Vampire Academy: Last Sacrifice (Dimitri's POV)

Chapter Four

She was trying to get rid of me. Even though I'd told her not to, she was still trying to get rid of me. Which was a bit of a stupid idea considering I was the one with the wheel. I could tell by the way that her beautiful eyes narrowed and her lips pursed that she was planning something. If it had been a less serious situation I would've laughed at her intense expression. But today I was proud that she was thinking so well, although I did have a mind to tell her to focus on something worthwhile. She should know me by now. We'd been on the road for about an hour and she was still sitting completely still. I wondered what her plan would've been.

"I know what you're thinking," I murmured.

"Huh?" She glanced over, perplexed. I almost smiled. Almost.

"And it won't work. You're planning to get away from me, probably when we eventually stop for gas. You're thinking that maybe you'll have a chance to run off then." She sighed and I knew I'd hit the mark. She was going to run away. Silly girl. Spreading her arms about, she said,

"This is a waste of time."

"Oh? You have better things to do than flee the people who want to lock you up and execute you? Please don't tell me again that this is too dangerous for me." I would've added, I've been in more dangerous situations than you, but really, I probably hadn't. She glared at me.

"It isn't just about you. Running away shouldn't be my only concern. I should be helping clear my name, not hiding in whatever remote place you're undoubtedly taking me to. The answers are at Court."

"And you have lots of friends at Court who will be working on that. It'll be easier on them if they know you're safe."

"What I want to know is why no one told me about this-or, I mean, why Lissa didn't. Why'd she hide it? Don't you think I would've been more helpful if I'd been ready?"

"We did the fighting, not you. We were afraid if you knew, you might give away something was up."

"I never would've told!" She was outraged.

"Not intentionally, no. But if you were tense or anxious...well, your guards can pick up on those kind of things."

"Well, now that we're out, can you tell me where we're going? Was I right? Is it some crazy remote place?" Of course you're right, Roza. Where else would Abe make me take you? I bit my lip because, if I told her, she probably would've run off in the other direction. She glared again. "I hate not being in the loop." I smiled. Time to introduce something I call, the Dimitri method.

"Well, I have my own personal theory that the more you don't know, the more your curiosity is likely to make sure you stick around with me." She sighed.

"That's ridiculous. When the hell did things get so out of control? When did you guys start becoming the masterminds? I'm the one who comes up with the wacky, impossible plans. I'm supposed to be the general here. Now I'm barely a lieutenant." I was about to say that she could be the comrade, when I caught suspicious movement in the rear-view mirror. I wouldn't have been able to pick it out if it hadn't been tailing us exactly. I swore and sped up so that the trees and signs along the side of the road were just blurs. Rose gave me an inquiring look.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"We have a tail," I explained. "I didn't think it would happen this soon."

"Are you sure?" Yep. Definitely sure. Now that I thought about it, I could almost make out Hans behind the wheel...I swore again, hoping Rose didn't understand my Russian, and crossed into the next lane without indicating. Rose grabbed the dashboard as her eyes widened with shock, and the air was filled with car horns tooting around us. The Court's guardians followed suit. I swerved up the exit towards Harrisburg, hoping that there would be an even busier road for us to get lost in. Rose shrank down in her chair.