Frostbite Chapter 7

S til nowI ANGRILY PUSHED THROUGH THE rational image doors that led into the Moroi dorm. S direct swirled in behind me, and a few large number lingering on the main(prenominal) floor glanced up upon my entrance. Not surprisingly, several of them did double takes. Sw eitherowing, I forced myself not to react. It would be okay. No need to freak give away. Novices got injured all the time. It was actually rarer not to get injured. Admittedly, this was a such(prenominal) discernible injury than virtually, thornyly I could live with it until it recoered, right? And it wasnt like anyone would sack discover how Id received it.Hey Rose, is it true your induce m some some other punched you?I froze. Id know that taunting soprano voice anywhere. Turning slowly, I determineed into the deep blue devil eyes of Mia Rinaldi. Curly blond hair framed a verbal expression that power have been precious if not for the malicious smirk on it.A year younger than us, Miad taken on Lissa (a nd me by default) in a war to see who could tear a deduct the others life most quicklya war, I should add, that she started. It had conglomerate her stealing Lissas ex-boyfrienddespite the fact Lissa had decided in the end she didnt want himand the spreading of all sorts of rumors.Admittedly, Mias hatred hadnt been t disc regress ensemble un whitewashified. Lissas older brother, Andrewho had been killed in the same car accident that technically killed mehad employ Mia pretty badly when she was a freshman. If she werent such a bitch now, I would have felt sorry for her. It had been wrong of him, and while I could understand her anger, I dont know that it was fair of her to take that discover on Lissa in the way she did.Lissa and I had technically won the war in the end, that Mia had inexplicably bounced back. She didnt run with the same e illuminatede that she once had, but she had rebuilt a small contingent of friends. Malicious or not, strong leaders always attract followers .Id set up that round 90 percent of the time, the most effective response was to ignore her. But we had just pass over to the other 10 percent, because its impossible to ignore roughlyone announcing to the military personnel that your mother just punched youeven if it was true. I stopped walking and turned ab issue. Mia stood near a vending machine, knowing shed drawn me out. I didnt pother asking how shed found out about my mother giving me the black eye. Things rarely stayed secret around here.When she caught full sight of my face, her eyes widened in unabashed delight. Wow. Talk about a face unless a mother could love.Ha. Cute. From anyone else, I would have applauded the joke.Well, youre the expert on face injury, I said. Hows your nose?Mias opposite smile twitched a little, but she didnt back down. Id broken her nose about a month agoat a school dance of all placesand while the nose had since healed, it now sat just the tiniest bit askew. plastic surgery could probab ly fix it up, but from my understanding of her familys finances, that wasnt possible just now.Its better, she replied primly. Fortunately, it was exactly broken by a psychopathic whore and not anyone actually related to me.I gave her my best psychopathic smile. alike bad. Family members hit you by accident. Psychopathic whores tend to come back for more.Threatening physical violence against her was unremarkably a pretty sound tactic, but we had too many people around right now for that to be a legitimate concern for her. And Mia knew it. Not that I was above attacking someone in this kind of settinghell, Id done it lots of timesbut I was trying to work on my impulse control lately.Doesnt look like much of an accident to me, she said. Dont you guys have rules about face punches? I mean, that looks really far out of bounds.I opened my mouth to carve up her off, but nothing came out. She had a point. My injury was far out of bounds in that sort of combat, you arent supposed to hit above the neck. This was way above that forbidden line.Mia precept my hesitation, and it was like Christmas morning had come a week early for her. Until that moment, I dont think thered ever been a time in our antagonistic relationship in which shed rendered me speechless.Ladies, came a stern, female voice. The Moroi attending the front desk leaned over it and fixed us with a sharp look. This is a lobby, not a lounge. Either go upstair or go outside.For a moment, breaking Mias nose again sounded like the best idea in the worldto hell with detention or suspension. After a deep breath, I decided retreat was my most dignified action now. I stalked off toward the stairs leading up to the girls dorm. Over my shoulder, I heard Mia call, Dont worry, Rose. Itll go away. Besides, its not your face guys are interested in.Thirty seconds later, I beat on Lissas door so hard, it was a wonder my fist didnt go done the wood. She opened it slowly and peered around.Is it just you out here? I min d there was an army at theoh my God. Her eyebrows shot up when she find the left side of my face. What happened?You havent heard al countersink? Youre probably the only one in the school who hasnt, I grumbled. Just let me in.Sprawling on her bed, I told her about the days events. She was properly appalled.I heard youd been hurt, but I figured it was one of your normal things, she said.I stared up at the spackled ceiling, feeling miser qualified. The worst part is, Mia was right. It wasnt an accident.What, youre saying your mom did it on purpose? When I didnt answer, Lissas voice turned incredulous. Come on, she wouldnt do that. No way.why? Because shes perfect Janine Hathaway, master of controlling her temper? The thing is, shes also perfect Janine Hathaway, master of fight and controlling her actions. One way or another, she slipped up.yea, strong, said Lissa, I think her stumbling and missing her punch is more likely than her doing it on purpose. Shed have to really lose her te mper.Well, she was talk of the town to me. Thats enough to make anyone lose their temper. And I accused her of sleeping with my dad because he was the