Whatever happened, this wouldn't be the last of it. That's how you felt. Before you could get the whole story from Eleanor, the boys were sent to their rooms, and the girls were sent to theirs.
Simone, along with the other prefects, were talking to the teachers and before you could ask Simone what happened when she came back to you room, you had fallen asleep. Despite everything- you were exhausted.
The next morning was your first weekend at Arcadia Castle. When you woke up, the first thing you did was go to breakfast as Simone was no where to be found.
"Y/n!" Eleanor called to you from the table.
You ran over there and had a seat across from him. Most of the hall was empty.
"Eleanor- what happened last night?" You asked.
"I went for a walk near the woods and just found this... girl... and she was covered in blood and I screamed- ran to the dorm for help." Eleanor told you. He shuddered. "It was terrifying. I looked for vital signs, and she was breathing. But her neck..."
"What kind of animal do you think did it?" You asked.
"That's what I don't understand." Eleanor said, pushing up his glasses and folding his arms.
"Me neither," you agreed. "I didn't think animals that dangerous would go near people-"
"No," Eleanor shook his head. "I mean, it was violent enough to have been an animal... but most animals would have ripped into the flesh instead of... well, she lost a lot of blood."
You thought about this, but didn't say anything.
"And despite the blood around her collar and neck, any wounds were relatively healed." Eleanor shook his head. "I could almost say a snake would be more likely to have done this, the bite marks looked like- but that doesn't work either."
"When she wakes up, we should go talk to her!" You suggested as your eyes lit up.
"Good idea," he replied.
"I think you'll make a great doctor one day, Eleanor." You told him.
"Thanks y/n." He said, beaming.
~
I should have seen this coming. I alone can protect the students here at Arcadia Academy- even if they don't always deserve it.
I saw what Avery did to y/n. It infuriates me that he got a taste of her before I did. Had y/n not been there, there's no telling what I would have done. Cadere might take pity on us but I don't. Especially not Avery.
He abused his life as a human and now he's abusing his life as a vampire. But after all- that's what we are. That's who we are.
And it's up to us to survive, now.
At least Lucian had the common sense to seek me out. He saw y/n's blood, fled through the library passages to our dorm, and I knew I had to find y/n right away. She's lucky I did. Avery is unpredictable.
I'll have to punish the others for this. For mangling a student in broad daylight and leaving her for a human to find. You'd think being centuries old would teach you something but apparently not.
Besides, they needed my help. And if we were forced to stay inside during the weekend, I would have to sneak out to see y/n. It's better this way. I blamed the incident on one of the female night students. Cadere will be drilling them all weekend while we remain out of trouble... for now.
Perhaps it is better that y/n becomes conditioned to this... the sooner she comes to understand reality, the sooner I can take her. And who knows... she might even make a fine night student.
~
After telling Eleanor about your day, and the night class students ("you sound like a female Maurice!"), the two of you walked to the infirmary only to find no visitors were allowed. Feeling defeated, you decided to head to the library to find Lucian. After all, you always knew where he'd be.
Eleanor asked you to hang out with him but after agreeing to see pretty much all your night student friends, he knew you'd be busy.
But you made up for it by asking him to join the night class patrol with you. He said he'd think about it but you could tell he was happy you thought to ask him.
When you got to the library, you saw the familiar golden eyes of Lucian Lavendale. He looked up from his book when he heard you coming.
"Hello y/n." He said, putting the book back on the shelf.
"Hey Lucian!" You greeted.
"How is your hand?" He asked. Lucian brushed the white hair out of his eyes.
"It's better, thanks." You replied, touching the bandage on it. "What are you up to?"
Lucian shrugged.
"Just reading and writing." He replied. "Want a drink?"
"LUCIAN-" you cried. "It's 9 o' clock in the morning."
"Your point?"
Instead of staying in his study again, this time, you decided it'd be fun to go for a walk. Lucian wanted to show you some of the passage ways. And by 'wanted to,' you meant, 'was forced to because you kept whining.'
"Turn this dial on the chess table." He instructed. You did as he said.
Suddenly, the marble floor shifted to reveal a lit staircase. Your eyes were wide with amazement.
