8

My dream that night consisted of cozy blackness and rhythmic vibrations. Nothing special or amiss, until something beckoned me deeper into the abyss. Not a person or even a voice. It was more like a feeling that didn’t belong to me.

I drifted through the nothing, like a twig floating in black water. There didn’t seem to be anything interesting to see for a while. And then, a bright spark in the distance.

The light flickered incessantly as if the darkness was a fortress to knock against. I veered from the path of aimlessness and migrated toward its warmth. Was it even possible to feel the heat while in a dream?

As I got closer, the light sounded a dull roar like rolling thunder.

“Jessebel…”

The darkness behind me grew colder the further I left it be hind. Seeing my cooperation, the light created more of itself, spreading like spores. It ate away at the black, fighting for dominance in the empty space.

My head started ringing from the pressure building on both sides. It felt like my body wanted to split in two; starting from the top of my skull to my navel. Both elements wanted to ex ist but couldn’t.

Then, from the black, two pale arms with blackened fingernails shot out and reached for me.

“ Shit! ”

My eyes shot open just as my stomach dropped. The world was falling around me and I landed hard on my side. I grasped at my surroundings with my heart doing a frantic dance. It took a moment for reality to set in, but with my face flat on the floor and a blanket tangled around my legs, the image became clear.

I silently apologized to whoever lived below me. Hopefully, it wasn’t Guy. That would be mortifying.

Groaning, I pressed my palms into my eyes. There was a dull throbbing in my skull, probably from hitting the floor with it. My skin was buzzing too, like a limb falling asleep, but it was all over my body. After some deep inhales, I was back to feeling myself. Myself with a headache that is.

The generic desk I was given also came with a small, elec tric clock. I squinted at the glowing numbers. Good, because I didn’t have a phone anymore…

After midnight? It was too early to start the day but I wasn’t feeling sleepy after that. Hopefully, my downstairs neighbor slept through my abrupt tremor.

I became aware of the sweat on my back and the strong urge to pee. Not to mention, I hadn’t brushed my teeth yet either. I hadn’t even left my room since Guy’s little visit. My exhaustion took precedence over hygiene, but no longer.

I was collecting my toiletries when it dawned on me that we weren’t given individual bathrooms. That meant leaving the safety of my little box. I poked my head out of my room first; half expecting the reaper to be haunting the hallway. It wasn’t totally pitch-black, thanks to the light pollution outside creeping in through the windows.

Just diagonal from my room was a door with a restroom label. Three long, quick strides, and I was in. I expected cold metal grates and ugly, yellowing tile. Still had prison on the brain, but the interior was clean and white with blue tones.

I had the place to myself and occupied a shower stall. The hot water felt soothing against my scalp. An hour might’ve passed, I wasn’t sure. It was difficult to pull myself out of it but once I did, I brushed my hair and teeth, dried the roots of my hair with my blow dryer, and called it good.

Before leaving, I caught sight of my reflection. My dream had done a number on me. The sweat was all washed off but my eyes looked like I hadn’t slept at all. I leaned over the sink, staring harder into the mirror.

Something was glowing beneath my skin and made a spider web from my cheekbones to my eyes. When I blinked, it was gone. I waited a few moments to ensure it wasn’t going to happen again.

My fingers trembled against my face as I pressed into the skin, searching for more light. Maybe I had just seen things, al though I knew what I was telling myself was a comforting lie. Zak said I used demon’s magic, but somehow, light as well. Did that mean angel magic?

When I left, the hallway was no longer empty. The realiza tion came when I stepped right into their path.

Holy crap.

She was pristine .

It was like looking at a porcelain doll. A little creepy, but also perfect. Her skin was so smooth and her hair the color of moon light, cascaded over her shoulders. The eyes that scanned me were a deep dark color, which I assumed brown at first until they hit the light just right.

Red.

