Dark Heart, Bright Eyes |ONC 2024|

*3*

The farewell between Zara and her mother went exactly as she expected. A brief embrace, her mother brushing her bangs out of her face as a small reprimand to not hide her eyes, hands squeezing her shoulders in a way that felt more like a warning than anything else. 

"I'll miss you, darling," Ceira said, impressing Zara with how sincere she sounded. "Remember to stay in touch. Your father will want to make sure you're doing well."

Now that Zara actually believed. 

She wished desperately it had been Kano Morrigan who had accompanied her to her first day at Belmare rather than Ceira. A powerful warlock in his own right (how else could he have caught the eye of the prodigal Ceira Morrigan?), Kano was still at the mercy of their matriarchal society. Fathers played small parts in the lives of their daughters, there due to biological necessity and as symbols of accomplishment.

After all, a strong warlock would only respect a stronger witch enough to marry her, enough to give her a daughter. As most things in their world were, marriage was simply another way to flaunt power. 

And her magicless daughter gaining admission into the world's premier magic university was too juicy an exhibition to pass up. Even without magic, the daughter of the Morrigan family was still better than many others. Even without magic, she was stronger than others and, by extension, so was her mother. 

There was no room for anyone else on that stage. 

Zara nodded her assent and even managed a semi-sincere smile as her mother stepped into the car. She managed to stay and wave until the car disappeared beyond the gates. She managed to make it all the way back to her room--blessedly empty--before her mask slipped. 

Between the general drama of the day, all the snide remarks leaving their individual stings, seeing Damon after their botched escape attempt and all the little blades her mother had invariably left in her heart, it was all a little too much. 

She maneuvered her way through the luggage piled in front of the doorway, bypassed the small living area and pushed open the door to the right. Empty. Guess it was hers.

Collapsing just a touch dramatically onto the bare mattress, Zara closed her eyes and allowed the tears to seep from beneath her lashes. Not many. Just a few. Just enough to relieve some of the pressure in her chest, but not so many it would leave any evidence.  

She lay there for a long time. Missing her father. Missing her friend. Stewing in general loneliness.

Zara knew Damon was somewhere around. It wouldn't be too terribly hard to find the Circe heir. All she would have to do would be follow the twittering. Male heirs weren't terribly common. But when they were born, they became rather like the prince in Cinderella. Some lowly girl's one-way ticket to Family society and all the glitter that entailed. 

She rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling, wondering if that vampire he had fallen so hard for was at Belmare. She had never met the object of Damon's affections, but had gathered enough to understand that their love was as star-crossed as it got. 

Turned, not a pure-blood vampire. A vampire, not a witch. Most importantly...male, not female.

Zara felt an unwelcome twinge of pity for her friend. Sitting back up, she scrubbed a hand through her straight, dark hair. She wasn't ready to forgive his cowardice just yet, and pity was the first of many steps toward that forgiveness. 

The door banging open nearly made her jump out of her skin. 

"Hello?" There was a loud thud, then: "Son of a bitch!"

Zara peered cautiously through the crack in her partially open door. 

Bright golden hair and long fingernails were her first impression. Then piercing ruby eyes and lots of pale skin. Preternatural beauty. The girl smiled at her, and Zara was thrown momentarily by the conspicuous lack of fangs. 

Then the pieces clicked into place. 

Demon. 

Zara blew out a breath, standing up slowly. She nudged the door open a little wider, eyeing what she assumed was her roommate. 

Could be worse, she decided. Could be a werewolf and all their shedding. Or a vampire and their general snobbery. Historically, demons and witches got along better than either race did with any of the other denizens of their world. 

Then, she noticed the spectacular bags under the girl's eyes. Not just any demon. A lamia.

"Oh, you really do have one blue eye. How odd. I thought I'd seen that wrong." The lamia smiled. "Pretty, though. You're Zara Morrigan, my roommate." The lamia's smile widened. "Androniki Stathopoulous. Niki, because that's easier."

Zara could only blink. Right. Lamia were in the Seer-class of demon. She would have known who her roommate was as soon as the decision had been finalized. 

"Are you hungry?" Niki cocked her head, blonde hair falling over her shoulder. "Should we go find the dining hall?"

Zara considered that for a moment, wondering if the lamia was being genuine. Then, she decided there was only one way to find out.

No use hiding from the monsters in the dark. Better to face them head on. 

Word Count: 866

Total: 2,435

Lamia are a type of child-eating demon in Greek mythology, created because Zeus is a whore and Hera eternally dealt with that by attacking the other women instead of dealing with the problem. Lamia were cursed with insomnia and then "gifted" with the ability to see the future when Zeus decided Hera took things too far.