Vampire Academy Chapter 13

THIRTEENTHE AFTERMATH OF JESSE AND Ralfs lies was or so as horrible as Id expected. The how constantly way I survived was by putt blinders on, by ignoring every(prenominal) one and everything. It unbroken me sane tho scarce I hated it. I felt manage crying t egress ensemble the time. I lost my appetite and didnt staticness well.Yet, no point how bad it got for me, I didnt worry somewhat myself as a green goddess as I did Lissa. She stood by her c every off to change things. It was slow at first, however gradually, I would ensure a everywhere-embellished or two come up to her at lunch or in class and say hello. Shed turn on a brilliant rent a face, laughing and talk of the town to them like they were all best superstars.At first, I didnt understand how she was pulling it off. Shed told me she would implement fixation to win the new(prenominal) royals everyplace and turn them against Mia. But I didnt search it happening. It was possible, of course, that s he was winning state over with come on fate. by and by all, she was funny, smart, and nice. Anyone would like her. Something told me she wasnt winning friends the old-fashioned way, and I finally figured it expose.She was using compulsion when I wasnt virtually. I only(prenominal) truism her for a small part of the sidereal day, and since she knew I didnt approve, she only worked her power when I was away. by and byward a few days of this whodunit compulsion, I knew what I needed to do I had to stick close to moxie in her head again. By choice. Id do it in the beginning I could do it again.At to the lowest degree, thats what I told myself, sitting and spacing out in Stans class one day. But it wasnt as easy as Id suasion it would be, part becaexercising I felt too distinguish up to relax and open myself to her thought processs. I also had trouble because I picked a time when she felt relatively calm. She came by and through the loudest when her emotions were footrace strong.Still, I try to do what Id done before, back when Id spied on her and Christian. The surmise thing. Slow breathing. Eyes closed. Mental focalise like that still wasnt easy for me, exactly at coherent last I managed the transition, slipping into her head and experiencing the world as hers. She stood in her Ameri tramp lit class, during project-work time, save, like nearly of the students, she wasnt working. She and Camille Conta leaned against a wall on the further side of the room, talking in hushed voices.Its gross, tell Camille firmly, a glower crossing her delightful face. She had on a blue skirt do of velvet-like fabric, victimize enough to depict off her dogged legs and possibly raise look just about the dress code. If you guys were doing it, Im non surprised she got disposed and did it with Jesse.She didnt do it with Jesse, insisted Lissa. And its non like we had sex. We that didnt necessitate each feeders, thats all. Lissa foc utilise he r honest attention on Camille and smiled. Its no vainglorious deal. Everyones overreacting.Camille reflectioned like she seriously discredited this, and then, the more than than she st bed at Lissa, the more unfocused her eyes became. A blank date fell over her.Right? asked Lissa, voice like silk. Its not a big deal.The frown re dour. Camille tried to shake the compulsion. That fact that itd even gotten this far was incredible. As Christian had observed, using it on Moroi was unheard of.Camille, although strong-willed, lost the battle. Yeah, she said slowly. Its actually not that big a deal.And Jesses lying.She nodded. decidedly lying.A mental strain fire inside of Lissa as she held onto the compulsion. It took a lot of effort, and she wasnt terminate.What are you guys doing tonight?Carly and I are going to study for Matthesons test in her room.Invite me.Camille thought about it. Hey, you essential to study with us?Sure, said Lissa, successful at her. Camille smiled ba ck.Lissa dropped the compulsion, and a wave of silliness swept over her. She felt weak. Camille glanced around, momently surprised, then move off the weirdness. interpret you aft(prenominal) dinner then.See you, murmured Lissa, ceremonial occasion her walk away. When Camille was gone, Lissa reached up to tie her pilus up in a ponytail. Her fingers couldnt sooner get all the hair through, and abruptly, some other(prenominal) pair of transfer caught hold and protagonisted her. She spun around and open herself staring into Christians ice-blue eyes. She jerked away from him.Dont do that she exclaimed, shivering at the realization that it had been his fingers spot her.He gave her his lazy, slightly twisted smile and brushed a few pieces of indocile glowering hair out of his face. be you asking me or ordering me? omit up. She glanced around, both to avoid his eyes and tiller sure no one byword them together.Whats the matter? Worried about what your slavesll theorise if t hey see you talking to me?Theyre my friends, she retorted.Oh. Right. Of course they are. I mean, from what I saw, Camille would plausibly do whatsoeverthing for you, expert? Friends till the end. He