“Little witch, you could never ruin anything for me,” Griffin said swiftly. He put an arm around her shoulders and drew her close, resting his chin on top of her head. “I am used to being on the outs with my family,” he reminded her. “I have been for the past fifteen years—remember?”
Which was how long he’d been imprisoned by a spelled lock that kept him in agonizing thirst and refused to let a single drop of blood pass his lips.
Yet, the tall Nocturne didn’t seem bitter about it at all—just contented to have found Megan and bonded her to him—(I thought with possibly just the tiniest twinge of envy.)
“Well, I warned you that breaking the Edict’s magic wouldn’t automatically get rid of the older generation’s prejudice about Others of different kinds dating and bonding,” Avery remarked. “It’s been against the law to even look at an Other that’s not from your own race for hundreds of years. That kind of hatred and intolerance doesn’t just fade overnight.”
“You know what I wish would fade? The lunch ladies’ desire to feed us crap,” Emma said, glaring at her stew again. She looked at Megan appealingly. “Now that you’re so powerful, can’t you just magic us a better lunch? Or at least make this one taste halfway decent?”
Megan sighed. “You know I wish I could but I’m not allowed, Emma. That was one of Headmistress Nightworthy’s conditions when she allowed me and Griffin to continue going to Nocturne Academy. I’m not allowed to do any magic at all outside of my magical classes.”
Which was a rule the Headmistress had laid down after Megan had tried to heal my scars. I think she might have felt the outpouring of powerful magic coming from the Norm Dorm—or else one of the teachers had and had alerted her to it.
“Not even good magic?” Emma wheedled. “Honestly, what’s the point in having so much power if you can’t use it to turn tuna soup into something nice like pizza or fresh sushi or something?”
“I believe the Headmistress’s exact words were, ‘Your magic may not be used outside of class for good or ill or the consequences will be severe,’” Griffin said dryly. “She made Megan promise faithfully that she wouldn’t shed a single drop of blood to benefit herself and her friends or to harm her enemies. So I am afraid that those of you who insist on eating your sustenance are stuck with what the cafeteria sees fit to provide.”
“Amen, brother.” Avery lifted his own cup of mostly cream and sugar coffee. “You girls should just drink your calories, like Griffin and I do.”
Griffin nodded and lifted his own bottle of blood in agreement, answering Avery’s toast with a silent smile.
“Well, we can’t all live on blood and coffee,” Emma grumbled. “I hope you’re planning to make us something nice for dinner tonight, Avery, or we’ll all starve,” she added, looking at him appealingly.
Avery had a habit of sneaking out at night to “borrow” ingredients from the castle’s kitchens and had become an excellent late-night chef and our main source of edible food during the school week as a result. However, this time even the thought of one of his excellent roast chicken dinners—cooked over a spit on the small fire in the common room of our dorm—didn’t stir my stomach.
I really must be coming down with something, I thought. Usually I loved Avery’s late-night dinners.
“Yes, yes—I promise, Emma my love,” he said loftily. “Maybe a nice rare roast beef tonight. I noticed last time I looked that they were stocked up on those. They must be planning to make something special for the Drakes—who apparently live on red meat—and they won’t miss a roast or two.”
Megan clapped her hands.
“That’s sounds delicious, Avery!”
Griffin nodded thoughtfully.
“I agree. It should give a special flavor to your blood, little witch,” he added, looking at Megan meaningfully. “The next time I bite you.”
Avery and Emma groaned and Avery said, “Get a room, you two! And anyway, aren’t you afraid you’ll give Princess Latimer here a taste for blood herself if you keep on biting her?”
“You mean do I fear I will turn her into one of my kind? Or at least, an imitation of my kind—a ‘Made Vampire’?” Griffin asked.
I perked up my ears at that.
“You mean you can turn someone into a Nocturne just by biting them?” I asked uneasily. I had been living with the Breedloves for years but this was the first I had heard of any such possibility.
