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An Unexpected Romance	By : princessjolie92 Category: S through Z > Vampire Academy Views: 7135 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Vampire Academy and i receive no sort of profit from this....these disclaimers seem a bit pointless...

Chapter List
- 1-An Unexpected Romance
- 2-II
- 3-III
- 4-IV
- 5-V
- 6-VI
- 7-VII
- 8-VIII
- 9-IX
- 10-X
- 11-XI
- 12-XII
- 13-XIII
- 14-XIV
- 15-XV
- 16-XVI
- 17-XVII
- 18-XVIII
- 19-XIX
- 20-XX
- 21-Chapter 21
- 22-Chapter 22
- 23-chapter 23
- 24-Chapter 24
- 25-Chapter 26
- 26-Chapter 27
- 27-Chapter 28
- 28-Chapter 30
- 19
- 20
- 21
I would like to say that I wrote most of this chapter but that isnt true, this is a chapter with an insert from Richelle Mead's Shadow Kissed. I modified some of the insert but not enough of it to be completely original. This is me trying to get back on track with the story. But anyway I hope you guys enjoy what little I actually did write and I hope to have Chapter 21 posted really soon. As always I look forward to your reviews. ENJOY!
~Kierra

Chapter 20
Lissa's POV
Walking in on Chris and Rose has to be the most hilarious thing I have seen in a long time. But it was also one of the most sweetest things I have seen between the two of them. They act like they cant stand each other but the rest of us know that Christian sees Rose as his little sister. He would go to any lengths to protect her just as she would do for him. Some times I think he would protect her more fiercely than he would ever protect me. And the thought use to bother me but it doesn't anymore. They connect on a level that is almost hard for me or anyone else to understand. Christian had seen Rose at her lowest and they both watched as our best friend died.
Rose could've broke that day but I know the only reason she didn't was because of Adrian. And for that I would be forever grateful to him. Watching the two of them together is like nothing I have ever seen. I may not be able to read aura's like Adrian but I can feel the love that pulsates off the two of them. The way Adrian looks at her makes me finally feel like my best friend and sister has finally found her happiness like I have found with Christian. We found our soul mates. And I will let nothing come in between that. Not Rose's mother. And not Guardian Belikov.
Yes I know about the two of them. Though Rose doesn't know that. But I see the tension between the two of them while we were at the resort. I also heard snippets of their conversations. Not that I was eavesdropping merely heard in passing. But I heard enough to know that when Rose gave her heart to him and he practically ripped it out of her chest by agreeing to go with Tanya when they both knew he would be more than just her Guardian. What a fool he was to give up Rose. But she found someone better. The love between them os strong that in a week her heart break healed and their love blossomed. That can only be from the bond of soul mates.
"Come on love birds, we have to get to breakfast than to class." I told them, well Christian since Rose was still passed out on his chest.
"Who did you send the picture to Lissa?" Christian asked me as he extracted himself from Rose's grip.
"No one." I said innocently. "Now you have to help me get Rose up so we can get downstairs"
RPOV
If it wasn't for the fact that I loved Christian as thought he was my brother and the fact that Lissa was standing in the room I might have killed the boy fro pushing me on the floor.
"You are a dead man walking Ozera." I told him cooly as I stood up from the floor rubbing my sore side.
"I've been trying to wake you fro the last five minutes Hathaway. If you didn't sleep like the dead your ass wouldn't have ended up on the floor."
At the mentioned of the dead my mind went to my ghostly encounter with Mason. That wan not a subject I wanted to think on today or any day, the thought of losing ones mind is terribly nerve wrecking.
But before Lissa or CHristian could take notice I sealed away those thoughts.
"I don't sleep like the dead you ass. I was just getting to sleep your snoring kept me up all night." I snapped back at him as i made my way toward his bathroom.
"I don't snore!" he shouted after me as I closed the bathroom door.
Truly he did snore but it wasn't that bad or loud I just need a place to poke at since he pushed me off the bed. The turd was going to suffer for that.
When I was done with my morning routine I left the bathroom so Christian could have his turn.
"I can't wait for this little project to be over" I said to Lissa as I set beside her on Christian's bed.
"It's just six weeks then we have another three month till we graduate and go on our way. Make a new life for ourselves outside of these Academy walls."
"It'll seem strange don't you think, never to come back or at least of you own free will."
"A little. But I'm ready for life beyond these walls again you know. When it was just you and me, I felt free slight terrified because we never knew what was waiting for us around the corer buy free because we didn't have anyone to dictate where we should be and when. Our decisions and choices were our own. I want that agin. It's the one thing I have truly missed since we were brought back here."
