I swallowed the nasty saliva gathering in my mouth, feeling like an animal. This was another punishment for what I had become—a creature that was no longer human.
I could blame my thirst on not getting to quench it until close to sunrise, when Lord Sullivan or Mr. Chad brought me a bottle of cooling blood taken from the outside, but the night was too young for that.
This had all to do with Onyx. I could sense she was in trouble. Again. My tongue begged me to ask Lily why she was in the closet, but the part of my brain that still worked knew it would be a waste of time. She’d never trust me with the truth. A smart girl, she was. The intelligent fae trusted my kind with nothing at all.
Onyx, on the other hand...
Onyx was different from them all.
Was it because she was a descendant of the Winter Court?
Or was it because she did things to me, things I couldn’t even allow myself to contemplate?
She was a trap. She had to be. Lying in wait, ready to spring on me if I stepped out of line.
If the Elites found out what she was, and what I had done for her...
I shook my head. I wouldn’t let them.
Lily exited the room, carrying extra sheets and blankets and a bottle of laundry detergent, clueless to my presence. The supplies didn’t suggest anything truly bad had happened. Just a prank, then.
My breath came more easily now that the scent of blood had gone, and yet, my feet carried me to the door, wanting me to check on Onyx.
I dug my fingers into the stone wall and pressed as hard as I could. No, I could not go to Onyx. Even if most of the staff and vampire students had gone out for the evening, allowed free movement privileges and drinking from a direct source while I had to remain behind.
I could not be weak. The person I had been back in Germany was dead. There was no going back now. I had made my choice three years ago and had to live with it for the rest of my eternal life.
Lily’s footsteps faded, then vanished completely. She’d be at the stairwell now, running up to meet the top contender of the Placement Tests. A contender who should not have given up her status and relegated her body to the highest bidder. A contender who, like me, was too soft to embrace her cold nature and survive.
Unable to stand still a moment longer, I peeled myself from the wall and headed down the stone corridor, needing to get outside. Far away from Onyx.
There was one thing that consistently obliterated my thoughts, shutting my mind down. And I needed it now. The hunt. The blood.
I crossed the main entryway and paused by the South Door, the main exit that the vampires used to get in and out of Nocturnal Academy. Nestled in a narrow, otherwise unused hall between the kitchen and the Home Decor wing, the door itself looked like a stretch of wall and rested on old metal tracks. We all knew the sequence well. I pushed on the top right brick, then the middle brick, and then a brick to the left, a slightly greenish one that the fae never seemed to notice. The door obliged, sliding back silently as gears turned and cranked within the darkness on the other side. I inhaled the mixture of cold stone, clear mountain air, and citrusy firs.
Leaving the narrow corridor, I stepped through the door. It clicked into place behind me. My vision adjusted, letting every detail of the passage pop. Following it, I reached the spiral staircase that led downward, nodding a greeting to two fellow guards standing at the bottom.
“Thorsten. Did Lady Cardinal remove your probation conditions?” McKenna, a guard with a permanent frown etched onto her face, asked me. As she spoke, she flashed her fangs in warning.
“Not yet. I need a drink and can’t wait,” I said. “If she wants to reprimand me later, I understand.” At most, she could convince the Elites to add a week to my sentence. The Elites weren’t that worried about a new vamp struggling with his urge for blood. In fact, they had a lot of understanding for that. What they didn’t appreciate was a new vamp attempting to cling to his vanishing humanity.
I glared at the second guard, a male who was new, and he stepped back, nodding in acknowledgement of my high status. I might be on probation, but I was still a Steinberg.
Once I was alone, I broke into a run, needing to work off the adrenaline. The tunnel network under Nocturnal Academy was winding and confusing, full of crates, straw, and supplies. The West Doors led to that side of the mountain, and I pushed them open, needing the illusion of freedom that being outside gave me.
Every one of my muscles tightened with anger at the lack of autonomy I had, which only fueled my thirst. The wilderness spread out in front of me, made up of arrangements of boulders and collections of scraggly pine trees.
