Night Class

September 10th, 2019

Tuesday 6:50pm

Ehren helps me pick Peyton up off the floor. Romans ran. He just dropped Peyton and was gone within the blink of an eye. I had no idea the vampires could move that fast. Ignoring Peyton’s whines and complaints of being dropped, we push forward. Ehren helps lead us to where Romans had run off to. Peyton’s arm rests around my shoulder while mine hugs just around his waist, keeping his body close to mine in the best version of support I can offer. The poor guy has been put through the ringer tonight. Starving, fighting with Ehren, had his neck snapped, and now he’s been dropped on the floor. He needs a break soon, and not the neck breaking kind.

Ehren motions us forward just a bit further and there’s an opening in the hallway. In front of us is a large room, domed in the middle a bit with strange banisters streaming from the ceiling. Rich people must get creative with their architecture when they have the money to just waste.

“Izzy!” Peyton cries out as my face is met with cold tiling.

The room erupts into chaos now as I hear Ehren shouting, people arguing back and forth, and Peyton panting on top of me. His chest presses against my backside as he keeps my entire body covered with his.

“W-What’s going on, Peyton?”

Hot liquid runs across my exposed waistline now as he grunts out, “Ancient ones. Stay down or Knox will use the nether on me.” His hands grip under my arms and I’m lifted into his arms. “Don’t make a noise and no complaining.”

Turning to stare around us, my breath hitches in my throat. Ehren’s surrounded by nothing but nether as hunters circle him, careful not to touch the black smoke. Tendrils spread in different directions, gripping the men and women. Screams of horror echo in the room now, the dome causing them to sound louder than necessary. Finally, Peyton places my feet on the ground before grunting as he falls to the tile, gripping his side with both hands.

“Don’t move from this area,” he pants out. “Knox won’t let them get this far. You’re safe here.”

He’s almost too difficult to hear over the screams and cries of agony coming from the middle of the room. Taking my eyes off him and watching the scene unfold, my stomach turns now at seeing one of the hunters sending an arrow at Ehren. It hits his shoulder, but he doesn’t falter, not once. He continues using the nether to cover each and every hunter in his path, layering them with smoke-filled torture.

Swooshing sounds from the doorway we came through. Giles stands there now, Rhea dropping his hand and staring at the scene before them in horror. It doesn’t take long though for the two of them to jump straight into assisting Ehren. Rhea slides along the floor, only barely dodging the nether as she kicks the legs out from under the bowman. Giles looks like a ghost as he keeps appearing and reappearing around different sections of the room, hitting and kicking when necessary. The work as a team, completely in tune with one another, as if they’ve operated like this numerous times. The thought that these teens I call my friends have been in dangerous situations like this before makes my insides boil.

Grunting comes from Peyton as his backside leans against my legs now. The hot liquid flows once more along my smooth skin. It’s coming from him. His side is gushing blood, spurting onto the white tile as he struggles to stay in a sitting position.

“Peyton!” I drop to my knees, pressing my hands firmly against his wettened shirt. “Why didn’t you say anything sooner?”

He throws his head back against the wall, chuckling quietly. “I, uh- I don’t know, really. I’ll be fine though. It’ll heal soon. I think.”

“You think!”

“It burns for some reason. Not exactly used to being shot by arrows, you know.” Blue eyes meet mine and the room becomes quiet, muffled. “My chest is- It’s starting to burn, Izzy.”

“What does that mean?” His eyes started to close a bit. “Peyton! What does that mean?”

“Move!” I slide across the tile now as Rhea presses her hands against Peyton’s face. “You idiot! What were you thinking?”

I can hear Peyton chuckling again, but it sounds gargled. “It would’ve hit Izzy. I had no choice. Hey, you always wanted to be an only child, yeah.”

“That’s not funny,” Giles mutters as he joins us.

“I don’t want this! I never wanted this, Pey!” Rhea pulls Peyton against her chest, holding him as tears stream down her rosy cheeks. “One of you, heal him!”

Giles moves closer now, touching her shoulder. “If it’s juniper, then he’ll need blood.” Rhea takes her necklace out now, but Giles stops her hand. “Even with all of our vials combined, it won’t be enough, Rhea. I’m sorry.”

There’s no hesitation at all in my mind as I sit on my knees in front of her and Peyton. “Drink my blood then.”

“No.”

“Not happening.”

I ignore both Giles and Ehren, my focus staying on Peyton’s strained face. He’s in so much pain. Blood covers the ground, soaking into my clothes, staining my skin wherever it touches.

