Negotiation 101 How to Negotiate With Clients

Many freelance writers feel uneasy at the thought of having to negotiate prices with clients, but it’s an important skill to have if you plan on becoming a freelance writer. It can help you secure higher fees and protect you from savvy clients who know how to negotiate well. However, setting the right price can be difficult. If you charge too much, you might miss out on good projects, but you also don’t want to work for peanuts. Here, we’ll look at various ways to set and negotiate the right price for your work. The Problem with Charging Hourly Rates Some writers think that charging by the hour is the best way to get paid what they think they’re worth, but this approach has various downsides. First, you don’t know how long each project will take before you start it. Second, many clients don’t like paying by the hour because some writers take advantage and drag out the project to increase the fee. For these reasons, we’re going to assume you’re trying to negotiate a fixed price (either per piece or per word) for each project. It’s what we at Constant Content recommend, and it’s what most clients prefer. There are a few things you need to consider before you arrive at the right price. 1. The Project Details The key to pricing accurately is having a good idea of how long a job will take to complete. If the initial brief is too vague, you need to find out the following: What is the approximate word count of the project? What is the project deadline? Who is the content aimed at, and what is the purpose of it? Will the client provide any resources, or will you be doing all the research? The more answers you can get upfront, the more clear you’ll be about the scope of the project. If you can’t get answers to these questions, the client is probably not someone you want to work with anyhow. 2. The Commercial Benefits It’s helpful to view each project from a commercial perspective. Are you producing an article for a small business blog with a relatively small audience? Or are you writing a white paper for a large organization? In the second case, your content is more valuable commercially, so the client will expect you to charge more. 3. The Competition How much are other writers charging for similar work? There’s actually no standard rate for any type of work; it depends on the type of job, the client’s budget, the writer’s experience, and many other factors. The question is: what do you offer in terms of knowledge, experience, and writing ability? The answer to this should dictate how high you set your rates. Don’t always feel like you have to undercut everyone else; clients are happy to pay more for quality writers because they’re harder to find. 4. The Long-Term Benefits It’s not just the price you have to consider. A client might offer you regular work, or give you a reference, in which case you might consider lowering your rates. When you’re starting out as a freelancer, charging less can be a worthwhile tactic for growing your portfolio and getting referrals. Negotiating the Best Deal Most clients today recognize the value of quality content and won’t mind if you try to negotiate a higher fee. Once you’ve seen the project details, worked out how long it will take, assessed the commercial benefits of the content, looked at the competition, and taken into account other benefits, you can make a proposal that maximizes your earning potential without offending the client. Eight Tips on Negotiating Higher Rates If you have a good knowledge of the subject matter, highlight your experience and qualifications, if any. If the client wants a quick turnaround, say you’ll need to charge more because you’re in demand and have other work commitments. Try to get the client to offer their fee first; it could be higher than you expect. If a client won’t give you a price, make an offer that’s higher than you would normally charge. Use this as a starting point for negotiations. Don’t give a price until you have all the details about a project. If you think the fee is too low, don’t be afraid to ask for more and explain why. You might be surprised at how many clients will return with a better offer. If you’re unsuccessful, at least you tried. Be confident. Some clients might take advantage of your insecurities, so stick up for yourself and your work. If the client won’t pay a higher price, ask them if they could shorten the length of the project or extend the deadline to justify the lower price. Closing the Deal If you treat clients with respect and are transparent in your negotiations, clients are less likely to undervalue your work and are more likely to ask for your services in the future. Remember that the rate you negotiate is not permanent; you can always renegotiate your prices for future work. Follow these suggestions and start negotiating with confidence. The more you do it, the easier it will become. Looking to land your next freelance writing client? Constant Content makes it easy for you to sell articles and land writing clients.