"Me to Lissa, me too." I could practically taste our freedom. It was just around the corner.
"So have you and Adrian made plans fore after we graduate?"
"Now we've talked on the subject briefly. I know we will be together but where I don't know. Honestly I could careless as long as we are together."
"He truly makes you happy doesn't he? Lissa asked me as she took my hand into hers.
"More than I could ever describe to you. If it wasn't for him Lissa I don't know where my stat of mind would be right now."
"Well than I am truly happy to have his as a part of our family. One day I how he makes that official."
Though the subject was a little early I cant say it wasn't what I've been hoping fore either.
"One day I'm sure he will." I told her with a bright and hopeful smile.
APOV
"How has your sweet Rose been?" Elena asked me.
"She's been doing good. She has recovered nicely from the incident. And Rose being Rose doesn't let much keep her down" I said into the phone.
"And what about you Adrian, how have you been. I know with what happened it wasn't easy on you."
"According to Rose I have been overwhelming but I have learned to loosen the reins a little. She's healed and very independent she doesn't need me babying her." I told my sister as I ran my hand through my hair.
"Well I'm glad to hear that she is recovering as well that you are letting her be independent. From what I have heard about the young Hathaway she is a very strong girl. But I also know something els is bother you . So what is on your mind little brother?"
"I know the Spokane Incident isn't what is bothering her. I also know while she hasn't totally moved passed it I know that she has come to terms with it. She won't let it rule her life. But I also know that there is something that she ahas been feeling uneasy about." I told my sister as I leaned back in to the chair my eyes following the ceiling fan. "But I know that if I push her she won't ever tell me so I am letting her tell me when she is ready to do so. Which I know won't be to far from now."
"Do you think it might be the pressure of becoming a Guardian? I mean graduation isn't that far around the corner, after what she's been through she might be feeling overwhelmed."
"Rose isn't going to be a Guardian she made the decision a while ago. She's at peace with that decision. Making it actually took a log of weight off her shoulders. So this is something else. But I know that when she is ready she ill tell me."
"Then why is it bothering you so much?"
"Because I know that whatever is bothering her I cant fix and make it better. Her happiness means the world to me yet I know that no matter what I do it's out of my hands. It is something she will ultimately have to face on her own."
"Do you thing it is something that has the potential to come between the two of you?"
"No. No matter what Rose and I go through individually our together can ever tear us apart. Call me a sap if you want Elena, Rose is my soul mate."
"Then there is no reason for you to worry then Adrain. Because it will all work out in the end." Elena told me. I could hear in her voice that she wasn't just telling me that for my benefit but for hers too. She believed that one day Jason wold wake up. She had to, Jason was her forever just like Rose was mine.
"I know it will Elena."
RPOV
Dhampirs and Moroi attended separate classes in the first half of the school day, then joined up after lunch. Christian had most of the same afternoon classes I'd had last semester, so it was almost like following my own schedule again. The difference was that I was no longer a student in these classes. I didn't sit at a desk or have to do any of the work. I was also a lot more uncomfortable since I had to stand at the back of the room the entire time, along with other novices who were guarding Moroi. Outside the school, this was what it was usually like. Moroi came first.
Guardians were shadows. There was a strong temptation to talk to our fellow novices, particularly during times when the Moroi were working on their own and talking amongst themselves. None of us cracked, though. The pressure and adrenaline of the first day had us all on good behavior.
After biology, Eddie and I started using a bodyguard technique called pair guarding. I was near guard and walked with Lissa and Christian for immediate defense. Eddie, being far guard, walked farther away and scanned the larger area for any potential threats. We followed this pattern for the rest of the day, up until the last class came around. Lissa gave Christian a quick kiss on the cheek, and I realized they were parting.
"You guys don't have the same schedule this time?" I asked with dismay, stepping over to the side of the hall to stay out of student traffic. Eddie had already deduced that we were parting and had stopped far guard duties to come talk to us. I hand't known how Lissa and Christian's schedules lined up for this new semester.
Lissa took in my disappointed look and gave me a sympathetic smile. "Sorry. We're going to study together after school, but right now, I've got to go to creative writing."
"And I," declared Christian loftily, "have to go to culinary science."
"Culinary science?" I cried. "You elected culinary science? That's like the most brainless class ever."
"It is not," he countered. "And even if it was ... well, hey, it's my last semester, right?" I groaned.
