A University of Betrayal (The Blairville Legacies #2)

Chapter 7

Larissa

Alan Wake

Petri Alanko

Up and down, up and down. Again, and again. Toward the mirror, away from the mirror, and then look into those eyes again. Brown and human until I stepped into the shadows. But I noticed that if I concentrated very hard on my surroundings, the same result occurred. My eyes glowed a faint reddish color. And then I turned away again and paced back and forth.

I hadn’t been able to sleep since I woke up last night. No matter how hard I tried, the tiredness just wouldn’t come. Sleeping no longer seemed to be an option.

I stopped in front of the mirror and decided to take one last look at myself. My hair seemed shinier, a little thicker, or was I mistaken? I had never really had to deal with pimples, but now my skin looked clearer, smoother, more flawless. Only the scars had all remained.

Normally, I would have been happy to wake up like this and feel sexy all day long. But the price I had paid had been too high for me to be happy now. I was dead. I had died.

Fixedly, I looked in the mirror, searching for other changes. Had I even changed at all? I was still Larissa Champson. The orphan girl from Sacramento, on my own as always, and once again, I found myself in a situation that looked anything but appealing.

As it turned out, I was free. I could go and do what I wanted. But it wasn’t quite that simple, because I had been forced to sign a contract that had made it clear to me – in most formal language – that I was dependent on these people.

Until that moment, I tried to suppress what I had swallowed last night. Nothing like that would ever happen to me again. Never.

“You now belong to the oldest brotherhood in North America and since you are a Ruinouveau” – by which Laurent, the brown-haired bodyguard, probably meant what they had turned me into – “ you will have to undergo extensive training to even have a chance in the brotherhood.”

As if that hadn’t been enough of the good news, Bastien had also informed me about our supposedly greatest enemies. Two families and their supporters. The Blairs and the Copelands. But no one had ever told me why exactly these people were our enemies. And it was precisely the fact that I was so uninformed that worried me so much.

It wasn’t as if I’d lost my old, great life, and to be honest, the urge to find out more about the DeLoughreys had grown stronger overnight. But what did they expect? That I would just accept that they fed on blood and also expected me to do it as if it was a glass of champagne at a gala event, classy and above all, normal?

I was surprised at myself for gradually believing the whole thing. I had heard a lot of abnormal things, and there was a point at which you couldn’t suppress it anymore. However, it also scared the shit out of me because I hadn’t planned my life to turn into this.

Any other girl would probably have been happy if the DeLoughreys had offered her the chance to live with them, to take her into their crazy rich family for no reason at all, but I had grown up differently compared to most girls.

I turned to the closet. Another unpleasant problem. All they seemed to have for me were ridiculous dresses. Beautiful, sumptuous and graceful, but I wasn’t that princess and probably wouldn’t be one for centuries to come. Because according to Miles, I was now immortal, which I didn’t quite want to believe.

I was still wearing this dress. It was beautiful, but that was it. So, I opened the massive wardrobe doors to get upset about the contents again and then closed them again in disappointment.

I exhaled in frustration.

By the way, this seemed completely unnecessary. I only breathed when I realized that I was no longer breathing. How sick was that?

When I turned around and started to walk randomly back and forth again, my curiosity kicked in.

During the night, I had thought about what was hidden in such a big mansion – or should I call it a castle?

Countless doors, some small, some large, and so many corridors. I had toyed with the idea of exploring everything, but the mere thought of wandering around here alone and meeting one of these crazy rich people had awakened so much fear in me that I hadn’t even dared to open the second door in my own room. But morning was coming, and maybe the others were asleep. Besides, the door was so close. My fingers were practically screaming to open it.

Slowly and carefully, as I usually wasn’t, I walked toward the door.

I had become paranoid over the last eight hours. It wasn’t the many noises that I noticed now and that my hearing had to get used to. It was much more the inhabitants of the house, who had the same heightened senses. They were like wild cats, quiet and fast.

That also explained Bastien’s sudden appearance here, because, according to him, I had been so loud when I had demolished the room and the curtains – I emphasize the curtains – that I had interrupted him while he had been working.

