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Tyrren
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Felix and Cole hang out in the lounge. I linger out of sight, listening and waiting for the right moment.
“The administration hasn’t done anything,” Felix says with an air of disbelief.
“Not so far at least,” Cole replies in a self-satisfied tone.
I come into view and clear my throat. “Actually, they took Lea into custody a little while ago. Good thing too. She’s trouble.” The lie stings as I play to their side. I went to her room after I was through with Aaron. Amelia said a couple of CAs had just carted her off.
Cole scoffs. “Why the change of heart, lover boy?”
“It’s clear she wants to be with Emeric. I saw them leave together for the woods after the games.”
Felix wolf-whistles.
“He can have her. Things are different than they were before. I’m different.” I keep my posture stiff, indifferent.
“You prefer your own kind,” Felix says with a grin.
“There I was, thinking she was right for me. Meanwhile, I missed all the fun.” I snort.
Nina settles next to Felix on the couch. “I saw Lea a little while ago. She said she was meeting Emeric.” She smirks.
“Now she’s with Jurik,” I say.
“You must be heartbroken,” Nina singsongs. “Oh, wait, vampires don’t have hearts.”
“Exactly. I’ve picked teams.” I attempt to make the statement bold, convincing.
“Have you now?” Cole asks with a lilt of suspicion in his voice. “In that case, we have to initiate you.”
“Fair enough.”
“Jasmin is going to love this,” Nina says.
“I’ll do whatever you want, but I want to know who was really behind the vandalism and the demons on campus.”
“We’ll tell you our secrets if you tell us yours.” Cole flicks a piece of dust from his sleeve.
“I don’t have any secrets.”
“Word is you were part of the Nefral Weapons Trade. How would a fae-lover be involved in that?” Cole asks.
“Blacksmith’s apprentice. I made sharp, pointy objects.”
“Nefral weapons aren’t sharp or pointy.” Cole lifts an eyebrow.
Felix laughs.
“I forged a sword. I assume that’s why they brought me in. But if a Nefral weapon isn’t sharp or pointy, what is it?” I ask.
“The question is who is it.” Cole smirks.
“All the fae at this school. All the fae in Terra,” Felix says.
Cole shoots him a sharp look of warning as though he’s said too much.
I piece this together. The fae are weapons? Why? How?
“You wanted to know who is behind the vandalism. Us.” Cole slides his tongue over his teeth.
“Hey, I helped,” Nina says.
“Mostly, it was Lea,” Cole says.
I hang my head as though disappointed. “I thought so.”
“But it’s all part of the bigger picture, Tyrren,” Cole says. “The scene was set to place blame. The new vampire on campus working with the demons to rend fae shadows.”
“Me?”
“Don’t worry. We have your back. The new fae on campus caused havoc to demonstrate that they’re not at all good. In fact, the fae are the X-Crew. Not vampires. You brought in the demons to put an end to the fae.” Cole punctuates the air. “Brilliant, right?”
That doesn’t add up. Then I realize it’s a ploy. Emeric played the vampires against the fae and vice versa. These three don’t even realize they’ve been duped too. He’s behind it all. “In other words, you’re the X-Crew and want to make it look like the fae are behind all the problems?”
“Exactly. The nats will have zero sympathy for them. Makes it easier to get rid of the fae.”
I smirk. “Good plan.” Bad plan. Very bad plan. I hide my concern and my fears along with the complete and utter shock at this new information.
“Now that you know the truth, it’s time for your initiation.” Cole leads me outside.
I scramble to think of a way out of what’s sure to be them making me take blood from a human.
A black SUV hurtles down the slim road on campus toward us. It doesn’t slow down like earlier when Lea was going to plow into Emeric and me. Is he back to get revenge?
At the last moment, we all dart out of the way. The vehicle stops abruptly and backs up before slamming on the brakes.
There’s only one person I know who drives like that.
I grab the door handle and get in. I worry I made a terrible choice because the woman behind the wheel has a severe gray bob and wears a blazer. Headmistress Jurik?
When she turns to face me, the smirk is unmistakable. Lea sits behind the wheel, wearing a disguise.
I chuckle. “Fancy meeting you here, Headmistress,” I say. “Where are we going?”
“I’ll explain later. First, did you find out anything?”
I start at the beginning, telling her about Aaron and the impending war then Felix and Cole, telling me about how we’ve been framed. “I didn’t have a chance to ask them about Emeric because you nearly ran me over again. The question remains, where is he? I have a feeling he’s not too pleased right now.”
“Tyrren, he was the one who turned you.” Her voice is grave.
I nod. I know that.
“He was also the one who attacked me sophomore year.” Her voice streaks with a deep level of vengeance, seemingly replacing the anxiety that had previously consumed her any time she’d talk about the incident.
I have the urge to reach out to her, to comfort her, but her expression is steely.
“I take it we’re on a revenge mission.”
She nods. “Yep. We’re on our way to meet Emeric.”
We’re near the campus gates, guarded by officers.
