Rumor Has It

Time went on.

With each slow, agonizing moment, I grew more and more anxious. As far as I could tell, the Strigoi hadn't even been near the dhampir dorms. I was relieved that my closest friends weren't in immediate danger. Yet, at the same time, I was worried that Dimitri could be hurt, carried away…dead, turned…I shuddered at the thought. I refused to believe anything was wrong. He was one of the best guardians in the world. There was no way he could mess up enough for anything too bad to happen.

Rose, he'll be fine, Lissa said through the bond. I looked at her and smiled sadly. She shook her head. He's one of the best. He'll make it.

"No need to worry, little dhampir," Adrian said—almost bitterly—from the couch. "Your lover will still be alive when all of this is over."

I was wishing I could just punch him and not get any heat from the queen about it. He really did not have to broadcast the lover statement to the world, especially since I hadn't told Christian or Eddie…but with the display we made just before he left, the cat was pretty much out of the bag. So much for keeping the relationship a secret.

"Y'know, I'm not too surprised," Christian stated out of the blue. "I've had my suspicions ever since Aunt Tasha was here." I was curious as to how he even picked up on that when Dimitri and I were fighting the entire time Tasha Ozera was at the academy and at the ski lodge. He let out a laugh. "Especially when we were on the plane back from Spokane. It should have been obvious to me then since the way he looked at you was a far cry from how a mentor should look at his student. How I didn't catch on right then is a miracle."

"And you really haven't dated since we were brought back," Lissa said. "And just how you two act around each other in general...It should have been the most obvious thing in the world for me to see." She sighed and added in her head, Some best friend I am. I could argue that statement, what with her bringing me back from the dead, but it's a conversation for another time.

I frowned. Dimitri and I weren't that obvious, were we? Yeah, lately we've been spending more time together and taking a lot of risks, but I was sure that no one had seen.

"Relax, Hathaway," Christian snorted. "Your secret's safe with us."

"And Alberta," I mumbled.

"How does Guardian Petrov know?" Lissa asked, frowning.

I shrugged. "Beats me. Dimitri said that she figured it out and asked him. He couldn't exactly lie to her."

"How'd she take it?" Adrian questioned. His tone was hopeful.

"Surprisingly well," I replied and watched as his face fell. "We actually spoke about it after Alto and Yuri took Aaron to the infirmary. They don't know and I think she's permitting us to let who we want to know, know first. We just have to keep PDA to a minimum until trials."

Adrian muttered something else, but, even with my enhanced dhampir senses, I couldn't hear him. Eddie, on the other side of the room, chuckled. I glared at him.

However, before I could make a comment, someone screamed from inside the dorm building. Eddie and I exchanged glances. Some type of silent agreement passed between the two of us. We quickly ushered Adrian, Lissa, and Christian to the one corner that was secure enough for them to stay out of harm's way, should a Strigoi get into the lounge.

Only nothing happened.

"That's weird," I muttered, approaching the door slowly. I crouched down and looked out the keyhole. From what I could see, no one was in the main lounge of the dhampir dorms. That was even weirder. "No one's out there."

"Are you sure?" Eddie asked, placing his hand on my shoulder and pulling me back to look out the keyhole. A moment later he stepped back, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"I wonder where everyone is…"

"I'm going to scout the building," Eddie said, reaching out his hand to open the door.

I smacked his hand away from the door handle. "How about you don't?" How I was able to take control at that moment was beyond me, but I stuck with it. "We were given orders to stay here and protect the Moroi. Direct orders, Castile."

Eddie took a step back. "For all we know, everyone that was out there is Strigoi now."

"If they were, they saw us, or at least they saw me come in here. They'd attack us in a matter of minutes." I scowled. "If you hear anything—"

There was a loud crash on the other side of the room. I turned around quickly to see the window shattered and a few Strigoi starting to climb through. I glanced over at the three Moroi and relief washed over me to see that they had a plan by having Christian, a fire user, in front. I just hoped that he didn't have to use his magic at all.

"On three, Rose?" Eddie asked somewhere off to my left. I muttered a 'yes' and Eddie slowly began to count. "One…"

To whoever is listening, I said in my head, please just let everyone I care about out of this alive. I'll do anything to keep them all safe.

