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SEVEN

A COUPLE WEEKS PASSED AFTER that, and I soon forgot about the Anna thing as life at the Academy wrapped around an to fall into a semi-comfortable routine My days revolved around church, lunch with Lissa, and whatever sort of social life I could scrape together outside of that Denied any real free ti out of the spotlight, although I did e to steal a little attention here and there, despite h the , I liked groups, and I liked nito role attracted attention simply because it was so different than before we’d left, back when she’d been so active with the royals Most people soon let that go, accepting that the Drago off the social radar and content to run with Natalie and her group Natalie’s raainst a wall sometimes, but she was really nice - nicer than al around her most of the time

And, just as Kirova had warned, I was indeed training and working out all the ti her, and ot my ass kicked in practice but not quite as badly as I used to, which was so outside in the cold somy face, and only Lissa’s constant supply of skin-care lotions keptbefore my time She couldn’t do much for the blisters on my hands and feet

A routine also developed with Di antisocial Dih it was clear they all respected him And the h I didn’t really understand his training methods They didn’t seey the increasingly cold Montana autumn

Three weeks after ym before school one day and found hi a Louis L’Aht in a portable CD player, and while that cheeredfro to know the title, but one of our for;80s

"Whoa, Di on the floor "I realize this is actually a current hit in Eastern Europe right now, but do you think we couldthat wasn’t recorded before I was born?"

Only his eyes flicked toward me; the rest of his posture remained the saoing to be listening to it You’ll be outside running"

I made a face as I set s All things considered, Di as I didn’t slack inco on to the next set of stretches, "what’s with all the running, anyway? I mean, I realize the importance of sta on to so roup practice"

"Maybe you should hit harder," he replied drily

"I’m serious"

"Hard to tell the difference" He set the book down but didn’t et you ready to defend the princess and fight dark creatures, right?"

"Yup"

"So tell ain and take her off to the oi comes at you What will you do?"

"Depends on what store we’re in"

He looked at me

"Fine I’ll stab him with a silver stake"

Dis in one fluid ure out how soraceful "Oh?" He raised his dark eyebrows "Do you have a silver stake? Do you even kno to use one?"

I dragged my eyes away froic, silver stakes were a guardian’s deadliest weapon Stabbing a Strigoi through the heart with one meant instant death The blades were also lethal to Moroi, so they weren’t given out lightly to novices My class how to use theun before, but no one would let me near a stake yet Fortunately, there were two other ways to kill a Strigoi

"Okay I’ll cut his head off"

"Ignoring the fact that you don’t have a weapon to do that, hoill you compensate for the fact that he htened up fro my toes, annoyed "Fine, then I’ll set hiain, hat?"

"All right, I give up You’ve already got the answer You’re just oi What do I do?"

He looked at me and didn’t blink "You run"

I repressed the urge to throw so at him When I finished my stretches, he toldwould give ht into his killer reputation

We set out into the chilly October evening Being back on a vampiric schedule still felt weird to me With school about to start in an hour, I expected the sun to be co on the western horizon, lighting up the snow-capped s up, and I soon felt the cold pierce en deepened We didn’t speak He slowed his pace toabout that bothered me; I suddenly verys and muscles harder Twelve laps around the track o

When we reached the third-to-last loop, a couple of other novices passed by, preparing to go to the group practice I’d soon be at as well Seeing me, Mason cheered "Good form, Rose!"

I s down," Diaze from the boys The harshness in his voice startledany faster? You’re easily distracted?"

Embarrassed, I increased my speed onceobscenities at me We finished the twelve laps, and when he checked, he found we’d shaved two minutes off my best time

"Not bad, huh?" I croe headed back inside for cool-down stretches "Looks like I could get as far as the Liot me at the mall Not sure how Lissa would do"

"If she ith you, she’d be okay"

I looked up in surprise It was the first real co with hi and amused

And that’s when it happened