Dimitri's Point of View in Frostbite (Vampire Academy) (Book 2)

Part 15

Chapter 15:

I sat there for a few more moments. Taking in the scenery before me, and the remaining perfume that stirred in the air from where Rose sat. It was high noon before I decided to head back inside.

I had almost made it to my room when I ran into Tasha. With a mumbled “sorry” she sidestepped me and started to walk away. Sympathetically I reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. “Tasha.”

She turned around, her eyes mortified as she started at me. “Yes?”

I sighed and let go of her shoulder, running a hand through my long hair. “About…earlier…”

Tasha stopped me with a shake of her head. “Don’t Dimitri… I understand. You’re in love with someone else.”

I looked at her dumfounded. How could she have possibly found out? I knew I kept my love for Rose well hidden. The shock on my face must have said otherwise. “I’ve seen the way you look at her. Rose. I thought I could change that. But seeing the way she watches you when I’m around, I knew it would never work. It’s obvious she makes you happy.” She gave me a small sad smile. “Something I can’t.”

I wanted to say something to comfort her. But really what was there to say? So instead I nodded. She nodded back and turned to walk away. But not before she smiled back at me, tears filling her eyes. “Good luck Belikov.”

After that I walked in a dream like state back to my room. Not really noticing anything around me. Until I ran into Janine.

I would have nodded to her and walked on but something flashed in her eyes. Something I couldn’t avoid. Fear, true fear. I caught hold of her arm, “what’s wrong?” For a moment I thought she found something more about the Drozdovs attack. But her response wasn’t at all what I expected.

“Rose is missing.”

I was in action before she could say anything else. My first instinct was to call the guardian Council and tell them that we had a missing novice. But knowing them, they would go ballistic. And then expel Rose when she was caught.

So instead of calling them I went to my first source. Mason.

We walked to Mason’s room, fast, practically knocking over people in the process. When I reached his door it took all of my self control to not knock it down. Shane answered after an agonizing minute. “Hey.” He said surprised, his hair ruffled from sleeping.

“Is Mason here?”

He looked back and forth between Janine and me, confused. “Funny. Rose came by earlier today asking the same thing.”

I grabbed his shirt. “Did she say where she was going?”

His eyes widened in shock. “No, she left after I told her Mason was throwing stuff in a bag earlier…dude,” he looked down at my clenched hand holding his shirt. “Could you let go of me?”

I dropped him. “When did he leave?” If Mason was headed somewhere, then Rose would be with him too.

Shane rubbed his chest where my hand had clutched his shirt. “This morning.”

I left Shane without asking anymore questions. I was one step closer from finding Rose.

Janine and I looked at each other once the door shut in our faces. If Mason and Rose weren’t here. What about Lissa?

Janine picked up her phone and made a couple of calls. Then she looked back at me, frustration in her voice. “You have no idea where they headed off to? No idea at all.”