The Vampire SEAL Collection, page 53
“You ready?” Sam asked, smoothing back his hair.
“Not really,” I replied, looking at my brother.
Sam had grown a few more inches since he turned vampire. He was now taller than Dad.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Aside from your geekiness in that plaid jacket, you look good.”
He rolled his eyes and climbed the steps two at time.
The building before me was enormous. It looked like something out of medieval times. Pointed-arched windows sat side by side from one end of the building to the other. Each window had a pane of stained glass with symbols and shapes that I couldn’t quite make out. It reminded me of a church, only there weren’t any religious figures painted on the glass.
“You coming?” Sam called.
I shrugged. Part of me was stalling. Reluctantly, I climbed the steps, stopping when I reached the massive columns that supported the archway. Two large wooden doors were open. Above them, the words Ye who enter shall respect the power of their destiny were inscribed in stone.
Dad stood to my right with his arms crossed over his chest.
“Let’s go,” Dad said. “We’re late.”
The four of us entered.
Suddenly my tattoo flared to life, pins and needles prickling the area around it. Hmm. Maybe the gold-specked paint was still reacting with my skin, or maybe it was this freaking itchy uniform. I decided it had to be the uniform since my legs were itchy too.
The Guardians on either side of the corridor inside wore the same uniform that the big badass dude at the gate was wearing—a full black cargo uniform, military boots and fingerless gloves.
Both greeted Webb and Dad, and the one on the left instructed them to stand with their arms out to their sides. Once they complied, the Guardians patted them down as though they were criminals.
“Sorry, sir. You can’t have this inside,” the Guardian on my left said, pulling Webb’s sword from his belt. The sword beeped and vibrated in the Guardian’s hands.
“Hand that to me, please,” Webb commanded. “I’m the only one who can touch it.”
I guess these two weren’t part of the SEALs or the Sentinels. Otherwise, they’d have known the Sentinel swords couldn’t be handled by anyone except their owners.
The Guardian handed it back. “Drop it in this bin then. You can retrieve it on your way out.”
Webb did, and Dad did the same with his Sentinel sword.
Sam and I were next. Instead of them frisking us, they each had a wand that they waved over our bodies. It didn’t beep, so I guess Sam and I were free to enter.
“Ms. Lawrence will be out shortly. Please have a seat on the bench,” one of the Guardians said, motioning to the left wall.
While Dad and Webb sat down, Sam and I stood, checking out our new school.
The floor between the headmistress’s office on the left and the admin offices on the right had a seal imprinted on the honey-colored wood floor. The large circle spanned the entire width of the hall. Inside it, words were written around the perimeter of the circle: Education is the key to unlocking your journey. Embedded in the circle was another circle. Inside the inner one was the same marking as Dad had on his arm—the circle of life, the symbols for earth, water, air and fire. Scattered in-between the two circles were other symbols that looked to be astrological signs. I was now convinced that the vampire world lived by symbols and believed they held power. Hopefully, the one on my shoulder would give me the power I needed to get through life. Okay, maybe not life. Maybe just today.
“Dad?” I called, my voice echoing in the hall.
“Yes.” He lifted his head.
“This is the same marking as you have on your arm, right?”
Sam tore his gaze from the trophy cabinet.
“It is. As I mentioned to you, our powers are based in alchemy.”
“What the heck is alchemy, Pops?” Sam asked. He focused on the floor beneath his feet.
“You’ll learn about it soon enough.”
The door to the headmistress’s office opened. A tall, slender lady with brown hair and brown eyes walked out. She was dressed in a black pencil skirt that covered her knees, a form-fitting black jacket and a crisp pink-collared shirt. Her hair was tied back at the crown, leaving the remaining strands of hair spilling around her shoulders.
“Steven,” she said, extending her hand. “It’s so good to see you. It’s been quite some time. You look well.”
“Ms. Lawrence, always a pleasure,” Dad countered, taking her hand in both of his.