"Two…"

Almost anything, that is. There are some things that would be way too much, I added. It may not seem like it at times, but I do have some dignity.

"Three!"

I drew a deep breath and blindly charged. I knew that I was one of the best, but that didn't take away from the paranoia I felt at the moment. I had already failed once at protecting someone I cared about. Who's to say I wouldn't do it again?

And then I imagined Dimitri's face when he was bringing me out of the haze at the house in Spokane. If my memory served correctly, Dimitri had been heartbroken to see me in whatever state I was in. I didn't want to cause that reaction again—or cause one that was even worse. I briefly thought about Lissa, Adrian, Christian, Eddie, and my mom; I'd chastise myself later for barely acknowledging them.

I managed to stake one Strigoi within a few minutes. It didn't take a genius to figure out that he had been recently turned and, more than likely, human beforehand. His fighting technique was sloppy and didn't even bother to shield his chest.

Another Strigoi slithered through the broken window and had begun advancing on the three Moroi in the room. I shuffled in front of him, cutting him off. My grip on the stake tightened to the point where I was sure that, if I looked down, my knuckles would be white.

Is it sad to say that I was pretty disappointed when I realized that the Strigoi I was fighting proved himself to have been recently turned? He was still a pain in the ass to fight—he was probably dhampir before he was turned—but I kind of crazed more of a challenge.

As in a challenge that didn't mutter threats instead of continuously attacking.

"… Looks like we've got an ickle pretty one here," he said in a British accent, his eyes scanning over my body. "It's such a shame that your beauty has to go to waste…"

I stifled a laugh. It was more a shame that he was just standing there.

He continued speaking, "Actually, I'll give you an ultimatum." He grinned mischievously. "I'll let your four little friends go if you choose to join me and be Awakened. "

I was vaguely aware of the silence that surrounded us in the room and I assumed Eddie had finished off the Strigoi he had been fighting. Other than that, I was highly considering the offer. I honestly despised the idea of being Strigoi, but if it saved the ones I loved, then it would be worth losing my soul and all sense that came with it. I opened my mouth to speak. I just didn't get the chance..

The Strigoi groaned in agony and crumpled to the ground. I watched his body twitch until he was completely motionless. I blinked, and then looked up.

There, in all his glory, stood Dimitri. His eyes blazed with hatred as he glared at the Strigoi he had just killed. I resisted the temptation to jump into his arms and stay there for the rest of my life just so I knew nothing was wrong.

After a moment or so of the tense silence, Dimitri scanned everyone for any damage, and then he observed the two Strigoi Eddie had taken down and the one I had taken down. His face softened for the slightest second before that guardian mask of his fell back into place and he turned to Eddie. "Would you mind escorting these three—" he gestured to Lissa, Adrian, and Christian "—to the academy's chapel?"

Eddie nodded. "Of course, Guardian Belikov."

I started to follow them, but Dimitri caught me by my arm, forcing me to stop. "I'd like to speak to you if you don't mind."

"But—" I glanced in the direction of everyone else. I was surprised that Dimitri was wanting to speak in the middle of an invasion and risk only having one guardian protecting three Moroi—three royal Moroi.

"Don't be so uptight, Rosie," Christian exclaimed, doing his best to keep the tension light. "If all else fails, I'll turn the bastards into ashes." I pursed my lips, not only at the thought of Christian possibly having to use his magic but also at the monster grip Dimitri suddenly had on my arm. Christian rolled his eyes. "I said 'if all else fails'. Or if I get the okay. It's highly unlikely since Eddie will be with us."

Christian didn't give either Dimitri or me a chance to reply. He hopped through the window frame, joining the other three. Their silhouettes got smaller and smaller as they were getting closer to safety in the chapel.

I let out a sigh. "Not that I don't mind being alone with you, but is now really the time for a chat?"

"It's not," he replied.

"Then why—?"

Before I could finish, he pulled me close and crashed his lips to mine.

I don't know how long we kissed, but it was long enough for the both of us to lose our breath. It wasn't enough time to calm my nerves. When we broke apart, I clenched the fabric of his shirt in my fists. He rested his head on my shoulder and nuzzled my neck.