Bering Strait - Geographic Overview

Bering Strait - Geographic Overview The Bering Land Bridge, also known as the Bering Strait, was a land bridge connecting present-day eastern Siberia and the United States state of Alaska during Earths historic ice ages. For reference, Beringia is another name used to describe the Bering Land Bridge and it was coined in the mid-20th century by Eric Hulten, a Swedish botanist, who was studying plants in Alaska and northeastern Siberia. At the time of his study, he began using the word Beringia as a geographic description of the area. Beringia was about 1,000 miles (1,600 km) north to south at its widest point and was present at different times during the Pleistocene Epochs ice ages from 2.5 million to 12,000 years before the present (BP). It is significant to the study of geography because it is believed that humans migrated from the Asian continent to North America via the Bering Land Bridge during the last glaciation about 13,000-10,000 years BP. Much of what we know about the Bering Land Bridge today aside from its physical presence comes from biogeographical data showing connections between species on the Asian and North American continents. For example, there is evidence that saber tooth cats, woolly mammoths, various ungulates, and plants were on both continents around the last ice age and there would have been little way for them to appear on both without the presence of a land bridge. In addition, modern technology has been able to use this biogeographical evidence, as well as modeling of climate, sea levels, and mapping of the sea floor between present-day Siberia and Alaska to visually depict the Bering Land Bridge. Formation and Climate During the ice ages of the Pleistocene Epoch, global sea levels fell significantly in many areas around the world as the Earths water and precipitation became frozen in large continental ice sheets and glaciers. As these ice sheets and glaciers grew, global sea levels fell and in several places across the planet different land bridges became exposed. The Bering Land Bridge between eastern Siberia and Alaska was one of these. The Bering Land Bridge is believed to have existed through numerous ice ages from earlier ones around 35,000 years ago to more recent ice ages around 22,000-7,000 years ago. Most recently, it is believed that the strait between Siberia and Alaska became dry land about 15,500 years before the present, but by 6,000 years before the present, the strait was again closed due to a warming climate and rising sea levels. During the latter period, the coastlines of eastern Siberia and Alaska developed roughly the same shapes they have today. During the time of the Bering Land Bridge, it should be noted that the area between Siberia and Alaska was not glaciated like the surrounding continents because snowfall was very light in the region. This is because the wind blowing into the area from the Pacific Ocean lost its moisture before reaching Beringia when it was forced to rise over the Alaska Range in central Alaska. However, because of its very high latitude, the region would have had a similar cold and harsh climate as is in northwestern Alaska and eastern Siberia today. Flora and Fauna Because the Bering Land Bridge was not glaciated and precipitation was light, grasslands were most common on the Bering Land Bridge itself and for hundreds of miles into the Asian and North American continents. It is believed that there were very few trees and all vegetation consisted of grasses and low-lying plants and shrubs. Today, the region surrounding what remains of Beringia in northwestern Alaska and eastern Siberia still features grasslands with very few trees. The fauna of the Bering Land Bridge consisted mainly of large and small ungulates adapted to grassland environments. In addition, fossils indicate that species such as saber-toothed cats, woolly mammoths, and other large and small mammals were present on the Bering Land Bridge as well. It is also believed that when the Bering Land Bridge began to flood with rising sea levels during the end of the last ice age, these animals moved south into what is today the main North American continent. Human Evolution One of the most important things about the Bering Land Bridge is that it enabled humans to cross the Bering Sea and enter North America during the last ice age about 12,000 years ago. It is believed that these early settlers were following migrating mammals across the Bering Land Bridge and for a time may have settled on the bridge itself. As the Bering Land Bridge began to flood once again with the end of the ice age, however, humans and the animals they were following moved south along coastal North America. To learn more about the Bering Land Bridge and its status as a national preserve park today, visit the National Park Services website. References National Park Service. (2010, February 1). Bering Land Bridge National Preserve (U.S. National Park Service. Retrieved from: https://www.nps.gov/bela/index.htm Wikipedia. (2010, March 24). Beringia - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beringia

Developing an integrated Marketing Mix Plan for a new brand (TEA) Research Paper

Developing an integrated Marketing Mix Plan for a new brand (TEA) - Research Paper Example The firms fail to address the competitive forces by developing their marketing policies will minimize the competitors (William 56). The marketing policies adopted by the organizational leaders, they direct their firms towards gaining the competitive advantage in the value added tea industry are discussed in the research. Data is collected through interviews with founders of nine firms using an interview guide and use records at the UK Tea. The results produced that brand structure, position advertising, product discrimination, cost control, and customer center were the most important policies approved by the organization. Opening up new markets abroad, fair trade, ecological sustainability, and closer delivery were acknowledged as imperative policies that are distinguished compact from contenders and located them among the market influential. It was also discovered that the deliberate resolutions could be endorsed to vision of the leaders, menace taking, their eagerness and assurance . Identifying marketing policies depending on the firm’s competence and modernization, and is found fundamental for the cost added tea export industries to attain production realization as well as to make significant involvement to the United Kingdom market. Introduction The Tea Processing market research reports on that provides the key industry with the analysis and market statistics, measures the market size, analyzes the current and future industry trends and identifies to the industries the share for the largest markets. The IBIS World publishes the largest collection of the economic report so that an industry can have a supply chain, economic drivers and key buyers and sufficient markets for their products. Tea is distinctly the British beverage, and more than 60 billion mugs of tea are taken annually in the United Kingdom only. The Britons are noted as the world tea drinkers per each