Chapter 11:
After leaving Rose to bring the last box to Mrs. Davis, I made my way to the guardian’s main building to report Rose’s community service. Even though Kirova and Alberta never asked me to, I felt like it was the right thing to do. Considering I was assigned to keep Rose in line and report her disciplinary projects I figured this event was no different.
And as my feet sloshed in the snow I couldn’t help but feel hurt about Rose’s earlier comments. Did she really not believe that I could get her into the trial? Did she really think I had that much power to do so? Her comments suggested that I did, and she looked at me as if I were a god who was capable of doing anything.
I shook my head at the thought; no I may not be able to do everything. But I was capable of doing a lot of things, and getting Rose and Lissa to that trial was just an obstacle I had to overcome.
As the guardian building peeped out of the darkness of the trees I quickened my pace. My feet were silent against the snow, mainly from my years of practicing fox walking, and also from being light in my stance. Twenty years of practicing this one technique will do that to you.
The soft golden glow coming from the windows casted long eerie blue shadows on the snow. Shapes were walking past the window’s frame. I could tell from the short hair and the tense body that one of them was Alberta’s. The wind picked up making me quicken my pace even more.
I was soon bathed in the warm glow. Shutting the door behind me I could actually feel my face defrosting. How long have I been walking? I’ll never know.
Alberta’s head shot up from the corner she was standing at the instant the door locked in place. She nodded and gave me a small smile. “Belikov. You’re here to report Rose’s community service I presume?”
I nodded back and took a seat at the empty table. Emil was standing off to the side going over something with another guardian. “Yes, she, Father Andrew and I worked all day on cleaning out the chapel’s attic and sorting through the boxes that he kept up there. Then after we, Rose and I, brought them down to the lower schools and handed them over to Mrs. Davis.”
Alberta’s watchful eyes were on me the whole time. Making me nervous. She let a few moments pass before she nodded. “How is she doing?”
Her question shocked me. I knew Alberta cared about Rose’s field experience but that didn’t stop my racing heart from slowing down. After my confrontation with Father Andrew this morning I figured everyone would’ve guessed my love for Rose by now.
I kept my face as stone like as possible, not wanting to give anything away from last night. Especially my fight with Stan. “She’s doing better; Guardian Alto got her again last night. But this time it was different, he attacked and both she and Eddie jumped in leaving both their charges unprotected.”
I felt like a snitch but I couldn’t lie to Alberta. She was the one person that had control over all guardians at this school and if she found out I was lying I’d lose my job. And that meant losing my job of protecting Lissa and keeping a watchful eye over Rose.
Alberta had started to pace the room again. Her head hung low as she placed her clasped hands behind her back. Her face was thoughtful as she took in all my information. And I noticed for the first time she looked as young as she was. Not all tensed up and ready for a fight, her face was smooth, free of stress wrinkles and with her mouth slightly opened she looked her age. Alberta wasn’t as old as most guardians now a days, but she was pretty old. And all the stress of being a Guardian had taken her beauty away.
This thought brought me back to my first days of training Rose. It had been cold and we had been practicing outside for quite some time. When we came back inside I noticed her hands were cracked and blistered, and in some parts they had actually opened and bled.
While I was treating them she told me that this was the first sign of her slowly losing her beauty. Just like Alberta and her mother had lost theirs. The life of dedication and protecting the Moroi really affected us in a lot of ways.
Back then I had told her that it wouldn’t happen to her that this life would never affect her beauty in anyway. And even now I thought the same thing. Rose was different from Alberta and her mother. Both Alberta and Janine have fully dedicated their lives to protecting and serving their Moroi charges. The only difference is that Rose will be safely locked away in Court with Lissa. Which will provide less brutality to her gorgeous face. She didn’t need to worry about losing her golden skin to a hard life. I was sure of it.
Alberta stopped pacing and resorted to sitting next to me. She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees as she stared into my eyes. I could see the beautiful woman she once was before this life took that all away. She was still beautiful, not in the way Rose was, but in her own way. She had a tough beauty about her.
“I heard about her fight with Alto last night, and I know you care about her as much as I do. And want to help her but I don’t know what we can do. We’ve both seen what she’s capable of; we’ve both seen the damage in Spokane.” She paused her face darkening. I knew what she was thinking of. The blood that covered the floor as Rose screamed for us to leave her alone. Hovering over Mason as if she could bring him back to life. The tears and blood mixed in on her cheeks, the hurt and anger in her eyes as she stared up at us not making our features out.
