Chapter 9
Chapter Nine
Bellcolor
W e may not need sleep like humans do, but as Valentina and I enter our dorm rooms and I smell myself, I realize we both need a decent shower before we can report to the auditorium for the lecture on this place’s rules.
Valentina goes in first, and I use the time to call my father. I have to ask him about the trio and update him about my overblown reaction to blood.
“Bellcolor, how was your first day?” my father asks after one ring, like he was waiting for my call.
“Weird,” I admit. “But Valentina’s great, I think I’ve found my best friend.”
“Glad to hear it, darling,” I can hear the smile in his voice. “Bandini has never let me down, and I hope his daughter won’t either.”
“You’ve got nothing to worry about,” I defend my friend. I’m not even sure why.
“Then why do I hear a note of concern in your voice?” he asks.
“Uh…” I try to organize my thoughts.
“I can’t read minds over the phone, Bellcolor, so you might as well tell me.” Really? That’s useful information . At least I’d have some measure of privacy during phone calls with my father.
“Your phosphorescent juice isn’t working on me. If anything, it’s having the opposite effect and I can’t stand its awful smell. It’s worse than human blood.” He’s silent for a few seconds, and I glance at the phone screen to make sure the call’s still live. “Dad?”
“Tell me everything,” he demands in a piercing voice.
“Valentina drank it and seemed to enjoy it, but when I brought the cup to my lips the smell turned my stomach. I’ve never felt so nauseated, not even the night I took all those pills. And when Valentina was talking about blood I thought of Libretto’s, and I had a panic attack. I couldn’t pull myself together until Valentina calmed me down. What does it mean?”
“You haven’t felt the need to feed yet? Not even on human food?”
“No, you know that. And I don’t feel hungry. Is that normal?” I ask because I really don’t know.
“No,” his answer immediately comes. “In fact, if we don’t feed, after a certain amount of time our blood starts rotting. And if we don’t renew our reserves we fade away, we start losing our power and we may even go comatose. It’s our weakness. But it doesn’t seem to be affecting you. A demon must feed at least once a day. Bellcolor, you won’t like it but I must report this to the Council. I’ll have to get back to you about it.”
He’s right. I don’t like it at all, and I regret letting him in on it. Lacking any alternative, I’m forced to agree: “Okay, but there’s one more thing,” I hurry to add before he hangs up. “We spent the night getting to know Beatrice and Greta’s trio.”
“Hmm…”
“I don’t think it’s a good idea to join up with them after what happened with the Council.”
“The Council wants what’s best for you, Bellcolor.” Yeah, right. Even he went into a panic when he decided our stay at the castle was dangerous .
“Okay.” I give up. If he won’t tell me anything, that means I’ll have to discover the Council’s secrets on my own. Maybe friendship with the trio isn’t such a bad idea after all. “I have to get ready, Dad, we have a lecture about the rules in less than an hour.”
“Alright, Bellcolor. Please keep me posted. Have a wonderful day.” He hangs up, not waiting for me to wish him the same.
“I guess I should call my father too,” Valentina says as she leaves the bathroom. “Did he say anything about the incident with his miracle drink?”
“No, but he said he’d have to update the Council. Valentina, no one here can know about this. Turns out me not being hungry is really not normal.”
“I could’ve told you that myself.” She opens the mini-fridge in the corner of the room and removes a bottle containing more of the phosphorous drink. I watch her eagerly down the whole bottle. She must have been hungry. “I’d offer you some, but…”
I open my mouth, stick out my tongue and put a finger on it to illustrate my disgust. Valentina laughs in response.
“I’m gonna go take a shower.” A strong smell of alcohol wafts off me and my mouth tastes like death.
Valentina and I are seated in one of the last rows in the auditorium, by the aisle. Just before the University’s Dean takes the stage, the trio pass by us and sit next to me. Valentina waves to them affectionately and they smile in response.
“Hey,” I whisper hesitantly. They still stress me out, despite having decided that it’d be better for us to be friends. Unlike Valentina, it’s not easy for me. We have to wear the school’s uniform to formal University events, and even though it’s the same outfit for everyone, it looks completely different on me. Tyra and Valentina look very feminine, and the brothers look like models. With the white eyes, they look like gods. I feel so out-of-place, and shrink in my seat, trying to disappear.
The curious looks fixed upon me last night at the get-together are falling on me in the auditorium too, and I wonder how long it’ll take for my transformation to be complete. I feel a little sorry for Valentina for getting stuck with me, and wonder if the siblings also joined up with us because they were explicitly ordered to do so by their parents. I can’t think of any other logical reason they’d want to befriend the weirdo.
