Ever Dark Academy, Vol. 1

11. Bait And Switch

BAIT AND SWITCH

G rayson snuck a look over at Ryder as they strode towards the very fancy dorm building. What was it about this Vampire that caused him to behave as he did? After all, he did not apologize for being rude. Who cared what people thought, who dug into his past? He didn’t. He thrust those people away as fast and hard as possible. But not Ryder, evidently. Besides, the size of the man indicated he probably wouldn’t be able to physically push him all that far anyways. A faint smile appeared on his face. He did so like big guys and Ryder was huge .

Is that why? Because I find him attractive? I don’t want him to go until I get what I want from him?

Ryder moved with an easy grace that few big guys did. He was silent, too, his footsteps not making any sound on the cobblestoned streets. He was utterly comfortable in his body.

Well, he’s been in it for nearly half a millennia. That’s enough time, I suppose.

Was that why he asked Ryder to help him with the Sect? Because he was capable? Grayson didn’t “team up” with anyone, let alone someone he hardly knew. He didn’t rely on anyone to have his back. Because people disappointed you nine times out of ten. Or maybe it was ten times out of ten, really. It was a surprise when someone did not betray or turn away or simply could be counted on. Yet from almost the moment he had met Ryder he had known on some level that this person could be trusted to show up.

I feel that I have to look out for myself because I have no idea if Balthazar and whoever else will put me first when it comes to the Sect. Yet I think Ryder will? Grayson grimaced. Maybe it’s because he’s an outsider too. For all his talk of pack and belonging, he’s set apart somehow. I wonder why.

There was a burst of excited talking and laughter from the crowd of students and Vampires around the dorm’s steps. There were at least forty people there, talking, looking about, milling around, and generally cluttering up the broad street. Grayson found himself slowing his steps. Ryder immediately caught it and his eyes narrowed. Grayson licked his lips, nervousness entering him at the sight of the excited crowd.

There were people of all ages, races and nationalities. Some were conventionally attractive, but many weren’t. All though were bright eyed as they gazed at Nightvallen and the twin moons and at the Vampires who openly used their powers as if it were nothing .

He saw a female Vampire in her mid-fifties with long, curly hair teleport from below the steps of the dorm to the top of them and then teleport again onto the dorm’s foyer. One student was chased around by a rain cloud that had her running and giggling. Mirryr Vampires would suddenly take on the appearance of the student they were talking to. Helm Vampires turned invisible. There one second and gone the next. Syrin Vampires were singing sweet, soft melodies that rose on the wind, welcoming all to this place. His shoulders relaxed slightly as the song reached him.

“Are you all right?” Ryder asked.

“Fine.” Grayson didn’t know how he felt watching this open use of powers in front of so many people who, instead of being afraid, were acting like it was the best show in the universe.

“Ah, the notorious fine that means so many things.” Ryder quirked a smile at him.

Grayson grimaced. He didn’t talk about his feelings with people. It was messy. It opened up… what? What did it open up? Ryder already knew what he could do. And watching these Vampires use their gifts made what he could do seem normal . So how was he protecting himself by being silent with this man? Confessing part of his past stopped Ryder from continually asking him things. Maybe if he said something now his anxiety would lessen and Ryder would let it go.

“I would avoid crowds like this before,” Grayson said, the words sticking in his throat like shards of glass as he explained his strategies to someone else, “because if I got excited or angry or anything really, my powers might be triggered. People seeing what I could do was potentially death .”

He wondered if that was still true. Wouldn’t people just think he was a Vampire now? Would they really be so shocked and afraid like they used to be? Only those who realized he was human would be a danger to him. People who wondered if they could take what he could do and give it to others. Maybe the safest place for him to be was in a world filled with Vampires.

They’d both stopped walking just outside the scrum of people. No one was really looking at them. There was too much of a spectacle going on to wonder why two men were just standing there, hanging back, not completely engaging.

“So this is strange?” Ryder tilted his head towards the Vampires and students.

“Strange? Yeah. It’s like I’ve gone down the rabbit hole and what was up is now down and what was down is now up and… I don’t know.” Grayson shrugged his shoulders. “I actually resented Vampires exposing themselves before.”

“Really? Why?”

“Because a lot of what kept me safe was people not believing in supernatural things,” Grayson explained. “You all came around and boom ! Everybody’s a believer. Everything is possible. Including a human who can move things with his mind.”

Ryder nodded slowly. “So you saw it as your world getting smaller rather than larger with us in it? It wasn’t freeing?”

“The more open you were, the more I had to hide,” Grayson said. “I felt more of a freak than before.”

“You could have gotten yourself a set of silver contacts and just pretended to be an Ashyr Vampire,” Ryder suggested in a neutral tone.

