Frostbite Chapter 11

ElevenLISSA WAS UP AND GONE before I even stirred the next morning, which meant I had the bathroom to myself while I got ready for the day. I loved that bathroom. It was enormous. My king-size bed would have fit comfortably inside it. A scalding shower with three different nozzles woke me up, though my muscles ached from yesterday. As I stood in front of the full-length mirror and combed my h vent, I saw with just about disappointment that the bruise was still there. It was significantly lighter, however, and had toured yellowish. approximately concealer and powder jamly entirely covered it up.I headed downstairs in search of food. The dining room was just shutting down breakfast, precisely one of the waitresses gave me a friction match of p apiece marzipan scones to go. Munching on one as I walked, I expanded my senses to get a feel for where Lissa was. After a couple of moments, I sensed her on the other side of the lodge, away from the student rooms. I followed the trail un til I arrived at a room on the third floor. I knocked.Christian opened the door. Sleeping Beauty arrives. Welcome.He ushered me inside. Lissa sat cross-legged on the rooms bed and smiled when she saw me. The room was as sumptuous as mine, only most of the furniture had been shoved aside to make space, and in that open area, Tasha stood.Good morning, she give tongue to.Hey, I said. So much for avoiding her.Lissa patted a spot beside her. Youve got to contact this.Whats going on? I sat down on the bed and finished the last of the scone.Bad topics, she said mischievously. Youll approve.Christian walked over to the empty space and faced Tasha. They regarded each other, forgetting ab give away Lissa and me. Id apparently interrupted something.So why cant I just stick with the consuming spell? asked Christian.Because it uses a lot of energy, she told him. flush with jeans and a ponytail- and the scar- she carry offd to depend ridiculously cute. Plus, itll most likely kill your oppo nent.He scoffed. Why wouldnt I indispensableness to kill a Strigoi?You might not always be struggle one. Or maybe you need information from them. Regardless, you should be prepared either way.They were practicing offensive misrepresentation, I realized. Excitement and interest replaced the sullenness Id acquired upon ascertaining Tasha. Lissa hadnt been kidding about them doing icky things. Id always suspected they were practicing offensive magic, but wow. Thinking about it and actually seeing it were two very different things. Using magic as a weapon was forbidden. A punishable offense. A student experimenting with it might be forgiven and simply disciplined, but for an adult to actively be teaching a small fryyeah. That could get Tasha in major trouble. For half a second, I toyed with the idea of turning her in. Immediately, I dismissed the notion. I might hate her for making moves on Dimitri, but part of me sort of believed in what she and Christian were doing. Plus, it was just cool.A distracting spell is almost as useful, she continued.Her blue eyes took on the intense rivet I often saw Moroi get while using magic. Her wrist flicked forward, and a streak of good time snaked past Christians face. It didnt touch him, but from the way he flinched, I suspected it had been close enough for him to feel the heat.Try it, she told him.Christian hesitated for only a moment and past made the same hand transaction she had. Fire streaked out, but it had none of the finely tuned control hers had had. He also didnt have her aim. It went straight for her face, but before it could touch her, it parted and dissolve around her, almost like it had hit an invisible shield. Shed deflected it with her own magic.Not bad- aside from the fact you would have burned my face off.Even I wouldnt want her face burned off. But her hairah, yes. Wed see how pretty she was without that raven-black mane.She and Christian practiced a while longer. He improved as time went by, thoug h he clearly had a ways to go before he had Tashas skill. My interest grew and grew as they went on, and I found myself pondering all the possibilities this kind of magic could offer.They wrapped up their lesson when Tasha said she had to go. Christian sighed, clearly frustrated that he hadnt been able to master the spell in an hour. His competitive nature was almost as strong as mine.I still think itd be easier to just burn them entirely, he argued.Tasha smiled as she brushed her hair into a tighter ponytail. Yeah. She could definitely do without that hair, particularly since I knew how much Dimitri liked long hair.Easier because it involves less focus. Its sloppy. Your magicll be stronger in the long run if you can learn this. And, like I said, it has its uses.I didnt want to agree with her, but I couldnt help it.It could be really useful if you were fighting with a guardian, I said excitedly. Especially if completely intense a Strigoi takes so much energy. This way, you use just a quick burst of your strength to distract the Strigoi. And it will distract one since they hate fire so much. Then thats all the time a guardian would need to stake them. You could take down a whole bunch of Strigoi that way.Tasha grinned at me. Some Moroi- like Lissa and Adrian- smiled without showing their teeth. Tasha always showed hers, including the fangs.Exactly. You and Ill have to go Strigoi hunting someday, she teased.I dont think so, I replied.The words in and of themselves werent that bad, but the tone I utilise to deliver