Dinner had gone strangely after the incident with the blood. They had talked about business, about assassins, and about the Blairs, maple syrup and some kind of Circle. Then it had been about this Nicolaj, who seemed to play a pretty big role here. And the way they were talking about the guy, I could hole up in this room right now and preferably only come out when this gentleman was back in California, where he apparently did his business. Whatever he was doing there, I didn’t want to know.

There was also a strange tension hanging over the table. The creepy guy at the far end opposite Bastien had rarely said anything and when he had, it had always been about Nicolaj. But what he had said had been enough to make Miles next to me tense his jaw and snort. Meanwhile, the blond guy next to Miles, David, had continued talking to Camille, who, it should be noted, was very talkative. And I hadn’t failed to notice how the bodyguard, Laurent, had been watching her so tensely the whole time. And Bastien? He had watched everyone, made few comments, and often glanced at me to make sure I was still alive or hadn’t long since died from my long-lasting shock.

The only person who hadn’t given me a second glance had been Adrian, as if my presence had been the worst thing for him. I had never felt so unwelcome, and that had to mean something from someone who no longer had parents and had been sent back by foster families all her life.

I had arrived at the door by now and forcibly pulled myself out of my carousel of thoughts. I just hoped that I could get out of here as soon as possible so that I could lead a normal student life with my best friend. I hoped she was okay because she wasn’t here.

If something had happened to her, she would be here, wouldn’t she?

Panic sprouted in me again.

The guy who had attacked us, who had turned me into what I was now... he hadn’t been here yesterday. What if he wasn’t here at all? But then he wouldn’t have been in the forest with the other guy a week ago, right?

Nothing made sense. Again.

I shook my head. There was no point in stressing about so many things. Not now.

I gripped the cool metal handle of the door, whereupon my body immediately began to fight against opening it. Fear was our greatest enemy, and I lived by that mantra. So, I didn’t give it a second thought and simply pushed the handle down.

Maybe it’s just a simple bath, Larissa.

It wasn’t a bath. The automatic light from a small golden chandelier came on, and I entered a slightly smaller room with black open wardrobes along the walls that formed an octagon. Mirrors, a black fashion mannequin with a very modern and tight black tracksuit, and a lot of wardrobes filled with a hell of a lot of clothes, but these weren’t just any historical dresses, like the ones hanging outside.

“I was just about to come and show you everything, but I see you’ve already started yourself.”

I hurriedly turned around and looked at Camille’s smiling face. And the first thing I noticed was her black Fedora hat.

“Oh my...” I blurted out and quickly closed my mouth again as she shot past me with supernatural speed and ran her eyes through the closets.

“You seem like a good investment, dear.” She turned to me as her hands stroked classy-looking, skin-tight dresses. “If you only knew what my starter wardrobe used to look like.” She started laughing, and it seemed amused, yet heartfelt at the same time, as if she was talking to her child about her carefree school days. “I was privileged to choose your clothes, and I mostly based them on your style.”

“My style?” I asked, thinking of Bastien, who had suddenly known so much about me.

“You modeled a year ago. In Sacramento at Model Industries. The photos are very pretty, by the way.”

She winked at me and tucked the black strand that had slipped out of her hair behind her right ear. I immediately noticed the shiny silver jewelry that flattered her pale complexion and then the silver ring on her finger with the black stone, which looked simpler and therefore stood out a little.

“I’m afraid I don’t have much time.” She glanced at her watch. “I have to be in New York in ten hours.”

That explained the damn fine outfit, a black tailored suit with a white shirt and a black vest and tie, plus the two fine silver bracelets on the right and left. She radiated feminine elegance with a masculine undertone. Camille looked like she was going to a business lunch and was calling the shots, and I wondered what her job was.

“This whole closet contains your training clothes.” She pointed to a wardrobe full of sporty-looking clothes in black. I immediately noticed all the individual items: gloves, belts, strange holsters... Wait, no. Those were weapon holsters. What on earth was waiting for me at these training sessions?

“Here are your evening dresses. All the fancy stuff.”

I looked again at the tight dresses and the high heels, this time in black and dark shades of red. I didn’t know what exactly I would need them for, but somehow it was tempting to suddenly be allowed to wear something like this. Something you didn’t have the money for before.

