Also, the small coffee table that was in the comfortable seating area was piled high with delicious plates of meats, salad, sauces and a ridiculously huge chocolate éclair that she salivated over on sight.
“This is one of the rooms that usually would home one of the professors. As you might have noticed, this is the warrior’s wing. As I said, I know this might not be ideal, being so close to all the teachers and warriors,” to which she grinned, “But, until we know what we’re doing here, and what we’re dealing with, this will have to do. Do you think that you will be happy in here?”
Aisline couldn’t help but giggle. Sure, this room was bedecked with the sort of luxury she had had at home and was sure to be better than the usual student digs that she expected the other trainees had to put up with, but she didn’t care that she was holed up near the faculty rather than the rest of the students. She wasn’t planning on getting up to anything that she shouldn’t anyway. Weighing it up, would she rather be in a wing of adults whom would more than likely leave her to her own devices, or over with a couple of hundred boys that would be fascinated with her, being the only female warrior in history? She’d take the grown-ups any day.
“I’ll be more than fine, don’t worry about me. I love it, thank you.” Aisline’s smile was warm and genuine. She was starting to feel a little more like herself and it was shining through. Plus, she genuinely liked Kayleigh, which was a bonus.
Kayleigh looked so relieved that her idea had worked out and she beamed back at her. All of a sudden, her phone started to buzz in her pocket and after reading the text, Kayleigh cursed under her breath.
“I’m so sorry Aisline, I’m going to have to bail on you. Emergency.” she said, indicating her phone. “I’ll leave you to get unpacked and comfortable. There are some books on the shelves over there that go through the warrior training step by step if you want to take a look. If you need anything, anything at all, something to eat or drink, anything at all, just dial *642. That’s my number. I’ll make sure that someone sends you up something for dinner if I‘m not back before then. Chill out and enjoy the peace while it lasts.” Pausing to take a breath, she shook her head, “I tell you, I feel like I’m running around like a headless chicken today!” and they chuckled together.
Ash didn’t mind that she was leaving her alone. She knew that she would be fine now that she had a place to call her own. Unpacking her gear and getting sorted would take up a good portion of the day and at least then she would be ready for whatever tomorrow had to through at her. After meeting with Kelton this morning, and reading everything that she could about the academy and what it took to become a warrior, she felt a lot more positive about her future.
The time alone wouldn’t be as stressful as it had been yesterday. She could finally start to get a little excited about what was going to be the next phase of her life.
“So, I guess we’ll let you get settled in, then? I’m sorry to run off like this but I’ll try to call by to see how you‘re doing a bit later. How does that sound?”
“Perfect.” Ash couldn’t help but grin. She had the whole afternoon to sort out her things and was already planning on curling up with a good book. Reading was the only thing she could think of to help her relax a little.
She had feared this place from the very moment that her dad had gotten on the phone to advise the Sons that he was sending her in, but it wasn’t all bad. In fact, it wasn’t bad at all. The room she was in was really nice. Kelton and Kayleigh had made her feel very welcome and tomorrow, she would start to get stuck in to whatever it took to make her into a warrior.
Looking back to the point when her life had changed forever, she thought that that evening and her disastrous date, had been a big, dull dud. But not anymore.
This could really, truly be awesome if she let herself relax and enjoy it and stop with all the worrying.
It really could be the making of her.
Chapter Thirteen.
For whatever reason, whether it was her change of heart to embrace her new situation or not, Ash didn’t fear those few hours alone. She was more or less an adult now and she knew that the staff had enough on their hands dealing with the rest of the students, and she didn’t need babysitting. After the death of their leader, she knew that the warriors would be up in the air and she wanted to do her best to help, not to get in the way. Chilling out, arranging her clothes and listening to Thirty Seconds to Mars and Paramore was a great way to pass a few hours and get herself familiar with her surroundings.
It gave her plenty of time to get her head straight and even a little time to relax, finishing off the latest book in the ‘Chicagoland Vampires’ series, which she found amusing. One thing that she loved was to read and reading about human’s idea of vampires was something that really tickled her funny bone.
Kayleigh had called by, rushing in, apologising profusely. She had to go and assist some of the other professor’s with a research project and explained that she would be tied up for the rest of the night. Ash was happy to have a little more time to adjust to her new life. Being on her own wasn’t a problem. Sure, she was adjusting to what her life could be like here, but there was no rush to start it just yet.
Aisline couldn’t sleep, however. She was about to move into the most exciting stage of her life, it was more than a little daunting to say the least. The excitement buzzed through her being. She’d managed to get in a few hours between just lying there and staring at the ceiling, but the more she thought about the situation she was in, the more excited she got about it.
And that in itself amazed her. She thought that with everything that had happened, she would be falling apart and crumbling into a pile of despair, but she wasn’t. Quite the opposite. She was positively beaming.
This could well be the best thing that had ever happened to her. Sure, it was bound to have its down sides, but on the whole, this was a much better life than she could have expected for herself. It would give her purpose. It definitely beat settling down in a loveless marriage that her parents had arranged for her to some no-mark like Jordon and suffering through a miserable life. It beat it hands down. She’d be out there in the world, making a difference and seriously kicking some ass. What more could a girl want from life?
