So when Mrs. Romanov told me to re-do the experiment, I didn't realize that she would partner with me. We were the only ones in the room and it was incredibly awkward. We didn't say a word to each other and I found myself second guessing everything. I was also a little on edge whenever our shoulders would brush. I'm sure I was blushing like mad right now.
I'd occasionally hear Mrs. Romanov release a quiet scoff or roll her eyes. At times, she'd appear annoyed. Almost as if she was listening to someone annoy her. What caused me to arch a brow was when she mumbled something unintelligible.
"Are you alright?" I touched her arm and flinched.
"Are you alright?" She questioned back.
"Ya, it's just... do you need my jacket or something? You're freezing." She smiled at my comment. "Like seriously. Look." I lifted my hand to show that the reduced blood flow caused my hand to become a little pale.
"It's colder in Russia." She joked.
"Why'd you come here?"
"I... I was trying to rekindle something that I lost." She stared off like the memory saddened her.
"Your husband?" She arched a brow at me, so I motioned to her wedding ring. Mrs. Romanov smiled at it.
"No, not husband." She then looked at me with so much love. "I was gifted this particular stone by someone very dear to me." She stared into my eyes. "She found this stone while catching water from the well. Brought it to someone she trusted and he helped to fashion it into a gem and make a ring. She then gave me the ring." She smiled and stared at the object.
"How's your wife?" I cleared my throat since I was somewhat troubled over her being married.
"Suffering from misplaced memories." She sighed and looked off.
"Like amnesia?"
"Worse." Mrs. Romanov looked down and bitterly smiled. "I've been advised to just let her be and not physically interact with her since that would allow her to finally be at peace." It seemed that those words pained her.
"That's stupid and not empathetic. They should realize how hard that is for you. It's your wife and you obviously love her-"
"More than you can imagine." Her voice cracked. "And I was... but, she's... not safe and I can't allow her to be hurt. But, she always gets hurt." She gripped the table and I noticed dent marks. Holy, shit! "But what about you, Iris?" She breathed out.
"No wife." I tried to joke, but it seemed my comment cut her to the core. "Mrs. Romanov-"
"I think you can finish this section on your own." She gave me a quick smile and walked to her desk.
I felt like I said something wrong and I really wanted to apologize, but it didn't look like she wanted to talk right now. I sighed and continued working. It took me a while longer since I was the only one working. I felt bad for keeping Mrs. Romanov late, but it didn't appear that she minded. In fact, it seemed that she enjoyed being here. I don't know why since my presence isn't a reward.
"I'm done." I approached her desk. She lifted her head to see the paper in my hand.
"Nice work." She took the paper. I went to leave, but she grabbed my wrist. I hissed at the cold temperature. She quickly realized her action and immediately released me.
"Damn, you have a grip." I rubbed my bruised wrist?
"Sorry." She looked at the darkening sky. "It's late and probably best to walk out together."
I nodded and waited for her to pack her stuff. She then locked the door while I rubbed my injured wrist. I noticed it become black and blue. When I looked up, I noticed Mrs. Romanov's guilty eyes, so I assured her that I just bruise easily. She didn't see me convinced like she knew I was lying. I followed her out the school and she walked me to my car.
"Thanks." I smiled and got in.
"I'm sorry about your wrist."
"No worries. But now I need to make sure you get to your car." I smiled, but she appeared slightly nervous. "What?"
"I normally walk home."
"What?! You can't walk home this late. Someone is waiting to snatch up a pretty girl." I then blushed when I spoke without thinking, but Mrs. Romanov was humored. "Umm..."
"I'll be fine." She closed my door for me. "Drive safe." She then walked off.
It took me a minute to calm myself. I then looked in the direction she walked off in, but didn't see her. I looked around, but caught no trace of her. Either she walks very fast or she was taken. I hope it's the former and I won't have a new teacher tomorrow. I turned on my car and drove home while thinking about my encounter with Mrs. Romanov.
X
Vanya's POV
I'm not sure how many hours have past since I've been staring at the massive painting in the study room. I brought the glass of wine to my lips as I drank in Iris' beauty. I had managed to compel an artist in the 16th century to paint a piece that would forever capture her beauty. A smile found its way to my face when I remembered how fidgety Iris was and her constant whining for the painting to be over.
"Vanya."
I gulped the rest of my wine before facing Timo. I then averted my eyes out the window and observed the rainfall.
"He's here." I spoke for Timo, who reluctantly nodded. "Well, see him in."
"No need." I sighed when Pyotr spoke. "Nice condo." He looked around as he casually entered.
"Pyotr-"
"Oh, Vanya. We do this everytime." He faked sympathy. "I find you and your mate. You then beg for me to pardon her. I say no. We have a bit of a brawl and she ends up dead anyways. Maybe not by my direct hand, although the last 4 times have been by me." He smirked while I struggled not to kill him. "But even before me, she'd die from torture, burns, being drained-"
"Enough." I shattered the glass in my hand.
