Night Class

September 13th, 2019

Friday 11:15am

Beep. Beep. Beep.

The beeping has been going on for the past three minutes and I’ve been pondering if I’m in a coma or if I’m just too tired to open my eyes. The coma wouldn’t be such a terrible thing. I wouldn’t have to worry about classes for a while and I wouldn’t have to face my aunt. Admittedly, I’m a bit nervous for my friends and myself now that I’ve realized that we technically broke the law by doing more than half of the things we had done. However, if I don’t wake up and deal with the consequences, then they’ll all be alone to deal with their queen without an advocate fighting for them.

Frustrated, I fight to open my eyes, and sadly, they open. Blinding lights are shining down on me, causing me to groan. My arms feel heavy and weak and it’s evident that there is an IV in my left arm. I hate having an IV hooked up to me. It feels so strange and uncomfortable to have anything like that done, but I’m assuming I had lost a lot of blood and/or needed fluids. Necessary, I guess.

“You’re awake,” someone breathes out next to me, “Thank the Gods. I was so worried.”

Turning my unfocused eyes onto the blurry humanoid figure, I can barely make out their voice. I think it’s Giles, maybe, but I could be wrong. They’ve given me some very strong pain medicine it would seem. Opening my mouth, I now realize that I’ve got cottonmouth. My tongue feels heavy, fuzzy, like I can’t control it. Even my throat refuses to expand no matter how much I clear it.

“Oh, here.” That’s definitely Giles. “Drink this.”

The glass container is pressed against my lips, and I force them to part. A rush of cold liquid spills to the back of my throat and I spit it up with shock. That’s a complete rush of adrenaline. Coldness spreads through my upper torso as the remaining liquid is drunk more slowly than before. Eventually, it’s all gone and I’m attempting to sit up on the plush bed.

“Woah, woah. Take it easy there.” Giles’ hands rest against my shoulders, forcing me to stay slanted on the bed. I want to sit up. “You’ve been through a lot. Your body’s spent.”

Testing the waters, I open my mouth and close it a few times before asking, “How- How long have I been out?”

I’m handed something metal. My glasses. Placing them on my face, I can finally make out that I’m in the school’s infirmary. I’ve been here a lot, but only to donate the blood that Natalia needed for the cure they’ve been working on. This is the first time I’ve been in here for something involving an actual injury. Well, other than when I broke glass in my hand during Chemistry and nearly got torn apart by all the danag’s in class, but that was a one-time thing. I hope.

“Three days,” Giles says quietly. “We’ve been hoping you would wake up eventually. Mother has been spending the last three days pacing about her office and barking orders at everyone. She is a tad bit stressed.”

Three days. Three whole days I’ve been laid up in the infirmary. I hate that my first thoughts were if anyone informed my dad about what happened, but they haven’t because he’s gone. At least he won’t have to be worried about me like Natalia now has to worry about me. Small mercies, I guess.

“Am I... Well, am I okay?” It seems like a strange question, but I distinctly remember feeling like I was on death’s door.

Giles nods while rubbing my right arm. “You’re okay. Nurse Edna says you should be able to get back to classes on Tuesday morning, but I’m sure we could swing for Thursday.”

I can’t help but laugh at that now. I hate to break it to him, but I would prefer to go back on Tuesday. Classes might be the one normal thing I need right now to keep my sanity intact after the last week of madness that I’ve had.

Giles finally lets me sit up just a bit and I notice the sharp pain in my right leg. Without even asking about it, I swing the covers off, but nothing seems out of the ordinary. My smooth and pale leg seems absolutely normal at first glance, but there’s something going on beneath the surface. It burns like there’s a fire under the skin, as if it’s been irritated by something.

“Is everything okay?” Giles inquires.

“Yeah,” I muttered. “Everything’s fine.”

“Good. That’s good.” Giles lays my blanket back down over my cold and exposed legs. “Mother wants to be let known when you wake up, so I’ll go and inform her now. Are you okay here on your own?”

Sending a glare his way, he only laughs while holding his hands up in defense before spoofing from the room. He seems a lot more loose and less stressed than before we went to rescue Kieran.

