Dimitri's POV in Vampire Academy (Fanfic)

Chapter 2

On the way to the airport and further onto the Academy's private jet, I occasionally stole glances at the two girls. Rose constantly whispered in the princess' ear, the latter mostly staying silent. What was more, they moved in a way that was almost synchronized - it was as if Rose was constantly attuned to the princess' every reaction. If she stepped to the right, Rose would naturally give way and look in the same direction, as if she was somehow mentally linked to the Moroi.

How odd.

Something nagged at a very distant, dusty and nearly forgotten memory. I frowned. I recalled a long, lost tale - a tale about the ancient dhampir guardians. Back in Siberia, I had spent my free time either training or hiding away in some corner in the school library. In those hidden corners I had found large, old books. I read and read about the ancient dhampir guardians, wishing that I too, one day, could be brave and strong like them. What I also had come across was old legends about bonds forming between Moroi and their favourite guardians. I did not know about the specifics of those bonds, only that they were extremely rare and occurred to the best, most committed guardians. Little snippets in the books had told of the guardians' ability to know the feelings of their Moroi, as if there existed a psychic link between them.

Surely a bond could not occur at this age, during these modern times?

Of course, it was not for certain. I could be imagining the entire thing. I mentally shook off my suspicions and focused on the dhampir girl again. Like I'd earlier noted during the confrontation, she really was a beautiful girl; woman even. Her beauty was raw, unpolished, rugged - the longer I looked at her, the more striking she appeared. Her hair was a tangled, thick mess of brown hair; so dark it appeared black in the shadows. Absently, I thought about the bite marks on her neck that the hair so conveniently covered. The guardians, I'm sure, had scrutinised the bite marks with a touch of disdain; Moroi drinking from dhampirs was considered blasphemous, after all. But where I came from, the practice was normal and common. Many a time had I seen the trademark bites on the necks of the women in my home town.

As I regarded her, I began to notice details. Chocolate brown eyes. They held a life-or-death intensity, darting around constantly as if the ever-vigilant Rose expected an attack at any moment.

I could not help but feel impressed by the girl. She was perfect guardian material. Intense. Protective. Dependable. A fighter who would never give up. Sure, she had been away from school long enough to have missed out on crucial training, which had been evident in her undisciplined fighting. I was sure, though, that it was something that could be easily fixed. With her potential, I could help her catch up to her classmates' level in no time.

I froze, just as we were about to enter the plane, stunned by my own thoughts. Help her? Could I help her? I mulled it over for a second, and one look at Rose whispering determinedly to the princess made me realise I wanted to. She had potential; it was written all over her. I envisioned a great, female dhampir guardian. Female. The word nagged at my head. There were not many females left, especially ones so suited to their charge. Rose was young, the same age as her Moroi - she could act her guardian completely inconspicuously.

As I entered the plane, I glanced back at the couple sitting together. Suddenly, Rose's undisguised look - I could practically see a light bulb flashing above her head - alerted me to her intentions.

'Separate them,' I snapped at one of the guardians nearby, whose name I could not recall. 'Don't let them talk to each other,' I warned him. 'Five minutes together, and they'll come up with an escape plan,' I said as he neared Rose, grabbing her by the arm to escort her to the back of the plane. Rose shot up, threw me a haughty look, shrugged off the guardian's arm, and stormed off down the aisle. I raised an eyebrow at her obvious display of displeasure, but didn't comment further. Instead, I just took a seat close by the princess, where I could keep an eye on her. She looked subdued and pale and not at all like someone who could be taking part in planning escape with a wild dhampir girl.