I Took Rose Hathaway's Place

Plans For Rose (Part 2)

I woke up the next morning, sweaty. I kicked off the blankets, and stood, no problems. I looked down at my wrapped ankle, then sat down again, unwrapping it.

The swelling was gone, and so was any trace of pain. 

I stood again, rolling it around. Nothing. Weird.

I jumped, and again, no pain. Good.

I showered, and got dressed, brushing my hair out of my face.

I looked at my watch and ran to the gym. 

"Sorry I'm late." Dimitri looked up at my approach.

Confused, he asked, "Alice, your ankle?"

"Yeah, I noticed that too. I woke this morning and it was completely healed. Which means we can go for Rose. Today is the best day. Well, tonight. To get there at about 8:00, we will have to leave at noon today. So pack up, and let's go see Alberta."

Dimitri stood gracefully, bookmarking his western ages book. "Fine, but no outbursts if she says no."

"I can't promise. But I have leverage on her. The princess is outside of safety longer." I smiled.

Dimitri nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, you do. But play nice."

I laughed at his serious tone, but didn't answer. I entered the main office building, and Dimitri led us to the back. 

I knocked, and Alberta called us in.

"Alice, your ankle?" she gaped at my lack of crutches. 

I told her the same thing I told Dimitri. "Yeah, I noticed that too. I woke this morning and it was completely healed. Which means we can go for Rose. Today is the best day. Well, tonight. To get there at about 8:00, we will have to leave at 6:00."

She stood, and looked me in the eyes. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

I laughed. "Do you have to ask?"

She shook her head. "No, and you have to go because we need you. You are the only connection, and she will trust you a bit more, thinking, one, we won't let novices off campus, and two, you're an innocent looking dhampir."

I looked at my watch. It was only 5:00 am for us. 5:00 pm for Rose.

We will plan and pack, then leave at 6:00 am for us.

I told Alberta that, and she nodded, then got on her phone. 

A few minutes later, a bunch of guardians showed up, crowding Alberta's small office. A few gave me strange looks, but didn't say anything.

Alberta began hashing out a plan, and my thoughts drifted to Rose and Lissa.

Everyone began moving around, and I snapped out of it. Dimitri came up to me, and handed me  silver stake with a strap for my leg. "Put it on. You may need it, as you will be alone." 

I carefully slid the strap around my leg, and used my coat to cover it.

"Good. Let's go. We are flying out there, then driving the rest of the way. It will be about an hour and a half, then anther 10 minutes."

I nodded, then followed Dimitri out to the academy's runway.

The flight out there was long, and boring. I brought my Vampire Academy book, and read. About halfway through the flight, Dimitri came over and sat next to me.

"What are you reading?" He asked.

I closed the book, my finger holding my place. "Vampire Academy."

He did his cool one eyebrow raise thing. "What is it about?"

"Oh, uhm.." I was fumbling for words.

"May I see the back?" He asked.

I glanced at my page, then closed the book, handing it to him wordlessly.

He read the back, his eyes widening, as it explained what was going on, basically.

Dimitri looked up at me. "What is this?"

I stared silently at him, as I tried to use my mouth.

"Alice. What. Is. This?"

I opened my mouth, and closed it again, and tried one more time, feeling like a fool. "It's a book... and it has everything about us in it, well, not me, because this is how everything was supposed to go, but I kinda messed it up, with showing up. You would have fallen for Rose, and eventually be turned Strigoi by accident, then Rose would save you, and you would hate her for a while, before she gets arrested for the highest treason, but it would actually be Tasha's fault and-" He interrupted me. 

"Tasha Ozera?" He asked.

I nodded. "Yeah, and she would set up Rose for the fall, because she is in love with you. You would have to read all the books to understand it all."

"All the books?" He repeated. 

"Yeah, there are six books. This happens to be the first. I have two copies of each, so... yeah. You can read them, but you have to swear not to tell anyone. I... I can't have these taken from me, or even have anyone know. I just can't. From reading the books, I wanted to learn Russian, and learn to fight, and stake, and shoot, and all that stuff. I wanted to be a guardian. I thought it would all be a fantasy, but it's not."

I handed him the book again, and he opened it up, reading. I looked at my watch. About 20 more minutes left, then the drive.

I put on headphones, and put on music on the tablet in front of me. "Too much to ask", and closed my eyes.