"You'd rather become Strigoi than to allow any harm to your friends. You're too selfless for your own good," he breathed, his breath hot against my skin. "It's one of many qualities I love about you."

I let out a strangled laugh. "To be honest, I think he was in the process of compelling me into allowing him to bite me. If you got here just seconds later, I'm pretty sure I would have let him." I felt Dimitri stiffen. I buried my face in his chest, not wanting to let him see me in such a vulnerable state. I knew that compulsion rarely, if ever, worked on dhampirs, but a Strigoi's compulsion is probably the strongest there is, stronger than a Spirit user's compulsion even. Who's to say dhampirs are immune to that too? I sighed, "Not that I wouldn't do practically anything to save anyone, but I'm extremely thankful you showed up and stopped him."

His arms wound around my waist. "So am I. I have no idea what I would do if he had even gotten close enough to bite you, let alone turn you."

We stood in silence for a couple more moments, completely oblivious to the world around us. For once, we were just a normal couple embracing each other. If it had been up to me, we would have stayed that way for eternity. Happily in the arms of the man I loved for all eternity. Cliché, yes, and I used to laugh at movies and books where the protagonist said things like that, but now that I know what it's like, the idea was probably the best.

But of course there were Strigoi still on campus. We were happily reminded of them when there was a distant scream.

Dimitri pulled away, slowly but surely going back into guardian mode. "You need to get to the chapel."

I frowned. "Why? I'm as good as any guardian out there fighting and you, of all people, know that! I want to help and kill those bastards."

"Rose…" He sighed as he looked out the shattered window. His mouth fell into a thin line. I'm sure that he realized that he'd be fighting a lost battle if he argued. "Either go to the chapel or don't leave my sight. Those are the only two ways I'll know you're safe." Of course there was an ultimatum; one that I'm sure was testing my role as his student versus my role as his lover.

For the slightest of seconds I felt like a child. But he was only being fair and he was concerned. Concerned for me. That was enough for me to not put up a fight. And being near Dimitri wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Being able to see him would keep a load off my mind. Despite the ultimatum, I'm sure he was aware that I would go and fight no matter what.

"Thank you!" I grinned, hugging him again.

We stood there, embracing each other for a few moments longer than necessary as if this would be the last time we'd be alone together. He, as usual, was the first to pull away. Given the circumstances, though, I decided not to argue.

Without another word, we made our way out of the building. Through the window I might add. I didn't ask why, but I was pretty sure this would be the way to attract less attention. That's to say if I knew anything about Dimitri.

And let's face it, I knew Dimitri almost as well as he knew himself, sometimes even better than he knew himself. In fact, he could probably say the same about me. It was just one of those things that gave me no doubts. Of course, it was occasionally frustrating to know him so well when he fell into his mentor role. I almost always knew what he was going to say beforehand, and I'd tune him out…if I actually wanted to run extra laps.

I shook my head, quickly bringing myself back to reality. It really was not the time for one of my daydreams.

I took in my surroundings. Dimitri was cautiously looking around a corner of the dhampir dorm building. I stopped behind him and did my best to peer over his shoulder, which was a feat when considering our noticeable height difference and trying to remain quiet.

The battle raged on. Guardian, novices, and Strigoi alike were fighting. Every few minutes one would go down or stagger, but they were far enough away to where I couldn't really tell whose side had the numbers advantage at that given moment. Dimitri was now crouching, ready to fight. I had never personally seen Dimitri fight in battle other than when he saved me from Natalie, Victor Dashkov's daughter who turned Strigoi, but I wasn't exactly coherent then and I only liked remembering select moments from that day. So one could only imagine how much I wanted to see him flawlessly take down Strigoi. Though, admittedly, it could be a bias when mentioning he's my illicit mentor-turned-lover. Unfortunately I couldn't stand by and simply watch him fight; it was my duty to fight alongside him. My hormones would have to get the best of me later.

As I brought myself to reality, a wave of nausea hit me. I wasn't sure how long I'd been feeling that way, but I didn't care. I clenched a sleeve of Dimitri's shirt as nearly doubled over at the ill feeling. He stood straight up and turned to face me. "What's wrong?"

