004: WHO THE HELL AM I?

MAYA'S POV

"What?" The Grandmistress turns her attention to me.

"The glass picture." I point towards it. I slowly move to the wall and trace my fingers along the edges. Same face... eyes... but yet completely different. This isn't the girl from California; the woman in this portrait looks like she's lived a thousand lives I haven't.

"That's just a painting of the old academy." Kylie says without looking twice.

I tilt my head sideways to try and see the academy in this painting, but all I can see is my reflection clothed in royalty and staring back at me. "You don't see the woman?"

"Who?" She frowns and glances away. "That's just stone and dark clouds."

I turn to Kylie. Can't she really see what I'm seeing? "Forget it, I'm probably just seeing things because I'm in a stupid academy." I sigh, but a chill runs down my back if this academy doesn't have any record of me. Why am I here, then?

"You should go on to your classes now."

I nod, then I sprint. I have no idea where I'm running off to.... the painting, the door; I just run, but immediately I touch the doorknob, the door vanishes into thin air.

"Doors only open here when we want them to." The Grandmistress's voice is maddeningly calm. She really thinks I can't escape, huh? "You'll learn all about it in time."

I turn around, glaring at her as my heart beats loudly against my chest.

"So, let's try this again." She clears her throat. "You should probably go to class." Her tone this time is hard, leaving no room for argument.

But I argue anyways. "No, I want to go home, not join some weird magical cult."

"You'll adjust with time." She says with a tight smile.

My feet twitch. My brain literally screams at me to run again, and I nearly do, but I stop myself because I need answers more than escape right now. I scoff. "Fine, I'll go to class. I'll sign up for wand waving and monster anatomy while I'm at it."

"That's better. I'll send someone to give you a tour." She smiles; her calm demeanor is back.

I sit back on the chair opposite her desk, knotting my fingers and staring around for the quickest escape from here, when suddenly the door is kicked open. I turn my head towards the door, and goodness, I'm awestruck. Everything in the background fades, and I'm staring at the man walking through the door in slow motion.

He's tall and lean, and damn, his posture is perfect. The way he walks in that black tailored suit commands absolute attention. If I said the wolfish guy in my mirror or the blueish guy in my dream was hot, then I'm a fool because this man has set my entire body on fire, and I'm shamelessly ogling him.

But there's something oddly familiar about it, like we've met or known each other before in a past life... Stupid! My sigil is glowing and burning my skin. It's weird, but I feel like it remembers something my brain doesn't.

His skin is very pale, and his black hair is slicked back perfectly with only a few rebellious strands falling on his forehead. He's got crimson-colored eyes, angular features, a straight nose, and thin lips. Everything about him is freaking hot, even the silver tattoo on his jaw that sneaks into the collar of his suit. There's the aura he carries... like a mysterious prince of darkness. A kind of person I shouldn't even dare look in the eyes, but he flashes a light smirk at me before taking his seat.

"Jaden Mcleech, welcome to Blood Valley Academy. I'm Kylie, the Grandmistress of Blood Valley Academy."

"It's Leech." He corrects with a low, effortless wave.

She smiles, tapping on her temples. "Leech, You're a transfer student from the Shadows Academy, and you're actually way above your peers academically. You've mastered top skills in blood magic which none of our students have. You're thriving academically. Welcome!" She glances at the system on her desk, tapping something on the keyboard, then she looks up at me. "Make that four top students assigned to Maya Carter as guardians for training and full coverage."

"Four?? Isn't that too much?"

Kylie doesn't answer, but I see the way her fingers stiffen for a second. Either I'm dangerous... or valuable.

"Give me a minute." Kylie walks to the empty space in the wall where the door was positioned a few minutes ago. "Maya, if you remember things... you can't explain, make sure I'm the first person you tell." She says before walking through the wall and stepping out.

What the... I clutch my chest with my right hand to keep my heart from falling out, while pressing my fingers too tightly against the chair, something sharp pierces through my thumb. "Ouch!" I lift my hands up to my face to inspect it. I'm bleeding.

"May I?" The hot transfer student beside me—Jaden points toward my bleeding thumb. "I can stop the bleeding." He's smiling at me and it's really hypnotic.

A flash of the wolfish guy I stumbled into in the hallway crosses my mind. He seemed mad on seeing me, like he didn't want me here, but this pale-looking dude is actually excited I'm here? I can't help it, but I feel like they're both hiding something.

I nod and point my thumb toward Jaden who gently holds it, and I notice a large signet ring on his thumb. He runs his tongue around my bruise, licking the blood off. "Your blood is still as sweet as I remembered."

Remembered?

He lifts his head to stare at my lips through those sinful eyes. "So... the queen finally decides to return?"

Queen? Okay, I have to stop him there. "What did you just call me?"

"My Queen. Even if the whole immortal realm forgets you, I never will." He bows his head, and as if on cue, the sigil on my arm shines so bright I have to block my face with my hands.