Are you guys thankful for the Vampire Academy Anniversary edition coming out on Tuesday, with all its bonus stories? Well, you should be because here's an excerpt from "Hello, My Name is Rose Hathaway," which tells the tale of an illicit scavenger hunt at St. Vladimir's. Hope you like being back in Rose's head! Click here to learn more about ordering this edition.
----------------------------------------
Later, as my team walked back to campus, Mason pressed a hand to his forehead and pondered our situation. “We’ve still got an hour. We’re going to have to try to pull it out with the little scores. The next-biggest thing’s in Belikov’s room, and no one’s going to risk getting caught by him.”
I’d seen Dimitri’s name right away, of course. I noticed everything that had to do with the mentor I was inconveniently in love with, whether it was a wisp of brown hair escaping his ponytail or a new Western novel for him to read on his breaks. One of Guardian Belikov’s CDs, the list had read. I’d immediately dismissed it because I also didn’t want to risk getting caught by Dimitri. That item also hadn’t seemed necessary in the initial version of our plan, back when we thought we’d be able to score so much from the main building.
“He doesn’t keep them in his room,” I said, earning astonishment from my companions.
“How do you know that?” asked Eddie.
Because I’ve been in his room. Naked. Making out with him in his bed.
“Because he’s my mentor.” I certainly wasn’t going to give these two any specifics. “I’m pretty sure he keeps them near the weight room.”
Mason stopped walking. “That’s right by all the training supplies. By the boxing gloves.”
“The exterior entrance is too secure,” said Eddie. “They won’t risk anyone getting into the stakes. But you can access it from the other side—by the guardian offices and meeting rooms.”
“Which we have a key to,” I added.
We stood there staring at one another. Cheers from the carnival made me think someone must have successfully dunked a teacher.
“The key doesn’t matter,” said Eddie at last. “There are too many guardians. You can’t walk in there without them noticing.”
My eyes fell on the sheet Mason held. “Actually…maybe I can. You guys round up what you can from the rec building, just to be safe.” I didn’t elaborate that “just to be safe” actually meant “in case I’m caught.”
Mason regarded me with awe and affection—and also concern. “Rose, I love it when you’re crazy, but this might even be beyond you.”