Let's see…Strigoi are attacking the school, my best friend is worrying about me, I suddenly don't feel well…There were many answers to his question and it was absolutely fantastic to know that I had enough sarcasm when the situation didn't call for it. I sighed, "I'm suddenly nauseous."

His face hardened. "Get to the church. If any of them come after you—"

"Are you insane?" I snapped. "You all need as much help as you can get! If my arm was amputated I'd still fight!"

He pursed his lips, allowing his emotions get the better of him. "Rose—"

Though his expressing himself didn't stop me from being irritated about what I'm sure he was about to argue. I scoffed. "If I feel any worse I'll make a break for the church. Should a Strigoi try to attack me, I'll do my best to get away."

His eyes narrowed. I was sure he doubted that I was telling the truth, but what choice did he have? "Fine, but at the first sign of feeling worse, go to the church. I'll try to explain to Guardian Petrov later if that happens." He leaned his forehead against mine. "I love you."

I took advantage of our faces' close proximity and kissed him once more. Neither of us tried to prolong the kiss. I pulled away after a few seconds and smiled. "You can take that as 'I love you, too.'" He rolled his eyes with a chuckle.

Dimitri then went back to looking around the corner. I stood back this time, fighting the disgusting feeling in my stomach. His voice came at me in a whisper, "Be ready on three." He paused. "One…"

Déjà vu. Didn't I just go through something similar to this with Eddie?

"Two…"

Heaving a heavy sigh, I got into a readying position to run.

"Three!"

Without another word, we both ran to join the battle. Instinctively, I joined Alberta. She was facing three Strigoi at the moment, and she was the first one I saw who could use some help. As expected one turned their attention to me.

The Strigoi, a female I quickly noticed, threw a punch at lightning fast speed. I managed to dodge most of it, but her punch still clipped my shoulder. It wasn't painful, per se, but it wasn't pleasant either. Plus, I had had much worse in the past and I'd be feeling and seeing worse injuries than a bruised shoulder that night.

Nevertheless, I grimaced and aimed a punch of my own, only for it to be blocked. She tightly gripped my arm, disabling me from any movement of my own, and then kicked my legs out from under me. I landed painfully on the ground. Before I could roll out of the way, the Strigoi was on me. I instantly shielded my neck when she bared her fangs.

She kept trying to pin me down, but I continuously fought against her. I'll be damned if I go down while facing only my first—or technically third—Strigoi of the night. She aimed another punch, this time at my face. I moved my head to the side, barely avoiding her fist, but it was enough for her to stumble. I took my chance and turned us over. Her expression read surprise. I'm sure I was grinning from ear-to-ear. I tightened my hold on my stake and forced it in her chest, carefully avoiding her ribs and piercing her heart. I flinched at her wailing, but I kept hold of the stake until she lie motionless.

Once I pulled the stake out and wiped it off on the Strigoi's shirt, I got to my feet and saw Alberta had just finished off the second of the two Strigoi. She saw me and nodded as if to say thanks. I nodded in return and then began scanning the area. There were still plenty fighting, but I noticed one person in particular. Dimitri was absolutely flawless and fought with such grace that left me almost breathless.

I shook my head as if to clear it. It was not the time to ogle at my mentor. There would be time for that later. For now, I needed to focus on killing Strigoi.

And that's what I did. For what seemed like hours I did the job that I had been trained my entire life to do. Whether it was only a few or numerous Strigoi I had defeated, I didn't know. I honestly lost count. All I knew was that I was kicking ass.

To be perfectly honest, I felt like I was about to collapse. Yeah, I had the training and some experience, but even I had my limits. After I ripped the stake back out of one's chest, I bent over, resting my hands on my knees. My breathing was heavy and I felt soaked with sweat.

Someone was shouting at me to focus again. I straightened up in response. Just as I was about to turn around, however, there was an impact in my side. It'd be remarkable if I didn't have a broken rib or two. Unfortunately, when I hit the ground I lost hold of my stake. I was sure I'd be dead any second without a weapon. Still I tried to fight the Strigoi off me. It certainly wasn't an easy task, but I managed to surprise him long enough with an elbow delivered to the side of his face and grasp the stake again. As soon as I had a firm grip on the stake the Strigoi had me pinned to the ground and my head snapped back from the impact. He bared his fangs as he lowered his mouth to my neck. I was temporarily incapable of movement and I expected the brief, piercing pain of a bite. Only it never happened. In fact I felt all the Strigoi's weight lifted off me. I hastily—and unwisely, may I add—sat up to see what had happened. I was grateful and surprised to see the Strigoi aflame.