"Come on, Rose," laughed Lissa. "It's just one class period. It won't be that-"
She was cut off when a commotion broke out farther down the hall. We and everyone near us stopped and stared. One of my guardian instructors, Emil, had practically appeared out of nowhere and-playing Strigoi- reached for a Moroi girl. He swung her away, pressing her to his chest and exposing her neck as though he would bite her. I couldn't see who she was, just a tangle of brown hair, but her assigned protector was Shane Reyes. The attack had caught him by surprise-it was the first one of the day-but he fumbled only a little as he kicked Emil in the side and wrested the girl away. The two guys squared off, and everyone watched eagerly. A few even whistled and shouted, cheering Shane on.
One of the cat callers was Ryan Aylesworth. He was so fixated on watching the fight-which Shane, wielding his practice stake, had just about won-that he didn't notice two other adult guardians sneaking up on him and Camille. Eddie and I realized it at the same time and stiffened, instinct readying both of us to spring forward.
"Stay with them," Eddie told me. He headed toward Ryan and Camille, who had just discovered they were being set upon.
Ryan didn't react as well as Shane had, particularly since he faced two attackers. One of the guardians distracted Ryan while the other-Dimitri, I now saw-grabbed Camille. She screamed, not faking her fear. She apparently didn't find being in Dimitri's arms as thrilling as I once had thought it to be.
Eddie headed toward them, approaching from behind, and landed a blow on the side of Dimitri's head. It hardly fazed Dimitri, but I was still amazed. I'd barely ever been able to land a hit on him in all our trainings. Eddie's attack forced Dimitri to release Camille and face this new threat. He spun around, graceful as a dancer, and advanced on Eddie.
Meanwhile, Shane had "staked" his Strigoi and jumped in to help Eddie, moving around to Dimitri's other side. I watched, fists clenched in excitement, intrigued with the fighting in general. It amazed me part of the fray but knew I had to watch the area around me in case any "Strigoi" attacked here.
But they didn't. Shane and Eddie successfully "finished off" Dimitri. Part of me was a little sad at this. However, Ryan had tried to help and failed. Dimitri had technically "killed" him. He and Emil praised Shane for being fast on his feet and Eddie for realizing we had to treat this as a group endeavor rather than one-on-one trials. I got a nod for watching Eddie's back, and Ryan was chastised for not paying attention to his Moroi. Eddie and I grinned at each other, happy over getting high marks on this first test. I wouldn't have minded a slightly bigger role, but this wasn't a bad start to the field experience. We high fived, and I saw Dimitri shake his head at us as he left.
With the drama over, our foursome split up. Lissa gave me one last smile over her shoulder and spoke to me through the bond, Have fun in culinary science! I rolled my eyes, but she and Eddie had already rounded a corner.
"Culinary science" sounded pretty impressive, but really, it was just a fancy term for what was essentially a cooking class.
Despite my teasing Christian about it being brainless, I had some respect for it. I could barely boil water, after all. Still, it was a lot different from an elective like creative writing or debate, and I had no doubts Christian was taking it as a blow-off class and not because he wanted to be a chef someday. At least I might get some satisfaction out of watching him mix a cake or something. Maybe he'd even wear an apron.
There were three other novices in the class who were guarding Moroi. Since the culinary science room was large and open, with lots of windows, the four of us worked together to come up with a plan to pool our efforts and secure the whole room. When I'd watched novices do their field experiences in past years, I'd only ever paid attention to the fights. I'd never noticed the teamwork and strategizing that must have been going on. Theoretically, the four of us were here to only protect our assigned Moroi, but we'd slipped into a role where we were protecting the whole class.
My post was by a fire door that led outside of the school. Coincidentally, it was right by the station Christian was working at. The class normally cooked in pairs, but there was an odd number of students. Rather than work in a group of three, Christian had volunteered to be by himself. No one had seemed to mind. Many still regarded him and his family with the same prejudice that Jesse did. To my disappointment, Christian wasn't making a cake.
"What is that?" I asked, watching him take out a bowl of some kind of raw, ground-up meat from the refrigerator.
"Meat," he said, dumping it onto a cutting board.
"I know that, you idiot. What kind?"
"Ground beef." He pulled another container out and then another. "And this is veal. And this is pork."
"Do you have, like, a that you're going to feed?"
"Only if you want some. This is for meatloaf."
I stared. "With three kinds of meat?"
"Why eat something called meatloaf if you aren't actually going to get some meat out of it?"
