Parents And The Quality Child Care Program - 780 Words

Parents’ involvement in the Early Childhood Program is very important to enrich the quality child care program. Some family may show lot of enthusiasm and interest while others may show little interest to involve in the program. As mentioned by Essa and Young, â€Å"Regardless of the extent or type of involvement, an involved parents is a far greater asset to the program than an uninvolved one, since planning, implementing, and evaluating becomes a team effort† (2003, p. 184).This program is a team work where three important players children, parents and teacher work together to achieve the goal of the program. Parents might contribute to the program in the following ways: 1. Excellent source of resources: Parents are an excellent source of resources to the program. Different parents have different expertise and skills which they can share with teacher and children and can be a part of the curriculum. For example, if any parents is working as yoga instructor, he or she can teach some basic yoga poses and techniques to the children which help children to be more focused. If any Parents is working in the health sector, may give talk to the children about basic health and hygiene practices. Parents working in the farming land can arrange short field trip for the children where they get the opportunity to see fruits and vegetables growing and by visiting the farm animals like cows, goats and chicken they also get the knowledge of the production of eggs, milk, cheese and otherShow MoreRelatedCalifornia s Early Care And Education System1342 Words   |  6 Pagesreview describes California’s early care and education system, specifically program mode ls and funding streams, then address the topic of how parents select child care. Through a neoliberal framework, particular attention will be paid to how early care and education programs compete to recruit prospective students and their families. Based on the literature, conclusions will be drawn about how the current competitive landscape between early care and education programs is shaping student and family recruitmentRead MoreQuality Of Education : State And Federal Involvement1642 Words   |  7 Pages Quality of Education: State and Federal Involvement Ekaterina Hall Santiago Canyon College Introduction The world today is globally competitive and education is at the center of it all. John F. Kennedy, a former U.S. President, once stated, â€Å"A child miseducated is a child lost.†Read MoreNon-Parental Child Care963 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿Non-parental Child Care Non-Parental Child Care: In the initial years of the introduction of non-parental child care, the major question or concern regarding this practice was whether it was helpful or harmful to children. As the practice has developed since its inception, non-parental child care has become a fact of life in the modern society. This has resulted in the change to the initial question as the main concern of the practice in todays society is on the suitable ecological model of child careRead MoreChild Care Options Essays546 Words   |  3 Pagesworking parents to find daycare. The facts prove that having children come with a true price. Even so it doesn’t change the issues of finding child care or makes them go away. When parents work, quality child care is a necessity. And it does not come cheap. For families with more than one child, child care can eat up one salary, leaving parents wondering both working is worth it. When thinking of child care there are some options to consider like choosing a child care center, the costs of child careRead MoreThe Purpose Of The Child Care And Development Fund1188 Words   |  5 PagesCare professionals at the center can also support parents in identifying developmental problems and can help find strategies for dealing with them. Thus, early care may be an intervention with a very large benefit relative to its cost (â€Å"The Case for Investing†). If the government were to fund the child care centers the quality of the center would be able to increase, allowing more employees to enter the workforce and benefit the needs of the children. Child care mandatory and discretionary fundsRead MoreStandards For Optimal Quality Care For Child Development Centers950 Words   |  4 PagesQuiz #5 Essay In order to set the standards for optimal quality care for child development centers, the NAEYC accreditation system was created. The NAEYC accreditation system is a system that â€Å"assesses the quality of early childhood education programs and helps families make the right choice for their children† (Berns, 2016, p. 172). NAEYC Before NAEYC existed, there was no national standard of quality care that child-care programs could base their foundation on. As a result, NAEYC took the leadRead MoreDevelopment Of Quality Literacy Programs For Children And Parents1091 Words   |  5 Pagesorganization that was established in 1977 by some of the best experts in health, child development, and mental health. The main focus is on the development of infants and toddlers. The main goal of this organization is to guarantee that all babies and toddlers are given a strong start in life. Promoting an understanding about key issues that affect young children and their families. Key issues include infant mental health, child care, early language and literacy development, early intervention and the impactRead MoreEarly Childhood Program : Early Head Start Program1313 Words   |  6 Pagesseveral early childhood program models from which to choose, not all programs are equal in their goals and outcomes. Parents and policy ma kers have shown increased awareness for the quality of care and education in childhood programs (Epstein, 1999). A high-quality program is one that ascribes to developmentally appropriate practice while allowing children to take charge of their own education (Epstein, 1999). The author will discuss Early Head Start, Chicago Child-Parent Centers, and the AbecedarianRead MoreSupplemental Childcare Program Essay examples1227 Words   |  5 PagesSupplemental Childcare Program Families reliance on childcare has risen significantly over the past 30 years. In 1993, 9.9 million children under age 5, needed care while their mothers worked (Bureau of the Census, 1995). More than two-thirds of all infants receive nonparental child care during their first year of life, with most enrolled for about 30 hours each week (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, 1995). There are many different programs in the United States thatRead MoreEssay about The Cost of Childcare1270 Words   |  6 Pages Childcare or â€Å"daycare† is one of the most commonly used resources among Americans in the United States. There are many options for childcare that parents could choose from. The cost of childcare has risen dramatically over the past year, and no one really knows who to blame for it. The average cost for one child in a childcare facility ranges from $100-$350 a week. The government offers families subsidies for childcare, but that’s only if your income is low. What about the hard working middle class

Employment Education and Students Free Essays

1. Describe the skills or attributes you believe are necessary to be outstanding when working in student support services. You have to be able to relate and understand with the students on a positive level to reach an optimal outcome from any situation. We will write a custom essay sample on Employment: Education and Students or any similar topic only for you Order Now Hillside Academy taught me when dealing with students with special needs it’s best to go for an approach where you can talk with them one on one and get a better understanding as to how they are thinking, what would be the best possible outcome and what is the best solution to the problem without a non-violence approach. Students what to know they have the support of an adult faulty member with whom they can trust and build a positive solid relationship with and I think all these key factors help to create an outstanding student support service. 2. Please identify and describe any significant differences you would promote in a school which a majority of the students are African-American and Hispanic/Latino. I would promote a program where African Americans and Hispanic/Latino both have the opportunity to learn about each others cultures so that the students have a better understanding of each other and point out the similarities in each culture so that the students can come together as one. I feel as though the two cultures don’t fully understand each other as a whole and that creates a cultural clash. I would be fully interesting in creating a positive environment with the schools staff and resources to provide a common ground that will create stable relationships amongst the students and faulty members. Throughout my years of employment working with the youth and previous staff members I have learned to be a good listener, a great problem solver in the most chaotic and worst situations, a positive team player and most importantly a compassionate and understanding person. I am enthusiastic about applying my skills which I have acquired through previous experience and I look forward to being apart of the team to make an influential difference in the Proviso Township High Schools. . How would you address a wide range of skills in your classroom? Dupage school A lot of planning. The easiest thing to do is pull small groups. If your school uses 3 group rotation it is easy to implement. If your school uses another method of instruction you can pull groups during any independent work time. When some students are completing an independent assignment you pull another group to work with you (on that same activity or anther lesson all together. ) When the students need to complete the same activity you can differentiate by setting different goals for different students. In writing assignments you can alter the number of sentences that need to be written, how much sentences need to be extended, or how many details need to be included. Some students may edit on their own, some with a partner, or some in a small group with you. For reading assignments you may need to give different leveled books to different kids. You can find many books on the same topic at different levels. Most times your teacher manual will list alternative book options for more advanced or struggling readers. For reading assignments that all students need to complete try choral, echo, or partner reading for those who need it. Math is the easiest to differentiate. Some kids can use manipulative and some might be able to use mental math. Additionally, you can do an introduction and guided practice to the whole class. Whoever can complete the independent assignment on their own can do that and you can pull a small group for those students who still need guided practice or more scaffolding. How to cite Employment: Education and Students, Essay examples

