Training day

Chapter One

What's on your mind?

RPOV

What a night. I am supposed to be fully rested, ready for my day of training with Dimitri. Instead I'm bleary eyed and my mind is unclear, hazy and almost spinning. The thing that annoys me the most, is that I'm tired but not because I was out doing anything extraordinary, or even remotely entertaining. I was in my room, attempting to behave and rest but was involuntary otherwise engaged.

My uncanny ability to enter Lissa's head and be where she is, see what she seeing and feel what she is feeling is an amazing advantage when we are in trouble, but has its unfortunate disadvantages as well. Like last night.

It wasn't intentional; I didn't really want to be there but the magic made it happen anyway.

Lissa is my best friend, I love her more than anyone, well… someone is a pretty close second to her. Something drew me to her last night while I was resting in my room, staring at the ceiling trying to fall asleep. She wasn't in any trouble, but there was a deep pulling sensation that took me to her.

LPOV

Ugh, another royal dinner, another clammy wet fish handshake, chit chat that centres on the latest gossip or scandal at St. Vladimir Academy. As much as I love to shop for these events and prepare myself by applying my makeup and doing my hair just so, I am reaching my limit of dragging my ass to these things.

My only saving grace is that Christian and Adrian are here, I don't think I could have faced being here without them. Well, im also pretty impressed with the new dress that I bought for tonight. In keeping with my past attempts at causing a bit of a stir at the royal dinners I am expected to attend, I did my best at finding a dress that sits above the knee and, wait for it, doesn't have sleeves.

It's a strapless fitted cocktail dress, deep red in colour – the colour of blood. Against my pale skin, it gleams and makes me stand out in the crowd (another scandal for them to talk about). My hair is tied up at the nape of my neck and the long blonde strands fall almost to my waist.

"Hey!"

A quick pinch on my bum makes me spin around quickly to catch the culprit.

"Hi gorgeous, you look so sexy tonight. Everyone is staring at you, there will be some stories being told tomorrow!"

Christian is standing in front of me now with a wide grin, his amazing eyes staring back, seeming to take all me of me in. My boyfriend, my anchor and the most unlikely match for me. He was dressed in the usual way, very understated; making sure that everyone knows how little he cares about impressing anyone or living up to expectations. But he looked fantastic to me. His dress shirt outlined his muscular body so well and drew me to him. With a warm embrace and light kiss on the cheek we said hello.

"Get a room you two…" mocked Adrian as he joined us in the ballroom. Now this was a guy who walked with a swagger in his step, so confident, impeccably dressed and oozing confidence. He was tall, with messy hair – done that way on purpose, probably through hours of styling. He was an unlikely friend, but so cherished.

The three of us are Moroi, but Adrian and I are royal Moroi. Poor Christian is only at this dinner tonight because I dragged him here.

The ballroom was always wonderfully decorated for royal functions. The tables set perfectly with glistening cutlery, crisp white napery and soft candle light. The atmosphere had an air of regal dignity; background music set the tone with a woman playing a harp creating angelic sounds. It wasn't really the events that I detested, it was mostly the egotistical people that I had to attend them with – present company excluded – obviously.

After a quick catch up with the guys, Adrian sauntered off to the first attractive Moroi that caught his eye. These girls were putty in his hands, he was so smooth, very attractive – although I wasn't interested in him that way – we were practically family. He knows how to have a good time, although unfortunately he often had too much of a good time. Drinking to drown out the bad energy he got from being a spirit user, like me. Although I didn't approve of his way of coping, I wish I had one of my own – something I was still working on.

Christian slid his hand down my arm, so softly my skin prickled under his touch, until he reached my hand which he grasped in his and tangled his fingers with mine. His gaze on me made me weak at the knees and ready to take him somewhere private so he could have his way with me, but we still had a dinner to get through and unfortunately my absence would have been noticed.

"So where is Rose tonight?" Christian asked looking sceptical.

"She is resting in her room, she has a big day tomorrow – a heavy training session with Dimitri – the trials are just around the corner".

"Have you ever noticed the way she is around him? She is different, like she loses that nerve of hers when he is near her."

Knowing full well what he was talking about, I had to keep a straight face. I noticed it too, but Rose had never mentioned anything to me. I never asked because she tells me everything. One of the many times I wish I could get inside her mind though, like she can with me.

Dinner was uneventful, except for the surging heat that Christian continued to send through my body when he put his hand on my leg under the table, or when he whispered in my ear and then lightly kissed my bare neck. He sent trembles through my body just by looking at me, let alone when our bare skin touched.

When the meal was over, the music livened up and people were dancing. Adrian was at the bar leaning in and amusing a young Moroi royal. He seemed to be quite well entertained and definitely getting somewhere with that girl. Good for him.

Christian stood up beside me at the table, held out his hand with his palm facing upwards… "Would you like to dance with me?"

This was unusual for him, but I wasn't going to waste the opportunity by trying to work out why he was stepping outside of himself.

"I would love to, thankyou."

With that he pulled out my chair, took my hand in his and led the way to the busy dance floor. The song playing was one of my favourites, Undisclosed Desires by Muse, I loved it. Not a typical song to dance to, but a brilliant opportunity to hold my body close to Christian's without receiving too many opposing glances.

He put his palm on the small of my back, flicking my pony tail off my shoulder with the other, exposing my bare neck line. He leaned in and kissed the spot where my hair had just been. Then showed off some surprising dance skills by pushing me out and spinning me around and then drawing me back into him. It was amazing how exhilarating such a small movement could be, a light touch of our bodies, in a crowded room.

"Lissa you are glowing in that dress, I love it, you look amazing".

My eyes were now downcast, not used to accepting compliments because I didn't really know what to do with them. He lifted my chin so gently with his finger until our eyes met, and then he surprised me with a soft kiss on my lips – almost like he wanted to reassure me.

"Its strange, but I am actually enjoying myself tonight. Perhaps it's because you are here with me."

"Perhaps" He murmured as he spun me around again. "It's not too bad; although I am pretty sure I could think of somewhere I would rather be right now".

"What, you would rather be somewhere else, other than here, dancing with me?"

How rude I thought.

"Lissa… I didn't say I would rather be with some ONE else, just that I would rather be somewhere else, WITH you."

I blushed.

"Where do you want to go? It's late, the dinner is almost over so I will be able to leave soon. What do you have in mind?"

He trailed his finger tips from where his palm was sitting heavy on the small of my back, lightly, up my spine and then drew circles with his fingers on the back of my neck.

"Well, I know for a fact that there wouldn't be anyone in the Church at this time of night. Would you like to pick up a bottle of wine from the bar, a couple of glasses and go for a stroll with me?"

Even though it was late, how could I say no? He was so intoxicating with his invitation.

"Do you have a key? Will we be able to get inside?"

"Let me worry about that Lissa, you aren't the only one with magical abilities".

With that, he led me off the dance floor and over to the bar, where he left me to go and speak to Adrian. Seconds later, Adrian passed a bottle of wine to Christian, obviously offering a sarcastic comment as he did which left Christian visibly irritated. Turning around and blowing him off, Christian came back over to me and nodded his head in the direction of the doorway.

And off we went.