FROSTBITE -- CHAPTER 3
Since I changed things slightly, Dimitri did not drive to Missoula with Tasha Ozera, we were leaving to go to the Lodge earlier in the canon timeline.
Rose went to her qualifier on the 18th, a Monday. The next day, the Tuesday came the announcement for the ski trip, and her mom came. She met Tasha that day too, and Dimitri and Tasha went shopping. On Wednesday the 20th, Rose's mom gave her a black eye, and on the 21st, a Thursday, Dimitri and Rose kissed for the first time since the lust charm. The 22nd was Friday, the 23rd was Saturday, the 24th was Sunday, and the 25th was Monday. Christmas day everyone was still at the academy. They only left the 26th on the Tuesday.
But now, things have changed a lot because we saved them, and we were carted off on the 18th. And that changed a lot of things. My mother and Lord Szelsky flew here on a private plane when the news came. Tasha Ozera would meet Christian at the Lodge to spend some time with him there. And we could actually have a little fun at the Lodge before things went side-ways.
Since my mother helped me pack and took care of me I was awake and feeling great carrying my and Lissa's bag to the plane. The Academy might -- rightfully -- be overprotective when it came to us, but sometimes that translated into pretty cool stuff. Example: The Academy had access to a couple of private jets. This meant no Strigoi could attack us at the airport and it also meant we got to travel in style. Each jet was smaller than a commercial plane, but the seats were cushy and had lots of legroom. They extended far enough back that you could practically lie down and sleep. On long flights, we had little consoles in the seats that gave us TV movie options. Sometimes, they'd even break out fancy meals. This flight would be too short for any movies or food. When I boarded the jet, I looked around for Lissa. She and Christian were sitting very close, and I decided not to bother her. Mason was waving to me, and I only saw him from the side of my eye, but pretended that I didn't. Dimitri was sitting alone; since Tasha wasn't there, I sat down next to him instead. I did not want to give Mason the wrong idea.
"Rose," Dimitri said, his lips twitching when he saw my grin. I made myself comfortable on the seat next to him. Dimitri did ask if I was ok, and I was. I finally met my mom, not that she knew of course now I just wanted to see my dad. The flight was not that long and I sat in comfortable silence next to Dimitri, as soon as we left the wards I felt slight pressure on my head, I did not want to worry anyone and I honestly could handle it, the flight was just an hour, and for an hour I closed my eyes and meditated to keep me from concentrating on the pain in my skull. But I was so relieved when we landed through the Lodge's wards.
The resort was gorgeous. It was built to look like a log cabin, but no pioneer cabin could have held hundreds of people or had such luxurious accommodations. Three stories of gleaming golden colored wood sat among lofty pine trees. The windows were tall and gracefully arched, tinted for Moroi convenience. Crystal lanterns- electric, but shaped to look like torches- hung around all the entrances, giving the entire building a glittering, almost bejeweled look. Mountains -- which my enhanced eyes could just barely make out in the night -- surrounded us, and I bet the view would have been breathtaking when it was light out. One side of the grounds led off to the skiing area, complete with steep hills and moguls, as well as lifts and tow ropes. Another side of the lodge had an ice rink, which delighted me since it has been forever since I have been on the ice. My first life, I think. Near that, smooth hills were reserved for sledding. And that was just the outside.
Inside, all sorts of arrangements had been made to cater to Moroi needs. Feeders stayed on hand, ready to serve 24 hours a day. The slopes ran on a nocturnal schedule. Wards and guardians circled the entire place. Everything a living vampire could want. The main lobby had a cathedral ceiling and an enormous chandelier hanging over it. Its floor was intricately tiled marble, and the front desk stayed open around the clock, ready to indulge our every need. The rest of the lodge, hallways, and lounges had a red, black, and gold color scheme. The deep shade of red dominated over the other hues, and I wondered if its resemblance to blood was a coincidence. Mirrors and art adorned the walls, and little ornamental tables had been placed here and there. They held vases of pale green and purple spotted orchids that filled the air with a spicy scent. The room I shared with Lissa was bigger than our dorm rooms put together and had the same rich colors as the rest of the lodge. The carpet was so plush and deep that I immediately shed my shoes at the door and walked in barefoot, luxuriating in the way my feet sank into the softness. We had King size beds, covered in feather duvets and set with so many pillows that I swore a person could get lost in them all and never be seen again. French doors opened onto a spacious balcony, which, considering we were on the top floor, would have been cool if not for the fact that it was freezing outside. I suspected the two-person hot tub on the far end would go a long way to make up for the cold.
Drowning in so much luxury, I reached an overload point where the rest of the accommodations started swimming together. The jetted marble bathtub. The plasma-screen TV. The basket of chocolate and other snacks. I never wanted to leave the room. Lissa wanted to go skiing and I was dragged from the room. Christian, Eddie, and Mason joined us and I made sure to invite Meredith too. The 6 of us spent the day skiing, though the 2 Moroi had a bit of trouble keeping up with us 4 Dhampir. Considering what we went through in our classes, we weren't afraid to try daring stunts. Our competitive natures made us eager to go out of our way to outdo each other. "You guys are suicidal," Christian remarked at one point. It was dark outside, and tall light posts illuminated his bemused face. He and Lissa had been waiting at the bottom of the mogul hill, watching us come down at insane speeds. Mason did not get hurt because I told him that I was not going to spend one more second in any type of clinic, hospital, or other room.
And I was eager to spend the rest of the evening in my hotel room, getting acquainted with that bath. Lissa thought it was funny, but that bath, bubbles, and a few other goodies from my trunk. I really needed a pamper night. Lissa and Christian went to meet his aunt, and I told Lissa that I would meet Tasha later. She just laughed and shook her head. As soon as Lissa and Christian left, I went into my trunk, the first time since I got into this world, except for that brief trip when I found the photographs. I got myself a face mask, hair mask, body scrubs, butters and things for treating my nails a bit. My hands were also very ugly now. Full of blisters, and my skin needed attention. With arms full of everything I would need, I went back to the bathroom and put the jets on with the bubbles. I would put the masks on my hair and face and scrub my body raw before I soaked in the bubbles with my eyes shut.
Now I just needed a glass of wine, but I knew that would not happen here. I was underage; I might have something in the trunk somewhere, but there was no hope. I think I drank that all. I spent a long time in the bath, and by the time I was done, I was magically waxed, plugged, scrubbed and all pruned up, but I felt great. After the magical body butter, my skin was soft, healthy and glowing. I had time to blow-dry my hair and sit in my pajamas on the bed watching TV and snacking on room service. I loved this.
I must have fallen asleep because I did not hear Lissa come in, but when I woke up she was sleeping peacefully in bed, people were still coming in and I got ready for the day, putting another bunch of creams on my skin and wearing boots, my jeans a thermal shirt and my leather jacket. Only adding my lip gloss and leaving Lissa to her sleep. I wanted to go exploring. This place was beautiful, and it was really early. After breakfast, I spotted Dimitri coming up to his room, and I just waved at him, smiling and going out in the sun. It was still four in the afternoon, very early by Moroi standards but late afternoon in the human world.