Hidden in the Sun

Chapter 9

"No." I said again shaking my head vehemently. 

"You have to!" Mary cried pulling her wrist free.

"It has to be royal blood, nothing else is strong enough." Hanabusa said evenly. 

"Do you know what you're asking? No!"

"But she'll die!" The fear in Mary's voice was palpable.

"In order for my blood to work on her, I'd have to take some of hers." I exclaimed rubbing my eyes exasperatedly. "The exchange would create a blood bond which is all but illegal with a nonconsenting human. I can't just-" 

"She only has minutes left James. Do this and she lives, or the poison reaches her heart, and she dies. The choice is yours." Hanabusa spoke calmly as if truly curious to watch this play out.

Then she dies.

Suddenly Evelyn's eyes shot open, and she started violently convulsing and gasping. Mary gripped her hands trying to calm her or comfort her, I wasn't sure. Her wild bloodshot eyes met mine with the most heart wrenching fear. 

"Please." She whimpered before her eyes rolled back and more of that blue-black substance poured out of her mouth. That was consent enough for me.

"Damnit!" I yelled before rushing forward gripping the back of her neck to keep her still as I lowed my lips to her neck hesitating only a second before allowing my fangs to break through. This particular poison when ingested was harmless, so I wasn't afraid of it. All I needed was a little of her blood, but the second it warmed my tongue, I was intoxicated. Her blood tasted like nothing I've ever known. The poison was there with a bitter tinge, but beneath that...

Sunshine.

Sweet... sweet... sunshine. I could only imagine what it would taste like without the poison. That singular thought snapped my focus back. 

Evelyn. 

I'm saving Evelyn. 

I hadn't even realized Mary had been telling me to stop until now. I quickly licked the wounds to close them. Focused entirely on the shared goal of saving her, I sliced deep into my wrist with my fangs so that it wouldn't heal too quickly and secured it to Evelyn's mouth. At first the blood just trickles in. After a few seconds, her body started to respond, and she began to swallow a little before raising her hands to my wrist holding it in place as she finally began to drink just as deeply as I had. 

Sharing blood was not something I did freely, if ever. A royal's blood is powerful in that the person who drinks it gets some of my own strength and power; physically and mentally until the blood finally fades. That takes a really long time to happen. This human somehow singlehandedly just changed everything. Could I even call her that? Human?  

Humans don't die from nightshade.

I pulled my wrist from her causing her to pout, but her eyes remained closed. If it weren't for the blue and black coating her skin and clothes, you would never know she was poisoned. I reached over grabbing her hand with the horrid decaying flesh and nearly sighed in relief as it slowly began to heal; stitching itself back together seamlessly. Satisfied that she was no longer dying, I turned my attention to Hanabusa. Mary had left the room rambling on about a cloth to clean her and new clothes to put on. 

"Nightshadow shouldn't have affected her." I said running a hand through my now messy hair.  

 "Indeed. Where did she get such a flower?" He said quizzically to which I frowned.

"She said something about a little girl on the roof right before the coughing started, but she was alone when I found her. I left the flower up there to bring her here." I said with a shrug glancing over the sleeping girl.

"I see, I'll send guards to search the school. We don't want anyone else stumbling upon anymore of these flowers." Was all Hanabusa responded as Mary returned with a new sweater and a damp rag. 

"I'm going to change her shirt before getting her to her room since school will start soon and there are bound to be some nosy nellies up and about." she said already raising her gently and trying to pull the once cream-colored sweatshirt off of her, the struggle was painful to watch. With an annoyed sigh I walked over and ripped it down the middle Exposing her black tank top leaving little to the imagination. I cleared my throat averting my eyes and walked around to the back side of the lounge where Hanabusa was shuffling through some papers. 

"What if she wanted to keep that." Mary said shooting daggers my way to which I shrugged. 

"I'll buy a new one." I mumbled before turning to the headmaster. "Can nightshade change the color of blood?" I questioned him to which he glanced at me before continuing his rummaging. 

"I'm afraid I am unaware. Professor Flittle might know." He said with a pensive glance at the girl. Sanora Flittle is the herbology professor with a knowledgeable reputation that precedes her. 

"You smell it right?" I mumbled in a low voice. His face turned to mine freezing in place, a slight glare obscuring his eyes from his thin rectangular glasses. Clenching his jaw he gave a small quick nod. Blood. Her blood. 

"She looks, acts, and smells human, but humans do not have blue blood... So, what is she?" 

"That is the question isn't it? I believe she will have to be tested. The choosing ceremony is coming up, it would behoove us to figure out that sooner than later for her safety." He said rummaging through his papers once again writing things down here and there. My brows shot up in surprise. Her safety? This school is locked down with very strict rules. If anything... she could be the dangerous one. 

Even that thought sat funny in my stomach, but I had a duty to this school and to the kingdom. If she was no threat then she may need protection, but if she was...

"I think its best if I keep a close eye on her until we figure out what exactly happened here." I said eying her warily.  Hanabusa suddenly stood straight holding out a paper with a schedule on it.

"My thoughts exactly. This will be her new schedule to align better with yours." He spoke turning away to get something out of one of the many glass shelved cabinets. I studied the schedule frowning. 

"Defense? Lumens? Humans don't take these classes-"

"Precisely." He replied quickly with a curiously excited fire in his eyes. 

"How will I explain her presence?" 

"Tell them I have assigned you to work alongside the human to see if integration of human-vampire classes is possible with the remaining vampire-only classes. It will give you the chance to see if she is merely the human we perceive or if there is something lurking beneath that exterior." He finished setting down a small wooden box on his desk before taking a seat. I nodded with a frown. The only reason this will work is because I am the high prince. No one would challenge the reasoning, but that didn't mean they wouldn't challenge her. With a sigh I turned to walk to the door. 

"Mary, will you take her to the infirmary? I'm going to have a chat with Sanora." Hopefully her background with herbology would prove useful.