Was I any better than Onyx? I’d done the right thing, letting Griffin Steinberg take me as his heir in exchange for his generous favor. And, yet despite my gratitude, I found myself time and time again only an inch away from undoing everything and dooming myself and…them.
Stay away from Onyx.
Hiking up my shoulders, I sniffed for prey, an animal, something I could kill swiftly and with mercy. I detected the meaty, yet metallic scent, of animal blood down the mountain, near the lake. I descended quickly, leaping over boulders, hovering in the air for a couple of seconds each time with intense focus. But the more I practiced flight, the more my stomach rumbled, distracting me and pulling me back down to earth.
It would take a long time for it to become truly useful.
Halfway down the mountain, I gave up on the flight, maintaining my balance on gravel that would have thrown any human or fae down into dark waters far below. Following a narrow trail at first, and then climbing down a cliff, I grasped and opening with the grace of a spider. Jumping down on the gravel beach, I landed yards from where a coyote, old, emaciated, and with milky eyes, lifted his head and eyed me with a strange peace. A battle wound had opened at the scruff of its neck, raw and bloody, and I knew that if I left the creature alone, the wound would get infected and lead to a slow, agonizing death. The coyote’s scent filled the air, drawing me closer. In that moment, I was its angel of mercy.
I made it quick, draining the creature. The coyote yelped once, kicked its paws, and fell still as I finished the job. Sated, I stroked the coyote’s fur once, thanking it for the nourishment, then closed his blank eyes that stared up at the starry sky.
The coyote was at peace now, but my torment had only begun. I had to keep my distance from Onyx, or the Elites would turn our long lives into eternal hell.
Chapter 3
Onyx
If I thought that a little bit of mud in my hair and on my bed sheets was my biggest problem, I soon discovered just how wrong I was.
The first term had ended at the beginning of December without much fanfare regarding human holidays. Not being exactly religious, the vamps didn’t celebrate Christmas, which was fine by me.
I had never gotten a proper Christmas growing up. Mom had always taken the holiday shifts at the burger joint for the double pay and extra tips but never had money for presents, only bills we were behind on. During lucky years, I got discounted sneakers or a winter jacket after the twenty-sixth of December, when the stores held big sales.
There were no traditions I missed since Mom and I had none, and the last thing I needed was to have to carol in front of the vamps, who’d probably dress us up as skanky Santas or elves.
I assumed the vamps weren’t doing anything. However, when I walked down from the fae tower on the twenty-second of December, I found that the academy had been transformed. A fire roared in the cafeteria fireplace, which was decked out in crimson red and verdant green. Wreaths with red candles sat on every table, and the scent of apples and cinnamon hung in the air.
Since I had forgotten my German book upstairs and had to return to get it, I was one of the last fae to enter the breakfast area. I walked over to Lily, noticing with dismay that today Virgie was sitting with Peony and Kristen. Was she switching sides now that Peony was back from the dungeons, or merely spying on Peony? I didn’t know any longer.
> I grabbed an apple and some fancy bread with raisins and sat down next to Lily, who was sipping on a hot cocoa. “What’s all this? I thought vamps didn’t do Christmas.” She'd know what was going on since she had grown up in a vamp household, folding towels with her mother.
Lily shook her head and trained her eyes on me. “Not Christmas. This is Yule.”
I felt my forehead wrinkle. “Isn’t that some kind of witchy holiday?”
“Witches aren’t the only ones who celebrate it. Yule is the celebration of the Winter Solstice. A lot of northern countries like Scandinavia and Germany honor the old gods during this time. At least, that's what I've heard over the years.”
“Okay.” I tasted my sweet bread, which was surprisingly really good. This sounded like something Thorsten would know...if he would talk to me. “What does that mean for us?”
Lily didn’t meet my gaze. Her hands wrapped tightly around her mug. “Nothing for the first eleven days. But the end of Yule traditionally culminates in the Wild Hunt to appease Odin.”
