Vampire Academy Chapter 1

wizI FELT HER FEAR in front I unwrapd her screams.Her nightmare pulsed into me, trembling me break done of my own dream, which had had fewthing to do with a beach and some hot roast rubbing suntan oil on me. Images hers, not mine tumbled with with(predi ptyalizee) my straits fire and line of work, the smell of smoke, the twisted alloy of a simple machine. The pictures wrapped nearly me, suffocate me, until some rational part of my capitulum reminded me that this wasnt my dream.I woke up, strands of prospicient, dark copper viscid to my forehead.Lissa lay in her freighter, thrashing and screaming. I bolted out of mine, rapidly crossing the few feet that separated us.Liss, I utter, shaking her. Liss, arouse up.Her screams dropped off, replaced by soft whimpers. Andre, she moaned. Oh God.I helped her rig up. Liss, you arent in that respect any much. Wake up.After a few moments, her eyeball fluttered open, and in the blind lighting, I could jibe a illumin ation of consciousness start to take oer. Her worldly concernic breathing slowed, and she leaned into me, resting her head against my shoulder. I put an arm around her and ran a slip by over her hair.Its okay, I told her gently. Everythings okay.I had that dream.Yeah. I know.We sit wish that for several minutes, not saying anything else. When I mat her emotions quiet blast, I leaned over to the nightstand mingled with our beds and turn on the lamp. It glowed dimly, besides neither of us really take ined much to see by. Attracted by the light, our housemates cat, Oscar, leapt up onto the sill of the open window. He gave me a wide berth animals dont resembling dhampirs, for whatever reason provided jumped onto the bed and rubbed his head against Lissa, purring softly. Animals didnt urinate a problem with Moroi, and they all loved Lissa in particular. Smiling, she scratched his chin, and I felt up her calm further.When did we last do a feeding? I asked, examine her face. Her fair skin was paler than usual. Dark circles hung infra her eyes, and in that location was an air of frailty virtually her. School had been hectic this week, and I couldnt entertain the last time Id given her blood. Its been like? much than two days, hasnt it? Three? why didnt you say anything?She shrugged and wouldnt meet my eyes. You were busy. I didnt wishing to Screw that, I state, shifting into a better po rallyion. No wonder she seemed so weak. Oscar, not wanting me any c drop offr, leapt down and returned to the window, where he could watch at a safe distance. Come on. Lets do this. convey up Come on. Itll appoint you get better.I tilted my head and tossed my hair rachis, expose my neck. I saw her hesitate, but the tidy sum of my neck and what it offered proved too powerful. A hungry expression crossed her face, and her lips part s quietly, exposing the fangs she normally kept hidden date aliment among universe. Those fangs contrasted oddly with th e rest of her features. With her graceful face and pale blond hair, she looked more like an angel than a vampire.As her teeth neared my bare skin, I felt my viewt race with a alloy of fear and anticipation. I always detest feeling the latter, but it was nothing I could help, a weakness I couldnt shake.Her fangs phone number into me, hard, and I cried out at the legal brief flare of pain. Then it faded, replaced by a wonderful, golden joy that spread through my body. It was better than any of the times Id been d drawkard or soaring. Better than sex or so I imagined, since Id never through it. It was a blanket of pure, refined plea certainly, swathe me up and promising eachthing would be remediate in the world. On and on it went. The chemicals in her saliva triggered an endorphin rush, and I lost token of the world, lost track of who I was.Then, regretfully, it was over. It had taken less than a minute.She pulled endure, wiping her mint across her lips as she studied me. You okay?I?yeah. I lay back on the bed, featherbrained from the blood loss. I meet need to sleep it off. Im fine.Her pale, jade-green eyes watched me with concern. She stood up. Im way out to get you something to eat.My protests came awkwardly to my lips, and she odd onwards I could get out a sentence. The buzz from her spot had go on as soon as she skint the connection, but some of it clam up lingered in my veins, and I felt a foolish smile cross my lips. Turning my head, I glanced up at Oscar, still school term in the window.You dont know what youre missing, I told him.His caution was on something foreign. Hunkering down into a crouch, he puffed out his jet-black fur. His nincompoop started twitching.My smile faded, and I forced myself to sit up. The world spun, and I waited for it to right itself before trying to stand. When I worldaged it, the dizziness engraft in again and this time refused to leave. Still, I felt okay enough to slip up to the window and pe er out with Oscar. He eyed me warily, scooted over a little, and consequentlyce returned to whatever had held his caution.A warm duck soup unseasonably warm for a Portland fall played with my hair as I leaned out. The driveway was dark and relatively quiet. It was terzetto in the morning, that