This is work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Copyright© Avery Song & Veronica Agnus, 2020

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Format: Avery S.

CONTENTS

Acknowledgement

Forgive Me, Father, For I Have Sinned…Again And Again

1.  Secrets Of The Holy Vatican

2.  Sleepy Actions And Recovery

3.  Invitation And Bloody Acceptance

4.  Unexpected Shit

5.  Prepare For Discovery

6.  Official Start

7.  No One Else But Me

8.  Fae Memories

9.  Test Of Powers

10.  First Date Of Hope

11.  A Side Of Blood And Power

12.  Overslept And Bedtalk

13.  A Side Of Holy Matrimony

14.  Sleepover Of Wonder

15.  Four Plus One More And Empty Threats

16.  Rush Of A New Term And Teammates

17.  Empty Threats And Running Out Of Time To Choose

18.  Bloody Rosary Of Mine

COMING SOON - Bloody Rosary Academy 2

COMING SOON - Bloody Rosary Academy 3

SNEAK PEEK - DAGGERS AND SMOKE

PROLOGUE: Daggers And Smoke

ABOUT AVERY SONG

ABOUT VERONICA AGNUS

Also By Avery Song

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Thank you for purchasing BLOODY ROSARY ACADEMY.

Thank you for giving Avery Song and Veronica Agnus duo a chance! This was a challenge, especially with the new idea of paranormal romance. Hope you enjoy our little creation!

Special thanks to our amazing Mom for blessing us with the gift to write and supporting us in all aspects. We pray to continue making you proud as we strive towards success.

Finally, we thank God for giving us the strength to achieve our goals. Without Him, we would be nothing.

AVERY SONG

&

VERONICA AGNUS

BLURB

Hail Mary, Full of Grace, let your powers grant me Safe Haven.

Blessed Art Thy the blood that courses through my veins, from the womb of my Fae Mother and blood from my Vampire Father.

Holy Mary, protect me, for I have two sides to choose from. One of holy matrimony that calls to the world of perfection and grace.

The other, of darkness and bloodshed, the pulsating desire to grow powerful outweigh the temptations of tranquility and equilibrium.

Let me make the right choice, for I am bound to both, but can only be with one.

Please, do not forsake me.

I pray that this choice to attend Bloody Rosary Academy will benefit the hidden proposition within these very beads of thou rosary.

I offer my body, rare blood, and magic powers to seek the truth of my birthright within those very walls and find the culprit to my parent’s demise and my orphan livelihood.

Shelter me at the hour of their death and let me the final victor.

Now, and for the next four years.

Amen.

FORGIVE ME, FATHER, FOR I HAVE SINNED…AGAIN AND AGAIN

“Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned. It has been two minutes and forty-five seconds since my last confession, which wasn’t in this tiny brown box but in my mind since I see no need of being here between a wooden separator and a priest who has probably committed more sins than me in the last twenty-four hours.”

My bright red lips curled up in innocence as I blinked my golden-orange eyes at the furious man dressed in white, sitting opposite from me in the tiny confession box we were forced to enter once a week.

The poor soul had to deal with my sorry ass every week, always assigning me to be the last one in the small group of females that resided in this section of the church. Each week was the same as the last; this priest never gave up on his hidden mission to do more than listen to some young fifteen to eighteen-year-olds confess the list of unholy crimes they had committed within these stained glass window walls.

It was amusing because if it wasn’t for my trust issues, I would have been just like the other girls, who did everything that these superior adults told them to do, brainwashed into believing that God would descend down from the heavens and deliver us everything we asked for.

Surely, they didn’t read the fine print that states that God helps those who help themselves. That didn’t include pleasing whoever asks to be pleased in the hidden corners, on the wooden benches, and in the confessional box that was designed for prayers of forgiveness and not screams of ‘holy’ pleasure.

I was reminded of the first time our priest, Hendrick, tried to convince me that he was going to perform the ceremonial Holy Kisses that would remove whatever demonic spirit had possessed me.

That demonic spirit was straight-up my personality, and you didn’t need to be a genius to figure that one out. In fact, everyone in this building had known from when I was taken in at thirteen that I was a dangerous child who didn’t take nonsense from anyone.

Did my circumstances mean I had to be treated like a slave? To many that were taken in by the church, apparently so, but I wasn’t an ordinary orphan. I was a jack of all trades and these silly adults that fought secretly to tear me down were also afraid of my wrath.

Hendrick was still the boldest one in the ring of adults, and it just amused me because he really didn’t realize who he was playing with. I wasn’t into old men, and as much as the idea of having a man enticed me, the opportunity wouldn’t be given to me in these walls.

I deserved someone who had the balls to strike back against the foolishness that happens in this sinful world and not someone who took a comfortable seat contributing to it.

“Lucinda Delphine.” The vibration of his growl only made me sigh dramatically.

“Hendrick. We go through this every week. I don’t understand why we keep doing this to one another. If you don’t have the balls to withstand my demonic attitude, I don’t see why I’m forced to carry on with confession,” I explained. “Besides, you saying my full name like you’re my parent isn’t going to magically change my ways.”

“You are an ungrateful bitch,” he hissed.

“Now, now, Hendrick.” I leaned in forward, knowing damn well how it got on his nerves. “This is the confessional box. You shouldn’t be using such vocabulary. God’s watching you now. And just as a reminder, between the two of us, you’ve lived longer and committed far more sins than I. Therefore, you’ll reach hell a lot faster than me. So why not quit while you’re ahead and really start to repent for your sins?”

The sliding part of the window revealed his red face. His eyes blared with fury, but I was shocked at the sudden movement, a blade slicing my cheek before the tip of the blade pressed against my neck.

Oh. That’s new.

“I’m tired of you, Lucinda.” His voice was venomous, but my focus was on the stinging of my cheek as blood began to reach the surface. “You think because of your heritage in that royal family that you can walk around these walls with your head held high. You’re in our favor. You should be on your knees, praising us for our act of kindness in taking you in. We could have left you on the streets, and I assure you, that demonic power of yours would be put in her place.”

His words made me snicker, and I felt the first roll of blood running down my cheek. My eyes closed for a mere second, and his gasp was followed promptly with the soft weight of something falling into my lap.

Opening my eyes slowly, I looked to see the silver blade below. My fingers wrapped around the hilt and I lifted it up to inspect its beauty.

“A very rare weapon indeed.” My voice was lower now, a seductive nature to its harmonic tone, all while my tongue grazed along my upper lip, feeling the tips of my sharp fangs that came out to play.

I smiled, my piercing eyes that were surely red with menace now locked on Hendrick as he shivered like the fucking coward he was. The single drop of blood that had left my wound was now a replica of the blade I held and now poked his flesh, just above his jugular vein that pulsed rapidly.

The sight made me eager to see how his blood would taste. But I knew that because of the many deeds this man did daily, his blood would taste bitter with memories of the innocence he’d stolen from many girls in the same predicament as I.

No. Not the same predicament, but the same circumstance that forced us to remain within these sacred wells of matrimony.

I didn’t want to see his past, nor give him a hint of pleasure with my thrilling bite. I was tempted to take every bit of blood within his wrinkled body, leaving him lifeless so he couldn’t hurt another innocent soul who had fallen victim to his bullshit and lies.

“Dagger of Levana,” I hummed in delight while my eyes observed those brown circles widen at my words. “What? Is it because I sleep in class that you’ve assumed that I wouldn’t know what this dagger is?”

It made me giggle quietly, hoping to prolong this moment of confession so he could see the side of me I dare not show many.

If I did, they usually ended up dead…by accident, of course.

“This dagger was used in the 1900s, to exorcise demons that had resided in human children. It’s one of the few weapons of the Vatican and is supposedly kept safe within our walls from those who desire the power to get rid of demon shifters. It can also work on wolves due to the pure silver, but now that I can observe it for myself, this thing wouldn’t hurt a damn fly.”

I sighed and began to twirl the dagger between my fingers.

“From the legends, a mere slice with this blade will not only destroy the demon within the child but releases a venom that causes the victim to be unable to move for an hour, giving the wielder enough time to proceed with a cleansing ceremony to ensure the demon will never return to their previous host. Without a body, the demon will fade and return to the likes of hell.” The story intrigued me because I couldn’t believe that these individuals merely did a cleansing ceremony during that time of vulnerability.

“What were your plans for me, Hendrick?” I inquired with a sinister smile. His eyes only widened as I allowed my body to completely relax and opened that other side of my core that brought harmony and grace within my being.

The warmth of the sun dawned against the skin of my cheek, and I felt the pulsating power in my eyes, which were surely glimmering gold from the sudden shift.

The place where he’d sliced with the knife was now healed to perfection, and it felt good to use my magic after sitting in hiding for so many months.

Now I’d really spooked the poor man out, his skin beginning to pale as fear embodied his structure and eyes.

“Have you no shame? I’m sure you know by now what I am. Or at least about the vampire part of me. Did no one tell you of my fae traits?” Now my voice was a tender, high-pitched sound, and my giggle made the tiny plant that was on the tiny ledge next to the door handle suddenly grow.

I grinned at the sight, noticing the way Hendrick followed my gaze to see the miraculous growth of the recent decor piece. Sister Ara had said something about wanting to add a tiny plant in the confessional boxes, to help get rid of the stench that sometimes - or all the time - lingered in the small space.

The poor woman was naive, oblivious to the fact that the adultery and sin that occurred in here were the culprit of the lingering smell.

She hadn’t had sex, so how would she know?

I’d done the deed a few times already. My innocence had been given to one of the choir boys who gave off the innocent facade. He was a vampire hybrid, one of royal blood that was hiding temporarily within these walls.

Due to his family still being alive and the church doing him a favor, he couldn’t be toyed with by those of authority that hid their secrets beneath praise and worship.

I never got to learn about his other half, since he always had an excuse revolving around perfect timing when it came time to show a glimpse of his growing potential. Either way, he was a good once in awhile fling to have, and I gained the experience I needed.

Or lost my purity that seemed to be a valuable possession to this sicko priest and others wearing the holy garments of our Savior.

“Let’s pretend this never happened,” I concluded, moving the blood-shift blade from his neck and allowing it to float from side to side in front of his face. “Don’t play with me, Hendrick. You can try and make my life a living hell, but you can’t get rid of me. I’ll be of age in a short few days, and then I’ll make my way out of your life, like everyone else in this place. I suggest you begin to be a little nicer. It would be sad to hear about a priest being arrested after years of rape and sexual assault.”

I innocently smirked and flicked my hand to the side, the blade stabbing into the wooden wall before it faded into red smoke.

One thing I’d learned was to ensure I never left a trace of my blood. I didn’t need these power-hungry addicts trying to find any sort of weakness of mine to use against me.

Rising up, I stretched and looked over to the plant.

“I like this one.” Picking it up, I held its dark red pot and looked back at Hendrick. “I’m keeping this.”

He knew I wasn’t asking for his permission, but he nodded his head while beads of sweat ran down the side of his face.

“Thank you, Hendrick. Don’t worry about next week’s confessional. I won’t be around.”

With those words, I walked out and strutted down the aisles of the church, staring at the black pews and red carpet below. No one had even been able to answer my question about why our church was the unique one with black benches, but I was positive there was a hidden meaning behind it.

I just wasn’t going to be the one to stick my nose in that box of not-my-business.

Kicking the heavy wooden doors open, I entered the quiet hall and took a deep inhale of the less stale air. Letting it out, I sighed in relief.

“Feels good to be a confident bitch,” I praised. “Thank you, my Savior, for adding a little spice in whatever concoction you mixed to create me. You knew your girl would be dealing with some trifling men that are still called your children. Too bad they can’t be spanked with some thunder. Maybe then they would fear those commandments you wrote.”

With a shake of my head, I began to skip down the hall, carefully holding my new plant that I was going to place next to my bed.

Now that I reminded myself of my soon departure, I’d have to figure out how to fit a plant in my bag.

I sang a recent hymn we’d learned last night as I made my way back to the sleep corridors. I hadn’t reached our door before it opened and my blue-haired friend popped her big head out to see me skipping towards her.

“Do you sing loudly on purpose so the whole hall can hear you?” she inquired, not looking the least concerned about the volume of my singing.

“I was whispering,” I replied. “And no, I don’t.”

“Whispering to you is like being in the back row of the church choir. I can only imagine what loud singing would be for you. Oh, wait! I recall that. You shattered the two-thousand-dollar stained glass window and blamed the predicted apocalypse that never happened! Right, right.”

I came to a stop in front of the door, my grin so wide it showed my white teeth.

“Pearly, my dear. You know everyone thought the world was going to end that time. It was a foolproof plan that worked, and I got out of working for sleezebags that want sex to cover up an accident. God will forgive me.”

“I’m sure he will.” She lowered her eyes to my plant. “Did you steal the confession plant?”

“Uh.” I thought about whether my actions just broke a commandment or not. “Does it count as stealing when Hendrick sliced me with a blade after I pissed him off?”

Her pink eyes grow wide before she grabbed my arm, tugged me inside, and slammed the door behind us.

Before either of us spoke, her blue locks began to glow, the ends of her shoulder-length hair beginning to change to purple as she whispered, “Conceal our words from the enemies that lurk in the dark.”

That was one of the forbidden spells we’d learned after secretly breaking into the spell library, ‘borrowing’ a bunch of books, and studying them thoroughly before returning them back to their rightful places.

That was around Christmas time, which was usually the time when the church was extremely busy. Everyone would come and give praise, especially before New Year’s Eve since we all knew things were a little sinful during those times before we all vowed to change our ways in the new year.

Do we ever keep our resolutions? Nope.

“What?!” My best friend, Pearl Indigo exclaimed. All I could do was grin, admiring her extremely loose white gown she wore to follow the rules of the church.

Pearl wasn’t as lucky, like me, when it came to family circumstances.

She didn’t have two dead parents that left their massive inheritance behind with a note that stated she’d claim their entire legacy at eighteen. I did.

She was a wolf shifter, a rarity in these times since our world was dominated by two strong forces: vampires and fae.

The wolf race was dying out, and her pack had to make the decision to go into hiding or fight for a rightful place in the supernatural war of dominance.

Sadly, the wolves came third, and their defeat was why they were near extinct and hiding in the mountains, attempting to grow their numbers once more.

Pearl’s pack had gone into hiding but decided to leave Pearl behind. She was only ten at the time, and all she could recall was waking up at the door of the church where Sister Ara found her.

Her last name, Indigo, was given to her since no information was left about her last name. Whatever her family had done had left Pearl with no memories of who they were.

It was like having a blank slate, but Pearl had never asked for one.

Nor did she deserve to be left orphaned and in the church’s care.

Thankfully, we were the same age, and I’d arrived only a few days later. Since then, we’d been practically sisters, and no one dared mess with her.

The last guy who tried died a horrible death…by accident.

She was 5′3″ with caramel skin. You’d think she was Native Indian, but her striking, abnormal blue hair made many question what her cultural background was. Her pink eyes only added to the peculiar combination, and when she used magic - something wolves shouldn’t be able to do - her hair would begin to shift into a plum purple.

Her weapon of choice was a bow and arrow, and she definitely knew how to shift, but she didn’t do it often unless it was the full moon. Her wolf was lovely, protective in nature but loved cuddles, making her a fun cuddle buddy during winter when she felt like shifting.

She’d become my ride-or-die within these walls, and with my approaching exit and ownership of my family’s fortune, I knew she was coming with me.

That was non-negotiable.

My longer-than-average silence time rewarded me with Pearl’s analytic gaze while she placed her hands on her hips and tapped her right foot to emphasize her impatience.

“See, what happened was I had to deal with weekly confession at this ungodly hour of the evening, and Hendrick, as usual, decided I was getting on his nerves when he insisted that confession was going to be a little longer this evening.”

“Oh, he better have not laid a finger on you!” Pearl was literally tossing her oversized gown in the air, revealing her black shorts and a black sports bra. “I’ll go kill him now.”

“Do you think before you act?” I pondered out of curiosity, placing my new possession on the counter near my bed.

Pearl growled, but I rolled my eyes. “Easy, sweet Pearly of the wolf lands. Thou shall not kill,” I stressed on the commandment. “Unless necessary.”

She gave me a judgemental look and I rewarded her with an innocent shrug. “It’s true. Remember, God helps those who help themselves. Even if there’s a little murder in between the holy trenches.”

“We’re all going to hell,” she groaned.

“We’re technically shifters. I don’t think the same rules apply to us,” I noted. That was something I had to look into because from what I was beginning to find out, we all had different Almighties.

Pearl was the perfect example. For her, the Moon was a symbol of their Savior or Higher Creator. The power the Moon had on them was empowering at its full glory and weakest when it was not there at all.

From the legends written about her kind, the stronger their beliefs and connection to the Moon, the more powerful they became. Adding the fact Pearl could use magic and believed in the Moon even with our livelihood in the church, I knew once she struck eighteen and had the opportunity to train herself, she’d be a badass.

Not like she wasn’t a threat to begin with.

My eyes lingered on her outfit, and I smirked. “Do you wear those all the time?”

“Any time I leave this place they’re on me. Only I can take them off, so let Mr. Can’t-Keep-My-Hands-Off-Anyone try it. Then I’ll have fingerprint evidence and he’ll enjoy his time in the heart of prison. You heard there’s a new virus outbreak, right? Only a matter of time before it hits him in those closed walls. Then we’ll see if he’s so intrigued by my best friend!”

“I’m glad we never fight,” I concluded and bobbed my head. “It would be a battle I’d lose with honor.”

“You’d do it gracefully and all watchful eyes would pity you by default,” she whined.

“No. I’m sure they wouldn’t pity me,” I argued.

“Please. Remember the last time Eleanor tried to piss you off and ended up throwing milk on you when we were enjoying lunch outside on the picnic benches? We were sixteen.”

“I remember that.” I grinned. “She wasted such valuable milk.”

“Instead of getting angry, you gracefully fell to the floor until everyone was crowded around you and calling the damn healer to ensure you were okay. She got two weeks in the confinement room, and after that, she was moved to another church for apparently going crazy.”

“Is that what happened?” I stroked my chin in wonder. “That sucks.”

Pearl looked at me in devastation before her emotion turned to hopelessness. “You’re telling me you also don’t remember breaking into that confinement room with that big old scythe of yours and threatening to reap her soul and feed it to Lucifer himself.”

I cringed, now recalling that phase of ‘I rule this church so don’t play with me’. Puberty for a vampire included becoming a cocky bitch who didn’t fear death.

Only I remained that way, with a little bit of kindness left behind for my actual friends and those I respected.

That Eleanor girl had pissed me off. She’d bullied me since she’d transferred from another church after being a thorn in their side. She didn’t stand a chance here, especially when she decided to pick on me.

Too much to chew with my sassy attitude.

Poor girl left with a mental diagnosis, but I didn’t really blame her when she got a dose of my scary vampire side and scythe.

At first glance, I wasn’t scary.

Standing at 5′5″ with golden-orange eyes, magenta roots that blended into golden strands with tons of white tinsel locks to make my hair appear like a hair dye gone right, and my flawless, peachy white skin that never harbored a single pimple, I looked more like royalty than an orphan child.

I was the sole royal child of the Delphine family. Maybe that was why I was blessed with perfection.

With our usual long white gowns, it was hard to see my figure of perky breasts, small waistline, and thick thighs. I was fitter than most here, still able to maintain my fast runner rank, and when I didn’t eat mine and half of Pearl’s food on days when we were served vegan food, my six-pack would put on a show.

On the holy holidays like Easter and Christmas, we had to wear our white veils that hid our hair, giving the impression of pure nuns walking down the aisles before mass to prepare to sing in the church choir.

It was easy to conclude that my appearance fooled everyone. They usually became shocked, which morphed into borderline psychosis.

I sighed and pulled off the white dress, revealing my red bra and red panties.

“You didn’t even wear shorts?” Pearl gasped.

“No one can touch this,” I slapped my right ass cheek before dragging my hand up my hip and to the side of my waist, “without perishing. How else would I have survived all this time?”

“Yet, you gave your virginity to Tommy Hilfiger,” she groaned.

“Tommy Hill,” I corrected. “He’s sweet. We were curious, and he knows how to make a girl cum. That’s all I need.”

Pearl shook her head. “No, girl. You need Jesus,” she corrected. “And a whipping while you’re handcuffed.”

“A girl can dream.” I laughed. “However, we’re not going to find any bad boys in these walls.”

“Do you even want a bad boy?” she questioned as she crossed her arms over her chest and watched me walk over to the drawer to pull out my set of red pajamas. “Let’s be real. I know you only were with Tommy for sexual lust, which made no sense to me, by the way, because you never bit him. He’s a total good boy.”

“Good boy on the outside, dangerous on the inside,” I sang. “But not bad enough for me. You’re right. Also, if I bit him, it would have gotten a whole lot messier. You know the whole notion revolving around biting, sharing memories and emotions with another, carrying the burden of another’s baggage. It’s as if being cursed to survive on blood wasn’t enough of a punishment for whoever cast the first bite on humans.”

“Dracula?”

“Myth,” I brushed off that silly tale that was made to fool humans and make a bunch of money over and over again in the box offices when they made multiple remakes of the fake tale.

“Well, at least it’s better than Adam and Eve. See what happened when Eve tempted Adam with the apple. Now humans have to deal with bleeding from their vajayjay.”

I had to pause and look back at her.

“Are you still calling our holy grails ‘vajayjay’?”

“Uh, ya.” She looked at me like I was an idiot. “Who calls their pussy a holy grail?”

“It is,” I said without a hint of shame. “That’s where the flowing nectar of a man pools and upon God’s blessing and divine timing, a child is made.”

Pearl burst into laughter. “Bitch, that’s not how it goes! Did you forget about the race to the egg story?”

“Irrelevant,” I declared with a smirk on my face. “Listen. Let’s all agree that this,” I dramatically used my hand to wave at my lower region while practically hip-thrusting to emphasize my point, “is just as addicting to men as dick is to us.”

“O.M.G! How are you eighteen?”

“Seventeen and three-fourths, Pearly,” I corrected, on the verge of giggling. “Thank goodness I don’t need to deal with human struggles. Imagine losing a bunch of blood every month which would leave us no choice but to frequently feed at least every other day AND deal with memories, emotions, and burdens of strangers. That would drive me into insanity! The horror.”

“Vampires have it hard,” Pearl sang. “Don’t forget you’re only half.”

“Apparently, from my results, I’m actually 45% vampire, 55% fae,” I revealed.

“What tests told you that bullshit?” Pearl laughed. “You need to get reevaluated because they switched those numbers. I’d say 55% vampire if not 90% because your fae side comes out once a year to smell the flowers and ask the Universe for extra sunshine in the summer.”

“She grants me it each time I ask.” I wasn’t even mad at her statement which was 99% true. My fae side loved to lurk in the shadows of my soul, only coming out to taunt those that pissed me off before tucking back to bed and ignoring the world as we knew it.

Only during the peak of summer did she choose to come right out, soak up the sun for one solid day, and ask the universe for a longer summer. The next day, I was back to my sassy, ‘don’t mess with me’ self.

If anyone got to enjoy the kindness of my fae side that day, it was truly a blessing. Pearl got to experience it every year, and each time, she’d retell how kind-hearted I was compared to my usual personality.

A saint! Immaculate soul. Healer of all fae. All the praise that I soaked up.

“Back to the first topic!” Pearl reminded me as I headed for the washroom. “What was that about the slashing of your cheek?”

“He thought it was a good idea to use the Dagger of Levana on me.”

“Is he stupid?” she bluntly asked, looking as unamused as ever. “He actually thinks you’re possessed?”

“Apparently.” I lifted my hands in defeat. “Vampires that don’t bow to humans of authority are apparently possessed by the Devil, Lucifer himself, and need to be exorcised into paralysis and purified with holy kisses and rods for an hour.”

“So it didn’t work,” Pearly concluded.

“Nah,” I replied and turned around to point at my cheek. “He cut my cheek though.”

“He’s a fool.” She put her hands together in prayer. “Dear Father. Please forgive my best friend for committing a formidable crime.”

“Jeez, Pearl. Have some damn faith in me,” I whined. “I wouldn’t waste my time killing him. He’s not worth it. All I did was threaten him with a bloody sword, take his plant, and walk away. We’re only going to be here for a week anyways. The moment the clock strikes twelve on my birthday, we’re leaving. The lawyer comes this week to have me sign the papers.”

“Thank you, Heavenly Father! We’re leaving this shithole!”

“I don’t think you’re supposed to use our Father’s name in vain and swear in the same sentence,” I acknowledged.

“Let’s admit it. We suck as Catholics, okay?”

“That’s something I can agree with.”

She bobbed her head in pride. “Aren’t you a little worried about the blood thing?”

“I didn’t leave a trace,” I replied.

“Ya, but now he knows you can use your blood and shift it into a weapon.”

“True, but what is he going to tell the heads? I sliced her by accident after she subconsciously rejected my request to feel her up, and her blood suddenly became a blade and she threatened my life? Please. That sounds even more insane than the idea of me being a hybrid.”

“Valid points.” Pearl nodded and stroked her chin. “Alright then. Crisis averted!”

“No one is stopping us from leaving this place. I don’t know what it’s going to be like to claim my family’s heritage, but maybe I’ll be able to find some clues about their deaths.”

Pearly gave me a heartfelt smile. “I’ll help you any way I can once we’re out.”

“My ride-or-die bitch,” I whispered.

“Always and forever.” She winked. “Now go shower. You stink.”

“Oh, sin and lust.”

“Eww.” She stuck her tongue out in disgust. “I swear, that’s exactly what the box smells like every damn day. Yet, Sister Ara believes a damn plant is going to make it smell like the sacred scriptures of the library.”

“I’d rather smell bleach than the stench in there,” I concluded. “I’m gonna shower.”

Pearl nodded and walked over to the mini fridge to pull out a blood packet for me. “Fresh delivery!” she announced. “I know you like it not too cold, so at least by the time you’re done showering, it’ll be the perfect temperature.”

“You’re a gem.” I put my heart to my chest in awe. “Thank you. I was going to ask Sister Ara, but it slipped my mind. “

“Like everything.” Pearl rolled her eyes. “I never would have thought a vampire fae would have problems with her memory.”

“Sadly, I’m one of those.” I giggled. “Oh well. Made me unique.”

“The best form of supernatural supremacy. Uniqueness.” Pearl winked. “In you go, and don’t go taking a year while singing the entire Taylor Swift album.”

“Admit it, you’re just not a fan,” I concluded.

“Beyoncé is a legend.”

“That’s obvious.” I turned around. “That’s why you had no complaints with me singing her classics.”

“Human music is overrated.”

“You can’t even tell the difference between supernatural music and human music.”

“Truth, but I’ll figure it out. I have a plan,” she said with pride.

“Ya, ya. I’m going.” I walked into the washroom, ready to close the door, but paused as I watched Pearl gather our white gowns and throw them in the hamper. She was honestly a sister to me, one who’d gotten me through the really tough times.

The only one to see me struggle while I projected to the world that I was a fierce force to be messing with.

“Pearl?” I whispered.

She lifted her head to look at me. “What?”

“You’re the best,” I praised.

“Oh boy. You’re going to get all sentimental and shit. Please go throw some warm water on yourself and drink your blood because you’re getting soft.”

I laughed. “Bitch.”

“Best Bitch the Vatican Rose Church has ever seen!”

“We’re going to hell,” I concluded.

“We know that, dammit! Save me a spot next to you. Maybe that will give me some sort of benefit in the toasty pits.”

“Why’s that?”

“You’ll be Lucifer’s favorite. Duh!”

“Certainly,” I said it like it was a fact. “Teacher’s Pet of Mischief and Misery, with my trusty sidekick, Ball Kicker!”

“That’s a horrible sidekick name!”

“I tried!”

“You failed me!” She pressed her hand against her chest like I’d insulted her. “Be gone while I pick up the pieces of my shattered heart.”

“Trusty Sidekick of Overdramatic Foolishery,” I corrected.

“Now we’re talking!” She was up and tossing her blue locks back like she’d won Miss Universe, Supernatural Edition. “Shower!”

“Yes, ma’am!”

I closed the door and locked it. Turning around, I pressed my back against the wooden door and smiled.

Forgive me, Father. For I have sinned…again and again. But to be truthful, my sins have led me to someone I can still call family.

SECRETS OF THE HOLY VATICAN

“All packed!” Pearl cheered. “I better make sure my arrows are sharp.”

“Why are you carrying your bow and arrows?” I inquired. “You make it seem like we’re being discarded by the church and entering the wilderness of shifters.”

My eyes landed on my best friend, taking in her rather fancy attire. We didn’t have many clothing options, but Pearl’s current skinny jeans, V-neck white top with a cupcake on it, and jean hat that sat on her head were one of the most valuable outfits she had.

I, on the other hand, wore a simple black dress, thigh boots that lifted my height to 5′7″, and a leather jacket that I left unzipped. I always tried to wear my leather jacket when going anywhere of importance. It had enough pockets to hold the essentials, which were my identification, some spare cash in case we needed it, some boost potions we’d learned how to create a year ago, and some rock candy.

The candy helped when I suddenly craved blood.

I still had a few packs of blood in the mini cooler hidden in my luggage, and we had some food stored away that we “borrowed” from the kitchen this morning.

We could have obviously asked Sister Ara, but she sadly wasn’t in today.

Sad. I wanted to say bye to her at least. She may be a naive blockhead, but she was the nicest sister here.

With everything packed, our room cleaned up, and our gowns washed and folded nicely, we were officially set to depart from Vatican Rose Church. This was the home I’d lived in since ten, a place that ‘did me a favor’ when my parents were murdered and foster care wasn’t an option.

It had been specifically written in my parent’s wills that if something horrendous happened to them, all their wealth, possessions, and inheritance would come my way.

As their only child, it was expected. But I didn’t think they would want me living in this church until I struck eighteen with all the corruption that happened within these walls. They must have not known, especially because they had been donating a significant amount to this very holy place.

If only they could see the true colors of this sacred place. They would have never donated a dime here. I knew they weren’t getting anything from me once I left here. Being raised and treated nicely out of the goodness of their heart was different than being raised as a burden and insulting me with horrendous words that only emphasized the fact that my parents were murdered and I was stranded here.

I couldn’t help grinning all this week as this day approached, noticing how the adults around me were treating me like a damn queen now. Did they truly think I was an idiot and would believe their changes of heart for the sake of their pockets?

One of my goals was to see just how much my parents were giving for their maintenance - if not survival - because that would be the first thing I got rid of. Then I’d ensure that all the girls and boys that were trapped here would go to proper church institutions that were heavily checked by the government.

Would that prevent the chance of rape, sexual abuse, and other threatening circumstances that could wound a teen’s life forever? Nope. I wasn’t some angel that was going to help them escape the harsh standards this world had to offer, but at least they would have some sort of a fighting chance at getting payback or retribution for such actions when the government was forced to check in every two weeks.

I knew for a fact that our church was one of those once a year checkpoints, compared to smaller churches. Due to our size and popularity, no one looked twice. They didn’t think that anything malicious occurred within the most popular church in the Vatican.

Another reason why I was going to go far away from this place. Go somewhere with loads of people and a busy lifestyle like New York or some other state. Busy didn’t mean safe. I knew that much. But busy meant there were plenty of connective resources I’d be able to inquire about and locate for the safety of my own livelihood.

Plus, they had one of the largest blood banks, which would make it easier for me to get packs of blood for when my cravings were up.

I normally didn’t need to drink a lot, but as I grew older, the urge was far stronger and required at least a pack or two once a week. Only a matter of time before it was daily, but I was sure that also depended on my energy levels.

What excited me most about leaving was finally being able to train. Shifters like Pearl and I didn’t only use our common attributes that came with our race. I was a vampire, commonly known for sharp teeth, blood draining, super-fast speed. The regular.

No one knew I used a scythe, a big, scary-looking scythe made out of my blood. I’d wear a magenta cape that rested on my shoulders as I scared the living shit out of people for fun, especially during Halloween.

Steal all the chocolate! Uh…borrow all the chocolate. Yes.

Weapon usage wasn’t common among our kind, just like it was almost unheard of for a wolf shifter to use a bow and arrow to kill her prey.

I’m sure if that option doesn’t work for her, she’ll just shift and rip their head off. More gruesome, but gets the job done.

This world of supernatural supremacy was a hard one.

With vampires and fae at the top of the hierarchy, everyone else was considered food and prey for power and information. We may be trapped in the church’s claws, but I made sure to get any bit of news I could. A glimpse of the television in the common cafeteria, or grabbing a newspaper to read in the privacy of our room.

Pearl had adopted similar techniques, and together we worked hard to keep up with everything happening on the thrumming war between shifters. Being a hybrid meant I had to keep up with both sides, and I wasn’t the type to choose.

This whole war for power felt rather stupid to me. Even as a child, when my parents were still alive, I’d question them as to why their races fought one another.

Couldn’t they see that my mother, a beautiful fae of power and rank within her realm of faeries and superior supernaturals, married my father, a vampire king who ran one of the most powerful covens in the world?

Their deaths left me unsure of what happened to either of their positions of power. Obviously they would be replaced, but who was the best fit for their roles? It was one of those many questions that to this day I’d never gotten the answer to, but I prayed every day to find the answers I sought about my parents’ deaths.

Their demise wasn’t of divine timing. They were killed, but why?

“Are you sure my plant isn’t going to die?” I inquired, looking over to the plant that sat on top of my luggage. “If it does, you have to buy me ten.”

“Ten?!” she exclaimed and looked at me. “You’re not even a plant person!”

“True,” I admitted. “But I like that one.”

“Ugh.” Pearl pinched her nose before she walked over to my luggage. Closing her eyes, she began to breathe in and out, slowing her heart rate as the waves of energy that were tucked away on a daily basis began to bleed out and wrap around my luggage.

This process always intrigued me because I could actually see the threads of magic wrapping around the main object for the spell, and it was mesmerizing to see the purple and blue combination of sparkly magic that prepared for the approaching spell.

“Protect thy belongs in a space of free destiny. Let it float within a void of safekeeping. When we reach the safety of our new home, we shall set free the belongs we hold dear. Keep safe and cherished, including the stupid plant.”

“Hey,” I muttered, which made her smirk while she kept her eyes closed.

“This I ask of you. Let it be so.” She clapped her hands to seal the spell, and in seconds my luggage and plant were gone.

“Where exactly do they go?” I inquired.

“Some void thingy that can only be retrieved by you or me. I’m surprised you didn’t memorize that spell yet.” She sighed.

“Aren’t your spells supposed to have some magic words to them?”

“You mean Latin-infused English?”

“Sure.”

“I go the long route. The more powerful you are, the easier it is to condense a spell into magic language and execute it. Remember, we didn’t actually go to magic school.”

She winked and put her hands on her hips with pride.

“We learned all on our ow-Oh shit!” she cursed and rushed to look under the bed.

“What?”

“I forgot to return this book!” She pulled out the thick red book of spells, and one look at it made me frown. “You know I hate going down there so late at night.”

“Yes, yes, I know.” She gave me a pitiful look. “I’d go, but it’s a full moon tonight. I’ll shift midway, and let’s be realistic. My beautiful booty ain’t going to fit through the tunnels.”

I sighed and took one last look around the room before I shrugged.

“Well, at least you got rid of my luggage so I can’t complain,”

“I love you!” She beamed. “Do you want me to head outside?”

“It would be better for you, seeing as you’re going to shift,” I admitted.

“Then I have to give you one last thing.” She grinned in mischief, which only made me question her with a brow raised.

“Don’t tell me you went and forgot another book?”

“No, no.” She giggled and skipped over to the drawer. She closed her eyes, which told me she was doing something magical. She began muttering some words, and they were in the ancient magic language that made the hairs on my arms beginning to prickle.

Magic at that caliber always made my fae side a little excited, and it was hard to stop myself from trying to do a spell or two of my own. Clenching my hands so the magic within my fingertips wouldn’t escape, I distracted myself by giving this room one final look through.

This place had been my home for eight years. The temporary home that forced me to grow up far faster than I would have wished for myself. I didn’t regret being taken into this place, especially when it wasn’t necessarily my choice, but this was where I met Pearl and that was the main blessing I got.

These walls molded me to create a hard exterior and to make those who thought of me as dirt raise their heads up in acknowledgment. No one could walk over me. If they tried, they felt my wrath.

“There we go!” Returning to look at Pearl, I watched her pull out a black box with a magenta ribbon. It looked like the box was made of really fine material, even for a box, and the ribbon was silky with an embroidered design on it.

Pearl moved the box to the end of the bed, and taking a few steps back, she dramatically outstretched her hands.

“Happy Early Birthday, bitch!”

My look at her only made her giggle before she whispered, “Happy Birthday, Lucinda.”

Walking over to the end of the bed with the biggest grin on my face, I reached out to tug on the ribbon, its soft fabric reminding me of the lavish dresses my mom would wear.

I always wished to wear her clothes when I was little, remembering those precious times when she’d tie my hair up with a ribbon of the same color fabric as the outfit she wore. The tiny gesture always made my day, and even after years of her passing, I still enjoyed the loving memory.

With the ribbon undone, I lifted the lid of the box only to be stunned by the items inside.

“Pearl? How…where?” I wasn’t sure what to ask. The items folded nicely in the black matte box weren’t new content. They were ancient pieces that I vividly remembered my parents wearing, saving them for the day I’d be of age to wear them.

Pearl grinned, noticing how my eyes actually watered.

“H-Hey. Don’t go crying on me! I haven’t seen you cry in ages.” She walked over to where I stood and immediately hugged me tightly. “I knew this would happen, but no. Sister Ara didn’t believe me.”

I began to sob, unable to stop myself from shedding tears.

Laid within that box were two valuables from my parents. The first piece was a golden tiara, one that had a valuable red gem in the middle that glittered even in our dimly lit room. It was a crown that was handed down through our family household, one that granted the wearer the power to control.

Mother said she wore it with pride until she was given a crown from the Fae Queen herself that accentuated her new role and rise in rank in the fae worlds. I wasn’t sure what it could do now, especially with her gone, but I’d wear it with pride, just like she had.

The second piece of clothing was a black cape with red velvet interior. It was one of my father’s treasured pieces, that he used when he became the ruler of his coven. I still remembered some of its hidden properties; its ability to hide the wearer with invisibility and summon bats with deadly venom, just to name a few.

He’d wear this during his important meetings or journeys that required him to be gone for a few days, if not weeks.

Those memories were hazy, but I hoped to discover more now that they were in my possession once more.

A piece of my parents, who didn’t deserve their lives being cut short.

Pearl waited for me to calm before she pulled back and gestured to the gift. “Sister Ara wanted to give you this but told me to give it to you if for any reason she missed out on seeing us off,” Pearl revealed. “She’s kept this in this very room since we got assigned to it eight years ago. It was retrieved in the home where your parents originally lived. The property has been kept secure, but this box was specifically left for you to open on your eighteenth birthday.”

“Doesn’t that mean they must have known of their approaching deaths?” I whispered more to myself.

“Not sure, Luci.” Pearl used my shortened name, her eyes returning to the box. “Regardless of whether they knew or not, it was left for you to use. Who knows? It could help to reclaim anything that isn’t being moved into your name once we get out of here.”

“Thank you, Pearly.” I looked at her with appreciative eyes.

“Put it on!” she cheered.

“Shouldn’t I return this book first before wearing them? Don’t want to get them dirty,” I admitted.

“Nah!” Pearl shook her head. “Sister Ara said they’re life-proof. There’s some magic they only use on royal clothes and fine jewels that protect them from…well, life. They won’t get dirty or anything. If the cape gets soaked or anything, it’ll clean itself. That’s what Sister Ara explained yesterday when she shared the news.”

“That’s useful then,” I admitted, relieved that I wouldn’t somehow destroy them, the last items that touched my parents.

“Sit! I’ll help you with the crown!” Pearl rushed me over to the mirror, and I looked into my reflection as she fixed my curly strands and moved them to rest on the front part of my shoulders and chest.

Placing the black cloak on my shoulders, I reached up to tie the red rope that was made of the same red velvet material as the interior fabric. The heaviness only proved it was made of the finest material, and it felt good to have it rest on my shoulders.

Pearl came into my view, prompting me to lower my head as I crouched down slightly to be a little lower than her height. She laid the crown onto my head, moving out of the way as I rose back up and stared into my reflection.

It was just as beautiful as back then, only now, it sat upon my head and not my sweet mother’s. A part of me looked like her, my glamorous skin and golden strands from her while my magenta roots with the many tinsel strands of white were from my father.

I looked just like them, especially now that I viewed myself in the mirror, donning pieces of them.

“One last thing.” Pearl presented a folded black sheet of paper, perking my interest due to the red foil writing that glimmered in the light that wrote out my full name.

Accepting it, I opened it up to reveal the written words that I knew were from my father.

DEAR LUCINDA,

Our sweet, precious princess. It pains me to write this, for it means we may not have reached the end of our destination. You are still too young to understand centuries of war and bloodshed, but now that you are eighteen, what we have left behind will be given to you.

Our rank, money, and powers. You may not see how powerful you are at this moment, but trust me, my sweet. You are the game-changer in all of this, which only means many will try to get rid of you before it’s your turn to step onto the royal field.

Heed my warning, for whether I’m alive or dead, it is of utmost importance.

Upon your birthday, be wary of who you trust, for everyone will want you on their side. Your departure will ignite a turn of events, and you will be tempted to walk in various directions.

Do not fall for the glittering of gold. Follow the path that will lead you to the gates of Bloody Rosary Academy. Those golden beads tainted in blood will be where you’ll be safe from those who want to see your end.

These pieces of us will protect you on this new journey that you’re about to embark on. Be brave, sweet daughter, for we are watching over you.

Arana Delarosa - Sister Ara - will continue to guide you on the right path. You may trust her, as you can trust the Hart and Mortica family lines.

That is all that can be said at this time, our daughter. Be proud of who you are and may our blood that runs through you give strength, stamina, and unmeasurable power when due.

We love you.

Always, and forever.

Leonardo and Lisette Delphine

“Bloody Rosary Academy?” I whispered.

“Bloody what?” Pearl inquired.

“Hmm. I’ll explain when we’re out of here. Just remember Bloody Rosary, Mortica, Hart, and Arana Delarosa,” I emphasized.

“Arana. Isn’t that Sister Ara?”

“Yup.” I nodded. “She’s good, apparently. She’ll help us.”

“Even after we’re gone?” Pearl pondered. “That would be nice, but how would we even keep in contact with her anymore? We’re not like others that have phones or anything.”

“We’ll figure it out once we’re out of here,” I assured her, folding the letter into a small size and slipping into the zip of my jacket. “Let me go put this book back.”

“Thank you.” Pearl bowed her head in thanks, knowing what a hassle it would be to put it back. If I got in trouble, it wouldn’t be much of a problem seeing as I was making my exit, but I wouldn’t put my bets on Pearl getting the same royal treatment.

They would try to find some way to force her to remain within these walls.

“See you in a few.” I took a final look at myself, feeling honored to be born on this day. A glance at the clock told me it was just past twelve, and the official day of my departure from this place.

The start of a new adventure, one that won’t be easy, but will help me discover who I’m meant to be.

“Bye!” Pearl waved goodbye as I picked the book up and headed out the door. Heading down the eerie hall, I had to fight the urge to sing as I always did. One thing I’d miss about this place was how my voice would echo against the tall walls.

Choir practice was one of the few activities I enjoyed. To listen and embrace the sounds of multiple people singing one song with various tones, melodies, and harmonies that melded into a powerful symphony and evoked emotions I enjoyed simmering in.

It was one of the few times I felt the presence of a higher power, not just what people said was the trinity of our Lord, Christ is the Son, and Holy Spirit, but a sense of universal purpose.

Those mere moments of tranquility that resonated with my soul through music were when I’d connect to this world and know I had a purpose to fulfill. It was hard to have faith after those times, especially when those rare occasions of tranquility were exactly that, compared to the magnitude of negative situations and worrisome thoughts that harbored in our minds as we grew older and wiser to what occurred all around us.

All those years when I counted down the years, months, and days until this moment arrived. Now that it was here, and I’d received such treasured gifts from those I’d loved and lost, I was motivated to strive towards my formidable future.

I’d make my parents proud. They deserved that much.

Reaching the library, I quickly cloaked my magic, my footsteps now soundless as I walked through the back halls of the massive room of various books.

The part where we shouldn’t have access to was on the second floor and needed me to climb through a vent to access that specific shelf without being caught.

That was one of the reasons why I’d worried about getting this new cape dirty, but now that I knew it would be safe, it was easier to complete the deed and make our way out of here.

Seeing as Sister Ara wasn’t around to see us off, there was no need to stay for morning. The papers of my exit were signed with the presence of a lawyer that worked with my family. Pearl had helped me review the documents, and we were smart enough to use a spell to ensure the words weren’t magically altered to show something else.

They were genuine, and I kept copies of them in one of my jacket pockets. It may have been risky to do such, but my jacket, dress, and biker shorts beneath were made with the same material and magical matter that made it impossible to take off by an outsider.

I wore this outfit for that very reason, knowing damn well we were going to be entering the real world. If it was anything like inside here where secrets were hidden all over the place and being silent was what ensured you lived another day, I could only imagine what the great outdoors would be like with no safety guard.

Making it to where I had to be, I lowered myself from the vent to the top of the bookshelf, closing the door quickly to not draw attention before I jumped and landed quietly in front of the bookshelf that had a missing spot.

The space that fits this book of ancient protective spells perfectly.

Sliding the book in place, I watched the streams of magic begin to course through it, feeling happy that it was now back with its literature comrades.

This place had given us a lot of knowledge, loads of information we never would have been taught if we hadn’t figured out a way to borrow them ourselves. I wasn’t one to use magic often, but that didn’t mean I was weak in that department.

I studied many of the same spells Pearl did, determining that it was better to be safe than sorry. My new goal would be to find a way to advance my knowledge, and with the introduction of this apparent academy, I could only ponder if I’d be attending some sort of school to aid with my growth in wisdom.

With a nod of gratitude, I turned away and prepared myself to jump onto the top of the shelf that was beneath the vent, but hushed voices drifted over to me.

“We have to find a way to kill her before she leaves!”

“Do you have any idea what would happen if we do that? She’s the last daughter of Delphine!”

“Who gives a shit! It’s now or never. Once she leaves this place, everyone will be after her. Imagine allowing a vampire fae to take control of the royal crown?!”

“The crown is hers to claim! Or are you actually going to ignore the blood that runs through her veins? She can be the peace bringer between two worlds. In fact, she can create a unity that will benefit fae and vampire alike. There will be no threat of wars, and we could all live in harmo-”

“No one wants to live in peace! She needs to die!”

“Have you lost your mind? You’ll kill an innocent child!”

“She’s an adult!”

“A babe in this fierce world!”

“Shut up, Alexander! You can’t save her! She will die minutes after she leaves this place!”

“Not if it’s my UGH!” The man’s grunt of agony followed with coughing. “Hendrick!”

“Years of enduring that woman’s torture. Since the day she arrived here, she was nothing but trouble. You won’t stop me from getting my revenge!”

“Fucker! You just hate her because you couldn’t fuck her!”

“Speak again and I’ll make sure I stab that heart of yours.”

When the silence followed, he chuckled. “Be lucky you’re a friend of mine, Alexander. Now die peacefully while I finish the deed with my own hands. I won’t let Lucinda Delphine rise to the throne, let alone claim her place at the academy.”

With those words, there were rushing footsteps, and I immediately pressed my body against the shelves, relieved that his footsteps were fading away. The loud sound of a door closing informed me of Hendrick’s swift exit, but the groan of pain made me frown as I looked up at the vent.

Do I leave a man who was trying to defend me or risk my life to help him?

I knew the answer but I was a little annoyed with my level of compassion. I didn’t think it still resided in my cold heart but I guess with the turning tables, I wasn’t going to abandon someone who was attempting to defend me.

Hendrick’s hate for me was obvious, but I had no clue who this Alexander was.

Hopefully it doesn’t get me killed.

Moving quietly down the alley of bookshelves, I followed the obvious scent of blood in the air. I’d made sure to feed prior to us cleaning our rooms, so the smell wasn’t as tempting as it would have been with a strong appetite in the blood department.

I’d love a chocolate bar or two, but that would have to wait.

A few more steps and there was a man on the ground, his arm clenching the obvious wound in his stomach. His black outfit was a first for me, looking like a suit with red trimming.

Blood was already pooling beneath him, but it wasn’t a large enough amount for me to worry about. A quick scan of his body told me he’d live if I did something about it, but I debated if he was someone to waste energy on now that I knew I was going to be jumped the moment I got out of this place.

And you call this place the temple of God?

It wasn’t until I was two steps from the man that he noticed me, his head lifting up to show his red eyes. It was obvious he was a vampire, his glowing red eyes only confirming my hidden suspicion. But what was he doing here?

Yes, a few supernaturals lived within the church, but many were also human. The majority of the adults were, at least.

Even with him knelt down on the ground, I knew he was tall. His dark red hair was combed nicely, only a few strands falling into his face. The beads of sweat on his face told me he was feeling the impact of his wound, but it was his eyes that gave me chills.

Those eyes. I know him, but from where?

Instead of him questioning me, he immediately bowed his head to the floor.

“Princess Lucinda.”

Okay then…not weird at all.

“Are you hallucinating or is it because of the crown on my head?” I inquired, forgetting about my small accessory until this moment.

“Your Highness,” he replied. “These weren’t part of my plans for meeting you, but alas, things have dramatically changed.”

“I can see that,” I acknowledged. “So do you have this under control or do you need my help, since the clock is ticking and I’m apparently going to be on the run, it seems. My friend is also waiting for me.”

“You must run,” he breathed. “Do not worry about me, I’ll find a way to get out of here.”

“With that wound?” I inquired. “You’ll find your way to the door then collapse and bleed out,” I confronted the main problem, already noticing his labored breathing.

“Listen. I don’t help people often,” I continued. “So why not accept my assistance while you can so we can go our separate ways and I’ll get out of this place.”

“You can’t leave on your own!”

“That was technically my plan, but if it makes you feel better, my friend is waiting for me outside somewhere. We’ll be good.”

He shook his head violently in disapproval.

“No. There are hundreds waiting for you outside these walls. You wouldn’t make it to a safe house, let alone where you’re supposed to be.”

“And where is this ‘supposed to be’ place? Knowing that could potentially get me from A to B faster,” I acknowledged.

He looked hesitant to tell me, and the amount of blood he was losing began to irritate my nose. With a sigh, I pressed my hands together in prayer and closed my eyes.

“Thou Art the Lord, for He heals all wounds. Repair what’s been wounded through hatred.” My magic rushed to my aid, a gust of wind beginning to wrap around us as I allowed the healing warmth to project outward.

A gasp of astonishment was followed with a sigh of relief, and I opened my eyes to see the wound that was once bleeding continuously was completely healed.

“Not bad,” I complimented myself.

The man in question lowered his gaze to see the healing work I’d done, and with wide eyes, he whispered, “Why?”

“Don’t know.” I shrugged. “You’re familiar and yet I don’t remember you ever being in this church or around the area before.”

“Your memories must have faded,” he spoke and slowly worked his way up. Rising to his full 6′4″ height, I had no choice but to look up.