“Would you have done something like that in my position?” Grayson asked, lifting an eyebrow at him. “Pretended to be someone or something you’re not?”

Ryder surprised him though by saying, “Sometimes it is better to fit in.”

Grayson turned fully towards him. “You can’t believe that.”

Ryder lifted an eyebrow. “Why not?”

“Just… you’re so comfortable with yourself. With who you are… or, what you are, I guess,” Grayson suddenly wasn’t so sure. “I mean what would you have to hide?”

Silence fell between them. Grayson was, again, doing something he didn’t do. He was asking someone else questions about themselves that were intimate, private, and would demand a quid pro quo . Then again, he had told Ryder about his past.

“Mirryr Vampires hide in plain sight. They can be whoever they wish,” Ryder said suddenly.

Watching one of the Mirryr Vampires change sex and race in a second had Grayson shaking his head. “Do they actually physically change? Or is it some kind of limited mind control where we see only what they want us to see?”

“Good question. I’ve never asked,” Ryder admitted. “But, then again, since I can shift into a bear and a wolf and more it's not really a big deal to shift from being human to human.”

“Fair point.” Grayson hunched his shoulders as the crowd grew more raucous.

Vampires were coming around with silver platters full of champagne flutes that they were handing out by the dozen. Grayson was handed one. Ryder though waved them off.

“Aren’t you going to have one?” Grayson asked, studying the delicate crystal glass. He’d had champagne once when his mom let him have a sip. He took another now, surprised by the bubbles on his tongue. He took another, liking the fizzy yeastiness.

“No, though alcohol doesn’t affect Vampires like humans, I need to focus. There is much I must do tonight. So… come. We should get you checked in,” Ryder said.

Grayson nodded and down the champagne. He needed something to keep him calm. He set the empty glass down on a nearby tray and prepared to shoulder his way through the crowd. Though it was really the amount of luggage some people had brought that had him dodging and weaving more than the amount of students. He had always traveled light. A pair of jeans, a few t-shirts, underwear, socks, boots and a jacket. That was his complete kit. But from what he could see some of these students had brought pets, furnishings, artwork, and more.

There was actually a birdcage as big as a car with half a dozen birds inside. The Vampires were not phased by it, but easily lifted it and carried it inside. Another student had brought dozens of canvases, oil paints, and easels evidently to continue their art career or hobby, Grayson didn’t know. Someone even brought a pool table.

“They’re really planning on staying, aren’t they?” Grayson muttered to Ryder.

Ryder snorted. “Pack like you already belong. It’s a strategy.”

“I guess.”

They’d made it to the wide, broad stairs that led up to the dorm. To call this place a dorm was like calling the Ritz Carlton a no-tell motel. No, this place matched and exceeded the luxurious buildings he had seen in London and New York. The brass doors were polished to a mirror-like shine. The glass was spotless. The white and black marble floor of the large foyer formed the school’s crest.

“Balthazar is really into branding,” Grayson muttered.

“What’s weird is that he didn’t do this. The city itself did. It just appeared here after this site was chosen for the students,” Ryder told him.

Grayson frowned. “Seriously? I mean… you said the city was alive , but--”

“I know. It still shocks me. The Ever Dark is a mystery to us. One of the many,” Ryder answered. “Ah, looks like they’re waiting for us.”

“Who?” Grayson asked as he looked in the direction that Ryder was staring and he came up short. “That’s Julian Harrow!”

“ Prince Julian,” Ryder corrected softly. “Yes, he and Christian are playing greeters tonight.”

“They aren’t here because of me, right?” Grayson frowned.

“Not completely, but you’re one of the chosen ones they’re focused on. They are here to help out, but also because they are familiar figures to humanity,” Ryder explained. “Seeing them calms people, reminds them of why they chose to apply to the academy.”

“You really did read that 500-page manual, didn’t you?” Grayson snorted.

“That was just Balthazar’s addendum, but yes, I read everything.” Ryder nodded, looking a little unhappy.

Julian Harrow and Christian Thorne were the Vampires to know in human terms. They started out as paranormal adventurers with a huge Youtube following. Once they’d been turned into Vampires by none other than King Daemon and Lord Balthazar themselves, they’d used their show and fame to explain the existence of Vampires to the mortal world. Basically, they had made Vampires accessible as well as cool.

If you’re into that sort of thing...

Grayson had watched every one of their videos. He’d done so in order to know the enemy, so to speak. But he had to admit a slight sense of awe in seeing them in the flesh, especially, when he looked into Julian’s purple eyes. Unlike all other Vampires, even the Immortals excluding Daemon, Julian had purple eyes instead of silver or King Daemon’s red. He was also said to have all the gifts from every Bloodline as well as some super secret ones. Grayson felt suddenly absurd for having worried about having telekinesis when he compared himself to the Vampires around him.