Alberta shook her head. “I know Rose is much more skilled than this. She shouldn’t even need to take the field experience. I don’t even think what we put the novice’s through every year really helps them in real life.” She looked away. I was shocked at how close she came to mirroring my thoughts from talking to Rose earlier. “But I have to put faith in this program. It’s the only way we can teach them the ways of the real world. I had expected Rose to be the top student and take down every threat we threw at her. But maybe I was wrong. Maybe Spokane had done some permanent damage to her. Maybe…” her eyes looked sadder and sadder the more she talked. I placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort her. There were real tears in her eyes. “Maybe she can’t be helped. Maybe she’s incapable of killing Strigoi without flashing back to her first killing.”
Her voice trailed off as she looked away from me. I took in what she was saying. It was true, maybe there’s no way to help Rose. Maybe she really was gone in the sense of being able to kill. But thinking back to today, the fierceness in her eyes and the determination to pass this exam was a sign of how wrong Alberta’s thoughts were.
No, Rose was capable of killing. I’ve seen the way she watches Lissa as if she were in terrible danger. As if in any moment Lissa will be attacked, even in a highly guarded school. No, Rose hasn’t left us, and she never will.
I squeezed Alberta’s shoulder out of comfort. “I’ve fought her in the gym after Spokane. I’ve seen the way she watches Lissa as if they were already out in the real world. Rose hasn’t left us after Spokane. If anything she’s grown stronger and more alert.”
Alberta looked back at me, her eyes wide and hopeful; this only made her look much younger. “You really think so?” There was a hopeful tone to her voice.
I nodded. “I’m positive. I know Rose; she’ll never leave this life of protecting and serving the Moroi.” I thought back to the day in the gym after Spokane when she demanded to learn more about killing Strigoi. “No, she’ll be just fine.”
Alberta smiled at me. “I’m sorry…about all that, it’s just guardian numbers are lowering daily and we can’t afford to lose a student like Rose.”
I nodded in agreement. When she didn’t say anymore I stood up to leave. I took two steps before she reached out and grabbed my wrist. Forcing me to turn around and look down into her eyes. “Promise me you’ll find out what’s wrong with Rose, Belikov.” Her eyes were no longer watery, if anything they looked determined. “We can’t lose her. Mentally I mean.”
I nodded. “I promise.”
Alberta sighed and leaned back releasing her hold on me. She ran a hand through her short brown hair. “One more thing. Do you think we need to get Hathaway into a therapist?”
I took a moment to think about that. Therapy would help her, but I don’t think that’s an issue as of right now. And if we did decide to place her into a help program it will only push back her field experience more. I shook my head. “No, she’ll be fine. If the problem worsens within this week I’ll set up an appointment with one of our therapists.”
Alberta seemed to like this idea. She nodded and clasped her hands in her lap. “Very well then, I need---“
Her next words were cut off by a loud bang of the front door. I spun around as fast as I would if there were a Strigoi standing behind me. My instincts made me reach for my stake. But my fingers stopped to rest on the cold metal surface as I noticed who I was about to attack.
“Ivashkov! You are out of line!”
Green eyes stared back at me, messy brown hair drenched from the newly falling snow. Adrian smirked at me as he walked toward us. Kirova was behind him, looking upset and pissed off as usual.
“I told him he couldn’t come in here without an appointment. That Moroi were not permitted to enter without further acceptance, but he just won’t listen.”
Adrian plopped himself down on one of the few couches we had in the guardian building. He stretched out his long legs looking bored. “I told you Kirova I go by my own rules. Besides I’m not a student. I have rights!” His words had a slight slur to them. And it took me a moment to realize he was drunk. Shaking my head I looked over at a now fuming, red faced Kirova.
“Headmistress. And because you aren’t a student doesn’t mean you get to barge into whatever building you want. You’re not even part of our staff, you have no right what so ever.” Her words were clipped and had venom dripping off of them. I couldn’t remember a time when Kirova wasn’t this mad. Excluding the past visits from Rose.
Adrian waved that off as if it didn’t even matter. And to an Ivashkov it might as well not. “Yeah, I get it. I came here for a good reason, and since you wouldn’t approve I went to the next best source.”
Adrian’s eyes searched both Alberta’s and mine. Emil and the other guardian were still standing in the corner, but were no longer focused on the paper Emil still clutched in his hand. Their eyes were wide and surprised. I had no doubt Alberta and I looked the same.
Kirova huffed at that as she positioned herself next to Adrian. “Requesting Rosemarie Hathaway and Vasilisa Dragomir to Victor Dashkov’s trail isn’t a good reason to come barging into every staff building on this campus.”
