Disclaimer: Vampire Academy belongs to Richelle Mead.
Ch.3
DPOV
I was curious.
That girl, Rose Hathaway, had me curious about her. I wanted to know everything about her. So I turned to one of the closest people to her.
"Are you okay?" Eddie asked. "I apologize for her attitude."
"Is she always like that?"
He shrugged, avoiding my eyes. "It's not my place to tell you that."
"Then whose is it?" I asked.
He didn't look at me.
"Does it have something to do with the fact that she was smiling at your back just before we arrived in the gym?"
I watched as his muscles tensed.
"Does it have something to do with her element?"
"Like I said, it's not something I can tell you without her permission!" he snapped.
I stared at him as he worked to get himself under control. "You could ask her if you could tell me," I pointed out.
"Can we just abandon this conversation?"
"Who do you think is quite close to her?"
He studied me before answering. "Well, there's me, obviously, Lissa, and our father. But if you want to say as in Royal friends, there's always Adrian Ivashkov."
I frowned. Adrian Ivashkov, the son of Nathan Ivashkov and great-nephew of the High Queen? Playboy extraordinaire? I could ask him a few questions about Rose Hathaway, I suppose...
After exchanging a few more pleasantries, I hurried back to the privacy of my room.
I honestly can't catch a break.
"Dimka!" I heard my youngest sister's over-enthusiastic voice sounded just outside the door of my room just as I had collapsed on my bed. With a sigh, I stood up to let her in.
"Yes, Vika?" I was not in the mood to talk.
"Wow, what happened?" she giggled. "Did someone beat you in a match? You sound like you've just lost your favorite duster." Then she took a look at my stormy face, and said nervously, "Maybe I should go..."
"No, stay." I sighed again. "What do you want?"
"Why do you have to assume I want anything?" she frowned.
"Because you wouldn't be knocking on my door otherwise."
"Fine," she grumbled. "You're no fun. I was wondering if you'd let me take Rose Hathaway - you know, the gorgeous girl who may or may not be going to be your fiancée, Rose Hathaway - to my room for some girl time sometime?"
"Of course," I said. "Why do you need to ask me?"
"Because you might go all pissy when you find out your maybe-girlfriend missing, and then you're going to rip this house apart searching for her. Until next time!" She breezed off.
What the hell had just happened?
RPOV
After that eventful swordfight with Mr. Tall, Dark, and Silent, I decided to take a run. A run always helped matters.
I walked out the door I'd seen, the one I'd thought had led to outside. I was right.
I stepped out to a running track, one that was currently empty. Perfect.
I felt the magic in my new sword thrum, calling to my own power. Someone had infused the silver swirling on the blade with darkness. Even so, it had been a while since anyone had recharged it, so the magic was weakening. I would have to infuse some of my power later. But for now... I placed the blade down on a conveniently placed bench, and started buckling the sheath that accompanied the sword onto my belt. When I was satisfied with the knot, I slid the blade in. "Lightsinger," I said aloud. It fit the blade.
Indeed, when I said that, it glowed. I smiled.
After my run, I made my way back to my room in guest housing. My new sword hummed by my side, reminding me of what I'd said I would do.
I extending my mind towards the blade, the silver entwining into the metal.
Gently, slowly, I started releasing my power into the silver.
The moment I'd finished doing so, I'd arrived in front of my room.
Opening the door, I got a worrying feeling. Something wasn't right.
I found out what was wrong as soon as I stepped into the bedroom.
Dimitri's father, the Moroi king of Russia, was lying on the bed, his shirt on the floor next to him. He only had his pants on.
Not that I had a vendetta against half-naked men in general, but Dimitri's father was disgusting. How anyone would want a drunk man in their bed was beyond me.
Yes, he may be a King, but he was also a sleazeball. And if the way he curled his fingers at me, telling me to join him, a beard-splitter too.
Did he think I was a prostitute?
"Come here," he ordered, a slight slur lacing his words.
I was not going to do that. Bastard.
"I said, come here!" he yelled.
"You're drunk." Maybe not the best thing to say to a drunk person.
