Dimitri and I were released from the infirmary before Dr. Olendzki could run any more tests. She was reluctant to let us go, but in the end had no reason to keep us there. But we had each been given a few days of bed rest, in case the mysterious 'illness' came back. I just waved off her worries. Only Dimitri and I knew what had really happened, and we would be hell bent on making sure it wouldn't ever happen again. We both lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling and sharing our side of what happened. Both our stories were pretty much the same, each of us had fallen into a state of deep depression and suicidal thoughts before passing out.
"Withdrawals," Dimitri suddenly said loudly. It made me jump.
"Huh?"
"It's like heroin, Rose. Have you ever seen a drug addict going through withdrawals because their body needs that drug?" I slowly nodded. It had been a teenage girl that lived on the streets of Portland. She used to always talk to Lissa and me when we walked back to our apartment. Her name was Amy and she was hooked on cocaine. She often asked us if we had drugs. Amy scared Lissa, especially when she would scream in pain because of the lack of cocaine in her system. "Our blood... it's like a unique brand of ecstasy. Something that lures you in, hook, line and sinker. It connects our emotions and intensifies them, so if we go three weeks without it then we start to have withdrawals."
Dimitri had a point. We were totally hooked, but there was no turning back now. It shouldn't be so bad once I graduate and we move to the Royal Court. Because by then we'll be living together and won't have to sneak around anymore. But whilst I'm still in school, this whole blood bond thing was getting risky. We couldn't be seen in public and it's hard to sneak into each other's rooms.
Rose!
The voice in my head shouted so loudly that I jumped, but instantly knew it wasn't Dimitri. The voice was feminine and definitely Lissa's. I unblocked the mental wall that blocked her off from my main-stream thoughts and listened to her rant.
I've been calling you for ten minutes. Where are you? Kirova is holding an emergency meeting in the gym. Come quick!
"Shit," I mumbled in annoyance. "Come on, comrade. We got to go. Emergency meeting in the gym."
It took about three minutes to walk there. I acted groggy for Lissa's sake, to cover for why I didn't come to her right away. Dimitri took a post at the wall and I sat between Eddie and Lissa. Bird-face aka Kirova, stood in front of the bleachers. She was flanked by Alberta and Stan; they gave the image of brutal bodyguards. After the last microphone mishap and screeching speakers, I was glad to see that Kirova didn't have one this time. Her voice was loud enough!
"Today is a very grim day for Moroi and dhampirs everywhere. As you all know, security has been enhanced at the Academy since the recent attack on the school. Unfortunately, that means that guardians had been moved from the Royal Court to accommodate us. Earlier this evening a band of sixty-eight Strigoi and human accomplices broke through the wards and tried to assassinate the queen and everyone that stood in her way. Luckily, our monarch was kept safe by ten very brave dhampirs who protected her with their lives. Before I continue with the aftermath and the effect it will have on the Academy, I would like us all to have a minute's silence for those lost souls."
We were all gob-smacked. Everyone was so afraid to believe that Strigoi were working together, and we all just assumed that the attack at St. Vlad's was a once in a lifetime nightmare. Never had we thought that it would happen again, let alone at the Royal Court. I respectfully hung my head for those poor dhampirs that died protecting such a fascist old cow.
Rose, Dimitri scolded. You know, someday you're going to get arrested for treason.
I didn't grace that with an answer. Suddenly, Kirova spoke up again. "In light of what has happened, I am very reluctant to announce that graduation has been post-poned for another several months." Everyone audibly gasped and some protested in outrage. Dimitri and I exchanged panicked looks. We couldn't sneak around that long, we'll go insane... we'll be no better than bloodthirsty Strigoi. I knew he was thinking the same thing as me. "We cannot host graduation whilst guardian numbers at the Academy have dropped dramatically because of the recent Court attack. Twenty of our finest guardians have been flown to Pennsylvania to help out."
"This is bullshit!" Eddie protested along with thirty other novices.
"You can't do this," A Moroi yelled from the crowd. "We're entitled to graduate. You can't make us stay here and over-educate us." Many people muttered agreements, even though that didn't make sense.
"But we must," Kirova said dismissively. "It's not up for discussion. We must make sacrifices for those more important than us. You are all dismissed." Alberta and Stan escorted her out of the gym before a riot started.
"Rose?" Lissa questioned. I could tell that she was pissed about the delay of graduation, but she was also wondering why I wasn't expressing my outrage.
"Sorry, Liss." I muttered, feeling a lump form in my throat. "I've got to go."
I burst out of the gym and ran to my dorm. Sobs threatened to erupt as I threw myself down on the bed. I didn't want this. I didn't want to sneak around for the next several months. Graduation was supposed to be in two weeks, two weeks of sneaking around with Dimitri and exchanging blood is what I could handle. But seven months? There's no way I can do this anymore. Someone will find out... we'll become desperate. Tears stained my pillow and I curled into a ball as sobs wracked through my chest.
My bedroom door opened, and I didn't need the bond to know that it was Dimitri. His aftershave reached me before he did. He carefully curled up on my single bed behind me. His strong, protective arms wrapped around me.
I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Roza.
Don't. Don't you dare apologise for this. It's not your fault that graduation got post-poned, it's not your fault that we're bonded; it's not even your fault that we ever fell in love.
Do you regret it? He asked internally.
"No," I said aloud without hesitation. My throat was husky and sore from crying. "I don't regret a damn thing we've done. But I just don't know if I can go on like this. Sneaking around is just so hard, and then there's those busy times where we can't get a second alone. They're the kinds of times that we end up in hospital. And I'm scared, Dimitri. I'm so, so scared of being that suicidal and depressed. I love life, and I don't want to be weak like that."
"I love you," He breathed. The soft pop of his fangs was like music to my ears. I tilted my neck and he lay half on top of me, sinking his fangs into me.
I moaned at the immediate rush of warm pleasure. It spread like wildfire and then centred between my legs. It seemed more intense than our previous feedings. I could feel it; the euphoric rush of an orgasm was so close. "Oh God," I whispered.
Dimitri continued to pull mouthfuls of blood into his throat. Suddenly, the door opened at the precise moment that an intense orgasm hit. I let out a long moan at the same time someone gasped. Shit, we've been caught red-handed.
-------------------------------------------UH-OH, WHO DO YOU GUYS THINK CAUGHT THEM?
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