Public Health Management Samples for Students †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Public Health and Management Plan. Answer: Public health is very important to each and every person. It is therefore very important to come up with a health management plan in order to protect ourselves and the entire society in large. It is important to have a health management plan since this can help reduce health hazards related to contact with unhealthy environment. For example, occupational health plan for hazardous radiations. At occupation environments, both employees and employers need to be protected against hazardous radiations which could otherwise slow down or lead to closure of the entire organization. It is also important to come up with a plan that describes on how to manage hazardous radiation. It is therefore important to have an occupation health management plan since health is a key factor in many occupations. Many organizations such as World health organization have been formed to campaign against health hazards affecting our day today people as a result of hazardous radiations. Health of an individual can be affected by several things. This could include drugs and alcohol as well as hazardous working places, such as radiation, heat stress, noise, exposure and fatigue or mental stress. In order to manage good health in our working areas we need to have a health plan which active. This means that each and every worker is adhering to the plan. Hazardous radiations are one of dangerous hazards which are exposed to workers in their working places. The number of hazards affecting workers depends on the quantity and frequency of radiations emitted. The number of affected employees depends on the number of workers exposed to hazardous radiation in that particular industry which deals with substances which release hazardous radiations. It is therefore important to have a health plan that protect both employers and employees from hazardous radiation released by industries while doing their every day work of production. The health of workers should be prioritized in every operating and active industry. Therefore, every personnel working in a particular company or industry that release radiation has to be protected, from these hazards. Protecting workers from hazardous radiations can be ensured by providing workers who are exposed to hazardous radiations with protection equipment (DiNardi, 20010). For example, in hospitals a child is undergoing a chest x-ray, his or her parent is given a certain protective gown to wear in order to protect him or her from being exposed to radiations. Industries such as chemical industries are examples of industries which emit hazardous radiations. The exposure frequency of the radiation depends on how long you have worked in the production sector, where you are in contact with the chemicals in either scooping, measuring the weight, sealing, and packing it as well as the one checking on the quality of the product but when one is transporting them has little probability of coming into the radiation (Gallagher, Underhill and Rimmer, 2009). The chemical which was introduced in the past five years has endangered lives of many workers, since works have no idea on the radiation produced they may get into conduct as many times as possible. The pressure of employers to employees on production target makes the work done on hurry with less caution. Some of the garments used for protection are not effective examples of the masks used takes a week in order for it to be exchanged with a new one the manufacturing process leads to this radiation ; the packaging of the chemicals also produces radiation since the chemicals are composed of substances which are very poisonous while inhaled. Health hazards in industries affects the economy of a country. A country where many workers are exposed to hazards may be at a risk of hunger. This can be brought about by many workers being hospitalized or death of workers as a result of health hazards. (Quick and Tetrick, 20010). In such a case much of countrys resources are used in treating the affected workers, it will therefore be unable to concentrate on production work, hence the rate of production goes down. It is therefore important for the government to participate in coming up with policies which guide its citizens against health hazard. If machines used are worn out, this can lead to increased emissions of radiations. These hazardous radiations make both employees and employers prone to radiation related hazards such as cancer and other related hazards. When an employer or employees is a victim of such hazards, he or she is unable to work effectively, hence this reduces the companys or industrys output thus reducing the production rate. This also increases production cost. The cost treating them also makes it difficult for the employee (Kazutaka, 2011). Difficulties in allocating workers for they try to avoid the areas of production zones where the radiations are extreme These hazard radiation causes infertility among works, since the radiation effects change from one form to another since the chemical being processed are diverse. Risks of losing works in the company by either early retirements or resigning may be observed, and these can lead to enclosure of the company. Radiation hazards in any industry need to be assessed early in advance in order to protect employers and employees from health related hazards. An environment which is free from hazardous radiations is conducive to both employers and employees, hence enabling high productions. There are legal requirements in many countries and also worldwide which have industries, which are to be met by each and every industry in the entire country in order to reduce hazards associated with radiations. These requirements in include reducing the rate of pollution in the area of location of the company (Sauter, Murphy and Hurrell, 2008). Make sure each workers health bill is covered by the company. It is important for a company to treat its waste products, which are being produced by the company, before it is released for deposition. ethical consideration is more useful since they have a direct effect on the workers in there working areas. Companies should therefore be commit to providing a health hazard free environment for their workers. Peoples health is important hence communication in industries and companies need to be kept open at all times, between the management and employees. Workers who notice hazards or other safety threats must notify their supervisor (Hall, 2008). Supervisors and management at all levels must address these concerns and take corrective action when warranted. Everyone is obligated to know the safety standards for their area or job, and its importance, when abide to. Supervisors should install radiation absorbers. They should also create safety awareness in their working areas through personal adherence, personal contact, training, and regularly scheduled safety meetings. Training of employees is very important in a company. It is important for employees to be trained areas of which are health hazard free. (Hammer and Price, 20010). When training is done in areas which are prone to health hazards, the workers will be exposed to these hazards, hence risk of being affected. Meeting in organizations should not be held in rooms where there is exposure to health hazards. For example, in x-ray rooms. This is because there might be leakage of hazardous radiations hence the worker exposure. In most cases briefing areas are not considered since during the briefing employees might be exposed to health hazards, which can otherwise lead the employees stepping down their jobs or resigning as a result of being affected by health hazards. Health hazards such as hazardous radiations cause cancer. A cancer patient is unable to attend work continuously, since he or she is under medication in most times of his or her life. Employers should provide their employees with a schedule which outlines precautions to be taken in order to protect them from health hazards. New employees should also be provided with this schedule since they are part and parcel of the company or industry. The schedule outlining precaution measures against health hazards should be provided to new employees before starting their work. Individual knowledge of how to manage health hazards should be provided to all employees in order to protect them from hazardous radiations (Robson, Clarke, Cullen, Bielecky, Severin Bigelow and Mahood, 20013). Applicable regulations on how to prevent employees from hazardous radiations in their working places should be put in place. People working in areas and activities where hazardous radiations are emitted should be provided with protective equipment such as respirators. Protective measures should also be taken, for example an industry can use materials which does not release radiations to produce t he same product which would otherwise be produced using materials with emit hazardous radiations. Medical cover to every employee is important. If employees are working in hazardous environment, it is importance for the employer to ensure its employees are assured against all health calamities in their working areas. Since the employees are at a high risk of exposure to health hazards, it is important for every employee to have a medical cover. The medical covers should be paid by the company employer, which is the case in many countries all over the world. An industry where its employees have medical cover is at a high chance of thriving since the health of its employees it well taken care of. by taking care of employees health, the rate of production of the company increases hence the economy of the country. Therefore, medical cover is very important to employees working in areas prone to health hazards. The occupational health program can be monitored in several ways. These can be by met by ensuring that rules and regulations are fully adhered to. Personal protective equipment is made available to all employees working in hazardous condition, in order to protect them from exposure to hazards. People working in areas where there is oxygen limitation, a reasonable Respiratory equipment is important in order to protect them from suffocation, which can cause death if a quick measure is not taken. Employers should avail all equipment needed by their employees to meets their heath requirements in their working areas. When health of every and each employee is protected, there is increase in the rate of production. The asbestos policy has outlined all the hazardous substance in the companys premises and their control measures (Anton, 2008). If companies, industries and organizations adhere to all health management plans, hazards from working places will be an unknown thing in our todays society, since many people expose themselves to hazards due to lack of knowledge. Although some people expose themselves to hazards due to ignorance, this is rare in our day today society since many people have set their goods to achieve in future, hence need to protect themselves. In conclusion occupation heath management plan is important for management of any company or industry. Each employee has a right to be health protected while in his or her working place. It is good to provide employees with equipment which protect them from hazardous radiations. Hazardous radiation can badly damage body cells and also kill some cells. A good occupation plan includes all people who are exposed to hazardous radiation whether an employer or an employee. References Anton, T. J. (2008). Occupational safety and health management. Blumenthal . D. S.( 2008). Introduction to environmental health. Chartier,Y. (Ed.). (2014).Safe management of wastes from health-care activities. World Health Organization. DiNardi, S. R. (20010).The occupational environment: its evaluation, control, and Gallagher, C., Underhill, E., Rimmer, M. (2009). Occupational safety and health management systems in Australia: Barriers to success.Policy and Practice in Health and Safety,1(2), 67-81. Hall, C. M. (2008).Hallmark tourist events: impacts, management and planning. Belhaven Press. Hammer, W., Price, D. (20010).Occupational safety management and engineering. Pearson College Division. Kazutaka, K. O. G. I. (2011). Work improvement and occupational safety and health management systems: common features and research needs.Industrial health,40(2), 121-133. management(Vol. 111, pp. 18-27). Fairfax, VA: AIHA Press (American Industrial Hygiene Association). Quick, J. C. E., Tetrick, L. E. (20010).Handbook of occupational health psychology. American Psychological Association. Reese, C. D. (2015).Occupational health and safety management: a practical approach. CRC press. Reese, C. D. (2015).Occupational health and safety management: a practical approach. CRC press. Robson, L. S., Clarke, J. A., Cullen, K., Bielecky, A., Severin, C., Bigelow, P. L., ... Mahood, Q. (20013). The effectiveness of occupational health and safety management system interventions: a systematic review.Safety Science,45(3), 329-353. Sauter, S. L., Murphy, L. R., Hurrell, J. J. (2008). Prevention of work-related psychological disorders: A national strategy proposed by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).American Psychologist,45(10), 1146. Taylor, G., Easter, K., Hegney, R. (2004).Enhancing occupational safety and health. Elsevier. Waddell, G., Burton, A. K. (2001). Occupational health guidelines for the management of low back pain at work: evidence review.Occupational medicine,51(2), 124-135.

Unitar International University Essays - , Term Papers

Unitar International University 3-01A, Level 2, Tierra Crest, Jalan SS6/3, Kelana Jaya, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia Re: Absence From University Due To Food Poisoning Dear Madam Sarina Mohd Nor, I thusly lament informing you that I Muhammad Azizul Rahman was absent from the University on the 14th August 2016 due to food poisoning. This situation in unvoiced because I do not guaranteed my health condition in your class and I feel that it is useful to compose this letter to acknowledge the University that it was an unavoidable reason that I was truant on said day and that is was not a demonstration of simple truancy. Therefore, your kind comprehension and thought is especially appreciated. Thank you. Best regards, ............................................. Muhammad Azizul Rahman Unitar International University 3-01A, Level 2, Tierra Crest, Jalan SS6/3, Kelana Jaya, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia Re: Absence From University Heading To The Terminal Airport (KLIA) Dear Madam Sarina Mohd Nor, I in this manner mourn to exhort you that I Muhammad Azizul Rahman was absent on the 10th of July is because I were helping out my friend by picking him out at the airport station. This problem is an avoidable situation as he is still considering new to this place and having lack of experience living in this state. Therefore, I take a step up to help him out in order to make sure his safety is guaranteed. In this way of honesty, your kind understanding and thought is particularly valued. Thank you. Best regards, ............................................. Muhammad Azizul Rahman

