Shadow Rider (Vampire Academy Fanfic)

Chapter 15 - Thanatia

I'm losing it, I thought to myself, while Casimir got dressed in an all-black outfit of dress pants, a formal shirt, and a silk tie.

There was no way I could continue on like this. The Court was ruled by a bunch of careless idiots. An organised Strigoi army and a silver stake was all it took to rip the Court community to shreds. I had to do something. I had to prepare them.

'Cas.'

Casimir was buttoning up the arms of his shirt, not paying attention to me.

'Cas.'

'Hmm?'

'Look at me.'

He finally looked up, his mind obviously elsewhere. But what I was planning to say would surely catch his attention, because while I previously had been more or less indifferent to Casimir's mission, only really in it to protect him, I was now finally starting to feel some personal responsibility for the American vampires.

'At the dinner, I want you to bring up something,' I said, my serious tone causing his eyes to cloud with concern.

'What's that?'

I began to pace around the room, considering how I would plan everything. I could perhaps get it to work.

'I want you to inform the royals that I wish to start a specialist training class for guardians. An education program that is at the level of the four-year course back home.' I frowned, considering the way Casimir would have to formulate himself to convince what was essentially a royal herd of sheep. 'You need to explain it in detail, Cas. Use fancy words. Super soldiers, guardian heroes - whatever will catch their attention. Guardian Hathaway and Belikov and a select few others are good, from what I've observed during their training, but the others could never survive a war. I want to take care of that problem. Relay that to the Queen and her associates, and I can start as early as Monday, right after my interview with Hathaway tomorrow. There's some more information I need to collect.'

Casimir looked overwhelmed by all of this.

'You want me to bring all of this up during dinner?'

'Yes. Why not? You said it was a dinner just for Moroi, right? Pretty sure they'll be discussing guardians, and just how much more miserable they can make our lives in order to keep theirs as pompous as possible.'

Casimir raised an eyebrow. 'You're saying your life is miserable?'

I sighed. 'No. My life isn't. Theirs is. You want to help them,' I said, focusing my gaze on his. 'Not just the Moroi, but the dhampirs too.' I shrugged. 'Bottom line: I can help them better than you can.'

Casimir glanced at his watch, but his expression was thoughtful.

'You're right,' he conceded. 'You're right - you're their best shot. And you're probably also right about the nature of dinner. I'll bring it up. I promise.' He walked up to me and brushed a lock of hair out of my eyes. 'Come. We should get going.'

When we reached the diner hall, Casimir silently mouthed a "see you later" before disappearing inside, the colossal door closing behind him. Glancing around me, I noticed that Hathaway and Belikov were stationed by a marble pillar to the right, and I took my position beside them.

They greeted me, Hathaway leaning over to whisper in my ear.

'You're the only one that's gonna know what is being said in that room. I trust that you'll keep that information to yourself.'

'I could tell you,' I offered, trying to decipher some curiosity in her expression. As it was, a twinkle in her eye betrayed her.

'Sure. Me you can tell. But the Queen has many enemies. We don't want sensitive information ending up in the hands of anti-magic loonies.'