“I disapprove of this height difference.” I couldn’t stop myself from mentioning it. I always wished to be taller like my parents, but maybe the absence of milk in my life was the culprit for my height being cut short in comparison to my parents’ six feet heights.

Damn orphan life stealing from my growth movement.

The man grinned, taking a few steps to avoid his blood that continued to be soaked up by the brownish carpet. He knelt down and bowed his head.

“My apologies, Princess.”

“As much as I can get used to this Princess thing, I don’t think it’s very necessary right now,” I admitted and rubbed my arms as if I were suddenly cold.

“We must leave now,” he suddenly announced, the warning in his voice only confirming my own growing suspicions of trouble coming our way. “I can’t fight right now.”

“Why is that?”

“Getting here exhausted enough of my magic.”

“Well, what are we gonna do? Can’t abandon you after I wasted energy healing you.”

He looked frustrated, but it wasn’t aimed at me. Surely the older man who looked to be in his thirties didn’t suspect he’d be stabbed by an acquaintance and healed by me.

“I’ll shift.”

“Into?”

“A bat.”

“Vampires can shift into bats? That’s a new occurrence,” I commented.

“Alexander is my name,” he introduced. “We’ll get into details later. I want you to get as far as you can from here. I can guide you to where you must go.”

“Where’s this ‘must-go’ place?” I questioned again, needing some sort of name to wherever he wanted me to go that was apparently safe.

If it was safe. I didn’t even have confirmation regarding that part.

“From the cape of Leonardo, you already know, Princess.”

His words triggered a flickering image, and for a split second, I knew exactly who he was.

Then it was gone.

“You knew my father,” I whispered.

“And served him till his dying breath,” he vowed. “I know all of this is frightening and sudden, but we must get you to the academy or else you’ll die before finding your destiny.”

“Then shift away so we can get going,” I encouraged. “Then we can play recap and exchange proper introductions.”

He was still hesitating, which made me cross my arms over my chest in impatience.

“Do you want to live or die, Alexander? You said we must go.”

“Will you be able to protect yourself?” His worried tone made me sigh.

“As an orphan church girl, I’ve learned how to protect myself when I need it. Please do not worry about such. Let us get moving.”

I always wondered why I suddenly talked like we were still living in the 1800s and not 2055 when I spoke with older folks, but apparently they loved the respect it brought, even in a harsh, know-it-all type of tone.

He gave me one final look before he nodded. “As you wish, Princess. Be safe. I’ll lead the way.”

With his words, his body began to be wrapped in red and black sparkling smoke, the combination followed by a swirling tornado that wrapped around his body until he was ten times smaller.

The smoke dissipated, revealing a pure white bat with wings that had red in the inner flaps. His eyes were red, which was kind of a cute combination with the red and white theme.

Never seen a white bat before. Intriguing.

I patted my shoulder, and he flew over and landed on my left. Unconsciously, my hand already began to pet him, and I grinned.

“You’re my new pet.”

His disapproving eyes made me giggle. “Sorry. You’re just really cute.”

One last pat and I was walking away from the crime scene before my ears caught the sound of rushing footsteps.

Let the show begin.

As the door of the library slammed open and individuals in black rushed to the second floor, my body was already sliding into the vent. I quietly closed the thin metal frame and swiftly crawled through with Alexander the bat.

It wasn’t long before I was back in the familiar halls of the dorms and in my room.

I noticed Alexander was giving me another look of ‘what the fuck are you doing’ but I ignored it as I entered the closet and locked the door.

“Bear with me,” I encouraged, and began to wiggle my body right out. Alexander lifted from my shoulder, moving to hover in front of me, which made my life easier as I continued to wiggle out my arms and upper body.

I’m sure he thought I was losing it, but he’d see why I did all this shaking in a moment. Retrieving a hair tie from my pocket, I gathered my hair up in a ponytail and stretched my arms up, almost reaching the ceiling of the miniature closet.

There was a loud bang at the door, and I grinned proudly before I lowered my arms and patted my shoulder to cue Alexander to return to his spot.

When he did, I allowed my body to be completely calm, as I felt perfectly in my element.

“Brace yourself, Alexander. As in, hold your breath because it’s gonna get a little damp for a moment.”

That’s all I said before I took two steps forward, and the wooden wall morphed into a submerged surface.

I wasn’t standing anymore, my body now six feet underwater, but it didn’t faze me as I began to swim towards the surface, my eyes noticing how Alexander’s claw feet tightly clung to my cape, which surprisingly felt light as a feather as I swam upward.

We broke through the surface with a gasp, but wind rushed me through the air as I spun my body so swiftly, I was dry in seconds. Outstretching my hands, the gesture stopped our spinning motion, giving me a view of the forest that was five miles away from the church.

My eyes immediately caught onto the massive white wolf that was curled while its large tail wagged slowly from side to side. I grinned at the sight of Pearl; her fur was just as creamy white as the exquisite jewel.

Lifting her head, those pink jewels met mine, and her body got up on all four as she noticed the creature on my shoulder. I gave her a firm nod, which between us meant we’d discuss it when we were safe.

We’d always had this emergency exit, one of ten throughout the cathedral church for times when we’d have to get out quick and far from the place.

It felt good to be free, but it wouldn’t be long before we were being chased down.

“Lead the way, Alexander,” I declared, watching him outstretch his wings and dart into the air. My body lowered swiftly, stopping just as the tiptoes of my boots hovered above the beautiful, clear surface that reflected the full moon.

The ripples that began to move through the peaceful surface told me two things: my fae magic was growing stronger now, and strong individuals were heading in this very direction.

“Fast ones, huh,” I muttered. “This is going to be a pain in my butt. I just know it.”

Pearl waited for me at the edge of the pool of water, and I began to walk on its surface until I reached solid ground. I reached to stroke behind Pearl’s ear, and she brought her head close until our foreheads pressed together with respect.

I took a few breaths, needing this moment to ground myself and channel my thoughts to Pearl’s wolf.

“Hendrick and multiple people are after me. Do what you must, but I will not lose you in this senseless fight. You’re my everything. Friend. Sister. Partner in crime. If we get separated, you find a safe house for wolf shifters, one of the four that we know are reachable from this moment onward, all right?”

Her low huff made me grin.

“Stubborn.” I laid my other hand on her cheek and let out a long exhale. “Please, Pearl. Do not die on my behalf. If we lose paths, know when all is well, I’ll find you. No matter what.”

I feel her emotions, my magic feeling the pain this was causing for both of us. We were prepared for the chances of this happening, but not to the extent of hundreds of individuals trying to take me down before I could find a place of refuge, let alone live long enough to celebrate my birthday.

“Let us be off,” I encouraged and pulled away.

She stretched her body before she stomped her feet twice. Her pearly white fur began to shift completely black, her eyes going from pink to purple as she lifted her head up to the sky and howled.

“AWHOOOO!”

The strong sound vibrated through the sky, nearby birds rushing out of their safe spots. To some, they would think she was giving us away, but no.

She was warning all those who dared to fight us that death will be their portion.

With that, we both looked at Alexander, and he set out further up in the sky. Pearl went first, knowing I’d catch up easily with my immense speed.

I could already hear the stampede of enemies coming our way, and it would only be smart to give them a welcome gift upon moving further ahead.

Lifting my index finger to my teeth, I called upon the dark side within me, my fae energy rushing back to give my vampire side her glorious moment of domination. That shift in balance make me giddy, and I began to laugh as the first crowd of individuals ran into the clearing.

Guns, swords, even a pitchfork were some of the many weapons in their hands. My eyes quickly counted fifteen individuals and I couldn’t help but tsk.

Not in fear but disappoint.

“That’s all?” I questioned, waiting for more to arrive.

“Lucindra Dela…Dela whatever! You’re under arrest.”

I bit on the fragile part of my skin, feeling the hint of blood that grazed my fang.

“Who are you?” I questioned. “Surely not the police, seeing as you can’t even get my full name right.”

“It’s none of your business! Give us your throne or you’ll die from our hands!”

“Ah.” I let the first droplets of blood begin their descent, but it was only a second before they were hovering at waist level. More drops fell, never surpassing my waist as I observed the men carefully.

Some were already trembling, while others stood boldly. Their attempt to look fearsome was completely betrayed by how their hearts beat furiously against their chests.

Taking a deep inhale, I let it out slowly, a sigh escaping me as I purposely showed my sharp fangs that must have glistened in the moonlight.

“Did you know the scent of fear is so addicting?” I acknowledged. “It makes you want to see red.” I allowed a few more droplets of blood to leave the wound before presenting it to them.

They watched in shock as the cut healed, demonstrating what was possible.

Let’s show them that I’m pretty immune to their gang tactics.

“I’ll say this once, boys. I wouldn’t mess with an innocent girl like me. Only trying to go to the club and have some fun. Is that so much to a-”

“Don’t mock us, you bloodsucking abomination!” the main man in the middle snapped, cutting me short before the first release of a bullet escaped his pistol.

The bullet didn’t even reach me, stopping five inches from me and beginning to float just like the droplets of blood. That made a few of his comrades’ gasp, while one threw away the pitchfork and went running in the opposite direction.

Everyone seemed to follow my gaze, watching the man run for his dear life.

“At least he’s smart,” I praised. “Though, a pitchfork is so 1800s. Like, I’m not a witch. Actually, maybe I am. Who knows in this time of magic?”

Before any of them could speak, I was in front of their leader in a nanosecond, and he watched with wide eyes as the droplets of blood began their transition, until the sharp blade of my scythe was against his neck.

“You dare to interrupt me?” There it was. My power hungry, psycho side as Pearl likes to call it. “I’m an abomination and yet here you are, armed with lethal weapons to kill an eighteen-year-old girl. What a sweet greeting into young adulthood,” I gleamed.

“DIE, YOU WENCH!” a man on my left screamed with all his might. The bullet from his gun didn’t leave the barrel as my scythe danced between my fingers and sliced his head off.

I watched the horror of the others, as they noticed how I’d gone from standing before their leader to the far left of their semi-circle; their friend’s body now falling to the ground while his head bounced a few times before rolling into a puddle of mud.

“Now.” I twirled my scythe like it was nothing but a pencil, feeling the thrill of blood in the air that made me want to make the stench grow. “Who’s next?”

“Fucking cunt!” The two men with swords rushed my way, but I merely danced around them, swirling my weapon while humming a song that suddenly dropped in my head.

“Okay, ladies, now let’s get in formation!” I sang the lyrics of the Beyoncé classic, just as two bodies of my attackers dropped to the ground with their limbless bodies. I’d kept their heads intact, which led to their manic screams while their arms and legs flailed along the muddy ground.

The sight made two more men run away, and I sighed.

“C’mon, boys. I’m really falling behind here, and I have other enemies to fight that are actually supernaturals. Can we do this another night? We can make it like a date of sorts?” I suggested.

The remaining men exchanged fearful looks, but the leader stood his ground.

“We need this reward money! You’re not getting away. I got a family to feed!” he declared and charged towards me while shooting multiple bullets.

Money? Someone put money on the line for my capture. These people sure work fast.

Deciding that I was bored with a hint of annoyance, I twirled my scythe before me, deflecting all five bullets before I jammed my scythe into the ground, which created a wave of wind so fierce that it sent the remainder of them flying back off their feet.

Their screams were short-lived as I used my sharp nails to slash my left wrist, the blood flowing and immediately forming a short blade in a second.

That forming metal then tore through their jugular veins as I sped around each of them, finishing the deed and returning to my spot before they all hit the ground.

Their bodies shook as blood squirted out of the large cuts on the side of their necks, but I was focused on healing my wrist. Any drops of blood that left were already fading into smoke.

By the time I took my scythe and rested it on my shoulders, their gurgles were the final sounds of rebellion, or perhaps the muffled words were asking our Savior for forgiveness. I had no pity for them as I turned around and began to walk away.

Our Father was the one who could give forgiveness to sinners like them, but me? I didn’t forgive those who killed for stupid reasons like money.

Money was nowhere near valuable enough for that type of bloodshed, but here we were. Maybe since I barely remembered the times in my childhood where I enjoyed the riches my family carried I didn’t see the need to murder to obtain it.

Besides, what motivation would it bring to spend money you didn’t work hard for? Let alone deserve what didn’t belong to you. My parent’s inheritance was a mere blessing after their unforeseen deaths. Did that mean I’d spend it excessively? No.

It just made no sense for them to think of such entitlement when they didn’t even carry the Delphine name, let alone know the struggles my parents must have endured to harbor such a fortune.

I didn’t even know the exact amount and I was now the owner of it all.

Deciding it was time to run, I took two more steps before my body felt like nothing and the world blurred around me. I was following Pearl’s scent, which was easy to pick up, but as I got closer, the tingling in my ears told me I was about to get cornered.

My eyes caught onto Pearl’s white body as it did Alexander’s, but I immediately turned left, avoiding the slash of blades that missed me by a mere second. Deciding to keep my distance from my friends but continue to follow their path, I dug my feet into the dirt to force my body to stop, spinning around in time for my scythe to clash into the sword of my new enemy.

“A vampire with skills. Finally. Some fun.”

I eyed the older-looking man, frowning at the stench of alcohol on his breath.

“Really? Couldn’t even be sober to fight me?” I groaned in utter annoyance. There was something about hard-core alcoholics that pissed me off. Could have been the altar boys or priests who were intoxicated half the time that ground my gears, but it was definitely a trigger for me.

Which was why he was screaming in agony in two short seconds.

My scythe went three inches into his chest before I pulled it out, twirled around, and kicked him so hard he surely flew into another dimension.

I was moving forward before I could test out that theory, getting closer to my friends and noticing the shift in our environment. We were heading into territory that was cloaked with magic, which could have been good or horribly bad.

My body suddenly jerked to the right, an object triple my size sending me flying through multiple trees and into the ground.

Something cracked upon impact, which I wasn’t sure was a good sign as half my body went numb in seconds.

Son of a-

“UGH!” I used my working foot to kick the weight hard enough to send it flying, my body rolling into a standing position before I gritted my teeth in pain and looked down to see my bone popping out of my knee cap.

No wonder why I’m in a shit load of pain! Fucking log of whatever that shit was.

I needed more time to fix this and fast before I lost far too much blood for my liking. The loud growl from behind me had me cursing, but an even louder roar was followed by Pearl’s body crashing into the brown mass. The two of them rolled through the forest, knocking down whatever crossed their path.

As I struggled for breath to fight against the wave of nausea and intense pain, I took one deep breath, closed my eyes, and literally pushed my bone inward to connect to the joint. My scream was uncalled for, but I couldn’t let the sheer sound break my concentration as I forced as much magic as possible into that very spot.

My right knee grew so hot that it felt like a third-degree burn. My screams were unavoidable, but the pain began to diminish within seconds. By the time it was healed, I was gasping for air before I fell to the ground, trembling with magic.

“Kill her!” The call was followed with words of declaration and I lifted my head to see the charging group of men coming for me from all angles.

Now the sight made me angry, so enraged that my eyes burned and my vision truly tinted to red.

“ENOUGH!” I rose up and unleashed the built-up power that begged for an escape. It burst through me in the form of large magenta needles, and my scream of frustration made the trees begin to move back and forth as the ground shook enough to trigger an earthquake.

Screams near and far echoed through the air, but I let the power wreak havoc among all those who wished for my death. A grizzly growl hit the air, but I couldn’t care less as I continued to let my magic run its course, getting my revenge.

All I wanted was to reach my destination, and it was time for anyone that tried to stop me to pay for their sins.

Something wrapped around me, and I growled and snapped my head up to destroy the very person who fought to hold me back, but golden-orange eyes locked on mine, and I immediately knew this man wasn’t like the others.

He’s on my side.

If he wasn’t, my attack would have taken him down like the others. But his appearance made me more defiant. Without thinking, my hand was wrapped around his wrist and his massive body was flipped over on the ground in seconds, with me perched on top of him.

A blade made from the lingering blood from my injured knee that I’d deliberately left there was now against his neck, while my face was inches from his.

I took one sniff and I knew what he was. My heart fluttered in confusion while my eyes narrowed skeptically.

He looked up innocently at me, his sunset eyes blinking a few times before he slowly lifted his hands. I noticed the one I’d twisted was at an odd angle, which was my fault and must have been extremely painful, but he was hiding it well.

“Prince Tobias Hart,” he introduced himself before I could say a word.

The last name immediately triggered a memory of what the letter had said.

Hart. A trusty alley.

“If I move this blade and you try to hurt me, I’ll murder you in cold blood and eat your heart.” My seething voice was full of venom, ready to unleash upon anyone that tried to disobey my command.

“Yes, Princess.” His calmness was irritating to me in this time and place, and yet my magic began to pull back, which made the trees begin to calm as the rushing winds vanished.

Leaves of various colors rained down upon us, but my eyes were still glued to his. I noticed the pulsing of that vein in his neck. The sudden sight made it hard for me to think when the urge to drink began to cloud my mind.

He noticed my gaze, and the slight movement of his free hand made my eyes dart to his once more. He still looked as calm as ever and presented his wrist to me like an offering given before communion.

“If you need, take,” he suggested. “We can’t spend much longer here,”

His reminder of the approaching enemies made me push down the need for blood. “Dare forsake me and I’ll make you regret playing with my kindness,” I vowed.

“Yes, Princess.” His agreement made me remove my blade, the item fading into red smoke before I rose off of him.

My right knee buckled, causing me to lose balance, but I fell against someone else. I immediately looked up, only to see a different man with magenta eyes with bits of red. His cocky grin immediately ticked me off, resulting in a wave of fear flooding his eyes before he defensively stated, “Kane Mortica. Prince and future ruler of the Mortica Coven. Don’t kill me because that would suck balls and I haven’t had sex in six months.”

The last comment actually made me grin, and a long sigh came from in front of me. “The act of sex is the last worry that comes to your mind when you face death. Don’t you find that a bit sad?”

“She scared me with her eyes! You forced me down here! Didn’t tell me the whole damn supernatural race was going to be after her!”

“You’re stupid not to be prepared for war when the last living Delphine leaves her holy castle of protection.”

“Well, I enjoy bashing people’s faces with my fists and masturbating. I didn’t sign up to be some fucking hero.”

I shrugged his hold off me, forcing him to step back, which only meant I should have fallen on my ass. It didn’t happen though, as a strong gust of wind lifted my entire body up before placing me on my feet behind the man who still lay on the ground.

He looked up at me as if expecting my permission to rise. When he continued to laid there, I looked away and muttered, “Stand.”

That made his lips curl just slightly, and I mentally cursed his flawless attractiveness. I knew without a doubt this man was fae, but God. He was like a chocolate ice cream melting in the summer heat, waiting to feel my tongue lick every droplet of sweet sweat from his divine muscles.

Too descriptive of a desire? Who knows?

Kane looked at Tobias’s wrist. “She broke your wrist. You sure have high pain tolerance.”

Tobias glared his way, the action making Kane shrug like he was innocent of a crime he’d been accused of. We watched him twist the joint back in place, which made Kane gag.

“Fuck! Didn’t I tell you not to do that nasty shit near me?”

“You can go sucking blood from a woman while I play guard duty, but I can’t snap my broken bones back together to heal them?”

“Sucking blood is nowhere near disgusting.”

“It’s an open sex orgy.”

“Orgy is with more than one person, Prince of Innocence.”

“I know how to fuck,” Tobias muttered, healing his hand in the process. “And I can have all the orgies I want with multiple women. Way better than you having to get high on blood and deal with the lust of a random woman on your lap.”

“Why are we having this conversation here?” Kane whined. “I was forced to come down here and rescue a princess who almost killed us with that wave of death, and now I’m being lectured about my living practices forced upon me by my vampire parents. Like jeez, bite me will you.”

“That can be arranged.” My eerie voice drew their attention, and he frowned.

“I’d like to keep all the running blood in my body. Thanks,” Kane declared.

“GRRR!”

My eyes moved up just like the other two, and Kane froze at the sight of Pearl’s massive body.

“Fuck…uh…nice…big…puppy?” he stuttered.

“I actually thought you were joking when you said you were afraid of wolves,” Tobias quietly muttered.

My focus was on scanning Pearl’s body, noticing the small wounds and scratches but nothing that would kill her.

Good. She’s okay.

The screech from above us grabbed all our attention. We looked up to see Alexander hovering above.

“At least twenty vamps are going to be here any minute if we don’t get a move on,” Kane seemed to translate.

Alexander began to move once more, and Pearl glanced my way.

“Follow, Pearl. I’ll be right behind,” I assured her. She nodded her head and was gone in a flash, leaving me with my two new acquaintances.

My eyes lowered to Kane. From the conversation, he was clearly a vampire, the introduction of his Coven heritage confirmed it. Now that I had a few extra seconds, I realized he was 5′8″ with short silver hair with magenta highlights. Peculiar hair color for a male, especially because it resonated with the first half of my own hair shade.

He wore black pants, a black t-shirt with a white stake design on front, and carried two guns, one on each side of his waist.

Moving my gaze over to Tobias, I noticed his 5′9″ height and long green strands that transitioned into golden orange locks that matched his eyes. He also wore black pants, but with a black tank top.

The color didn’t suit him in my opinion, and that thought process slipped out.

“Black is not your color.”

“I’m well aware.” He actually smiled at my negative comment, and Kane sighed. “Listen. I already know I’m going to lose in this battle of love and lust, so can we just anoint you two King and Queen, so I don’t need to deal with this shit?”

We both glance his way, my clueless expression the complete opposite of Tobias’s scolding one.

“This isn’t the place, Kane,” Tobias hissed.

“I’m giving you an advantage. I actually like you and don’t want to deal with the backstory of why we’re being chased and murd-”

He didn’t finish, his body moving in a flash and behind me in seconds. My reaction time must have suddenly been slowed because I was pushed with such force, I was flying off the ground and into Tobias’s arms in seconds before I heard the hiss of pain that came from Kane.

I looked over my shoulder to see he’d stopped a blade with his bare hands, his blood immediately beginning to drop to the ground as he held the full weight of his attacker that was grinning with pride.

“Little children should remain tucked in bed!” the man declared.

His abrupt arrival was one thing, but that attitude wasn’t going to keep him alive any longer as I took advantage of the gift of my blood.

His sudden cry of agony had him pulling back with his sword still clenched within his now white knuckles, blood beginning to pour out of his mouth while his head lowered to see the sternum-to-stomach thorn I’d created in three seconds flat.

Kane took a few steps back, falling back in shock while his bleeding hand still remained outstretched. It was perfect for me, as I pulled out of Tobias’s grip to walk over to Kane and high five his injured hand.

He flinched in pain, glaring daggers at me, but the anger dissipated as his eyes widened in uncertainty. The warmth that followed between our hands proving I’d just healed him while getting more than enough of his blood to use against the charging force approaching us.

Turning around, I watched the man fall back on his back, his heart coming to a stop a few seconds later.

It was the least of my worries as I took in big gulps of air, knowing damn well I’d need as much coursing energy that ran through the earth beneath and around me as possible to do this spell.

Especially with using another person’s blood.

I noticed the herd of vampires, and I knew we’d be dead in moments if I didn’t fulfill this spell, but fear was replaced with a bubbling enjoyment.

“REWARD THY BLOODY ENEMIES! BLARANDA RA FU!”

The shortened words were a first for me, and my body now poured out my fae magic as I used my vampire gift to my utmost advantage.

The single smeared droplets of Kane’s blood were far more powerful than I’d expected, and before anyone could register it, arrows of his blood appeared in multiples of ten, a wall of floating red arrows ready for my command.

I could see the eyes of the closest vampire approaching grow wide, and I let my eyes roll back and the opera singer note release from my throat.

The glass-shattering hymn unleashed the arrows towards its prey, and the sounds of their approaching end were the music I needed to keep singing the various notes.

Within a minute, my song was done, and the world around us was quiet. The only heartbeats were the two behind me, as the rest had all withered to an abrupt stop.

Opening my eyes slowly, I saw the end of the requiem, and the sight of dead bodies were both saddening to my heart for the loss of life and satisfying, for I’d taken care of all those who dared believe I was a weak bitch.

All the years of quietly training within our small room since the age of ten had become worth it, and I knew this was only the beginning.

Turning around, I faced the two stunned men.

“Let’s go,” I stated with a weak voice. “I’m not in the mood for any more confrontations.”

All they could do was nod, and we quickly began to run down the path Alexander and Pearl had gone. We ran for at least fifteen minutes, at vampire speed, which I was impressed that Tobias was able to keep up with.

It wasn’t until the intensity of the burning alchemy coursing around us became too much that I started to slow. Tobias noticed first, slowing to my pace until I forced myself to come to a stop.

I had to use a tree to grab on to as I caught my breath, my body feeling drained and the urge for blood becoming almost impossible to ignore.

“Princess.”

Tobias’ concerned voice made me grin as I breathed, “Can we just go with normal terms…since I’m not calling either of you Prince…whatever your…names…”

I gave up trying to finish, deciding breathing was far more important.

“Shit, is she okay?” Kane questioned.

“Well no,” Tobias huffed. “Did you forget what she just did back there? Not to mention whatever she dealt with prior to our arrival.”

“Nah,” Kane replied. “I know she’s a badass, but do they run out of batteries?”

“I really wanna bite you,” I breathed in annoyance. “Your stupidity…is annoying.”

“I’m an A-plus student,” Kane argued.

Tobias heavily sighed. “Ya, in the books. In terms of your grade in life, you’re an idiot.”

He tried to reach for my hand, but I slapped it away. “I don’t need your help.”

“Prince-”

“Lucinda, goddammit. Stop with the royal…bullshit!’ I huffed before my right knee buckled again. I couldn’t recover from this one, my magic having reached its limit with its spontaneous introductions, leaving no choice but to accept Tobias’s aid as he caught me.

“You hate being helped, huh?”

“Fuck you,” I breathed, but relaxed in his arms. “You…and your dumb smelling perfume.”

“Shit, we need. to get her to the academy ASAP. Her blood and magic are low,” Kane stressed.

“Let’s hurry,” Tobias stressed. “Call Arana to open the gate. Once we’re through the portal we’ll be able to make it to the blood bank.”

“What about her magic? It’s too late for any of the fae staff to be in.”

“I’ll help with that. Just make sure there are enough blood packs reserved. Tell her she lost a lot of blood. Better to be safe than sorry, especially with how powerful she is. We don’t want her lashing out!” Tobias explained, his voice that should have been loud drifting further away.

“Arana! We found her…lots…blood…heading…Bloody Rosary Academy! We know! Make…blood packets!” Kane’s words were fading in and out, and I gave up on trying to remain conscious as my senses began to spiral all over the place.

It felt like I was on some sort of high, and I feared as I fell deeper and deeper into the spiraling darkness that I wouldn’t wake from it.

Soft humming began to drift into my mind, and the soft, melodic sound brought peace to my troubled heart.

Sweet child of mine, go to sleep. You are safe, in the arms of those destined for you.

The words were filled with motherly love, and if I could smile, I would have.

Allowing myself to slip away, I thought of how my birthday had ignited a swift departure into a new world of blood, magic, and loss.

I left behind the hidden, dark secrets of the Vatican.

SLEEPY ACTIONS AND RECOVERY

“You’re far too close to her.”

“Why does it matter? She’s not getting magic from me.”

“Exactly! Meaning your closeness to her is fucking useless!”

“Who are you, anyway?”

“Pearl fucking Indigo, that’s who!”

“What kind of last name is Indi-”

“Grrr!”

“If you two are going to fight, can you do it outside? I already feel light-headed, and I actually need to concentrate to give Lucinda enough magic to level her out.”

“Just tune us out or something!”

“You know what? If you die, I don’t care. Not even going to allow Lucinda to feel a pinch of remorse for your dumb ass!”

“I’m not dumb! Why does everyone call me stupid, dumb, or an idiot?”

“Because you’re exactly that!”

The noise wasn’t troubling, but I felt a pulsating urge to attack whoever was arguing with Pearl. My mind still lingered in a state of haziness, and I’d yet to determine if I was awake or dreaming.

Refreshing warmth was flooding through me, caressing my tender skin and leaving tingles of passion that made me want to cuddle up to the source and never leave.

I hadn’t sensed this sensation in many years, the feeling of being healed by another that ignited a level of intimacy if you exchanged energies for too long.

I loved this feeling though, a running connection that went from one pole to another, and it was what made me debate on acting against this loudmouth nuisance that deserved to feel the wrath of death.

“This is my last warning. Either move or forever hold your peace!”

“If Tobias gets to sit right next to her, I can sit at the end of the bed minding my own damn business.”

“You’re not minding your own business!” Pearl huffed. “Plus, you’re sitting ON the bed taking up half of the damn space that could be given to Lucinda! She’s a princess! A queen, if anything!”

“I’m a prince. I deserve somewhere to sit, and again, Tobias is right there next to her, taking a good chunk of the damn bed.

“He’s helping her!”

“I’m doing my part to spiritually help her! Not my fault she doesn’t need my blood after the transfusion. I wasn’t given the opportunity to do my part, so in your face!”

“Sometimes I wonder why we’re acquaintances.”

“Please explain how you can even remain in contact with this dumb fuck?” Pearl questioned.

“Patience and wine.”

“Tobias! You’re supposed to be my bro!”

“Not with this splitting headache, I’m not. Now shut it already.”

“I demand peace instead of being forced near this damn wolf!”

“I’m Lucinda’s best friend in crime. Get used to me, small dick!”

“I don’t have a small dick!”

“Getting all defensive proves you do! Take your damn back seat cause Lucinda ain’t into micrococks!”

“You little c-”

His voice was cut short. The room grew silent as I opened my heavy eyelids enough to see the eyes of the culprit in charge of all this unnecessary arguing. I was debating whether or not to kill him, the idea making me grin as my fangs came out and I searched for his pulse.

The thought of having to deal with glimpses of this individual’s idiocy actually made me second guess my decision. I decided to forgo worrying about unnecessary shit and finish the deed, so I could return to the warm cradle of whoever was previously next to me.

I was ready to dig right in, but Pearl’s voice cut through the fog.

“Luci, wait!” I paused in my movement, my teeth already at the man’s neck and ready to pierce into his flesh. My eyes lazily moved over to look at my best friend.

She had her hands up in a pleading manner, those worried pink balls of emotion wide with fear. “Luci. No biting. He probably tastes bad.”

I blinked a few times, the slow action a little tiring as I pondered on her words. They kind of made sense, and yet they also didn’t because I couldn’t care less about the taste.

I just want to shut him up…with death.

Pearl quickly added, “He helped get me a plate of steak.”

The small act of generosity made my eyes return to the large red orbs. He was a vampire, like me, but his fear made me feel as though he was a coward. That only made me grow disappointed, my eyes weakening as they fought to remain open.

Muttering something completely incoherent, I moved away and crawled to the warmth. Instead of going onto the spot that I could sense was my territory, I moved right up to the warm source, until gold eyes were looking back at me.

I stared at them, loving how pretty they were. It reminded me of twinkling stars or a magnificent sunset that flared out through the sky as the sun lowered to bed for the day.

Lowering my eyes to their lips, I stared at them, noticing how the warmth specifically pooled in that region. A treasure in the disguise of warm lips.

My grin returned, and before I knew it, I was kissing those very lips of heat.

“Uh.”

“H-H-Hey! Why is she kissing Tobias?! She doesn’t even know him!”

“Uh. I’m not even sure. Does getting blood make people high? I think there was a book on that.”

The kiss was so tender and soft, and the feeling of a hand resting on my lower back made me relax even more. The kiss back from this individual that was cloaked with golden sheets of magic brought a sense of security to me, one that made me wish to always be around this level of protectiveness.

Breaking the kiss, I laid my head on his chest, snuggling against this being of harmonic energy and hugging his body. I couldn’t determine where the male preference came up, my memory already beginning to blur as I allowed my body to relax within the stronghold of this mystical being.

“I think she’s a little delirious on the magic,” Tobias declared.

“No shit,” Pearl and Kae said in unison.

“Better than trying to kill me,” Kane added.

“Good riddance.” Pearl sighed. “You’d be helping reduce the level of pollution in the world by ceasing to exist.”

“You’re a bitch!”

“Tell me something I don’t know?” She sounded amused. “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure to tell Lucinda how much I hate you. That way you’ll lose any chance of getting with her.”

“I-I don’t even like her!”

“Why’d you stutter? Huh? Huh!”

“Get out of my face!”

“Get out of my life!”

The stroking sensation through my hair made me grin happily, and the quiet mutter reached my ears. “Maybe this whole legend thing was wrong. Those two would actually be good together.”

The screaming stopped momentarily, before Kane shouted, “You did not just say we’d be good together?!”

“Are you mad? I’m a wolf shifter! I’m not dealing with this vampire ass. He deserves to love a cactus!” Pearl argued.

“What?! Don’t go trying to jinx me with some bad juju like that! Besides, cacti need a little love here or there.”

“You’re spouting nonsense again,” Pearl said with a sigh.

“Can you guys argue outside? I’m tired here,” Tobias complained.

“You’re living your best damn life all cuddled up with the Princess, and yet you’re tired,” Kane whined. “Jeez. Whatever. I’m spent from all the running we did.”

“Running. You barely fought,” Pearl huffed. “We risked our lives to try not to die back there. Lucinda should be the one to complain about being tired. She did all the kickass killing. Do you hear her complaining?

“She’s asleep!”

“Exactly!” Pearl huffed.

The soft rumble against the surface my head lay upon moved up and down a little slower.

“Oh shit,” Kane whispered.

“What?” Pearl questioned, her voice suddenly soft.

“I think Tobias fell asleep.”

“You’re just realizing that now? Lucinda has been sleeping the whole time, yet you were screaming up a storm!” Pearl hissed.

“So were you!” Kane hissed back.

“What do we do now?” Pearl asked.

“Arana said we could use the bed over there to sleep.”

“I don’t wanna share with you!”

“Don’t need to. I can sleep sitting,” Kane revealed.

“Oh.” Pearl was silent for a moment. “You can have the blanket. I heard vampires run on the colder side.”

“Thanks,” Kane stated.

The room soon was quiet. The soft snoring sound wasn’t as irritating as you’d think. It sparked a soft tingle within me, one that helped me drift back to sleep.

“WHEN YOU SEE them sleeping like this, it reminds me how innocent they are.”

The quiet female voice was very familiar, the high-pitched sound that always delivered a loving feeling with every word of advice she’d gave.

“True. It’s a shame to see Princess Lucinda have to go through such an ordeal before all of this has even begun.” The second voice was a male, a new sound that still carried a speck of familiarity at its core, but my sluggish mind struggled to put a finger on who this individual was.

“Their invites are ready. The headmaster believes they have a promising future ahead.”

“What about the wolf?” the male asked.

“I’ve taken that into consideration. I’m not sure whether she’ll be accepted or not.”

“From what I’ve seen of Princess Lucinda, I doubt she’ll leave the wolf behind.”

“I’m pretty sure about that circumstance. Now, it depends what she says once she’s awakened from her slumber.”

“Arrangements can be made?”

“If they need to be.”

“As for her inheritance?”

“Still secure and in her name. I find it rather stupid for them to believe killing her will somehow allow them to touch the fortune left in her name.”

“The Academy is hers.”

“Yes.”

“Her parents really blessed her.”

“She is their only child. There’s so much hope in her existence, and she could save many of our kind from endless fighting, but she needs to be trained first.”

“You believe the academy can aid her? She’s powerful.”

“Power with a blade and power from knowledge are two different things. She must learn how to interact with her kind and discover more of both spectrums. The princes will help give her a glimpse of their kingdoms and rulings, but it’ll come down to her choosing between what will make her happy versus strengthening one of the sides in this formidable war.”

“You think she can choose between them?”

“It’s obvious she’s drawn to the fae.”

“That’s merely her magic. That can change with time. She seems to like to judge a character based on look and a person’s characteristics. I’m sure she wouldn’t have helped me otherwise.”

“This year will answer that, though we have plenty of time. Unless things get worse between the races.”

“They’re going to learn about her existence rather quickly once she begins classes.”

“With Lucinda’s attitude, I count on it. She’ll make far more enemies than friends.”

“Why do you sound amused?”

“Because it’s exactly what I want for her. She doesn’t need fake friends in her life, let alone fake comrades. Regardless of the academy, whether within or outside its walls, a war is brewing and a leader like her will need to be surrounded by those she can trust. Lucinda will be a dangerous threat, but even she can’t carry all the burdens this world will deliver to her doorstep. She’ll learn that in the long term, but it’s our duty to guide her down the proper path.”

“She’s going to be intrigued about your participation.”

“I promised Lisette I’d protect her. She deserved someone to be looking after her within that sinful place called a church.”

“Hendrick is going to be a pain, isn’t he?”

“He’s already working towards his comeback. When that will happen, I’m unsure, but let us pray we’ll be ready for the aftermath of his trickery.”

“He’s merely a human.”

“And humans are one of the most underrated specimens,” the female whispered. “They lay quietly, allowing the world to assume they are nowhere close to being a threat. By the time their claws are out, it’s too late and we’re facing the consequences. The past is only going to repeat itself. All I’m praying for is that we’ll be ready for it. Lucinda, Tobias, and Kane are the future of their generations.”

“A future that can rise or fall.” He juggled the idea.

“We’ll ensure that doesn’t happen,” she countered.

“Only time will tell.”

“So optimistic.”

“Reality is better than an unachievable dream.”

“Is your way of negative thinking what motivates Leonardo to prove you wrong?”

“Most of the time.” There was a soft chuckle. “I told him he’d never score a date with Lisette.”

“And look what happened,” the woman whispered with amusement. “He married her.”

“And got his revenge by making me his best man. Hmph.”

“It was an honor to serve them,” the woman whispered.

“Just like it’s an honor to guide the Princess,” he declared.

“Shouldn’t you rest? You still look pale from that wound from Hendrick.”

“It’s healed thanks to the Princess’s grace. However, I could use some rest.”

“There’s a secure room next door. Sleep for a little while. I’m sure we’ll have a little more time before we need to be present to explain what’s ahead of us.”

“I’m grateful.” He seemed pleased. “Thank you for your assistance throughout the years.”

“That’s what comrades do,” she assured him. “Even if you’re a negative prick.”

“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that last part.”

The fading footsteps were followed with a sigh. “He’s so blind. I wonder if he’ll ever see it,” she muttered.

My mind began to drift once again, and sleep stole me away from the world.

INVITATION AND BLOODY ACCEPTANCE

The heat was becoming unbearable to sleep in, forcing me to open my eyelids that felt like heavy weights. Aside from my initial sleepiness, my body felt good while my mind was calm and relaxed.

It was an intriguing balance, one I didn’t experience often unless it was Monday. On Mondays we got to sleep in after a day of Sunday practice, church services, and clean up. Noticing the deep, rumbling sound to my left, I followed the sound, only to realize I was sleeping next to the fae from the forest.

Tobias, was it?

He was handsome from afar, but now that I was right up close, he was superbly handsome. The way his lips pouted while he slept peacefully was hot, all while his green locks messily laid around us.

I couldn’t complain since my hair that I’d tied up previously was now loose in a tangled mess. It didn’t bother me much. I never expected to find a man with long hair like this attractive.

My mind was still questioning how I’d gotten all cuddled up in the safety of his embrace, one arm specifically hooked around my waist. I recalled wanting blood and something about kissing a prince, but that didn’t make any sense to me and still didn’t answer how I got here.

In this bed next to this sexy hunk of a fae man. Is this how all fae men look? If so, I’ve been living under a rock. Can I blame myself though? The church is the perfect rock to be locked under. Wait. Is it still my birthday? I don’t think that’s as important. Where are we? That should be the prime question.

Noticing the shift to my right, I looked back only to freeze. My face was inches from Kane’s, the now sleeping vampire from the forest. He didn’t snore like Tobias, not like the majestic sound wasn’t both alluring and calming to listen to.

Now that I had a closer look at him, his skin was similar to my complexion, while Tobias was more tanned, like he stayed out in the sun a lot. His lips were a little redder, like mine, and silver locks were brushed to one side of his face, a few magenta highlights adding to the mix while many stood up like I’d rubbed his head against a pillow extremely fast - creating static that lifted the short strands upwards.

He muttered something about a vampire cutie, followed by him defending himself about not being an idiot. It was both amusing and a little cute, which was rare for me to consider since I didn’t think much of anything was cute.

Intriguing how I’d met these two in the heart of a chase and battle for my life, and I was able to take a few seconds to admire each of them. Neither of them should have had a significant impact on my life, and yet, it felt empowering to suddenly meet the very individuals from a family line that my parents penned down in their letter.

Lying in between two men had me staring at the ceiling in wonder. If I moved, I’d wake them up, but it was getting hotter being sandwiched between them, and after sleeping for who knows how long, I was wide awake.

“Woof!”

I blinked and lifted my head slightly up to see Pearl’s white body sitting on top of a chair. Her tail was wagging excitedly, and the look in her eyes told me one thing.

“Pearl, hold o-”

She leaped into the air, and in seconds crashed onto the bed.

“AH!” The scream came from my left, followed by a thump. My body had moved to the far right of what I was now realizing was a queen sized bed since it was a lot bigger in comparison to the double-sized one I used to share with Pearl until we were old enough to receive our own when a pile of donation beds came into the church.

Noticing the tight hold around my waist, I looked over to see a half-asleep Tobias, his hazy eyes dancing with colors while he frowned deeply.

He looked a little dangerous. His obvious displeasure at being woken up was written all over his face, but he slowly looked at Pearl, who was now rolling around the bed before placing her head in my lap while she panted happily at the two of us.

“Ow! What the hell?” I turned to see Kane get up from the floor, rubbing his back like he was some old man who had bent down the wrong way. “Jeez. Does she shift randomly like that?”

“Isn’t there another full moon today?” I questioned, feeling unsure what time it was. Or day it was.

“Yes,” Kane huffed before he groaned. “No wonder. Jeez. Why are wolves so complicated?”

Pearl turned her head to growl, baring her sharp white teeth and making Kane put his hands up defensively.

“I said nothing. I swear!” he countered, and the look on his face made me grin in mockery.

“You gotta grow some balls, sir,” I teased. His face began to burn red before he crossed his arms and tried to make himself look taller.

“I’m a grown-ass m-”

“WOOF!”

“Oh fuck no, I’m not dying today,” he cursed and was on the other bed, waving a white pillow over his head. “I surrender. Leave me be!”

Now I was giggling, while Pearl stretched and lowered to sit on the bed. She howled in triumph and looked back at me with her enriched pink eyes.

“Good job, Pearl,” I praised. “Glad you’re safe.”

“Woof!” She moved her head to nudge my nose before sniffing next to me. Only now was I reminded about Tobias, and I realized he’d fallen right back to sleep, his head slumping over to rest on my shoulder.

“He went back to sleep?” I was impressed that all the noise and Pearl’s joyous act of playfulness had only disrupted him temporarily. He looked even cuter, and his melodic snoring proved he’d fallen right into the realms of deep sleep.

“That’s Tobias for you. How the hell is he going to be the damn King of the Fae realms if he sleeps through wars?” Kane replied from across the room.

“I’d love to add my opinion to the conversation, but we’re technically all strangers here,” I acknowledged. “Also, how did I get sandwiched between you two?”

My question made Kane blush before he quickly composed himself and shuffled off the bed to return to the right side of our bed.

“You’re the one who woke up out of nowhere and tried to kill me,” he began. Pearl growled, and he flinched and followed up with, “I was being loud and obnoxious because your best friend over there was being overprotective and all, and then you woke up suddenly and tried to kill me with a knife. Pearl told you not to kill me and then you crawled back over to Tobias and made out with him before falling right back to sleep.”

“Oh.” I recapped his explanation in my head before I bobbed my head. “Reasonable response. I can believe that.”

He gave me a pitiful look. “Really? You almost killed me!”

“Sacrifices have to be made in life,” I concurred. “Now why was Tobias on the bed?”

“He was giving you a major energy boost. When we arrived here, you were barely breathing and really disorientated. Pearl had to hold you down until Arana was able to get the IV set for a blood transfusion. Once they took care of the blood loss, they were supposed to get the fae nurse to infuse magic through you at a very slow pace so your body doesn’t overcharge, but none of their nurses were in today. Tobias volunteered to help since he’s the strongest fae here, which required him lying next to you to ease the strain of the transfer,” Kane explained.

“That’s the first time I’ve heard of fae magic transfers,” I admitted.

“If the humans or even half the population knew about them, it wouldn’t be a good thing,” Kane explained, his expression growing serious as he looked away. “This world is full of selfish dicks who care more about power than the respect of life. These tactics are kept secure in royal families only. This place only treats individuals with royal roots.”

“A hospital that only treats royals?” I questioned.

He nodded. “Medical center. It’s not very big, and that’s the reason they didn’t have any fae nurses on duty. Vampires get hurt in stupid shit far more than fae. Not to forget, many of you can heal yourself, like how Tobias healed the twisted wrist that you caused.”

“That wasn’t an accident.” I didn’t even regret the deed. “At least he healed himself.”

“You’re weird.”

“Same to you.” I grinned. “Now, who are you exactly? I remember you saying your name at some point during all that madness, but we were all trying not to die and I’m the forgetful type.”

He didn’t seem fully convinced with my request, but answered, “Kane Mortica. Eighteen, vampire, and future heir of my father’s, Lord Mortica’s, coven. Seeing as you were trapped in some church, you wouldn’t know who that is.”

“It wasn’t like I was trapped like Rapunzel in a tower,” I huffed. “If you’re ten and barely have any memories of your parents or upbringing, it only makes sense to stay where you know there is enough protection to keep you alive until you’re strong enough to defend yourself.”

“Fair enough.” He bobbed his head in understanding, which was nice considering the fact he didn’t look like the serious type. “Tobias. Wake up already.”

“I’m listening,” he muttered. His sleepy voice against my neck made me shiver internally, my insides doing all the flips while my mind was thinking dirty scenarios that weren’t very PG 13.

“Tobias Hart. Eighteen. Prince and future Fae King of the North. Blah blah blah,” he muttered and seemed to hug me tighter. “Lucinda, you smell nice.”

“Uh…thanks?” How else would I answer his compliment? His words were lavishing after what we dealt with earlier today…or yesterday.

“Has twenty-four hours passed?” I inquired.

“It’s the evening,” Kane replied. “So no. Probably eighteen-ish?”

Still my birthday. Guess that’s good.

“What now?” I inquired. “It’s nice to be safe and sound, but I’m supposed to go to some Bloody Academy place.”

“Bloody Rosary Academy,” Kane corrected. “We’re on the property of the academy. The Royal Rosary Medical Centre is where we currently are.”

I looked around the room, noticing how luxurious the theme was for a hospital room. Even the queen-size bed looked a bit too “rich” for the average medical bed where people lie while injured and in need of healing.

“Isn’t this a little too-”

“Rich?” Kane finished my sentence. “Get used to the theme of this world because this is nothing compared to the actual academy.”

“If I’m going to be surrounded by snobby vamps and faes, Pearl and I aren’t going to survive here.” I got right to the obvious.

Stuck up, entitled teenagers were annoying to deal with. We had our share of those when we’d be forced to smile from ear to ear, while the kids and teens that came for mass laughed at us for singing to the Great Almighty. I felt bad for the few guys who helped with the alto section of the choir since the majority of those that teased us like to deem them gay and question their existence in the house of purity.

Annoying as fuck.

What bothered us then was the fact that we couldn’t do anything about it. No defending yourself or teaching them a lesson, unless you actually wanted to get dragged into something that led to false accusations of harassment.

It was a lot more common than you’d expect.

“It’s common,” Tobias mumbled.

Kane smirked. “Common, but easy to take care of with a little punch here and a kick there to shut them up real good.”

Now that sounded more inviting.

“Violence is allowed?”

“Our world is not like the human world where all the laws ensure peace and civil order,” Kane declared. “It’s a lot easier to attack and kill, which is exactly why those douche bags could have gotten away with killing you if you were weak.”

“Thankfully, I’m not,” I assured him. “Tobias?”

“Hmm?”

“Are you done hugging me?”

“Not really,” he mumbled.

“You’re such a hugger,” Kane groaned. “Let go of her already.”

“Hmm.” He seemed to be debating but the growl that came from Pearl made him sigh and remove his arms from my waist. “Sorry.”

“The moment of intimacy isn’t bothering me,” I assured him. “It’s just hot.”

“Oh.” He yawned and stretched his arms up.

God, this man was crafted by the finest tools of Heaven.

He was bulkier than Kane, his build emphasizing his broad shoulders and slim waist. I could see the lines of his muscles when he stretched, and those biceps of his were as fit as ever.

Kane was a slimmer build, but I could see he was fit as well. I figured vampires didn’t need to work out as much due to our swift speed, but it didn’t hurt to lift a few weights.

Lowering his arms, he moved off the bed, which seemed to make the temperature around me drop.

“Now it’s cold,” I muttered in disappointment.

Kane sighed while Tobias chuckled. “I run hot.”

“Mr. Furnace in the fucking winter,” Kane muttered.

Pearl moved over to wrap her furry body around me. She lay her head on my lap while her tail wagged in contentment.

“I’m warm again,” I declared with a grin, and Pearl howled.

“You two are close, huh?” Tobias commented, finally looking awake as he blinked his eyes a few times. They were back to that sunset mix of golds and oranges while he fixed his messy strands by combing his fingers through his long strands.

“Yup.” I nodded. “We’ve known each other since we both arrived at the church. Pearl arrived a few days before me. Been besties ever since. Where I go, she goes.”

Kane and Tobias shared a worried look, enough to alert my senses that some sort of bomb would be dropped on us at any second.

“What?” They might as well let me know now.

“Pearl’s a wolf shifter,” Kane announced like none of us could see the big-ass white wolf wrapped around me. Pearl purposely yawned and began to scratch behind her ear, which only made his statement more foolish.

“Yes, Captain Obvious,” I finally stated. “I think we all see that.”

“No, no,” Kane let out a grunt in annoyance. “She’s a wolf shifter!”

When we both just stared at him, Tobias smirked and added, “Bloody Rosary Academy only allows fae and vampires. Sometimes there’s an exception to the rule, but it’s extremely hard to convince the headmaster to approve of it.”

Oh no…

Pearl lowered her head, immediately whimpering, which made me rub her head.

“Hey, Pearl. Don’t get all sad yet. We’ll just have to talk to the headmaster and see if you’ll be able to attend,” I assured her. “You’re my ride-or-die bitch. You ain’t going anywhere.”

“Woof!” she howled and nestled her head against my stomach.

The knock on the door caught our attention, and we all looked to see three individuals at the doorway.

I immediately recognized Sister Ara, although her new look left me gasping in shock.

“S-Sister Ara!” I practically shrieked, stunned by her red bodysuit, black leather tights with multiple cuts in the front, and her astonishing gold locks. “You’re a blonde?! I swear you had black hair. In fact, I’ve never seen you out of the nun attire in all my life!”

“Woof, woof, woof!” Pearl agreed, now sitting up next to me as her tailed wagged wildly side-to-side in anticipation. She had to be just as mesmerized as I, watching Sister Ara walk into the room with a seductive grin.

Her makeup was on point and she was even wearing red lipstick that popped against her perfectly contoured skin. I noticed the golden crown that sat on her head; the jewel in the middle was pure black.

The similarity made me lift my hand to my own head, relieved that my crown was still sitting right in place.

