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Study Guide
Vampire Academy The Supernatural
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The Supernatural
I saw her hesitate, but the sight of my neck and what it offered proved too powerful. A hungry expression crossed her face, and her lips parted slightly, exposing the fangs she normally kept hidden while living among humans. (1.19)
For this first bite we hear about in the book, we expect it to be, well, painful… but it's anything but. There's a hardcore sensuality behind the vampire's bites, even if it is frowned upon in their world.
Feeling Lissa's emotions was one thing, but slipping into her was something we both despised. She saw it as an invasion of privacy, so I usually didn't tell her when it happened. Neither of us could control it. It was another effect of the bond, a bond neither of us fully understood. Legends existed about psychic links between guardians and their Moroi, but the stories had never mentioned anything like this. We fumbled through it as best we could. (2.8)
Even though they live in a different world, this is something even they can't understand. It's not typical for guardians and Morois to read each other's minds, yet Rose does it all the time when Lissa's emotions are peaked. At first it's just by accident, but before long, Rose learns to control the mind-hopping.
I felt like someone had shot me. Sharp and biting, terror exploded in my body and in my head. Small razors of pain. My vision blurred, and for a moment, I wasn't standing there. I was running down a flight of stairs, scared and desperate, needing to get out of there, needing to find… me. (7.51)
When a dead fox is placed on Lissa's pillow, Rose senses it; here, she describes the supernatural moment she begins to slip into Lissa's head. We'd also like to point out how Rose forgets who she is when jumping into her friend's emotions—it's so powerful, she can't get a grip on her own reality.
They believed magic was meant to take care of the earth, to help people live better lives. It was never, ever used as a weapon. Magic instructors never taught those kinds of spells; I don't think they even knew any. (8.49)
Magic has its limits, and St. Vladimir's Academy doesn't allow the students to use magic in certain situations. It's interesting, then, that some people (Christian and Lissa) learn to use their magic elements without training, as if it's a perfectly natural impulse Morois have.
"People get these goofy looks on their faces when you talk to them. And not just any people— you're able to do it to Moroi. Probably dhampirs, too. Now that's crazy. I didn't even know that was possible. You're some kind of superstar. Some kind of evil, compulsion-abusing superstar." (9.40)
Christian notices Lissa using compulsion on people, and almost can't believe it. It's one thing to use it on humans (gee, thanks) but quite another to dupe a vampire into doing what you want. His comments remind us that Lissa is abnormal in her world because she's got so much magical ability.
The more he used his powers, the more they started to get to him. He'd get irrationally angry and sad. He blamed it on demons and stupid stuff like that, but it was obvious he suffered from depression. Once, he admitted in his diary, he tried to kill himself. Anna stopped him. (15.12)
Reading about St. Vladimir, Rose notices how he suffered from depression after using his powers, just like Lissa does. It's too bad, but even magic comes at a price, we guess. Sorry, Vlady.
If she'd healed me, there was no telling what shape she could be in now. Her moods and magic were linked, and this had been a pretty intense show of magic. (18.68)
It turns out you can't just go around using magic and not having any consequences, and this passage reminds us that even though Lissa is a vampire, she's still kept within the confines of the Morois. They are not as strong and powerful as the Strigoi (although it's a trade-off since those guys can't use magic at all).
"The trauma you've experienced since the accident comes from more than just your family's loss. It's from using spirit. The accident woke the spirit in you; your fear over seeing Rose dead made it burst out, allowing you to heal her. It forged your bond. And once it's out, you can't put it back. It's a powerful element—but it's also dangerous. Earth users get their power from the earth, air users from the air. But spirit? Where do you think that comes from?" (22.38)
Victor explains the psychic bond and healing powers to Lissa. It might sound creepy, but we've seen this throughout the whole novel. Step (1) Lissa heals something; step (2) Lissa gets depressed and flips out.
Then… it was like… I don't even know how to describe it. Color and light and music and life and joy and love… so many wonderful things, all the lovely things that make up the world and make it worth living in. Lissa summoned up all of those things, as many as she could, and sent them into Victor. The magic flowed through both of us, brilliant and sweet. It was alive. It was her life. And as wonderful as it all felt, she was growing weaker and weaker. (22.63)
Check out the way the healing is described—it's magical alright, but not in the waving a wand type of way. Lissa is somehow harnessing her life and pouring it right into Victor. It's pretty magical, even listening to the description.
"I had to do it to get him out of here before the others came. One Strigoi to save all of the Moroi. It's worth it, worth giving up the sun and the magic." (24.12)
Yikes. Natalie's so interested in her dad's approval that she turns to the dark side for him. She thinks saving the Morois is worth losing her magic spells, but do you agree? Is her sacrifice worth it?