They were laughing and tired when they got home, and the next day, Naya told Amy everything.
Amy was shocked at first, then they both agreed they should have seen it coming.
“Are you okay with it? Like, are you hurt?”
Amy knew more about Naya than anyone else, and they’d discussed how she had a crush on him. Knowing she couldn’t have him must be hard on her, but Naya just shrugged.
“It’s fine, you know? I’m happy for him, and, well, I feel like I’ve got a great friend. I thought I’d be more heartbroken, but I’m okay. Plus, now you can go on double dates with him! It’s time for me to stop thinking about guys and focus in on my school. I’m still not doing great.”
“That’s a really good attitude. Speaking of guys, your tutoring starts early today, right?”
She rolled her eyes. “Ugh. And I agreed to a date with him so he wouldn’t tell Mrs. Belour that I skipped.”
Amy’s eyes went wide. “Oh my God. Wait! Wait! You need to tell me deeetaiiiiiils!” Naya heard her friend begging as she darted out, walking quickly so she wouldn’t be late. Ryan might already be pissed off.
Her heart fluttered as she walked to their tutoring spot. Would he tell her that the date was going to be tonight? She felt like she owed him, and she hated it.
One thing was for sure…
This tutoring class would have an extra edge to it that the previous ones hadn’t.
11
Her throat felt dry as she walked to their spot—feeling like her former bully had the upper hand and resenting it.
“I’m here. For the extra time that you blackmailed me into,” she said, giving Ryan a sour look. He seemed distant, watching the flowing waters go past.
“Had a bad date and now you’re taking it out on me?” He didn’t even turn to look at her. Of course, with his vampiric powers, he could probably hear and feel her presence better than she could see him with her eyes.
“I’m not here to share personal details with you. I’m here to learn. That’s it.”
He turned his head to her and gave her a cheeky smile. “Just as I thought. Did he tell you he’s gay?”
“How…how did you know that!” She felt anger burning. He was just toying with her, knowing that it wasn’t a date after all.
“I can sense thoughts, remember?”
“I forbid you to use that on me,” she answered, squeezing her fists tight and feeling how angry she was at him.
“Don’t get too emotional, Naya.” He sniffed with contempt, and that made her even more pissed off. “I sensed it yesterday when we shook hands. I guess I didn’t have to ask you how it was, since it wasn’t even a date.”
“You don’t get to define my dates or how I feel. So shut up.” Her face heated up, steaming.
“I can define our date at least.” He gave her a wink, and she was shocked at his cockiness. “You won’t be mad after that.”
She narrowed her eyes. “You’re a jerk. All that BS about you changing is pure crap. Don’t think I’m ever going to date you. I’m out of here.” She strode away in a huff, then turned around to give him a last parting shot. “And I don’t care about your freaking tutoring lessons, I’ll ask someone else for help.”
The words were supposed to sound strong, but he was right next to her, as if her ten paces of walking hadn’t gotten her anywhere. He was using his vampiric speed to stay close, and he grabbed her arm.
“You can’t. You’re my student. No one else is going to tutor you.”
She blinked. That hurt her. She knew that some students called her a two-kind with this barely concealed fear, as if they were scared of her, but she hated hearing it. It was like she was a leper. She was going to say something, but he didn’t let her get a word in. “Ask Mrs. Belour if you want to. I’m your only choice.”
She couldn’t hold back the frustrated little scream from escaping her mouth. “Fine! Fine! I’ll stay, but no date!”
He licked his lips. “Not negotiable. My silence for a date. Plus…it’s all been arranged.”
“Arranged?”
“That’s right. I’ll see you at the Autumn Ball.”
“What!” She pulled away from him, walking in circles. “Ryan, the Autumn Ball isn’t for three months. Are you crazy? The so-called date you’re blackmailing me into is three months from now? So I have to dread it every day? Ugh. Let’s just get it over with!”