Sister Ara smiled as she approached the end of the bed. “Good to see you’re well, Lucinda and Pearl. I knew you’d get out just fine.”

“Knew?” I asked.

“Woof?!” Pearl titled her head to the side, blinking her pink eyes before she ruffled her body. Tobias returned to sit on the edge of my left side while Kane sat on the right. Her words made it seem like we were missing something.

Alexander was the next to walk in, and he wore a completely white suit with a bright red tie. His dark red hair was perfectly combed back, not a strand out of place. He looked like he was about to attend some exclusive dinner, and not enter this apparent hospital room for rich royals.

“It’s a pleasure to see you again, Princess,” he greeted. “Thank you once again for your kindness.” He bowed and rose up to give me a charming smile.

“You’re welcome,” I quietly replied, nervous about what this was all about. He bobbed his head in respect in Pearl’s direction before he moved to stand on Ara’s left side.

They deliberately left a space in the middle and I knew it was for the final woman who walked into the room.

One look at this woman and all you could do was get lost in her significant attractiveness. It was like seeing those glamorous models in magazines that we weren’t supposed to look at.

She had long blond hair that tinted to red, and her skin was a lovely caramel, like Pearl’s. Her eyes were white while the circles around her irises were red, a combination I’d never seen before, and one that was a little scary at first glance.

Her hair was in bountiful curls that reached her waist, and she wore a black gown covered with rhinestones. On her shoulders rested a red cape, and the glittering, sparkling crown that sat on her head glimmered under the dim lights of the room.

She reached the spot between Arana and Alexander, clapping her hands twice to make the lights go up to their peak brightness. The sudden shift made me squint my eyes, but they adjusted quickly and centered on the commanding woman whose company demanded our utmost attention.

“Lucinda Delphine. Tobias Hart. Kane Mortica.” The woman specifically looked at the three of us, her eyes seemingly judging our overall appearances. I felt the growing tension in the room, and I didn’t need to be touching either of the men to notice their rigid positions as they sat a little taller in attention.

I had to fight not to do the same; the vibes rolling off of her made it hard to ignore the subconscious task.

Pearl growled then as if making her presence known to the woman. She eyed Pearl, the venom in her eyes enough to leave Pearl whimpering the next second.

That wasn’t going to sit well with me.

“This is Pearl Indigo,” I introduced. “She’s my best friend and practically a sister to me. I don’t like you purposely ignoring her.”

“You do realize, child, that other shifters are not allowed on these premises.”

“I do not,” I truthfully replied, my voice as thick with authority as hers was. “Regardless of rules that were not laid upon me when I unconsciously arrived here, my friend is one of the reasons why I arrived here safely, and her presence and importance will not be ignored. Even by you.”

I felt Tobias’s and Kane’s eyes on me, but my narrowed eyes were locked with this woman’s. She may be stronger than me and I could have just screwed up my chances of finding some sort of safe haven in this academy that my parents penned for me to search for, but I couldn’t stand Pearl being disrespected.

What makes fae or vampires superior to wolves? Just because they lost in a war, they’re suddenly garbage. I can only imagine what humans feel like. No matter. This situation isn’t an act of rank or position. This is some sort of introduction and she deserves to be a part of it.

Kane leaned in to whisper in my ear, “Lucinda! She’s the headmaster!”

“I don’t care if she’s the President of the Fae Vampire world,” I huffed back. “There are four of us here. Not three!”

My hissing made Pearl whimper again and she tried to move away from my hold, but I purposely kept her in place.

“Pearl.” My voice was hard as stone. “Sit next to me where you belong,” I declared. Pearl’s worried pink eyes looked my way, their glassy appearance making it seem as though she was about to cry.

She lowered to my side once again, and I returned my eyes to the apparent headmaster.

“I’m beyond grateful for the kindness you, your professional comrades, and this facility offered me when I couldn’t fend for myself. However, if Pearl, a supernatural like the rest of us, cannot be a part of this mutual conversation, I’ll have no choice but to make my swift exit. I may have grown up in a church full of humans and lack the teachings of your kind, but I learned before my orphan years from my parents that everyone upon this planet and supernatural universe were created equally. We’re all living souls, sent down to have a chance in this world of possibility. We are all given the opportunity to rise or fall. Our fate in regard to our shifter trait is out of our hands unless put in a situation that changes that path to another. No matter what the past circumstance, it shouldn’t determine our worth to one another. If this was a supernatural to human interaction, I’d respect your concerns and reasoning, but a wolf is only different by their shape and the sharpness of their teeth. They still fall into the realm of supernatural creatures in the encyclopedia of blessed creations of the supernatural. Therefore, it’s only right to include her in our conversation until the rules are laid upon us. Then, she and I can make the choice to disobey them.”

My long explanation made Tobias chuckle, and I slowly looked over at him to see the pride in his expression.

“She’s right, Headmaster Wei,” Tobias defended. “It’s nice to see even with captive circumstances that she’s done research about our kind without anyone asking for her to. From what I was told, the libraries within the church are off-limits to everyone but the priest and professors of the gospel. Therefore, she had to have gone there secretly to obtain knowledge. Takes guts to defy the rules of the church, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Hold on, you snuck into the libraries?” Kane questioned, completely ignoring the tension in the situation. I rolled my eyes and looked at him.

“How else would I possibly get enough knowledge to do the spell work I did back there?” I questioned. “If you think Pearl and I would dare be helpless supernaturals in a church like that, you really underestimated us at first glance. As I said before, I don’t recall my memories prior to entering the church. A few notable lessons from them or tiny glimpse of my past, yes, but details and childhood memories others would cherish are wiped from my mind. I learned everything from studying with Pearl, and she did exactly the same thing. And I’ll add, she can use intense magic like any other mage or witch.”

I caught onto Sister Ara’s smile, and even Alexander was looking prideful at my words as he kept his eyes closed but had a tiny smirk on his lips.

Returning my gaze to Headmaster Wei, I bowed my head slightly in respect before adding, “Thank you for allowing me to speak what needed to be said. I’ll patiently wait for your answer here, or I can happily go outside and wait for your decision.”

“That won’t be necessary,” she huffed, and I worried I’d truly pissed her off. Bracing for her wrath, we all caught her approving smile as she nodded her head.

“You were correct, Ara and Alex. She does well under pressure. Excellent.”

Huh? Wait. Were they testing me?

“My name is Wei Lyn. At this academy, we refer to anyone of professional rank by the title followed by their first name. Therefore, I’m known as Headmaster Wei.”

She clapped her hands once, a red fan popping into existence. She grabbed it before it could fall from the gravitational pull, flicking her wrist to point to Arana.

“This is Professor Ara, also known as Arana or Sister Ara in the lower realms.” Before I could ask about the lower realms, her fan moved over to the other side. “This is Professor Alex or Alexander.”

She opened up the folded fan, starting the motion of fanning herself as she carried forth.

“Before we begin.” She looked to Pearl and gave a saucy grin, her white eyes glinting with magic. “Pearl Indigo. Though it’s against common rules here at Bloody Rosary Academy and the property surroundings its formidable foundation, I’ll accept your participation in this conversation out of respect for Lucinda Delphine. Do you understand?”

“WOOF!” She happily sat up before bowing her head in thanks.

Then she began to lick my face in pure happiness.

That made Professor Ara giggle and Professor Alex snicker.

“Wolf shifters are so honest in their animal forms,” Headmaster Wei muttered, but still looked pleased with Pearl’s excitement.

I was grinning widely, secretly proud of myself for taking a stance against an authoritative figure like the Headmaster. Glancing over to Tobias, I noticed his wink and approving grin, which further encouraged me.

Glancing over to Kane, he shared in the relief of the situation and leaned over to whisper, “Sorry.”

I shook my head. “Nothing to apologize for.”

We returned our attention forward, knowing that we were going to shift over to serious talk.

“Let me be the first to officially welcome you to the lands of Bloody Rosary. I won’t go into the details of the name of this place, but if you accept your invites to Bloody Rosary Academy, you’ll learn about the background of these bloody roots. Your arrival was certainly predicted, but I’m impressed that the four of you decided to follow Alexander’s guidance. Risks in many directions, especially from the two of you.” Her last comment was directed to Tobias and Kane.

“I’m curious as to how you knew about Lucinda’s departure from the church?”

Tobias took the opportunity to reply first, “I received notice from my father’s second-in-command that the sole Princess of Delphine would be departing the safety of the Vatican. He immediately shared his concerns about the decision and quickly confirmed that there was no reinforcements sent to aid in her security. Due to the number of sources popping up about a reward being posted for her capture, I followed their instructions to get down here as soon as possible. We knew of the Princess’s existence as a legend in the beginning, but that obviously turned into a reality today. I was informed of important facts to know upon arriving down here from the fae lands.”

Headmaster Wei nodded and looked to Kane, waiting for his reply.

“I came on my own accord.” Kane’s response was so cut short, we all seemed to glance his way. When he didn’t add anything else, we looked back to Headmaster Wei, who shrugged.

“Fair enough.”

My curiosity was impatient to learn more of his reasoning, not satisfied with the simple statement versus Tobias’s, but I’d try to gain more information later.

If we’re even going to stick around one another, depending on the next turn of events.

“I’m pleased that the both of you acted upon notification or instinct,” she said with pride. Her eyes landed on me, beaming with respect.

“Lucinda Delphine, how did you know about the existence of Bloody Rosary Academy?”

“It was written in a penned letter from my parents,” I replied honestly. “It’s the reason why I’m wearing this tiara and cape.”

She nodded in understanding, seemingly pleased that I’d followed the instructions.

“Excellent,” she approved. “That not only proves your obedience and pride to your family’s legacy but assures me that you’re one to follow your instincts, which is important here.”

She looked to Pearl. “I’m going to assume due to the full moon you’ll be unable to shift back to your human form until the morning?”

“Woof!” she replied, which I translated. “Negative, Headmaster.”

She waited for me to provide an answer, which I followed up with, “She doesn’t have spare clothes. She must have used them at some point.”

That was the only reason why Pearl would stay in her wolf form when she looked healthy and rejuvenated now. With the guys around, she wouldn’t shift back, especially when she didn’t fully trust them to that extent.

“Ah,” she replied with a bob of her head. “That can be fixed once this is over.”

Looking at each of us, she closed her fan and crossed her arms over her chest.

“What the four of you just experienced was a glimpse of the scenarios you may deal with if you agree to enroll in Bloody Rosary Academy,” she announced.

“Are you trying to say that all of that was on purpose?” I inquired.

“Yes and no,” Headmaster Wei answered, glancing over to Professor Ara, who nodded and carried on, “We were obviously aware of the whispers about Lucinda’s departure. Obviously, with my involvement in Lucinda’s and Pearl’s lives, I was one of the first to know of the threat. As one who works for the Delphine family, it’s my duty, as well as Alexander’s, to assist with security measures. However, in the world of the supernatural, we had to test Lucinda to ensure she could handle the threat that hovers over her head.”

Professor Alexander nodded.

“My interaction with Hendrick was not planned but seemed to work out marvellously during this test for it showed our Princess is not as cold-hearted as many would believe. At this academy, you are trained to kill and spill the blood of your enemies, but to carry compassion like our Mother Mary who we pray to with the beads of thou Rosary. Murder is commonly known as a sin, but in the land of vampires, fae, wolf shifters, and various other supernaturals, those commandments are broadened significantly. To kill unnecessarily is frowned upon, but getting rid of a life after yours is threatened wrongfully grants you more leeway. Our intention of not interfering was to see if you’d cower in fear or fight even with uneven odds. Both you and Pearl handled the turn of events accordingly well, and seeing Tobias and Kane follow suit with the interference and collaboration proved the four of you would be a good fit for B.R.A.”

“Then we basically passed a test we didn’t know about?” Kane clarified.

“Yes.” Professor Ara nodded. “Bloody Rosary always has an entrance exam, but our school never follows the standards of other schools and learning institutes. Doing something unique and out of the norm is an example of how our world functions when you graduate. All royal parents are informed of B.R.A. and normally prepare you to dive into the challenge without your knowledge.”

“Including yours, Lucinda,” Headmaster Wei added. “Even with them not here with us, they were confident no matter your upbringing, you’d have a fair chance at getting into B.R.A.”

“Then…did we pass?” I asked.

Headmaster Wei looked between Professor Ara and Professor Alexander. The three of them nodded in agreement, their approving smiles setting off a wave of relief.

“Yes. You passed the entrance exam,” Headmaster Wei confirmed.

Glancing over at Tobias, she continued. “Do you have a question or concern, Tobias?”

We looked to Tobias, noticing his concerned look.

“I understood the uniqueness of the exam, but were we assessed equally?” Bringing up fair play made sense to me, especially if this was some sort of exam to test our abilities. “Kane and I rushed here without much struggle. We did have a bit of confrontation with some humans, but nothing we couldn’t handle. I feel as though Lucinda and even Pearl had the big bulk of the burden within this hidden examination and deserve the most credit.”

Headmaster Wei grinned, nodding her head in understanding while Tobias explained his side of things. Kane raised his hand just slightly, looking as though he, too, had something to add.

“As much as I love to win things easily, I’ll side with Tobias on this one,” Kane noted. “Was the journey down here a little tedious? Yes, but I agree that Lucinda and Pearl went through hell, especially Lucinda with the kill rate you guys had talked about earlier when she was unconscious.”

Kill rate? Maybe that means the number of humans and supernaturals that perished by me.

“You both have made valid points, and it’s rather noble of you considering this chance to enter B.R.A. is once in a lifetime.”

What?

I was going to question her comment, but Professor Alexander answered my questions, “Bloody Rosary Academy isn’t offered to just anyone. Obviously, it is for those of royal heritage, but it is offered to chosen individuals once. There are no second shots or invites given to those who do not act accordingly. If they fail the test given to them, they will not receive another. They’ll carry forth with whatever they were doing in life and receive a letter of rejection when the testing period is up. This cannot be appealed.”

“To add,” Professor Ara interjected. “Remember that all hands are not made equal. The same goes for teamwork. The objective of being thrown into working alongside one another isn’t for the sake of proving who is more powerful or distributing your talents equally. The two of you were strangers to Lucinda and Pearl but aided them along the way. Lucinda wouldn’t have had enough stamina left to reach the portal, let alone survive the lack of blood and drop of magic.”

Headmaster Wei clapped her hands, and four red envelopes appeared before her. Floating towards us, we watched the golden seal flick open, the fold of the glossy red paper lifting up and revealing the gold foil interior of the envelope.

A folded black paper pulled out from all four of them, unraveling to reveal the massive words “Bloody Rosary Academy” in golden cursive.

“In a team, everyone has their purpose, whether it’s big or small. That is what you’ll learn throughout your years in B.R.A., if you accept the invitation presented to you,” Headmaster Wei affirmed. “These are your invites. As Headmaster of this royal school, I offer you this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to join a world of luxury, opportunity, and many chances to show your capability as supernaturals.”

Glancing at each of us once more, she declared, “This world you have entered is not for the faint of the heart. It was not created to pamper you. Yes, there are rules to be followed, but you are required to defend yourselves, or one another, if trouble heads your way. Once you sign these invites, you will be allowed to rest here tonight and tomorrow you will be introduced to this new world. Those who care for you will be informed of your acceptance via official letter and will only be informed of your death if you do not make it through the next four years. You will be trained by some of the strongest supernaturals this world has to offer and get the chance to mingle with other potential princes and princesses of the realms. Bloody Rosary Academy will be challenging, and you’ll shed blood, sweat, and tears. However, you will reap generous rewards and this academy will answer any questions that linger in the depths of your souls.”

The questions within our souls. Does that mean I’ll find out exactly what happened to my parents?

My eyes locked on Headmaster Wei’s as if she could hear my words. Her wise eyes seemed to give me the confirmation I secretly sought, and my gut told me this invitation could change everything.

I had nothing else to lose. There was no designated home for me to go to. My parents had left their most treasurable items with the penned note that proved that these individuals within this room were people I could trust.

People who would lead me to the right path of my destiny.

No matter the challenges or potential struggles, I’d at least figure out what I’m meant to do in this world. Money was one thing, but having a purpose to follow in a vast world like this was more important to me, and being given temporary shelter, food, guidance, and the ability to make new connections in a world I knew only from literature was a bargain I could not refuse.

It would be a foolish mistake to walk away from this golden opportunity.

Glancing over at Pearl, I noticed her eyes that stared back at me. One look told me she’d go along with whatever I decided, and her loyalty only made the decision to go through with this grow stronger.

Returning my eyes on the letter before me, I reviewed the letters that began to emerge in cursive gold.

LUCINDA DELPHINE.

You have passed the preliminary exam of Bloody Rosary Academy.

This invite is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to attend this academy of the blood of our immaculate rosary. Signing this document proves your acceptance of attendance, and you will start your transition upon the next day.

Do you accept this invitation? If so, sign below with your blood.

THERE WAS no hesitation as I lifted my finger to my sharp fang, pinching the spot that began to bleed. Signing with my finger, I watched my blood begin to glow gold as I completed the swirling process of signing my signature on the dotted line.

Moving my finger away, I stared at the final product and let out the breath I was holding. The nudge to my side made me look at Pearl.

“Oh.” One look made me realize she’d have a little difficulty signing. “Does a bloody paw print count?” I asked while my finger began to heal.

“We’ll allow it to count for today,” Headmaster Wei replied.

“Woof!” Pearl replied and offered her paw to me. I quickly sliced the middle part of her paw, surprised she didn’t even flinch from the pain.

We waited for enough blood to pool along the area before she pressed it to the sheet of paper. Once it was registered against the paper, I helped her heal the wound.

After making sure Tobias and Kane’s pages were signed, my attention returned to Headmaster Wei.

“Your invites have officially been accepted. May I officially welcome you to Bloody Rosary Academy.”

Professor Ara and Professor Alexander began to clap as we watched the letters ignite into red and golden flames. Their ashes burst into sparks of blue and orange, raining down upon us.

“There’s one more thing we still have to do,” Headmaster Wei announced, specifically peering my way. Opening her fan with a flick of her wrist, she waved her hand from left to right, the wind triggering a wave of red smoke.

We watched in anticipation until my eyes widened in question while I looked back up to see Headmaster Wei’s pride-filled smile.

“Seeing as your performance was rather spectacular for your age and circumstance, Lucinda, I figured it would be nice to reward you with a little treat.”

Pearl howled in delight while Tobias and Kane moved off the bed to stand on the sides of Professor Ara and Professor Alexander.

“Seriously?” I questioned. “This is for me?”

Looking down at the cake before me, I counted the eighteen candles that burned brightly on the golden cake with red icing. The words HAPPY EIGHTEENTH BIRTHDAY were written in red, and the beads of a rosary wrapped around the words with the cross at the very bottom of the circular creation.

“Yes,” Headmaster Wei replied. “Your parents contributed a lot to our growth and are one of the reasons why this school remains where it is. The least we can do is celebrate the day of your birth that brought nothing but happiness to their lives.”

The others nodded and together, they said, “Happy Birthday, Lucinda!”

I looked at Tobias and Kane, the two of them beaming with happiness. We still barely knew each other, but to see their excitement in celebrating my birthday was extremely rewarding.

“Blow out your candles,” Tobias encouraged.

“And don’t forget to make a wish!” Kane emphasized.

“WOOF!” Pearl agreed with them, and I actually giggled.

“Thank you, everyone,” I replied and closed my eyes.

Please. Let me find my path on this new journey at Bloody Rosary Academy.

With my silent wish, I blew out the candles and knew that today was the start of something divine.

UNEXPECTED SHIT

“LUCINDA! Did you see the kitchen? No, the washroom! No, the BEDROOM! OH! Is that a closet? An individual closet?! We can fit a car in here!”

“That’s a pantry, Pearl,” I corrected her, unable to hide my broad grin as I watched her astonishment as she raced around the miniature castle we’d been assigned to.

“PANTRY?! Its triple the size of our bedroom closet! You’re saying this stores food? It can be the gateway to Narnia! I should check!”

She went right in, and I helplessly shook my head at her ecstatic behavior. Could I even blame her? Never in my life would I ever have thought we’d be residing in a golden castle as a “dorm home” for educational purposes.

Today was a new day, our first at Bloody Rosary Academy, and we were given the opportunity to look around what would be our home for the next four years.

We’d received our documentation, identification, and uniforms, and the goal of touring our home was to give time for Professor Ara and Professor Alexander to gather our entry packages.

They would arrive here to explain the details of our entry, seeing as this institution didn’t have the standard new student orientation. I had the feeling that this school would be completely different from any standard learning institution, which didn’t frighten me one bit.

I loved the idea of change, especially when it came to an environment of learning. It would help us grow faster, and it was always rewarding to overcome a challenge that’s purposely created to trip you up a bit.

Deciding to let Pearl be, I walked towards the stairs, heading to the spiral masterpiece of golden cement and decorative red and purple pieces of art that were framed in gold.

We hadn’t received the full tour of the property yet, and I was mesmerized by the fine details of artwork across the places we’d been so far. The medical center followed a similar theme, their hospital’s rooms reminding me of rich hotels.

I’d questioned how they handled operations or situations where blood loss was imminent, but Professor Ara had explained that everything was stain- and liquid-proof and the floors of the medical center were created to absorb the excess and recycle it.

The new blood was then sent down to the lower realms, which I found out was what they liked to call the human realm.

That thought process was still something Pearl and I were getting used to. Apparently, we weren’t necessarily in the same realm as we had been only yesterday. The world consisted of different realms, some secured with magic barriers and others only accessible by portals of magic.

The world where the fae lived was above the current realm we were in. This realm was created specifically to harbor this school. The realm of vampires was below, and that was where many of the vampire covens resided.

It was like having three layers of existence, all replicating the common attributes of the earth with momentous pieces such as the white house, Eiffel Tower, and other significant landmarks that everyone knew of, and yet they decorated each in a different theme entirely.

I’d admit that it was hard to envision, but it would only be a matter of time before we’d be introduced to those new worlds.

Reaching the second floor, I looked through the various rooms. I didn’t pause until I reached the final bedroom at the end of the hall. There were four on this floor, all having master status as they all had their own individual bathrooms that were the size of the bedroom Pearl and I had shared for the last eight years.

My bathroom was amazing, from the marble tub to the rectangular glass shower that had a ceiling shower head. The decorative tile floors apparently came with a heated function, while the shower had a mist button for when you needed a little more privacy.

I could see how sexy that would be to use during some fun times.

Walking back into the bedroom, I looked at the queen-sized bed that was dressed with red satin sheets and a thick red-and-gold comforter. The curtains followed a similar theme that gave royal vibes, but I found the golden bat silhouettes against the dark red fabric pretty cute.

There was a walk-in closet. We’d removed our luggage from the magical void and given them to Professor Alexander, who’d tucked them in to one corner. This must have been the room I’d been designated.

Not like it mattered much.

This space was practically half the dorm hall of the church, and the idea of having my own room seemed like a blessing in itself.

I still thought about what had occurred the night before, and how all of it seemed to be a part of a test was intriguing. Especially since many were still trying to find my location after I’d apparently been kidnapped, from what Professor Ara had reported after receiving an update from a lookout down on the lower realms.

I wasn’t necessarily worried about my safety here, seeing as I could handle myself, but Headmaster Wei had ensured that due to my acceptance into Bloody Rosary Academy, all students were secure within these walls.

“So you are up here.”

I turned around to see Tobias at the door, and I slowly soaked up his broad, bare chest. It was a little surprising since we hadn’t even settled in this place, but I’d never been around men during their downtime, so maybe they were more comfortable without shirts, like girls were in just their underwear within a safe space.

Does this place count, though?

“If you’re wondering where my shirt is, Kane ruined it,” he commented as he moved off from leaning against the doorway to walk into my room.

“Kane went with you to the fae lands?” I inquired, a little shocked by the idea. Both Tobias and Kane had requested to go home to get a few items, not having prepared to be a part of a learning institution for the next four years.

They had mentioned that neither of their parents or family members would be home, therefore they would not be able to share the fact that they had indeed passed and were now attending the academy.

From how they mentioned it, I felt like it was a real big deal to many supernaturals, and an honor for their child to be accepted into a school like this. A part of me wished that my parents were alive to see me accomplish what I never expected would have been a test for admission, but wherever they were, hopefully they would be given the opportunity to see my accomplishments.

I wondered if Pearl felt the same. I wouldn’t be able to get my answer until later today, which only reminded me that we weren’t going to share rooms anymore now that we were assigned one each.

That’s going to be something to get used to.

“Yes,” Tobias answered. “It was a quick snap of our fingers and our items were in our luggage and we were back here in no time.”

“You couldn’t say farewell to your parents then?” I inquired to make sure.

“Nah.” Tobias walked over to stand before me. “They’re busy ruling and such. Didn’t have time to see me off.”

I frowned at his commentary. “From your introductions from yesterday, you’re Prince of the uh…”

“North,” he replied. “My parents are King and Queen of the Northlands. In legends, the fae are normally distinguished by Court or Season.”

“But now your based off a directional plane?” I inquired.

“Sort of,” he admitted. “It’s complicated. Fae live for so long they start changing stuff that doesn’t need to be changed, and, well, it becomes a pain to change back since everyone adapts to it. I feel as though we’ll return to Courts or something, but that’s up to my parents and the three other kings and queens to figure out.”

“Does that mean you’re going to take your father’s place when he’s ready for you to take the throne, or is it more of an age requirement?” I inquired.

“A bit of both,” he replied. “You don’t know much about the Fae realms, do you?”

“I know only the basics from books, and they can’t guarantee me the truth,” I reasoned.

“Hmm.” He looked deep in thought for a second. “Would you want to get a glimpse of it if we get some spare time?”

“Wouldn’t that be against the rules?” I inquired. “Not like we know all of them.”

“There’s nothing wrong with us venturing out of the school realm. It’s at our own risk, but if we inform them the reason for our departure and they approve of it, we’ll be guarded.”

“Is that what happened with you guys?” I inquired.

“Sort of,” he replied. “We went with Alexander. The security that follows are in stealth mood, so they don’t draw attention, from how Alexander explained it. Enemies and even some humans would be able to sense their lingering approach, so they wouldn’t attack us foolishly. It’s almost like having that crawling feeling that someone is watching you.”

“That makes sense.” I looked around the room while I thought about it. “Why would you want to show me, though? Don’t I supposedly owe you for helping me out yesterday after my escape plan went south?”

“Your escape plan with Pearl didn’t go south,” he argued. “You were surrounded by random individuals filled with greed who wanted nothing but to capture you for benefit. Surely a few just wanted you dead. To be fair, that’s not something you can prepare for, especially in your circumstance where this world is rather new to you.”

“Aren’t you a little too kind to me?”

“Should I treat you differently?” he countered.

“I’m a bit skeptical when it comes to meeting new people.”

“Because you were in a sheltered environment that broke your trust before you could be considered a teen?”

“You make it sound as though you’ve experienced exactly that,” I commented.

“You’d be surprised what one endures behind closed doors, regardless of their status or wealth.” His soft voice made me want to poke into the topic more, but I held myself back.

It wasn’t my business, or at least, we weren’t that close for us to suddenly dive into our personal lives.

“You realize we’ll potentially be a team for a solid four years,” I pointed out. “Are you okay with being around a wolf shifter and a hybrid?”

“It never bothered me to begin with,” he replied, returning his attention to me. “Plus, you’re attractive.”

“Smooth.” I smirked.

“I was being serious.” He smiled back.

“I have a fae question,” I decided to ask.

“Shoot,” he encouraged.

“Why am I so attracted to you?” I inquired, not afraid of being rather truthful with my question. “Fae have many qualities, attractiveness being one of the strongest points that makes us uniquely different from other supernatural races. We can heal significantly fast with our rooted magic, which makes us a major threat against vampires and even wolves, who carry similar healing properties. We have some sort of glamour, but that’s a harder skill to achieve on a regular basis and takes years to master. Those are some of the many qualities and factors that run in our supernatural makeup, but faes aren’t normally attracted to one another unless they are mate potential.”

“You already answered your own question,” he replied.

When I gave him a blank stare, he chuckled. The sound was soft and made my toes curl.

“You seriously don’t recall any of your childhood memories?”

“Barely any. A few glimpses here and there, but I only see them in my dreams instead of as a flicker of thought.”

“Then you don’t remember me or Kane,” he concluded.

“Wait. We’ve met before?”

“As kids, yes,” he replied. “We’re all the same age, so I believe it was when we were six or seven. I’d have to ask Kane.”

“Our families knew each other?”

“Your parents are the ones who helped us become the two strongest supernatural races,” he revealed. “It’s exactly why you were sought after the moment you got out of the church’s protection.”

“If my parents were that powerful, why would they leave me at a human church in the Vatican?”

“The Vatican holds the most powerful and guarded churches in the world. Don’t let the fragile appearance of their holy walls fool you. It’s easy to think of them as weak when you’re within, but they’re the reason you’re still alive. They made a deal with your parents, knowing well after the establishment of our kind being the top two in the previous war that they would become targets. When the war occurred, all three of our mothers were pregnant and fighting alongside our fathers.”

“S-Seriously? They fought a war while being pregnant. Isn’t that a tad strenuous? Dangerous? Risky?”

“Did you know the winning blow of the war was by your mother, and the true culprit was a little being in her belly that decided she wanted in on the diabolical fun of bloodshed?”

I stared at him with wide eyes, registering what he was hinting. “You’re not saying the unborn baby in the womb, me, had something to do with it.”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying.” He casually stretched his arms. “It’s recorded in the books on the war with pictures, but I don’t have access to my parent’s library back home when they aren’t around, and I’m sure the same is true for Kane.”

“Why would it be difficult to read up about it?”

“Both sides hide the details of the confrontation on purpose. Normally, only royals or highly ranked vampires and fae would have access, but due to your parents’ deaths it was agreed to have the information locked away and only available for the kings and queens in power. Their children may only have access in their presence and even then, we have to swear by magic not to use any information gathered with malicious intentions to hurt the opposing kind or our own.”

“What happens if they try?”

“The rulers of the land will find out and that’s basically the end of that. From what I’ve heard, the punishment is either having your memories wiped out or death.”

I frowned at the first part, wondering if I’d dealt with such a circumstance seeing as I barely recalled my past.

“You haven’t endured such,” he announced.

“How do you know?” I inquired.

“This is just a hunch from what I recalled of a conversation my parents had when I was little. Barely remember it, but I think you witnessed your parent’s death.”

“I did?”

Surely, I would have remembered something as traumatic as that, wouldn’t I?

“Do you project your thoughts out on purpose?” he inquired.

“You can read my thoughts?”

“Another fae trait.”

“So we’re just super beings of mass destruction,” I concluded.

His playful smirk was followed with, “To answer your previous thought, traumatic events could trigger memory loss, especially when you’re younger. Those who go against the rules that have their memories wipe are blacklisted from having future access, and all royal families are informed to ensure they don’t try and acquire knowledge from other family libraries. Your name isn’t on that very short list.”

“Relieving,” I replied. “I have a lot to learn.”

“We have four years to do just that.”

“I don’t think I’ll get the privilege to learn,” I noted. “We almost got killed before I could even enroll.”

“We won’t know until it happens. No point in worrying about it.”

“You have an easy-going side, but I feel you’re the serious type in comparison to Kane.”

“Kane acts dumb on purpose half the time,” Tobias acknowledged. “He’s been like that since we were kids.”

“Aren’t you two supposed to be enemies?” I inquired. “You act like friends.”

“Our parents raised us to see each other as equals and not mortal enemies like other families. We’re best friends, even if the rest of the world hates it. He normally has my back and comes to my aid when I need it. We notified one another when we got the warning, which was why we appeared together.”

“Were you prepared to attend Bloody Rosary?”

“Somewhat. It’s not something you can prepare for. It’s an academy that revolves around the unexpected. That’s where it gets its name from. There’s a religious aspect to it, but I feel that’s a way to make humans believe it’s a Catholic academy for special students. No matter what realm, schools have to be registered. I think it’s just a persona. I would like to know the history of the school though. I think Bloody Rosary is a unique title to give an academy.”

“Agreed,” I replied.

I then ducked, avoiding the piece of clothing that hit Tobias in the face.

“Stop sporting your goods across the house like we’ve moved in!” Kane grumbled.

“If you’re jealous I’m sexier than you, just say so,” Tobias replied. “I know you’re jealous of our growing connection.”

I looked over my shoulder to see Kane at the doorway.

“Hey, Kane,” I greeted. “Do you act stupid on purpose?”

He gave me a look but entered the room. “That’s a rhetorical question, right?”

“Nope,” I replied. “I was genuinely asking,”

“Sounds like a rhetorical question,” Kane concluded and Tobias sighed.

“See? Acts stupid on purpose.”

“Hey!” Kane huffed.

“Where’s Pearl?” I decided to ask. “I thought you two would be arguing.”

“We were, and now she’s eating ice cream.”

“There’s ice cream?” I inquired. “We didn’t go shopping for ice cream.”

“Ah,” they said in unison before Tobias followed up with, “There’s a special mechanical device downstairs that looks like a microwave. You press what you want, and it’ll make it for you.”

“Pearl was arguing that a machine couldn’t create a tub of strawberry shortcake with ice cream covered in sprinkles. I proved her wrong, and she’s enjoying the tub all by herself in the pantry.”

“I’m not even surprised.” I laughed. “That’s amazing though. The only time we have a good dinner is during Christmas and Easter since we get a lot of food donations. If not, it’s the classic beans and rice combo.”

“The church treats you guys that poorly?” Tobias questioned.

“Are you referring to the fact they rape most of the kids during confession, or to the cold food they give us unless there’s an inspection and they have to look like they’re giving us the best chance at life?” I compared, following up with, “Or the lack of clothing, let alone undergarments, and the very pitiful amount of allowance we receive once a year. It took me at least three years to buy myself and Pearl lingerie, and another year for decent clothes. The hand-me downs they give us are usually infested with blood stains or bed bugs, while the nicer clothes go to them; they hide them to bring home for their own families. My first year of allowance went to buying magically infused clothes that can’t be taken off, and I was, what? Eleven? That should prove just how dangerous it is to a child’s innocence. The amount of money they receive from the government before the offerings could be enough to allow us three-course meals every day of the year and yet they keep it all to themselves. If it was my way, I’d cut them off entirely because they don’t deserve a damn penny, let alone the role of priests and nuns that are supposed to protect us. The only person I trusted was Sister Ara, who acted naive but was always there for us when we actually needed her. We learned to grow up fast not because of our circumstances and losing our parents, but because of the sick, twisted men who hide their secrets of impurity with white gowns and words from the sacred bibles.”

The two of them were silent, the looks in their eyes proving that they weren’t expecting me to ramble off like I had.

“It feels good to finally say it in words rather than whisper it behind closed doors with a wall of magic protection to shield us from getting in trouble. It feels even more amazing to be away from that place and free to make our own decisions like attending an academy that will finally feed our curiosity without risking punishment from those who underestimate our potentials.”

Turning around, I headed for the door. “Anyway, I’m gonna go stop Pearl before she finishes the tub and complains tomorrow that she gained ten pounds on the scale.”

A hand stopped me from moving further, wrapping around my right hand. Looking back, I expected to see Tobias, but it was Kane who stared at me with serious eyes. They were burning red with dissatisfaction that sent shivers through me.

In a sexual way.

“You’re telling me this whole time that they’ve been provided millions from your family’s legacy to keep you safe, and they’ve been treating you like some sort of slave and sexually abusing the orphans?”

“Yes,” I calmly replied. “Don’t go telling me no one knows about this. Sister Ara had to help prevent us from getting mixed up in all of that, but she didn’t have the authorization or power to stop it. I didn’t know my parents had left millions for them to ensure we were taken care of. Guess no one decided to follow up without a notice.”

Kane said nothing before he let go of my hand and was out of the room in a split second. I slowly looked over to Tobias, noticing his disapproving frown.

“Where is he going and was it something I said?”

“It’s everything you said about your livelihood with Pearl for the last eight years, and I’m rather positive he’s going to do something about what you just explained.”

“What is Kane going to do to stop a huge organization hiding in the church from abusing children?”

Tobias walked up to me and suddenly moved a few strands of my hair out of my face. The way his lips curled up and his wondrous jeweled eyes sparkled was going to make me forget what I was even asking if I stayed within his personal space. I took a step back. “Stop using your sexy juju on me.”

His smirk widened, and he whispered, “If we could get revenge and retrieve every dollar donated to the Vatican Rose Church, what would we get in return?”

I actually laughed, loudly and for a solid minute. I didn’t answer until tears were streaming down my face.

“If there was any possibility that you and Kane, two eighteen-year-olds, could just waltz in and reclaim all the money my family had donated to ensure my safety and royal upbringing was kept in place, I’d date the both of you for shits and giggles.”

His smirk widened to a deadly one, and I immediately frowned.

“Why are you looking as if you truly believe you can do it?”

He waltzed over and patted my shoulder. “Have you ever used glamour before?”

“No.”

“Well, you’re going to learn something new before we get things rolling with our student lives,” he encouraged and headed out the room.

“Where are you going?” I questioned, quickly following him. “You’re still not wearing a shirt.”

“Don’t need to,” he announced. “I work better naked.”

“That’s both questionable and hot at the same time,” I countered.

By the time the two of us were downstairs, I noticed Pearl was staring at the door, looking completely shocked.

“Pearl? What’s wrong?” I inquired.

“Kane grew three inches taller, got badass long hair, and looked like a vampire hunter all in three seconds before he left through the door,” she rambled in a rush.

I looked over to Tobias, and he looked between the two of us.

“You know what’s the scariest thing about the supernatural world in the eyes of a human?” Tobias questioned.

“What?” we asked in unison.

He began to unbuckle his belt which only made Pearl shriek and turn away. “I’m not ruining my innocence to see your Willa Wonky rock candy rod!”

Tobias snickered and looked over my way. He arched an eyebrow in question as I crossed my arms and tapped my foot impatiently.

“Keep going,” I encouraged, “I’m fine with sweet candy that’s long and tasty.”

“Flirt!” Pearl huffed, making my smile grow.

Tobias finished unbuckling his belt, sliding his pants lower to show the lines that directed to his lower region, but before it got to the juicy part, his body was engulfed in golden light.

With a few blinks, I was left in stunned astonishment, a gasp escaping me and triggering Pearl’s attention.

“What? Is it a small lolli-HOLY FUCK!”

Now my heart was racing like I was a part of the Olympic games and sprinting for the gold medal, my fae magic rushing through me and begging me to hump this man.

Is that even the right word to say I want to have this being in my bed?

Tobias went from hot to sexist man alive in three solid seconds. His height grew from his 5′9″ to 6′4″. His long green hair was extravagant with layers of emerald green, golds, oranges, and bits of white strands that replicated my hair.

His muscled pecks that were on display seemed to glimmer, while he sported an eight pack with that V line pointing down under.

My tingling fingers craved to tug on his black sweatpants and reveal that lollipop that had grown to a double pack Wonder bar, which left me wondering when I’d been this horny for a man in under a minute of locking eyes on him.

He purposely tugged his low joggers a bit higher, and my eyes lifted to meet his enticing ones as he purposely bit his bottom lip.

“Fucking tease,” I muttered in disappointment.

“Don’t get all feisty with me, Lucinda.” The way my name rolled off his tongue could make any girl’s panties wet with desire. “This is the benefit of glamour. You can thank me with a kiss later.”

He winked and snapped his fingers, and with a blink, he was fully clothed in a black suit and red tie. His hair was tied up in a sexy man bun, and now he looked like a Viking about to jump into a James Bond movie.

“Let’s get this over with before we get lectured,” he encouraged and turned away, leaving me and Pearl to quickly scramble after him.

“Where are we going?!” Pearl questioned.

I gave her an apprehensive look and whispered, “I think we’re about to get Hendrick and the rest of the church in major shit.”

Now this is some unexpected academy shit.

PREPARE FOR DISCOVERY

“You can’t do this! You have no damn authority!” Hendrick was desperately trying to wiggle out of the officer’s grasp, not like he’d go far with his hands handcuffed behind his back.

My eyes were glued to the entrance of the church, watching the mayhem as the dancing lights of the police cars flashed against the stained-glass windows of the holy building.

News reporter cars were racing towards the scene, while the last set of fellow orphans were entering a special bus that would take them to a better facility that actually used their money towards helping those who needed it.

Pearl was just as shocked as I, the two of us watching the mayhem that had been triggered by Kane’s arrival. By the time we’d arrived with Tobias, the scene was already chaotic, filled with men in black and red suits who were clearly vampires.

Everything happened so fast as black vans screeched to a halt, surrounding the area from all directions while the further exterior that led to the forest was cut off with caution tape.

The head director that I hadn’t met during our entire stay here was the first to be arrested for multiple counts of fraud and misusage of donations and government funds. That’s when the orphans began to be escorted out of the church and the list of assault charges grew longer and longer.

Hendrick was the last to be arrested due to him being caught in the very act - getting head from one of his favorite choir girls. I didn’t even pity her as she was also arrested for questioning, seeing as she hated my guts but was too scared to fight me.

She didn’t have the balls to say anything to my face.

How amazing it was to see Hendrick in his half-naked glory being dragged towards us. I should have remained where I was standing, but before I knew it, I was before him and the police officers respectfully stopped while Hendrick growled at me.

“You cunt ass bitch!”

“Now, now, Hendrick.” I wiggled my finger in front of his face, the police officers having no choice but to tighten their grip on his body as he fought twice as hard to get in my face. “Didn’t you learn from all the warnings I gave that our Lord will deliver justice in due time? How divine of him to finally answer my prayers!”

I purposely lifted my hands in thanks to the sky and gave him a teeth-glimmering smile.

“God is good. All the time,” I hummed in triumph. “All that time to repent and yet you still think of yourself as innocent. Tsk, tsk.”

“Just you wait. I know all your secrets. I’ll make you suffer. If you think because you’re all rich and shit that you’ll get the last laugh, be ready. You’ll regret ever messing with-”

I shut him up by kicking his balls. He gasped and began to cough, his knees buckling, which forced the officers to lift his weight.

“Ya, ya,” I declared. “Just remember who you’re threatening. Last time I checked, all you’ve been doing is sexually abusing orphans and taking the money my family generously donated to use on all those luxury cars you love to boast about when you’re half-drunk. Go explain your case to someone who cares, but empty threats don’t mean shit to me. Go ahead and do your worst from the depths of jail, for I’ll be as ready as I’ve always been to kick your ass!” I declared as I placed my hands on my hips. “Take him away!”

The police nodded and quickly rushed to toss him in the police car.

I’d never felt so empowered as in this moment, my body reeling in the pure elation of finally saying a quarter of what I always wished to say to his face. It really did feel like the Lord had answered my prayers, and maybe He did.

There was a nostalgic feeling in all of this that was hard to put into words, and now that I was free from the hidden shackles this church had placed on me, I even questioned my belief in this moment.

Now I have a choice. Do I still want to praise my Savior? Can I continue to acknowledge a higher power? It’s all I’ve really known, even in the dark times of my life. It’s not His fault for the actions of others, but in this supernatural world, does it matter anymore?

My eyes noticed Kane’s figure come out from the church, and I admired his new look from afar as he began to head my way.

His silver hair was as long as Tobias’s, the silver strands shifting into multiple magenta highlights like when he had short hair. There were multiple white strands to add to the texture, making his hair flicker from silver to white depending on how the light shone upon it.

He stood at 6′3″ in comparison to his previous 5‘8” height, and in the all-black suit that fit his slim but muscled frame, he looked more like a model walking out of the latest vampire magazine than what would be considered a crime scene.

He looked pleased as he reached me, that playful grin giving him a younger look in comparison to the serious face he’d been wearing all evening.

“Hendrick got a real ball kick,” he teased.

“That’s only the beginning.” My grin couldn’t be any bigger. “I heard Professor Alexander say he’d get a few extra punches in for me.”

“Alexander and Arana arrived?” he inquired. “I was so busy putting on a show that I didn’t notice.”

“Yes. They’re here to help with the cleanup. Professor Arana, or should I say Sister Ara, is now testifying and giving timeline evidence on the matter while Alexander is going to escort the police with Hendrick and all the others that were arrested to ensure they remain contained,” I explained, having observed their exchange earlier with Pearl.

“A little fae told me that if we got all your donated fortune back and took down the Vatican that you’d date us?”

“Little fae my foot,” I huffed, my eyes immediately scanning around until they landed on Tobias. As if he sensed my gaze, he glanced our way mid-conversation, giving me a devilish wink before he returned to his talk with three officers.

“You guys can’t be eighteen. You’re acting far too badass right now. I’ve got at least twenty-five questions,” I huffed.

“We were trained to use glamour for protective purposes at age twelve,” he revealed. “Six years of this stuff has made it easy, but to be fair, aside from my dad being a king of a massive vampire coven, he does detective work for fun and would bring me along to kill bad guys.”

“At twelve years of age?”

“Thirteen.” His charming grin made me shake my head.

“Now in this form you look and sound cynical.”

“I deserve at least a bit of praise for my handsomeness.”

“You’re ugly.”

The words came from Pearl, who somehow popped up behind me. “And you so have to show us this glamour shit!”

“Progress, progress,” he reasoned.

“I thought only fae are able to do that,” I reasoned.

“Royal secrets.” He winked at me. “Gotta keep my lips sealed until you’ve earned it, Lucinda.”

“Or I can creep into his room in my wolf form and force him to speak,” Pearl offered.

“That sounds good,” I happily agreed.

Kane cringed and took a step back. “Nope. Don’t approve.”

“Still afraid of wolves.” I shook my head. “Shame.”

“I’m working on it, okay?” he argued. “You’re supposed to be all happy that we were able to keep to the bet!”

“I am, though I hate losing,” I noted.

“Wait, you made a bet?!” Pearl gasped. “Why’d you do that?”

“Thought it wouldn’t be possible, but I guess they proved me wrong.”

“So what do you have to do?!” Poor girl would scold me for my answer, but I kept my casual persona as I shrugged. “Date them.”

“Date them, as in both of them?” Pearl gasped. “Luci! That’s a sin!”

“So is breathing,” I pointed out with a smug look.

She let out a huff as she pinched her nose. “We’ve had this debate, Luci! Breathing doesn’t count as a sin!”

“Says who?”

“The Bible!”

“What verse?”

“I don’t know!”

“See,” I emphasized the single word. “If you had actually read it in bible school, you’d know that air is a privilege and not a right, so if you don’t acknowledge that privilege given to you, it’s a sin.”

“Dammit! No, it’s not!”

“Does it even matter?” I ended up giggling at how frustrated she was getting. “We were able to see Hendrick get arrested, the church that treated us poorly get evicted of power, and now I’m apparently about to date two guys after scoring a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be a student at B.R.A. This day couldn’t get any better.”

“Guess we’re going to be finding out the requirements for B.R.A. tomorrow?” Pearl questioned.

“Most likely,” Kane replied. “This is gonna take a while to wrap up.”

“How long will your glamor last?” I inquired.

“Until we return back to the Bloody realm. I can’t keep mine as long as Tobias.”

“This whole thing is just so mind-blowing and random,” Pearl exclaimed. “Guess I gotta give you some credit for not being a complete dummy. I’ll put you back on the love board for Luci.”

“What?” We both looked at her as she grinned happily. “This is the Bachelorette: Bloody Rosary Edition and I’m going to get my bestie a man!”

“Sometimes I wonder if the sugar in that tub of ice cream from earlier is killing a few brain cells,” I pondered.

“Don’t be like that, Luci! I’m doing you a favor! Just make sure I’m there for the wedding since I’ll walk you down the aisle and put your hand in the palm of your husband!”

“Great,” I said with a deadpan voice. The idea of anything close to marriage was the perfect mood killer. I noticed the flicker of worry in Kane’s eyes, but it was gone before I could comment on it.

“Ready to head back?”

We all looked to see Tobias in his ‘disguise’.

“I’m hungry. The police are going to deal with the rest.”

“I’m hungry, too,” Pearl admitted.

“I think we’re all hungry,” I whispered. “When was the last time I ate?”

“Cake,” Kane answered. “I think that’s the last time all of us ate, well, minus ice cream eater over there.”

“It was so good!” Pearl exclaimed. “Wait a minute. What are they going to do about all the money that was taken from Lucinda’s family over the last eight years and spent on random stuff?”

“It’s going to be returned into Lucinda’s account,” Tobias announced.

My eyes went wide as the thought registered in my head.

“Hold on. What? They’re just going to deposit it? Shouldn’t the investigation be longer or something?”

“Money isn’t hard in the supernatural world. Plus, we have more than enough evidence of fraud that it’ll be a waste of time, otherwise,” Kane explained.

“Seriously?” I couldn’t fathom how everything had gone so smoothly and quickly. “Don’t I have to do anything? Trials or something?”

“Nope.” Kane shook his head.

“All you have to do is be our girlfriend. Don’t worry. We don’t bite,” Tobias boldly announced.

“I do,” I declared with a happy grin.

Kane pinched his nose and sighed. “Tobias forgot about that minor detail.”

“I’m gonna kick your ass one day,” Tobias quietly muttered.

“Sure, sure,” Kane chuckled.

I looked between the two of them before staring up at the church.

“Thank you.” The words left my mouth and I could feel the three pairs of eyes on me. I didn’t let it faze me, the interior of my body thrumming with nerves. “I set this up thinking it would never be achievable seeing as justice isn’t normally served. You hear about all the crime in the world and never the good…so it’s nice to witness justice with my own eyes. It makes me happy and instills faith in the supernatural community we live in.”

Looking between Tobias and Kane, I bowed my head slightly.

“So thank you for doing this unexpectedly. I’ll date you to my best capability, but no promises.”

Pearl was quiet, but I noticed from the corner of my eyes that she bowed like me.

“Thanks for acting upon what you promised. As Lucinda’s best friend, I approve,” she declared.

We rose up to see their surprised expressions, and then they softened, which only made my heart skip all over the place.

“Glad we could be of service,” Kane responded.

“Now we can focus on growing and learning at our new home for four years,” Tobias acknowledged.

“After a good meal,” Kane encouraged and clapped his hands. “Food’s on me.”

“Yes!” Pearl and I cheered.

The three of them began to head towards the forest, knowing we’d find a quiet spot to return to the realm of our new academy, but I remained in my spot for an extra moment, reliving so many of the past memories in my mind as they zoomed by in fast forward.

So many good and bad moments, all those times when, no matter the hardships, I was grateful for the roof over my head. I hoped that the church would remain, but that I’d be able to somehow make use of this place and get rid of the bad deeds that soaked upon the land.

I wanted to invite those who wished to create a safe haven for those supernaturals who needed a place to call home again.

A soft touch on my shoulder made me look up, and there was Professor Ara.

“Professor Ara,” I greeted. She smiled so innocently, keeping her naive persona seeing as we were still in the public eye where news reporters were now doing their thing.

“I’m sorry I could never say anything,” she whispered.

“I don’t blame you for being silent,” I truthfully replied. “All I care about is that justice has been served, like it should have been long ago.”

“You’re right.” She nodded her head in agreement, and I whispered, “Professor Ara?”

“Yes, Lucinda?”

“Will Bloody Rosary Academy be right for me?”

She let a few seconds pass before she bobbed her head as her smile widened brilliantly.

