As I approach, people begin to fall silent. Some people glare at me, others mutter curses under their breaths. I think they forget I can hear them now, whereas I couldn’t when I was human.
“She doesn’t look like a hunter,” someone whispers to their friend.
I clench my hand into a ball and try to keep myself calm. There was a time when I’d prove myself by slamming them against a wall and threatening them, but I know that’s not the best way to gain anyone’s respect here. My fellow classmates need to see me as someone who isn’t a threat.
“You’re okay,” Bryce whispers.
I nod. I’ve spent my whole life pretending not to be a threat when I really am. I can manage that again. Of course the bonus this time is that I’m not planning on using that fact to kill anyone.
I push past a group of girls who are giggling and making signs with their fingers. I think they’re trying to imitate stakes, but I’m not so sure because they’re doing a terrible job of it. Thankfully, that makes it easy to ignore.
A door slams down the corridor, and the scene in front of me begins to grow hazy. Am I hungry? Do I need to give my body more food?
Oh, wait. That’s not what this is at all. Somehow, I’d thought visions were a thing of my past now I’m a vampire, but it seems I’ve retained the ability.
Great.
Everything blurs together, and I’m standing outside in the rain. Why does this seem familiar? I’ve never been here before. I don’t think, and yet I feel like I’ve…
My dream! I saw this while I was turning, this is what I woke up wanting to tell Bryce about. He needs to know that Ravi is going to escape.
As if on cue, a door slams in my vision, and a man walks out of it. I didn’t see his face during the dream version of this vision, but I definitely do now.
A beam of light falls over him, illuminating the thin plains of his face. He’s thinner than I’ve ever seen him, knowing Ravi, he probably refused to eat anything made by vampires until he absolutely had to. I sigh, though no sound comes from me. My body isn’t really here. I’m not sure if it’s reassuring that I’m not going to be there on the day he escapes or not. It’s not like we can do anything about the escape itself. That’s going to happen whether I like it or not. But perhaps with warning, there can be people from the den there to pick him up once he’s free.
A shaft of sunlight drifts through the rain clouds putting paid to that idea. At least I now know I’m definitely not going to be there. Sunlight isn’t something I’m going to be seeing a lot of in the future.
Ravi runs towards me, and I flinch in my mind. I hate that he still has this effect on me, even if I know he will until the day one of us dies. Even then, he’ll probably find a way to haunt my afterlife.
He checks over his shoulder, then rushes off into the distance.
My vision ends abruptly, and I’m slammed back into my body. I look around, but no one seems to have noticed I’ve been gone. Probably because they’re too busy making fun of me and trying to work out more about my past, rather than paying attention to what I’m doing.
I glance over my shoulder for Bryce, but he’s not there. I spot him a couple of feet away, being held up by someone trying to hold a conversation with him. He’s having none of it, but the boy keeps him occupied all the same.
That’s it. I’m having none of it. There’s no reason for them to keep Bryce away from me like that. I storm through the crowd, ignoring all of the people who don’t care about me anyway, and find my way in front of my vampire protector.
“I need to talk to you,” I say firmly.
Relief flits across his face. He’s glad to be rid of all the people too. One of the many reasons to like him despite our first impressions of one another.
“I’m sorry, Charles, I have to go,” he says to the boy, then pushes past and takes my arm. “There’s an empty classroom around the corner,” he whispers under his breath. It’s so quiet, I doubt anyone but me can hear, even with the advantages vampirism brings.
“What happened there?” I ask the moment we’re inside and the two of us are certain no one else is around.
He shrugs. “I’m guessing they’re trying to get you to react to them. “
“How annoying.”
“I don’t know how you’re managing not to, I’m finding it difficult enough,” he admits.
A dry chuckle escapes me. “I’ve had practise keeping myself calm and pretending like I’m unaffected by people. I’m only applying the same logic here.”
“It’s impressive.”
“It’s only a bit of restraint,” I counter. “Anyone can master it.”
“Somehow, I think the things you learned at the guild are more useful than the things you learn here,” he jokes.
Darkness washes through me. “No, they’re not.”
“Lily, I’m sorry, I didn’t think…”
“It’s fine,” I dismiss. “I know what I am. Everyone knows what I am. I’m a trained killer, an assassin, a murderer. I can kill someone in over a dozen different ways, and most of them don’t even see it coming because they’re too focused on the pretty girl with blonde hair and a pretty dress on.”
“Lily…”
“I said it’s fine,” I snap. “We, as a species, have bigger problems. Ravi is going to escape. I saw it just now in a vision, and I think I saw it in a dream while I was turning. He’s going to get out of the den house, and I’ll give you three guesses what he’s going to do after that.”
“Recruit people for his vendetta?” Bryce leans against the whiteboard at the front of class.
Unsure what else to do with myself, I hop up onto the teacher’s desk and swing my legs back and forth. “Something like that. I suspect he’ll go after his previous associates first. I’m not sure what he’ll do to them if they say no, but I don’t imagine it’ll do any good.”
“Who are his known associates?” he asks.
