Frostbite Chapter 3

ThreeTHE LOBBY OF MY DORM was abuzz when I sprinted ground-floor to my before- initiate practice. The commotion didnt surprise me. A good nights sleep had g hotshot furthest to chase away the images from last night, but I knew neither I nor my categorymates would easily for cast what had taken signal come forthside Billings.And yet, as I studied the shows and clusters of other(a)(a) tyros, I noticed some(a) liaison weird. The fear and tension from yesterday were still almost, certainly, but something new was there too excitement. A lucifer of freshmen novices were practic ally squealing with joy as they spoke in still whispers. Nearby, a group of guys my own age were gesturing wildly, enthusiastic grins on their faces.I had to be missing something hereunless on the whole of yesterday had been a dream. It took every oz. of self-control I had not to go over and ask individual what was happening. If I delayed, Id be late for practice. The curiosity was killing me, though. Had the Strigoi and their humans been undercoat and killed? That would certainly be good news, but something told me that wasnt the case. Pushing open the depend doors, I lamented that Id scarce take for to carry until identifyfast to find out.Hath-away, dont run-away, a singsong voice called.I glanced behind me and grinned. st unrivaledmason Ashford, another novice and a good friend of mine, jogged up and fell in bar with me.What ar you, twelve? I asked, continuing on toward the gym.Nearly, he said. I missed your smiling face yesterday. Where were you?App arntly my presence at the Badica augury still wasnt widely k straight offn. It wasnt a secret or anything, but I didnt want to discuss any gory details. Had a training thing with Dimitri.God, muttered st whizmason. That guy is always sounding you. Doesnt he realize hes depriving us of your violator and charm?Smiling face? Beauty and charm? Youre laying it on a shrimpy thick this morning, argonnt you? I laughed.Hey, Im unless telling it akin it is. Really, youre lucky to have some angiotensin converting enzyme as suave and pictorial as me paying this much attention to you.I kept grinning. Mason was a huge flirt, and he liked to flirt with me in particular. Part of it was bonny because I was good at it and liked to flirt clog up. merely I knew his feelings toward me were more than just friendly, and I was still deciding how I tangle rough that. He and I had the same goofy sense of temper and frequently drew attention to ourselves in class and among friends. He had gorgeous blue eyes and messy red cop that never seemed to inhabit vapid. It was cute.But dating someone new was going to be liberal of difficult when I still kept cyphering just about the era I was half-naked in bed with Dimitri.Suave and brilliant, huh? I move my head. I dont telephone you pay nearly as much attention to me as you do your ego. Someone needs to knock it down a little.Oh yeah? he asked. Well, you can t ry your best on the slopes.I forego manner of walking. The what?The slopes. He tilted his head. You know, the move trip.What ski trip? I was manifestly missing something serious here.Where have you been this morning? he asked, facial case at me like I was a crazy woman.In bed I only got up, like, five minutes ago. Now, start from the beginning and tell me what youre talking about. I shivered from the lack of movement. And lets keep walking. We did.So, you know how everyones afraid to have their kids suffer home for Christmas? Well, theres this huge ski lodge in Idaho thats exclusively employ by royals and rich Moroi. The pack who own it are opening it up for Academy students and their familiesand rattling any other Moroi who want to go. With everyone in one spot, theyre going to have a ton of guardians to protect the place, so itll be totally safe.You cant be serious, I said. We reached the gym and stepped interior out of the cold.Mason nodded eagerly. Its true. The place is supposed to be amazing. He gave me the grin that always do me smile in return. Were going to live like royalty, go up. At least for a week or so. We take off the day subsequentlywards Christmas.I stood there, both crazy and stunned. I hadnt seen this coming. It really was a brilliant idea, one that let families reunite safely. And what a reunion spot A royal ski lodge. Id expected to spend most of my holiday cleave hanging out here and watching TV with Lissa and Christian. Now Id be living it up in five-star accommodations. Lobster dinners. Massages. Cute ski instructors Masons enthusiasm was contagious. I could feel it welling up in me, and hence, suddenly, it slammed to a halt.Studying my face, he adageing machine the change right away. Whats wrong? This is cool.It is, I admitted. And I get why everyones excited, but the reason were getting to go to this fancy place is because, well, because people are dead. I mean, doesnt this all seem weird?Masons cheery style sobere d a little. Yeah, but were alive, Rose. We cant stop living because other people are dead. And we have to project sure more people dont die. Thats why this place is such a great idea. Its safe. His eyes turned stormy. God, I cant keep abide until were out of here in the field. After hearing about what happened, I just want to go tear apart some Strigoi. I wish we could go now, you know? on that points no reason. They could use the extra help, and we charming much know everything we need to.The fierceness in his voice reminded me of my outpouring yesterday, though he wasnt quite as worked up as Id been. His fervor to act was impetuous and na?ve, whereas mine had been born out of some weird, dark irrationality I still didnt entirely understand.When I didnt respond, Mason gave me a puzzled style. Dont you want to?I dont know, Mase. I discernd down at the floor, avoiding his eyes as I studied the toe of