitri quickly made me aware of where the cameras watching users were hidden.
However, when he later took off his exercise shirt, I cared less and less about potential viewers.
Sometimes we managed to do a sparring session or two, but today we spent a lot of time on the machines, and Dimitri decided he didn't want to overload me with hand-to-hand combat. He took the doctor's orders about gradually increasing the range of exercises very literally and went out of his way to make sure I didn't exceed my limit.
He started strengthening exercises, and I put on my boxing gloves and started attacking the bag. It was a good compromise - this fight was definitely less tiring than the confrontation with Dimitri, and at the same time I could practice my punches and kicks.
I focused all my concentration on executing my movements as precisely as possible. I didn't want to concede to my teachers - much less to Dimitri, but it was true that the more precise the movements I learn to make under controlled conditions, the better they come out during a fight. I made sure that the angles of my blows were right, that the force was right, that the body rotated perfectly and that the follow-up attack was fast enough.
While executing one of the series, I threw my left arm forward hard and suddenly felt my heart clench violently and burn me with living fire inside. A cry escaped from my throat, even though I clenched my teeth and jaws tightly. I fell to my knees, taking off my gloves to grab tightly at the spot where I felt the burning.
"Rose!" I heard some device fall to the floor, but I couldn't open my eyes. All the muscles in my body tightened, and I couldn't take a breath. I felt Dimitri's hands on my shoulders and head. "Rose. Try to take a breath in and out."
His hands massaged me gently in calming motions as he whispered. I began to draw ragged inhalations through my mouth and felt my muscles relax more and more. The burning was receding in intensity, but instead began to radiate throughout my torso, neck and jaw. When Dimitri noticed this, he helped me sit up against the wall and continued stroking my hair and shoulders until I didn't start breathing normally.
When I opened my eyes, I saw that his were full of concern and worry. His facial features were tightened with stress, and his hair had escaped from its ponytail, but he didn't care to correct it. His gaze wandered around my hand clenched tightly on my sports bra. When he caught my gaze, he gently grasped my face in his hands, and his thumb ran over my cheek in a tender gesture.
"Do you need anything?"
"Water?" I gasped out between spasms of pain. Dimitri nodded and ran for the bottles he had prepared earlier. He handed me one of them and after taking a drink I felt better. I closed my eyes and leaned my head against the wall, breathing calmly, while Dimitri sat beside me, stroking my shoulders and hair.
"What happened?" He asked softly when he noticed that the pain was passing. I opened my eyes sluggishly.
"I think I overdid the intensity with that bag. But hey, at least you can no longer say that I'm slacking on my workouts?"
I tried to smile, but Dimitri was far too stressed to answer me. I could see reget in his eyes that we hadn't finished training earlier, but I wasn't going to let him dwell on those thoughts.
I stretched my arms out in front of me, and he hesitated, but got up and helped me to my feet. I felt a slight burning sensation in my heart, but I clenched my teeth and held on to Dimitri until the feeling eased. He continued to watch me with concern, but refrained from commenting. But I had the feeling that he was updating in his head when he should stop me from further exercise.
Feeling the tension draining from me, I hugged him, wanting to be in his arms. He held me close to him and kissed the top of my head, mumbling reassuring words in Russian. From what I understood, he assured me that it was over, but I didn't yet know Russian well enough to understand all the words.
Dimitri decided that he too would finish his training for today and we did some cool down exercises, after which we packed up and started walking towards home. Dimitri took both bags again, and I grabbed his hand, which he gladly squeezed. I took out my brand-new cell phone, (that I paid for with a great portion of my first paycheck), and saw a text from Eddie.
"Just like the last two hundred eighty four times, everything is fine with us. I just walked them to their room."
I cringed at this dry message. Was I obsessing and insistently grilling Eddie with questions about Jill's welfare and safety several times a day? Yes. Did that mean he might be slowly losing patience with me? Apparently. Did it mean that I would settle for his dry and non-detailed answers? Of course not.
"I'm a few texts away from Eddie blocking my number," I muttered when he responded to my question about whether he had noticed anything worrying with a three-dot.
