Vampire Academy (2014)

[bunniefuu]

Oh, Father, turn it up.

Please, Mr. Dragomir, I love this song.

This song is sick... the traditional "vomit" definition of the word.

Shut up, Andre. Me and Rose want to hear it.

"Rose and I," Lissa, "Rose and I."

I think the tune is rather catchy.

Lissa?

Lissa. Hey, Lissa, wake up.

You're having a bad dream. It wasn't a dream.

I know. The accident.

Sorry. Not again.

You know, ever since that night, I still can't get used to it.

You being in my head, it's so weird.

You should know by now, with us, "weird" doesn't begin to cover it.

Why can't you be like a normal teenage girl and dream about hot, naked guys on unicorns?

Does it have to be unicorns?

Of course not. It could be Jet Skis, mechanical bulls or...

Why do you have a scary poster of an American ex-president?

Well, you told me I needed to blend more into Oregano society.

We're in Oregon. You know you're completely hopeless as a human being, right?

I'm still adjusting, Rose.

It's been less than a year since we ran away from the academy, two years since the crash.

Don't you ever stop to think about everything that we've gone through?

Stopping is for losers. I only think about keeping us moving and keeping you safe.

Does anyone even remember us?

You really think the academy's still trying to hunt us down?

Absolutely. I think we may have to get plastic surgery.

No, don't, please.

Yes? No? No.

Just like this? You like it? Rose, no.

Whoa. When was the last time you...? I'm not hungry.

Is exactly what you say every time you're hungry.

Come to the kitchen. I'll make your favorite.

Are you... are you sure about this?

Bon appétit.

Thanks. What are friends for?

You jealous, Oscar?

What are you looking at?

Do I still have anything on my...?

Lissa, smile. They're watching. Not a drill.

What's out there? Not Strigoi? No, not Strigoi, thank God. Guardians.

Keep close, just like we practiced.

Lissa, go.

Did you have to hurt them? Did I have to hurt them?

You're welcome. Get out the map, Gandhi.

We'll head north into Canada.

Did you really bring that fur ball?

I couldn't just abandon him.

Hells, yes.

Rose.

Princess Vasilisa Dragomir.

My name is Dimitri Belikov.

I've come to take you back to St. Vladimir's Academy.

Listen, comrade, to get to her, you're gonna have to go through me.

Like I said, "weird" doesn't begin to cover it.

My best friend Lissa Dragomir is a royal member of a magical, ancient race: the Moroi.

The Moroi don't wear black capes, turn into bats or sleep in coffins.

Daylight annoys yet doesn't k*ll them, and they don't sparkle, either.

But, yes, like most creatures with fangs, the Moroi live off blood.

But they don't live forever, that's why they need us.

My name is Rose Hathaway and like these other guys, I'm a Dhampir.

We're the protectors, the guardians.

Only half Moroi, I can eat a bacon cheeseburger or whatever else I want.

Dhampir lives are dedicated to protecting the Moroi.

We live by one simple expression: they come first.

Only nothing's ever simple.

Handcuffs? There's got to be a compliment in there somewhere.

So you're taking us back to the academy.

Tell me, how bad is it gonna be?

Nothing?

You know, I kept the princess safe and hidden for an entire year before you got lucky.

Congratulations. It speaks.

Wow, that's a lot of molnija marks you got there.

You've k*lled six Strigoi?

We were afraid that we'd run into one of them back there.

If you had run into a Strigoi, we wouldn't be having this conversation.

This is your idea of a conversation?

Exactly.

We are here. Open the gate.

Anyone there?

Where is everyone?

Let's go! Lissa!

Move, move!

Stay in the car.

No!

I've got this one. Stay here.

What's going on out there?

Stay here.

Spiridon.

Welcome back, Dimitri.

And then there's group number three: the bad vampires, the Strigoi.

Evil bloodsuckers that only come out at night and can only be k*lled by a silver stake.

It takes five of our best to k*ll one of their worst.

If you're lucky, they'll just rip you apart, but they can also turn you into one of them.

Strigoi were the true monsters of our nightmares.

For all the stories, the warnings, and the training films, I had never seen one up close.

I told you to stay in the car.

We're clear.

And there it was. Goodbye, Facebook.

Goodbye, iPhone 5.

Hello, St. Vladimir's.

It is not just another school.

It's another universe.

Moroi and Dhampir students come from all over the world to study history, science, math, and all the other boring stuff, but around fourth period, we Dhampir go off and learn fun new ways to maim and k*ll, while, for the Moroi, it's magic time.

Water, earth, fire, air.

You see, it's not just their diet that makes the Moroi special, and some are more special than others.

Our secret society has its own government that alternates leaders from 12 royal families.

That's Queen Tatiana up top, but my girl Lissa is in the mix.

You can see why the princess leaving the academy was such a scandal, and me helping her was worse.

Damn, back to Vampire Academy.

Please don't say Vampire Academy. You know how I feel about the "V" word.

Sorry.

It's not like the drinking of blood is your main source of sustenance.

No, wait, that's exactly what it is.

They just had to bring us back in the middle of the night.

So not cool... 1:00 a.m., end of fifth period.

Ew, it looks like Aaron's tried to replace you with a little keychain version.

God, I hate high school.

Princess. Headmistress Kirova is ready for you.

Come on.

It's all so unprecedented. I'm at a loss coming up with proper punishment.

As Lissa's guardian...

You're not an official guardian, Hathaway.

You are a novice.

You put Vasilisa at the mercy of the Strigoi, who would love to destroy, or even worse, transform...

It was my idea to leave. Rose only did what...

A trained guardian knows...

Ellen, please.

Victor. Lissa.

Ah.

Prince Dashkov, you look so...

Yes. My Sandovsky's syndrome has gotten worse.

Oh, Victor, we never meant to worry you.

Headmistress, these girls have been through so much.

As provost of this school and Lissa's father's oldest friend, I beg you, look into your heart.

Vasilisa, I have the utmost sympathy for the loss of your parents and your brother, Andre.

But why did you flee a heavily guarded compound of Moroi students from all over the world?

It's not easy to explain.

Lissa felt more in danger here in your secure environment than on the outside as an anonymous teenager.

Fascinating. This is where you give me specifics.

Where's Ms. Karp?

She should be here.

She can maybe shed some light onto the situation.

Ms. Karp is no longer part of this institution.

I...

This is where you give me specifics. What do you mean?

It's not important!

Vasilisa Dragomir is from one of the 12 royal families.

She's the last of the Dragomir line.

With my condition taking the Dashkov family out of contention, Lissa is a possible successor to the throne.

But you, Hathaway, a Dhampir girl cut off from the community, out on civilian streets without a dime or a Social Security number?

"Blood whore" is such an ugly term, but I'm sure Moroi men on business trips would pay a lot for the especially sweet taste.

Headmistress Kirova.

They have the bond. That's... that's impossible.

In my brief observation period, Rose could tell what Lissa was thinking or feeling, sometimes without being in the same place.

What a rare and wonderful gift.

This doesn't take away from the fact that Rose Hathaway is wild, dangerous... insubordinate, vulgar. Right here, folks. Right here.

But the number of female Dhampir guardians has gone down way too much to risk losing one with such potential.

Ellen, what this impressive new guardian says seems reasonable.

We're so sorry, Headmistress.

After the crash, I lacked a strong parental figure to confide in.

I'm afraid Rose and I got in way over our heads.

Two crazy kids.

Hathaway can stay, but no extracurricular activities, no parties, no socializing, nothing resembling fun.

