In The Human World

The look on everyone’s faces was one of pure disappointment. Honestly, I wished they would ask for something—anything—else. Never in a million years had I imagined that I would one day consider living among humans.

One after another, everyone began leaving the hall, whispering words I couldn't quite make out. Only Aretha remained, standing motionless with her head bowed.

“And what are you still doing here?” I asked, remaining seated majestically on my throne.

Aretha said nothing. Her silence irritated me more than anything. Anger surged through me. I rose from my throne and rushed toward her, my fangs snapping into view as I nearly grabbed her by the neck.

“Stop!!!!” Samantha's voice rang through the hall.

I turned toward her, my gaze sharp and furious. My heart raced as I struggled to control the urge to sink my fangs into Aretha's neck and drain her dry. Rage had consumed me, leaving little room for me to reason.

“Stop it,” Samantha repeated, this time walking toward me with confidence.

“How dare you stop me, Samantha?” I demanded, straightening to my full height and facing her directly.

Aretha remained silent. She stood there like a statue, the only difference being that she was still breathing and moving.

“We need to talk,” Samantha declared. “Now!” she added, her voice firm.

I grumbled under my breath before stomping angrily toward my chambers. Samantha followed close behind.

“What is wrong with you?” she demanded, glaring at me.

“Watch yourself, young lady. You are in no position to ask me that—”

“You called me your sister!” she interrupted. “Which means I have every right to give you advice. You can stick your fangs into my neck and drain every drop of blood from me for all I care, but that won't stop me from telling you the truth. For goodness' sake, what in the world is wrong with you? You made a promise to these people—your… people.” She paused, emphasizing the word. “Your people. Yet you failed to keep them—”

“They are asking for the impossible,” I interrupted.

“You can make it possible, Aliya.” Her voice softened, but her determination remained. “These people have trusted you to protect them for over a century, and you have. Even though you can sometimes be mean, wicked, and ruthless, you have always protected us. Now, they have asked you for this one thing, and you refuse to even consider it. What makes you think they will trust you or every word that comes out of your mouth again? Besides, I think it's a good idea too, you know.”

“What?”

“Yes!” Samantha replied firmly. “Living among these people isn't such a bad idea. We have a lot to learn from them if we ever want to live like them—or at least pretend to be them. What happens if Eric wants to know where you live? Where will you tell him? Will you bring him here?”

Her question struck me. As the thought settled in my mind, I realized she was right. Perhaps I had been too harsh. Perhaps my anger had blinded me.

“Do you know what I realized, Aliya?” Samantha asked rhetorically, stepping closer to me. I said nothing. “Do you know why we weren't able to sense Lilith's scent or figure out that she was a vampire?”

“Why?” I asked.

“Because of something humans call perfume. They spray it on their bodies to mask their natural scent and make themselves smell nice. If we don't live among them, how are we supposed to know about things like that?” Samantha asked. “I know you're trying to protect us. I know you don't want our existence to be exposed. But for how long can we keep hiding? Eventually, something will give us away.” She gently took my hands and looked directly into my eyes. “You will still be our leader. This will always be your clan. You will always be our Empress. But you need to start seeing the possibilities that come with mingling with humans.”

I remained silent, her words sinking deeper than I cared to admit. After what felt like an eternity of thinking, allowing every word Samantha had said to sink deep into my mind, I finally agreed.

I opened the door and stepped back into the hall, where Aretha was still standing, clearly unwilling to leave. I noticed how tattered her hair was, and I remembered how desperate my people must have been to live like humans after seeing them at school the other day.

“Fine. Tell everyone. We’re moving to town,” I said to Aretha.

Her face immediately lit up. She smiled at me, though I could still see the fear lingering in her eyes. “Thank you, Empress Aliya. On behalf of everyone, I promise we won’t fail you,” Aretha replied, hurrying away from the hall, her heart filled with joy.

