The Hidden Blood (Vampire Academy)

Chapter 4

I woke up at tap on my leg. My eyes start to snap open.

"Momma," Damon said, "Mariah is having a bad dream. It's so horrible! I... I was so scared Mommy, please, she won't wake up!"

I glance over at my daughter and walking hurriedly over to her, I bend down by her side and affectionately stroke my fingers through her hair. "Honey," I said, "Baby, wake up, it's just a bad dream, it's okay... Honey? Wakey, wakey."

The flight attendant came out and informed me that we would be landing soon on God's cursed Earth. "Thank you," I said as my daughter gripped my shirt.

"It was so horrible," Mariah cried to me, "I saw the most horrible things! People being died 'til their dead, and...." she cried onto my shoulder and held her close.

Damon came over to his sister and crooned sweet things in her ear. "I know, I know, honey," I said although the fact that my little one was having nightmares about people being killed freaks me out.

As I held Mariah in my arms, her head resting on my shoulder, Damon walks beside me, carrying this back pack full of clothes and toys.

We get loaded into a car, with a driver that takes us to the Academy.

Rae stays quiet next to me in the limo.

"Are we there yet Mummy?" Mariah said sheepishly in my ear.

"It's be about 15 more minutes. Can you count to 15 for me, baby?"

"One... Two... Three... Four...."

She was snoozing by the time we pulled up into the gate. I found myself looking around, remember the last time I crossed through these gates.

Dimitri was sitting beside me instead of his son, his long hair falling across his face.

I could see many similarities between Dimitri and my son. Their eyes, for instance. Dark, mysterious, dangerous, by also at times, innocent and lost. Damon's hair was fairly short, unlike his fathers, I just had it cut. Damon has my nose, but his fathers smile.

Mariah takes mostly after me. People say that she got her thick hair and quick wit of course from me, but her eyes match Dimitri's down to the last color. Mariah has curly hair, brown, of course, but it sometimes looks black late at night and in direct sunlight, it looks auburn; thanks to my mother.

"Open the gate," the driver said in his ear piece in a monotone.

Slowly the gate opened; I started to sweat. What would everyone think of me? Could I still kick their ass? Oh God, I tensed.

Rae seemed to notice this and comfortingly put a hand on my knee.

"Don't worry," she said, "I'll protect you." I smiled at her and got out of the car after seeing the mile of wood and oak trees.

In was in the middle of the night, just like when I first got back. Insane punishment. I smiled at myself remember I'm not 17 anymore. I am a woman, and can make my own decisions.

"Woah," Rae said, "Why is everyone up? It's like, three in the morning! They should be a sleep!"

Oh, crap... I forgot to make up a lie about that.

Mariah said in her I'm-still-sleeping voice, "It's proven that you learn better if it's night time. Something that the school has learned here."

She could be so extremely smart at times, and so unbelievably oblivious. That's one reason I love so much.

I started slowly walking toward the Academy's main office. With each step brought old memories: Lissa and I laughing together, Dimitri saving my ass, guarding Christian Ozera.

Suddenly, I couldn't wait anymore to see Lissa. I wanted to see how she would react. My steps sped up and a smile suddenly formed on my face. We walked through the hallway, and I saw familiar guardian faces.

I saw my past start to form with my future.

Guardians were posted on each side of the door, opening it carefully for me and my guests. I briefed Kirova before I got here on not to show her fangs, and to make sure the students remained as human as they could.

I walked through the light seeing her pace across the room, being the impatient girl I once knew. I laid my daughter down in a leather chair.

I saw the changes in her appearance. Her longer blond hair, full of curls and a tiara on top. She was taller, and had fuller curves now that she has grown into a woman.

A big smile spread across my face at the excitement and joy at seeing her for the first time in gages.

Feeling like my throat has turned to sandpaper, I said, "Lissa."

She flipped around at the sound of her name, tears in her eyes. "You're back," she said having a tear spill down her cheek.