Vampire Shifter Academy, page 8
Eva was about to agree, when she felt a slight tap on her shoulder. She turned around and saw Bella’s cheerful face.
“There you are!” Bella sang sweetly, as if she hadn’t seen Eva in ages.
However, the moment she turned to Sebastian, her smile disappeared. The look on her face changed completely, and both Eva and Sebastian noticed.
“Hey,” Sebastian greeted her, not unkindly.
“Hi,” Bella said curtly.
It seemed to Eva that she wasn’t planning on saying anything to him, and the only reason she did, was because she didn’t want to seem rude and not reply. It was strange. Why was Bella acting this way?
There was an uncomfortable silence for a few seconds, then Sebastian got up to leave. Eva felt like this decision was forced upon him, rather than it being his own choice.
“Well, I guess I’d better be heading off,” he raked his fingers through his hair, and Eva got another glimpse of his tattoos. “Had no idea it was this late.”
“Um, I really appreciate your help with this,” Eva felt the need to say something else but Bella’s behavior was ruining everything.
“Sure thing,” he winked at her. “Don’t forget about that coffee.”
“I won’t,” Eva smiled sweetly. “Bye.”
He just waved at them, then disappeared behind the endless rows of books. At that moment, Eva’s face took on a grave look.
“What’s gotten into you?” she asked Bella. “Sebastian was really nice and you treated him like dirt.”
“I know how it must have sounded but trust me, Eva, that guy is bad news.”
“Why?” Eva leaned backward, as if to take a better look at Bella.
She didn’t understand anything and if Bella was about to throw rocks at this guy, after he was nothing but helpful, then she better have a good reason for it.
“He just is, trust me.”
“Bella,” Eva said, “I do trust you. You’ve been my only friend since I got here but I need to know whatever it is you’re keeping from me.”
Bella sighed. It was obvious that she didn’t want to talk about this.
“I guess you’ll find out on your own anyway,” she finally started. “I know Sebastian looks all nice and sweet, but…” she paused again. “He’s a blood dealer.”
“Blood dealer?” Eva frowned. “What the heck is a blood dealer?”
“Shhh!” Bella waved a hand downward, as if that way, she was lowering Eva’s voice, too. “Keep your voice down.”
She looked around nervously, to see if there was anyone there, or maybe, if Sebastian’s head would pop out again, like it did before.
“What are you doing?” Eva wondered.
“Making sure no one is around, silly.”
When she was sure of this, she faced Eva again, almost whispering.
“You’re new here, so you don’t know what’s happening. It all looks nice, this whole place, Principal Rannulf, everyone is helpful, but trust me, there are some things which are better left alone, instead of poking at them.”
“I’m not gonna poke at anything, I just want to know what is going on in the place I live.”
“Okay…” Bella sighed. “A blood dealer is the guy who sells blood. Like drugs, you know?”
Eva nodded. That much was clear.
“Well, this is a vampire school. Isn’t drinking blood expected?” Eva wondered.
“See how naive you are,” Bella sounded sympathetic, so Eva chose not to reply to this. “Half of the students here are vampires, the other half, like you, aren’t.”
“Okay, and?”
“You still don’t get it?”
Eva shook her head, feeling a little embarrassed.
“If vampires were allowed to drink human blood here, don’t you think that would put your half in danger?”
Eva swallowed heavily. Bella was right. She didn’t think of that.
“So, instead, vampires drink animal blood.”
“Is that enough?” Eva doubted.
“Not really,” Bella shook her head. “That is why the animal blood that is collected is enriched with special herbs and potions, adding to it the necessary intensity and nutritional values. They make it so that we need to drink it only once a month. A meeting is called for and everyone attends it. We drink one glass of this crap and we’re okay.”
At that moment, Eva remembered her first day here. The horn, how everyone just stopped doing what they were doing and headed somewhere. This explained it. They were going for their monthly fix.
“But,” Bella suddenly continued, “this works best on vampires like me. I’m a Halfling, plus I’ve never tasted human blood. So, it’s enough for me. But, there are vampires here who have tasted human blood and this usually isn’t enough for them. They need more, like a fix of their drug of choice, you know.”
Eva listened intently and kept nodding to everything Bella was saying.
“That’s why there are blood dealers. I know there are two: Sebastian is one, and there is another guy, but no one has ever seen his face and they don’t know who he is. You can just get in touch with him by leaving a message in that empty well, by the abandoned house.”
“The one in the far end of the campus, where no one ever goes?”
