The Hidden Blood (Vampire Academy)

Chapter 21

"Adrian? Are you safe?" I ask quickly, jumping in his arms and hugging him tight.

He seems a little taken back, but hugged me back. Before, I could tell - any real woman could - that he was interested, and a hug and action like this would mean something different to me than to him. But now... Something in him has changed. Somehow... Like he has grown up and become mature.

My thoughts laughed, Adrian? Mature? Ha! I would laugh and deny it if I hadn't seen it myself.

"Yeah, don't worry about us," Adrian pulled back and looked at me, expecting if anything was out of place on my body. "What about you?"

"Ivashkov," I said biting my lip like he didn't need to worry - at all, "I'm in Russia. Perfectly safe and sound right now. How about you? Tell me where you are."

"We are actually... Uh, Under," by the sound of his voice I could just tell something was off.

I crinkled my nose. "'Under'? Like... 'Under', like as in under, under? Like as 'in the ground' under? You can still vist me in my dreams when you're dead!" I screamed horrified. I'll never be able to get rid of him...

"No! No, I'm not dead, but I like how you're worried that I'm going to haunt you when I die, thanks... Shows how much you care," Adrian tazered my sides reasurring me that he was okay. "I'm under the school. We have a huge bunker down here with a few of the royals and surviors. I don't how long we will survive down here, but there's food, and water. Showers and bathrooms. I wish I could have found this sooner, I would have come down here to get drunk a lot. Have sex, too..." he smiled and I hit his chest.

"Are you sure that's the wisest place to be? I mean... You are right under their nose but...... I'm sure one of those Strogoi has a long tounge and can touch their nose..." I smiled thinking that was a pretty good idea. "I don't know if we can take that many Strogoi. I haven't seen them group like that before. Even when they bomb barded the school when I was still there, those numbers... Dimitri and I would have been stepped on like a bug. I have no idea when we will get you out."

Adrian nodded, "Just do what you can. We are good here for a while, I told you. Trust me. Just... Be careful."

"Isn't that the usual word that comes to mind when you think of me?" I ask crossing my hands over my chest.

"No, I think the word to sum you up, my darling, would be, 'reckless.'" We both laughed for a minute and he said, "We need a game plan, so, get some sleep. I need some too, we'll talk tomarrow?"

I nodded and was greatful, "Yeah, okay, tomarrow. Nine? Sound good to you?"

He nodded just like I did. "Sounds... Perfect."

I could tell that he was exhausted just like I was. "How is everyone? How many got out? How many are with you?"

Adrian swallowed, "We have a couple dozen down in the basement of the whole thing. Many cars left the garage to get to a safe place, I know that we have many Dhampir down here. They saved the Moroi that needed saving. Many of them fought on their own, Christian would be proud. How is my cousin?"

"Lissa?" In the Spirt Dream we were at a hotel so I sit on a balcony rail and let a deep sigh out. "She's torn up about the whole thing. She cried herself to sleep, I know that. She's supposed to save her people, you know? And she couldn't... We didn't give her a chance. I have a feeling that we will all need to start up a war aganist them. Take the Strogoi down - once and for all."

He chuckled, "There will always be Strogoi, Rosy... Always dark with the light."

"When did you get so wise?" I asked him with a devious smile.

"Right around the time I found my one true love," he was honest and I could tell that he was happy. Not some fake smile and bullshit, but really happy.

"Is she safe?" I ask him being poliet - for once.

"Yes, don't worry," he put a hand on my shoulder.

"She's changed you somehow..." I point out, "I can't explain it... You seem so much more," I search for the right word, "lighter. Like a thousand pounds have been lifted off your chest. That would be a nice feeling to have right now," I admit.

"So, I'm gonna take a guess that even though you are letting Dimitri see the kids, he's not seeing you?" Adrian tsk-tsked. "His loss."

"Damn straight," I laughed with him - a laugh that broke off into a yawn. "Okay, I'll probably be up early, running lines... Again. Christian promised to help delvelope the kids abilites, it's still mind blowing to me that they are more powerful than... all of us," I sigh and rub my eyes. "Stay safe?"

"Trouble always finds me," I give a small smile, "You know that."

"Unfortunetly, that's true... TRY and stay safe," I correct myself.

"Will do," he kisses my cheek and like someone dropped a pebble into a lake, the ripple effect happened, Adrian's face dissapearing from my view and just endless black filling the void between us.

***

Breakfeast was a hassle, we were all dying of hunger, and Dimtri, Isabel and I went hunting so that the Moroi wouldn't have to go to a club to pick up a Blood Whore.

"I hate animal blood," Christian said. "It tastes so different and... dirty."

Lissa nodded in agreement but told him this was the only option since she wouldn't drink from some slut. I was thankful that Olena and the rest of Dimitri's family was out of the room at the time and didn't hear, but to Rae and Dimitri and the rest of us chicken eating humans, we just fried the little annoyance.

 I knew that I would have to tell Rae sooner or later, she would have to know. But... What I really wanted her was to go back home and forget all this. I just didn't know. And when I don't know what to do, I call Grandma. She's like my 'Go To' fo everything.

"Okay, now, just give me a straight answer. Should I tell Rae everything?" I was outside, in the forest where we were hunting this morning. I'd be training out here - away from the house. Rae said that she was interested in self defense a while ago when I first met her. I didn't want to do it so much when I was preganaut, I was having pains everywhere already, but I did start her off for the first four - four and a half months. As soon as I had the kids I threw myself back into my self defense classes. It was hard juggling the babbies and my work, but then again, no one said it was easy.

"Honestly? Dearie, I think you should have told her a while ago when you first started this sharade. I do have to admitt at the begging, I didn't want her to know. It's... It's not a burden, I would say, because there isn't really a lot of pressure being pressed upon us to not spill the secret. It's just something about this world that our eyes have been opened up to. So... I think it would be better for her to hear it from you than find out some other way."

I nodded. "What if... What if she thinks differently about me?" I give voice to a fear that has been rattling inside me.

Grandma was nodding lightly, smelling the blue berry muffins in the oven. The way she sighed I could tell. It was two after all.... She always made blue berry muffins at two...

"Could you blame her if she did? You are different from the rest of us, sweet heart, but that doesn't mean different isn't good," Grandma was chewing on the other line.

"Yeah, but it does matter to Rae...."

"What matters to me?" Rae asked showing up in the clearing that I was in.

"I gotta go, miss you, love you." I hung up quickly and put the phone on my towel that was by my water and lunch on the grassy ground. "I'll tell you later," I smiled at her knowing I would need to.

"Okay... Want to get started?"

I nodded and threw myself at her unexpectedly.