capita, it has over 1,200 diverse types of tea sold all over the country. Viewing it f rom the economic depression and dilapidated customer expenditure, the Tea processing industry has remained resilient, due to its staple and cheap nature. The majority of the of the tea that is consumed in the United Kingdom, is the black tea type, it is primarily made from a blend of East African and South Asian tea leaves. There is a low amount of tea that is grown in the United Kingdom; the industry is exposed to the volatilities including global sourcing, for example, weather, crop diseases, political unrests and other external factors (Allen 42). The consumption of tea mostly ranges at 88% at the household purchasing. The South East part has the highest proportion of tea drinkers at 94%. According to the geographical spread of the tea manufacturing industries follow the trends of population development and the disposable capita income. Considering the low cultivation of tea in the U.K, and the large multinational companies such as Tetley and Unilever, they occupy the dispensatio n, amalgamation, covering and distribution of tea, and they are located close to their major customers (Data monitor 78). The wholesale bypass keeps the industry on its toes, through the IBIS World’s coffee, tea, and spices. The wholesaling market investigation, report provides the latest industry statistics and trends, making it possible for consumers to recognize the products and customers during the revenue augmentation and effectiveness. The manufacturing statement identifies the principal corporation and offers premeditated manufacturing analysis for the key aspects that manipulate the market at large (Mersey 34). The Coffee, Tea and Spices industries has had a bitter and marvelous run, even

An Examination of Obamas Inaugural Speech Essay

An Examination of Obamas Inaugural Speech - Essay Example Despite its lack of the excitement aroused by his earlier speeches, this inaugural speech had the basic ingredients of the art of rhetoric characteristic of most political and civil movement speeches. Because of its messages and the use of the fundamentals of rhetoric, President Obama’s inaugural speech has been described by many as a moment and speech that the American people had longed for since the election night. In fact, some feared that they might have died without hearing such a speech. Besides being the first African-American to be sworn in as president of the United States of America, President Obama wrote a speech that both his opponents and supporters will remember for quite some time. In fact, the speech introduced a new era of leadership and communication in the country. The speech was not only well written but was also well-read, a feat quite hard to achieve if the performance of the post-2996 inaugural speeches is anything to go by (Walker 8). There was plenty of anaphora in President Obama’s inaugural speech, in which many words were repeated at the beginning of neighboring clauses and sentences. For instance, he said, â€Å"Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished.† In addition, anaphora was evident when he said, â€Å"For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life. For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West, endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.† The other fundamental of rhetoric used in the President’s speech was ethos when he said, "From the grandest capitals to the  small village where my father was born.† The speech was also delivered at the grandest of stages by a man â€Å"†¦whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.†

Bigger, Faster, Stronger Essay Example for Free

Bigger, Faster, Stronger Essay Chris Bell who came from an overweight family narrated this film. Chris did not want to be like his father when he was younger; instead he wanted to be like Arnold Schwarzenegger. Chris’ older brother would beat up kids who made fun of him so he was nicknamed Mad Dog. His younger brother hated school and had a learning disability. His younger brother was nicknamed Smelly. Chris and his brothers would wrestle in their basement. Mad Dog had become football captain at his school, while Smelly and Chris began participating in body building competitions. Chris was the strongest kid in his high school and held the New York record. Chris had started to get accused of using steroids. By his senior year he was one of the strongest kids in the country. He moved to California and trained at the gym that Arnold Schwarzenegger trained at. All he accomplished with moving was landing a job at Gold’s Gym selling memberships. It was said that some move to California and live out of their cars to lift at Gold’s Gym. Chris was always against steroids, so when he found out that all his heroes had used them he was very bothered. Chris’ older brother, Mad Dog, stated using steroids while playing football at University of Cincinnati. Shortly after he quit college to pursue another dream of his which was professional wrestling. Mad Dog was the guy who got paid to make other wrestlers look good by getting beat up. Mad Dog was told he would get a contract, but never did. Mad Dog started doing drugs in addition to steroids. He said he would rather be dead than average and later attempted to commit suicide. Smelly also followed Mad Dog and took steroids. He also pursued his wrestling dream, but unlike Mad Dog he had a wife to consider. After having a son, Smelly realized that wrestling was not the life he wanted. Smelly and his wife settled down in the suburbs and opened a gym. But even after quitting wrestling the steroid usage did not stop. Chris could not understand why he was so against steroid usage, but his brothers were not. It is said that many of the baseball players were using steroids and baseball players because of this went from being scrawny to looking like wrestlers. In 2005 Congress spent 151 days in session and 8 of those they spent debating the use of steroids. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention anabolic steroids kills 3 people a year and is #142 in top killers. Steroids are synthetic versions of hormones that your body produces naturally. Some side effects of steroids are acne, hair growth, and reduced sperm count. Some side effects in women are deepened voice, menstrual problem, and enlarged clitoris. Some of these side effects are not reversible. Testosterone tells the body to increase muscle size and strength and helps you recover from workouts faster. For kids some experts think steroids can stunt their growth, but it is not proven. No one has ever done studies on long-term effects of steroids. Congress wanted to pass a law that would control steroids like cocaine and heroin. In 1990 Congress passed the Anabolic Steroid Control Act. This video has not changed my opinion on steroids. My thought on steroids before watching this video was that it should only be used for medical reasons. I consider those who use steroids to gain an advantage over others in professional sports as cheaters. This video, however, did introduce me to many other types of people who use steroids such as pilots, porn stars, and musicians.

