Dimitri

03

As we walked through two sets of double doors, I noticed that it was a lunch room of sorts. Only they were having breakfast, their schedules are different than humans. The sunlight doesn't exactly kill them but it does sting a bit. As we enter the lunch room it had gone silent, almost like a switch had been flipped. I looked around and seen a young guy staring at Lissa, his jealous girlfriend doing the same only she was glaring.

"Wow."

I glanced at Dimitri, all of the guardians kept stone faces. We entered through the doors and I seen the woman sitting at her desk. She had a sharp nose and almost grey hair, she was tall and slim like most Moroi.

"It's all so unprecedented. I'm at a loss coming up with proper punishment."

I stood next to Dimitri and the other guardians, Lissa and Rose sat in the chairs in front of her.

"As Lissa's guardian..."

"You're not an official guardian, Hathaway. You are a novice. You put Vasilisa at the mercy of the Strigoi, who would love to destroy, or even worse, transform..."

"It was my idea to leave. Rose only did what..."

"A trained guardian knows..."

I went to step forward but he grabbed my arm, I glanced at him. He shook his head and I moved back. The doors had opened and I seen a dying man walking through. He was pale and withering away, he moved towards the girls.

"Lissa."

"Ah."

They hugged and I grimaced, no matter who he was something told me not to trust him.

"Uncle."

Even if they weren't related the Moroi used the terms, especially royals. My family and friends had done the same but not to an extreme extent.

"Prince Dashkov, you look so..."

"Yes. My Sandovsky's syndrome has gotten worse."

"Oh, Victor, we never meant to worry you."

He looked at the woman, my marks had started to lightly sting as I stood there.

"Headmistress, these girls have been through so much. As provost of this school and Lissa's father's oldest friend, I beg you, look into your heart."

I watched the woman as she looked at Lissa.

"Vasilisa, I have the utmost sympathy for the loss of your parents and your brother, Andre. But why did you flee a heavily guarded compound of Moroi students from all over the world?"

I sent the girls calming messages, trying not to let them act out.

"It's not easy to explain."

"Lissa felt more in danger here in your secure environment than on the outside as an anonymous teenager."

"Fascinating. This is where you give me specifics."

She looked around stopping at a small shelf of folders, the tension was high and it was suffocating me.

"Where's Ms. Karp? She should be here. She can maybe shed some light onto the situation."

"Ms. Karp is no longer part of this institution."

Everyone was caught of guard, my marks starting to hurt. I stepped closer to them and tried to keep cool.

"This is where you give me specifics. What do you mean?"

"It's not important!"

The headmistress stands up and walks over to a table full of pictures.

"Vasilisa Dragomir is from one of the 12 royal families. She's the last of the Dragomir line. You had left the academy and put her in danger, in returning you bought another person with you."