Kieran. I wonder if he and Ehren are alright after what happened. The memories of what was said between all of us before everything went dark sit like weights on my mind. Kieran had admitted his feelings for me, made it clear that he no longer cared about what Ehren thought of his feelings. I had admitted my own feelings for Ehren and was rejected. Neither of them wanted anything to do with me so that the other wouldn’t get hurt, but in the end, we’ve all hurt each other somehow.

Giles was right, both brothers are very capable of hurting me, both physically and mentally.

A double knock sounds from the entrance of the room and I look up expecting to see Natalia, but it’s not her. Rhea, Peyton, Romans, and Vera stand in the doorway with smiles plastered on their faces. They all look healthy and well-taken care of now. I’m glad they got back here safely and no one else was hurt. Romans sports his usual bad-boy attire while Vera saunters in with a pale-yellow sundress. Rhea looks like a lawyer like usual while Peyton actually looks normal for once and not like some douche prep schoolboy. His jeans and t-shirt are a welcoming sight. Loose blonde curls bounce as he makes way over towards me.

He has no hesitation as he sits right next to me on the bed, resting his head back against the wall as he says, “Glad you’re alright, troublemaker.”

“Thanks,” I mumble out. “I’m glad you guys are okay too. I was worried.”

“We’re beuno, Princessa.” Romans pats my left foot as he chuckles out, “Well, all of us except Peyton here.”

“What?” I sit up now, alert and worried more than before. If something happened to him because of me or-

“I’m fine,” Peyton assures me as he forces me to lay back once more. “There was just a bit of a snag when we got back, but it’s all taken care of now.”

“A- A snag- What kind of snag?”

They all seem very hesitant to say anything now and that only worries me more. Clearly, something happened while I was out for those three days and none of them want to say what it was. It would’ve had to have been something pretty bad and it somehow involves the blonde boy next to me. Peyton’s chiseled jawline is sharp as it ticks from his nervousness and his blue eyes avoid meeting mine completely.

“Peyton...” Gently, I place my hand on his and he finally looks at me. “Whatever it is, I need to know about it, okay.”

He gulps now before finally saying, “The courts know about me drinking your blood and they are not happy about it. I’ve been ordered to stay away from you entirely. We had to sneak past security to get me in here, so enjoy it while you can.”

“What?”

“Mom and Dad are pulling him from the academy and continuing his education at home now.” Rhea folds her arms over her chest. “It would seem Peyton did all-too well at getting out of their good graces. He’s being sent to a boarding school much like this one, only-”

“Only they don’t have as much freewill or leniency towards humankind and dhampir’s as this one does,” Peyton finishes for her. “That school brainwashes humans to become blood slaves for vampires and the dhampirs are basically servants there. I’m a shoo-in for the place considering that’s where they send the problem children, potential convicts in the eyes of the court. Apparently, there are dire consequences for biting a royal. This is lax according to the Queen. The courts wanted the death penalty, but me being one of the Queen’s collected helped.”

“And being a Whitmore,” Vera chimes in. “It would seem that while fighting to get away from the Whitmore name, it somehow saved you. Ironic.”

“Yeah,” Peyton seethes, “and Dad sure won’t let me live it down. He says I owe him even more now for getting me out of the death penalty. Like hell.”

Peyton’s hands are whitening on the knuckles from how hard he’s clenching them. He’s clearly angry about what his father had said, but there’s something more to it than that. Something else happened that they’re still not talking about.

“Anything else happen while I was out?” I asked Peyton directly.

His boyish features look brightened now before dulling, the color draining from him completely. “When I um-” He swallows rather loudly. “When I drank your blood, and you drank mine, we created an issue.”

“What kind of an issue?”

“If I were to be sent away, kept away from you, it may make things hard on us both.” He laughs a bit, more hysterically than anything. “We created a battle bond, completely by accident. The courts think that because you’re human that it won’t affect you, and they may be right, but since I’m a vampire...”

“It will affect you,” I finish for him. “What will it do to you if you’re away from me?”