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buy custom Still Alive essay Peter Novicks article by declaring that many people to the tune of millions in number lost their lives. This was not because they were killed accidentally in any war, but as a consequence of a well orchestrated and deliberate government policy. The victims, who either lost their lives or suffered in one way or the other, were not opposed to that regime, neither were they armed. But that did not make the perpetrators to spare even the vulnerable in the society like women and children. The perpetrators of the genocide were people who enjoyed massive protection of the state and used extensive resources available to the state. Unbelievably, the people who were responsible for this heinous extermination were never brought to book and instead went unpunished. Although the accurate data of the lost lives are still hard to come by, estimation put the numbers at between 30-40 million (Jean,18). In understanding the aftermath of the holocaust, Novick wanted to answer some questions that really astonished him. First, he wanted to understand why the Holocaust became the center of the evil in the twentieth century. He was also interested in unearthing the reason why Holocausts are considered the only common denominator of American Jewish identity. The article explained how just one serious and terrifying event came to be the major subject of discussion in the US of political evil. In fact, such grave centrality could not be realized in the periods 1945, 1945 or 1965. No one in American land could ever think of a museum mall in the capital city of Washington being built purposely to encourage the nation to reflect back on that evil. Ironically, the museum is situated on a capital which was built by the hard labor of slaves. According to Novic, this creates a force that affirms confrontation with what happened to foreigners in other continents, yet as the Holocaust continued to d iminish, the more has its effects been relaimed in peoples memory. In Europe, such paradoxes have reigned and continued to haunt the Jewish community much now than ever (Jean, 20). Novick is critical when he affirms that the consciousness of the Holocaust did not occupy a central position in the communal life of the Jewish community before the period of 1960s. Indifference and omissions existed before and intentionally shifted the attention of the regimes to communist perpetrated crimes while at the same time, overlooking those linked to Nazism. Fortunately, as the cold war came to closure in 1960s, Holocaust survivors gained confidence and began to narrate their story to an increasingly attentive audience making holocaust to be an integral component of the political discussion in America. In giving a deeper understanding of the aftermath of Holocaust, Novic does not focus on Holocaust as an event which merely took place between 1933 or 1939 ending in 1945. Instead he expounds on it by presenting an investigation on how Jewish-Americans viewed the destruction of mostly European Jewry and to a certain level, how that thought had been shaped, influenced and disto rted (Jean, 21). Through the article, Novic reignites a public interest to remember the events and experiences the Jewish people underwent in Nazi regime, which was faltering. With diminishing of ethnic differentiation, with disappearance of neighborhoods dominated by working class individuals, with the growing inability of the synagogues to collect funds due from members who have defaulted in making subscriptions, and lastly with the increased disorganization in the Israeli politics which is linked with the coming into power of Likud in 1977, the Jewish civil service found themselves in a state of confusion hence resorting to lean towards the Holocaust as a way of unifying their fragmented community into one again (Jean, 46). Afteer Edward Said finalized the Question of Palestine in 1978, many publishers declined to publish it claiming it was provocative. Beacon Press and Pantheon Books for instance refused to take the manuscript. Another publisher from Beirut invited Said and only agreed to publish it in Arabic only if said removed the criticism contents of the book something he did not agree with. Fortunately however, Said found a publisher by the name Time Books who produced it in the year 1979. More importantly, Said carried out a thorough research on the history and the ideologies of Zionism rejuvenated a series of criticisms from different from fronts. Robert Wisrich who is a renowned Jewish critic particularly faulted as erroneous the link espoused by Said between Zionism and European colonialism (Wylen, 392). Consequently, many Palestinians were of the view that Said was conceding too much ground, especially when people criticizing Zion ideals made attempts to end the imperial ramification associated with it. In return, "Zionism from the Standpoint of Its Victims" greatly realized that Palestinians who stood as the victims of victims occupied a central and important part in the entire history of Zionism. To make the matter more interesting, Said insisted in his book that they have to be given special consideration right within the Zion history , the same way Palestinians cannot be separated from Zionism. He also explained his approach by associating it with strategies that were imminent in mutual recognition as well as the two-state solutions of the rivalry that existed between Palestinians and Israel. To make Said to stand out from other scholars is the fact that he was the first Palestinian to rationally argue and advocate for a full political engagement between Palestinians and the Jew s. This made his work to be a focal point for the explanation of the aftermath of Holocaust events (Tesler, 23). Buy custom Still Alive essay

5 Non-Fiction Writing Tips for Authors - Writing Tips with Proofed

5 Non-Fiction Writing Tips for Authors - Writing Tips with Proofed 5 Non-Fiction Writing Tips for Authors It’s a little ambitious to talk about â€Å"non-fiction writing† in general. After all, â€Å"non-fiction† technically covers everything from school textbooks to deeply personal memoirs. But we’ve come up with a few tips that we think can help anyone who wants to become a non-fiction author. 1. Read, Read, Read! As with any kind of writing, the first step to becoming an author is to become a voracious reader. Heres a few books to get you started. Think about your favorite non-fiction books and what makes them great. Dip into some of the classic non-fiction works to expand your horizons. Find out what you enjoy reading, then use that as a starting point to develop your own authorial voice. 2. Types of Non-Fiction There are many different types of non-fiction. Some major varieties include: Academic textbooks Biographies and memoirs Manuals and technical guides Travelogues Recipe books Self-help guides Popular history and science books This isn’t a complete list by any means! If you want to write a dictionary, for example, you can do that too. The point is that, once you know the type of non-fiction you want to write, you should check out how other books in the same genre are written so you know what you’re up against! 3. Pick a Topic and Do Your Research Eventually, you’ll have to pick something you want to write about. Ideally, this will be something that you already know or care passionately about. This will make it easier once the hard work of doing research begins (e.g., reading existing books, searching news archives, interviewing people). But maybe you’ve always known that you want to write a book about toasters. And maybe you’re already an expert on heating bread. That’s a great start! But you still need to check your information and organize your research so you know what to include in your book. A basic model. Uneven browning. 4 out of 10. 4. Getting Creative? Non-fiction doesn’t have to be dry in order to be factual. In fact, some of the best non-fiction is exciting and emotive, making the reader feel like they are part of the action! The key to this is sticking to the facts, but also using a literary style to engage your reader. And you can apply creative non-fiction techniques to any genre, so if you want to style yourself as the Hunter S. Thompson of vegan recipe books, go for it! 5. Keep It Simple Unless you’re writing for a specialist audience, try to keep your language easy to understand. You might be an expert on your chosen topic, but the average reader won’t be. Think about who you’re writing for before you begin. And don’t be afraid to ask for feedback from non-experts while you’re working. It will make sure you get your ideas across effectively!

Need for health care services Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Need for health care services - Essay Example Reasons given for the inaccessibility of such services vary from family or individual to individual, the most common being the high rates charged by the service providers. Provision of insurance covers is a business in which after accessing covers, people pay monthly or annual premiums. The rate of the premiums is never directly proportional to the type and quality of coverage provided, this therefore influences a number of people to opt for self-settlement of medical bills in the health facilities in case of an emergency (Aday 81). On of the main mandates of the government is to ensure that every American accesses quality health care services, the national insurance cover provision is not widely accepted despite fact that it is a lot subsidized. This follows the claims that private health service providers have proliferated most of the regions in the country making access to public facilities a lot difficult. The choice to take up a cover or not to is a personal decision and the state cannot ever impose such choices on its citizens. However, the government should influence the process of making such decisions by ensuring that the public has the general knowledge on the policies and should further [provide incentives to the access of such services. All state employees have insurance premiums paid for them by the government (OCarroll 88). However, the government does very little in effecting the acquisition of such services especially to most of the poor population in the country. Most of Americans in private business make this choice entirely by themselves, the exorbitant rates charged by most of the service providers and the uncertainty that characterizes such services eventually influences most of them on the contrary. Those employed in the private sectors have their employers provide them with such services as a means of motivation and to boost their morale to work. The employer provides a basic percentage of the cover by

Burger King Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Burger King - Case Study Example The commercial also sampled reactions from real customers who were offered an alternative burger from competitor brands after they had placed orders for the whopper burger from Burger King. This commercial went viral online and further its popularity was enhanced by television commercials and adverts online and in print. The blend of the online viral and television campaigns is indeed the genius part in Burger King’s â€Å"Whopper Freakout† marketing campaign. This marketing strategy captured larger markets than online or television campaigns, each used on their own, would capture (Eick). The television commercial was viewed by thousands and thousands of people and the marketing message reached not just the typical whopper bugger fan but so many other people who could potentially begin to prefer the whopper burger to other brand burgers. Burger King’s utilization of the â€Å"Whopper Freakout† television commercial in strategic slots such as during breaks in major sports tournaments was another genius move that captured the attention of numerous Burger King’s male customers and sports enthusiasts who were fans of the whopper bugger. The online campaign in the form of the viral video was also another brilliant move by Burger King. Although quite different in concept than other viral videos, the â€Å"Whopper Freakout† online campaign generated over 1.3 million views of the original 7.5 minute video (Eick). Reactions from real customers in the video â€Å"hit home† more for viewers whose reactions largely ranged between increased loyalty to the whopper bugger and interest in it from audiences who had not previously ordered the whopper bugger (Eick). It is also clear that Burger King’s â€Å"Whopper Freakout† campaign also hit the mark when buzz created from the television and online campaigns served to generate more interest on the video posted on Burger King’s whopperfreakout.com website and o n YouTube. The success of this marketing campaign can also be seen on analysis of how popular online searches for the keywords â€Å"whopper burger† and other words related to this product were in the period following the launch of the campaign. When considering online statistics, this marketing campaign is easily termed as brilliant based on how its online popularity, soon after the campaign was launched, ranked higher than the online popularity of one of the 2008 U.S top presidential candidates, Hillary Clinton, at the same period of a peak political event. The hits for the â€Å"Whopper Freakout† video on whopperfreakout.com were ranked above the hits on hillaryclinto.com from people searching for information on this presidential candidate (Eick). On negative analysis, could Burger King’s marketing campaign have advertised the whopper burger so much to the loss of popularity of other products in its chain? There is a chance that this could have been the upsho t of the â€Å"Whopper Freakout† campaign. It could also show that Burger King achieved its marketing goal of proving that the whopper burger was central to the American food culture. Burger King’s â€Å"Whopper Freakout† campaign gave a whole new meaning to viral marketing and what it can do for a business and its products. From the Burger King case as well as from an entire marketing perspective, viral marketing has its pros and cons. Viral marketing is a great way for a business to gain exposure

On the Job Training Essay Example for Free

On the Job Training Essay OJT is a three letter acronym for on-the-job training, which is a form of training taking place in a normal working situation. OJT training, sometimes called direct instruction, is one of the earliest forms of training (observational learning is probably the earliest,). It is a one-on-one training located at the job site, where someone who knows how to do a task shows another how to perform it. In antiquity, the kind of work that people did was mainly unskilled or semiskilled work that did not require specialized knowledge. Parents or other community members, who knew how to do a job necessary for survival, passed their knowledge on to the children through direct instruction. On-the-job training is still widely in use today. In fact, it is probably the most popular method of training because it requires only a person who knows how to do the task, and the tools the person uses to do the task. It may not be the most effective or the most efficient method at times, but it is normally the easiest to arrange and manage. Because the training takes place on the job, it can be highly realistic and no transfer of learning is required. It is often inexpensive because no special equipment is needed other than what is normally used on the job. The other side is that OJT takes the trainer and materials out of production for the duration of the training time. In addition, due to safety or other production factors, it is prohibitive in some environments. Training is the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and competencies as a result of the teaching of vocational or practical skills and knowledge that relate to specific useful competencies. Training has specific goals of improving ones capability, capacity, and performance. It forms the core of apprenticeships and provides the backbone of content at institutes of technology (also known as technical colleges or polytechnics). In addition to the basic training required for a trade, occupation or profession, observers of the labor-market[who? ] recognize as of 2008[update] the need to continue training beyond initial qualifications: to maintain, upgrade and update skills throughout working life. People within many professions and occupations may refer to this sort of training as professional development.

