6. Violet

6

VIOLET

I wake up groggy and disoriented, my head pounding. As I blink away the fog, I see I'm in a small, comfortably furnished room. The walls are dark wood panels, and there's a single window letting in pale moonlight. I'm lying on a soft double bed, still wearing the tattered dress that Nathaniel forced me to wear.

Thinking of Nathaniel, the memories come flooding back—my desperate escape, the Dragon flight, crashing down into MistHallow's courtyard, and then... the blood frenzy. Shame and horror wash over me as I remember attacking that poor student, the way I lost all control.

I sit up slowly, my body aching. There's an IV in my arm, connected to a bag of dark red liquid. My gums throb at the sight, but the desperate hunger from before has faded to a dull ache.

"How do you feel? "

A soft voice from the other side makes me turn my head. It spins slightly, but clears quickly when I take in the concerned face of the blue-skinned woman, Eldra. "Uhm, tired. Embarrassed. Is that student all right?"

Eldra smiles. "He's fine. Thanks to Thorne."

"Thorne?" I ask curiously.

"The Dark Fae student who stopped you from attacking Dennis."

"Oh." I remember strong arms around me. The scent of a spicy cologne that I can still smell against the fabric of this hideous dress. "Thorne." I test his name out, and it rolls off my tongue, giving me a shiver. "How long was I out?" I ask, changing the subject.

"About two hours," Eldra replies. "The blood IV helped stabilise you. You were severely malnourished."

I nod, looking down at my hands. They are less shaky now.

"Professor Blackthorne wants to see you when you're feeling up to it," Eldra continues. "But first, perhaps you'd like to clean up and change?"

I look down at my filthy dress and nod eagerly. "That would be amazing, but I don't have any clothes."

Eldra smiles and points at some piles of clothing neatly stacked on the dresser. "Lost and found. I hope that's okay for now. Magickal clothes aren't my strong suit. I wasn't sure of your size, so there's a bit of a mismatch. Just return what you don't want or doesn't fit. The bathroom is through that door," she says, gesturing to a door on the left. "Take your time. I'll be back to check on you in a bit."

I nod as she bustles about taking the IV out, and when the puncture wound heals immediately, I wonder how she got it in me in the first place.

"Thank you," I murmur.

She gives me an encouraging smile. "You are safe now, Violet. We won't let you fall."

Her words bring tears to my eyes, and I start crying again, sniffing as the tears splash down my cheeks and roll under my chin.

Eldra comes to me and pats me on the shoulder. "I know it's overwhelming, but you are in the best place right now."

I nod, unable to thank her again, my throat is so thick with emotion.

She squeezes my shoulder and then leaves me alone to gather myself together and clean up. I must look like an absolutely horrendous mess after the ordeal. I stand on steady legs, definitely feeling the calming effects of the blood IV, and walk over to the bathroom.

It's small but luxurious, with gleaming white tiles and a large shower. I catch sight of myself in the mirror above the sink and wince. My hair is tangled and matted, my face streaked with dirt and tears, and the horrid dress hangs off me, torn and filthy.

I peel it off, letting it fall to the floor in a heap. Good riddance. I'll burn it later if I can. I turn on the shower, and as I step in, I let the hot water cascade over me, washing away the grime and fear of the past few weeks. I scrub every inch of my skin as if I could somehow cleanse myself of Nathaniel's touch, of the horror of what I've become. I sweat under the torrent of lava water, but I can actually feel it making a difference to my cold bones, and I never want to move.

When I finally step out, wrapping myself in a fluffy towel, I feel a hundred times better, but the slight ache in my gums reminds me that I'm not okay.

I rummage through the pile of clothes Eldra left, settling on a pair of black leggings and an oversized sweater in a deep purple that almost matches my hair. They fit well enough, and they're certainly more comfortable than anything I've worn recently. The black boots appear new but are a size too big. But it's better than bare feet.

As I'm brushing out my damp hair, there's a soft knock at the door. "Violet?" Eldra's voice calls. "Are you ready? Professor Blackthorne is waiting."