“Mhm,” Bella nodded. “It used to be a small dorm before, but now the roof’s collapsed, and it’s dangerous, so no one is allowed to go there.”
“I guess that’s exactly why it’s the perfect place to get what you need.”
“Exactly,” Bella confirmed.
“How do you contact him?”
Bella didn’t expect that question. She eyed Eva for a second, then that same doubt dispersed and she continued talking.
“You write your message on a piece of paper and leave it there, in the bucket, hanging by the well. You write what you need and leave the money. You’ll get your stuff the next day.”
“And no one knows who the guy is?”
“No.”
“Can’t they just hide and see when he comes?”
“He wears clothes that hide his face.”
“Then follow him on the way back, to see where he goes?”
“He’s very careful and knows when he’s being followed. All vampires do. And, besides, to those who need blood, it doesn’t matter who he is. They just want their fix. Who delivers it is irrelevant, as long as they get what they need.”
“I guess you’re right,” Eva nodded, “but, how do you know Sebastian does this?”
“It’s a public secret,” Bella told her. “He doesn’t care. He’s just doing it to piss off his parents, I think. He wants to get expelled but, of course, that will never happen, because he has nowhere else to go.”
“I see.”
“So, do you understand now why it’s not a good idea to hang around guys like him?”
“Because he’s dangerous?”
“Exactly, and because he doesn’t care about anything or anyone, that makes him even more dangerous.”
Bella’s words hung in the air, like a bad smell, unwilling to disperse and disappear. Eva couldn’t believe anyone so nice could be a criminal. But, then again, it was more and more obvious that things here usually weren’t what they seemed and Eva had to start getting used to that.
Chapter 11
On Monday morning, Eva delivered her project and slammed her locker door with a satisfying sigh at the end of the day. She was hoping to see Sebastian and make good on that coffee he’d suggested but she didn’t see him anywhere. Instead, another familiar face dropped by to say hi.
“Hey, you!” Frey grinned.
“Oh, hi,” she smiled back, a little awkwardly.
The memory of their kiss still lingered in her mind. She doubted she would ever forget it but she was sure she’d never tell him that. Guys just get cocky when they hear such things and Frey really didn’t need to get any cockier than he already was, otherwise his head might explode.
“I hope you’re not upset with me about the other night,” he continued, flashing his pearly whites as he spoke and Eva understood again why he was considered so irresistible.
“Upset?” she snorted, “I already forgot about it.”
She ended her lie with a dismissive wave of the hand and thought how Bella would have been proud to hear her talk so smoothly to him, after everything. His face revealed that he wasn’t indifferent to what she had just said but he decided to continue with the reason he was here nonetheless.
“Well, maybe I can refresh your memory a little,” he grinned and she couldn’t resist smiling back again.
“I’ll just run away again,” she replied and they both laughed.
She was surprised to realize that she wasn’t feeling as nervous as the last time they spoke. She was actually enjoying herself and liked teasing him back.
“Okay then, how about a coffee?”
“A coffee?” Eva replied, remembering Sebastian.
She turned around, instinctively, as if hoping to catch Sebastian somewhere around and, instead, do what she’d promised. But the only thing she saw around her were nameless faces, heading out for the day.
“Waiting for someone?” Frey asked.
“What?” she didn’t hear him at first, and then, a second later, his question registered. “No, no, not waiting for anyone. A coffee is fine.”
She carelessly threw her backpack on her shoulder and started out but he didn’t move. He was eyeing her, as if he wasn’t sure if she was telling the truth or not and he really wanted to find out.
“Coming?”
She turned around, questioningly. He stirred from his thoughts, nodded quickly, then joined her.
They reached the cafeteria quickly. It was usually packed and finding an empty table to sit down at was quite a challenge, as it was the only place to eat and drink, unless someone preferred picnics in the forest, only not this time of the year. Eva’s suspicions proved to be right. There was no table to sit down at. The only option was to get a coffee to go and leave for a walk but Eva didn’t mind walking.
“Hey, Frey!”
At that moment, they both heard someone call out to him. Eva didn’t know which way to turn, so she looked at Frey. He scanned the room for a second, then realized who the voice belonged to. He raised his hand to wave, grabbed Eva with his other hand and pulled her over to a nearby table. It was occupied by only one person, who had a coffee and a half-eaten piece of cheesecake in front of him.
“Hey man, what’s up?” Frey greeted his friend, then turned to Eva. “Eva, this is Dorian.”
There it was again. That gaze, the same one he gave her at the game. Eva froze. She didn’t even see the hand Dorian offered her. He waited like that for a second or two, then pulled it back.