“You shouldn’t feel that way,” Christian Thorne said, appearing at his side. “You were alone with this ability that you have no idea where it came from. We get ours after having to accept a whole lot of things. The gift part is really the easiest. Imagine being told that to survive you have to drink blood. It’s an interesting thought experiment.”

“Yeah, I--I guess I can see that,” Grayson said, not sure what he really saw. There were too many people in the foyer and he felt utterly exposed.

“Nightvallen is big. The Ever Dark is bigger. You’ll have space to breathe soon,” Christian told him. “I’m not fond of crowds myself.”

How does he know that? Oh, right...

“Uhm, you’re Christian--”

“Thorne, yes. I’m one of Balthazar’s fledglings. Eyros Vampire. That’s how I know. Also, Balthazar let me listen in on your conversations earlier so you don’t have to worry about filling me or Julian in.”

Christian had blond hair that fell in waves to his chin. He was fine-featured with an almost fox-like prettiness to him. He was dressed in a pair of slim, dark jeans, a black turtleneck and a black coat with a popped collar. His silver eyes flickered over Grayson’s face as if memorizing it or looking for something.

“You’ve had a hard night, but you seem no worse for wear. You’re very resilient, I imagine. You’ve had to be. Come, let me introduce you to Julian and then we’ll take you to your rooms for you to meet your quad-mates,” Christian said. “Ryder, I’m sure you’ll want to get back to your Bloodline in preparation for the parade. We’ll take things from here.”

“Wait, a parade? You’re going to be in a parade?” Grayson swung around to face Ryder, even as heart squeezed into his throat.

He’d been fine with Balthazar, but he’d known that Ryder was waiting for him nearby. Now Ryder would be going off to his people and Grayson would be alone…

But alone was how he liked it! Alone was how he’d always dealt with things. This ridiculous need to see a familiar face in the midst of all this change was dangerous and unworthy of him. He needed to--Ryder touched his arm. The racing thoughts quieted. Grayson drew in a deep breath.

“It’s more of an exhibition. To show the students our gifts in a more carnival barker like setting,” Ryder remarked dryly. “No offense to your Master, Christian.”

“I actually agree with you, but he does like his spectacles.” Christian shrugged, not offended seemingly in the least. “He understands people way more than you or I so maybe we should follow what he suggests?”

Maybe he was a little offended.

But Christian’s silver-eyed gaze remained as neutral as ever as he gazed dispassionately at Ryder.

Ryder flushed slightly. “Yes, yes, I am certain he knows people very well.” He turned back to Grayson. “We shall meet up soon.”

Grayson bit back on the ridiculous urge to demand when, where, and how. He simply nodded. His throat felt thick. Ryder searched his expression for a moment, but then bowed and turned on his heel. The desire to call Ryder back was just as strong but he swallowed the words.

“He will be back,” Christian said.

“Why did you send him away?” Grayson demanded.

It hadn’t been what he had intended to say. But Christian was an Eyros Vampire, he read minds, so he knew how Grayson felt about Ryder being there.

“The Weryn are not in good standing,” Christian answered softly.

“I’m not here to become…” He bit off his words as he looked around at all the students and Vampires. He was supposed to keep that secret. Christian already knew that he wasn’t here to become a Vampire so it didn’t bear repeating. “It doesn’t matter to me.”

“This isn’t about you. Not fully anyways,” Christian said with a sigh. “Because you weren’t the only one that wanted Ryder to stay. He wanted to stay.”

“And?” Grayson’s heart leaped even as he tried to stuff it down at the thought that Ryder had wanted to stay with him so much that it was a punishment to send him away.

“And he doesn’t get what he wants right now. He was already given a reward for his good actions by being allowed to walk you here,” Christian answered simply. “Now, he needs to go.”

Grayson wanted to ask why he had to be the one punished too for the Weryn’s bull-headedness about the school. But what was he to these people? No one. He had just bumbled into the whole thing. Charlie had just gotten in the way too. They were offering him someplace safe--relatively--to stay, feeding him and clothing him. He would take what they offered but he had to remember that he wasn’t one of their chosen ones. So he had to take care of himself and Charlie’s memory.

Yet Grayson did find himself saying, “He seems like a good guy. Someone who is loyal and has the group as a whole’s best interest at heart.”

“He thinks the whole is the Weryn Bloodline. But he’s wrong. It’s all of the Vampires. Every Bloodline,” Christian explained.

So Ryder really does need a win with the Sect. Weryn really are in the dog house.

