Chapter 2
Two
Ten hours turned into twelve, then sixteen, then twenty-four. Eventually I had to get up to drink some water because dehydration was starting to initiate. Jullia kept looking over worriedly throughout the weekend but she didn’t say anything about my behavior. She also didn’t ask about my scars.
I ended up trying one of those blood bags stored in the mini fridge and gaged so hard I nearly retched all the water I had drank.
Jullia’s boyfriend had been there and laughed at me while she fretted and asked if I was okay and needed something else.
All students were granted a free breakfast, lunch, and dinner but they were only available when the term started and only during the days there was class.
I really just needed regular food. Since I didn’t have money either I had to suffer through my hunger because no way was I drinking that nasty blood.
Not until I really was starved and absolutely needed it.
Instead of answering I simply glared at Asher and then face planted once again in my bed to sleep the remainder of Sunday away.
All the sleeping should have helped, but only drinking enough water to stay alive and no food makes me feel like a zombie now as I walk behind Jullia and Asher to the main building where the cafeteria is. They’ve been joined at the hip and he even came up early to walk with Jullia.
It would be sweet if I wasn’t hungry, hot, and irritated.
The uniform is closer to a slutty maid costume than a pristine universities required apparel.
A snug white button up with a navy blue tie, a black blazer with white stitching, a black pleated mini skirt, and what are supposed to be navy knee high socks.
Mine are longer, ending just above mid-thigh to cover my legs from the sun and a pair of ballet flats. The schools summer uniform. My winter one is no different except instead of a blazer we could wear a sweater vest and we were given winter coats and boots.
There’s also a red stitched ouroboros. A perfectly circular snake with all the minute details eating its own tail over my left breast on the blazer. It symbolizes what I am. Since there has never been a vampire student and there never intended to be, I get to wear the vampyr symbol.
Asher has one on his blazer in the same spot, though instead of white stitching lining his he gets a silvery color symbolizing his third year status. Jullia has white like me, but instead of a red snake she has blue ripples stitched over the left side of her blazer symbolizing being a water mage.
But despite the summer attire, it’s still hot. There are no clouds today and the sun beats even with my umbrella over me. And because of the open sun and not wanting to risk anything, I had to wear gloves.
Jullia glances back to check on me and slows her and Asher so I’m beside her instead of behind.
The last couple days he’s been nothing but cordial.
Aside from laughing at my dislike for the blood that must have been donated from a water mage, he’s been relatively nice.
Not getting annoyed when Jullia fusses over me – which is an entirely abnormal response.
“So,” she hums as we walk through another courtyard making our way towards the largest pair of doors I’ve ever seen. “Are you ready for your first day? After breakfast we can walk to our first class together. Are you excited?”
Jullia had babbled about nothing throughout the weekend whether I was asleep or not and Asher was there or not. It was kind of nice, even if I didn’t care to actually listen to most of it. But I did catch bits and pieces. Her family, her education, her relationship with Asher.
I know she’s excited to be here.
“I’ll feel better once I’ve eaten something. As long as it’s some form of eggs and bacon,” I grumble. It’s been a while since I had to go days without food. I had gotten used to the pleasures of the brothel.
Jullia makes that puzzled face again as she peers at me. The same one she had when I said I was going to sleep.
“You are a weird vampire,” she states. “Can you even eat regular food? Or is it because you’re newly turned? You do know that with your systems you can’t digest food anymore, right?”
On the other side of her Asher fails at holding in his laugh and snorts. She glares at him before turning back to me.
“In order to study at Syngenia you have to pass an exam so I assume you know about all this. At least, it seemed like you did, but how much really do you know? I know only humans can be turned into vampires so do you know everything or just the basics? If you don’t mind me asking!
” she finishes. Doe-shaped eyes wide behind her glasses and unconcerned with the stares I’m receiving.
Probably made worse by Jullia saying rather loudly that I’m newly turned, but I couldn’t care less about that.
I shrug in response. “I knew a bit from before. I was mostly raised by a succubus in New York and she taught me a lot. I was taking a new route through the city when I was ambushed by a vampire. I hadn’t met any up until that point, but he grabbed me and shoved a vile of blood down my throat.