“Only a human,” Griffin assured me. “And only if there was prolonged and continuous biting over a period of time. A different kind of Other cannot be turned for they already have magic of their own.”
“Which means my sweetie can bite me whenever he wants to,” Megan said perkily, which made Avery and Emma groan again.
“Come on, Megan—don’t rub our noses in it,” Emma exclaimed. “We’re happy for you and Griffin, of course, but the rest of us are sadly single.”
“And likely to remain so,” Avery sighed, casting another longing glance at the Drake table.
“Sorry, you guys,” Megan said contritely. “I don’t mean to be so in your face with it. I’m just so, well, happy. I can’t help myself, you know? I mean, being Blood-Bonded to the right person is amazing.”
She smiled at Griffin, who smiled back, making Emma and Avery groan a third time. I didn’t join in, however—I was too busy mulling over what Griffin had said about a “Made Vampire.”
My mind slipped back to little Allegra, biting me for a “midnight snack” last night, as she had so many times before. I wondered uneasily if maybe I ought to curb that little habit of hers…
But surely not—probably Griffin had only been talking about romantic biting, the way he bit Megan for pleasure more than just for blood. I doubted a child could pass on the vampirism germ or virus or whatever it was that would cause a human to turn into a Nocturne—or a kind of facsimile of one. It was probably only present in the fangs of grown Nocturnes.
I shook my head, pushing my stupid worries away. It was just this awful cold I felt coming on that was making me feel paranoid and anxious. Not to mention light-headed and clumsy—I had tripped over my own feet in my History of Magic class today. If I hadn’t felt so bad, Ari never would have had to catch me in the first place.
Sighing, I took another sip of the tasteless tea. I wished I didn’t feel so tired and worn out. I’d had severe anemia for a while, when I was in the Burn Unit of the hospital, recovering after The Fire, and that was how I felt now—like I was about a pint low on blood.
But it didn’t matter how run down I felt—the day wasn’t over yet. Above us, the bell chimed politely but insistently, letting us know that lunch time was over and it was time to move on to our next class—which for me was Trigonometry.
“Oh—time to go,” Megan remarked, jumping up with abundant energy I couldn’t help envying. Finding true love seemed to really agree with her
“Off to Elementary Casting?” Avery asked her, lifting an eyebrow. “I don’t understand why they don’t move you out of there. Anyone with enough power to destroy the Edict should not be in a class for beginners.”
Megan made a face.
“It’s the same reason I can’t get myself switched out of Remedial English or Home Ec—because the school secretary hates me. And it’s not like I can use my magic to change her mind, either,” she added, when Emma opened her mouth to protest.
“That sucks, Megan,” she said, apparently stowing the idea of telling Megan to use Blood magic to change the school secretary’s point of view. “It’s really not fair, either. Why don’t you appeal to the Headmistress and get her to change your schedule?”
Megan shook her head as we all got up and gathered our books.
“I’ve bothered Headmistress Nightworthy quite enough lately, thank you—what with blowing up the most important rule of Otherkind in my very first week here. Right now I’m just trying to fly under her radar and keep a low profile. Besides…” She shrugged. “I’ve heard that Nocturne Academy is in the process of hi
ring a new guidance counselor. As soon as they come on board, I’ll ask about a change. And in the meantime, at least I have one of my Coven-mates to keep me company in Home Ec.”
She shot me a smile and I smiled tiredly back.
“I’ll be there today,” I told her. “I’m officially in Home Ec for sixth period now.”
“What?” Emma frowned at us both. “How did you manage that?”
“Because the school secretary—a woman composed entirely of bile and iron filings—apparently likes Kaitlyn, though she loathes all the rest of humanity,” Griffin remarked dryly.
I nodded apologetically as Emma and Avery stared at me in disbelief. All of the rest of my Coven-mates had had run-ins with the awful Mrs. Vernon from time to time but she did, in fact, seem to like me. I think she just felt sorry for me, actually, but I wasn’t above using that to my own advantage.