I shook my head. "I can't believe this is only the first day with you."
He glanced down, focusing on kneading his tri-meat creation together. "You sure are making a big deal out of this."
"No, I'm not." I said.
"You know," he continued, "it might actually be a good idea for you to practice with someone different."
"I know. But it isn't like I will be doing this anyway. Just wanted my shot at guarding Lissa, even if it was pretend."
Christian put the meat into a bowl and started adding some other ingredients.
"I know, I also wish that you had your chance. But it might be for the best you know."
"Yeah, I know. She needs a chance to get use to the idea of someone else watching over her that can't read her emotions. These six weeks will give her that chance. And give me the chance to think about what I am going to do after graduation." I said solemnly.
He paused and looked up, meeting my eyes. "I know that what ever you decide to do you will be kick ass awesome at"
"Thanks Pyro"
"Anytime Rosie." A moment later, he returned to his work.
While he was working my mind returned to its own worries. Like worry about Victor Dashkov's trial, I realized. For a moment, I considered telling Christian what I'd learned. He'd been around the night it had all gone down with Victor last fall, but I decided not to mention the news just yet. Lissa needed to hear it first.
He went off to talk to another friend while his meatloaf cooked, which was probably just as well. My door was a vulnerable position, and I shouldn't have been chatting away, even if the rest of the class was. Across the room, I saw Jesse and Ralf working together. Like Christian, they'd chosen a blow-off class too.
No attacks occurred, but a guardian named Dustin did come in to make notes on us novices as we held our positions.
He was standing near me right when Jesse chose to stroll by. At first, I thought it was a coincidence-until Jesse spoke.
"I take back what I said earlier, Rose. I figured it out. You aren't upset because of Lissa or Christian. You're upset because the rules say you have to be with a student, and Adrian Ivashkov's too old. The way I hear it, you guys have already had a lot of practice watching each other's bodies."
That joke could have been so much funnier, but I'd learned not to expect too much from Jesse. I knew for a fact that he didn't care about Adrian and me. But Jesse was still bitter about me threatening him earlier, and here was his chance to get back at me. Dustin, standing within earshot, had no interest in Jesse's idiotic teasing. Dustin would probably have an interest, however, if I slammed Jesse's face into the wall.
That didn't mean I had to be silent, though. Guardians talked to Moroi all the time; they just tended to be respectful and still keep an eye on their surroundings. So I gave Jesse a small smile and simply said, "Your wit is always such a delight, Mr. Zeklos. I can barely contain myself around it." I then turned away and surveyed the rest of the room.
When Jesse realized I wasn't going to do anything else, he laughed and walked away, apparently thinking he'd won some great victory. Dustin left shortly thereafter.
"Asshole," muttered Christian, returning to his station.
Class had about five minutes left.
My eyes followed Jesse across the room. "You know something, Christian? I'm pretty happy to be guarding you."
"If you're comparing me to Zeklos, I don't really take that as much of a compliment. But here, try this. Then you'll really be glad you're with me."
His masterpiece was finished, and he gave me a piece. I hand't realized it, but just before the meatloaf had gone in, he'd wrapped it in bacon.
"Good God," I said. "This is the most stereotypical vampire food ever."
"Only if it was raw. What do you think?"
"It's good," I said reluctantly. Who knew that bacon would make all the difference? "Really good. I think you have a promising future as a housewife while Lissa works and makes millions of dollars."
"Funny, that's exactly my dream."
He and Lissa were going to meet in the library to study- or pretend to study-but he had to stop by his dorm first. So I followed him across the quad, back into the winter air that had grown chillier since sunset seven hours ago. The snow on the paths, which had turned slushy in the sun, had now frozen up and made walking treacherous. Along the way, we were joined by Brandon Lazar, a Moroi who lived in Christian's hall. Brandon could barely contain himself, recapping a fight he'd witnessed in his math class. We listened to his rendition, all of us laughing at the thought of Alberta sneaking in through the window.
"Hey, she might be old, but she could take on almost any of us," I told them. I gave Brandon a puzzled look.
He had bruises and red splotches on his face. He also had a few weird welts near his ear. "What happened to you? Have you been fighting guardians too?"
His smile promptly disappeared, and he looked away from me. "Nah, just fell."
"Come on," I said. Moroi might not train to fight like dhampirs did, but they got in brawls with each other just as often as anyone else. I tried to think of any Moroi he might have a conflict with. For the most part, Brandon was pretty likable.
"That's the lamest, most unoriginal excuse in the world."