"I wish I could do this all day, but it's rather exhausting. Some help would be fantastic," Christian's voice ran. When he got there and why he left the church was beyond me, but I'd save the questions for later. At the moment I really had to keep him from being killed.

I climbed to my feet and approached the flaming Strigoi. With him being covered in flames not only was it an advantage that they were distracted, but also it was a disadvantage since I'd have to prevent being burnt and it would be difficult to find a way to get to the heart properly. After a few seconds, though, I found a spot and drove the stake through the Strigoi's chest. His strangled scream was absolutely horrible. Worse than when just piercing the heart alone.

This time when I got my stake out I turned to glare at Christian. "Why the hell are you here? You're supposed to be in the church with Lissa and Adrian…And Eddie."

"You're welcome," he muttered sarcastically.

I groaned. "Really, Christian! Why did you come out here? I could have handled him—" I pointed at the now-officially-dead Strigoi "—without your help."

He rolled his eyes. "Like you were doing just fine a minute ago." He scowled. "If I hadn't shown up you'd be dead by now. So stop worrying why I'm out here for now. When this is all done and over with I'll tell you. For now let me help you kick some Strigoi ass."

I wanted to protest, but I really had no choice. Christian was just as stubborn as me and he'd find a way to help fight. Plus, if I sent him back to the church there's no telling what would happen to him on the way. At least if he stayed I'd be able to keep an eye on him. They come first after all. I nodded my agreement and we set off.

So I'd lost count when I was killing before. But now with Christian's help I had a feeling I'd killed just as many, if not more. He'd set one on fire, and then I'd strike. As time went on I knew he was getting more and more exhausted, so I told—no, ordered—him to cut back on the magic. A miniscule amount of fire was enough to distract a Strigoi anyway. This went on for a little while longer. We were both ready to attack, but no Strigoi approached. Not that I blamed them. If there was one thing, other than magic-induced silver, that a Strigoi feared, it was fire. But still, their disappearance was rather odd. I turned around in a circle to survey the surroundings; I only saw dead bodies and guardians inspecting the damage.

"That's weird," I muttered.

"What's weird?" Christian asked.

"There aren't any Strigoi around."

"That's because they fled," a new voice came from behind me. "It's nearly sunrise."

The familiar aftershave's scent swirled around me. I quickly turned around and was face-to-face with the man I love. I flung myself at him, winding my arms around and his neck and leaning my head against his chest. Whether the uninformed eye saw I didn't know and, quite frankly, I didn't care. I was just relieved Dimitri was alive.

He pushed me back a few seconds later, leaving his hands on my shoulders. He looked me up and down a few times, though I was sure only once or twice was to see if I was injured. His eyes glazed over compassion when he smiled. I did too.

Our unspoken conversation was interrupted by a stern cough from Christian. "If you two are done mentally undressing each other I'd find it terrific if you could help me find Lissa."

I tore my gaze away from Dimitri and glared at Christian. I swear he was lucky it was only us three around because I'm sure his comment would have earned him some sort of punishment. As much as I wanted to see Christian get in trouble, I wanted him to get out of the way so I could have a moment with my lover. So, I decided to check the bond. "She's perfectly fine. In fact she's with Adrian in the chapel right now. You can go see her as soon as you tell me why you left the church in the first place."

"Since when are you so motherly?" His eyebrows rose in a mocking manner. When I didn't reply, he sighed and continued, "I wanted to help. I couldn't just sit back and do nothing while knowing that I can do something to get the job done. I'd rather risk my life trying to help than doing nothing at all."

"That doesn't take away from the fact that—"

"I could have been killed—or worse. I know. But that didn't happen, now did it? And like I told you earlier, you'd probably be dead right now if it weren't for me."

I stared at him as I processed his simple words. Words that were the absolute truth. I smiled at him. "You're right. Thank you."

