Hope is a Four Letter Word - Complete

Chapter Six

She had been lying out there for hours. She knew she probably needed to move, but she didn't know where to go. Everything hurt and the only person who could make it better was on a plane to Court. It was peaceful here, and right now she could use some peace. Dimitri's words were cartwheeling around her mind, and all she wanted was silence. For her mind to feel as numb as her body.

The crunching of snow underfoot alerted her to the imminent presence of another person. Rose didn't look up. Whoever it was she didn't want to speak. If she spoke, it might make this real. So she lay still hoping they would pass.

"Rose? You'll get frostbite if you stay out here."

It was Alberta. Probably the only person on campus Rose could stand to be around right now. When she didn't reply, the older woman sat beside her at the edge of Mason's grave.

"I come here to think, too," Alberta said, her hand smoothing some flyaway hair back from Rose's face. "It's peaceful, and... well... I remember them."

Rose hadn't thought about that before. She'd lost Mason, but he wasn't the only person buried here. As Captain of the guard at St Vladimir's, it stood to reason Alberta would have known most of the guardians and novices who shared this final resting place.

Helping Rose sit up, Alberta passed her a pair of warm gloves and a jacket. Both were from Rose's room, so she knew Alberta must have visited there.

"I thought you might be upset with Guardian Belikov leaving," she started. "I know you and he were good friends."

Rose looked at the kindly older guardian, hardening her heart towards Dimitri. Towards everyone.

"I thought we were. I thought I knew him so well. It turns out I didn't know him at all."

Something about Rose's voice frightened Alberta. She'd anticipated tears or maybe hysteria, but not this. Rose's calm was unnerving. Alberta shivered, standing up and holding her hand out to the younger dhampir.

"You've been working too hard lately. Why don't you take the day off?" Alberta said uncertainly.

"Sure. I have to study for Precalculus anyway," Rose said in that strangely dead yet breathy voice.

The two walked side-by-side back towards the Academy buildings.

"If you give me a few days, I'll assign you a new mentor," Alberta suggested.

"Don't bother," Rose said dismissively. "I have my reps all set up. I know what to do."

"Well, let's give it a few days and then we'll talk," Alberta replied.

"Thanks for the gloves and jacket," Rose said by way of farewell, branching off onto the path that led to the Novice dorms. It was only when she was almost at the building that Alberta noticed the younger woman hadn't put either of them on.

It was 4 pm the next day when a guardian patrolling the grounds looked through the windows and noticed a dark haired Novice inside in the Guardian Lounge. It was Novice Hathaway, of course. That girl was always up to trouble. Moving unseen across to the windows he saw the Novice take several wrapped sandwiches and juice from the Guardian buffet. The cafeteria was open from 5 pm to 10 am every day, but with guardians scheduled on shifts twenty-four hours a day, there was always a selection of prepackaged foods in their lounge.

Hathaway had a history of escaping campus, and stealing food was a good sign that she didn't intend to be around for breakfast or lunch. She was also rugged up in warm pants, gloves and a hiking jacket, which didn't bode well. But he didn't want to wake Alberta needlessly. Their usually equanimous Captain had been decidedly pissy the last few days, and he didn't want to be the cause of further displeasure. So he covertly followed the Novice as she headed towards the outer edge of campus.