She stopped but didn’t redirect to get around me. Instead, she stood with an aloof, dullness in her eyes as she slowly examined me. My ends were still damp and I wore an oversized t-shirt and shorts, but she looked like she was on her way to model for an athletic magazine. Her sports bra and leggings highlighted her toned body and creamy smooth abs. I glanced down at myself, feeling like a potato. Where was she off to that late? Or was it early?

“Hello.” Her voice was soft and void of emotion. She hardly moved or even breathed. “I haven’t seen your face before.”

“Yeah, hi. I’m Jess. I’m… new,” I said.

“I see.”

I watched the vampire lean in a few inches. Her nostrils made delicate puffs as she located my scent. I was glad to have just showered, otherwise, it would’ve been both weird and embarrassing. “What are you?” she asked.

“Nothing special.” I took a step back. Admitting what I was hadn’t become part of my vocabulary yet.

“I smell demon blood.”

“ Half -demon,” I said. She was probably used to the smell of demons as it was their job to hunt them. “I didn’t catch your name?”

The vampire sported a subtle but wicked grin at my at tempt to dance around her questions. Admittedly, it was sloppy. She probably knew I didn’t have to ask what she was. “Mal lory. It’s nice to meet someone who doesn’t put a name to my face.”

“Oh. Are you famous?”

Her smile widened and I was able to see her sparkling, sharp fangs.

“It was so lovely to meet you. Jess, the half-demon,” she said and glided away.

***

It took a while to shake off the weird vibes Mallory left behind. Luckily, I was still able to get a couple more hours of sleep be fore the sun came up. When I woke, I was plagued by a splitting headache again.

Zak didn’t leave me with much instruction, so I hoped to catch one of my dorm mates and ask them where to go. I hur ried to pick out some clothing while ignoring the pain in my skull. Makeup didn’t seem necessary, especially if we were going to be sweating. My lashes were pretty thick on their own, anyway; a gift from parents I didn’t know.

I roped my hair back into a bun. The new workout pants from the store were stretchy and supportive, just as I’d hoped. Women back in Haverwick would be green with envy knowing how cheap I’d gotten them. I was smaller around the waist but wide at the hips, so when it came to shopping for clothes, it felt like trying to fit a triangle shape into a rectangle.

My trusty gloves were last. I tugged them up to my wrists and paused. Were they all that effective anymore? Zak said I wouldn’t have to worry about hurting anyone here but I wasn’t brave enough to leave them behind just yet.

I wolfed down an oatmeal bar from my snack stash just in case I was running late. It felt like something was twisting inside me like I’d had too much coffee and fed my anxiety. I wish that had been the case.

Coffee sounded amazing.

I didn’t run into a single soul on my way to the elevator. No one was in the lounge either, but cups had been used in the sink. Great. People had been awake long before me. I didn’t waste another second and hurried outside.

As luck would have it, and maybe some divine intervention, I had an escort waiting for me on the other side of the doors. Zak in all his handsome, angelic glory, stood under the overcast sky in a casual sweat outfit. Anyone else would’ve resembled a marshmallow. His head tilted back as he watched birds flying away.

He sensed me then and turned sharply. When his face lit up like the morning sun, my heart made an annoying jump. “You look refreshed,” he said, “Glad you got to catch up on some sleep.”

I nodded, unsure of how to take that compliment. “Thanks. Where are we going?”

“I thought I’d help you find your way.” He paused. “Training might be rough at first, especially during your withdrawals, but don’t chicken out on me, ‘kay?”

“Saying that just makes me apprehensive.”

“ Ha ! My bad. But hey, I’ll be here the whole way. You start to get the shakes or feel like you’re gonna puke just give me a nudge.”

Oh, good . Throwing up my insides was exactly how I’d wanted my first day to go.

Zak just snapped his finger in the direction east of us and moved along. A large gated area blocked us from a dirt track and a well-groomed, grass field but we let ourselves inside. He continued with his goofy banter until we reached a small group huddled together.

The number of heads was smaller than I expected. One girl stood calm and stoic with her hands behind her back. Her skin had a cool hue and her deep, blueish-green hair consisted of several smaller braids into a larger one. She turned my way once, acknowledging that I existed, and then faced forward again.