Take the princess to her royal quarters and find a broom closet for...

Oh, Rose, I almost forgot.

A telegram.

From Mom.

Kirova flipping out and Lissa using compulsion to save my ass, just another night at St. Vladimir's.

Wow. This place definitely brought back memories.

Come on, over here.

Before the accident, my father used to say that for a Moroi not declaring a magic is like not going through puberty.

Yeah, and he also used to say practice during the day while the world, your world, is sleeping.

Let's make some magic.

Perfect.

Fire and water.

That's my Moroi.

Rose... Don't leave me hanging.

Rose, you know how I feel about high-fives.

Ladies. It's after 11:00 a.m., girls. You should be in bed.

The sun has cleared the trees, and it won't be kind, Your Highness.

I never got a chance to express my condolences at the funeral.

But I am so heartened by the extraordinary recovery you've both made.

And don't worry, Princess.

I never officially declared a magic, either.

And look how I turned out.

Ms. Karp's so different from the other instructors.

It's really refreshing.

The thing that I like the most about her is she's not strange or creepy at all.

It's hurt. It's more than hurt. It's done.

Leave it. Come on, let...

That was unique.

Lissa.

Lissa?

Hey, Liss.

It's good to see you. Aaron.

Guessing your new girlfriend practices water magic. Classy.

Yeah. Hey, I'm sorry.

Mia gets jealous, but deep down, she's sweet.

Back off, bitch. He's mine now.

Very deep down, apparently.

How does it feel to leave at the top and come back at the bottom?

Don't like what I'm saying?

What are you gonna do about it?

Thanks for asking.

I'm gonna go to a quiet place and be very depressed that this is my new life.

All Dhampir novices transfer to the next training station.

Everyone transfer to their next training station.

Dimitri is a God.

I hear he tracked them down to Oregon, and when Rose tried to put up a fight, he handed her her ass.

And what was left of that ass got chewed up by Headmistress Kirova.

Surely, you have something more interesting to discuss than my ass.

Your boobies? Quit while you're alive, Mason.

What up, baby?

Ooh.

Forgot the secret handshake. That hurts.

You know, I'm gonna make you pay for your booby comment.

Old Rose maybe, but you've missed a year of training.

Yeah, you needed that year to catch up with what I was born with.

Prepare to...

Ow!

Sorry, Rose. Don't hate me.

I'd hate you more if you held back.

They have these things in the outside world...

Pinkberry and mini taquitos, Toaster Strudel...

Oh, no. Not this again.

Don't worry. I don't bite.

Well... only literally.

What are you doing here?

This is where I come to get away.

Hey, this was my... special place before it was your special place.

What do you have to get away from, Princess?

What do you know about pain? Break a nail off in your tiara?

Excuse me, after a car crash... You got off easy.

How dare you! Do you have any idea what it's like to lose your family?

Oh. Sorry.

You know you're talking to Christian Ozera, right?

Parents transformed themselves into Strigoi...

When your folks died, there was a pretty funeral, and everybody cried.

When my mother and father were hunted down, everybody cheered.

I hate what they chose to become... but they were still my parents.

A Strigoi can't enter holy ground.

Is that why you come to the church?

To prove to everyone you haven't turned?

Get away from that freak.

Maybe I just like the way the moonlight hits this spot.

It's as if you're on another planet.

What was it like... outside the academy?

It was kind of scary, just the two of us out there, but... it was also kind of great.

No one knew who I was.

It does sound kind of great.

But what did you do for blood?

I mean, it's not like you can pick it up at 7-Eleven.

Or so I've read.

Don't you say anything, girl. People will get the wrong idea.

You and Rose, all alone on the road. I have my theories.

Promise me you won't tell your friends these theories.

I promise you I have no friends to tell.

Stop staring at each other all...

...gooey like. Hathaway!

Look alive!

Comrade Belikov.

They ran me ragged. What do you say we go easy today?

Perhaps discuss a bit of theory. Of course, Rose. I understand.

How do you say "what a d*ck" in Russian?

Did you even go to a gym out there?

I took a couple of spinning classes.

Do you really think beating me up is gonna help me face a live Strigoi?

After your performance last night, if you see a Strigoi, I recommend running.

Now, give me ten sets of lines.

You know, this country has a concept called "positive reinforcement."

Rose, your bond is special.

You're an ideal choice to guard Vasilisa when you both graduate.

But if you want to be with her, you need to be ready for anything.

Ow! Wow.

You look how I feel.

I look how I feel.

How's that "under the radar" plan working out, Highness?

Not so much.

If you need a shoulder to cry on, use mine, not Christian Ozera's.

Who told you? I was sort of... you know, there.

Oh, not again. That's so gross.

I know, and it was, like, the longest one yet.

You seriously can't turn it off? I don't know.

Have you ever seen me go to the bathroom?

No, but thank you for giving me something to look forward to.

Oh, shut up. Oh!

No wonder I'm so cranky. I'm starving.

And now, for the obligatory cafeteria scene, sort of.

Ever wonder what happened to that friend of yours, obsessed with vampire books and shows?

It's called the human feeder program.

Human civilians systematically giving their blood.

I forgot how much I did not miss this.

Hey, no feeder is brought here against their will.

They can leave any time that they want to.

Yeah, it's just a one-year service limit, and their memories are officially compulsed upon departure.

That's completely normal.

Don't feel too sorry for the feeders.

If you recall, the bitee does get something out of the process.

Oh, there's Norrine. Here. Hey! Look at you!

How are you? Yeah, good.

Here.

OK.

Rose! Come and keep a decrepit man company.

Decrepit? You're just saying that so I won't kick your ass in five-card draw.

Tell me, my darling, while you were gone, did Lissa get any closer to declaring?

There's not a lot of places to practice magic in Portland.

Oh, true, true.

On the subject of non-declarers, I want to know why, when I brought up Ms. Karp's name yesterday, you all acted like I put a porcupine in a hot tub.

Karp has always been a few corpuscles shy of a full artery.

She didn't have a Dhampir to look after her.

I know you have your special bond with Lissa, but it makes your escape that much more alarming.

I'm on your side, Rose, but we live in a world where the bogeymen are real.

I know. I'm still a little freaked-out.

I was there last night when that Strigoi att*cked, and I just... I totally choked.

Don't be so down on yourself, Rose.

Why are you...

I know you have your life mission to protect Lissa, but would you now and again look out for my Natalie?

Mm...

She's a goofball, but I do cherish her.

Yes. Well, she worships her father.

She would do anything for you.

I must go to her.

Hey.

Hi.

Do I have anything...

Just fat-lady feeder breath. Here.

So, do you even know your feeders?

Norrine's recently divorced, and she's catching up on some me-time.

She writes Twilight fan-fiction.

Have you read any of it? Oh, God, no.

Rose, Princess Vasilisa. I mean, Lissa.

You said I could call you Lissa, but if I can't anymore, that's totally fine. Hello, Natalie.

By the soul of St. Vlad's, so much has happened.

Nothing bigger than your escape, of course. Why did you escape?

Did you hear Sheila Flight and Bruce Bugsburger broke up?

Apparently, Bruce still has his baby fangs, and it freaks Sheila out.

And you know about Tess and Jackson?

Each was afraid that they're gonna be the ones to get dumped, so they started this really weird rumor. I can't really remember...

Natalie? Do you take gossip requests?

Mia Rinaldi over there, is she new?