Conflicting Points of View in Two Kinds by Amy Tan Essay -- Two Kinds,

The story "Two Kinds" by Amy Tan is about a mother and daughter who have strong conflicting ideas about what it means to have a sense of self. This may be partly due to the mother growing up in China, which is a very different culture than the American culture where endless opportunities are available to anyone who wants to pursue them. Jing-mei's mother wants her daughter to be the best, a prodigy of sorts, and to have the kind of life, full of hopes and dreams that she did not have. In the beginning of the story Jing-mei liked the idea of becoming a prodigy however, the prodigy in her became impatient. "If you don't hurry up and get me out of here, I'm disappearing for good." It warned. "And then you'll always be nothing" (500). After disappointing her mother several times Jing-mei started to detest the idea of becoming a prodigy. The idea Jing-mei's mother had for her to become a prodigy was too much pressure for a small child and was something that Jing-mei was clearly no t ready to be. As a result the pressure that her mother laid upon her only made Jing-mei rebel against her mother and she resisted in giving her best. Jing-mei did this because she only wanted her mother's love and acceptance for who she was not only what she could become. Furthermore, Jing-mei's point of view of being the kind of person that one can be proud of was very different from her mother's point of view. Jing-mei and her mother have conflicting values of how Jing-mei should live her life. She tries to see what becoming a prodigy would be like from her mother's point of view and the perks that it would bring her as she states in the story "In all my imaginings, I was filled with a sense that I would soon become perfect. My mother and f... ... her own person and wanting only to be accepted for who she is and not who she could be. Even though the argument was never discussed it still haunted Jing-mei. That is why Jing-mei was surprised when her mother offered her the piano for her thirtieth birthday, she took it as a sign of forgiveness. The theme that comes to mind for me when I read this story is conflicting values. While growing up it was an important value to Jing-mei to be accepted for the daughter that she was. Unlike the value of her mother which was to not only become the best you can be but a prodigy, someone famous. In the way that Jing-mei's mother pushes so hard for her to become something bigger than she was it seems that Jing-mei tried her hardest not to. Works Cited Tan, Amy. â€Å"Two Kinds†. Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing. Longman. Boston. 10th ed. 2011

Belonging Essay ‘Romulus My Father’, ‘the Lost Thing’ and ‘the Catcher in the Rye’

Our search for who we are is fuelled by our innate desire to achieve a sense of acceptance and belonging. Belonging doesn’t just happen; it involves many factors and experiences in order to feel that you truly belong. Feeling a sense of inclusion can enrich our identity and relationships and can lead to acceptance and understanding. In order to understand who we are we need to belong and this is effectively represented in Raimond Gaita’s memoir ‘Romulus My Father,’ Shaun Tan’s ‘The Lost Thing’ and JD Salinger’s ‘The Catcher in the Rye. An individual’s interaction with others and the world around them can enrich or limit their experience of belonging to an environment. ‘Romulus My Father’ demonstrates this through the profound sense of acceptance that exists within Raimond. He delivers his observations in a reflective and thoughtful tone, particularly in his recollections of his father, as he â€Å"loved him too deeply†¦ no quarrel could estrange (them)† and felt a genuine sense of familial belonging. This is also evident even after Christine dies. He observed, â€Å"We came together as son and husband with the woman whose remains lay beneath us. † Juxtaposed against Raimond’s belonging is the suffering of Christine in her displacement. Christine struggles to be the mother that society expects her to be, and her inability to relate and conform is described by Raimond as, â€Å"a troubled city girl, she could not settle†¦ in a landscape that highlighted her isolation. † Raimond’s despondent tone conveys how Christine could not fit into the community and in Australia. As a result, her isolation and alienation lead her to betray the institution of family juxtaposed by â€Å"I felt awkward with her,† which shows that Raimond’s relationship with his mother has lost the familial belonging it once contained. Similar to Christine’s feelings of estrangement, Romulus â€Å"felt like a ‘prisoner’ in Australia,† that was looked down upon and unwanted, resulting in a sympathetic response from the reader. Throughout the novel, we witness Romulus facing and struggling with these opposing pressures. Feelings of estrangement and an inability to simply ‘fit in’ are similarly explored in Shaun Tan’s â€Å"The Lost Thing†. Tan explores the attitude and bitterness towards things that do not belong, and the intricacies of a world that directly reflects society and its inability to accept differences. The fundamental need to belong can consequently result in many altering themselves in order to conform to societal expectations. Feeling a sense of belonging and acceptance involves facing many pressures and difficulties, which are clearly demonstrated by Tan. The Lost Thing is largely ignored and hardly noticed by the community, despite its bright red colour and large appearance that makes it stand out to the reader as it is juxtaposed with the dull and industrialized background. However, regardless of it curious appearance and obvious presence, the community is self-absorbed, too preoccupied with their ritual habits to even notice it. Towards the end of the book, it becomes clear that there are many other lost things that regularly appear in the city, but their presence can only be measured by the minimal extent to which they are noticed. This demonstrates the negative attitudes directed towards people or things that do not stereotypically fit in with the rest of society. Tan also explores the sense of belonging created in such a detached environment. The citizens of the organised community develop a sense of identity by conforming to the rule of society and following the organised standardizations, as demonstrated through the reoccurring motif of the identical houses drawn in neat columns. Ultimately for them to be accepted, they exclude others. Attaining a sense of ‘belonging’ can act as a nurturing force for notions of identity, bringing fulfillment and enrichment of character and this is clearly demonstrated throughout JD Salinger’s novel ‘The Catcher in the Rye,’ through the protagonist nature of Holden Caulfield. Holden seems to be excluded from and victimized by the world around him. As he mentions to his professor Mr. Spencer, he feels trapped on â€Å"the other side† of life, and he continually attempts to find his way in a world in which he feels he doesn’t belong. Part of Holden’s alienation is a result of his inability, or perhaps unwillingness to grow up. Holden is fearful of adulthood, claiming that adulthood is world of superficiality and â€Å"phonies. † We are constantly reminded of Holden’s war against â€Å"phonies†, ironically reflecting on Holden’s phoney and fake personality. Like a child, Holden fears change and is overwhelmed by the complexity, but he is too out of touch with his feelings to admit it. Instead, he spends much of his time criticizing others. When are you going to grow up? † Carl Luce makes it apparent to Holden that he must grow up and move on from his issues which are holding him back. In the conclusion of his journey, Holden is able to gain a sense of belonging and acceptance within his sister Phoebe. Although losing his brother Allie was incredibly hard, Holden finds comfort in his close relationship with his sister and is able to move on willingly. The feeling of acceptan ce involves many factors and experiences. The innate desire to belong and ramifications of not belonging are clearly represented within ‘Romulus my Father’. The struggles of belonging in the self-absorbed organized society of ‘The Lost Thing’ clearly demonstrate our basic need to be accepted. JD Salinger is able to prove that a sense of belonging comes from a sense of identity within ‘The Catcher in the Rye. ’ Belonging can enrich our identity and relationships and can lead to acceptance and understanding.

Private Peacefull

This is a book review on the book â€Å"private peaceful. † This is the best book I have read this year. This book is all about â€Å"innocence and love, courage and cowardice† as it is clearly written on the front of the cover of the book. This is a book about two brothers called Charlie who is the older brother and Tommo who is the smaller brother who go through the good side and the bad side of life because their father has died and other family issues.As they grow up they start to drift apart from each other because of a friend that they both love called molly who starts to gain love for to Charlie therefore leaving poor Charlie alone. Suddenly they have to go to war. So they pack their things say bye to their loved ones and go off to war†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. The book ‘Private Peaceful’ written by Michael Morpurgo is a book that explores the life of Tommo through past and present throughout of his life. The reader is also introduced to Charlie the brother of Tommo and how they are different towards each other. The book is one that also explores the relationship that Charlie and Tommo have.This book tells you how someone is like as a child, and how they are when they are older. An example to me of this would be Charlie. Charlie as a child was completely different to Tommo. Charlie is a very independent person he stands up for what he believes in, basically he is brave. Charlie is responsible to look after Tommo because he is very sensitive and his small brother. Example of this is when Tommo is getting beat up by Jimmy Parsons, Charlie comes to help, in the end Charlie is the one who gets punished but he just accepts it because he is brave, ‘†¦when it’s Charlie’s turn, all you hear are the punches’p24.Charlie is a character that stands up for what he believes in and what he believes was right. It was this believing attitude that made Charlie a man and took him through life. Charlie and Tommo had a really tight relationship when they were young but as time when on it started to fade a little until towards the end of the book when Charlie knew he was going to be punished after his actions. Then it became pretty intense and their relationship that was once strong when they were young became even stronger than it had ever been.An example of this is before Charlie gets shot. â€Å"This is going to be difficult enough without tears. † He holds me an arm length away. ’pg176. The book ‘Private Peaceful’ is one that makes a change on the individual. It is a book that shows how a person is able to change throughout life over a distance of time. It is also a book that tell you how individuals can stay the same, the things learnt in childhood, is able to be carried on into adult life. Tommo and Charlie are examples of this.The author is also trying to make the reader how one mistake can change a relationship so quickly and the change it can have on somebody. The book makes people realise that even though there is often change, it is really about the keeping the relationships with the people you love and using your past to change your future. In conclusion I think that this book is a fantastic book and a very emotional book and maybe a life changing book, for some individuals. For example it tells you to keep your relations tight with the ones you love, and also learn from your mistakes in the past. By Kaiser Saeed