Racism Essay examples -- Racial Prejudice

Racism Racism has often played a central role in conflicts between groups of people. Racism is the intentional or unintentional use of power to isolate, separate and exploit others as defined in the Webster dictionary. People generally respond to others differently based on what they know, which may include superficial characteristics often associated with race. This paper will express my opinion of how racism will effect America. I will base information from Webster’s definition of Racism, reading assigned for the course, and some of my own ideas on ways to overcome this obstacle as a nation. Racism has historically been defined as the belief that race is the primary determinant of human capacities, that a certain race is inherently superior or inferior to others, and/or that individuals should be treated differently according to their racial designation. Sometimes racism means beliefs, practices, and institutions that discriminate against people based on their perceived or ascribed race. While the sin of racism is an age-old phenomenon based on ignorance, fear, estrangement, and false pride, some of its ugliest manifestations have taken place in our time. Racism and irrational prejudices operate in a vicious circle. Racism is among the worst of ingrained prejudices that characterize sinful human beings. Racism's ultimate goal, according to Fredrickson, is to establish a permanent hierarchal order that, "has two components: difference and power." Dictionaries are not much help in understanding what is meant by the word. They usually define it as the belief that one's own ethnic stock is superior to others, or as the belief that culture and behavior are rooted in race. When Americans speak of racism they mean a great deal more than this. Nevertheless, the dictionary definition of racism is a clue to understanding what Americans do mean. Nussbaum’s argument is logical, in which case it can be stated as: If your first loyalty should be to your own group, then why arbitrarily make this group the one represented by your country? Why not direct your primary allegiance to your own particular tribe or kinship group? After all, if the mere accident of belonging to such and such a group is to be the basis of your moral allegiance, then what makes your country a more logical choice than your sect or tribe or even your family? Where do you draw the line?... ... false belief that "some" races are inherently superior to others because of different skin color, nationality, ethnic or cultural background. RACISM deprives people of their basic human rights, dignity and respect Global change has to start small and travel abroad. If children are taught at an early age that it is ok to mock and stereotype others, when they become in the position to change policy concerning the offensive use of other cultures, is it any wonder why they don't see such use as racism and stereotyping? What I propose is that we look for the seeds of racism in dominant society and we destroy them by replacing with good seeds. We need to replace the seeds of racism with seeds of morality, compassion, love, and mutual respect, which is found in our traditional teachings, so that are children and future my blossom. We will only continue to hurt ourselves by not welcoming diversity. Racial discrimination is an offense against our fellow human beings, who were created in God's image. We must have a evolution of process to make change happen. This is the only cure that will aide the Americans in becoming less racist. Change is not instantaneous nor will it happen over night.

Frostbite Chapter 15

Fifteen I WAS TRYING TO PAINT my toenails the next morning- not easy with such a god-awful hangover- when I heard a knock at the door. Lissa had been gone when I woke up, so I staggered across the room, trying not to ruin my wet nail polish. Opening up the door, I saw one of the hotel staff standing outside with a large box in both arms. He shifted it slightly so that he could peer around and look at me. â€Å"I'm looking for Rose Hathaway.† â€Å"That's me.† I took the box from him. It was big but not all that heavy. With a quick thank-you, I shut the door, wondering if I should have tipped him. Oh well. I sat on the floor with the box. It had no markings on it and was sealed with packing tape. I found a pen and stabbed at the tape. Once I'd hacked off enough, I opened the box and peered inside. It was filled with perfume. There had to be at least thirty little bottles of perfume packed into the box. Some I'd heard of, some I hadn't. They ranged from crazy expensive, movie-star caliber to cheap kinds I'd seen in drugstores. Eternity. Angel. Vanilla Fields. Jade Blossom. Michael Kors. Poison. Hypnotic Poison. Pure Poison. Happy. Light Blue. J?van Musk. Pink Sugar. Vera Wang. One by one, I picked up the boxes, read the descriptions, and then pulled out the bottles for a sniff. I was about halfway through when reality hit. These had to be from Adrian. I didn't know how he'd managed to get all of these delivered to the hotel in such a short amount of time, but money can make almost anything happen. Still, I didn't need the attention of a rich, spoiled Moroi; apparently he hadn't picked up on my signals. Regretfully, I started to place the perfumes back in the box- then stopped. Of course I'd return them†¦but there was no harm in sniffing the rest before I did. Once more, I started pulling out bottle