“It will be a place that will challenge you, but I believe it’ll unlock a new avenue for you to journey as you discover who you want to become in this world, Lucinda. You now have the power of your family’s legacy in your hand. I think B.R.A. will aid you in deciding what’s next.”

I slowly nodded, feeling like it would help me in the future, like it had right now.

Less than twenty-four hours and we’d suddenly brought down years of injustice before we started our first official day.

Now it was time for me to do my part and enter this world with a new mindset.

To discover the roots of my fae and vampire secrets.

OFFICIAL START

“Luci! Hurry up!” Pearl called down the hall, booming with excitement. I was glad we didn’t have to deal with waking up early for learning back in the church, or I’d be a grumpy bitch every single day of the week.

Letting out another yawn, I went back to brushing my hair - or at least attempting to - while my heavy eyelids stared into the reflection of the gold standing mirror.

Today was the official start of school, but instead of going to the campus, we were instructed to remain in our castle dorm until Professor Ara and Professor Alexander arrived.

Our uniforms were set, and I personally loved the new gothic look. I expected the typical dress shirt, kilt skirt, regular dress shoe ensemble you’d see Catholic students wearing as they attended monthly mass, but our uniform was pretty badass.

The standard attire was a leather corset top that was outlined with red and black plaid material. The pattern had light blue lines running through in a crisscross manner. The skirt was all plaid, with only the waistband being leather to give a slim but comfortable look.

Since it was fall, Pearl and I were both provided heavy thick tights, or the option of pantyhose - fishnet and plain - and we were allowed to wear our choice of shoes, as long as they were either black or red.

My black boots were my go-to shoes, just in case there was a sudden explosion, break-in, or some other random situation that forced me to run for my life while looking fabulous.

If I’m going to risk my life, I might as well look good doing it.

Since the corset top was strapless, we were allowed to wear a jacket on top. I wore my leather jacket instead of my father’s cape. It was far too valuable for me to use on a daily basis, and due to its unique look, I was sure many would notice its importance.

If I needed it, I’d be able to summon it to my shoulders with a swift spell. As for my crown, it sat perfectly on my head, something I just decided not to remove. It was lightweight and I sometimes forgot I was wearing it.

Unless I had to shower.

It was life-proof, so there was nothing to worry about if I forgot, but there as no way I could wash my hair after the craziness we dealt with the last few days upon our arrival here with it pinned to the crown part of my head.

That reminded me of how blessed I felt to be within this new space.

Last night after we’d returned from the official shut down of Vatican Rose Church, we’d all retired for the night, feeling exhausted from the ordeal. It was rewarding and something we should have celebrated, but we decided to leave it for today after class was done.

That left me with the time to start unpacking the few possessions I had gathered after years of saving, and even place the plant from the confession booth next to my bed.

Taking a long time to examine my new sleeping space, I realized for the first time that I could take a bath. No sharing a tiny shower stall with Pearl and praying the hot water didn’t run out in the height of winter.

No shivering our butts off with towels that barely covered our breasts as we ran to our rooms to put on clothes. Funny how we never would have thought we’d have our own bathrooms with a working shower; the days of group washing were finally behind us.

I took advantage of that by taking the longest hot bath I’d ever enjoyed. My aching body practically melted in the soapy waters. I was surprised to see we were provided with soap, bath bombs, shampoo, and conditioner.

It felt like I was living in a dream or enjoying a vacation that I’d won. All of this didn’t feel real yet, even though I was experiencing every second of it. After the long bath, I’d taken a shower to wash my hair, enjoying the steamy flow of water from a working shower head.

I was surprised my hair with the shift in colors was actually healthy within our living conditions. It should have been dry and on the verge of being shaved off from the lack of materials we had to even wash it, but that was one thing Pearl had helped me maintain all these years, emphasizing that a woman’s beauty is in the health of her hair, or something like that.

She’d heard it from a commercial, which was a little funny seeing as they would say anything to make you buy the product.

After the longest hour and a half I’d ever enjoyed, I was clean and surprised by the new pajamas that were personally gifted to us by Professor Ara. She must have come by when I was in the shower, leaving the note of the gift sitting on my bed.

To have new pajamas that didn’t have a single hole or smelled horrid only emphasized how happy I was to be here. If this was my birthday gift, it was the best opportunity I could have dreamed of.

I knew that when school started, things would get harder. We wouldn’t be pampered or treated like royalty due to our heritage. I was honestly grateful for that because we didn’t need pampering.

My goal was to get stronger, so I’d be able to fend for myself against anyone trying to steal what was rightful mine, or the Delphine family’s.

On the way back, Professor Alexander had explained that all the funds would be returned to a special account in my name, and he was working with Headmaster Wei to get my account secured and a bank card to use so I’d have access to cash for when we needed to shop.

We weren’t sure about our school schedule, but the idea of shopping made me excited. Not to spend unnecessary money, but to actually walk through the stores with pride and not worry.

It was always hard to do exactly that, afraid that the people around us would judge our attire or the lingering stain smell of the church, or the whispered ridicule of our background. It was something that shouldn’t bother us but in the back of my mind, it did.

We deserved better, and both Pearl and I knew that, but being forced into the protective circumstances that were placed upon us wasn’t something we could get out of.

Until my fateful birthday that has changed everything for the better.

Closing my eyes, I continued to brush my hair slowly, wishing I’d be able to go back to sleep for a little longer. The soft knock on the door didn’t bother me, my hand pausing in its brushing motions as I pondered what that nice cologne smell was.

Why the scent reminded me that I was a little thirsty was beyond my sleepy mind, but now I wanted a nice blood cocktail, and maybe a snuggle.

“Are you actually sleeping while standing?” The whispering voice made me ponder on the question. There was a sigh before I felt a soft touch to my shoulder. “Lucinda?”

“Hmm?” I finally managed to say.

“You can’t sleep now. Professor Ara and Professor Alexander are here.”

“Five minutes,” I muttered. “Brushing hair.”

“Your brush isn’t moving.”

“In my dream it is.”

There was a long sigh, followed by, “Fine. I’ll help you while you keep dreaming.”

That made me smile dreamily, my mind finally realizing I was talking to Kane. I was surely brushing my own hair, the stroking movements returning a few seconds later, but it didn’t make much sense when my hands now rested by my sides.

It felt like a dozed off for a bit, but when I woke up, I wasn’t in the washroom, but sitting on my bed with my head resting against someone’s shoulder. Blinking out the sleep, I lifted my head up and looked at Kane, his eyes framed with a pair of black glasses while he was reading something.

He noticed my movement, turning his head to peer into my sleepy face.

“You should be a glasses model.” That was the first thing to come to my head and out of my mouth. His pleasing smirk was priceless as he put the dark red bookmark in the place where he’d paused and closed the book.

“Feeling okay?” he inquired, reaching over to move a few misplaced strands out of the way. “I brought you a blood pack.”

“Oh.” I realized that could have been why I’d been so sleepy.

Aside from waking up at eight in the morning, ew.

“Thanks,” I whispered as he picked up the packet of blood from next to him and passed it over to me. “Did I fall asleep?”

“Yup,” he replied. “While combing your hair. It’s been half an hour.”

“Uh oh. Aren’t we late?”

“Nah.” He shrugged. “Tobias came up with Pearl to check if you were okay and went and told Ara and Alexander. They said today is just explaining how things are going to work for this term and the transition to next term so we could start later than usual today. They’re both drinking coffee and talking about random stuff.”

“That’s good,” I sighed in relief, deciding to open the packet of blood. “I can only drink half of this,” I noted, the pack size a little bigger than my usual.

“That’s fine. I can have the rest,” he reasoned.

“Do you drink blood daily?” I inquired to make conversation.

“Hmm, not really. I can last about three days without a pack if I need to, though Tobias says I’m a cranky asshole by the third day, so I try to drink one every two days. Food curbs the desire, especially if I have raw steak, but ya.”

“I can go without it for a while. I’m already a bitch so that doesn’t change much when I’m hungry,” I acknowledged. I noticed his smirk as he pulled off his glasses.

“You’re pretty manageable for a bitch.”

“I get called it enough for me to assume that’s what I am.”

“Because you don’t take bullshit, have a bit of sass, and like to point out the obvious?”

“Jeez, how did you know?” I beamed innocently as I noticed him slide his glasses into the inner pocket of his black blazer jacket. “Do you wear glasses normally?”

“No,” he answered. “I only wear them for reading or if my eyes are tired. Obviously, vampires have perfect vision, but I injured my eyes when I was younger so sometimes they’re a little strained when I read for too long. I also didn’t sleep much last night, so they help.”

“What you guys did last night still leaves me a little speechless,” I admitted. “It was just a silly bet. Why would you spend so much time and effort proving me wrong?”

“You don’t recall when we were younger, huh?” he brought up. “Tobias said you don’t recall any of it.”

“Were we all friends or something?” I inquired.

“Something along those lines.” He looked unsure as to whether he should talk about it or not.

“If you’ll get in trouble for talking about it, you don’t have to,” I suggested.

“Not necessarily get in trouble for it, but I think it would be better for us to get used to Bloody Rosary before we bring it up.”

“Why? Is it a complicated topic?”

“When you don’t remember about it, ya, and I personally don’t want to distract you either.”

“Fair enough.” I could see why he wouldn’t want to share the details right away, our priority now on attending this school. “Will you tell me when the time is right?”

“Yes.” He gave a firm nod. “We’ll tell you together, if possible.”

“Cool.” I sipped more of the metallic liquid, my body relaxing with every suck. I was pleased that these packs were filtered like the ones from the church, helping avoid the dread of memories that came along with feeding.

I finished most of it, passing the almost empty pack for him to finish.

“You’re really calm today. Not like your usually questioning self,” I noted.

“Still too early,” he admitted. “I merely act incredibly stupid for shits and giggles.”

“So Tobias was right.”

“He’s stupid.”

“Now you’re just insulting for shits and giggles.” I smirked

He grinned as he finished the last bit of the pack. “Now if we can avoid being enemies, that would be nice.”

“Hmm?” I questioned his last statement, but he rose up and stretched. “Go put on your lipstick and come downstairs. I gotta piss.”

“My lipstick is dead,” I revealed. “It melted from staying in the luggage for too long.”

“Then just wash your lips to remove the blood,” he concluded. “Red on your lips complements you, though.”

After that, he was gone, which left me in a confused state of ‘What just happened’ and ‘Goodness, he’s now attractive to me’.

Rising up from the bed, I headed back to the washroom, only to see the brand-new pack of lipstick. I picked it up, immediately recognizing the high-class brand, the letters YSL on the golden packaging that displayed the bright red color.

How? I only told Pearl about it last night before we went to bed. I did say it in the hallway. Did he overhear me?

Looking up, my eyes widened at the beautiful curls of my hair. I hadn’t even realized the difference when I’d woken up, but now my hair was lavishly curled and looked healthier than before.

I couldn’t stop the wide smile that showed my white teeth, and I looked back down to the new package of lipstick and grinned.

“Got to see an intriguing side of Kane. It’s going to be nice to learn more about both of them. I did lose my bet after all.”

The idea of us ‘dating’ only made me giggle as I shook my head in disbelief with the idea and began to tear the wrapping of the little box.

Applying the enticing red lipstick to my lips, I puckered them up and tapped my finger on them to ensure a spark of magic kept the red color intact.

You never know when you’ll have to give a certain vampire a kiss for his generosity.

With a nod to myself, I took a final look at my appearance.

“Time to start class.”

“CLASS IS OFFICIALLY IN SESSION,” Professor Ara announced. “Before we get started, just know within this portion of training, you can leave the ‘Professor’ out when addressing myself or Alex. It’s a pain and we only approve of it during bigger classes.”

Alex nodded, carrying on with, “The point of this semester is to ease you into this new world. Bloody Rosary Academy isn’t simply a school dedicated to royal blood. It is a place that molds the best vampires, fae, and other shifters to a level of independence where you’ll be confident to walk at the side of other royals in our world. In some cases, even fight alongside them.”

“Seeing as none of you know the true details of Bloody Rosary, this is the lesson that will be centered on it. We will only be explaining this once, and this will be your opportunity to ask any lingering questions that come to mind. That doesn’t mean in the future when something is brought up that you can’t request an answer, but other factors will make it a little harder for us to give you an explanation or definition if needed,” Ara explained.

“This semester will last until the holidays. You will be spending your time here and will not be going home. Your families have received your acceptance letters and approved of your stay to grow as supernaturals. You will, however, be given more freedom to roam the world and enter the town and city beyond these borders. Remember that until this term is done, you are only allowed to venture out within the premises of your dorm homes. If you need anything such as clothes, undergarments, and other essentials, feel free to ask me or Alex. Once this term is done, we’ll schedule a time before Christmas to enter the town and city. That way if you need to venture there next term, you will be able to do so without our guidance.”

We all nodded in understanding, the four of us sitting at the large oak table before a blackboard that was in the corner of the large living room.

Pearl was on my far right, while Kane sat to my left. Tobias was on Kane’s left, and all four of us had open notebooks, ready to take notes when necessary.

“Let us begin with the very heart and purpose of Bloody Rosary Academy,” Ara began. “To outsiders, this school gives the impression of a holy sanctuary for students to learn and grow. The blood is commonly defined as the blood of the son of the Lord, sent down for the human’s sins. The rosary symbolizes the beads used to pray to Jesus’s mother, also known as Our Lady or Mother Mary. Though both symbols are important in religion, they are not the reason for the name of this academy. It gives the perfect illusion of purity, just as churches and other institutions attempt to hide the evil or corruptions within their walls.”

Alex nodded. “The blood in the title refers to the royal blood sacrificed through merciless battles of the past. Some which were senseless acts of hatred and miscommunication that could have been solved with words and heightened intelligence. Some like to assume that the emphasis of ‘Bloody’ is specifically for vampires, due to their need for blood on a daily to weekly basis. That is inaccurate information. No matter the supernatural race one is born into, it’s the blood of royalty that created the foundation of this very academy.”

“The rosary is a symbol of purity, meditation, guidance, and spiritual growth,” Ara continued. “Some like to say that it connects with fae due to the holy aspect of spiritual growth and connecting with the Universe to heighten your magic and the powers gifted by Mother Nature herself. Magic isn’t a skill to be learned. It’s a gifted trait that you are born with and can harbor into something dangerous if trained well. No matter how powerful you are, without respect to the magic given to you, it can be taken away just as quickly. Like the beads of the rosary, this academy aids in teaching individuals to take a step and meditate on what needs to be done at a certain time. You pray to be given strength, stability, and guidance on the journey you walk upon and no matter the obstacles and probabilities of facing death, your hope in your universal path will continue to strive forward. That’s when you take another step, or in the representative example, move your fingers upon the next bead to recite the same desires and emphasize your goals and dreams. That is what this academy will aim to help you achieve. For you to ask questions, work hard towards your goals, and give yourself the confidence to accomplish what you’ve aimed for. We, the professors, are here to train, guide, and stand by you as you all grow into the people you want to become.”

“That leads to the second part.” Alex’s voice deepened, and the tension in the room seemed to grow. “The reason why only royals are allowed, with a few exceptions.”

He gave a small smile to Pearl before he got right back into it.

“You wouldn’t know, but your parents were the young founders of this academy long ago. They were two of the first to endure what it takes to graduate from Bloody Rosary Academy, but what you learn here is the foundation of how you reclaim your royal blood and ascend to the position of king or queen of your bloodline. It’s why you all have an inheritance and assets but are not given the full control of them. This school is created to mold you into the beings you must become to rule. Half of it is by choice, but the other is blessed into your possession.”

“Blessed?” Pearl inquired. “What does that mean exactly?”

“In your case, Pearl,” Ara spoke up. “Think of it like Mother Moon appointing you to become an Alpha. This process normally happens when you are born, and the skills and powers that come with that role will grow as you do. With vampires and fae, that isn’t how it works.”

Alex nodded. “With vampires, you must reach the age of nineteen before you are guided to a secret location within Bloody Rosary. This is sacred land, and you are instructed to walk blindfolded into what can be either sand, water, chemical liquid, or sometimes a pool of blood. Whatever is set out for you is the test set out by your ancestors. If your parents have passed on from this world, the test is chosen by your own parents. That is where you’ll be tested mentally, and you will either rise from the test a completely different person or fail.”

“Does failure mean-” Pearl began, but stopped as Ara nodded.

“Death,” she emphasized the single word. “You can be under there anywhere between twenty-four to seventy-two hours. No one can interfere as the land will be closed off to any type of interruptions until you have awakened, or your heart has come to a stop for longer than ten minutes. It is a test that isn’t taken lightly, one of ceremonial grace, and is what all royal children endure come time of ascending to potential rulership.”

“When you receive these blessings, what happens?” Tobias questioned.

“It depends,” Alex replied. “For vampires, some are gifted the ability to not feed. Others are gifted with magic, strength, or a weapon to aid them in their attempt to regain the throne. Maybe wisdom and knowledge not obtainable by books. The list is endless, and no one knows what will be given to you. Some people receive multiple gifts. For vampires, it is whatever your parents and ancestors foresee you’ll need to know for the years ahead.”

“What about fae?” I inquired.

Ara nodded and spoke up, “Fae proceed quite similar to vampires, only their location is usually surrounded by nature. A pool surrounded by flowers, the mountains, hot springs, and more. The list can go on and the location is also disclosed to no one but those who will serve under you upon your awakening. You are tested just like vampires and blessed by your ancestors or parents.”

“We get appointed someone?” I inquired.

They nodded in unison.

“I was appointed to your father upon his awakening,” Alex declared.

“As I was appointed to your mother upon hers,” Ara informed. “When you’re appointed to someone, you remain by their side and aid in their growth as they work towards the crown.”

“When you say work towards the crown…” Tobias began. “Are you saying we’re going to have to fight to take our birthright of the throne?”

“Yes and no,” Alex replied. “For you and Kane, the two of you are born into the right of claiming the throne, but it doesn’t mean that it’s rightfully yours to ascend to. What that means is you’ll have to maintain the throne by fighting anyone who believes they can take your position. You won’t be forced into dealing with that until the end of your final year here, but it won’t stop those desperate to take the role from bothering you along the school years.”

Ara nodded and looked my way. “As for you, Lucinda. Your spot is given to you by defeat. Both spots.”

“Both spots?” I questioned. “Wait. Are you saying that I’m going to be ruling two sides?” I inquired.

“Exactly what I’m saying,” Ara declared. “Due to the circumstances, Alex and I have been maintaining your throne due to the decision that you’re far too young to ascend to the role of queen of your mother’s lands while being the queen of the coven that was designated to you by your father. There was no need for a replacement due to both areas being smaller than the standard size, and it was a unanimous vote to wait for you to reach maturity.”

“Does that mean she’ll have to fight vampires and fae that want to claim the thrones?” Pearl inquired.

“Yes.” Ara nodded. “That’s exactly what Bloody Rosary will prepare you for, but again, it won’t stop those who want to be rid of you before you obtain enough wisdom and power to fight equally against them.”

“That’s why they tried to take her out before she could even get the chance of getting an invite,” Kane muttered.

“Exactly.” Alex nodded. “We obviously wouldn’t have allowed that to happen, but the circumstances were perfect to test where all of you are currently at both physically and magically.”

“I know that Alex is a vampire,” I pointed out. “But does that mean, Ara, you’re a fae?”

“Mhmm.” She smiled at the guess. “That’s why I was able to work alongside your mother.”

“Are we supposed to be worried about being attacked here?” Kane inquired. “I know you said we’re protected, but does that include these parts?”

“Yes,” Alex answered. “No one can harm you in these parts. Anyone can visit as long as they have no intention of harming anyone. If their thoughts shift into the desire to harm or inflict damage on the property, they’ll be immediately targeted and captured. If they resist arrest, they’ll be killed on the spot.”

“Intriguing,” I replied. “Seems fair.”

They both nodded. “On campus, it is no different to outsiders like visitors, but be careful with other students. They can easily hurt you if their intention is exactly that, and we do not interfere unless the fight shifts into attempted murder. Exams are the only exception to that rule, but you will not deal with that this year.”

“So our exams for this year is the ceremony?” I assumed.

“Correct.” Ara nodded. “It’s our job to teach you in a smaller environment now. This will give you confidence in yourself and the growth of your powers as you get in tune with your shifter race. Some of you may be born and raised in who you are, but not everyone gets the opportunity to embrace their shifter traits. That’s why we allow this term to be centered on that.”

Alex looked over to Pearl. “Both Ara and I will give you special training, Pearl, so do not worry about your uniqueness. The purpose of this time is growth, which includes you as a wolf. We both know how to train wolf shifters and seeing as you have magic, Ara will be able to assist you with the growth of your abilities.”

“Thank you!” Pearl proudly replied. “I’m honored and excited!”

“As you all should be,” Ara encouraged. “This year is your opportunity to explore who you want to be in a few years. Some of you won’t be ascending to your thrones right away as your parents are more than capable, but that doesn’t mean you won’t have a role once you’ve graduated. The coming years will stress the importance of wisdom, as well as how to work in a group while dealing with politics. Therefore, I’d take this year for self-exploration, personal growth, and learning about one another, because things will begin to move quickly, especially after you have been tested at the ceremony.”

We all nodded and they both grinned.

“As we’ve emphasized, this term will stress adaptability as well as test where you can grow and improve. Some days we’ll test physical strength and others we’ll test your magical strength. The four of you will remain as a team for all four years unless you agree upon switching when that opportunity is presented, so it would be wise to learn how to work together and even create a training schedule,” Alex explained.

“If you need help with meal plans, feel free to ask either of us. All four of you will also be given cellphones to communicate with one another. We’ve finalized your student cards and your credit cards that are linked to any inheritance you have, so if you need to do any shopping, again, feel free to inform us what you need and we’ll retrieve it for you.”

“Um.” Pearl raised up her hand nervously. “I don’t have any inheritance. Is there a way for me to work and earn money?”

Ara smiled and shook her head. “Not necessary, Pearl. Your budget is covered as per Lucinda’s request.”

“Huh?” She looked over to me, and I began to hum a random tune, which only brought Tobias’s and Kane’s attention.

“She does realize that humming makes her more obvious, right?” Kane genuinely commented.

Tobias chuckled. “Definitely.”

“Hey,” I pouted and looked over to them. “Do you see me saying anything? I’m just humming.”

“Sure,” the two of them replied with smirks on their faces.

“Luci!”

“Gah! AH!” I grunted before a shriek left me as Pearl hooked her arms around my neck, her weight enough to bring us both down as we fell back in our chairs. Our bodies came to a stop before the chairs hit the ground, and I sighed in relief as we both peered up to see the vines that wrapped around the legs and back of the chair that continued to hold our weight.

Our chairs moved back to sitting positions.

“Thank you, Tobias.” I knew it was him, but he began to whistle.

“You’re making it rather obvious, you know,” Kane pointed out, which only made us giggle while Tobias’s smirk grew into a full smile.

“You’re an idiot,” he said like it was words of praise.

“Shut up!” Kane huffed and playfully punched him in the side with his elbow.

“Looks like you four will get along very nicely,” Alex concluded. “Now, didn’t you guys say you were going to celebrate the shutdown of the church today?”

“Yes!” Pearl cheered. “Is our lesson over?”

“There’s not much needed to be talked about. All four of you have a weapon preference, correct?” Ara asked.

“Scythe,” I replied.

“Bow and arrow!” Pearl cheered.

“Sword or staff. I have no preference,” Tobias answered.

“Daggers or my fists,” Kane replied.

“Good variation.” Alex nodded in approval. “We’ll start next week on seeing where you guys are at in terms of battle techniques and go from there. Any questions?”

“Does the ceremony alter your personality?” Kane asked.

“That’s dependent on what you experience. If you face something traumatic that makes you wiser, maybe you won’t feel like being as easy going as you once were. It can go vice versa, where a serious individual sees a side of the world and realizes there’s no need to be so rigid in life and becomes a more relaxed individual. It’s an individualized experience, but remember that you may also connect with your higher self.”

“Higher self?” I whispered.

“Everyone has a higher self to their being. Just like humans, we are sent down here for a sole purpose, but the flame within us all is still connected to a spiritual realm. No matter human, vampire, fae, or wolf. We’re all beings of spiritual essence brought down to a physical realm. Prior to that, you were someone and your traits and growth come from the experiences you endure down here as well as your growing connection with your higher self,” Ara explained.

“Everyone’s higher self wants the best for the part of their being that is in the physical plane. That’s why there’s an emphasis on meditating, yoga practices, and other activities to aid in that aspect of growth. Just like the rosary, you all will be given your own set of mala beads to aid in the meditation portion, but it’s not a requirement if meditating through the form of yoga or exercise delivers the same results,” Alex explained.

“That’s interesting,” Pearl declared. “Which reminds me, is it okay for Luci to wear her crown when the academy portion begins?”

It was a good question. I looked to Ara and Alex, who nodded.

“Yes,” they said in unison, Ara following up with, “Any family heirlooms are allowed to be in your possession as long as they’re not used maliciously. Crowns are definitely allowed and should be worn with pride. Some will wear them to show off, but remember, not everyone is a prince or princess by birthright.”

“Meaning, everyone that is here is of royal blood but that doesn’t necessarily mean they have a throne to ascend to,” I determined.

“Exactly,” Alex agreed. “It’s exactly why the three of you will most likely be targets throughout your years here. Because people want those spots.”

“Fun,” Tobias commented.

“We’ll just have to prove ourselves when the time comes,” Kane added.

“Which means kicking ass,” I coldly replied.

The two of them looked my way as I shrugged. “What? We’re allowed to kick ass if people are going to try and fight us.”

“I approve!” Pearl cheered. “Besides, Luci’s good with the kicking of the booty and balls.”

“Keep those legs away from us,” Kane groaned.

“Don’t need a sore crotch,” Tobias added.

I giggled and stretched my arms out. “Please tell me we don’t need to wake up at eight every day?”

“We can change it to ten, but next term will start at nine,” Ara compromised.

“Yes!” I cheered. “Now we have to celebrate.”

“Celebrates over getting an hour more of sleep rather than taking down an organization that was abusing their power and rights over orphans,” Tobias summarized. “Priorities much?”

“We’re celebrating that, too.” I grinned. “Just getting more sleep is better.”

Everyone else shook their heads and Ara clapped her hands.

“Class dismissed. Let’s show you the special functions for ordering food and drinks.”

“We get to drink?!” Pearl and I said in unison.

“Responsibly,” Alex emphasized but grinned. “Yes. Only because it’s the first week of school and you guys did an excellent job in your preliminaries.”

“Score!” Kane and Tobias cheered.

The four of us exchanged looks before we all got up.

“First day of school at B.R.A.,” I began. “Check!”

This is all getting exciting.

NO ONE ELSE BUT ME

“You think I give two shits about the Vatican? Should have seen that bastard’s face when they denied his chance for bail. All the years of dealing with his bullshit was finally worth it!”

“You’re far more talkative when you’re tipsy.”

“Says the quiet bat!”

“Wasn’t denying that I get quiet when I drink too much.”

“Tell me one quality you love about me!”

“You’re naive.”

“That’s not a good quality!”

“At least I’m honest.”

The three of us stared at the two “responsible adults” that were on their third bottle of wine.

“Drink responsibly, huh?” Tobias commented in mockery

“Should we leave them?” Kane asked.

“Yup,” I declared. “I’m fine with my can of vodka.”

“Fine with beer,” Tobias replied. “Where’s Pearl?”

“She went for a run,” I answered. “The vodka probably gave her a boost of energy. She always takes advantage of times like that to run around. She has a fast metabolism so I doubt the alcohol will get to her head for too long.”

“Then let’s go upstairs,” Kane encouraged.

Heading up, we decided to chill in my room. I sat on the carpet with my back against the side frame of my bed.

Kane sat on the windowsill while Tobias sat on the office chair that had a vintage look to it.

“Today was a good day,” I said and sighed as I drank more of the citrus-flavored vodka drink. It was the first time for all of us to drink, but it was nice to feel a little buzzed.

I wasn’t tipsy like Ara and Alexander downstairs, but genuinely serene, which wasn’t a common feeling for me to experience.

I wasn’t secretly wondering when we’d be attacked or anxious about what may happen the next day when I opened my eyes. It felt good to feel safe, a sensation I was sure many took advantage of.

Having a roof over your head and no fear of it being taken away from you.

“Never enjoyed a chill day like today,” Kane admitted. “It’s always training this, studying that, do this and all the other shit.”

“Your old man still making you do dumb shit?” Tobias calmly asked, taking another swig of his beer.

“Always.” Kane chuckled like it was a real class act. “His expectations for me are so damn high. It’s amusing as fuck.”

“Still hasn’t convinced your older brother to stop being a lazy jerk and do what he was born to do.” Tobias shook his head as he began to spin his chair around.

“You have a brother?” I asked Kane.

“It’s good you don’t remember him. He’s a jerk. Always has been. He still doesn’t like you.”

“I’d feel offended, but if I caused someone to not like me, they started it.” I didn’t even try to give his brother the benefit of the doubt.

Tobias laughed while Kane was grinning from ear to ear, giving me a saucy grin.

“You had a phase where you loved to put your hair in ponytails,” Kane announced. “Some human show everyone gets crazy over has a princess. He was annoyed that you wouldn’t stop talking about it so he tugged on your ponytails and they came undone.”

“That doesn’t sound good.” I sipped more of my drink.

“Needless to say, you kicked him in his crotch and started beating him up.”

I almost choked on my drink as I coughed and looked at him with wide eyes.

“Liar!”

“It was a glorious day in the Mortica family,” Tobias quietly sang. “All was quiet as the king and queen were in an important meeting with multiple guests from all over the realms of the supernatural. Behold, an interruption worth investigating, bringing all of them outside the meeting doors to see a six-year-old princess with a toy scythe as she continued to hit the future heir of Mortica until he was begging for mercy!”

Now I was grinning from ear to ear as I fought not to cave and laugh like crazy.

“No, no, no! I did not!” I tried to defend my little self, even though I could picture the deed being done effortlessly.

“You certainly did.” Kane laughed. “You were so feisty back then, and you told him if he didn’t apologize, you’d take him down to the pits of hell where your imaginary friends resided.”

“Now that has to be a lie!”

“It wasn’t.” Tobias was laughing hard now. “You had a friend named Flair and you threatened to summon him so he could flamethrower his ass so he’d learn to never bother you again. Your dad had to literally peel you off of him, and then you began to make a bunch of petals using magic that were so sharp they cut through his clothes. It was hilarious.”

“I sound like a possessed child.” I was actually proud of myself.

“It was priceless and wounded my brother’s pride for ages. Maybe that’s why he’s pretty useless now,” Kane concluded.

“Does he not want your family’s throne?” I inquired.

“I think he doesn’t know what he wants in life, period,” Kane admitted. “I’m pretty certain he rejected his shot at this academy.”

“Really? I thought if you rejected, you wouldn’t get a recall.”

“Yup,” Kane replied. “However, I remember that same envelope being in his hands. I knew it was an invitation to something, but it didn’t trigger in my memory until we got our own invites.”

“Why would he reject?”

“Kane’s brother isn’t meant to rule,” Tobias commented. “You don’t remember him, but just think of how Kane acts dumb half the time. Multiply that by ten and add an attitude to it.”

“Pretty much,” Kane agreed. “Only add a few more multiples to that equation. It’s like he went to a shaman or fae master to make him actually stupid.”

“Do you guys want to claim the throne?” I asked.

“Well, with an older brother like mine, I don’t have much of a choice unless he gets his shit together in the next three years,” Kane admitted.

“As for me, I don’t have any siblings. I don’t have much of a choice,” Tobias confessed.

“But if you don’t want to, why would you be willing to go through this?” I inquired.

Neither of them answered, sipping on their remaining beers until Kane reflected the questions back. “How about this? Why would you want to take over your parents’ thrones?”

I thought about it, answering as honestly as I could while I stared at the ceiling.

“When you lose the memories that are supposed to be dear and are taken into a new world where you have little to nothing that identifies you, you’re left wondering about all the possibilities you had before that point of time,” I explained. “What were my parents prior to this? Why were they rich? Why did they perish? Why couldn’t I perish with them?”

The last question was a little heavier than the others, but it was the truth.

“So many questions revolve in your mind, and the questions only stack up because you’re never going to be given that chance to answer them. So I let the questions pile and pile, and I even wrote them down in books. I had to accept that I’d never get the answers I sought, and unless a miracle happened where I regained the memories I’d lost, there was nothing I could do about it but live and hope one day the opportunity would arrive where I would get the answers I seek.”

Staring at the detailed patterns of the ceiling that was decorated with golden lines and a dark red background, I continued.

“Life works in mysterious ways, and all the times I’d sneak into the library in the church, it was to make myself stronger. Many believe it was due to the circumstances of my livelihood in a deceptive church, but it went beyond that. I sought knowledge that would aid me in getting stronger so that when I got the permission to leave, I’d be able to search for my roots myself. If I was poor, it wouldn’t have been hard. A quick internet search or DNA result would have brought up my family tree. Maybe I’d go and meet whoever was connected to my family that was alive and pick the pieces up from there. However, I’ve always known about my background, and that I was placed within this place out of protection. I was forced to grow up and see the dark side of the world, and that made me realize that as a rich supernatural, things would never be easy for me again. That’d why I subconsciously knew I’d fight to reclaim my family’s throne, or in this case, thrones, and begin the search for all those answers to the years of questions I’ve harbored within me.”

Lowering my head, I noticed their sad eyes, but I smiled.

“To me, rising to a throne is a privilege not a right. What can be earned can also be taken away, and the thought of someone stealing what my parents must have worked hard for and sacrificed a lot to obtain ignites a bit of rage within me. It’s not even a feeling I can measure and it’s not something I dwell on, but I know if someone sat upon my parent’s hard work, I’d never let it go. I’d find any way I could to get them off it and reclaim the place that is rightful mine.”

“Still as passionate as ever,” Tobias whispered as he closed his eyes and spun his chair around. “If only I had half of that inspiration.”

“Right.” Kane pouted his lips.

“You’ll find your reasons.” I tried to lighten up the mood. “Or do you have a temporary one?”

They were both quiet again, but Tobias finally spoke up.

“Let’s just say that claiming the throne means you’ll be able to remain closer to an individual or even a group, but the headache the throne brings makes you unsure,” he laid the situation down upon me. “What would you do? Give up on the idea of being closer to those that you care about and forgo it or accept that challenge and potential unhappiness if you appease the rules placed upon you by accepting the position as ruler.”

“Tough one,” I admitted, taking another swig of my drink. “Does this person or individuals bring you a sense of happiness?”

“Yes,” Tobias replied.

“Then I’d do it.”

“You answer so easily,” he pointed out. I specifically looked his way and grinned.

“If rising to the throne meant being around Pearl for the rest of my life, I’d do it without a second thought,” I reasoned. “Yes, the chance of unhappiness for carrying a burden like the throne and all the hardships that come with it is a little scary when you allow your mind to remain on those aspects, but if it means I’ll see Pearl every day, whether it be one minute or many hours, the sacrifice is worth it. The same goes for anyone else I cherish.”

Something licked my cheek, and I immediately looked over to see Pearl’s happy, panting face before she literally crashed into me.

“Ugh!”

“WOOF!” Pearl happily declared before she purposely lay entirely on my lap. I had to put my hands up to ensure she didn’t spill the remainder of my drink, and I let out a long groan.

“Pearly! You’re too damn heavy. You’re not a pup anymore.”

“Woof! Grrrr.” Her growl of defiance was followed with the wagging of her tail as she got comfortable and curled herself up so I’d be trapped.

“Never mind. I take it back,” I muttered, and the two of them laughed.

“We know you don’t mean it.” Kane chuckled.

I grinned and stroked Pearl’s fur as I relaxed once more.

“How about this,” Kane spoke up. “What if you claiming the throne meant you’d be around Pearl, but you’d have to see her be best friends with someone else?”

“A third party, huh?” I pondered about it. “Meaning we’d never talk?”

“Not necessarily,” Kane whispered. “You’d be able to talk, but you’d never be able to be best friends like now. Like…being best friends could ignite a confrontation with the third-party best friend, and if things don’t go well, it could cause a bigger issue.”

I knew what the answer was, but I couldn’t help but giggle, which made Kane and Tobias give me funny looks.

“The obvious answer would be to still claim the throne if it meant seeing my friend from afar, but that’s not something I’d do.”

“Then what would you do?” Tobias seemed intrigued.

“First off, Pearl wouldn’t be best friends with any other random chick, but in these circumstances where all is possible, no one and nothing, not even a damn chair of royalty, is going to stop me from talking with my best friend.”

“How about this,” Kane began but finished the remainder of his beer and turned his body so his back was pressed against the window. “You’re best friends with me and Tobias. We’ve been tight knit for years, but once you claim the throne, you’re told you have to choose between us. If you choose me, that means you can’t talk to Tobias on a regular basis, and if you pick Tobias, you won’t be allowed to talk to me. If put in this situation, which one of us would you choose?”

“Neither,” I replied, and finished my drink in one chug.

They were both eyeing me carefully, giving me no choice but to continue.

“There would be no option to choose.” I patted Pearl, which made her lift her head slightly to look my way. “Let’s get you to bed,” I encouraged.

“Woof!”

“There has to be an option,” Kane emphasized as Pearl moved off my lap, giving me the chance to rise up. I noticed the waxing moon in the sky, the moonlight shimmering through the glass and landing on me as if this moment was some sort of spotlight chance.

I gave both of them a devious grin.

“If I’m the ruler, who’s setting up this rule that I have to choose?”

“Everyone around you?” Kane suggested. “Let’s say it’s a tradition you must follow.”

My grin only grew as Pearl walked over to the door. She sat and waited patiently for me, wagging her tail while waiting for my answer, like Tobias and Kane.

Turning away, I decided to answer with exactly what came to my mind as I looked over my shoulder to meet their intrigued gazes.

“If it’s tradition, it’s about time to break some rules. If I was queen and was forced to choose between two people I care about, they’ll just have to rip the tradition to shreds because it won’t apply to me.”

I headed for the door but caught Tobias’s comment.

“And if it caused a war against you?”

I stopped and turned completely around to answer.

“Then it would be a worthy fight to attend, but a sheer pity in the end.”

“Why?” Kane asked.

“For all the unnecessary bloodshed I’ll have to carry with my victory,” I declared with pride. “I fight hard for what I want, and no one will decide who remains in and exits my life, but me.”

With those words, I turned away.

Whatever circumstances they were facing in their own lives intrigued me, but I knew every single word I said was true, and if I ever had to face such circumstances, this world would soon realize that I’m not easy to mold into what they desire.

Only I can carve the path I’ll walk upon. No one else but me.

FAE MEMORIES

“Let it grow! Let it grow!”

My giggles echoed through the garden, my little arms outstretched as I twirled and danced in my floral dress. The flowers grew stronger, the vines extending out towards the sun that shone brightly above us and I squealed as my body was lifted up by the branches of one of the many oak trees that were in full bloom.

“Princess Lucinda!”

“Wee!” I squealed as I kicked my legs and laughed uncontrollably while my body soared higher into the sky.

“Queen Delphine. We can’t get that high,” I heard one of the maids call out, but I didn’t care, for I was the Princess of the flowers, trees, and land, and they were having fun with me.

The musical laughter that came from behind me only made me squeal and try to get away, but I was pulled back until loving arms wrapped around me in a warm hug.

“Now, now, Luci. What trouble are you brewing this fine afternoon?”

“Mommy!” I cheered and giggled, turning in her hold to wrap my arms around her neck and hug her tightly. “Luci is helping all the flowers grow! They deserve love while they enjoy the sun!”

“I agree.” The soft voice made my heart swell happily. “But that doesn’t mean you go giving the maids a hard time.”

“Boo!” I puffed out my cheeks and leaned back to look into the woman’s eyes that were exactly like mine. Golden orbs that danced with orange and shone brightly like the sun itself.

Those loving eyes that peered into mine with intense satisfaction while her bright red lips beamed against her beautiful creamy skin. Her rosy cheeks reminded me of the vast roses in the garden and I loved the way her silver-white roots turned to various hues of gold and orange.

The golden crown that sat on her head twinkled like the large red stone in the middle that drew the world’s attention at first glance.

“Mommy! You’re so beautiful!” I honestly announced loud and clear.

“As are you, sweet Lucinda. My lovely princess.”

I cheered happily, wearing the biggest smile on my lips.

TURNING OVER, I hugged whatever I was holding, fighting to return to the blissful dream of innocence and pure elation.

“What the? Tobias!”

Someone was muttering something, followed by a knock, but I gave up on figuring it out as I sought the arms of darkness to take me back to the garden that displayed so many colorful plants and flowers.

The scent of the floral aroma that danced around me, and the loving sunlight that shone down on all of us. The happy times that I wished for. Those times I craved to remember.

Come back to me. Please…

“Holy fuck!”

“Is this your doing?”

“Not me. I don’t have any plants in my room.”

“Then why are there vines literally everywhere?”

“What’s going on? It’s so early.”

“Pearl. Where’s Lucinda?”

“In her room? Where’d all these plants come…oh shit!” There was a thumping noise before a loud knock.

“Luci?!”

I recognized the voice as Pearl’s, but I didn’t feel like moving. I was on the verge of falling to sleep until something shook my left arm.

“Lucinda, wake up.”

“No,” I whined, trying to push away the intruder to my dream. “My dream. My flowers. My…mommy…” I trailed off, feeling drained from just speaking as I gave up in my attempt to fight whoever was near me.

They shook me again, but the movement didn’t bother me as I drifted in and out.

“How did this happen?” Pearl spoke.

“Sometimes when faes get too into their dreams it triggers a physical reaction.”

“Exactly what Tobias said, but damn. How are we going to shrink the plant back to its regular size? It looks like we entered the damn jungle.”

“I’ll fix it, but I’ll have to stay awake then because she may do that again.”

“Then I can stay, too!”

“Oh please. She doesn’t need two guys trying to share her bed. You guys are going to sandwich her like last time. She runs hot to begin with.”

“Hey! Pearl. No! You can’t drag me out like this!”

“Oh hush, vampire baby. You’ll get your time with the princess later. Jeez. You guys won that bet or whatever but won’t even make a move. Acting like sixteen-year-olds without balls.”

“Why are you insulting us at three in the morning?”

“Because it’s too damn early for foolishness! Bed!”

“Ugh!”

There was a slam of the door that seemed to tug me out of sleep for a few seconds. I opened my heavy eyelids, fighting to see through the darkness in an attempt to find the source of the noise, but then something forced me to lower my head against a firm but smooth surface that moved up and down while giving a soft, rhythmic breath.

It was fast, and a bit mesmerizing to listen to, like the sound was made to help those who struggled to sleep.

“Go back to sleep, Lucinda. No need to wake now.” The tender voice made my slightly tense muscles relax at his calming voice.

“Dream,” I muttered the single word while the strong desire to sleep returned. “Mom…flowers…happy.”

“Shh,” the tender voice encouraged me to be silent, the slow strokes that went through my hair only adding to the growing urge to get lost in the inviting hand of the darkness.

“Return to slumber, Lucinda. Go back to the dream of flowers and happiness.”

Those words seemed to be wrapped with a spell, because in seconds, there I was in the garden, happily singing and dancing as the plants waved from side to side in glee.

The relief was enough to make me sigh as I looked up to the sky and sun. “Thank…you.”

It felt like I’d said the words with one body but screamed them to the sky in this outstanding warm garden. Either way, I went off enjoying my life and returning to the arms of the woman who lit up my world.

Fae memories I wished to hold on to until the end of time.

“SO HOT,” I muttered, but the lovely aroma of musky earth drifted to my nose and made me hug whatever I was holding harder. “Smells nice.”

“Lucinda. We gotta get up.”

“No.” I didn’t even know who I was talking to, but the voice wasn’t going to steal my moment’s glory of enjoying this addictive scent.

“Lucinda.” The soft brush against my cheek, made me mutter something incomprehensible. There was a sigh, and my head was tilted to one side before something brushed my neck that made my whole body feel alive in three seconds.

My eyes jolted open, while my body shivered at the feel of something hot pressing against the side of my neck. When I noticed the bare chest before me that had clearly been my pillow and the multiple green vines that intertwined around us, I immediately froze.

What in the flying heaven’s name happened here?!

The person pulled back to look into my wild eyes, and the wave of palpable desire hit me so hard, I reacted before the thought could register in my foggy head.

My lips claimed his, smashing into their soft surface desperately as I immediately laid my hands upon his bare chest. He didn’t even fight me, his lips returning the heated kiss with his own fierce movement.

The emotion that burst through me was a raw hunger that left me needing more with every deep suck and press of our lips. His tongue glided along my bottom lip when we gasped for breath, and I couldn’t wait to feel his tongue within my mouth, exploring the hot walls and wrapping around my own tongue.

Never had I kissed someone like I was now, and my brain was only now realizing that I was making out with Tobias like we’d been lovers for months versus a week that hadn’t even led to a date yet.

Tobias had to be the one to break the kiss, and it was good he did because I was breathless and not capable of thinking logically after all of that. I almost thought I’d been dreaming at some point because it felt like we’d done something rather unimaginable.

Yet it felt so good…and right?

“Good morning to you, too,” Tobias greeted with a sexy grin while he caught his breath, his cheeks slightly red from our heated exchange.

I blinked a few times, noticing how close we were to one another and the vines that wrapped around us. It took me a solid moment to realize we weren’t even sleeping on the bed but resting on a wrapped platform of vines.

“Morning?” I wasn’t sure why I worded it like a question, but I guess it made sense seeing as I had no clue what time it was. The vines that were keeping us afloat above the bed were covering the windows.

“Why does my room look like the Jungle Book has entered the chat, minus the animals,” I inquired while my eyes continued to scan the vine paradise that had somehow managed to sneak into my room.

“That’s totally your fault,” Tobias announced. “You’re a good kisser, by the way.”

My face flushed red as I tried to ignore how I’d practically jumped him without thinking. “Sorry about that.”

“No apologies necessary.” He winked, looking completely pleased with my move. “It was nice.”

“Aren’t you weirded out at all?” I inquired. “I just woke up and kissed you!”

“Not the first time.” He winked, reminding me that I’d indeed done the same thing in the medical clinic before we even started school.

“Ugh!” I huffed and tried to make distance between us in this lack of space. “How did all of this happen?”

“You were dreamscaping,” he replied.

“Dream what?”

“Dreamscaping,” he repeated. “It’s when your mind travels in the form of dreams but your magic begins to manifest in the environment around you while you continue to be lost in the mental experience. By the time you wake up, you may have created a work of art or conducted something unimaginable. In this case, you made that plant that you brought grow rapidly.”

“That…” I wasn’t really sure how to respond to the new definition, especially when I’d never experienced this before. “This never happened before.”

“Could be due to the change of environment,” he offered. “Or you really like that plant.”

“Plant?” Glancing over to what should have been the tiny plant I’d borrowed from the confession box, I was surprised to see it had grown enough to crack its own pot and had vines and branches twirling all over the objects in the room.

“You know,” I began, “I’d feel bad, but it turned out rather beautiful.”

I looked back to see his sly grin and I gave him a nervous one. “We all need a little bit of green in our lives.” Lowering my gaze, I took in his muscular chest that I’d greedily rubbed my hands all over earlier. “And muscled chest.”

“I’m glad my bare chest is appealing to you.”

“Sorry if I was a hindrance,” I apologized. He stared at me, those orbs of wonder dancing in their sunset glory before inching in closer, our lips just an inch apart.

“You weren’t a hindrance.” That low vibration of his seductive voice made me want to do the unthinkable and kiss him again, but I finally wasn’t the one to initiate it.

His lips claimed mine with a soothing kiss. Slow but sensational with a hint of fierceness, my body hummed happily at his return of passion.

There was something desperate connecting us, and I’d have to try and figure it out when it was deemed right to. For now, I just wanted to get lost in all of him - aura, aroma, and taste.

“I swear we’re going to be late! Lucind-”

The sound of the door opening was followed with a pause. We broke the kiss, the action a tad delayed as it seemed we both fought to return to the present after being sucked into the palpable affection.

“Pearl? Why the hell are you- UGH! What?! AH!”

“RETREAT!”

“Why are you dragging me?!”

“My bestie needs privacy! PRIVACY!”

“GAH! Hey, don’t pull me!” Kane screamed.

We looked back to see the door slam shut, and I had to smirk at Pearl’s swiftness.

I owe you one, Pearly.

The hands that stroked through my hair drew my attention once more.

“Do you want to continue?” he inquired, giving me the reins of this fulfilling ride of kisses. My smirk widened, and I leaned in and kissed his nose.

“You owe me a date first,” I reminded. He arched an eyebrow at me, and I leaned back and flicked my hand through my hair. “Can’t go making out without a first date, don’t you think?”

“You have a point,” he acknowledged.

“Then let’s save more of this.” I kissed him passionately, feeling his urge to extend what should have been a short kiss. We were breathless before I pulled away and continued, “For when we go out.”

“Okay,” he quietly breathed. “As long as I get to choose where we go.”

“Fine by me.” I grinned happily before looking around. “How are we going to get down exactly?”

His sly grin was followed with his eyes coming to a close.

“Release and be free.”

The simple sentence ignited the sudden shift of the branches and vines; many of them retreated back and decreased in size as the vines that were wrapped around us loosened.

Tobias hooked his arm around my waist, our bodies floating downward until we were laid upon my bed. Now that the spell was complete, the plant was far smaller and not wrapped around the entire room.

“Much better,” I commented. “Though I want more greenery.”

“I’ll get you some flowers,” he whispered into my ear before tugging it gently. Now that had me trembling while my body tingled in lust.

This man is dangerous.

“On our date,” I reminded him.

“Mhm,” he replied.

“Are you going to go get changed? I think we’re late for class.”

“Won’t take me long.”

“Okay.” Looking at him, I pecked his cheek in thanks before getting off of him. “Thanks for helping out when I accidentally made the plant grow.”

“Anytime.” He sat up, giving me another opportunity to admire his bare chest while he stretched his arms out and yawned. “I’ll get your plant a new pot. The other one clearly won’t fit.”

I smirked and nodded, quickly getting my uniform from where I’d set it out on the office chair and headed towards the bathroom.

“Luci?”

“Hmm?” I stopped to look back at him.

“Do you remember what your dream was about?”

“Um…” I tried to recall what it was about, but the longer I thought about it, the further it got from my mental grasp. “I don’t remember.”

“It’s okay,” he assured me. “You’ll remember when you need to.”

“Ya.” I gave him a sincere smile. “Thank you, Tobias.”

He got off my bed and headed towards the door. Opening it up, he looked back and gave me a dazzling smile.

“You’re welcome, Lucinda. Let’s have a good school day.”

He closed my door, but I couldn’t help but stare at the golden stone surface, a little grateful for his interference as my body tried to come down from the high of sexual tension that pulsed between us.

I wondered what he’d had to endure when I was asleep in his arms.

Was he here for the majority of the night?

Walking into the washroom, I closed the door and looked down at my bra and panties attire. The dark red set was one of my favorites. Glancing at the mirror, I noticed my flushed expression while my hair was messy, but in a sexy type of way.

I was smiling like a typical school girl in love, and that only made me quietly laugh at the sheer thought. With a sigh, I shook my head and took my uniform.

