Vampire Academy Chapter 7

SEVENA COUPLE WEEKS PASSED AFTER that, and I presently forgot ab verboten the Anna thing as life at the Academy impris hotshotd about me. The shock of our return had worn off a curt, and we began to drib into a semi-comfortable routine. My days revolved around church, lunch with Lissa, and whatever sort of affectionate life I could scrape together outside of that. Denied either real free time, I didnt have too strong a time staying out of the spotlight, although I did fight to steal a little attention here and there, despite my noble speech to her about ?coasting by means of the middle. I couldnt help it. I kindredd flirting, I liked groups, and I liked making smartass comments in class.Her new, incognito role attracted attention barely because it was so different than forrader wed left, back when shed been so active with the royals. well-nigh people soon let that go, accepting that the Dragomir princess was fading off the social radar and content to run with Natalie a nd her group. Natalies rambling still do me fate to beat my head against a w any sometimes, plainly she was really benignant nicer than al close any of the other royals and I enjoyed hanging around her most of the time.And, just as Kirova had warned, I was indeed training and working out all the time. But as more time passed, my soundbox halt hating me. My muscles grew tougher, and my staying power increased. I still got my ass kicked in practice that not quite as badly as I utilize to, which was something. The biggest toll now seemed to be on my skin. Being outside in the cold so much was chapping my face, and only Lissas constant supply of skin- bearing lotions unplowed me from aging before my time. She couldnt do much for the blisters on my hands and feet.A routine also developed with Dimitri and me. Mason had been right about him existence antisocial. Dimitri didnt hang out much with the other guardians, though it was clear they all respected him. And the more I wo rked with him, the more I respected him too, though I didnt really understand his training methods. They didnt seem very badass. We always started by stretching in the gymnasium, and juvenilely hed been sending me outside to run, braving the increasingly cold Montana autumn.Three weeks after my return to the Academy, I walked into the gym before school hotshot day and found him sprawled on a mat, reading a Louis LAmour news. Someone had brought in a portable CD player, and while that cheered me up at jump, the song approach shot from it did not When Doves call out by Prince. It was embarrassing to know the title, just now one of our former housemates had been preoccupy with the ?80s.Whoa, Dimitri, I said, tossing my bag on the floor. I realize this is actually a current jibe in Eastern Europe right now, but do you think we could maybe listen to something that wasnt recorded before I was born?Only his eyes flicked toward me the rest of his posture remained the same. What d oes it matter to you? Im the one whos red to be listening to it. Youll be outside move.I do a face as I discipline my foot up on one of the bars and stretched my hamstrings. All things considered, Dimitri had a good-natured security deposit for my snarkiness. So long as I didnt slack in my training, he didnt mind my footrace commentary.Hey, I asked, moving on to the next hard-boiled of stretches, whats with all the running, anyway? I mean, I realize the importance of stamina and all that, but shouldnt I be moving on to something with a little hitting? Theyre still polishing me in group practice. peradventure you should hit harder, he replied drily.Im serious.Hard to tell the difference. He set the book down but didnt move from his sprawl. My job is to get you throw to concord the princess and fight grim creatures, right?Yup.So tell me this suppose you manage to kidnap her again and enlist her off to the mall. dapple youre there, a Strigoi comes at you. What will you do ?Depends on what store were in.He musical noteed at me.Fine. Ill guess him with a silver stake.Dimitri sat up now, crossing his long legs in one fluid motion. I still couldnt figure out how soul so tall could be so graceful. Oh? He raised his dark eyebrows. Do you have a silver stake? Do you up to now out know how to use one?I dragged my eyes away from his embody and scowled. Made with elemental magic, silver stakes were a guardians fallenliest weapon. Stabbing a Strigoi through the heart with one meant instant death. The blades were also lethal to Moroi, so they werent given out lightly to novices. My classmates had just started skill how to use them. Id educate with a gun before, but no one would let me adept a stake yet. Fortunately, there