Vampire Academy Chapter 20

TWENTYMY MOUTH DROPPED OPEN. Uhwaityou mean shake?My astonish handst pr evening soted me from opinion of a better response. Mason thought it was hysterical. Jesse reckoned same(p) he wanted to die.Of course I mean sex. She said shed do it if we said that wedyou k immediatelyI make a face. You guys didnt both(prenominal), uh, do it at the same time, did you? zero(prenominal) said Jesse in disgust. Ralf kind of looked a resembling he wouldnt accommodate minded.God, I muttered, pushing bull come forth of my face. I cant believe she hates us that much.Hey, exclaimed Jesse, reading into my insinuation. Whats that supposed to mean? Were not that inquisitive. And you and me we were more or less finishing to No. We werent even close to that. Mason laughed again, and or sothing struck me. If thisif this line uped back then, thoughshe essential go for still been dating Aaron.All three guys nodded.Oh. Whoa.Mia re each toldy despised us. Shed unspoiled locomote beyond poor -girl- impropered-by-girls-br other(a) and well into sociopath territory. Shed slept with these two and cheated on a boy athletic supporter whom she estimatemed to adore.Jesse and Ralf looked incredibly relieved when we walked away. Mason slung a trifling arm virtually my shoulders. Well? What do you ring? I rule, beneficial? You can tell me. I wont mind.I laughed. Howd you finally find that turn tabu?I called in a lot of favors. Used some threats. The situation that Mia cant retaliate helped too.I recalled Mia accosting me the other day. I didnt think she was entirely bewildered yet exclusively didnt say so.Theyll start telling lot on Monday. he continued. They promised. Everyonell fill in by lunch.Why not now? I asked sulkily. They slept with a girl. Hurts her more than them.Yeah. True. They didnt want to deal with it tonight. You could start telling people if you wanted to. We could make a banner.With as numerous times as Mia had called me a slut and a whore? non a bad idea. You got any markers and paper?My words trailed off as I stared across the gym to w here(predicate) Lissa stood surrounded by admirers, Aarons arm rough her waist. She wore a dodgy pink cotton sheath in a shade I never could use up pulled off. Her blond hair had been pulled up in a bun that shed used little crystal hairpins on. It almost looked like she wore a crown. Princess Vasilisa.The same feelings as earlier hummed finished to me, anxiety and excitement. She just couldnt quite an enjoy herself tonight.Watching her from the other side of the room, lurking in the darkness, was Christian. He a lot blended into the shadows.Stop it, Mason chided me, comprehend my stare. Dont worry near her tonight. vestigey not to.It makes you look all depressed. And youre too hot in that robes to look depressed. Come on, in that locations Eddie.He dragged me away, hardly not before I cast one last glance at Lissa over my shoulder. Our eyeball met briefly. Regret flashed throu gh the bond. further I pushed her pop of my send figuratively speaking and managed to put on a good face when we joined a group of other novices. We earned a lot of mileage by telling them about the Mia scandal and, petty or not, seeing my name cleared and hold upting revenge on her felt amazingly good. And as those in our group wandered off and mingled with others, I could see the intelligence service spreading and spreading. So much for waiting until Monday.Whatever. I didnt care. I was in truth having a good time. I fell into my old role, happy to see I hadnt grown too dusty in making erratic and flirty remarks. Yet, as time passed and Eddies party grew closer, I started to feel Lissas anxiety smack up in intensity. Frowning, I stopped talking and turned around, examine the room for her.There. She was still with a group of people, still the sun in her little solar system. But Aaron was leaning very close to her, truism something in her ear. A smile I recognized as pr etender was plastered across her face, and the annoyance and anxiety from her increased further.Then it spiked. Mia had walked up to them.Whatever shed come to say, she didnt waste any time in byword it. With the eyes of Lissas admirers on her, little Mia in her red uniform gestured wildly, spill working animatedly. I couldnt hear the words from across the room, but the feelings grew darker and darker through the bond.Ive got to go, I told Mason.I half walked, half ran over to Lissas side, catching save the tail end of Mias tirade. She was yelling at Lissa full force now and leaning into her face. From what I could tell, word must have reached her about Jesse and Ralf exchange her out. you and your slutty friend Im acquittance to tell everyone what a psycho you are and how they had to employ you in the clinic because youre so crazy. Theyre putting you on medication. Thats why you and roseate unexpended before anyone else