Back at home, her parents had been desperate to marry her off. Even as young as she was, they had been preparing. It was her mother’s dream to have her popping out babies as soon as she got a ring on her finger. But, she wasn’t that kind of girl. Never had been and never would be. They knew that, but deep down in their hearts, she knew that they wanted her to change. She wanted to be able to choose. She wanted to choose her life. And now, she had the power in her hands.
Sure, the warrior mark didn’t give her a choice either, but it was a whole different ball game. This time she was in control of the choices that had been made for her. They were a hell of a lot more adventurous, too.
At least with this life, it wouldn’t be dull. There wouldn’t be people here trying to marry her off to the first male of worth (in their eyes) that paid her a little attention. She wouldn’t have to endure some fool with a wandering eye for the rest of her life, cheating on her behind her back at every given opportunity. She wouldn’t have the life that her mother wanted for her.
She would be in control of her destiny.
She would be a warrior.
She would be the very first female warrior.
She was going to be badass.
And she couldn’t wait to get started. As scary as it was. She was ready.
So, sitting on her bed, fully dressed in her favourite band t-shirt, loose yoga style pants and running shoes, she was ready and raring to go. There was nothing else to do except to wait for Kayleigh to come and collect her and get her started in her new life.
She’d been up early and sitting there waiting was excruciating. She wanted to get on with this. Waiting around was a killer. She was practically bouncing in her chair and there was no way on this earth that she would be ab
le to concentrate on reading. All she could do was wait.
Bags were all unpacked. The room was immaculately tidy, and she was ready for whatever they had to throw at her. Bring on the warrior!
Chapter Fourteen.
Jackson was up and ready before the rest of the guys and risking the late afternoon sun to go and get in the showers early. He couldn’t sleep and didn’t see the point in lying there any longer. Plus, it wouldn’t be long before the rest of the rough herd were up and about, so he’d wanted to try and miss the rush.
Piling down to the cafeteria with Trey, Dylan and Jase, they all mounded piles of food onto their plates, knowing that they would need all the strength that they could get if they were going to be up against the pre-grad students again. The combat training had been gruelling. Especially seeing as the older guys were getting ready to graduate from the academy, they were throwing everything they had at them.
Just as he was about to start munching down on a huge blueberry muffin (Jackson had decided to mix healthy with tasty this morning, he was absolutely starving) he felt something cold hit his head and start to slide uncomfortably down the back of his neck. With a shiver and an inhuman roar, he stood up and spun around to see Denver grinning behind him.
“What the hell do you think you’re playing at?”
Denver tried to feign innocence, holding his hands up, but the big shit-eating grin that was threatening to break his face in half sort of gave him away.
“Oh no! I am soooooooo sorry, Jackson. Did I get you? Darn it. You see, it was an accident. I tripped and I think I spilled my drink. Oops.” Denver held up his empty glass and tried to bite back a laugh, but failed miserably, relishing in his trouble causing. Again.
Meanwhile, the rest of the dinner hall had fallen silent, waiting to see with baited breath what would happen next. Most of the guys would bet on Jackson coming out on top if they were to get into a fight, but Denver was sure to play dirty, so you never know.
“What is your fucking problem?” Jackson said in a low voice. He was positively seething. Denver was pushing his buttons on a daily basis and Jackson wasn’t sure how much longer he could go before he snapped. They’d only been here a short time and he was already near breaking point.
“My problem? Well, at the moment it seems that I no longer have a drink and I’m quite thirsty, so I’d guess I’d better go get another one.” Denver smirked.
Just as Jackson was about to make a lunge for him, a murmur went through the rest of the guys in the hall. Jackson assumed that that meant that the faculty were on the way over to break it up, so he risked a glance towards the main entrance, and stopped dead in his tracks.
Kayleigh was walking in, followed by a girl a year or so younger than him. She was probably the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. Only a second later, he registered the same thing that the rest of the guys in the hall did.
She had the mark of a Warrior.
Or at least that was what it looked like. It couldn’t be, though, could it?
Suddenly, the hall erupted in noise. People were even standing to get a better look at her. To give the girl her due, even though she did look instantly embarrassed by all the swift attention and chatter, she held her head high and carried on talking animatedly with Kayleigh. He admired the confidence she displayed.
With a quick wave of her hand at the girl, Kayleigh turned to face the rest of the hall with her hands on her hips and a stern expression on her face.
“Quieten it down in here! You are all warriors in the making. This sort of behaviour is not what we expect of you. Not at all. You‘re acting like a bunch of little kids. ”
They did quieten down to a dull roar at least, speculating on what was happening. How this girl had gotten the mark, what it meant, was it a coincidence, why, when, was it just a coincidence, blah, blah, blah.
All Jackson would do was stand there, gaping at her, with milk dripping from the ends of his hair. She was incredible.