Well, she's been around, but new haircut, new fangs, and now she's hanging out with all the royals.

Rose Hathaway, what are you doing here?

Surely you would not deprive a girl of her religious needs?

Just get inside.

The debate team, and I don't really know if I...

Speaking of extracurricular activities that I miss, is that Jesse?

The hot get hotter.

Yeah, Jesse's still the academy's number one wet dreamboat.

He has a terrible personality.

Jesse has a personality?

I didn't know.

Don't judge a book by its content.

You know this is a church, right?

Gosh, if only there was a way that we could set up a double date with Ray over there.

You can't tell me that there's no inbreeding amongst you royals.

Exhibit Ray.

Ray just doesn't know how to express his feelings.

You know, when a boy throws sand in a girl's face, it really means that...

Never mind.

Yeah.

Your friend's a tool. Don't change the subject.

You, me... you and me.

Yeah, but don't you have a girlfriend?

Probably. Oh, you are bad.

What's so bad about bad?

You do understand, Rose, that even the walls of a church can't protect a true sinner from a good lightning bolt?

Save a seat for me in the Dhampir section, you dork.

Mason likes you so much.

Why can't you go outwith a nice, funny guy like him?

I know. If only I could put Mason into Jesse's body.

God can be cruel.

Yes. That's true.

Come on. Let's go.

Following God's path is never easy.

Even St. Vladimir had difficulty controlling and understanding his powers.

But he was bound to a loving Dhampir guardian who always knew what was in his heart and mind.

Shadow-kissed Anna.

Shadow-kissed Rose, you're bound to Lissa, and it's up to you to help her.

What's so funny? Did you write that?

Down, Dhampir, you saw me in church.

Listen, Gap Kids, if I find out that you had anything to do with that, I will rip your...

You'll what? You're on lockdown. You breathe the wrong way and you're out on the pavement doing amateur blood whore porn.

Listen up, that's enough excitement for a Sunday night.

Everyone back to your dorms until further notice.

Royal rec room, high noon. I've changed my mind.

I'm feeling bad.

Good.

We Moroi may not burst into flames like Strigoi, but daylight still stings.

Poor thing.

Did you have jobs out in the world?

What about an iPhone?

What's a hashtag? Please, stop talking.

Whoa, horsey, what do you think you're doing?

Come on, Rose. A bite while you're going at it is the best.

Stop it!

Oh... I know that look. You've done it before.

I would never let a guy degrade me like that.

Not a guy, of course. Lissa.

We've all been wondering how she fed.

Once you've had fang, Rose, you never go...

Daytime fraternization. Forbidden.

I get it. Chill, chill.

Again, Jesse? Back to your room!

What?

Lissa, what are you doing?

Rose? Lissa's in trouble.

I heard... I heard a noise.

Lissa...

There's so much blood.

It's starting again, isn't it?

I tried, Rose, I tried to bring it back, but... it was too late.

Get over here and comfort her, jerk.

It's gonna be OK.

What the hell is Kirova doing? She's giving Vasilisa a sedative, and we are increasing her guardian detail.

Our security system is geared to keeping Strigoi out, not dealing with teenage bullying within.

Bullying? You really think that's all this is?

Rose... Sorry.

Thank you for not saying anything to Kirova about... it was foolish of me to assume you'd be above such 17-year-old silliness.

Hmm. Hmm...

The sunlight, it's nice.

I miss it.

Stupid vampire timetable.

The little sacrifices we make.

And the big ones.

My 17-year-old silliness, that was the past.

That was an hour ago.

Are you trying to tell me you're suddenly mature and responsible?

I'm trying to tell you that I want to be, I have to be.

Teach me something more than doing laps.

I know enough about running away.

And next time we meet, teach me how to fight.

Pipe down. Let's pick up where we left off.

After the tribunals in Romania... Mia!

You're usually a lot better at passing on notes.

Having an off-day? Oh, no, Mr. Meisner, please don't read this note out loud, I beg of you.

"I'll bet that drama queen..."

"I mean, drama princess, k*lled that fox herself"

"to distract the school from her real secret."

Don't go on.

Mr. Meisner, you're being used as a tool to broadcast Mia's vile propaganda.

Are you calling me a tool?

If she's not, I will. What was that, Hathaway?

Now I'm curious. "So, it turns out the reason"

"that Lissa survived so long on the outside"

"is she used Rose as a personal feed bag."

Settle down!

Dhampir-Moroi mastication is a very serious allegation.

I'm gonna pretend I never read this.

Everyone turn to page three of your handout.

But, Mr. Meisner, you left out the best part.

About me and my boy, Jesse, and that Dhamp tramp last night.

What? Truth hurts, blood whore.

Christian, cut it out!

Kindly report to Headmistress Kirova's office, Mr. Ozera.

Down the hall, turn left. Like I need directions.

Lissa, Lissa, wait up.

Not here, not in front of everyone.

What was that back there? Fire magic in class?

Uh-oh. Lovers' quarrel. Rose, I bleed for you.

No, it's Rose who does the bleeding.

You can't beat up everyone we have a problem with!

Well, I can try. What is going on?

I told you, Jesse and I barely even made out, and Ray wasn't even there, so I don't even know what he's talking about.

OK, yes. Teenage boys are weak and sweaty piglets.

It is our covenant... I'm talking about you and me.

How did they find out about the feeding?

You know, when Jesse's fangs came poking out, did you...

No, not even.

But... he did kind of suspect.

Lissa, let me explain, please! Let me talk...

Is it true?

You're gonna have to be more specific, Mason.

Jesse and Ray, and not just hooking up, fanging up.

They claim they fed while... Absolutely not...

Well, actually, Jesse and I did make out a little, but...

Where there's smoke, there's fire. Leave fire out of this.

You girls throw yourselves at any douche bag who happens to be Moroi and royal.

Whoa, Duckie. I do not have time to deal with your feelings right now.

OK.

Oh, God, come on, Lissa-vision. Where are you when I need you?

You should thank me for changing the news cycle.

It took something epic to take animal death and blood whoring off the Vampire Academy front page.

Please don't say "Vampire Academy."

I find the term to be quite...

You set someone on fire!

Come on. Did you see any burn marks on him?

Now whoever k*lled that fox is going to feel the real heat.

Is this your idea of chivalry?

You did not just flip your hair back.

That's your move. She's flirting, folks.

If we used our magic as a w*apon, instead of just for warm and fuzzy classroom exercises, the Strigoi wouldn't be picking us off.

Yes, but the rules forbid... The rules?

Lissa, I've seen the way you tilt your head from time to time.

I'm very sure I don't know what you're talking about.

Hey, compulsion must have been a necessity in the outside world.

You can't know all my secrets. Yet.

Queen Tatiana?

I hope I did not take you too much by surprise, but sometimes your queen awakens with a need to look upon her lovelies.

Where's Vasilisa?

Vasilisa Dragomir?

Please come up and let me see the princess.

Not a day goes by where we don't lament the loss of your parents and your brother.

The Dragomir name represents the finest of Moroi qualities.

While you, Vasilisa Dragomir, the last of the Dragomir line... if you are our future, I am less than impressed.

The power that comes from royal blood must be used responsibly.

While you... you give us dead animals, blood games, escapes to Oregon. Shameful!

Queen Tatiana, I can explain. Shh, shh, shh.

Not now, dear.

However, I have every confidence that our dear Vasilisa will turn things around.

Now, let us adjourn to the banquet hall.

My father would never have done something like that.

After all that Lissa has been through, to be shamed by our queen bee?

