Night School

by Alex Dire

  NIght School

  Book 3: Vampire Ascendance

  Alex Dire

  Copyright © 2017 by Alex Dire

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Contents

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  1. Skeete

  2. Business as Usual

  3. Inside Man

  4. Back to School

  5. Felicia

  6. Ground Rules

  7. Blow-up

  8. Phys. Ed

  9. Felicia

  10. Power Meeting

  11. Remainders

  12. Night Terrors

  13. The herd

  14. Skeete

  15. Press Conference

  16. Metrics

  17. The Ranks

  18. Declan

  19. Summit

  20. Constituent Meeting

  21. First Flight

  22. Old Allies

  23. Poison Pill

  24. Appointment

  25. October Surprise

  26. Eve

  27. Election Day

  28. Hangover

  29. The Cabinet

  30. Aftermath

  31. Advisers

  32. Coups de tat

  33. Felicia

  34. Jitters

  35. Substitute

  36. Prisoner Exchange

  37. Tide

  38. Fury of fur

  39. Bedfellows

  40. Turned Worm

  41. Child's Play

  42. Words

  43. Kin

  44. Full Circle

  45. Wolf Within

  46. The map

  47. Monsters

  48. Heroes

  49. 180

  50. Recycling Club

  51. Legacy

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  Also By Alex Dire

  NIGHT SCHOOL SERIES

  Book 1: Vampire Awakening

  Book 2: Vampire Legion

  Book 3: Vampire Ascendance

  FREE NIGHT SCHOOL STORIES

  New Blood: Adrift in a Vampire War (prequel)

  Young Blood (the story of the nymphs)

  HUNTED BY MAGIC SERIES

  Demon Marked (Coming Soon)

  Demon Blood (Coming Soon)

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  alex@alexdire.com

  1

  Skeete

  That wasn’t so bad. Skeete already felt the wounds from the beating the wolves gave her begin to heal. Her head bobbed on her limp neck as they dragged her through the brambles. Small twigs brushed and scraped her face. For now, she was content to let her vision remain blocked by the rag tied around her head.

  The sounds changed. The crickets and owls of the night subsided and the echoes of her shoes dragging along a dirt floor reverberated off hard walls. A creak. Hinges. A door. The floor became hard as her captors pulled her along.

  The hands around her arms released. Skeete’s face made harsh contact with a stone floor. One of the wolves tore the blindfold from her head with a swift tug. In the dim glow of torches, she saw a smear of her own blood on the stone beneath her. She touched her lip and felt the warm ooze. Her blood tasted bitter, like steel. She could certainly use a drink right now.

  “I caught her sneaking around the forest,” said one of the wolves.

  Skeete looked up and saw the figure of a man sitting in a chair. The chamber they’d thrown her in was round and came to a domed zenith. There were other chairs arranged around the man in a semi-circle, but his was the largest. Two wolves flanked her on either side. They looked enough like men, but she knew. She could smell them. Dog. Plus, when she focused her strength, she could find no trace of their wills. They would be very hard to deal with if it came to fighting. But Skeete could be extremely persuasive.

  “Who is she?” said the man in the chair.

  She rose to her knees and wiped her face. “Skeete Daniels at your service.”

  The wolf to her left kicked her across the face, sending her reeling. “Shut up, blood sucker. You don’t speak to the alpha unless spoken to.”

  Skeete's vision spun as she wiped a streak of blood from her chin. She barely contained a yelp as the bones in her jaw wiggled along a new fissure, shooting pain through her skull.

  “Easy, Vince.” The alpha in the tall chair stood. “You were looking for us?”

  “We caught her, Alpha. She put up a fight,” said the other wolf.

  Skeete bristled. A fight. They don’t know a fight. I could have ripped them to pieces. Pups.

  “Tom, Vince, step back. I will speak to this vampire.”

  “But, Alpha…” said Vince.

  The alpha lowered his head and let out a deep rumbling growl. Both wolves stepped back.

  “Stand up, vampire,” said the alpha.

  Skeete rose to her feet and took in more of the chamber. It was made of mortared cobbles and each stone was covered in images and words indiscernible to most. Skeete almost let out a smile when she spied the words. It’s been a long time.

  The alpha relaxed his snarl. “Why have you come? How can you imagine that we’d do anything but kill you?”

  So stupid. No vision. “How could I imagine anything at all? Until recently, you were just fairy tales. Stories told to scare little humans. We never feared you because we knew you didn’t exist. We were the only truly terrible creatures in the night.”

  “That’s exactly how we’ve kept it for millennia.” The alpha stood and stepped from behind the semicircular table. “And do you know how we’ve prevented our secret from slipping out?”

  Skeete cocked her head, curious.

  “When any of you get a hint of us, we kill you.” The alpha let the words hang there, reverberating through the hard chamber. “It’s the law. So, now the law dictates we kill you, too, but not before you tell us why you’re here.”

