Rumor Has It

…It looked like we were going to have to rely on each other to get through this. A heartbeat later, Victor was walking again, off to take his seat on the left side of the room.

“Thanks,” I said to her, once he was gone. “It’s like you can read my mind.”

“No,” she said gently. “I could just feel your hand.”

I looked down at where I’d put my hand over hers. I’d done it to comfort her and had ended up clenching her fingers in my own agitation. “Yikes,” I said, jerking away and hoping I hadn’t broken her bones. “Sorry.”

Queen Tatiana’s entrance followed his, which distracted me and helped calm my dark feelings. We all stood when she appeared and then knelt…

I was still a little accustomed to the ways humans lived. A jury was nonexistent in royal court hearings. Ultimately, Queen Bitch decided. And, at the moment, I wasn’t sure how I felt about that considering she wasn’t in favor of sentencing a formerly powerful royal.

Every guardian’s testimony sounded the same. It was like a broken record until Alberta’s, but hers wasn’t too different. She just mentioned witnessing how the whole situation tortured me right along with Lissa through the bond.

When it was Dimitri’s turn, I could help but take a deep breath and flicker my gaze briefly to an unconcerned Victor Dashkov. I wasn’t sure if we’d make it through the trial or not without Victor bringing up the lust charm.

“Based on the events, it sounds like there was a delay between when she discovered that and when you alerted the others,” Victor’s lawyer said as they glanced down at some papers.

“She couldn’t act on it because Mr. Dashkov had inflicted a charm on her, one that caused her to attack me.” His voice was level; no one could tell that he wasn’t telling the entire story. He wasn’t lying, but it was bothering—no killing—him to be under oath and not be entirely truthful. “Mr. Dashkov works with earth magic, and some who use that power and are strong in compulsion can influence our base instinct,” continued Dimitri. “In this case, he affected her anger and violence through an object.”

How he stayed so calm, especially with Victor temporarily interrupting his testimony, is something I didn’t quite understand, but I couldn’t worry about it. At least not now.

With Christian being knocked out right before Lissa was kidnapped, he couldn’t provide much of a testimony. He just identified the select guardians that he saw.

And so, it was my turn.

I walked up, hoping I looked calm in front of all those eyes—and in front of Victor. I refused to look at him in fear that I may give something away. I stated my name and gave my oath to tell the truth. I suddenly felt nauseous. I don’t know how I was going to lie in front of everyone.

I mentioned details dating back to the shopping trip where Lissa and I had first admired the necklace in the first place, how we all thought it was a gift for my first test as a guardian. I had to slip in that Lissa viewed Victor like an uncle to her; he was close to her father after all. I surprised myself with not faltering when bringing up the actual charm and saying that I had attacked Dimitri—which, technically, I had—and not bringing up how we were so close to sleeping together. After that, my story lined up with Dimitri’s and Alberta’s perfectly.

After what felt like an eternity, I dragged myself back to my seat.

Lissa was next. The charisma she received through spirit drew everyone into her perspective, the only new one to be brought up. Those in attendance felt sympathy toward her and were appalled by hearing how she went through the torture first hand. Unlike I had believed, she didn’t panic when remembering what happened. She stayed calm the entire time.

At last, it was Victor’s turn. He stayed unconcerned about possibly facing life in prison. It was as if he felt like it was a gathering of old friends, rather than a trial.

And that just pissed me off.

His testimony suggested that he had no other choice than to use Lissa as his own personal nurse, that it was completely his daughter’s, Natalie’s, decision to turn Strigoi.

When asked about Dimitri and I having any say in what he had us do, he just laughed it off. “Well, that’s a matter of opinion. I honestly don’t think they minded. But if you have time after this case, Your Honor, you might want to consider trying a statutory rape case.”

Gasps rang in my ears, including my own. I nearly uttered “I plead the fifth,” but that’d only get me into further trouble than I already was as far as my relationship with Dimitri was concerned.

Lissa was disgusted that Victor would stoop so low. She was also curious. She kept wondering how Victor would conclude some type of affair when there was a rumor going around St. Vladimir’s.

I wasn’t necessarily worried about Lissa’s thoughts at the moment and blocked her out of my mind for the time being. Despite being in the middle of the trial, my thoughts drifted off. The rumors back at school. I scanned the room slowly, my gaze staying on Priscilla Voda for quite a few seconds.

Had she heard Victor mention something about Dimitri and me? Had she told her nephew—or whatever he was—Ralf, about what she’d heard? Had Ralf misinterpreted?

It made sense, for the most part.

I scoffed. Royals could be such idiots.

…

The pressure of the trial may have been over, but the chatter from it, by far, was not. At least for Lissa it wasn’t. She was quick to trick me into her room and help her pick out an outfit for dinner with the queen, where, this time, she’d be bringing Christian along with her as her guest. He may have been royalty, but his family was tainted as far as the queen was concerned.

I sat on the edge of her bed, legs folded. The black jacket to the typical guardian ensemble was thrown onto the back of a chair by the window. I had a feeling this would be a typical routine once I was officially Lissa’s guardian.

Lissa had been scurrying about the room, trying to decide what exactly she should wear. Normally, she narrowed down her options to two. But this wasn’t a normal day for her. She highly considered setting aside three other dresses, but thought better of it. She asked me to get up and get a better look at them.

I reluctantly did as I was asked. I would have preferred to have been sitting down and caring less what she wore. It wasn’t worth the stress to impress Queen Bitch.