Don't you mean queen bee-etch?

You don't talk to Lissa like that.

So much for round-the-clock guardians.

Lissa?

Oh, my God.

By the soul of St. Vladimir. Who would do something like this? Why?

Go to the wall, Nat. Talk to me.

What?

Yeah, OK.

Oh, God.

It's fresh, and it's Moroi. OK, can you tell me if it's royal?

Don't be absurd. Said the girl licking the wall.

I can tell you it's more than one person's blood.

They misspelled "beware."

Lissa, I can clean it up. I'm sorry.

Leave it. The misspelling shows it was just a bunch of stupid teenagers.

OK, you know what, I'm gonna go start packing. I'm really...

No, Rose. We can't just keep running away, at least until we know what we're running away from.

Ooh! A mystery, how exciting.

We can be like three Nancy Drews trying...

I hate mysteries. I would prefer a good Strigoi attack at this point because at least I'd know what those homicidal bloodsuckers want.

No more. I am taking our dear beloved queen's advice, and I'm turning things around.

Jesse and Ray are pawns. Mia is the mastermind.

Yeah, but we didn't even really know Mini-Mia when we were compelled to leave for the first time.

Ms. Karp is the one that we should be focused on.

Do what you have to do, Dhampir. I am done trying to crawl under the radar.

It's not possible, and... it's not effective.

Besides, I have a way of getting people to see my side of the story.

Don't worry, Natalie knows of my skills.

It was too exhausting keeping it from her.

Are you going to use compulsion on Mia?

Where's the fun in that?

I'm going to use compulsion on everyone but Mia.

But compulsion on such a large scale...

Magic should be used for something more than warm and fuzzy classroom exercises.

Oh, God, and now you're quoting Christian?

What? Yeah, I was there.

And the poison that that freak is pumping into your brain makes me want to vomit.

Lissa, I'm the reckless, and you're the cautious, remember?

You've already taken too many hits for me, Rose.

Look, it's your turn to have a little cry, and it's my turn to kick a little ass.

Whoa!

You do not jump out at a guardian like that.

I think you mean novice.

Just wanted to know if Lissa was all right.

Queen Tatiana had no right to bring up family.

I should go and talk to Lissa. Oh, don't worry about it.

But I do. Lissa and I have a bond.

A bond?

Listen, Chris, just stay away from her.

She's had her little flirtation with the dark side, and she's done.

Lissa used to like Hot Topic, too, and then she turned 12.

I was only concerned.

There's a fine line between concerned and stalker.

Seriously, Christian, go away.

It's what Lissa wants.

OK.

I thought we'd practice out here, away from there.

Dimitri, I know you must have heard some rumors.

All that high-school der'mo stays back there, not here.

This is life and death.

The silver. Don't be afraid of it.

Besides the sun, this stake is your only friend against the Strigoi.

But you must subdue the monster and bring yourself to k*ll.

Yeah, k*lling Strigoi is what it's all about, right?

Most Strigoi were once Moroi.

Some turn themselves Strigoi by k*lling during the feeding process.

But many are turned by force.

If you are going to thrust, thrust.

My point is you might have known one personally, as a friend.

Can you k*ll someone you used to know?

I... If it was them or me or Lissa...

You hesitate, and that hesitation could k*ll you.

You have to keep telling yourself that they aren't the same people you knew.

Good. Very good.

I don't mean to belittle what you are going through.

The queen crossed a line.

But the Dhampir must always bow down. I get it. The Moroi come first.

Not always. My father was a Moroi.

He visited Russia once a year.

He liked to hit my mother.

When I was old enough, I liked to hit him.

He stopped visiting.

How old is old enough? Ten.

The only parent I've ever really had is the academy.

Your mother is one of the most feared and respected Dhampir guardians in the world.

I see you finally read her telegram.

You want to know what it said?

"Glad you're alive. What you did was inexcusable. Mom."

Aw.

What do you know of your Moroi father?

That he must have had dark eyes and amazing hair.

When I start k*lling Strigoi left and right, I'm gonna have to cut it all off, won't I?

Sorry. That sounded really girly.

You can wear it up.

Doesn't a Dhampir need to keep their molnija marks exposed?

Don't ever cut your hair. Wear it up.

You have to admire our queen.

Her elegance, her dignity, her ability to recognize trash.

And my good mood is over.

You know, "beware" isn't spelled with an "H" in it.

Hey. Where's Lissa?

I haven't seen her, but guess what?

I heard that Mia and Aaron are going on that field trip to the hemoglobin factory.

I figured it gives us a chance to raid their rooms...

Pretend to be talking to me. But I am talking to you.

It's nasty. If you guys were doing it, I'm not surprised Rose got addicted and necked with Jesse.

She didn't do it with Jesse.

And it's not like we fornicated. We just didn't have any feeders.

It's no big deal, Camilla.

Yeah, it's no big deal. I mean, Jesse's a liar.

What are you guys doing tonight?

Shannon and I are going to her room to study for Meisner's test.

Invite me.

Lissa, you want to study with us tonight?

Sure.

Oh, look. It's the queen's court jester.

You can't talk to me like that.

The queen treats me like a daughter, so you should be envious.

You're buds with Mia. What secrets are you keeping?

I like to wear my mommy's knick... Not about you.

Secrets about Mia.

Busted. Ow.

Did you witness how amazing I was?

I felt it. Using the power has an effect, a cost, on both of us.

Look at you, you're shaking. I'm shaking.

Three cups of coffee shaking.

More like 18 cups, dark roast, no room.

I got it, the computer. What?

I told you. Mia's on a field trip...

Hey, you. I'm sorry I haven't been to church in a while, but...

It's OK. You don't have to pretend anymore.

You've had your little flirtation with the dark side.

Check that box and move on. What are you talking about?

But, hey, nice hypocrisy on the magic use.

So what? A stolen laptop.

Kirova strangled Internet access years ago.

Yeah, St. Vlad's operates on a closed network, but there is more to a person than status updates.

There's photos, receipts, inter-academy e-mails.

You're making my brain bleed.

But you were sure right about cuckoo Christian.

What a whack job.

Are you seriously going to that study group with Camilla?

You know, you don't have to use compulsion to be popular.

You may not recall, but you can be quite charming on your own.

Who has the time? Natalie, return that computer.

Later, losers.

Gosh.

I wish Lissa could compulse Ray into being nicer.

And taking my virginity.

No one has ever really seen me naked.

Moroi, Dhampir, human, mineral. Uh-huh.

I once turned a plant around because I was too shy to change in front of it.

You know I can't un-hear this, right?

Sorry. Yeah, I... It's OK.

Though I'm not much better. I'm crushing on my mentor, Dimitri, who's, like, old enough to be my...

Not my father... like an uncle.

Like a disturbingly sexy uncle.

Andre?

What the hell is this?

Goodness gracious.

Andre, Andre?

That's Lissa's brother, isn't it?

Andre could have, like, any girl he wanted, and he usually did.

Most of the girls knew the drill. It was down low, no commitments and...

This is the face of a girl who did not know the drill.

Holy moly.

Mia's not just angry at Lissa. She despises the whole Dragomir line.

Right, which makes her someone willing to take things to a whole other level.

OK, all right. Take this back to Mia's room.

Yeah? OK.

See ya.

Hey. To what do I owe this honor?

Can we talk, Oscar?

I'm worried about Lissa.

I love that our princess is learning that the best defense is a good offense, and believe me, I am all for putting mad munchkin Mia in her place, but this Operation Brainwash is turning Lissa into something she's not.