“But come, Julian should be free in a moment.” Christian barely brushed his fingers over Grayson’s nearest elbow to lead him towards Julian who was surrounded by students all eager to get his attention. “Daemon already filled Julian in on things as well, so no need to be concerned there either.”

“Ah, so you were listening to my conversation with Balthazar and Julian just knows all about me from your king?”

Grayson’s eyebrows crept upwards as a tightness filled his chest. He liked to go unseen. Suddenly, he was known, and there was nothing secret. Forget the crowds, he was in the spotlight !

Christian flashed him a sympathetic smile, evidently reading his mind and knowing the cause of his discomfort. He was both annoyed and relieved that he didn’t have to explain himself or answer questions, but Christian could know things he didn’t wish him to.

“The Eyros gift doesn’t quite work that way,” Christian said, picking up again on what he was thinking. “Your surface thoughts are, of course, quite clear to me. Your emotions are strong enough that I know what they are. But imagine that your mind is the whole of the internet and I am a single user at a computer. While, objectively, I could access everything I ever wanted to know, it would take a great deal of effort.”

“So you can’t know everything I’m thinking or my past?” Grayson asked.

“Not without a lot of effort,” Christian answered. “I am a pretty new fledgling, but due to being a Childe of Eyros, I am very powerful. Yet still it would be difficult to know all you know even with your consent.”

The crowd was thinning around the Vampire Prince. In fact, Julian was dismissing them with a smile and a wave before making his way over to them. He smiled broadly at Grayson, but there was some sympathy in his eyes.

“You don’t like crowds either, huh?” Julian asked, his voice a pleasant tenor. “I’m Julian Harrow, by the way.”

“Yeah, I know. I think everybody knows.” Grayson dipped his head towards the eager line of students and Vampires who wished to talk to Julian.

Julian grimaced, which immediately had Grayson liking him a little. He wasn’t fond of the attention either. Despite being Youtube personalities, he didn’t get the sense from either of them that they craved attention in any way. The adventure had been what they loved. Sharing it with others was important but not the point.

“Let’s go up to your rooms,” Julian said and he gestured for Grayson to precede him and Christian up a set of sweeping stairs.

Grayson felt the curious and jealous gazes of many humans on his back. He wondered if it was wise for them to be singling him out like this. Besides his natural desire to keep a low profile, shouldn’t they want to treat him like any other student? Having the prince and his best friend personally take him to his room seemed like it was highlighting him. But perhaps that was the point. The more interest there was in him there was, the more likely the Sect would also show interest.

Am I being used as bait? Grayson wondered.

Normally, he would have resented such a thing. More than resented. But since he was intent on finding the Sect, too, this played into what he wanted as well.

“Gregory’s room is obviously your room now,” Julian explained. “We didn’t have much of a chance to personalize it for you.”

“A room’s a room. I’m sure it’ll be fine.” Grayson shrugged. It couldn’t be worse than the flophouses he’d crashed in or the boxes under the bridge he’d lived in for years. All of this was luxury beyond anything he had ever thought to experience. But it didn’t dazzle him, more like it made him uneasy because he felt so much more out of place.

“Did Gregory know who he was going to room with?” Grayson asked.

“Ah, you’re thinking that there might be another Sect member among the other roommates?” Julian asked and sent a look towards Christian as if he had expected Grayson to be thinking this way.

“Don’t know. Just curious to understand what he knew,” Grayson answered.

“Other than those few individuals we allowed to be interviewed, none of the students were to know who their fellows were until they got here,” Christian answered.

“Though it was the Sect that killed Gregory, there are people who want to come to the school for other reasons,” Julian said. “The students were always at risk so we kept their identities as secret as we could.”

“People talk,” Grayson said. “Even if they’re not supposed to. Especially if they aren’t. Getting accepted would be a big deal.”

“Yes, that’s true,” Christian agreed.

They had reached the fourth floor. Julian and Christian led him down the beautiful marble floored hallway to an elaborate carved wooden door. There was a symbol, not a room number, carved into the door. The symbol was a stylized wave pattern.

“Place your palm against the symbol,” Christian instructed.

Curious, Grayson did as he asked. The symbol lit up all gold and bright. Grayson snatched his hand back and saw the symbol reflected on his palm in that same golden light. It faded until his palm looked normal again. There was a click and a thunk before the door swung open of its own accord.

“Only you and your roommates can open this door. And only those you bid enter can come in,” Julian said. “A safety precaution.”

As the door fully opened, two faces inside peered out with interest. Grayson felt a wave of unreality hit him as he recognized two of his roommates. He’d just been watching their interviews that night before all hell had broken loose. Dr. Amara Biswas and Eiji Goda stared back at him.