them certainly was. Cold. Unfriendly. Tasha looked momentarily surprised at my abrupt change in attitude but shrugged it off. Shock from Lissa traveled to me through the bond.Tasha didnt seem bothered, however. She chatted with us a bit longer and made plans to see Christian for dinner. Lissa gave me a sharp look as she, Christian, and I walked down the elaborate spiral stairway leading rump down to the lobby.What was that about? she asked.What was what about? I asked innocently.Rose, she said meaningfully. It was hard to play dumb when your friend knew you could read her mind. I knew exactly what she was talking toing about. You being a bitch to Tasha.I wasnt that much of a bitch.You were rude, she exclaimed, stepping out of the way of a bunch of Moroi children who came tearing through the lobby. They were bundled up in parkas, and a weary-looking Moroi ski instructor followed them.I put my hands on my hips. Look, Im just grumpy, okay? Didnt get much sleep. Besides, Im not like you. I dont have to be polite all the time.As happened so often lately, I couldnt believe what Id just said. Lissa stared at me, more astonished than hurt. Christian glowered, on the verge of snapping behind at me, when stonemason mercifully approached us. He hadnt needed a cast or anything, but he had a slight limp to his walk.Hey there, Hop-Along, I said, slip my hand into his.Christian put his anger for me on hold and turned to Mason. Is it true your suicidal moves finally caught up with you?Masons eyes were on me. Is it true you were dangling out with Adrian Ivashkov?I- what?I heard you guys got drunk last night.You did? asked Lissa, startled.I looked between both their faces. No, of course not I barely know him.But you do know him, pushed Mason.Barely.Hes got a bad reputation, warned Lissa.Yeah, said Christian. He goes through a lot of girls.I couldnt believe this. Will you guys lay off? I talked to him for, like, five-spot minutes And thats only because he was blocking my way inside. Where are you getting all this? Immediately, I answered my own question. Mia.Mason nodded and had the grace to look embarrassed.Since when do you talk to her? I asked.I just ran into her, thats all, he told me.And you believed her? You know she lies half the time.Yeah, but theres usually some truth in the lies. And you did talk to him.Yes. Talk. Thats it.I really had been difficult to give some serious thought about dating Mason, so I did nt appreciate him not believing me. He had actually helped me unravel Mias lies in the beginning place in the school year, so I was surprised hed be so paranoid about them now. Maybe if his feelings really had grown for me, he was more convincible to jealousy.Surprisingly, it was Christian who came to the rescue and changed the subject. I suppose theres no skiing today, huh? He pointed to Masons ankle, straight off triggering an indignant response.What, you think this is going to slow me down? asked Mason.His anger diminished, replaced by that burning need to prove himself- the need he and I both shared. Lissa and Christian looked at him like he was crazy, but I knew nothing we said would stop him.You guys want to come with us? I asked Lissa and Christian.Lissa shook her head. We cant. We have to go to this luncheon being hosted by the Contas.Christian groaned. Well, you have to go.She elbowed him. So do you. The invitation said I get to bring a guest. Besides, this is just a war m-up for the big one.Which one is that? asked Mason.Priscilla Vodas huge dinner, sighed Christian. Seeing him look so trouble made me smile. The queens better friend. All the snobbiest royals will be there, and Ill have to wear a suit.Mason flashed me a grin. His earlier antagonism was gone. Skiings sounding better and better, huh? little of a dress code.We left the Moroi behind and went away(p). Mason couldnt compete with me in the same way he had yesterday his movements were slow and awkward. Still, he did remarkably well up when one considered everything. The injury wasnt as bad as wed feared, but he had the prudence to stick to extremely easy runs.The full moon hung in the blankness, a glowing sphere of silver medaly white. The electric lights overpowered most of its illumination on the ground, but here and there, in the shadows, the moon just barely managed to cast its glow. I wished it were bright enough to reveal the surrounding mountain range, but those peaks stayed shr ouded in iniquity. Id forgotten to look at them when it was light out earlier.The runs were super simple for me, but I stayed with Mason and only occasionally teased him about how his remedial skiing was putting me to sleep. Boring runs or no, it was just nice to be outside with my friends, and the activity stirred my blood enough to warm me against the chill air. The light posts lit up the snow, turning it into a vast sea of white, the flakes crystals sparkling faintly. And if I managed to turn away and block the lights from my field of vision, I could look up and see the stars spilling over the sky. They stood out stark and crystalline in the clear, freezing air. We stayed out for most of the day again, but this time, I called it quits early, pretending to be tired so Mason could get a break. He might manage easy skiing with his tender ankle, but I could tell it was starting to hurt him.Mason and I headed back toward the lodge walking very close to each other, laughing about some thing wed seen earlier. Suddenly, I saw a streak of white in my peripheral vision, and a