crossed his armor over his chest, and in spite of her anger, she couldnt help but notice how the silvery olden of his shirt set off his black hair and blue eyes.At least she isnt like you. She doesnt pretend to be my friend one day and then abridge me for no reason.An uncertain look flickered crossways his features. Tension and anger had built up between them in the last week, ever since Id yelled at Christian later the royal reception. Believing what Id told him, Christian had stop talking to her and had treated her rudely every time shed tried to start a conversation. no(prenominal), hurt and confused, shed given up attempts at being nice. The situation unless kept getting worse and worse.Looking out through Lissas eyes, I could see that he still cared about her and still tre asured her. His pride had been hurt, however, and he wasnt about to show weakness.Yeah? he said in a low, cruel voice. I thought that was the way all royals were supposed to act. You for sure seem to be doing a unattackable job with it. Or maybe youre just using compulsion on me to make me think youre a two-faced bitch. by chance you really arent. But I doubt it.Lissa flushed at the word compulsion and cast another confused look around but decided not to give him the satisfaction of arguing anymore. She entirely gave him one last glare before storming off to join a conference of royals huddled over an assignment reversive to myself, I stared blankly around the classroom, treat what Id seen. Some tiny, tiny part of me was offset to feel sorry for Christian. It was only a tiny part, though, and very easy to ignore.At the beginning of the next day, I headed out to meet Dimitri. These practices were my favorite part of the day now, partly because of my stupid crush on him and partly because I didnt render to be around the others.He and I started with running as usual, and he ran with me, quiet and just about gentle in his instructions, probably worried about causing some diversity of breakdown. He knew about the rumors somehow, but he never mentioned them.When we finished, he led me through an offensive exercise where I could use any makeshift weapons I could recuperate to attack him. To my surprise, I managed to land a few blows on him, although they seemed to do me more damage than him. The impacts always make me shell out back, but he never budged. It still didnt stop me from attacking and attacking, fighting with an al virtually blind rage. I didnt cope who I really fought in those moments Mia or Jesse or Ralf. Maybe all of them.Dimitri finally called a break. We carried the equipment wed used on the field and returned everything to the tot up room. While putting it away, he glanced at me and did a double take.Your hands. He swore in Russian. I could recognize it by now, but he refused to teach me what any of it meant. Where are your gloves?I looked down at my hands. Theyd suffered for weeks, and at once had only made them worse. The cold had turned the skin raw and chapped, and some move were actually bleeding a little. My blisters swelled. Dont feed any. Never needed them in Portland.He swore again and beckoned me to a chair magical spell he retrieved a first-aid kit. Wiping away the relationship with a wet cloth, he told me gruffly, Well get you some.I looked down at my undo hands as he worked. This is only the start, isnt it?Of what?Me. Turning into Alberta. Herand all the other female person guardians. Theyre all leathery and stuff. Fighting and educate and always being outdoors they arent bewitching anymore. I paused. Thisthis life. It destroys them. Their looks, I mean.He hesitated for a moment and looked up from my hands. Those warm chocolate-brown eyes surveyed me, and something tightened in my chest. Damn it. I had to stop feeling this way around him. It wont happen to you. Youre too He groped for the upright word, and I mentally substituted all pick outs of possibilities. Goddess-like. Scorchingly sexy. grownup up, he simply said, It wont happen to you.He turned his attention back to my hands. Did hedid he think I was pretty? I never doubted the reaction I caused among guys my own age, but with him, I didnt sleep together. The modify in my chest increased.It happened to my mom. She used to be beautiful. I cipher she still is, soma of. But not the way she used to be. Bitterly, I added, Havent seen her in a while. She could look completely different for all I whop.You dont like your sire, he observed.You noticed that, huh?You besides admit her.Thats the point. She abandoned me. She left me to be raised by the Academy.When he finished cleaning my open wounds, he implant a jar of salve and began guide it into the rough parts of my skin. I sort of got lost in the feel o f his hands massaging mine.You say thatbut what else should she run through done? I receive you necessity to be a guardian. I know how more it means to you. Do you think she feels any differently? Do you think she should have quit to raise you when youd spend most of your life here anyway?I didnt like having reasonable arguments thrown at me. Are you saying Im a hypocrite?Im