richellemead-vampireacademy01-vampireacademy-110824015328-phpapp02

for what had happened to Christian's parents, the rest of the royal Moroi families continued to
keep their distance.
But Mia had been right about the other part too. In some ways, Lissa and Christian were perfect
for each other. Maybe they were outcasts, but the Dragomirs and Ozeras had once been among
the most powerful Moroi leaders. And in only a very short time, Lissa and Christian had started
shaping one another in ways that could put them right up there with their ancestors. He was
picking up some of her polish and social poise; she was learning to stand up for her passions.
The more I watched them, the more I could see an energy and confidence radiating around
them.
They weren't going to stay down either.
And I think that, along with Lissa's kindness, may have been what attracted people to her. Our
social circle began to steadily grow. Mason joined, of course, and made no secret of his interest
in me. Lissa teased me a lot about that, and I didn't yet know what to do about him. Part of me
thought maybe it was time to give him a shot as a serious boyfriend, even though the rest of me
yearned for Dimitri.
For the most part, Dimitri treated me just like anyone would expect of a mentor. He was
efficient. Fond. Strict. Understanding. There was nothing out of the ordinary, nothing that
would make anyone suspect what had passed between us—save for an occasional meeting of
our eyes. And once I overcame my initial emotional reaction, I knew he was—technically—
right about us. Age was a problem, yes, particularly while I was still a student at the Academy.
But the other thing he'd mentioned…it had never entered my mind. It should have. Two
guardians in a relationship could distract each other from the Moroi they were supposed to
protect. We couldn't allow that to happen, couldn't risk her life for our own wants. Otherwise,
we'd be no better than the Badica guardian who'd run off. I'd told Dimitri once that my own
feelings didn't matter. She came first.
I just hoped I could prove it.
"It's too bad about the healing," Lissa told me.