The Hidden Blood (Vampire Academy)

Chapter 22

“Remember,” I said between the hits Rae was delivering, “when I expand – you contrast. You need to see my moves without staring at one place on my body. As time advances - ”

“It would even be better would to anticipate her moves,” Isabel said showing up in the thicket that now seemed rather crowded. “Isn’t that right, Dominika?”

“Yeah, that’s right,” Dimitri just nodded.

I could tell Dimitri was tired and needed more sleep, we all could, but I could guess that Dimitri wanted to train Isabel and she would be happy to learn. Anyone would be happy to learn from Dimitri.

It didn’t escape my attention how she didn’t rightfully address I sighed and turned my back to Rae saying to Isabel, “He’s name is Dimitri, or Guardian Belikov. Give him some respect?” She seemed like a bit of a brat, to be totally honest, stuck up too.

Isabel said getting rather bossy, “His name isn’t actually-“

“Where’s our kids? Still back at the house?” I cut off Isabel, and asked Dimitri, ignoring the glare Isabel sent my way, because truly, I didn’t care… I was tired as well and didn’t need to put up with her bossiness.

Dimitri hid the twitch in the right hand corner of his mouth. “Training with Christian on how to use their abilities better, why?”

I shrugged and scratched my eyebrow, “They’re my kids, I need to know where they are, always… You guys gonna start training? You’re a little late, we’ve been out here for like an hour,” I smirked at his ‘laziness’.

He laughed sarcastically, “My apologies, Roza, I didn’t know-“

“What? You didn’t think I wasn’t excited to get down and dirty with the father of my children? Hmm…. I’m ashamed of you,” I said with a laugh.

He laughed too and dropped his bag on the floor, stretches his arms and muscles. “Oh are you now?”

“Yeah,” I laughed, my voice full of humor and curiosity, “I wonder after all these years if I can still beat your ass?”

“I don’t ever remember that happening,” Dimitri shook his head and taking a fighting stance.

Isabel went and sat by a tree taking a sip of water right next to Rae. They chit chat while I uncrossed my arms and my mouth dropped in surprise.

“Well, then,” I said with a gleam in my eye, “guess I’ll just have to refresh your memory.”

Dimitri closed the distance between us with just a few steps.

***

Fighting Dimitri was never safe, or easy, they’re was always bumps and bruises to come along, and sometimes maybe even a couple small scars, but the scars were cute ones that I cherished. I had to remind myself to use my more recently learned moves since he taught me most of the ones I learned when I was still a teenager. I also had to tell myself that I had to fight in a way that wouldn’t kill him, and give either of us serious injury.

Or, I could just throw caution out of the window, I mean, he is a Strigoi killing machine! I think he could handle me giving him everything I had, we certainly have shared a couple close encounters back at the school.

I kneed him in the stomach and while his eyes widened I fell down to the floor and kicked his feet out from under him.

“You’ve gotten a little rusty,” I panted between the gasps and blocking his punches. We’ve been at least at it for a good twenty minutes.

“I haven’t had a real component in a while,” he justified up on his feet in a moment; too fast for me to see and understand, but what I did understand is that he had a hold of me. He gripped me hard and threw us both onto the ground, stomach first, both pinning me with his weight and preventing from doing any more surprise kicks.

His body was warm while it was on top of mine, strong, still strong enough to take on a fraction of the world.

I lashed out, trying my best to break away and scramble from under his hold and it turned out that my best was indeed enough. I wasn’t on my feet or anything, but my best made sure I was on my back now, and on top. We argued there for a moment about who was going to be on top of the other in the grass, but he didn’t like that very well. So, instead, he decided to pick me up. I mean, push himself up off the ground full of tangled wet grass and decided to bring a 150 pound woman up with himself.

“This isn’t good,” I whispered as he runs my back into the tree behind me and I grab the one thing that will turn the tide in this fight to my favor.

Instead of ramming me into the tree again, he holds me there and just looks at me. His hair was dangling in his face and while my legs were wrapped around waist, a wooden stake at his throat, my fingers move the loose strands out of the way.

“You never cut your hair,” I noticed, “Why?”

“This girl told me once she liked it long,” I tried to hide my smile but it didn’t work out very well, since my mind was still active in the subject ‘sex.’

I untangled my legs from him remembering the last time I was in this postition. I put some distance between us, remembering there was a crowd near by.