“It’s not safe for her to just wait for me out there,” I said, trying hard to ignore the warmth that had spread from my arm, to inside my chest.
“You should meet her. When the rest of them go to bed,” he said.
“I want to but how will I get out without Natalie asking questions?”
“I don’t know. Wait until your roommate is asleep. I’ll wait for you there,” he pointed across the street. “Even in the day, it’s not safe for you either, so don’t leave without me.”
I agreed as we made our way back inside. I felt excited to be seeing Safi again but it wasn’t safe for her to be wondering around like that, in a place crawling with those who coveted her blood. I couldn’t tell whether the ball that had formed in the pit of my stomach told me of worries I already had or something different that was yet to be revealed. I only hoped my best friend would be okay until I could go to her.
***
“And what was all that about?” asked Valenthia as I resurfaced in the food hall. She smirked in a way that gave her features a devilish allure.
“Nothing,” I said, sounding as fake as I felt.
“Did he just ask you out?” asked Natalie brimming with enthusiasm.
“No, of course not! Nothing like that! And anyway, I’m not even sure what the…rules…around here are for that kind of…not that it makes a difference because he didn’t,” I had to shut it before I put my foot even further in my mouth. Which likely wasn’t possible.
“Ooh! Did I hear that correctly?” said Goth Girl, popping up at our table from seemingly nowhere, with Riskel and Nyx right behind her. “Our little Witchpire, who’s neither much of a witch, nor a vampire wants to get cozy with one of our resident mutts. It’s as if your blood isn’t enough of a concoction of weirdness to begin with – now you want to add some common wolf to your mix too!”
“Why are you such a bitch, Lilith?” asked Valenthia, like she was genuinely looking for a sit-down analysis of the issue, as Natalie looked away with unsettled eyes. Goth Girl stared hard at Valenthia. Suddenly her eyes reddened and her fangs protruded. Valenthia tugged at a strand of her lavender hair. Her eyes, took on the same bloody tone but her teeth did not transition. “What do you say, Riskel? Is she always so pleasant to be around? Because if so, you know where my room is.” Her eyes went back to their still, deep pools and she seductively blew Riskel a kiss. He said nothing and instead took Natalie’s cue and looked away but wore a cheeky smirk as he did.
“You haven’t heard the last of this. Especially you!” said Lilith, glaring at me accusingly. “Come on Riskel!” she commanded.
“Man, that guy is hot but what a dweeb when it comes to picking women!” Valenthia frowned, quickly regaining her impish smile.
“Let’s get to class,” said Natalie, tying her cascade of fair hair into a messy bun and getting up from the table.
“Sure, we can talk about the dreamy werewolf on the way,” said Valenthia.
“Exactly,” Natalie too, lit up.
“No, there’s nothing to talk about!” I felt slightly panicked as to what I could tell them if they continued to push it. Why couldn’t Ulric have waited to catch me alone? I quickly realized what a selfish way to see things that was. The fact was that he too was putting himself out by being a bridge between Safi and I, like that. And what was more, he had cared enough to pass on Safi’s message, hopefully saving her a lot of grief from getting caught inside Bloodline Academy.
“Just so you know, the so-called spiel against mixing with werewolves that Ms. Overbite was giving you, aren’t formal rules or anything, it’s just that like any prejudice, many Sanguine and vampires by and large, are too up their own asses to venture outside what they’re familiar with. It’s peer pressure at its extreme. However, -” said Valenthia.
“Isn’t there always?” I groaned.
“Totes! However, peer pressure doesn’t apply to you seeing as you’re now already outside of vampire norm and I’m guessing, witch social expectations too.”
“If you must know, what Goth G–, I mean Lilith, thinks of vamps mixing with werewolves is only the surface of what witches think of mixing with, you know, vampires. And, we have the same biases in our community too,” I said, feeling self-conscious.
“Discrimination exists everywhere,” said Natalie, shaking her head.
