by Marian Tee
LSL was to be my temporary sanctuary, a way to keep my identity secret. One of the few rules that my Master had asked me to follow was to never get involved in anything that could expose what I was. Going to a crime scene? That would definitely qualify.
“Who are the suspects?” Sir Richard asked as he crouched down to inspect the corpse more closely.
I moved further away, not wanting him to catch my scent. If he knew I was here, he would surely tell my Master about it.
“Two students, sir,” the enforcer replied. Enforcers worked like vampire police, tasked to solve crimes involving otherworlders. “A Miranda Donnelly and the other one is Rhapsody Norwood.”
The first name I easily recognized. Miranda was often referred to as the school’s Madonna. An ideal human pet, in many ways, was like a geisha, trained to serve and please her Master and find honor in her ability to do so. Miranda, who was in her last year of training, certainly excelled at that. Demure and soft-spoken, graceful and gracious, she was said to make even vampires’ hearts skip a beat – and that was saying a lot when most vampires didn’t have hearts to speak of.
“Miranda?” Sir Richard repeated, visibly surprised.
“It’s been confirmed, sir. Several students saw her leaving through the school’s exit closest to the forest.”
The headmaster straightened up with a shake of his head. “That doesn’t make sense.” After telling another enforcer to cover the body and have it autopsied, he asked, “What about Lady Rhapsody?” His gaze strayed, and following his line of sight, I realized that most of the students in the crowd were looking at the same person, too.
The girl was tall and slender, with black hair and incredibly fair skin. She would probably be beautiful if she smiled, but right now her face was so pale and expressionless it was like looking at a ghost.
Murmurs rose from the crowd. It made me wince because they weren’t being exactly quiet or discreet about what they were saying.
It’s the new girl.
I’ve always thought she was weird.
That Miranda came out here is just coincidence, I’m sure. She could never have done something like this. But that girl?
She’s the killer. I’m sure of it.
Rhapsody started walking away, and the murmurs grew louder, as if they all wanted her to hear it. I found myself following her.
When she was past the gates of the school, she suddenly turned around, making me jump in surprise.
“Why are you following me?” I had expected her to hiss, shout, or maybe even cry. But instead her voice was calm. Soft. Soothing. Like her name.
Her question had me shrugging awkwardly. “I’m not exactly sure why,” I confessed honestly.
She blinked at my answer.
I offered my hand. “I’m Zari, by the way.”
She took it. “Everyone knows who you are.”
I grimaced, knowing it wasn’t because I was near-perfect like the Madonna. Rather, it was because my Master was Alexandru, the greatest hunter among vampires, and someone, despite having lived hundreds of years, who had never acquired a pet…until I came along, that was.
She cocked her head to the side. “You don’t seem to think I’m the killer.”
I thought about it seriously. “No. I don’t.”
“Then do you think she’s the killer?”
I shook my head. “I’m not sure about that. I just…” I looked at her, really looked at her, trying to see her as a soul seer. “I just know you’re not the killer,” I finished.
“You are…odd.”
I tried, I really tried to stop myself from grinning, but I couldn’t help it.
Rhapsody’s lips twitched ever so slightly, no doubt having realized the irony of her words as well.
We started walking again, heading to the dorms. All students were required to board, the school being the safest place for pets to feed their Masters. There were also times when injured vampires came here to drink from unclaimed pets, but it was up to us to offer or refuse them blood.
“So…you just transferred here?”
She nodded. “Last week.”
“And you didn’t have a hard time catching up with the lessons?” I couldn’t help but be envious. Right now, I had one of the lowest grades among first-years. A perfect pet naturally adored her Master. Most times, I was lucky if I didn’t naturally abhor the things I had to do as a pet.
Rhapsody shook her head at my question. “Before coming here, I was already being home-schooled about being a proper pet,” she said simply.
“Oh. I didn’t know that was possible.”
“My Master’s very powerful,” Rhapsody said matter-of-factly. “Most of the things are possible for him.”
ALEXANDRU
How could she say something like that so easily? His pet’s thoughts came to Alexandru loud and clear, which meant she was very close by.
My Master’s very powerful.
Alexandru’s brow arched in surprise at the thought.
Blech.
He smirked. Now that was more like his pet.
No matter what, I don’t think I can say it like that. I really can’t.
Alexandru mentally shook his head. Of course she couldn’t. While she made an adorable pet in many ways, she was also quite the little liar, the kind who would rather jump off a cliff than say something nice about him – even if it was what she thought.
Suddenly feeling impatient to see her, Alexandru used a burst of speed to get where Zari was. In LSL, there was no need to pretend he was not who he was – a vampire so ancient and powerful that even otherworlders shook in their boots at the sight of him.
He landed noiselessly just a few feet behind Zari and her new friend, the girl with the anonymous Master. Stealth did not come naturally to otherworlders, but for Alexandru it was a skill he had honed in the centuries he had hunted down vampires and other creatures that had gone rogue and lost themselves in the frenzy of bloodlust.