“Peyton... Please.” His blue eyes pierce into mine. “I want to help you, so please let me help you.”

“Try it and I’ll-”

I jump up and grab Ehren’s arm, dragging him off towards the doors. In the hallway, I take a calming breath, reminding myself that this is Ehren I’m about to snap at. I like him. A lot. My words could very much affect our possible future and I don’t want that future to be affected negatively.

“Ehren- Look, I understand that this may seem unethical, but he needs blood. I can give him the blood to survive. Or at least enough to get him back to the academy. Please, don’t fight me on this.”

Ehren’s eyes shine bright as he stares me down. His towering frame now seems shaken. He did just go through a lot. He had to use the nether. He probably killed those people in there. As he holds my determined stare, I can see his resolve slowly crumbling.

“I can’t be in there. I’d have to leave.”

“What?”

His jaw ticks now as he looks off down the hallway. “When he- When he drinks your blood-” Something about this is obviously bothering him. “I have to be away from him or I’ll- I’ll kill him.”

“Ehren...”

Hands grip my face now. Bright blue eyes, more than just a hint of that moss green, captivate me where I stand. “I understand he needs it. I do. A part of me was already thinking of you as an alternative, but-” His tongue wets his plump lips. “But I’m selfish, Isabella. I don’t want his mouth anywhere on you. I don’t want him tasting your blood. I don’t want my brother’s hands on you, his lips, his- I can’t see anyone touching you that isn’t me and we both know that touching you will never be something that I can do freely. So, please don’t think I’m a bad guy when I tell you that I can’t watch him enjoy drinking you without wanting to rip his head off.”

Wetting my own lips now, his eyes follow the action. He’s so close that I could count his eyelashes if I wanted to. If only there were enough time. I would dedicate an entire 24 hour day to just staring at this man. I’d commit every single feature to memory, learn the secrets of his body, keep his heart tucked away in a safe place.

“Give me an alternative to Peyton drinking from me,” I whisper.

Ehren looks taken aback, but begins nodding. “We could drip the blood into his mouth or bleed you into a cup of some kind.”

“That sounds good.” I place my hands on his, helping him to hold my face. “I will never knowingly put you in that kind of situation. You having to watch someone else with me- I care about you, Ehren.”

“But Kieran-”

“Is your brother. He’s not you, Ehren. I. Choose. You.”

The green seems to brighten in his eyes before he slowly releases my head. The green is suddenly dimmed, gone and replaced by blue. It’s as if all the life had drained from him due to that one sentence.

“Kieran...Kieran...”

Ehren seems to be whispering his brother’s name to himself, almost like a reminder for why he and I would never work. I know the truth now; Ehren will never let himself be happy, especially not at the risk of his brother getting hurt. Loving him, choosing him- It’s a lost cause.

With a heavy heart, I nod while pulling away from him. “I get it, I do. I’m sorry for what I said before.” Ehren looks as though he has something to say, but I don’t think I could handle hearing any excuses. “I’ll just go on back in there and help Peyton, then we’ll go rescue Kieran. Alright?”

He only nods. Ehren seems as though he’s also giving up on discussing the issue at hand. It’s no longer an issue though, not even a thought. Ehren wants nothing to do with me like that. He’s made up his mind that he thinks he knows what’s best for me. And what he considers best for me is Kieran.

The room feels tense as I walk back to the others, alone. It’s then that I remember their vampires. They definitely heard everything just now, including my confession of choosing Ehren. Embarrassment floods my cheeks, but I push onwards. Peyton needs me right now and that’s all that matters at the moment.

Sinking down to the floor, my knees rest in the pool of Peyton’s blood. His side is soaked in the nearly black liquid and it causes his shirt to cling to his body. Those boyish features on his face are no longer present, contorted now into pure agony. Each and every visible vein is prominent with the color black as they pump against his pale skin. He’s in so much pain from this juniper stuff.

“I’m gonna try to help,” I whisper out to him.

I know I shouldn’t let him drink from me, especially after what Ehren and I just discussed, but I’m a bit angry and hurt right now. Too hurt and angry to care about his feelings. Rhea helps me lift Peyton up a bit enough so that I can slip behind him. His wet backside rest against the front of my body, his head lolling back into my shoulder from exhaustion. I bring my arm up and around his mouth, urging his lips to part against my skin and they do.