Contemporary Integrated Marketing Communications The WritePass Journal

Contemporary Integrated Marketing Communications Introduction Contemporary Integrated Marketing Communications ). The users tend to share their location details and their statuses on the social network websites. The majority of users have started to access the social networking websites via mobile devices contrary to the previous utilization of Broadband-enabled PCs and laptops (Humphrey and Laverie, 2011). In fact, the number of users, who access the Internet via Smartphones, has doubled over the recent years (New Market Trend Watch, 2012). With this in mind, the companies have started to benefit from the location based advertising via mobile access. Location based advertising is not a new concept, however the innovation attributed to this concept suggests mobile advertising tailoring on the basis of locations (Bruner and Kumar, 2007). Given the fact that the mobile phones are always with the individual, it makes it quite easy to generate interest among the consumers. There are two approaches to Location Based advertising, namely push and pull approach (Bruner and Kumar, 2007; Unni and Harmo n, 2007). The push approach suggests that the companies send out adverts either to specific consumers and/or to all the consumers.   The pull approach implies that the customer request the adverts themselves. Location based strategies and tactics are regarded to be part of the customer management strategy, which imply the delivery of the proactive individualized attention to the customers in the form of customized advertising. Humphrey and Laverie, (2011) suggest that the social media network has   gone further and has   started to introduce the incentives that are aimed at the development of willingness to share the location via social networking website. It is especially visible in the example of Foursquare (Humphrey and Laverie, 2011). This company provides the badges for a certain number of location sharing events. Therefore, there is a great potential for this type of mobile advertising to grow , if the opportunity is seized by the company on time (Dao and Jeong, 2012). For instance, Facebook has reported a decline in its profits, since the management was late on the adoption of mobile advertising on the rise of popularity in mobile access (Bloomberg, 2012). Application of Theory to the Case Study Location-based advertising is regarded to be quite efficient, especially for the small-sized companies (Mashable, 2012). This is especially beneficial for the studied company, namely Get Fit Now! Gym Company. As a result, the location based advertising may be triggered by the location of this company and its branches. It has been estimated that it might be quite profitable for the small sized businesses. It has been estimated in the consumer survey in 2010 that 49 % would utilize the location based advertising, if the information that they would receive via advertisements would be more relevant (Internet Advertising Bureau, 2010). Given the fact, that a consumer is located in the region as the gym, namely Get Fit Now!, the location based advertising might trigger the consumer’s interest, and therefore the behavioural intentions to visit the gym or at least to ask for   information about the services. Yoo, Donthu and Lee, (2000) have estimated that advertising positively affects the increase in the positive brand associations and therefore the increase in the brand equity. This implies that the frequency of the viewed advertising directly affects the increase in the cognitive processes of the consumers. This, in turn, drives the memorization of the certain advertisements (Yoo, Donthu and Lee, 2000). Therefore, the frequency of being located in the certain area directly affects the frequency of the viewed advertising. As a result, this is regarded to be a valuable advertisement, since it targets the individuals, who would be interested in visiting the Gym, due to the certain current location. It would b e, however, more valuable and useful, to integrate more of consumer data in the location-based advertising. This implies that simple location might be a limited data for generation of consumer interest in the particular product or service (Xu, Oh and Teo, 2009). This research also implies that the mobile devices are still limited for the receipt of rich multimedia content, which may affect the quality of advertising. Therefore, even though, the consumer might receive the adverts, due to this limitation, they might lack interest in the content of advertising (Xu, Oh, Teo, 2009). As a result, this implies that location-based advertising is a relatively new area, which needs further development in the task of consumer demand’s escalation. Discussion The main challenges that are attributed to   location based advertising imply that it is still new to the customers,so the consumers may be reluctant to utilize this kind of technology. This is mainly associated with privacy and security concerns. Kim et al., (2004) have estimated that for the new users of the innovative technology,   privacy and security are the key issues for concern. However, it is stated that if there is valuable information, which is provided in exchange to the location–related data, the concerns about   privacy and security are diminished (Mobile Marketer, 2012). The main problem lies in the ability to provide the products for the attributed target market, rather than for everyone. Therefore, the technology should be advanced enough in order to provide valuable information to the customers, based on the segmentation data, beyond the simple location. The main role in location based advertising is played by the actual mobile device. However some mobile companies are reluctant to promote  Ã‚   location based advertising (Mobile Marketer, 2012). For instance, it has been estimated that recently, along with the new iOS6 platform, Apple has integrated its own branded maps, instead of Google maps. As a result, a number of glitches were reported within this system that has affected location based advertising in a very negative way (Mobile Marketer, 2012). Conclusion This report was designed in order to demonstrate the role of location based advertising in the modern marketing communication mix. It has been estimated that location based advertising is still in the first stages of development and promotion. This implies that for consumers, this is still regarded as innovative technology. This drives the development of concerns for privacy and security, related to this type of technology. Furthermore, it has been estimated that there is a large potential for location based advertising. However there is supposed to be some advanced technology integrated in order to be able to base the advertising on the segmentation variables, beyond the location. However, it has been estimated that for the small-sized businesses, location based advertising is regarded to be beneficial. Therefore, this type of advertising will be quite advantageous fro Get It Fit Now! Gyms. The main challenges are attributed to the innovative feature of this type of advertising and the inability to target the right customer segments. As a result, the customers do not have the ability to receive really valuable information in exchange for their location data. Another problem relates to the mobile companies that restrict the location based advertising on their devices. References: Bloomberg. (2012). Facebook Working on Location-Based Mobile-Ad Product. Available: bloomberg.com/news/2012-06-18/facebook-readying-location-based-mobile-ad-product.html (Accessed on 9/1/2013) BusinessWeek. (2012). Facebook: The Making of 1 Billion Users. Available: businessweek.com/articles/2012-10-04/facebook-the-making-of-1-billion-users (Accessed on 9/1/2013) Dao T., Jeong S., Ahn H. (2012). A novel recommendation model of location-based advertising: Context-Aware Collaborative Filtering using GA approach. Expert Systems with Applications, Vol. 39, pp. 3731-3739 Evans D. (2008). The Economics of the Online Advertising Industry. Review of Network Economics. Vol. 7, Iss.3, pp. 1446-9022 Humphrey W., Laverie D. (2011). Driving Frequency with Mobile Social Networks and the Mediating Effects of Price and Quota Promotions. IJMM, Winter, Vol.6, Iss.2, pp. 46-60 Internet Advertising Bureau. (2010). Location Based Advertising on mobile. Available: iabuk.net/sites/default/files/white-paper-docs/Location%20Based%20Advertising%20-%20Whitepaper.pdf (Accessed on 9/1/2013) Kim S.S., Malhotra K.N., Agarwal J. (2004). Internet Users’ Information Privacy Concerns (IUIPC): The Construct, the Scale, and a Causal Model. Information Systems Research, Vol.15, Iss. 4, pp. 336 -355 Kotler P., Armstrong G. (2010). Principles of Marketing. 13th ed., Pearson: USA Mashable. (2012). How to Leverage Location Data for Better Mobile Ads. Available: http://mashable.com/2012/07/09/mobile-advertising-location-data/ (Accessed on 9/1/2013) Mobile Marketer. (2012). Location-based advertising still searching for its place. Available: mobilemarketer.com/cms/news/advertising/13009.html (Accessed on 9/1/2013) Mobile Marketer. (2012). Is Apple screwing up location-based advertising opportunities? Available: mobilemarketer.com/cms/news/advertising/13899.html (Accessed on 9/1/2013) Unni R., Harmon R. (2007). Perceived Effectiveness of Push vs Pull Mobile Location Based Advertising. Journal of Interactive Advertising. Vol.7, Iss.2, pp. 28-40 Xu H., Oh L., Teo H. (2009). Perceived effectiveness of text vs. multimedia Location-Based Advertising messaging. International Journal of Mobile Communications. Vol.7., Iss. 2., pp. 154-177 Yoo, B., Donthu N., and Lee S. (2000). An Examination of Selected Marketing Mix Elements and Brand Equity. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science. Vol. 28, pp. 195-211