She can't see that. I can.

It's like I feel Lissa's feelings more than she does.

I need to put on my game face.

Can't wait around for my next psychedelic flashback.

The stakes are too high.

Get it?

Dhampir? Fight with stakes?

Best defense, good offense.

I knew you'd improve.

No fair learning from a god.

I heard you were good at taking on two guys at once.

Rose, uh, about Jesse and Ray...

Mason... No, not that.

In the locker room, it was weird.

They had these bandages on their wrists.

I don't know if it means anything.

Covered wrists?

Is that some new Moroi thing? Check out Mia.

She's getting away. Let her.

Kirova's the one I should be tracking.

I need to break into Kirova's office today when the fang g*ng is asleep, OK?

There's a file in there that could be the key to my past, my present and my future.

That's it?

Sounds cool.

Forty-five minutes of silence.

It has to be a Rose Hathaway record.

OK.

What do you know about Ms. Karp?

Karp? She retired before I even arrived.

Kirova, Victor, you.

I ask about Karp, and it's no eye contact and a subject change.

Enough. Your training of late has been quite...

...fine. Fine? That's it?

What do you want me to say?

That you are a remarkable quick study?

That you bring originality to classic moves?

Yeah, I want you to say all those things.

Good night, Rose.

What did I do wrong? I had you.

The battle cry was your first mistake.

I like your laugh. Singular, not plural.

It's the first time I've heard it.

So even if I wouldn't have screamed, you still would have stopped me, right?

Probably, but nice initiative.

Keep trying those surprise att*cks. It's good training for both of us.

So, uh... you have any other moves you want to show me?

I give it and they take it, but when it comes back, it's not the same, is it?

I give it and they take it, but when it comes back, it's not the same, is it?

They're coming to get me.

But they want something that I can't give them.

Those of us who never declared, those of us who have powers that have no name, there's only so much we can do, only so much we can handle.

I should have gone with Vasilisa. I should have.

I'm so alone.

The clarity of the darkness beckons.

I just want it to go away, the shaking, the scratching, nightmares, all go away.

Lissa. The king and queen of the school together again, the way it should be. Lissa!

It's you and I who are destined to be together.

Let me handle this.

Look at what you made me do to myself, just like my damn parents.

Lissa!

I have a new family now.

Strigoi brothers and sisters, attack!

Rose, what's happening? Stay close, right behind me, just like we practiced.

OK. It's not looking great, but we will get through this, Lissa, we always do.

Dimitri?

Oh, Rose, you worry too much.

Lissa, no.

What are friends for?

No.

No!

Rose, are you there?

Did you feel that one?

What a weird dream.

Yeah. Yeah, Liss, weird dream.

Don't you dare feel sorry for me.

Feel sorry for her, for the princess.

I lied.

Lissa doesn't think that you're a creepy stalker.

She actually likes you.

Then why did you...?

Because I think that you're a creepy stalker, and I actually don't like you, but...

I like the way that Lissa feels when she's around you.

So what?

Look at her. She's back on top.

She's not happy. She's not herself, not as she wants to be.

Trust me, I know, Christian.

I can f...

Shadow-kissed Anna did all she could, but on some days, Satan's darkness seeped into St. Vladimir, weakening his health and mind.

See, Christian, I don't want that to be Lissa.

You are the phantom here. You must know where they keep the books and scrolls and whatnot, and I need to figure out what her abilities...

You sabotaged the first good thing to happen to me in a long time, and now you want me to help you?

Ugh. God.

Princess party in the royal rec room.

There's my blood bitch. What took you so long?

It's great that you can joke about it.

Lissa, listen. A lot has happened.

We have to sit down and have a real conversation.

Stop being so serious, Rose. It's a party.

Hey, Natalie. Hi.

Awesome party, huh?

Check this.

Can you say "keg magic"?

Wow, Lissa, you can really do it all.

Well, of course I can. I'm the princess.

But doing it all is wrong, right?

Fire, air, fire, air, fire, air, fire, air, fire... Hey.

Aaron.

Rose! Where are you going?

You weren't just going to bail without saying goodbye.

I need to go home and sleep you off.

Oh, is the bond making you as buzzed as I am?

God, you are burning us both out on magic.

Stop worrying. It's working.

Weeks have gone by, and Mia is toast.

No threats, no notes, no foxes.

You're just bummed that I, not you, have neutralized the threat.

You neutralized a threat, not "the" threat.

And Aaron, seriously, you really want to show up to the Equinox Dance with that?

He's... cute.

And incredibly boring.

You think everyone's boring.

Christian's not.

No, you were right about him.

I knew "little flirtation with the dark side" sounded like one of your lines.

Sorry. You know what? You can have Christian.

You're both savages.

Lissa, what I've been trying to tell you is that you're making this about high school, and it's about something more.

Natalie... Are you nuts? What are you thinking?

Trust me, you do not want to have to get a nose job in Montana!

Sorry. I'm sorry. It's...

When you both left the party, I had no one to...

Everyone kept staring at me, so I left, and on my way back to the dorms, I swear, someone... more like something, started to follow me.

I just... I don't know. I'm probably just being paranoid.

That's not paranoia.

That's a psi-hound. Rose thinks everything is a psi-hound.

What's a psi-hound?

What's my backpack doing over there? Lissa, no.

Lissa!

Oscar! Oh, my God.

Oscar.

Lissa, just... No, Rose!

Shadow-kissed Rose, you're bound to Lissa, and it's up to you to help her.

Don't you understand?

The more that Lissa uses her powers, the worse it'll get.

The more dangerous it will be.

They came for me. They'll come for her.

What are you talking about? Is it the Strigoi?

This isn't about Strigoi.

Not everything to be feared roams outside the gates of St. Vladimir's.

I don't understand. Oh, you couldn't understand it.

You don't have to understand. Look at me.

No, please, Ms. Karp, not compulsion, please.

I beg of you, please! I'm not taking your memories away.

Just hiding them for a bit.

Lissa's life is in peril.

You only need to know you have to get her away from the academy.

Forget everything I've said until it's time not to forget.

I guess you could say that it was half-repression and half-compulsion, and when you asked me why we left the academy in the first place, a part of me couldn't remember.

I just knew that we had to get out.

Outrageous.

What Headmistress Kirova means to say is that it was brave of you to come forward, Rose.

Well, I'm doing it for Lissa. She needs help.

But is it really true she can bring the dead to life?

Dead's dead... but from the brink of death.

Not since St. Vladimir, and he never declared a magic, either.

But there is no actual proof to anything you're saying.

We found no cameras, and the compulsion alone can only be done in specific environments by trained professionals.

Well, Lissa had no problem doing it to you, right in your own office.

Surely, you had to wonder why you didn't just throw me out of school.

It's outrageous.

Enough, please.

Ms. Sonya Karp. I want to see the Day Six footage.

I've had a rough night.

Don't make me crawl through a ventilator shaft and lower myself down into the security center on a wire.

Headmistress, we have no right to keep Rose in the dark for as long as we have.

All right. All right.

Take her downstairs. Show her everything.

Show us Karp Day Six, please. Thank you.

I knew this is what you were looking for.

Couple months after you left, Ms. Karp had a complete breakdown.

And did the doctors find a way to help her?

She found a way to help herself.

Karp was not like the others.

She didn't become Strigoi for the power or the immortality.

She just... wanted the pain to go away.