“Good morning, everyone, and welcome to the University of Bologna,” the Dean greets us all as he adjusts the microphone on the stage. All heads turn to him and absolute silence falls where there had been clamor only a moment ago. “The faculty and I do our best every year to help you get acclimated in the easiest and swiftest way. I understand it’s not an easy transition for you, but if you follow the stages we’ve gone to great effort to construct for you, your assimilation is assured. That being said, there are a few rules you must not break under any circumstances. I know our entire essence as demons is to break rules, but you had better take these very seriously. The penalties for violating these rules will be unpleasant to say the least, and your future in our world is not guaranteed if you dare test us.” The Dean shoots us all a piercing stare, his eyes flashing dark and white intermittently. I get goosebumps and decide not to test him.
“Thus, the first rule – leaving the university compound without accompaniment by a faculty member or a senior student is absolutely forbidden. We’re in a city full of humans, but there’s a protective bubble around the university so you don’t need to worry about humans seeing you in your true form before you’re able to learn to control your camouflage. As long as you’re here, they’ll be completely blind to your presence in their world. The secret of our existence must remain as such, and if you cross the protective line you’ll endanger that secret. Be warned, the Council does not forgive those who break this rule.”
He again scans us all with his gaze, ensuring we’re all paying attention. I’m rooted to my seat and sure that everyone’s reacting just as I am. This demon is terrifying.
“The second rule – you are not to drink human blood during your first year of studies. We can’t afford blood-frenzied demons running around here, out of control. You could risk the secret of our existence. For your confidence, there are vending machines scattered all throughout campus. Please use them when your hunger awakens. Don’t test us on this matter.” He points at the crowd to emphasize his words. “Which brings me to the third rule – drinking the blood of demons is one of the most severe taboos among our kind…”
The Dean’s words suddenly fade out, my head spins and my vision goes foggy. Control of my body slips away from me, just at his mention of the word “blood”.
“Are you alright?” Liam’s breath blows over my ear and I shiver. His proximity makes me uncomfortable. I haven’t yet let go of the sense that something’s wrong with this trio.
“Yes,” I whisper, hurrying to hide my face. The whole auditorium around me seems to vanish. I close my eyes and focus on the air filling and emptying out of my lungs, but it doesn’t help, damn it. I try counting, but my head’s spinning and I lose count. I feel my nails elongating and stare at them forcefully from my armrests.
“Fuck…” I hear Liam. He’s so close, he smells different… a sweet, intoxicating smell that almost drives me mad.
Valentina puts her hand on mine and whispers in my ear that I need to keep counting. Shit, who’d have thought a simple action like counting to ten could be such an impossible task? And the smell, it envelopes me, suffocates me.
When it doesn’t work, I hear her say with some urgency: “We gotta get her out of here, now!” I don’t lift my head when Valentina pulls me out of the auditorium. My legs follow her on autopilot, and I hear Tyra’s shouts telling us to follow her. My body curls up like it’s getting ready for an incoming disaster, and I let out a painful cry as my blood ignites in my veins, on the verge of bursting into flame. “We have to call her father! He’ll know what to do!” Valentina’s voice is panicked and she searches my body for my cellphone.
“Wait a minute!” Liam shoves her away from me. I struggle against the hands holding me in place, and an intolerable itch spreads across my fangs. I open my mouth and bare my teeth, trying to ease the itch.
A bottle is shoved into my mouth, and I struggle against the horrible nausea that assaults me as soon as I realize Liam is trying to give me that awful juice my dad’s company makes.
“No!” I plead for him to take that disgusting thing away from me.
“It won’t help! You’re just making it worse!” Valentina shoves him. “Belle, listen to me. Breathe.” She caresses my hair and I do my best to focus on her voice, but it’s no use. The sweet smell of the blood around me follows, and won’t let go, demanding that I totally give myself over to the frenzy overtaking me. Where the hell did it come from?
For a moment it seems my yearning grows so strong that the sweet smell intensifies around me. I close my eyes as they roll back, and take deep breaths. When I open my eyes I see Liam in front of me. My hands are loose and no one’s holding me. I look over his shoulder and see that everyone else has gone. It’s just Liam and me, and he looks appetizing. When he opens his mouth I notice that his tongue is red, and blood is glinting in the corner of his mouth. I lustfully lick my upper lip, slowly run it over my sharp fangs, and my eyes focus on the crimson liquid in his mouth.