There wasn't a day when I wasn't worried about Jill, about others too, but about her especially. Because of my discovery that she was the missing princess of the Dragomirs, her safety was jeopardized, and now she has to hide in a private school with only Eddie and the unpredictable Angeline. If I could have sent anyone on this mission, it would have been Eddie, especially since I could see them getting along together and I thought Jill might have had a little crush on Eddie. But mostly because he was a fantastic guardian and I wasn't afraid to entrust Jill in his hands. But I couldn't help but worry, because one guardian protecting one of the two Dragomirs was a joke. Especially since only Angeline was with her at night. I believed that this girl was good at fighting - I had to fight her myself - but she hadn't even been to one day of guardian school. How could my superiors entrust Jill's life into her hands?
Fact, I was the one who brought Angeline back into our lives from that Keepers group she grew up in, but I did it to send her to school - maybe even St. Vladimir Academy. And she got the whole job of defending the princess, not knowing the basic rules. Dimitri and I discussed this problem with Hans, but he reiterated that there are not so many young girls who can fight as well as she does and fit in pretending to be Jill's peer. I discussed with Dimitri whether I should volunteer to replace Angeline, and even raised the issue with Hans, but he told me to stay at the Court.
"I see that you are still troubled by this situation with Jill," he said looking at me. I sighed and grabbed his hand. He squeezed our hands supportively.
"Of course I'm worried, I'm even obssesed. She is not protected enough! These are field conditions. This is not how the situation planned by the command center should look luke. It's not enough that this poor girl had to give up the life she has known so far, and she is not well protected!" I trembled and Dimitri sensed it. I knew that he understood an even deeper problem related to Jill that neither Lissa nor Christian had guessed.
"And if something happened to her, would you feel responsible for it, since she became a princess more or less because of you?" He asked, and I looked into his eyes, filled with understanding for me.
"She has already been attacked and killed once, Dimitri. She was killed on our watch. Yes I know, we were supposed to protect other people, but if she was dead... how could I forgive myself? Not only did I take away her chance for a normal life and entangle her in this whole charade of being a princess, on top of that I put her life in mortal danger . Additionally she's now Shadow Kissed! And this is a terribly, terribly heavy burden."
We reached the house and Dimitri opened the door for me.
"I think you are unnecessarily taking the blame for how Jill's life turned out," Dimitri said, waiting for me to take off my jacket to hang it up. I myself would probably have thrown it on the couch and fired the gun. I wonder what kind of alarm that would have caused. "Sure, you were the one who discovered that Jill is the last descendant of the Dragomirs, but you didn't force her to accept the role."
"But I strongly persuaded her," I said smiling. Dimitri smiled slightly with tenderness.
"However difficult you are to resist…" he threw me an amused look" ...you did not force her to make this decision. Unlike her mother, you showed her the truth and let her decide for herself. And she chose this path."
I stood with my arms folded, waiting for him to take off his duster, and when he did he came up to me and put one arm around my waist and the other on my face, so that I had to look into his insanely handsome face.
"You can't blame yourself for the choices of others. You revealed the truth about her background to Jill, and she decided to choose it," he said gently, looking deeply into my eyes. His were serious, but full of tenderness.
"This still does not solve the problem of too little protection," I said resignedly. How many times must a princess die before being assigned two competent guards?
"I know," he said and looked to the side, I knew that he too was irritated by this issue, "I have no idea why Hans allows this, but we have no choice but to accept it."
He stroked my cheek, and I lost myself in that gentle touch. His fingers gently moved along my jawline until they reached my tied up hair. In a few seconds, Dimitri untied my bun, making my long hair cascade down to my shoulders. He took one of those strands in his hands and began playing with it with a delighted smile. I looked at him from under half-closed eyelids.
"I'm talking about matters of life and death here, and you're using this as an excuse to get into my hair," I teased him. Dimitri was obsessed with my hair. He threaded a strand on his finger and smiled broadly.