“No, Naya. See, if the date was this week, you’d still hate me. I want you to enjoy it. Everything can change in three months. And trust me, you’ll change your mind about me. I won’t need to blackmail you into anything.”
“Is that your plan? Great. I’ve got an idiot for a tutor. I won’t change my mind. Not today, not tomorrow, and not in a thousand years.” Her face was red and her fists were clenched from the feeling of powerlessness.
He just smiled back. “You know, I like you like this. You looked good last night, but for me? You can wear sneakers. I like the real Naya.”
She blinked. The rage melted away, and she smiled—before wiping it off her face. She wasn’t going to take a compliment from this jerk, right?
It did feel nice that he liked this version of her, without the high heels that made her feel like she was going to trip at any moment or the makeup painting her face.
No.
Ryan was a jerk and that was the end of the discussion. Nothing more could come from it.
And worst of all? She had to spend an extra fifty minutes with him. If only she had been a better negotiator, she could have got him down to thirty.
No matter how hard he tried to win her over? She wouldn’t fall for him.
It was time to focus and learn how to be a true vampire. He wanted extra time? Fine. She would use it to unlock her vampire powers and get rid of the need for a tutor.
12
Months passed, and though Naya hated it, occasionally during the tutoring sessions he’d say something that would make her laugh, or she’d feel a flash of extra-hearing or smell that made her think she was making progress. In those moments, she could almost forget what a jerk Ryan had been to her in the past. Maybe it was all the time they were spending together, but she could feel her heart warming up to him.
That…was dangerous.
Feeling anything for a guy like Ryan could only be a big mistake, right?
“It’s time.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’ve centered your abilities. You’ve learned to control your mind. You’ve felt the first unmistakable sparks of your power. Take the pill.”
He held out the inhibitor pill, and she looked at it warily. It hadn’t done anything in her vampire classes, and she was still constantly being mocked by the other vampires. It wasn’t an in-your-face mocking, but sly, contemptuous looks and the occasional comment about being a “two-kind.” Leah had made a point of saying that the deer blood they had been served didn’t taste “pure” while she looked over at Naya, making her feel small and out of place.
“Are you sure?”
Ryan nodded, and she felt secure. She gulped down the pill, and everything came into focus.
His handsome face was even more perfect. Too perfect. It wasn’t right that he could look so good while being such a jerk—although over the months, she’d started to feel a different side of him. Suddenly, she could hear birds chirping and the scuttling of squirrels, and her mouth watered.
Her vision blurred.
She darted forward, this raw, primal hunger overwhelming her.
“Wait!” Ryan grabbed her hand, and a terrified squirrel darted away.
“Oh my God. What did I do?”
He grinned. “You’re a vampire now, Nay.”
It felt so strange for him to use her nickname. Months ago, she would have wanted to slap him, but now her heart pounded and she had never felt so alive before.
She panted, and her vision refocused in on him. “I…I can’t believe I felt so…I felt so…”
“Powerful?�
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“So alive.” She reached up to her mouth. Her teeth were slightly pointed, and she opened her mouth in shock—then the fangs receded back into her mouth. She swallowed, craving blood. Her nose twitched, and Ryan laughed and backed away from her.
“Pick a pocket,” he said, patting at his jacket. “One has nothing, one has deer blood. I know you want it.”
She would have been annoyed at him any other day, but the thrill of unlocking her abilities had her on top of the world. She breathed in, salivating, and smelled the scent of the fresh deer blood. She pointed to his right pocket, and he pulled out the vial of blood.
Then she saw his fangs out, as well, and he had never looked more imposing. He handed her the vial, and she uncorked it, then downed it in one long, satisfying gulp. It felt so good, tastier than anything before, and her eyes went wide.
“I get it now. I understand.”
He smiled, wide, his fangs receding, and popped his own vial, gulping it down. Once they had sated their appetites, they could think again.
“It’s addictive, right?”
She nodded. “I…I was moving so fast, it was like everything was a blur.”