after bottle. Some I just sniffed the cap of; others I sprayed in the air. Serendipity. Dolce & Gabbana. Shalimar. Daisy. Note after note hit me: rose, violet, sandalwood, orange, vanilla, orchid †¦ By the time I was finished, my nose barely worked anymore. All of these had been designed for humans. They had a weaker sense of smell than vampires and even dhampirs, so these scents were extra strong. I had a new appreciation for what Adrian had meant about only a splash of perfume being necessary. If all these bottles were making me dizzy, I could only imagine what a Moroi would smell. The sensory overload wasn't really helping the headache I'd woken up with either. I packed up the perfume for real this time, stopping only when I came to a certain kind that I really liked. I hesitated, holding the little box in my hand. Then, I took the red bottle out and re-sniffed it. It was a crisp, sweet fragrance. There was some kind of fruit- but not a candied or sugary fruit. I racked my brain for a scent I'd once smelled on a girl I knew in my dorm. She'd told me the name. It was like a cherry†¦but sharper. Currant, that's what it was. And here it was in this perfume, mixed with some florals: lily of the valley and others I couldn't identify. Whatever the blend, something about it appealed to me. Sweet- but not too sweet. I read the box, looking for the name. Amor Amor. â€Å"Fitting,† I muttered, seeing how many love problems I seemed to have lately. But I kept the perfume anyway and repacked the rest. Hoisting the box up in my arms, I took it down to the front desk and acquired some packing tape to reseal it. I also got directions to Adrian's room. Apparently, the Ivashkovs practically had their own wing. It wasn't too far from Tasha's room. Feeling like a delivery girl, I walked down the hall and stopped in front of his door. Before I could manage to knock, it opened up, and Adrian stood before me. He looked as surprised as I felt. â€Å"Little dhampir,† he said cordially. â€Å"Didn't expect to see you here.† â€Å"I'm returning these.† I hoisted the box toward him before he could protest. Clumsily, he caught it, staggering a bit in surprise. Once he had a good grip, he took a few steps back and set it on the floor. â€Å"Didn't you like any of them?† he asked. â€Å"You want me to get you some more?† â€Å"Don't send me any more gifts.† â€Å"It isn't a gift. It's a public service. What woman doesn't own perfume?† â€Å"Don't do it again,† I said firmly. Suddenly, a voice behind him asked, â€Å"Rose? Is that you?† I peered beyond him. Lissa. â€Å"What are you doing here?† Between my headache and what I had assumed was some interlude with Christian, I'd blocked her out as best I could this morning. Normally I would have known the instant I approached that she was inside the room. I opened myself up again, letting her shock run into me. She hadn't expected me to show up here. â€Å"What are you doing here?† she asked. â€Å"Ladies, ladies,† he said teasingly. â€Å"No need to fight over me.† I glared. â€Å"We're not. I just want to know what's going on here.† A breath of aftershave hit me, and then I heard a voice behind me: â€Å"Me too.† I jumped. Spinning around, I saw Dimitri standing in the hallway. I had no clue what he was doing in the Ivashkov wing. On his way to Tasha's room, a voice inside me suggested. Dimitri no doubt always expected me to get into all sorts of trouble, but I think seeing Lissa there caught him off guard. He stepped past me and came into the room, looking between the three of us. â€Å"Male and female students aren't supposed to be in each other's rooms.† I knew pointing out that Adrian wasn't technically a student wasn't going to get us out of trouble here. We weren't supposed to be in any guy's room. â€Å"How do you keep doing this?† I asked Adrian, frustrated. â€Å"Do what?† â€Å"Keep making us look bad!† He chuckled. â€Å"You guys are the ones who came here.† â€Å"You shouldn't have let them in,† scolded Dimitri. â€Å"I'm sure you know the rules at St. Vladimir's.† Adrian shrugged. â€Å"Yeah, but I don't have to follow any school's stupid rules.† â€Å"Perhaps not,† said Dimitri coldly. â€Å"But I would have thought you'd still respect those rules.† Adrian rolled his eyes. â€Å"I'm kind of surprised to find you lecturing about underage girls.† I saw the anger kindle in Dimitri's eyes, and for a moment, I thought I might have seen the loss of control I'd teased him about. But he stayed composed, and only his clenched fists showed how angry he was. â€Å"Besides,† continued Adrian, â€Å"nothing sordid was going on. We were just hanging out.† â€Å"If you want to ‘hang out' with young girls, do it at one of the public areas.† I didn't really like Dimitri calling us ‘young girls,' and I kind of felt like he was overreacting here. I also suspected part of his reaction had to do with the fact that I was here. Adrian laughed just then, a weird kind of laugh that made my skin crawl. â€Å"Young girls? Young girls? Sure. Young and old at the same time. They've barely seen anything in life, yet they've already seen too much. One's marked with life, and one's marked with death†¦but they're the ones you're worried about? Worry about yourself, dhampir. Worry about you, and worry about me. We're the ones who are young.† The rest of us just sort of stared. I don't think anyone had expected Adrian to suddenly take an abrupt trip to Crazyville. Adrian was calm and looked perfectly normal again. He turned away and strolled toward the window, glancing casually back at the rest of us as he pulled out his cigarettes. â€Å"You ladies should probably go. He's right. I am a bad influence.