What about us: Vampire Academy

The next Chapter. Chapter 9.

Dimitri's POV

One of the most useful lesson my mentor from St. Basil's had ever taught me, was how to hide your emotions. She used to bite the inside of her cheek or pinch her leg as a way to release any suppressed feelings.

This lesson was the reason I am currently pushing a drawing pin through my duster, and into my thigh at the back of the church.

Today was my last day at St. Vladimir's and Roza's funeral. As she was the only one being buried at the Acdamey, the Priest was conducting a memorial for the other victims before hand. He was listing the names and occupation of each victim and explaining that while we couldn't see them they hadn't truly left us.

Even through I knew it was disrespectful, I couldn't pay attention to the service. I was feeling apprehensive about Roza's arrival.

The morning after my little chat with Abe, I was found by Lissa and Alberta recovering on Adrian's sofa. Being surrounded by empty vodka bottles, they both just assumed I had past out drunk. Once awake, they informed me and a very hungover Adrian, that the Headmistress had begrudgingly agreed to give Rose a Qualified Guardian funeral, to honour her actions in the attack.

Which is how I now find myself standing in the back of the church with five other Guardians. It is custom for six of us to carry the fallen Guardian's coffin into the church. When the coffin is placed at the alter, the Priest will arrange the fallen Guardian's stakes to form a cross on the coffin, next to a small silver lbowl.

The six Guardians then kneel and offer their own stakes to the Priest, who makes a small cut to the Guardian's hands. Taking turns, the Guardians would then release a few drops of blood into the bowl on the coffin. The act was meant to be symbolic. A sign that we are all connected by blood and a nod to the ultimate sacrifice they had made.

Looking down the pew, I studied the men picked for this honour. Abe had requested for Pavel and I to carry her head. Alto and Emil had volunteered to act as middle men, as they both arrived at the academy the same year Rose did. Eddie and Christian had also volunteered, however being a Novice and a Moroi, custom wouldn't allow it. Eddie was cut up he couldn't take part, so his older brother Maurice had stepped in for him. Finally, a new Academy Guardian had approached me to ask if he could be of service, when he heard we needed one more Guardian.

His name is Guardian Jagerdeesh Ramachandra and I can't help but smile when I remembered his and Rose's first meeting.

Ramachandra was shadowing me on his first shift and joined Rose and I for our afternoon workout session.

"J a g e r d e e s h? R a m a c h a n d r a? Seriously? I wouldn't want to call your name out in an emergency. I would be dead before I managed to get all that out." Rose said when I introduced him.

"I didn't choose it." He had chuckled. "But you do have a point. Maybe it's time for a nickname."

"Mmm maybe, what about Chandie?" Rose had replied with a sweet smile, but her eyes screamed mischief.

I'm ashamed to admit it, but I was very jealous she had given another Guardian a nickname. While I originally hated Comrade it had grown on me. Of course it didn't help that he was young and very good looking.

"She's here." Pavel whispered, pulling me back to the present.

I followed him out to greet the van that was carrying a pale oak casket covered in rustic sunflowers.

Taking a quiet but deep breath, I walked over with Pavel to take my place by her head. We carefully pulled the casket out halfway, so Emil and Stan could grasp the middle handles. Together we pulled further so Maurice and Chandie could take their positions by her feet.