He stabbed me with something I assume transfers the vampyr venom into my blood and then everything went dark. ”
It had been my fault. I wasn’t paying attention when I walked down that ally. Didn’t notice the faint scent of rotting flesh that accompanies vampires unless they cover themselves in perfumes.
Jullia and Asher both went silent beside me so I turn to find them both giving me looks. Jullia looks like she’s about to cry and Asher has a calculating expression on. I sigh at both of them.
“It’s not that big of a deal,” I say, because it’s really not. “At least I’m not dead.” Well. . . not anymore.
Asher hums, looking forward again. “True. I wonder who’s blood and venom it was though. For your eyes to turn pink means it was a vampyr with red eyes. And all red-eyed vampyr are either higher ranking council members or royalty.”
I don’t say anything to that but Jullia does ask several questions about it. It may be called the Mage Board, but the councilmen who make up the board are each from a different race. Having all except a vampire, a witch, and a human.
I also don’t comment on my eyes or the rest of my appearance. Jullia had been kind enough to let me borrow a towel and a pajama set so I could finally shower last night. It had been a dream to wash my hair and actually scrub the grime from my last month and a half.
Jullia says the campus has jobs everywhere, including graveyard shifts so I don’t have to work in the sun. It shouldn’t have been a problem anyway, but I’m not going to say that. It would be best if I got through these next five years with only Asher knowing about one of my little secrets.
The three of us walk through the double doors that reach at least fifty feet up with the opening a good thirty-ish feet wide.
Made out of some sort of stone with different carvings all over it.
Once we’re inside I drop and close the umbrella.
There are windows in here but I’m tired of holding it up and all I have to do is avoid the sun patches.
I don’t bother taking off my sunglasses though and simply follow Jullia and Asher.
The latter waving and smiling and high fiving people he knows.
Thankfully he doesn’t stop and chat with them and we weave between the tables and benches that cover the majority of the cafeteria to where a line is already starting.
Threading her arm through mine, Jullia pulls me closer and earns a few people who weren’t already whispering to do so. This poor girl, I hope she’ll be able to make some friends after this.
Whispering to me, she says, “It’s not usually like this, but since it’s the first day everyone is required to show up to breakfast. After this it doesn’t matter whether you wanna show up to eat or wait till lunch.”
We reach the end of the line and wait as Jullia starts scanning the crowd. Her lips curl up even more as she dashes off towards someone and squeals.
I think she most definitely has too much energy.
“Oh you haven’t even seen her energy,” Asher says. I don’t think I said that out loud.
I glance at him before watching Jullia hug another girl. She said she had a sister here too. With their matching curly white hair and smooth skin I assume that’s her. Though said sister has a slightly darker brown tone.
“Can you read minds?” I ask, curious.
He grins at me and shakes his head. “Super hearing. You barely breathed those words, but I could still hear them.”
Ah, of course. I forgot. Super hearing, super speed, super healing, super basically everything.
“How do you have two elemental magics?”
His brow arches as Jullia starts pulling her sister towards us. I watch the exact moment the sister sees me and realizes what I am. Her reaction is not like Jullia’s.
“I don’t,” he clips. And he gives me the same look I gave him after he tasted my blood.
“Don’t want?” a voice asks. A slightly deeper voice than Jullia but same note. Her lavender eyes that look exactly like Jullia’s glare at me. “Are you bothering Asher?”
Jullia makes a distressed noise and pulls her sister back.
She has the same silver thread through her jacket as Asher and a matching blue water mage symbol to Jullia on her blazer.
So she’s a third year, and I can almost taste salt in the air from where she must be pulling magic towards the surface.
“Hanna,” Jullia grits. “Stop it. Mavyn is my roommate and she’s non-threatening.”
Jullia’s sister – Hanna – scoffs. “Sis we’re gonna have to up your instincts if you’re telling me a newly turned vampire is non-threatening. She turned barely a month and a half ago. We’ll all be lucky if she doesn’t suck us all dry in our sleep.”
Every eye around is now solely focused on us. Hanna was not quiet and exhaustion begins to weigh again. I really do just want to go home now. Or at least be eating something.