soundest evolutionary choice.Rose, groaned Lissa. You kind of left out that part in your recap. wherefored you say that to her?Because its probably true.But you had to know itd upset her. Why do you keep provoking her? Why provoket you just make peace with her?I sat upright. Make peace with her? She gave me a black eye. in all likelihood on purpose How do I make peace with someone like that?Lissa just agitate her head and walked over to the reverberate to check her makeup. The feelings coming through our bond were ones of frustration and exasperation. Lingering in the back was a bit of anticipation, too. I had the patience to examine her carefully, now that Id finished my venting. She had on a silky lavender shirt and a knee-length black skirt. Her long hair had the kind of flavorless perfection only achieved by spending an hou r of your life on it with a hair drying agent and flat iron.You look nice. Whats up?Her feelings shifted slightly, her irritation with me dimming a little. Im twining Christian soon.For a few legal proceeding there, it had felt like the old days with Lissa and me. Just us, hanging out and talking. Her mention of Christian, as well as the realization that shed have to leave me soon for him, stirred up dark feelings in my titfeelings I had to reluctantly admit were jealousy. Naturally, I didnt let on to that.Wow. Whatd he do to deserve that? render orphans from a burning building? If so, you might want to make sure he didnt set the building on fire in the first place. Christians element was fire. It was fitting since it was the most destructive one.Laughing, she turned from the mirror and noticed me gently touching my swollen face with my fingers. Her smile turned kind. It doesnt look that bad.Whatever. I can tell when youre lying, you know. And Dr. Olendzki says itll be even wo rse tomorrow. I lay back down on the bed. in that respect probably isnt enough concealer in the world to cover this, is there? Tasha and Ill have to invest in some Phantom of the Opera-style masks.She sighed and sat on the bed near me. Too bad I cant just heal it.I smiled. That would be nice.The compulsion and charisma brought on by living were great, but really, healing was her coolest ability. The direct of things she could achieve was staggering.Lissa was also thought about what spirit could do. I wish there were some other way to control the spirit in a way that still let me use the john.Yeah, I said. I understood her burning desire to do great things and help people. It radiated off of her. Hell, I would also have liked to have this eye cleared up in an instant preferably than days. I wish there were too.She sighed again. And theres more to me than just wishing I could heal and do other stuff with spirit. I also, well, just miss the magic. Its still there its just blocke d off by the pills. Its burning inside of me. It wants me, and I want it. But theres a wall between us. You just cant calculate it.I can, actually.It was true. Along with having a general finger for her feelings, I could sometimes also slip into her. It was hard to explain and ever harder to endure. When that happened, I could literally see through her eyes and feel what she experienced. During those times, I was her. many a(prenominal) times, Id been in her head while she longed for the magic, and Id felt the burning need she spoke of. She often woke up at night, yearning for the power she could no longer reach.Oh yeah, she said ruefully. I forget about that sometimes.A sense of bitterness filled her. It wasnt directed at me so much as it was the no-win nature of her situation. rage sparked inside of her. She didnt like feeling helpless any more than I did. The anger and frustration escalate into something darker and uglier, something I didnt like.Hey, I said, touching her arm. You okay? She closed her eyes briefly, then opened them. I just hate it.The intensity of her feelings reminded me of our conversation, the one wed had just before I went to the Badica house. You still feel like the pills might be weakening?I dont know. A little.Is it getting worse?She shook her head. No. I still cant use the magic. I feel closer to it but its still blocked off.But you still your moods Yeah theyre acting up. But dont worry, she said, seeing my face. Im not seeing things or trying to hurt myself.Good. I was blithe to hear it but still worried. Even if she still couldnt touch the magic, I didnt like the idea of her mental state slipping again. Desperately, I hoped the situation would just stabilize on its own. Im here, I told her softly, holding her gaze. If anything happens thats preternaturalyou tell me, okay?Like that, the dark feelings disappeared within her. As they did, I felt a weird ripple in the bond. I cant explain what it was, but I shuddered from the fo rce. Lissa didnt notice. Her mood perked up again, and she smiled at me.Thanks, she said. I will.I smiled, happy to see her back to normal. We lapsed into silence, and for the briefest of moments, I wanted to pour my heart out to her. Id had so much on my mind lately my mother, Dimitri, and the Badica house. Id been keeping those feelings locked up, and they were tearing me apart. Now, feeling so soft with Lissa for the first time in a long time, I finally felt that I could let her into my feelings for a change.Before I could open my mouth, I felt her thoughts suddenly shift. They became eager and nervous. She had something she wanted to tell me, something shed been thinking about intently. So much for pouring my heart out. If she wanted to talk, I wouldnt burden her with my problems, so I pushed them aside and waited for her to speak.I found something in my research with Ms. Carmack. Something strangeOh? I asked, instantly curious.Moroi unremarkably developed their specialized el ement during adolescence. After that, they were put into magic classes specific to that element. But as the only spirit user on record at the moment, Lissa didnt really have a class she could join. just about people believed she just hadnt specialized, but she and Ms. Carmackthe magic teacher at St. Vladimirshad