She had picked out an icy blue dress that had a small tutu shape for the skirt of it. The other was a simple lavender, knee-length dress. I bit my lip, wanting to tell her to go with the icy blue one, but she was worrying if the dress’s skirt would insult the queen. I would have worn the dress simply for that reason, but this is Lissa we’re talking about. She didn’t have much against Queen Tatiana.

I sighed. “Wear the purple one.”

She grinned, rushing the blue one back into her closet.

As she took the lavender dress of its hanger, she kept glancing up at me. Even when blocking out her thoughts to give her some privacy, I knew that she was thriving to ask me something.

“Go ahead and ask,” I muttered.

She shifted uncomfortably and set the dress back aside. “Well, I was just curious about what Victor said at the trial. About you and Guardian Belikov. Why would he suggest a statutory rape case?”

How could I tell her that it wasn’t so much a lie as everyone believed? I hadn’t told her anything about my relationship with Dimitri and she had been my best friend for years. Practically our whole lives. If I told her now, she’d probably be furious with me.

That was a risk that I was going to have to take.

I took a deep breath and spilled everything to her. The burning and electricity that shot through me ever since the shopping trip. The night of the lust charm in full detail. What he told me after Natalie attacked me and he killed her. The self-control dilemma. Why he denied Tasha’s offer. Our encounters since Spokane. His family. All of it.

And all she did was just stand there, gaping at me like I’d grown a third eye or something. Her mouth had fallen open somewhere in the middle of my tale.

I just sat there and waited.

It took a little while, but she finally composed herself and she sat down beside me. It was obvious that she was still processing everything, but some emotion I couldn’t identify took over her face.

She exhaled. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

I expected for her to ask that. “Because it’s absolutely forbidden. I was afraid that it’d leak out and who knows what would have happened after that. He could have been fired, charged with statutory rape, pedophilia…”

“You two stopped before anything too serious happened though. It’d be ruled out.”

I shrugged. “Probably, but it still could have happened. It’s definitely not that I don’t trust you, Liss. We also kept it a secret and we’ve been trying to fight against our feelings so that you stay safe. If we had a relationship, it’d be a huge distraction, especially if we are both your guardians.”

Guilt seemed to be permanently etched into her face. “Rose, I’m sorry that—”

“Don’t be.”

Lissa frowned. “You know, it’s a lot to take in. I don’t know exactly how I feel about it.”

I knew she was referring more to me not telling her about Dimitri and my relationship beforehand, rather than the relationship itself. I just nodded. “Of course. I’d probably want time to think it over if you were in a completely forbidden relationship too.”

She smiled at that at least. “Thanks.”

I left after that. I was allowing her to have to some time to think about it, continuing to block her out of my mind.

I needed to find Dimitri and tell him that Lissa knew everything.

Instead, I came across Adrian while wandering throughout Court grounds.

He was having a discussion with Mia, who was now living at Court with her father, about something. The two noticed a third party and greeted me with warm smiles. Adrian exaggerated by pulling me into a bear hug, shouting “little dhampir.” It wasn’t exactly uncomfortable.

When he released me, I smiled at the both of them. “Whatcha talking about?”

Mia glanced over at Adrian, who just smiled lazily and answered, “I was telling her about what happened on the plane.”

My face fell. “Why?”

“I overheard Eddie and Christian talking about it when you all arrived yesterday. I never got the chance to ask you what it was about,” Mia chimed in.

“It’s not of much importance. I was only experience a migraine.”

Adrian muttered something randomly about dinner with the queen and trotted off. Odd, I’d have to ask him what was up the next time I saw him.

Speaking of having to do something, I saw Dimitri’s tall, built form a little way in the distance. I glanced at Mia, feeling the smallest bit of guilt. “Not to be rude, but I’ve really got to go, Mia. I’ll see you around?” She nodded, not really bothered by the looks of it. I smiled and hugged her before running off toward my mentor.

“Dimitri!” I couldn’t help but emphasize the end of his name as I ran. Hopefully it’d keep the mood light between us.

He stopped and his eyebrows seemed to be knitted together. “Rose?”

I silently cursed myself for not thinking over how to approach him. I forced myself to smile. “Don’t worry. Nothing’s wrong?”

He didn’t completely believe me. “Well, then why did you yell to get my attention?”

I shrugged. “I just felt like it.”

“Rose.”

“Fine.” I clasped my hands together and began to twiddle my thumbs. “I have to tell you something.” I waited for him to say something, but he never did; he just stood there patiently. I silently cursed again. This time I kept my voice barely above a whisper. “I may have told Lissa…about us.”

“Oh?” He wasn’t angry. In fact, he almost looked…relieved? “What made you tell her?”

“What Victor said at the trial made her extremely curious, especially with the rumors going around back at St. Vladimir’s.” I shifted my weight. “I couldn’t put off telling her anymore. She’s a little upset that I waited so long to tell her, but I’m giving her time to think about it all.”

“Good.”

“Huh?”

“You’re being patient about it all. That’s good.” He raised an eyebrow. “I’m glad you told her too. She’s your best friend; she has the right to know.”

“I just hope no one overheard.”

A firm hand rested on my shoulder then. “I doubt that anyone did.”

“But someone could have—”

He tried to keep me quiet, but his attempts weren’t working too well. I continued to babble frantically about stuff I didn’t even know. I heard him sigh in frustration before placing his hand over my mouth. “Calm down.”

The influence the man had on me amazed me at that moment. I stopped screaming into his hand and eventually stopped fidgeting. He noticed the change and dropped his hand. I sighed in relief. “Thank you.”

He nodded. “Don’t be so worked up over what happened at the trial. No one believed him anyway.”

“No one?”

“No one.”