just saying maybe you shouldnt be so hard on her. Shes a very respected dhampir woman. Shes set you on the path to be the same.It wouldnt kill her to enforce more, I muttered. But I guess youre right. A little. It could have been worse, I suppose. I could have been raised with blood whores.Dimitri looked up. I was raised in a dhampir commune. They arent as bad as you think.Oh. I suddenly felt stupid. I didnt mean Its all right. He focused his attention back on my hands.So, did you, like, have family thither? sour up with them?He nodded. My mother and two sisters. I didnt see them much after I went to sch ool, but we still elapse in touch. nighly, the communities are about family. Theres a lot of love there, no matter what stories youve heard.My bitterness returned, and I glanced down to disguise my glare. Dimitri had had a happier family life with his disgraced mother and relatives than Id had with my respected guardian mother. He most certainly knew his mother better than I knew mine.Yeah, butisnt it weird? Arent there a lot of Moroi men visiting to, you know?His hands rubbed circles into mine. Sometimes.There was something dangerous in his tone, something that told me this was an unwelcome topic. I-Im sorry. I didnt mean to shoot up something badActuallyyou probably wouldnt think its bad, he said after almost a minute had passed. A tight smile formed on his lips. You dont know your father, do you?I shook my head. No. All I know is he must have had plastered cool hair.Dimitri glanced up, and his eyes swept me. Yes. He must have. Returning to my hands, he said carefully, I knew mine.I froze. Really? Most Moroi guys dont stay I mean, some do, but you know, usually they just Well, he care my mother. He didnt say liked in a nice way. And he visited her a lot. Hes my sisters father too. But when he camewell, he didnt treat my mother very well. He did some horrible things.Like I hesitated. This was Dimitris mother we were talking about. I didnt know how far I could go. Blood-whore things?Like contracting-her-up kinds of things, he replied flatly.Hed finished the bandages but was still memory my hands. I dont even know if he noticed. I certainly did. His were warm and large, with long and graceful fingers. Fingers that might have compete the piano in another life.Oh God, I said. How horrible. I tightened my hands in his. He squeezed back. Thats horrible. And sheshe just let it happen?She did. The coign of his mouth turned up into a sly, sad smile. But I didnt. fire surged through me. Tell me, tell me you pulsation the crap out of him.His smile grew. I d id.Wow. I hadnt thought Dimitri could be any cooler, but I was wrong. You beat up your dad. I mean, thats really horriblewhat happened. But, wow. You really are a god.He blinked. What?Uh, nothing. Hastily, I tried to change the subject. How old were you?He still seemed to be puzzling out the god comment. Thirteen.Whoa. Definitely a god. You beat up your dad when you were thirteen?It wasnt that hard. I was stronger than he was, almost as tall. I couldnt let him keep doing that. He had to mark that being royal and Moroi doesnt mean you can do anything you want to other race even blood whores.I stared. I couldnt believe hed just said that about his mother. Im sorry.Its all right.Pieces clicked into place for me. Thats why you got so upset about Jesse, isnt it? He was another royal, trying to take advantage of a dhampir girl.Dimitri averted his eyes. I got upset over that for a lot of reasons. After all, you were breaking the rules, andHe didnt finish, but he looked back into my eyes in a way that made warmth build between us. mentation about Jesse soon darkened my mood, unfortunately. I looked down. I know you heard what people are saying, that I I know its not true, he interrupted.His immediate, certain resultant role surprised me, and I stupidly found myself questioning it. Yeah, but how do you Because I know you, he replied firmly. I know your character. I know youre going to be a great guardian.His confidence made that warm feeling return. Im glad someone does. Everyone else thinks Im totally irresponsible.With the way you worry more about Lissa than yourself He shook his head. No. You understand your responsibilities better than guardians twice your age. Youll do what you have to do to succeed.I thought about that. I dont know if I can do everything I have to do.He did that cool one-eyebrow thing.I dont want to cut my hair, I explained.He looked puzzled. You dont have to cut your hair. Its not required.All the other guardian women do. They show off th eir tattoos.Unexpectedly, he released my hands and leaned forward. Slowly, he reached out and held a lock of my hair, twisting it around one finger thoughtfully. I froze, and for a moment, there was nothing going on in the world except him touching my hair. He let my hair go, looking a little surprised and embarrassed at what hed done.Dont cut it, he said gruffly.Somehow, I remembered how to talk again. But no onell see my tattoos if I dont.He moved toward the doorway, a small smile playing over his lips. Wear it up.