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observed before, though, Strigoi were deadly. She'd provided enough of a distraction until the guardians showed up, but she hadn't walked away without damage. She extended her gloved hand to me. "Tasha Ozera," she said. "I've heard a lot about you, Rose." I gave Christian a dangerous look, and Tasha laughed. "Don't worry," she said. "It was all good." "No, it wasn't," he countered. She shook her head in exasperation. "Honestly, I don't know where he got such horrible social skills. He didn't learn them from me." That was obvious, I thought. "What are you guys doing out here?" I asked. "I wanted to spend some time with these two." A small frown wrinkled her forehead. "But I don't really like hanging around the school itself. They aren't always hospitable…." I didn't get that at first. School officials usually fell all over themselves when royals came to visit. Then I figured it out. "Because … because of what happened …" Considering the way everyone treated Christian because of his parents, I shouldn't have been surprised to find his aunt facing the same discrimination. Tasha shrugged. "That's the way it is." She rubbed her hands together and exhaled, her breath making a frosty cloud in the air. "But let's not stand out here, not when we can build a fire inside." I gave a last, wistful glance at the frozen pond and then followed the others inside. The cabin was pretty bare, covered in layers of dust and dirt. It consisted of only one room. There was a narrow bed with no covers in the corner and a few shelves where food had probably once been stored. There was a fireplace, however, and we soon had a blaze going that warmed the small
area. The five of us sat down, huddling around its heat, and Tasha produced a bag of marshmallows that we cooked over the flames. As we feasted on that gooey goodness, Lissa and Christian talked to each other in that easy, comfortable way they always had. To my surprise, Tasha and Dimitri also talked in a familiar and light way. They obviously knew each other from way back when. I'd actually never seen him so animated before. Even when affectionate with me, there'd always been a serious air about him. With Tasha, he bantered and laughed. The more I listened to her, the more I liked her. Finally, unable to stay out of the conversation, I asked, "So are you coming on the ski trip?" She nodded. Stifling a yawn, she stretched herself out like a cat. "I haven't been skiing in ages. No time. Been saving all my vacation for this." "Vacation?" I gave her a curious look. "Do you have…a job?" "Sadly, yes," Tasha said, though she didn't actually sound very sad about it. "I teach martial arts classes." I stared in astonishment. I couldn't have been more surprised if she'd said she was an astronaut or a telephone psychic. A lot of royals just didn't work at all, and if they did, it was usually in some sort of investment or other moneymaking business that furthered their family fortunes. And those who did work certainly didn't do a lot of martial arts or physically demanding jobs. Moroi had a lot of great attributes: exceptional senses—smell, sight, and hearing—and the power to work magic. But physically, they were tall and slender, often small-boned. They also got weak from being in sunlight. Now, those things weren't enough to prevent someone from becoming a fighter, but they did make it more challenging. An idea had built up among the Moroi over time that their best offense was a good defense, and most shied away from the thought of physical conflict. They hid in well-protected places like the Academy, always relying on stronger, hardier dhampirs to guard them. "What do you think, Rose?" Christian seemed highly amused by my surprise. "Think you could take her?"
- Page 4 and 5: PROLOGUE THINGS DIE. BUT THEY DON'T
- Page 6 and 7: And there's one Moroi I want to pro
- Page 8 and 9: By the way, my name's Rose Hathaway
- Page 10 and 11: "No, no," she said hastily. "I'm fi
- Page 12 and 13: down over the years. The older guar
- Page 14 and 15: Suddenly, five hours didn't seem as
- Page 16 and 17: Standing on the driveway, I glanced
- Page 18 and 19: I stared at Arthur's bloody throat.