He smiled and looked at her, so proud. “Maybe soon you won’t need a tutor?”
That phrase would have made her happy even a month ago, but now she just looked down. “Yeah, maybe,” she said idly, wanting to change the subject, and thankfully the session was finished so she could get away before she started to feel something too intense.
Classes were going better, too. Elizabeth’s tutoring was working—especially after Naya had unleashed the first stages of her inner vampire. It was like she was able to access her true self, and her inner witch was shining. She wasn’t the best at any subject, but even being average or near the bottom of the class was a huge improvement from failing at everything. Everything was falling into place and her doubts about being in Arumrose Academy by mistake faded.
Potions was the easiest class. Her tutoring sessions with Elizabeth were half a place to vent and half a place to get better. She’d memorized over sixty potions, with fifteen supplementary brews that Elizabeth had taught her personally.
A near miss singeing her eyebrows kept her from being too arrogant. She knew she needed practice.
As for spells? Lukas was impressed by her light. She could barely see the sparks, but Lukas said they were sparkling and pure.
“It’s only the great that own such light in magic,” he said, without his usual dramatic flair. He looked lost in thought as he said it. Naya had been thrilled.
Self-defense wasn’t the easiest, but she was a tough enough student, and she wasn’t singled out as an easy target as in the first month, when it felt like everyone wanted to be paired against her to get an easy win. Now, at least half the class avoided her.
Seer class was the exception to her new successes.
The professor of the class, Verbin Kears, had gone into a trance in the first class. His words had always haunted her. Later, she had overheard his private conversation with Mrs. Belour about her being “the one” and that made her feel uncomfortable around him. She didn’t want to give him any sign that his prediction might be true. During Seering, she couldn’t—and didn’t want to—fully commit to the powers, not wanting to make him think she was a powerful witch. She always held back, unable to fully embrace the moment.
If he saw her true abilities… Naya wanted Verbin Kears to think of her as nothing more than a below average student. That way, his visions couldn’t possibly be true. The prophecy he had spoken of in hushed tones that made her feel so awful wouldn’t be real.
Vampirism class?
That was going great, and it was fun to watch Leah’s frustration when a “two-kind” who wasn’t even a pure vampire beat her in tests of skill and strength. Not only was she doing great in the lessons, Ryan was giving her an inside look into what professors like Mr. Vickers looked for. He didn’t care about the strongest or fastest vampire, but rather prized the will, desire, and thirst for knowledge. While they weren’t studying much on the theoretical end, as the first year was about unlocking inner powers, she could tell he was looking for tenacity.
She never gave up when lessons were hard, and when the cold, emotionless Mr. Vickers gave her a dry “Good job,” it meant more than if the dramatic Lukas had been gushing for an hour.
Ms. Zove and strength control had its own set of struggles. The tests were mostly self-control and that was a difficult one now that her inner vampire was unleashed. It had been so simple to control her strength when her vampire was dormant. Now, they had to do things like stop themselves from bending a steel beam while they were in the throes of their power.
She did everything she could to hold back, her arms taut and pounding with blood as she growled and tried not to bend the steel bar. There was a pile of bent, twisted metal at the side of the class from her failed attempts, and it was difficult to hold back. She was glad for the shot that kept the bulk of her vampire powers dormant, and it was terrifying to think that there could be uninhibited vampires lurking in the wild.
Those were just rumors though…right?
Dry old Mr. Whitby’s classes were the easiest. They were a lot like Grounder classes back at home, and all she had to do was focus intensely on memorizing facts and put in the time to study at night. If you did well on his written tests, then it was fine—and she crushed them, not by being the smartest in the class, but by taking them seriously and never skipping a study session.
She had to admit she was grateful for Ryan’s help, and especially his inside tips. Maybe he’d changed after all. She’d been having fun, which shocked her, unleashing her true vampire identity with him. She loved feeling like she didn’t have to hold back, like in strength control class, because she knew he would stop her from doing anything like accidentally hunting a small animal. She had always been impressed by the skill that Ryan had for holding back his own primal rage.