A high voice squeaked from somewhere close to me.“Hi!”

My eyes dropped to see a very short blonde girl with dyed-pink tips talking up at me. Her hazel eyes were popping out of her head and she grinned, showing all her teeth.

“My name’s Tori,” she said, “You’re Jessebel, right?”

“Y-Yeah, Jess is fine. Good to meet you.”

“Jess. Sorry. I tried bothering you earlier but you must’ve been sleeping like a rock.” She giggled. “It sounded like you hurt yourself.”

So, someone had heard me after all.

“Sorry if I was loud,” I said, “I just… tripped?”

“Well stop throwing yourself around like that, you’ll give me a heart attack.” Her laughing stopped. “You’re pretty. Are you a vampire too? Elf? No… I don’t see the ears.”

I snorted. It was flattering to be compared to an elf. Elves were probably the only other creatures that challenged the youth and beauty of the blood drinkers or the immortality of angels. “I mean, thank you, but no I’m neither,” I said.

Tori tapped her chin. I assumed she was still trying to guess without asking. “There’s definitely something about you, though.”

“You can tell?” I asked, “I mean, I guess we’re all something. What about you, if you don’t mind me asking?”

She grinned. “It’s a secret.”

“Don’t be rude, Vittoria.” A second and velvety, female voice chimed in. I felt my stomach sink at the sight of the vampire from last night, now approaching us.

Mallory’s long, white hair was tied back in the perfect pony- tail, not a strand out of place. She had someone with her this time, a boy with reddish, brown hair and a blank expression. “You shouldn’t ask if you aren’t willing to share,” Mallory continued.

She flashed her pearly fangs as her lips curled upward. Without warning, the vampire came up to Tori and thrust her arm into her stomach. I flinched, assuming she had just committed a great assault, but when I watched Tori’s face for any indication of pain, there was none.

A wispy hole in Tori’s body appeared where Mallory’s arm was, allowing a path all the way out to her back.

“What…” The rest of my sentence died.

“A spirit,” Mallory said, “Quirky little things, ghosts.”

“It’s more fun when it’s a surprise.” Tori frowned. “You didn’t have to ruin it.”

How was that possible? She looked so real and tangible be fore me. Were wandering spirits a casual thing and my aunt just kept the house heavily saged? I slowly wrapped my head around the idea that a dead girl was standing in front of us; nothing ghoulish or ghostly about her either.

Mallory slipped her arm back and shook it like it had gotten wet. “Our new friend says she’s part demon. Isn’t that right, Jess?”

That got Tori’s attention off of her frustration. “Oh, really? Don’t demons have horns coming out of their heads?”

Mallory’s tone was dripping with ulterior motives. “It’s ignorant to believe that all demons look the same. Jess could just be a late bloomer.”

My body tensed, sensing the danger as Mallory took a step toward me. She was doing that thing again where she want ed to invade my personal space, but I doubted it was just for a sniff. “I could always perform a taste test to be sure? I have a diverse palette.”

I slid a hand over my neck. “I’ll pass, thanks…”

“Don’t you have a harem of human boys to get your breakfast from?” Tori scoffed, coming to my aid. “You’re training to be a peacekeeper, not a connoisseur.”

Mallory raised a perfectly shaped brow. “Do you have the same meal every day? Oh, that’s right. You’re unable to delight in anything but floating about.”

Wow.

Tori didn’t have much to say back, but I could tell from the way her eyes dimmed that it was a sensitive subject. I had zero experience with spirits, but if they lived as ghosts, they probably didn’t need to eat or use the bathroom; nothing that mortals were required to do.

I wasn’t sure what Mallory’s deal was, but I was already over it. The words fell out of my mouth before I could stop them. “I’ve always been curious,” I started, “As a vampire, do you like a side of STD with your liquid diet, or do you prefer a salty chance of high cholesterol?”

What was that ?

It was too late to take it back. I don’t know what compelled me to snap like that, but I could sense Tori’s growing smile next to me. At least it made her happy.