He smiled up at Kirova as she stared him down. How he managed not to cower under her piercing glare was beyond me. “Oh come on, let them come. I’m sure my Aunt will be thrilled to have the last Dragomir in her courtroom. Considering they’ve been absent for over two years. They need more power in their government.”
We all stared at him in shock. Never before had a royal talked about the Dragomir’s death like that. Everyone looked at it in sorrow and pity for Lissa. But then again Adrian was drunk and probably didn’t know half of what he was saying.
Kirova looked like she was about to hit him. Instead she clinched her fists to her side, making her knuckles turn white. “The Dragomir’s death was a tragedy, and you should respect their absence and not acknowledge it in that way.” I could tell she was trying hard to keep her self control.
Adrian yawned looking more bored than he did a moment ago. He seemed to forget Kirova as he turned his attention to both Alberta and I. “Please consider letting Rose and Lissa go to the trial.” At first I wanted to shake my head but the longer I looked into those deep green eyes the more I began to lose my sense of reality.
There was nothing in the world but those emerald eyes. They burned into my soul as I continued to stare at him. His face was a magnificent blur; the only thing I could seem to focus on was his eyes.
I shook my head; that was weird, never before had I felt like that. I looked away as he continued to talk. “My Aunt will praise you for letting them come along.” His voice was like honey but there was something else hidden in there too.
I focused my attention back on him. But this time I didn’t look anywhere near his eyes. They were now focused on Alberta. I stole a glance in her direction and was shocked at what I saw.
Her face was slack, like it had been earlier, making her look ten years younger. Everything about her seemed normal except for her eyes. They had that glazed over look I knew all too well. Compulsion.
Adrian was using it on Alberta, and Kirova didn’t notice it. I wanted to say something, but one simple thought stopped me.
This could be it; this could be our chance of getting Rose into the trial. I knew it was wrong to encourage compulsion, I could get in a lot of trouble for it, but if it included Rose and making her happy I was all for it. I sat back in my chair and stared at the pattern on the floor until it was over.
Alberta coughed and sighed. I looked up at her, her eyes were still glazed over but I could see her quickly coming to her senses. “I’ll consider it.” She said not sounding too convinced.
I looked over at Adrian to see what his reaction might be. And what I saw surprised me. He glared at both of us. “You will do it, and forget that I used compulsion on you.”
I woke up; it was like I was in a dream, a dream where I was being controlled. Only I was in the guardian’s building staring at Adrian and Kirova. Kirova’s features were as pissed off as usual, she didn’t seem affected by the weird dream feeling.
I shook off the rest of the effects as I stared at my hands. Alberta’s voice rang through the silence. “Considering your proposition Mr. Ivashkov, I will allow both Hathaway and Dragomir to attend Victor’s trial.” Her voice seemed like something was controlling it, but I didn’t know what.
Kirova moved towards the door. “Great, not only will we have to worry about you being trouble Adrian, but now we’ll have to worry about Rosemarie as well.” She huffed and walked out into the cold night air.
Adrian stood up and brushed off his pants. “Well my work is finished. See you tomorrow.”
And with that he left the building as loud as he had entered. I shook off whatever I had just gone through and stood up. I had to pack for tomorrow. And now I had to pack for Rose.
Excitement burst through my body at the thought of having her come with us. How Adrian did it I’ll never know.
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Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed it! I'm actually happy with this one conisdering I used ALL my imagination and none of Meads(: I hope you guys liked this long chapter, comment and tell me what you think!
Now a few shoutouts(:
RachelGrace:
Go read her story Doing Daddy's Job
Summery:
Ronnie's mum is sick of it, she can't deal with her daughter anymore meaning Ronnie gets sent to her father, who unfortunately, she doesn't like.
But when her father goes missing, Ronnie has to go undercover to find out how to save him, but what will happen when she has to do Daddy's job?
Sounds good? Good(: go check it out(:
Okay now a very special shoutout to a very old and good friend of mine.
Elfina01:
You have been very supportive of my work with Dimitri(: I was very upset when you stopped going on wattpad because not only did I miss you but I missed you're never ending encouragement and sparkiness that I've come to know an love(: I'm so glad your back, and I hope everything went ok with you and your move(: I'm excited to start working on Blood Promise and I know you'll help me in every way you can.
MY FANS:
Thank you so much for reading this and if you know a lot about being a Strigoi(particuarlly Dimitri as one) then if you could help me that would be great! I'll reward you with something! I haven't figured it out yet but I will soon(:
Thanks for reading! Tell me what you think(: