I briefly wondered what had become of Quinn and Nina, the witches that Safi and I had once shared a room with. Of course, they must be tucked up cozily in some room at Superno, I thought. Even though things were bleaker than they’d ever been, thinking back to that time as a simple little Crystal Witch no longer made me nostalgic. It made me look back at a life that had never been real to begin with.
“How are you holding up?” asked Valenthia, plopping down on the bed I’d drifted over to.
“Fine, I guess,” I said, joining her.
“I wouldn’t be if it was me,” said Natalie coming over, “it’s a lot to take in.”
“I need to find a way to get to Kellum Bathory,” I said. Seeing both of my friends’ faces, I corrected myself, “We need to find a way.”
“We do. But I’ve been thinking, Kat,” said Valenthia, adjusting her amethyst-toned ponytail, “there is something that still doesn’t match up between my visions and your ridiculously striking resemblance to this Esmeralda witch.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, straightening up.
“It is likely my visions are about the past but…”
“But what?” enquired Natalie.
“If it’s her I’m seeing, then she was also half Sanguine. Or I’m not seeing her…Either way Kat, I really don’t know if it’s a good idea for you to go chasing him.”
“I don’t have a choice,” I said getting up off the bed.
“Why don’t we get more troops together?”
“Like who?” I asked.
“Like the backing of your witch friend, Safi. Maybe even befriend a few Silver Shadows.”
“I agree,” Natalie chimed in, “I don’t know if it’s because we’re in completely unfamiliar territory but things do feel even more intense here. Like one wrong move could result in life or death.”
“You mean, like it did for my mom in New Orleans?” I snapped. “Sorry, I know you guys are on my side. More than anyone’s ever been before.”
“We get it,” said Natalie.
“Am I the only one who’s exhausted and hankering for blood?” asked Valenthia, going through her backpack but coming out empty-handed.
“Don’t even mention blood,” groaned Natalie, “I had my last bottle while following Kat through the forest.”
Valenthia nodded, too polite to say that she’d given her last bottle to me earlier, before we’d been transported into this part of the Carpathian Mountains.
“I’m sorry. I guess for now, the only thing we have any control over is getting some sleep,” I replied, as Valenthia got up and began to rummage through the drawers of the only dresser in the room. It had four compartments which to my surprise weren’t empty.
“Here are some pajamas,” said Valenthia, curiously pulling out a fresh set of crisply folded nightclothes. They were the colour of charcoal, patterned with little yellow crescent moons.
“Cute,” remarked Natalie going over and looking through, “Oh look, there’s an eye-mask. And we don’t have classes yet which means we can treat this is a sort of vacation.”
“Yeah, a dark and twisted vacation,” Valenthia remarked. “Who wants first dibs on the shower before we get some shuteye?” she said as she went over and bolted the door.
“Go for it,” I said, instantly becoming aware of how mucky we all were. Valenthia disappeared into the bathroom gratefully. It was the first time I’d seen her look happy for at least a week. The week from hell that seemed like it had lasted a million years.
There was a loud knock on the bedroom door making me jump up, ready to fight. “Who is it?” I called. Natalie went up and looked through the tiny peep-hole.
“It’s Sibel and a bunch of other girls,” she said, unlocking and opening the door.
“I wanted to introduce you to my roommates,” said Sibel, coming through with three others. “You might be vamps but it must blow being in a strange place all alone, surrounded by werewolves. And…the stuff you’ve been through,” she said to me.
“Sure, come in,” I said. The four of them bounded in looking around curiously. Not that there was much to see.
“This is Glennis, Esyn and Xanthe,” said Sibel, pointing at each of her roommates, “and this is...”
“Katrina Quartz!” said the curly blonde werewolf named Xanthe, “I’ve heard all about you!” she extended her hand and shook mine energetically. “Oh! Did you feel that?”
“Yeah, sorry! I don’t know why that happened,” I replied, surprised by the jolt of magic that went from me and shot into her.