“Believe me, I tried my hardest to get your measurements right.” Camille turned to me and touched my shoulders. “After all, you’re the first female to join this family after me.”

I couldn’t and didn’t want to share her joy at this, and yet I could empathize with her. I didn’t want to know how long she had been living here among all the men, even if I was interested in finding out exactly what her relationship with them was like.

“Can I ask you something personal?”

I looked at her and my chest tightened. Nevertheless, I nodded.

“Did you have a fire accident?”

I gritted my teeth, unable to answer because it was already taking all my effort to hold her gaze. And it was as if she already knew the answer, because she pressed her lips together and turned away from me.

“Son of a bitch,” she said and paced across the room, her face turned away from me, but when I looked at her reflection, it was as if I recognized remorse in her beautiful turquoise eyes. “I’m sorry.”

Shock and confusion mingled inside me, my chest tightened further, but I didn’t know what to say.

Had she guessed or figured it out? No. No one would ever find out because I had made sure of it.

“And here are your everyday clothes.” Camille slid the half-open closet door all the way open, revealing many black leather jackets. I couldn’t hide my smile at this small but incredibly nice gesture, and Camille grinned back knowingly, as if this brief conversation had never taken place. “I’m not really the jeans type, but you should be able to find everything you like here. If there’s anything missing, just let me know. And, before I forget...” She reached into her black clutch, which she had been carrying with her the whole time. “Here’s your personal credit card.”

“My what?” I asked in disbelief, finally brushing aside her hints about my burns. At least now I knew she’d seen them.

“As part of the family, you’re entitled to a certain share of the fortune.”

“That’s very nice, but I have student loans, my own earned money, and I think I’ll be fine on my own.”

She had just reminded me that I was out of place here, even though she was trying really hard to wrap me around her finger. Of course, I needed the money, no question about it, but it wasn’t mine, and I didn’t want to get myself into a new dependency. Besides, I’d be out of here soon anyway.

“I know that all this can seem like a lot. You remind me a little of me back then.” She came closer and pressed the credit card into my hand. “Here, do what you want with it. This family is drowning in money.”

I looked at the black and gold card with the elegant lettering.

DMF – DeLoughrey-Medici Finances.

Of course, these rich people owned a financial institution. What else did I expect? But I wouldn’t be using the damn thing, anyway.

“You have until four o’clock to get an overview of the property. Do what you want, maybe don’t open any doors that are closed and... did I forget something?” she said the last part more to herself as she whirled around. “You’re not ready to leave the grounds without an escort yet, so it’s best to stay on the property if you don’t want to make a mess.” She squinted her eyes playfully. “Bastien notices everything, so stick to the rules, or you’ll have him as your personal escort. But don’t worry, he’s a really nice guy, even if he has the third most kills in the team.”

I looked at her, confused. What did she mean by kills? Not really...

“What am I talking about? I almost forgot. Miles will take you to training later. If you have any questions, please ask him, your trainer, or me, of course.”

Another wink. Then she rushed past me and just left me in the world’s most impressive closet with endless questions.

God, it felt good to finally be able to wear a biker jacket again. Everything I was wearing here looked good on me and fitted almost perfectly.

I wondered how she had found out my cup size. Maybe it was better not to know about certain things. And it was time to move on, which made me head outside to the park.

The trigger for this had actually been Miles, who had been strolling through the park in a black open felt coat – without a shirt, of course – and randomly throwing knives around.

The man looked forbiddingly hot, but my main reason was that I wanted to ask him a lot of questions, including where the getaway car was. Admittedly, it wasn’t wise to ask this weird guy of all people, but he had been the most honest of them all so far.

As it turned out, it was incredibly difficult to orient yourself in this building. I ended up in dark side corridors about six times. In addition, it took longer as I looked at every painting I walked past. Often landscapes that reminded me a lot of Blairville, including rocky coastlines with beaches, dense misty forests, flower meadows, but also historical buildings or paintings of gentlemen gathered around tables with contracts.

I would have loved to take photos, but it was difficult without a camera.

I felt disempowered. I wasn’t even allowed to use my cell phone. Would there even be mobile phone signal here?

In the huge ballroom-like foyer were the largest and most beautiful paintings. They portrayed eccentric societies, as well as detailed ball evenings and people from the past. The floor was made of black marble with golden patterns.