"Any excuse is good," he said, bending down to place his lips on mine. I met him halfway with our lips and we kissed both gently and deeply. We unhurriedly kissed each other and I lost myself in the feeling of his lips on mine so that I didn't notice that my hand went to his neck and the other to his face. Nor that he held the back of my head and my waist, gently supporting our position. Each kiss was an experience as I felt his sweet and passionate lips that I thought I would never feel again, or that I thought I could never have for my own.
When the kisses grew in intensity he pulled away from me, and I groaned in displeasure. I saw that he had to collect himself for a moment, but he smiled seeing the look on my face.
"Roza, no. You need to rest after today's incident."
"I already feel completely rested, comrade," I muttered, bringing my face closer to his, "Now I just need to relax, and I think I know a way to do it."
I reached my hand into Dimitri's hair and pulled the rubber band from it, letting his hair fall to his shoulders as well. I ran my fingers through their silky feel, and pressed myself against him to melt our lips in a kiss. Dimitri surrendered to the moment and responded to my adoration... Suddenly I was pressed against the wall, and Dimitri's kisses did not ease at all. Suddenly his lips traveled downward. When he gently grasped the skin on my neck with his teeth I moaned in pleasure, and he made a throaty sound.
"I love it when you do that," he said and began kissing my neck even more passionately. For a while my neck had been a taboo subject for us, but we worked through our doubts and fears, for which I was extremely grateful at that moment.
I entwined my arms around his neck, and he took his lips off mine for a moment to lift me up so that I wrapped my legs around his waist. We had only been having sex for three months (not counting our first time), but from the very beginning we worked in harmony, without awkward interruptions. His movements initiated mine, almost as if my thoughts were an extension of his.
Finally, I mastered myself enough to pull his face away from under my hair and draw it to mine with my hands. My lips found his and began kissing them with fire. My nails dug into his back as I tried to draw him even closer to me. Dimitri, however, found the will to resist again.
"Roza," he muttered between kisses. "Let's rest today. I promise that I will more than make it up to you."
"I'm not interested in deferred payment," I muttered returning to his lips. He laughed and I couldn't hold back a smile at the sight of his relaxed expression.
"Roza, love…"
"No, don't even try, comrade. I feel fine and I know you would never hurt me. You can set as slow and boring a pace today as you like."
Dimitri raised an eyebrow, surprised and amused.
"If it's too boring, we really don't have to force ourselves to do anything."
I laughed and he couldn't hold back a smile either. I kissed him quickly on the lips. I closed my eyes, stopping at the delight that came from this so familiar activity.
"You know what I mean, today we can have a slower pace, so that you can survive this without worrying about my heart. I trust you completely, I know you will not hurt me," I forced him to look into my eyes, where he must have found infinite love for him, because his expression softened, "Besides, we are guardians. Who knows what awaits us tomorrow. Perhaps this is our last chance to have sex... we must use it well."
Dimitri shook his head, laughing and mumbling something in Russian.
"Rose-logic will not take you anywhere."
I smiled broadly, bringing our lips together.
"That remains to be seen."
I melted our lips in a kiss and knew that Dimitri had yielded to me. His lips didn't stop being passionate, but he changed his kissing style from violent to very careful and sensual. Dimitri moved me to our bed as if I weighed nothing and laid me on it, climbing onto it himself so that he was above me.
At my school they called Dimitri a god because of his superhuman fighting skills and for his strong character. But oh boy, no one guessed how well that nickname applied to his skills in bed. Sometimes having sex with him was beyond my ability to comprehend - it felt like my brain couldn't understand all the pleasure spreading through my body. I did what I could to return the favor. Slowly, I discovered what gave Dimitri pleasure and moved to more and more daring treatments, while he gently showed me how.
Nevertheless, all the honor here goes to Dimitri. My boyfriend made sure that we both got the most pleasure out of the whole process, and he especially took care of me. From the first time, in that forest cabin, when we were in bed, he didn't let me doubt for a moment how much he adores and loves me, and showed it in the most varied ways, manifesting his admiration in caresses.
I loved every second in which I could be so close to him. I felt that I was where I belonged, when we were as close as humanly possible .
