“Yes, and to make sure we were pursuing the right lead on that issue, I was in Europe myself,” nodded Nadasdy, “although I must say, the timing was unfortunate. Right when trouble arose towards the end of the last semester, with that witch being kidnapped and held here.” He smiled in amusement.
“Who?” I asked, instantly taking the bait. “Who are my parents – or were they?”
“Uh-uh, princess,” said Duquette, with a menacing smile, “all will be revealed in good time. But first you’re going to prove yourself to us.”
“We really do need to trust you, Katrina,” said Nadasdy in a gentle yet firm voice, closest to how a father would talk to his child. A voice that no one had ever used on me before. “But you equally need to trust us. Prove your loyalty and we’re good on both fronts.”
“Okay, and how can I get you to trust me?” I asked, not managing to stifle the conflicted feelings that were beginning to rise from the very core of my being.
“We need you to turn someone for us,” said Duquette.
“No, I can’t!” I blurted.
“But you will,” answered Duquette, with undue sweetness, having fully expected my response.
“Not Ulric,” I said.
“Oh, your werewolf boyfriend? We wouldn’t dream of it – he’s of no value. No, that other one, what did her mother call her that day? Ah, yes, Saffron, that was it.”
“Now you’re dreaming!” I said, so outraged that I didn’t care who was there and how I came across. “You hurt her and you’ll be on the receiving end of a full-out war with the S.L.A.”
“That’s why you’re going to do it. And don’t be so melodramatic. You’ll make her one of us. She’ll be about ten times more immortal than she is right now. If anything, you’ll be doing her a favour,” said Duquette.
“You know witches can’t be turned,” I tried. Of course, they knew.
“That’s right,” said Nadasdy, “not by other vampires. I’m sure you’re familiar with what happens to them.”
“They die,” said le Boursier, licking her thin lips.
“It’s a risk but we’re hoping that because of your witch-blood, you will be able to do something the rest of us can’t.” Principal Nadasdy sounded like he was trying to bring grace to some illicit favour they were asking. Like I was a child being asked by adults on the wrong end of the law, to squirm in through a small, open window and go over to the front door to let the rest of them in, so they could rob a house.
“This Saffron girl will be our biggest asset. Next to you, of course,” said Devin, his eyes burning with anticipation. “I hear she comes from quite the bloodline herself. And we already know how prejudiced witches are. They’ll drop her the way they did you.”
“This is absolutely crazy. It’s worse than when Lilith helped herself to Lorna!”
“Quit your whining,” said Duquette, “even if you do end up killing her, you can just work your magic like you did with Natalie Summers. Her combat skills have shown a marked improvement since you reversed her rather unfortunate final death.”
“Nat was a vampire when she was killed,” I protested.
“We know that Saffron is your best friend,” said Duquette in a sing-song voice. “If anything, you should be thanking us. The two of you will be reunited. Something your precious S.L.A. and their Witches’ Council has strictly forbidden.”
“But, I can’t,” I pleaded as tears stung my eyes.
“It’s the only way,” concluded Nadasdy.
Chapter 6
I’d run away. If there was no other way, then this was one I could think of. Was Safi a target because of me? Had she been one anyway because of who her mother was – and her family line? I couldn’t be certain but it didn’t matter. I would not be the one to turn her. For how completely I’d been shunned by the Witches’ Council and my own coven, when it had existed, it was something I wouldn’t have wished on anyone. And to put me in a position to harm her? They were pure evil. I didn’t care that I too carried a vampire bloodline, I wasn’t like them.
And I had no idea what they were talking about because no Crystal Witch had ever been turned successfully without being killed. Not to my knowledge. I couldn’t imagine vamps even wanting to. Witch-blood was too enticing to them. Given a chance, they just sucked witches dry. Like marrow from a bone.
Thoughts swirled in my head as I walked to class. It was the Intro to Dark Magic class that Valenthia had been so thrilled about because she thought it covered charms. I passed Darius and Clifton, as I near streamed down the hallway. Darius murmured something as I almost bumped into him. I went to say sorry but I’d already left him way behind.
