Loved By The Vampires

by Lilly Wilder

  To the left, there was a door. It was heavy, with only a small window of about four inches and seemed to be locked. There was a red sticker on it but it didn’t really say anything. Mina approached it, pressing on the door handle. It wouldn’t budge. She pressed her face against the cold glass, trying to see inside but all she could see was more greenery. She didn’t really recognize any of the flowers or plants inside. Not that she expected herself to.

  “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” someone told her and she immediately turned around.

  “Why?” she asked, now facing a boy slightly taller than she was, wearing a pair of thick rimmed glasses.

  His hair was pushed to the side, in a mild pompadour style and it occasionally fell over his square, black glasses.

  “Those are the forbidden plants,” he explained, eyeing the door behind her.

  “Forbidden plants?” she repeated.

  “You know, plants that can harm us?” he explained, but it was more of a question than a statement.

  “Like what?” she asked, pretending not to know which plants those were.

  Obviously, this guy knew more than she did, so she might be able to squeeze him for some more info if she played the role of a lost little girl who had no idea what was going on. Guys usually fell for that crap.

  “Well, they keep roses there, blackthorn, buckthorn and hawthorn, as well. Holly and Juniper. Also, wolfs bane and rowan,” he nodded importantly as he spoke.

  As she listened to him, she realized, he was cute, in a nerdy kinda way. She always liked intelligent guys and preferred them to jocks.

  “Then, I better not go in,” she moved back, raising her hands in a mock surrender gesture.

  “Well, you won’t die,” he shrugged his shoulders, “you’d just be in a lot of pain.”

  “No, thanks,” she shook her head.

  Actually, Mina knew of several combinations which would make those plants, not only painful, but lethal, to vampires, but this was no time for such conversations. Still, it was useful to know that she could sew in a blackthorn plant in her clothing when she went to see Dante. Also, she could make a stake from hawthorn, while carrying a bunch of rose petals in her pocket. In addition, a rowan cross couldn’t hurt, either.

  “So, what are you doing here?” he asked her.

  “I could ask you the same thing,” she snapped back, feeling attacked.

  Or was it just her general state nowadays? She wasn’t sure anymore.

  “Whoa there, easy,” he pulled back. “Don’t feel attacked. I’m just asking.”

  Mina felt bad. He was right. It was only a question but she’d been feeling on edge ever since she got here and for the right reasons, too. She was all alone on enemy grounds and she couldn’t let her guard down, not even for one second. Dante could be watching, he could make his move at any second. Maybe what she was told, that he wasn’t here, wasn’t really the truth. She couldn’t know anything for sure right now. The only thing she could rely on were her own two eyes.

  “Sorry,” she murmured, “ever since I got here, I haven’t been able to rest properly,” she handed him the first excuse she could think of.

  “New place?” he wondered.

  “Everything,” she continued, remembering her made up origin story, “ever since my whole clan was wiped out, I can’t relax. I’m constantly on edge, I feel like they’re after me all the time.”

  As she was talking, she felt like it wasn’t all made up, as if a part of it was really true. She felt like vampires were her enemies, always trying to kill her and her brother. Only now, she’d switched roles, but that same fear, that same threat was still there, almost palpable, never leaving her side.

  “I know what you mean,” he nodded, sitting down on a little bench which was located right behind them.

  Not even realizing why, she felt a need to sit next to him. So, she did.

  “I know what it’s like to lose everyone you ever loved,” he told her “but you’re safe here with all of us. No one will hurt you here.”

  She looked down, and bit her lower lip. If he only knew what he was saying, if he knew who she was… he wouldn’t be so understanding.

  “Thank you for saying that,” she suddenly replied.

  “I wouldn’t say it, if it wasn’t true.”

  “So, you like it here?” she asked, looking all around them as she spoke.

  The room was filled with a pleasant, earthy smell, and there was an occasional whiff of some blossoming flowers. It soothed her. For one brief moment, she could forget why she was here, that her brother was missing, that he might even be dead.

  “This is the only place where I can think,” he admitted.

  “Why don’t you take a walk in the forest?” she mused.

  “Outside the school grounds?” he sounded shocked.

  “Why, yes,” she didn’t understand what was so shocking about her question.

  “It’s forbidden,” he explained. “You can’t go out. If you’re caught, you could get suspended or even expelled.”

  “For taking a stroll in the woods?” It sounded ridiculous.

  “You don’t know what’s in those woods,” he suddenly said.

  “What?”

  “You’re new here, so you don’t know… just, stay out of the forest, okay?”

  “But, why?” Now, he had gotten her all curious.

  “It’s best you never find out.”

  “Tell me,” she urged him.

  “No, I won’t,” he kept shaking his head and she knew, from the look on his face, that he wouldn’t tell her anything else.