I take a deep breath, steeling myself. "Coming," I call back, giving myself one last glance in the mirror. I barely recognise the pale, haunted-looking girl staring back at me. But at least I'm clean and in normal clothes now.

I open the door to find Eldra waiting patiently. She gives me an approving nod. "Much better. Follow me, please."

We walk through winding corridors, passing students who eye me curiously. I keep my head down, still ashamed of my earlier outburst and the need to find the student I attacked to apologise is clawing at me. Eventually, we arrive at Professor Blackthorne's familiar office.

Eldra knocks and opens the door. "Violet's here, Professor."

"Thank you, Eldra. Please, come in."

I step into the office, my nerves jangling.

"Ah, Miss Violet," Blackthorne says, rising from behind his desk to walk around and perch on the edge. "How are you feeling?"

"Better, thank you," I say softly, fidgeting with the hem of my sweater. "I'm so sorry about earlier. I don't know what came over me."

Professor Blackthorne waves away my apology. "No need to apologise. What you experienced was a completely normal reaction for a newly turned vampire who has been deprived of blood and a loving sire. The important thing is that you're safe now, and we can help you learn to control your new abilities."

Loving sire. Those words make me shudder in revulsion, but I shove it aside and drag up the manners my parents gave me. "Thank you. I... I don't really know what I'm doing."

"Few do, at first," he says kindly. "But in the absence of your sire, MistHallow is a place to help supernatural beings like yourself understand and control their powers."

He gestures for me to take a seat, and I sink into the same plush chair from before across from his desk. "Now," he continues, "we need to discuss your situation. Flint and his father have filled me in on some details, but I'd like to hear it from you. What exactly happened with this vampire, Nathaniel?"

I take a deep breath, steeling myself. "He... he killed my parents," I begin, my voice shaking. "I saw him do it, then he chased me and turned me against my will. He kept me prisoner for weeks. I don't know why, he said I was owed to him. He barely fed me, just enough to keep me obedient. I think he enjoyed watching me suffer."

Blackthorne's expression darkens. "I see. So it was a chance visit by Glacier and Flint that saved you?"

I nod. "I didn't see anyone else at the house while I was there. Nathaniel kept a close eye on me, but then he left me…" I trail off as now that doesn't make sense. Why all of a sudden would he leave me, leave the door unlocked, giving me a chance to escape?

Professor Blackthorne leans forward, his eyes intent. "Left you?"

I swallow hard. "It's like he wanted me to escape. But that doesn't make any sense. Why would he do that?"

Blackthorne's expression grows grave. "I'm afraid my answer isn't something you need to hear."

"Tell me," I demand, forgetting my place as I stand up and implore him.

He sighs. "I'm only guessing, and it may have been an oversight, but my thought would be that he wanted you to escape, to run, so he could hunt you, re-capture you and punish you."

I baulk and feel the contents of my stomach lurch upwards. "What?" I whisper in disbelief.

"I told you, you didn't need to hear it, but maybe it's good you did," Blackthorne states. "Now you understand the level of cruelty you were dealing with, and so do we."

A chill runs down my spine at his words. "What do I do now?" I ask, slumping back down into the chair again.

Blackthorne's face softens. "For now, you rest tonight. We'll start your classes tomorrow and start some sessions in helping you understand and control your new abilities. You'll attend classes with other supernatural students, learn about our world and your place in it."

"What kind of classes?"

"Normally, we would take species into account, as well as abilities and level of training, before assigning classes, but as you are completely new to this world, I'm assuming you had no idea we even existed before this happened to you."

I shake my head, so he continues, "Then we will have to start with the basics. You will be affected by sunlight, so your classes will start tomorrow night. See Eldra at nightfall, and she will give you your timetable."

I want to ask about payment for all of this and if Flint's dad is the one helping me and why, but I don't. I wouldn't even know where to start. "Thanks," I mumble instead.

"Make yourself at home now, Violet. Explore the campus, but don't go past the boundary line, and the forest is strictly off limits to you for your protection."

"Okay," I murmur and stand up, leaving his office quickly.

I need time to think, to get my head around this entire situation, and most of all, I need to find Flint and thank him for helping me. I owe him everything.