Rhea grits out from the end of the bed, “Pain. He’ll be in a lot of pain and won’t be able to focus on anything but your safety. Battle bonded vampires generally live close with one another and they can sense when the other is in danger. It causes an uncomfortable amount of adrenaline to rush through their bodies.”

“I guess this is something common in your world?” I asked her.

She nods while gripping the footboard. “Many soldiers and guards have battle bonds, but it’s never been heard of between a human and a vampire. You two are uncharted territory.”

Great. So, now I’m going to have to challenge an entire government of vampires to keep Peyton from going insane while under lockdown by his family. They were right to worry about bringing this up with me, because now I’ve got to get up and confront all of those old vampires.

“Well, looks like I’ve got a meeting with some old croons.” I shove at Peyton, and he happily moves for me. “Let’s go step on some toes and hand out heart attacks like it’s Halloween at a nursing home.”

Romans laughs now while muttering about how strange I am. The only one not amused by any of this is Rhea. Her eyes are set, and her arms are crossed as she stares out of the window lined wall. Shooing the others out of the room with promises to meet up with them proves difficult, especially with Peyton, but they comply. Rhea’s blonde curls are tied up tightly and fall just over her shoulder as she glances at me. Slowly, unsurely, I met her at the floor-to-ceiling window.

What could I really say to her to make her feel better? Her brother is in danger with their government because I gave him blood and drank his. We did something illegal without even considering the repercussions. And as much as I feel bad for causing trouble, I wouldn’t change a thing. He would’ve died without it, and I’d rather have to protect a friend than burn them.

“I’m sorry.” My hands clench and unclench at my sides. “I didn’t mean to cause problems for you and Peyton. He doesn’t deserve any of this and I’m going to fight to make it right, no matter what. I promise, Rhea.”

“I know you will, and that’s the problem.” She smiles now as she continues to stare at the wooded area outside of the window. “I’m terrified that things will get worse if you get involved. That they’ll most likely think that somehow the battle bond has binded you to Peyton. They’ll think he has some kind of control over you now.”

“But it hasn’t-”

“I know that! We all know the truth, but they won’t.” She snapped; her eyes bright with anger. Her eyes relax now, no longer burning with rage as she looks away from me. “I really do hope that you know what you’re doing when you confront them, because the alternative is that I lose a brother. You know all too well what losing a sibling is like, right? So, please don’t make me lose mine.”

Pain spreads in my chest now at her words. She’s right, of course. I know all too well what losing a sibling is like. You feel as though a part of you has gone missing and you know you’ll never get it back. It’s a longing that I wouldn’t wish on anyone. Which means that whatever the risk or consequences are, I have to make the court see that Peyton is meant to be here in this academy with us.

Rhea shuffles next to me before scoffing and nudging me with her shoulder. “You’ve got a visitor. I’ll give you some space. Need to make sure Peyton isn’t being shackled anyways.”

She muttered the last part, but I caught it regardless. Her footsteps are quiet now as she walks away from me and towards the doorway behind us. I can feel someone staring at the back of my head, but a part of me doesn’t want to turn around just yet. I’m not sure I can face my aunt just yet, but something tells me it’s unavoidable considering she’s the headmistress of my school. Better now than later I suppose.

Turning, I’m come face to face with a puffed-out chest. A thin layer of blue cotton covers the sturdy surface. My eyes trail up until they meet Kieran’s bright blue ones. His lips quirk up in the corners as he takes in my surprised look.

“Not your aunt,” he mutters quietly. “Just me.”

Without giving me a chance to respond, his lips are on mine. Plump and pressing against mine with much force, a certain hunger that I don’t return. Two large hands grip my hips, but this time, the heat in them doesn’t cause bumps along my arms or spine. My knees no longer buckle. My only thoughts are of how they feel nothing like what I expect Ehren’s too. I’ve not even kissed Ehren yet and I’m already comparing the two.

The kiss breaks and Kieran stares down at me now. His face holds a look similar to pain. Bright blue eyes dim until they are nothing more than ice cold orbs. I didn’t want to hurt him, I really didn’t, but I can’t help where my thoughts go. Surely, he understands that.