The vampiress, however, sneered. There was a drawn-out silence as if Mallory wanted to kill us with the tension. “I prefer my blood spicier, actually.”

The way her eyes inspected my neck made me gulp.

“Anyway,” Mallory carried on, “This is my youngest brother, Darren. He’s a man of few words, but perhaps you’ll get along? He’s not one to indulge either.”

Darren looked nothing like her. Even his eyes were more amber than red. Diluted. It was usually a sign that they adapted to the synthetic blood and didn’t drink straight from the live, pulsing, tap. I found that oddly comforting.

“Hello.” I offered but didn’t receive more than a nod.

Thankfully, more people showed up on the field. Their conversations amongst each other divided the vampire’s attention. While Mallory turned her pretty head, Darren had not. His cold stare never left my face. So, I just accepted the awkwardness; too afraid to turn my back on either of them.

“I guess you know Mallory and now Darren, one of her delightful brothers,” Tori said. They could easily overhear us, but Darren had no reaction. He continued to look gloomy and uninterested.

“One?” I asked, warily examining each new figure coming in. “Is anyone else in the group just as charming?”

Tori moved closer to my side. She was perfectly pleasant company, but the whole spirit thing still wigged me out. Would I feel anything if she bumped my shoulder or not? She leaned her head toward the entrance. “Yara is cool but hard to talk to. Don’t take it personally. I think it’s a siren thing?”

I assumed Yara was the girl with blue-toned hair based on her reverence. A siren? I was surprised to see her so far from the ocean.

Tori continued, “Max is kind of a hothead but I think it’s from drama with his clan… don’t tell him I said that. But Barrett is nice. Everyone likes Barrett.”

The next two Tori mentioned came walking over together. One carried a heavy, furrowed brow over blue eyes and wore a permanent scowl. Had to be the hothead. Max. His hands were buried deep in his jacket pockets as if he could project his disdain for everyone with his clothing alone. A large nose took residence in the middle of his face that was framed by light hair.

I spotted a tattoo on the back of his exposed calf; a mass of symbols— clan symbols—I’d seen on other werewolves. The ink had been drawn so heavily that my own skin began to sting at the thought of the intense needlework.

His buddy, Barrett, also had a tattoo. The same one, but on his shoulder instead. He was chatting Max’s ear off with the energy of a labrador. I could see his scalp with how short he kept his hair. “Hey! New recruit.”

Barrett hustled over to Tori and me, his hand out for me to shake. “What’s up? I’m Barrett.”

I took a breath before taking his hand. Nothing. I didn’t feel anything. The gloves had done their job just fine but I fell forward from his powerful grip.

“Jess,” I said.

He grinned. “Cool. This is Max. Sandulf clan.”

Ahh . Knew it.

Most wolf shifters, especially when religiously involved in their clans, forwent surnames and used clan names instead. Hopefully, they had a system down to avoid inbreeding, though.

Mallory yawned behind her dainty hand. “The mighty alpha with his pack of one . How adorable.”

Max’s growl came from deep within his chest and rumbled like the earth was shaking. When his burning, sapphire eyes reached me, I felt a surge of his dominance, almost like he had a magic of his own that compelled me to feel weak in front of him.

Wait. He was familiar.

“Hello, Mallory,” Barrett said with a taunting sweetness to match her own, “How is the princess this morning?”

“She was excellent until you fleabags turned the air foul,” she said, “Have some self-respect and bathe, then maybe your clan will want you back.”

Max already looked like a ticking time bomb but Mallory kept prodding. I was expecting some sort of confrontation between the species, and yet, I still jumped out of my skin when Max leaped at Mallory with the speed and force of a truck. I know because the sound his chest made against Barrett’s extended arm was deafening.

“Whoa—” Barrett staggered after almost clotheslining him. “Could we not do this today?”

“Yes, where are your manners?” Mallory pouted, not at all concerned that Max had murder in his eyes.

We were all startled by a booming voice snapping at our group. I scanned the room for whoever was reprimanding us and saw Zak giving Max a cold stare. “Guys, I suggest you behave in front of our newest recruit.”