Maybe they really did think I had a chance at turning rather than killing Safi because of my own witch blood. That it could save her the way it had brought Natalie back? Why was I even entertaining such thoughts? There was no way in hottest hell, that I was going to turn my best friend into a vampire. I wouldn’t even have done it if she’d asked. Which she never would because her life actually held promise. Safi was going places. She was already at Superno and from what I knew, there were no vamps studying there, nor had there ever been.
“Are you okay, Kat?” asked Natalie, pulling me into the present as I waited by the door of the classroom.
“Yeah, I was just thinking,” I replied.
“What did Nadasdy say to you?”
“Not much, the usual – wanted to know about what really happened that night as well as some stuff to do with the hearing,” I said, not telling her the true extent of what had gone down.
“What more can he say? You’re not even in touch with your family of witches anymore,” Natalie rolled her eyes. She was the only vamp I’d ever met whose angelic appearance was true to form. She’d put her flaxen hair in loose curls and her eyes were wide with concern for me. In her human days too, she must have been amongst the kindest in her school. A rare example of someone who used their popularity for good instead of as a fickle way to feel better about themselves.
“You know what they’re like, always looking to catch me out since they no longer trust me. Not that they ever did,” I replied.
“Well if there was ever anything you were worried about, you’d tell me, right?”
“Of course,” I lied, nodding my head. I wasn’t keeping the details from her to deceive her. I was doing it to protect her. She’d already been through enough because she’d gotten tangled up in this mess with me. The last thing I wanted was for her to get into trouble again. After Safi, Natalie was my closest friend. In another life and at another time, the three of us could have been friends together. I bet they’d really have liked each other.
“It was a bummer about not finding anything useful at the library,” said Natalie.
“Val has high hopes for this class though,” I said, trying to get my own headspace ready for the class.
“You bet,” said Valenthia, joining us, “I’ve heard the professor is straight out of Eastern Europe.” Great, all we need is another Nadasdy, I thought.
“You heard right,” said a voice from behind us. Professor Varga walked past us and stood at the head of the line-up. His slick black hair and eyes, reminded me of a raven. His ashen complexion, made no secret of which supernatural creature he was. There was something about him that I couldn’t quite put my finger on. Like an intensity, strong even by vampire standards. He perched himself in the doorway and peered out at the line-up of students, scrutinizing each of us before we’d even entered. Everyone in the line fell silent and with one sweeping gesture of his hand, Professor Varga led us inside.
“Who taught Introduction to Dark Magic before you?” quizzed Moldark, once the introductions were over.
“Did you learn Introduction to Dark Magic before I was here?” asked Professor Varga, pleasantly.
“No but someone must have taught it – seeing as we’re not the first students ever to learn it.”
“Last year, yes, there was a different teacher. But it’s a second seme
ster subject for you and here I am!” Professor Varga, held out his arms in a dramatic show of expression.
“That makes no sense. What about the second and third years? Or the fourth years?” stated Moldark.
“Who here can tell me what Dark Magic entails?” asked Professor Varga, looking around.
“Vampire curses and hexes,” said Clara raising her hand.
“Very good! What else?” said the professor.
“Turning someone into a blood let?” said Darius.
“Hmm, possibly. Although basic compulsion or human consent could easily achieve that too so why waste good magic on it?” replied Varga. Blood letting. It still made my skin crawl that vampires thought it perfectly cool to compel someone into basically becoming their blood slave. And there was something even worse about the idea that some humans willingly chose to be fed on and used like that.
“What about charms?” said Valenthia. Very slick.
“Yes! Charms are one of the most potent ways for us to use our dark gifts, very good, Miss. Lauden.”
“Like the Dark Spark,” said Clara, not bothering to stick her hand up. Varga’s expression froze as if he’d been verbally assaulted. A crimson glint lit up his eyes.