He snarled, his face twisting into an expression of fury. The strange thing was that I should be afraid of him. But I wasn't.
He reached out a hand, fire twisting along his palm. "You are going to be come here and be compliant about it."
If the situation wasn't so surprising I would have laughed. Was he trying to compel me?
For the information, I couldn't be compelled by a spirit user. I wasn't so sure about dark users being able to compel each other as I didn't know any dark users.
I didn't think the world knew any. Of course, in the manipulative world of politics, dark secrets, scandals, and drama were hidden under a façade of perfectness, one of lies. Anyone could be dark user and I would never know.
I shook my head to rid myself of those thoughts.
He was vibrating with rage. He had his belt in one hand, and he started to advance towards me.
"I said," he bellowed, "to be a compliant little slut!"
The magic inside me built, aching for an outlet. This time, I let it out.
I seized control of his mind - seriously, did people have mental shields anymore? - and riffled through his memories.
He'd seen me when we arrived and wanted me. And like any other Royal man, what he wanted he took. He'd inquired for the information about our rooms. He'd made it to mine, and laid down in my bed to wait for me.
Disgusting.
"You will leave and never return," I compelled him. "You are to forget that you ever saw me. You will forget that you know me."
He nodded, the glazed look in his eyes telling me he was going to do it.
"I am not finished. You will not touch another woman or girl who does not say they are willing."
I held his gaze for a moment more, seeing him squirm. "Now go."
I let out a breath as he ran out with his tail between his legs. That's what you get for messing with Rose Hathaway.
I almost flopped onto the bed, then I remembered who had been on these sheets recently.
I groaned, settling for the sofa in the living room of the suite. It was comfy, but I wanted to lie in a bed.
And to have a non-dirty bed I'd have to change the whole bed, rinse the place inside out, and buy tons of air fresheners.
Then I heard a knock on the door. I stumbled to it, opening it.
Viktoria Belikova stood outside, an enthusiastic grin stretching her face.
Lifesaver.
"I spoke to my brother and he agreed to let me take you to my room for some girl time so now we have about three hours to kill before dinner." She said all that in one breath and stood there waiting for my answer with that smile still on her face.
"That's fine, I guess," I told her, "but can we go to your room or Lissa's? Also, can I change a room?"
"What? Is there something wrong? Is the décor not to your tastes?"
"No, it's just, something happened in there and..."
"Oh. Oh." Her eyes widened as she caught my drift. "I get it! Of course you can change a room! I'll probably have to speak to Dimka about this, but my guess is that he'll just give you a new room without asking questions. You'll probably be his wife, after all."
"How do you know that?"
"I have my ways," she smirked.
I immediately decided that I liked her.
Viktoria was nice. She knew the way to Lissa's room arrangements here, and she was all chatty and bubbly on the way there. However, I had no illusions about what she would do if someone threatened her family and friends. They'd probably end up like the practice dummies back at home after I'd finished with them.
Riddled with holes, the plastic cut open where my blade had accidently sliced against the material.
We arrived at Lissa's room without any incident, and I felt myself tensing with anticipation. You never knew if you would walk into Lissa's room and see her and Christian going at it.
I'd made the mistake of not knocking and waiting for her answer once, and I'd entered to see both of them almost naked. I shuddered as I remembered how Christian looked like half-naked. I shuddered as I remembered how I couldn't look him in the face the month after, how I couldn't get the image of him out of my head.
God, I hoped Viktoria wouldn't be subjected to that image. It took me forever to look at Sparky the same way again.
Thank God, Lissa opened the door looking presentable. "Rose? Princess Viktoria? To what do I owe the pleasure of having you here?" That's Lissa for you. Always polite, always knowing the right thing to say.
"Please, call me Viktoria, Princess Vasilisa."
"Then call me Lissa," Lissa returned.
Both of them looked at each other, doing the kind of once-over only royals could give each other.
"It's nice to meet you, Viktoria," Lissa finally said.
DPOV (dinner time)
"Dimitri."
I ignored Eddie's voice, focusing on the door.