The blue-eyed wolf shoved away from Mallory. She brushed it off like it had been nothing but a mild nuisance. Max’s gaze felt like icicles, stabbing at anyone he came across and I had the sinking feeling I’d seen them before. Recently.

I didn’t want to catch his attention again, so I pretended to have been looking elsewhere; taking small steps toward the track. Even with my feeble attempt, I could feel Max nearing. He nudged his friend, Barrett, out of the way and he took a long inhale when he reached my back.

Good gods . Again with smelling me?

“New recruit, huh?” he asked gruffly.

I wanted to crumple like a paper ball, but I couldn’t just ignore him. Putting on a brave face, I turned, only to validate my concerns. It was the same blond werewolf that I’d dodged the night of my arrest.

And he looked as happy as I was about our reunion.

“The hell are you supposed to be, anyway?” Max asked. His voice didn’t seem to have any other range except for a guttural growl.

Barrett decided to lean in too, somehow lessening how menacing the situation felt by adding a second wolf. “Yeah, don’t take this the wrong way, newbie, but you’ve got an interesting smell.”

“Women love hearing that.” I said.

He laughed. “Hey, I didn’t say it was bad.”

Max lost his patience with both of us. “Well? What are you?” he asked again.

“Come on .” Tori resorted to a pout, including a juvenile stomp of her heel. “I’m trying to make a friend, go away.”

Max hardly paid her mind. I couldn’t blame him. She was too cute and small to look like my backup. His face at least loosened up some. No longer scowling, but his empty expression and dilating pupils didn’t feel friendly either.

“Your shirt trick was clever,” he said in a low tone, “—but don’t get cocky. You aren’t going to last a week here.” He finally left my space but not without adding another dig. “Scared little girls should stay at home.”

Max walked off with Barrett close behind, asking if we knew each other and what the “shirt trick” was. Then, I saw his eyes widen. “Oh, shit?” Barrett’s voice was filled with delight. “She’s that chick—”

He was silenced by Max smacking the back of his head. Bar rett muttered some choice words but peeked over his shoulder at me one last time. I knew he was referring to the flannel I’d chucked onto the bus to get rid of him, which meant he definitely remembered me.

Max had been right, though. I was scared.

As powerful as demons were, a spell or two could have me trapped and bound. Depending on the severity of the spell, it could be for minutes or eternity. Not to mention, Zak, or any angel present, could zap me out of existence if they wanted.

It was a little late to back out, now. I’d already committed to the madness.

“Bring it in, guys.” Zak waved us all toward him. “Let me introduce you to Jess Winters. She’s new so she’s a wee bit behind. But I think you’ll find her to be exceptionally exceptional.”

Tori bumped into me with her shoulder, lifting her brows at me. I felt her too.

How curious.

Zak gestured to her first. “This is Vittoria Hanson, but you all know her as Tori. It looks like you two already met. And Guy Shepherd over here, you remember him. Hi, Guy!”

Guy dragged a hand down his face, shielding his vision or ours. I let out a quiet snort. Seeing an agent of Death show embarrassment made him a lot more human and less sentient.

“This is the lovely Miss Yara.” When Zak gestured to the green-haired girl he never finished with her last name. She gave me a quick lift of her hand, brief and polite.

“Over here, Barrett Sandulf and Maximillien Sandulf. Call him Max or he gets mad.”

Barrett waved. Max did not.

Zak listed a couple of other names and I met everyone’s eyes; knowing full well I’d probably forget names for a few months at least. I’d almost drowned out Zak’s voice until one name caught my attention.

“… Blaxill.”

I froze. Blaxill?

Like, Roman Blaxill ?

Mallory’s twinkling fingers in my direction were as creepy as the cheery expression she wore. Then, Darren was a Blaxill too? Now it made sense why she was pleasantly surprised that I hadn’t recognized her right away. Her father was only one of the most famous vampires in the world.

And I’d just asked her if she enjoyed drinking STDs.