“I do,” he once again mutters quietly. “I just didn’t want to believe it. I guess this is karma in a way, huh?”

“Kieran-”

“I know, I know.” He holds his hands up in defense. “You two weren’t trying to hurt me. I get that, I do, but it still hurts. I really thought you would be the one...”

His voice sounded strained as he trailed off. His hand lightly grips my chin, rubbing his thumb along my jawline. Those blue eyes seem a bit brighter now as he examines my face before letting it go completely.

“I suppose he is a more obvious choice.” Kieran steps back away from me and sits on the bed with a heavy sigh. “He’s handsome, brooding, and he’s got that ‘I don’t care about anyone in the world’ attitude that girls find attractive. Yeah, I get it.”

After seeing him give me a warm smile I returned it while sitting next to him. “He’s just- He’s Ehren. That’s the only way I can explain it.”

“Does he know?”

“That he’s Ehren? I’m pretty sure he knows.”

Kieran shakes his head while laughing a bit now. He shoves on me just a little before asking, “I mean, does he know that you chose him?”

“He knows.”

“And?”

“And he seemed to be upset that I didn’t want you, if I’m being honest.” My hands clasp in front of me while my breathing becomes uneven with each breath. “He said it needed to be you, but I just couldn’t force myself to pretend that I didn’t like him. Peyton says he wants me just the same, but that there would be political fire and even more drama than we’re already in.”

“Because there would be,” Kieran admits. “Ehren avoided having a public relationship with anyone just because it would cause scrutiny. I know my brother and I know he wouldn’t knowingly put you in the line of fire, but something tells me that him pushing you away and acting all mysterious somehow hooked you.”

He’s not wrong there. Ehren has no doubt unknowingly pulled me into him. Nothing feels the same anymore when I’m around him. The air is somehow more breathable, relaxed, and peaceful. He brings me a type of rush that no one else has ever provoked before. He’s the embodiment of pure desire.

“Okay, okay-” Kieran stands while plugging his ears for a second before chuckling out, “I don’t need to hear anymore, really. I get it.”

“I am so sorry, Kieran-”

“Don’t,” he breathes out. “I’m just messing with you.” He squints his eyes while tilting his head for a moment before admitting, “Sort of.”

I can’t help but give him a scolding look now while crossing my arms.

He smiles at me, brightly and charmingly. “Even though you guys don’t need it; you two have my blessing. I only want what’s best for him and I also want you to be happy. If that means that I have to sit back and watch my brother with the girl I want, well, then I guess that’s what I’ll do.”

“Thank you, Kieran.”

Stepping forward, I hug him tightly around the waist and he slowly returns it. His hands rub at my backside comfortingly and I gladly accept it. It’s been too long since I’ve hugged anyone like this. It’s purely innocent and relaxing to the soul. There isn’t a person in the world that doesn’t deserve at least one hug a week. Dad would give the most amazing hugs, and I find myself missing them now.

Kieran becomes stiff in my arms for a moment, swearing as he pulls away. I’m met with his backside as he stares at the empty doorway. He’s really tense now.

“Kieran-” I touch his backside side, muscles rippling under my fingers. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah,” he grunts out. “Nothing to worry about, at least not right now.” He turns to face me again with a small smile. “We should get you to see the queen before it gets too late. Nurse Edna will be a force to get past, but I think we can pull it off.”

She is a very thorough nurse. If anything, she can be a tad bit scary when you interfere with her treatment and patients. I tried to bandage my own arm after a transfusion and nearly lost my fingers. Terrifying woman, really.

Giving Kieran a reassuring smile, I let him hold onto my hand as we make our way for the hall. I hobble more than anything considering my leg still feels as though it’s on fire. Whatever is going on with it is something that will have to wait until everything else is settled. I have an angry aunt to calm down first.

