Several weeks have passed . . .

My Job is to get you ready to defend the princess and fight dark creatures, right?

Yep.

So tell me this: You and Lissa are at the mall and a Strigoi comes at you. What do you do?

Depends what store were in.

Oh? Do you have a silver stake? Fine. ill stab him with a silver stake. Do you even know how to use one?

Okay. ill cut his head off.

ignoring the fact that you dont have a weapon and that he may be a foot taller than you.

Fine. then i set him on fire.

Again, with what?

AAHHHH!

This guys a jerk. I give up.

So, Comrade, What do i do?

You run.

This is the start, isnt it?

Of what?

Of me becoming like the other female guardians. All leathery and stuff from the fighting and training.

They arent pretty anymore. This life destroys them.

It wont happen to you. Youre too . . .

. . . It wont happen to you.

It happened to my mom. She used to be beautiful. I guess she still is, sort of. I havent seen her in a while.

Does he think Im pretty?

You dont like your mother?

She abandoned me. She left me to be raised by the Academy.

Then it happens. Terror explodes from my body and in my head.

Whats wrong? What happened?

it . . . it was still alive when i got back.

Poor thing. it must have suffered so much . . .

i can feel everyones eyes on us.

Dont!

Get this cleaned upand find out if anyone saw anything.

Rose , that one time . . . What if someone saw? What if they know? So, what was it like?

I dont know. It wasnt anything.

Didnt the earth move or the planets align or something? Stop it. This isnt the same thing. Do you hear me?

No. Of course not.

Come on, lets head back.

Ladies.

ms. karp?!

You think I wouldnt notice you skipping class? Must be the nice weather.

What is it? Is it a crow?

Too big. Its a raven.

Is it dead?

Definitely dead. Dont touch it.

Lissa hadnt listened to me back then . . .

Come on, we have to get to class.

Wolves, like many other species, differentiate their packs into alpha males and alpha females whom others defer to . . .

What about foxes? Do they have alphas, too?

Admit it: You killed the fox so Kirova will think youre crazy. ralf sarcozy.

Screw you.

Christian ozera: fire user.

he might really and truly be a psycho.

Mr. Ozera, how dare you! Do you have any idea? Report to Headmistress Kirovas office now!

Sure thing, Ms. Meissner.