From here, many corridors led to different areas of the house, but there were also two large doors to the outside. One of them was the one that finally took me to the park.

The first thing I felt was actually fresh air. It was windy. A constant cracking of branches in the distance worried me at first, but the longer I walked around, the more I got used to it until the sound faded into the background.

A beautiful park with beautiful statues stretched out in front of me, even if half of them would probably have frightened me at night. Huge paws, claws, and fangs. The same ones that I had now gotten and that I often unconsciously slid my tongue past. Sometimes they seemed smaller, almost imperceptible, but then... especially last night... that size...

“It must be pretty impressive for someone like you.”

I wheeled around and, not three feet behind me, he stood. Adrian DeLoughrey. A disdainful, amused, if barely noticeable smirk adorned his far too handsome face, creating a stark contrast in combination with my confusion.

I couldn’t remember the last time I’d seen this man smile.

“Excuse me?” I asked, trying to sound like it was normal for people to appear out of nowhere all the time.

“Such a big house, expensive clothes, money, power...” He came closer, as close as when we had been together in the art room at Vanderwood. “Control.”

Instead of simply surrendering to his words and his presence, I took a step back, frustrated by the stupid comment, even if he was right. This was all new and felt strangely foreign.

“I didn’t choose to be your guest,” I remarked dryly.

“You don’t seem to understand.” His expression became serious again, as if I had seriously offended him. “You’re not a guest here. You’re part of the clan, in fact, a goddamn part of this family.”

That uncomfortable feeling of strangeness again, and for the first time, hopelessness mixed in.

What if I really couldn’t go where I wanted? What if I was now trapped here and this generous contract I had signed was just a lie?

“It’s hard to believe that someone like you would ever be one of us.” That disparaging tone again. “You don’t even seem to notice when someone of your own kind is standing behind you.”

Adrian DeLoughrey seemed to have a problem with my presence. There were already two of us, which raised a faint hope in me.

“Get me out of here!” I ordered barely audibly but in a firm voice. “Take me away from here, and I’ll leave you and your family alone, don’t spy on you anymore.”

He looked at me as if he was actually thinking about my offer.

“I’ll do anything you ask of me.”

Even if that was a lie. I had my limits too, even if they had slipped very far with the attractive-looking guy in front of me. I had all my hopes and put them in Adrian. He had to know a way to get me out of here.

He finally said coldly, “I’m afraid that’s not possible.”

“What? Why not?” I asked indignantly. “Don’t tell me you’re not capable of it?”

He didn’t seem to like my last words because he furrowed his eyebrows.

“I just want to go back.”

“In your condition, impossible,” he replied firmly.

“Undo it.”

I hadn’t thought about that, either. Was there any going back from my current state?

“That’s not possible. This isn’t a game, Larissa,” Adrian answered my question sharply.

“You’re the only one I know here.” I tried my best. “Please.” But even his pleading look only earned me contempt.

“Believe me, if I was in charge, you would have left long ago, but that’s not how it works here.”

Even if it was the arrogant Adrian speaking, it hit me. Of everyone here, he seemed to hate me the most.

“If I were you, I’d do as I’m told: listen, learn, and then eventually return to the state you strayed here from.”

Oh my God. What had he just said?

I looked at him, stunned.

“You shouldn’t get far here anyway, with your skills, so you’ll be able to be transferred elsewhere in the foreseeable future.”

Every word he uttered didn’t get any better. He really was the embodiment of arrogance.

“Yes, I want to get out of here. That doesn’t mean you can talk to me like that,” I blurted out, annoyed that I was having such a hard time countering this man.

“I know what I’m talking about,” he began. “Freshly turned, untrained, and the faintest idea of the world. I’ll give you a day out there among the uncontrolled Ruisangors.”

He spoke with such arrogance that something began to bubble inside me, but I said nothing because I was speechless. And in that moment, all the feelings I had ever felt in his presence vanished into thin air.

“And even if Bastien trained you, you’d never be able to make up for all the years of training me and my brothers went through.”

I looked at him, just staring. There was no reason for him to put himself above me like that. I would never want to outrank him.