“It’s probably because you and I are closer linked than some of the others!” she said hopefully. “You’re not a Sanguine, are you?” she asked Natalie as she shook hands with her.
“No, I’m a Novus,” said Natalie with a smile.
“Neat, I’ve never met one of those before!”
“Where’s your other roommate?” asked Esyn, as her glowing violet eyes scrutinized us.
“Val’s taking a shower, she’ll be right out,” said Natalie. Esyn continued to watch us flicking back her chocolate locks.
“I’m Glennis,” said the fourth werewolf, “nice to meet you both.”
“Same,” said Natalie.
“You guys are lucky that classes for you three are optional. But on the up-side for us, that hot werewolf you’re with will be in some of our classes,” said Glennis as Xanthe nodded eagerly.
“I wouldn’t get too excited, he’s with her,” replied Sibel dampening Glennis and Xanthe’s enthusiasm. Esyn didn’t seem bothered either way.
“Woah, hey!” Valenthia said in surprise as she came out of the bathroom and saw our guests.
“That’s Valenthia. She’s a Sanguine,” said Sibel, trying to sound matter-of-fact. The three werewolves introduced themselves to Valenthia, who continued to ring out her hair with a towel as she shook Xanthe’s hand, the only one who seemed thrilled we were there.
“I have so many questions!” announced Xanthe looking from each of us with her lime coloured eyes. I hoped her questions weren’t about my heritage which had gotten infinitely weirder, something I didn’t think possible, as the day had progressed. Instead she said, “I never knew vamps needed to shower?”
“Yeah, we do,” laughed Natalie, “and we need to do most other things too.” I could tell Valenthia wanted to make some smart comment but luckily, she held back. “I have a question for you too,” said Natalie.
“Sure!” replied Xanthe.
“I thought the Silver Shadows were all a whiteish-silvery colour?” said Natalie.
“So?” retorted Esyn stiffening up.
“Isn’t your hair colour the same as your coat when you’re a wolf?”
“Not exactly,” said Sibel. “Unlike Black Banes where werewolves may or may not have originally been part of the pack and are stolen away and recruited, we are supernaturally linked to the Silver Shadows. No matter what our appearance in human form, we shift into silver wolves.”
“But Ulric,” I began.
“Your BF?” asked Esyn.
“Yes.”
“That’s because he’s not really a member,” replied Sibel.
“Yes, he is,” I argued, “he told me he’d been initiated.”
“Not by us, sweety,” said Xanthe cheerfully.
“Aren’t the New Orleans Silver Shadows the same as you?” I asked, beginning to feel uncomfortable.
“Technically they are,” replied Esyn. “But their ways aren’t like ours. They work for the Supernatural Light Alliance. They’re bound by their rules. Which according to Principal Silverstone, makes them imposters. They’re Silver Shadows in name only.”
“And as you might have noticed, their rules aren’t exactly accepting of outsiders,” said Glennis.
“Yeah, my cousin at Superno can vouch,” said Sibel, “he never would have gone there had he realized how bad it was.”
“We’ve seen plenty of it,” said Valenthia, looking at me. I averted my gaze to the floor. Nothing should h
ave shocked me but this was another revelation. Ulric needed to know that he’d been conned. I wondered if Professor Frewin knew the truth and although I didn’t want to think he did, I had little to go on to give anyone involved with the S.L.A. the benefit of the doubt.
After Sibel and the gang left, Natalie and I showered and changed into our nightclothes. It had been a long night and day and if we couldn’t get any blood, the least we needed to beat our exhaustion was some sleep. Natalie and Valenthia were out as soon as their heads hit the pillow but I found myself zoning into Ulric’s mind. He was in great spirits and I could tell he was already beginning to feel very accepted – even hopeful about finding Winnie, his missing sister. I crossed my fingers that the level of acceptance shown to him by the Silver Shadows at this academy would be more than the one shown by those at Superno. I would need to tell him what Sibel and her roomies had said about what being a real member of this pack would entail.
