Alpha Dhampir

Rose Hathaway

“I can’t believe we’re back,” Lissa said, her words intentionally vague as Dmitri and one of the other Guardians walked close by to ensure I didn’t break a twig off of a broken tree and stab someone in an escape attempt.

I took everything in with my eyes. The same St. Vladimir stared back at me, covered in winter’s dust. Ha, just kidding, winter had spat up all over Backwater, Montana, and St. Vladimir had become someone’s winter wonderland. Not mine, though. I much prefer if it was warmer. And say there was a beach close by, and an ocean within walking distance of that beach.

“Nothing’s changed,” Lissa sighed, shaking her head with wide eyes. Her steps had slowed down considerably, and I slowed mine to match hers. I was used to this pace; it was her queenly pace. This was the slow, steady, strong pace that she used to show her confidence and strength. She knew how to do that as a Royal amongst “equals” and “lessers”, but she perfected the act, the walk, as a Queen amongst subjects.

I let out a long-drawn-out sigh, as we made our way into the building, heading toward the cafeteria for that walk of shame that no one gets tired of, I’m sure. I mean, come on, who didn’t like long, awkward walks through a crowded cafeteria full of hormone driven, gossip fiends that sensed a good story as soon as we stepped onto campus. Because as soon as we walked into the room, making our way to Kirova’s office, through all the areas that were the most densely populated so that the rumour could spread as quickly as possible.

“Actually, something has changed,” I mumbled at her.

Lissa looked over at me, curiously. “What?”

“Us,” I said.

Lissa smiled mirthlessly at me, knowing exactly what I was talking about without needing clarification. “Don’t I know it. I can’t believe that this is happening to us.” She shook her head slowly, meeting every stare sent her way with practiced grace and calm. “This entire situation is like something out of a dream.” She stared down a freshman with beautiful green eyes.

“Or a nightmare,” I mumbled.

“Rose,” Lissa reprimanded sharply, before taking a breath, slowing her steps more than before. Dmitri took this in stride. If it was just me, he would have nudged me along so that we weren’t later than we already were. Plus, it didn’t hurt that Lissa had perfected the ability to walk around anywhere like she owned every inch of it, and it flowed off of her in graceful waves. She seemed powerful and untouchable and while the inside of her was a raging maelstrom, on the outside she was calm and in complete control.

I hoped that I appeared as in control as she did. Sometimes I never knew. Her strength made me strong, and I was praying that my facial control was nearly as good as her own.

We walked into Kirova’s office, and both of our eyes landed on Victor Dashkov in the corner of the room. Lissa ran to him, hugging him tightly. Despite not being related to him, he was just as much her family as I was. I sat there quietly, my mind racing. I didn’t hear Kirova as she stomped back and forth in front of me talking about how I was the shame of the world because I took Lissa from St. Vladimir’s Academy. How I was never punished for what I did before leaving either. She droned on and on about everything I’ve already heard from her and everyone else over my years as a novice. People liked to trudge up my past when it suits them. I knew I was an idiot when I was younger - fifteen to seventeen - one in specific was particularly hard - but I was not going to let that phase me anymore. Especially since I was not going to make those same mistakes as I did before.

I was not as impulsive or childish as I used to be. I was smarter and definitely more worldly than I thought I was when I really was seventeen years old. I’m not seventeen. Maybe my body was but my mind was years older. I was not ignorant to the ways of the world any longer. I may not have been in control of my life like I wanted to be, but I did have a bit more control now than I did when I was first in this position.

“Rose,” Lissa called out, pulling me from my thoughts.

“What?” I replied, staring over at her. I hadn’t realized that the room fell quiet. Kirova, Alberta, and Dmitri stared back at me with unreadable expressions, while Lissa looked calm, collected.

“Say something to Kirova, Rose,” Lissa said, reaching out to take my hand. Her voice was even and confident. She knew what I did. Even if I couldn’t somehow talk my way out of this, Lissa would.

“Lissa and I are bonded,” I told them, glancing over at my best friend. She looked on without expression. She trusted me. Whatever I said, she was going to back me. Not that what I was saying was a lie, but even if I did, she would follow me to hell and back based solely on my words. For the first time in a long time, I felt Lissa’s complete and utter confidence seeping out of her, through our bond to me.

“That’s impossible,” Kirova sneered in disbelief. “A bond hasn’t been -”

“Lissa and I are bonded,” I said again. “In the car accident two years ago, Lissa and I bonded when she saved my life.” I wasn’t sure how much I wanted to say just yet. The last thing I wanted was to give anyone more power than they should have, but thinking about the people in this room - Lissa, Alberta, Kirova, Victor, Dmitri - I realized I didn’t really need to hide it.

