Page 4 (2/2)
Christian put the redients "Then why question it? Belikov knohat he’s doing I’d trust anything he says It sucks that they’re going to lose hiraduate, but I’d rather see him with Lissa"
"Me too"
He paused and looked up,my eyes We both sreed with each other A moment later, he returned to his work
"You’re good too," he said, not too grudgingly "The way you handled yourself"
He didn’t finish the thought, but I knehat he was talking about Spokane Christian hadn’t been around when I killed the Strigoi, but he’d been instru with the escape He and I had tea ether, all of our aniuess you and I have better things to do than fight all the time," I mused Like worry about Victor Dashkov’s trial, I realized For aChristian what I’d learned He’d been around the night it had all gone doith Victor last fall, but I decided not to mention the news just yet Lissa needed to hear it first
"Yup," Christian said, unaware of hts "Brace yourself, but we aren’t that different I mean, I’m smarter and a lot funnier, but at the end of the day, we both want to keep her safe" He hesitated "You knowI’ to take her away frouys have that bond"
I was surprised he’d brought this up I honestly suspected that there were two reasons he and I argued a lot One was that we both had personalities that liked to argue The other reason - the big one - was that ere each envious of the other’s relationship with Lissa But, as he’d said, we really had the same motives We cared about her
"And don’t think the bond will keep you guys apart," I said I knew the link bothered hiet romantically close to someone when they had that kind of connection with another person, even if that other person was just a friend? "She cares about you " I couldn’t bring myself to say "loves" "She has a whole separate place for you in her heart"
Christian put his dish in the oven "You did not just say that I have a feeling we’re on the verge of hugging and co to look disgusted attold that Lissa cared about him
"I already have a nicknaet in trouble if I say it in class"
"Ah," he said happily "That’s the Rose I know"
He went off to talk to another friend while his meatloaf cooked, which was probably just as well My door was a vulnerable position, and I shouldn’t have been chatting away, even if the rest of the class was Across the rooether Like Christian, they’d chosen a blow-off class too
No attacks occurred, but a guardian named Dustin did come in to make notes on us novices as we held our positions He was standing near ht it was a coincidence - until Jesse spoke
"I take back what I said earlier, Rose I figured it out You aren’t upset because of Lissa or Christian You’re upset because the rules say you have to be with a student, and Adrian Ivashkov’s too old The way I hear it, you guys have already had a lot of practice watching each other’s bodies"
That joke could have been so much funnier, but I’d learned not to expect too much from Jesse I knew for a fact that he didn’t care about Adrian and me I also suspected he didn’t even believe we had anything going on But Jesse was still bitter about et back atwithin earshot, had no interest in Jesse’s idiotic teasing Dustin would probably have an interest, however, if I slammed Jesse’s face into the wall
That didn’t h Guardians talked to Moroi all the time; they just tended to be respectful and still keep an eye on their surroundings So I gave Jesse a sht, Mr Zeklos I can barely contain myself around it" I then turned away and surveyed the rest of the roo to do anything else, he laughed and walked away, apparently thinking he’d won soreat victory Dustin left shortly thereafter
"Asshole,"to his station Class had about five minutes left
My eyes followed Jesse across the roo, Christian? I’ you"
"If you’re co me to Zeklos, I don’t really take that as much of a colad you’re with ave me a piece I hadn’t realized it, but just before the one in, he’d wrapped it in bacon
"Good God," I said "This is the most stereotypical vampire food ever"
"Only if it was raw What do you think?"
"It’s good," I said reluctantly Who knew that bacon would ood I think you have a pro future as a househile Lissa works and makes millions of dollars"
"Funny, that’s exactly hter rown more friendly between us, and I decided that I could handle the next six weeks protecting hi to meet in the library to study - or pretend to study - but he had to stop by his dorm first So I followed hirown chillier since sunset seven hours ago The snow on the paths, which had turned slushy in the sun, had now frozen up andthe ere joined by Brandon Lazar, a Moroi who lived in Christian’s hall Brandon could barely contain hiht he’d witnessed in hisat the thought of Alberta sneaking in through the
"Hey, she ht be old, but she could take on alave Brandon a puzzled look He had bruises and red splotches on his face He also had a feeird welts near his ear "What happened to you? Have you been fighting guardians too?"
His smile promptly disappeared, and he looked away from me "Nah, just fell"
"Coht like dhaot in braith each other just as often as anyone else I tried to think of any Moroi he ht have a conflict with For the most part, Brandon was pretty likeable "That’s the lainal excuse in the world"
"It’s true," he said, still avoidingwith you, I can give you a few pointers"
He turned back to o" He wasn’t hostile or anything, but there was a fir the words alone would maketo do? Compel me - "
Suddenly, I sawin with the dark shapes of a cluster of snowy pine trees - but h to catch ed fro toward us
Finally, hI reacted instantly, reaching out to grab both Brandon and Christian That was always the first uys to a halt and turned towardfor my stake in order to defend the Moroi -
And that’s when he appeared
Mason
He stood several feet in front of ht Translucent Shi Sad
The hair on the back offorand completely lost track of the people and co aroundMason who glowed in the dark and see The sa of helplessness I’d experienced in Spokane returned to me I hadn’t been able to help him then I couldn’t help hi except stand there, wondering what he was trying to say
He lifted one translucent hand and pointed off toward the other side of campus, but I didn’t knohat it meant There was soat I shookI could The sorrow on his face see slammed into my shoulder, and I stu me out of the dreaed to throw out round I looked up and saw Stan standing over ?" I blinked, still trying to shake off the weirdness of seeing Mason again I felt sluggish and dazed I looked into Stan’s angry face and then glanced over at where Mason had been He was gone I turned my attention back to Stan and realized what had happened In ed his attack He now had one arm around Christian’s neck and one around Brandon’s He wasn’t hurting theoi," he growled, "these tould be dead"