† I exchanged looks with Lissa. Hurriedly, we both left and followed Dimitri down the hall toward the lobby. â€Å"That was†¦strange,† I said a couple of minutes later. It was stating the obvious, but, well, someone had to. â€Å"Very,† said Dimitri. He didn't sound angry so much as puzzled. When we reached the lobby, I started to follow Lissa back toward our room, but Dimitri called to me. â€Å"Rose,† he said. â€Å"Can I talk to you?† I felt a sympathetic rush of feeling from Lissa. I turned toward Dimitri and stepped off to the side of the room, out of the way of those passing through. A party of Moroi in diamonds and fur swept past us, anxious looks on their faces. Bellhops followed with luggage. People were still leaving in search of safer places. The Strigoi paranoia was far from over. Dimitri's voice snapped my attention back to him. â€Å"That's Adrian Ivashkov.† He said the name the same way everyone else did. â€Å"Yeah, I know.† â€Å"This is the second time I've seen you with him.† â€Å"Yeah,† I replied glibly. â€Å"We hang out sometimes.† Dimitri arched an eyebrow, then jerked his head back toward where we'd come from. â€Å"You hang out in his room a lot?† Several retorts popped into my head, and then a golden one took precedence. â€Å"What happens between him and me is none of your business.† I managed a tone very similar to the one he'd used on me when making a similar comment about him and Tasha. â€Å"Actually, as long as you're at the Academy, what you do is my business.† â€Å"Not my personal life. You don't have any say in that.† â€Å"You're not an adult yet.† â€Å"I'm close enough. Besides, it's not like I'll magically become an adult on my eighteenth birthday.† â€Å"Clearly,† he said. I blushed. â€Å"That's not what I meant. I meant- â€Å" â€Å"I know what you meant. And the technicalities don't matter right now. You're an Academy student. I'm your instructor. It's my job to help you and to keep you safe. Being in the bedroom of someone like him †¦ well, that's not safe.† â€Å"I can handle Adrian Ivashkov,† I muttered. â€Å"He's weird- really weird, apparently- but harmless.† I secretly wondered if Dimitri's problem might be that he was jealous. He hadn't pulled Lissa aside to yell at her. The thought made me slightly happy, but then I remembered my earlier curiosity about why Dimitri had even wandered by. â€Å"Speaking of personal lives †¦ I suppose you were off visiting Tasha, huh?† I knew it was petty, and I expected a â€Å"none of your business† response. Instead he replied, â€Å"Actually, I was visiting your mother.† â€Å"You going to hook up with her too?† I knew of course that he wasn't, but the quip seemed too good to pass up. He seemed to know that too and merely gave me a weary glance. â€Å"No, we were looking over some new data about the Strigoi in the Drozdov attack.† My anger and snarkiness dried up. The Drozdovs. The Badicas. Suddenly, everything that had happened this morning seemed incredibly trivial. How could I have stood there arguing with Dimitri about romances that might or might not be happening when he and the other guardians were trying to protect us? â€Å"What'd you find out?† I asked quietly. â€Å"We've managed to track some of the Strigoi,† he said. â€Å"Or at least the humans with them. There were witnesses who lived nearby who spotted a few of the cars the group used. The plates were all from different states- the group appears to have split up, probably to make it harder for us. But one of the witnesses did catch one plate number. It's registered to an address in Spokane.† â€Å"Spokane?† I asked incredulously. â€Å"Spokane, Washington? Who makes Spokane their hideout?† I'd been there once. It was about as boring as every other backwoods northwest city. â€Å"Strigoi, apparently,† he said, deadpan. â€Å"The address was fake, but other evidence shows they really are there. There's a kind of shopping plaza that has some underground tunnels. There've been Strigoi sightings around that area.† â€Å"Then †¦Ã¢â‚¬  I frowned. â€Å"Are you going to go after them? Is somebody going to? I mean, this is what Tasha's been saying all along†¦. If we know where they are †¦Ã¢â‚¬  He shook his head. â€Å"The guardians can't do anything without permission from higher up. That's not going to happen anytime soon.† I sighed. â€Å"Because the Moroi talk too much.† â€Å"They're being cautious,† he said. I felt myself getting worked up again. â€Å"Come on. Even you can't want to be careful on this one. You actually know where Strigoi are hiding out. Strigoi who massacred children. Don't you want to go after them when they don't expect it?† I sounded like Mason now. â€Å"It's not that easy,† he said. â€Å"We answer to the Guardian Council and the Moroi government. We can't just run off and act on impulse. And anyway, we don't know everything yet. You should never walk into any situation without knowing all the details.† â€Å"Zen life lessons again,† I sighed. I ran a hand through my hair, tucking it behind my ears. â€Å"Why'd you tell me this, anyway? This is guardian stuff. Not the kind of thing you let novices in on.† He considered his words, and his expression softened. He always looked amazing, but I liked him best like this. â€Å"I've said a few things†¦the other day and today†¦that I shouldn't have. Things that insulted your age. You're seventeen†¦but you're capable of handling and processing the same things those much older than you do.