Suddenly, she turned her face in his direction and caught his eye. As he saw the look of amusement on her face, he turned away before her, or any of the others, could see him blush. Quickly he grabbed his jacket and bag and got the hell out of there as fast as he could, ignoring the guys who shouted after him to wait up.
He didn’t know what was worse. The fact that the girl was laughing at him, albeit in a friendly way, or that he could still hear Denver howling loudly behind him, the sound echoing out in the hallway in a taunting manner. He would have to pay him back for this little episode, that‘s for sure. He doubted that the rest of the pre-grads would let Denver get away with it, either. Not that he wouldn’t rather do the pummelling himself. The guy definitely deserved it, did it really matter who dished it out?
Trying to shake the memory of the girl out of his head, Jackson jogged back to his room to pick up a set of clean clothes before heading out for another shower before classes started. He didn’t really have time for it, and not having breakfast wasn’t the best way for him to handle a day of combat training, but there was no way on this earth he was going to walk around all day smelling like sour milk. He wouldn’t give Denver the satisfaction.
He didn’t know what had set it off. Whether it was the anger this morning or whatever it was, but Jackson felt a wave of hunger sweep through his body. It was different this time, and he knew that he wouldn’t be able to put it off any longer. The brutal workout that the pre-grad students were putting them through lately was sure not to be helping any either. It was just unfortunate that he’d have to forgo his morning sessions to head down to quench this thirst. Luckily, first thing this morning was a History of the Mortuorum lecture with Professor Fieldman, so he wasn’t missing out on any physical training. He was going to try his hardest to keep to his schedule and run back down there as soon as he was done.
Professor Fieldman had seen the look of hunger pain cross his face as he’d sat there in her class and tried to ride through the urge, but she was having none of it. He didn’t have a choice now. He was going to have to suck it up - pardon the pun - and make his way to the in-house donors. Before sending him on his way, the professor gave him a quiet lecture in the hallway about how a warrior has to keep up their strength, his responsibilities as a warrior, blah, blah, blah. It really wasn’t what he needed to hear right now. He knew all that, but he’d been so preoccupied with training that he’d tried to put off the inevitable.
He didn’t have much of a choice in the matter now, anyway.
Great, he thought.
Walking through the corridors, it was easy to spot where the main combat academy ended and the human living quarters began. Gone were the clinically clean line and in with the home comforts.
Here there were various paintings on the walls, depicting beaches in the sunlight, forests in the spring. The furnishings were made for comfort, and a television blared from behind one of the closed doors. There was a feeling here that immediately put you at ease. It was like coming home.
But none of this was meant to put Jackson or any of the other warriors at ease. It was just an after effect of what was created for the humans. It was supposed to create a home away from home for them, the willing donors who were gracious enough to supply their blood to the warriors and the trainees on site. They were treated like royalty and the staff, understandably, demanded that everyone show them the utmost respect when they approached them for their services. Another words - don’t hit on the donors.
Jackson just felt plain cold. He hadn’t grown up this way. He didn’t feed off of people he had only just met. Strangers. He hadn’t grown up that way. Like a lot of the others here, there were always willing human donors on hand, those that they could call no matter what time of the day or night, but it was a routine that he was familiar with. He had grown up with the human family and they‘d all been close, friends even.
The human family had treated him like a long lost cousin every time he entered their home, feeding him up with homemade cookies and cakes, spoiling him
and fussing over him. Obviously, most humans would be distraught at the thought of calling round to a friend’s house to chug down some blood, but Jackson was a vampire. That was all he had ever known, same as the family who supplied the blood. It was a natural part of their lives. One that he had taken for granted before coming here.
Nothing was the same here and he didn’t relish the thought of having to strike up new friendships/relationships.
Jackson was quite unusual in that respect. A lot of the Matris shunned away from human companionship, but Jackson made a point of making friends with the kids in his neighbour. So, he was a little different from them. So what? The Matris community wasn’t that large and sometimes, socialising with the same people day in day out could be stifling, especially with his hoard of sisters at home ‘looking out’ for him. Which was why, when he had been growing up, he had had close friendships with many humans, including his best friend in the world, Maria.
It had taken him countless years to admit to her why he couldn’t hang out with her during the day, why he didn’t attend the same school as her and whatnot. It was a fear also that she would be horrified by him and turn away. He couldn’t bear to lose her, but he didn’t want to lie to her any longer than was necessary. Obviously, no one else knew that Maria was in on their big secret, as revealing yourself to the human community was deeply frowned upon. His warrior-ship would have been called in to question, but he had trusted Maria implicitly.
Her response when he told her at first was one of outright humour, she thought that he was kidding. After all, vampires don’t really exist, do they? It had taken only a little convincing in the end, and funnily enough, it wasn’t even his fangs that made her believe him. She’d just thought that they were an elaborate pair of fake teeth that he had bought over the internet. He couldn’t remember at exactly what point she started to believe, but once she did, she never judged him for it. That was what you call true friendship, accepting others for what they couldn’t or wouldn’t change about themselves.
The Sons of Satrina: A Sons of Satrina Novel Page 11