We Are Shadows

Chapter 15

Chapter 15

RPOV

"I can't believe I've been here just over two weeks" stated Alberta over lunch. "Time seems to pass quicker on a day schedule. Not that I'm complaining mind you, it's lovely seeing the sun even if it is freezing" she added.

"I can't believe it either. Three months has gone by like that for me" I said. "It seems like only yesterday I stepped off that plane in Novosibirsk then I blinked and it's suddenly the week before Christmas."

"I was hoping I would be back in the States by Christmas but obviously whatever Roman is doing is taking longer than was anticipated" Alberta said.

"Yeah, I hope everything is alright" I replied. "Everybody seems to be disappearing; Lana, Roman. Did he ever tell you what he was doing?"

"No, all he said was he was heading out to a few places around here and a trip to Moscow but that's all" she replied.

"Not even a whiff of what Court want him to look into?" I asked.

"Not a jot" she replied with a smile. "That's Roman though. He can be trusted with anything."

"I have to agree there. He's been great with me and Dimitri can't praise him highly enough" I said.

"Talking of Dimitri, where is he today?" she asked. "You two are usually joined at the hip."

"No we're not" I said shaking my head at her.

"Yes you are. I thought at one stage you were glued together" she said jokingly.

"We eat together for convenience and we train together" I said defensively. "He's also volunteered to help me in Lana's absence with my academic work but we aren't glued together."

"Come on Rose, that's most of the day with each other" Alberta stated.

"I suppose but it's better than when we first met" I answered.

"How so?" she asked.

"He wasn't very nice to me and I responded in kind" I replied.

"What happened?"

"Roman told him to grow up" I stated and her eyebrows raised. "Yeah it wasn't me that was causing the trouble this time."

"That must have been what Roman meant about teething problems when we spoke" Alberta mused.

"Yeah Dimitri is definitely better now thought" I said.

"Not a bad view either" she said.

"Al!" I said with shocked laughter.

"What?" she said innocently. "If only I was twenty years younger" and we both laughed.

"I wonder where he is thought" I said when we calmed down.

"It's not like him to miss a meal especially Klara's creations" Alberta said just finishing off her own meal. I'd already finished mine and was eying up Dimitri's untouched plate.

"If he doesn't turn up soon I'm afraid his dinner may not be around very long" I said with a grin.

"Even now it amazes me how much your body needs in food Rose" Alberta said shaking her head. "but having said that if Klara keeps supplying meals like this I may not make the weight restriction on the flight home" she said and we both laughed.

"Getting back to Dimitri though maybe it's difficult for him this time of year. Not seeing his family and everything" I said thoughtfully.

"That's possible. It has to be hard for him" she mused. "Did you know his youngest sister goes here?"