Kieran leaves me to open the office door on my own. Before I can even knock, the doors swing open and glowing golden eyes meet mine. Natalia stands tall with her usually well-kept hair in a frayed mess and her face seems to have aged awfully. Small baby hairs fly out of their gelled place and her long velvet red dress is wrinkled, well-worn down. She looks like she’s been through a lot, and this makes me feel nothing but guilt.

“Isabella!” Natalia’s arms encase me. “Are you alright, dear?”

All of that stress is gone now. Everything that I had been worried about or stressing over is gone. She feels so warm and the way she releases those breaths of relief causes my chest to lighten.

She pulls back now as she takes in my entire frame. “You shouldn’t be up roaming the halls. I thought I had told Giles to make sure you were staying put-”

“Aunt Natalia.” I place my hands on her shaking wrists. “I’m okay, really.”

Her golden eyes are still glowing as she slowly nods. “Alright. Well, at least come in and take a seat. We don’t need you collapsing from exhaustion or putting more strain on that leg.”

Natalia leads me to the same chair I had sat in when I asked for the class transfer. That day feels so far away now. It feels like a lifetime has passed since I walked through the academy doors, since I discovered vampires existed.

Natalia’s hands rest on her knees as she takes a seat next to me. Her face finally shows a bit of life, eyes bright and skin glowing. She smooths out her hair and the fly-away’s seem to obey her without issue. No longer does she seem so out of place, but there is still some tension in her shoulders as she stares at me. I’ve caused her so much trouble, more trouble than necessary.

“I’m so sorry, Natalia.”

Her brows knit together as she asks, “Whatever for, child?”

I mess with my hands, playing with each finger as nerves begin to tangle in my stomach. “For worrying you, causing trouble, breaking the law,” I whisper out. “Take your pick.”

“Isabella, dear.” Natalia grabs my hands in hers while breathing out, “I am only thankful that you are not hurt. Yes, I was angry that you and the others had taken matters into your own hands, but such things could not be avoided.”

“It was all my idea, I swear it.” I try to keep the desperation from my voice, but she doesn’t seem like she believes me.

“It’s funny,” she muses. “The others were adamant that it was also their own individual ideas. Like minds, I suppose.” Her penetrating gaze causes a shiver to run down my spine.

“Right,” I mumbled.

She begins scooting her chair closer to mine as she says, “Isabella, dear. Please do tell me of what happened. I wish to hear things from your perspective before making a final decision.”

I take a deep breath, knowing that there’s no way I can lie to her about anything. One lie and she’d never trust me to tell her the truth again, and I don’t want that kind of relationship with her.

“We were walking in the woods, the ones in between the school and the lake, and Kieran- Well, first off, Ehren and I had argued which caused my heart to beat faster. Kieran reacted and as a result, Ehren snapped his neck. He then got me out of there and to a safer spot farther in the woods.” I glance up to see her still staring at me and she motions for me to continue. “That’s when the hunters attacked. We later realized that these hunters were sent by Arlo. They nearly killed me, but Ehren got us to a shed in the middle of the woods. We waited there for hours, scared and worried, until we were found by the others. That’s when we realized Kieran had gone missing.”

“And why were you so sure these hunters who meant to kill you were sent by Arlo Bromley?” Natalia asks.

Fair question, I suppose.

“The arrow, the one that nearly killed me. It had the old Bromley family crest on it. The others forced me to get some sleep until the next day, and I didn’t want to, but I couldn’t exactly argue with them.”

“And what exactly did you think Arlo would gain from killing you?”

I guess I never really thought about what he would gain. I only thought about Kieran’s safety, but now things are starting to seem off. Questions are forming in my mind. Why me? I could see why he’d want Ehren and Kieran out of the picture, but not when it comes to me. Royalty means nothing unless you have a following, a following like Natalia-

“To get to you,” I whisper out. “He must’ve known about the cure. He knew that killing me would ruin your chances of surviving-”

“He did know of the cure,” Natalia admits. “I had informed the elders of each line of the progress we were making with the cure. Perhaps it was poor judgement to let inform them that you were the center of that cure, but it is in the past now.”

“Oh.”

“So, it is your belief that Arlo Bromley wished to rid the council of me.”

