The Disappearing Act (Vampire Academy Fan Fiction Book 2)

Chapter 16: Legal Guardian

Chapter 16: Legal Guardians

                I made Dimitri brew another pot of coffee before we began our planning. But, even with the extra caffeine, the conversation quickly went to hell.

“We can’t bring anyone else in,” I argued, sitting crisscross on the bed with my mug clenched between my hands. It was the only thing keeping my temper under control, though I was contemplating throwing it at Mia’s head.

“Well, we certainly can’t do it alone. Two of us against an entire den of Strigoi? Those aren’t very good odds,” Mia countered, pacing back and forth in front of the bed again. I watched her with irritated eyes, sipping my coffee.

“Dimitri and I would be fine,” I answered without hesitation. We had been fine for four years; this wasn’t anything new, despite what she seemed to think.

“And if you two die? Who takes care of Annessa?” she answered, pausing with her gaze trained intently on me.

                I frowned and turned my eyes towards Dimitri, hoping to hear his opinion, but he was staring out the balcony door as Annessa colored beside him on the floor.

“Exactly,” Mia shot, satisfaction dripping from the word.

                I glared at her and finished off my coffee. “So what’s your big plan?”

“We call the Quee–“

“No,” Dimitri and I said together.

“Vasilisa doesn’t need to be a part of this,” Dimitri continued.

“The Royal Guard may be nice and, to get them, we kind of need her,” Mia snapped, resuming her pacing.

“It’s too many people,” I cut in. “We can do it, Mia, if you’d stop your protesting.”

“I disagree,” came Dimitri’s voice again, at which I promptly gave him the irritated eyes. He was supposed to disagree with her, not me. “We do need more people, Rose. We are good, but this isn’t a simple attack. We need the Princess alive.”

“And she won’t come with you two,” Mia added, freezing again, “Which is why I have to go with.”

“Oh, hell no,” I laughed harshly, standing up and going to rinse my cup out. “If anyone’s staying behind, it’s you.”

“I’m not just a Moroi, Rose!” she snapped quickly, arms folded across her chest. “I can fight. And she won’t trust you; I’m the best option you have.”

“And Annessa?” I said, gesturing to the window where she still sat, oblivious to the bickering.

                Mia rose an eyebrow. “You are her legal guardian, not me.”

                I wished I still had the coffee cup to smash into her eyebrow.

~~~

                Despite years of being together and of knowing that we worked better as a team, Dimitri agreed with Mia.

                I knew it was because of Annessa. He didn’t want the girl to lose another parent, and, even though I was only her mom by a piece of paper, I got chosen to stay behind. Well, that and Jill hated me with every piece of her tiny Moroi body.

I still blamed Mia.

                They were going to go out tomorrow morning, driving back into the Strip and sneaking into the club with sunlight as protection. Hopefully, there wouldn’t be too many people milling around, so no one would see an unconscious Jill being dragged into the car. Mia had happily volunteered to knock her out if it came to that; I had a feeling she’d find a way to get it that far.

                We spent the day wandering around the small outskirts of Vegas, packing our meager belongings and finding a new hiding place for Annessa and me. They set us up in a new hotel under an alias, and we snuck Mia in through the back. It was easier to play happy family on vacation when we didn’t have what appeared to be a mistress trailing behind us.

                The way Annessa followed Dimitri was almost comical. She was so entranced by him; his words, his walk, his spiky hair. Anything he did, she was right beside him, clamoring to see or mimic the move. She was like a real daughter. Dimitri ate it up, savoring every tiny word or attempt at copying him. He was enjoying being a father as much as she was enjoying having one. I wondered what she was going to do when he left tomorrow.

                We ordered dinner to the room, Mia stepping out to do God knows what while she gave us “family time.” That consisted of laying out one of the blankets on the floor in front of the TV and turning on Finding Nemo at Annessa’s request. We ate our pizza without plates while Dimitri and I fought over the garlic sauce and Annessa got pepperoni on Mia’s bed skirt. We laughed and made the seagull noise and smiled; we actually smiled together.

                She fell asleep before the sun had even gone down, curled up between Dimitri and me with a stuffed giraffe as a pillow. It was adorable, the way she clutched the animal and both of us at the same time; she looked so happy and safe. And, with Dimitri cradling her close to him, she’d never be anything else.

                Which was why he couldn’t go tomorrow.

                I leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek. As much as it killed me to admit, this little girl needed him more than I did. I had to give him up for her.

“Tuck her in,” I whispered, carefully untangling myself to stand up. “I’ll go see what’s keeping Mia.”

                He watched me warily, shaking it off as he remained still on the floor. “Don’t be long, Roza.”

                I smiled over my shoulder, heading towards the door. “Of course not, comrade.”

                Opening the door and shutting it silently behind me, I turned down the hallway where an annoyed Mia was impatiently tapping her foot. When she saw me, she threw a backpack at me and rolled her eyes.

“What the hell took you so long?” she huffed, pulling the car keys out of her pocket. “We’ve gotta go before the gas station closes. We won’t make it anywhere on–“

“Let’s go, Mia,” I cut in quietly and shouldered my bag. Sadly, my eyes looked back at our hotel room door one last time.

I promised myself I’d see it again one day.