I was starting to drift off when I got a message from Safi. “Hey, Kat, how are you doing?” she asked in a tone that sounded nervous even inside my head.
“You really know how to pick your times,” I moaned, “I was about to fall asleep. What’s up?”
“Sorry, lady! I wanted to check in and see how you’re doing.”
“Professor Frewin found us all a place at a werewolf academy in the region of Cachtice,” I answered, stifling a yawn.
“Great,” came Safi’s reply. I could tell she was holding back.
“What is it?” I asked.
“About an hour ago, some Black Banes tried to attack two Superno students who were off campus and coming back into the school. The whole academy’s on lock down.”
“Okay?” I said, willing it to be nothing to do with any of us.
“My brother told me that my mom and some of the other prominent S.L.A. folks already know that Ulric is missing. Professor Frewin is back and obviously he’s not divulging anything. What he’s done goes against what the rest of them would ever agree to do,” Safi’s words were hurried and her thoughts were all over the place.
“Is Ulric in trouble?” I asked instinctively.
“The rumours on campus are that the Black Banes came looking for Ulric but those are just being spread by some dumb students.”
“What’s really going on?” I asked.
“I heard that the Black Banes came to give us a message. Bloodline Academy knows you’re gone and these werewolves working for the Dark Legion targeted Superno as an act of war, assuming the S.L.A. helped you.”
“Lucky that the popular part of the S.L.A. isn’t helping us then,” I said, trying to dismiss what Safi was saying because I had no idea how else to react.
“But even though he’s done it covertly, Professor Frewin is part of the S.L.A.,” Safi pushed.
“It totally sucks that some students were attacked. But as long as Professor Frewin doesn’t let on the he helped, chances are we’ll be okay from here on in,” I said, unaware where I got that from.
“Sure, but please be careful,” implored Safi, “I think this supernatural war they’ve been warning us about may be on its’ way to materializing.”
“I will,” I replied, “you too.”
Despite my extreme fatigue, I felt too restless to sleep and after I’d said goodbye to Safi, I wished she had been here with us, in the one empty bed across from me so we could stay up chatting if one of us couldn’t sleep. Thoughts of Safi quickly gave way to thoughts of wanting more blood. The strength from that bottle Valenthia had given me several hours ago had completely worn off. Probably because it had been a non-stop adrenaline rush before and ever since.
In the darkened room, I tossed and turned wondering if Kellum Bathory really was a stone’s throw from us and how prepared I’d be when I finally came face to face with him. I wondered if supernatural war was imminent and which side the Silver Shadows would take, considering that they generally detested vampires and the Supernatural Light Alliance with equal fervour. I couldn’t help but ponder why Professor Frewin had risked himself to help me and whether he’d known about my connection to Esmeralda Quartz.
I felt for my quartz crystal that had belonged to my late father, Cassander Quartz, and held it tight. Because most of all I thought about how for the briefest time, I’d felt like I belonged and something about that had held great promise. And now that that promise was gone forever, the only thing keeping me sane was a new promise. One that would either lead me straight to being killed or leave me with blood on my own hands. In the numbness of exhaustion, I felt like I was ready either way. And with that thought, I finally fell into a deep sleep, temporarily blotting out both my grief and my anticipation of what lay ahead.
Chapter 7
I awoke with a start, half expecting Natalie and Valenthia to be staring at me, waiting for me to wake up. Instead, the room was silent and empty although the lamps were on, giving off a soft glow that provided a cheap imitation of daylight.
Thoroughly disoriented, I checked the time which told me it was mid-day. It had taken me an age to get used to the nocturnal schedule enforced at Bloodline Academy and now something told me that werewolves had their own different one. I recalled Ulric telling me they went more or less around-the-clock, favouring the almighty power-nap dispersed at various points throughout the day. I had serious concerns about how I’d cope with yet another new routine and especially how Natalie and Valenthia would manage.