“Date first, Lucinda. No more flings.”

It was easy to say, but with that type of energy running through that sexy fae, I felt like I’d go back on my word sooner or later.

TEST OF POWERS

“Is that the best you can do?”

Alexander’s gaslighting wasn’t doing much to convince me to fall for his bait, my scythe continuing to clash against his sword as we shot higher and higher into the sky.

I was being rushed up thanks to Pearl’s magic, strong winds lifted us up in an attempt to get us the upper advantage of this four-against-one battle.

That we were currently losing.

The objective of the battle was to see if the four of us could take down Alexander while Ara observed, and it sounded like child’s play in the beginning when he’d first presented the idea of us against him.

Now we were all huffing and puffing while Alexander’s white suit was still wrinkle-free.

I raised my scythe upward, ready to give Alexander a direct blow, but the foreign gust of wind that countered Pearl’s had me stop in my tracks, while Alexander smirked in defiance as his body soared further above me.

“Fuck!” The curse word flew out of my mouth before I could stop it, my previous idea of ending this once and for all being canceled as I caught onto what he was about to do. Twirling my scythe around, I called out to Pearl.

“Cancel!” She’d know what I meant, and it was confirmed with the sudden cancellation of wind. My body began to drop back towards the training field, while I concentrated waves of my energy towards my scythe.

Closing my eyes for a sheer moment, I caught onto the immense growth of energy hovering high above. My eyes shot open at the exact moment when the beam of black bats soared towards me, red flames hidden within the cyclone of flapping creatures.

Twirling my scythe before me, the speed tripled as I pushed as much magic as I could into the spell that left my lips.

“Stop for your true royal master! Battana ee vu!”

The loud screeches from the bats could pierce one’s ears, the sound ear-shattering with how many bats aimed for me. Before they reached my spinning scythe, they began to come to a dramatic stop, leaving the flames to fend against.

I was ready to counter the burning wave, but tons of vines passed my body as I continued to fall. The vines burst into beams of water that extinguished the flames upon impact.

My body was caught by strong arms, and I looked to see it was Kane as we slowed our descending speed until we lightly landed on the ground.

“He’s a prick,” Kane huffed.

“I think that’s the point.” I giggled. “Thanks for catching me.”

“Certainly.” He grinned at my praise before we noticed Pearl running our way. When she and Tobias reached us, we all looked up to see Alexander was still hovering up there like gravity didn’t exist for him.

The bats that tried to attack me were hovering in between, flying around in impatience.

“What’s the plan?” Pearl questioned. “He’s fast and in the air. I don’t have much magic left to send Luci higher up to catch him, and none of us can fly.”

Kane looked over to Tobias.

“Tobias can, but we’d still be at a disadvantage. We need at least two people on his tail while Pearl can distract from the ground. If you could bring him lower, I could use Pearl’s bow and arrow to take him down while he continues to shoot magic attacks this way?”

“Don’t think that would work,” Tobias admitted. “He knows how to handle all four of us. We need one person to distract him, or at least give him a heavy blow before we do a triple combo attack.”

“Guess I’ll volunteer as tribute,” I declared, my eyes noticing how close Alexander was to the castle windows.

I left my window open for Mr. Plant. Hmmm.

A grin of mischief crossed my lips, and without a second thought, I was out of Kane’s grasp and shooting up into the air again.

“Luci?!” Pearl called out, but my eyes were locked on Alex, who was watching with intrigued eyes.

I passed right by the colony of bats, their unified screech confirming that they were on my tail. Pressing my wrist to my mouth, I let my fangs sink into my flesh, pulling away and slashing my hand across to form multiple mini daggers that shot out at the target.

Alexander looked bored at the melee attack, my body seconds from reaching where he hovered. He muttered a spell, sending multiple black daggers to clash against my approaching ones.

The impact suddenly created a cluster of explosions and introduced a large mass of red smoke. I heard Alexander curse, but I was already onto my next attack as I felt the formation of the two guns in my possession and the sound of bullets escaping my barrels as I continued to pull the triggers, giving me a sense of delight.

The loud hiss told me one of them had hit him, setting off the next magic trick up my sleeve. Clapping my hands three times, the two guns dispersed but the movement ignited an explosion of wind, blowing away all the red smoke and revealing Alexander’s approach with his sword.

He was a mere five seconds from piercing me in the chest, and all that did was make me grin in delight. Cutting off the wind magic I’d summoned to assist me. I opened my arms out as my body began to fall back - my eyes catching onto Alexander’s worried eyes as he realized I was about to get directly stabbed by his blade.

He tried to stop himself - which was exactly what I expected him to do - but it was too late. His sword struck me right through the chest, and his eyes widened in fear while I smirked.

“Psych,” I grinned widely, noticing the confusion in his eyes, but then something clicked as he realized what I’d just done, but it was too late.

He let out a grunt of pain, my real body landing on his back while the fake burst into tiny blood particles. The remaining bats that I’d used for the decoy faded away into black ash. With my boots standing against his back as we continued to fall towards the ground, my scythe was hovering near his throat.

“Forfeit,” I declared.

“You think I’d give in that easily?” he inquired.

“Certainly,” I began feeling the shift of wind, “not.”

The intense gust of wind that hit us should have blown me right off, but instead, we were pushed back with a harder gust of wind while vines wrapped around Alexander’s wrists and ankles, reeling him in as we approached the ground.

I knew the opposing wind was Pearl’s doing, and I watched as she held her arms up and fingers outstretched while they glowed a teal green. The vines were definitely Tobias’s, their surface cloaked with a hint of gold.

I noticed the vine that shot towards us wrap around the staff of my scythe that was just beneath the blade. The weight that suddenly tugged it made me hiss, but I kept holding my weapon tightly.

Then I noticed Kane, his body darting up towards us, using the vine as support. I was definitely impressed, realizing he was going to give the final move we needed to get Alexander down to the ground, but at the last second before his attack, my body was suddenly flipped and sent flying back.

“Shit!” Kane cursed and a grunt left him as my body crashed into his, sending both of us flying. A howl came from behind us, and I immediately forced my magic to rush into motion as a wall of wind stopped us in our tracks before we landed on Pearl’s wolf back.

I recovered the fastest, noticing how the vine beneath Pearl’s feet thickened and grew rapidly to make a new path for Pearl as Alexander moved swiftly towards our dorm.

My lips couldn’t help but curl as I spread out my stance, clenching my fist to force more blood to pour out of my body, and flinging it before me.

A bow came into fruition in seconds, and I handed it to Kane. “Shoot as many as you can. You can create arrows, right?”

He quickly nodded, which was a relief because I was beginning to get dizzy from all the blood usage. Pearl was now next to the rooftops of the castle dorm, giving me the chance to hop right off and burst into a sprint to catch up to Alexander.

His flying body was hovering close to the walls of the dorms on purpose, one of the rules revolving around not damaging the property. It was a sneaky move that told me he was running out of creativity.

Taking a quick glance back, I noticed Pearl was still on the heels of Alexander while Kane balanced on top of her back and shot arrows of black magic. Those that missed dissipated before they could make an impact on the wall and those that tried to hit Alexander were deflected by some sort of invisible force.

Peering way back, I noticed Tobias’s heavy breathing; the speed of the thick vine bridge he was making for Pearl to run at full speed would slow if not stop if we didn’t end this quickly.

I felt like time was running out, so it was now or never for my backup plan to kick in. As if this was the best time, a flicker of my dream came into my mind, the sweet sound of my giggles followed with a song hummed through my head.

“Let it grow! Let it grow!”

The tingling force that rushed through me with the mere thought made me remember the plant in my room.

“Please. If you hear my voice, react to my calling. Let your branches grow and seek the running captive heading towards you!”

The words were powerful enough, and the very ground beneath rumbled. It was enough of a distraction to get Alexander to glance my way, his body above ready to turn and pass by my window.

My grin was priceless, and as if he suddenly knew what I was up to, his eyes widened while his body was pushed out by a thick branch.

“UGH!” he exclaimed but couldn’t get out of the hold of the branches as they multiplied and fought to cling onto him. He struggled to get out of his approaching captivity, but the branches grabbed onto his pants, pulling them until they were at his ankles and sealing his humiliating fate by wrapping around his feet and hanging him upside down.

I slid to a stop, panting heavily as the others came to a stop and Tobias, who somehow managed to run and multitask, reached where Pearl and Kane stood.

A snicker left me before I was laughing so hard that my stomach hurt. I fell to my knees feeling utterly exhausted but still giggling, hearing Kane’s laughter, followed by Tobias’s. Pearl began to howl, adding to the humorous victory, and I heard Ara’s soft giggle.

“Looks like you’re a little tied up over there.” She grinned happily, while Alexander’s face was burning red.

“Stop staring at my boxers, dammit! LUCINDA!”

I wasn’t even afraid of his wrath as I remained on my hands and knees, trying to stop myself from laughing.

“Unicorn boxers! UNICORN! Here’s our scary vampire professor wearing unicorn boxers!”

“I-It’s not my fault!” he argued and pointed to Ara. “Ara gave them to me!”

“True,” she admitted with a smile. “Didn’t think you’d actually put them to use.”

“UGH!” Alexander growled. “I don’t care, you guys failed!”

“Now, now, Alex,” Ara teased. “We can’t unfairly fail them when they did do their job in apprehending you. That was good teamwork.”

I noticed Pearl lower to let Kane off her back before she ran around the corner. The sound of bones cracking told me she was returning back to normal.

Walking over to the ledge, I dropped down to land on the balcony of my room, moving around the vines of my plant to grab a random dress from the closet. Leaving just as quickly, I jumped off the balcony, slowing myself until I landed on the ground and walked around the corner to give Pearl the dress.

“Thanks, bestie!” She beamed from behind a tree. “I forgot about that.”

“I got you.” I winked, only waiting for a moment for her to slip the black cotton dress on before we were both returning to where an exhausted Tobias and Kane stood against the wall.

“That was intense,” Kane breathed. “Good job, bro. Didn’t think you’d be able to keep up with that vine road movement.”

“That was a lot harder than I expected it to be,” Tobias admitted. “You also did well. Haven’t seen you used dark magic in a good while.”

“Because I suck at magic,” he breathed.

When we arrived, the two of them looked our way. “Excellent work, Pearl and Lucinda,” Kane praised.

“Thank you.” Pearl yawned. “I haven’t shifted during the day before. I forgot about the lack of clothes part.”

“Good thing you have someone who remembered.” Tobias nodded my way and I grinned.

“Good work, team,” I praised.

“Lucinda,” Alexander growled. “Let go of me already!”

“That wasn’t me. It was my dear, protective plant,” I said with blinking eyes. “You have to get us all drinks, including water for my plant.”

“Threatening is against the rules,” he muttered.

“Technically it’s not,” I defended. “I actually read the rule books.”

He huffed while Ara continued to laugh. “Boy, Alex, just submit so you can get down, or your ass is going to be on the front page of the Vampire Times,”

His face couldn’t get any redder. “No one would want to see my ass!”

“We know who’d want to tap it though,” Pearl hummed, and all four of us seemed to look in Ara’s direction. Her eyes widened while her whole face burned red, giving herself clearly away before she became flustered and pointed at me.

“Lucinda! Let him down already.”

“No fun.” I pouted my lips, but took a deep breath and let it out. I tapped into the same feeling I had when that flicker part of my dream hummed through my mind.

“Your work here is done. Release what is no longer a threat.”

The words worked like a charm; the intertwined vines released Alexander and retreated up to the balcony of my room. Alexander flipped his body before his feet landed on the ground, and he quickly pulled his black dress pants back up, leaving us to grin in pride while he glared at us.

“One of these days I’ll get payback for that,” he huffed as he finished buttoning his pants.

“Threats against students is against the rules.” I winked while he gave me a side glare.

“How did we do?!” Pearl questioned with the clap of her hands.

Ara and Alexander glanced at one another before they nodded, and Ara took the lead.

“Teamwork was intriguingly well seeing as the four of you aren’t used to working with one another. I have to admit, I worried Lucinda was going to take over completely, but the remaining three soon came in for backup, which is a good distraction when it comes to the battlefield.”

“Pearl. Your magic is definitely a threat if you work on it more. You spend far too much of it at once instead of evening the flow out so you’re not completely drained. Thankfully, you’re also a wolf, and I was impressed with your willingness to shift in order to catch Kane and Lucinda. It was risky, but you had trust that Tobias would do something to help you guys out.”

Alexander looked over to Tobias and continued with the critical appraisal.

“Tobias. Your spell work with nature is definitely your strongest asset, but remember you’re a fae. You can use more than nature. Instead of letting Pearl handle the wind aspect of assisting Lucinda, the two of you could have joined forces that would have eased the strain on Pearl’s part, as well as sped up Lucinda’s movements. Faes resonate with one another, so your magic would have boosted Lucinda’s by a few notches.”

I didn’t know that. Intriguing.

“Your water magic was unexpected, so I am very impressed by that, especially with how you hid it within the vines. Another good technique.”

Tobias nodded at the criticism and Ara looked over to Kane.

“Very intrigued by your dark magic, Kane. I know it runs in your family, but I wasn’t sure if you carried any seeing as your magic levels are a tad lower than other vampires. I’m impressed with your assistance in controlling the bats to follow Lucinda’s sted before she used them for the next spell she had up her sleeve. Your speed could have been a little faster, however, I feel as though you were slow on purpose upon the vine for two reasons. One, just in case Lucinda was thrown off Alexander’s back, and two…” She paused. “You’re afraid of heights.”

Kane’s eyes widened before his cheeks grew red. “How did you even know that?”

“Saw the hint of fear flash through your eyes when you began to run up the vine. It’s the reason why you remained mostly on the ground. If Tobias hadn’t known about your fear, he would have sent you up with Lucinda, that way, you’d be back-up. However, you did extremely well balancing yourself on Pearl’s back while shooting those dark arrows. Very impressive.”

He seemed relieved by the praise, and Ara looked my way.

“Lucinda. Definitely a lot of unexpected comebacks in your movements. You charge into battle headfirst and react to change exceptionally well. An advantage in many cases. Your use of your blood to create multiple decoys like the daggers that exploded into smoke was clever, but I was extremely impressed by how you hid the clone you created with your blood, which Alexander didn’t catch. Be careful with that power because it can backfire if you lose too much blood. I noticed your slight wavering due to the hint of dizziness you experienced with the combination of lost blood and usage of intense magic. Your trust in your comrades was very apparent seeing as you didn’t show any fear when your body was so close to reaching the ground. As for your plant coming to save the day, bonus points.” She winked and smiled brightly.

“Overall, the four of you balance each other out. We’ll be able to formulate a plan for each of you on what skills you should train on as well as your current weakness. As we explained before, this term is created to help you all grow in time for the second term, where you’ll be dealing with various teams while in the classroom setting. Make sure you heed our advice, both good and bad, for it will guide and assist you in the near future. Once you endure your awakened state and are potentially assigned a representative, they will be like us, able to give you tips and information on how to take down your enemy.”

“I won’t get one, right?” Pearl inquired.

“No, Pearl, but those who don’t get assigned a representative will be partnered with someone who also doesn’t receive one. You’ll be assigned based on compatibility, so they’ll be someone you’ll be able to rely on.”

“Alright.” Pearl seemed pleased with the answer.

“Any questions?” Alex asked.

When none of us answered, he bobbed his head and clapped his hands twice.

“Good. Class dismissed. Both Ara and I have a meeting to attend so there will be no afternoon classes. So rest up,” Alex declared before glancing my way. “And make sure you get your ‘plant’ in order.”

“Yes, Professor Alexander,” I said with an innocent grin, causing the other three to laugh and Ara to shake her head. “That plant is going to go with her everywhere now.”

“How’d you know?” I played along with the joke, all of us beginning to laugh.

After cleaning up, we headed back inside. After changing into more comfortable clothes and returning Mr. Plant to a reasonable new size in comparison to this morning, I headed down to the kitchen to get some water.

Kane was already pouring four glasses of ice water into cups, leaving me relieved as I was thirsty as hell.

Maybe a little thirsty for blood, too.

“Need a pack?” Kane inquired. “I took one out before our test, so it’s not warm or anything.”

“Not too cold or warm. Just the way I like it,” I declared before a yawn escaped me.

“Tired?”

“Very,” I admitted. “Wasn’t super awake after I made Mr. Plant grow a little too much.”

He smirked as he walked over with a glass of water and a pack of blood.

“Then you should take a well-deserved nap,” he encouraged.

“I think we all should,” I added, taking a long drink of the ice-cold water. “That was actually helpful.”

“Agreed. Didn’t think my magic would be useful here.”

“I never knew dark magic could be used by vampires,” I confessed. “Intriguing discovery.”

“There are a lot of things vampires can do but that are hidden between the lines.” Kane winked as he walked back and retrieved his own blood packet.

He returned to sit next to me, the two of us settling at the kitchen island while we waited for the others.

“I know very little about vampires. Not even a lot about fae, to be fair. I’ve learned the surface level with a hint here and there, but nothing that really makes me go ‘Holy crap,’” I explained.

“Do you want to learn?’ he inquired.

“I wish I could, but it’s not like we’re going to get into the school property until next term, and that feels a little too far away,” I answered truthfully.

“I’ve been talking to Tobias,” Kane began before taking a moment to sip on some blood. “We’re supposed to go on dates, right?”

“Ya.” I wondered where this conversation was going, and I looked at him in anticipation as a playful grin formed on his lips. “What if our date consisted of a day in the life of a vampire and a day in the life of a fae?”

“Really?” It almost seemed unreal with our school circumstances. “We can’t do that, can we?”

“Well, in the schedule, we do get a week off. We could split it up so that two days are for you and me, two for you and Tobias, and then two for you and Pearl. The final day can be spent with all of us. It also ensures the one left behind isn’t alone here.”

“That would be amazing!” I beamed. “You sure you wouldn’t get in trouble? I mean, a day in the vampire life would be me coming to your environment at a coven?”

“Essentially,” he approved. “I already inquired about visits. During break week, royals usually attend a week-long treat. They coordinate it that way so that students can go back to their homes to get things they need or restock on energy, herbs, pools of magic, etcetera.”

“Pools of magic?” I inquired.

“A fae thing. They love water.” He smirked. “Make sure you bring a swimsuit for your date with Tobias.”

“I don’t have one.” I laughed.

“We’ll work on that.” His saucy wink made me laugh.

“You’re making me excited! If this actually goes through, it would be a mind-blowing experience. I’d get to spend time with you guys while learning about what our races can do.”

“It’ll be enjoyable. I can’t say it won’t have some risks, because vampires love to push other vamps’ nerves, but we’ll get through it.”

“Doesn’t that risk us seeing your brother?” I inquired.

“Probably, but he’ll probably quiver in fear or some silly shit,” Kane brushed the idea away. “You’re still scary,” he teased.

“Ya right,” I huffed and took a long drink of my packet. “Think we have a set plan then,” I declared.

“Agreed.” He smirked and reached out to remove a leaf in my hair.

That reminds me…

“Thanks for doing my hair last time,” I whispered. “I can’t get it to look like that anymore.”

“If you ever want me to do your hair, just say the word.” He leaned in and pressed a light kiss on my cheek. “And you owe me a night of cuddling.”

He pulled back to see my flushed expression. I realized he must have found out that Tobias had technically stayed with me for who knows how long last night over the dreamscape thing.

“S-Sure,” I squeaked, not trying to be shy, but it came out like that. That made him grin, and the way his eyes darkened made my heart speed up while my stomach flipped in desire.

“Good.” He got up and finished his pack. “I’m gonna go change. Tobias is taking a shower and Pearl said she’s gonna change and stretch. When they come down, tell them the glasses of water are for them.”

“Okay,” I replied, watching him walk away, leaving me with a fluttering heart and frantic mind.

Why do I have a feeling these two are going to be dangerous for my poor heart?

FIRST DATE OF HOPE

“You do realize it’s a turn off when you ask a girl to meet you and you’re tardy,” I claimed with a frown. Lifting my eyes from the new phone we’d received last week after a massive shortage, I had to hold my tongue from lashing out any more words of judgment as my eyes took in the blue and red bundle of roses with little mini packets of blood poking out of the bouquet of flowers.

After weeks of anticipation with the addition of daily training and learning, today and tomorrow were officially designated for my first date with Kane Mortica.

I’ve never felt a beat of nervousness over a date, having not experienced it with Tommy since our relationship was more for benefit and exploration than it was for building on friendship with the possibility of love, but getting ready for today had butterflies fluttering in my stomach.

Pearl was the cheerleader bestie any girl needed in preparation for a date because she’d helped me choose everything from my outfit to my makeup, and even helped me with my hair.

After a few weeks of getting comfortable with Kane, it was easier for me to ask for a change in style when it came to my long locks. He’d been able to create the most unique hairstyles, all of them remaining in place for days thanks to the joys of magic.

His hair techniques were actually really healthy for my hair, and for the first time in years, my hair was not only longer, but as healthy as I’d ever had it. It now had a shiny appearance and was silky smooth and tangle-free.

Even with my tiara crown, he always seemed to make a style that fit its presence upon my head perfectly. Many times, the final product highlighted the golden piece of jewelry that proved my royal heritage.

I was finally used to wearing it all the time, even to bed. It seemed to become a part of me, and it just felt nice on those days to not worry about my hair and leave it in Kane’s safe and creative hands.

My outfit for this date was a fitted red ruched dress that reached above my knees. The mini dress was long-sleeved, but the material of the sleeves was a see-through lace in comparison to the actual dress that had a unique shift of bright red to bloody maroon.

My hair was left down in loose, wavy curls, a hairstyle I normally did that still gave me a model look. Dark red lipstick, rosy cheeks, and my recent playing sessions with the art of contouring had really made my eyes pop.

Pearl had helped me paint my nails red, and deciding to leave my legs bare for once, I wore my first branded item that was gifted by Ara, who was the very reason why I was able to wear this amazing outfit.

The shoes were black with red bottoms, which didn’t make much sense to me seeing as people wouldn’t see the bright red beneath, but Ara assured me that people would notice, and the brand was similar to other high-end brands I had heard of, like the common Louis Vuitton or Yves Saint Laurent.

My jewelry was simple, with a few black onyx beads on my right hand and a black watch on my left. I couldn’t thank Professor Ara enough. I’d requested her help in acquiring some outfits for this week’s festivities. She’d gone and picked exactly what I and Pearl needed, and topped it off by gifting me with the shoes, while she gifted Pearl a bunch of lingerie sets.

It felt nice to finally have some good clothes versus saving up for years to obtain one to five items that we’d have to take extremely good care of to last for many years to come.

The whole process was a little intriguing to me as Pearl and I began to adapt to the change of Sister Ara to Professor Ara. The naive woman we grew up admiring and who’s requests we had followed to avoid landing into trouble, was a badass, powerful fae with good fashion sense and more knowledge than either of us had realized.

She even got us condoms and lectured us on the importance of safe sex. Did not expect that to happen. It made me realize I’d been assuming she knew nothing about sex because she was acting as a nun.

Now that I was prepared for the night, I was getting a little frustrated after waiting twenty minutes for Kane’s arrival. I almost thought he’d stood me up, but he’d texted me at the ten-minute point, explaining he was delayed because he had to pick something up.

That something must have been the intriguing set of flowers he was holding.

Never imagined a bouquet with mini blood packets as a first date gift, but he’d just proven the possibilities.

“Sorry, Lucinda,” Kane apologized as he reached where I’d been sitting in wait. Without hesitation, he bowed in apology before offering me the bundle of flowers blood packets. “I ordered these, my first time ordering flowers from a vampire shop, and I hadn’t told them it was for a vampire and not a human, so they had to redo the flowers.”

“Redo?” I inquired and accepted the bouquet with a loving smile. “Thank you,” I added.

He nodded and sat right next to me, leaning down to tie one of his dress shoelaces. “Flowers for humans are different than for vampires. Regular flowers don’t have a super potent smell to them. For our heightened smells, we’d be able to smell the chemicals they use to preserve them versus a human, who wouldn’t catch onto it. For supernaturals, they create fresh flowers, using fae magic to speed up the growing process while giving magical doses of love and sun, and pouring water in the right amounts to quicken the process,” he explained before rising up and turning his full attention to me.

“It’s our first date, and I personally wanted you to have a fresh bouquet of flowers.”

“I wouldn’t have known the difference, you know?” I reasoned, unable to keep myself from smiling in happiness.

“Doesn’t matter,” he said with a determined look. “You deserve the freshest of flowers and blood packets. I’m not going to discount anything because it’s our first date. I know you deserve far more, but I’m on a limited budget,” he admitted, looking a little shy about the last bit of his explanation.

That made me rise up, hook an arm around his neck, and lay a soft kiss on his lips. He blinked a few times, my swift movement a little unexpected, even for me.

I normally wasn’t a super affectionate person, and yet it seemed a little too easy to get lost in my instincts and react before I got a train of thought through my head when I was around Kane or Tobias.

“Thank you,” I purred. “Though you know I don’t need fancy things to be impressed.”

He smiled and nodded. “Except on first dates.”

We grinned and he gave me a hug before taking my hand. “Now it’s time to embark on this journey of vampire discovery.”

“The emphasis.” I shook my head in glee, a little pumped to learn. We continued to walk down the path, holding hands until we reached an almost empty parking lot. Kane pulled out some keys, and with a press of a button, the car in the far-left corner beeped and turned on.

“Hold on…you drive?”

“Tobias and I both drive,” he said with pride. “We made a bet on who would get their license first and someone booked the test on the same day and time.”

“So it was a tie?”

“Nah.” He smirked. “Tobias failed it.”

“That’s uncalled for.” I snickered. “Why can I imagine him being pissed about it?”

“He was annoyed. Faes hate failure and imperfections, so he then seduced the lady to pass him.”

“That’s horrible!” I laughed, finding it hilarious as we approached the car.

“Ya, but a fae thing to do when you don’t want to deal with perfectionists called parents.”

“Good point,” I agreed. “So you own a sports car? I’m not good with cars.”

“Ya, it’s a sports edition, Lambo,” he replied.

“Lambo?”

“Lamborghini,” he deciphered the full name of the apparent company. “It’s a luxurious Italian brand. It’s the one thing I was allowed to really invest in by my parents since they’re all about appearances when it comes to our kind.”

“So a luxurious outlook matters,” I concluded. “Isn’t that kind of for every race?”

“Not necessarily,” he admitted. “But faes and vampires like to compete with everything so that includes fashion trends and who can look richer. Seeing as I wanted us to fit in a bit more, I knew I’d have to step up my car game. If we weren’t going by car or facing the possibility of meeting other students, I wouldn’t have cared as much.”

“We’re going to meet other students?”

“Maybe.” He opened the car door, which didn’t open like a standard car, but upward.

“Fancy,” I commented as he gestured for me to get in. He helped with my seatbelt, giving me quick instructions on where the heat and fan buttons were for the red leather seats and the massage button if I needed it.

The glove compartment was a mini fridge that had a few emergency packs of blood inside.

He closed the door, placing the bouquet of flowers and blood packets in the back before getting into the driver’s seat.

“There’s a chance we may meet others from Bloody Rosary. I’m rather positive that there are a few of my brother’s enemies that want a chance at the throne.”

“Enemies that are the same age as us?” I inquired.

“Not everyone who gets an invite is eighteen. Sometimes life delays them a bit, and I heard the school considers that. However, they try to stick to the entrance age of eighteen.”

“Your older bro has enemies, though?”

“My older bro is a dick,” he admitted. “Sure, he’s lazy and doesn’t want the throne, but he’s a little greedy and technically doesn’t want anyone else to get the throne either.”

“Even you?”

“You’d be surprised,” he said while putting on his seatbelt. “We used to be super tight. He was like those bros you could rely on if people tried to bully you or walk all over you. Then my parents started to prepare me for the chance at B.R.A. and that kind of went downhill. He didn’t think our parents were going to forgo his chance at the throne, but B.R.A. is the best place to attend to train for a royal future and he screwed his chances. Now that I know you don’t get another chance at it, he must be even more pissed off because he’s going to watch me do everything he should have.”

“Remind him of his regret,” I whispered. Kane nodded and pressed a few buttons before we were moving out of the parking lot.

Leaving one hand on the wheel, he reached out for my hand, holding it gently while his eyes remained on the dark roads before us.

“Are we doing our date at night because it’ll be busy in the realm of vampires?” I inquired.

“Yup.” He nodded. “It’s exactly why I asked you to meet me at this park. It’s the closest to the entrance, and it’s owned by my family. Anyone who sits around here is protected and won’t be attacked by random peeps.”

“We can still get attacked here?” I inquired.

“Yes, but since we gave Ara and Alex a heads up, I think they ensured security would be tight. Once we’re deep in my family’s territory, no one will dare try and mess with you. I don’t bring friends often, and only Tobias comes with me on the regular, which pisses off a lot of vampires, but they have never seen me with a female vampire before so this may be interesting.”

“Aren’t they going to sense my fae side?”

“Not unless you let them,” he replied. “You project more of a vampire vibe anyways, especially in that outfit.”

“Should I let out more of my vampire side?”

“Nah.” He shook his head and looked over to me. “Just be you.”

Squeezing my hand, he returned his eyes to the road, but I’m sure he saw the smile on my face. He began to speed up as we turned onto the highway. I had to ask him about it since it was my first time experiencing the roads with more than two lanes going one way.

It wasn’t super busy, a few cars here and there, which only gave Kane the opportunity to speed up.

“Aren’t you worried about getting a ticket?” I inquired.

“I don’t get tickets.”

When all I could do was stare at him, he glanced over to me and continued, “Our family is connected with the police task force. We work together to ensure vampires who prey on humans are judged accordingly, unless they already have a warrant. That means we sometimes have to join the chase or reach a scene on time seeing as not all police officers are relatively patient. Requires us to speed, another reason why I got one of the top sports cars for my birthday.”

“When’s your birthday?”

“A day before yours.”

“Wait, seriously?”

“Yup. Tobias’s is the day before mine, so September 8th.”

“So you’re September 9th, and I’m September 10th,” I concluded. “Fall babies!”

“You realize fall is basically October?”

“We all know because of global warming, fall starts a month early. It’s fall in my books. They just have to change the calendar since it’s wrong.”

He laughed. “Well, my dad may like you. He agrees with that theory.”

“Too bad we won’t meet them today,” I commented.

“I agree,” he whispered. “Maybe after the school year. I know we spend break at school, but Tobias said something about if your grades are good, you’ll be given the privilege to come home for a few weeks.”

“If that happened, would you let me come along?”

“Wouldn’t you want to be with Tobias?”

“Maybe. We haven’t gone on our date yet, so I wouldn’t know, but even if I did, I wouldn’t spend the entire summer with him.”

“Hmm.” Kane changed lanes before he ramped up the speed even more. “He may be a better fit for you.”

“Why is that?” I inquired. “You think you’re not good enough for me?”

“No.”

“Then?” I pressed.

“I don’t know. Maybe fate won’t let us be together,”

“Unless you can predict what fate has in store for either of us, you can’t assume otherwise,” I replied and lifted his hand into my lap. He looked at me curiously as I stretched out his fingers. “If I decided to break your finger while driving, is that something you would have thought about before meeting up with me for our date?”

“No,” he replied. “You wouldn’t break my finger though. Well…unless I made you mad or something.”

“See,” I pointed out. “You’re confident that I wouldn’t hurt you unless you upset me, but you’re okay with automatically assuming that you wouldn’t be the best fit in the love department when we’ve yet to finish our date.”

“Is lack of confidence in one’s self a turn off?”

“No,” I replied. “But lack of facing your deepest fears and being a coward is.”

“Do you think I’m a coward?”

“Do you think your brother is a coward?” I countered.

“Yes.” He didn’t even hesitate to answer truthfully.

“Then you’re the opposite of your brother unless you decide otherwise. Cowering in fear about the future is one thing, but letting that fear wrap its claws around you and bring you into a hole of despair only sets you up for failure and the loss of friendships, relationships, and opportunities that could have been destined for you.”

“You talk like a wise old vampire.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” I giggled and wrapped my fingers around his hand that remained in my lap. “I’m not different from anyone else, but I know my worth and try to embrace situations that are brought upon me. Even if it’s scary, I’d rather face it head-on then cower in worry. You never know when that opportunity will change your entire life. I wouldn’t be sitting in this nice car, on a night date with Kane Mortica if I hadn’t done exactly that on the day of my birthday.”

“Good point,” he whispered and squeezed my hand back. “That means you don’t fear destiny?”

“Destiny can always be altered. That’s all determined by my actions. I can’t fear something that is in my control unless I fuck up and know the consequences those decisions will make.”

“What if one person wants you, but so does another?”

I shrugged. “They can learn how to share or neither of them gets me. Unless one of them is a jerk. Then that’s an easy decision.”

I caught onto his smirk and a glint of relief in his eyes. We were quiet for a few minutes as we turned onto a freeway that would lead us into Kane’s family’s territory.

“Anything you want to know before we get there?”

“Vampire 101: Dos and Don’ts,” I answered playfully.

“Don’t attack a vampire,” he began. “Unless they look at you funny.”

“Liar.” I rolled my eyes and gave him an exaggerated look. “No one is going to attack another over a look.”

“You’d be surprised.” He smirked. “People have died over it.”

“You’re not serious.”

“Very serious,” he replied. “Especially older vampires. I’m talking about the ones that live for hundreds of years. I think our coven has a few thousand-year-olds, but they don’t come out for much of anything unless they suddenly deem someone worthy or intriguing.”

“Thousands? We can live for that long?”

“Hmm? They never said that in the books?” Kane questioned. “Vampires can live for thousands of years, but I think the longest one has lived is three thousand years.”

“Isn’t that like a blessing?” I inquired. “They say at the church if you pass ninety, you should thank God every day for the blessings of life He’s offered to you.”

“True, but when you think about it in vampire years, it becomes a cycle of loss.”

“Cycle of loss,” I whispered.

“Vampires can keep their youth for as long as they want, but they’re not like fae, who can change their appearance from young to old and back to young. If a vampire decides to age, they will stick to that age until they stop their genes. So imagine being eighteen for a thousand years. Watching your friends who may not all be vampires grow older, start families, and die when they’re tired of life. Some may enter the line of war and never return, while others are lost in a cycle of addiction to make the years go by faster. If you don’t have those who you love around you during those times, is it really worth living for so long?”

His thumb began to stroke the inner palm of my hand while he slowed down in speed.

“There’s a diary series written from that vampire who lived for three thousand years. Only royals get to read it, but it’s a little sad when you get a glimpse of their life. He was born to rule, and he did everything his parents asked of him. He was the one who got any woman he wished and experienced immense wealth. For the first thousand years, that’s all he did, while he paused his growth at the age of thirty. The second set of a thousand years was where he had to do some soul searching because he was bored. He’d traveled the world, ventured into various universes, and learned every possible language. He studied all the religions and was in a few supernatural wars back then. He started a family, watched his children grow, and had a beautiful queen by his side. However, his love was murdered and later, his children forsook him. At the end of his thousand years, he was alone with only money and time. He allowed himself to age to sixty.”

He paused as he switched lanes, the car turning onto a quiet road before he slowed to a reasonable pace.

“His final thousand years were by far the slowest. He tried to make new friends, but all of them were into how he lived so long or wanted some sort of benefit from his fame and fortune. He saw the ugly side of this world where all people care for is rank, money, and celebrity status. They all wanted to live like him, to carry the number of powers and talents he had. It’s rare to meet someone who knows every language, experienced every war, and seen every historical monument in various universes. He carried knowledge that couldn’t be obtained anymore, and that was one of the most valuable aspects to have. Even better than money, because with wisdom, there’s power, and that can be the greatest advantage in a war against other supernaturals. Many of our skills have evolved because of our knowledge about fae. It’s the reason why some of us can use magic and why we’re growing in our own skills and traits so we’re on even ground when it comes to defending ourselves or in worse cases, war.”

Sighing, Kane shook his head. “He decided in his final hundred years, he’d age to ninety. He had to experience what it was like to be old. It was like a way of commemorating all those who had to endure old age because they weren’t given the privilege us vampires, fae, and a few other mystical creatures had. He endured the aching pains of brittle bones and noticed the difference of how people treated him. Some were good. Those who were taught to respect their elders would help him if he needed certain things, or couldn’t recall the day of the week, but those occasions were fewer in comparison to the disgust of many of those beneath him. They would mock how old he looked, or what a fool he was to age even more. Others would ridicule his smell and his inability to take care of himself. He couldn’t work himself up to finding another love, his heart still with his first love, and his children grew old, had children, and died. His family continued to grow without remembering the sacrifices he’d made to allow them a chance at life. Documenting his journey was the only purpose he had left because it felt as though all he’d done in the past was worthless now. He’d learned and perfected everything he could in two thousand nine hundred years, and yet, he was left alone in his library with money, fame, and knowledge. None of those things brought the most essential thing that he’d only endured when he was but a child and married to his wife.”

“What’s that?” I asked.

“Happiness.”

The car came to a stop on the side of the road, and Kane put it into park so he could look my way.

“All those years of learning, working on himself, and desperately trying to complete everything he thought was possible never brought him what he was truly searching for, which was happiness. You can’t get eternal happiness. That’s believed to be across the bridge of death when we enter the kingdom above. Until then, happiness is always temporary, and that was what he was always striving towards. As a child, he explained how the idea of happiness is focused around being free to play and enjoy all that makes us laugh, and when we forge deep relationships, we come to love and enjoy that company because of the energy it releases within us. However, when that’s all gone, you realize how lonely the world can be, and you’re left wishing to enjoy those moments of happiness once more. You crave it, dream of it, wish again and again to go back in time and experience it. However, it’s a wish you know can’t be fulfilled, and the effort in trying again after close to three thousand years seems rather wasteful.”

He looked away to grasp my hand once more, intertwining our fingers while his eyes softened.

“When he reached his three-thousand-year birthday, there was a huge celebration. People he’d never heard of, talked to, or seen came from far and wide to celebrate. It was the time when he could spend his money on food and feel the joy of a party in a huge hall full of life. The party lasted all day until nine in the evening, and everyone was sent home. There he was, sitting in the middle of the mess, and not one person had remained. Not one individual had stayed behind to see how he’d clean everything or even to see how he was really doing. Everyone assumed that because he was rich, he had maids, servers, people working under him to take care of his huge mansion home. Little did they know that it was just him. He wrote down that the hours of partying around those who only came for the free drinks and food confirmed how sad our reality is. He’d lived through the years, watching how the world shifted from times where one helped their neighbor and said hello, to the days where no one knew one another, but were brought together for the same purpose. To dance, party, live in the moment, and return back to the cycle of our daily lives.”

His eyes returned to me, their magenta cores twinkling with hints of red.

“He said out of all his life, that day started off as the happiest in centuries, and ended as the saddest day since he lost his wife. The last sentences explain what he would have changed and that if anyone decided to endure the agonizing journey of living up to three thousand years like him, that they should ensure they achieve happiness first. That way, when days are hard to endure, they can look back at those times of pure elation and remember the love and laughs they shared with those they truly loved.”

“What happened to him?” I whispered.

“He finished the book, signed it with his blood, donated his money to various non-profit charities, and after a letter to his love, he killed himself with a gun. He did believe in heaven and hell and knew suicide was a gamble from all the scriptures he learned and read around the world, but no one would kill him to carry the burden of ridding the world of the oldest vampire in the realms, and he worried if he remained, he’d only be forced to share his knowledge. Suicide was the best answer, and, well… No one knows if he ended up with his wife in heaven.”

“Do you think he did?” I quietly wondered.

“Ya,” he replied with a tender smile. “To me, it doesn’t matter what religion you are. There’s a higher power that looks down upon all of us, and though there is a place for those of pure evil, I don’t think he’d end up in the pits of hell.”

“Why?”

“Because we’re judged by our hearts,” he whispered. “Yes, we commit sin every day. This world we’re born into is flooded by sin. Every breath we take of polluted air, the circumstances that lead us to lie and defend ourselves whether it’s for pride or protections. We’re put into positions where we have no choice but to defend ourselves, and that sometimes leads to the death of one or many. Every decision and action leads to someone’s rise or fall in this world, no matter if that interaction was merely passing by them or being a part of their lives. If the Lord, the universe, the being who sits on the throne in the sky was truly pained by our sins, none of us would get a chance at heaven. That’s why he judges us by our hearts. The man had lived a life of wonder and experimental circumstances, but he was able to discover what was truly worth living for and ended it because he wished for nothing but the best for the world that drowns deeper in darkness. Will he be judged like the rest of us one day? Certainly, but after all of those life lessons, I’m sure he’d be worthy enough to enter the kingdom of everlasting peace.”

“You really are knowledgeable,” I whispered. “Yet, you act dumb on purpose.”

His grin was priceless as his eyes twinkled in delight.

“If you act too smart, the world will use you for their own benefits. If they see you as stupid, all they’ll do is ridicule you. I’d rather be made fun of then used to hurt others. I won’t let someone control me. I make my own decisions and that means playing a fool to ensure I’m able to keep being who I want to be.”

“What about when the time comes for us to get our awakening?” My voice trembled just a little bit at the thought, my mind was still unsure what that would entail.

“My outlook won’t change,” he vowed. “I’m sure whatever I endure through that test will impact me in either a good or bad way, but I’ll still fight to be in control.”

“Even when you rise to your father’s throne in the coven?”

“That’s exactly why I would fight for my birthright,” he proudly replied. “For that’s something my father struggled in claiming and maintaining. Allowing it to be destroyed and run by people who haven’t seen the sacrifices my father or the rest of my family have made for the coven makes all the struggle worthless. It’s exactly how the three-thousand-year-old vampire endured and left regretting his final years in this universe.”

“That story. Was it a long book?”

“It took me about five years to finish it.”

“Five years. Wow.” I was astonished at his commitment.

“That’s why I sometimes ask odd questions,” he admitted. “Especially about the future. I don’t want to make the mistakes this man did, and yet, I don’t think it’s in anyone’s control to stop what fate has waiting for you. I have the freedom to walk forward or to stay standing, but at the end of the day, I feel as though your actions are already written behind the scenes.”

“Maybe,” I agreed. “But at least you know that you’ll never need to stick to something that doesn’t bring you happiness.”

He returned his gaze to me and I smiled. “If two individuals want to be with me, and it grants me happiness, even if it’s for a few years, I’d fight to maintain exactly that, rather then live all those years and more in a state of regret for listening to what others want me to do. Life isn’t a right for many. It’s a privilege given to us, and I won’t waste it on listening to those that secretly want me in a void of unhappiness. No matter their rank, position in royalty, or place in my life, the final say must be from me, for I’ll be the one carrying it for the rest of my existence until death.”

“Just as a smart,” he praised and raised my hand up to press his lips against my flesh. I froze at the electric touch, our eyes locked on one another. “Any other questions before we head forward? Once we pass that street, we’ll be in official territory and we’ll have to put up a bit of a front.”

“Are you going to do that cool glamour thingy?” I inquired. “Is that something you guys learned from the fae?”

“Yes, and yes,” he replied. “Do you wanna try it?”

“Isn’t it hard and draining?”

“Yes, but I have a shortcut I use on days when I’m tired magically and don’t want to deal with bullshit.”

“Lovely.” I laughed. He smirked and reached into the middle compartment to grab a box.

“I wasn’t sure if you’d like them, but…” He opened the box to reveal a set of ruby red earrings. They were in the shape of a heart, the exterior a metallic gold while the ruby jewel stood out brightly. “It seemed like a smarter piece of jewelry to wear. I’ve never seen you wear earrings, and since your hair is usually down, it would be better than a bracelet that can be taken away.”

“What exactly do they do?” I inquired.

“It’s blessed with fae magic but relies on royal blood. Wearing them gives you the ability to glamour up and represent your higher self, like what we did to take down the Vatican. It’s not an image you’ll be able to maintain all the time, but while we’re walking through the coven, it’s safer.”

“Do I get to choose what I look like?”

“Not really. That would be more along your fae side. The image you saw of me back then is most likely what I’m going to look like in a few years or when we awaken. Who knows? Tobias makes himself look the way he appeared that night, but it’s not too far off from what he’ll look like, or so says his father.”

“Intriguing,” I whispered, taking a better look at the earrings. “Can I wear them now?”

“Of course.” He winked and helped me put them on. He then fixed my hair really quick. The mere difference that his fingers made had me pouting in confusion.

“Why are you so good with hair?”

“I liked to do my mom’s hair when I was small. She’s very picky about who does her hairstyles, and I liked to observe them when they did various styles on her. I didn’t realize I was memorizing them, but there was a week when my mom couldn’t find anyone worthy of doing her hair, so I did it for her.”

“Aww.” It was such a sweet gesture. “No one made fun of you for it?”

“They tried when they noticed I read a lot of books about various hairstyles, but they stopped once they realized their taunts didn’t bother me. Let’s be real. It gets boring when you bully someone and it doesn’t bother them.”

“Truth.” I nodded. “When do I know it’s working?”

“It’ll active when your magic thinks it’s ready to activate. Same goes with mine, though it sometimes reacts out of anger.”

“Do you use jewelry to help?”

“Mhm.” He moved the longer strands of silver-magenta from the side of his face to reveal his red earring. “I don’t wear it often, but figured this would be a good time to have it.”

“Fun,” I declared.

“Guess we should head in?”

“Agreed.” He leaned in and pressed a kiss to my forehead.

“What was that for?”

“For being a good listener.” He winked and leaned back. “Also, no matter what people say down there, don’t take it to heart. There are a few assholes and bitches that don’t like me, period, so don’t let their insults hurt you.”

“As if I’d let a group of strangers do such a thing to my confidence,” I gasped in horror.

His smirk was priceless and once he put the car in drive and moved forward, he reached for my hand once more.

“You haven’t changed, you know,” he whispered.

“I wouldn’t know, since I can’t remember,” I reminded him.

“You will,” he whispered, as if he could see the future.

All I could do was hope that would be the case.

A SIDE OF BLOOD AND POWER

“Now, I’m actually nervous,” I quietly whispered.

“When you look like a queen ready to take the throne right here and now?”

My eyes peered over to Kane, absorbing every bit of detail with his updated appearance. Instead of a black suit like the previous time I’d seen him in his vampire glam form, he currently wore black pants, a red dress shirt, and a black cape that reminded me of the one I’d inherited from my father.

His long silver-magenta strands were now up in a ponytail, and his eyes were now a striking red while he held a heavy aura of dominance around him. It was like he’d walked into a world that he could control with just his fingertips, which could have been exactly what we were heading towards.

He’d driven us past the very street that led to his coven, and the place began to be views of mansion houses and perfectly cut lawns. It wasn’t until we surpassed the luxury sights, that we entered a dark driveway and arrived at a large garage.

To access it, you needed a specific card, and then there was a retina scan, fingerprint identification, and finally a vampire guard that would come and inspect the vehicle before letting us through.

The guard had eyed me carefully but didn’t ask Kane who I was. Could have been due to his scowling expression that gave off the ‘don’t even think about breathing near me’ look, but who knows.

Upon arrival, we were taken to another security check where we were scanned from head to toe, and that landed us in the elevator, where it took ten minutes to get down to our destination floor.

His house was deep, deep below.

It wasn’t until we entered the elevator and could see our reflection, that I realized the earrings he’d given me had activated and my so-called higher self hadn’t played any games with dressing me up.

I’d felt a little taller before going through the second set of security, but now I could visibly see that my 5′5″ height had gone all the way up to a beautiful 6′0″. My original outfit had completely changed to a strapless magenta dress that shifted into a blood-red. The entire thing was covered in sparkling rhinestones and clung to my body in a mermaid tail that had a trail of fabric at the end.

From my painted nails of red to my red heels, I was going to be a sight to see with all this red and pink, but I honestly loved it.

I always tried to hide the fact that I did enjoy popping out from the crowd, and this just proved to be something I internally enjoyed because my higher being wanted to stand out like a pink highlighter.

My hair was as long as Kane’s but was in bountiful layers of curls that were thick with gold and white tinsel highlights while the base color was completely magenta. My crown still remained in its rightful place, and my lips were donning my favorite bright red lipstick.

For the first time in a long time, my eyes were shockingly red, a piercing shade that projected my vampire roots and hid away the bits of fae magic I normally could catch within my aura.

I felt good - very powerful - but I was also nervous about what was to come because we both looked like a badass couple ready to start shit, and I was sure neither of us attempted to look this way.

“That’s what I mean,” I answered truthfully. “We look like we’re about to wreck shit up.”

His chuckle was doing that annoying thing where I forget to think and only want to make out with him. It was just like staring at Tobias long enough before I lose my strings of restraint and kiss him randomly.

“That’s how it’s supposed to feel.” He tugged on my hand and pulled me close, his arms immediately hooking around my waist and pressing me against him.

I had to fight not to lick my lips, knowing how enticing the move would be and feeling like that would be all I needed to do to make us both cave in the heightened desire to make out.

“Am I also supposed to feel like making out with you?”

That provocative smile made me want to punch him now, and he pressed me against the mirrored wall as his lips brushed against mine.

“When your body loves to be around someone, especially one they can see themselves being with, your emotions react faster than mental thought,” he explained. “Just like how I noticed your desire to hurt me for a split second.”

“Hmph.” I pouted my lips in annoyance. “All of this is weird.”

“You’ll get used to it,” he assured me. “Some come to like the shift. It’s nice to be eighteen, young, and innocent, and then a badass adult ready to enjoy each other without limits.”

I stared into his eyes, the aroma of his cologne doing its prime purpose of swooning me with its addictive, intoxicating scent.

“You’re hesitating,” I whispered.

“You’re right.”

“Why?”

“We’ve got two more minutes on this elevator ride, and I’m not sure if I can stop when I kiss you.”

“Tempting circumstances,” I whispered, and slid my arms around his neck, pulling him closer. “There’s more.”

He was quiet for a few seconds before he gently kissed me. “I’m afraid of getting lost in your taste and craving you when this could be temporary.”

“Excuses revolving around a future that you can control,” I whispered against his lips. “Even if it feels like you can’t, we’re going to have to teach you that you’re not doomed to walk one path when you wish to venture down the other.”

I pulled him down for a kiss, and he immediately responded, kissing me feverishly. I could tell this wasn’t a novice kiss, the way his lips claimed mine like I was his last breath of oxygen.

This connection was something he craved, and I wished for it without realizing it. How easily we connected with one another in our temporary roles of magic and blood. He felt so perfect for me, and yet there was so much more I needed to discover about him.

My brain felt like I’d have all the time to learn more about him, his roots, and maybe even get a taste of his pulsating, warm blood, but for now, it felt amazing to be lost in his mouth in a breathy session of kissing.

The elevator began to slow, two minutes coming far too fast for my liking. I knew if I didn’t break the kiss, Kane certainly wouldn’t. I forced our lips to pull apart, my body internally revolting against it but my sense of logic a little stronger.

He breathed and pressed his forehead against mine.

“We have to do more of that,” he breathed.

“Later,” I whispered, still catching my breath and enjoying the prickling high of contentment that intense kissing session gave.

I had to peel myself off of him, but he didn’t let me go far as he immediately hooked his arm around my waist, keeping me close.

“Possessive,” I noted.

“When it comes to you, ya,” he whispered. “No one else gets our prize possession.”

He said it like it was true and I was indeed some sort of trophy for him to keep in his grasp for the world to view.

