Blood and Beasts

by L. M. Miller

  “What class do you got next?” It was the Asian girl from before, at her elbow and helping her to rise to her feet as the classroom was mostly empty by now.

  Ruby seemed to be meandering in the room with three other werewolves though, two girls and a guy. Warily, Seph walked out with Linda while they both kept their eyes on the quadruplet. Outside in the open hallway, which was simply bustling with other students, they breathed a little more freely. Linda walked confidently down the hall, arm still on Seph’s elbow, towing her along like a lost child at the mall.

  “So what’s your next class again? What’s your name? I never caught it,” Linda asked, pushing through the crowd boldly.

  Linda obviously had a destination in mind. Seph wondered what it was, briefly. Her walls were draining her, dulling and slowing her thought process, so she slowly allowed them to falter just a little. Linda immediately caught her eye.

  “That’s not a good idea, hun. My specialty is mind reading, and I could read you like a book right now unless you put that nice wall of yours back up,” Linda said smartly, and instantly, Seph’s walls snapped back into place.

  “My name’s Persephone Black. Seph,” she said finally just as they stopped in front of a relatively tall guy.

  “Hey, baby,” Linda moved forward and planted a big kiss on the guy.

  Seph just watched a little awkwardly. The guy was cute enough. He was about six feet even with frizzy, black hair slicked back into a ponytail. If it was down, it would be about shoulder-length, she guessed. His thick brows overhung small, slanted eyes. He finally broke away and caught Seph’s eyes. His eyes were grey! They were a stormy grey, darkening by the second as his short girlfriend stood beside him. Another vampire!

  “Seph, this is my boyfriend, Stefan. He’s in his third year, meaning he’s eighteen. And he’s a vampire, just like you,” she said with a little smirk, giving him a little kiss on the cheek as they interlocked fingers.

  “Hi, I’m Persephone. Seph,” she amended, and they shook hands a little awkwardly.

  “Anyway, I was just pullin’ you over here to meet Stefan because he’s another vampire, and also, I had a question about you for him,” she turned to look up at her boyfriend firmly. “Is it normal for vampires to have advanced telepathic skills? I mean, do you guys excel in some things and not in others? I thought that telepathy was kind of a more wizard… witch thing to do?” She asked, and he raised a brow to her before looking back over at Seph with a peculiar expression in his eyes.

  “You got advanced telepathic skills?” He asked, and she nodded a little dazedly. “Really? That is interesting…” He seemed to be deep in thought before Linda cleared her throat impatiently. “Oh yea, sorry, babe. Um, we vamps got some telepathic skills, but what we excel in changes for each of us. Phin is real good with the telepathic stuff. Sarabi can fly real well while the rest of us mainly hover. Kenji can turn into mist in a second, and he’s only in his second year. I’m really good at hypnosis,” he stared into his girlfriend’s eyes for a moment before she playfully smacked him.

  “You stop that, Stefan. I wanna think of you on my own. I don’t need you hypnotizing me,” she said and then glanced sharply up at one of the many regal-looking clocks adorning the halls. “We only have a minute,” she stated just as the warning bell rang. “Sorry for botherin’ you, babe,” she kissed him again, and as they took their sweet time, Seph studied her schedule, trying not to stare at them.

  She had Basic Incantations next with a Madam Rosamund Winslow. It was in the Green Hall, room 007. That wasn’t too far. Maybe she could slip away without the couple noticing… She really did not want to be late to a class her first day. She edged a little away, and Stefan instantly noticed, breaking apart from Linda. He glanced at the clock.

  “You two need to get. I got HU Three right here, but Linda, you’re gonna have to run to get to Basics in time,” he said, gesturing to their left.

  “I have Basics too,” Seph said happily, and Linda grabbed her schedule excitedly.

  “Sweet! We got two classes in a row together! Alright, babe, see ya later!” She grabbed Seph’s hand before dashing off, towing the girl along all over again.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  They made it to class just in time, but still managed to nab two seats in the back row. Linda, apparently, had a friend in the class and had sent a telepathic message to her werewolf buddy who was now sitting in the back with them. He glanced over at Seph, and she appreciated his lack of fear, fear that was rift across all the other students’ faces.