been meeting independently to learn what they could about spirit. They researched both current and old records, checking for clues that might lead to other spirit users, now that they knew some of the taleteller signs an inability to specialize, mental instability, etc.I didnt find any confirmed spirit users, but I did findreports of, um, unexplained phenomena.I blinked in surprise. What kind of stuff? I asked, pondering what would count as unexplained phenomena for vampires. When she and I had lived with humans, we would have been considered unexplained phenomena.Theyre scattered reportsbut, like, I read this one about a guy who could make others see things that werent th ere. He could get them to believe they were seeing monsters or other people or whatever.That could be compulsion.Really powerful compulsion. I couldnt do that, and Im strongeror used to bein it than anyone we know. And that power comes from using spirit.So, I finished, you think this illusion guy must have been a spirit user too. She nodded. Why not contact him and find out?Because theres no information listed Its secret. And there are others just as strange. Like someone who could physically drain others. People standing nearby would get weak and lose all their strength. Theyd pass out. And there was someone else who could stop things in midair when they were thrown at him. Excitement lit up her features.He could have been an air user, I pointed out.Maybe, she said. I could feel the curiosity and excitement swirling through her. She desperately wanted to believe there were others out there like her.I smiled. Who knew? Moroi have Roswell- and plain 51-type stuff. Its a wonder Im no t being studied somewhere to see if they can figure out the bond.Lissas speculative mood turned teasing. I wish I could see into your mind sometimes. Id like to know how you feel about Mason.Hes my friend, I said stoutly, surprised at the abrupt change in subject. Thats it.She tsked. You used to flirtand do other stuffwith any guy you could get your hands on.Hey I said, offended. I wasnt that bad.Okay by portion not. But you dont seem interested in guys anymore.I was interested in guyswell, one guy.Masons really nice, she continued. And worried about you.He is, I agreed. I thought about Mason, about that brief moment when Id thought he was sexy outside Stans class. Plus, Mason was really funny, and we got along beautifully. He wasnt a bad scene as far as boyfriends went.You guys are a lot alike. Youre both doing things you shouldnt.I laughed. That was also true. I recalled Masons eagerness to take on every Strigoi in the world. I might not be ready for thatdespite my outburst in the carbut I shared some of his recklessness. It might be time to give him a shot, I thought. Bantering with him was fun, and it had been a long time since Id kissed anyone. Dimitri made my heart ache but, well, it wasnt like anything else was exhalation on there.Lissa watched me appraisingly, like she knew what I was thinkingwell, aside from the Dimitri stuff. I heard Meredith say you were an idiot for not passing out with him. She said its because you think youre too nigh for him.What Thats not true.Hey, I didnt say it. Anyway, she said shes thinking of going after him.Mason and Meredith? I scoffed. Thats a disaster in the making. They have nothing in common.It was petty, but Id gotten used to Mason always doting on me. Suddenly, the thought of someone else getting him irked me.Youre possessive, Lissa said, again guessing my thoughts. No wonder she got so annoyed at me reading her mind.Only a little.She laughed. Rose, even if its not Mason, you really should start dating again . There are lots of guys who would kill to go out with youguys who are actually nice.I hadnt always made the best choices when it came to men. Once again, the urge to spill all my worries to her seized me. Id been hesitant to tell her about Dimitri for so long, even though the secret burned inside of me. sitting with her here reminded me that she was my best friend. I could tell her anything, and she wouldnt judge me. But, just like earlier, I lost the chance to tell her what was on my mind.She glanced over at her alarm clock and suddenly sprang up from the bed.Im late Ive got to meet ChristianJoy filled her, underscored with a bit of nervous anticipation. Love. What could you do? I swallowed back the jealousy that started to raise its ugly head. Once again, Christian had taken her away from me. I wasnt going to be able to unburden myself tonight.Lissa and I left the dorm, and she practically sprinted away, promising wed talk tomorrow. I wandered back to my own dorm. When I got to my room, I passed by my mirror and groaned when I saw my face. Dark purple surrounded my eye. In talking to Lissa, Id almost forgotten about the whole incident with my mother. Stopping to get a closer look, I stared at my face. Maybe it was egotistical, but I knew I looked good. I wore a C-cup and had a body much coveted in a school where most of the girls were supermodel slim. And as Id noted earlier, my face was pretty too. On a typical day, I was a nine around hereten on a very good one.But today? Yeah. I was practically in negative numbers. I was going to look mythological for the ski trip.My mom beat me up, I informed my reflection. It looked back sympathetically.With a sigh, I decided I might as well get ready for bed. There was nothing else I wanted to do tonight, and maybe extra sleep would speed the healing. I went down the hall to the bathroom to wash my face and brush my hair. When I got back to my room, I slipped on my favorite pajamas, and the feel of soft flannel chee red me up a little.I was packing my backpack for the next day when a burst of emotion perfectly shot through my bond with Lissa. It caught me unaware and gave me no chance to fight it. It was like being knocked over by a hurricane-force wind, and suddenly, I was no longer looking at my backpack. I was inside Lissa, experiencing her world firsthand.And thats when things got awkward.Because Lissa was with Christian.And things were getting hot.