"It's true," he said, still avoiding my eyes.
"If someone's screwing with you, I can give you a few pointers."
He turned back to me, locking eyes. "Just let it go." He wasn't hostile or anything, but there was a firm note in his voice. It was almost like he believed saying the words alone would make me obey him.
I chuckled. "What are you trying to do? Compel me-" Suddenly, I saw movement on my left. A slight shadow blending in with the dark shapes of a cluster of snowy pine trees-but moving just enough to catch my attention. Stan's face emerged from the darkness as he sprang toward us.
Finally, my first test.
Adrenaline shot through me just as strongly as if a real Strigoi were approaching. I reacted instantly, reaching out to grab both Brandon and Christian. That was always the first move, to throw my own life before theirs. I jerked the two guys to a halt and turned toward my attacker, reaching for my stake in order to defend the Moroi-
And that's when he appeared.
Mason.
He stood several feet in front of me, off to Stan's right, looking just as he had last night. Translucent. Shimmering. Sad. The hair on the back of my neck stood up. I froze, unable to move or finish going for my stake. I forgot about what I'd been doing and completely lost track of the people and commotion around me. The world slowed down, everything fading around me. There was only Mason-that ghostly, shimmering Mason who glowed in the dark and seemed like he so badly wanted to tell me something. The same feeling of helplessness I'd experienced in Spokane returned to me. I hand't been able to help him then. I couldn't help him now. My stomach turned cold and hollow. I could do nothing except stand there, wondering what he was trying to say.
He lifted one translucent hand and pointed off toward the other side of campus, but I didn't know what it meant. There was so much over there, and it wasn't clear what he was pointing at. I shook my head, not understanding but desperately wishing I could. The sorrow on his face seemed to grow.
Suddenly, something slammed into my shoulder, and I stumbled forward. The world suddenly started up again, snapping me out of the dreamy state I'd just been in. I only barely managed to throw out my hands in time to stop myself from hitting the ground. I looked up and saw Stan standing over me. "Hathaway!" he barked. "What are you doing?" I blinked, still trying to shake off the weirdness of seeing Mason again. I felt sluggish and dazed. I looked into Stan's angry face and then glanced over at where Mason had been. He was gone. I turned my attention back to Stan and realized what had happened. In my distraction, I'd completely spaced while he'd staged his attack. He now had one arm around Christian's neck and one around Brandon's. He wasn't hurting them, but his point was made.
"If I had been a Strigoi," he growled, "these two would be dead."
The most disciplinary issues at the Academy went to Headmistress Kirova. She oversaw Moroi and dhampirs alike and was known for her creative and oft-used repertoire of punishments. She wasn't cruel, exactly, but she wasn't soft, either. She simply took student behavior seriously and dealt with it as she saw fit.
There were some issues, however, that were beyond her jurisdiction. The school's guardians calling together a disciplinary committee wasn't unheard of, but it was very, very rare. You had to do something pretty serious to piss them off to get that sort of response. Like, say, willfully endangering a Moroi. Or hypothetically willfully endangering a Moroi.
"For the last time," I growled, "I didn't do it on purpose." I sat in one of the guardians' meeting rooms, facing my committee: Alberta, Emil, and one of the other rare female guardians on campus, Celeste. They sat at a long table, looking imposing, while I sat in a single chair and felt very vulnerable.
Several other guardians were sitting in and watching, but thankfully, none of my classmates were there to see this humiliation. Dimitri was among the watchers. He was not on the committee, and I wondered if they'd kept him off because of his potentially biased role as my mentor.
"Miss Hathaway," said Alberta, fully in her strict-captain mode, "you must know why we have a hard time believing that."
Celeste nodded. "Guardian Alto saw you. You refused to protect two Moroi-including the one whose protection you were specifically assigned to."
"I didn't refuse!" I exclaimed. "I... fumbled."
"That wasn't a fumble," said Stan from the watchers. He glanced at Alberta for permission to speak. "May I?" She nodded, and he turned back to me. "If you'd blocked or attacked me and then messed up, that would be a fumble. But you didn't block. You didn't attack. You didn't even try. You just stood there like a statue and did nothing."
Understandably, I was outraged. The thought that I would purposely leave Christian and Brandon to be "killed" by a Strigoi was ridiculous. But what could I do? I either confessed to screwing up majorly or to having seen a ghost. Neither option was appealing, but I had to cut my losses. One made me look incompetent. The other made me look insane. I didn't want to be associated with either of those. I much preferred my usual description of "reckless" and "disruptive."