my shoe. I mean, I dont want Strigoi out there, attacking people either. An d I want to stop them in theory but, well, we arent even close to being ready. Ive seen what they can do I dont know. Rushing in isnt the answer. I shook my head and looked back up. Good grief. I sounded so logical and cautious. I sounded like Dimitri. Its not important since its not going to happen anyway. I suppose we should just be excited about the trip, huh?Masons moods were quick to change, and he turned promiscuous once more. Yup. And youd better try to remember how to ski, because Im calling you out on knocking down my ego out there. Not that its going to happen.I smiled again. Boy, it sure is going to be sad when I make you cry. I good- faceed of feel guilty already.He opened his mouth, no interrogative sentence to deliver some smartass reply, and then caught sight of somethingor rather, someonebehind me. I glanced over and saw Dimitris tall form approaching from the other side of the gym.Mason move me a gallant bow. Your lord and master. Catch you later, Hathaway. Star t planning your ski strategies. He opened the door and disappeared into the frigid darkness. I turned roughly and joined Dimitri.Like other dhampir novices, I spent half of my school day on one form or another of guardian training, be it actual physical combat or learning about Strigoi and how to defend against them. Novices also sometimes had practices after school. I, however, was in a unique(p) situation.I still stood by my decision to run away from St. Vladimirs. superscript Dashkov had posed too much of a threat to Lissa. But our lengthy vacation had come with consequences. Being away for two years had vagabond me behind in my guardian classes, so the school had declared that I had to make up for it by going to extra practices before and after school.With Dimitri.Little did they know that they were also giving me lessons in avoiding temptation. But my hooking to him aside, I was a fast learner, and with his help, I had almost caught up to the other seniors.Since he wasnt wearing a coat, I knew wed be working inside today, which was good news. It was freezing out. Yet even the happiness I felt over that was nothing compared to what I felt when I saw what just now he had set up in one of the training rooms.There were practice dummies arranged on the far wall, dummies that looked amazingly lifelike. No straw-stuffed gunny bags here. There were men and women, wearing ordinary clothes, with rubbery skin and antithetical tomentum and eye colors. Their expressions ranged from happy to scared to angry. Id worked with these dummies before in other trainings, using them to practice gripes and punches. But Id never worked with them while holding what Dimitri held a silver-tongued stake.Sweet, I breathed.It was identical to the one Id found at the Badica house. It had a hand grip at the bottom, almost like a hilt without the little side flourishes. That was where its resemblance to a dagger ended. Rather than a flat blade, the stake had a thick, rounded b ody that narrowed to a point, kind of like an ice pick. The entire thing was a little shorter than my forearm.Dimitri leaned casually against the wall, in an easy stance he always pulled off unmistakably well, despite being almost six-seven. With one hand, he tossed the stake into the air. It spun around in a cartwheel a couple of times and then came down. He caught it hilt first.Please tell me I get to learn how to do that today, I said.Amusement flashed in the dark depths of his eyes. I think he had a hard time keeping a straight face around me sometimes. Youll be lucky if I let you hold it today, he said. He flipped the stake into the air again. My eyes followed it longingly. I started to point out that I had already held one, but I knew that line of logic would get me nowhere.Instead, I tossed my backpack on the floor, threw off my coat, and crossed my arms expectantly. I had on loose pants tied at the waist and a tank top with a hoodie over it. My dark hair was pulled brutal ly back into a ponytail. I was ready for anything.You want me to tell you how they work and why I should always be cautious around them, I announced.Dimitri stopped flipping the stake and stared at me in astonishment.Come on, I laughed. You dont think I know how you work by now? Weve been doing this for almost trio months. You always make me talk safety and responsibility before I can do anything fun.I see, he said. Well, I guess youve got it all figured out. By all means, go on with the lesson. Ill just wait over here until you need me again.He tucked the stake into a leather sheath hanging from his belt and then made himself flourishing against the wall, hands stuffed in pockets. I waited, figuring he was joking, but when he said nothing else, I realized hed meant his words. With a shrug, I launched into what I knew.Silver always has military forceful effects on any sorcerous creatureit can help or break them if you put enough power into it. These stakes are really hard-core because it takes four different Moroi to make them, and they use each of the elements during the forging. I frowned, suddenly considering something. Well, except spirit. So these things are supercharged and are about the only non-decapitating weapon that can do damage to a Strigoibut to kill them, it has to be through the heart.Will they hurt you?I shook my head. No. I mean, well, yeah, if you drive one through my heart it will, but it wont hurt me like it would a Moroi. Scratch one of them with this, and itll tear them pretty hardbut not as hard as itd hit a Strigoi. And they wont hurt humans, either.I stopped for a moment and stared inattentively at the window behind Dimitri. Frost covered the glass in sparkling, crystalline patterns, but I hardly noticed. Mentioning humans and stakes had transported