Dimitri's POV in Blood Promise Vampire Academy

Chapter 15

"This is all your fault!" I yelled, fists clenched.

She flinched, her eyes were wide and almost innocent. I won't fall for that. "But he . . . he attacked me . . ."

"Yes. And Inna. A human! You let a human attack you." I snarled. "You are weak. You are incapable of defending yourself---all because you refuse to be awakened!" I looked down at her, the terror was clearly evident in her face. Good. I reached forward and grabbed her wrist, before jerking her to her feet.

"If you had just been killed, it would have been your own fault," I said. My grip tightened on her wrist. "You have the chance for immortality, for incredible strength! And you're too blind and stubborn to see it."

With the back of her hand, she rubbed her eyes, which smudged the makeup she was wearing and made her eyes look much darker. It had also highlighted her already dark eye circles, greyish tear trails marked her cheeks from where she had been crying.

"I don't think I'd be stronger than Nathan, even if I was turn---awakened." She finally managed to stutter. My hands glided over her hair, as I began to ponder the hidden question behind her words. Would she be strong enough against Nathan?

"Perhaps not initially, but your strength of body and will carries over with the change. He's not that much older than either of us---not enough to make a noticeable difference, which is why he keeps backing down when we fight."

"Why do you keep backing down?

I froze, suddenly fueled with angry again. Does she really believe I have a choice? If I did, he'd be dead already. "Because he's right about one thing," My voice held no emotion. "Killing him would bring Galina's wrath down on us. And that's not something I can afford. Yet."

"You said before that you . . . that we . . . had to kill her."

"Yes, and once we do, it'll be easy to seize control of her assets and organisation."

"What is her organisation exactly?" Our conversation is heading to a dangerous path. I shrugged it off, and decided to be as vague as possible. If I didn't answer, she'd suspect the worse.

"All sorts of things. This wealth isn't bought without effort." Effort such as actually going to Novosibirsk and finding the right people to attack.

"Effort that's illegal and hurts humans?" She sounded almost concerned for them, which both angered and confused me.

"Does it matter?"

She ignored that. "But Galina used to be your teacher. Can you really kill her? And I don't mean physically . . . I mean, doesn't it bother you?" I guess it would have bothered me if I was a dhampir. Now I know better to not become emotionally attached to anyone. It weakens you and instantly defines you as the prey. Not the predator.

"I told you before. It's all about strength and weakness. Prey or predator. If we can bring her down---and I have no doubts we can---then she's the prey. End of story." I spoke with a matter-of-fact tone, knowing my words were harsh but true.

All her life, at the academy, she lived in complete oblivion to the horrors of our world. She had grown up naive but strong; her ill state back when she had, for the first time, killed one of us and where she had lost her friend, Mason, was proof of this. I have to help her understand the real world, but it will take some time.

I looked down to realise that I still had my grip on her wrist, and that her skin was starting to form a bruise. I let go and she stumbled, backing away from me slowly. Shakily, she walked over to the couch and sat down. A few seconds later, I joined her.