† My chest grew light and fluttery. â€Å"Really?† He nodded. â€Å"You're still really young in a lot of ways- and act young- but the only way to really change that is to treat you like an adult. I need to do that more. I know you'll take this information and understand how important it is and keep it to yourself.† I didn't love being told I acted young, but I liked the idea that he would talk to me like an equal. â€Å"Dimka,† came a voice. Tasha Ozera walked up to us. She smiled when she saw me. â€Å"Hello, Rose.† There went my mood. â€Å"Hey,† I said flatly. She placed a hand on Dimitri's forearm, sliding her fingers over the leather of his coat. I eyed those fingers angrily. How dare they touch him? â€Å"You've got that look,† she told him. â€Å"What look?† he asked. The stern look he'd worn with me vanished. There was a small, knowing smile on his lips. Almost a playful one. â€Å"That look that says you're going to be on duty all day.† â€Å"Really? I have a look like that?† There was a teasing, mocking tone to his voice. She nodded. â€Å"When does your shift technically end?† Dimitri actually looked- I swear- sheepish. â€Å"An hour ago.† â€Å"You can't keep doing this,† she groaned. â€Å"You need a break.† â€Å"Well †¦ if you consider that I'm always Lissa's guardian†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"For now,† she said knowingly. I felt sicker than I had last night. â€Å"There's a big pool tournament going on upstairs.† â€Å"I can't,† he said, but the smile was still on his face. â€Å"Even though I haven't played in a long time †¦Ã¢â‚¬  What the- ? Dimitri played pool? Suddenly, it didn't matter that we'd just had a discussion about him treating me like an adult. Some small part of me did know what a compliment that was- but the rest of me wanted him to treat me like he did Tasha. Playful. Teasing. Casual. They were so familiar with each other, so completely at ease. â€Å"Come on, then,† she begged. â€Å"Just one round! We could take them all.† â€Å"I can't,† he repeated. He sounded regretful. â€Å"Not with everything going on.† She sobered a little. â€Å"No. I suppose not.† Glancing at me, she said teasingly, â€Å"I hope you realize what a hard-core role model you have here. He's never off duty.† â€Å"Well,† I said, copying her lilting tone from earlier, â€Å"for now, at least.† Tasha looked puzzled. I don't think it occurred to her I'd be making fun of her. Dimitri's dark look told me he knew exactly what I was doing. I immediately realized I'd just killed whatever progress I'd made as an adult. â€Å"We're finished here, Rose. Remember what I said.† â€Å"Yeah,† I said, turning away. I suddenly wanted to go to my room and veg for a while. This day was making me tired already. â€Å"Definitely.† I hadn't gotten far when I ran into Mason. Good God. Men everywhere. â€Å"You're mad,† he said as soon as he looked at my face. He had a knack for discovering my moods. â€Å"What happened?† â€Å"Some †¦ authority problems. It's been a weird morning.† I sighed, unable to get Dimitri off the brain. Looking at Mason, I remembered how I'd been convinced I wanted to get serious with him last night. I was a head case. I couldn't make up my mind about anyone. Deciding the best way to banish one guy was to pay attention to another, I grabbed Mason's hand and steered him away. â€Å"Come on. Wasn't the deal to go somewhere†¦um, private today?† â€Å"I figured you weren't drunk anymore,† he joked. But his eyes looked very, very serious. And interested. â€Å"I assumed it was all off.† â€Å"Hey, I stand by my claims, no matter what.† Opening my mind, I searched for Lissa. She was no longer in our room. She'd gone off to some other royal event, no doubt still practicing for Priscilla Voda's big dinner. â€Å"Come on,† I told Mason. â€Å"We'll go to my room.† Aside from when Dimitri inconveniently happened to be passing by someone's room, nobody was really enforcing the mixed-gender rule. It was practically like being back in my Academy dorms. As Mason and I went upstairs, I related to him what Dimitri had told me about the Strigoi in Spokane. Dimitri had told me to keep it to myself, but I was mad at him again, and I didn't see any harm in telling Mason. I knew he'd be interested in this. I was right. Mason got really worked up. â€Å"What?† he exclaimed as we walked into my room. â€Å"They're not doing anything?† I shrugged and sat on my bed. â€Å"Dimitri said- â€Å" â€Å"I know, I know †¦ I heard you. About being careful and all that.† Mason paced around my room angrily. â€Å"But if those Strigoi go after another Moroi†¦another family†¦damn it! They're going to wish they weren't so careful then.† â€Å"Forget about it,† I said. I felt kind of miffed that me on a bed wasn't enough to deter him from crazy battle plans. â€Å"There's nothing we can do.† He stopped walking. â€Å"We could go.† â€Å"Go where?† I asked stupidly. â€Å"To Spokane. There are buses you can catch in town.† â€Å"I †¦ wait. You want us to go to Spokane and take on Strigoi?† â€Å"Sure. Eddie'd do it too †¦ we could go to that mall. They wouldn't be organized or anything, so we could wait and pick them off one by one †¦Ã¢â‚¬  I could only stare. â€Å"When did you get so dumb?† â€Å"Oh, I see. Thanks for the vote of confidence.† â€Å"It's not about confidence,† I argued, standing up and approaching him. â€Å"You kick major ass. I've seen it. But this †¦ this isn't the way. We can't go get Eddie and take on Strigoi. We need more people. More planning. More information.