"Dimitri."
This time my oldest sister said that. I ignored her, keeping my concentration on the damn door.
"Dimitri!" Sonya yelled. "Would it fucking end your life to concentrate on us for a second!"
I dragged my eyes away from the offensive piece of wood and glass to my sister's face.
"It would," I muttered.
"Her I like," Eddie said. "But seriously, dude, stop pulling out your hair."
"What?"
"Stop pulling your hair like it's offending you."
"I -" It was pointless to argue. I removed my hands from my hair. Now what was I supposed to do with my hands?
I didn't have to think about it because the doors opened and my father stepped in. He was drunk. Very, very drunk.
"Remind me why we're waiting to eat," he slurred.
I saw Ibrahim Mazur enter from the corner of my eye.
"Ibrahim!" My father stood up in shock. "What are you doing here?"
"I was under the impression that I was invited here by your lovely wife and son." Compared to my father, with his red face, Ibrahim Mazur was the picture of unruffled cool.
My mother stepped in, and Ibrahim Mazur looked relieved to have someone else to talk to. "Lena," he greeted. "I trust you had a good afternoon?"
"It was pleasant, thank you."
"Where's my daughter?" Ibrahim Mazur looked around in exasperation.
"Where's Vika?" My mother echoed.
"Lissa said something about girl time this afternoon." Christian said from the corner.
"We're here!" Viktoria's voice sounded outside the door.
The three girls entered.
And my breath was swept away.
Vasilisa and Viktoria I may have ignored. My focus was on Rose Hathaway-Mazur.
She'd clearly gone for a discreet dress, but there was nothing discreet about it.
The fabric was white, and while it covered a decent amount of skin, it still displayed her bare shoulders. A ruby necklace hung from her neck, nestled in the hollow of her throat, and the skirt of the dress flared outwards. It cinched her waist, making it look like she had a belt over the dress.
All in all, she looked about ready to go to her wedding ceremony. And I was more than happy to oblige, to pick her up in my arms and carry her to where she wanted to be...
Get those thoughts out of your head, Belikov! I told myself.
We sat down, and started dinner.
Conversation never strayed into dangerous waters. Most of it was held between my sisters and Vasilisa, and my mother and Ibrahim Mazur. Rose Hathaway actually eyed my father with disgust.
Halfway through dinner, when the boys and girls from both parties were engaged in conversation, I felt my father's mind spike up with excitement. It's time, he thought.
A spike of cold ran down my spine. Time for what?
I delved into his mind, a skill that I'd almost perfected over the course of my life, and figured out what he'd been planning the second he'd laid eyes on Rose Hathaway.
He'd seen her and lusted after her like he did so many other girls. His plan was to lure her in with the promise of a good night. In his mind, rejections didn't exist. Not to him.
I swept the minds of the others - and found nothing that suggested they knew something was about to happen. The peculiar things I noticed started when I entered the mind of Vasilisa Dragomir.
She didn't really have a mental block on her mind that didn't allow me to enter her mind - instead, she kept some thoughts blocked, thoughts that I couldn't get ahold of. Thoughts that were oily to the touch. I couldn't peel them apart.
Then there was Eddie. He kept part of his mind shielded. I could only hear and see trivial thoughts, things like how Vasilisa's hair caught the light when he looked at her.
His sister, though, was a different story.
Her mind was walled-off. Whereas Eddie only hid the important thoughts - what he thought privately - Rose kept everything hidden.
Try as I did, I couldn't get in.
Then I got in. Or, I should say, some of her thoughts leaked out.
Too close, she thought. He's too close.
Then I saw what she saw in that moment.
His hand trailing up her leg, while he whispered something I couldn't discern in her ear.
I saw red.
The next thing I knew, her mind was sealed off again.
Sorry to leave a cliffhanger, but I want to separate the scene into both Dimitri and Rose POV, but I can't do that without making it seem odd, so it seemed most logical to cut it open to two chapters... Don't kill me!
Also, I intend to see this story through, so while it may mean slow slow updates, I will continue to write until it's finished. Please bear with me!
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