They were in their spot by the river, after a particularly grueling lesson, both tired but happy with her progress. There was a time, when the second the lesson was over, she’d run back to class, hurrying off to be away from him. Now she was enjoying spending time with him.
“Did he really say that?” she said, laughing.
“Yeah…it was like he wanted the class to turn on me. Mr. Vickers said I was the favorite in front of the whole class.” He rolled his eyes. “No one spoke to me for two weeks, until I made an incredible pass to throw a game-winning touchdown. You know vampires. So bloody competitive. It took me winning over the shifters to get me back into their good books. Then I was…king again.”
He shrank his shoulders, looking away.
“Why are you upset? You used to love being the king.”
He shook his head. “That kid isn’t the same as the one you’re looking at now.” Naya didn’t understand. He sighed. “When I was told I was a vampire and I had to come here, my parents didn’t understand anything about it. They thought they were going insane. And…and…I guess it turned out I was adopted.”
He shivered. The night was cool, but he had a thick school jacket on like jocks love to wear. Naya wasn’t used to Ryan being vulnerable and open, and she could feel his pain. She opened her eyes and touched his shoulder, trying to comfort him. “I didn’t know that…”
“Neither did I. I found out that moment, when the woman I thought was my mom told me that there was something wrong with my blood. They…they thought I was a freak. A monster. You know what they told me? Leave, and don’t come back. I don’t have a home now—other than Arumrose.”
“You’re not a monster, Ryan.”
His eyebrows rose.
“I know, it’s strange, coming from me, but you’re not a monster. Neither am I. We’re just…we’re just different.”
“Thank you. I know that now, but when I came here, I was lost, lonely.” He sighed. “I’m glad Mr. Vickers made that comment. It showed me how fake people were, if they didn’t
even want to talk to me for a whole two weeks just because they were jealous of my skills. I realized I couldn’t rely on anyone. I got sick of proving to them I was worth it. When I made that pass that got me in their good books? I didn’t care about being the king anymore.”
He shook his head, slowly. “In those two weeks, I found this place. It helped me think. I found the truth. I was a monster. I was a monster who terrorized nice, innocent people like you.”
Naya let go of his shoulder, remembering all the evil he had done to her. She looked out at the river, wishing it could wash away all the hurt from high school when he was her worst nightmare.
“That’s why I hate when people call me a star. I’m not. I don’t deserve it.”
“You’re not that person anymore, Ryan.” He turned his head to her, and she saw the glimmer of hope in his eyes. “The old you wouldn’t have cared to help me. Yeah, okay, sometimes you’re still a jerk,” she laughed, “but a jerk with a good heart. You should be proud you’re a star. It’s not just your arm that leads the Vampires to win almost every game. You’re inspiring your team. I know it.”
His head came up high, with pride. “How do you know?”
She rolled her eyes. “I can’t believe you’re making me admit this. But I snuck to watch a few games, hiding in the back rows of the bleachers so you wouldn’t see me. And, ugh, I hate to admit it, but even when it’s Wizards against Vampires, I root for you. And I’ve seen what happens when you guys are down a bunch of points. You call a timeout, and whatever you say to them, it fires them right up and they never lose hope.”
He grinned, the cockiness coming back. “I thought I felt I had someone cheering me on!”
She shrugged. “I guess. I guess after forgiving you, I’m warming up to watching you play.” She looked out at the river, flowing and flowing, and let herself forgive. It was the only way to let go of the useless pain.
“You forgive me?” For the first time, he hugged her, his thick biceps wrapping around her. She shivered, feeling…something she didn’t quite understand, her heart bursting with fire from his touch. She wasn’t expecting this, but she felt white sparks floating through her mind, just like the ones that appeared in Spells 1.
The Mage-Blood Test: A YA Paranormal Romance (Arumrose Academy Book 1) Page 14