snowball smashed into Masons face. I immediately went on the defensive, jerking backward and peering around. Whoops and cries sounded from an area of the resort grounds that held storage sheds and was interspersed with looming pines.Too slow, Ashford, mortal called. Doesnt pay to be in love.More laughs. Masons best friend, Eddie Castile, and a few other novices from school materialized from behind a cluster of trees. Beyond them, I heard more shouts.Well still take you in, though, if you want to be on our team, said Eddie. Even if you do dodge like a girl.Team? I asked excitedly.Back at the Academy, throwing snowballs was strictly prohibited. School officials were inexplicably afraid that wed throw snowballs jam-packed with glass shards or razor blades, though I had no clue how they thought wed get a hold of that kind of stuff in the first place.Not that a snowball fight was that rebellious, bu t after all the stress Id been through recently, throwing objects at other people suddenly sounded like the best idea Id heard in a while. Mason and I dashed off with the others, the prospect of forbidden fighting giving him new energy and create him to forget the pain in his ankle. We set to the fight with a die-hard zeal.The fight soon became a matter of nailing as many people as possible while dodging attacks from others. I was exceptional at both and furthered the immaturity by catcalling and shouting silly insults at my victims.By the time someone noticed what we were doing and yelled at us, we were all laughing and covered with snow. Mason and I once again started back for the lodge, and our mood was so high, I knew the Adrian thing was long forgotten.Indeed, Mason looked at me just before we went inside. Sorry I, uh, jumped all over you about Adrian earlier.I squeezed his hand. Its okay. I know Mia can tell some pretty convincing stories.Yeahbut even if you were with himits not like I have any rightI stared at him, surprised to see his usual brash countenance turn shy. Dont you? I asked.A smile turned up his lips. Do I?Smiling back, I stepped forward and kissed him. His lips snarl amazingly warm in the freezing air. It wasnt like the earth-shattering kiss Id had with Dimitri before the trip, but it was sweet and nice- a friendly sort of kiss that maybe could turn into more. At least, that was how I saw it. From the look on Masons face, it appeared his whole world had been rocked.Wow, he said, eyes wide. The moonlight made his eyes look silvery blue.You see? I said. Nothing to worry about. Not Adrian, not anybody.We kissed again- a bit longer this time- before finally dragging ourselves apart. Mason was clearly in a better mood, as well as he should have been, and I dropped into bed with a smile on my face. I wasnt technically sure if Mason and I were a couple now, but we were very close to it.But when I slept, I dreamed about Adrian Ivashkov.I stood w ith him on the porch again, only it was summer. The air was balmy and warm, and the sun hung bright in the sky, coating everything in golden light. I hadnt been in this much sun since living among humans. All around, the mountains and valleys were green and alive. Birds interpret everywhere.Adrian leaned against the porchs railing, glanced over, and did a double-take when he saw me. Oh. Didnt expect to see you here. He smiled. I was right. You are devastating when youre cleaned up.Instinctively, I touched the skin around my eye.Its gone, he said.Even without being able to see it, I somehow knew he was right. You arent smoking.Bad habit, he said. He nodded toward me. You scared? Youre wearing a lot of protection.I frowned, then looked down. I hadnt noticed my clothing. I wore a pair of embroidered jeans Id seen once but had been unable to afford. My T-shirt was cropped, showing off my stomach, and I wore a belly-button ring. Id always cherished to get my belly button pierced but ha d neer been able to afford it. The charm I now wore here was a little silver dangly one, and hanging at the end of it was that weird blue eye pendant my mom had given me. Lissas chotki was wound around my wrist.I looked back up at Adrian, studying the way the sun shone off his brown hair. Here, in full daylight, I could see that his eyes were indeed green- a deep emerald as argue to Lissas pale jade. Something startling suddenly occurred to me.Doesnt all this sun bother you?He gave a lazy shrug. Nah. Its my dream.No, its my dream.Are you sure? His smile returned.I felt confused. I I dont know.He chuckled, but a moment later, the laugher faded. For the first time since Id met him, he looked serious. Why do you have so much darkness around you?I frowned. What?Youre surrounded in blackness. His eyes studied me shrewdly, but not in a checking-me-out sort of way. Ive never seen anyone like you. Shadows everywhere. I never would have guessed it. Even while youre standing here, the shado ws keep growing.I looked down at my hands but saw nothing out of the ordinary. I glanced back up. Im shadow-kissed.Whats that mean?I died once. Id never talked to anyone other than Lissa and Victor Dashkov about that, but this was a dream. It didnt matter. And I came back.Wonder lit his face. Ah, interestingI woke up.Someone was quiver me. It was Lissa. Her feelings hit me so hard through the bond that I briefly snapped into her mind and found myself looking at me. Weird didnt begin to cover it. I pulled back into myself, trying to sift through the terror and alarm coming from her.Whats wrong?Theres been another Strigoi attack.