My body reacts immediately, leaping forward as a single drop is about to spill and be wasted, and I latch my mouth onto his. It’s only my second kiss, but I don’t believe I’ll experience a kiss as desperate as this one. I literally devour his mouth, Liam’s hot tongue into my mouth and squeezing feral growls out of him that arouse my body and drive me to lick him hungrily.
I surrender myself to the wildest, most primal sensation I’ve ever experienced.
But the blood on his tongue doesn’t satisfy me, and I use my fangs to pierce his lower lip, pulling it with my teeth, and he bleeds in a renewed burst.
My kiss is clumsy and I lick his jaw, the blood pours endlessly from his lips and I draw in more and more. But damn, I feel like even emptying him out altogether won’t be enough for me. My hunger is a bottomless pit.
Liam grabs my shoulders and digs his talons into me, trying to get me away, but I fight him. Even the pain from his grip can’t break my fierce longing for his blood.
“Belle, stop…” his voice pleads, and I force myself to open my eyes.
He seems stunned, and I realize that I’m riding him, holding him in place. In a panic, I scramble off him and leap backwards, my back hits the wall on the other side of the patio we’re in. We’re alone. I put my hand on my chest and try to slow my breathing, my heart stirs to life and my face is burning.
Am I alive? The thought confuses me. That can’t be .
“What happened?” I demand.
“I think we broke rule number three.”
“What?” What is he talking about?
“The third rule, the most severe taboo – it is absolutely forbidden to drink the blood of our own kind.”
“Fuck, Liam,” I growl, and slap my head. I have no doubt something must have gone very wrong if I have no memory of what happened mere moments ago.
Liam is staring at me, slowly running his fingers over his swollen and injured lips. I start panting for breath, my eyes drawn to the crimson stains on his lips. He’s licking the blood off his lips and I realize it’s just remnants left over from my attack, and that he’s not bleeding anymore.
Valentina bursts into the patio and the panic on her face makes it clear to me that Liam’s in trouble. Her fists tighten with rage as she stands in front of Liam.
“You! I won’t forgive you for this, you little bastard! You and your psycho siblings!”
“What did they do?” I stare directly at Liam.
“They dragged me away from you by force!” She seems especially angry at Liam as she kneels next to me, sniffing me, and I quickly wipe away the evidence and lip what’s left of Liam’s blood off my lips.
“What’s that smell?” Her white eyes flash for a moment.
“You probably scratched that miserable girl when you burst in like an animal.” Liam gets to his feet. Why isn’t he ratting me out?
Valentina growls at him, but chooses to ignore his reaction and turns to me. “Are you okay, Belle?”
“I-I don’t know…” I honestly admit. I’ve never lost control like that. And the worst thing is that even though I have no memory of my momentary insanity, I feel no remorse at all. My stomach’s swelling with ecstasy and my blood’s roaring in my veins. I feel alive in a way I never have before. But I don’t think that’s something I should admit to aloud.
“I called your dad, he’s on his way.”
“What?!” I shake her shoulders hysterically. “What have you done?”
“I’m sorry, Belle. I didn’t know what to do, you were totally out of it and I thought Liam might hurt you.”
Liam chuckles. “I think the only one who got hurt here was me.”
“I’m sorry…” I’m not. Not at all.
He nods his head and leaves us alone. Valentina sends a furious glare at him until he enters the building. “What happened after his bastard siblings dragged me away from here?” She scans me with her eyes, making sure I’m not injured.
“I have no idea,” I immediately fire off the answer.
“Did he kiss you?” She runs her fingers over my swollen lips, and I gasp at the intimate gesture. Valentina notices my alarm and pulls her hand back. She’s enthralled by what’s left of Liam’s blood, even if she’s not aware of it, it must be that.
“Yes,” I decide to lie, to blur out what really happened here. “But I don’t think it was anything romantic or erotic… I think it was a prank.” I raise my eyes to her and again feel that I just want to weep and let out the horrible stress gathered up in my stomach.
“Son of a bitch,” she hisses. “Let’s get out of here, this place gives me the creeps.” Valentina helps me up and looks around nervously. Where are we? The side patio looks broken and neglected, and the blackened stone statue makes me queasy.
I don’t dwell on it because Valentina reminds me that my father’s on the way, and that he’ll ‘fix everything’. Fuck, that’s all I need. I can hide the truth and my twisted thoughts from her, but not from my dad…