Zeda followed Mr. Carl back to the administration building, heading for her meeting with Mr. Percival.
Her phone was buzzing with messages from the crew's group chat, which Darcy had added her to. Vyr had gotten his way, and now both he and Zeda would play the lead roles in the drama for party night. Everyone in the chat was voicing their opinions, with lots of negative comments aimed at her. "You don't have to worry too much about what the crew thinks about you, dear," Mr. Carl said as he drove. "You just need to focus on the drama and make it unforgettable. You'll be the first new student in Shadowbrook's history to be part of any event at the new intakes party." Zeda nodded, feeling a little better after his words. But then, acting with Vyr would be so hard. How long could she last without slapping him because of his arrogance? Zeda took a deep breath to calm her nerves as she got closer to Mr. Percival's office. "Come in, Zeda," she heard his voice say before she even knocked. Just how good were vampire senses? she wondered, walking in. She didn't see Mr. Percival in his office chair. Instead, he was sprawled on one of the couches near the fireplace, utterly relaxed with a glass of wine. It was a strange sight for the academy's director, who usually made every student feel primal fear. "Good afternoon, sir," Zeda greeted. "I'm sorry I'm late. I didn't realize I'd spend so much time with the crew." She held her breath as Mr. Percival sat up and stared at her with those piercing red eyes. "Who said you're late?" he asked with a slow smile. "Uh, I was..." "I didn't give you a specific time, dear. I just said 'today,' which means anytime as long as it's today," he explained. Zeda nodded, rubbing her suddenly sweaty palms on her skirt. "Come have a seat. We should talk." Zeda nervously walked to the couches and sat across from him, looking everywhere but his face. Her eyes landed on the thick red liquid in the glass he'd just put on the coffee table. And then it hit her. He was drinking blood! Whose blood was that? Had someone been killed? She glanced at his face and saw him watching her, his eyes twinkling with amusement. She swallowed hard. "Uh, so...rry...is...th..." "Blood?" Mr. Percival interrupted. She nodded, afraid she'd crossed a line she shouldn't have. "Yes, it's blood," he said smoothly. "Pig's blood, though." "Pig's blood?" Zeda asked, surprised. "Yeah," Mr. Percival replied. "It's the blood given to all vampires in the academy." Zeda sat up. "I thought vampires fed on human blood?" "Yes, it's the best for us. But in Shadowbrook, every vampire strictly feeds on pig's blood. Unless they go on missions, and maybe after defeating an enemy, they're allowed to drink from them," he said. "How do they control the urge for human blood when they're surrounded by humans in the academy?" Zeda asked. "That was their first training," Mr. Percival replied. "All new vampire students were always locked in the vampire kingdom where they learned to control their bloodlust around humans. It's a tough process, but some learn quickly, some take longer. But all vampires in the academy must succeed before they're allowed to move freely." "Just like how all werewolves are trained to shift whenever they want, and not just on a full moon?" Zeda asked. Mr. Percival nodded. "Yes, dear. Both groups have a required first training." He added, "I see your roommate has told you a lot already." Zeda smiled. "Yes, she did. She's actually a friend now." Mr. Percival smiled, looking impressed. "I'm glad you two bonded easily. She's made my work easier too. Tell me what she told you." Zeda told Mr. Percival about her talks with Carrie, and he listened quietly without interrupting or showing any expression. "She did well," he said when Zeda finished. "She told you the basic things you needed to know about the school. Now I have to tell you what you need to know about yourself." Zeda felt anxious, waiting for him to drop some huge news about her. She was also curious to learn everything about herself, no matter how strange it might be. "Tell me, Zeda," Mr. Percival said. "What do you think about yourself and why you're here at Shadowbrook Academy?" Zeda thought about his question before answering. "To be honest, sir, I just think I'm a normal human being who happens to have the same eye color as some kind of... genus, or whatever you call it." "Why?" He asked Zeda shrugged. "I don't feel anything supernatural in me." Mr. Percival chuckled. "What if I told you that your powers are hidden?" Zeda frowned. "Hidden? Why?" "I wish I knew. Every supernatural being gets their powers before the age of eighteen, and your profile says you're nineteen." Zeda sat up. "So what can I do for them to show up?" "That's a good question," Mr. Percival smiled. "Most powers show up through strong emotions, especially anger, a strong need to protect someone, and self-defense. Others just appear naturally from birth, or through lessons and training." "Carrie said I could be a mage because of my eyes, and I