I walked backward toward my throne, my mind crowded with different thoughts. For the first time, I began to wonder what kind of leader I truly was if my own people were afraid of me.

The joyful shouts and cheers of my people suddenly interrupted my thoughts.

“Did you hear that?” Samantha chimed in. I completely ignored her. “That’s the sound of happiness from your people,” Samantha added before walking away.

The next day was hectic. Samantha and I went into town in search of houses. Moving everyone was far from easy, but eventually, we managed to find a place and settle in, all while pretending to live like ordinary humans. I went clothes shopping, though Samantha insisted that I also buy beverages and foods that humans normally consumed.

Whenever I had a free moment, my thoughts drifted to the rest of my people and how they were adjusting to their new lives in different places. Starting over in an unfamiliar environment wasn’t easy, but if I wanted to achieve my goal of getting the man I wanted, I had to remain patient and learn to adjust my rules.

I hadn’t completely forgotten about my revenge plan. However, I knew that if I allowed someone like Eric to occupy my thoughts every second, I would lose focus on the scarred man. So, for the time being, I decided to put my revenge plan on hold.

The following day, I wore one of the short black skirt-and-sleeveless-red-top dresses I had gotten. We blended in perfectly, just like every other human. We had even bought one of those perfumes Samantha had told us about.

The moment we stepped into the school hallway, all eyes seemed to turn toward us as we made our way to our lockers.

“Hey, stranger,” Eric called. He walked toward me, following me all the way to my locker.

“Hi,” I replied with a smile.

He leaned casually against my locker, his bag hanging from his right shoulder. “You look different,” he complimented, leaning slightly closer as he caught my scent. “You smell nice, too. What changed?”

“Nothing.” I smiled, keeping my voice light and soft as I stared deeply into his eyes.

“You weren’t in school yesterday. I wanted to reach out, but then I realized I didn’t have your number.”

“My what?”

“Your phone number. Do you mind giving it to me?”

I had no idea what he was talking about. I wished Samantha were there to help me, but she was off somewhere with her new friends. I kept staring at Eric, hoping somehow I would figure out what he meant, but I was completely lost.

He reached up, gently moved the strand of hair covering my face, and tucked it behind my neck. “Thanks for the compliment, Eric.”

“You’re going to have to do more than thank me, Aliya,” Eric said, his voice deep and smooth. His charming eyes slowly swept over me, and I felt a strange rush course through me.

“What do you want?” I asked.

He straightened and stepped away from the locker. “Well, since you’ve refused to give me your number, I guess I’ll ask for something else.” He paused, a teasing smile playing on his lips. “Let’s see… after school, let's walk home together again. That’s a start. You owe me anyway.”

Eric winked before walking away.

I couldn’t stop smiling as I watched him leave. I was so distracted that I completely forgot about everything around me. I didn’t even notice Lilith until she was standing right in front of me.

“I warned you to stay away from him, Aliya. Eric belongs to me and me alone,” Lilith snarled. She hurled her textbook at me. I quickly dodged, and it slammed against the locker with a loud bang, drawing the attention of everyone in the hallway.

Lilith’s eyes burned with rage. Behind her, the girls accompanying her folded their arms, glaring at me with open disgust.

“You’re such a pathetic whore,” one of them spat. “Going after another person’s man because you’re too ugly to get your own.”

“Ugly?” I tilted my head, almost amused. “Girl, I’ve lived far longer than the three of you combined, and somehow, my ass is still more gorgeous than all of you put together.”

Before I could say another word, Lilith’s hand came across my face in a sharp slap.

Rage immediately filled my heart. I still haven't learned how to control my anger when I'm hurt, and before I could stop myself, my claws began to extend from my fingertips. Samantha noticed instantly and rushed toward me, tackling me to the floor before anyone could see my fangs emerge as well.

I guess that was Lilith's plan all along—to humiliate me in front of everyone so badly that I'd have no choice but to leave the school for good.