“Now, if you’ll excuse me, there are more important things to attend to.”

Adrian simply ended the conversation, turned around without further ado, and disappeared swiftly through the park toward the house.

What an asshole. He hadn’t just insulted me because of my background, no. He had put himself above me, doing everything he could to make me understand that he didn’t want me here. At least, now, I knew that I had been chasing an asshole the whole time, as I had done so many times in my life. Bayla had been right about me attracting these guys like shit attracts a bunch of flies.

“Don’t take it personally. Adrian has his moods sometimes. Especially when Nicolaj comes back, he completely loses his shit.”

“Damn it!” I gasped and wheeled around in shock, stumbling back slightly but just managing to brace myself against the statue of Venus to my left, feeling it crumble beneath my fingers. I quickly withdrew my hand and hoped that these small cracks in the woman’s robe would be all that remained. Otherwise, I would get into trouble with the owner of this house, and that was the last thing I wanted.

“You seem to like vandalizing.”

It was Miles who looked at me out of his mischievous brown eyes, a broad grin on his lips. Only, unlike Adrian, there was still something friendly about him. And that surprised me, because Miles had been the man who had been so unpleasant when we first met.

“This strength...” I looked at my hands. “...takes some time getting used to.” Then I looked at him again. “And how can I help it if you all keep popping up right behind me out of nowhere? It’s fucking scary!”

He had to grin, which made me observe him more closely. He was no longer wearing his chinos and coat, nor was he wearing a black shirt like at university. For the first time, I saw him in black sweatpants and a very modern-looking tracksuit jacket. One could easily see his well-trained upper body through it. He had put his hair back into his typical man bun – two short strands hanging in his forehead – so you could see his undercut. It also made his jawline look more defined.

“Maybe you should learn first how to sense our proximity, which – to be fair – won’t be so easy for you, because we’re all trained so that other Ruis can’t hear us.”

Great, that could only take years. And I didn’t want to spend them here. I was prepared to do whatever was asked of me to get out of here. Even if that included this ridiculous training, which seemed to be the top priority here, if Adrian was right.

“First of all, it would be nice to know what you guys did to me.”

“Was my explanation last night not enough?” He grinned again.

“Sufficient to upset me? Telling me to drink human blood?” I returned, raising my eyebrows.

“No one died for that, right?” I asked, shocked. I just couldn’t get my head around what had happened yesterday.

Miles scowled at me. “Others die so that we can live.”

I looked at him with even more disbelief. How could I have been so gullible and blocked it all out? And even worse... did I have to drink from human beings from now on? No, I wouldn’t…

His following grin threw me into complete confusion. Then I realized he had only been joking and relief filled my stomach, mixed with indignation, so I raised an eyebrow.

“You should have seen your face,” he laughed. “What do you think? That we’re going around killing people?”

I nodded slowly, because honestly, what else would I think?

He tossed up a knife, which spun far too quickly, and caught it with his other hand before leaning against another statue without destroying it.

“This clan feeds mostly on blood donations and animal blood if need be.”

“Animal blood,” I said in disgust, which made him grin again.

“You’re making fun of me.”

“No, no.” He raised his hands defensively. “It’s just interesting to have a newcomer among us who knows so little.”

“And who you can just joke around with,” I finished the sentence for him in frustration. “Or who can be told that she’ll never be good enough. A feeling you’ve been given your whole life.”

Miles’ grin slowly disappeared, and he looked at me in silence.

Astonished at my openness and honesty toward a complete stranger, I grabbed my arm and tried to change the subject before Miles could feel anything like pity. If the members of this family were even capable of such a thing... After all, they had kidnapped me and turned me into this, made my life more complicated. And their crazy contract said something about emotionlessness. Damn, how could I have signed that thing so hastily?

“Camille said you were one of my people to talk to?”

He nodded slowly.

“Good, then please explain to me who this Nicolaj is and how I can get home as quickly as possible.”

He laughed. What the hell did everyone find so fucking funny here?

“Nicolaj is the head of the clan.”

“And you’re all related to him, or is he like a sugar daddy among vampires?” The thought seemed bizarre to me, and Miles couldn’t help but grin. “I mean, you all have the same last name. DeLoughrey.”