I shake my head. “None of their names will mean anything to you.”
“Except yours.”
“Except mine,” I confirm. “He’ll almost certainly come after me. I know more about him than any other member of the guild did. And more importantly, I helped him. He’ll want to recruit me. At least until…” I trail off, not able to make myself say it.
“Until he realises you’re a vampire. What will he do then?”
I laugh bitterly. “Then, there’ll be hell to pay. He won’t let me get off lightly.” Other memories of when I was turning enter my mind. I shudder at the thoughts of Ravi, and what he’ll do to Bryce in order to punish me. I don’t venture any of my theories aloud. There’s no need to worry him like that, even if he is technically still my bodyguard and that’s his job.
“We won’t let him escape…”
“That isn’t an option,” I counter. “I’ve seen it, Bryce. It’s going to happen, no matter what any of us do about it. The only thing we can change is how we respond to it.”
“Then it’s a good job Ashryn and Dimitri are on their way here today,” he muses.
“Yes.” It’s a very good job they’re on their way. They’re the only people with any real power to do anything. Until this moment, I never considered how limiting not being able to go out in the sun can be. But hopefully, with the more important people in the den being involved, they can talk to some of the supernaturals who can. The witches who helped to fortify my room here at Grimalkin. I’m sure they’ll help us with this problem too.
This is bad news for all supernaturals. If vampire hunters are left to roam the world, then what’s to say people don’t start hunting witches again. Or shifters. They’re both a lot less hidden and secretive than vampires, they’ll be easy to find.
Bryce pushes away from the board and makes his way over to me. He reaches out a hand, and I take it, letting him pull me to my feet, and then into a hug.
He kisses the top of my head, and I close my eyes, relaxing against his chest and feeling a little better about the prospect of the futur
e.
“It’s going to be all right,” he promises. “We’ll make certain that it is.”
I nod. “I hope so.” But I fear not. He doesn’t need to be infected by my lack of faith, though. One of us has to be strong, and he’s the better choice for that.
Chapter Twenty
I dance around the kitchenette as I make dinner. I'm not sure where Bryce has gone, but he'll be back soon enough, and then both of us have to eat. Food, that is. We both need blood too, but he's the one in charge of that. I think he doesn't fully trust that I'll be able to restrain myself around blood. I'm not entirely sure he's wrong. I've not done a lot of testing on the matter.
The pasta comes to a boil, so I stir it, trying to stop it from sticking. I have to admit, this isn't something I'm very good at. I've not had many chances to cook in my life, so I've been using my tablet to look up cooking videos online. I'm still not completely certain I won't burn everything, but at least I'm trying.
The door clicks as it opens and shuts.
I turn instantly, flinging hot water droplets across the small room.
"Oops."
"I hope that isn't Holy Water," Bryce quips.
"Definitely not. I took that off my shopping list last week," I respond.
He chuckles. "I'm glad to hear it. I dread to think what would happen if one of us drank it."
I wince even at the thought of it. Holy Water burns are bad enough from the outside.
"It's normal water," I promise. "But it still might poison you if I don't get this right."
He comes over and looks over my shoulder. "Hmm. I think it can be rescued."
"You might need to show me how." I wish I could mean that as simple flirting, but that isn't the case. I think the pasta truly needs his help.
"I will. But first, I have something for you."
I set the wooden spoon down, and turn to watch him unpack the small bag he's brought with him.
"Blood?" I suggest.
He shakes his head, an amused smile on his face. "But you're on the right lines."
"You've got me intrigued."
"Here." He hands me a box.
I take it from him, a confused frown on my face. I open it and lift out the object. A laugh escapes me before I can help it.
"You got me a blood mug," I say.
"Of course."
I turn it over and shake my head in bemusement. It's black, with red insides, and two white teeth coming from the top of it. "That's going to look like I have fangs," I say, pointing to the two comic fangs coming down from the rim.
"That's the idea."
"Thank you." I set the mug down, then lean in to kiss his cheek.
"I know it's not the traditional present of flowers for someone you're newly dating..."
"It's perfect," I assure him. "Flowers are overrated. Besides, your last present was a knife," I point out.
Bryce chuckles. "I should work on more socially acceptable presents."
"I'm okay if you don't," I assure him. "I'm not exactly a normal woman."
"That's for sure."
I'm stopped from saying anything in response by a knock on the door.
"Ashryn and Dimitri," Bryce says, answering my unspoken question. He must have seen it written on my face. I try not to enjoy how it feels to have someone know me this well. It drives home how much I didn't have it before.
He walks over to the door and pulls it open. I swallow down my nerves as the two senior vampires walk in. There's something intimidating about them, especially now I'm one of the fold.
I switch off the pasta. There's no doubt in my mind that it's going to be ruined now, but it hardly matters. I flick the kettle on. I'm sure they'll want tea, and it'll keep me from worrying too much.
The three of them make small talk, but I don't pay any attention to it. They're only talking about people they all know and how things fit together, it's nothing I need to be aware of.