I shook my head, more confused than ever. “Who’s that? Is he another vamp lord?”
“No. He’s the Norse god of death, divination, and magic.”
I considered that for a moment as I finished my breakfast. “Appropriate. So what is this Wild Hunt?”
Lily bit her lip. “My mother only mentioned bits and pieces to me. It’s not good.”
“No shit.” Of course, the vamps celebrating something equaled trouble for us. When my expectant glance didn’t do anything to coax the information out of Lily, I wiped my mouth and approached Peony’s table.
Crossing my arms, I directed my question at Virgie. “What’s the Wild Hunt?”
But even the confident Virgie faltered, opening her mouth, then closing it. Great.
Peony, on the other hand, gave me a toothed smile. “You’re asking the wrong question, Halfling. The correct question is: what does it culminate in?” She leaned forward. “A sacrifice.”
I blinked, words failing me as an ominous feeling spread through me.
Kristen took over. “The vamps chase us, across the school or outside, depending on what Headmistress Cardinal decides. Then one of us will be sacrificed.”
Peony twirled a blonde curl. “First, her virginity will be ripped from her, and then she’ll be drained dry. Of course, some fae have a far better chance at surviving than others. The vamps tend to go after, shall we say, the more disposable fae.”
I took a step back, my breakfast rising in my stomach. “No.”
Peony jabbed her elbow into Virgie’s side. “Tell her.”
Virgie met my gaze, expression unreadable as if she was Peony’s puppet. “It’s true. One of us will be killed. It’s a tradition the Elites have upheld for decades. Centuries, if they did this to humans before us fae arrived in this world. It’s a reminder of who we belong to.”
I stumbled back. I would’ve probably crashed into a table if it hadn’t been for Lily who grabbed my hand and guided me out of the cafeteria. I hadn't realized she had followed me.
“We need to get to class,” she whispered, still holding my hand.
“Why? Are the teachers going to sacrifice the weakest, or the one with the worst grades?” Was there no end to their evaluations?
Lily shook her head. “No, it’s much worse than that.”
“How?” I followed her toward German class.
She ripped at a hangnail, making it bleed, then immediately sucked the wound, furtively glancing around, hoping no vamps were nearby. That was what our lives had become. A hangnail made us fear for our existence.
I gave Lily a moment, but after we entered the classroom and took the front row, I couldn’t hold back any longer. “Please, just tell me. I need to know.”
Lily sat down and nodded slowly. “The vamp students pick the victim.” Her gray eyes met mine. “The Elites trust them to choose whoever they think might be the biggest problem in the future. Someone who might rebel against their master or someone who will instill confidence in the other fae. It’s another way to keep us under control. But the truth is, the vamp students sacrifice whoever they feel like sacrificing. And we won’t know who they’ve chosen until the Wild Hunt.”
I swallowed hard. They would keep us in suspense, toying with us like a cat with a broken-winged bird.
“The only thing to do is not to draw any attention to yourself. Don’t stand out. That’s how you’re least likely to be picked.”
I gulped. Before I could say anything, Thorsten strolled in.
“Guten Morgen. Bitte schlagt auf Seite zwanzig. ”
I did as he told us, opening my German book to page twenty. As he taught us simple sentence structures, I studied him. Did he know about the Wild Hunt? He must. And yet, he remained as composed as ever. Would he really let the vamps sacrifice one of us, allow the whole school to watch on as a fae was gang raped, then torn to shreds?
Sickness filled me. And there was no rescuing that one, unlucky fae. I had protected Virgie from being violated by the twins. I had saved Lily from becoming a courtesan. But I couldn’t rescue them all. All I could do was melt into nothingness and hope neither my friends nor I would become the sacrifice.
I didn’t seek out Thorsten as the gong rang. Instead, I went to my next class, and then to the one after. Twelve days of invisibility. I could do that.
Us fae were all at dinner when the cafeteria lights went off. The chattering and slurping stopped.
“Did the power go out?” someone asked across the room.
I eyed Lily, who shrugged. “This has never happened before.”