were two other ways to kill a Strigoi.Okay. Ill cut his head off.Ignoring the fact that you dont have a weapon to do that, how will you compensate for the fact that he may be a foot taller than you?I straightened up from touching my toes, annoyed. Fine, then Ill set him on fire.Again, with what?All right, I give up. Youve already got the answer. Youre just messing with me. Im at the mall and I see a Strigoi. What do I do?He looked at me and didnt blink. You run.I repressed the urge to throw something at him. When I finished my stretches, he told me hed run with me. That was a first. Maybe running would give me some insight into his killer reputation.We set out into the unemotional October evening. Being back on a vampiric schedule still mat up weird to me. With school about to start in an time of day, I anticipate the sun to be coming up, not down. But it was sinking on the western horizon, lighting up the snow-capped mountains with an orange glow. It didnt really fervent things up, and I soon felt the cold pierce my lungs as my pauperisation for oxygen deepened. We didnt speak. He slowed his pace to match mine, so we stayed together.Something about that daunted me I suddenly very much treasured his ap proval. So I picked up my own pace, working my lungs and muscles harder. Twelve laps around the track do three miles we had nine more to go.When we reached the third-to-last loop, a couple of other novices passed by, preparing to go to the group practice Id soon be at as well. eyesight me, Mason cheered. Good form, RoseI smiled and waved back.Youre slowing down, Dimitri snapped, jerking my stare from the boys. The harshness in his voice startled me. Is this wherefore your times arent acquire any faster? Youre easily distracted?Embarrassed, I increased my speed once more, despite the fact that my body started screaming obscenities at me. We finished the twelve laps, and when he checked, he found wed shaved two proceedings off my best time. non bad, huh? I crowed when we headed back inside for cool-down stretches. Looks like I could get as far as the Limited before the Strigoi got me at the mall. Not sure how Lissa would do.If she was with you, shed be okay. I looked up in surpr ise. It was the first real compliment hed paid me since I started training with him. His browned eyes watched me, both approving and amused.And thats when it happened.I felt like mortal had shot me. Sharp and biting, terror exploded in my body and in my head. Small razors of pain. My vision blurred, and for a atomic number 42, I wasnt standing there. I was running down a flight of stairs, s parcel outd and desperate, needing to get out of there, needing to descry?me.My vision cleared, leaving me back on the track and out of Lissas head. Without a word to Dimitri, I tore off, running as fast as I could toward the Moroi dorm. It didnt matter that Id just put my legs through a mini-marathon. They ran hard and fast, like they were shiny and new. Distantly, I was aware of Dimitri catching up to me, postulation me what was wrong. But I couldnt answer him. I had one task and one alone get to the dorm.Its looming, ivy-covered form was just coming into assimilate when Lissa met up with us, her face streaked with tears. I came to a jarring stop, my lungs ready to burst.Whats wrong? What happened? I demanded, clutching her arms, forcing her to look into my eyes.But she couldnt answer. She just flung her arms around me, sobbing into my chest. I held her there, stroking her sleek, silky hair while I told her it was going to be all right whatever ?it was. And honestly, I didnt care what it was just then. She was here, and she was safe, which was all that mattered. Dimitri hovered over us, alert and ready for any threat, his body coiled to attack. I felt safe with him beside us.A half(a) hour later, we were crammed inside Lissas dorm elbow room with three other guardians, Ms. Kirova, and the hall matron. This was the first time Id seen Lissas room. Natalie had indeed managed to get her as a roommate, and the two sides of the room were a study in contrasts. Natalies looked lived in, with settings on the wall and a decorated bed paste that wasnt dorm-issue. Lissa ha d as some possessions as I did, making her half noticeably bare. She did have one picture taped to the wall, a picture taken from last Halloween, when wed dressed up like fairies, complete with wing and glittery makeup. Seeing that picture and remembering how things used to be made a dull pain form in my chest.With all the excitement, no one seemed to remember that I wasnt supposed to be in there. outside(a) in the hall, other Moroi girls crowded together, trying to figure out what was going