Vampire Academy Chapter 7

SEVENA COUPLE WEEKS PASSED AFTER that, and I curtly forgot ab come on the Anna thing as life at the Academy wrapped around me. The shock of our return had worn off a little, and we began to fall into a semi-comfortable routine. My twenty-four hourss revolved around church, lunch with Lissa, and whatever sort of social life I could scrape to prolongher outside of that. Denied any real remedy time, I didnt have too hard a time staying out of the spotlight, although I did manage to steal a little attention here and thither, disrespect my noble speech to her virtually ?coasting through the middle. I couldnt help it. I analogousd flirting, I liked classifys, and I liked making smartass comments in class.Her new, concealed role attracted attention simply because it was so different than before wed left, back when shed been so active with the royals. Most people soon let that go, accepting that the Dragomir princess was attenuation off the social radar and content to run with Natali e and her group. Natalies rambling still made me want to beat my head against a wall sometimes, but she was unfeignedly nice nicer than almost 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 than time passed, my body stopped hating me. My muscles grew tougher, and my stamina increased. I still got my ass kicked in practice but non quite as badly as I used to, which was something. The biggest toll now waited to be on my skin. Being outside in the cold so much was chapping my face, and only Lissas constant supply of skin-care lotions kept me from aging before my time. She couldnt do much for the blisters on my authorizes and feet.A routine also create with Dimitri and me. Mason had been unspoilt more or less him being antisocial. Dimitri didnt hang out much with the other guardians, though it was clear they all respected him. And the more I worked with hi m, the more I respected him too, though I didnt really understand his training methods. They didnt seem very badass. We alship canal started by stretching in the gym, and after-hoursly hed been direct 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 one day and found him sprawled on a mat, reading a Louis LAmour book. Someone had brought in a portable CD player, and while that cheered me up at first, the song coming from it did not When Doves call out by Prince. It was embarrassing to know the title, but one of our former housemates had been obsessed with the ?80s.Whoa, Dimitri, I said, tossing my bag on the floor. I collect this is actually a modern hit in Eastern Europe right now, but do you think we could maybe listen to something that wasnt recorded before I was born? provided his eyes flicked toward me the rest of his posture remained the same. What does it matter to you? Im the one whos going to be listening to it. Youll be outside running.I made a face as I set my foot up on one of the bars and stretched my hamstrings. All things considered, Dimitri had a good-natured tolerance for my snarkiness. So long as I didnt slack in my training, he didnt mind my running commentary.Hey, I asked, moving on to the next set 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 killing me in group practice.Maybe 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 ready to struggle the princess and fight dark creatures, right?Yup.So tell me this suppose you manage to kidnap her again and take her off to the midpoint. While youre there, a Strigoi comes at you. What forget you do?Depends on what store were in.He accounted at me.Fine. Ill s tab him with a silver stake.Dimitri sat up now, crossing his long legs in one fluent motion. I still couldnt figure out how someone so tall could be so graceful. Oh? He raised his dark eyebrows. Do you have a silver stake? Do you even know how to use one?I dragged my eyes away from his body and scowled. Made with elemental magic, silver stakes were a guardians deadliest 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 information how to use them. Id trained with a gun before, but no one would let me near a stake yet. Fortunately, there were both 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 g ive 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 chilly October evening. Being back on a vampiric schedule still entangle weird to me. With school about to start in an hour, I expected 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 warm things up, and I soon felt the cold stuff my lungs as my need for oxygen deepened. We didnt speak. He slowed his pace to match mine, so we stayed together.Something about that bothered me I suddenly very much wanted his approval. So I picked up my own pace, working my lungs and muscles harder. Twelve laps around the track made thr ee 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. Seeing me, Mason cheered. Good form, RoseI smiled and waved back.Youre slowing down, Dimitri snapped, jerking my gaze from the boys. The acrimony in his voice startled me. Is this why your times arent getting 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 minutes 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 surprise. It was the first real compliment hed paid me since I started training with him. His brown eyes watched me, both approving and amused.And thats when it happened.I felt like someone 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 moment, I wasnt standing there. I was running down a flight of stairs, scared and desperate, needing to get out of there, needing to find?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, asking 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 view 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 loo k 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 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 pictures on the wall and a frilly bedspread that wasnt dorm-issue. Lissa had as few 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 fairi es, complete with wings and aglitter(predicate) makeup. Seeing that picture and telephoneing 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 in the hall, other Moroi girls crowded together, trying to figure out what was going on. Natalie pushed her way through them, query what the commotion in her room was. When she discovered it, she came to a screeching halt.Shock and disgust showed on almost everyones faces as we stared at Lissas bed. There was a contrive on the pillow. Its coat 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. apart from the fact that its throat had been slit.The inside of the throat looked pink and jellylike. Blood stained that soft coat and had run down onto the yellow bedspread, forming a dark pot 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 afford to be squeamish. Id be killing Strigoi someday. If I couldnt handle a fox, Id never exit 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, dig at her love of animals. She loved 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 hated me. So shed contented herself with helping and piece 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 saw in her face she wanted to help it, like she helped everything. I took her hand and steered her away, suddenly recalling a conversation 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 resentment rise in my throat now. Under no circumstances would I throw up. Did you ?No. I wanted to?I started to?Then forget 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 t he 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 was the way it was when you were popular. People loved you, people hated you. But now? Lissa had faded off to a authorized extent. The only person who really and truly despised he r 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 protect 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 Teach 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 powerless, 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 forwa rd like I hadnt said anything. Come on. Youre late for practice.