I think all of us felt relieved to get to the mall. Shifting into my bodyguard role, I stuck by Lissa's side as we wandered from store to store, looking at all the new styles that were out there. It was nice to be in public again and to do something with her that was just fun and didn't involve any of the dark, twisted politics of the Academy. It was almost like old times. I'd missed just hanging out. I'd missed my best friend.
Although it was only just past mid-November, the mall already had glittering holiday decorations up. I decided I had the best job ever. Admittedly, I did feel a little put out when I realized the older guardians got to stay in contact through cool little communication devices. When I protested my lack of one, Dimitri told me I'd learn better without one. If I could handle protecting Lissa the old-fashioned way, I could handle anything.
Victor and Spiridon stayed with us while Dimitri and Ben fanned out, somehow managing not to look like creepy stalker guys watching teenage girls.
"This is so you," said Lissa in Macy's, handing me a low-cut tank top embellished with lace. "I'll buy it for you."
I regarded it longingly, already picturing myself in it. Then, making my regular eye contact with Dimitri, I shook my head and handed it back. "Winter's coming. I'd get cold."
"Never stopped you before."
Shrugging, she hung it back up. She and Camille tried on a nonstop string of clothes, their massive allowances ensuring that price posed no problem. Lissa offered to buy me anything I wanted. We'd been generous with each other our whole lives, and I didn't hesitate to take her up on it. My choices surprised her.
"You've got three thermal shirts and a hoodie," she informed me, flipping through a stack of BCBG jeans. "You've gone all boring on me."
"Hey, I don't see you buying slutty tops."
"I'm not the one who wears them."
"Thanks a lot."
"You know what I mean. You're even wearing your hair up."
It was true. I'd taken Dimitri's advice and wrapped my hair up in a high bun, earning a smile when he'd seen me. If I'd had molnija marks, they would have shown.
Glancing around, she made sure none of the others could hear us. The feelings in the bond shifted to something more troubled.
"You knew about Ms. Karp."
"Yeah. I heard about it a month or so after she left."
Lissa tossed a pair of embroidered jeans over her arm, not looking at me. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"You didn't need to know."
"You didn't think I could handle it?"
I kept my face perfectly blank. As I stared at her, my mind was back in time, back to two years ago. I'd been on day two of my suspension for allegedly destroying Wade's room when a royal party visited the school. I'd been allowed to attend that reception too but had been under heavy guard to make sure I didn't "try anything."
Two guardians escorted me to the commons and talked quietly with each other along the way.
"She killed the doctor attending her and nearly took out half the patients and nurses on her way out."
"Do they have any idea where she went?"
"No, they're tracking her...but, well, you know how it is."
"I never expected her to do this. She never seemed like the type."
"Yeah, well, Sonya was crazy. Did you see how violent she was getting near the end? She was capable of anything."
I'd been trudging along miserably and jerked my head up.
"Sonya? You mean Ms. Karp?" I asked. "She killed somebody?"
The two guardians exchanged looks. Finally, one said gravely, "She became a Strigoi, Rose."
I stopped walking and stared. "Ms. Karp? No...she wouldn't have..."
"I'm afraid so," the other one replied. "But...you should keep that to yourself. It's a tragedy. Don't make it school gossip."
I went through the rest of the night in a daze. Ms. Karp. Crazy Karp. She'd killed someone to become Strigoi. I couldn't believe it.
When the reception ended, I'd managed to sneak off from my guardians and steal a few precious moments with Lissa. The bond had grown strong by now, and I hadn't needed to see her face to know how miserable she was.
"What's wrong?" I asked her. We were in a corner of the hallway, just outside the commons.
Her eyes were blank. I could feel how she had a headache; its pain transferred to me. "I...I don't know. I just feel weird. I feel like I'm being followed, like I have to be careful, you know?"
I didn't know what to say. I didn't think she was being followed, but Ms. Karp used to say the same thing. Always paranoid. "It's probably nothing," I said lightly.
"Probably," she agreed. Her eyes suddenly narrowed. "But Wade isn't. He won't shut up about what happened. You can't believe the things he's saying about you."
I could, actually but I didn't care. "Forget about him. He's nothing."
"I hate him," she said. Her voice was uncharacteristically sharp. "I'm on the committee with him for that fund-raiser, and I hate hearing him run his fat mouth every day and seeing him flirt with anything female that walks by. You shouldn't be punished for what he did. He needs to pay."
My mouth went dry. "It's okay...I don't care. Calm down, Liss."