“Correct,” he finally said, “but not a god example as that particular item has a very complicated history that doesn’t concern the scope of this class.” He smiled, looking around the class once more, quickly having regained his composure.
“Professor, can I ask, where are the books about Dark Magic? I haven’t come across any in the library,” Valenthia asked.
“You are very astute, aren’t you Miss. Lauden?” quipped Professor Varga, “For those of you who have done any reading during your first semester here, you will have noticed that there is a wall at the very far end of the library.”
“Yeah, golden symbols on it, right?” said Moldark, looking bored.
“Correct Mr. Whitlock. What lies inside, is known simply as Tempus Fugit. Even the wall that serves as the entrance, is a product of dark magic. It’s not real. And yet, what is reality anyway?”
Valenthia glanced across at me, barely unable to contain her excitement. I purposely ignored her, paranoid that she’d already drawn enough attention to something we were meant to be investigating purely on our own time, off our professors’ radar.
“What’s behind it?”
“Everything a vampire could ever need and wish for but not every vampire is worthy of what it holds. It is forbidden to most. Including most of you. Only a handful will experience the privilege and splendour that Tempus Fugit bestows.”
“Plus, the werewolves at the academy probably aren’t allowed to go sniffing into it either,” said Clara.
“Fair enough,” remarked Moldark. I knew it wasn’t because he’d accepted that he was amongst most of the students who’d never venture past the wall but because he took for granted that he wasn’t.
“How are we meant to learn dark magic though if most of us aren’t even allowed inside the room?” asked Darius, automatically assuming he wouldn’t be able to get to the other side.
“Great question! I shall bring you all the resources you need. For nothing you yet need will be there.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” asked Moldark.
“I am assessing you. All of you,” said the professor, his eyes lingered on me. “A few of you will possess exceptional abilities and in time, will be allowed supervised access to Tempus Fugit. Most of you that go on to graduate, will be great vampires without ever possessing the ability of dark magic. It is a rarity. But in these times, we need to find as many of you with the potential for it, as possible. Hence why I’m here.”
Valenthia glanced across at me and frowned that the room was off bounds. “Later”, I mouthed to her.
“Miss. Quartz!” called Professor Varga making me jump.
“Sorry, I…”
“Sorry? I’m not! I’m positively fascinated with you!” Professor Varga said, loudly enough for the sound to echo in our cavernous classroom and make my cheeks burn. Of course, this was punctuated with giggles. I looked across and saw Clara laughing. Although, it wasn’t the same sneering laugh I had gotten used to in the last semester. Moldark observed me with raised eyebrows. “Truly, it’s the first time I’ve taught a vampire with a streak of light magic running through her. And where there is light, there’s bound to be dark,” Varga watched me, like he was expecting my darkness to reveal itself at any moment.
No wonder they wanted me to sink my teeth into Safi. Eww. Why was I even thinking about it? I would never do something so incredibly dark that had nothing to do with magic and everything to do with preying on someone I loved like a sister. I had to find a way to make it clear that it wasn’t happening. No matter what the consequence.
Professor Varga proceeded to lecture us about a brief history of curses and hexes amongst vampires, which as it turned out had originally come about when a few of the original Sanguine vampires had used witch-blood from faery lineage as a catalyst to activating their own dark, magical powers. While my classmates gasped at Varga’s telling, it no longer surprised me that the magic of witches had intermingled with the darkness of vampires.
“Eventually, the Sanguine bloodline had strengthened to the point where direct witch-blood was no longer needed if the vampire came from a particular bloodline – though it would still serve to strengthen and activate it further,” said Varga. Valenthia’s eyes were wide as she nodded fiercely in recognition. “So, rest-assured that any Sanguines in this class who carry hidden dark magic, you come from a bloodline where your ancestors worked hard to cultivate it,” said Varga, nodding “but like with everything, there are always exceptions.”
“Meaning?” questioned Moldark.