Sam and I were standing on the circle when she turned and glided over to us, her low heels clicking against the hardwood.
“I’ve heard so much about both of you.” She took a handful of my hair, scanning my features. “So pretty. You do look like your mother. Beautiful.” She stepped in front of Sam. “Wow. Steven, the resemblance between you two is remarkable. Anyway, I’m Ms. Lawrence. I’m pleased to finally meet you both. Now, why don’t we all go into my office? We have a few minutes before orientation begins. Most of the students are in the auditorium already, but I’m still waiting for a couple of stragglers who are also running late this morning.”
Sam and I looked at each other, then back at Dad.
“Well? You heard Ms. Lawrence. Let’s go inside,” he said, his voice deepening slightly.
Webb walked in first. Dad followed. Ms. Lawrence held the door, waiting for us.
I’d taken one step when the pain hit me square in the temples. Christ!
“What is it?” Sam lightly touched my elbow.
“Didn’t you know Dad could now get in my head?” I pressed my fingers to my temples.
“Sure. I know he reads your mind.”
“Um. No. I mean now he can talk to me telepathically. Hasn’t he been in your head?”
“Once. I try to stay away from Pops. I don’t want anyone in my head.”
I guess I hadn’t really noticed, although now that Sam mentioned it, he wasn’t around Dad as much as I was. When we were on base, Sam was either in his bedroom or the training room. He mostly ventured out of his bedroom when Dad wasn’t around. Maybe I should take note and follow his lead.
Young lady, I’m warning you. Now grab your brother and get into the office.
“Come on, Sam. Dad is about to blow a gasket.”
Ms. Lawrence’s office was rather large. The room was steeped in wood—wood floors, a wooden ceiling, and wood-paneled walls. Everything was wooden, including the desk. The only non-wood furniture was the couch and chairs in the sitting area, just off from her office.
The lady is high on wood.
“Please, have seat in the sunroom,” she said, waving a hand at the arched entrance to my left.
Dad sat down on the couch and Webb took a position on the opposite end. Sam leaned against the wall while I stood between Ms. Lawrence’s office and the sunroom. Ms. Lawrence made her way to a bar area where she grabbed a cup and poured coffee into it.
“Can I offer any of you a beverage?” she asked.
“No, thank you, Ms. Lawrence. We’re fine,” Dad replied.
“Very well,” she said, sitting down in the chair by the window, which overlooked the grounds and Mt. Hope Bay. “A couple of welcome items and then I’ll have the children escorted to the auditorium.”
“That would be appreciated,” Dad said.
Webb sat there not saying a word. For that matter, Sam and I didn’t say anything either.
Ms. Lawrence directed her attention toward Sam and me between sips of coffee. “First, welcome. I’m looking forward to having both of you in school. I’m excited to see how you progress during your time here. The next few weeks are mainly a refresher of your last year at the human high school. The summer is a good time to catch up on the classes you missed recently, and prepare you for the fall semester. Students in school this time of year are new vampires, like you. Today is dedicated to meeting your fellow students and finding your way around the school. It will only be a half-day. A full day of classes will begin tomorrow. Questions?”
I shook my head.
The onset of a bad headache loomed.
A verbal answer is expected.
Dad, it hurts when you do this?
Obey your elders, young lady.
Crap.
Dad scowled at me from where he was sitting.
“No, ma’am,” I replied.
Ms. Lawrence looked at Sam.
“Son, answer Ms. Lawrence.”
“No, ma’am,” Sam said.
“Good. I’ll have Mr. Banks escort you to the auditorium then.” She placed her coffee cup on the bar and left the room.
Dad let out a deep breath. “I’m warning you two. Politeness and manners are expected. If I hear you’ve been disrespectful—”
“We get it, Pops,” Sam said.
Ms. Lawrence walked back in with Mr. Banks.
“Now remember what we talked about in the car,” Dad warned. “Webb will return for you later. We clear?”