"Why am I getting in trouble for messing up?" I asked tightly. "I mean, I saw Ryan mess up earlier. He didn't get in trouble. Isn't that the point of this whole exercise? Practice? If we were perfect, you'd already have unleashed us upon the world!"
"Weren't you listening?" said Stan. I swore I could see a vein throbbing in his forehead. I think he was the only one there as upset as I was. At the very least, he was the only one (aside from me) showing his emotions. The others wore poker faces, but then, none of them had witnessed what had happened. If I'd been in Stan's place, I might have thought the worst of me too.
"You didn't mess up, because 'messing up' implies that you have to actually do something."
"Okay, then. I froze." I looked at him defiantly. "Does that count as messing up? I cracked under the pressure and blanked out. It turns out I wasn't prepared. The moment came, and I panicked. It happens to novices all the time."
"To a novice who has already killed Strigoi?" asked Emil. He was from Romania, his accent a bit thicker than Dimitri's Russian one. It wasn't nearly as nice, though. "It seems unlikely."
I dealt out glares to him and everyone else in the room.
"Oh, I see. After one incident, I'm now expected to be an expert Strigoi killer? I can't panic or be afraid or anything? Makes sense. Thanks, guys. Fair. Real fair." I slumped back in my seat, arms crossed over my chest. There was no need to fake bitchy defiance. I had plenty of it to dish out.
Alberta sighed and leaned forward. "We're arguing semantics. Technicalities aren't the point here. What's important is that this yesterday, you made it very clear you did not want to guard Christian Ozera. In fact ... I think you even said you wanted us to be sure we knew that you were doing it against your will and that we'd soon see what a horrible idea it was."
Ugh. I had said that. Honestly, what had I been thinking? "And then, when your first test comes around, we find you completely and utterly unresponsive."
I nearly flew out of my chair. "That's what this is about? You think I didn't protect him because of some kind of weir revenge thing?"
All three of them stared at me expectantly.
"You aren't exactly known for calmly and gracefully accepting things you don't like," she replied wryly.
This time, I did stand up, pointing my finger at her accusingly. "Not true. I have followed every rule Kirova laid down for me since coming back here. I've gone to every practice and obeyed every curfew." Well, I'd fudged some of the curfews but not willfully. It had always been for the greater good. "There's no reason I'd do this as some kind of revenge! What good would it do? Sta- Guardian Alto wasn't going to really hurt Christian, so it's not like I'd get to see him punched or anything. The only thing I would accomplish is getting dragged into the middle of something like this and possibly facing removal from the field experience."
"You are facing removal from the field experience," replied Celeste flatly.
"Oh." I sat down, suddenly not feeling as bold. Silence hung in the room for several moments, and then I heard Dimitri's voice speak from behind me.
"She has a point," he said. My heart thumped loudly in my chest. Dimitri knew I wouldn't take revenge like that. He didn't think I was petty. "If she were going to protest or take revenge, she'd do it in a different way."
Well, not too petty, at least.
Celeste frowned. "Yes, but after the scene she made yesterday..."
Dimitri took a few steps forward and stood beside my chair. Having his solid presence nearby comforted me. I had a flash of déjà vu, back to when Lissa and I had returned to the Academy last autumn. Headmistress Kirova had nearly expelled me, and Dimitri had stood up for me then too.
"This is all circumstantial," he said. "Regardless of how suspicious you think it looks, there's no proof. Removing her from the experience-and essentially ruining her graduation-is a bit extreme without any certainties."
The committee looked thoughtful, and I focused my attention on Alberta. She had the most power here. I'd always liked her, and in our time together, she'd been strict but always scrupulously fair. I hoped that would still hold true. She beckoned Celeste and Emil toward her, and the other two guardians leaned closer. They had a whispered conference.
Alberta gave a resigned nod, and the others leaned back.
"Miss Hathaway, do you have anything you'd like to say before we tell you our conclusions?"
That I'd like to say? Hell, yeah. There were tons of things. I wanted to say that I wasn't incompetent. I wanted to tell them that I was one of the best novices here. I wanted to tell them that I had seen Stan coming and had been on the verge of reacting. I especially wanted to tell them that I didn't want to have this mark on my record. Even if I stayed in the field experience, I'd essentially have an F for this first test. It would affect my overall grade, which could subsequently affect my future.