could be really powerful if my powers appear because it's like I've already ascended the realm," Zeda revealed. "That's right," Mr. Percival affirmed. "But for us to find out, we need to take some steps." "I guess you have a plan for me, sir?" Zeda asked. "Yes, dear, that's why you're here," Mr. Percival said with a supportive smile. She nodded. "I'm in." Mr. Percival grinned and sat up. "We'll use two methods to make sure your powers appear. First, you'll go on missions given to the mage kingdom, because you're part of them now. You'll also join mixed missions that include the best fighters from all kingdoms. The idea is for the feelings you'll experience on these missions—like self-defense, the need to protect someone, and even anger—to trigger your powers. "Second, the most powerful mage in Shadowbrook Academy will tutor you and guide you in training. I've already made the arrangements. I believe if you go through these processes, your powers will appear in no time." Zeda was about to ask who her tutor would be when the door opened. A tall, thin, seriously good-looking guy with long blonde hair walked in, looking perfect in his neatly ironed shirt, blazer, and shiny shoes. He must be a model, Zeda thought. Look at that glow. "Mr. Percival, good afternoon," the guy greeted. His silky voice matched his luxurious hair. "Prince Adrian, you came at the perfect time," Mr. Percival replied and motioned for him to sit down. Zeda gasped. He's the prince of the mage kingdom? Adrian glanced at her as he sat down beside her, the air immediately filled with the comforting sweetness of his vanilla scent. She stared at his gorgeous face, his beautiful silver eyes, pointed nose, and chiseled jaw standing out. "I was telling her about the tutoring plan before you walked in," Mr. Percival explained. "I see," Adrian replied, with a quick glance at her. "Zeda, this is Prince Adrian. He's the prince of the mage kingdom, and he'll be your personal tutor," Mr. Percival introduced. "Adrian, this is Zeda, your personal student and responsibility from now on." Zeda put on her brightest smile as she turned to shake Adrian's hand. He ignored her and instead frowned at Mr. Percival. "She's just my student, not my responsibility," he said flatly. "She is," Mr. Percival replied smoothly. "You're responsible for her powers appearing from now on, and her safety, especially on missions, is in your hands. At least until she gets her powers." Adrian let out a frustrated sigh and glared at her. "She better be a fast learner. I wouldn't want to be stuck with such a responsibility for long. You, of all people, should know how much I value my time and privacy." Zeda frowned. She wasn't the one who picked him as her tutor, so why was he mad at her? Mr. Percival shrugged. "I do, but you're the perfect person to be her tutor right now." "Whatever," Adrian muttered, looking at her from head to toe like she was a bug. Mr. Percival stood up, a signal that they were done talking. They followed suit. "Prince Adrian, you should take her to the mage kingdom and show her around, and make your plans yourselves." Adrian didn't reply. Mr. Percival took a document from his drawer and handed it to Zeda. "This is your academic class schedule. You both should set your training times so they don't clash with your classes," he said, glancing at both of them. Zeda put the document in her bag. "Thank you, sir." "You're welcome. I wish you the best in your training," Mr. Percival said and smiled. "Don't push yourself too hard." "She should," Adrian cut in. "She shouldn't," Mr. Percival replied, giving Adrian a stern look. Adrian glared at her instead. Zeda couldn't help it. She stuck out her tongue at him. "Thank you, sir, I won't push myself too hard," She said. Adrian scoffed and stormed out. Zeda followed grudgingly, the weight of her predicament pressing down on her. Adrian Quill, the Mage Prince, was her personal tutor, tasked with helping her unlock her hidden powers. And he made it clear he considered it a monumental waste of his time. Would they ever get along, or was this just the beginning of a much bigger fight?The school library was a seven-minute drive from Zeda’s dorm, so she felt a brief moment of hope when she arrived faster than expected. She entered the building, her jaw dropping at the sight. It was a cathedral of knowledge: a massive, modern structure of steel and glass, with towering bookshelves that stretched to the ceiling and spiraling staircases that led to upper levels.Her awe quickly diminished when she saw the endless rows of books. How was she going to find a specific book in this labyrinth without spending the entire day?As if her anxiety wasn’t enough, a few students whispered and snickered as they noticed her. Why was she surprised? She hadn't left her room for two days. Walking around now would surely make everyone remember the events of Friday night all over again.She shook off her frustration and tried to remember the exact title Torvin had asked for, then began searching a shelf that had a sign about supernatural history. After searching a whole shelf that had