“Yes, Dad,” I replied.
“Yes, Pops,” Sam said.
“Follow me,” Mr. Banks said.
I glanced over my shoulder at Webb. He nodded at me before standing up. He didn’t even need to speak to get my insides dancing. Before I could even think another thought, I started humming the national anthem. I had to keep my mind blank until I was out of Daddy Dearest’s range.
Mr. Banks, a medium-build vampire, dressed in a black suit, led us to the auditorium.
Sam fiddled with his jacket as we passed a string of lockers on both sides of the hall.
“Are you nervous?” I whispered.
“No. Why?”
“You were playing with your tie, now your jacket,” I replied.
“I hate this uniform,” he whispered.
I just shrugged. I didn’t know what to say. I was just as uncomfortable. My bony knees were on display for the world and I hated it, and the skirt had to be wool because it was still itching the bejesus out of my legs.
After a few turns down a couple of halls, we were in the auditorium. The theater-style seats rose from the stage at the bottom to the back underneath a U-shaped balcony that hung above the entire auditorium. Blue velvet curtains draped down to the large wooden stage, which had a podium in the center and two large television screens on each side hanging from the ceiling.
Mr. Banks waved a hand toward the seats. Sam and I followed his silent directive as he disappeared behind the blue curtain. We made our way to the middle aisle, passing a few vampires seated in the front row texting on their cell phones while others gathered in small groups, talking to each other. A few glanced our way. Most didn’t. Sam settled for seats in the fourth row behind everyone else. Most of the other vampires had taken seats in the first two rows.
A man was fiddling with wires at the podium on stage and a couple of women were talking just behind him. After several more minutes, a short, redheaded woman took the podium. She had pale skin and her hair was twisted in a neat bun. Her navy blue jacket fitted her chunky waist, and she wore a pink scarf around her neck.
“Welcome,” she said. “Please, take your seats. We have much to do today. My name is Ms. Chapman. I’m part of the administrative staff on campus. I will be your go-to person for any questions on schedules and paperwork. Before we get started I would like to introduce you to Mr. Banks.”
Mr. Banks emerged from behind the curtain and grabbed the microphone. His baldhead shone brightly beneath the stage lights.
“Some ground rules.” His voice was deep and it boomed through the speakers around us. “All of you sitting in this room are new vampires. You’re here to learn the ways of your new world. My role as head of security is to keep each of you safe while you’re inside this building and on this campus. My Guardians are here to protect you against any threats or harm. I don’t expect to have any, but times are changing.”
The crowd started to whisper. Sam and I looked at each other. What did that mean? Did he know something we didn’t? Dad said this place was safe and well protected. Suddenly my stomach tightened.
“While you’re here you will follow all our rules and regulations,” Mr. Banks continued in a pithy tone. “Emergency exits are posted in every classroom and the staff is well versed in emergency procedures in the event there is one. My only advice to you is to keep your head down. Stay out of trouble. I don’t want to see any of you in my office unless you’re there to say hi.” He inclined his head toward Ms. Chapman.
“Thank you, Mr. Banks. Now to the fun part. Today is a short day. It is set up for you to explore the campus, pick up your schedules, meet some of the teachers and get to know your fellow students. The thirty of you sitting here will be graduating in two years as a class, so get to know one another. This is the beginning of a fantastic journey for each of you.” She nodded to another person standing at the edge of the stage. “Ms. Weston will be giving you a guided tour. Gather down in front of the stage. I will see everyone shortly.”
The small room of vampires stood up, grabbing their belongings and sliding out of the aisles, talking all the while.
Sam and I followed the crowd to the stage area. Immediately, a girl about my own height turned to me, smiling.
“Hi. I’m Zea Yangstrom,” she said, extending her hand as I walked up. “I don’t remember seeing you at Grayson Manor.”
Jeepers! Didn’t this vamp believe in personal space? The only thing between her and me was two inches of air. My claustrophobia kicked in before I could step away.