Nothing could have ever prepared me for the absolute pain his fangs cause as they pierce straight through my veins. My wrist feels as though it’s become leaded, too heavy to hold upright anymore. Peyton’s hands grip my forearm now with much aggression. He seems more alert now, less faint as before. I can feel it all, every gulp, each caress of his tongue against my wound as he takes a breath in-between feeding. He was starving, wounded, and terrified. This is the least I can do to help him. He took that arrow for me, saved my life even though I’m a human. The action itself was his way of showing just how much he really does care about me, human or not.

“That’s enough, Pey.” Rhea nudges his head to the side and he reluctantly lets go. “You’ll drain her dry if you keep it up. Now, let me check your wound.”

“I’m fine,” he grumbles out. His head rests back against my shoulder again. “Can we have a moment alone, please?”

Giles seems hesitant at first, but Rhea pulls him out of the room and into the hallway where Ehren is. Romans looks even more hesitant, but follows them regardless after a sharp look from me.

Peyton turns, bringing himself onto his knees in front of me and I try to follow his actions, but I feel too weak. “I got you,” he whispers as he catches my body. “I got you.”

“Thanks.” My hands hold onto his, but my right wrist just keeps falling down, as if the tendons are torn. “Thank you for saving me.”

He laughs now as he shakes his head at me. “No, thank you for saving me. You don’t understand how much you’ve done for me just now- What you’ve given me.”

“About two pints,” I joked with him.

Peyton smiles as he brings his own wrist to his lips, biting down on the skin and breaking it. A small amount of blood begins spilling from his arm and I feel panicked that he’s bleeding again, but he settles me back against the wall. Without a single word, he offers me his own wrist and I feel reluctant, remembering the last time I drank vampire blood. He seems like he’s not going to take no for an answer, so I lean forward and lock my lips around his wound. The blood is sweet like before and warm against my tongue.

Two gulps is all it takes to finally feel as though I’ve ingested ecstasy. It’s different now though. I was prepared for the feeling and it only strengthens me rather than lowers my inhibitions. Knowing what it can do beforehand must help when it comes to being in charge of myself.

Peyton’s finger wipes away a droplet of his blood from the corner of my lips while staring at me. “You should be okay for a while now. The wrist is healed.”

“Thanks, again.”

His hands help me up onto my feet. I feel unstable for a moment, but gain my balance. Everything around me seems more beautiful. The air is light, not thick like before. The walls are brighter despite the dark atmosphere. I feel no fear like before and this time, I embrace that small mercy.

“We should get back to looking for Kieran and Vera.”

Peyton nods but stops me from walking away. “Izzy… About what you told Ehren-”

“It’s fine.” I shake my head, despite every part of me wishing we could talk about it. That I could just talk to anyone about it. “He’s obviously not into me, so it is what it is. I’m a big girl, I can take the rejection.”

“That’s the thing, Izzy. Ehren wants you.” He holds my hand and refuses to let it go. “He wants to be with you. You may not be able to, but us vampires can tell. Anytime he’s around you, his breathing becomes labored. When you’re near all of us, he’s nervous for you. I could see the way he would look at you during mealtimes. Trust me when I say this, Izzy; Ehren doesn’t want you with Kieran.”

“Then why keep me at arm’s length?” I feel frustration building up inside of me and the blood has loosened my filter. “I don’t get it! I understand he had a rough time with Rhea, but I’m not her! I would never do that to him or Kieran. I made my decision, and my decision was him. I want him, but he won’t-” I grip my head and grunt in anger. “He won’t let me in!”

“Let me ask you this.” Peyton licks his lips nervously now. “If you knew that being with you would cause him trouble, would you still date him?”

“What?”

“If he was to accept your feelings, which he would if you pushed him enough, would you be willing to put his life in jeopardy?” I can only stare at him now and he blows out in frustration. “You’re a royal. Ehren’s technically a royal too, but he’s a disgrace to his bloodline. The Bromley’s would throw an absolute fit if Ehren was to marry a royal, thus gaining back his royalty status.”

“Woah-” I pushed back away from him. “Who said anything about marriage?”

“Hey, you date a vampire, the goal should ultimately be marriage. We don't exactly date for the fun of it. That's what sex is for.”

Is that really how their culture works? Teenagers shouldn’t be focusing on something like marriage, they should be planning their futures job wise. Wait, what’s my future now? I’m a princess for a bunch of vampires. Doubts begin to fill my mind. What will happen after I graduate? Where will I go when I’m done with schooling? Natalia had said I have a home here and I’ve started to feel the same way, but I’m human. The word has always been an anchor for me since I discovered all of this, but now it feels like acid on my tongue.