When we were done, I lay panting for a long time, trying to control my breathing even though we focused on making love full of intimacy and tenderness, rather than violent delights. Dimitri held me close to him and combed my hair, equally tired, controlling what my condition was.
"One day," I began to say when I had recovered enough to string a sentence together, "I will be brave enough to ask you where you learned all this."
Dimitri only smiled, knowing that I was trying to defuse the atmosphere. This expression of modesty amused me and I snuggled tighter into him, and he eagerly pulled me close. After a few minutes, he kissed my head and went to bathe first, giving me more time to recover. I lay wrapped up in the quilt with my eyes closed replaying his touch on my body, his lips sliding down my belly...
I rolled over to the other side and curled up. My body felt tired as if after a very intense workout, but in a good way. If I felt so exhausted just by sex I could live with it. And happily at that.
By the time I had bathed myself and combed my hair, Dimitri had managed to change the sheets and lay in bed with a book in his hand. Leaning against the door frame, I stopped to admire his beautifully sculpted body stretched comfortably on the bed. He was wearing only pajama pants, so I could admire his gorgeous chest.
I slipped under the covers of the bed, and Dimitri, who was already reading another western, took his eyes off the pages. I invested in a simple, but sexy silky set and I didn't regret it. In his eyes I saw admiration and pure adoration. Settling into the quilt, I leaned against him, and his arms opened, pulling me to his chest. A gentle kiss landed on the top of my head, his slightly damp hair brushing against my forehead.
"I love you"
Dimitri rarely let me go to sleep before telling me that he loved me. In his family's house, it was forbidden to go to sleep if any of his siblings were fighting with each other. Before going to bed, one had to reconcile with loved ones and resolve feuds only then they could fall asleep in harmony. I think his sweet reminders were the aftermath of this custom, but I wasn't complaining. I could listen to it for the rest of my life.
"And I love you," I said, nuzzling into his chest. After a tiring day and intense sex, I couldn't think of anything else but sleeping in Dimitri's arms.
He stroked my head, probably wondering if I could still talk, or if I was too tired. When the latter won out, he put down the book, turned off the lamp and put his other arm around me, comfortably settling down to sleep. I embraced him even tighter, immersing myself in his familiar warmth and scent. I thought I heard him gently whisper some Russian words into my hair, but I fell asleep too quickly to be sure.
It wasn't long before I found myself in a dream caused by the power of the spirit. Far too many of my friends were able to wield spirit, and far too often they decided to visit me in my dream.
Well, okay, I was exaggerating. Lissa, fortunately, was not yet able to visit dreams, so she had to settle for contact in real life for now. Occasionally Sonya visited to talk to me about spirit and Shadow Kissed powers. My former teacher joined in the research on spirit most zealously of all of us, and stayed up all night harping on new discoveries and questions she didn't yet know the answers to.
I occasionally saw Adrian here. Initially I couldn't believe he'd visit my dreams, given our history. Rebuilding our friendship had been a slow, somewhat painful, gradual process. Our interactions differed from the easy friendship we shared before, but we attempted to reconnect. Our conversations revolved around Court gossip and updates from their place in Palm Springs.
As much as I wanted this to be another boring session of analyzing what spirit users could or couldn't do, today I found myself in a much more unsettling setting. I looked around the abandoned casino, where there was neither a living soul nor electricity. Cards scattered as if hurried gamblers had fled, leaving chaos in their wake. Chairs lay overturned, tablecloths disheveled, and stained with red wine. I sensed that I knew who I was going to meet here, and I felt all my muscles tensing in preparation.
I heard that awful creak of the door that people only want to hear in horror movies. That creak hinted that a monster was about to come out of its hiding place and, filled with the lust for blood, was coming to get you in his claws. That's what happened this time, too.
As soon as I saw the silhouette of Robert Douru a strong force knocked me off my feet and I felt an invisible weight crushing my body to the floor. I could neither scream nor speak - Robert figured out that when I screamed, Dimitri would wake me up. Silence became his weapon, affording him the luxury of extending my torment.