Blood Promise Chapter TwentyFive

I’d had to finally accept my Dimitri’s death. This one was a Strigoi. There was no future with him. I would not join him. That still didn’t make some part of me want to stop and lie down beside him, though, or at the very least see what happened next. After that initial surprise, his features and breathing had gone still, giving the illusion of death. That’s all it was, however-an illusion. I’d seen it before. I probably had five minutes at most before he healed up and shook this off. I had no time to mourn for what was and what might have been. I had to act now. No hesitation. I ran my hands over him, searching his clothes for anything that might be of use. I found a set of keys and some cash. I pocketed the keys and started to leave the cash but realized I might actually need it on the off chance I escaped this place. My own money had been taken when I arrived. I also swept up some of the jewelry on the table. Finding buyers for that kind of thing in big Russian cities wasn’t too difficult. If I made it to said city. I stood up off the bed and gave Dimitri one last pained look. A few of the tears I’d hidden from him earlier now ran down my face. That was all I could allow myself. If I had a later, I’d mourn then. Before leaving, my gaze lingered on the stake. I wanted to take it with me; it was my only weapon. Pulling it out would mean he’d wake up in about a minute. I needed the extra time. With a sigh, I turned my back on him, hoping I’d find a weapon elsewhere. I sprinted over to the suite’s door and punched in the code again. It unlocked, and I stepped into the corridor. Before going to the next door, I examined the one I’d just stepped through. To get into the suite, there was another keypad. Entry also required a code. Backing up a little, I struck and kicked the keypad as hard as I could. I did it twice more, until the tiny red light on it went out. I didn’t know if that would affect the lock on the inside of the suite, but in the movies, damaging electronic locks always seemed to work. Turning my attention to the next lock, I tried to remember the numbers Inna had told me. They weren’t etched as strongly in my head as the first. I punched in seven numbers. The little light stayed red. â€Å"Damn.† It was possible she’d lied about this set, but somehow, I suspected my memory was the culprit here. I tried again, knowing the clock was ticking on how long I had until Dimitri came after me. The red light flashed again. What were those numbers? I tried to visualize them in my head and finally decided I wasn’t entirely sure about the last two. I reversed their order the next time I put in the code. The light flashed green, and the door unlocked. Of course, there was a security system of a different sort outside. A Strigoi. And not just any Strigoi: It was Marlen. The one I’d tortured in the alley. The one who hated me because I’d disgraced him in front of Galina. He was clearly on guard duty and looked as though he’d expected a boring night. Me coming out the door was a shock. That gave me, oh, about a millisecond of surprise. My first thought was to just run at him with as much brute strength as I could. I knew he would do the same to me. In fact†¦ that was exactly what he’d do. I stayed where I was, standing so that I could keep the door propped open. He came at me to stop my escape, and I stepped aside, pulling the door open wider. Now, I was neither skilled enough nor was he inept enough to simply get lured in. He stopped in the doorway, trying to get hold of me. This gave me the difficult task of trying to both fend him off and drag him into the corridor behind the door. I stepped back into the doorway, hoping he’d follow. All the while, I had to keep the door open. It was all complicated, and I would have no time to punch in the code again. We fought in the confined space. The biggest thing I had going for me was that Marlen appeared to be a young Strigoi, which made sense. Galina would want to keep around henchmen she could control. Of course, Strigoi strength and speed compensated for a lack of experience. The fact that he had been a Moroi once also meant he probably had very little training. That also was a bonus for me. Dimitri was a badass Strigoi because he’d trained as a fighter before being turned. This guy had not. So, Marlen got a couple punches in on me, one coming dangerously close to my eye. The other caught me in the stomach, knocking the air out of me for half a second. But most of the time, I was able to dodge him pretty well. This seemed to infuriate him. Getting beat up by a teenage girl didn’t really score you cool points when you were a Strigoi. At one point, I even faked him out in one direction and came at him with a surprise kick -easier to do than I’d expected in that damned dress-that knocked him back a few steps. I just barely managed to keep my hand in the door when I did it, but that was all I needed. His stumble gave me a few seconds to slip out the door and into the main hall. Unfortunately, when I tried to close it, he was already trying to come through. With my hands, I tried to pull the door shut while kicking him back inside. We struggled this way for a while, and thanks to whatever luck I had left, I got the door closed enough so that only his arm was sti cking through. Bracing myself, I pulled the door toward me in one huge, forceful movement. It slammed into Marlen’s wrist. I half expected to see his hand detach and pop into the hall, but he’d jerked it back. Even Strigoi had certain instincts to avoid pain. Gasping-my physical strength still wasn’t all it could be-I backed up. If he knew the code, this had been for nothing. A moment later, the door’s handle shook but didn’t open. I heard a scream of rage, and then his fists beat on the door. Score one for me. No, score one for luck. If he’d known the code, I would have been Thud. Marlen was still beating on the door, and I saw the tiniest dent appear on the metallic surface. â€Å"Oh, crap,† I said. I didn’t stick around to see how many hits it’d take him to break it down. I also realized that even if I’d disabled the first lock, Dimitri would just be able to break that one down too. Dimitri†¦ No. I absolutely couldn’t think of him now. As I ran down the hall, heading toward the stairs Dimitri and I traveled before, an unexpected memory suddenly popped into my head. When Dimitri had last threatened Nathan, he’d mentioned getting my stake out of a vault. What vault was that exactly? Was it here on the premises? If so, I certainly didn’t have time to look. When weighing the option to search a four-story house full of vampires or run off into the countryside before they found you†¦ well, the choice was clear. And it was in the midst of that thought process that I ran into a human at the top of the stairs. He was older than Inna and carrying a stack of linens that he dropped when we collided. With almost no pause, I grabbed hold of him and swung him against the wall. I had no weapon to threaten him with and wondered how I’d assert my will now. Yet as soon as I had him pinned, he threw up his hands in a defensive gesture and began whimpering in Russian. There’d be no attacks on me here. Of course, now I had the problem of communicating what I needed. Marlen was still beating on the door, and Dimitri would be up in a couple of minutes. I glared at the human, hoping I looked terrifying. From his expression, I did. I attempted the caveman talk I had with Inna†¦ only this time the message was a little harder. â€Å"Stick,† I said in Russian. I had no clue what the word for stake was. I pointed at the silver ring I wore and made a slashing motion. â€Å"Stick. Where?† He stared at me in utter confusion and then asked, in perfect English, â€Å"Why are you talking like that?† â€Å"Oh for God’s sake,† I exclaimed. â€Å"Where is the vault?† â€Å"Vault?† â€Å"A place they keep weapons?† He continued staring. â€Å"I’m looking for a silver stake.† â€Å"Oh,† he said. â€Å"That.† Uneasily, he cast his eyes in the direction of the pounding. I pushed him harder against the wall. My heart felt like it would burst out of my chest, but I tried to hide it. I wanted this guy to think I was invincible. â€Å"Ignore him. Take me to the vault. Now!† With a frightened yelp, he nodded eagerly and beckoned me down the stairs. We descended to the second floor and made a sharp turn. The halls here were as twisty as the hedge maze Dimitri had shown me, all decorated in that gold and chandelier style, and I wondered if I’d even be able to get out of the house. Attempting this detour was a risk, but I wasn’t sure if I could get outside without being followed. If I was, there’d be a confrontation. I’d need to defend myself. The human led me down another hall and yet another. Finally, we reached a door that looked like any other. He stopped and peered at me expectantly. â€Å"Open it,† I said. He shook his head. â€Å"I don’t have the key.† â€Å"Well, I certainly don’t-wait.† I reached into my pocket and pulled out the keys I’d lifted from Dimitri. There were five keys on the ring. I tried them one at a time, and on the third one, I got a hit. The door opened. Meanwhile, my guide was casting hasty glances behind him and looked ready to bolt. â€Å"Don’t even think about it,† I warned. He blanched and stayed put. The room before us wasn’t very big, and while its plush white carpet and silver framed paintings made it look elegant, the room was†¦ well, basically, it looked like a junkyard. Boxes and weird objects-a lot of personal items like watches and rings in particular-lay around in no order. â€Å"What is this?† â€Å"Magic,† he said, still obviously scared out of his mind. â€Å"Magic items kept here to fade or be destroyed.† Magic†¦ ah. These were items charmed by Moroi magic. Charms always had some kind of effect on Strigoi-usually unpleasant-with stakes being the worst, since they used all four physical elements. It made sense that Strigoi would want to isolate harmful objects and get rid of â€Å"My stake!† I ran forward and picked it up, nearly dropping it because my hands were so sweaty. The stake was lying on top of a box with a length of cloth and some weird stones. Studying it, I realized it wasn’t actually my stake-not that it made a difference for killing Strigoi. This stake was almost identical, save for a small geometric pattern running around its base. It was something guardians did from time to time if they felt particularly attached to their stake: have a design or initials etched into it. Holding this stake, I felt a momentary pang of sadness. This had belonged to someone who’d wielded it proudly once, someone who was now most likely dead. God only knew how many other dozens of stakes were in here, seized from other unfortunate prisoners, but I had no time to search or mourn those who had died. â€Å"Okay, now I want you to take me to†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I hesitated. Even with a stake, it’d be a lot better for me if I didn’t face any more Strigoi. I had to assume there’d still be a guard at the front door. â€Å"†¦ Some room on this floor with a window that actually opens. And is far from the stairs.† The guy thought for a moment and then gave a quick nod. â€Å"This way.† I followed him through another maze of twisting corridors. â€Å"What’s your name?† â€Å"Oleg.† â€Å"You know,† I said. â€Å"I’m getting out of here†¦ if you want†¦ if you want, I could take you with me.† Having someone else-a human, particularly -would definitely slow me down. Yet, my conscience wouldn’t let me leave anyone behind in this place. He gave me an incredulous glance. â€Å"Why would I want to do that?