Nobody likes to talk about it, but the most effective way for the undeclared to take away their special anxiety is for them to take a life and become Strigoi.

Strigoi have an inner clarity.

No feelings. No worries.

No weakness.

She got away.

We don't know where she is now.

Roza? Roza, calm down.

I'll protect you. Roza?

It's not Karp. It's Lissa.

She's upstairs, and she's... she's pissed.

Cuts on my arm? Is that what she said?

And without the use of a blade, no less.

I know I've been having trouble declaring a magic, but that seems a pretty pointless skill.

Allow me to put your mind at ease.

Rose is a dear friend, but she has a talent for tall tales.

Kirova's letting herself be compulsed even after I gave the compulsion speech!

It's classic! Ever since the accident, it's like my life has been on autopilot.

I guess in Ms. Karp's own spooky way, she was trying to help me figure it all out, but who do I have now?

There is another person who can help you.

He is on our flags, posters, uniforms and the statue in the middle of the school.

St. Vladimir?

OK. I'm on it.

So, is this where the outcast losers hang out?

How did you know...? Books on St. Vladimir. Now.

Before, I was asking. This is me telling.

God, you're annoying. I'm right that this could help Lissa.

Yeah. That's what's so annoying. Come on.

God, what's a girl got to do to get a definition of "shadow-kissed" up in this... Check this out.

"Vladimir had mastered a very rare magic, and this magic had a name: Spirit."

All this time, Lissa's been beating herself up about not being able to declare a magic.

Oh, my God, if she only knew.

This makes Lissa more special and valuable than I ever even imagined.

I guess I should be happy that the bad guys aren't trying to k*ll Lissa, but it kind of just makes things more sick and disgusting.

What do they want from Lissa?

What is the point of k*lling her cat and setting up cameras?

Who could be that cruel? Headmistress Kirova could be.

And Mia likes to film her pranks.

That... I know.

Both a little on the nose, but...

No, maybe they're so obvious that they're not obvious.

I did see Kirova with Mia the other night.

OK, my conspiracy theory of choice is that someone might be trying to drive Lissa mad, to take her out of throne contention.

I mean, we all know Queen Tatiana has her issues.

All three witches could be working together.

I like the way your mind works. Just hold that thought.

"At times, after the expense of power and in times of trauma, Vladimir's agony would manifest directly onto his skin."

So this proves that Lissa's not a freak.

Sort of. I mean, it shows that she could be rehabilitated.

Wait. Lissa does something like that to herself?

Cuts and scars and... Yes.

Christian, she really could have used your support these past few weeks.

You agreed Lissa hasn't been herself.

It's her fault we're not together.

God, the female, especially one who lives off of blood and magic, is going to have her mood swings.

It is never the girl's fault, even when it is the girl's fault.

No one ever explained that to you?

You know, if you weren't so psychotic, you'd be fun to hang outwith.

Same to you, creep.

Thank you.

OK, bye.

OK. See ya.

What were you doing with Rose? You were fornicating, weren't you?

Fornicat... We were reading.

We discovered a magic called Spirit. You have it.

Ms. Karp had it, and so did St. Vladimir.

He used to cut himself, too. Rose told you that?

I'm gonna k*ll her. Look, stop it, Lissa.

We're trying to help you.

I know now if you don't have any family, you need as many friends as you possibly...

I don't need friends or family or pets or...

I hate you!

You liar.

Lissa, listen... Don't "Lissa, listen" me.

You've ruined my life. Oh, bite me.

You wish, blood whore. Wow.

OK, Lissa, I need you to understand.

We can learn how St. Vladimir used Spirit...

Did you k*ll my cat? Hey, Oscar and I's relationship was on the mend.

Lissa, this is important. Ms. Karp turned herself Strigoi.

She didn't do it to become evil. She did it to take away from the scratching and the shaking. I mean... which future do you want, a sick and soulless one like Karp's or an epic one like Vladimir's?

Stop talking to me about the past and the future, because I only care about the present.

You know, if you have to choose one, pick the one that's happening right now.

I am Princess Vasilisa Dragomir. I'm the last of the Dragomir line.

If they see I'm weak, they'll attack.

This isn't about a "they" anymore. This is about you! This is...

You're awake, finally.

The princess has been going through feeders all morning.

How are you?

I don't know. You tell me.

I'm afraid to even look.

I can move it, that's a good sign, right?

Rose, I don't know how to say this, but... you are not injured.

That's easy for you to say, comrade.

I heard the crack. I saw the bone...

Sorry to interrupt.

Hey. Hi.

Here. Thanks.

So, I saw Aaron go by.

I kicked him to the curb. Mmm.

When I saw your leg, I got everything out of my system.

Everything. Thanks for that, by the way.

Ugh.

I'm so glad you're both alive and not at each other's throats.

This whole matter of Spirit has taken us by surprise.

Until the advisers arrive from Romania, we'll be sequestering you both into a bunker, away from any excitement.

No classes, and obviously you will not be attending the Equinox Dance tonight. Oh, nonsense.

Please, you have to come.

I'm gonna go with the headmistress on this one, Prince Dashkov.

Besides, we're all forgetting the most important thing.

We have nothing to wear. There the gods have smiled upon us.

Today is an overcast day, and I have engineered a little shopping expedition.

Please? You know how much I need your help.

And plus, when has shopping ever not cheered you up, Lissa?

Where is Rose?

OK.

What was that about?

It's just a little something Dimitri and I do to keep each other on our toes.

Wow, that was weak. How long have you been in crush with him?

I am... very sure that I don't know what you're talking about.

So, do I get a silver stake? That would be a... no.

But remember, today you are not just Lissa's friend.

Spiridon.

Ain't likely any Strigoi is gonna make a play in a public place in broad daylight, but if Dimitri ain't giving you a stake, missy, you should have one of these bad boys.

'Causes a blinding flash of UV light. Buy you some time.

Well, at least someone thinks I'm worth a w*apon.

So, my superpower turned out to also be my Kryptonite.

Wow, Your Highness with the pop culture reference.

You know, I...

I confused power with popularity.

Ever wonder what it'd be like to be like that?

It's not our destiny.

Destiny? I hate that word.

You know, "royal responsibility,"

"the Moroi come first," it's all so twisted.

It's not twisted. I'm your Dhampir and you're my Moroi. Done.

Some days we're kooky teenagers, and other days I'm risking my neck to protect you from an ancient race of predatory vampires... or whoever else, and that's life.

At least until they come up with a better word for it.

Somebody looks tense. Free massage?

I'm really sorry. I'm so sorry, OK?

Run.

Ms. Karp, I understand all that, but Mia and my brother... don't think so.

Andre was generous and funny and amazing, but... he could kind of be a player.

Lissa, don't look like you don't know what I'm talking about, 'cause I can feel you, OK?

You know, I hate having a best friend I can't lie to.

Do you really think Mini-Mia's behind everything?

No, not exactly.

But I think we'll find out tonight.

Tomorrow you're getting sequestered away by Spirit advisers, so the dance is the last chance for anybody to try to get to you.

Look, if you could put a pin in all that, we have more vital matters.

Finding you a dress.

I can go into my trust fund.

I could not possibly accept that.

That's your dress. That's the dress you were born to wear.

Lissa, we have more important things to do than sh...

That is my dress.

Thank you, sir, and if you could just sign here?

And that is your necklace.

That is my necklace.

That's not your necklace.

So not my necklace.

Did you take my lip gloss?

Corpse Number Five? Like I'd wear your pale-ass lip gloss.