“Could you put him in the line of political fire?”

“I-” Could I? Would I submit him to something like that out of selfishness? “I- I don’t know... If he wanted to make it work- I would.”

Peyton’s eyes widen once more, his mouth opening and closing just as fast. I’m just as shocked as he is. I’ve always put them first, the vampires. This time though, I put myself ahead of them. I want to be with Ehren, even if it means us having a rough time with the political scene. We both deserve to be happy and if Peyton’s words are true, Ehren would be happy with me.

“Guys!” Rhea comes rushing in, grabbing both Peyton and I by the arm. “Romans found Vera. We got to go.”

The urgency in her voice leaves no room for questions or arguments. Letting us go, she takes off down the hallway and we follow closely behind. The hallway opens at the end to another room, one just like the one before. This one has a certain stench about it. The scent of rotting meat fills my nose and I’m gagging on it. Grasping at my throat, Peyton steadies me, but it’s no use. The stench is too much for me to handle and I drop to my knees, vomiting all over the tile. The only sounds to be heard are the labored breathing of my friends and my continuous retching and groans of protest once my stomach has been emptied completely.

Peyton’s hand rubs my back as I finally wipe my mouth of stomach contents. The group is standing around, staring towards the middle of the room. A pile, nearly seven foot high, of dead bodies is in the dead center of the room. Men, women- children. There are small hands and feet poking out every now and then from the gaps in the pile of rotting corpses. Each body looks exsanguinated- not a drop of blood left in them.

Vera is sobbing loudly as Romans holds her, rocking her back and forth aggressively, shushing her as he does so. The way he holds her, the way she clings to him. It’s morbidly beautiful. They really do look amazing together, even if this is the worst time for it to happen.

“Where’s Kieran?” Ehren grunts out. “Vera, have you seen him yet?”

“N-No-” Vera begins hiccupping through each sob. “I- I was looking until I found- There’s so many of them. Who- Who would do this?”

“Bromley would,” Ehren hissed. “We have to find Kieran.”

“Ehren-” Giles places a careful hand on his chest. “There is something we need to consider before we advance forward. A pile of dead bodies. Kieran missing from the room that was locked.”

“He’s starving,” Peyton admits out loud.

The conclusion their drawing is painting itself out nasty in my mind. They think Kieran piled the bodies, that he killed all these people in a state of ravenous hunger. More bile threatens to escape, but I’ve nothing left to offer.

“No.” Ehren’s voice is cold, deadly, and daring anyone to say anything else about his brother being a murderer. “He wouldn’t. Not even if he was starving to death. Kieran is a firm advocate for human life. He wouldn’t-”

As I look up, my eyes catch him eyeing the pile of bodies. His shoulders become slack. He’s starting to think they might be right. He can’t though. This is his brother, this how he’ll forever view his brother.

“Kieran wouldn’t have done anything like this,” I say as carefully as I can. Standing on my feet now, I give Peyton a nod of encouragement. “Even Peyton didn’t attack me when he was starving. Kieran is probably locked up somewhere.”

“Yes, but-”

I glare at Giles now. “And even if he did do this...” My eyes scan over the pile of dead bodies. Those tiny hands reaching out for help. “He would’ve been forced into this. Bromley could’ve forced him to feed off these people.”

“You’re right,” Ehren grunts out. “He wouldn’t have done this. At least, not on purpose. I know my brother.”

“Let’s get outdoors,” Giles says as he pats my back. “We could all use a moment of fresh air and recuperation.”

The group walks out of the room, and I’m left in the back with Vera. She looks so broken as she shuffles forward. Romans doesn’t look as though he’s going to be leaving her side anytime soon. Her blue eyes are awfully dull, and her auburn hair seems deflated. It’s as if she’s lost all the light that made her who she was.

“V...” I rubbed her arm, and she jumped a bit. “What did you see while here in the mansion?”

My words caused a flash of remembrance behind those blue eyes. “So many doors. Some of them had covered furniture behind them. Some of them wouldn’t even open. Others were completely empty. The one I could finally break open had all those-” Her eyes widen before tears begin spilling out of them.

Romans rubs her arm as he pulls her closer to him, whispering encouragement into her ear. She seems calmer with him doing this, so I leave them alone. Romans really does care about her, that much is easy to see.