“First of all, the word vampire sounds very dishonoring. We’re Ruisangors,” Miles began. “And secondly, this is the clan’s name. A Ruisangor clan gives a name, and the carefully selected members carry it with honor.”

With honor...

“That means you’re not related to each other?” I continued.

“Laurent is a Transformed, Camille is from an unknown Legacy line, and David is a distant relative of the DeLoughrey Legacy family.”

Confused, I blinked at Miles.

“Legacy?”

“There are Legacies, rare Ruisangors, like you and me, who carry a gene that makes them Ruisangors with special gifts as soon as they are transformed. And then there are the Transformed, who were once ordinary humans but have been transformed by a Legacy. They have no special gifts and suffer from extreme sensitivity to the sun.”

I nodded slowly, wondering why I was a Legacy and not a Transformed. Because as far as I knew, my parents had been human, or was I wrong?

I held my arm up to the sun but realized that the sky was covered in dark clouds.

“By the way, it makes sense now that you smelled so interesting,” Miles continued. “According to Bastien, that means you carry the Legacy gene, which is supposed to make other Ruisangors turn you.”

Wait what? He and Bastien had smelled me?

“And to your family question... Bastien is my uncle.”

Okay, I hadn’t expected that. Bastien seemed like he was the biggest loner himself and at the same time, he radiated a lot of authority. Miles seemed more relaxed, as if he wasn’t taking all of this very seriously.

“So, you’ve both been bitten?”

He looked at me with amusement. “We’ve all been bitten here. But not everyone can become a Legacy Ruisangor like you and me. It’s in the genes. And normally, Ruisangor children are accepted into their family clans until they are old enough to be turned.”

“You kidnap children and bite them when they’re old enough?” I gasped in shock.

“No, only the children whose fathers are Ruisangors.”

“And the mothers’ children?”

“There are no mothers.”

“Wait, what?”

Miles caught his sharp knife blade a second time and slid it into a holster on his leg before lowering his voice.

“Listen, this might be too much all at once. I’d like to spare you the details.”

Suddenly, he sounded overwhelmed, and I knew that if I kept asking now, I might get the answers that mattered.

“But I want to know.”

“Larissa...”

“Now.”

He looked at me, torn. I wasn’t going to give in now.

“Right now.”

And then he caved in. “Alright, but I warned you. You’ll be distraught.”

“How am I supposed to be any more disturbed than after what happened yesterday?” I asked with a dry laugh.

Nothing could come close to that disgusting event.

“Male Legacy Ruisangors are looking for a hostess to carry their baby.”

“A hostess?” I laughed, but Miles didn’t let that stop him from talking.

“You have to understand that a Ruisangor baby, even if it hasn’t turned yet, is seen as a foreign body to a human woman. This means that the mother’s body resists it and eventually dies. Only the child survives. But also rarely...” I looked at him, actually slightly disturbed. No, not just slightly, but completely. “The reason you became one of us is because you were created this way.”

My eyes widened. It felt like a stab through the heart to suddenly know something you didn’t want to know.

“Your mother died giving birth to you. Am I right?”

My gaze cleared, and I stared into his eyes, unable to answer. But he didn’t meet my gaze, instead, he looked down briefly, clenching his hands into fists before looking at me again. “We all never had a mother. That’s the curse that binds us Legacy Ruisangors.”

I found it hard to concentrate on his words. My thoughts revolved around my origins, that I had lived half my life a lie, that my father was a monster, as well as all the fathers of those who lived here. Just like me.

“And female Ruisangors, no matter if Legacy or Transformed...” he began, bringing me back to the present. “...are unable,” he hesitated, “...to have children once they have been changed.”

That had been the limit. These last words, it had taken to tear me apart inside.

I staggered back...

“I knew it would upset you.”

I staggered back further.

All my life I had dreamed of someday having a child of my own, of giving it the home I had never had myself, of raising it. I wanted my own children. A family.

“The others prefer to keep quiet about it for now, but I think it’s better if you find out about the ugly side of this life before it’s too late.”

Miles looked at me, concern in his brown eyes.

What did he worry about? About a monster? They had indeed turned me into a monster, and now I was learning the price I really had to pay, the price I would now pay for eternity.