  Never mind. She would have to find out on her own, which she preferred to do anyway.

  “So, you like to think surrounded by plants, too?” he asked, in an effort to change the topic.

  She tilted her head, watching him carefully, trying to decide whether he was worth her trouble or not. She couldn’t tell yet but talking never hurt anyone. It felt pleasant to be here, with him.

  “I came to see what kind of plants they had here,” she gave him an honest answer, though only half of it.

  “Do you like what you see?” he asked, with a soft smile.

  “I wish I could smell those roses in there,” she told him, whispering.

  “Do you have a death wish?” he asked, with a frown.

  “Don’t worry, we’d be protected.”

  “You know we aren’t allowed to have any of those pills and creams here. We should be as we are here, that’s the whole point.”

  “Spoil sport,” she frowned, though she was still smiling.

  “You like living on the edge, don’t you?”

  “Isn’t it boring, otherwise?”

  “I’m not a big fan of pain, honestly.”

  “Then you don’t know what you’re missing…”

  She got so close to him that their noses were almost touching. She could hear him breathe in deeply, then out, loudly. It was like he was wheezing, like it was difficult for him to take a proper breath.

  “You don’t have asthma or something like that, do you?” she asked, giggling.

  “No, why?” he wondered.

  “You’re breathing weirdly.”

  “Well… that’s… because you got so close, and I….”

  Instead of a reply, she started laughing. He was really cute and clumsy, and probably had a nerdy sounding name but she wanted to find out what it was anyway.

  “I’m Lucy, by the way,” she offered him her right hand, all business like.

  “Thorne,” he nodded, accepting it.

  “Thorne?” she laughed out loud.

  “Yeah, yeah, I know…” he rolled his eyes.

  “No, seriously…” she couldn’t stop laughing. “It’s a nice name and all…” she kept on giggling, “but, meeting you here, inside the botanical garden, and your name is Thorne…”

  “Yeah, yeah, come on…” he sounded annoyed, but she could se
e that there was a lingering smile on his face, too. “Laugh it out, come on.”

  “Just a little more and I’m done, promise…” she was still bent down, her hands pressed against her stomach.

  A few seconds later and she was finally able to take a deep breath again.

  “My mom is into botany,” he explained. “My older sister’s name is Rose, my younger sister’s name is Lily, and as you already heard, I’m Thorne.”

  “That’s sweet,” Mina really meant it.

  “She went a little overboard with it but what can you do.”

  They both laughed. The sound of their laughter echoed throughout the room, filling it with more than soothing smells of plants and blossoming flowers. For a second, Mina felt like everything was alright with the world. She felt happy. She had forgotten all about Kellam’s disappearance and she could laugh freely, without that heavy burden pressing against her heart.

  “Do you have any brothers or sisters?” he asked.

  “A brother,” she replied.

  “Older?”

  “Yes,” she nodded. “He’s my only family.”

  “Oh, sorry to hear that but I’m happy that you're not alone. No one should be alone.”

  She had no reply to this. There was no reply to this, really. He was right. He had no idea how right he was. She didn’t want to be alone, now or ever. She needed her brother back.

  “Is everything okay?” he asked suddenly, seeing the look of sadness on her face.

  “Yeah, just… I miss him,” she admitted softly.

  “Where is he?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Did he also escape when your clan was…?” he asked, but didn’t finish his question.

  “Sorry…” she got up, grabbed her backpack and rushed away from him. “I gotta go.”

  She slammed the door shut behind her, leaving Thorne confused, thinking he’d said something wrong. Warm tears were streaming down her face and she was cursing Dante’s name with all the strength of her wounded, little heart.

  Chapter 7

  The following night, Mina couldn’t fall asleep. Whether it was the new bed, the new place or the fact that her brother was still out there, waiting for her to find him, dead or alive, she couldn’t be sure. It was probably a combination of all those factors which was keeping her awake in the dead of night.

  She tossed and turned, trying to make herself comfortable but it was no use. Strange sounds kept coming from outside, from the forest the mansion was surrounded by, sounds Mina had never heard before. First, there was a wailing, as if a woman was crying. Then, it resembled a wolf howling. This was followed by sounds of thunder. Then, it all started again, in the same order.

  She tried ignoring them at first. She wished she had some ear plugs on her but they were the last thing on her mind when she was packing for this hellhole. She considered herself lucky that she was able to bring a few of her favorite weapons and potions in a hidden compartment of her backpack. Somehow, no one asked to check her baggage and she didn’t question fate. It was simply how it was meant to be. She felt like she was where she needed to be, fate made sure of that. Only, she had no idea how this journey would end.

