Dimitri's POV in Blood Promise Vampire Academy

Chapter 16

"Wha-" I spluttered, too startled to finish. Did I hear her correctly, because surely, surely, I must have misunderstood? She reached towards her drink, which she grabbed and brought to her lips. She took a few sips.

"Did the bond between you and him break?" I blurted out of curiosity, as soon as I managed to speak.

She coughed on the blood, as she stared at me with wide eyes. Once she was able to control herself, she put the glass back on the table and leaned in closer. I was used to seeing Alex as mysterious but sincere (not that I trust her). I have never seen her shocked, and it was slightly amusing.

"How did you know, about that?" she said in a low voice.

"I had a . . . friend, who was shadow-kissed." Still is. I spoke coldly, providing as little detail as possible.

"You must have been really close, if they were able to tell you their secret." It sounded more like a question but I ignored it.

"Why did you tell me this?"

"Because, it doesn't matter. It isn't a threat to me anymore. The bond is broken, and I don't have any contact with that moroi. Hell, he could be dead for all I know." Her voice was soft but it wasn't sad or sympathetic. "And because I feel like I can trust you, you're not like the others." The corners of her mouth lifted slightly.

We both stared at each other in silence, before she broke eye contact and looked at her ring. It doesn't make sense. How could she feel 'in control' with a ring? When she had said that, I had assumed she meant trying to keep sane. Someone who is shadow-kissed, had been revived by a spirit user. Spirit users have the ability to bring life back to the dead. With dark consequences.

The shadow-kissed person can read the mind of the moroi. With that, the bond allows them to draw the 'darkness' unleashed as a result of the moroi using their spirit power. When spirit users use their power, the dark power would eventually consume them, slowly and painfully. They'd become insane.

If the moroi is bonded to someone, that person would absorb the darkness and they'd turn insane instead. Leaving the spirit user completely unharmed. This had happened to Rose. And she almost killed a novice.

Alex twisted it between her fingers and took it off. "Put this on, I'm not insane, I swear." She held her hand out.

I looked at it in her hand for a few seconds before taking it. I felt warm from the part of my hand that made contact with the ring, which travelled through my body and caused to me shudder in surprise. A very odd sensation, since I haven't internally experienced warmth in a long time. The feeling was . . . familiar.

I slipped it on. Heat flooded through me, sending shock waves all over my body. The sensation was the same as before, but stronger. My body instantly relaxed, and my skin was slightly warm. My sense of touch was also stronger as it had always been slightly numb by the cold. I realised all the trouble and stress on my mind had vanished and I instantly felt calm. It was very similar to when I had made contact with a magic ward. Except this was more pleasant.

"Feels great doesn't it?" She was paying close attention towards my reaction, looking for a response.

"What is this, why do I feel so different?" I spoke aloud, staring at the ring in wonder. I looked up. Alex was smirking, a knowing smile crossed her face. "What . . . ?"

For the first time, I was hearing myself speak. Really hearing it. I sounded different. Soft, emotional, warm. Pathetic. I pulled the ring off as the realisation hit me. I felt almost like a dhampir. Like my old naive self.