  “I’m Rodney Steele,” he said, introducing himself.

  She couldn’t help but feel attracted to him. He had smooth, light-brown skin that accented his wiry, dark-brown hair, cut short. He had thick brows above hooded, molten gold eyes. His face was strong with high cheekbones, and a nice mouth. He looked to be about six feet, maybe a little taller, and… and he had a tattoo. It was on his left inner forearm, an elaborate wolf. It was Fenrir, the Norse demi-god, a wolf creature. That was interesting... The necklace around his neck, gold with a dog fang hanging from it, probably had some kind of significance too. Rodney noticed that she was staring at it and fingered the fang absently.

  “It was my brother,” he murmured quietly, trying to prevent the teacher from hearing his rumbling voice, but Madam Winslow shot them a glare all the same.

  Seph nodded and didn’t ask more on the subject. She touched Linda’s arm lightly as the pretty, little witch in front of them proceeded to explain a complicated spell that they were about to start in class. Linda glanced over at her.

  What happened to his brother? She asked pertinently, and Linda’s eyes widened a little more as she realized the depth of Seph’s power, and also how she already knew how to use it.

  I think he should tell you that himself, don’t you, Seph? She responded tactfully, and Seph couldn’t disagree with her.

  “Want to share with the rest of the class, girls?” Both girls looked up abruptly as the teacher glowered at them over her square glasses, setting a green-tinted vase on each of their desks.

  “Share what, Madam Winslow?” Linda asked sweetly, and the teacher gave her another surly look, green eyes flashing.

  “Hmm… Would our new student like to try the new spell in front of the entire class?” Seph’s eyes widened as she suddenly found herself lightly pulled to her feet by the teacher and brought to the front of the classroom.

  This was obviously an embarrassment technique. She looked around the class of about twenty students and swallowed quietly. What had the teacher been talking about again? Not Rodney’s brother; that was for sure. She targeted a nerdy-looking girl who sat in the front row. Her name was Ursula Major, and she was a very talented witch. They were supposed to wave their hand over the vase, kind of a backhand over it, and wish it to disappear. It was just an illusion spell. Not too hard, right?

  Gulping again, she tried what the girl had been thinking. She waved her hand over the vase, willing it to disappear. Nothing happened… She closed her eyes, waved her hand, and willed it with all her might… Nothing. She caught the teacher’s gemstone eyes cautiously.

  First, Francesca Murrieta skips out on my first period class again, and now I get this impudent, little vampire. I hate vampires… Had she said/thought Francesca Murrieta? Francesca had gone to this school?! Francesca had said she had been living in the woods for the past two months! Hadn’t she? But then she had been told Francesca would be her roommate, but… Francesca had lied this whole time?! She had been going to Monster Academy for the last two months?!

  “Francesca’s been going to school here?” She asked Linda from the front of the class, voice pitching a little with her shock and anger.

  “Francesca? Ya, I was gonna ask you, Seph. You gotta be her best friend she’s always talking about, right? The one in the foster…” she was silenced by Seph’s vehement glare, daggers practically shooting from her eyes.

  “Francesca’s really been going to school here?” No one sa
id anything as she practically trembled with her ire. “She lied to me…” she pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to contain her swirling emotions and thoughts.

  “Vampire, are you going to cast the spell or not?” There went that teacher again, arms crossed over her chest firmly.

  Madam Winslow was just irritated that class was not going the way she had expected, and that Linda and this new vampire were having a conversation right in the middle of the classroom. It was disrespectful. It was unruly. These students were just becoming rowdier and rowdier, more so every single year! She was already tired of her job, and she was only two hundred years old. She had only worked here for half a century. Maybe she was not cut out to be a teacher…

  “Fine, I’ll do the stupid spell,” Seph muttered vehemently under her breath, furious and frustrated.