“Princess Vasilisa didn’t save your life,” Kirova sneered, sounding annoyed. “You weren’t even hurt in the accident. Besides, what does this have to do with - ”

“The accident was the turning point,” I spoke again, cutting her off. I was not going to elaborate on how she saved my life, no one would really believe it either. That would have to wait, I thought. No one was ready for Spirit just yet. Not that I thought anyone was ever really ready for it. “It was after the accident that Lissa and I formed our bond.”

“Rose stopped breathing,” Lissa joined in, lying easily, although I felt a sting of sadness in her. She likes Alberta, Dmitri, and even Kirova. She hated that she had to lie to them. “She stopped breathing and I remembered enough from CPR class and brought her back. I was so wounded; I didn’t know if I would be able to do chest compressions or not. But as you can see...” She nodded over to me.

“It was after she saved my life that our bond was created,” I finished off the lie. “I took her from the Academy because I felt her life was in danger, so we left. Do you want an explanation for why we ran off? Why I took the Dragomir Princess out of St. Vladimir? I’ll tell you - ”

Lissa jumped in her seat next to me, alarm and fear spiking through her. “Rose,” her voice was sharp in warning. Even though she believed in me and trusted me with her life and our future, she was still worried about being too honest too quickly.

I stared at her, reassuring her with my eyes. I knew what the costs could be if I messed up. I could lose everything and everyone that I loved. I could destroy all of our lives by messing up. So, no pressure.

“I’ll tell you,” I said to Lissa, reassuring her one more time, before looking over at Kirova and speaking to her. “Because with all your wards, and your Guardians and your rules and your school, she doesn’t feel safe here. She didn’t feel safe two years ago, so she wanted to leave here. And I took her. I am Lissa’s Guardian. I have been her Guardian for years. I have kept her safe, I have looked after her and if you want to kick me out? Fine. I will wait outside the walls of the school until she graduates and sell my service to her cheap. I won’t be promised, but that’s fine I won’t be a Guardian if I can’t have her.”

Kirova looked at me with a mixture of confusion and surprise. I was sure she must have heard a fair share of nonsense in her many years as both a teacher and a headmistress that I was sure hadn’t exactly been this brand of nonsense, but I was sure she’d heard her fair share. A part of me wondered what the most absurd thing she’d ever heard was. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was my words, she threw back at me.

“Guardians are fewer in numbers as it is,” Dmitri said after a long silence, drawing everyone’s eyes to him. “We shouldn’t be throwing away any who wish to serve, especially those with talent. And the female Guardian numbers are at an all-time low, as well.”

Kirova looked trapped. Her bird nose turned up as she looked at me considering. She opened her mouth, probably about to tell Dmitri I would be better suited in some Blood Whore camp, but Victor cut her off before she could even say a word. “She has somehow kept Vasilisa safe these last two years. Even if they didn’t run into Strigoi, it’s not safe out in the world for two young girls regardless.”

My thoughts went back to the Molnija marks on the back of my neck. No one knew about them except for Alberta who had kept silent the entire meeting. She knew where we had been since running away, she knew that we had taken up fake names and had attended another academy and that I had already graduated but hadn’t been promised as we knew there was a chance that St Vlad’s would at some point catch up to us. I was still afraid of how I would cover them up, but both Alberta and Lissa had said that I shouldn’t, but I felt the need to.

Kirova’s annoyed sigh pulled me from my thoughts and back to the present. I didn’t know if I was living through that moment in my own head, or Lissa’s but both of us were feeling deep stabbing pain in our chests.

“Very well, Ms. Hathaway, you will be allowed to re-join the Novice class and hope that you have some chance at graduation. But you are going to need to take extra classes if you even hope to catch up with the rest of your class by the end of the year - which I don’t think you will. Two years is a lot of time to lose. So, someone is going to have to put in extra time.” Kirova crossed her arms over her chest and turned her gaze to Dmitri. “Are you willing to take on this burden, Guardian Belikov?” She asks flatly.

This burden had a name. It’s Rose Hathaway, thanks.

Dmitri looked stunned, about to protest before his eyes flickered over to me as Kirova spoke, “No one else will take her, I’m sure. And you were so quick to defend her, I thought you would. If not, then there is no hope for her.”

Any protest died on his lips, “Very well,” Dmitri said reluctantly. “I will train Novice Hathaway.”

“Ah,” Kirova nodded, distastefully before looking over at me, “And don’t think this gets you off easy. There will be no extracurricular activities for you, either. If you are not in class or training with Belikov, you are in your room, understood?”

I nodded, feeling Lissa’s hand still wrapped around my own, tighten. “Yes, Headmistress.”