- Page 20 and 21: TWO DIMITRI MADE ONE PHONE CALL, an
- Page 22 and 23: I hesitated. Guardians, as a genera
- Page 24 and 25: I faltered. I'd tangled briefly wit
- Page 26 and 27: "I thought you were taking your Qua
- Page 28 and 29: There was an intensely sensual note
- Page 30 and 31: THREE THE LOBBY OF MY DORM was abuz
- Page 32 and 33: who want to go. With everyone in on
- Page 34 and 35: Since he wasn't wearing a coat, I k
- Page 36 and 37: them—it was a man with blond hair
- Page 38 and 39: "You ever tried to feed those littl
- Page 40 and 41: FOUR I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT. JANINE
- Page 42 and 43: incapable of having the imagination
- Page 44 and 45: "So, Guardian Hathaway," I began. "
- Page 46 and 47: "Coddle?" I asked. This woman had n
- Page 48 and 49: His eyes sparkled. "I can't believe
- Page 50 and 51: "Only to those who bring it to you
- Page 52 and 53: FIVE I HAD NO IDEA WHAT Dimitri was
- Page 56 and 57: "Hard to say," I said. Tasha crooke
- Page 58 and 59: "Me too," said Lissa. "Maybe we cou
- Page 60 and 61: "Russian's weird," In Russian, the
- Page 62 and 63: He'd technically been up all of the
- Page 64 and 65: women often had short-term affairs
- Page 66 and 67: make sure she doesn't have a concus
- Page 68 and 69: SEVEN I ANGRILY PUSHED THROUGH THE
- Page 70 and 71: Mia saw my hesitation, and it was l
- Page 72 and 73: "Whatever. I can tell when you're l
- Page 74 and 75: Before I could open my mouth, I fel
- Page 76 and 77: had been a long time since I'd kiss
- Page 78 and 79: EIGHT CHRISTIAN WAS KISSING HER, AN
- Page 80 and 81: "The truth, huh? No one wants to he
- Page 82 and 83: He rolled his eyes, still smiling.
- Page 84 and 85: "Look at me," he ordered. "Dimitri
- Page 86 and 87: shouting. "I swear, sometimes it's
- Page 88 and 89: NINE I DIDN'T SEE DIMITRI FOR a whi
- Page 90 and 91: Christian were chatting on in their
- Page 92 and 93: I honestly couldn't believe we were
- Page 94 and 95: "Good." She opened her mouth, and I
- Page 96 and 97: "I'm really tired," I repeated. I c
- Page 98 and 99: TEN THE SKI TRIP COULDN'T HAVE come
- Page 100 and 101: Inside, all sorts of arrangements h
- Page 102 and 103: "Ah," he said triumphantly. "She fi
observed before, though, Strigoi were deadly. She'd provided enough of a distraction until the<br />
guardians showed up, but she hadn't walked away without damage.<br />
She extended her gloved hand to me. "Tasha Ozera," she said. "I've heard a lot about you,<br />
Rose."<br />
I gave Christian a dangerous look, and Tasha laughed.<br />
"Don't worry," she said. "It was all good."<br />
"No, it wasn't," he countered.<br />
She shook her head in exasperation. "Honestly, I don't know where he got such horrible social<br />
skills. He didn't learn them from me." That was obvious, I thought.<br />
"What are you guys doing out here?" I asked.<br />
"I wanted to spend some time with these two." A small frown wrinkled her forehead. "But I<br />
don't really like hanging around the school itself. They aren't always hospitable…."<br />
I didn't get that at first. School officials usually fell all over themselves when royals came to<br />
visit. Then I figured it out.<br />
"Because … because of what happened …"<br />
Considering the way everyone treated Christian because of his parents, I shouldn't have been<br />
surprised to find his aunt facing the same discrimination.<br />
Tasha shrugged. "That's the way it is." She rubbed her hands together and exhaled, her breath<br />
making a frosty cloud in the air. "But let's not stand out here, not when we can build a fire<br />
inside."<br />
I gave a last, wistful glance at the frozen pond and then followed the others inside. The cabin<br />
was pretty bare, covered in layers of dust and dirt. It consisted of only one room. There was a<br />
narrow bed with no covers in the corner and a few shelves where food had probably once been<br />
stored. There was a fireplace, however, and we soon had a blaze going that warmed the small
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