  A wolf howled in the distance, the sound oozing through the window as if it was wide open. Mina angrily pulled off her covers and stomped over to the window. She pushed the curtains aside and gazed into the darkness. It took her eyes a few seconds to adjust to the darkness that reigned outside. All she could see were tree tops, darkened bushes, and a mountain peak far away in the distance. Everything was black and grey, just silhouettes of their daytime counterparts. The moon was full, but it didn’t illuminate the earth enough. Mina could only see shadows and outlines, as if she was slowly going blind.

  Then, suddenly, she thought she saw something bright red, orange and yellow flickering in the distance. She squinted in an effort to see it better. Quickly, the light disappeared. It was dark again. She looked around but there was nothing. A second later, the light flickered again, only for a brief moment, then it died. The same thing happened a few more times. Now, she was sure that something was happening in the forest, outside school grounds, something mysterious, something manmade.

  She quickly changed into a pair of sweatpants and an oversized hoodie, and tiptoed out of her room. The hallways were empty. She wondered how she’d be able to explain her going out to the watchman, as every dorm had one, purely for the safety of the students. Though she wasn’t sure what vampires had to be kept safe from. They were the most dangerous creatures here, in her opinion.

  She walked down the staircase slowly, glad that she’d opted for her sneakers instead of boots with a leather sole and wooden heel. Those would be echoing throughout the whole dorm. She looked at the entrance. A small lamp was on, in the corner of a little booth. She leaned a little forward and saw the head of the watchman, resting against his elbow on the table. He seemed to be asleep. She wondered if she could tiptoe past him, without him noticing her. The door opened on the inside, it was only locked from the outside. All she had to do was make those few steps and she was in the clear.

  She started slowly, one step at a time. All of a sudden, he stirred. His head lifted but she couldn’t see if his eyes were still closed or not. She breathed slowly, quietly, even though it felt like her heart wanted to leap out of her chest. She jumped behind a big pillar to the side. Her heart was racing, though she wasn’t sure why. She probably wasn’t the first one to try to sneak out in the middle of the night. What would the watchman do anyway? Shake his finger at her crossly? Send her back to her room? Tell her not to do it again? She doubted they’d suspend or expel her over this, it wasn’t that big of a transgression of school rules. She could just say she wanted to go out and meet a guy. That sounded plausible enough, it probably happened a million times before. Girls meeting guys, guys meeting girls. It’s an excuse as old as time itself. A small place, lots of teenagers with raging hormones, of course, it happened before. She had nothing to worry about. She kept reminding herself that.

  She peeped from behind the pillar. The watchman seemed to be sound asleep. His head was resting even more comfortably on the desk now and there was a small TV to his side, playing an old, black and white movie loudly. She didn’t even need to be all that quiet with that thing shouting in his ear. She boldly continued, not taking her eyes off of him.

  Three more steps to the door. Carefully.

  Two.

  One.

  Her hand was already resting on the knob and she pressed it down slowly. The door opened silently. She thanked her lucky stars that someone obviously oiled them recently. She closed the door carefully behind her, then rushed off in the direction of the forest. She wanted to get there before that shiny thing disappeared. She wanted to find out what it was.

  There was a high, brick wall all around the school grounds, almost like a miniature version of the Great Wall of China. She had overheard some girls in the bathroom the day before, when they were talking about some hole underneath the wall. Sure, she’d get all dirty and muddy but she had to find out what that light in the forest was. It was too small to be a fire and too contained. Someone was there, making it visible, then hiding it. But why? Were they calling someone? Was it a secret meeting of some sort? Whatever it was, she would find out. She ran in the direction of the forest, trying to avoid open spaces where she could be seen by someone who was unexpectedly there, like she was. She walked past walls, away from the street lamps and finally reached the outer wall.

  There was no one around. Only a few lamp lights illuminated the deserted area. Mina bent down and tried looking for anything that might resemble a hole. For the most part, concrete joined in with the heavy wall but then, she found it. It was behind a small bench, all the way close to the wall. The concrete had been broke, and a few loose boards lay over it, in a lousy effort to try and hide it. Mina moved them. It was a perfect fit for a person to go through it and safely get out on the other s
ide.

  She managed to squeeze through effortlessly, crawling on her hands and knees. It was almost fun. She got out, cleaned herself a little, even though most of the mud was already caked on her pants and sleeves, then gazed in front of her. The moon was shining bright, illuminating an invisible path she was supposed to follow. Where would it lead and what would she see at the end of it, she wondered? Bravely, she ventured forth, covering her head with her hoodie and squeezing her fingers into fists, as she walked through the forest, not really knowing where exactly she was going or what she was looking for. It was slightly chilly and she praised herself for her choice of clothing. For a second, she wished she was back in her soft, warm bed, instead of stepping through muddied soil in the middle of the night but she knew she was right where she needed to be. Her gut was telling her this loud and clear.