The Hidden Blood (Vampire Academy)

Chapter 1

*Four years later*

"Damon!" I screamed as he ran off onto the playground. "Slow down!" For the love of God, please!

He has never seized to surprise me about how much energy he has in that little body.

"Catch up," he cried happily.

"Mummy!" a little girl calls me from behind. "Mummy?" I stop running with my little Tempest at my side.

"What is it, dear?" I smiled down at her.

"Why does Damon have to be so mean?"

"He's not being mean, just being hyper." Her bottom lips quivered and I rolled my eyes in defeat. "Do you want to be hyper too?" I asked her.

She gave me a big smile and hung her arms out in front of her acting like she was an air plane. "Super-power-hypa!" she went around screaming happily.

I smiled and started running with her as soon as Damon was out of my site.

"Damon!" I yelled. "What's the number one rule?" I said as soon as I caught up with him. "Stay close to Mommy, remember? It's dangerous when you're alone..." More dangerous than what he thinks...

"I thought I saw a good man."

'Good man.' That's what my son call Guardians, it seemed a little more appropriate.

I take his hand, "Honey, you won't see any Guardians here, they live somewhere else." I look into his dark eyes, Just like his father.

"Guardians can be girls too!" Mariah objected.

I sighed and led them through the gate. "Come on, you said you wanted to play a little bit, so play, and we need to get home before sundown."

They nodded and headed off toward the swing sets.

I knew that my little ones loved the idea of Dhampirs and Moroi. They needed to learn all they good with the bad, so I told them a little of how bad monsters go bump in the night.

Seeing night fall over the play set I got up from sitting on the bench and started to walk over to my little ones.

"Let's go, chidlers," I said rubbing Damon's head as he walked past me.

As we walked home, I couldn't help but soft smell of rust and salt. A smell that I realized from years of training. I quickened our step into the house, and looking over my shoulder and I locked the door on our way into the bed and breakfast.

"Grandma!" they shouted together. "We're home!"

"Well, where?" she said pulling the 'I'm-blind' routine.

I let her take them, she always told me about being deprived of her grandchildren while I went into the living room and flopped into a couch seat next to Rae.

***

I yawned as I got up and put on some clothes. As I got my kids ready for school, and sent them off, I went shopping for food. My fridge was running dangerously low.

I drove slowly into town with my window down when the smell hit me again, but in a different part of town. I crinkle my nose and one word pops into my head.

Blood.

I pulled off to the side, my instincts that weren't lost - surprisingly - kicked in.

I slammed my door shut and ran across the cement under my feet until the scent got thicker and thicker.

I passed a few stores until the smell was overwhelming. I almost wanted to cover my nose, but I was afraid that I'd lose the smell.

I came to a somewhat lit alley and saw the blood smeared everywhere.

Flash backs of my past hit my and almost knocked me over.

This could only mean one thing. The blood smeared on the walls and spattered on the dumpster. The blobs and chunks of skin lying about.

Strigoi.

The blood was fresh, and the kill was new. Just an hour old.

"That's impossible," I whispered to myself. "The sun's up."

I backed my way out of the alley -

But that's when I touched it.

The cold skin and smooth substance all over the arm.

I flipped around, silver dagger already in hand and swiped at the beast. We rotated in a circle for a long time, watching each other like prey. There was no point in talking to it, so I didn't, along with that, I didn't hesitate any longer. I kicked the beast into a spot where the sun was shining brightly in the alley, and watched. I waited for a moment.

Waited for it to cower away in defeat.

Waited to see it back away into the shadows where it belongs.

But oh, no. The Strigoi stood tall, not hurt at all by the sun. In fact it chuckled at me.

"Guardian, you're a long way from home.... Little lost sheep." I was too stunned, but snapped out of it the second the man with red eyes came at me.

"Do I look lost to you?" I ducked when the Strogoi clawed at me and shoved the dagger into the spot where Dimitri told and taught me too.

A cry came from the beast and then fell to the ground when I released the dragger from his chest.

"How is this possible?" I asked to myself. A lot of the impossible was happening lately.

My phone rang in my pocket and without looking at the contact I answered. "Hello?"

"Rosemarie Hathaway," said a angry, but familiar voice. Russian, strong and a complete and under-

"Kirova?!" I shouted, "How did you get-"

"No time to talk, Miss Hathaway," she cut me off. "It's time for you to come home... I will do what ever you want, but we need you."

"Does this have anything to do with Strigoi walking in the sun like it's nothing?" I heard her curse on the other line.

"It has everything to do with that. Please, I need you to protect Lissa, like you did at one time." Kirova never begged, never asked for anything, unless it was silence.

"I - I..." Could I really just leave my family here?

No. The answer was set in stone. I would not leave my kids here, alone, unprotected with Strogoi running around. What about Gran or Rae?

"One condition," I ordered.

"Anything!" she agreed eagerly.

"I'm bringing some family along with me."

"Dhampirs are always welcome at the school," she said quickly.

"No, not only am I bring some Vampires, but I am bringing two humans..." She was silent. Bringing a human into the school was forbidden and bringing in two was just downright not happening. But it would be if she wanted me to come back to her home. It wasn't mine anymore. It hasn't been for a while.

"Take it or leave it, but that's my final offer."

Kirova considers this and then tells me to get on the next flight. And with that, she hanging up leaving me with the end buzzing and a feeling stirring inside me.

Oh god, I thought, what have I done?