I was in shock, and then slowly I felt a fire well up through me.
I could hear Hanabusa start to say something as Mary rushed into the room moments later, but I paid them no mind and ripped the I.V. out of my arm and tumbled after the angry man. He was only a few paces away breathing heavy as he leaned against the wall, head back and eyes closed.
"What the hell was that?" I yelled suddenly filled with rage. He cracked one eye open to look at me as he stilled. In that moment I didn't care who he was.
"You don't get to come in and just accuse me of something and then storm out like I've done something wrong. You could have killed me, and for what? Just because I'm human doesn't mean you can-"
"If I wanted to kill you, I would have. Regardless of what our headmaster says, I only follow him out of respect, not obligation." He said closing his eyes once again and stuffing his hand into his pockets. His nonchalance only fueled my fire.
"Well, thinking someone is lying does NOT give you a valid reason to choke someone out!" I huffed crossing my arms.
"Most woman don't complain when I do." He responded with a casual shrug which just frankly pissed me off. I stomped over and used my whole body to shove and hit him repeatedly.
"You jerk! Who do you even think you are? Stupid vampire! Ugh!" Before my hands could make contact again, I was slung around in a dizzying blur as I was slammed against the wall with his body pressed against mine while simultaneously pinning my hands. One of his large hands gripped my chin and yanked my head up to force me to look up at him. He was all but an inch from my face and it was terrifying as he peered down at me. His eyes resembled molten ice; hard as a glacier but smooth and flowing like water.
"I am a prince." He said just above a whisper, his cool breath fanning across my face. "I can do anything I want especially with a little lying non-human!" He mumbled glancing down at my trembling lips before meeting my eyes once more.
"I am human!" Anger flared again and I shoved my body into his gaining about an inch of space from the wall before his other hand clamped down in my hip and shoved my back against the wall securing his body tightly to mine once again. I was starting to feel caged as he seemed even closer now.
"Ah, ah, ah, let's try that again. What are you, Evelyn?" His voice sounded predatory as it tickled its way across my skin like an electric current. What the hell? My heartrate quickened as I stared into his icy sapphire eyes realizing he wasn't letting this go.
"I'm human." I squeaked embarrassed by how pathetic I sounded. He chuckled darkly.
"There are other ways to make you talk." he mumbled huskily. His hand slid up my hip pushing my shirt up as his fingers trailed up along my waist and then ribcage to rest just under my bra, my breath hitching in my throat as icy flames licked at the skin he touched. I could see the unspoken threat in his eyes as he turned my head to the side and dipped his head into the curve of my neck. His lips grazed a trail against the sensitive flesh there causing chills to race across my skin. My eyes darted around looking for anyone, praying Mary would walk out and find me... but there was no one. This hallway seemed eerily deserted, and for a brief moment I wondered why no one had followed after me when I stormed out.
"I'm not lying." I gasped as he nipped at my skin. My body was reacting in conflicting ways, and I just wanted to get away. I was feeling like prey and struggled against the stone of a man but it was no use. "Mmmm... just one bite would feel so exquisite, you'd beg me not to stop." I could hear the longing in his voice and a strange part of me was eager to feel it. Disgusted with myself I struggled more. "You'd do whatever I wanted you to do."
"No." I tried to yell but it came out in a breathy whisper.
"Oh... come on, I've tasted you before..." He drawled teasing the skin of my neck. What did he mean? He's never...
A vague memory of pain and bliss like a hazy fever dream flashed through my mind. He had bit me. I felt the small distinct sting as one of his fangs scratched the skin at the base of my neck, but it was enough to snap me full force into this moment. My heart raced and My body thrummed with an electric feeling as my fight or flight kicked in and I gave one hard shove, the energy exploding from my fingertips sending him flying back into the opposite wall. He easily caught himself but looked at me surprised as I stared horrified.
What just happened?
His shirt was lightly seared where I had touched him, but other than that he seemed okay.
"Did I do that?" I whispered staring at my hands feeling like I might throw up. Out of the corner of my eye, two figures moved out of the shadows causing me to whip around only to see Mary and Hanabusa. Had they been there the whole time? Watching? A bitter metalic taste coated my mouth at the thought.
"Well?" Jameson's voice broke the silence as he started at the two expectantly while running a hand through his tousled hair. It was Mary who shook her head.