With their eyes and not a chance at touching its gleaming appearance.

The elevator finally came to a stop, and his red eyes met mine.

“Instinct before logic from this step forward,” he encouraged.

“Including kissing?”

His smirk widened as he looked away. “Except for that. We’ll reserve that for the after show.”

I looked away but was grinning proudly as the doors opened.

We walked out of the elevator, entering the biggest mansion I’d ever seen. We had to be on the fifth floor because four other levels were below and filled with various people. It seemed like the very bottom floor was enjoying a party as lights flashed and people danced while holding glasses that harbored thick blood.

I couldn’t see much of the other floors at first glance, but the second looked like it had some sort of restaurant dining area for those who weren’t out partying. The third and fourth floors were far too difficult to decipher, and the floor we currently were on seemed to be the official entrance to this place.

Two ginormous guards stood at a red door, watching us closely. When we reached the door, we paused as Kane sighed in annoyance.

“I still don’t understand why, after eighteen years, you two still won’t open the door by the time I get here,” he complained.

“We have to ensure it’s you, Prince Mortica,” the guard to my left declared.

“Yet my brother goes skipping around here and you open it without a second thought,” Kane argued, narrowing his eyes at the left guard, who gulped.

“We’re sorry, Prince Mortica. It’s also because you’re with a guest.”

“If you’re going to bullshit me, do it when I don’t have important guests in my presence,” he snapped. “You two aren’t fools. You know a Delphine when you see one. Stop wasting my time with ogling her and open the door.”

The right guard nodded, shuffling quickly to open the door. Kane let go of my waist, his hand wrapping around mine before we made our way through.

I’d have to keep a mental note and tell him how hot it is when he’s all angry like that. Could be my body’s response to anything he did in this form, leaving me to wonder how this date would continue to turn out.

We began walking down a dark hall that was tiled with black marble.

“That was hot,” I finally whispered, and he squeezed my hand while wearing a gleaming smile.

We reached another entrance, and he reached for the door and paused to glance my way. “Ready for the major tour?”

“Always ready.” I winked.

He nodded and went right through with the tour.

His coven was divided in multiple ways that consisted of overall rank and position under the royal family, and then sectored out based off of family and status outside these walls.

He explained how he and his family lived in one portion of the underground paradise, while the rest of the family functions and those taken into the coven resided in the rest of the property.

Rank was the biggest thing here, and anyone under their family rank had to respect that. Whenever they didn’t, it was an invitation to start a fight and they wouldn’t get punished if that fight resulted in death.

Showing me around this place took a solid two hours, but every bit of information was fascinating because I knew nothing about this world. Everything was fascinating, from the details of position to the ways of living as a vampire in the underground depths.

They had mansions above ground and it wasn’t as though they had to hide from anyone, but seeing as many vampires couldn’t stand daylight - not due to the myths they created about turning into dust or that sparkle nonsense - because of their genetic makeup that thrived best at night, it was easier to live in an environment where you were protected.

“Why are you fine with being in the daylight if it’s a part of your genetic makeup to be among the dark?” I inquired as we walked out of the history room that had walls full of drawings that reflected the history of vampires.

“That comes from my mom’s side, apparently. Her bloodline is altered or something, so I function perfectly fine in the sunlight. I asked my mother about it one time and she said her father had experimented with the help of a wolf shifter and fae to create a remedy that made it easier for them to be out during the day. It’s kind of like how fae thrive on being in nature, while wolves are their strongest under the full moon. Vampires are strongest at night, but instead of making it so sunlight is unbearable like in our regular genetic makeup, it became tolerable. Since that had been passed down to me and my bro, we’re perfectly fine with going out and about. I do just fine, even visit Tobias, which is difficult for vampires to do without the whole getup of sunglasses and such.”

“Interesting.” It really did intrigue me. “Is it because of my fae side that I’m able to venture into the light just fine?”

“Yup.” he nodded. “You’ve had no issues, from what I remember of when we were kids.”

“Why can’t you explain all of that to me?” I intriguingly asked. “You and Tobias remember our childhood, but I don’t. Why is that?”

“To be honest,” he began and paused to look over to me. “I think we’ve been spelled not to tell you.”

“Spelled?”

“Magically bound to not release information that can hurt another,” he defined. “We’ve wanted to explain since finding out you couldn’t remember, but it’s hard to explain the feeling of it. Think of it like me wanting to say I like you and the thought being stuck in the middle of my throat. So when I reach that moment of time and place where I want to look into your eyes and say how much I enjoy your company and wish for you to stay by my side even when our bet is over, it would just be a thought in my mind and never escape my lips.”

“Like it did just now,” I commented.

He was quiet for a second before his eyes widened and his cheeks began to grow red.

“T-That wasn’t what I meant!”

My sly grin was priceless before I purposely walked in front of him and pressed my hands against his chest.

“You. Like. Me.”

Now his whole face was red before he looked away and scrunched his face.

“D-Do not.”

“How long have you liked me?”

“I don’t know.”

“Which means you do like me.”

“No! I-It means I don’t.”

“You said ‘I don’t know’ before,” I acknowledged. “That different from ‘I don’t’. Difference between the time since you’ve had feelings for me versus not having them at all.”

“Ugh,” he huffed. “Drop it.”

“Never.” I grinned and turned around. “Was it when we were kids?”

He didn’t answer, but that made my grin widen into a glamorous smile that displayed my white teeth. “I’ll remember that,” I declared.

“No point,” he huffed. “You gotta choose.”

“Why do you always keep offering that?” I inquired but held my following question as I sensed approaching footsteps.

I returned to Kane’s side while he took a protective step forward before crossing his arms over his chest in wait. Within thirty seconds, four individuals came out of the dark, their familiar uniforms proving that they were attendees of Bloody Rosary Academy.

“If it isn’t Kane. Long time.” The words came from the center woman, who seemed to be the leader of the little group.

The other three were tall males, none of them projecting enough menace for me to be concerned about their arrival. Their appearances were rather similar, the same short black hair and red eyes, like any other typical vampire.

It was rather boring, honestly, to look at them, leaving me to wonder if they did it on purpose to blend into the stereotypical appearance of a vampire.

The main chick had long red hair that fell a little too flat for my preference in the hairstyle department. Her uniform skirt was purposely short, and I was pretty positive anyone could see her butt cheeks when she walked.

She was 5′7″ like my usual height, and even with our new appearances, the height difference didn’t faze her in the slightest as she gave me a vile look. She clearly just noticed how close I was to Kane.

Maybe she literally just noticed me.

Kane looked unbothered by her entrance, before responding with, “Did my short absence make you forget your manners?”

His voice was thick with power, and I had to glance his way to physically see the charge of magic around him. It was the first time I was catching a glimpse of another vampire’s energy since our fights with Alexander, which I assumed was common to witness.

The four of them immediately bowed their heads, as if they had no choice in the matter. I couldn’t blame them, the pulsating urge to do the same even hitting me, but I fought against it.

I wasn’t a part of this coven, nor did I disrespect him.

“Our apologies, Prince Mortica.” Her head remained bowed as she said those words, but my mind told me she didn’t mean them.

Just saying it so she doesn’t get into shit.

“What’s the meaning of you walking down to these parts? I’m sure it was instructed that I’d be home with a guest.”

“Your brother sent us, sir,” one of the males answered.

All Kane could do was roll his eyes. “Meaning you told him you were intrigued and asked my brother’s permission to come down to these parts, knowing damn well he’d assume we were mates,” Kane huffed, and with a blink, the three males were on the floor and a dagger was at the woman’s throat. I was actually speechless at the move, but all my vamp senses knew exactly what he was doing.

Marking territory.

“I will make this nice and clear, for I’m nowhere close to being lenient when it comes to strangers invading my royal space.” His cold voice sent shivers through me, making me fear the consequences their actions could have landed them if I wasn’t present. “My home is not for you to wander upon. You can have my parents’ permission and I will still have this dagger against your throat.”

He looked down at the three men, who were now on their knees, begging quietly, while the female remained quivering in place.

“Be grateful that you’re in the presence of my woman or I’d ensure your blood is the new tint on this carpeted floor. That way, if anyone else decides to play it smart with the future heir of Mortica, they’ll be reminded of the bloodshed that laid here.”

He moved his blade and stared down at the woman, who dropped to her knees and placed her head down to the floor.

“My utmost apologies, Prince Mortica.”

“Do not test my limits, Vera. You may be a part of the high ranks of this coven and attend the same school as I, but we are not friends. I don’t hit women and thus the reason why you only got a taste of my blade, but be warned. If it happens again, I won’t hesitate to leave a deep mark against your flesh and get a taste of what you’re hiding within that mind of yours.”

All she could do was nod in understanding. When the hall was silent, he sighed.

“Leave. I have other business to attend to.”

“Yes, Prince Mortica.” They scurried away, leaving me extremely impressed.

“This may be a little too early to say,” I began, drawing his cold eyes that softened when they landed on me. “But I so want to see you like that in bed.”

He blinked a few times, and there was that shy part of him that came out when I said something unexpected. He glanced away to hide his embarrassment but outstretched his hand.

“Sure.”

I grinned at his response, returning to his side and placing my hand in his.

“You okay?” he inquired.

“Perfectly fine, though I have a feeling your brother did that on purpose.”

“Without a doubt.” He sighed. “I better talk to him before he goes and makes a bigger scene.

“Want me to wait here?” I offered.

“Here, let me take you to the study. It’s basically off-limits to most vampires so you should be safe.”

“Kane.” He looked back at me to see my unimpressed face. “You forget who I am?”

There was his seductive smile as he squeezed my hand and stopped before a dark red stool with a magic circle on it that had a bat symbol in the middle.

“I did not,” he assured me.

Waking inside and holding the door for me, he gestured to the mass of books that were stacked in tall black bookshelves and the comfortable homey setting of black velvet furniture that was situated near a fireplace.

Snapping his fingers, the fire roared to life, crackling around the wood that sat patiently, waiting to be used. He tugged me into his arms, kissing me hungrily before he broke the kiss to whisper, “I’ll be back in a few. Shouldn’t take me too long to see what my brother wants.”

“I could just come with you?” I offered.

He looked conflicted at the idea, and he finally shook his head.

“I would, but it would portray the opposite of what I want to be projected.”

“What do you mean?” I inquired.

He closed his eyes for a second and whispered, “Leaving you here proves you’re precious to me. Bringing you there with only my brother’s presence deems you insignificant. Our tradition in this coven and a few others is that you introduce an individual that you have the intention of mating to your parents first. The same rules apply to fae, from what Tobias told me. Seeing as my parents aren’t here, it would spread quickly that you’re no one of interest to me, and that’s not the impression I’m giving out.”

He opened his eyes and stared right into mine.

“I knew from the moment we met at six years old that I wanted to be with you. That hasn’t changed, even if you don’t remember. My brother knows that and must have heard about our arrival from one of the guards I informed. When someone sees you get all he could have, it’s only a matter of time before he tries to set you up. You’re not someone I’m going to gamble away.”

With those words, he kissed me passionately with tender lips and turned away.

“I’ll be back in fifteen minutes or less. Then we’ll take a tour of the rest of the place and I’ll answer any questions you have. The maids should already have dinner reserved for us, so we’ll get to enjoy a date without my brother or Vera’s crew destroying it.”

He headed to the door, but I couldn’t help but whisper, “I’m glad we’re united again.”

Those words came out effortlessly, and they held weight to them because it felt like I’d said something similar.

“We’ll be united again! The three of us! Year after year, okay, Kaney?”

Those high-pitched words that played in my mind didn’t carry a bit of imagery with them, but it resonated with my being as Kane looked back with a sincere smile.

“Me, too.”

With those words he was gone, leaving me with a silent vow that no matter what the future may hold, I’d fight to not lose him.

To not lose him again…

OVERSLEPT AND BEDTALK

“You can barely keep your eyes open,” Tobias reasoned as he peered over at me as I fought to stay awake.

“No,” I mumbled, but my head was leaning over to one side while my eyes began to close.

Tobias chuckled and an arm slipped along my shoulders and pulled me over to lean against a firm surface. I knew he was the culprit of the generous action, my neck already stiff from falling asleep again and again on the ride back from my two-day date with Kane.

The Mortica Coven had given me a detailed glimpse of how covens were run, and even with his parents’ absence, I got to see that controlling, leadership side of Kane I would have probably never gotten the opportunity to witness during our training classes.

When he was in his element, he held it down against vampires who were obviously older, wiser, and maybe even stronger. I could see how the importance of rank played out in covens, especially when challenged.

During our whole stay, only three groups had tried to tick Kane off. The second one wasn’t when I was around, but the third one tried to interrupt our breakfast, which left him flying out the window of the fifth floor.

Not a hint of remorse when one of the guards arrived after with the news that the vamp was dead.

From the tiny whispers of the maids at the end of our stay, the second vamp to threaten Kane’s rank was now in the infirmary with a few broken bones. Apparently, he was still alive and not flying out the window because Kane’s father deemed him useful.

You’d think an underground window wouldn’t lead to anywhere, let alone be useful, but the magical sights of a starry night hid a downward fall that was like jumping off the fiftieth floor of a building.

Our lack of sleep was my fault since I didn’t want to waste six hours of sleep when I was getting an opportunity to learn about the vampire side of this supernatural world, but that left me completely drained on the way back, and poor Tobias had to deal with a sleepy me.

“Sorry,” I quietly mumbled, fighting the claws of darkness that fought to take me into the realms of sleep.

“Nothing to apologize for, Lucinda.” Tobias was so understanding. “We should have scheduled a day in between. We forgot about the significant time difference, but don’t worry. Going to take us a little longer to get to my territory. Get some rest. You deserve it.”

“But…” I was going to argue, but my mind just had other plans as my train of thought also drifted away. Tobias chuckled again, and I felt his lips press against my forehead.

“Sleep, Luci. I’m not going anywhere.”

His words felt like they meant something else, but with my foggy mind, there was no way for me to decipher the hidden meaning - or truth - to them as I continued to lose my battle with approaching slumber.

He then began to hum, a tune that resembled a lullaby. It triggered levels of familiarity in my mind, and as if I’d listened to that very sound for years at the stroke of bedtime, I fell into a peaceful sleep.

“LUCI?”

I unwillingly poked an eye open, wishing to sleep a little longer.

Especially in Tobias’s arms.

How I got there, I couldn’t recall, but they were wrapped around me protectively and gave the sense of comfort and safety. I didn’t want to leave the extremely soft bed.

“Hmm?” I finally replied.

“I’d let you sleep more, but I’d like to have at least one day of shenanigans,” he quietly reasoned. “Though you’re a good cuddler.”

“One more day?” I lifted my head up slightly, realizing I’d been sleeping on his bare chest. No complaints there, but my eyes scanned the room that had tiny orange beams of light streaming from the window.

It gave me the impression it was sunrise instead of sunset, and the foreign, rich room of floral designs, gold and white furniture, and the scent of strong aromas told me this wasn’t the academy.

“Where are we?” I asked.

“My room in the fae lands of the North,” Tobias replied as he lifted his arms up to put his hands behind his back as he eased onto the pillow behind his head.

“What time is it?” I inquired next.

“Four in the morning.”

“Four…in the morning. Didn’t Kane drop me off at eight to be picked up by you at eight-thirty…and we were talking about something at nine.” I was trying to figure it out, my mind still snailing away in its attempt to wake up.

When I couldn’t figure it out, I gave Tobias a sad look, which made him grin.

“Four in the morning, Luci. Meaning, you slept for the duration of yesterday.”

“I…did?” Now I was really confused. I’d never slept for so long before, but now that I thought about it, the sudden shift with times and staying up could have knocked me out for far too long.

“You mean I slept the entire time?”

“You sleepily got up to use the washroom, and I was able to get you to drink a blood pack since I was a little concerned with your sluggish behavior. I texted Pearl about it, and she said just to make sure you had a pack of blood, so you’d wake up with more energy.”

“Oh.” That seemed reasonable, and I yawned and began to rub my eyes.

“Doesn’t that mean we only get one day together?”

“Sadly.” He didn’t seem down about it, but the news made my shoulders sink in worry.

“Hey.” Tobias sat up and pulled me back against him like we were long time lovers about to have a pleasant morning chat with one another. “Don’t get all depressed, Lucinda.”

“But I didn’t mean to sleep the day and a good chunk of the night away. It wasn’t intentional.”

“I know.”

“Didn’t you have to explain yourself when you brought me here?”

“Not really.” He shrugged. “Those that work in the palace knew I’d be bringing someone, and the journey is normally strenuous on the body. I figured you wouldn’t be too drained from the sudden shift from Bloody Rosary to fae lands, but I forgot to take into consideration you’d be exhausted from barely sleeping at Kane’s home. He told me you guys did a lot of learning and viewing various things around the coven, so I assumed the activity would be a little strenuous since we’re not on our feet all day and night for our training classes.”

“Entering the fae world exhausts you?”

“Not me necessarily,” he admitted. “It’s a bit tiring because Bloody Rosary’s magical surroundings are similar to the human realm. It’s done that way so when you arrive at B.R.A. it’s not hard to adapt to. The fae world is thick with magic, and the flow of it is continuous. It’s a huge transition for a human to go from their world into ours. Not to say that you’re a human, obviously, but your body has gotten so used to the human dynamics of your environment that the shift over here would still have a strong impact on you. When you were little, you came here at least once if not twice a week, so it wasn’t as bad.”

“Interesting,” I whispered. “I still feel bad.”

“Don’t,” he whispered. “I got to cuddle with you for most of the evening and night.”

“Isn’t that boring?”

“Nope.” He shook his head. “You’re rather cute when you sleep. I also had a few books on my nightstand from my last visit that I’d forgotten to pack. It was a good time to catch up on some leisure reading.”

“You’re so optimistic,” I whispered but smiled. “Thank you for taking care of me while I slept.”

“I’ll always take care of you when you need me to,” he reassured me. “Hungry?”

“Famished.” I nodded, my stomach clenching in need for some food. “Though…I wouldn’t mind showering first. I never got to when I arrived back from Kane’s and since I’ve been asleep for basically a day, I wouldn’t mind changing out of my…oh?”

I realized my clothes from the day before were replaced with white pajama shorts and a tank top.

“Molly helped change you. I didn’t want you sleeping in uncomfortable clothing,” he reasoned.

“Who’s Molly?”

“One of our servants. She’s the same age as us but is mute.”

“She can’t speak. Why?”

“I’m honestly not sure. She was found in our fields when I was eleven. My parents think she was dumped there to die and whatever trauma she endured prior to that caused her to lose the ability to speak. She can understand you and interprets various languages so she had to be from a high-class family, but we never could find her family. We’re not supposed to keep orphans within the kingdom, but both my parents agreed she was too young to fend for herself at the time and it wasn’t like she wasn’t valuable,” Tobias explained. “Our maids here don’t do crazy labor compared to other kingdoms, so she became my mother’s assistant for little things like folding clothes or helping with laundry. Since she’s been with us for so long, she’s considered one of our loyal maids.”

“Then that doesn’t worry me.” I shrugged. “I mean, it was nice to sleep in different clothes. Though, I wouldn’t have been mad if you had to change me.”

“I don’t want to violate your privacy,” he replied.

“But I’m sure when we were kids, you would have seen me naked at some point.”

“Correct, but time has passed, and it doesn’t give me any more of the right,” he argued. “You also don’t remember your past. I would never take advantage of you, even if it’s just to change your clothes for your own comfort.”

I stared at him with a bit of bewilderment.

“What?”

“I’m just…hmm.” I was trying to figure out a way to explain myself, but I struggled to find the right words. “I…I know what you’re saying is correct, but it sounds so foreign to me that I’m struggling to accept it since no one has ever said otherwise.”

He stared at me with a frown, his eyes showing a hint of anger.

“Has anyone ever-”

“No.” I knew what he was getting at and I shook my head to emphasize it. “I had sex based off of my own terms with someone my age. However, I’m not going to deny that someone has tried to take my clothes off while I’ve been unconscious.”

That angered him even more, his eyes beginning to shift to a blazing red.

“It’s why we would wear special garments that were designed to only be taken off by ourselves,” I quickly added. “Sister Ara…at the time, was the other person who was allowed to take it off in case of emergencies. I get that it’s not right. Obviously, it’s not…that’s why I’m saying it translates in my head as something odd when it shouldn’t.”

He exhaled and slowly nodded, giving me a bit of relief since I didn’t want to anger him over the past. He wasn’t the reason why there were repulsive men out there.

“Sorry if my comment was upsetting.”

“No need to apologize. It’s not something you need to apologize for. It just upsets me that you even had to endure that. You’re so important to this side of our world, and yet you had to endure stupid shit from a place that should have protected you.”

He looked me in the eyes and whispered, “You deserved to be raised in a safe environment like you had when we were kids. It…upsets me that neither Kane nor I could interfere. If we knew even a quarter of what we know now…you would have never remained there.”

“Probably,” I quietly agreed and snuggled against him. His body relaxed a little more at the affectionate move, and I continued, “Though I would have never made a deep enough friendship with Pearl, and if you guys had come to rescue me, that would’ve left her all alone. Everything happens for a reason. At least that’s what I believe.”

“You’re right,” he admitted, his fingers twisting in my hair. “Still bothers me.”

“I know,” I whispered. “Your eyes give you away.”

“Hmm. My parents pointed that out.” He sounded annoyed by it. “I can’t help it if my eye color changes. My father likes to scold me about it and yet his eyes do the same.”

I giggled. “That’s cute.”

He looked back at me and smiled. “I’m glad that with everything you’ve experienced, you didn’t let anything stop you from being your true self.”

“Me, too,” I whispered. “At least around you guys, I’m less of a bitch.”

“You’re not a bitch.” He sighed. “You defend your rights, don’t take bullshit, and like to deal with truthful people. That doesn’t rank you as a bitch.”

“Pearly keeps saying that,” I quietly muttered to myself.

“You still add a ‘y’ to people’s names?”

“Huh?”

“You like to add ‘y’ to people’s names to annoy them.”

“I…do?”

“Tobiasy. Kaney. Aray. Alexy.” He accented each name, emphasizing the letter y.

“That…I don’t recall that,” I shyly admitted. “I do like calling Pearl, Pearly.”

“Bad habits die hard,” he hummed.

“It wasn’t bad!” I argued.

“Uh-huh.” His sly grin made me slap his chest and huff, “I’m going to shower!”

I got off the bed, took three steps forward and paused in confusion “Uh.”

“The door is hidden in the wallpaper. Two more steps and then turn left and walk straight.”

“There’s a wall there,” I pointed out, slowly looking over my shoulder to see his expression, pleased that I had no choice but to ask for help.

“I can see that, sweet Luci.” His playful eyes were projecting how much he was enjoying this. “Just walk through it.”

“Prince Hart. Fae can’t walk through walls.”

“Says who?” He sat up and crossed his arms.

“Says…I don’t know!”

“I’d gladly escort you to the washroom, Luci, if you just ask.”

“No.” My stubbornness kicked in and I began stomping towards the wall. “I don’t need your guidance. Straight through the wall I- OMPH!” I slammed right into the flat surface.

The snicker that followed me had me slowly shifting my deadly gaze to Tobias, who was on the verge of laughing his existence away.

Or having me end it for him.

He placed his hand over his lips to muffle another snicker and used his free hand to point. I had the feeling he was directing me to move a step to the right, and I did exactly that before putting my hand out.

It went right through the wall, and I glared back at him.

“I’ll get my payback for that,” I vowed and walked through the wall that led to the washroom. I could hear his laughter, which irritated me, but the pearl white bathroom welcomed a new sensation of calm.

Time to get squeaky clean so I get to spend the day with that sexy jerk of a fae.

A SIDE OF HOLY MATRIMONY

“What’s taking you so long, Lucinda?”

“I don’t know!” I huffed, remaining behind the tree. I obviously did know why I was stalling our date after watching the outstanding sunrise with the best fluffy pancakes I’d ever tasted in my life. Add wonderful tasting berries, whipped cream, choice of strawberry, chocolate, and blueberry syrups, and various side choice of scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, sliced cheese, and grapes to the mix, and I could vouch that breakfast was probably sent down from heaven itself and delivered to Tobias’s grand castle.

To wake up to the sight of the kingdom surrounded by colorful nature, but to feel the intense magic thrumming through the air was a little mind-blowing to me. I didn’t feel it when I first got up, but after taking a quick shower and walking out to see Tobias chilling on the balcony I’d had the chance to stroll out and experience it myself.

The world of fae was vastly different from the world of vampires. It overflowed with majestic grace, giving off a feeling of holy matrimony, which was weird to describe.

It literally felt like I’d walked into a part of heaven, the environment appearing untouched when I knew that was impossible since fae resided in the same lands. The air was pure, not a hint of pollution in its beautiful atmosphere. Even breathing felt different.

Each breath made my lungs sing in blissful peace while the sounds of various animals across the lands made me giddy. I could see myself skipping through the fields of flowers with how alive I felt, and yet I knew that wasn’t something I’d ever do.

Alright, I did a few skips through the fields while following the trail to meet Tobias.

Breakfast had led to Tobias having to go inform his guards that we weren’t to be interrupted today. While he did that, he instructed me to get ready with Molly’s assistance and meet him down in the private garden.

I was perfectly comfortable with the easy instructions, and meeting Molly was an intriguing experience. It was clear she was mute, but what a beauty. She was the same height as Pearl at 5′3″, with a gorgeous creamy complexion that gave off the impression she was of Asian descent.

To be honest, I couldn’t tell if she was Chinese, Japanese, or Korean, seeing as we’d rarely had any Asians at the church. Most orphans were white or mixed, and I only knew of other races from reading the news and getting glimpses at the crowd of guests that came for Sunday mass each week.

Her hair was a soft pink, reminding me of the sakura blossoms that many talked about that bloomed during the springtime in various countries. Her eyes were golden, and she had soft pink lips. She carried an innocence to her that made it rather easy to like her.

She didn’t need to say a single word to get her point across, her gestures and other hand movements enough for me to follow along. She’d picked three different outfits for me, all of them extravagant, as though I was about to attend a ball.

There was no way for me to refuse, and I allowed her to help me get dressed and literally glammed up in as little as fifteen minutes. Now that I looked like a princess ready to get married to the prince of this magnificent kingdom, I was feeling extremely shy.

Feels like I’m in a fairy tale.

“Give me like five more minutes,” I reasoned.

“You make it seem like you’re standing here naked, like an Adam and Eve tale.” His voice came from behind me, and I turned around to meet his eyes that took in my appearance.

I was a hundred percent sure my face was burning crimson as his eyes descended slowly from my head to my toes.

My dress was a corset dress that glimmered in gold and transitioned to pure white. It was a high-low dress, the front part of the dress two inches above my knees while the back draped out behind me until it hit the floor.

The white ballerina shoes I wore had white ribbons that wrapped around my legs and tied together below my kneecaps. They were at least comfortable to walk in, which I could safely assume we’d be doing all day today as we ventured through the vast environment of this world.

My hair was tied up in a ponytail, a few strands left on the right side of my face, and my crown remained in place, the bright sunlight making it twinkle like a glint of treasure ready to be retrieved.

Since the dress was strapless, I only had beads of jewelry on my wrists, leaving the rest of my arms bare, which was nice with the beautiful, warm weather.

I still wore the earrings Kane had given me previously, and my new makeup was pretty similar to my last but instead of red blush I had light pink and wore a soft pink lipstick versus striking red. It really finished off the look, bringing it down a few notches to project an innocent princess look versus my usual fierce pop of color and dominance.

I gulped as I waited for his approval, admiring his look as he wore white dress pants, a short-sleeved gold dress shirt, and white vest. He had white cufflinks, and his hair was up in a ponytail while a crown rested upon his head.

He looked like the very king of this land, and it would be quite a fitting position for him, especially in his glamour form.

“If I look hideous, you can tell me,” I reasoned.

“You’re so absolutely stunning that I forgot to think for a second,” he replied earnestly, leaving me to blush at his compliment.

“T-Thank you,” I whispered, unable to hide my nervousness.

Why am I so nervous and shy right now? Tobias hasn’t changed. Sure, he got all hot and sexy and I’d love to pounce on him, but he’s still the kind, hot, half-naked fae I get to enjoy waking up to on random occasions.

“Do you want me to answer that, or did you forgot about that skill of mine?”

“Oh fuck,” I cursed. “Nope. Don’t answer. Let me keep the last bits of my shattered pride, thanks.”

Tobias laughed, and I was in his arms in seconds as he pulled me into a hug.

“You’re nervous because our bodies are exhibiting chemistry,” he whispered in my ear, the action making me forget what I’d even asked to get that reply.

“They should write all of this in a handbook, so I don’t feel stupid,” I muttered.

“You don’t need to feel unintellectual over not knowing everything this world has to offer, Luci,” he reasoned. “You’re still learning and growing. And remember. We lived in these worlds for quite some time and you’re dealing with traumatic amnesia, if we’d like to call it that.”

“You’re not turned off by my weird behavior?”

“Nope.” He shook his head. “I’d be the same if I didn’t know how to cloak my emotions,” he admitted and leaned in closer, so his hot breath tickled my neck as he whispered, “You make my heart go wild against my chest, like a beating drum on fast forward. It’s taking every string of resistance to not give up on this adventure, scoop you up, and take you straight to my bed.”

“That doesn’t sound like a bad idea,” I reasoned. He chuckled and actually kissed my cheek.

“You know I would if I didn’t promise Kane to not let my cock dictate what we do today.”

“Can’t we say it rained or something?” I suggested. Tobias was grinning from ear to ear, but I knew from the look in his golden-orange eyes that I wasn’t getting my way with this one.

Damn boy friendships. What do they call it? Bromances? Ugh. I gotta get Kane for sabotaging my chance for sex.

Tobias grabbed my hand and lifted it so his lips brushed the back of it.

“If we finish a tad early today, we could be back in bed by nine, which is when all the staff go home, and no one will be able to hear our lovemaking,” he reasoned.

“Now that sounds more like an appealing reward,” I praised.

He grinned and pulled me close, gently kissing my lips.

“You really do look gracefully stunning.”

“Thank you, Tobias,” I whispered and kissed him. “I’ve never seen such a charming prince in the lands. Oh wait. You are the only prince of these lands. No wonder.”

His smile was priceless as he hooked an arm around my waist and pulled out his phone. “Want a picture?”

“Oh!” I thought about it as if I’d completely forgotten we could do that. “We can take pictures!”

“You forgot?”

“Sadly, yes.”

“Glad I could remind you,” he replied and pressed the button to snap the picture. We took a few more before we began our fae adventures.

We walked through the garden first, admiring different flowers that I’d never known existed before. In the fae world, many flowers, animals, and supernatural beings we wouldn’t see down in the human realm resided in these parts.

From Tobias’s explanation, the lands were gigantic, but you needed special permission to enter the east, south, and west areas. If there was an emergency, royals were given the privilege to enter to ensure their safety, but currently, the four sections were trying to maintain a sense of independence.

They still were determining if it would be best to revert back to Courts. But there was a big dilemma about whether segregating the lands by season or elemental type would be less of a hassle.

Until then, his parents were dealing with the general issues of their lands, and other than that, it was extremely peaceful. Tobias emphasized that they still tried to convince the royals otherwise on a daily basis, especially those still carrying army ranks because we’d never know if another war would break out, but with the current balance, it was finally a second priority.

After the garden, we got to go through a thick forest, seeing different animals along the way that acknowledged our arrival by doing something unique like spitting out sprinkles, making the weather change for a split second, or changing the colors of the leaves in greeting.

The landscape was calming, and the longer I remained within this serene safe haven, the more I wished to remain here instead of going back to where we’d have to jump back into the current reality of academy students.

We reached a small path, my hand in Tobias’s as I led the way. He was only letting me take the lead so I’d get to explore wherever I was intrigued to see, which was lovely of Tobias to allow me to do.

“Do you know where we’re going?” he asked, sounding amused as we continued along the path.

“Nope,” I replied, looking over my shoulder to give him a questioning stare. “If I’m going to walk into an invisible wall, you’re leading,”

“You’re not,” he assured me. “We’re actually about to reach a clearing.”

“Are…holy shit,” I gasped and came to a stop, watching the field of enchanting roses wave from left to right upon our arrival. Hundreds of roses filled the circular space, all of their petals having hints of gold sparkle on their delicate surfaces.

The rose scent was thick in the air, and I was shocked we’d stumbled on something so serene. Something came to my mind at that moment; a memory I’d forgotten from long ago.

“THIS PLACE IS SO BARE. It’s depressing!”

“You think so, Princess?”

“I know so!”

“Then, what shall my kingdom do to make it better?”

“Hmmm. I know! Roses!”

“You want us to plant a rose here?”

“Mhm! Here, and over here, and here, too!”

“Would you date me if I gave you a field of roses?”

“Silly, Tobiasy! We’re too young to date! Mommy said when we’re ten! I’m nine!”

“I know you’re nine, Luci. We’re the same age.”

“Ah. Don’t tease me!”

“Hey, hey. Not the ears. They’re sensitive.”

“Sensitive ears! Tickle tickle.”

“Okay, okay. I’ll give you a field of roses.”

“Will you?”

“Yes!”

“Yeah! I’m going to tell my parents so you can’t go back on your word!”

“Alright, alright. Gotta keep this place a secret between us then. Can you do that?”

“Yes! Our little rosey secret!”

“Rosey isn’t a word, Luci.”

“So? I’m a princess. Rules don’t apply!”

“Why do I feel like you’re going to be a rebellious princess?”

“Because I will be! A powerful one that everyone will fear, and I’ll get exactly what I want!”

“Really?”

“Really! Believe me, Tobiasy!”

“I believe you, Lucinda.”

“Good! Now let’s go swimming!”

“Okay!”

“LUCINDA?”

A hand gripped my shoulder, and I slowly looked up to see Tobias’s worried eyes.

“Are you okay?”

“You…” I struggled with words. “You kept your word.”

He stared at me with a frown, before it seemed to click in as to what I was referring to. “You…remember?” he inquired.

“I asked for roses to be planted here because it was too dull. You asked if I’d date you if I was given a field of roses.”

His smile was hard to describe, one of longing and sadness. Then those strong arms of his wrapped around me, my back pressing against his firm chest as he whispered, “I always keep my word. If only you could remember everything, Luci. If only I could say what needs to be said.”

He held me tighter, and the wind wrapped around us with a warm breeze of comfort. It was hard to live in the present when you knew you were missing so many gaps from the past.

Before this journey began, the idea was merely a thought I’d have to accept, and I figured I’d never discover what was written during the first ten years of my life. Memories fade, it’s a part of this story called life, but I was far too young to be dealing with the missing links, and it was frustrating that they couldn’t tell me about the past we shared.

He kissed the side of my neck and whispered, “Let’s not be so down about this. I wish we could speak of the past. I really do…but until we can figure a way around it, we’ll just have to live in the present we’ve been granted.”

He was right, and his wise words made me nod in agreement.

“You’re right.”

“Did you want some flowers? It’s kind of the reason why I didn’t get you a bouquet of them, but I also didn’t realize you’d lead us straight here.”

“I subconsciously led us here, huh.” I pondered about it, and it gave me a bit of hope that when the time was right, I’d somehow figure out what I’d forgotten. “Nah. Let’s keep them right in place.”

I turned in his hold and looked into his eyes.

“I’ll still be able to come down and visit, right?”

“Whenever you want to come back to this world, just say the word,” he vowed and sealed my lips with a kiss.

Maybe then I’d find out why it felt so easy to relish in this emotional connection with him. It felt like I was always his and he was mine to enjoy. The way he kissed me, held me. I couldn’t imagine how his touch would feel against my flesh when we were both bare and vulnerable.

He released my lips and smirked.

“Wanna do something fun?”

“Define fun?”

“It’s not sex.”

“Well, boo.”

“Are you sexually explorative?”

“Meaning do I like to explore any areas in terms of sex?” I clarified.

“Sort of.”

“I’m not sure,” I admitted. He pulled back and took my hand as we walked around the clearing to avoid hurting any of the wonderful red roses.

“When did you have sex?”

“Sixteen. Choir boy. He was a hybrid.”

“Really?” Tobias looked intrigued. “Continue.”

I laughed at his curiosity, which showed a hint of jealousy. “Are you the jealous type?”

“Yes.” He didn’t even deny it.

“Yet you let me go on date with Kane.”

“He’s the only consideration I’ll make about another male being with who I desire.”

“Possessive,” I purred, and hooked my arm around his.

“You seemed pleased.”

“I like a little dominance in my relationship, but it’s nice to try different things or add a person in the pleasurable activities.”

“I feel like you’re going to be dangerous when you’re older.”

“You make it seem like I’m still the sixteen-year-old orphan in the church.”

“I know you’re not.” He stopped to make a point. “As a hybrid, you’re going to need two individuals.”

“I am? Says who?”

“Your genetic makeup,” he emphasized. “You feel it, right? The thrumming connection between the two of us. We’re drawn together, like the final two pieces that are needed to complete a puzzle. You’re the Yin to my Yang, and we’ve always had this connection. Always.”

He stared into my eyes, looking as though he was struggling to say what needed to be said. Instead, he pulled away and gave me a playful grin.

“If you can catch me, I’ll tell you something I shouldn’t.”

He was running off before I could answer, and I huffed in defiance.

“We were having a moment and now he wants me to get all sweaty?! Tobias!” I screamed out, but he was getting further away from me. With a few muttered curse words, I was chasing after him, increasing my speed as the end of my dress fluttered behind me.

The trail began to go upward, and I realized I’d completely lose sight of him if I didn’t start using my elements to my advantage.

Without a second thought, I pushed off the ground and landed in the tree, rushing winds lifting me up like I was a single feather ready to explore this vast world.

From tree to tree, I gained speed as I caught onto Tobias’s figure once more. I was surprised he could run so quickly, only reminding me that he was able to keep up with Kane without much of a problem.

“Tobias!” I called out and he looked back at me gleefully before he stuck his tongue out.

“This ass!” Instead of using that tongue to tease me, he could be using it for more useful things. Shaking my head and ignoring how sexually charged I was from his closeness earlier, I raced even faster until the world was a blur and I was relying only on the scent of his cologne and magic energy that leaked off of him.

We were still going upward, as though we were now on a mountain, but it didn’t slow me down in the slightest. I felt the presence of various animals, and I slowed just slightly as a herd of mystical deer began to chase after me.

They were beautiful, their antlers glowing a soft gold while their fur was a mix of brown and orange and their eyes were white with glowing hollows. It would have been weird to see in the human realm, but here, they were blessed creatures that decided to join in on the grand chase.

They somehow kept up with me, and I began to giggle as they got super close and brushed my hand. Soon, birds of various shapes and colors were joining in, and then wolves and white foxes.

I giggled with the sense of freedom, my laughter becoming contagious as I heard Tobias’s deep rumble of joy. It felt like we were two little kids playing freely in the enchanted forest around us, no worries, fears, or obstacles around us as we lived to breathe the pure air and fall into the blissful wonders the world gave to us.

By the time I reached the top and noticed Tobias had stopped, I forced my body to stop - a gust of wind cushioning my abrupt move.

I was out of breath, just like he was, but the pride and love in his eyes made my heart keep racing while his eyes looked past me. Deciding to follow his gaze, I viewed the line of various creatures; four-legged bunnies, wolves, horses, and deer, while birds and other creatures hovered in the air.

They all followed us on our chase, and now it was our time to admire their grouped arrival.

“Why?” I whispered, sensing Tobias’s presence behind me.

“Two kids wearing crowns would race through the forest, running freely with gleeful smiles. The common game of tag, you’re it, always landed them on the top of a vast mountain. No matter rain or shine, they would enjoy mother nature at her finest, and the animals of this world would gather to watch them play. Their laughter brought them joy, as well as hope that the kingdom ruled by fae would remain in their time, a place of peace and tranquility.”

Turning around to face him once more, his kind eyes met my wide ones.

“Every year they would come to this very spot, a tradition they had kept up for three years. They promised at the age of ten they would come back here and enjoy the views of the fae world, and the boy promised the girl roses, a symbol of his love, and a future she’d be proud of. Sadly, when that day came, the girl never returned. Forgotten is what this place became, and the boy grieved with the animals that missed the girl’s smile and laughter.”

He blinked and looked up to the sky, hiding his emotions as he whispered, “Every year after, he comes here. Every time, the animals gather. We pray that the girl is healthy, strong, and loved, and we wish upon the Universe to bring her home.”

He swallowed and lowered his head to stare into my eyes.

“Eight years of wondering if she’s okay. Eight years of searching for a loophole in a corrupt system. Eight years of wishing she’d never change. Eight years of training for the day she’d return and pray she’d still deem him worthy of standing by her side.”

His hands cupped my face, his thumb wiping away the tears that left my eyes.

“His story that became a sad tale, suddenly turned into a happy one as he was called to service in protecting the girl he fell in love with all those years before, and he knew that this time around, no one would steal his beacon of happiness.”

Those words were heavy with power as he took a step forward and inched closer.

“He cared not about what was written in the past. He dismissed the chance of rejection and the fear of uncertainty. He knew a time would come when a choice would be made…but he’d make sure she knew how loved she was and what a ball of sunshine she was in his gloomy world of hardships, expectations, and decisions.”

Our lips molded together, the kiss igniting feelings I hadn’t felt in ages. Warm, fuzzy bubbles of joy and wonder rose, as two kids looked upon the horizon surrounded by the creatures of the kingdom they would rule together.

“Little did he know,” I whispered against his lips when he gave us a moment to breathe. “The girl felt their connection from the moment they were reunited. She pondered why he made her feels things no other had ignited. She wished to learn more. To feel his touch and share the same bed. She craved the memories she’d been forced to forget, but knew when the time was right, they would return to her.”

Kissing him gently, I continued, “She’s still struggling. She knows there are so many missing pieces and no time to dive into the wonders of the past, but she’s sure about one thing.”

I gave him a relieved smile and declared, “She still wants to be with the boy of her past. To explore the world he’ll one day rule. To be around the animals that gather in joyous celebration, and to return to the tradition of racing up this mountain and viewing the wondrous sight of this world together.”

He pulled me into a hug, and I held him as tightly as I could. How could a date somehow lead to something like this?

A loud screech echoed behind him, and I pulled back and leaned over to the side to be left gasping.

“W-What are they?” Quickly meeting Tobias’s eyes, his playful grin was back before he wrapped an arm around my waist and gestured to the two giant beings.

“Hmmm. Let’s see.” He was struggling to get right into the explanation, but soon found a way around it. “The little boy and girl one day found twin birds that had fallen from their nest. They raised them every year, and then the boy continued raising them into the fae phoenix birds they were born to be.”

I was gawking while an image of two small birds flashed through my mind. “A boy and a girl?”

“This revolving around the point storytelling seems to be working.”

“Yes!” I beamed. “It’s just pieces or flashes of images though,” I admitted.

“Better than nothing,” he assured me and let go of me. “Ready to go for a ride.”

“We can ride them?!”

“They’re of age,” he pointed out. “They’ve never let me sit on them, but with you here, I think it could be possible.”

I nervously looked their way and returned his gaze. “We won’t hurt them, right?”

He shook their head. “Fae phoenixes are meant for riding. They’re used in wars and flight battles and have protected fae kingdoms for many years. They’re actually rare, which is why…uh…it was…surprising for the boy and girl when they discovered them.”

“Looks like there’s going to be many boy and girl stories,” I acknowledged.

“If it works, why not?” he reasoned, “But we’ll take it slow. I’m getting a headache, which tells me I’m overstepping whatever spell is hindering me from speaking about it in the first place.”

“Do you think Ara or Alex could tell us why we can’t speak of it?” I inquired.

“I doubt it.” Tobias shook his head. “Kane and I think some of their memories are blocked as well,”

“Really?”

“I doubt they would have let you remain under the church’s care, knowing what they were doing. There had to be something stopping them. Whether Ara realizes it or not, someone was involved in all of this. Someone more powerful than all three of our bloodlines.”

“You think?” I questioned. “Or you know?”

He looked into my eyes once more and gave me a firm nod. “I know down in my gut.”

“Good, because I feel the same way,” I admitted. “We won’t be able to do anything without power, though. That lies within attending this school…but four years is a long time.”

He took my hand, guiding me over to the majestic birds that lowered themselves to the ground upon our arrival. With ease, Tobias lifted me onto the female bird that I’d called Cinder, while the male was named Ash.

Placing his hand on my upper thigh, we both paused at the tiny spark of power that seemed to charge through the two of us.

“I think four years is more than enough time for us to be ready,” he whispered as he tugged his eyes away from my thigh to meet my intrigued gaze. “Only a few weeks in and we’re suddenly unraveling a past that was meant to be revealed ages ago.”

“Do you have confidence we’ll be powerful enough?” I asked.

“I believe we’ll make those who ripped us apart wish they’d killed us instead.” His words were cold and infused with resolution as he muttered, “For when we awaken from that test at the end of the school year, they’ll realize the tables have been turned.”

“So sexy when you’re all confident and diabolical at the same time,” I purred.

“I have to make sure you don’t use that form often,” he commented, referring to how our glamour was still kicking.

“Why? I’m too sexy for you?”

“Nah, you’re always too sexy,” he teasingly noted. “You just continue to make my cock twitch and I wish I could kidnap you back to my bedroom to put you in your place.”

“BRU!” Ash fluttered his wings impatiently, and I pouted his way.

“Ash. We’re flirting,” I huffed.

“Bru…” He just stared at me in defiance, the look making Tobias and I laugh.

“If we’re this turned on with one another, imagine when we’re nineteen?” I suggested.

Tobias’s eyes glinted with mischief as he headed towards Ash. He jumped off the ground, landing on Ash’s back and readied himself for flight as Ash rose and outstretched his wings.

“If you think I can last until we’re nineteen to have my way with you, Lucinda, then you’re forgetting how impatient I truly am.”

With those words, Ash cried out and pushed off the ground.

“That sexy jerk,” I huffed with a wide grin. “I should cockblock him on purpose,” I muttered.

“BRI!”

I looked down at Cinder as she rose up and outstretched her wings.

“It’s nice to meet you again, Cinder,” I greeted. She turned her head slightly, blinking her magenta pink eyes before she shrieked, “BRI!”

That had to be her way of saying yes, and her body pushed off the ground as she outstretched her wings and began to catch up with Tobias.

When we were side by side, Cinder’s and Ash’s feathers began to ignite, until their bodies were engulfed in flames that grew stronger as they flew higher and higher.

I squealed out of happiness, the flames not doing a single thing to me as they grew and danced in a variation of gold, orange, red, and magenta.

Ash was variation of orange, red, blue, and green, and I looked over to Tobias to see his wild eyes filled with elation as they glanced my way. He was laughing just like me, stretching his hands out as the warm breeze passed by us in welcome.

His glamor had worn off, and I felt mine had done the same, but it was perfect timing because I could see the young, playful side of Tobias that I rarely got to enjoy. The look of thrilling enjoyment as we looked down upon the land he’d one day rule.

No…the land that we’ll one day rule.

SLEEPOVER OF WONDER

“Finally, bestie time!” Pearl cheered as she placed her hands on her hips.

“Are you purposely posing like that so I’ll acknowledge the pajamas I got you for Christmas?” I asked as I sipped on my bloody wine cocktail.

“That’s exactly why!” She flicked her hair, those blue strands beginning to surpass her shoulders. Her hair barely grew in the last eight years and yet it only took a full term for her hair to grow a few inches. At this rate, she’d have long hair by the summertime.

“You like them that much?” I inquired with a smile.

“I like all the gifts you give me,” she vouched with pride. “Now I have a drawer specifically for everything you’ve given me.”

All I could do was smile as I watched her begin to dance. We were both in an amazing mood, having found out we got perfect scores after four months of training with Arana and Alexander.

The new year was upon us, and Pearl and I were celebrating after a complete spa day with Arana. It was the first time we were ever completely pampered, going to a luxurious nail spa salon that gave us manicures, pedicures, and even styled our hair.

We weren’t going out to party like I was sure many students would have on New Year’s Eve, but the stylist went on and on about how we had to enter the new year looking cute because it would bring new blessings.

The facials we received were one of my favorites of the pampering morning. Afterward, we’d spent the chunk of the afternoon with food and shopping.

The guys were spending the day with Alexander, having earned their ‘men day’ after the strenuous term. It amazed me how time had gone by after the break where I got to enjoy both sides of the spectrum when it came to seeing a glimpse of the vampire and fae worlds.

I was sure there was much more to discover and learn, especially now that I was more comfortable with Tobias and Kane.

Since our break, all three of us had become closer, but I had to admit, the sexual tension burning between Tobias and I was making me form a plan of sneaking into his room and jumping him.

Yes, yes. Against the rules of respecting my man, but ugh.

Yes, we were dating after the random bet, and yet, that was the one thing we hadn’t done yet. There was a bit of me that wondered if they wanted me to retrieve my memories of the past first, but the idea seemed a little preposterous.

I was sure I’d be able to wait with Kane because our connection was definitely there, but it was a sleek, slow build that I knew would eventually pop.

Tobias’s, however, was a cunning flame that ignited when we were together but fled when the sirens of interruptions interrupted.

That was another thing I noticed as of late. Whenever we’d make out, something or someone would interrupt before things could get any juicer. Leaving a girl unsatisfied was only going to cause trouble, but it was like fate had other plans and didn’t want me to get laid.

A little rude, fate!

I’d gotten over trying to make it happen, deciding that we’d do it when some sort of opportunity came, but with term two a few days away, I felt within myself that things weren’t going to be just busy.

This would be the time for us to really apply what we’ve learned and see who the true competition in this fight for the thrones would be.

I could already imagine Vera and her group of guys that thought they would be able to pick a fight with Kane that night I’d come over. It made me grin at the memory because I’d love to grind her gears and see the annoyance on her face once more.

Funny how these people surely thought the sole heir of Delphine’s thrones was some weak chick with a scythe, who was raised poor and alone. It would be satisfying to see if those rumors were true.

Just so I can prove them wrong.

After a lovely dinner together and cheers, we left Alex and Ara downstairs, while the four of us agreed to meet back before midnight so we could spend the countdown together. Anyone would be blind to not see the chemistry sizzling between Ara and Alex that was becoming more and more apparent as this term flew by.

We were purposely celebrating amongst ourselves in hopes they would finally hook up, because their feelings for one another seemed to be obvious to the world and oblivious to them.

Maybe they were hesitating because they were of two different supernatural races, but then again, they both served my parents and saw that their differences didn’t stop them from loving one another.

Or creating me.

Needless to say, there was a lot to hope for in the New Year, and it was exciting to be entering it among people I cared about. Pearl and I may still be considered orphans, but we’d aged out of the system and now were among new family for support. We weren’t alone in this vast world. We had a newfound purpose to embark on, and next term would throw us into the next set of training.

“Are you going to keep dancing or are you going to come here so we can have some girly talk?” I inquired as Pearl paused in her hip-shaking to smile brightly.

“Yes!” She raced over to the bed and jumped right onto it, the impact making me fly right off it. “OMPH!”

“Oops?!” Pearl said before laughing. “Hey! You’re supposed to be all cool and react before your ass hits the ground.”

“I’m saving my reflexes for next term,” I groaned. “My ass!”

