Does Love Really Fade? {Vampire Academy}

The Fight Back

Straight to it.

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It seemed I wasn't done with my one-on-ones with my friends. Up next was Christian, who walked up to me as I was leaving the gym. I'd spent another three hours blowing off steam after Dimitri walked away, but my mind was still reeling. I doubted he did it on purpose but Christian used my distractedness to sneak up on me.

"Hey, Rosie." He said, tapping my shoulder.

I nearly ended up flipping him to the ground but I stopped myself, "Holy shit Christian. A Little warning."

"I've been saying your name for the past five minutes." He said, gesturing behind him. "I haven't seen you this distracted since... I honestly don't know. I guess since before you and Liss ran away."

"It's nothing, just still getting used to this schedule. It's been three years and some change. I'll be back to full form in no time. At least until I go back to New York."

"Is this my cue to read you the riot act? Is it finally my turn?"

"Well, so far I've gotten it from my parents, Lissa, Eddie, and Dimitri. So I guess so. Unless you want to let Adrian do it first. Maybe even Mia can jump in." I joked, easily slipping into my old habits with Christian.

"It'll be a cold day in hell when I let Adrian beat me to something besides drinking." I rolled my eyes but let him continue. "So I guess I do get to put in my two cents."

"Careful there, you only have until we reach my room, then I'm locking you out."

"Alright, alright. So I'm guessing everyone's been saying pretty much the same thing. Although knowing Belikov he was probably a lot more eloquent about it. Probably said something about getting why you want to go back. Whatever. That's beginner's stuff."

I was a little shocked at how well he had guessed what Dimitri had told me, but I brushed it off as he continued.

"I'm telling you to leave. Get the hell out of Court and make a goddamn difference in the world, because God knows you can't while you're chained to the guardians. No offense to them, obviously. It's the ruling Moroi I have a problem with, clearly. But you, Rose, you've made more of a difference in a couple years, hell, the past forty-eight hours, than Tasha has made in the past twelve. It's not for lack of trying, either."

If I'd been shocked by Christian's earlier deduction I was floored by this.

"You'll only hear me say this once, but you have a way about you that makes people listen. I don't know if it's because you're a dhampir willing to completely speak your mind or if it's because despite all the shit you pulled you still managed to graduate with top marks, grade and tattoo wise. The point is unless you're willing to stay here indefinitely and battle this monarchy into the ground, you'd be more useful making a difference in the real world, getting the little guy to start speaking up for himself."

"What makes you so sure about this? I could end up making it worse."

Christian stopped and looked me in the eye, "Things have to get worse before they get better, Rose."

He left me with that, probably off to find Tasha or Lissa, and for the second time today I was dumbfounded by someone I thought I knew. A look at my watch told me that I had plenty of time to shower and get presentable before all the good places stopped serving breakfast, so I headed back to my room.

It seemed that my presence was in high demand at the moment because I was met at my door by a very serious looking guardian.

"Your presence has been requested by Her Majesty, The Queen." He said, breaking his front only for a moment for an acknowledging nod.