For a moment, he remained where he was, savoring the chance to look his fill of his pet. She was small and slim, coltishly so, the gentle curve of her dainty breasts only made noticeable by the tightness of her school jacket. But her legs were incredibly long, and her short black skirt made them even shapelier.
Unlike most pets who strove hard to be womanly, his pet didn’t appear to care about mastering the art of ladylike walking. Instead she walked briskly, her shoulders square, her back straight, and her long blonde hair swaying almost in rhythm with her hands, which she couldn’t seem to keep still against her sides.
An unusual pet, and not just because she was a soul seer. Dangerous, too, because she was beginning to mean too much to him, and he didn’t want that.
Ahead of him, his pet was peppering the new girl with questions – and all of it had to do with homeschooling. His eyes narrowed. He had a feeling he knew where this was going---
“So…” Zari’s tone was calculating. “Does LSL offer homeschooling, too?”
The new girl nodded. “Your Master only has to request it.”
“I see.”
“Why do you ask?”
“My Master travels all the time.”
The other student nodded understandingly. “Naturally. He’s a hunter. But wouldn’t you be in the way if you traveled with him?”
The astute question was his cue to intrude. If allowed to continue, his little pet might end up revealing something about herself, something that could set all the demons in the world after her.
And that, he would never allow.
In a blink, he was directly behind them, and before his pet could answer, he had already bent down to whisper in her ear, “Hello, pet.”
The whispered words, combined with the mesmerizingly familiar voice, had Zari jumping. She whirled around and jumped another step back at the sight of Alexandru. What was he doing here?
Her Master’s voice was the soul of innocence as he asked, “Did I surprise you?” He was as beautiful as ever, with his jet-black hair look
ing slightly wind-tousled and a wicked gleam making his green eyes brighter. He had on his usual all-black attire, which meant he had come to LSL directly from a hunt.
Beside Zari, Rhapsody curtsied, prompting her to curtsy as well. She always, always forgot to do that.
“Lord Alexandru,” Rhapsody murmured.
Alexandru bowed. “Lady Rhapsody.” At his words, he saw his pet’s eyes widen, as if surprised that he knew the other girl’s name.
“If you would excuse me, milord,” Rhapsody said and at his nod, she turned to Zari. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Lady Zari. I look forward to furthering our acquaintance.”
“Umm…sure. Me, too.” Her sudden formality impressed, intimidated, and confused Zari.
When the other student left, Alexandru said dryly, “Is it shocking that not all girls say ‘see ya’ when leaving?”
She made a face. “I don’t always say that.”
Instead of answering, he simply opened his arms. As he expected, she didn’t fly to him right away. He knew his little pet well, after all. First she would blush---
In front of him, pink had blossomed in her cheeks.
Then she would look around---
His pet’s gaze was darting left and right now, self-consciously looking for people who might see them.
Then she would look at him---
Their eyes met, gray and green, their desire mirrored in each other’s gazes.
He asked huskily, “Did you miss me, pet?”
The words had her drawing a shaky breath---
And then she was flying to him.
Her arms curled around his neck as his own went around her sweet little body. He bent down, his mouth capturing hers in a kiss.
Did you miss me? He asked it again, but this time through the blood bond they shared as Master and pet, one that allowed him to be connected to her, in ways that not even human couples married for decades could yearn to experience.
Yes, Master. She said it freely in her mind, knowing that no one but Alexandru would be able to hear the longing in her voice. This latest hunt had her Master gone for a week. Seven days of wishing he was next to her, of wondering whether he ever thought of her.
When he ended the kiss, both of them were breathing hard. He glanced down at her, satisfaction surging inside of him at the swollen look of her lips.
Zari remained still and silent, unable to pull her gaze away from her Master. Need glittered in his eyes, the very same emotion that had every inch of her body tingling. She fought hard to veil her thoughts, something she had asked Lord Erou to teach her in the days Alexandru had been gone. It was a skill she practiced day and night, knowing it was the only way to keep her Master from learning how helplessly in love she was with him.
“You’ve become good at hiding your thoughts.” Surprise tinged his tone, his pondering gaze slowly roaming her face.
“H-have I?”
His lips curved in a smirk.
Drat. That only meant one thing. He had seen through her. Not wanting to give him a chance to ask her why she wanted to hide her thoughts from him, she said hurriedly, “I have a question, Master.”
He looked at her for a moment, as if debating whether to push the issue or not. Finally, he took her hand, making Zari silently breathe a sigh of relief. As they walked, Alexandru asked, “What is it?”
“Umm, Rhapsody. How did you know who she was?”
An odd glance was slanted towards her. “How would I not? She’s come to the place where you live. I had to make sure she wasn’t a potential threat to you.”
“B-but she’s just a student,” she sputtered.
“Her circumstances are mysterious. It aroused my curiosity.”
“Mysterious?”
“Her Master’s anonymous.”
Confusion clouded her tone as she asked, “Anonymous? Do you mean we don’t know who her Master is?”
“Not only that. She doesn’t know who he is either.”
“But how’s that possible?”