“Right,” I agreed. Only the reason witches didn’t much mix with vamps is because they’d be dead as doornails before their first date was through with one, I thought. I was a rarity that no one could even explain.
For the first time in a long time, I wondered whether either of my birth parents were around. It made me feel odd thinking that as a vampire, my father – if I could even call someone I’d never met and had zero investment in me, that – very likely was. My mom, I’d assumed was dead because I’d always told myself the comforting story that had she been alive, she never would have willingly given me up.
“So, about you and Ulric,” began Valenthia, but much to her annoyance, we’d arrived at our first class with Professor Devin.
“Can we talk about this later, by which I mean never?” I said as we went inside and settled into the middle row of a very small classroom that looked more like a cozy, little library. It reminded me of our reading room back in the coven. Lilith and her gang were already there and I made it a point to sit at a table behind them. I was fully through with having her sneak up on me.
“Welcome to the History of Vampires in Europe and the New World! I’m Professor Devin and I’ll also be teaching an elective on Vampire Leadership next semester.” The professor was impeccably dressed just like the other night with the addition of an actual cape, with a red inner lining for tonight’s lecture. His midnight blue eyes gleamed and I noticed both Valenthia and Natalie were gawking at him, glued to his every move. If and when they mentioned Ulric again, I’d just acquired some good ammunition. “A few of you might know who I am but for those who don’t, I’m a Novus, turned more than four hundred and fifty years ago.”
I jerked and sat up straight, realizing that even without him saying it, I’d sensed what kind of vampire he was. As a witch, such distinctions had never even been on my radar. A vampire was a vampire. It unsettled me that I’d noticed and recognized this detail from my very core.
“My original home was France but I came to New Orleans shortly after my immortal life began. My most proud achievement to date, which I strive to surpass, has been to help bring vampires to the New World. Indeed, if you know the history of this very building, you’ll know the essence of my work.”
“That’s impressive,” said Nyx, clearly also taken. Natalie and Valenthia nodded vigorously.
“Not bad,” said Moldark, with his usual arrogance.
“Thank you, friends. Now, I am going to do something I’ve never done before. I’m expressly going to ask you all, to keep everything you hear in my lectures, in the strictest confidence.”
“I wonder why,” said Lilith, turning back and rolling her eyes at me. Professor Devin ignored her and continued.
“We are honoured to have in our midst, such a rare magical and supernatural being. In all my years as a vampire, I have never come across someone quite as exquisite as Katrina Quartz,” said Devin as I wished I was invisible. Predictably, the row ahead snickered. “I have seen the rise and fall of species and although we are at a delicate part in our own rising, the diversity in our student body this year is very promising.”
I wasn’t sure that one hybrid Crystal Witch-vampire in the history of Bloodline Academy could be seen as diversity or something to be kept as the dramatic secret that Devin had announced.
“How many of you know who this school is connected to and founded for?” asked Devin. I swore that a dark expression crept across his face as he asked the question. For a minute, no one raised their hand or attempted to venture a guess.
“The first vampires of New Orleans?” Valenthia eventually asked.
“That’s our official tagline.
Something we’ve liberally spread to any interested party. Even your families and anyone you may know who’s studied here has been sold that information for so long now that it’s become part of the historical backdrop. It’s good and while not specifically false, it’s not exactly accurate either.”
“Then what is?” asked Lilith, tossing back her raven locks.
“Vampires have slowly but surely been rising the ranks of all supernatural creatures. The Supernatural Light Alliance hates it and acts like we don’t have a right to even be. We are still fragile but nonetheless we are finally positioned through the Dark Legion to take over and if necessary, destroy anyone that tries to stop us.” Devin looked pointedly to each of us. It seems to be something vampires did, trying to find a weak link in the otherwise steel chain that was being fashioned.
So, there was something brewing in the vamp world after all. All my life at the coven, I’d heard low level rumblings in the background to what had turned out to be an existence wrapped in cotton wool compared to where I’d found myself. Did the S.L.A. know about any of this officially? Did Safi or her family?
