Snakes In The Grass

8

There was a flutter of fabric as someone knelt in front of me, a hand running through my hair.

"I'm such an idiot," I muttered into my knees.

"It's okay. You have every right to be furious," Janine whispered.

I sniffed and lifted my head to look at her. "I assaulted a Moroi. I threatened them. I've put a black mark on my record and I've been a sanctioned Guardian for all of two seconds."

"I don't think he'll say anything," Janine said.

"Why?"

Janine looked conflicted. "He doesn't want to recruit you as a Guardian. It was a lie that Alberta and I discussed in case he ever came looking for you."

"Then what does he want with me?" I asked tiredly. Dimitri ran his hand over my leg soothingly and gave me a soft look while glancing at Janine out of the corner of his eye.

"He's your father."

I blanched and blinked at her before looking at Dimitri.

"What?"

"I didn't want him near you because of the thing I know he is capable of," Janine said, "I was trying to protect you. It's part of why I didn't visit much. I was worried that he was keeping tabs on me and I didn't want him to find you."

I rubbed my eyes. "My own father tried to kill me."

"Actually, it wasn't you he tried to kill," Janine said glancing at Dimitri.

"It was in Dimitri's glass, and he traded with you. The poison was for Dimitri."

I shook my head and hugged my knees tighter, my stomach pressing against my thighs.

"That doesn't make me feel any better," I whimpered. Dimitri sat on the grass beside me and wrapped his arms around my shoulders, pulling me to his side. I pressed my face into his chest and wrapped my arm around him, curling into him.

There were footsteps coming over the walkway and I lifted my head to see Pavel approaching.

"Don't bother," Janine spat, but Pavel held up his hands.

"He doesn't know I'm here. I'm here personally," Pavel explained as he came to a stop in front of us and crouched down.

"Are you alright?"

I looked at him and shrugged. "How well can someone be after being poisoned?"

Pavel looked at Janine with a small shake of his head. "I told him he was going too far, that it was too easy for someone else to get hurt," Pavel explained sadly.

I rested my head against Dimitri again.

"Did you say, 'your baby'?"

I looked up at him and nodded meekly. "Sixteen weeks."

Pavel shook his head with a sigh and ran his hand through his hair, muttering a curse under his breath.

"Jesus, Abe," he muttered.

"Abe?"

"Nickname," Janine supplied. I shook my head and rubbed my hand over my face.

"I just want to go to bed, I'm exhausted."

"That's fine, I'll take you up," Dimitri said as he lifted me to my feet, keeping his arm wrapped around my shoulder. I stayed close to him, still feeling a little shaken up. Pavel stepped aside for us and turned to Janine, bending his head towards her as they spoke.

I was thankful for the late hour simply so I didn't need to see anyone, and nobody would stop me and ask what happened during the party. Dimitri didn't take me to my room, but straight to his. He unlocked the door and I went straight for the bed, climbing onto it and pulling a pillow down so I could lay on my stomach.