Queen of the Mob (complete)

Chapter 24

"So she took two years off school then surpassed her peers within just a few months. With intensive training from her then mentor now husband?"

"Yes."

"So does that mean that all the novices are ready to be guardians before they are eighteen?"

I laughed at ludicrousness of the question. "No. If it weren't for Rose's brain, which she got from Abe, and her shadow kissed state. Not only would she have been killed in Spokane. But for the two years she guarded Princess Vasilissa alone, in the human world, they both would have died countless times."

I automatically knew where they were going with that question and it was just ridiculous.

"Can we shadow kiss more novices?"

"If you want to kill off an entire generation of guardians. And drive the spirit users that we know of completely insane. As far as we know Vasilissa and Adrian are the only two spirit users there are." I knew that wasn't true but they didn't need to know that.

"What you all don't seem to grasp is that to be shadow kissed you first have to die."

That time gasps echoed throughout the room.

"And a spirit user must care deeply about you to bring you back." Another lie but again they didn't need that information.

"Each spirit user can only shadow kiss one person in their lives. If they try to shadow kiss more than that one person they go insane. As does the shadow kissed person."

"So Adrian could shadow kiss a novice and give us another like Rose?"

"Like I said only if he cared deeply for that person. And that person, if a novice, would have to become his guardian. Because the shadow kissed and their bond mate can never be separated for very long or very far."

"Ahhh." Was the general consensus.

"The best way to get your guardians to actually care if you live or die other than it being their jobs. Is to form real, true, caring, relationships with them. If you care for them and they you, they will fight harder to protect you. But you can't fake this relationship because people most people know when something is real or not."

"What of the people that believe the dhampir are beneath them?"

"Well I would say get ready for disappointment and probably death. The dhampir are becoming aware as they should have always been that they do not have to protect us. That is a gift that we moroi are given and unfortunately far too many moroi have taken it for granted. We should always look at it as the gift it is."

"Where is Rose?"

"The last time I spoke with her she was still in Turkey at Abe's estate."

"When will the coronation be?"

"Within the next few weeks."

"If Rose and Dimitri are already married will there be an actual royal wedding?"

"Yes, on their first anniversary they will recommit themselves to each other in a royal wedding."

"What about Tasha Ozera? We all know she is obsessed with Dimitri."

"Not anymore. She's dead."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that she was put to death seconds before Randall Ivashkov."

"Why?"

"That is a long story. I am sure that some of you remember the story about Lucas and Moira Ozera turning by choice."