The back of her hand cracked across my cheek, sending a blinding flash of pain through my face. I gritted my teeth. “My apologies, Miss Wesling.”
Her scowl immediately disappeared and she turned to take a teacup and saucer from the shelf next to me and poured herself some tea.
“I had hoped that today would bring good news, but sadly, you have shown no remorse for your crimes. I am sorry to say that you will continue your stay with us.” Her voice should have conveyed some kind of sadness or disappointment if she was truly sorry, but it didn’t. Instead, she sounded gleeful.
Digging my nails into the chair arms, I thought about all the things I wanted to do to her, but I held my temper at a simmer. I had waited this long to be absolved of my supposed crimes, what was another few months?
“How much longer, Miss Wesling?”
She cleared her throat and sat back down. “Well, since you have shown no advancement in two years, I fear that you will have to stay indefinitely.”
Indefinitely. My hope seeped into the floor until I felt hollow and brittle as if I might. With one word, she had sentenced me to this place, or places like it, for the rest of my immortal life. I’d heard of vampires receiving ridiculously long punishments but I’d never heard of anyone being detained by the Mielcarek Coven forever.
Seeing her cheery smile broke something inside of me, something I had long believed was beyond the reach of my enemies. The world had taught me that I was worthless and doomed to the life of a peasant all because my coven had been overthrown, but I had never allowed myself to believe those lies. Now, this pretentious bitch believed that she could keep me imprisoned for something I didn’t do.
My entire body shook as I strived to control myself so that I didn’t reach across the desk and kill her. “I see. I guess I will have to do better, Miss Wesling.”
Taking a sip of tea, she nodded and smiled.
I stormed out of the office in a daze. I needed to hit something or bite someone, anything that would release the sorrow building in my chest. Unfortunately, it was feeding time and the hallway was filled with vamps rushing back to their dorm rooms or heading for the blood room. There were too many targets and I couldn’t decide who to pounce on, so I gave up my search for the perfect victim and decided to eat away my sadness.
I walked through the corridors, not paying attention to anyone or anything, which was my first mistake.
Taking a step, I suddenly found myself stumbling forwards, headed for the grungy tile floor. My chin took the brunt of my fall, sending a fresh shockwave of pain through me. Thankfully, my bruises from the hose had already healed, so I only had to deal with the humiliation of my fall. I pushed myself up, but froze when I heard a long, continuous hiss.
Shit. My chin was bleeding and it was feeding time.
I quickly popped to my feet and dropped into a defensive stance. While all vamps craved blood, the purebred vamps with a pulse had more control and less desire to feed from another vamp. The Bitten, however, were less civilized and didn’t care who was bleeding. Scanning the hallway, I found multiple sets of fangs extended as their black eyes watched my blood drip to the floor.
Behind me, I heard movement. Throwing my fist to connect with my attacker, I felt someone grab my hand and squeeze it until I went to my knees.
“Oh, I wouldn’t do that, Ceyla.” Silas’ tall body stepped into view.
“Hey, Silas. I didn’t see you there.” I prayed that he wasn’t the one who had tripped me, but I knew better.
Crouching down in front of me, his black curly hair fell across one of his dark eyes. His snide smile revealed his fangs as he ran his tongue over the points of his teeth.
“Don’t you look tasty?” He leaned forward to lick my chin, but a hand came down on his shoulder.
I had no idea who was stupid enough to challenge the craziest vamp in the school, the one who had thrown a Night Slave off the roof at sunrise to watch him burn just because the vamp had disrespected his coven, but I was grateful to him.
My eyes rose up, up, up to the face of my savior until I saw the one person more despised than both Silas and Kayden combined. Landon. Fuck.
“Silas, why don’t you let Pixie here get to lunch? We’re all a little hungry and cranky. What do you say?” Landon squeezed Silas’ shoulder so hard I could see Silas’ eyes narrow in pain.
Silas growled and reared back to shake off Landon’s hand, giving me the distraction I needed. I got to my feet and sprinted down the hallway to let the two assholes of the school battle it out.
Ducking into the blood room, I caught my breath and wiped the dried blood from my chin. I was grateful for Landon’s help, but it would cost me later.
Walking through the blood room, I grabbed my blood bag from the counter and sat in the corner to drown my pain. What a miserable day.
Glancing around the room at the rest of the delinquents slurping their blood, it looked like any other vampire school, except for the unhinged look in everyone’s eyes. Each of them was guilty