  She waved her hand over the vase viciously, eyes squeezed tight, and suddenly there were a few screams and a shattering of glass. She opened her eyes slowly to see Rodney covering his head with his hands, glass all over him and the floor around him. He had been directly in front of her, across the classroom. Somehow, she must have hit the glass, the vase, but she didn’t remember ever touching it.

  “Okay, no more spells for her,” Rodney said, head still covered, and everybody laughed a little, relieving the tension in the room.

  “Vampires…” Madam Winslow sighed, walking over to Seph.

  She was having a bad day already, and it was only second period. Apparently, she was normally a pretty nice teacher, sweet and happy. At least, that was what Seph gleaned from the other students’ minds. Today was just not going well for her.

  “Inform your teacher, Phineas, that you have some telekinetic powers during your first species class today, Miss Black. Now, go help Mr. Steele,” she waved her hand at Rodney, who was dusting himself off slowly so as not to cut himself. “Everyone else, move away from the glass and begin working on the illusion charm on your vases,” Madam Winslow commanded, and everybody pushed aside their desks, doing as she said.

  At first, Linda started to move forward to help them clean up the mess, but one glare from Madam Winslow sent her off in a different direction, working on the illusion charm by herself, although she chatted with some frizzy-haired werewolf at the same time. Linda was never silent. Meanwhile, Seph hurried over to Rodney’s side, helping to dust him off. There were little shards of green-tinted glass everywhere. She was dusting off the leg of his loose, denim pants when a piece suddenly sliced her finger. She snatched her hand away as crimson beaded up at the tip, stinging.

  “Ow,” she murmured, putting her finger in her mouth.

  Amazingly enough, her own blood did not taste that good. It didn’t taste bad or anything, but she much preferred bottled blood to this and fresh blood to that. She took her hand out of her mouth and stared in awe at her unblemished skin.

  “Vampires can take a lot of hits without getting hurt, and they always heal real fast,” Rodney explained, kneeling on the ground to collect the larger pieces.

  “I realize that,” she said slowly, still staring at her healed finger.

  She glanced over at him as he busied himself with the glass.

  “Sorry,” she said blatantly, choking on her pride with the apology.

  He looked up and grinned, flashing white teeth that were a little sharper than usual, though not nearly as sharp as a vampire’s fangs.

  “Don’t be sorry, vamp. Everybody has their off days here or finds out a new skill and nearly kills someone. We’re all used to it by now,” his toothy grin was not exactly comforting.

  “This sounds like such a great school,” she added a little sarcastically, and he glanced over at her playfully.

  “Oh, it is. Where else can I miss three days of school just to play outside?” It took her a moment, but she finally got it.

  “So werewolves are the ones with the golden eyes,” she said, and he nodded.

  “Ya, and vampires have either grey or black eyes, or a color in between the two. Yours are a sort of pretty grey right now. They aren’t too dark, and they aren’t too light,” he gave her another lopsided grin, which was becoming more and more irresistible as she became used to his playful nature.

  “And wizards? Witches?” She asked as they were finishing cleaning up.

  “Any color eyes pretty much, but never grey, black, or gold,” he said as they picked up the shards of glass to throw them away.

  “Interesting,” she murmured as they rose to their feet and deposited the glass across the room in the trashcan.

  Madam Winslow was waiting for them patiently. Suddenly, a thought pushed itself to the forefront of Seph’s mind, and before she could stop it, it burst out. She should really learn to work on that, always saying what was on her mind without a filter or anything.

  “If you’re a witch, couldn’t you have just willed all the glass in the trashcan or something?” She asked pointedly, and Madam Winslow studied her peculiarly behind her gold-rimmed glasses, shielding her antique-green eyes.

  “Would you have learned the lesson of cleaning up your own mess that way?” She responded to Seph’s question with another question, an annoying habit, Seph found.