“Oh please. You’ve probably dealt with worse with your boyfriends!”

I blushed and rose up, rubbing my ass while I pouted my lips.

“Nope,” I complained. “We haven’t fucked yet.”

Pearl chocked on her salvia and blinked a few times.

“How?! Both of them?!” She was screaming now, and I clapped my hands to put up a soundproof barrier that Ara had taught that was less energy-taxing but got the job done.

“Sadly.”

“You stayed with Kane for two whole days! What did you do? Snuggle?”

“We mostly explored the coven. It’s huge, Pearl. It’s like ten churches of underground land. I was so into the idea of learning more about vampires that we didn’t really get the opportunity to be super romantic, and when we did, it wasn’t the right place. I barely slept until we were on the car ride home.”

“Okay, I’ll be honest. I figured you wouldn’t have sex with Kane on the first date,” she commented. “But Tobias? Really? Girl, everyone can see your chemistry, even Kane. How did you guys not have sex?”

“You had no hope for me and Kane at all? Not even a pinch?”

Her look of judgment was priceless.

“As a perceptive wolf, I can say that there’s something hindering him.”

“Hindering him?”

“I’m not sure how the three of you connected back when you were kids, but when he looks at you, it’s obvious that he loves you. It’s like watching Ara look at Alex when he’s working on our assessment reports. It’s obvious she likes him, but something holds her back from saying it.”

She sat on the bed and crossed her legs, lifting one of my pillows to place it in her lap.

“Kane wants to be with you. At least, that’s the vibe I get from him. But I also noticed that when you’re talking with Tobias…it’s like all his hope is shattered in little pieces and he has to pick them up in time before either of you notice.”

Huh?

I walked over to the bed to sit next to her, frowning at her statement as I settled onto the bed. “Does he?”

“Multiple times,” she pointed out. “You haven’t noticed?”

“Not…really,” I admitted. “We have a connection, and I feel all we need is time, but…” I paused to think about it. “There are times where I wonder if we’ll be given that chance to move forward. It’s not like the relationship is tense. It’s kind of like something is holding us back, but I’m not sure what exactly.”

“Love triangles.” Pearl shook her head. “It’s like any other drama, Luci!”

“Drama?”

“Did you never look in the section of the library where the recap drama books are? All the nuns sneaked in there just to read the latest weekly update about the television drama that revolves around this girl and two of the hottest dudes to ever exist. I thought you knew about it?”

“Nope.” I shook my head.

Pearl grinned, sitting up straight and clearning her throat like she was on center stage.

“The main girl is your typical boss girl. She’s the CEO of this vast company, living her dream, but it’s about time she gets a man. She doesn’t want any guy, obviously, but she can’t see herself dating anyone she currently knows and dating apps are out of the question. As if fate was listening to her request, two of her childhood friends waltz into her office! One is the typical good boy. Funny, smart, attractive, but he’s hiding a few dark secrets. As for the other guy, one look tells you that he’s dangerous, lethal, someone you just don’t want to mess with, but he’s SO hot! Think of a guy you just look at and want to hop right in his bed. The drama follows their adventures because the girl barely remembers them from her childhood. As the story progresses, she starts finding out the truth, while her family is pressuring her to get married, but she doesn’t know who to choose!”

“She has to choose?” I questioned.

“Yup. No choice. Apparently, the fans are going wild about who she’s going to choose. They’re obviously dragging it out because the suspense gets them tons of money, but it’s so hard! Both well off, attractive men, but the longer she gets to know them, the more she discovers about her past! It’s so thrilling.”

“Why does she have no choice though?” I inquired.

Pearl leaned in and whispered. “Apparently, there would be consequences if she dated both. This is a human drama, so they’re not about uh…the poly word, or whatever. The whole dating more than one person movement. I think the bad guy is in the mafia or something, and the good guy is with some other gang, but people aren’t sure about that part. They speculate if they try to date one another, it’ll ignite a war between the two forces, and basically everyone loses.”

“Intriguing,” I whispered.

“Anyways,” Pearl brushed off the topic. “I think with time, Kane will build on his self-confidence so he’ll have a fighting chance with you. At least Tobias is perfectly fine with him dating you. It would have been a hell of a fight if he wasn’t.”

“That’s true,” I admitted. “We’ll figure it out next term, I guess.”

“That also reminds me, have you ever tried drinking Kane’s blood?”

“No,” I admitted. “Why?”

“You’re dating, duh?” She looked at me in confusion. “Aren’t vampires supposed to, like, suck each other’s blood to get closer to one another?”

“Um…” I wasn’t even sure about that. “I’m not sure. I never asked.”

“That’s what Alex said when I asked him. That could be why there’s a sort of block. Like maybe he needs a taste of your blood to reassure him that you have feelings for him? Just like how a boy and a girl kiss, make out, or have sex to validate their feelings for one another.”

“That could make sense,” I agreed. “How would that same be with Tobias though?”

“I think the reason why it’s easier for you and Tobias to create a connection is that fae run on magic, right? Ara was explaining to me during the break a few weeks ago that fae thrive in magical environments because they absorb the energy around them. They’re the strongest in nature and sunlight, like plants that grow when they get enough sunlight, water, and love. I asked more about it because I didn’t really understand the whole magic aspect because magic is everywhere now in our world, even if we can’t see it with our eyes.”

“What else did she say?” I inquired, intrigued by the information that could potentially help me solve this underlying issue.

“Faes have a sense of mates, just like wolf shifters. See, for wolves, we can have one look at our mate and the bond is triggered. It’s like an automatic slap in our face that our mate is now here and it’s our duty to connect and well…fuck, basically.”

I smirked at the last part.

“Anyway, with fae, when you’re connected to another, your energies tug at one another like magnets! It’s like love at first sight but on steroids, because it happens every time you guys are super close to one another. The stronger the connection, the easier it is to fall in love with the person. That’s how she explained it.”

“Did you ask about the rare occasion of different races?”

“I did!” She grinned in pride. “I asked how your parents would have gotten with one another then. She said your father had magic that resonated with your mother’s. From his side, she said something about them getting into a situation where he needed her blood, and boom. Sparks exploded. They apparently didn’t get along with one another in the beginning. Like typical cats and dogs, except all bloody, and everyone braced themselves for a war to break out whenever the two of them walked into a room. Ara said she’d repeat the story to you if you wanted to hear it. I found it super cute.”

“It is cute,” I whispered with a smile. “At least now they’re together in peaceful happiness.”

Pearl grinned and reached out to put her hand on mine.

“It’s only been a few months since the three of you have been dating. Give it more time. It’s not a race or anything. I think they both know what they want, but they gotta do their own exploring. If they don’t fight for what they want, how will they feel the pride of victory?”

“Good point,” I admitted and grinned. “My Pearly is growing up! Now she’s lecturing me!”

“Bitch, get off the bed!” She kicked me right off, leaving me laughing as a vine caught me before I hit the ground for a second time. “I’ve been lecturing all your life!”

“Sure, sure.” I giggled and looked over to my plant. “Thanks, Mr. Plant!”

There was a knock on the door, and I quickly snapped my fingers to break the sound barrier before the door opened.

“Stop protecting her, Mr. Plant!” Pearl declared as Tobias and Kane walked in with questioning looks.

“If you think Pearl has lost her mind, you’re right,” I teased. “Hey, guys.”

“I did not lose my mind!” Pearl jumped off the bed to try and body slam me, but that backfired as I was rushed upward and gently maneuvered to my bed while she slammed into the floor.

“OW!”

“You should have been able to avoid that, Pearly,” I teased. “Term two is only in a few days.”

Her glaring eyes could murder, leaving me racing to hide behind my men.

“Sexy duo! Save me!”

“You’re not even the type to be saved,” Kane pointed out.

Tobias chuckled. “More like she’d use us as shields before she lost her mind and annihilated everyone.”

“Pretty much,” I declared with an eerie smile. “Are you retrieving us for the countdown?”

“Yes!” they both replied. “Five minutes, so hurry downstairs.”

“What about Ara and Alex?” Pearl questioned.

“They went out,” Tobias said with a smirk.

“And they’re not coming back,” Kane added.

“Oh?!” we squealed.

“Let’s go clear out the rest of the wine in the fridge in celebration!” Pearl declared.

“I can’t believe we’re working together to try and hook our teachers up.” Kane shook his head.

“Maybe it’ll give us bonus points for next term,” Tobias offered.

“Do good upon others as you would have done to you, or whatever the phrase is in the bible! Good karma will come our way for helping their lost souls,” I concluded.

“Let’s head down!” Pearl ran out the door, and I glanced at Tobias and Kane before offering both my hands.

“Shall we?”

They looked at my hands and nodded, both of them laying their hands in mine before we headed downstairs.

A new year has come, and it’s time to feel the real wrath of Bloody Rosary Academy.

FOUR PLUS ONE MORE AND EMPTY THREATS

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“How did those three get put together in one team?”

“Mortica, Hart, and Delphine? We’re fucked.”

“There’s no way we’re going to be a match for them if we have to battle!”

“Ah! It’s Prince Hart!”

“Did Prince Mortica get taller?”

“So that’s the princess of Delphine?”

“God, she’s hot as fuck.”

“She looks dangerous as fuck.”

The whispers continued as we made our way through the courtyard, our eyes scanning around as the nervous tour guide showed us the main parts of the school we needed to know for our three-times-a-week classes.

My envisioned idea of school was attending class from Monday to Friday, going to four or five different classes, with loads of activities to get into after class.

Instead, we were told we only had two morning classes, and every afternoon off.

Boring as fuck.

If we only had two classes three times a week, why did we still have to be here by eight in the morning? It was like they wanted us to suffer through the struggles early morning brought upon any student who wasn’t a morning person.

Pearl, Tobias, and Kane didn’t seem pleased with the news either, looking just as annoyed as I. We gave off the ‘don’t dare approach us’ vibe, which seemed to make us look cooler to everyone else.

Turning the corner, we stopped as the guide showed us the general outdoor lounging area.

“We’ll be enjoying a fifteen-minute break here so feel free to use the washrooms if need be. They’re located down that hall on the far right.” She gestured with a trembling arm. “We’ll head to the training building which is south from here and it will be our final stop.”

All we did was nod, waiting for her to scurry off to the side and give us some privacy.

Pearl sighed before letting out a yawn.

“I’m thirsty,” she announced.

“Think there was a vending machine just over there,” Tobias reminded. “Can we get water with our student cards?”

“Is it just me or am I the only one that’s a little disappointed so far?” Kane whispered, ensuring his words remained in our makeshift circle.

“Totally disappointed,” I muttered. “Something seems off, though. Not in terms of the schedule itself, because it seems pretty solid seeing as they spend the time and money to print our schedules.”

“The air is a little heavy,” Tobias agreed. “I don’t sense a threat yet.”

“We only have one place to view and our first day of school is over,” Kane acknowledged. “Bloody Rosary Academy is ranked so high and mighty, and yet nothing has happened. Our schedule is meh, and it honestly seems we got better training at our dorm houses then what’s supposedly scheduled for us here.”

“There could be a catch?” Pearl offered. “There’s always a catch, right?”

“Not sure,” I admitted. “It’s hard to judge something when we haven’t dealt with any of this before.”

“It would have been nice if Ara or Alex were around,” Kane offered.

“They’re dealing with guard duty or something like that, from what I heard this morning when they came over to wish us good luck,” Tobias revealed. “They sounded out of the loop with the schedule. They mentioned something about finding out their roles last minute or something.”

“That doesn’t sound very hopeful,” I muttered to myself. “I need to pee.”

“Better go now before we go to the last tour spot. Who knows what’s going to happen there?” Kane encouraged.

“I’ll go get water. Luci, I’ll get you one,” Pearl offered.

“Thanks, Pearly.” I smirked and looked at Kane and Tobias. “I’ll be back.”

They both nodded, letting me walk off down the hall towards the washrooms. I was happy they hadn’t asked to walk me over there. Not to say I didn’t approve of the generous offer, but with how everyone had been glancing our way since the moment we arrived through the golden-red gates, I wanted to ensure everyone knew I didn’t rely on anyone but myself when it came to protection.

Now that the real challenge was about to begin, we’d have to keep our heads up high in case a challenge came out of nowhere, but now with the recent turn of events of our schedule being a failure in the learning department, I was questioning if this school was as epic and ‘life-changing’ as we’d all originally ranked it as.

Heading into the washroom, I was pleased with the overall appearance. Clean, classy, spacious, and didn’t smell like built-up urine with the occasional vomit stench from the orphans that had to hide their pregnancies.

Can’t believe that life is behind me now.

Heading into the corner stall, I did my business, took a moment to appreciate the usage of automatic toilets, and washed my hands.

Taking a peek into the mirror before me, I admired my uniformed look, and grinned with pride at the cloak resting on my shoulders. I decided today was going to be the day I wore it with my head high, knowing someone amongst the various supernaturals around us would recognize the iconic piece of my father’s.

It was obvious by the whispers that trailed us at every corner that they recognized the crown that sat on my head, leaving me in a state of wishful thinking as I wondered if my parents could see me now.

If they could see their child working hard towards reclaiming what was cherished by them.

It felt a little inhumane to say I didn’t miss them as often as I should have, but I’d occupied my mind with whatever I could during my youth days so I didn’t dwell on my orphan reality.

If my circumstances were wrapped around being in a family that was horrible or trying to ruin me, I wouldn’t have felt guilty about my lack of reminders of what I’d lost.

Sadly, that wasn’t my case. No matter if I could or couldn’t remember, it was obvious that my parents were good people and were targets because of their decisions to do what others feared to do.

To love, grow, and become a dangerous force of formidable change.

It would be immature of me to ignore the obvious. That I was walking down a similar path that would lead me down to the fork in the road where I either ended up choosing the side that would most benefit me or be like my defiant parents who said fuck it and dug their own path in this world of power and might.

One of my New Year’s resolutions was to make decisions I wouldn’t regret, and never abandon those I loved. There was no denying that those two aspects would be put to the test, whether it was during this unforeseen term or in our second year, after our awakenings.

No matter the timeline that was set out for us, I’d have to fight against the unforeseeable problems lying ahead and hope I came out victorious with each hurdle that hit me and those I cherished.

With a sigh, I turned away to head out the door; but my eyes caught a glint of gold in the corner of the room. Pausing before the door, I zeroed in on an item that seemed to be hanging from the wall.

Frowning as my mind wondered what it was, I decided to get closer, my usually good eyesight not helping me pinpoint what the gold item was. As I approached, the image got clearer, and there was a golden bead rosary with what looked to be blood coating each bead halfway.

On closer inspection, it wasn’t true blood, just an imitation that gave off that image. The cross had no red to it, remaining pure gold and reflecting like a sparkling doll in the sunlight.

Deciding to lift it from the red pin that kept it in place, I gasped at the charge of energy that ran through me.

My mind suddenly grew foggy as I took a deep breath and braced myself for something I didn’t expect.

A memory?

“MOMMY? Why do you and Daddy have golden rosaries?”

“Ah, those.” I looked at Mother’s serene face, noticing how the image was cloaked with darkness, but her lovely red lips curled up in a smile. “Those were earned rosaries.”

“Earned?”

She walked over to me, kneeling down so we were at the same level.

“Yes, they were earned.”

“How did you earn them?”

“Well, Daddy and I had to go through a test. A challenge with many other students like us. We fought to keep them in our possession and won.”

“Is it like your reward?”

“Sort of.” Her smile grew. “It’s what was our key into a large pool of blood.”

“A pool of blood? Eww,” I huffed. “Unless you get to drink it all!”

Mommy’s laughter was so soft and flattering.

“No, no. You can’t drink all of it. You’d get sick.” Her hand reached out to hold mine, both of us staring at the beads with bits of red on them.

“For me, it was different. A sea of golden petals that glittered in welcome. Your father found blood, thick but rejuvenating for a vampire.”

“Will I get a chance to get a gold rosary?”

“You can,” she offered. “However, if it was our choice, we wouldn’t let you endure such things.”

“Why?”

“It’s a hard gamble,” she whispered. “It’s a scary challenge that’s not physical but mental. It leaves emotional wounds that will be hard to swallow, like the pills you hate taking.”

“Eww! Pills suck!”

“Indeed.” She laughed and pulled me into her arms. Lifting me up, she whispered, “However. If you want to walk down the path of Bloody Rosary, then we’ll support you, no matter what.”

“Will you be there for me?” I asked.

“We’ll always be there for you, Lucinda. Our Princess and, one day, Queen. Always remember to follow your heart, even if it means fighting for peace.”

“I will, Mommy.”

I GASPED and needed the wall to steady myself, my head banging like someone was purposely hitting against it. All I could do was encourage myself to breathe, to mentally state the words inhale and exhale again and again.

Closing my eyes and resting my forehead against the marble tile, I waited for the spinning to recede before I pushed back and returned my gaze to the beads within my grasp.

“My parents. They went through this before…but what is this? Why do I have this?”

There were rushing footsteps, and my first instinct was to run into one of the stalls, but then my body did something else, spinning three times before I moved to the corner of the washroom where a standing mirror was, just opposite the side row of stalls.

It felt completely stupid, knowing the moment the door opened, whoever was rushing in would see me, but when my eyes landed on the standing mirror, I froze.

Where did I go? Wait. I’m invisible!

The three spins I completed had felt familiar, and for a split second, another memory hit me.

“AROUND and around and around we go!”

“Lucinda. You spun too many times.” Daddy chuckled. “Only three times to activate it.”

“So I’m invisible!”

“Sure.” He laughed harder and shook his head.

“What if you can’t spin, Daddy? You’re trapped and have to fight the bad guys!”

“The cape will know when you need to disappear. It’ll sense your desire and keep you hidden from any prey.”

“That’s so cool! Mommy! I want a cape.”

Mommy poked her head into the room. “We’ll make you one.”

“Yes!” I cheered and looked up at Daddy. “Then you’ll have to spin with me, Daddy.”

“Very well, Lucinda,” he agreed.

THE SLAMMING of the door was followed with heavy breathing, and I fought to catch onto what was being said while recovering from the past memory.

“Why did we run here?” one girl declared with a vile tone.

“I just got the news there’s going to be a test right now!” a second girl declared.

“Test?” The third voice was familiar, and I was reminded of our confrontation with Vera.

“Yes! Do you really think we’re only going to have three-day-a-week classes for no reason?”

“Well, ya. That’s the schedule. Who the hell are we to question it?”

“They’re doing that on purpose! Notice how so many went home already?! I remember reading about this in my parents’ journal.”

“What do you mean journal?”

“My parents attended Bloody Rosary! You know they have to swear not to say anything once their kids are ten years old. My parents bypassed that by writing their experience in a journal.”

“A journal,” Vera groaned. “Alright, what did they say that’s so important that you dragged me away from the new hot hellhound dude?”

“I can’t believe you were trying to hit on him!”

“We need six members this term, not four. That’s what I overheard. Regardless, I’m all about finding powerful allies and not dealing with some weak little shits.”

“Listen!” the girl shrieked to get the other two’s attention.

“The term is designed to discover gold rosaries dipped in blood throughout the semester! You can’t take the awakening ceremony without one!”

“Wait, what?!” the two of them snapped.

“The ceremony isn’t made for everyone to take! It’s designated only for fae and vampires. Any students of either supernatural race have to locate a rosary in order to be given the privilege of taking the ceremony. Without it, you’re automatically denied.”

“Why?! It’s just a string of beads,” Vera huffed.

“It’s more than that, Vera! Haven’t you ever seen your parents carrying a rosary? Whether it’s black, red, or gold?”

“Obviously,” Vera groaned. “They’re religious freaks!”

“The rosary isn’t a symbol of religion in these walls! It’s a symbol of eternal power granted by the Universal Power! You can call it God, the Universe, Mother Fate, who cares! It’s an item we’re going to need throughout the rest of our years here and beyond because it unlocks everything.”

“You’re making it seem like these beads are our entranceway into a cult or something,” the other friend declared. “I get what you’re trying to emphasize or whatever, but where are these beads going to show up? In the bathroom?”

“I’m not sure, okay? The journal explains that they show up to those who carry the extreme potential to make a change in the universe. It’s also a domino effect, so those that are around the individuals that carry these beads get a chance to retrieve their own.”

“Uh-huh.” Vera deliberately yawned. “Listen. Whatever this rosary theory is, unless the professors inform us themselves, it’s exactly that.”

The girl looked insulted as she crossed her arms and glared at her two apparent friends.

“I wasted countless hours researching this stuff when I went back home after you asked me to find an advantage that would benefit us here. You also told me that I’d be a part of your team and yet you’re now flirting with the new hellhound hybrid on the block because he’s hot and looks powerful.”

“Listen, Marigold. I didn’t change the rules of four members. The school did. Yes, I did tell you that I’d make space for you, but I decided that Reece and I are a better female duo. Add in the sexy hellhound and we’re full. I didn’t guarantee you a spot. I said if you worked hard and impressed me with important knowledge I would consider you. Maybe if you had paid attention, you would have heard me correctly.”

Reece nodded and flicked her hair. “We’ve wasted enough time. Let’s hurry back.”

“I can’t believe this!” Marigold huffed. “You want to be the one to take over the Mortica throne and yet you use and abuse people to get what you want before dashing them on the side like trash!”

Vera rolled her eyes and turned to face Marigold. With a blink, Marigold was flying and crashing into the stall. She had crashed right into the toilet, the impact breaking the nozzle behind her and shooting water out that sprinkled all over her.

I looked back to Vera, her eyes glowing red with pride.

“Listen well, child. In order to rise to the top, you have to step on little ants that don’t know how to move out of the way of royalty. Just because your mother was a wench and fucked a royal behind the queen’s back, that doesn’t mean you’re somehow on equal footing with me. Awakening bullshit and rosaries. Funny information that’s deemed useless to me. I can automatically tell you, you’re never going to achieve awakening, seeing as the rosary chooses those who have potential. You don’t. So sit and think about what a waste of space you are, while I go back to flirting with our final member.” She turned around. “Oh. One more thing.”

She looked at Reece, who nodded and turned around.

“Don’t approach us ever again. We don’t need weak imbeciles ruining our vibe here. We only hang with the best, and no one is stopping us from retrieving the thrones we deserve.”

“Let’s head back,” Vera encouraged.

They headed out, and I slowly walked over to the door and locked it. Marigold hadn’t sensed my presence yet, as she was fighting to get out from the toilet bowl while continuing to be drenched in water.

“Bitches!” she snapped, looking pitiful as tears welled in her eyes. “Every day she ordered me to do research and now I’m a weak imbecile?! Calling me a wench like it was my fault her damn father raped my mom and bore me. She wants to claim a throne that isn’t even hers because it’ll get her more acknowledgment than her own royal chair, but she can insult me. Fucking bitch.”

She sobbed and tried again to get out of the bowl, but remained stuck.

“This sucks,” she cried.

My eyes lowered to the beads in my hand, and with a soft sigh, I closed my eyes and envisioned the flow of water stopping.

“Huh?”

“You’re right,” I spoke, and the spell of invisibility came undone as my image returned in the mirror. Marigold’s eyes widened, taking in my appearance before she wiggled and ended up lowering her head.

“P-Princess Delphine!”

“Oh. You know me?”

“Everyone knows who you are from the crown of your mother and the cloak of your father. You resemble your mother more, though, but the rumors of your enrollment last term were all over the school, even if we were all within our dorm homes.”

Interesting.

“Lucinda,” I introduced and walked over to her. Outstretching my hand to offer her assistance, all she could do was stare at me with wide eyes.

“I-I can’t accept your help.”

“Why not?”

“Because I’m not worthy.”

“Who said you weren’t?”

“Um…” She trailed off and lowered her head in shame. “Didn’t you see our exchange? Aren’t you ashamed to be around someone born out of wedlock?”

“How is that in your control?” I inquired, watching her lift her head to stare at me in bewilderment. “You didn’t sit up in heaven while the Lord was deciding which woman would birth you and say, ‘Oh. I want to be with this Mommy.’ Even if you did, it’s not anyone’s business and you shouldn’t have to feel ashamed over things that are out of your control, especially if the reason for your birth is valid.”

Leaning over, I grabbed her hand and pulled her right out. She stumbled, but quickly stabilized her footing, looking at me in shock while I continued.

“You are worthy, just like anyone else in this school. You have royal blood in your veins, even if it’s mixed with your mother’s. From what I’ve gathered from the brief conversation, there’s a throne ready for you to aim for while another tries to fight for what’s not hers. It wouldn’t be the most rewarding payback to make her wish she never belittled her own throne, don’t you think?”

“You’re not saying…”

“Exactly what I’m saying,” I replied. “I think being petty is a valid reason to strive to the top and let the very people who deemed you incapable bow to their knees and beg for forgiveness.”

She gawked at my words, and I lifted her hand and placed the beads in her hand. Her eyes widened even more, and she looked at me in disbelief as I nodded.

“Everyone is worthy, especially those who put in the work. Your information was helpful to me, and I think you deserve to walk the path towards your awakening without struggle.”

“B-But you need it.”

“Nah.” I shook my head and grinned. “My gut tells me that these beads weren’t meant for me just yet. I’ll get them, without a doubt, but I’ll be able to put up the fight. Your hard work has already paid off. Now protect them and make sure to prove to Vera that you’re not useless.”

She smiled, hope flooding her eyes before she looked down at the beads with affection.

“Out of all my years, you’re the first person to be nice to me.”

“Let’s pray I’m not the last,” I replied. “I better go back.”

Turning around, I headed for the door.

“Marigold Maiden.”

I paused and returned my gaze back to look at her.

“If you ever need anything in the future, merely ask and I’ll be there to walk alongside you,” she declared.

“I’ll keep that in mind, Marigold.” I smiled and nodded to her. “See you around, and don’t hesitate to say hello if we ever see one another in the halls or in class.”

With those words, I unlocked the door and headed towards the courtyard, feeling as good as ever for listening to my gut instincts.

My opportunity for those very beads is near. I can feel it.

RUSH OF A NEW TERM AND TEAMMATES

Ionly made it two steps out into the courtyard before a powerful wind sent myself and ten other students flying.

What the-

“Luci!” Pearl screamed, the first out of our group to catch sight of me as I moved higher into the air.

“Shit!” Kane and Tobias cursed, the two of them racing towards where I was flying. I quickly searched my surroundings, trying to figure out who was controlling this wind while I fought against its strong clutches.

Gritting my teeth and clenching my fists, the tingles of power raced to my aid, stopping me in mid-air, while the other students continued to scream and struggle against the tornado-speed gusts of wind.

I struggled to remain in my spot, but my eyes widened when those very students headed towards a golden wall.

A golden wall full of long spikes.

An arm hooked around me, and I immediately looked to see Tobias was next to me, hovering in the air with his own magic. His eyes were wide, staring towards where I’d been, and we both flinched as the screams of dying agony sliced through the room and caught everyone’s attention.

“Survival of the fittest,” Tobias whispered. “Are you okay?”

“Fine for now,” I muttered. “Though watching death in real life is a tad traumatizing when they’re your potential peers.”

“Why the sudden challenge?” he pondered mostly to himself.

“We have to find golden rosaries,” I whispered to him. He arched an eyebrow at me, and I quickly followed with, “Did your parents ever have rosaries that were gold but had a sort of coat of red on them?”

“Ya.” He began to lower us to the ground. Many students were racing in different directions, but Pearl and Kane were standing below us. “They each have one. Say it’s valuable to them.”

“It’s a key for them to access places where they wouldn’t normally be granted entrance to without it,” I whispered. “I found one in the washroom.”

He arched an eyebrow at me in question, looking at my hands to see if I carried it with me. “I gave it to the girl who offered me the information.”

“Kind of you,” he replied with a smirk as we landed on the ground. “I have a feeling it’s because you’re confident you’ll be able to get another?”

“Definitely,” I declared. “But the purpose of the lack of classes is to test us and make it harder to retrieve a rosary.”

“What are you two talking about?” Kane questioned.

“I’ll explain later,” I assured him.

“What’s the plan?” Pearl questioned. “Because I don’t want to be pinned to my death, thanks.”

“We had one more place to check out, didn’t we?” I reminded.

“The training building south from here,” Tobias recalled the words of the guide.

“You want us to go there?” Kane inquired.

“I don’t think scurrying home is what they want from us,” I defended. “Tests like these are made to see what we’re made of. It makes sense since we’ve spent the last term training our skills for situations like these.”

“Let’s head there then,” Kane encouraged. We nodded in agreement and hurried across the courtyard. Tobias and Kane were ahead, which told me they were going to clear any turbulence that came out of nowhere - while protecting us - but we had reached the entrance of the corridor when my body started to tingle in defiance.

I quickly came to a stop, looking back to realize Pearl was way far behind. She was standing there watching the next wave of attacks swing students in the air and to their approaching deaths.

“Pearl!” I hissed before racing back to her, noticing how she had no intention of moving. It wasn’t until I got closer that I noticed her rigid stance while magic seemed to swirl around her.

When I reached her side, I saw how her normally pink eyes were a dazzling gold, and her gaze was transfixed on a specific person.

Looking over to the culprit of her frozen statue, I was hooked to see a 6′2″ male. He was buff, dark-skinned, which told me he had to be of African descent, and his hair was black and gold, the soft yet thick strands braided in what I remembered were cornrows. He wore the uniform just like the others, and his eyes were wide and blazing the same hue of gold that reflected in Pearl’s eyes.

I didn’t need the confirmation of what I was witnessing. It was obvious.

Pearl just found her mate.

I noticed the approaching ball of metal that was sending running students flying into the air approach the man himself, and I mentally cursed and undid my cape. Flinging it onto Pearl’s shoulders, I whispered, “Conceal my family member from all lines of danger. Protect her until she can protect herself.”

I tied it with a firm knot, then sprinted towards the male while I sank my teeth into my wrist. My scythe was in my grasp a second later, and I immediately raised it in the air and began to twirl it while I ran even faster.

“Confront approaching death and let justice prevail! ELA ROOK!”

The magical words flew out of my mouth flawlessly, just like the scythe I swung at the approaching wrecking ball that was seconds from hitting the man. My scythe hit it with so much force that the aftershocks sent me right off my feet, while the man flew forward.

Outstretching my hands, I summoned the land beneath us - multiple vines pushing out of the ground and catching the man before he got further up enough to be taken by the aggressive wind.

I spun in the air, the action calling for multiple vines to continue to wrap protectively around the man until he was completely sealed in a stream of vines. I felt the approach of my scythe as I began to fall to the ground, and I caught it in time for my landing, the grass cushioning my fall as I rolled forward and managed to recover into a full sprint without a wasted second.

A final vine hooked onto my scythe, its other side entangled in the circular fortress I created for Pearl’s mate. I braced in worry as I headed towards Pearl, watching as another metal ball aimed directly at her, but before it hit, her body vanished, leaving the approaching threat no choice but to continue on its hurdling way.

I had to sigh in relief as Pearl’s body appeared seconds later and her eyes began to blink while they began to regain their pink glory. She noticed my approach, confusion flooding her face before her eyes widened even bigger.

She swirled right around and started to sprint - body shifting and lunging further out until she was on all fours. She slowed her speed, which made me prepare to jump, and with a few extra seconds, I was up and landing on her back.

Keeping hold of my scythe and the added weight of the vine ball trailing with us, Pearl only stayed on the ground a few more seconds, her body charging up as floods of energy poured out of her.

The ground suddenly shook like an earthquake was seconds from hitting its peak, but Pearl was already pushing us off the ground and using the wall and towers around us to aid in her ascending movement.

When we reached a high enough altitude, she ran straight off the roof where I rose and whispered, “May the winds hear my plea for protection and solitude. Lift us like feathers, and deliver us to our destination in peaceful welcoming.”

The spell worked immediately as the counter gusts of wind that were about to try and send us towards the wall spikes suddenly dissipated.

We were floating in the air, and I slowly reeled in the ball of vines until it was placed behind me. With a deep breath, I allowed the air to leave me and made the executive decision to release the vines.

In seconds, there was the confused male, blinking a few times and looking around before he noticed we were riding a big white wolf.

I expected him to ask a bunch of questions, but instead, he looked in my eyes and bowed his head. “Thank you for protecting me when I couldn’t. Especially with the rather new circumstance.” He had a thick African accent, but his vibes were definitely of royal nature.

“You’re welcome,” I voiced. “You’re not a fae or vampire, are you?”

His smirk was chilling, and he slowly shook his head. “I’m an odd concoction,” he admitted. “But to answer your question, I’m not of two, but three supernatural races.”

Now that had my attention.

“One has to be a wolf descendent, or you wouldn’t have found your mate.”

“You are correct.” His gaze lowered and he softly stroked Pearl’s fur.

“Woof!” she howled happily as if his display of acknowledgment gave her a boost in motivation.

“Alpha mother with fae roots who married a hellhound king from the underworld.”

My eyes widened at the mention of the underworld, and his grin widened in chilling wonder. “My brother would like you.”

“You have a brother?”

“Indeed. He’s already where we have to be.”

“Intriguing,” I replied. “Triple hybrids are rare.”

“Reason why we were allowed to attend this forsaken place of judgment, trickery, and experimentation,” he reasoned.

“You know what needs to be done to reach the awakening part?” I questioned.

“That and more, but neither I, my brother, nor my newfound mate need to worry about such. You, however, will, when the time is right. That leaves me with making the executive decision to do this.”

He reached for my hand and drew it closer.

“Heal yourself first,” he instructed. I pouted my lips at his authoritative voice but did what he asked, letting the warmth of my fae roots rush to my wrist and heal the bleeding wound until it was sealed.

He nodded in approval before placing the familiar golden beads into the palm of my hand. My wide eyes locked onto his, just as he smiled and bowed his head.

“Lucinda Delphine. My name is Prince Isaiah Yemane. I’m giving you this as a reward for your kindness. We’re not in a safe predicament to go into details as to how I retrieved this, but the magic of my ancestors that runs through me believe you are worthy of this emblem of power and deserve to complete the ceremony when the time arrives.”

I was a little speechless, unsure what to say exactly in response to his actions.

“Take it, princess. You’ve helped me find my mate and remain alive.” He closed my fingers around the beads, and I slowly nodded.

“Thank you, Prince Isaiah,” I whispered.

“We are both royals but are now also comrades in this academy of challenges. Isaiah is fine.”

“You may call me Luci or Lucinda,” I offered back.

We smiled and nodded in a mutual exchange, and he looked past me and smirked. “We’re nearing our destination. Looks like your comrades have met my brother.”

I followed his gaze as the wind around us began to wither. Pearl howled and began to move her feet like she was running in the air, the action aiding our jump-start as she landed and raced towards our group.

Tobias and Kane looked relieved at our entrance, and my eyes landed on the third male standing at the entrance of the building. Now that I could see him clearly, I had to take a double look because I was seeing the same person as the one who sat before me.

6′2″, dark skin, muscular build, and golden eyes that landed on me. His hair was in the same cornrow style as his obvious twin, but Isaiah had gold and black locks while his brother’s were black and white, the braids trailing down his back.

Pearl began to slow until we were finally at a stop. Slipping the beads into the pocket of my skirt, I looked back, relieved to see nothing else was trying to shoot at us.

I jumped off and gently brushed Pearl’s cheek in thanks before walking over to the three in waiting.

Isaiah’s brother walked forward first, analyzing me carefully.

“Were you distracted, brother? I can see why, but you worried me with your snail pace.”

Isaiah chuckled as he lowered himself to the ground, walking over to face Pearl. “I was distracted, Isaac, but not by what you’re thinking.”

“What happened, Lucinda?” Tobias questioned in worry.

“Pearl found her mate.”

The statement made all three of them gasp and look over to Pearl as she stretched and began to walk around Isaiah.

“Mate?” Isaac questioned. “The wolf is also a student?”

“Yes,” I replied. “Their mate bond reacted in the middle of the courtyard, so I had to go back and assist. As you can see, they’re fine, but maybe we should give them a moment,” I suggested.

“Princess Lucinda, isn’t it?” Isaac clarified.

“Lucinda Delphine,” I introduced myself. “I’ve met your twin brother, but it would be nice to know your name.”

“Prince Isaac Yemane. My synchronized thoughts with my brother tell me you already know of our supernatural origin, so no need for repeats.”

“You guys share thoughts?” I inquired.

“If we wish to,” he replied, and turned his gaze to the doors. “We best start making our way within. I believe our passing relies on that.”

“I agree.” I looked to Tobias and Kane. “Let’s head inside.”

They both nodded, and I looked back at Pearl.

“Pearl?”

She lifted her head and paused in her examination of Isaiah to look my way.

“You can shift back. You’re wearing my cape still,” I assured her. The cloak would cover most of her until we could snag some sort of spare clothes.

She nodded once before returning her attention to her new mate. He seemed intrigued, reaching out to gently stroke her cheek. My heart swelled at the sight, happy to see my best friend had found someone out of the brink of utter chaos.

Funny how love works.

We made our way inside, and I quickly worked on making an outfit with the help of Tobias. It only took three minutes before Isaiah and Pearl were entering the building.

I got up and headed over to her, noticing her ear-to-ear smile and twinkling eyes.

“Didn’t think we’d start school with that,” I teased before she crushed me with a hug.

“You mean the almost dying part?”

“Sure.” I giggled before pulling back to offer her clothes. “Change quickly. Not sure if anyone else is going to arrive here.”

She nodded and rushed to put her clothes on while we all turned around to give her privacy.

“Where should we go next?” Tobias pondered.

“I don’t think we need to go anywhere,” Isaac answered.

Pearl finished putting on the shorts and top I made for her. She placed my cloak back on my shoulders, right when the guide came out from around the corner, her hands clapping together while she carried a wide smile.

“Excellent,” she declared. We all focused on her as she approached. Compared to the nervous wreck from earlier, she now looked completely in her element.

“Congrats on passing this term’s Trial. Both teams did well in working together and surviving the obstacles presented. It’s a shame some were lost in the transition, but our leaders have decided to add the remaining members to your team for the next term.”

“Other team?” Pearl inquired and looked at Isaiah and Isaac. They were both frowning, which only told me one thing.

Their teammates perished…

“We understand,” Isaac finally spoke. “We’ll prepare for the changes once the term is complete.”

Isaiah nodded in agreement and the woman grinned.

“Excellent. You may all return home now. Please ensure you attend the classes designated for you. It will be announced when your awakenings will commence. Until then, always be on your guard.”

When we all nodded in agreement, she looked to Isaiah and Isaac. “Prince Isaiah and Prince Isaac. Your teachers have asked to speak to you so they can alter your schedule due to your teammates’ losses. Say your farewells and come with me.”

Isaac nodded, his eyes moving my way.

“Thank you for protecting my younger brother. Let’s hope the talent you project is not a fluke.” That’s all he said as he headed towards the guide.

Isaiah sighed and leaned in closer to whisper, “He’s only fifty seconds apart from me. That’s why he’s such a jerk: because he’s had to endure the sins of this world longer than me.”

I grinned, just like Tobias and Kane, and Pearl giggled.

“Thank you for your assistance, and it’s an honor to meet the four of you. May our Lord grant you protection as you discover your own strengths during this trivial growth period. This academy is a lot easier than many think. Be open to change.”

He bowed his head before his attention went completely to Pearl.

She blushed and quickly muttered, “Uh…do you by chance have a phone so we can text or something?”

He smirked and we all watched in shock as he leaned in and kissed her firmly on the lips.

“Sweet mate, there’s no need for technology. If you miss me, merely howl and I’ll be at your window.” With those words, he lifted her hand and pressed his lips to her palm before letting go.

“Stop being an old-school romantic and get your black ass over here,” Isaac snapped.

“You are too impatient, brother. When your cock starts twitching in your pants, I’ll make sure to interrupt any interaction you have with your future love.”

“Whatever!” Isaac huffed, and his eyes briefly met mine. When he noticed my gaze, he grumbled something and turned away, the two of them following the guide down the hall and disappearing from our sight.

“Well…that was an interesting way to start school,” I whispered.

“I wanna nap.” Kane said with a sigh.

“Me too,” Tobias added.

“AH!” Pearl screamed and jumped up and down. “I found my mate!” she cheered and literally crashed into Tobias and Kane.

“UGH!” they both grunted. “Why are you tackling us?!” Kane questioned.

“Celebration!” she cheered.

“At least she still has energy,” Tobias said and sighed, not even bothering to get up while Pearl continued to giggle and cheer.

I grinned and looked back down the hall, my eyes noticing the smiling woman staring down at us.

Headmaster Wei.

Pulling the beads out from my pocket, I looked down at them before looking back down the hall to see her slowly nod in encouragement.

With another blink, she was gone, but I knew that it wouldn’t be the last time I saw her.

I’ll see her again at the awakening. The awakening of the Bloody Rosary.

EMPTY THREATS AND RUNNING OUT OF TIME TO CHOOSE

“Hey, are you okay?” I asked, finishing the last bit of notes.

The pink phone was pressed against my ear while I lowered my left hand that held the black ink pen I’d been using for the last two hours to finish my notes from our afternoon class.

“Define okay. I’m pissed that Vera took the rosary from my grasp at the last damn second and has proceeded to try to mock my name back home.”

“She shouldn’t be sharing what occurs here over there,” I muttered, feeling annoyed with the sudden news. “Can’t you complain or something?”

“She’s not directly sharing it with her own mouth. She’s transferring information to a third person who’s spreading shit, and it’s beginning to annoy me.”

I sighed and closed my book, leaning back in my chair to raise my feet up on my desk within the empty classroom.

“Where are you?”

“On campus still.”

“Why?”

“I was trying to get to the bank before they closed, but guess who got the last bag?”

The word “bank” referred to the blood bank on campus for vampires who were in need of a boost to get home, especially those who drank blood on a daily basis.

“Vera?”

“Bingo,” he snapped. “Fucking bitch. I swear if I could kill her, I would. No wonder why my dad has to be such an arse when he’s walking through the Coven. These vamps have no damn respect.”

“I’ve never heard you be so upset before,” I quietly commented. “Are you stressed?”

He took a deep breath and let it out.

“Luci. Tobias and I still don’t have rosaries and we have three weeks left. How the hell did nine weeks of classes and mind fuckery go by? And I can’t find a beaded necklace?”

I couldn’t help feeling the spike of anxiety that fluttered through me, understanding his concern because we were beginning to run out of time.

Since the day of our first class on Bloody Rosary soil, it felt like time was racing between our fingers and it was our time to sprint the entire way through this rather stressful term.

While managing our continued training and guidance from Ara and Alex, we had to juggle the two classes that jam-packed enough information to feel like six. There wasn’t one campus class day that had gone by with me returning home after class.

I remained the last in the classroom, writing notes and reviewing the content fed to us like we were information vacuums. Every day, the tension of the approaching awakening ceremonies was beginning to ride up our asses, and it was only getting harder now that a good half of the students within these academy walls had yet to find rosary beads.

When you retrieved yours, the smartest thing was to keep it at home. The number of attacks on other students had escalated in the last two weeks, and things were beginning to get ugly for those who couldn’t protect themselves.

Did I follow the smart rule? Nope, but at least I could defend myself.

I kept my rosary around my neck, not to gloat my accomplishment that had been my reward from Isaiah, but because it felt right being around my neck. It was another one of those gut instincts that I figured was necessary, but had little to no backup as to why I followed those risky mental suggestions.

People were getting desperate, but the clock would only continue to tick until the day of our awakenings were announced.

The day we face the biggest Trial yet.

Pearl, Tobias, and Kane were scheduled differently than me, which wasn’t a big deal to me. Tobias and Kane could handle themselves, and even though I knew Pearl could defend herself if need be, I was reassured to find out she was in all the same classes as Isaiah and Isaac.

Apparently, it was deliberate, putting three or four wolf shifters in the same class because they function best in a ‘pack’ format. Even though the twin princes were hybrids, the grouping of similar wolf kinds would be beneficial to them.

Pearl was living her best life and starting her love life with Isaiah, and boy, were they kicking it off. I wouldn’t even be surprised if Pearl wasn’t a virgin anymore because the connection between them was really inhuman.

Duh. They’re wolves after all.

To be honest, I was a little jealous of how easy it was for them to be so affectionate in times like these. The three of them, as well as any of the supernaturals that didn’t fall in the fae-vampire category, didn’t need to endure the pain of finding these beads that felt like golden tickets hidden in a load of chocolate bars.

My connection with Kane and Tobias was still there, but was it as strong and vibrant as it had been when we first arrived here? Nope.

They were stressed, and I understood that, but I also worried that our relationship that started off over a bet would diminish into…nothing.

That somehow scared me more than this awakening business.

I wasn’t sure if it was because of my own heightened stress levels, or my desire for both of them, but I was beginning to feel needy for their company and incompetent without it.

It made no sense, but with everything happening and now that Pearl didn’t rely on my company with Isaiah in the picture, I was forced to acknowledge that I was getting a little lonely.

What I had been doing to get through those dark thoughts was keeping myself occupied. It was exactly why I spent even more time after class finishing my study notes and reviewing what we’d just learned.

It was a distraction from coming home to an empty house while Kane and Tobias stayed out late in search of the rosaries through campus and Pearl stayed over at Isaiah and Isaacs’s dorm house.

Normally, it wouldn’t be allowed, but seeing as we were going to be future teammates if all of us made it to the end of this term, it only made sense to start building the partnerships now.

I only saw Isaac in one of my classes, and even though it seemed like he didn’t enjoy my company much, he still sat next to me in class.

The small bit of reassurance when you’re lonely as hell.

“There’s still time, Kane,” I finally answered back as I returned to the present.

“I know,” he groaned, sounding like he’d stopped walking to take a deep inhale and let it out. “Fuck, Luci. I miss you.”

His words were so random, enough to leave me in silence as he continued, “I know we’ve been a bit stagnant in our relationship. I just…I need you to know it’s not you. I swear it’s not. I’m just stressed out about all of this, and I know Tobias is too, with his worries about war.”

War?

“The fae are going to war?” I inquired.

“Not against vampires,” Kane clarified. “Tensions are high in the world. The Queen of the West is ill and it’s making things intense over there. There’s also her daughter, who still has a damn crush on Tobias, trying to toot his horn, and he went off on her.”

“Toot who’s horn?” I inquired, hoping I heard incorrectly. “Because last time I checked, I’m still dating both of you, even if we haven’t kissed, hugged, or done really anything since the second half of this term has started.”

He was silent for a long moment before another sigh left him.

“Luci, we’re sorry.”

I let out my own heavy sigh and closed my eyes.

“I’m not blaming either of you. I understand the circumstances with the rosaries and that’s far more important than affection and sex and all that. I’m just frustrated that you two are frustrated and now that Pearl has her mate, and Professor Alex and Ara don’t stay long at the dorm house anymore…” I paused to swallow the lump in my throat, my voice dropping low, “It’s a little lonely.”

The silence between us was heavy, and I felt like I’d said too much. Neither of them had to feel guilty over doing what needed to be done. Their futures as royalty depended on this awakening, and with Vera spreading shit in the coven and some random chick trying to hit on Tobias when tensions were high among the kingdoms, my loneliness would have to take a back seat.

“I don’t want you worrying about me,” I emphasized. “I’ve been fine for the last nine weeks. What’s three more? Do you want me to get you some blood packs from home?”

“Where are you?” he quietly asked.

“In classroom E. Fourth floor,” I replied. “I can go-”

“Can we see each other?” His request was random and shocking to me.

“But don’t you have to-”

“I wanna see you. Just for a little bit,” he whispered.

“O-Okay,” I finally replied. “I’ll wait for you, then,” I replied.

“Be there in a few,” he assured me and hung up, leaving me in the state of wonder while my eyes stared at my phone screen.

“I hope I didn’t guilt-trip him into coming over here,” I whispered to myself. Rising up to stretch, I packed my books, phone, and writing utensils in my leather backpack, and stared out the windows as the last speck of sunlight bled through the sunset sky.

It’s late today. Why did I stay so long? Damn magic spells. They take forever to learn, but it’ll be worth it.

“Might as well wait for him outside. I knew I should have brought a pack or two with me today, but no,” I quietly muttered as I headed to the door. “No one likes warm blood in a bag. Actually, that’s a legit fact. Why would anyone want-”

I opened the door to continue my quiet rant but gasped at the sudden pain that hit my chest while I was sent flying back. My instincts kicked in as I flipped myself swiftly enough for my feet to land against the thick glass windows that somehow absorbed the impact.

It was the perfect surface to push right off of, my body now crashing into my opponent and sending him down to the ground. His hand swiftly moved to my throat, and I quickly shoved my knee between his legs.

“Fuck!”

He cursed and let go of my throat, and I used the opportunity to dig my nails into his skin and tear a good part of his flesh. His loud hiss was followed with a grunt. His blood was the perfect base for my magic as I formed a hammer and slammed the side of his head.

Pushing off the ground and landing on one of the desks, I breathed heavily as the hammer in my hand faded into red smoke. My attacker was on the ground, unconscious, and that’s when the clapping began.

“So you really aren’t just a pretty face.” The comment made me cringe in annoyance.

“Vera. Why the hell are you here?” She walked in with two others, the same guys from the coven. I now realized the third member of their company was the one I’d knocked out, leaving me regretting the decision to leave him with a headache and potential internal bleeding instead of killing him.

“I don’t know. Figured I’d get ahead of the game, and get rid of competition?”

“Last time I checked, we’re after two different thrones,” I pointed out. “As a matter of fact, I’m the heir of two, neither of them in close range to you. I don’t see how you’re taking advantage of anything when I’m the one carrying the birthright flag, which makes me an automatic ruler if we take a moment to think about it. But please, enlighten me while I catch my breath.”

Her grimace was followed with my body being tugged to the left like invisible strings had suddenly gotten a hold of me and sent my body back into the set of lockers laid out at the back of the classroom for storage purposes.

My back slammed against the metal, and I hissed because the surface was dent-proof, which only made it a bigger pain in the ass against my flesh. The cracking sound was followed with a rush of pain - enough to send my body into overdrive, attempting to heal itself.

I lifted my hands up, my fangs sinking into my bottom lip and drawing blood before spitting it out. My scythe appeared in seconds, just in time to block the attack from the next male who had his sword out to play.

My teeth clenched together as I immediately pushed against his pathetic attempt to keep me down, and with a sharp inhale through my nostrils, I sent him back with enough invisible force that he made an indent in the blackboard that suffered from his impact.

He let out a grunt and fell to the floor, but I had no time to analyze the damage as I spun my scythe and sent it flying into the third guy, who was running towards me. He dodged it by ducking, but I was in his face, slapping him once, then twice, and with a back step, I raised my legs to kick his balls and finished the move with a high kick that had to have broken his jaw from the loud crunching sound.

He dropped to the floor, completely out, and I looked at Vera, who furiously glared at me. Instead of approaching her, I walked backward until my back pressed against the lockers. I hid how out of breath I was, our intense gaze burning with hatred while she clenched her angry fists.

“You fucking cunt,” she snarled and with a blink, she was in my face. She tried to punch my face, but I tilted my head to the side, and her fist slammed into the locker door behind me. She cursed under her breath, those eyes of fury only growing in severity as she probably planned out how she was going to kill me.

I’d like to see her try.

“What’s your problem, Vera? Last time I checked, you just won your golden rosary for your awakening. Why did you decide to bother innocent old me?” I teased, my lips curling up in a defiant smile.