“Yes, ma’am,” I breathe out. “I do.”

“And what of finding Kieran Knox’s location?”

That one’s going to be rough. “After we realized who had taken Kieran, Arlo, we-”

“Who is we?” Natalia interrupts.

“Ehren and I, ma’am.”

She gives me a reassuring smile before nodding for me to continue. Taking another deep breath, I try to explain as best as I can.

“Ehren and I broke into your office and found all the properties belonging to Arlo Bromley in a file.” I try not to let her eyes meet mine, terrified that I’d find disappointment there. “When we discovered where it was and that it was close by, Giles, Ehren, Rhea, Peyton, Vera, and I decided together to go there. We had the intention of rescuing Kieran and leaving as quickly as possible.”

“I see,” Natalia says thoughtfully. “And who was it that decided to explore the home of Arlo Bromley?”

“All of us decided together.” I stare at my hands now. “Vera had gone in, and we were worried that something could happen to her and Kieran both. So, we decided to split up and search for them. Giles suggested that he and I be separated because of our royal status.”

“That was smart thinking,” Natalia praises. “We often make sure Giles and I are in separate cars when traveling as well. It is only ideal should one of us die.”

“That’s how he explained it,” I agree with her. “While we were searching, Peyton had gotten h-hungry. He was practically starving.”

“And he attacked you.”

My eyes widen now. There’s no way that she actually thinks that he attacked me. “No way! Peyton didn’t attack me and besides, that’s not when I gave him blood.”

“Gave him blood?” Natalia’s lips are pursed, and her eyes are set. “You offered it to him, then?”

“Yes, ma’am.” My hands are still now, no longer shaking from nerves. “We were all attacked by more hunters, Arlo’s hunters. Peyton took an arrow dipped in juniper to save my life. If he hadn’t done that, I would be dead right now.”

Her eyes soften now as she releases a breath that she must’ve been holding. “Continue.”

“While he was dying, I begged him to drink my blood and he did. Ehren was against it, as was Giles, but it was my decision alone to make.” My voice becomes raw now with wrecked emotions remembering the way Peyton’s head laid against my shoulder, weak and vulnerable. “He then gave me some of his blood to heal me. My wrist had been too weak, and I felt like I had lost too much blood. He healed me, Natalia. What he did saved me. I don’t regret a single thing we did. Peyton Whitmore is someone that I am proud to call my friend.”

Aunt Natalia looks torn now as she stares out the window and into the sunlight sky. Now, I suddenly wished I had Kieran’s ability to read minds. I’d love to know what she was thinking right now.

“We then found where Kieran was being held. Everyone else got there before us, leaving Peyton and I behind.”

“Why you two?”

“I can only guess that he had begun to feel the battle bond we share already.” Her eyes widen now, and I nod. “I know about the bond, but I don’t feel it. At least not in the way I’m supposed to, I guess. We got there and Ehren was-” My breath falters, remembering how he looked outside of the hole in the ground. My stomach turns as I barely whisper out, “He and Rhea had inhaled juniper and got out just in time.”

“And the others?”

“They were still down there, in that bunker.” My hands become sweaty, and I’m forced to wipe them on the edge of the chair. “I jumped down to help them, nearly breaking my leg, but I was too weak. I couldn’t shatter Kieran’s glass container and I couldn’t drag anyone out of the room. I felt... I felt worthless. For the first time in my life, I thought of being human as a bad thing.”

“Isabella,” Aunt Natalia breathes out. “You are not worthless, dear. You lost everything in your life and still managed to wake up every day, making the best of each one as you went. Not many people, vampires and humans alike, could easily do what you did.”

Her eyes drift to the other side of the room, just behind me, off into the corner. She takes a deep breath before asking, “What say the council on this matter?”

Turning in my seat now, I see four other people in the room. They all four stare at Natalia and I with a mix of expressions. Each one older and dressed in lovely outfits befitting the royals they are. Five royals in one room and only one of them is currently on my side. The rest of them are the ones I had been dreading dealing with. The Sangre Council.