Snakes In The Grass

1

I blushed under the slight praise and I shifted on my feet when my eyes moved to look around him when raised voices floated down the hall.

"Regardless, I cannot give out student information, Mr. Mazur. We have to protect our students' safety," Alberta said firmly and I looked around Dimitri's frame. Dimitri made it easier and turned too, looking down the hall to see Alberta standing with a Moroi man. The man looked like a walking fashion crisis but screamed money and power at the same time. The man looked irritated and looked in our direction. His eyes landed on Dimitri and me, his eyes scrutinizing us intently. Dimitri moved to block me from view.

"She's an adult now."

"It doesn't matter. She is still a student. I'm not going to ask you to leave again, or I will have you removed," Alberta said firmly. I didn't hear what else was said because Dimitri had moved us around the corner.

"What was that about?"

"It happens sometimes. Moroi parents come in wanting to know about their Dhampir children. It usually happens if the Dhampir parent didn't put the other parents' name on their emergency contact, or they have been told to stay away. Because students are signed over to the academy, we are required to keep information private. Even if the students have turned eighteen," Dimitri explained, "But I'm more concerned about how irritated he is."

"Maybe he thinks he's entitled?" I asked offhandedly, "I mean, did you see what he was wearing? He looked like a disco pirate."

Dimitri chuckled and let his fingers brush against the back of my neck as he pulled his hand from my shoulder. I shivered a little and smiled up at him, meeting his soft look.

"What are the chances we could do practice outside this evening? Out by the lake? We could do some running?" I asked, asking one thing but meaning another. Dimitri gave me an amused look.

"If the weather is still nice, I don't see why we can't do our practice in the sun," he said with a smile. I nodded and smiled back up at him, forcing myself not to reach out to him. Dimitri stepped around me to go to his shift while I headed toward my class. I went back around the corner to bring Alberta my slip, coming face to face with the Moroi she was speaking with. Well, not face to face, almost crashing into him.

"Oh! Sorry," I said going to step around him but he held his arm out, stopping me.

"I'm looking for someone."

"Okay?"

"I'm looking for Novice Hathaway," he said and I frowned with a shrug.

"No idea," I said before slipping under his arm and walking towards Alberta's office, looking over my shoulder to make sure he didn't follow. Why was he looking for me? I made it to Alberta's office and knocked on the door a little harder than necessary.

I heard Alberta call me in and I opened the door to be met with Alberta's confused stare.

"Why is that guy looking for me?" I asked as I dropped my slip onto Alberta's desk. Alberta's head snapped up as I stood over her.

"What?"

"That Moroi that you were talking to? He stopped me in the hall and said he was looking for Novice Hathaway. I told him I didn't know who that was. Why is he looking for me?"

Alberta nodded and licked her lips. "He was looking for you because he wanted to recruit you as a Guardian," Alberta said looking back at her notes on her desk. I raised my brows at her because I felt that she was keeping something from me.

"I would advise you to stay away from Mazur," Alberta said stacking her papers together.

"Fine," I said after a moment, "But I want to know why."