“You don’t deserve the throne,” she hissed. “No one wants you there.”

“Really?” I questioned. “Even better.”

I leaned my head back, so we were face to face. “Did you know if you’re hated by the world, our Savior blesses you more? We’re not here to please the world but to learn a lesson called life.”

She hissed, but I continued to smile in contentment.

“I’m not living to please the world. I’ve survived thus far because I deserve to be here like anyone else. My parents’ deaths were unforeseen, but if you think I’ll let someone who knows nothing of their sacrifice rise to claim my thrones, you best learn from this moment on that I won’t stand for such bullshit.”

I leaned in closer, and her eyes widened; the tip of my scythe was against her jugular vein.

“One other thing. If you think my Kane is someone you can walk all over and disgrace, I hope you’re ready to fight for a throne that’s nowhere near yours. I won’t question what sly tactics you used to get a gold rosary, but don’t mess with me, my friends, or my men.”

“You two aren’t dating,” she snarled. “It’s obvious that you’re going to repeat the mistakes of the past and be with Mr. Fae and handsome. Kane is a weak, second-chance wonder, who has no choice but to take upon the crown of his father because his older brother is a useless piece of shit who should have died before coming into existence.”

My scythe poked into her skin, making her flinch while the spot began to bleed. I only missed her vein by a centimeter, which made me smirk while I looked back into her fearful eyes.

“I never asked for your opinion,” I whispered, “but here’s mine. Kane is a sexy, powerful underdog that can destroy every single one of you weak loudmouths if he was given the chance. If you’re judging with your eyes and ignoring the burning aura that grows every damn day then you’re a blind fool who deserves to stop breathing.”

Moving my scythe away from her neck, I leaned back against the lockers and shrugged.

“I wouldn’t dare take the opportunity away from him to kill you, so you’re free to leave me the fuck alone, but attack me again, bitch, and I won’t hold back in leaving a permanent scar on that ugly face of yours.”

She hissed, lifting her hand up again, now with a dagger in her grasp, but her body went flying backward as a dark force slammed her and the remaining three bodies against the wall.

The three unconscious males were dropped to the floor, but instead of staying where they were, their bodies went right through the floor.

That made Vera freeze, and she immediately looked at the door, which left me no choice but to do the same. There was Kane, his eyes dulled of emotion while they blazed a dark red.

My heart skipped a few beats, his entire demeanor completely different and a little oppressive as he moved from the door to walk into the room. The sliding door slid closed, the lock moving into place as Kane purposely walked slowly towards Vera, who remained pinned against the blackboard as her dagger fell from her grasp.

It didn’t hit the ground, floating swiftly upward and around Kane, until it stabbed the blackboard, next to Vera’s left side, the action leaving her shrieking.

“My ear!”

I couldn’t see if he’d chopped her ear right off or sliced a bit of it, but she was silent as the dagger moved out from the board and was right between her eyes.

Kane stopped in his tracks as his deadly eyes slowly moved to land on her trembling body.

“Second strike.” His words were ice cold. “Third time, instead of slicing your ear off, I’ll gladly take your heart out of your chest and feed it to the coven as a treat.”

Her face paled, and her attempt to reply was cut off as her body fell right through the floor. Her scream echoed but was cut short after three seconds.

That left the classroom with just the two of us.

I leaned forward to slide my backpack off but flinched after realizing I hadn’t quite finished healing my back. Biting my teeth, I decided to return to resting against the lockers while I let my bag drop to the floor.

Kane glanced my way then, but I wasn’t afraid of his cruel eyes. In fact, they hit me right in the core, tugging at my emotions all of sudden like never before.

We shared a look before he was right before me, his hand caressing my cheek before running through my hair. His eyes were scanning my face as if to see if I’d sustained any other injuries aside from my back that I was slowly working on.

It was much harder now that my vampire side was on the stage and my fae side was chilling somewhere in the warm depths of her serene space within me.

Before I knew it, his lips were on mine. I expected the kiss to be rough and controlling, but it was sweet and tender.

He was testing me, yet again, that prick of hesitation that seemed to linger between us.

Not this time.

I lifted my arms to wrap around his neck, pulling him close, and whispered, “I want you to kiss me like you mean it.”

My voice was hard and filled with authority. He met my gaze, those cold eyes still filled with mirth while his lips maintained a hard line.

“Something holds you back each time you try to initiate some sort of sensual connection between us. As if you’re afraid of putting all your hope in this because you’re afraid of it crumbling down. I want us to be something more than just the title of boyfriend-girlfriend. I want the intimacy to be just as strong as the words and thoughts of us growing together in this blossoming relationship.” I pulled him closer and whispered, “I know it’s scary…and maybe I’m still missing something from the past that explains why you’re so hesitant, but I want your love, Kane. I want to be kissed with desperation and not tenderness. I…I want to be treated like a woman and not a fragile flower that will break at the mere grip of a hand. I may not be super experienced in love, but I know damn well that you deserve to show love like anyone else, no matter what’s been fed to you that somehow deems you unworthy of affection.”

Lowering my eyes just slightly, my gaze landed on his neck. I watched his speedy pulse, the rush of his blood running through his veins leaving me craving to taste him.

I fought to ignore the urge, swallowing the lump in my throat as it felt like the room grew hotter by the second. My attention didn’t return to Kane’s eyes until his hands raked through my hair and pulled my head slightly back.

Our eyes locked, followed with an intense kiss that sent my body into overdrive - a hit of pleasure rushing through me like we were both naked beneath the sheets with his cock sliding into my aching pussy.

My breath hitched as I tried to move back and catch my breath, but he anticipated my move and pressed me further against the lockers as his body plastered against me.

The hardness between his legs made me moan as he purposely ground his hips against mine, our kiss becoming a sloppy movement of lips, tongues, and thrilling passion.

His hands were everywhere, tugging at my uniform like it was nothing but a hindrance in his way, his fingers clawing the fabric open and gliding it off my body in waves.

My dress shirt was tossed somewhere while he lifted my skirt to feel my thighs. My hands ran through his hair before I was tugging his tie and releasing the buttons of his dress shirt.

Shirtless and unbuckling his belt, Kane’s lips consumed mine as we kissed passionately. The hunger for one another was hard to describe. I wondered if I could even find a word to define how good it felt to make love to him.

All this time I wondered if he had it in him, or whether we’d have to work this out slowly as we both got used to the idea of taking this relationship to the next level.

I didn’t need the fragmented memories from the past to connect with him on a deeper level, and I felt he was waiting for my permission to take things to new heights.

To let me see this dark, thunderous side of control and intense lust.

When he finally let me free, we were both panting like we’d run through the entire campus, the heavy panting only hyping what was to come.

I knew from the look in his eyes and the movement of his hand as he lowered the zip of his pants that there was no going back after this.

We were going to fuck, to enjoy the sexual explosion of pleasure that came with two people coming together as one and pleasing one another’s needs and dark desires.

How I had been desperately craving this. To finally feel his thick cock inside me instead of pondering in the late hours of the nights and early mornings if we’d reach this next stage in our relationship.

A connection that started off amidst a battle of survival, and seven months together through random battles, chaotic days of training, and quiet nights filled with drinking, laughter, and quiet words of wonder, the two of us were finally fighting for this.

Fighting to be together even if it felt like someone wanted us to drift apart.

We were as ready as we ever could be, but I flinched slightly when I sought to stretch my back a bit.

Oh, my fucking back.

I thought the involuntary movement would have made him give up on the idea entirely, but instead, he hooked an arm around my waist and leaned in to whisper, “Can I do a magic trick?”

“Will it result in sex?”

“Yes.” He sounded pleased at my counter-question.

“Then, magic trick away so you can fuck me senseless,” I purred. My words triggered a swirling of the world, and before the surroundings registered, I was lowered onto a king-size bed in a black-and-red themed room.

There was no time to even try and ask questions as he lifted my skirt, pushed my panties to the side, and had the head of his thick rod at the entrance of my throbbing pussy.

I braced myself for the filling of his cock, and when our eyes met once more, I knew he was waiting for me to give him permission to lose himself in what would be an exotic adventure of thriving pleasure.

“Fuck me nice and hard,” I whispered encouragingly. “I can take a pounding.”

That was all it took to have him slide his cock into me and leave me moaning loudly at the fulfilling rush of tingling pleasure that raked over my body.

Kane groaned, his whole body seeming to relax, like he’d gulped two bottles of alcohol and the effect hit him all at once.

He then began to move, thrusting his hard rod in and out of me at a thunderous pace. My fingers clenched the sheets as I braced for the rollercoaster he was catapulting us into. The way his cock filled me was already making my toes curl up and pussy flutter like I was seconds from cumming.

I fought to last longer before my first orgasm, but it had been ages since I’d enjoyed the realms of sex, let alone used my own fingers to please myself, that it was too much to deny my body the brink of ecstasy that hit me in seconds.

My body came undone right there, my orgasm racing through me in a wave of shivers and my pussy clenching around his length. He paused to give me a moment, and I feared he’d decide it was enough, but one look into his eyes told me this was only the beginning as he went right back into thrusting.

“Kane!” I moaned, relieved that this ride hadn’t ended while my body hummed in anticipation of the next wave of ecstasy.

He moved with confidence, something I hadn’t expected due to his countless bits of hesitation, but now it was like he was a whole different person that knew exactly what he wanted and would do anything to hear me moan.

“Say my name again,” he commanded, ramming his cock deeper into me like it was the greatest motivator to do exactly what he wanted of me.

With a cock as thick and skilled as what he’s got, he can have whatever he wants.

“Kane,” I moaned again and lifted my hands up. He got the message as he leaned over so I could rest my hands on his shoulders, gripping them intensely while he fucked me harder and harder.

Fingernails digging deeply into his flesh, I moved further up so I could kiss his neck, the action only making him moan and speed those strong hips of his as he thrust into me even harder.

“Yes, baby. Yes, yes, yes. Kane! More, harder, faster.” I could barely think of any other words to help emphasize my need for him to pump into me at a ridiculously fast pace.

I knew he could, and he didn’t disappoint as he picked the pace up until he was grunting and his balls were slapping against my flesh. My orgasm was at a shattering high, and I screamed when I came a second time.

My release didn’t stop Kane from going at the vigorous pace, and my body was already preparing for the third hit of bliss that would leave me completely spent.

I knew he was close, his cock feeling double its size as his thrusts became quick but deep within my quivering pussy. I was moaning his name and clinging to him for dear life, our heavy panting and sweaty bodies coming closer to the finale.

“Luci! Luci! Luci!” The way he moaned my name was the mere icing on the cake as his body grew rigid and he sank his cock as deep as he could before he drawled out a grunt and came.

That triggered my orgasm. The rush of bliss that swarmed through my body left me silently screaming as my body shuddered. I felt his cum fill me, squirt after squirt, and he collapsed onto me before quickly rolling us over and letting me rest against his body.

I was spent, my breathing erratic as my body worked on coming down from that incredible high. My body felt like jelly now, and the thought of moving seemed like a chore not worth accomplishing.

The soft nip at my neck made me moan, my feverish skin feeling extra sensitive at the sudden touch of Kane’s lips.

“Kane,” I muttered, knowing his lips that teased the side of my neck would bring either pain or pleasure.

Okay, maybe both.

“I’m thirsty, Luci.” His whisper was hot and only added to the tingling sensation against the spot he’d been teasing with his lips and tongue.

“Then drink,” I whispered. “Just leave enough for me to survive.”

He kissed my flesh and replied, “You know I will.”

“Hmm, it’s questionable after that. Finally, nice to see the true side of you.”

“Do you mean that?” His voice was shallow, and I almost missed it.

“Of course, I mean- ah!” My words were cut short as his teeth sank right into my neck and my whole body jolted into overdrive.

It felt like I was suddenly frozen, the initial pain suddenly retreating as I was consumed with pleasure. I moaned long and loud, my eyes fluttering closed while my head fell back. His groan was loud, as he sucked my blood, every sucking motion leaving me trembling as I relished in the pool of ecstasy that seemed to never end.

The rush of memories that hit me at once was hard to grasp, scenes of happiness with a girl with large golden-orange eyes and hair exactly like mine. There was little Kane on my right, and a little boy to my left that I knew without a doubt was Tobias.

We laughed, cheered, played around the mass of the castles as our parents looked upon us from afar. Life was happy, peaceful, and filled with endless love, a view that seemed to darken as memories of sadness, comparisons, and heartache raged through my mind.

You have to be strong like Tobias.

He’ll lead the fae into victory if you can’t get stronger.

All you do is laugh and think everything’s a game. This isn’t a game!

Enjoy this little friendship with Tobias for now, but it’s only a matter of time before your friendship burns away and you become mortal enemies.

You can’t love her, Kane. If you think you have a chance with her, I’ll tell you right now. You don’t.

They’re destined to be together. As for you, all you are is a fill-in that will be replaced.

Go ahead and get your heart broken. She’ll have to choose, and sadly, it won’t be you.

No matter what you do, she’ll choose.

Time is counting down and you’ll be left alone.

She will choose, Kane, and all we can do is pray that the fae don’t kill us all.

The negatives outweighed the positives, an ocean of regrets and fears that was suffocating.

“Kane.” My voice shook and leaked out the surge of pain I felt within my heart. The sound was enough to cut through Kane’s desires and retract his fangs from my neck.

I gasped as the connection was cut like a blade slicing through a telephone cord, but as I fought for breath, the heavy words lingered in my mind, repeating themselves again and again.

My body was lifted into a tight embrace, and I allowed myself to slowly calm down as I focused solely on breathing.

Kane didn’t say a word, his hand rubbing my back soothingly while I rested my head on his shoulder while my breasts that were barely staying in the cups of my bra pressed against his bare chest.

It took a while, but my breath finally slowed, and my body relaxed against him. It wasn’t until I was dozing off that Kane whispered, “Luci?”

“Hmm?”

“You know, huh?”

“If you’re referring to the words of negativity…you’ve somehow managed to block out of your mind…” I paused simply to breathe. “Then yes. I know and when I don’t feel like mush…and we’re not stressed about school shit…we’re talking about this.”

I was becoming so drowsy, a side effect I knew occurred after someone drank your blood, but it was intriguing to experience it for the first time. The pleasure had been unexpected, leaving me to wonder which was better: the pleasure that came from sucking blood or the passionate pleasure of sex.

“Okay.” He didn’t even argue with me but held me even tighter.

I had enough strength to hug him back, and it was the first time ever that the wall of resistance between us was no more.

“We’re not running out of time. You hear me?” I whispered, fighting the desire to sleep. “I don’t care what’s in store. I don’t…care…if we all have to join forces and go to war. I won’t…I won’t choose. You’re mine…and no one can say…bloody shit.”

My mind was really drifting away, but my ears caught onto the soft sniff that was followed with a soft kiss to my neck.

“I love you, Luci.”

It was the first time I’d ever heard him say those words, and it made me smile even in my weak state. Sleep was imminent, but I gathered enough strength to reply to him.

“I love you, too, Kane.”

I will fight for a future where no one will dictate who I love. No matter whether it’s one, two, or more men to come.

BLOODY ROSARY OF MINE

“You did it!” I cheered and hugged Tobias tightly, the two of us breathless after grabbing the final golden rosary on the school property and racing through a crowd of desperate students who were willing to kill us to retrieve the last beaded masterpiece.

Today was the morning of our scheduled awakening ceremonies, and Tobias and I spent all night searching the campus for the last set.

Kane would have joined if he wasn’t feeling under the weather. Surprisingly enough, after our passionate classroom sex which landed me in his bed all the way in the private corridors of his coven, we’d gone back to retrieve my backpack and discovered the beads in the locker that was in front of the black leather backpack.

What possessed Kane to open the door had to be a part of my instinct from the blood that he wholeheartedly enjoyed, leaving us screaming in joy. My body was asking for forgiveness after dealing with empty threats from Vera the Bitch and hot, passionate sex with Kane, but the few days of agony were worth it since that growing tension of hesitation had vanished between us.

After that day, Kane always took a little time out of his day just to be around me. It had made me realize what I wanted from the relationship.

I craved the same with Tobias, but with the approaching awakening and the growing struggles of him retrieving a rosary of his own, we were soon helping him with the deed, in hopes that our own rosaries would trigger the reveal of the last one.

“We have to go to the awakening spots,” I breathed, realizing there were only fifteen minutes before everything started.

The two of us were hiding in an office, catching our breath while the hall raged with various students desperate to find us. It was the wall of magic that cloaked our presence and sound that was saving us right now, but we’d have to venture back out there to face our approaching fates.

I couldn’t believe we were finally here, that we’d somehow managed to endure the first year at Bloody Rosary and were minutes away from unlocking the truth of what was hidden within ourselves.

As the day approached, we heard various rumors as to what occurred. Some people changed completely, from their appearance to their personalities. Some discovered their life purpose, while others crumbled from the truth of what lay ahead.

Then there was the percentage that didn’t make it at all.

I had hope that we’d survive this and return back to the dorm house where Pearl, Isaiah, and Isaac waited for our return. We’d been so busy that we barely saw each other, but it would all change.

Leaning back to look into Tobias’s sunset eyes, I gave him a proud smile.

“So proud of you,” I whispered.

His expression was hard to decipher as he lifted me up and walked over to lower me onto the black desk. I arched an eyebrow as I gave him a curious look.

“What?” I asked.

He nestled his head between my neck and shoulder, kissing my flesh soothingly, which made me giggle quietly, followed up with a soft moan.

“Tobias?” I wasn’t sure why he was being so affectionate all of a sudden. “We have to go. Fifteen minutes, remember? Probably thirteen now, but-mhmm.”

His lips cut me off short as he removed them from my neck to press against mine.

“I’ve neglected you and I feel like fool for it.”

He pulled back to look into my eyes as his words registered in my mind.

Did he notice?

“The hardest thing about this challenge wasn’t these damn beads,” he whispered while his eyes lowered along my body hungrily, those orbs beginning to shift in colors as they flooded with lustful longing.

“Every day I saw you trying to do things on your own, to give us space so we’d be able to reach our goals, and it frustrated the fuck out of me because I know you deserve so much more.” He kissed me again, longer and deeper as our bodies seemed to mold together as I wrapped my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck.

“Tobias,” I breathed when he released my lips, the two of us pressing our foreheads together as we caught our breaths.

“What irritated me the most was how close you started to get with Kane.” The way his voice dipped made me wonder if he was angry or even jealous. “When he discovered his beads and you’d explained what happened with Vera, I could see the difference between you two. See that the walls that hindered him had crumbled and that he was even more confident than before. I envied that. I was pissed that I continued to struggle to discover these beads, but what was really disheartening was the time I was losing with you. I thought we’d get tons of opportunities to be with one another. For us to sneak off to the fae lands and visit Cinder and Ash while venturing to some more parts of our home.”

Our home…

“Tobias. I know,” I whispered and kissed him. “We’ll have more time after the awakening. We have the summer break to finally learn more about one another and we’ll have plenty of opportunities to grow together.”

“That’s not enough,” he whispered, his eyes locking on mine once more. “I don’t want to fix this after. We have to solve it now.”

“Tobias, we only have ten minutes,” I reminded.

“I only need five.”

His dominating lips crashed into mine, my back suddenly against the desk while he pinned me beneath him. Our clothes were torn off our bodies in less than a minute, our hands greedily feeling each other as we continued our steamy kiss.

He waited until we were breathless before he leaned back and readied his cock in his hand. It was so thick and bigger than I’d experienced, leaving me licking my lips as if we had all the time in the day for me to wrap my lips around that mass and suck him up like a popsicle during the fine, hot, summer days.

The glint of amusement in his eyes was followed with a smirk.

“After the awakening,” he assured me, reading my thoughts. “For now, I want to be in you.”

“Go right ahead.”

“No condom?” he inquired like that was stopping him.

“Vampires have their own contraceptive, just like fae can magically block themselves from getting pregnant. Seeing as I’m both, I can’t get pregnant unless I open both sides of the conception gates.”

He smirked and hunched down to greedily kiss me once more.

“Good, because I hate those things.”

I laughed. “Everyone does, but rubber, plastic cum-suckers are better than crying babies and dirty diapers.”

“Hmm.” He gave me one more kiss. “Ready to be fucked?”

“I’ve been ready all damn year, Tobias, so shut up and- Holy fuck!” He cut me off by thrusting that massive cock of his inside of me in a quick movement, and before I could complain, he began to move.

He groaned against my lips as we kissed and moaned. My hands roamed down his muscled back and enjoyed the silky strands of his long hair that seemed to drape around us in a curtain as we continued to heavily kiss.

We were panting as he leaned back to grip my hips and hammer into me, both of us feeling the growing urgency to enjoy the rapid moment of pleasure before rushing to our awakening destinations.

“Tobias, faster!” I begged, my body craving the feel of his hot cum filling me. He was moving faster than ever, grunting my name and how much he’d fucking wanted this. I could imagine all the things we could do if we weren’t pressed on time.

I’d enjoy sucking his cock and feeling his lips suck my pussy dry before making it wet all over again with that expert tongue of his that proved its worth with the amazing kisses he delivered.

I prepared for the rush of pleasure that was seconds from shattering through me, and I leaned right up, hooked my arms around him, and kissed him hard. He moaned into my mouth and I suddenly bit his bottom lip as he gave a final thrust that set off both of us.

My orgasm hit me first before the taste of his blood hit my senses and ignited a wave of emotions that felt like Tobias’s.

Love. Affection. Protection. Pride.

His love for me was through the roof, seeds of compassion that were laid upon the ground around us and blossomed to become strong roots that wished for my acknowledgment. That connection I was missing was back, while I enjoyed the taste of his blood and the shots of his cum that pooled into me.

I finally let go of his lips, having no choice as I struggled to catch my breath. He licked his bottom lip, the action healing the tiny wound before he held my face and lowered us back against the desk so we could get lost in a wonderous kiss.

“We have to go,” I growled into his mouth, feeling as though we only had three minutes.

“Not until I get to hear three important words,” he whispered.

“I love you?” I inquired and he chuckled.

“No, but I love you, too,” he teased.

“What are the three words?”

He kissed me quickly before sliding his cock out and helping me up. With a snap of his fingers, a droplet of water suddenly spun around me, growing and somehow cleaning my entire body in a matter of seconds.

When it was gone, I realized he was already clean and dressed. I stared down and was left speechless because my uniform was back on my body, wrinkle-free, as though we hadn’t just tossed them helplessly on the floor and fucked.

My head lifted to see him pull out his golden beads from his pocket, and he winked.

“Break a leg.” He turned away and with the glowing of those very beads, he walked through a portal and was gone.

“Damn sexy asshole of a fae!” I huffed and quickly got my beads out.

I had to pray I wasn’t late as I allowed my magic to soar into the beads and I raced forward to jump through the portal that would take me straight to my destination.

The awakening ceremony is here.

I OPENED my eyes to see the dark cave around me. The portal had surged me right into this spot, leaving no instructions or path to take other than forward.

Lowering my gaze to the golden beads within my possession, I allowed my eyes to close while I took a few inhales and exhales.

Then I decided to say a little prayer.

“Hail Mary, full of grace, your child is preparing for her awakening. This journey was trivial. Filled with many layers of difficulty, but hidden were precious blessings. From the church that kept me shackled with their own agendas on the line, I sprung into the supernatural world that was shielded from me and returned into the lives of those forced to stay afar. Together, with a friend who’s been by my side and leaders in the art of training, we were trained and eased into this newfound adult world. I’m grateful for all that has come my way, aiding me in this path of life as I carve off old skin and strive towards finding the truth.”

I took a slow inhale, then let it out and continued.

“Mother Mary, the universe, the power up high, please forgive the sins I’ve committed and my flickering faith. The time has come for me to awaken, and though deep in my heart I’m afraid of what lies ahead, I’m ready to grasp the information I need to reclaim the thrones of my parents and bring justice to our family name. I, Lucinda Delphine, was brought to Bloody Rosary for a reason. Show me…that very reason. Deliver the answers I seek.”

The heat that emitted from my grasp had me opening my eyes and watching the beads glow with ferocity. The ground before me began to light up, gold and red bat symbols leading down the single path.

Ensuring my crown sat on my head, I snapped my fingers and felt the heaviness of my father’s cloak upon my shoulders.

It’s now or never.

Taking my first steps forward, I followed the path lit before me, feeling the growth of pride within myself for making it this far. There was obviously so much more I needed to learn about Bloody Rosary Academy, but that all began with myself and unlocking what had to be hidden within.

Step by step, I walked in the dark, the glowing steps of bat symbols the only guidance I needed as I clenched the beads between my fingertips.

The first step that sank into lukewarm water didn’t faze me, my pace steady as I stepped into the clear waters and continued to follow the path. As the water reached my neck while I approached the middle of the pool of water, I noticed the shift in the thickness of the surrounding fluid.

The metallic scent flooded my nose, the smell of blood that began to tug on my body. I peered around me, realizing that the clear water was now a thick pool of blood, but I pushed away from the fear as I took a deep breath and allowed the tugging force to completely submerge me.

“MOM. Dad. Can you help me write a letter to Tobias and Kane because I tried…” I trailed off when I turned the corner and sensed the presence of foreign individuals.

Hiding against the wall, my ears pricked up to listen to the words being exchanged. From the looks of things, Mom and Dad were with two individuals. Both of them had dark skin and looked like they weren’t from here.

“You do not have long, Leonardo.” The male shook his head. “They have plotted a plan that I see no way out of.”

“They can’t force our child to choose and ignite a war!” Father hissed.

Mother shook her head. “Neither of us will put Lucinda in that position. It’s obvious she has a connection with Tobias and Kane. They love her and they’re not even ten. Suddenly changing our way of raising them and putting Luci in a situation where she can only be with one is absurd. We brought a child into this world because of our unity, two completely different races coming as one! How dare they suddenly think they can command our royal families, making our children choose who to love for their benefit. Luci can unite our kingdoms instead of causing us to go into senseless war for no reason. Why are they trying to set their lives up for failure and bloodshed?”

The woman opposite her sighed, looking sad about the current circumstances.

“Lisette. I understand and we agree with you. However…they noticed Luci’s interaction.” Her accent was thick, and I couldn’t figure out where she was from.

“Luci’s interaction with who?”

“Our son, Isaac,” she whispered. “You noticed, did you not?”

My parents were silent, and Father finally spoke, “Their interaction was brief and didn’t make a scene.”

“You’re correct,” the man replied. “And yet your high council believes that he and Luci are also compatible.”

“They’re afraid that a nine-year-old will somehow mate with a fae, a vampire, and a hellhound-wolf hybrid? When you say it out loud, it sounds crazy!” Mother huffed.

“It does,” the woman agreed. “However, your council is not telling you all of what’s written in the stories of your people.”

“What do you mean?” Father asked.

“You are founders of the academy that soaks the golden beads of your Mother Mary into the blood of your ancestors and yet you know nothing of the chosen child?”

When neither of them spoke, the woman nodded her head.

“Our religions may be different, but our Savior is all the same. Just as Jesus was sent down to carry the sins of the humans, a period of time is written in stone of a child blessed by the blood of Mary, sanctified with the powers of the Universe and all the elements of thy Creator, and carrying the strength of an Alpha who will lead those who gather in packs. The child will be born of two powerful souls, opposite but connected to raise her to be pure of negative influences that halt the belief of choosing one side. The child would grow within the church, and upon her eighteenth birthday she will embark on the destiny that seeks to unite all of supernatural kind. Greed, desire, and money will be tempting weapons to stop her from succeeding in her divine purpose, but she will rise and will unite those who rely on nature, blood, and the moon to prosper.”

“Fae. Vampire. Wolves of all forms,” the male translated. “I’m going to assume you’ve never heard of this tale, have you?”

“No.” Mother shook her head. “If this is true, why has it been hidden? Why don’t we know of it?”

“The same reason every few years the Bible is updated to a new edition that seems to get smaller and smaller.” The woman chuckled, the sound itself giving off a sad emotion instead of happiness. “They want to be rid of that child before she becomes a savior like Jesus was for the humans. Think about it, Lisette. Lucinda will be queen. Not of just one throne, but two. She will immediately be one of the most powerful individuals this world has to offer, having the powers of a vampire and the ability to call upon any element or creature due to her fae roots.”

“Now imagine if she marries not one, but two? Imagine if she marries three. If the connection between Tobias, Kane, and potentially Isaac is what we believe to be true, Lucinda will be connected to three other righteous kingdoms within the supernatural world. All they’ll need is a few allies, and that right there is enough to create an all new council of supernaturals.”

“That’s what they don’t want,” Father whispered. “They’re afraid our children will rise and take their places?”

“Power is a struggle that is easily taken by the young with unexpected force,” the man replied. “You look at your daughter and tell me you don’t see a threat, but that is because you are her parents. To an outsider, they see a girl who can already command dead forests to bloom and make anew what was once considered useless. Animals follow her lead and those who are older and wiser bow their heads in her presence. The older she gets, the stronger her royal powers will become, and we all know that once she officially awakens, those that wish for turmoil will quake in fear.”

“So you’ve come to warn us that they basically may kill her?” Mother whispered.

“No,” the woman replied in a hushed voice. “They will come and kill you both, manipulate your daughter into choosing a side, and when the time is right, ignite a war that will finish off the opposite race, forcing them into complete submission.”

“We can’t allow this to happen,” Father emphasized.

“I’m afraid we’re almost out of time.” The woman looked so sad as she stared at them. “If we had only arrived a few minutes earlier, my friends. These bodies are not real but are holograms of our essence in Africa. You must protect Luci now, or what we have predicted will come to pass.”

“They’re already here.” Father’s eyes widened as the two individuals began to fade.

“Our friends, be swift…for time…is gone. May the blood of your Mary shield you at… your hour of death. Amen.”

The two disappeared, leaving Mother and Father wide-eyed. I walked out of my hiding place and approached them.

“Mom? Dad?”

They both looked my way, their fear as strong as ever.

“Where did the man and lady with accents go?”

“Luci, how long-” Mother began, but a ringing began to bother my ears.

“Mommy? What’s the ringing noise?”

They gave me odd looks before their eyes widened, and they rushed towards me.

“Luc-”

A blast cut the world off, my body going flying as pain wrapped around me. I screamed as it felt like the world around me was crumbling on top of me.

Sounds of laughter and screams of agony tore through the air, but the ringing that I heard prior to the pain continued to grow, drowning out all other sounds.

Before I knew it, I was opening my eyes that felt so heavy.

The pain in my body began to fade, and I looked up to see a woman that was illuminated by gold and red lights. The crown that hovered over her head was gold and shone just as brightly as the rest of her body.

She wore golden silk while a red veil fluttered behind her. The long tresses of her hair went from a blonde to a striking red. Her skin was like a mix of mine and the people I’d just witnessed, a caramel brown that reminded me of cinnamon.

What caught my attention as I struggled to rise up were her eyes. Stunning white eyes that reflected a level of sadness that made my heart clench in fear of bad news.

She must be an angel. One to take me away from my family.

I sat up to try and say goodbye to my Mom and Dad, but my eyes widened in fear as my heart felt as though it froze in place.

There were Mother and Father, a few feet away from the magnificent woman. They lay upon broken piles of black wood and pieces of our home. I waited for them to get up, my gaze transfixed on their limp bodies, but the longer I remained, the colder my body became as the truth of what had occurred began to wiggle its way into my mind.

No.

Without much thought, I worked on getting up and raced to their aid, dropping between the two of them and beginning to shake their bodies.

“Mommy?! Daddy?!” I shook harder before placing my ear against Mom’s chest. I did the same to Dad’s, my heavy, quick breaths far louder than the barely audible heartbeats that struggled to pulse within their chests.

The blood on the ground stained my white dress and I looked between the two of them, trying to figure out a way to heal them.

Save them.

I looked helplessly at the glowing woman, watching as she approached where I knelt down between my family.

All I have are my parents. If they’re gone…who do I have left?

“Please,” I whispered as my lip quaked and tears rolled down my cheeks. “C-Can I save them? I need to save them. My mommy…and daddy…they’re all I have. Please…don’t…don’t let the evil people win.”

Sobs escaped me and I placed my hands together as if I was kneeling before the statue of Mother Mary, the woman’s kind eyes looking down upon me.

“I…I’m not perfect. I’m sinful, just like my parents…but…but they’re good people. They’re loving and they read to me, and they always take me to see Kane and Tobias. They want to see the world be surrounded in peace and don’t want anyone getting hurt. They don’t deserve to die. Please…I beg you…don’t…don’t let my parents die,” I sobbed as my shoulders moved up and down and I let my head fall in defeat.

There was no one else I could turn to for help. I had no way of contacting Tobias or Kane. Our home was nothing but ash and wood, and if my parents truly died, I’d have nothing to live for.

“Do you love your parents?” The woman’s voice was filled with authority but carried a hint of compassion.

“Yes! Very, very much!” I answered. “You can look into my heart! I’ll…I’ll even exchange my life for them to live. I’ll do anything to see them alive again. Please! I beg of you.”

The woman watched me curiously before her eyes lowered to my parents. Closing her eyes, she slowly nodded.

“I can save them, but by doing so, you will be entering a war you know nothing of.”

“I don’t care!” I declared, lifting my head up to show how determined I was. “If saving my parents means I have to enter a war with grownups, I will!”

“What if saving them means you won’t be able to see Prince Hart and Prince Mortica again?”

I was going to respond but paused at the option presented to me. I swallowed the lump in my throat and fought the tears that stung my eyes.

“Then…I’ll sacrifice seeing them again for the sake of my parents.”

She eyed me carefully, nodding her head again before she looked up.

“I have a different plan, but by agreeing to my terms for healing your parents, you’ll have to live in this world without the memories from this day and anything before.”

“That means…” I wasn’t sure what she meant, leaving her no choice but to clarify.

“If I save your parents, your memories will fade away. You will awaken with a situation presented to you and moved into a place that may seem holy and pure on the outside, but hides secrets only those within will witness and experience. No one will be able to aid you in escaping until the strike of twelve on your eighteenth birthday. After that, all you can hope for is that fate will guide you in revealing the truth.”

“Meaning…I won’t know if my parents are alive?” I asked.

“Essentially,” she replied and lifted her hands to her sides. Two white doves appeared out of nowhere, landing upon the palms of her hands.

“Lucinda Delphine, correct?” she clarified, waiting for me to nod. “If you decide to save them and reach the age I’ve given you, there will be one final test you’ll have to reach before retrieving the truth of this day.”

“What is that?” I questioned.

“You will have to attend the school your parents cherished and survive the first year.”

“School. First year?” I whispered. The clock was ticking, and all this information wasn’t staying in my head. I returned my gaze to her and nodded again.

“That’s fine! I’ll attend the school as well.”

“You may not survive it,” she offered.

“I may not survive either way,” I argued back as I clenched my fists. “My parents are the reason why I’ve had a happy life. They don’t deserve to perish because I’m afraid! One day I’ll have to rule. Just like my mom and dad. If I must lose my memories, give up on Kane and Tobias, and go to some school at eighteen, I’ll do it all! My parents gave me life! I’ll fight to make sure they receive the same gift in return now!”

The woman looked pleased and she nodded her head.

“Arana and Alexander.”

The two doves began to glow, and I gasped when they became two tall individuals that stood at the woman’s side. One was a man while the other was a woman, but I had no time to see what they looked like as my head began to pound painfully.

I hissed and clinched my head in pain. “Ow.”

“Lucinda.” The woman’s voice was harder to hear as everything began to be engulfed in light. “Do you agree to my terms?”

I fought to speak clearly, the words of agreement rushing out of my mouth.

“Yes! I…Princess Lucinda…Delphine agree to endure whatever is offered for the sake of saving my parents!”

The ringing returned, thrumming through my ears and making me scream in agony as my body felt like it was being pierced everywhere. I felt hot fluid leave me, flooding the ground beneath me as I fell back.

I didn’t hit the ground, my body now floating in the air as I struggled to fight against the pain that made me scream my lungs out. It suddenly felt like I’d crashed into a body of water, but the liquid was thick and impossible to breathe in.

Struggling to breathe, I fought to stop myself from sinking deeper, fear consuming me.

Mom. Dad. Tobias. Kane. Our Savior. Anyone? Help me!

I knew no one would come as my body began to lose the battle. I could no longer breathe, hear, or see, and the deeper I sank in the liquid of death, the more the numbness crept through my being.

All I could do was wish for my parents’ revival. For them to be saved by the woman who gave me the option. I repeated the thought again and again until it was suddenly gone with the rest of what I recalled.

Within a minute of numb silence, all I knew was my name, royal title, and that my parents had perished. The thought felt like a lie, and yet, it was the truth that now coursed through me.

It hurt to think about the sad reality I lived in. Suddenly, I was lying upon something soft as my hearing drifted in and out.

“The love your child has for you is why her blood pumps through both your veins. You breathe because she has decided to spare those charitable memories for your salvation. I will grant one wish of yours to aid her on the new journey she is about to endure. Say it now.”

The silence lingered and I fought the growing urge to return to slumber.

“Let the magic of blood manipulation be granted to her, so she can protect herself when she needs to,” a deep male voice replied.

“So be it,” the woman replied. “And yours?”

“May she be left with the tiara on my head and the cloak of my husband. Not only will those items protect her, but the crown upon her head will also bring those destined to return to her life path.”

“Hmph. You’re a smart one.” The woman seemed pleased. “I will grant both your wishes. From this day forward, you won’t be able to see your daughter until she is deemed worthy. Until then, you are both dead in the world of supernatural fae and vampires. These chronicles will be written in stone and spread across the land until your child is ready to rise to your thrones and reveal the truth. If she manages to survive the trials that come after her awakening, of course.”

The silence returned before the man whispered, “We understand.”

“Very well.”

The spoken words drifted away and like the sound of snapping fingers, the memories of my past came rushing back.

My childhood.

The accomplishments.

The happy times with family.

Those cherished moments with Tobias and Kane.

The interaction with the Yemane family.

The growing threats towards my livelihood.

The visit that warned us of what was coming.

My parents’ approaching deaths.

The decision I made to save them.

My lips curled into a smile as the descent of my body stopped and I began to rise towards the surface.

The sacrifice I endured…and officially conquered.

When my consciousness returned, I was still walking, and I was no longer descending deeper into the lagoon of blood but ascending out of it with each step I took.

The blood rolled off of my body like oil against water, revealing the new attire that donned my body. My hair was full of bountiful curls, and the long mermaid-tail red dress hugged every curve of my body. The cape of my father fluttered behind me, and the golden tiara sat on the crown of my head.

My heels clicked against the rocky edge of the land, each step that followed igniting the land to bloom into green life and roses.

I no longer needed to bite my lip to summon my weapon of choice; the scythe that was a creation of my blood appeared with sheer thought. I wrapped my hand around the black rod and spun it with ease.

In my other hand were the golden rosary beads, still dripping blood as they left a final trail of what I’d just experienced.

Of what I’d just survived.

I approached the bright light at the end of the dark tunnel, my lips curling when I stood at the highest peak of the land. Down below, I could see Bloody Rosary Academy along with acres of land.

I stopped in place, my eyes locking on the woman that had been the mastermind of all of this. The being who had descended upon me when my world had fallen into darkness and no one else had came to my aid.

Headmaster Wei grinned with pride as Professor Arana and Professor Alexander stood at her side.

“You’ve kept your end of the bargain, Princess Lucinda,” Headmaster Wei announced. “It’s time for me to do the same.”

Professor Arana and Professor Alexander moved further to the sides, and Headmaster Wei nodded. “Lucinda Delphine. You are an official awakened student of Bloody Rosary Academy and will work towards transcendence in year two. Enjoy your reward. And when you’re ready to seek out the culprits of the past, feel free to visit me.”

With those words, her body vanished in a wave of magenta-red smoke, while Arana’s and Alexander’s bodies were engulfed in gold smoke that revealed two doves that soared into the air until they were gone.

My grin only widened as the smoke cleared, revealing the two individuals I’d sacrificed eight years to see once more.

There were my parents, Leonardo Delphine and Lisette Delphine, the king and queen of their respective kingdoms.

My parents were apparently dead to the world.

I fought back my tears as I stood a little taller and knew that before we could wallow in the sadness of the years that had passed, we must start securing the future before us.

Their eyes filled with tears, but not a single drop fell as they both nodded their heads in understanding. They knew what needed to be done, and now that the ball was within our court, it was time to plan for revenge.

I lifted the beads within my hand, watching as the drops of blood continued to leave their mark on the blessed beads of my awakening. No longer did I fear the unknown, for I was the creator with a paintbrush in my hand, ready to claim the lives of those that sought to destroy me and all those I cherished.

Returning my gaze to my parents, I finally spoke.

“There’s no time to delay,” I affirmed. “It’s time to start a bloody revolution.”

Forgive me, Father, for I am about to kill en mass as I transcend into my highest self. May my second year be blessed, as I watch all my enemies cower in the face of my returning supremacy. Amen.

TO BE CONTINUED.

COMING SOON - SEPT.18. 2020:

(Will release earlier based off of popularity)

https://books2read.com/BLOODYROSARYACADEMY2

COMING SOON - MAR 5TH, 2021:

(Will release earlier based off of popularity)

https://books2read.com/BLOODYROSARYACADEMY3

TURN THE NEXT PAGE TO READ THE FIRST CHAPTER OF DAGGERS AND SMOKE.

DAGGERS AND SMOKE BLURB

Willa Silvers.

Academy Investigator.

Top agent at the Magic Elite Investigators Department.

If only my real biography were half as glorious as the one in my head.

Instead, I’m Willa Silvers, a clumsy, disaster-prone eighteen-year-old and daughter of two powerful M.E.I.D. agents. Naturally, expectations are high as I, the Infinite Level Mageri Mage, embark on my investigatory career. But I’m already running into complications.

With my unwieldy magic that has a mind of its own and being paired with the powerful, sexy, rich jerk who couldn’t care less about “partnership”, I hope completing our assigned mission is no problem. Silly assumption.

Our mission? Locate four ancient daggers, hidden in the depths of four of the most elite academies in the world. It’s our job to dedicate one year to the search for each mystical dagger by attending the various schools and blending in as students.

The catch — because there’s always a catch — is that we’re not the only ones after these legendary weapons. If each one isn’t retrieved within the designated year, the entire world will be annihilated by eternal, life-sucking smoke.

Daggers and smoke…a lethal potential future for all of us if I make a single mistake.

PROLOGUE: DAGGERS AND SMOKE

“Hurry! This way!”

“Run!”

“Fire! Fire! Evacuate all the students on the premises!”

“Willa…are you seeing what I’m seeing?”

How could I even answer when I was still in a state of shock?

A year spent within the walls of Smokeywood Academy, one of the four major institutes of magic and combat.

Better known among us investigators as the carrier of one of the four sacred daggers that need to be in our possession before the biggest criminal organization in the world uses them to destroy all aspects of life.

I was watching its very core be engulfed by blazing flames and black smoke. Screams echoed around me as I stood at the golden gates, unsure whether to stand and watch the rest of the academy fall or dive into action and attempt to claim the first set of the daggers we’d been attempting to locate all year long.

“Willa. You have to get out of there. Help evacuate anyone in front and leave! That’s an order from the heads.”

“We can’t leave the dagger, Adam. I know exactly where it is. I feel it.”

“You must be feeling the smoke inhalation! Willa, I’m dead serious. Get off the property and return to headquart…this…”

The signal to my earpiece suddenly lost connection, only confirming my suspicions.

I’m not the only one here to claim the powerful twin blades.

Pulling the earpiece from my ear, I allowed it to drop to the ground like a piece of trash. Stepping on it and squishing it like the end of a cigarette butt, I let my beating heart calm as I zoned out the screams and cries for help.

Only one voice mattered now, and even though I still hated his guts, he had somehow laid his mark within my heart.

“You do you, Willa. I’ll always be there to pave the way out.”

“If only he was here now,” I whispered under my breath as I took off the teal blue and gold blazer and tossed it behind me.

Where it landed, I would never know. My body jolted forward into a sprint as I raced right into the burning institute.

I knew the exact location of the item in question, and the closer I got to it, the stronger the buzzing in my ears grew in expectation.

The daggers of chilling power and prosperity. The weapon that ended wars and brought peace with the four leaders that placed them within the academies they built in honor of their victory.

Dying here would potentially leave them wide open, but I wasn’t going down that path unless I knew those daggers would be in the right hands.

Turning a sharp corner, I immediately skidded to a stop - a second away from impaling myself on a pile of broken wooden beams.

“Shit,” I breathed heavily, looking for another way around the cluster of debris. There was no way I’d get through it, but who said I couldn’t just fly right over it?

With a playful smirk, my body tingled with delight and began to lift with ease, like a fairy godmother slowly ascending into the air to grant one’s wish.

This place always reminded me how “magic” was on the down-low. It was the only school that carried a one percent population of magic users, and we were called the gifted elite.

Except for me. I was Willa, the Academy Investigator, but only the admins knew that minor detail.

Landing on the cement floor that was filled with cracks, I pushed off the ground to run at full speed, the buzzing sound almost unbearable.

I was ready to rush past the chamber room, but my body seemed to forcibly stop, my legs giving out before I could process what happened.

“What the hell?” I stared at the ground, the buzzing now a piercing siren sound. It made me feel woozy, and I clenched my stomach in annoyance, but one look to my right and there they were.

My eyes widened, realizing that the chamber looked to be the only thing still intact. It made no sense because the rest of the building was burning, but do magic artifacts that had saved the world really make any sense?

I think not.

Forcing my body to rise up, I urged my legs to work. One shaky step after another, I walked towards the daggers like I was walking down the aisle of a church to confess my sins.

The calm before the storm, as the silence wrapped around me and the serenity of those shining blades made the world grow silent in admiration.

They were placed admirably on a stand in the middle of a platform like an altar, the blades crisscrossed.

The resonating glow of engraved scribbles told me it was reacting to my presence, but I couldn’t think properly to know if that was a sign. The daggers we’d desperately been searching for to complete this part of our case was almost in my grasp.

All I had to do now was claim them.

Taking the three steps up onto the mini platform, I walked right up to the stand, my eyes glued on the prize.

All the struggles. The hardships, broken friendships, bullying, and fighting to keep my rightful place as a Gifted Elite were finally worth it.

Reaching for them with shaky hands, the slight touch filled me with a shock of energy. Ignoring it, I wrapped my hands around their base and lifted them off their stand to stare admiringly at their metal beauty.

“I got you.” I spoke to the weapon as if it could hear me. “You’re going home with me.”

“Willa!”

I turned to the call of my name, surprised to see the very man I admired looking at me with fear in his eyes.

“Get out!”

My brows scrunched together as I registered the two words. Why was he so afraid when this was the one place that resonated peace?

A loud crack made me flinch, and like a light switch, the tranquil sight was no more - replaced by the eerie sight of the rest of the burning building.

Now I realized I was surrounded by smoke, and the flames were inching in on me. My eyes looked to the daggers and back down the pathway where my teacher-partner stood.

I could tell he wanted to run right in, but he couldn’t. The build-up of debris at the entrance made it almost impossible for him to do a flying spell like I had, and the burning flames were growing taller by the second.

Another loud crunch made me worry that the entire building was about to collapse, and my heart skipped a few beats with an important realization.

We’re out of time.

With one last glance at the blades, I looked at my teacher with courageous eyes.

“Now or never,” I whispered and with a twirl of the blades in my hands, I lifted both of my arms up and behind me, throwing them forward with as much strength as possible.

Out stretching my hands, I proceeded to draw out my magic, adding a wave of wind to give the daggers enough momentum to reach their destination.

Wide, golden eyes quickly blinked in understanding, and just like that, the daggers were in the hands of one of the few people I trusted in this business.

That was really saying something when we only knew each other for eight months.

“Wil-”

“Go! Hurry!” I screamed, but right after an ear-deafening sound split the air.

I immediately looked up, following my instincts, but the thickness of the smoke covered the high ceiling.

I knew what was coming, and I braced myself - my body growing stiff as I clenched my fists. Either I’d die right here, or I would somehow manage to survive this ordeal with a few broken bones and a concussion.

If only my chances were fifty-fifty.

I expected wood or cement to reveal itself from the thick smoke that I now realized was a glowing blue and not a rich grey.

However, to my bad luck, that wasn’t what appeared and headed straight for me. Nothing close to debris or wood.

A sheet of golden swords emerged from the thick smoke, and I now hoped I died instantly, with the thought of the daggers being in the hands of the man I’d come to love.

Maybe this was the end of my life as an academy investigator.

ABOUT AVERY SONG

Avery Song is a reverse harem author who specializes in paranormal, fantasy, and urban romance.

She especially loves writing strong main characters and is excited for all the books that are approaching.

ABOUT VERONICA AGNUS

Veronica Agnus is Paranormal Romance Author. She loves to write, workout, and spend some cozy time with her puppies. She enjoys writing stories with empowering women, a hint of comedy, strong unique men, and a jam-packed adventure that leaves you wanting more.

https://www.amazon.com/Veronica-Agnus/e/B08266GLJ3

~Books by Avery Song~

THE SUPERNATURAL SPY ACADEMY SERIES:

S.S.S YEAR ONE

S.S.S YEAR TWO

S.S.S YEAR THREE

S.S.S YEAR FOUR

S.S.S FIVE (May.29.2020)

SPELL TRAVELER CHRONICLES

Witchling Academy- Semester One

Witchling Academy- Semester Two

Witchling Academy- Semester Three

Witchling Academy- Semester Four

Witchling Academy- Semester Five

Witchling Academy- Semester Six

Witchling Academy- Semester Seven (Jun.12.2020)

Witchling Academy- Semester Eight (Oct. 23.2020)

JADE STORM TRACKER SERIES

The Tracker Hive Academy- Semester One

The Tracker Hive Academy- Semester Two

The Tracker Hive Academy- Semester Three

The Tracker Hive Academy- Semester Four (June 5th 2020)

The Tracker Hive Academy- Semester Five (Nov.27.2020)

BLAZING ACADEMY

Semester One

Semester Two (Jul.17.2020)

Semester Three (Oct.16.2020)

COWRITTEN WORKS:

SUPERNATURAL CAPTIVITY SERIES

Supernatural Inmate

Supernatural Outlaw (May.22.2020)

Supernatural Villain (Oct.9.2020)

SUPERNATURAL MARKED MONARCHY

Psychic Prison - Book One

Psychic Royalty - Book Two (Jul.24.2020)

Psychic Monarchy- Book Three (Nov.13.2020)

DESTINED IMRISONEN TRILOGY

Arrested By Magic

Escaped By Destiny (Aug.7.2020)

Freed By Power (Jan.8.2021)

FOR THE FAEIRY ABSOLUTES

Celestial Prison (May.8.2020)

FOR THE PURELY DIVINE SERIES

Fae Rose Academy - Year One

Fae Rose Academy - Year Two (Jul.31.2020)

WILLA SILVER ACADEMY INVESTIGATOR

Daggers and Smoke - Year One

Daggers and Smoke - Year Two (Nov.20.20)

Daggers and Smoke - Year Three (Mar.12.21)

THE SUPERNATURAL VAMPIRE FAE CHRONICLES

Bloody Rosary Academy - Year One

Bloody Rosary Academy - Year Two (Sept.18.2020)

Bloody Rosary Academy - Year Three (Mar.5.2021)