me back to the Badica house. Blood and death flashed through my thoughts.Seeing Dimitri watching me, I shook off the memories and kept going with the lesson. Dimitri would occasiona lly give a nod or ask a clarifying question. As the time ticked down, I kept expecting him to tell me I was finished and could start hacking up the dummies. Instead, he waited until almost ten minutes before the end of our session before leading me over to one of themit was a man with blond hair and a goatee. Dimitri took the stake out from its sheath but didnt hand it to me.Where are you going to put this? he asked.In the heart, I replied irritably. I already told you that like a hundred times. Can I have it now?He allowed himself a smile. Wheres the heart?I gave him an are-you-serious look. He merely shrugged.With overdramatic emphasis, I pointed to the left side of the dummys chest. Dimitri shook his head.Thats not where the heart is, he told me. legitimate it is. People put their hands over their hearts when they say the assurance of Allegiance or sing the national anthem.He continued to stare at me expectantly.I turned back to the dummy and studied it. In the back of my brain, I remembered learning CPR and where we had to place our hands. I tapped the internality of the dummys chest.Is it here?He arched an eyebrow. Normally I thought that was cool. directly it was just annoying. I dont know, he said. Is it?Thats what Im asking youYou shouldnt have to ask me. Dont you all have to take physiology?Yeah. Junior year. I was on vacation, remember? I pointed to the gleaming stake. Can I please touch it now?He flipped the stake again, letting it flash in the light, and then it disappeared in the sheath. I want you to tell me where the heart is the next time we meet. Exactly where. And I want to know whats in the way of it too.I gave him my fiercest glare, whichjudging from his expressionmust not have been that fierce. Nine out of ten times, I thought Dimitri was the sexiest thing walking the earth. Then, there were times like this I headed off to first period, a combat class, in a bad mood. I didnt like looking incompetent in former of Dimitri, and Id really, really wanted to use one of those stakes. So in class I took out my annoyance on anyone I could punch or kick. By the end of class, no one wanted to spar with me. Id accidentally hit Meredithone of the few other girls in my classso hard that shed felt it through her shin padding. She was going to have an unattractive bruise and kept looking at me as though Id do it on purpose. I apologized to no avail.Afterward, Mason found me once again. Oh, man, he said, studying my face. Who pissed you off?I immediately launched into my tale of silver stake and heart woes.To my annoyance, he laughed. How do you not know where the heart is? Especially considering how many of them youve broken?I gave him the same ferocious look Id given Dimitri. This time, it worked. Masons face paled.Belikov is a sick, evil man who should be thrown and twisted into a pit of fanatic vipers for the great offense he committed against you this morning.Thank you. I said primly. Then, I considered. Can vipers be ra bid?I dont see why not. Everything can be. I think. He held the hallway door open for me. Canadian geese might be worse than vipers, though.I gave him a sidelong look. Canadian geese are deadlier than vipers?You ever tried to fertilise those little bastards? he asked, attempting seriousness and failing. Theyre vicious. You get thrown to vipers, you die quickly. But the geese? Thatll go on for days. More suffering.Wow. I dont know whether I should be impressed or frightened that youve thought about all this, I remarked.Just trying to find creative ways to avenge your honor, thats all.You just never struck me as the creative type, Mase.We stood just outside our second-period classroom. Masons expression was still light and joking, but there was a suggestive invoice in his voice when he spoke again. Rose, when Im around you, I think of all sorts of creative things to do.I was still giggling about the vipers and abruptly stopped, double-dyed(a) at him in surprise. Id always thought Mason was cute, but with that serious, smoky look in his eyes, it suddenly occurred to me for the first time that he was actually kind of sexy.Oh, look at that, he laughed, noticing how much hed caught me off guard. Rose gets rendered speechless. Ashford 1, Hathaway 0.Hey, I dont want to make you cry before the trip. It wont be any fun if Ive already broken you before we even hit the slopes.He laughed, and we stepped into the room. This was a class on bodyguard theory, one that took place in an actual classroom instead of the practice field. It was a nice break from all the physical exertion. Today, there were three guardians standing at the front who werent from the schools regiment. Holiday visitors, I realized. Parents and their guardians had already started coming to campus to accompany their children to the ski resort. My touch was piqued immediately.One of the guests was a tall guy who looked like he was about a hundred years old but could still kick major ass. The other guy was about Dimitris age. He had deeply bronzed skin and was built well enough that a few of the girls in class looked ready to swoon.The last guardian was a woman. Her auburn hair was cropped and curly, and her brown eyes were currently narrowed in thought. As Ive said, a lot of dhampir women choose to have children rather than follow the guardian path. Since I too was one of the few women in this profession, I was always excited to meet otherslike Tamara.Only, this wasnt Tamara. This was someone Id known for years, someone who triggered anything but pride and excitement. Instead, I felt resentment. Resentment, anger, and burning outrage.The woman standing in front of the class was my mother.