Zeda groaned on Monday morning when her phone rang for the third time, jolting her from a peaceful sleep. She glanced at the clock—7:15 AM—and sighed. She could have easily done with another hour of rest.Wondering who would dare call her so early, she picked up her phone and was immediately both surprised and annoyed to see Torvin's name.He called again, and she growled into the receiver. “Don’t you have anything more important to do this early than disturb me?”“Good morning to you, too,” Torvin replied, his voice annoyingly cheerful.“Good morning, Prince Torvin Greywood, Alpha of the Werewolves. It’s a privilege to hear your voice this morning,” she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.“Maybe we’ll be best friends if this is how you address me constantly,” he chuckled.“Ew, I’ll pass,” she sounded disgusted. “For fiddlesticks, why are you ruining my sleep?”“You’re still sleeping? Well, you never struck me as one who took her academics seriously or made good grades,” Torvin’s
“Why do you have to call Torvin?” Carrie frowned.“He gave me two choices for the debt,” Zeda revealed. “To work and come up with five thousand dollars in three months, or be at his beck and call for twenty errands. I chose the first option because I was going to ask Lucian for help with the money. But, well…”“Oh, Z, I’m so sorry,” Carrie said, pulling her into a tight hug.“It’s fine. I’ll just call him and tell him that I’ve changed my mind and will go with the second option,” Zeda sniffed. “Lucian told me to call him if I needed anything, but I can’t, Carrie.”“I understand. Receiving help from him could make you go back on your decision, which I know you don’t want,” Carrie said.“No, I don’t,” Zeda sighed, picking up her phone.She dialed Torvin’s number, and he answered on the third ring.“Debtor. What a surprise,” Torvin’s deep, rough voice was mocking. “I thought you were dead.”“And why would you think that?” Zeda frowned.“You looked like you were going to commit suicide la
Zeda woke up the next morning feeling awful. Her head pounded with a dull, throbbing ache, her mouth felt like a desert, and a wave of nausea rolled over her every time she moved. It was a vicious, cruel hangover from a night she was already desperate to forget.The memory of Lucian and Sloan kissing replayed in her dream with painful, vivid clarity. The scene shifted to her own fiery kiss with Vyr on stage, which was momentarily thrilling, but the feeling was quickly dampened by the nightmare of Vyr and Lucian savagely fighting each other in her sleep.Carrie was still sleeping soundly, so Zeda tiptoed to the kitchenette, made herself a coffee, and opened her phone. She regretted it instantly.Three videos were trending, and she was tagged in all of them. The video of Lucian and Sloan was the third most trending. The second was her and Vyr kissing on stage, and the first was the fight between Lucian and Vyr. They all had awful comments about her, and she couldn’t find a single good
“Stop!” Zeda ran and stood in between Lucian and Vyr, and the crowd gasped.“Zeda, no!” Carrie’s voice was a cry of pure horror. “Get away from them!”Zeda ignored the shouts to leave and instead glared at Lucian. "Don’t you dare attack him again.”“Zeda, I’m losing control right now,” Lucian’s voice was a low growl, far from human. “Get away from here and let me kill him.”“No! Control the monster,” she said to him, her voice firm. She wanted to feel bad for calling his demon a monster, but right now, she didn’t care.“I can’t,” he growled, the muscles in his jaw clenching.She remembered their date when he told her about his demon and how her presence was able to calm it down and took a deliberate step toward him, her hand outstretched. Vyr hissed from behind her. “What the hell are you doing, kid? Get out!”Zeda ignored him and touched Lucian’s arm tentatively. “Try to control it,” she said in a soothing voice. She was still furious with him, but if only she could stop the demon
Zeda watched in horror as Lucian and Vyr beat each other, their supernatural movements a terrifying blur, making their actions almost impossible to track. They were a whirlwind of fists and fury. Then they landed a vicious blow on each other at the same time, sending them flying several feet away.Zeda realized with a jolt that the entire party hall was now practically empty. A huge crowd had gathered around them, cell phones raised, eagerly videoing the spectacle. She saw Carrie, Rylan, Rose, and Draven approaching her, their faces etched with horror.“What in the hell happened?” Rylan asked her, his voice frantic.“Lucian came after me again,” Zeda sobbed, the tears streaming down her face. “And Vyr wouldn’t let him touch me, and then they just started fighting.” She wondered what her fate would be if they ended up killing each other. After all, she was the cause of the fight.“That bastard,” Draven and Rylan snarled in unison, lunging at Lucian. But he anticipated their every mo