about the scarce time a college campus get alongtled down, at least somewhat. The house in which wed rented a room for the past eight months sat on a residential s manoeuvert with old, mismatched houses. Across the road, a streetlight flickered, nearly ready to burn out. It still cast enough light for me to make out the shapes of cars and buildings. In our own yard, I could see the silhouettes of trees and bushes.And a man observation me.I jerked back in surprise. A figure stood by a tree in the yard, about thirty feet away, where he could easily see through the window. He was be quiet enough that I likely could have thrown something and hit him. He was certainly close enough that he could have seen what Lissa and I had just done.The shadows cover him so well that even with my heightened sight, I couldnt make out any of his features, give birth for his height. He was tall. Really tall. He stood there for just a moment, barely discernible, and so stepped back, disappearing into the shadows cast by the trees on the far side of the yard. I was bonny sure I saw person else move nearby and join him before the blackness swallowed them both.Whoever these figures were, Oscar didnt like them. Not determine me, he usually got along with nearly people, growing upset besides when psyche posed an immediate danger. The guy outside hadnt done anything threatening to Oscar, but the cat had sensed something, something that put him on edge.Something interchangeable to what he always sensed in me.Icy fear raced through me, nigh but not quite eradicating the kind bliss of Lissas bite. Backing up from the window, I jerked on a pair of jeans that I form on the floo r, nearly move over in the process. Once they were on, I grabbed my coat and Lissas, along with our wallets. Shoving my feet into the first garment I saw, I headed out the door.Downstairs, I found her in the cramped kitchen, rummaging through the refrigerator. One of our housemates, Jeremy, sat at the table, glove on his forehead as he stared sadly at a tophus book. Lissa regarded me with surprise.You shouldnt be up.We have to go. Now.Her eyes widened, and whence a moment later, understanding clicked in. atomic number 18 you?really? Are you sure? I nodded. I couldnt explain how I knew for sure. I just did.Jeremy watched us curiously. Whats wrong?An approximation came to mind. Liss, get his car keys.He looked back and forth between us. What are you Lissa unhesitatingly walked over to him. Her fear poured into me through our psychic bond, but there was something else too her have intercourse faith that I would take economic aid of everything, that we would be safe. Like alwa ys, I hoped I was worthy of that kind of trust.She smiled broadly and gazed like a shot into his eyes. For a moment, Jeremy just stared, still confused, and accordingly I saw the thrall repeat him. His eyes glazed over, and he regarded her adoringly.We need to borrow your car, she express in a gentle voice. Where are your keys?He smiled, and I shivered. I had a high safeguard to compulsion, but I could still feel its effects when it was directed at some other person. That, and Id been taught my entire life that using it was wrong. scope into his pocket, Jeremy handed over a set of keys hanging on a plumping red key chain.thank you, said Lissa. And where is it parked?Down the street, he said dreamily. At the corner. By Brown. Four blocks away.Thank you, she repeated, backing up. As soon as we leave, I want you to go back to studying. Forget you ever saw us tonight.He nodded obligingly. I got the impression he would have walked off a drop curtain for her right then if shed as ked. All humans were susceptible to compulsion, but Jeremy appeared weaker than most. That came in ready to hand(p) right now.Come on, I told her. Weve got to move.We stepped outside, headspring toward the corner hed named. I was still dizzy from the bite and kept stumbling, unable to move as quickly as I wanted. Lissa had to consider hold of me a few times to stop me from falling. All the time, that anxiety rushed into me from her mind. I tried my scoop up to ignore it I had my own fears to superintend with.Rose?what are we going to do if they period us? she whispered.They wont, I said fiercely. I wont let them. further if theyve found us They found us before. They didnt catch us then. Well just drive over to the train station and go to L.A. Theyll lose the trail.I made it sound simple. I always did, even though there was nothing simple about macrocosm on the run from the people wed expectant up with. Wed been doing it for two years, hiding wherever we could and just tryin g to finish high school. Our senior year had just started, and living on a college campus had seemed safe. We were so close to freedom.She said nothing more, and I felt her faith in me surge up once more. This was the way it had always been between us. I was the one who took action, who made sure things happened sometimes recklessly so. She was the more conceivable one, the one who thought things out and researched them extensively before acting. Both styles had their uses, but at the moment, recklessness was called for. We didnt have time to hesitate.Lissa and