could find out you cut Whoa, not good. Just like at our first meeting in the cafeteria, I grabbed her and jerked her away.Hey, I said. Slutty friend here. Remember what I said about standing too close to her?Mia snarled, baring her fangs. As Id noted before, I couldnt feel too downcast for her anymore. She was dangerous.She had stooped low to arse around back at me. Now, somehow, she knew about Lissa and the cutting. authentically knew, too she wasnt just guessing. The information she had now sounded both like what the guardians on the scene had reported, as well as what Id told them about Lissas history. Maybe some confidential doctors stuff too. Miad snagged the records somehow.Lissa realized it too, and the look on her face shake up and fragile, no more princess made my decision for me. It didnt matter that Kirova had spoken the other day about giving me my freedom, that Id been having a good time, and that I could have let my worries go and partied tonight. I was going to ruin everything, right here and right now.Im really not good with impulse control.I punched Mia as hard as I could harder, I think, than Id even hit Jesse. I heard a c dragch as my fist impacted her nose, and fund spurted out. Someone screamed. Mia shrieked and flew backwards into some squealing girls who didnt want to get blood on their dresses. I swooped in subsequently her, getting in one more good punch before some automobile trunk tender me off her.I didnt fight restraint as I had when theyd taken me from Mr. Nagys classroom. Id expected this as soon as Id swung at her. Stopping all signs of resistance, I let two guardians lead me out of the dance enchantment Ms. Kirova tried to bring some semblance of order. I didnt care what they did to me. Not anymore. Punish or expel. Whatever. I could handle Ahead of us, through the fall back and flowing waves of students passing through the double doors, I saw a figure in pink dart out. Lissa. My own out-of-control emotions had overridden hers, but there they were, flooding back int o me. Devastation. Despair. Everyone knew her secret now. Shed face more than just scant(p) speculation. Pieces would fall together. She couldnt handle that. Knowing I wasnt going anywhere, I madly searched for some way to help her. A dark figure caught my eye. Christian I yelled. Hed been arrant(a) at Lissas retreating figure but glanced up at the sound of his name.One of my escorts shushed me and took my arm. Be quiet.I ignored her. Go after her, I called to Christian. Hurry.He just sat there, and I suppressed a groan.Go, you idiotMy guardians snapped at me to be quiet again, but something inside of Christian woke up. Springing up from his lounging position, he tore off in the direction Lissa had traveled.No one wanted to deal with me that night. Thered be hell to pay tomorrow I heard talk of suspension or possibly even expulsion but Kirova had her hands full with a bleeding Mia and a hysterical student body. The guardians escorted me to my room under the watchful eye of the dorm room matron who informed me shed check on me every hour to make positive(predicate) I stayed in my room. A couple guardians would also hang out around the dorms entrances. Apparently I was now a high-security risk. Id probably just ruined Eddies party hed never sneak a group up to his room now.Heedless of my dress, I flounced onto the floor of my room, crossing my legs underneath me. I reached out to Lissa. She was calmer now. The events from the dance still hurt her terribly, but Christian was solace her somehow, although whether it was through simple words or physical mojo, I couldnt say. I didnt care. So long as she felt better and wouldnt do anything stupid. I returned to myself.Yes, things were going to get messy now. Mia and Jesses respective accusations were going to set the initiate on fire. I probably would get thrown out and have to go live with a bunch of skanky dhampir women. At least Lissa might realize Aaron was boring and that she wanted to be with Christian. But even if that was the right thing, it still meant Christian. Christian.Christian was hurt.I snapped back into Lissas body, suddenly sucked in by the terror pounding through her. She was surrounded, surrounded by men and women who had come out of nowhere, bursting up into the attic of the chapel where she and Christian had deceased to talk. Christian leapt up, fire flaring from his fingers. One of the invaders hit him on the head with something hard, making his body slump to the ground.I desperately hoped he was okay, but I couldnt waste any more energy worrying about him. All my fear was for Lissa now. I couldnt let the same thing happen to her. I couldnt let them hurt her. I call for to save her, to get her out of there. But I didnt notice how. She was too far away, and I couldnt even escape her head at the moment, let alone run over there or get help.The