I set a pot of tea and four mugs down on the table, moving my new one away. Ashryn smiles as she catches sight of it, a knowing look in her eyes.
I sit down next to Bryce and try to stop my leg from jittering.
"Thank you for the information the other day," Dimitri says stiffly.
"You're welcome." It's odd to be thanked, especially when I don't see it as doing anything more than telling Bryce about what I heard Emma and Carlton talking about.
"We're sorry about what happened to you," he says.
I shrug. "It's in the past. It's not your fault."
"We should have done more research into who your fellow students were, and if any of them had been your previous hit," he says.
I wince, and Ashryn laughs sarcastically. "We blew up the records," she reminds him. "There'd have been no way of checking that."
Dimitri grimaces. "We have our own, though..."
She places a hand on his arm. "I'm sure they're not as accurate as you think they are."
"Perhaps we should check them and put names to all of the cases we can," I suggest. "That way we can protect the ex-hunters and stop something like this happening to them."
"Or it'll make it worse," Bryce mutters. "If someone gets hold of them..."
"No one is going to do that," Dimitri assures us.
"Someone found out about Lily though, didn't they?" Bryce demands, anger rising in his voice.
I put a hand on his leg under the table, hoping I can offer him so kind of reassurance. He shifts in his seat, which I hope is an indication that it's helped.
"We don't know how that happened," Dimitri admits.
I raise an eyebrow. That's not what I expect him to say. Shouldn't he deny that they had anything to do with it? That's what the guild would have done. But I can't keep judging everyone by their standards. Especially when the vampires have done nothing to harm me. Other than Emma, that is.
"It's fine," I assure them.
"It isn't," Ashryn counters softly. "You were killed. We both know what that feels like." She gestures to Dimitri.
Interesting. So he's a turned vampire like us?
"But it's over," I point out. "Don't get me wrong, I don't like the idea of running into Emma again..."
The two of them exchange a glance.
I sigh. "She's still here, isn't she?"
Ashryn nods. "We're in the process of doing what we can to punish her for your murder, but it's proving difficult with you being alive, and..." she trails off, not wanting to state the truth.
"And the fact most vampires won't blame her for killing me because I'm an ex-hunter. A lot of them will probably clap her on the back and tell her she's done a good job. I get it." I shrug. Partly because the truth of it is that I also don't blame her, especially if hunters, maybe even me, did kill someone she loved.
"Exactly. But they've accepted me, for the most part. I'm sure it's only a matter of time," she promises.
I nod. "And am I staying here in the meantime?" I cross my fingers under the table. I hope she says yes. I don't want to be sent somewhere where I can't spend more time with Bryce.
"If you want to," Dimitri responds. "We think you may be a bit safer now you're one of us."
"I think so too," I assure them.
"Good. Then the two of you will stay on here," he says.
"There's one more thing," I say, then tell the two of them about my vision of Ravi.
Ashryn pales and touches the top edge of a scar under her collarbone. I know they go much deeper down her body.
"What can we do?" she asks me, no surprise or disbelief in her tone.
"The vision will come true, no matter what we do to try and stop it," I explain. "The visions always come true."
"But we can influence events after it?" Ashryn correctly guesses.
I nod. "And before. Perhaps you can make it so he escapes on a day of your choosing, and you can have something set up. That's what I'd do."
She nods. "We'll think about it, and let you know," she promises. "I know you won't rest easy with Ravi about."
"Stay safe, Lily."
"You too, Ashryn," I respond. I'm not the only one Ravi will be after. I'm sure she's on his hit list too.
Epilogue
The class falls silent as I walk in. I sigh dramatically. Is this what it's always going to be like from now on?
But then my gaze catches on the real reason they've stopped talking.
Emma is sitting there, her hand cuffed to that of a bored-looking vampire who must be some kind of guard. I guess I'm not the only one who has a bodyguard now.
The only set of two seats free are right next to her. Great. Just what I need. A whole lesson sat next to my would-be-murderer. Oh well, I'm going to prove to everyone here that I'm not weak. I can take the high road and be civil to her.
I walk over, conscious of all the eyes on me. I drop my bag on the desk next to Emma, and start getting my things out. Bryce does the same next to me. I wish I could ask him for some comfort, but I don't think it's appropriate in the situation, unfortunately.
"Hi," Emma says.
I turn to her, my shock no doubt written all over my face. "Hi," I respond, sitting down and pulling my chair close to the desk.
The silence is oppressive, but I'm sure it'll end when everyone realises I'm not going to do or say anything interesting.
"No hard feelings?" she asks.
"Are you serious?" I blurt.
She shrugs. "You're a vampire now."
"That doesn't mean you didn't murder me," I point out.
"But..."
"There are no buts, Emma," I tell her firmly. "I don't need, or want anything to do with you."
I turn to Bryce, even though I can still feel her watching me. Slowly, our other classmates turn back to their usual chatter.
"Is this going to happen in any of my other classes?" I ask.
"I don't know. I didn't realise it would happen in this one," he admits. "But I'll send an email now and find out. I'm not sure if there's anything they can do about it..."
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