Read Online Frostbite: Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Richelle Mead
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I don't know where he got such horrible social skills. He didn't learn them from me." That was obvious, I thought.
"What are you guys doing out here?" I asked.
"I wanted to spend some time with these two." A small frown wrinkled her forehead. "But I don't really like hanging around the school itself. They aren't always hospitable…."
I didn't get that at first. School officials usually fell all over themselves when royals came to visit. Then I figured it out.
"Because … because of what happened …"
Considering the way everyone treated Christian because of his parents, I shouldn't have been surprised to find his aunt facing the same discrimination.
Tasha shrugged. "That's the way it is." She rubbed her hands together and exhaled, her breath making a frosty cloud in the air. "But let's not stand out here, not when we can build a fire inside."
I gave a last, wistful glance at the frozen pond and then followed the others inside. The cabin was pretty bare, covered in layers of dust and dirt. It consisted of only one room. There was a narrow bed with no covers in the corner and a few shelves where food had probably once been stored. There was a fireplace, however, and we soon had a blaze going that warmed the small area. The five of us sat down, huddling around its heat, and Tasha produced a bag of marshmallows that we cooked over the flames.
As we feasted on that gooey goodness, Lissa and Christian talked to each other in that easy, comfortable way they always had. To my surprise, Tasha and Dimitri also talked in a familiar and light way. They obviously knew each other from way back when. I'd actually never seen him so animated before. Even when affectionate with me, there'd always been a serious air about him. With Tasha, he bantered and laughed.
The more I listened to her, the more I liked her. Finally, unable to stay out of the conversation, I asked, "So are you coming on the ski trip?"
She nodded. Stifling a yawn, she stretched herself out like a cat. "I haven't been skiing in ages. No time. Been saving all my vacation for this."
"Vacation?" I gave her a curious look. "Do you have…a job?"
"Sadly, yes," Tasha said, though she didn't actually sound very sad about it. "I teach martial arts classes."
I stared in astonishment. I couldn't have been more surprised if she'd said she was an astronaut or a telephone psychic.
A lot of royals just didn't work at all, and if they did, it was usually in some sort of investment or other moneymaking business that furthered their family fortunes. And those who did work certainly didn't do a lot of martial arts or physically demanding jobs. Moroi had a lot of great attributes: exceptional senses-smell, sight, and hearing-and the power to work magic. But physically, they were tall and slender, often small-boned. They also got weak from being in sunlight. Now, those things weren't enough to prevent someone from becoming a fighter, but they did make it more challenging. An idea had built up among the Moroi over time that their best offense was a good defense, and most shied away from the thought of physical conflict. They hid in well-protected places like the Academy, always relying on stronger, hardier dhampirs to guard them.
"What do you think, Rose?" Christian seemed highly amused by my surprise. "Think you could take her?"
"Hard to say," I said.
Tasha crooked me a grin. "You're being modest. I've seen what you guys can do. This is just a hobby I picked up."
Dimitri chuckled. "Now you're being modest. You could teach half the classes around here."
"Not likely," she said. "It'd be pretty embarrassing to be beaten up by a bunch of teenagers."
"I don't think that'd happen," he said. "I seem to remember you doing some damage to Neil Szelsky."
Tasha rolled her eyes. "Throwing my drink in his face wasn't actually damage-unless you consider the damage it did to his suit. And we all know how he is about his clothes."
They both laughed at some private joke the rest of us
"What are you guys doing out here?" I asked.
"I wanted to spend some time with these two." A small frown wrinkled her forehead. "But I don't really like hanging around the school itself. They aren't always hospitable…."
I didn't get that at first. School officials usually fell all over themselves when royals came to visit. Then I figured it out.
"Because … because of what happened …"
Considering the way everyone treated Christian because of his parents, I shouldn't have been surprised to find his aunt facing the same discrimination.
Tasha shrugged. "That's the way it is." She rubbed her hands together and exhaled, her breath making a frosty cloud in the air. "But let's not stand out here, not when we can build a fire inside."
I gave a last, wistful glance at the frozen pond and then followed the others inside. The cabin was pretty bare, covered in layers of dust and dirt. It consisted of only one room. There was a narrow bed with no covers in the corner and a few shelves where food had probably once been stored. There was a fireplace, however, and we soon had a blaze going that warmed the small area. The five of us sat down, huddling around its heat, and Tasha produced a bag of marshmallows that we cooked over the flames.
As we feasted on that gooey goodness, Lissa and Christian talked to each other in that easy, comfortable way they always had. To my surprise, Tasha and Dimitri also talked in a familiar and light way. They obviously knew each other from way back when. I'd actually never seen him so animated before. Even when affectionate with me, there'd always been a serious air about him. With Tasha, he bantered and laughed.
The more I listened to her, the more I liked her. Finally, unable to stay out of the conversation, I asked, "So are you coming on the ski trip?"
She nodded. Stifling a yawn, she stretched herself out like a cat. "I haven't been skiing in ages. No time. Been saving all my vacation for this."
"Vacation?" I gave her a curious look. "Do you have…a job?"
"Sadly, yes," Tasha said, though she didn't actually sound very sad about it. "I teach martial arts classes."
I stared in astonishment. I couldn't have been more surprised if she'd said she was an astronaut or a telephone psychic.
A lot of royals just didn't work at all, and if they did, it was usually in some sort of investment or other moneymaking business that furthered their family fortunes. And those who did work certainly didn't do a lot of martial arts or physically demanding jobs. Moroi had a lot of great attributes: exceptional senses-smell, sight, and hearing-and the power to work magic. But physically, they were tall and slender, often small-boned. They also got weak from being in sunlight. Now, those things weren't enough to prevent someone from becoming a fighter, but they did make it more challenging. An idea had built up among the Moroi over time that their best offense was a good defense, and most shied away from the thought of physical conflict. They hid in well-protected places like the Academy, always relying on stronger, hardier dhampirs to guard them.
"What do you think, Rose?" Christian seemed highly amused by my surprise. "Think you could take her?"
"Hard to say," I said.
Tasha crooked me a grin. "You're being modest. I've seen what you guys can do. This is just a hobby I picked up."
Dimitri chuckled. "Now you're being modest. You could teach half the classes around here."
"Not likely," she said. "It'd be pretty embarrassing to be beaten up by a bunch of teenagers."
"I don't think that'd happen," he said. "I seem to remember you doing some damage to Neil Szelsky."
Tasha rolled her eyes. "Throwing my drink in his face wasn't actually damage-unless you consider the damage it did to his suit. And we all know how he is about his clothes."
They both laughed at some private joke the rest of us
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