  Stupid beasts. Even the leader. All fight. No thought. Will they even be able to comprehend we share the same goal?

  “We caught her, sir,” said Vince.

  The alpha shot Vince a menacing stare that pushed him into a cower. “She came to us. Didn’t you, Skeete?”

  “You are very perceptive.” She bowed. “Honorable Alpha.”

  “Your fake courtesy will not save you.”

  “Of course not. I come because we have a common enemy.”

  The alpha tilted his head. “Really? We only have one enemy. You.”

  “That is correct,” said Skeete.

  “Now I am confused,” laughed the alpha. “Did you come here to turn yourself in, so we can keep our secret?”

  “Now now, Alpha, let’s not play games. I’m aware of your little family squabble. You have no intention of keeping your secret any longer. Things have changed. You’ve committed grave crimes yourself to make those changes. I know you’re coming out. I know you’re not interested in merely monitoring the situation any longer.”

  “You know much, for a vampire.”

  “And it shall be to both of our benefits.” Now Skeete let her words hang there. The alpha’s lips loosened and one eyebrow lifted to a tall arch. “You wish nothing less than to exterminate vampires. In fact, it is that desire that has split your happy family.”

  “The split has been there. Now it’s out in the open.” The alpha’s face became stern again. “I�
��m growing tired of your words. Out with it. You know what we want. We won’t rest until you’re all dead, and I’m quite certain we shall start with you.”

  “That would be a shame, Alpha. I do indeed have the same goal as you.”

  “That makes no sense,” said Tom.

  The alpha snarled again.

  He can’t even manage his own pack. Weak. “If you’ll allow me to conclude. I happen to know a certain teacher who made an appearance in this very chamber not long ago.” Now Skeete looked around. She noticed burnt pews and furniture, and streaks of soot and char on the walls.

  “Yes,” said the alpha. “His arrival split our pack in two.”

  “Alpha!” said Vince.

  The alpha snarled again and dashed to Vince, grasping his inferior by the collar and forcing him against the wall. “One more sound from that tongue and I'll rip it out!”

  Management troubles, indeed.

  The alpha released Vince and starred down Tom as he passed him by, stopping directly in front of Skeete. “So you want to destroy vampires?”

  “That’s right, Alpha. And I know the vampire who’s been causing all this trouble. That teacher. Norman Bernard.”

  “Yes. We met him here. We also know how he ruined your plans at the capital. It’s troublesome. We have no choice but to destroy you all now. Even Adrian must see that.”

  “Oh, surely he must,” said Skeete. “I have known Norman Bernard since his birth. I have also marshaled an array of forces to put him down once and for all…and take out every last vampire with him.

  “Surely you can sense my doubt,” Ms. Daniels. “You say you want the same thing as us. To destroy all vampires. But you’re a vampire.” The alpha tipped his head. “See?”

  Damn this stupid brute. Has he no mind for strategy? “What difference does it make? I’m offering you an opportunity. I will help you kill every last one.”

  “Why?”

  Skeete’s patience for this back and forth wore off. “Because I hate them.” A long silence punctuated her words. “They have taken everything from me. My position, my family, my…” These wolves would never understand her pain, her hatred of vampires, of what she'd become. “If you won’t help me, I’ll kill them all myself.”

  “Now we’re helping you, is it?”

  Skeete saw the opening. “We’re helping each other.”

  “How do we know you can actually bring yourself to exterminate your own kind?”

  “They are not my kind. If they were, they’d join me, and we’d laugh our way to hell. I’ve killed hundreds of them. I started a war to finish them off. But the war keeps dragging on and on. I want to end it. Forever.”

  “Perhaps we should just take care of this the way we always have.”

  “It’s too late for that. They have revealed themselves. Governments are planning how to deal with them. They are part of those plans. Sides are being taken. You will be left behind. Imagine a world with vampires and humans untied against you. You’d be decimated.”

  The alpha growled, “Enough.”

  “It’s either you or them.”

  “I said enough!” The alpha’s gaze wandered.

  I’ve got him. And I didn’t even need to lie.

  “Why should I join with you? Now that you’ve told me your game, why do we need you?”

  “Perhaps you don’t. Perhaps you’d prefer to go into combat with vampires all on your own. Could you keep your secrets? How many of you would perish? I’ve got a loyal band to throw at the problem. We’ll do all the public stuff. They know about us already. You can keep your secrets.” Skeete stepped within inches of the alpha. Tom and Vince shifted their feet behind her. “You have special abilities, though. Abilities that Norman and his friends would have a much harder time fighting.”

  The alpha looked off in thought, then back at Skeete. “It is done.”

  “But Alpha!” said Vince, nearly jumping out of his place.

