Coming Home to You (VA - Romitri)

Chapter 36: Rose POV

It's almost over guys - just one more chapter that will post tomorrow! Thanks so much for reading!

They ambushed us as we headed back to the lounge after dinner. We had planned to meet the others there to hear about their "missions." Lissa had let me know, through the bond, that they were on their way, and that both had been "a success" – though she hadn't elaborated.

Dimitri and I had just rounded the corner outside the guardian dorms, swinging our joined hands, enjoying a lazy stroll in the early morning sunlight. They burst out of the trees, and out of doorways, and surrounded us instantly. We reacted instinctively, all those hours of training together making it easy to fall into guard positions, backs together, stakes drawn. I counted six – no seven – guardians. I let out a relieved breath – not Strigoi, thank god – but didn't drop my guard. They were advancing on us, now. Some openly, others flitting from tree to tree. I spotted Eddie first, then Yuri and Emil, faces carefully blank.

This was going to be interesting.

Stan wore a fierce grin, and obviously thought stealth useless. I'll enjoy kicking your ass, Stanny-boy, I thought, sending my own fierce grin back to him, widening it when he faltered. Ha. Didn't expect that, did you? I've got more surprises where that came from! Then the first attacked – Celeste, a distant part of my brain informed me – and I wiped everything from my mind but the battle as I met her charge. Dimitri sprang forward at the same instant to engage Yuri and Emil – attacking in concert – and then Stan recovered and ran at my other side.

Everything was a blur after that, of arms and legs and stakes, spinning and twirling, advancing and retreating, forward and back, up and down, kicking and punching and striking... and through it all Dimitri and I held formation, protecting each other's backs.

At first, some of the guardians hung back, biding their time. I noted them, in the back of my mind, and marked their position. And we danced.

Time slowed to a crawl, then sped up, then slowed again. The sun moved imperceptibly higher in the sky. And we danced.

Stan was the first to go down. He grew impatient, and came in under my guard – or so he thought. I took him down with a new combination move Dimitri had taught me – a flurry of punches and kicks that completely overwhelmed his guard. I finished with a bruising kick to his ass that sent him sprawling in the dirt, and couldn't hold back the triumphant shout that bubbled out of my lips. And then someone else – Art? – was on me, and I sank back into the familiar whirl of battle. And we danced.

They changed tactics, then. They must have been trying to wear us down, but it backfired. They were tiring faster than us – they haven't been running Dimitri's laps, I thought smugly. We weren't even winded. They all moved in, then, even the ones who had been hanging back. I snorted. They thought to overwhelm us with sheer numbers.

I darted a quick look at Dimitri. He caught my eye, and nodded. I started counting in my head, subtly maneuvering my current opponents – Yuri and Eddie now, and Celeste – into position. Yuri's forehead wrinkled slightly, but he hadn't caught on yet. Good.

I could see, out of the corner of my eye, Dimitri doing the same to his opponents. Thirty-five, thirty-six, thirty-seven... "Now!" Dimitri shouted. The attacking guardians all jumped, startled, but Dimitri and I were already moving. We stepped closer together, back to back, away from the circle of our attackers. We locked elbows and then I jumped and twisted, using Dimitri's back as a springboard. He braced his feet and pushed, giving me extra lift. I soared over his head as he spun to engage my opponents, even as I dropped lightly into a crouch and then sprang forward, charging his opponents. They all stared, openmouthed, and in that brief moment of shock we took them down.

And just like that, it was over. I knelt over Art, stake positioned over his heart, Emil and Janine "dead" beside me. Dimitri crouched over Eddie, stake over his heart, Celeste and Yuri "dead" beside him. Stan still sprawled in the dirt a few feet away, mouth open in shock.

I met Dimitri's fierce grin with a matching one, just as fierce. And a slow clapping echoed over the silent courtyard.

Alberta and Kirova stepped out from the shadows at the edge of the building, stately applause tempered by matching grins nearly as fierce as Dimitri's and mine. Then the fallen guardians took up the applause, and the startlingly large audience that I'd not noticed until now, as Dimitri and I slowly stood up. He reached for my hand, pulling me into a rough embrace, and then we both turned to face Alberta and Kirova.

"Well done!" Kirova cried, "Oh, very well done!" Alberta just smiled, but her smile held more warmth than I'd ever seen in it. And... pride.

"Congratulations Kizim!" Abe materialized at my side, followed quickly by the rest of our friends, hugging and patting and grinning at us.

And then they all fell back, and I found myself staring into the faintly amused eyes of the Queen. I stiffened involuntarily, and felt the soothing caress of Dimitri's warm hand on my spine. I let it ease away a bit of the tension, relaxing as much as I felt wise. Then he and I bowed, our bodies moving as one. My eyes widened in shock as I saw her beaded slippers draw nearer, and then felt her hand on my shoulder. I knew by the way Dimitri stiffened beside me that her other hand had settled on his shoulder. I let my tension drain away. Whatever this was, we'd face it together. And with Dimitri by my side, I felt I could take on the world.

Tatiana squeezed my shoulder briefly, grip stronger than I'd expected, then released me and stepped back. She pitched her voice to carry to the edges of the crowd gathered around us, suddenly much larger than it had been.

"Miss Hathaway." She nodded towards me, and I caught my breath at the respect she conveyed with that nod. I'd never dared dream of that – only that she'd tolerate me enough to allow me to be Lissa's guardian. "You have shown today that you are no longer the wild, impulsive child I have had occasion to chastise in the past. You have grown up, this past year, and I have no doubts now that you will be a fine guardian – and no doubt surpass your mother before much time passes."

I started, and sought Janine's eyes. But there was none of the anger or resentment I'd feared in them. They shone with pride and love, and that humbled me even more than the praise from the Queen.

"And, Guardian Belikov," Tatiana continued, "I must congratulate you on taming our wild Rose. Under your mentoring, she has blossomed into the finest guardian, save yourself, our world has seen in many years. I look forward to seeing what heights you can push one another to in the future." She smiled at us, a razor-sharp smile that made me wince. I felt Dimitri's answering wince, more than saw it. Tatiana's smile sharpened further, and I knew she'd seen. "I am grateful to you both for agreeing to take on the mission I requested you for. It will be dangerous, but should be very rewarding. And, after watching your trial just now, I know you are both ready. I expect great things from you – from both of you – in the future."

She nodded to us, a slow incline of her head, infinitely regal, and then turned and glided away. Most of the spectators melted away after her, but that was fine with me. The only ones that mattered were still here.

Dimitri caught me to him in a fierce embrace, and fireworks went off when we kissed. I wasn't sure whether they were inside my head or in the air around us, but I didn't care. I had much more important things on my mind.