† Sydney had definitely been right about humans making great sacrifices for immortality. Oleg and Inna were living proof. We rounded a corner and came face-to-face with an elaborate set of French doors. Through the etched glass, I could see book-lined shelves, stretching all the way up the walls. A library-a huge one that extended on and on, out of my sight. Better yet, I saw a large bay window opposite me, framed in heavy satin curtains the color of blood. â€Å"Perfect,† I said, pushing open the doors. That was when the nausea hit me. We weren’t alone in the room. Galina sprang up from a chair near the fireplace on the far side of the room. A book dropped from her lap. I had no time to dwell on the oddity of a Strigoi having a fireside read, because she was coming right toward me. I almost might have thought Oleg had set me up, but he was cowering in a corner, his face mirroring the shock I felt. Despite the library’s enormous size, she reached me in seconds. I dodged her initial attack-or tried to, at least. She was fast. Aside from Dimitri, the other Strigoi in this house were clearly the B-team, and I had forgotten just how badass a truly skilled Strigoi was. She caught me by my arm and swung me toward her, mouth open and fangs going straight for my neck. I had the stake in my hand and tried awkwardly to at least scratch her with it, but she was holding me too tightly. At last, I managed to duck a little and move my throat out of her range, but all this did was give her the opportunity to grab hold of my hair. She jerked me upright, and I screamed in pain. How she managed to hold onto my hair without ripping it right out was remarkable. Still gripping it, she shoved me into a wall. When I’d first fought with Dimitri upon my arrival, he’d been rough but hadn’t wanted to kill me. Galina did. She’d taken it on faith from Dimitri that I’d be an asset, but it was obvious now that I was a real pain in the ass. Her amnesty had ended, and she was intent on killing me. I at least had the comfort of knowing she probably wouldn’t turn me into a Strigoi. I’d be lunch. A shout suddenly drew my attention to the door. Dimitri stood there, face blazing with anger. Whatever illusions I’d harbored about him being his former self disappeared. That fury radiated around him, his eyes narrowed and fangs showing. The pale skin and red eyes contrasted sharply against each other. He was like a demon sent straight from hell to destroy me. He strode toward us, and the immediate thought in my head was: Well, at least this’ll end things that much faster. Except†¦ it wasn’t me he attacked. It was Galina. I’m not sure which of us was more surprised, but in that moment, I was totally forgotten. The Strigoi raced toward each other, and I froze, stunned at the terrible beauty of their fight. There was almost a gracefulness to the way they moved, the way they struck out and skillfully dodged each other. I stared a bit longer and then mentally slapped myself into action. This was my chance to get out of here. I couldn’t get distracted. I turned to the bay window, searching frantically for a means to open it. There was none. â€Å"Son of a bitch!† Maybe Oleg had set me up after all. Or maybe there was just some mechanism that wasn’t apparent to me. Regardless, I felt pretty confident there was one way to get it open. I ran to the side of the room where Galina had sat and grabbed an ornate wooden chair. It was obvious this window wasn’t made of the hard-core glass that had been in my room. This stuff was similar to the library’s French doors, delicate and engraved with fanciful designs, even though darkly tinted. It couldn’t require that much force to break. After all that fruitless beating in my room, I took a kind of smug satisfaction in slamming the chair into it with as much force as possible. The impact made a huge hole in one side of the window, glass spraying everywhere. A few shards hit my face, but it was nothing to concern me now. Behind me, the sounds of battle raged on. There were grunts and muffled cries as they fought, as well as the occasional sound of some piece of broken furniture. I yearned to turn around and see what was going on, but I couldn’t. I took the chair and swung again, breaking the other half of the window. There was now a huge hole, perfect for me to get out of. â€Å"Rose!† Dimitri’s voice triggered some instinctive response in me. I glanced back and saw him still grappling with Galina. They were both exhausted, but it was clear he was getting the worst of it. But in their fighting, he kept trying to restrain her in a way that exposed her chest to me. His eyes met mine. Back when he’d been a dhampir, we’d rarely needed words to convey our thoughts. This was one of those times. I knew what he wanted me to do. He wanted me to stake her. I knew I shouldn’t. I needed to hop out that window right now. I needed to let them keep fighting, even though it seemed obvious Galina was about to win. And yet†¦ despite my misgivings, some force drew me across the room, stake poised and ready. Maybe it was because I would never fully lose my pull to Dimitri, no matter what kind of monster he’d become. Maybe it was an unconscious sense of duty, since I knew he’d just saved my life. Or maybe it was because I knew one Strigoi was going to die tonight, and she was the more dangerous. But she wasn’t easy to get hold of. She was fast and strong, and he was having a hard time with her. She kept wriggling around, trying to renew her attack. All she’d need to do was incapacitate him as I had; then it’d just require decapitation or burning to finish him off. I had no doubt she could arrange either. He managed to turn her slightly, giving me the best view of her chest I’d had. I moved forward-and then Dimitri slammed into me. I was addled for a moment, wondering why he’d attack me after saving me, until I realized he’d been pushed-by Nathan. Nathan had just entered the library, along with Marlen. It distracted Dimitri but not me. I still had the opening he’d given me on Galina, and I plunged my stake into her chest. It didn’t go in as deeply as I would have liked, and she still managed to fight me, bucking hard. I grimaced and pushed forward, knowing the silver had to be affecting her. A moment later, I saw the pain twist her face. She faltered, and I pushed my advantage, shoving the stake in all the way. It took several seconds, but she eventually stopped moving, her body crumpling to the ground. If the other Strigoi noticed her death, they didn’t pay attention. Nathan and Marlen were fixated on Dimitri. Another Strigoi-a female I didn’t recognize-soon joined the face-off. I jerked my stake out of Galina and slowly began backing toward the window, hoping I wouldn’t attract too much attention. My heart went out to Dimitri. He was outnumbered. I could possibly lend my strength and help him fight†¦ Of course, my strength was fading. I was still suffering from days of vampire bites and blood loss. I’d fought two Strigoi tonight and killed a powerful one. That had been my good deed, removing her from the world. The next best thing I could do would be to leave and let these Strigoi finish off Dimitri. The surviving ones would be leaderless and less of a threat. Dimitri would be free of this evil state, his soul finally able to move on to better places. And I would live (hopefully), having helped the world by killing more Strigoi. I bumped against the windowsill and looked out. Nighttime-not good. The sheer side of the manor was not ideal for climbing, either. It could be done, but it would be time consuming. I didn’t have any more time. Directly below the window was a thickly leafed bush of some sort. I couldn’t see it clearly and only hoped it wasn’t a rosebush or something equally sharp. A second floor drop wouldn’t kill me, though. Probably wouldn’t even hurt-much. I climbed over the ledge, briefly meeting Dimitri’s gaze as the other Strigoi moved in on him. The words came to me again: Don’t hesitate. Dimitri’s important lesson. But it hadn’t been his first one. His first had been about what to do if I was outnumbered and out of options: Run. Time for me to run. I leapt out the window. Blood Promise Chapter TwentyFive I’d had to finally accept my Dimitri’s death. This one was a Strigoi. There was no future with him. I would not join him. That still didn’t make some part of me want to stop and lie down beside him, though, or at the very least see what happened next. After that initial surprise, his features and breathing had gone still, giving the illusion of death. That’s all it was, however-an illusion. I’d seen it before. I probably had five minutes at most before he healed up and shook this off. I had no time to mourn for what was and what might have been. I had to act now. No hesitation. I ran my hands over him, searching his clothes for anything that might be of use. I found a set of keys and some cash. I pocketed the keys and started to leave the cash but realized I might actually need it on the off chance I escaped this place. My own money had been taken when I arrived. I also swept up some of the jewelry on the table. Finding buyers for that kind of thing in big Russian cities wasn’t too difficult. If I made it to said city. I stood up off the bed and gave Dimitri one last pained look. A few of the tears I’d hidden from him earlier now ran down my face. That was all I could allow myself. If I had a later, I’d mourn then. Before leaving, my gaze lingered on the stake. I wanted to take it with me; it was my only weapon. Pulling it out would mean he’d wake up in about a minute. I needed the extra time. With a sigh, I turned my back on him, hoping I’d find a weapon elsewhere. I sprinted over to the suite’s door and punched in the code again. It unlocked, and I stepped into the corridor. Before going to the next door, I examined the one I’d just stepped through. To get into the suite, there was another keypad. Entry also required a code. Backing up a little, I struck and kicked the keypad as hard as I could. I did it twice more, until the tiny red light on it went out. I didn’t know if that would affect the lock on the inside of the suite, but in the movies, damaging electronic locks always seemed to work. Turning my attention to the next lock, I tried to remember the numbers Inna had told me. They weren’t etched as strongly in my head as the first. I punched in seven numbers. The little light stayed red. â€Å"Damn.† It was possible she’d lied about this set, but somehow, I suspected my memory was the culprit here. I tried again, knowing the clock was ticking on how long I had until Dimitri came after me. The red light flashed again. What were those numbers? I tried to visualize them in my head and finally decided I wasn’t entirely sure about the last two. I reversed their order the next time I put in the code. The light flashed green, and the door unlocked. Of course, there was a security system of a different sort outside. A Strigoi. And not just any Strigoi: It was Marlen. The one I’d tortured in the alley. The one who hated me because I’d disgraced him in front of Galina. He was clearly on guard duty and looked as though he’d expected a boring night. Me coming out the door was a shock. That gave me, oh, about a millisecond of surprise. My first thought was to just run at him with as much brute strength as I could. I knew he would do the same to me. In fact†¦ that was exactly what he’d do. I stayed where I was, standing so that I could keep the door propped open. He came at me to stop my escape, and I stepped aside, pulling the door open wider. Now, I was neither skilled enough nor was he inept enough to simply get lured in. He stopped in the doorway, trying to get hold of me. This gave me the difficult task of trying to both fend him off and drag him into the corridor behind the door. I stepped back into the doorway, hoping he’d follow. All the while, I had to keep the door open. It was all complicated, and I would have no time to punch in the code again. We fought in the confined space. The biggest thing I had going for me was that Marlen appeared to be a young Strigoi, which made sense. Galina would want to keep around henchmen she could control. Of course, Strigoi strength and speed compensated for a lack of experience. The fact that he had been a Moroi once also meant he probably had very little training. That also was a bonus for me. Dimitri was a badass Strigoi because he’d trained as a fighter before being turned. This guy had not. So, Marlen got a couple punches in on me, one coming dangerously close to my eye. The other caught me in the stomach, knocking the air out of me for half a second. But most of the time, I was able to dodge him pretty well. This seemed to infuriate him. Getting beat up by a teenage girl didn’t really score you cool points when you were a Strigoi. At one point, I even faked him out in one direction and came at him with a surprise kick -easier to do than I’d expected in that damned dress-that knocked him back a few steps. I just barely managed to keep my hand in the door when I did it, but that was all I needed. His stumble gave me a few seconds to slip out the door and into the main hall. Unfortunately, when I tried to close it, he was already trying to come through. With my hands, I tried to pull the door shut while kicking him back inside. We struggled this way for a while, and thanks to whatever luck I had left, I got the door closed enough so that only his arm was sti cking through. Bracing myself, I pulled the door toward me in one huge, forceful movement. It slammed into Marlen’s wrist. I half expected to see his hand detach and pop into the hall, but he’d jerked it back. Even Strigoi had certain instincts to avoid pain. Gasping-my physical strength still wasn’t all it could be-I backed up. If he knew the code, this had been for nothing. A moment later, the door’s handle shook but didn’t open. I heard a scream of rage, and then his fists beat on the door. Score one for me. No, score one for luck. If he’d known the code, I would have been Thud. Marlen was still beating on the door, and I saw the tiniest dent appear on the metallic surface. â€Å"Oh, crap,† I said. I didn’t stick around to see how many hits it’d take him to break it down. I also realized that even if I’d disabled the first lock, Dimitri would just be able to break that one down too. Dimitri†¦ No. I absolutely couldn’t think of him now. As I ran down the hall, heading toward the stairs Dimitri and I traveled before, an unexpected memory suddenly popped into my head. When Dimitri had last threatened Nathan, he’d mentioned getting my stake out of a vault. What vault was that exactly? Was it here on the premises? If so, I certainly didn’t have time to look. When weighing the option to search a four-story house full of vampires or run off into the countryside before they found you†¦ well, the choice was clear. And it was in the midst of that thought process that I ran into a human at the top of the stairs. He was older than Inna and carrying a stack of linens that he dropped when we collided. With almost no pause, I grabbed hold of him and swung him against the wall. I had no weapon to threaten him with and wondered how I’d assert my will now. Yet as soon as I had him pinned, he threw up his hands in a defensive gesture and began whimpering in Russian. There’d be no attacks on me here. Of course, now I had the problem of communicating what I needed. Marlen was still beating on the door, and Dimitri would be up in a couple of minutes. I glared at the human, hoping I looked terrifying. From his expression, I did. I attempted the caveman talk I had with Inna†¦ only this time the message was a little harder. â€Å"Stick,† I said in Russian. I had no clue what the word for stake was. I pointed at the silver ring I wore and made a slashing motion. â€Å"Stick. Where?