As I began to get dressed, I rummaged through my drawer of the shared dresser happily finding that there was a Silverstone Academy uniform for me too. I slipped on the smart but casual jogging pants and the collared white t-shirt. Pulling on the hoodie, I felt grateful that at least the clothes were comfortable. I tried putting my hair into a messy bun but because it was actually in a disarray, it looked like I’d been dragged through a bush backwards. I pulled it loose and smoothed the stray bits back, finding it a gyp that I couldn’t have inherited my mother’s perfect curls. Then I remembered that I was still, apparently related to Esmeralda Quartz and annoyingly my hair did resemble her wild tresses from the portrait Rhonen had shown us.
When I’d briefly been in Pearl’s office at Superno, Professor Frewin had talked about Esmeralda Quartz and the sacrifice she’d made for mortals and witches when she’d been lured into Elizabeth Bathory’s insidious web. It was becoming increasingly obvious that the Quartz Witch had played a huge role in saving Crystal Witches and Warlocks. But I hadn’t seen her painting within either the S.L.A. building I’d been in for my supposed trial with the Grand High Witch nor at Superno while I’d been escorted through. I guessed it was possible that she was there somewhere, hidden away from general view but even so, if Frewin or the Grand High Witch or even Pearl knew what she looked like, it struck me as very odd that they’d never mentioned anything to me about the resemblance. Or maybe they knew and that was the reason all supes had rejected me. Not all of them but those I’d known and trusted. Only one way to find out. I gripped my quartz crystal in my hand and sent a message to Safi.
“Hey, lady! How come you’re up?” came back Safi’s prompt response.
“It’s a werewolf academy. They don’t sleep all night,” I said. Then I told her about how Esmeralda Quartz and I looked like twins and asked her if she’d ever seen the Quartz Witch who martyred herself.
“Esmeralda – hmm, are you sure that’s her name?” came the puzzling reply.
“Of course,” I shot back, getting an icky feeling.
“I’ve never heard of her. You say she took on Elizabeth Bathory – as in the evil Blood Countess you’re related to?”
“Yes,” I sent back, finding it unnecessary that she’d also needed to throw in the part about my blood relationship.
“Nope, I have no idea who she is,” Safi answered.
“How is that possible? She’s a huge part of our Crystal Witch heritage,” I persisted, sinking down into my bed, feeling tired all over again.
“Well put it this way – did we ever learn
about her in the coven?” came back a too level-headed reply from Safi.
“No but…”
“Don’t you think if this Esmeralda lady was that central to our history, we would have learned about her together – like we did about Rose Quartz?”
“I know but you don’t understand,” I retorted feeling uneasy, like I was wrongfully losing ground.
“Tell me,” said Safi.
I explained to her how it was Professor Frewin who had first told me and Ulric about Esmeralda Quartz, in front of her mom but it wasn’t until yesterday at Silverstone Academy that we’d actually seen a depiction of the Crystal Witch, whose lineage both myself and the Silver Shadows came from. Safi was silent for a few minutes. I was about to ask her if she was still there when she said:
“I don’t know the Silver Shadows but I’d say they were playing at something…”
“Apart from that I first learned of Esmeralda Quartz in your mom’s office. If the werewolves were lying about who she was, it means your mom would have to be as well,” I said, “and it doesn’t solve the mystery of the witch from centuries ago, who is a mirror image of me.”
“Exactly,” Safi replied. She was silent again and I too tried thinking up alternative scenarios to the one that had been presented. My mind felt frazzled and I summoned some magic to try and quieten the din of my thoughts so I could listen to the voice of my instinct. As I waited for what Safi made of it all, I did a quick Grounding Spell on myself. To ebb all my worries and mind chatter into the earth, through the crystal I was still clutching tightly in my hand. I managed to succeed as suddenly I felt myself go completely still without a thought in my head. As if Safi knew what I was doing, she said, “What do you think the truth is?”
“I think Esmeralda Quartz was everything they said she was,” I wordlessly sent back.
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