"Vanya, you can release her from this exhausting circle of life." He faked a pity chuckle. "All you have to do is refrain from kissing her. Then, she can go about her life, grow old, die, and stay dead. Though, I'd still hunt her down for a final collection." Pyotr released a condescending sigh. "You should've just let her die the first time, but you just couldn't. Now, she gets to enjoy an eternity of resurrection, only to die again."
"Pyotr, do you not have any sympathy?" Timo inquired.
"Hmm..." Pyotr sighed. "The thing is that you're loyal to the Romanov house, Timofey. I'm loyal to the vampire council." He paused. "And they want her blood. So I must give it to them."
"You act like you don't enjoy the hunt." Timo sneered.
"I admit that I do, but it didn't start out that way." Pyotr quickly added the last part when Timo made a move to attack him. "I've grown to view it as a sport based on the reaction I get from you two. It's a challenge that I enjoy. I track her, kill her, wait for her to reincarnate. And then repeat."
"Pyotr-"
"And to add to my challenge, I aim to kill her on her 18th birthday." Pyotr darkly chuckled. "And I've been successful, except for 5 lifetimes ago. I couldn't find her, but you did. And you watched her be killed anyway. Someone beat me to it." Pyotr then smirked. "And you should know that her 18th is fastly approaching."
"Out." Timo sternly spoke.
"I'll see you in school tomorrow." Pyotr grinned before flitting away.
"Vanya-"
"This is my fault." I continued staring out the window. "I should've just let her be."
"You didn't know the vials had been swapped. You thought you gave her your blood, not a vial that would result in eternal reincarnation." Timo spoke. He then paused and thought about broaching the subject that always resulted in an argument. "We should reach out to Lara."
"No."
"Yes." Timo insisted. "She's the one who made that potion and is the only one powerful enough to create an antidote. Not even the strongest witch can undo the effects of the potion because the caster has to make it null. You know that, so why-"
"I would never gamble Iris' life by trusting Lara." I spat.
"What do you have to lose?! She'll die either-"
"Timo!" I squeezed my fists. "If she dies, then we have to wait however long for her to reincarnate and then find her again. And it's not easy. Yes, modern technology helps, but still. To go through the whole song and dance of finding her and trying to talk to her." I looked down. "And knowing what I can't do to her... it's painful."
"They want her blood."
"What kind of sick game is that?!" I slapped the desk. "To infuse your blood in the potion, so the drinker has remnants of your blood?! Her blood is just as valuable as Lara's, so that's why they want her. She's easier to bleed than Lara and they collect and store that blood."
"I know you don't want to do this and it's hard, but... you're going to have to get closer to her... for her sake. Let's try to save her this time."
"So she can peacefully die and never come back." I sniffled.
"I know it's hard and a part of you wants her to die after the kiss, so she'll come back and never be gone. But, this isn't a life. For her to remember all the times she died and the pain associated with it... it needs to end."
"I know." I nodded. "Okay."
X
Iris' POV
I chuckled as I thought about Ryan being rejected again. He wanted to collect his date, but I told him that he didn't help with the experiment. I then declared that I wasn't obligated to a date since I completed it myself. His aghast face was priceless, so he began concocting new ways to ask me on a date.
I was currently in history class and Pyotr was staring at me. I looked at him, but he merely smirked in response. We were reading a unit where there was a mass murder. I subconsciously rubbed my neck like my throat had been slit. I then ran my hand through my hair because these sensations are becoming more vivid. Pyotr observed my uncomfortable state and it seemed to entertain him.
When class ended, I told him bye and went to my next class. When I got to chem, Timo smiled at me. I smiled back at him and turned to see Mrs. Romanov glancing my way. She removed her eyes from me and got her notes ready. The bell rang shortly after and I heard some rustling, but I attributed it to my imagination.
Mrs. Romanov then walked down the aisles to collect the homework. I rummaged through my bag to find the completed homework, but I couldn't find it. I furrowed my brows since I knew I completed it. Where is it? Mrs. Romanov stopped at my desk and held out her hand.
"Sorry, I can't find it."
"Hmm..." The look on her face was like she expected me not to have it. "Stay after class." She said before moving to Timo, who handed her two papers.
I sighed and faced the front. I was literally the only one who didn't have the completed homework. The class progressed with Mrs. Romanov teaching about binding between atoms and how to predict the reaction product. I felt a tap on my shoulder, so I tilted my head.
"Don't worry. I'm sure she'll allow you to make up the assignment." I could hear the grin in his voice. "But it's not all bad, you get to spend the afternoon with her."
"Are you insinuating that I have detention?" I whispered.
"Well, that's the new code the principal is putting forth, no?" I groaned, making him chuckle.
"I can't have that on my record."
"I'm sure she'll work with you to not make it public." He winked before sitting back in his chair.
The class continued, with students being actively engaged. I must be the only one who's not interested in this lesson. And it was obvious based on Mrs. Romanov continuously glancing my way. I felt my cheeks redden and I pretended to pay attention. The bell soon rang and the students slowly left. Some stayed behind to ask questions that they already knew. These students are really thirsty.
"Have a nice rest of the day." Timo smiled before leaving.