on. Natalie pushed her way through them, wondering what the commotion in her room was. When she find it, she came to a screeching halt.Shock and disgust showed on almost everyones faces as we stared at Lissas bed. There was a fob on the pillow. Its finishing was reddish-orange, tinged in white. It looked so soft and cuddly that it could have been a pet, perhaps a cat, something youd hold in your arms and snuggle with.Aside from the fact that its pharynx had been slit.The inside of the thr oat looked pink and jellylike. Blood stained that soft coat and had run down onto the yellow bedspread, forming a dark pool that spread across the fabric. The foxs eyes stared upward, glazed, over with a sort of shocked look about them, like the fox couldnt believe this was happening.Nausea built up in my stomach, but I forced myself to keep looking. I couldnt relent to be squeamish. Id be killing Strigoi someday. If I couldnt handle a fox, Id neer survive major kills.What had happened to the fox was sick and twisted, obviously done by someone too fucked up for words. Lissa stared at it, her face death-pale, and took a few steps toward it, hand involuntarily reaching out. This gross act hit her hard, I knew, digging at her love of animals. She love them, they loved her. While on our own, shed often begged me for a pet, but Id always refused and reminded her we couldnt take care of one when we might have to flee at a moments notice. Plus, they detested me. So shed contented hersel f with helping and patching up strays she found and making friends with other peoples pets, like Oscar the cat.She couldnt patch this fox up, though. There was no coming back for it, but I saying in her face she precious to help it, like she helped everything. I took her hand and steered her away, suddenly recalling a colloquy from two years ago.What is that? Is it a crow?Too big. Its a raven.Is it dead?Yeah. Definitely dead. Dont touch it.She hadnt listened to me back then. I hoped she would now.It was still alive when I got back, Lissa whispered to me, clutching my arm. Barely. Oh God, it was twitching. It must have suffered so much.I felt rancour rise in my throat now. Under no circumstances would I throw up. Did you ?No. I wanted to?I started to?Then exit about it, I said sharply. Its stupid. Somebodys stupid joke. Theyll clean it up. Probably even give you a new room if you want.She turned to me, eyes almost wild. Rose?do you remember?that one time?Stop it, I said. Forget about it. This isnt the same thing.What if someone saw? What if someone knowsI tightened my grip on her arm, digging my nails in to get her attention. She flinched. No. Its not the same. It has nothing to do with that. Do you hear me? I could feel both Natalie and Dimitris eyes on us. Its going to be okay. Everythings going to be okay.Not looking like she believed me at all, Lissa nodded.Get this cleaned up, Kirova snapped to the matron. And find out if anyone saw anything.Someone finally realized I was there and ordered Dimitri to take me away, no matter how much I begged them to let me stay with Lissa. He walked me back to the novices dorm. He didnt speak until we were almost there. You know something. Something about what happened. Is this what you meant when you told Headmistress Kirova that Lissa was in danger?I dont know anything. Its just some sick joke.Do you have any idea whod do it? Or why?I considered this. Before wed left, it could have been any number of people. That wa s the way it was when you were popular. People loved you, people hated you. But now? Lissa had faded off to a certain extent. The only person who really and truly despised her was Mia, but Mia seemed to fight her battles with words, not actions. And even if she did decide to do something more aggressive, why do this? She didnt seem like the type. There were a million other ways to get back at a person. No, I told him. No clue.Rose, if you know something, tell me. Were on the same side. We both want to defend her. This is serious.I spun around, taking my anger over the fox out on him. Yeah, it is serious. Its all serious. And you have me doing laps every day when I should be learning to fight and defend her If you want to help her, then teach me something pick up me how to fight. I already know how to run away.I didnt realize until that moment how badly I did want to learn, how I wanted to prove myself to him, to Lissa, and to everyone else. The fox incident had made me feel powerl ess, and I didnt like that. I wanted to do something, anything.Dimitri watched my outburst calmly, with no change in his expression. When I finished, he simply beckoned me forward like I hadnt said anything. Come on. Youre late for practice.