Vampire Academy Read-Along: Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Rose and Christian are running through the woods. When Christian begins slowing down, Rose continues on to find Lissa, calling out her name only to have howling respond. Psi-hounds. It was Victor who had sent them after her and Lissa before. She finds Lissa sitting against a tree about ready to faint. Rose gets the psi-hounds attention to lead them away from her. She begins fighting them and when Christian shows up he runs straight to Lissa despite Rose's protests telling him to get out of there. The psi-hounds attack him, but before Rose can help Alberta comes to their rescue. She pulls out a gun and shoots them. Rose, Lissa and Alberta move toward Christian who is nearly dead. Lissa is distraught and tries to heal him but her strength is gone. Rose allows her to feed off her. When Lissa has her strength back, she returns to Christian to heal him. Rose and Alberta stand in awe watching Christian's wounds close up and the life enter back into his body. Rose doesn't remember much after that.

She awakes in the clinic and they give her fluids for two days while Lissa stays by her side. They had to tell Kirova about Lissa's powers of healing and the administrators agree to keep it a secret. The students know that Victor Dashkov kidnapped Lissa, but they don't know why. He is being held in the school and watched 24/7 until the royal guardians come to take him to prison. The Academy had yet to decide what to do with Natalie for conspiring with her father.

Rose and Lissa's friendship goes back to normal and Lissa begins dating Christian without care as to who knows it. As for Rose and Dimitri, she hasn't seen him at all since their return and their training is suspended until further notice. Then she runs into him in the gym, alone. He tells her that she needs to report what happened between them but she refuses because they'll fire him. He thinks he should be fired because what he did was wrong. She says it isn't his fault--it was the spell. But he doesn't care about that. It was still wrong and stupid. Rose is on the verge of tears but holds them back telling him it isn't a big deal. He says it is because he took advantage of her, but she knows that he didn't.

"Rose, I'm seven years older than you. In ten years, that won't mean so much, but for now, it's huge. I'm an adult. You're a child."

"You didn't seem to think I was a child when you were all over me."

He tells her that her body may not look like a childs, but she's still growing up and learning things and she needs to be with boys her own age. That night was a mistake and not just because he's too old for her but because he's not interested. It only happened because of the spell.

Rose spends the rest of the day sulking and ignores all attempts by her friends to get her out and about. Kirova let her off of probation for her performance in Lissa's rescue so before school, Rose makes her way to where Victor Dashkov is being kept. They allow her inside but only for five minutes.

She tells him to finish off the spell but it's already done. The feelings she is having now were already there before what happened between them. He tells her that the feelings had to be between the two of them otherwise it wouldn't have worked. When Rose says he's lying, Victors says that Dimitri is the one lying to her. And that he had no right to feel that way about her. She calls Victor a sick bastard for doing what he did to them and he admits he has no regrets. He also says that Vasilisa could be a great leader if she didn't allow spirit to control her and explains to her what being shadow-kissed means: she crossed over into the other side and returned. It left a mark on her soul. Lissa brushed Death when bringing Rose back to life and that is what caused the bond between them. Rose tells him that he would have never been made king. 

"You may be right, but it doesn't matter. There are other ways of taking power. Sometimes it's necessary to go outside the established channels. Do you think Kenneth is the only Moroi who follows me? The greatest and most powerful revolutions often start very quietly, hidden in the shadows. Remember that."

There are odd sounds coming from the entrance and the Natalie appears. Rose forces a kind smile and tries talking to her but Natalie walks up to her and launches her into the wall then walks over to Victor's cell and releases him. Rose staggers over to her and asks what she's doing. Natalie looks up at her and that's when Rose sees the red in her eyes and blood on her mouth. She's a Strigoi.

OMG I spent this whole book trying to remember what happened to Natalie at the end. I can't believe I had forgotten that she turns Strigoi!!! How could I have forgotten something like that???

What are your thoughts on this chapter? It was pretty crazy right?

Only one more to go!!