richellemead-vampireacademy01-vampireacademy-110824015328-phpapp02

The eldest in the family got the title of "prince" or "princess." Lissa had gotten hers because she
was the only one left in her line.
"How was your first day?" he asked.
"Not over yet." I tried to think of something conversational. "Are you visiting here for a
while?”
"I'll be leaving this afternoon after I say hello to Natalie. When I heard Vasilisa—and you—had
returned, I simply had to come see you.”
I nodded, not sure what else to say. He was more Lissa's friend than mine.
"I wanted to tell you…" He spoke hesitantly. "I understand the gravity of what you did, but I
think Headmistress Kirova failed to acknowledge something. You did keep Vasilisa safe all this
time. That is impressive.”
"Well, it's not like I faced down Strigoi or anything," I said.
"But you faced down some things?”
"Sure. The school sent psi-hounds once.”
"Remarkable.”
"Not really. Avoiding them was pretty easy.”
He laughed. "I've hunted with them before. They aren't that easy to evade, not with their powers
and intelligence." It was true. Psi-hounds were one of many types of magical creatures that
wandered the world, creatures that humans never knew about or else didn't believe they'd really
seen. The hounds traveled in packs and shared a sort of psychic communication that made them
particularly deadly to their prey—as did the fact that they resembled mutant wolves. "Did you
face anything else?”
I shrugged. "Little things here and there.”
"Remarkable," he repeated.