† I rested my hands on his chest. He placed his over them and smiled. The fire of battle was still in his eyes, but I could tell his mind was shifting to more immediate concerns. Like me. â€Å"I didn't mean to call you dumb,† I told him. â€Å"I'm sorry.† â€Å"You're just saying that now because you want to have your way with me.† â€Å"Of course I am,† I laughed, happy to see him relax. The nature of this conversation reminded me a little of the one Christian and Lissa had had in the chapel. â€Å"Well,† he said, â€Å"I don't think I'm going to be too hard to take advantage of.† â€Å"Good. Because there are lots of things I want to do.† I slid my hands up and around his neck. His skin was warm beneath my fingers, and I remembered how much I'd enjoyed kissing him last night. Suddenly, out of nowhere, he said, â€Å"You really are his student.† â€Å"Whose?† â€Å"Belikov's. I was just thinking about when you mentioned needing more information and stuff. You act just like him. You've gotten all serious since you've been hanging out with him.† â€Å"No, I haven't.† Mason had pulled me closer, but now I suddenly didn't feel so romantic. I'd wanted to make out and forget Dimitri for a while, not have a conversation about him. Where had this come from? Mason was supposed to be distracting me. He didn't notice anything was wrong. â€Å"You've just changed, that's all. It's not bad †¦ just different.† Something about that made me angry, but before I could snap back, his mouth met mine in a kiss. Reasonable discussions sort of vanished. A bit of that dark temper started to rise in me, but I simply channeled that intensity into physicality as Mason and I fell on top of each other. I yanked him down on the bed, managing to do so without stopping the kissing. I was nothing if not a multitasker. I dug my nails into his back while his hands slid up the back of my neck and released the ponytail I'd just made minutes ago. Running his fingers through the unbound hair, he shifted his mouth down and kissed my neck. â€Å"You are †¦ amazing,† he told me. And I could tell that he meant it. His whole face glowed with affection for me. I arched upward, letting his lips press harder against my skin while his hands slipped under the bottom of my shirt. They trailed upward along my stomach, just barely tracing the edge of my bra. Considering we'd just been having an argument a minute ago, I was surprised to see things escalating so quickly. Honestly, though †¦ I didn't mind. This was the way I lived my life. Everything was always fast and intense with me. The night Dimitri and I had fallen victim to Victor Dashkov's lust charm, there'd been some pretty furious passion going on too. Dimitri had controlled it, though, so sometimes we'd taken things slowly†¦and that had been wonderful in its own way. But most of the time, we hadn't been able to hold ourselves back. I could feel it all over again. The ways his hands had run over my body. The deep, powerful kisses. It was then that I realized something. I was kissing Mason, but in my head, I was with Dimitri. And it wasn't like I was simply remembering either. I was actually imagining I was with Dimitri- right now- reliving that night all over again. With my eyes closed, it was easy to pretend. But when I opened them and saw Mason's eyes, I knew he was with me. He adored me and had wanted me for a long time. For me to do this †¦ to be with him and pretend I was with someone else †¦ It wasn't right. I wiggled out of his reach. â€Å"No †¦ don't.† Mason stopped immediately because that's the kind of guy he was. â€Å"Too much?† he asked. I nodded. â€Å"That's okay. We don't have to do that.† He reached for me again, and I moved farther away. â€Å"No, I just don't†¦ I don't know. Let's call it quits, okay?† â€Å"I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He was speechless for a moment. â€Å"What happened to the ‘lots of things' you wanted to do?† Yeah †¦ it looked pretty bad, but what could I say? I can't get physical with you because when I do, I just think about the other guy I actually want. You're just a stand-in. I swallowed, feeling stupid. â€Å"I'm sorry, Mase. I just can't.† He sat up and ran a hand over his hair. â€Å"Okay. All right.† I could hear the hardness in his voice. â€Å"You're mad.† He glanced over at me, a stormy expression on his face. â€Å"I'm just confused. I can't read your signals. One moment you're hot, the next you're cold. You tell me you want me, you tell me you don't. If you picked one, that'd be fine, but you keep making me think one thing and then you end up going in a completely different direction. Not just now- all the time.† It was true. I had gone back and forth with him. Sometimes I was flirty, other times I completely ignored him. â€Å"Is there something you want me to do?† he asked when I didn't say anything. â€Å"Something that'll†¦ I don't know. Make you feel better about me?† â€Å"I don't know,† I said weakly. He sighed. â€Å"Then what do you want in general?† Dimitri, I thought. Instead, I repeated myself. â€Å"I don't know.† With a groan, he stood up and headed for the door. â€Å"Rose, for someone who claims she wants to gather as much information as possible, you really have a lot to learn about yourself.† The door slammed behind him. The noise made me flinch, and as I stared at where Mason had just stood, I realized he was right. I did have a lot to learn.