“Meaning, that magical abilities can skip. So, just because your parents were able to work with dark magic and use hexes, it doesn’t necessarily mean, you’ll have that talent but your own offspring might.”
“What about Novus vampires?” asked Darius and each Novus vamp in the class stared at the professor intently, including Natalie.
“It works a little differently. If your maker had the ability, then much like the case of Sanguine offspring, you might as well but to a much lesser extent, I’m afraid. From what I’ve seen throughout the ages – and I’ve lived through a few – at any given point, about a quarter of all vampires are able to weave dark magic. As I said before, most cannot.”
Wait a minute, since when could vamps work any kind of magic? Questions ran through my mind, none of which I could ask. This was definitely something the S.L.A. should have known, if they already didn’t. And yet, thanks to the decision of the Grand High Witch and her Council, I couldn’t even communicate with anyone to tell them. Was it even my place to do so anymore? It had been a lifetime ago since I’d been treated like a witch, so why did I keep acting like one, vying for approval I’d never get?
“Wait, sorry professor, I have a question,” I said, as my hand shot up in the air.
“I can imagine you would,” said professor Varga, a devilish smile crept onto his face.
“This dark magic – isn’t it the same as what witches would call black magic?”
“No, witches and warlocks naturally have power over the elements of the earth and minerals and other things that arise from the earth, like crystals – as you already know – and even all types of creatures, living and dead,” said Varga, “why do you think witches and warlocks are so desired?” He smiled and like my other professors had done at some point, looked at me hungrily for a moment. All except for Duquette, who was perpetually disgusted by me and everyone else.
“Vampire magic, known as dark magic is a different branch of magic, altogether. And it’s strongest against humans. All vampires can compel, that’s not magic but enhanced supernatural ability. All vampires can stream – again not by magic but ability. Our magic, we use to protect ourselves and our boundaries but it is more subtle. And inconveniently, the only supe
rnatural creatures susceptible to our magic are other vampires.
“But we can hex. In fact, charms are made by hexing objects,” said Varga looking at Valenthia, “of course, for those of us who possess the ability to learn dark magic, there is one way to greatly strengthen our powers as I mentioned earlier,” continued Varga, looking back at me, “it’s by ingesting witch-blood.”
I stared back at him, Nadasdy’s whole agenda with Safi becoming clear to me. They didn’t want to do some experiment and see if I could turn her, they wanted her here so they had a constant supply of witch-blood. No wonder Lilith and her fellow vamps who’d kidnapped Lorna had been removed from Bloodline Academy. They’d helped themselves when Lorna could have been invaluable to each professor here.
“Okay, let’s try something,” said Professor Varga, “I’ll need a volunteer.” No one came forward. “You’ll do nicely,” he said, pointing at Moldark.
“For what?” Moldark frowned, staring at the professor.
“Here – write your name on the board,” Varga withdrew a piece of chalk and handed it to Moldark.
“Full name?”
“Yes, please,” smiled Professor Varga.
Moldark sighed and walked up to the front of the class. He wrote something onto the board but stopped halfway through. “What the hell?” he said, turning back around to face us. On the board was a scribbled line of something that made no sense. They weren’t even letters but scrawls.
“Go on, try again,” said Professor Varga, amused. Moldark shook his head in annoyance and tried again. Soon enough he put the chalk down and turned around with his arms folded.
“You’ve obviously done something,” he said, making his way back to his seat without permission.
“You’re sharp!” quipped Varga, “But are you really going to give up that easily?”
“I’m not giving up – you’ve obviously put some kind of magic into the chalk so I’m not going to keep trying just to look like an idiot,” replied Moldark.
“And of course, he’s absolutely right,” agreed Varga, “unless he uses another piece of chalk, neither him nor anyone else would be able to write legibly with that particular specimen – I have hexed it.” Professor Varga smiled, happy with the result. “With one exception – if he knew it was hexed and could undo the magic.”
Dark Spark: A Young Adult Urban Fantasy Novel (Bloodline Academy Book 2) Page 6