Chapter Fifty Five

F

DPOV

Songs: Blue Monday by New Order

"Have fun you two."

Her back turned to me as her hand lifted towards Ivashkov's shoulder. Those fingers that had just been nervously fidgeting with a stone gently curled into a loving squeeze. His face lit up, and I was suddenly aware of the bruise forming on my chest where Rose's stake had been pressed.

The past several weeks I'd conditioned myself. I'd used every situation with Rose as an opportunity to fortify my Guardian training. I wasn't necessarily detached, but I was far less emotionally invested. She was my pupil in the training ring and the Princess of St. Vladimir's outside of it. That idea played in my mind over and over like a mantra keeping me in check.

But seeing them together was the ultimate test of my control. Especially when the voice in the back of my mind was clawing its way towards the surface, combatting my composure and begging to break out.

"...there are constantly two people battling inside me and I'm afraid what will ha