With all of us together this time, we make it to the entrance with no issues. We take a moment outside, just taking deep breaths, not speaking to one another at all. There’s so much distance between all of us and Ehren. He stands off to the side, closer to the woods with his arms crossed over his chest. The ticking jaw and tense muscles are an offering for how he feels right now, angry and frustrated.

Leaving the safety of Giles’ presence, I make my way for Ehren. The dhampir seems ticked off that I’m getting closer but says nothing and makes no move to remove himself from the area. That’s got to be a good sign.

“Hey...”

Ehren doesn’t even look at me. “Hey.”

"Are you okay?"

He nods, but he looks distraught. "I just want to get this day over with already."

"Yeah, I get that."

My hand grips the spot where Peyton's fangs had broken through skin. A faint impression of his teeth, all of them, lay right where he bit me. I guess healing the wound didn't really heal the entire thing, just the pain and damage.

"Does it hurt?" Ehren grunts out.

I'm shocked he even asked, but glad nonetheless. "A little, like a phantom pain. Never been bitten before."

"I wish you hadn't let him do that," Ehren admits.

"He needed blood and-" Ignoring his glare, I square my shoulders. "I would've done it for you or anyone else. I'm not sorry that I saved him."

His eyes turn from mine as he stares out into the dark forest before us. "I know. You wouldn't be you if you could just sit back and let someone die. It's one of the things I like about you, Isabella. You're not afraid when it counts. But me- Gods I'm terrified."

"Of what?"

"Of everything." Ehren's eyes glow briefly, shining in the darkness. "What if he's dead? I couldn't- I can't handle loosing someone else to Bromley."

“We’ll find him, Ehren.”

“I know we will, but the real question is; Will we find him dead, alive, or as a monster?” His eyes are cold and distant, nothing like what I’m used to seeing from him. “If Bromley- Oh, if Bromley even touched a hair on his head... I’ll kill him with my own bare hands. No nether necessary. He’ll beg for nether.”

“Ehren... You can’t mean that.”

His eyes keep me pinned in place, unable to move from how intense they are. “You don’t know me, Isabella. You have no idea what I’m capable of. You heard what Peyton said in that room; I’m a monster, a murderer. You need to get as far away from me as possible. While you still can.”

“You’re like a roller coaster.”

He stares down at me, confused but still ticked off. “Excuse me?”

“One minute you’re telling me just how much you like me and that you've never felt this way about anyone else and then the next you’re warning me to stay away from you. You make me feel safe, secure, sure of myself- Then you push me away like I don’t matter. You’re giving me whiplash, Ehren.”

“Me?” Bright blue eyes shine down as he corners me against a tree. His breath is hot as it fans out over my face, fogging my glasses. “You give me whiplash, Isabella. You’re constantly getting involved with us vampires, acting as though you’re an advocate for us then the next minute you’re telling us to stop being who we are.”

“I’ve never-”

“Yes, you have. When you told Rhea to not use her powers on you-” He lets out a dark chuckle. “She can’t help her powers. When someone is feeling a strong emotion near her, her power triggers and absorbs it if she doesn’t catch it in time. You wouldn’t hear my brother out when he accidentally read your thoughts. He can’t control that either! Especially not around someone like you! Someone who’s thoughts are constantly racing and someone who is always going through an overstimulated emotional state.” Ehren stares deeply into my eyes now, tears wetting them until they are a glossed blueish green. “Kieran felt so guilty, Rhea feels guilty. I feel guilty and I haven’t even hurt you, yet. You said you wanted to know how us vampires live because you’re part vampire, well- this is it. We use our powers, even when we don’t want to, because they’re a part of us. We’re constantly finding ourselves in dangerous situations, which would mean that you would too. This is the life we live. There are no positives and negatives to balance everything out. So, take it or leave it.”

His breath hits my face roughly as he slowly backs away from me. I had no idea he was keeping all this in. How could I not have noticed that they all felt so uncomfortable around me? He’s right, though. I’ve been telling them to not use their gifts around me, but they can’t help it. Telling them to not use their gifts that they have no control over would be the same as them telling me to stop letting my heartbeat fast when I’m scared. It’s impossible.

“I’m so sorry.” The whispered sentence drifts into the air between us. “I didn’t think- Ehren, I am sorry.”

“Ehren!” Giles and Peyton motion him towards them. “We found blood over here.” Giles then holds up a shard of something that catches in the moonlight. “And a broken vial.”