The Black Raven

The Infiltration

Before I met Jessie, I met Eric. I was only 15 when the brought him to the academy. Unlike most of the "strays" that the academy brings in Eric was fit. He looked fully trained and as if he could take down a full grown lion. He had tousled blonde hair and a pair of stunning hazel eyes. I immediately hated him, no I loathed him, loathed him for being perfect. He was always in my class always in the same training room.

"Why do you keep following?" I accuse at him one day.

"Why don't you talk to me?" He replies with another question.

"I... I don't need to have a reason." And I don't, but I want to have a reason.

"Then neither do I." He simple says in turn.

"Fine, but leave me alone."

"If that's what you want."

I nod my head.

"Whatever you want."

"Good."

I turned to leave but his hand wrapped around my arm and spun me around and before I knew it my lips were on his or were his on mine, it was impossible to tell, we had become one creature. We stood there until I broke away and looked anxiously around for anyone watching us, in case they caught us breaking the rules. I looked back at him and new I must look like a scared animal.

"Tonight." I whispered. "My room, 9:00pm after light's out." Eric smiled, "But I don't know where your room is." He replied.

I rolled my eyes slightly. "I know you do." I turned and fled the training room. And that's how my relationship with Eric began.

The tall spires of the academy gates loom before me as the sun slightly stings my skin I can stand in it but it has a faint burning sensation like the feeling one gets when the hover their finger just above the burning point of a flame and they can feel the heat, uncomfortable, but bearable. The ginormous castle that was once my home now feels distant, and treacherous. I take a deep breath and step through the barriers that protect the sacred ground from creatures of the night, creatures like me. I feel the barriers ripping at me fighting hard to keep me out. But I know every centimetre of these barriers and I helped make them, they will let me through. I step forwards and the walls pull backwards one last time before I break through. I blink once and look around, I'm in the courtyard of the Academy. Stone benches sit around the edges and the gravel path crunches under foot as I make my way to the entrance. Breathe, blink, breathe, Act Human! I scold myself silently. I step up the first three steps and brace myself as I knock once on the heavy oak door. The sound echoes through out the court yard and I know that someone must have heard it inside. I stand there waiting for a while before the door creaks open and the person steps outside. They're dressed is black training clothes that hug their body and their blonde hair almost glows in the sunlight. 

"Raven." They say, astonished.

"Eric." I respond.

He takes two steps forward and before I know it I'm in is arms his lips on mine, but there's no flame, no spark. The energy we had before I turned is gone, replaced for a desperate internal longing for Jessie. He stepped back breathing hard and I realised that I was supposed to need to be breathing like that as well. 

"Where were you? You've been gone for three days." He asks.

"I just needed to get away." I explain simply going with the story I decided on.

"And no one saw you leave?"

"No" I reply to quickly. The night guard had and he wouldn't let me through, but a quick memory spell had taken care of that. Eric looked at me suspiciously. 

"You don't use magic unless you have to."

"I never said I did use it." I say sounding perplexed, but I know I can't fool him. 

"I know you well enough  to know that that's not the truth."

"Fine, I used a memory spell, quick, easy then I left. It's not that bigger deal." He looks surprised maybe taken aback at my use of magic but than his face eases.

"You're hurt." He says reach for where my neck meets my shoulder. 

Dam. I silently swear. I thought I had hidden it. 

"It's nothing." I say pulling away from him.

"It's obviously something or it wouldn't be bleeding." He catches my arm and forces me still inspecting the wound. Realisation hits his face like a punch. "You got bitten."  It's not a question, but a fact. 

"It's only a scratch," I respond, "or else I'd be, you know." I can't finish the sentence but he gets the idea. 

"Sometimes it takes days to set in. You need to get tested," he orders pulling me to the door.

"No," I almost scream at him. "Look I'll tell you the truth." He looks at me expectantly and I tell him half of the truth twisting it so he thinks I'm... well... still me. 

"When I left I went to the park and sat down for a while just to get away from everything. I had meant to come back that night, but I kind of ran into Jessie." His face gets angry and I know he's thinking of all the ways to kill Jessie for hurting me. The idea of him being killed by Jessie makes me sick, but the idea of him killing Jessie makes me sicker. "We fought and, he bit me. I managed to cast a stalling spell so I could escape but I only made it halfway here before I collapsed in an alleyway and woke up today. If I had been bitten enough to be changed, I would be one of them by now." The words one of them echo through my skull, one of us, me I think.

"Fine, I won't tell them you got bitten, but you might want to cover up the mark or someone else will find out and force you to be tested."

I smile at him and he puts his arm around me.

"Come on." He whispers in my ear as we walk through the door.

I feel awful for deceiving him but even worse when I think about what might happen if I don't.