† He stared at me in utter confusion and then asked, in perfect English, â€Å"Why are you talking like that?† â€Å"Oh for God’s sake,† I exclaimed. â€Å"Where is the vault?† â€Å"Vault?† â€Å"A place they keep weapons?† He continued staring. â€Å"I’m looking for a silver stake.† â€Å"Oh,† he said. â€Å"That.† Uneasily, he cast his eyes in the direction of the pounding. I pushed him harder against the wall. My heart felt like it would burst out of my chest, but I tried to hide it. I wanted this guy to think I was invincible. â€Å"Ignore him. Take me to the vault. Now!† With a frightened yelp, he nodded eagerly and beckoned me down the stairs. We descended to the second floor and made a sharp turn. The halls here were as twisty as the hedge maze Dimitri had shown me, all decorated in that gold and chandelier style, and I wondered if I’d even be able to get out of the house. Attempting this detour was a risk, but I wasn’t sure if I could get outside without being followed. If I was, there’d be a confrontation. I’d need to defend myself. The human led me down another hall and yet another. Finally, we reached a door that looked like any other. He stopped and peered at me expectantly. â€Å"Open it,† I said. He shook his head. â€Å"I don’t have the key.† â€Å"Well, I certainly don’t-wait.† I reached into my pocket and pulled out the keys I’d lifted from Dimitri. There were five keys on the ring. I tried them one at a time, and on the third one, I got a hit. The door opened. Meanwhile, my guide was casting hasty glances behind him and looked ready to bolt. â€Å"Don’t even think about it,† I warned. He blanched and stayed put. The room before us wasn’t very big, and while its plush white carpet and silver framed paintings made it look elegant, the room was†¦ well, basically, it looked like a junkyard. Boxes and weird objects-a lot of personal items like watches and rings in particular-lay around in no order. â€Å"What is this?† â€Å"Magic,† he said, still obviously scared out of his mind. â€Å"Magic items kept here to fade or be destroyed.† Magic†¦ ah. These were items charmed by Moroi magic. Charms always had some kind of effect on Strigoi-usually unpleasant-with stakes being the worst, since they used all four physical elements. It made sense that Strigoi would want to isolate harmful objects and get rid of â€Å"My stake!† I ran forward and picked it up, nearly dropping it because my hands were so sweaty. The stake was lying on top of a box with a length of cloth and some weird stones. Studying it, I realized it wasn’t actually my stake-not that it made a difference for killing Strigoi. This stake was almost identical, save for a small geometric pattern running around its base. It was something guardians did from time to time if they felt particularly attached to their stake: have a design or initials etched into it. Holding this stake, I felt a momentary pang of sadness. This had belonged to someone who’d wielded it proudly once, someone who was now most likely dead. God only knew how many other dozens of stakes were in here, seized from other unfortunate prisoners, but I had no time to search or mourn those who had died. â€Å"Okay, now I want you to take me to†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I hesitated. Even with a stake, it’d be a lot better for me if I didn’t face any more Strigoi. I had to assume there’d still be a guard at the front door. â€Å"†¦ Some room on this floor with a window that actually opens. And is far from the stairs.† The guy thought for a moment and then gave a quick nod. â€Å"This way.† I followed him through another maze of twisting corridors. â€Å"What’s your name?† â€Å"Oleg.† â€Å"You know,† I said. â€Å"I’m getting out of here†¦ if you want†¦ if you want, I could take you with me.† Having someone else-a human, particularly -would definitely slow me down. Yet, my conscience wouldn’t let me leave anyone behind in this place. He gave me an incredulous glance. â€Å"Why would I want to do that?† Sydney had definitely been right about humans making great sacrifices for immortality. Oleg and Inna were living proof. We rounded a corner and came face-to-face with an elaborate set of French doors. Through the etched glass, I could see book-lined shelves, stretching all the way up the walls. A library-a huge one that extended on and on, out of my sight. Better yet, I saw a large bay window opposite me, framed in heavy satin curtains the color of blood. â€Å"Perfect,† I said, pushing open the doors. That was when the nausea hit me. We weren’t alone in the room. Galina sprang up from a chair near the fireplace on the far side of the room. A book dropped from her lap. I had no time to dwell on the oddity of a Strigoi having a fireside read, because she was coming right toward me. I almost might have thought Oleg had set me up, but he was cowering in a corner, his face mirroring the shock I felt. Despite the library’s enormous size, she reached me in seconds. I dodged her initial attack-or tried to, at least. She was fast. Aside from Dimitri, the other Strigoi in this house were clearly the B-team, and I had forgotten just how badass a truly skilled Strigoi was. She caught me by my arm and swung me toward her, mouth open and fangs going straight for my neck. I had the stake in my hand and tried awkwardly to at least scratch her with it, but she was holding me too tightly. At last, I managed to duck a little and move my throat out of her range, but all this did was give her the opportunity to grab hold of my hair. She jerked me upright, and I screamed in pain. How she managed to hold onto my hair without ripping it right out was remarkable. Still gripping it, she shoved me into a wall. When I’d first fought with Dimitri upon my arrival, he’d been rough but hadn’t wanted to kill me. Galina did. She’d taken it on faith from Dimitri that I’d be an asset, but it was obvious now that I was a real pain in the ass. Her amnesty had ended, and she was intent on killing me. I at least had the comfort of knowing she probably wouldn’t turn me into a Strigoi. I’d be lunch. A shout suddenly drew my attention to the door. Dimitri stood there, face blazing with anger. Whatever illusions I’d harbored about him being his former self disappeared. That fury radiated around him, his eyes narrowed and fangs showing. The pale skin and red eyes contrasted sharply against each other. He was like a demon sent straight from hell to destroy me. He strode toward us, and the immediate thought in my head was: Well, at least this’ll end things that much faster. Except†¦ it wasn’t me he attacked. It was Galina. I’m not sure which of us was more surprised, but in that moment, I was totally forgotten. The Strigoi raced toward each other, and I froze, stunned at the terrible beauty of their fight. There was almost a gracefulness to the way they moved, the way they struck out and skillfully dodged each other. I stared a bit longer and then mentally slapped myself into action. This was my chance to get out of here. I couldn’t get distracted. I turned to the bay window, searching frantically for a means to open it. There was none. â€Å"Son of a bitch!† Maybe Oleg had set me up after all. Or maybe there was just some mechanism that wasn’t apparent to me. Regardless, I felt pretty confident there was one way to get it open. I ran to the side of the room where Galina had sat and grabbed an ornate wooden chair. It was obvious this window wasn’t made of the hard-core glass that had been in my room. This stuff was similar to the library’s French doors, delicate and engraved with fanciful designs, even though darkly tinted. It couldn’t require that much force to break. After all that fruitless beating in my room, I took a kind of smug satisfaction in slamming the chair into it with as much force as possible. The impact made a huge hole in one side of the window, glass spraying everywhere. A few shards hit my face, but it was nothing to concern me now. Behind me, the sounds of battle raged on. There were grunts and muffled cries as they fought, as well as the occasional sound of some piece of broken furniture. I yearned to turn around and see what was going on, but I couldn’t. I took the chair and swung again, breaking the other half of the window. There was now a huge hole, perfect for me to get out of. â€Å"Rose!† Dimitri’s voice triggered some instinctive response in me. I glanced back and saw him still grappling with Galina. They were both exhausted, but it was clear he was getting the worst of it. But in their fighting, he kept trying to restrain her in a way that exposed her chest to me. His eyes met mine. Back when he’d been a dhampir, we’d rarely needed words to convey our thoughts. This was one of those times. I knew what he wanted me to do. He wanted me to stake her. I knew I shouldn’t. I needed to hop out that window right now. I needed to let them keep fighting, even though it seemed obvious Galina was about to win. And yet†¦ despite my misgivings, some force drew me across the room, stake poised and ready. Maybe it was because I would never fully lose my pull to Dimitri, no matter what kind of monster he’d become. Maybe it was an unconscious sense of duty, since I knew he’d just saved my life. Or maybe it was because I knew one Strigoi was going to die tonight, and she was the more dangerous. But she wasn’t easy to get hold of. She was fast and strong, and he was having a hard time with her. She kept wriggling around, trying to renew her attack. All she’d need to do was incapacitate him as I had; then it’d just require decapitation or burning to finish him off. I had no doubt she could arrange either. He managed to turn her slightly, giving me the best view of her chest I’d had. I moved forward-and then Dimitri slammed into me. I was addled for a moment, wondering why he’d attack me after saving me, until I realized he’d been pushed-by Nathan. Nathan had just entered the library, along with Marlen. It distracted Dimitri but not me. I still had the opening he’d given me on Galina, and I plunged my stake into her chest. It didn’t go in as deeply as I would have liked, and she still managed to fight me, bucking hard. I grimaced and pushed forward, knowing the silver had to be affecting her. A moment later, I saw the pain twist her face. She faltered, and I pushed my advantage, shoving the stake in all the way. It took several seconds, but she eventually stopped moving, her body crumpling to the ground. If the other Strigoi noticed her death, they didn’t pay attention. Nathan and Marlen were fixated on Dimitri. Another Strigoi-a female I didn’t recognize-soon joined the face-off. I jerked my stake out of Galina and slowly began backing toward the window, hoping I wouldn’t attract too much attention. My heart went out to Dimitri. He was outnumbered. I could possibly lend my strength and help him fight†¦ Of course, my strength was fading. I was still suffering from days of vampire bites and blood loss. I’d fought two Strigoi tonight and killed a powerful one. That had been my good deed, removing her from the world. The next best thing I could do would be to leave and let these Strigoi finish off Dimitri. The surviving ones would be leaderless and less of a threat. Dimitri would be free of this evil state, his soul finally able to move on to better places. And I would live (hopefully), having helped the world by killing more Strigoi. I bumped against the windowsill and looked out. Nighttime-not good. The sheer side of the manor was not ideal for climbing, either. It could be done, but it would be time consuming. I didn’t have any more time. Directly below the window was a thickly leafed bush of some sort. I couldn’t see it clearly and only hoped it wasn’t a rosebush or something equally sharp. A second floor drop wouldn’t kill me, though. Probably wouldn’t even hurt-much. I climbed over the ledge, briefly meeting Dimitri’s gaze as the other Strigoi moved in on him. The words came to me again: Don’t hesitate. Dimitri’s important lesson. But it hadn’t been his first one. His first had been about what to do if I was outnumbered and out of options: Run. Time for me to run. I leapt out the window.