“I asked her to let me switch from Classics of the Occult to Home Ec so I could be with Megan,” I told them. “I thought Classics would be really interesting, but it turns out it’s just Ms. Sojourn reading to us from her many, many journal entries.”
Ms. Sojourn was a Null—a person of magical lineage with no actual magical abilities of her own—who also had literary aspirations. I think she hoped that if she polished her material enough, she would eventually get published and she could stop teaching but so far that hadn’t happened.
Her collected journals—which she had entitled “Diary of a Witch” had yet to be picked up by any major—or minor—publishers. It wasn’t too surprising considering most of her entries were nasty-sounding vegan recipes featuring mashed mung beans and the rest were complaints about how awful her life was.
“Ugh—I’ve heard of her class!” Avery said, shivering. “They say it’s worse than watching paint dry!”
“It’s not far off,” I admitted. “Anyway, I thought it would be nice to keep Megan company and bake some goodies at the same time.”
“You’re coming at just the right time, too,” Megan said enthusiastically as we all made our way towards the high, arching, Dining Hall exit. “Today is our final baking exam and we’re going to make the biggest, ooiest-gooiest chocolate cake in the world!”
“Sounds delicious and extremely fattening,” Avery murmured. “Be sure to save us some of it for us to have for dessert tonight in the Norm Dorm. After my excellent roast beef, of course.”
“It’s a deal. Hey, we’d better get going,” Megan said. “The second bell is going to ring at any second.”
With a wave goodbye, we all went our different ways—or tried to anyway.
Because after Avery and Emma and Megan and Griffin left, I found my own way out of the Dining Hall blocked.
6
Ari
I watched her during most of our lunch period, though I tried not to be obvious about it. Well, aside from the one moment she met my eyes, anyway.
Kaitlyn was seated at a small table in the corner of the vast Dining Hall with another human, two witches, and a Nocturne. They made an odd group, considering the Edict which declares that all Others must remain separate, but they seemed happy. I was glad my little human was so content with her group of friends, but I couldn’t help wishing I was one of them.
Or maybe I just wished to be part of any group at all.
Since my Sire was the Alpha Drake, I had grown up and been educated exclusively in the Sky Lands until this year, when I had demanded a taste of freedom. My Sire had—reluctantly—let me go.
“The human world holds nothing for you, my son,” he’s said, speaking in the deep, sonorous voice of his Drake as he often did. Being older than me and more powerful, he and his other half were much more integrated than I was with my own Drake.
“I know you think that, Father,” I told him, looking up to meet his blazing golden eyes. “But I don’t believe it. The human world offers new experiences—new knowledge.”
“Knowledge of what?” he’d demanded. “What can you possibly learn there that will make you a better ruler here when I am gone?”
But I was adamant about my wish to get away and at last he had agreed that I could spend a single year at Nocturne Academy, mingling with the other tribes of Others as well as the humans themselves, who were normally considered so puny as to be beneath the notice of most Drakes.
I couldn’t say what had driven me to seek a new perspective—maybe I just wanted to see more than my own homeland before I had to settle down to rule. Or maybe I simply wanted to see the place I had heard so much about from the students of my own age who attended Nocturne Academy.
For whatever reason, here I was and even though I was in the middle of a large group…I felt all alone.
Part of it was the fault of my status, I was sure. The other Drakes looked at me askance, uncertain how to treat me. I had tried, but though I had joined their football and wrestling teams, since organized sports seemed to be required of someone with my strength and speed and size, I just couldn’t seem to fit in.
For a short time I had been with Sanchez and his gang, but of course that didn’t last. And after I had punched him and he’d gotten expelled for his misdeeds, the other Drakes at the Academy were even more stand-offish with me.
Not that I cared, I told myself, as I made my way out of the Dining Hall towards my fifth period class—which happened to be wrestling practice. Now that my Drake had claimed Kaitlyn, I had no interest in being in any group that didn’t include the little human. All my attention lately was fixed on her, so much so that I barely had time to feel left out by my fellow Drakes.
As I was thinking this, and trying to keep my little human in view from the corner of my eye without looking like I was stalking her, Nancy Rattcliff came sidling up to me.