"She's not lying. She really doesn't know what she is, and there are no memories of her ever being able to do that before." Mary said staring at Jameson before looking at me with a frown. What was she even saying? "If she knows anything, it has been sealed away by magic so great that I cannot even sense it.
"Wait, what do you mean 'no memories'?" I questioned feeling frustrated and lost, this was just a lot to comprehend in a short moment. Mary shifted on her feet, but it was Hanabusa who answered.
"Mary is gifted."
"Gifted?" I asked beyond confused before putting two and two together.
"You can read minds?" I all but yelled causing Mary to recoil a bit.
"Not exactly." She began while twisting her hands together nervously. "I can peer into someone's mind but I'm only accurate at it when their emotions are heightened." She finished with a creased brow awaiting my reaction. Her eyes darted guiltily to the Prince still standing in the same place I had pushed him. I frowned thinking it over.
"So all of this was to see if I was lying?" I asked monotonously feeling venomous as I turned to glare at Jameson. He eyed me a moment before giving me a small nod of the head. I turned to look at Mary feeling somewhat betrayed that she not only knew what was happening, but that she also deceived me and invaded my privacy so extremely out of distrust. I thought we were friends. I thought I could trust her.
"You tricked me." I said above a whisper.
"It was necessary to understand if you were here under false pretenses." Hanabusa diffused calmly, but I felt anything but calm.
"False pretenses?" I spat out clenching my nails into the soft flesh of my palm so hard, I was sure I broke skin. "And what pretenses would I be here for professor? You're the one who came to my home and asked me to be here. You and my father had this planned for so many years and you thought what? I was here to betray you? To betray the memory of him?" I spat shaking. A gasp split the tension as my eyes whipped to Mary who was staring down.
"Your hand..." Mary spoke weakly raising one small hand to her lips with wide eyes. I followed their path to my right hand to see that I had in fact broke the skin with my nails and warm liquid dripped through my tightly closed fist. That wasn't the unusual part. I relaxed my fingers as I brought my hand out in front of me and examined my palm. An Inky blue liquid pooled from the small crescent shaped wounds in the skin. Fear once again spiked through me.
"What's going on?" I asked holding my palm out to them as they stepped closer to examine. Jameson reached for my hand causing me to flinch. He sighed eying me wearily while holding his hand out expectantly. I hesitantly placed my hand in his, palm side up to let him examine my self-inflicted wounds ignoring that icy fire between the small amount of touching flesh. All the while my heart soared once again. What should have been bright red was blue, like still wet ink of a blue pen.
"Is this because of the poison?" I whispered feeling overwhelmed by the rollercoaster of emotions attacking me. Fear, shame, anger, hurt... Hanabusa, now in front of me, eyed the small wounds precisely with a frown.
"Sanora said the flower's poison can turn blood a black color as it decays from the inside, but blue blood resolutely belongs to the ancient bloodlines for all supernatural beings and only if the bloodline is solidly pure. She has never heard of it being any other way." Jameson revealed absentmindedly. I was reeling.
"Evelyn, I know this is a lot for you to take in, but have you always bled this way?" Hanabusa said gently as if understanding that 'a lot' wasn't remotely enough to even describe this. Whatever this was.
"No... uh." I blurted as memories of skinned knees and all of the clumsy accidents I could muster from my childhood flashed through my mind, only I couldn't actually remember bleeding in my memories. I pushed harder thinking back, but the harder I pushed, the harder some invisible force seemed to constrict my mind. I grasped my head as I locked my knees to keep from falling hard on the ground.
"I can't-" I mumbled breathlessly as I glanced up meeting Jameson's curious sapphire eyes. I pushed again and closed my eyes with a harsh wince.
"Something is wrong with my memory." I said breathing heavy from the suddenly mental exhaustion.
"What do you mean?" Mary asked, curiosity winning her over. I frowned at her before looking away towards Hanabusa.
"I grew up like any normal child. I fell and scaped my knees and arms and face, I went to the doctor, but I don't remember actually bleeding." I said with a sigh hoping the headmaster might understand but he merely pursed his lips. "I know I did because I remember the bandages, I wore for the healing time after, but when I try to think of the injury itself..." I winced, that strange sharp constricting feeling clamping down painfully on my mind. I just shook my head slowly staring at the ground and hugged myself.