“If my information is correct, she only communicates with her Master through letters.”
“Oh.” She tried to understand how that would work but couldn’t. A pet was supposed to be the source of life for her Master, but if they only communicated through letters, what kind of duties was Rhapsody able to perform?
By the time they had reached his rooms, his pet still hadn’t said a word. Closing the door, he turned to find her looking at him seriously. “Why would a Master want to be anonymous?”
Zari didn’t know why it bothered her so much, but it did.
Alexandru said slowly, “I don’t know.” He wished he did, though. The circumstances bothered him as well. At Zari’s frown, he told her frankly, “Most Masters don’t really think they owe their pets any explanation.”
This had his pet glaring.
Soon, the claws would be out and she might even end up hissing at him. Zari in fighting form was always a cute sight. If it had been any other day, Alexandru would have deliberately provoked her.
But unfortunately, they had more important matters to discuss right now.
“Sit down, Zari.”
The tone had his pet frowning questioningly, but she did as asked, lowering herself on the couch.
“Won’t you ask me why I’ve come back earlier than planned?”
Zari froze.
He took out the notice from his pocket, something the school had sent. At the sight of it, his pet’s eyes widened. He asked grimly, “Why haven’t you been attending your classes, pet?”
Chapter Two
Walking back to the castle, she and Alexandru passed a vampire feeding on his pet. When they were out of earshot, she whispered to him, “It’s just not right. I really think this pet business is just a form of vampires taking advantage of humans.”
Alexandru only shook his head. “You always surprise me with how contradictory you are. It’s the way of the world.”
She didn’t say anything for a long time, but the silence wasn’t good. Just when he was about to ask what was wrong, she said something. So softly he wouldn’t have heard her if she didn’t own his heart.
“Like us?”
She looked at him with sadness in her eyes, and like she always did, her next words disarmed him, her honesty something he had never been able to match. “We can’t be together because it’s the way of the world?”
A sob tickled Zari’s throat as her Master knelt in front of her. It was not right, this position. It should have been the other way around, and that it wasn’t so threw her off, tempting Zari to think of things that she didn’t have a right to think. It wasn’t just because she was only his human pet. There were things she could never ever think because…because although she loved her Master, he loved someone else.
Alexandru asked quietly, “Is something wrong?”
She shook her head, unable to meet his gaze.
He sighed. “Even if you don’t tell me anything, even if you’re able to hide your thoughts, it doesn’t matter. You know that, don’t you?”
He touched her heart, surprising Zari into leaning back, her head jerking up. In that moment, he was able to capture her gaze. “I only have to feel your heart beating, and I know when you’re sad, happy, afraid---”
“You’re being too melodramatic, Master,” she tried to joke, but it fell flat.
“You’re being too secretive.”
The words scraped her raw even though she was sure he didn’t know it would make her feel that way. She was not keeping the secrets here. He was. And that secret had been tearing her apart ever since she had found out about it.
She remembered the last time she had a vision of Alexandru, something she had never told him. He had been talking to his brother, Mihail, and his last words were of…her. But it was not the kind she had ever wanted him to say.
“Even if Zari is indeed my heartkeeper, I will not claim her as such. My heart belongs to Katarina, no one else.”
Without thinking, she asked, �
�What’s a heartkeeper?”
Alexandru froze. How had she known? Could she have had a vision of him? It was the only possible answer since those who knew about her were also people she couldn’t have ever had the chance to talk to.
He looked into her eyes, and what he saw made him reach for her hands. She tried to pull her hands back, but he was too fast, and he tightened his hold, letting her know he wouldn’t be letting go.
“Zari…”
She flinched. Somehow, hearing him say her name like that hurt. No, she didn’t like him calling her that. It was her given name, but somehow when he was the one saying it, he made her feel like a stranger.
Seeing her pet flinch made him curse silently. This conversation was going nowhere. “Whatever it is, it’s not something you should worry about,” he said gruffly. He stood up, and a second later, he had lifted her up in his arms. Words were pointless now. No matter what he’d say, Alexandru knew it wouldn’t be able to make her feel any better.
Her vulnerability was made more apparent when she didn’t even protest, only hiding her face in the crook of his neck.
He laid her on the bed, kissing her as he followed her to it. “Don’t think,” he whispered against her lips. “Just don’t think.”
Zari nodded. It was a command she was more than willing to obey since thinking would only bring more heartache. She closed her eyes as she surrendered herself to her Master’s expertise. They moved in synchrony even without either of them speaking, her body automatically lifting up so he could take off her jacket and blouse. Soon, they were both naked, and it became so much easier not to think the moment his hard body pressed against her, covering every inch of her heated skin.
So easy not to think, not to feel, not to remember that he hadn’t been able to tell her what a heartkeeper was.
And maybe it was better this way, Zari thought as she squeezed her eyes shut more tightly. Not knowing what it was meant not knowing how much her Master had given up, how much he loved that other woman more than he could ever care for her.
Above Zari, her Master said, “You’re still thinking, pet.”
Her eyes flew open. “I didn’t---”