"Hi, Rose. It's been quite a while" he taunted. His telekinetic abilities kept me motionless. Immobile, I could only watch as he approached with a cruel smile on his face. Of course, nothing he did to me in the dream world mattered in the real world, but it still hurt like hell. The invisible weight continued to push on me, on my chest and airways. I was starting to run out of breath.
"You see Rose," hissed Robert standing over me with hatred shining in his eyes, "My brother was a great man, and you should never have killed him. Since no one punished you for you're crime, I'm going to make sure you pay in a different way"
Suddenly the pressure began to push against my head and lungs. It felt as if my skull was about to burst. The pressure kept rising inside my brain, mere moments from reaching a breaking point. It hurt, God how it hurt. At the same time I was running out of air in my lungs.
I wasn't sure if this time I will wake up alright. Maybe he finally found a way to kill me. Maybe a person's head was not meant to withstand this kind of pressure. At the same time I was struggling for breath. The panic had started to rise in my mind. I was desperate for air. For this to stop.
Robert freed my body and my hands went to my neck. I was about to have to tear it to at least get that wonderful oxygen to my lungs that way...
Suddenly this world began to blur rapidly and I felt my body being jerked.
"Rose, wake up! Wake up!" Dimitri's voice was nervous. I violently sat up on the bed and grabbed my neck. I could not breathe, even without Robert's power. I opened my mouth and closed it. My chest was constricted, I couldn't get it to relax at my will. I turned my gaze to Dimitri, who encircled me with his arm, compelling me to meet his eyes. His expression mirrored my terror.
"It's okay. You just need to take a deep breath in and out. Come on, Roza, just one breath." he encouraged.
I tried desperately to follow his directions, but I couldn't and I was getting more and more panicked. Dimitri put both his hands on me and looked at me with his warm eyes, which were filled with love and patience. And terror.
"Roza, it's all right now. Inhale slowly" he soothed. I managed to take in air and let it out. Dimitri whispered encouragingly to me as I slowly regained control of my breathing. He stroked my hair as I was panting heavily. Looking up at him, I saw how terrified he had been a moment ago.
When I managed to calm my breathing, I began to shake uncontrollably. Or maybe I was shaking like this due to lack of air and only noticed it now? I hid my face in my hands, trying to pick myself together. I was so terrified, sad and angry that Robert could do something like this to me. Dimitri turned on the light and squatted down next to me, embracing me and kissing the top of my head.
"It's over, Roza. He is probably many, many miles away from us" he said softly, brushing back my hair.
"And he has no problem with fucking suffocating me in my sleep." I said furiously. I couldn't stop trembling, and Dimitri kissed my bare shoulder when he felt me shaking.
"That's not quite true," Dimitri said and leaned over to take something from the headboard of the bed, where we had a small shelf. I opened my eyes and saw what he was holding in front of me.
It was a pendant that Lissa had charmed for me when Robert first started haunting me. It turned out to be a hit; when I wore it, Robert couldn't reach me. Yesterday, I completely forgot to put it on, and Robert sensed the opportunity. Dimitri undid the zipper and put the leaf-shaped pendant around my neck, and when he fastened it I pulled my hair out from under it. As soon as the pendant hung around my neck I felt regained control, strength and peace.
"Are you better now?" asked Dimitri worriedly. I looked into his concerned eyes and put my arms around him.
"Yeah, much better," I whispered. Dimitri kissed my head and hugged me tightly. In a few graceful movements, he moved us onto the pillows of the bed, so that I lay snuggled against his chest, and he pressed me tightly against him, stroking my hair and whispering soothing words in Russian.
"You will learn to control it," he whispered quietly, stroking my hair, "You will defeat him in your sleep, and if not... we will find it. I will not let him hurt you, Roza."
With my eyes closed, I lost myself in the feeling of Dimitri next to me. In his arms, in his warmth, in his love for me and in the strength of this feeling. I felt that nothing could hurt me as I lay in his arms. Of course, for Robert it didn't matter where I slept, only whether I slept at all, so it was honestly bullshit, but I hoped the chain from Lissa would stop him. Kissed and comforted by Dimitri, I finally fell asleep.