  “I learned how to clean up my own mess when I was five. It would have just saved a lot of time and given Rodney and I time to practice your illusion charm. Now, class is nearly over,” she pointed out, and Madam Winslow straightened up from her light perch on the corner of her desk, flipping closed the book she had been reading while warily eyeing her spell-casting students.

  Seph caught a glimpse of the title: Pride & Prejudice. She smiled briefly to herself. What a small world… although, she supposed, many people simply adored that classic of all classics. Still, it was a nice commonality between them.

  “You like Pride & Prejudice?” Quite obviously, Madam Winslow had picked up on the look and the little smile, or maybe she could read minds too.

  Were her walls up? She checked and realized that they were. She hardly needed to even think about them now. Apparently her vampire skills were helping her maintain that wall better than she had ever imagined. Rodney moved a little uneasily next to her, wondering what he was supposed to do as she and the teacher spoke.

  “It’s my favorite book,” Seph stated matter-of-factly.

  A small smile peeked on Madam Winslow’s small but pronounced lips.

  “It’s one of mine too,” the teacher admitted, eyes flitting up to the clock mounted on the wall behind the class. “It’s nearly time to change classes. Although you did not learn the illusion charm today, Persephone, and I doubt you will as vampires tend to not learn spells too easily-” Seph had to interrupt.

  “We don’t learn spells easily? Why?” She interjected, questions piling up in her mind again.

  “Generally, with vampires, when they try our spells, it tends to just make them advance in their own vampire skills, such as your telekinesis. I remember when Kenji first tried the illusion charm in my class. He turned to mist. I thought he had cast the charm on himself to get out of class, at first, until I noticed the light fog in the room that had not been there before,” she smiled to herself, remembering some of the antics and dilemmas her students had put themselves and herself through over all these years.

  “So, what am I doing in this class then? We’re supposed to take these Spell classes all six years, and I’m already bad at Basic Incantations?” She asked, noticing in her peripheral Rodney glancing from side to side, trying to find an escape route without being too awkward about it, which only made it worse.

  “You always learn something in these classes, and you always pass as long as you try. Today, you learned about your telekinesis and how to clean up your own mess. Tomorrow, who knows what you will learn,” the bell rang, and everybody began pushing their desks back into place, setting their vases on Madam Winslow’s desk. “Practice the charm outside of class, and we’ll learn something new tomorrow,” her voice rang out as the students filed out of the classroom.
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  Busily, she began doing something at her desk, clearly indicating that their conversation was over. Seph looked around cautiously, wondering what people were thinking about her. Rodney had left her side. Glancing at the door, she saw him and Linda waiting for her, beckoning for the young vampire to hurry up.

  “C’mon, Seph. What class do you have next?” Linda asked, pulling her forward.

  She grinned and hurried out the room with them. Rodney was as cheery as ever. They walked down the hallway together, and she felt… she felt like she had made some friends, actual friends… This was odd. She had not expected people to warm up to her weirdness this fast. Then again, everybody was kind of weird here, in their own way, of course. Had she finally found a place that she fit in?

  “You have Magical Lit next?” Linda asked, looking at the girl’s schedule.

  “Magical Lit? Good luck with that. Madam Powers is real nice to look at, but she’s a bitch,” Rodney commented, and several passing werewolf girls glared at him, golden eyes vicious. “I meant the other kinda bitch, girls. You’re nice bitches,” he called to them, but they simply shot daggers at him with their eyes before they rounded a curve.

  Seph and Linda were shaking with laughter.

  “I think you should watch your choice of words around here, Rodney,” Seph commented, still giggling a little.

  “Hey, don’t be soundin’ like a veteran here, Seph. This is still your first day. I’m a werewolf. I can use the word bitch when referring to anyone I want. You, on the other hand, better watch your use of it,” he said with that lopsided grin of his, and she just rolled her eyes at him good-naturedly.

  “Especially around Francesca!” Linda gasped out, laughing. “She hates it when people use the word bitch because it does kind of describe what she is, a female dog… wolf… werewolf,” Linda concluded, and Seph suddenly stopped their little group, pulling them to the side of the bustling Red Hall.