So Phaedra was now working for herself instead of him. That was fine with Michael. He found the man of his dreams, why not her? “He really is cute,” Michael said. “You know, in that cocky, European sort of way.”
“I know,” she agreed. “It’s like he thinks everything he says is brilliant just because he’s got this accent.”
Michael clutched Phaedra’s hand and shook it. “Absolutey! Ronan’s got the same thing going on inside his head.” He glanced around quickly to make sure his boyfriend was out of earshot. “Makes me a little crazy sometimes.” Then it was Michael’s turn to blush. “But, you know, it doesn’t make me love him any less.”
Love? Is that what she felt for Fritz? She didn’t know because she had never felt love before. She of course knew it existed, but from a purely intellectual viewpoint, she really didn’t understand its meaning on an intimate level. Giggling to hide her anxiety, Phaedra realized that she had no idea what she was doing, she had no clue if she should be entertaining romantic thoughts about Fritz or about any other boy for that matter, but then she realized most teenage girls had no idea what they were doing either, so she should lighten up. But you’re not a teenage girl, she reminded herself. Trouble was she didn’t know what she was any longer.
“Well, you deserve it,” Michael said. “After everything you’ve done for me and my mother, after everything you’ve given us, you ought to have some happiness of your own.”
“I’m still here for you, Michael,” Phaedra said. “Don’t ever doubt that.”
Michael was a little surprised to hear that, since he could have used her help yesterday to defeat Nakano, but even without her aid, it all worked out okay, thanks to Ronan. “The most important thing is this,” Michael beamed. “If you like Fritz, you should go for it.”
How could she possibly make him understand? He might be immortal now, above the laws of nature, but he was still a boy, still so young and inexperienced, he had no idea that there are rules that govern every aspect of the universe, every creature that inhabits it. Nothing is created without a limitation. “I guess,” Phaedra replied. “It’s just a bit confusing.”
“First relationships usually are,” Michael said, feeling like an authority on the subject. “But they can also be extremely liberating.” Look at me, he thought. I have no boundaries. My relationship with Ronan has freed me from a life filled with restrictions. “Plus I have a feeling that Fritz can be a whole lot of fun.”
Finally, something she could agree to wholeheartedly. “That is probably the understatement of the year.” A statement that was about to be tested.
“Ulrich.” The name pierced through the noise, interrupting their conversation, and making Fritz and all those around him stop and turn. When Fritz saw who had called out his name, his dark complexion turned white.
“Crikey,” Fritz groaned. “Am I in trouble already?”
David walked, unhurried, toward the young student and was impressed with what he saw. Fritz stood taller than most, and although he was exotic-looking, he still exhibited that wonderful, youthful vigor David revered so highly. He was a perfect specimen, a good candidate, someone who might one day, if necessary, prove useful. How opportune that today I shall reward him, David thought. “No, you’re not in trouble, son; on the contrary, I have a gift for you.”
“A gift?” Fritz questioned. He wasn’t the only one surprised. Michael, Phaedra, Ronan, MacCleery, even Sister Mary Elizabeth were surprised to hear that Fritz, one of the more unpredictable and cheeky students at Double A, someone who usually received detention, was being given a gift.
“There’s a package waiting for you in my office,” the new headmaster announced. “Plainly wrapped, but a gift nonetheless.”
Looking around at the crowd, Fritz saw everyone staring at him. Some like Michael and Phaedra were happy for him, others of course were stunned, and then there were those who looked at him with more than a hint of jealousy, and oh how he liked seeing their expressions. How nice for a change to see people envious of his position, wishing they could trade places with him. Most of the times when he was singled out by an authority figure, it was because he had done something wrong, taken a joke too far, and was on the brink of getting publicly admonished, but this time was different. He was being rewarded with some sort of package, a present. Why, he had no idea, but he didn’t care.
Until he found out where the present had come from.
“It’s a gift from one of our fallen students,” David said. “From your friend Penry.”
The mention of that name was like rainfall on a flame. It silenced every flicker of light, every hope for warmth, and returned the world back to the cold, to the dark. Fritz stared at David, sure that he had heard what he said but unable to comprehend its meaning. Phaedra touched his arm gently to let him know that he wasn’t alone in his surprise, his sadness, and Fritz, though he couldn’t respond, was thankful.
“Forgive me,” David said, not only to Fritz but also to the crowd that appeared just as speechless. “I didn’t mean to cause you any pain, any of you. On the contrary, I thought it would gladden you to know that your friend, one of our own, lives on even though he is no longer among us.”
No, because he doesn’t live on, you stupid fool, Fritz thought. He’s dead. Michael felt the same way except that he knew Penry wasn’t merely dead, he had been murdered. He sought out Ronan, the only other person who could understand his grief, the only other face that could offer solace, but Ronan was focused on David. Why was he staring at him so intensely? Why did he look as if he were standing before The Well and about to transform? And why was Fritz running out of the gym?
Phaedra started to follow him, but David called after her, “Miss Antonides, I don’t think that’s wise.” Had she not been so concerned about Fritz, she might have caught something interesting flash across David’s face, something unnatural, but her thoughts were elsewhere. “The gift is for Fritz alone. And besides, I believe the rest of you have classes to attend.”
For a moment no one moved until Blakeley shouted for everyone to file out. “Assembly’s over!”
Using only his mind, Ronan told Michael that he had a free period and was going to the library. They agreed to meet later at St. Martha’s during lunch period, but before Ronan could leave the gym, Lochlan grabbed his arm.
“Can I help you, doctor?”
“I think you can,” Lochlan replied, his eyes involuntarily darting in David’s direction. “Come back to my office so we can talk.”
It was clear that the doctor distrusted David just as much as Ronan did, for entirely different reasons of course, but Ronan wasn’t ready to enter into an alliance. “And why in the world should I do that?”
“Because I saw the way you looked at him,” Lochlan hissed. “And you can trust me.”
Ronan almost laughed in the doctor’s face. “Since when?” Not waiting for a response and unwilling to be cornered any longer, Ronan walked away, leaving Lochlan to be swallowed up by the crowd exiting the gym. Just as Ronan was about to leave, he saw Brania once again sitting by herself in the bleachers, dressed like she belonged, waving. But this time she wasn’t waving to Ronan, she was saying hello to her father. Without hesitation or concern, David waved back.
chapter 3
Luckily, Ronan had practice concealing his thoughts. It was one of the perks of being a vampire, but when he used the power, it didn’t always make him feel like a good person because all he was doing, really, was hiding the truth. Like he had done all day with Michael.
There are certain things Michael doesn’t need to know just yet, Ronan kept reminding himself, certain things that he needs to be shielded from. And since he created Michael, brought him into his world, Ronan could choose what he wanted to reveal to him, how much information, how much of his mind, he wanted to share. In The Well, their souls were joined together as equals; outside Ronan had the upper hand.
Watching Michael sleep, the angles of his face softened by the shade of the moon, his vibrant flaxen hair and the rosy color of his cheeks replaced with the black-and-white shadows of the night, Ronan thought he looked like a memory. So young, so innocent, so unprepared. “I have to protect him,” Ronan heard himself say out loud. Then he remembered what he told Michael just the other day, that knowledge gives us power, and a part of him wanted to wake him up and tell him everything he knew about David Zachary. But what good would that do? Michael wouldn’t fully understand or believe that David was anything more than a charismatic and passionate