It was another 30 minutes until the students left. Now, it was just Mrs. Romanov and me. I was slightly nervous because I had no idea what my punishment was going to be. I wasn't nervous to be around her... for some reason, she felt familiar. I'm not sure. Maybe I'm just reading too much into my weird emotions.
"Can you help me with something, Iris?" Mrs. Romanov asked. It looked like she literally had to hype herself up to speak to me.
"Sure."
I stood and approached her to see many piles of papers. I was confused when she handed me a pen. Oh, she needs help grading. I smiled and gladly took a stack from her. I went to a desk and began correcting any mistakes. I decided to take a break since my hand was cramping, so I looked up. I jolted at seeing Mrs. Romanov intently staring at me. I lowered my eyes and decided that my hand wasn't cramping anymore.
"Umm..." I looked up to see Mrs. Romanov struggling with words. "Do... Umm... how you liking the weather?" She nervously asked.
I broke out laughing, shocking her. She blushed and looked down while I struggled to compose myself. I chuckled a few more times and noticed a small smile on her face.
"Are you shy, Mrs. Romanov?" I teased, making her blush even more. "But to answer your question, I am loving this weather. How about you? It's warmer than Russia, so you must feel far from home."
"A bit, but it's not too bad. I'm with my new home." She smiled at me. "I... umm... I'm usually not this short with words." She blushed and looked down. It was really cute to see her so nervous. "I..."
"How about I ask you questions?" She breathed a sigh of relief at my suggestion. "Okay, how'd you get into chemistry?"
"My... a girl that means the most to me loves this particular science, so I learned as much as I could about it. I managed to impress her." She smugly spoke.
"Wow, talk about wooing a crush. That sounds so cute! I'd definitely be swayed if someone did that for me." She smiled even wider at my words. "Okay, Mrs. Romanov-"
"Vanya." She cut me off. "Call me Vanya... please?"
"That's pretty." I commented. "Like really pretty."
"Well, the girl that I love gave me the nickname."
"What's your real name?"
"Ventseslava."
"Vent-what?" My eyes bulged, causing her to laugh.
"Exactly her reaction to it the first time. She decided to call me Vanya instead and it stuck." Vanya smiled. "But your name is beyond beautiful and suits you. Iris was an Egyptian goddess and you sure hold up to her beauty." I blushed at her words. "Sorry, it's just... hard not to compliment someone so beautiful."
"And I thought you were shy!"
"I am." She laughed. "But then you normally speak to me and it breaks the ice and I immediately feel comfortable to be myself."
"Normally? Have we met before?" I furrowed my brows while my comment seemed to sadden her. "I'm sorry. I have a bad memory."
"No, I think you have quite a vivid one." She breathed out. "But... yes, we have met before. We've met many times actually, but you don't remember."
"At school?" I asked since she has a face that'd be impossible to forget.
"Umm... would... would you mind continuing to stay after school to help me with stuff?" She had a hopeful tone.
"Sure." She released a breath at my answer. "I guess I should get going."
"Yes, let me walk you to your car." Vanya stood.
I packed my stuff and waited for Vanya to lock the door. We then walked to my car and I noticed Vanya intended to walk home. I grabbed her wrist and ignored the biting cold temperature.
"Let me give you a ride home."
"It's okay-"
"No, you walked me to my car to ensure my safety. The least I can do is give you a ride home."
"I can take care of myself." She softly smiled.
"Please? It'll give me more comfort. I was worried last time that something would happen to you."
"You were worried? About me?"
"Yes. I... I was scared that I'd have a sub the next day because you wouldn't come back." I admitted and chewed the inside of my cheek.
"Okay." She smiled and got in the passenger seat.
I turned the music on, so there wouldn't be any awkward silence. I then had her direct me while I drove. There wasn't much traffic, but we did get stopped by a train. Vanya chuckled when I groaned at the lever lowering in anticipation for the train. I rolled my eyes and thrusted my hand down. I hissed when my pointer finger got caught by the broken edge on my phone case. I scrunched my brows as I held up my finger to see it bleeding a little.
Well, that's not desirable. I pushed my thumbs against it to try and stop the bleeding, but it kept bleeding. I then removed my thumb to see some blood on it and my pointer finger still bleeding. I guess I'll need a tissue. I turned my head to go into the armrest, but I stopped at the look on Vanya's face.
Her face was void of emotion and it looked like her eyes had darkened significantly. It's like, they wanted to turn red, but she was forcing them to remain blue or something. I noticed her eyes were trained on my bleeding finger. She was rigidly still while staring at the blood. I guess she hates blood. I quickly found the tissue and wrapped it around my finger. The white fabric slowly turned a little red. Vanya made a noise and used her hand to cover her mouth and nose as she turned away.
"Sorry. I know blood makes people queasy." I spoke, but she didn't respond. "Hopefully, this'll make it stop."
"Drive the car." Her voice was low.
"What?"
"Drive." She said a little more aggressively.
I gulped and nodded since the lever had risen. When I got to another traffic light, Vanya opened her door and got out. I tried calling for her, but she hastily walked away. I then turned the corner in hopes of spotting her, but she had disappeared. Where'd she go? I sighed before turning my car around to go home.