But again, what choice did I have? Tell them that I'd seen a ghost? The ghost of a guy who'd had a major crush on me and who had quite likely died because of that crush? I still didn't know what was going on with these sightings. One time I could write off to exhaustion...but I'd seen him-or it-twice now.
Was he real? My higher reasoning said no, but honestly, it didn't matter at the moment. If he was real and I told them, they'd think I was crazy. If he wasn't real and I told them, they'd think was crazy-and they'd be right. I couldn't win here.
"No, Guardian Petrov," I said, hoping I sounded meek.
"Nothing more to add."
"All right," she said wearily. "Here's what we've decided. You're lucky you have Guardian Belikov to advocate for you, or this decision might have been different. We're giving you the benefit of the doubt. You'll go on with the field experience and continue to guard Mr. Ozera. You'll just be on a probation of sorts."
"That's okay," I said. I'd been on probation for most of my academic life. "Thank you."
"And," she added. Uh-oh. "Because the suspicion isn't entirely removed, you'll be spending your day off this week doing community service."
I jumped out of my chair again. "What?"
Dimitri's hand wrapped around my wrist, his fingers warm and controlling. "Sit down," he murmured in my ear, tugging me toward the chair. "Take what you can get."
"If that's a problem, we can make it next week too," warned Celeste. "And the next five after that."
I sat down and shook my head. "I'm sorry. Thank you."
The hearing dispersed, and I was left feeling weary and beaten. Had only one day gone by? Surely the happy excitement I'd felt before the field experience had been weeks ago and not this morning. Alberta told me to go find Christian, but Dimitri asked if he could have some time alone with me. She agreed, no doubt hoping he'd set me on the straight and narrow.
The room emptied, and I thought he'd sit and talk to me then and there, but instead he walked over to a small table that held a water dispenser, coffee, and other beverages.
"You want some hot chocolate?" he asked.
I hand't expected that. "Sure."
He dumped four packets of instant hot chocolate into two Styrofoam cups and then added in hot water.
"Doubling it is the secret," he said when the cups were full.
He handed me mine, along with a wooden stirrer, and then walked toward a side door. Presuming I was supposed to follow him, I scurried to catch up without spilling my hot chocolate.
"Where are we-oh."
I stepped through the doorway and found myself in a little glass-enclosed porch filled with small patio tables. I'd had no idea this porch was adjacent to the meeting room, but then, this was the building the guardians conducted all campus business out of. Novices were rarely allowed. I also hand't realized the building was built around a small courtyard, which was what this porch looked out to. In the summer, I imagined one could open the windows and be surrounded in greenery and warm air. Now, encased in glass and frost, I felt like I was in some kind of an ice palace.
Dimitri swept his hand over a chair, brushing off dust. I did the same and sat down opposite him. Apparently this room didn't see a lot of use in the winter. Because it was enclosed, the room was warmer than outdoors, but it wasn't heated otherwise.
The air felt chilly, and I warmed my hands on my cup. Silence fell between Dimitri and me. The only noise came from me blowing on my hot chocolate. He drank his right away. He'd been killing Strigoi for years. What was a little scalding water here and there?
As we sat, and the quiet grew, I studied him over the edge of my cup. He wasn't looking at me, but I knew he knew I was watching. Like every other time I looked at him, I was always struck by his looks first. The soft dark hair that he often tucked behind his ears without realizing it, hair that never quite wanted to stay in its tie at the back of his neck. His eyes were brown too, somehow gentle and fierce at the same time. His lips had that same contradictory quality, I realized. When he was fighting or dealing with something grim, those lips would flatten and turn hard. Today, more than his exterior hit me.
I exhaled and drank my cocoa.
"What happened out there?" he asked at last, meeting my gaze. "You didn't crack under the pressure." His voice was curious, not accusatory. He wasn't treating me as a student right now, I realized. He was regarding me as an equal. He simply wanted to know what was going on with me. There was no discipline or lecturing here.
"Of course it was," I told him, looking down into my cup.
"Unless you believe I really did let Stan 'attack' Christian."
"No," he said. "I don't believe that. I never did. I knew you'd be unhappy when you found out about the assignments, but I never once doubted that you'd do what you'd have to for this. I knew you wouldn't let your personal feelings get in the way of your duty."
I looked up again and met his eyes, so full of faith and absolute confidence in me. "I didn't. I was mad... Still am a little. But once I said I'd do it, I meant it. He and I just dash sometimes, that's all... but we did really well together against the Strigoi. I remembered that while I was with him today, and arguing against this assignment just seemed stupid. So I decided to do the best job I could."