“Well hello, tall, dark and Drakey,” she purred, pressing her breasts against my chest and leering up at me in a very unpleasant way.
Nancy had what could be considered a pretty face—the upper part of it, anyway. But her lips and teeth were much too large and prominent for beauty, as far as I was concerned. Though to be honest, anyone who wasn’t Kaitlyn held no interest for me anyway.
“Excuse me,” I said and tried to push past her but she refused to budge.
“So I hear you’re going to be king of the Drakes someday,” she said, batting her long dark lashes at me and giving me a fake smile. “Is that right?”
“My Sire is the Alpha Drake and someday I will take his place,” I said shortly. “Is that all you wanted to know?” My eyes were still fixed on Kaitlyn, who was getting closer to the Dining Hall exit now, her other friends having all gone their separate ways.
“No, of course that’s not all I wanted to know,” Nancy purred, rubbing herself against me again like a cat in heat. “I also wanted to know if you’d like to go out sometime?” she said boldly.
“Go out?” I frowned down at her, unable to keep my attention on Kaitlyn anymore when this other, unwanted female was demanding I look at her.
“You know—out on a date. Maybe this Friday night?” She grinned at me—her over-large, rubbery lips, which she had painted brilliant scarlet, pulling back to show enormous teeth.
“I’m sorry,” I said, not wanting to offend her. “But we can’t do that—the Edict forbids it.”
Nancy frowned, her brows pulled down and her large lips pursed in a pout.
“But the Edict is dead—haven’t you heard? It’s no longer the law of the land because that bitch Megan Latimer blew it up.”
“I had heard that, yes,” I said neutrally. “But the Drake Elders have declared that just because the spell that formed the Edict is gone, it doesn’t mean that the ban against intra-Other relationships is lifted.”
Which was going to make things very interesting when my Sire found out my Drake had claimed Kaitlyn. But I preferred not to think of that for now.
Nancy scowled for a moment, then turned her attention back to me and gave me another look which I assumed she thought was a sexy pout.
“Who care
s what a bunch of old people say? Now that the Edict’s spell is lifted, all the Others are free to date whoever we want.” She leaned forward and poked me in the chest. “And it just so happens I want you.” She tossed her short, black hair. “After all, my mother was the head of the Windermere Coven for years which practically makes me a princess—why shouldn’t I have a prince?”
Before I could answer, she pushed herself against my chest again, rubbing her breasts against me in a display of wanton lust that I found extremely distasteful.
As the heir to the throne of the Sky Lands, I’d had such offers before, but I wasn’t interested in a female who so obviously wanted to use me for her own advancement. In fact, the only female I was interested in was standing nearby in the bottleneck of students leaving through the Dining Hall exit, watching me with wide eyes.
Or the one lovely eye I could see was wide, anyway.
Afraid Kaitlyn would get the wrong idea, I tried again to push past Nancy.
“Sorry—not interested,” I said in a low voice, hoping to get past her without making a scene.
Unfortunately, Nancy seemed to realize my intention at once. Her sharp black eyes darted between me and Kaitlyn and widened…then narrowed. A slow, malicious smile spread across her face and she raised her voice as she leaned in towards me again.
“Oh, I know!” she exclaimed, as though continuing a private conversation the two of us had been having. “She’s disgusting, isn’t she? I mean with all those horrible scars. You’re right, Ari—she looks like a puddle of cat puke that came to life somehow and started walking around the Academy. Somebody should really put her out of her misery!”
“What?” I demanded, but when I looked up from Nancy, I could see that the damage was done. Kaitlyn’s face—the right side of it, that I could see past her long black hair—crumpled and she turned away quickly, somehow finding a way through the crowd away from me.
Clearly she had heard everything and thought that Nancy and I had been talking about her—saying the horrible things the bitch-witch in front of me had practically shouted so everyone—especially Kaitlyn—could hear.
Fang and Claw: Nocturne Academy, Book 2 Page 4