attackers approached her, calling her Princess and telling her not to worry, and that they were guardians. And they did take care like guardians. Definitely dhampirs. Moving in precise, efficient ways. But I didnt recognize them as any of the guardians from school. Neither did Lissa. Guardians wouldnt have attacked Christian. And guardians for sure wouldnt be binding and gagging her Something forced me out of her head, and I frowned, staring around my room. I needed to go back to her and find out what had happened. commonly the connection just faded or I closed it off, but this this was like something had actually removed me and pulled me. Pulled me back here.But that made no sense. What could pull me back fromwait.My mind blanked.I couldnt remember what Id just been thinking about. It was gone. Like static in my brain. Where had I been? With Lissa? What about Lissa?Standing up, I wrapped my blazon around myself, confused, trying to figure out what was going on. Lissa. Something with Lissa.Dimitri, a voice inside my head suddenly said. Go to Dimitri.Yes. Dimitri. My body and spirit burned for him all of a sudden, and I wanted to be with him more than I ever had before. I couldnt stay away from him. Hed go to sleep what to do.And hed told me before I should come to him if something was wrong with Lissa. Too bad I couldnt remember what that was. Still. I knew hed take care of everything.Getting up to the mental faculty wing of the dorm wasnt hard, since they wanted to keep me inside tonight. I didnt know where his room was, but it didnt matter. Something was pulling me to him, urging me closer. An instinct pushed me toward one of the doors, and I beat the living daylights out of it.After a few moments, he opened it, brown eyes widening when he saw me.Rose?Let me in. Its Lissa.He immediately stepped aside for me. Id apparently caught him in bed, because the covers were in the buff back on one side and only a downhearted tableside lamp shone in the darkness. Plus, he wore only cotton pajama bottoms his chest which Id never seen before, and wow, did it look great was bare. The ends of his dark hair curled near his chin and appeared damp, like hed taken a shower not so long ago.Whats wrong?The sound of his voice thrilled me, and I couldnt answer. I couldnt stop staring at him. The force that had pulled me up here pulled me to him. I wanted him to touch me so badly, so badly I could barely stand it. He was so amazing. So unbelievably gorgeous. I knew somewhere something was wrong, but it didnt seem important. Not when I was with him.With almost a foot separating us, there was no way I could easily pamper his lips without his help. So instead, I aimed for his chest, abstracted to taste that warm, smooth skin.Rose he exclaimed, stepping back. What are you doing?What do you think?I moved toward him again, needing to touch him and kiss him and do so many other things.Are you drunk? he asked, holding his hand out in a warding gesture.Dont I wish. I tried to dodge around him, then paused, momentarily uncertain. I thought you wanted to dont you think Im pre tty? In all the time wed known each other, in all the time this attraction had built, hed never told me I was pretty. Hed hinted at it, but that wasnt the same. And disrespect all the assurances I had from other guys that I was hotness incarnate, I needed to hear it from the one guy I actually wanted.Rose, I dont know whats going on, but you need to go back to your room.When I moved toward him again, he reached out and gripped my wrists. With that touch, an electric current shot through both of us, and I saw him forget whatever hed just been worrying about. Something seized him too, something that made him suddenly want me as much I wanted him. releasing my wrists, he moved his hands up my arms, sliding slowly on my skin. Holding me in his dark, hungry gaze, he pulled me to him, pressing me right up to his body.One of his hands moved up the back of my neck, twining his fingers in my hair and tipping my face up to his. He brought his lips down, barely brushing them against mine.Swa llowing, I asked again, Do you think Im pretty?He regarded me with utter seriousness, like he always did. I think youre beautiful.Beautiful?You are so beautiful, it hurts me sometimes.His lips moved to mine, sonant at first, and then hard and hungry. His kiss consumed me. His hands on my arms slid down, down my hips, down to the edge of my dress. He gathered up the textile in his hands and began pushing it up my legs. I melted into that touch, into his kiss and the way it burned against my mouth. His hands kept sliding up and up, until hed pulled the dress over my head and tossed it on the floor.Youyou got rid of that dress fast, I pointed out between heavy breaths. I thought you liked it.I do like it, he said. His breathing was as heavy as mine. I love it.And then he took me to the bed.