"What happened then?" he asked.
"With Stan?" I averted my eyes and played with my cup again.
In the human world, vampires and dhampirs were creatures of myth and legend-bedtime stories to scare children. Humans didn't know we were real and walking the earth. But just because we were real didn't mean that every other story-time paranormal creature was. We knew that and had our own myths and bedtime stories about things we didn't believe in.
Werewolves. Bogeymen. Ghosts.
Ghosts played no real role in our culture, short of being fodder for pranks and campfire tales. Ghosts inevitably came up on Halloween, and some legends endured over the years. But in real life? No ghosts. If you came back after death, it was because you were a Strigoi.
At least, that's what I'd always been taught. I honestly didn't know enough now to say what was going on. Me imagining Mason seemed more likely than him being a true ghost, but man, that meant I might seriously be heading into crazy territory. All this time I'd worried about Lissa losing it.
Who had known it might be me?
Dimitri was still watching me, waiting for an answer.
"I don't know what happened out there. My intentions were good ... I just... I just messed up."
"Rose. You're a terrible liar."
I glanced up. "No, I'm not. I've told a lot of good lies in my life. People have believed them."
He smiled slightly. "I'm sure. But it doesn't work with me.
For one thing, you won't look me in the eye. As for the other... I don't know. I can just tell."
"Look, I appreciate you being worried about me...but really, it's okay. I just messed up. I'm embarrassed about it- and sorry I put your awesome training to shame-but I'll rebound. Next time, Stan's ass is mine."
I hand't even heard him get up, but suddenly, Dimitri was right behind me. He placed a hand on my shoulder, and I froze in front of the door leading out. He didn't touch me anywhere else. He didn't try to pull me closer.
"Rose," he said, and I knew he was no longer smiling. "I don't know why you're lying, but I know you wouldn't do it without a good reason. And if there's something wrong- something you're afraid to tell the others-"
I spun around rapidly, somehow managing to pivot in place in such a way that his hand never moved yet ended up on my other shoulder.
"I'm not afraid," I cried. "I do have my reasons, and believe me, what happened with Stan was nothing. Really. All of this is just something stupid that got blown out of proportion. Don't feel sorry for me or feel like you have to do anything. What happened sucks, but I'll just roll with it and take the black mark. I'll take care of everything. I'll take care of me." It took all of my strength just then not to shake. How had this day gotten so bizarre and out of control?
Dimitri didn't say anything. He just looked down at me, and the expression on his face was one I'd never seen before. I couldn't interpret it. Was he mad? Disapproving? I just couldn't tell. The fingers on my shoulder tightened slightly and then relaxed.
"You don't have to do this alone," he said at last. He sounded almost wistful, which made no sense.
"You are right I don't have to do this alone. And I won't. I have Adrian and Lissa to help me. I even have Christian." Well I would have them if I just told them what was bothering me.
"You are still hanging around with Ivashkov?" Dimitri asked me his face turning hard.
"He came to be with me and to take care of my while I was recovering. Of course I am still with him. I can't just ignore him, he is my boyfriend. And he has been good to me. I know the world has a problem with me being with Adrian but the world can go to hell for all I care. What everyone thinks they see of him isn't true. If any of you would just give him a chance you would see that with me he is different. He made some mistakes in the pasted, but Adrian isn't that man anymore."
I stepped away, out of the reach of his arm, and he didn't say anything more or try to stop me. Cutting through the room that I'd had the hearing in, I headed for the building's main exit, tossing the remnants of my hot chocolate in a garbage can as I walked past.
After leaving Dimitri I headed towards the library where I knew I would find Lissa and Christian and hopefully Adrian would be there as well.
While walking to the library I thought on tonights events. Seeing Mason and freezing up was wrecking havoc on me. I knew when I graduated I wouldn't be a Guardian, but while did the training I took it seriously. Not only that I was convinced I was losing my mind.
Ghost weren't real yet I kept have encounter with Mason. It started to make me feel as though I may not be at peace with Mason's passing as I thought I was but how could that be true? While I would never forget what happened in Spokane I wont letting it rule my life.
My life was moving forward in a direction I knew I wanted so why was Mason hunting me?
Was it because he hated the fact tat I didn't love him as he did me? But mason knew while I didn't love him more that as a friend he also knew I loved greatly as my best friend. So why would he hunt me? But in order for him to do so that would mean I actually believed it was possible, it meant that I actually believed in ghost.
And I didn't believe in ghost. Right?
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An Unexpected Romance