Chapter 7
CHAPTER
SEVEN
I awoke to the smell of something sweet lingering in the air. I groaned, rolling over to realize I was in a strange bed. I sat upright in a panic, my heart pounding as everything came back to me. I was at Harper’s, vampires were real, and the school had been attacked by them last night.
The door burst open and I yelped, fisting the dagger tighter under the covers, breath hitching in my throat.
“Haaaaapppy birthday to youuuuu,” Harper and Luna sang in unison as my heart slowed its hammering in my chest and I tried to relax.
They were walking toward me with…black…cinnamon rolls? The pastries were swirled like a cinnamon roll and smelled like them too, but the dough and icing were ink black.
I grinned at Luna as they shoved the plate of warm rolls in my face and finished their song.
“Are those goth cinnamon rolls?” I asked.
Luna nodded with pride. “I left poison out of the recipe.” She winked.
“She used charcoal powder, so they’re totally edible and super delish. Happy birthday, Stella. We’re glad you’re here,” Harper told me as I took the plate, clearing my throat.
“Thanks.” I shifted uncomfortably. I wasn’t used to all this nicey-nice stuff.
I grabbed a roll and napkin and ate it in bed as Harper and Luna ate theirs next to me, legs tucked under them. They were delicious and didn’t taste black at all, not that black was a taste, but they were totally normal.
I chuckled to myself.
“What?” Luna asked, her teeth stained with black frosting.
I burst into laughter. “I just never thought I’d have black cinnamon rolls for my birthday.”
Luna grinned. “Well, get used to it, because black pastries are my specialty.”
A warm feeling settled in my chest.
‘Get used to it?’
Like if I stayed, we would all remain friends?
I hoped so.
After brushing my teeth and changing into some of Harper’s clothes, I met everyone out in the living room.
Celia and Professor Walters were talking in hushed voices, standing close together near the couch. When I entered, Celia spun to me. She walked right over, placed a hand on either side of my shoulders, and met my gaze.
“I heard you saved Derek’s life last night. Thank you, Stella.” Her voice caught, eyes going misty.
Derek?
I gave her a confused expression, cocking my head to the side.
“My husband,” she clarified. “He said you stormed the stage and saved his life.”
I gave Professor Walters a sheepish look.
“Oh, I didn’t really, Asher was the one?—”
He stepped toward me. “You got there first. The bloodsucker was about to rip my throat out, and you stopped him,” the professor said quietly.
“Thank you,” Celia said again, shaking me a little like she wanted to make sure those words took root.
I just nodded. “Don’t mention it.”
She released me, and Luna and Harper gathered on either side of me, pressing in close.
“We have some news about how last night was allowed to happen.” Celia looked nervous, like she didn’t want to say what she was about to say.
“Mom, just out with it,” Harper said.
“One of our arcanists, a powerful master arcanist, was…turned a few nights ago in a raid,” Celia stated.
Harper and Luna gasped. “Turned? A master arcanist?”
“Turned into a vamp?” I asked.
“Yes,” Celia replied.
“What’s an arcanist?”
There was too much to learn about this world.
“Hunting units are made up of four to five people. You’re lucky if you have an arcanist in your unit,” Celia told me. “They’re rare.”
Professor Walters stepped forward, clearing his throat as if lovingly telling Celia this was his expertise.
She waved him over.
“An arcanist is someone who has an affinity for rune work and the Veil Stone. They can read them, draw them, and even create them. It’s a special power they are born with,” he said.
Cool.
“Like the girl last night who drew the blue light rune on the ceiling?” I asked.
Everyone nodded.
“But as you can imagine, if an arcanist is turned into a vampire, then their magic can be used for bad. That’s how the runes protecting the school were broken last night, allowing the bloodsuckers to come in,” Celia said.
“So it could happen again?” Harper’s voice squeaked.
Celia placed a hand on her daughter’s shoulder. “We are doing everything in our power to make sure that doesn’t happen again, including adding confusion runes specifically tailored to Annette in case she tries to come back.”
Annette.
The arcanist who was now a vampire had a name.
I cleared my throat, and everyone looked at me. “Sorry, one question. Just because you suddenly turn into a vamp and drink blood wouldn’t make me want to turn on my old friends and help kill them. Why would Annette do that?”
Celia and Derek shared a look.
“When you’re turned, it’s not by venom like in the movies.
It’s a virus that only sires carry, and it changes your mind.
You become blood hungry, murderous, out for revenge.
Whatever your sire wants is what you want.
You’re connected in a way, like a wolf pack.
We think Annette was being compelled by her sire. ”
“Like zombies?” I asked.
Everyone in the room nodded. “Pretty much. You aren’t you anymore. Or you are, but a more feral version.”
I lingered on something else she’d said. Wolf pack.
“Wait, are werewolves real?” I asked suddenly, bracing for impact.
“No.” Celia tried to hide her smile, and I nearly fainted in relief. I could only handle one scary monster.
Derek leaned closer. “Once turned into a vampire, you no longer have the ability to withstand compulsion like you did as a hunter. Annette is completely controllable.”
Oh…great.
A melancholy settled over the room, and Celia clapped her hands.
“But I have some good news. We were able to exhume Molly’s father’s grave with two witnesses last night before the attack, and the DNA results should be ready any minute.” She checked her watch. “Just in time for your hearing, Stella.”
Oh.
I had forgotten all about that.
“Luna, I’m going to take you home,” Derek said. “And, Harper, I need to take you to your grandmother’s, remember?”
She nodded. “Sundays with Grandma. Yay .” Her voice was lackluster. Her mom shot her a glare, and Harper turned to me. “I can’t wait to hear everything later. I’ll see you for dinner, right?” She looked to her parents.
They both nodded.
“Stella will be staying with us until you all move into your dorms tomorrow, regardless of her test results,” Celia said, and my heart pinched at the offer.
“Or you can stay with me?” Luna smiled and gave me a side hug.
“Hey, she’s mine.” Harper pulled Luna off playfully, and then they started fake slapping each other.
Celia and Derek shared a laugh. “Okay, girls, we gotta go.”
I felt rooted to the spot.
Even though Luna was joking, the fact that she had even offered to take me in or that they were fake fighting over me made my legs feel weak and my throat tighten.
My entire life, I’d felt discarded, one step up from trash.
And now…
“Yep, let’s go,” I blurted out and rushed for the door before the tears could fall.
They were probably only being nice to me because they thought I was Molly’s long-lost daughter.
As soon as these results showed otherwise, I’d be forgotten.
Best that I kept to myself, got these results, and then figured out what to do from there.