He already had his mouth open, ready for a comeback, but I guess his mind registered what I said. He gaped at me for a moment. Not that I could blame him. Had it not been for the given circumstances, I would have gaped at him when he set the Strigoi on fire. Christian eventually came around and he smirked his trademark smirk. "I still hate you, you know."

I grinned. "Of course."

He left after that. If it hadn't been for the still-strong scent of his aftershave, I would have thought Dimitri had quietly dismissed himself. I turned back to face him, but my face fell when I saw his stoic expression.

With a sigh I asked, "What's going to happen now?"

"I'm not sure." He coolly raised an eyebrow. "The guardians should be holding a meeting in a few hours to share statistics."

I frowned. "And you're telling me this why?"

"I thought you'd want to attend, especially since a large percentage of the kills today are yours. And I'm sure they want to discuss Christian's role." His face softened a little. "Until then you should probably relax."

I couldn't help myself. "What about you?"

"If they don't need me for anything I'll find you. How does that sound?"

"Cruel but fair." I grimaced.

He chuckled. "It's great that you understand despite how much you want to complain."

I stuck my tongue out at him. "I just want to spend more time with you."

"I know, but it's my job. I need to take care of that first." He smiled. "If it makes you feel any better I'm proud of you. Immensely proud. I would have watched you fight if I could have."

Funny, I felt the same way. "Yeah, well, I have a pretty awesome instructor."

"Probably the best?"

"Don't get too cocky," I teased.

"Never," he said with a stoic face, but the amusement in his eyes was obvious.

With everything that had just happened, I was surprised at how at ease Dimitri was. And I was sure that he'd be back to keeping me at arm's length after our escapade just before the attack and the attack itself. I wasn't about to complain, though. I preferred to see him out of his mentor role.

Some time during my admiration for this newly exposed side of him Dimitri had pulled me into the shadows of some nearby trees. I found myself with my back pressed against a tree and with Dimitri's hands gingerly caressing my cheeks. I smiled softly at him…and I believe that's all it took for him to lean down and kiss me. This kiss wasn't like lust-driven one back in my dorm room. It wasn't like when he saved me from being turned back in the lounge. Nor was it like the 'this-could-be-goodbye' kiss right before we joined the battle. No, this kiss was delicate and full of relief on both our behalves. We survived the battle; sure, that was a great reason to be relieved. But this relief came about with the knowledge that the other had survived with little harm done. Honestly, I could have an arm and a leg amputated and still feel the way I did when I saw Dimitri had survived.

He eventually pulled away and rested his forehead against mine. "Go check on Lissa. I know it's bothering you that you haven't seen her in person yet."

I shifted my weight a little. "But you better keep to your word. If they don't give you anything to do, you better find me."

"Yes, ma'am," he replied sarcastically.

I playfully slapped his arm as I reached up to kiss him one last time before I left to go find Lissa. Well, when I tried to leave that is. As I turned to go, Dimitri pulled me back to kiss me again. This happened a few times.

I smiled against his lips as I spoke, "How do you expect me to find Lissa if you won't let me get even two feet away?"

He chuckled, still not pulling away. "Sorry."

I tried escaping his hold, but his arms were still tightly wrapped around me. I tried to stifle my laughter. "Dimitri! Let me go!"

He loosened his hold considerably. "Try to…stay…out of…trouble…" he said in between kisses. I swear the things he did to me. This new playful side of him intrigued me, but it was also a little irritating at the moment. We both had things to do before we could have time to ourselves.

Dimitri and I finally broke apart when I pushed against his chest. He raised a questioning eyebrow as I stared at him. I asked, "Did we have some personality switch?"

"Obviously not." He rolled his eyes. "I'm just relieved nothing happened to you. Don't get used to this. I'll be back to your mentor tomorrow."

I snorted with laughter. "You're lying through your teeth. You haven't acted as my mentor in weeks."

"That's not true," he replied defensively. "You've just made it difficult to stay in the role as your mentor."

I scoffed. "I'm offended. The fault is not all on me."

"Now, go find Lissa." He grinned as he turned around and pushed me in the direction of the church.

I went along with his attempt at evading the conversation and started walking toward the church. When I felt there was enough distance between us, I turned back around and shouted after him, "We'll talk about this later, Guardian Belikov!" The last thing I was before turning back around was his almost-mischievous smile.