“Tell us more, professor?” Nyx practically sang, as her husky voice quivered.
“Gladly. For the first couple of centuries, it was a very covert, fringe organization. Vampires weren’t organized back then, just looking out for their own clan. But one Sanguine, changed everything. She was a wildly ambitious woman of deeply noble blood who ruled both the mortal and immortal realms with the most extravagant weapons of unparalleled fear and darkness.”
The class was absolutely mesmerized. Even I had to admit that there was something that drew me into him, his world, in the way he spoke. I wondered if although I knew it wasn’t possible for vampires to compel each other or witches, there was a tiny bit of something supernatural at play in the way he spoke. I hoped there was.
“Her name was Countess Elizabeth Bathory. And, apart from showing us what’s possible, indeed she feasted on the blood of mortals and faeries, peasants and royalty, she left us with the greatest gift – for it was she who founded the Dark Legion. We have always been forced to act covertly. Until now.” Devin smiled, leaning back in his chair that he’d settled in, as though recalling the fondest of memories.
“How do we join this league?” asked Moldark. “Surely, you can’t be part of it?”
“And why’s that?” asked Professor Devin with calm yet warning expression.
“You’re not Sanguine.”
“My dear boy,” said Devin in a silky voice, “do not estimate the skill, cunning and ferocity of a vampire based on how they came to be. Some of the darkest of our kind, were turned.” His eyes momentarily turned an angry red and his face was white and bloodless. I caught a glimpse of the nails on his hand, which had extended to become yellowed talons. The lights in the room flickered, like they too cowered in response to the vamp’s power. In Devin, Moldark appeared to have met his match.
“I understand, professor,” said Moldark, finally succumbing to his place, wearing a sulky expression of his bruised pride.
“Good,” said Devin and everything was back to normal. “Now, to answer you question, which I’m glad you asked, you become part of the family, as it were, by a show of your loyalty. Anyone can call themselves fit to join the Dark Legion. Sadly, we have seen traitors among us, more than once.” I held my breath, waiting for him to look to me, or for Goth Girl and her troupe to snigger. No one did and he continued, “I have an assignment for you, handed down directly by Principal Nadasdy. It’s purely voluntary of course. The Supernatural Light Alliance is proving rather inconvenient for us at this moment and it’s various herds of faeries and certain witch covens that are bolstering its’ strength.” This time Devin did give me the briefest, amused smile.
“They must be stopped,” breathed Lilith.
“Precisely, my dear. In the next little while, we will be watching to see how those of you that are interested in the Dark Legion, go about furthering the vampire agenda,” said Devin.
“You’re dead,” whispered Nyx, turning around and winking at me.
“Let me stop you right there Ms. Burrows. Naturally, you’ll understand that Katrina Quartz is not just one of us, she is a great resource with her as yet untapped magic that we will eventually benefit from. If anyone harms her as an excuse to undertake this assignment, it will be my honour to hunt you down and stake you.”
There was more silence as my classmates shuffled in their seats and for the remainder of the class, as Devin gave a run down of the history of vampire migration patterns, I slumped in my own seat, finding myself unexpectedly torn about where my own loyalty should lie.
Chapter 11
I’d waited until day had broken and the sun streamed in on all sides of the academy. At least the parts that were above ground. For the first time since entering Bloodline Academy, I found evidence of the humans who cooked, cleaned and generally kept the place running. I could feel their eyes on me, watching intrigued, but each person I tried to interact with, quickly looked down, avoiding my gaze.
By contrast, the werewolves paraded around boldly, going to and from classes as well as just hanging out safely, when they wouldn’t be challenged for simply being there. A few of the female students from their extended pack even tried engaging me in a stare down, bolstered by one in particular who looked at me and muttered something under her breath.
The day certainly brought a different vibe to the school. I walked past them, keeping my eyes ahead and focussing on getting out of the place without drawing attention to myself. My own body had become quite accustomed to being awake during the night and if I shied away from the sun, it was likely that I had my days and nights all mixed up. That was my story and I was sticking to it. No matter how exhausted I felt, I had missed the golden warmth of the sunshine.