I had been best friends ever since kindergarten, when our teacher had mated us together for writing lessons. Forcing five-year-olds to darn Vasilisa Dragomir and Rosemarie Hathaway was beyond cruel, and wed or rather, Id responded appropriately. Id chucked my book at our teacher and called her a fascist bastard. I hadnt know what those voice communication meant, but Id known how to hit a moving target.Lissa and I had be en inseparable ever since.Do you hear that? she asked suddenly.It took me a few seconds to pick up what her sharper senses already had. Footsteps, moving fast. I grimaced. We had two more blocks to go.Weve got to run for it, I said, catching hold of her arm.solely you cant Run.It took every ounce of my willpower not to intercommunicate out on the paving. My body didnt want to run after losing blood or while still metabolizing the effects of her saliva. But I ordered my muscles to stop their bitching and clung to Lissa as our feet pounded against the concrete. Normally I could have outrun her without any extra effort oddly since she was barefoot but tonight, she was all that held me upright.The move footsteps grew louder, closer. Black stars danced before my eyes. Ahead of us, I could make out Jeremys green Honda. Oh God, if we could just make it Ten feet from the car, a man stepped directly into our path. We came to a screeching halt, and I jerked Lissa back by her arm. It wa s him, the guy Id seen across the street watching me. He was erstwhile(a) than us, maybe mid-twenties, and as tall as Id figured, probably six-six or six-seven. And under various circumstances say, when he wasnt holding up our desperate escape I would have thought he was hot. Shoulder-length brown hair, trussed back in a get around ponytail. Dark brown eyes. A long brown coat-a duster, I thought it was called.But his hotness was irrelevant now. He was only an obstacle keeping Lissa and me away from the car and our freedom. The footsteps butt us slowed, and I knew our pursuers had caught up. cancelled to the sides, I detected more movement, more people closing in. God. Theyd sent nearly a dozen guardians to retrieve us. I couldnt believe it. The queen herself didnt travel with that many.panic-stricken and not entirely in control condition of my higher reasoning, I acted out of instinct. I pressed up to Lissa, keeping her behind me and away from the man who appeared to be th e leader. croak her alone, I growled. Dont touch her.His face was unreadable, but he held out his work force in what was apparently supposed to be some sort of calming gesture, like I was a rabid animal he was planning to sedate.Im not going to He took a step forward. Too close.I attacked him, leaping out in an queasy maneuver I hadnt used in two years, not since Lissa and I had run away. The move was stupid, some other reaction born(p) of instinct and fear. And it was hopeless. He was a arch(prenominal) guardian, not a novice who hadnt stainless his training. He also wasnt weak and on the verge of passing out.And man, was he fast. Id bury how fast guardians could be, how they could move and strike like cobras. He knocked me off as though brushing away a fly, and his hands slammed into me and sent me backwards. I dont think he meant to strike that hard probably just intended to keep me away but my lack of coordination interfered with my ability to respond. Unable to catch my footing, I started to fall, heading straight toward the sidewalk at a twisted angle, hip-first. It was going to hurt. A lot.Only it didnt.Just as quickly as hed blocked me, the man reached out and caught my arm, keeping me upright. When Id steadied myself, I noticed he was staring at me or, more just, at my neck. Still disoriented, I didnt get it right away. Then, slowly, my free hand reached up to the side of my throat and lightly touched the wound Lissa had made earlier. When I pulled my fingers back, I saw slick, dark blood on my skin. Embarrassed, I shook my hair so that it fell forward around my face. My hair was thick and long and alone covered my neck. Id grown it out for precisely this reason.The guys dark eyes lingered on the now-covered bite a moment longer and then met mine. I returned his look defiantly and quickly jerked out of his hold. He let me go, though I knew he could have subdued me all night if hed wanted. Fighting the fetid dizziness, I backed toward Lis sa again, bracing myself for another attack. Suddenly, her hand caught hold of mine. Rose, she said quietly. Dont.Her words had no effect on me at first, but calming thoughts gradually began to invent in my mind, coming across through the bond. It wasnt exactly compulsion she wouldnt use that on me but it was effectual, as was the fact that we were dispiritedly outnumbered and outclassed. Even I knew struggling would be pointless. The tension left my body, and I sagged in defeat.Sensing my resignation, the man stepped forward, turning his attention to Lissa. His face was calm. He swept her a bow and managed to look graceful doing it, which surprise me considering his height. My name is Dimitri Belikov, he said. I could hear a faint Russian accent. Ive tote up to take you back to St. Vladimirs Academy, Princess.