I'd never thought about this before. I'd never had any reason to. Even when I thought back to the day my family died... I had no memory of my own blood; I only knew that I did bleed. I saw their blood much more clearly than my own.
"Well, we won't get much further with how exhausted you are. I can walk you back to your dorm if-" Mary started.
"No!" I blurted quickly with wide eyes but looked away when I saw hurt flash through her eyes. I still felt betrayed by her and just wanted to be alone. "I can walk myself."
"No, you won't." Jameson's voice slid out like silk causing me to narrow my eyes on his.
"Excuse me?" I hissed narrowing my eyes at him. I was fed up with that pompous man pushing me around. He merely shrugged.
"It's not safe." He said as a matter of fact causing me to sneer at him.
"What do you suggest then? Cause the way I see it, I'm not safe with any of you either." I snapped resisting the urge to flash my teeth at him.
"He's right Evelyn, until we know what all of this means and how it's connected with the nightshade flower that was in your possession... it's best if you stay near someone." Hanabusa said breaking the tension. I glanced at him bewildered.
"But-"
"I've already moved your schedule around. You'll attend the same classes as Prince Jameson. It's best if you stick close to him." Hanabusa talked over me with finality. I frowned surprised preparing my argument when I paused thinking over my old schedule.
"Even Studio?" I asked softly. It was the main class I had been looking forward to; my one reprieve from my nightmares, and I really, really needed that. Painting and drawing out the things that haunted me was like a breath of fresh air, a relief from all of the built-up pressure, not including the recent turn of events. I watched the headmasters jaw tighten as he flicked a glance at James.
"Prince Jameson's schedule doesn't include-"
"Please." I all but begged ignoring how bare it made me feel to do so. This was something I wouldn't budge on. "If you must babysit me, at least let me have that. I'll go along with the rest of it I swear." I added the last part begrudgingly. This school offered access to mediums I had only dreamed of using. I'd heard that certain paints were enchanted in a way that if something is painted as perfect as life, it could move like a picture that captures a living moving moment. I've dreamed of the things I could paint with something like that.
"Fine, but your schedule only allows for the 6 o'clock class just after sunset. You'll miss breakfast."
"That's perfect!" I gushed with too much enthusiasm. I cleared my throat and dropped the emotion from my face. "I don't need breakfast." I added glancing at James in time to catch the small curious smile he tried to hide. He probably thought I was ridiculous groveling for something so useless and trivial, but I didn't care. If I have to suffer the likes of him, I better get something out of it.
"Then it's settled. The school day starts in a few hours, so I'll give you the evening to recover and then-"
"No, no Headmaster. I'm already late to start the semester, I'd rather start as soon as possible. I'll attend tonight." I once again blurted cutting him off, but I didn't want to be even more of freak as the new kid. "It will be weird enough that a human is in every one of the eldest Prince's classes, let alone if I get excused the first day because of illness..." I trailed off as the prince rubbed his eyes with a sigh.
"She's right; there is already enough disdain for humans among the students. It would be best not to give them reason to see her any weaker, especially if one of those students gave her the nightshade flower." Jameson's words surprised me, but I wouldn't let him see how affected I was. If he was right, and someone gave me that flower, then they suspected I wasn't human or hoped I would hurt someone else with it and get expelled. I shivered at the prospect of unknown enemies lurking around these halls, and I haven't officially started yet.
"This is true." Hanabusa replied with a grave nod. "Come Mary, I need help with researching some things. I trust the two of you will uphold the agreement." Hanabusa said with one brow raised staring pointedly at the prince and me. We made brief disdainful eye contact before both nodding our agreement. "Good afternoon then." Hanabusa finished pleased with a small respectful bow at the waist.
"Evelyn-" I heard Mary begin to say but I whipped around the opposite direction latching on to the sleeve of the prince and pulled.
"Come on." I said lowly not looking back. She broke my trust, and I wasn't ready to talk about that with her. The prince merely chuckled and fell into step easily as I let go of his sleeve. I was so wired from this overwhelming information that I really just needed to be back in my room to process and prepare for the night ahead. I'd never felt so wholly unprepared, and it scared me a bit.