richellemead-vampireacademy01-vampireacademy-110824015328-phpapp02
"They should fire me. What I did was wrong.” "You couldn't help it. It was the spell…” "It doesn't matter. It was wrong. And stupid.” Wrong? Stupid? I bit my lip, and tears threatened to fill my eyes. I quickly tried to regain my composure. "Look, it's not a big deal.” "It is a big deal! I took advantage of you.” "No," I said evenly. "You didn't.” There must have been something telling in my voice because he met my eyes with a deep and serious intensity. "Rose, I'm seven years older than you. In ten years, that won't mean so much, but for now, it's huge. I'm an adult. You're a child.” Ouch. I flinched. Easier if he'd just punched me. "You didn't seem to think I was a child when you were all over me.” Now he flinched. "Just because your body…well, that doesn't make you an adult. We're in two very different places. I've been out in the world. I've been on my own. I've killed, Rose— people, not animals. And you…you're just starting out. Your life is about homework and clothes and dances.” "That's all you think I care about?” "No, of course not. Not entirely. But it's all part of your world. You're still growing up and figuring out who you are and what's important. You need to keep doing that. You need to be with boys your own age.” I didn't want boys my own age. But I didn't say that. I didn't say anything. "Even if you choose not to tell, you need to understand that it was a mistake. And it isn't ever going to happen again," he added.
"Because you're too old for me? Because it isn't responsible?” His face was perfectly blank. "No. Because I'm just not interested in you in that way.” I stared. The message—the rejection—came through loud and clear. Everything from that night, everything I'd believed so beautiful and full of meaning, turned to dust before my eyes. "It only happened because of the spell. Do you understand?” Humiliated and angry, I refused to make a fool of myself by arguing or begging. I just shrugged. "Yeah. Understood." I spent the rest of the day sulking, ignoring both Lissa and Mason's attempts to draw me out of my room. It was ironic that I should want to stay inside. Kirova had been impressed enough by my performance with the rescue to end my house arrest. Before school the next day, I made my way to where Victor was being held. The Academy had honest-to-goodness cells, complete with bars, and two guardians stood watch in the hallway nearby. It took a little bit of finagling on my part to get them to let me inside to talk to him. Even Natalie wasn't allowed in. But one of the guardians had ridden with me in the SUV and watched me undergo Lissa's torture. I told him I needed to ask Victor about what he'd done to Lissa. It was a lie, but the guardians bought it and felt sorry for me. They allowed me five minutes to speak, backing up a discrete distance down the hall where they could see but not hear. Standing outside Victor's cell, I couldn't believe I'd once felt sorry for him. Seeing his new and healthy body enraged me. He sat cross-legged on a narrow bed, reading. When he heard me approach, he looked up. "Why Rose, what a nice surprise. Your ingenuity never fails to impress me. I didn't think they'd allow me any visitors.”
- Page 196 and 197: He moved forward to stop me. "Be ca
- Page 198 and 199: "How'd you manage to buy this? I sa
- Page 200 and 201: And just like that, a million thoug
- Page 202 and 203: He stared stonily ahead. "It was pr
- Page 204 and 205: Lissa pushed herself into Christian
- Page 206 and 207: I'd forced my way into her head, an
- Page 208 and 209: "Did you tell them about the 'other
- Page 210 and 211: desperate and depressed one from th
- Page 212 and 213: Fifteen minutes later, we cut acros
- Page 214 and 215: Mason gave Jesse a sharp poke in th
- Page 216 and 217: Twenty MY MOUTH DROPPED OPEN. "Uh
- Page 218 and 219: Mia scandal and, petty or not, seei
- Page 220 and 221: He just sat there, and I suppressed
- Page 222 and 223: him, urging me closer. An instinct
- Page 224 and 225: Twenty-One I'D NEVER BEEN COMPLETEL
- Page 226 and 227: stomach went queasy while my skin s
- Page 228 and 229: "She's right,” mumbled Christian,
- Page 230 and 231: Farther and farther off the main ro
- Page 232 and 233: Twenty-Two "HEAL YOU?” Heal him ?
- Page 234 and 235: about spirit users and specializing
- Page 236 and 237: A calm core of confidence settled i
- Page 238 and 239: Lissa summoned up all of those thin
- Page 240 and 241: "What's it look like? I'm a stowawa
- Page 242 and 243: Sure enough, they turned on me, tee
- Page 244 and 245: No glowing or fireworks surrounded
- Page 248 and 249: I crossed my arms, trying to put on
- Page 250 and 251: Odd sounds came from the detention
- Page 252 and 253: "Do you?" I hoped I could stall her
- Page 254 and 255: Still holding me in his arms, he lo
- Page 256 and 257: for what had happened to Christian'
- Page 258 and 259: Then, out of nowhere, a thought sma
"Because you're too old for me? Because it isn't responsible?”<br />
His face was perfectly blank. "No. Because I'm just not interested in you in that way.”<br />
I stared. The message—the rejection—came through loud and clear. Everything from that night,<br />
everything I'd believed so beautiful and full of meaning, turned to dust before my eyes.<br />
"It only happened because of the spell. Do you understand?”<br />
Humiliated and angry, I refused to make a fool of myself by arguing or begging. I just<br />
shrugged. "Yeah. Understood."<br />
I spent the rest of the day sulking, ignoring both Lissa and Mason's attempts to draw me out of<br />
my room. It was ironic that I should want to stay inside. Kirova had been impressed enough by<br />
my performance with the rescue to end my house arrest.<br />
Before school the next day, I made my way to where Victor was being held. The Academy had<br />
honest-to-goodness cells, complete with bars, and two guardians stood watch in the hallway<br />
nearby. It took a little bit of finagling on my part to get them to let me inside to talk to him.<br />
Even Natalie wasn't allowed in. But one of the guardians had ridden with me in the SUV and<br />
watched me undergo Lissa's torture. I told him I needed to ask Victor about what he'd done to<br />
Lissa. It was a lie, but the guardians bought it and felt sorry for me. They allowed me five<br />
minutes to speak, backing up a discrete distance down the hall where they could see but not<br />
hear.<br />
Standing outside Victor's cell, I couldn't believe I'd once felt sorry for him. Seeing his new and<br />
healthy body enraged me. He sat cross-legged on a narrow bed, reading. When he heard me<br />
approach, he looked up.<br />
"Why Rose, what a nice surprise. Your ingenuity never fails to impress me. I didn't think they'd<br />
allow me any visitors.”