“Something wrong?” she asked, dropping her hand.
At least her breath was minty.
“No. I’m Jo Mason and this is my brother, Sam,” I replied, taking a couple steps back.
“As in the daughter of Steven Mason?” she asked, eyes widening.
Did I hit a nerve? Or did I say something I wasn’t supposed to?
God, please don’t let Dad’s name be the death of me here at school.
I stared at Zea. Her curly dark brown hair was pulled back from her face with a red headband. She had a smattering of freckles and her cheeks were flushed with a shimmering pink.
“Yes, Steven Mason is our father,” Sam chimed in. “Why?” he asked in a distrustful tone.
“Oh my. He’s a powerful vampire. One of the most powerful.” Her voice oozed with admiration, or was it something else? I couldn’t tell. Was she gushing over my dad? Okay, he was handsome, but he was my dad.
I drew in my eyebrows. “Do you know our father?” I asked.
“No, I’ve never met him. My dad has been trying to get a meeting with him,” she said, shaking her head.
“Meeting?” Sam and I blurted out at the same time.
“My sister is really sick. My father spoke of some breakthrough medicine that your father developed.”
Sam chuckled. “I think you’re mistaken. Steven Mason hasn’t developed anything.”
All hope drained from her face.
Perhaps she was referring to the concoctions that Dr. Vieira had whipped up in his lab for cuts and open wounds, or the solution to counteract the effects of cobalt?
“What my brother is trying to say is that our father is not a doctor.”
“Oh. I…” Her voice trailed off.
“Is your sister a vampire?” I asked.
Zea nodded. “She turned the same time I did. She’s older than me and wanted to wait until I’d decided if I was going to turn. We either wanted to do it together or not at all. We did all the right things: the paperwork, the Counsel, and then Grayson Manor. Then something happened while we were at Grayson Manor. She woke up one night, puking, and had a high fever. Since then she’s been in a coma.” Tears formed in her brown eyes.
“I’m sorry about your sister,” I said.
Zea pulled out a tissue from her purse and patted her eyes.
Sam diverted his attention toward the stage. I imagined Zea crying was making him a bit uncomfortable.
Ms. Weston cleared her throat. “Listen up.”
The whispers and voices died and the group gathered closer to the stage. Zea dropped her head and walked over to the group.
“What do you think she’s talking about?” Sam asked.
“Maybe the miracle drug is the solution Dr. Vieira uses for the cobalt reaction. Or even Neil’s blood. It supposedly helped you.”
“Dr. V was never able to confirm that Neil’s blood did anything,” he said.
Zea’s description of her sister’s symptoms reminded me of what Sam had when he drank the tainted boxed blood. Dr. Vieira had the blood sent to the lab to have it tested. I hadn’t heard if he received the results back yet. Maybe Grayson Manor had experienced a similar incident.
“I’ll ask him when we get home later.”
“Sis, don’t get involved. We have enough shit to watch out for.”
Sam was probably right. Still, I wanted to know more about the boxed blood, especially if that was going to be our steady source of blood in the near future.
“We’ll be taking a quick tour of the school. As we walk I will fill you in on some of the history of the grounds and the building,” Ms. Weston said.
We began our tour immediately outside of the auditorium.
“The pictures here” —She pointed to a wall of portraits— “are of the founders of the school. You’ll learn all about the others in your vampire history class, but for this tour we’ll focus on the man at the top.”
The vampire she was referring to looked to be in his twenties. His large nose blended well with his strong jaw and deep-inset green eyes. His black hair was pulled back, and he had one dimple showing on his right cheek.
“This is Lord Charles James. He’s not only the founder of this school, he’s also the leader of our world.”
I nudged Sam. “Isn’t that the guy Dad mentioned a few times?”
“I guess,” was all he said.
I vaguely remembered his name coming up. I moved closer to the crowd. I definitely wanted to learn more about this dude.