  The alpha sprang onto Vince, crushing him to the floor. He punched his underling in the face, over and over, until cracks leaked tears and blood.

  Skeete smelled the blood. This was something different. It smelled so sweet. It smelled like power. She fought to control her yearning for a taste.

  “That is the last time you defy me,” screamed the alpha. Then he rose and wiped his fist on his shirt. “The next time I shall relieve you of the remainder of your blood.”

  “May I?” said Skeet with a wicked smile.

  In an instant, the alpha was before Skeete with his hand around her neck. She could feel his nails digging into her throat. Pure malice shot from his eyes. “You. Never. Drain. Our. Blood.”

  Skeete pushed labored words out through her pinched throat. “No. Of course not.”

  The alpha released her throat. “And call me Eric. My position is not recognized by all.”

  “Ah,” said Skeet. “Adrian. Perhaps we can take care of that situation, too.”

  “Tom, Vince, take this creature back to where you found her.” He lifted the blindfold from the floor and threw it on top of Vince, who still lay on the ground. “Don’t disappoint me.”

  Vince stood and wrapped Skeete’s face up.

  “But how shall I find you?” said Skeete.

  “You won’t. We’ll come to you. Soon.”

  “How will you find me?”

  “We already know where you are. We’ve been watching a long, long time.”

  2

  Business as Usual

  A giant stack of thick manila folders confronted Norman Bernard. He leaned back in his chair with his hands behind his head as if staring them down would reduce their volume. Should he take care of the suspension hearings first or the backed-up work order on the bathrooms? A headmaster could spend his whole life just taking care of after school work. When the kids were gone, the real work started.

  The corner of an aged, yellowed piece of paper caught Norman’s eye. He leaned forward and slid it from under the stacks. He had spent much time puzzling over this particular piece of paper. He rotated it in his hand, tracing the lines and curves. Ian Faircaslte had given him this map in the sewers what seemed like a lifetime ago. Norman now marveled at how such a vast network of tunnels could exist right here under his city.

  He also wondered what happened at the edges of the map. The tunnels didn’t end, they just seemed to jump off the paper. To where? Norman also wondered about the eye in the five-pointed star at the corner of the paper. Nebulous. Had they created this map? With all their technology and know-how? Had they painstakingly figured out the labyrinthine twists and turns from their isolated cells? Collaborating but never meeting?

  A knock interrupted Norman’s musings.

  “Come in,” he said.

  The door swung open and Blake Palleuchetti, the gym teacher, stepped in with his ever-present smile. Not happy, but peaceful.

  “Mr. Palleuchetti,” said Norman. “Glad to see you.”

  “Blake, as always, Norman,” replied the sweat-suited man.

  “I could definitely use some of your sage advice now.” Norman placed the map down amongst the flotsam on his desk. Blake’s gaze followed the paper down, hesitating on it for just a moment as it rested on the desk.

  “What wisdom can you offer me today?” said Norman.

  His eyes met Norman’s once again. “Sadly, I have few words to dispense today.”

  “That is sad. I rather enjoy your…point of view on life. Just being in the same room is calming. For the students, too.”

  “Norman,” Blake turned serious. “I’ve come to say goodbye.”

  Norman remained silent for a moment as the news sunk in. He had a hard time imagining Night School without Blake’s influence on the kids. He could get students to hyper-focus on just about anything, from basketball to badminton to yoga. He got the kids to do stuff they’d never admit to on the streets, not if they wanted to maintain their status, anyway. Filtering students through his gym class seemed to strip off a layer of aggression ea
ch night. It made for a smoother, more tranquil school. “Sorry. Resignation not accepted.”

  Blake’s face did not betray a smile at Norman’s half-joke. “I have to say goodbye, Norman. I have enjoyed our time together. But things are changing, and I have to go.”

  Norman sat up straighter in his chair. “Well, Blake. I understand you never intended to stay forever, but it’s going to be a bitch replacing you.”

  Blake’s face remained stoic. Norman began to suspect that there was more to this departure than just moving on to the next gig.

  “It’s not just me,” said Blake.

  “You’re not taking any of my teachers with you,” said Norman with a smile of mock confrontation. Beneath his smile, though, he worried what Blake was hinting at. More teachers leaving? Contractual disputes? Somehow Norman doubted the gym teacher referred to things so mundane.

  Blake still didn’t take the bait. Norman never was good at banter.

  “Norman.” Blake swallowed. “You’re leaving, too.”

  Norman’s smile dropped to nothing. Why would he leave? He was finally getting back to some sense of normalcy after the near-war with Skeete and her enhanced army.

  “Am I being fired? Has someone said something to you?” Norman had only seen superintendent Shawbrin once since he returned from his three-week long debriefing after the incident at the White House. His boss had barely said a word and seemed half-scared, half-disgusted by him. He figured that was fine. It would keep him off Norman’s back.