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"And Moroi could never interact with the rest of the world again," I muttered. "Well, until<br />
humans discovered secret vampire cities sprouting up in the wilderness. Then we'd have lots of<br />
interactions."<br />
The other theory about how to protect the Moroi involved fewer logistical problems but had<br />
greater personal impact— particularly for me.<br />
"The problem is simply that we don't have enough guardians." This plan's advocate was some<br />
woman from the Szelsky clan. "And so, the answer is simple: get more. The Drozdovs had five<br />
guardians, and that wasn't enough. Only six to protect over a dozen Moroi! That's unacceptable.<br />
It's no wonder these kinds of things keep happening."<br />
"Where do you propose getting more guardians from?" asked the man who'd been in favor of<br />
Moroi banding together. "They're kind of a limited resource."<br />
She pointed to where I and a few other novices sat. "We've got plenty already. I've watched<br />
them train. They're deadly. Why are we waiting until they turn eighteen? If we accelerated the<br />
training program and focused more on combat training than bookwork, we could turn out new<br />
guardians when they're sixteen."<br />
Dimitri made a sound low in his throat that didn't seem happy. Leaning forward, he placed his<br />
elbows on his knees and rested his chin in his hands, eyes narrowed in thought.<br />
"Not only that, we have plenty of potential guardians going to waste. Where are all the dhampir<br />
women? Our races are intertwined. The Moroi are doing their part to help the dhampirs survive.<br />
Why aren't these women doing theirs? Why aren't they here?"<br />
A long, sultry laugh came as an answer. All eyes turned toward Tasha Ozera. Whereas many of<br />
the other royals had dressed up, she was easy and casual. She wore her usual jeans, a white tank<br />
top that showed a bit of midriff, and a blue, lacy knit cardigan that came to her knees.<br />
Glancing at the moderator, she asked, "May I?"<br />
He nodded. The Szelsky woman sat down; Tasha stood up. Unlike the other speakers, she<br />
strode right up to the podium, so she could be clearly seen by everyone. Her glossy black hair
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