No way.

Natalie, you look gorgeous.

Rose... this is for you, from my father.

That's my necklace.

Daddy saw you looking at it. Here.

How does it look? Beautiful.

All right, ladies.

I don't know what's gonna happen tonight.

At this point, I can't remember who loves us and who hates us... but I do know that we are going to own this dance.

Let's make tonight our bitch.

Not much of a reaction from your boyfriend.

He's not my boyfriend, but... grading on the Dimitri curve, a huge reaction... mammoth, gargantuan.

Come here.

Genuinely un-small.

Christian Ozera.

At a school dance.

After this week, I thought I'd lost the ability to be surprised.

I'm sorry about that kiss the other day.

What about the one right now?

Rose. Hey, what's up?

OK. Rose, you look...

No, you don't get to stare at her.

I took it upon myself to talk to these royal pains in the butt.

Hmm.

Don't you have something to say?

We're sorry. Hmm.

We didn't do anything to you that we said we did.

You're telling something that never happened actually never happened?

Thanks.

Mia let us have sex with her if we obeyed her.

I tagged the note at the church and air-blasted the memorial.

What did you think of the scary screen saver?

We actually put a lot of work into that.

And the bloody one just happened.

We thought it'd be fun to all hook up in the princess's room, and things got out of hand, literally.

It's called blood splash. It's a new Moroi fad, where when things get hot and sticky, you fang open your wrist and spray.

Ew! Stop. I nap on that couch.

OK, what about the cat?

We thought it was a fox.

Hurting animals... that's disgusting.

Said the creepy blood splasher.

Please, Rose, don't kick my ass.

Go dance with Natalie.

Go, now.

Oh, Jesse.

Who's the man? You are so the man.

Break the case wide open and I still only get the cheek.

Ouch.

Ever feel like you're being watched?

Can we pretend the past month never happened?

Why were you in the hospital? Pregnant?

I guess not. Herpes?

Maybe your baby has herpes. I don't care if it's true. I'll tell...

Go away, Mia. Why are you Dragomirs such drags?

First Andre, then you steal Aaron from me and don't even keep him.

I don't need this. I vow to take down the entire...

I'll fire-magic you into ash.

I'll just water-magic myself before you can...

Gosh, you two are a riot. Allow me, Mr. Ozera.

Rose, I hear you and the princess are friends again.

Too bad... could have made a great team.

Oh, nice wrist corsage, Splashy.

Your sex slaves told me everything, and poor Aaron had no idea what a sociopath you really are.

I'll bet you did off Lissa's cat. Oscar? I gave him treats.

I would never hurt a kitty.

Oh, my God, you poor little...

All this time, me thinking that you're a villain when you're really just... you're just an insecure little girl in desperate need of attention.

Everyone saw that I tried to take the high road there.

Rose. Sort of.

If Mia didn't do it, that means there's a bigger threat still out there.

Hathaway, you're out of here. Lissa's run off. I didn't see where.

Oh, God, if only there was a secret place that she went to when she was sad.

Right. Genius.

OK, OK.

OK.

Please, please, please, please.

Christian. We need to get you somewhere safe.

Just a little longer in the moonlight. No, no.

Our moonlight.

OK, now we need to go.

Lissa.

Headmistress Kirova, we need to get Dimitri.

The princess is in trouble. She's not the only one.

You don't understand. I do understand, Rose.

I understand more than you'll ever...

I could have been a model.

A man in Milan gave me his card when I was 16.

Dimitri? Dimitri, open up.

Dimitri, something has happened.

Rose, what's wrong?

What's right?

Sweet sassy molassey.

What do you want, Rose?

Some of that.

This is insane.

What are we doing?

Everything.

I love your dress.

Let's burn it.

Love charms... hypnotic, dangerous, put over jewelry...

Forget about it. Lissa's been kidnapped. We have to hurry.

Report from the gate. Nothing's come in or out.

They're still on academy ground... Have you cleared this with Kirova?

Better to beg forgiveness than ask permission.

Yeah, and I put a sedative in her ass.

Let me concentrate. You've got to be kidding me.

What is it? Nothing. Hold on. OK.

He's coming in.

Check the blindfold. No compulsion tonight.

I can't make out anything through the blindfold, but I know that voice. It's... that guardian.

- Oh, no. "Oh, no," what?

"Oh, no," who. The bad guy's Victor Dashkov.

Welcome, Vasilisa.

How was the dance?

It's officially tomorrow, and, as promised, we have much to talk about.

Forgive me if I don't make eye contact.

I've seen you in action. Why are you doing this?

My dear, the simple truth is, I need you to heal me.

Testing you with the animals was misguided, but earth-magicking the cement and shattering Rose's ankle was supremely clarifying.

You're forgetting something.

My bond with Rose is practically a psychic GPS.

Ah, yes, but the necklace gift that I gave to Rose is bathed in a very expensive love charm, and she is a little too preoccupied to be of much use to you.

That's what you think, mother... Victor wants her to heal him.

You were my family's most cherished friend.

Why didn't you just ask me?

How touching... genuinely, my darling, but a chronic disease like my Sandovsky's needs continual healings, and then there is the other matter.

The physical toll on me.

Yes, Spirit users take their power from their own essence.

To heal another requires giving part of oneself, and it can destroy one over time.

You want me to give up my life for yours.

Basically. But, you see, my dear, I am much more important than you, and the Moroi need a strong leader, but my disease means that I cannot occupy my rightful place upon the throne.

But you shouldn't bother your pretty little head about all this royal intrigue.

Guess what, Victor.

The spirit in this pretty little head isn't going to heal you.

You can't make me. Bring in Kenneth.

Do you know somebody named Kenneth?

Your compulsion won't work on Kenneth.

He's blind, but he's one of the Moroi's most ingenious air users.

Shall we begin? Heal me. Go to hell.

You're up, Kenneth.

Rose?

Don't stop. They're torturing her.

Heal me.

Now he's...

Ah, Lissa.

Heal me.

My... this really worked out.

Take the girl upstairs till departure.

Rose, stay here. It's too dangerous, you'll just get in the way.

But... Do I really need to remind you the last time I said "stay in the car" and was disobeyed?

No, I totally understand. Good luck.

You're not really staying, are you? What do you think?

But what did Dimitri mean by "last time I said 'stay in the car" '?

He was talking about another girl from another time.

She was a novice.

I'm a guardian.

Let's roll, fire magic. I need a seeing-eye dog.

Take my arm. The princess is upstairs.

No, no, not this way.

Rose. Keep going.

It's right up there. Rose!

What?!

Spiridon, send for the girl.

We're ready now.

I believe you can fly.

Feel free to chime in at any time with some fire magic.

Maybe a ring of flame around the knob?

I've never really worked outside a classroom setting before.

Forget it, she's gone.

Stop trying to save yourself, Liss.

Stupid one-way bond.

Psi-bounds.

Expensive to breed, difficult to train, but there is no denying the brilliance of the psi-hounds.

They will stalk the princess, maneuver her, but they won't attack unless I say the word.

I presume you can deal with that?

They say Dimitri is a god.

Well, I'm an atheist... an atheist with a big g*n.

That's it? Seriously?

I've waited for this moment.

Do you know what it's like to always be referred to as the second best guardian?

No.

Are you OK?

Did you see what Victor did? I know. What an assh*le.

I hate to interrupt, but unless either of you can fly a chopper, maybe we should get going.

Lissa, get back.

Rose, be a dear and step away from the princess.