“Hide in the back,” Lea orders.
Disguised as Jurik, she waves and doesn’t even have to stop. I’m guessing getting out is easier than getting in.
I climb into the front. Lea speeds along the two-lane blacktop as we cross the bridge leading away from the island.
The landscape between us appears to have shifted since we were last free. Whereas before, I only saw occasional glimpses of the true Lea, now I see past her spunk and fire, to the eternal core of who she is. I want to slash and burn it away so it’s visible to her too if it isn’t already. She’s the fiercest and bravest person I know.
What does she see when she looks at me? Her goofy, nerdy friend, obsessed with dusty old books and metalwork? Or a vampire who’s out to suck her dry?
Lea exhales loudly, I’m guessing with relief now that she’s put distance between us and RIP.
“Okay, I can’t take it anymore,” I say, my patience left somewhere a mile or two behind us.
“Oh, right. Sorry. This is a pretty rad set of wheels.”
I look at her sideways.
“What’s going on?”
“The head of school wanted to see me a little while ago. Of course, I thought I was in trouble. I’ve broken just about every school rule and a law or two. She said we’re a lot alike.”
“So you weren’t in trouble?”
“Oh, I’m in it big.”
I raise my eyebrows.
“Headmistress Jurik had a kid. His father died tragically. He was never the same after that.”
“Understandable.”
“He requested to be turned.”
It takes me a minute to figure out what she means. “He requested to be turned into a vampire?”
“You got it.”
“No one does that.”
Lea’s shoulder lifts slightly as though it had crossed her mind. “Jurik wants me to bring him to her...to destroy him.”
“Harsh.”
“I have to find him and get him back to the campus.”
“So you’re just aiding and abetting a crime.”
“It’s for the good of humanity,” Lea says.
“Wait. You said back to campus.”
She nods.
If I was the one driving, I would’ve stopped short. “Wait. Do you mean—?”
“Headmistress Jurik’s son is Emeric.”
I’m floored. “But if Jurik had him on campus all that time, couldn’t she have sent him to RIP or destroyed him them?”
“She was hoping RIP Jr would change him. I thought about this. He’s her son. She had hope. Then when she realized what he’d done to me, forced me to perform the acts of vandalism and was leading the X-Crew...she knew she had to take drastic measures but didn’t want to put her position at risk.”
“What’s in it for you?” I ask.
“A shortened sentence. I do this and I’m free.” Lea changes lanes. “You too.”
“You requested I be released too?”
Lea smiles slightly. “I’d do what she asked with that condition.”
“Are you sure you can trust her?” I ask.
“Jurik got a lead from some former students who left RIP Jr and joined the crew. She’s been watching carefully. There’s an X-Crew meeting tonight. I’m going to bring Emeric back.”
“Sounds dangerous. Lea, have you really thought this through?” Worry prickles every part of me.
“No, of course not. But I can’t pretend like everything’s fine. Emeric tried to hurt me twice. No way he’s going to try that again because if I’m sure of one thing, he’s going to come after me. Likely, that’s what the meeting tonight is about.”
“How was he getting on and off-campus?”
“The same way you’ll get back.” Lea fiddles with something on her wrist when we pause at a traffic light to go through the tunnel.
“I just left. No way am I going back,” I declare.
“We have to do this the right way. Official. Jurik will release you, clear your name. If you’re on the run, they’ll drag you back. Probably directly to RIP.”
Familiar, sprawling buildings and signs come into view as we enter the city. I lean back on the headrest, trying to convince myself she’ll be okay.
The robotic voice of the GPS says, “Recalculating,” indicating she strayed from the directions she imputed earlier. She pulls down a street, narrow from cars on either side and double parks.
“I take it this is my stop.”
“I’m sorry, Tyrren. Believe me, of all people, I’d like you to be with me, but it’s too risky.” She removes the iron bracelet from her wrist and passes it to me. “Jurik marked this with what she called a rune of passage. It was for me to use if I run into trouble and need a quick escape.”
“You keep it. There’s a reason she gave it to you.”
Lea shakes her head. “I’ll be fine. I can do this. In fact, I may have been born to do this.” She grips my hand and places the bracelet in it, forcing me to take it. A little thrill shoots through me, straight to the chest at her touch.
“Trace the symbol and it’ll bring you back to campus.” She reaches over and opens the door.
I reluctantly start to get out and then stretch over the center console and give Lea a tight hug. I don’t want to let her go, but Lea pulls away. Our eyes meet. Hers are dark, almost animal-like, ravenous, ready to kiss or kill.
Her gaze drops to my lips. I dip my head.
Energy sizzles between us. Electric, magnetic, kinetic energy.
Then she lets out a long breath, turning her head. “I should go.”
I lean in and plant my lips softly on her forehead. “Be safe.”
Then I get out of the SUV and remain on the sidewalk, watching as the brake lights glow when she stops at the traffic light, keeping her from vanishing completely. Then I take off at a run, tailing her.
