Solasta Academy: All Hallows Eve

Chapter Thirteen

She's attended several parties ever since she came to Solasta but this had to be the ultimate one. Or the strangest. Calia couldn't decide. She noticed how it was mostly Vampires in the dark-lit bar, either dancing close together or drinking blood—which sent goosebumps down her spine. Since she entered the bar five minutes ago with Malakai, all of them slowly looked her way as they inhaled her scent. Her silver blood. Calia breathed deeply and focused on the boy who invited her to this dangerous place. Malakai was over at the bar getting them drinks while she stood in the corner and overlooked everything. Every few seconds she turned her head in case any Vampires were about to pounce on her, but they seemed to be staying far away from her. Good.

Malakai came back with two glasses and a dazzling smile spread across his face. He handed her one and she took it gently, eying the rose-colored liquid with suspicion. "What is it?" she asked over the loud music. Calia could not comprehend why the supernatural loved music that could blow their eardrums apart. What happened to quiet and calm music?

"It's supposed to be cherry-flavored vodka," he explained. "Looks like blood, doesn't it?"

"It does," she said. "Thanks."

Over the last few minutes, she needed a break from everything. From all the problems surrounding her and dead people trying to attack her every second—well she definitely needed to get out. Calia would have exploded if she didn't. And she definitely did not want to think about her altercation with Professor Blackwood. How he called her—

No. She refused to think about his insults or secrets he so obviously was keeping from her. Every time Calia thought about it, her head began to hurt. And she badly wanted to not think about it right now when she should be enjoying this party. She and Malakai sat at the stools located at the bar as she glanced at the party again. "What's on your mind, Calia?" he asked.

"Nothing. Everything," she murmured.

"Can I ask you a question, then?" Malakai spoke. She slowly turned her head again and noticed he was not smiling anymore. Serious as ever, from what she could tell. She nodded. "When you were slammed against those lockers after Yvaine's class...I saw something weird. Your blood. It looked strange. I thought it was a trick to the light but—"

"It wasn't," she admitted. "It–I don't know why it's that color or who I am...who I'm supposed to be. What you saw was correct but it's supposed to be a secret. If everyone found out about it, they would most likely test the shit out of me. And I don't want to be a lab rat, Malakai." For all the times when she was tested for her intelligence as a child, she refused to go through it again. Never again. Even though she learned how smart she was, the feeling she got every time someone found out did not falter. Some would ask her numerous questions under the sun and she would answer every one of them correctly. Others would stare at her blankly as if they had no idea what she was talking about...and it was mostly about physics for God's sake! Or something as simple as the Pythagorean theorem. "I've been enough of a freak to last a lifetime. I don't want to give them another reason."

Malakai studied her for a moment. "That's fair. I won't tell anyone of what I saw...not like I have other friends I can tell it too, anyway." She smiled at him as he took a sip of his blood. "So, do your other friends know of this or am I the only one?"

"They know," she said. "We don't exactly talk about it in case someone overhears."

He widened his eyes at the other Vampires in the room, but they all seemed preoccupied by the high of the music. Or their dance partners. It seemed like they were entranced like what happened at the masquerade ball a couple of weeks ago. At the corner of her eye, she noticed a familiar man in the far corner giving another man a small package she couldn't see from her spot. Calia frowned as she must have been seeing a drug deal of some sort—something she had seen way too often when she lived in the big cities with her mom. Juliette Nox always warned her to stay away from dangerous men like that. Dangerous substances that could cloud her judgment.