“I usually don’t have that effect on women,” he laughed and, only then, did Eva realize that she had made a fool of herself.
“Oh, sorry,” she tried to fix it. “I’m kinda lost today, I zone out unexpectedly.”
“I can vouch for that,” Frey added with a smile and she looked at him gratefully, “it happened just before we came over here.”
“Well, in any case, it’s nice to meet you, Eva. I remember your first day speech.”
“Seriously?” Eva covered her eyes as a joke and they all laughed. “That Freud thing is going to haunt me forever.”
“Probably,” Dorian smiled. “But, it’s a good thing to be haunted by.”
“Totally,” Frey nodded, “could be much worse.”
“Why don’t you guys take a seat?” Dorian offered, gesturing at the two free chairs at the table.
“Oh, we don’t wanna impose,” Eva shook her head.
One guy she liked was enough. Two at the same time would be too much to handle right now.
“There is no other spot,” Frey told her, looking around again, to make sure they hadn’t missed anything.
She looked around as well. He was right. They could either join Dorian or grab a coffee to go.
“Come on, sit down and relax,” Dorian insisted.
Eva was easily persuaded and Frey didn’t seem to mind.
“Okay then, you sit down,” he told Eva, “I’ll go get us a coffee. You want something?” he asked Dorian.
“Nah, still have my tea.”
“Okay.”
Frey left to get their drinks, leaving Eva and Dorian alone. Strangely enough, after that first bout of freezing, she didn’t feel nervous at this point. She managed to convince herself that there was nothing to be nervous about. Dorian was just a guy, after all. Very popular, very good looking, but still just a guy.
“So, no coffee for you?” she dared to speak first and silently complimented herself on it.
“I got nothing against coffee,” he explained, “just prefer tea. The taste is softer, blander.”
“I would never take it that someone like you prefers bland things,” she stated with a smile.
“Only when it comes to tea,” he immediately replied and she could see a wicked gleam in his eyes.
She blushed a little, as if he’d said something naughty, directly about her.
“Here we go,” Frey said, putting down two cups of coffee, one in front of her, the other for himself.
He also placed two little packs of sugar and a little stirrer next to her cup.
“Thanks,” Eva smiled, taking the sugars.
“Are you sure you need that?” Frey asked.
“Why?”
“Because, you’re sweet enough,” he grinned.
“Seriously?” she laughed at his poor attempt at a pick up line. “You were doing much better back at the pool.”
“Oh, so you already had a date?” Dorian was all ears.
“It wasn’t really a date,” Eva corrected him.
“Though it sure felt like it by the end,” Frey laughed again but she couldn’t hold it against him.
It was really so funny and she really wasn’t upset. She would probably act the same way if she was in his shoes. A guy who saw a girl almost naked and thought she was cute.
“He stumbled onto me changing by the swimming pool and he kinda saw more than he bargained for,” Eva explained, shyly.
“I wish I could have been there,” Dorian said and she blushed even more.
“I thought you already had a girlfriend. Wouldn’t she mind if you were looking at other girls naked?” she asked and Frey perked up immediately. He was having fun, and wanted to see how Dorian would get out of this one.
“Girlfriend?” Dorian repeated, pretending to think, with his index finger on his chin, “no, no, doesn’t ring a bell.”
“A cheerleader girlfriend?” Eva clarified.
“You mean Katrina?” Dorian seemed to remember.
“The one and only,” Eva replied and Frey laughed.
“That’s old news.”
“She doesn’t seem to feel that way.”
“Well, that’s her problem, isn’t it?” Dorian grinned. “I’ve got someone else in mind.”
“Really?” Eva pretended to be all nonchalant but she was dying to know who that was. “That’s nice.”
“Sure is.”
“Is she interested?” she wondered, her voice taking on a teasing tone.
“I’m still trying to find out.”
“We kinda like the same girl, you see,” Frey interrupted, eyeing her closely, to see her reaction.
“You should ask her what she thinks about that, her answer might surprise you,” Eva said, with a special feeling of satisfaction, as she saw their jaws almost drop to the ground.
“You think?” Frey asked.
“You can’t know until you ask,” she replied, mysteriously.
“That’s true,” Dorian nodded, agreeing. “What could the scenario be if she agrees? I mean, hypothetically.”
“Hypothetically?” she repeated.
“Of course,” they both quickly nodded.
“Well…” she started, “hypothetically speaking, she might tell you to go to hell. Also, she might be polyamorous and she might actually want the same thing as you guys want. A relationship with several people, where everyone is involved.”