I don't want to accidentally sh**t her when I'm sh**ting you.

You heard him, he won't sh**t me.

I am your guardian. No, Rose, you can't do this.

Lissa, don't you dare fight. Lissa.

You're worse than a Strigoi. Christian!

Do you know what I like most about the psi-hounds?

They're wonderful at tracking. They're even better at k*lling.

Attack!

No.

Now, that's some freaking fire magic.

Rose, I need to save him, but I can't.

Victor took everything, all my energy.

Power up, Princess.

This has been a night that St. Vladimir's will never forget.

We have extra guardians manning the academy perimeter. Nothing can get in.

Victor Dashkov will be confined to a holding cell downstairs until he can be transferred to the Royal Court Prison to await trial.

How's Natalie? She worshipped her father. She must be devastated.

The other members of the Dashkov family are removing her from school.

For the best.

Uh-oh, Rose. This came for you.

Oh, great.

Uh, Dimitri, one last thing...

The time gap after Rose so dramatically burst out of my office...

It should all be explained in the other file.

A Nobu charm was put on a necklace Rose had been wearing.

The spell caused Rose to attack me and me to attack her.

I disengaged the necklace before critical... v*olence could occur.

Mmm.

Hey, we should probably talk about what happened earlier.

I just want you to know I would never use the words

"sweet sassy molassey" unless under the influence.

It is not a matter of amusement or discussion.

It was horrific. Horrific... isn't really the first adjective that comes to mind.

Don't make light of this.

It's one thing if I were 36 and you were 28, or me 28 and you 20.

That's a lot of math for someone who's not interested.

Your life is about homework, dances, parties.

How can you say that after what happened?

It's what it should be about.

I'm not interested in you in that way.

OK. It was... just a spell.

Let it go. Got it.

Rose? Yeah?

You're still here?

I'm not sure how I feel about this, but Victor has requested a moment of your time.

Yeah, no, that's not gonna happen.

He said something about you being "shadow-kissed"?

She's not going. That's final.

Don't tell me what to do.

You look good, Vic.

Which is ironic, considering it means more time rotting in jail.

Don't take this the wrong way, Rose, but...

I probably should have k*lled you.

There's a compliment in there somewhere.

I spent a lot of money on that charm.

It didn't quite work out the way I wanted.

Mmm. It worked out well enough.

Caused a man with no interest in me to burn off my dress, so...

You're so tough, so one-of-a-kind.

But you're still a girl. All this has happened, and what you want to know is, "Does Dimitri really like me?"

It's a powerful charm, Rose, but it's not that powerful.

There has to be a degree of affection and attraction already in place.

Happy?

Shadow-kissed? Ah, yes. I owe you that.

You see, I didn't begin to track Vasilisa with some silly old raven.

My eye was on her long before.

I've seen the accident report.

And there's absolutely no way that either of you should have survived.

The accident was what woke her spirit in the first place.

The fear of seeing you dead made it burst out, allowing her to heal, made you form your bond.

Rose... you've been kissed by shadows.

You've crossed over into death, into the other side, and returned.

Don't you think that leaves a mark on the soul... somewhere?

That's why you're not afraid to show your feelings, Rose, your passion, your anger.

That's what makes you remarkable. Yes.

But it's ironic... considering.

Considering what?

Considering I'll have to k*ll you.

Natalie. You made your own daughter turn Strigoi?

And how do you think I can circumvent the outside security?

I'd do anything for my daddy.

All that training, and yet, I'm going to obliterate you.

You see, Natalie was not the innocent you thought she was.

In fact, she was the one who provided me with the intel regarding you, Dimitri and Vasilisa.

The cat was my idea.

Daddy wanted to do another fox.

Father, look.

Rose does choke before Strigoi.

I don't understand.

To become a Strigoi, don't you have to...

Yes. I chose Ray to be my first.

k*lling him was a lot more fun than losing my virginity to him would've been.

And with a lot more blood.

Too soon?

Hey, Victor?

Aren't you afraid your new Strigoi daughter won't be able to resist your Moroi veins?

Don't be ludicrous.

I'm gonna wait outside, Natalie.

Finish her off.

You don't know what high school is like for a loser like me.

I was so scared all the time... so weak, so sad, so lame.

Now my eyesight is perfect, my skin is clear, and so is my mind.

I may be dead, but I have never felt so alive.

How awesome for you. Say cheese.

Rose?

Oh.

Maybe I won't k*ll you.

Maybe I'll make you just like me.

That way, we can be friends forever and ever.

BFF!

Who's choking now?

Roza, Roza.

Oh, my Roza.

Lissa, you're gonna want to see this.

I don't believe my eyes. You got him wearing a color other than black.

Baby steps.

Oh, Rose, wait.

There's so much to read here.

Apparently, Vladimir and Anna almost drowned in this flood, but he saved them from certain death, and listen to this.

"It took many years for Vladimir to master the power of his Spirit."

"Despite his sufferings and delusions,"

"he never contemplated the way of the Strigoi,"

"because he always had the strength"

"of his shadow-kissed guardian, Anna, to see him through."

Similarities. Weird.

Well, Christian, for us, weird...

Doesn't begin to cover it.

Do I have to?

It's time.

God, not her. Not now.

And once again, this grotesque maelstrom of indecency seems centered on one royal individual.

Where's Vasilisa Drag... Thank you, Your Majesty, for allowing me to clear the air.

I finally declared a magic, and it's called Spirit.

It may take years to get a handle on it, but I have a bunch of wise men in robes to help me out.

And yes, that was not a mirage you saw on the dance floor.

My boyfriend is Christian Ozera, and his parents were Strigoi.

Get over it. He has.

I'm not quite sure what you think...

Shh! Not now, dear.

Blood. Blood is what connects us all.

Blood is sustenance.

Blood is family.

Blood is pain, and blood is death, be it the fang of the Strigoi or a drunk driver on the wrong side of the road.

Blood is many things, and sometimes it gets so crazy and confusing that you need a best friend to tell you, "it's OK."

"It's all life, at least until they come up with a better word for it."

Unfortunately, you can't all have a Rose Hathaway.

I'm very lucky that she's mine, but if you don't have a soul mate, by Vlad, the least you deserve is kindness and dignity and something more original than gossip, snobbiness, slut-shaming and bullying.

Let's prove that Moroi blood is worth protecting.

What do you say, everyone?

No more bad blood.

So, that's Natalie, huh?

Looks... fresh.

I'm sorry.

I had to.

I'm sorry.

I hesitated. Rose... you're so brave and strong and bold.

Sadly, you'll have many other opportunities to k*ll Strigoi.

You lied about your feelings for me.

Yes. I did.

Why would you do that?

It's more than my age and my position at the academy.

Our allegiance is to the Moroi.

If I let myself love, I wouldn't throw myself in front of the princess.

I would throw myself in front of you.

It's funny.

Your reasons for not loving me just... make me love you more.

I want you to kiss me without a magic charm forcing you to do it.

That's not a great idea.

Please.

Everyone's at the banquet. Just... one last kiss.

Yes! Yes, yes!

Yes! Are you not entertained?!

My name is Rose Hathaway, and I'm not your normal teenage girl, but I guess, is there really such a thing?

Every life has rules, traditions, friends and enemies, sheer terror and incredible joy, but I've learned...

Whoa! Watch where you're going there, bird.

Are you kidding me?

It's you, isn't it?

Come... my shadow-kissed soul mate.

Well, same to you, buddy!

Now!