Building the Tension | ✔ | 18+

Chapter 39 - Unexpected Warmth

"May I borrow my daughter for a moment," Janine asked of Lissa and Dimitri.

I looked at Lissa pleadingly, but she just smiled. "Sure, Guardian Hathaway," she replied. Traitor.

Janine took my arm and pulled me aside. "Rose," she began, "I've never been more proud of you than I was today when they announced your trial score. I know I can't take any of the credit for the amazing and accomplished guardian that you have turned out to be."

Before I could respond, she added, "I know you must've been training very hard and serious, but I can't help but wonder if you and Guardian Belikov were spending some of your time together doing things beside training."

I narrowed my eyes suspiciously at her, expecting to see a disapproving look, but instead I saw her eyes twinkle and the corner of her mouth turned up in a wry smile.

"Rose, you've managed to build an impressive repertoire of skills, you've got witnesses that you trained constantly, you have a Blast Master level two rating, you have seven molnija and a battle star, and you have logged more time fighting Strigoi than I have at twenty years older than you. By tomorrow, you will have officially graduated the academy and you're eighteen. You're an adult who is legally allowed to do whatever you choose at this point in your life, Rose. But I do hope you were eighteen before all of this happened with Guardian Belikov."

I didn't reply, partially because I was too astounded by what she was telling me and partially because I knew that I couldn't tell her that I was eighteen before we were together for the first time.

"I can't necessarily say the same about your father, though. Ibrahim has always struck me as the kind of man who is very protective of his daughter," she said.

"I think he already knew," I told her.

"Since when?" she asked.

"Abe had a talk with Dimitri when he came to visit the academy at the end of March."

"Well, I can certainly understand why you were so upset when I told you about Lady Ozera's offer to Dimitri at Christmas," she said, with a finger to her chin, looking very speculative, "And I guess I can finally understand a little better why he turned her down."

"I love him, Mom," I told her. I was feeling pretty beneficent to Janine, so I figured I'd pull out all the stops. I added, "He loves me, too."

"Rosemarie, just don't do anything you'd regret. You're so young. I don't want to see you give up your career or commit before you're ready."

"I can promise you that I won't get married until I'm at least twenty," I told her.

"At least he can't get you pregnant," she said.

I tried to keep my jaw from falling to the floor at her comment, but then Doctor Olendzki butted in. "Sorry to eavesdrop, but actually, that may not be entirely true."

I found myself nearly choking as, in unison, both Janine and I said, "WHAT?!" Unfortunately, this drew the attention of a few others in the room, who started to walk towards our conversation.

"After all of the details of Victor Dashkov's trial came to light, the doctors at Court asked for a sample of each Lissa's and your blood to see what effect being bonded had on you both, from a medical perspective. They discovered that your genome is different from a typical dhampir. You have a chromosome typically only found in Moroi. Among other things, you might be able to conceive with another dhampir."

"And you didn't think to tell me this before?" I asked.

"Well, actually, I just found out about it a few days ago, but this has been a rather eventful week and - to be honest - until Guardian Belikov's announcement, I didn't think it was a possible concern for you, since you haven't been in a romantic relationship with anyone and - as of your last annual physical in February, you're still a -"