I’d haphazardly done a rejuvenation spell before I’d ventured outside. It was the sort Safi had done for me when she’d snuck into my room. If it had worked, I couldn’t tell. It wasn’t a wonder that my coven had disowned me. I’d barely brought the Circle of Quartz an advantage by living there. Devin had highlighted in no uncertain terms that the threat to witches and other supes affiliated with the S.L.A. was growing and I couldn’t even master basic spells.
I reached outside and walked through the gates, unsure of what to expect. The gates opened easily as I pushed against them. It felt wholly strange to be walking outside and I concentrated on trying to find Safi and what I’d say to her, when I did.
“Hey!” called Ulric, walking up behind me. he was wearing his dark jeans paired with a navy t-shirt. I on the other hand had worn my uniform, minus the blazer and tie. I looked quite a dweeb, especially with my blazer tucked under one arm. Not that I had many other clothes to choose from.
“You scared me!” I replied, putting my hand to my chest to try and calm my pounding heartbeat.
“That means you weren’t paying attention,” continued Ulric, not even the slightest bit apologetic. His dark hair was soft and thick as he ran his fingers through it. I begrudgingly admitted that he looked even more attractive in the day as I briefly gazed into his stunning, gold eyes, so warm and expressive, full of life.
“Look, Mr. Arrogance on Legs, I haven’t slept in ages, alright? So, excuse me if I’m not completely on top form.” I stifled a yawn, actually annoyed at myself. The spell hadn’t worked at all. I had no idea how I’d make it through the next night and successfully attend classes. That too, we had another lesson with Duquette coming up. I moaned.
“Maybe your friend can help fix you up – like with a spell or something?” tried Ulric. Was he actually trying to piss me off?
“Yeah, because it’s not like I’m a real witch or anything.”
“I never said that. You’ve just had a lot on your plate, that’s all,” he softened.
“Right,” I said.
“Sorry, okay? I didn’t mean to start the day on the wrong foot.”
“It’s okay. If you must know
, I’m really confused. Bloodline Academy – I mean St. Erzsebet’s, is screwing with my mind.”
“It’ll do that to you,” he said and I knew that on some level, he understood, like no one else could. He walked up close and guided us swiftly down Chartres Street. “What, are you feeling confused about?”
“I’ve always lived like a witch. I’ve thought like a witch and felt like one. Crystal Witches heal people, they bring light into the world. They don’t plunge it into darkness like…” I trailed off.
“Correct. And by and large, not all werewolves are evil either. But we, the Black Banes, are meant to be because it was the vamps who took us in when apparently no one else would. I get that. And while we’re meant to feel at least in part, indebted to them, it’s different for you. They’re different to you.”
“How,” I asked.
“Because unlike me and Kane and the rest of my pack, you’re actually part Sanguine. That means they really do care about you – well as much as creatures notoriously missing their heart and humanity can.”
“That’s the hard part. Most of them do hate me. They see me and my supposed magic as a threat to them as much as they do, any witch. And yet I’ve found a couple of good ones in Natalie and Valenthia. And the worst thing to have to admit, is that the second my High Priestesses found out about this side of me, something I knew nothing about, they instantly disowned me.” It still stung like it had when Lorna had delivered the damning verdict.
“That really does reek. There must have been something the Supernatural Light Alliance could have done for you?”
“That’s what I’ve wondered so many times.” I swallowed a lump that had come up in my throat.
“It wasn’t cool how they stood by and just watched.”
“And sent me with you, without a second thought,” I added.
“I hope that wasn’t the lowest part of it, for you?” Ulric smirked. I said nothing. “The irony is if you decide to turn against your coven or the alliance, it’s going to be totally on them. They practically forced you into the arms of the vampires. And the one thing about vampires is, they are loyal to the death. Unless of course, you do something even tiny, that they perceive as disloyal. Then they’ll kill you with less of a thought than your coven had when sending you here.”
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