A moment later, the lights flashed back on. But instead of bathing the room in regular light, a hellish red glow hung over the cafeteria.
The twins burst through the cafeteria doors, leading the other vamps. Fae jumped as the vamp students yelled, “Welcome to the first night of the Yule!” They smiled and pointed a dozen pistols at us, grinning from ear to ear.
Screams erupted.
Oh, God! No. I dropped to the ground, pulling Lily with me as the room exploded in red.
Shots went off, stabbing my ears. Screams erupted. Tables flipped. Fae used one another as shields, shoving and trampling their classmates. Red exploded on the floor, tablecloths, and other fae. I tensed as Lily and I faced each other and crawled under the tablecloth. Her eyes were big, and she trembled like a leaf in a tornado.
The twins laughed, the sound merciless and never ending.
Get out. We had to get out. I glanced around, trying to make sense of the chaos, the flailing limbs, the scrambling fae, and shrieks of terror. I inhaled in shock as more red splattered just a foot from where I hid. No metallic scent, but…tomato and sugar.
Ketchup. The twins were shooting Heinz 57 at us. Icy rage stormed into my limbs, and I climbed out from under the table. “It’s ketchup. Calm down, everyone!”
Virgie and a male fae faced me, but no one else had heard. Screams continued to fill the space as the fake gunshots played from the vamps’ toy guns. More red streams fired everywhere as they laughed. Bodies crashed into each other. The gunshots carried a tinny vibe.
The bastards.
“It’s a prank!” I shouted. I shook my head, annoyed at the fae, but also at myself for falling for this trap. Of course, the vamps wouldn’t shoot us. Our blood was too valuable to them. And our contracts were too valuable to the academy.
“A prank?” Lily asked beside me.
I grabbed her hand and dragged her toward the door, uncaring that several vamps were blocking the exit. Most had lowered their toy squirt guns, out of ketchup.
“W-what are you doing?” Lily stuttered.
“Getting us out of here.” I marched up resolutely to the two random male vamps in front of the door, but someone pushed Lily aside and grabbed me, twirling me around.
“Hello, Onyx, long time no see,” Kayden purred, running his finger down my throat. He dropped the gun, which I now realized was a plastic toy with the orang
e tip ripped off. A friggin squirt gun. I wanted to kill him.
“We missed you.” Kassius pressed his crotch against my ass, his body trapping me from behind.
I stiffened.
My skin cooled with ice as my magic begged me to lash out. My hands tingled with unreleased energy. No. If I used my magic now, it would out me. I was too close to the twins. They weren’t the brightest, but even they would put one and one together if ice only appeared when I was nearby.
Around me, the cafeteria slowly quieted as people realized we weren’t all bleeding out. The world seemed to still. Stunned whispers and embarrassed mutters followed.
I took a breath. My best chance of escaping this and the Wild Hunt was to embrace what I was supposed to become. I leaned into Kayden and purred back, “I missed you too. But is it really necessary to express your feelings with tomato puree and scare us poor girls out of our minds?”
Kayden wiped away a dollop of ketchup from my shoulder, licking his fingers with gusto. I struggled to keep my smile and not throw up on his face. “We’re just having fun. You like to have fun, don’t you?” Kayden’s fangs popped down, and I instinctively backed away, right into his brother.
“Terrified girls are the hottest. I like protecting them.” Kassius ran his hands up and down my body.
It took all I had to suppress my shudders. I could not let the twins feed on my fear and disgust.
“Well, I’d rather not be terrified. I like to be in control if you know what I mean.” I grabbed Kayden’s blazer lapel and licked my lips suggestively.
“Haha, feisty, and that’s why we like you.” Kassius licked his lips, which reminded me of Candice's warnings about bloodlust.
I turned and brushed my hand through his hair, then winked at him. “See you later, boys.” I did a little finger wave. My distraction must’ve worked, because the twins just looked at me, lust filling their eyes as I sauntered away with Lily, the vamps at the door parting to let us through.
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