Dimitri's Point of View in Frostbite (Vampire Academy) (Book 2)

Part 17

We kept coming.

“Stay back!” She yelled. Janine and the other guardians stopped. Expect for me.

“Rose,” I said softly. “Drop the sword.”

Her hands shook as she swallowed hard. “Get away from us.”

“Rose.”

Hesitantly, she came to, her eyes focusing on me, realization flashed in her eyes. For a moment I thought I’d lost her. Lost what was sane of her anyway. My heart fluttered as I started deeply into her eyes that were now scared and relieved.

“It’s okay. Everything’s going to be okay. You can let go of the sword.”

Her hands shook even harder as she fought to hold on to the hilt. “I can’t. I can’t leave him alone. I have to protect him.”

“You have.” I said sympathetically.

The sword fell out of her hands, landing with a loud clatter on the wooden floor. She followed it, collapsing on all fours.

My arms wrapped around her as I helped her up. This simple gesture of affection to the others would look like I was comforting my student. Which I was. But not in the way they thought of. I tugged her toward the door, but she refused to move just yet. I knew I needed to get her out of here. Away from all this death.

Her hands clutched my shirt, crumpling the fabric. Still keeping one arm around her, I smoothed her hair back away from her face. She was still so scared and hurt. It broke my heart. She leaned her head against me, and I continued stroking her hair, murmuring that I loved her and would never let that happen again, and how much I worried and cared for her. But all in Russian of course.

Guardians were spreading throughout the house, examining it inch by inch. A couple of them approached  us and knelt by the bodies Rose refused to look at.

“She did that? Both of them?” One of the guardians exclaimed.

Another picked up the sword that Rose had dropped. “That sword hasn’t been sharpened in years!”

A funny sound caught in her throat, something between a choke and a cry. I squeezed her shoulder comfortingly.

“Get her out of here, Belikov.” Janine said from behind us. I didn’t look at her, but I knew she was right. Rose had seen enough.

This time she went. I guided her out of the house holding onto her as she managed each step. She moved like a robot, doing everything the guardians told her. Not saying a word.

We eventually ended up on one of the Academy’s jets. Engines roared around us as the plane lifted off. I sat next to Rose thinking of how much this was going to change her life. And I silently cursed myself for letting her out of my sight, and for telling her about Spokane. If I hadn’t none of this would have happened. Mason wouldn’t have died and Rose wouldn’t have been scared for the rest of her life.

Mia tapped me on the shoulder then. I murmured to Rose that I would be right back and left her alone in her seat. Mia nodded to me, thanking me for getting up and leaving. She held a blanket in her hand. And when I took a seat in the back I could see her draping it over Rose.

They talked for a few minutes, then as if on cue Mia got up and grabbed Janine. Janine got up and walked over to where Rose was sitting. She barely got any words out before Rose started sobbing. Janine pulled her daughter to her chest, something so affectionate I didn’t even know Janine was capable of doing it.

The weather warmed up on the day of Rose’s molnija ceremony. In fact, it was so warm that a lot of the snow on campus began melting, running down the sides of the Academy’s stone buildings in slim, silvery streams. Winter was far from being over, so I knew everything would just freeze up again in a few days. For now, though, it felt as though the entire world was weeping.