Eighteen-year-old witch, Vera Tate, attends a magic university where she meets vampire prince Lucien Lacroix. After being the target of an attack, Vera finds herself in the middle of a century-long feud that results in murder. Now she has no choice...
"I'm sorry." Stepping past him, I stalked into the library on a mission to find Tedric. I had to let him know before everything began.
"Hey," a voice called to me and hands took my shoulders. "Hey. You okay?"
I looked up. Worried red eyes stared from beneath a sweep of silver bangs. Killian Rhodes. I couldn't deal with him at that moment. "Sorry. Busy." Wrenching myself from his hold, I scanned the crowd for the headmaster. I was running out of time. The seniors were filing in and spreading about the room and it was only a matter of minutes before the doors shut for good.
Finally, in the mix of a small group, I spotted Tedric Halsey. I hurried forward, careful not to knock into anyone. Behind me, I heard Lucien speaking harshly with Killian, but I didn't bother to let that distract me.
"Sir," I said, tapping Tedric's arm. "Can I have a word?"
"Ah, excellent timing," Tedric said, voice low. "The trap is nearly ready to be set. Stay on your toes, Vera."
"But, sir—"
Tedric twisted his hand in a small circle, creating an echo that swept through the room. The doors slammed shut behind the last senior and the chamber music playing faintly in the background stopped. Without the bookshelves, the room was bright and it was impossible to ignore the fact that everyone was staring in our direction. I felt the closeness of a body beside me. It was Lucien, no expression whatsoever.
"Welcome, seniors, to Wexpo. Be sure to circle around and speak with all the guests you can. Many of them are alumni, so rest assured that you're among family. Finally, a special thanks to my assistant, Vera Lacroix—and congratulations! May your marriage be happy and prosperous, dear."
Oh, Goddess. I glared at the floor to keep from dying on the spot. The music began in low as an awkward wave of clapping crossed the room. Even as everyone looked away and conversations flowed, I felt like I was under careful scrutiny. Anger rushed through me. I turned my stare to Tedric and brought my voice to a whisper, "That was the plan? Alienate me in front of my peers?"
"The show must go on," Tedric said, waving Kalino over. "We have work to do."
"It will be over soon," Lucien said. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine." Between my guilt and embarrassment, I couldn't bring myself to look at Lucien. Instead, I directed my attention to the headmaster. "Rhodes was wrong, sir."
Tedric nodded. "Continue to be cautious."
"Walk with me, Vera." Kalino offered me an arm and I took it. She guided me away from them and over to a plain tent where all the warding professors congregated. They were sitting inside, hidden by the flaps, each of them muttering an incantation. I recognized most but didn't know their names. None but Sakura Ishida, anyway. "Sit."
That's the last thing I expected to be doing. Reluctantly, I sat in the open chair.
"All you need to do, is close your eyes and sit here. I'm going to channel my sight through you, and you will feel everything I interact with in the physical realm."
"Your sight?"
Kalino bowed her head. "I see in lines and shapes, and I can feel the emotions made toward you. This killer will hate you, and you will see it. You will know."
Swallowing the lump in my throat, I nodded.
"Good. I won't be with you physically so try not to get distracted. The moment your eyes open, we'll be disconnected."
"What do I need to do?" I rubbed my palms together, trying to rub the anxiety out of me.
"Your attacker thinks of you even now. They feel toward you. Whether or not they intended it, their emotions will be a flare in darkness. They will feel murderous intent. It is different from hate. You will know it."
That didn't make me feel very good about the situation.
Kalino rested her palm against my head. "Close your eyes."
I did so.
In the darkness of my mind, a faint dot of light grew. Then I saw outlines of shapes and people in a blue fog, with strings that tied between me and each outline. She wasn't there, but it felt like her palm was still warm on my forehead. Weird.
"Focus," her voice echoed in my mind.
Right. The shapes were people. Pale-blue outlines like the visions found within Remnants. Kalino stroked the strings between me and the other shapes, her hands gliding across them elegantly. Each string she touched spawned an emotion within me, most of them negative. They overlapped one after the other until I felt fire burning my heart. I grimaced and pressed a hand to my chest to soothe the rage. "That one."
"I'm on it. Stay focused. Whatever you do, don't open your eyes."
Kalino pressed through the outlines, chasing the person in the crowd. They were running, now. Like they realized they'd been found. They either knew about the plan or were coming in hot for a murder attempt. I hoped for the former.
"I almost have them," Kalino said, her voice strained.
Then I heard a slam and screams. Lots of screams. It was close by. I kept my eyes clenched tight, trembling as I heard footsteps. The professors around me were moving, but I wasn't sure what was going on. The next thing I knew, I wasn't in the chair anymore. I snapped my eyes open, looked at the chaos around me, and realized I was flying through the back of the tent. Praying to the Goddess, I angled my body sideways in hopes that I could limit the damage and braced for impact with the wall.
Pain shot from my hip to my shoulder when I hit. My arm, too, ached. I slid to the floor and sat up, taking shallow breaths. Terror filled me as I looked to the approaching figure. A rueful smile slid over his face as he dragged his blood-soaked fingers across his chest. It was Killian Rhodes, his eyes lit with an ominous glow.
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