"Where does this go!?" You asked.
"The kitchen-" Lucian replied. "Or at least, one of them. But if you keep walking it leads to the forest."
This was so cool.
"Back in the early 1900s, these passage ways were used to smuggle all kinds of things..." Lucian explained as you set out together. "Alcohol, books, women. Hasn't really changed."
"Well we're not smuggling alcohol-" you chuckled, only to see Lucian shake a flask in front of you.
"I thought you were a good student." You remarked as he led the way.
"I'm not a good anything," he replied. "But that doesn't mean I don't try."
When a light beckoned you out of the passage, you found yourself outside, near the outskirts of the castle. You both walked together along the lake side surrounding the green hills.
"So what's your deal?" You asked.
Lucian walked with his hands in his pockets- his white dress shirt the colour of his hair. He raised an eyebrow.
"My deal?"
"Yeah, your deal." You said again. "I don't know much about you, Lucian."
He seemed lost in thought for a moment.
"Well what do you want to know?" He asked. You rolled your eyes.
"Everything." You told him. "What's your family like?"
At that, Lucian stopped walking.
"I don't really... we're not on best terms." He said. "I don't get along very well with them... how about you?"
"I haven't seen my family for years." You told him. "I've been living with my aunt for a while now."
You both continued walking.
"Is there any particular reason?" You asked. "Why you don't get along with your family, I mean."
"We're different people." He said. His golden eyes were surprisingly cold. "They didn't agree with my... habits."
He must have meant the drinking...
"I see..." You said quietly. "Well, the important thing is that you try to be the best you can be. None of us are perfect."
"I know..." Said Lucian. "But there were a lot of things they wanted me to do that I couldn't. They wanted me to be someone I wasn't. And when I couldn't... they disowned me."
You stopped walking. Lucian looked down but his eyes were like stone.
"I'm so sorry," you said, reaching for his arm. "That's so unfair. I can't imagine how much that must've hurt."
He looked at you with an unidentifiable expression. Then he shrugged as if none of it mattered.
"It's for the best." He replied, looking out into the water. "Say... do you know how to swim?"
"Yeah, why?" You asked.
Suddenly, you were scooped up by Lucian, and carried to the water.
"Lucian! Put me down!" You cried through bursts of laughter.
"If you say so." He said, positively enthralled.
With a sudden splash, you were under the water of the lake. It was shallow- and freezing. You could swear you heard him laughing even from under the surface. You came up for air.
Lucian stood with an apologetic grin on his face.
"Why you-" you began walking back to the grass. "I can't believe you did that... I'm going to steal all your alcohol Luci I swear."
"Luci?" He hummed to himself, gazing at the clouds. "That's cute."
"You should apologize to me." You said, frowning at him. "And I just threatened you. You should be scared, or- mildly concerned, AT LEAST."
"I'm sorry, y/n." He said. His features softened and you felt inclined to believe him.
You gallavanted over to him with long strides, and began pushing him from behind into the water. He didn't move at all.
"Y/n, what are you doing?" He asked, turning his head.
"Pushing you into the water." You said through gritted teeth.
"If you really want revenge, this is not the way to go about it." He said with with a chuckle. "I am sorry you're wet though. Here, the least I can do."
Before you could respond, Lucian had taken off his black uniform blazer and tossed it to you. You caught the jacket but your eyes were on him.
"Dry yourself off." He said, beginning to unbutton his white shirt. When he saw you staring and not saying anything, he sighed.
"You're not drying yourself off." He said. You hastily began to do so.
He pulled off his shirt, and you supposed that over his uniform you could never really see how defined his body was, but- the only time you'd seen boys looking like him was in works of fiction.
And hey- a girl can admire, can't she?
"It's okay, really-" you said, feeling the heat rush to your cheeks.
"You need something dry to change into and I know my top is a couple sizes bigger but it's better than nothing." He said with dull eyes.
You found yourself looking from Lucian, to the shirt being held in front of you, to Lucian, back to the shirt.
Just take the damn shirt, you found yourself thinking.
"Thanks-" you said quickly.
Lucian took the makeshift towel and held it up, forming a wall between you and the trees behind you.
"You should throw it on now, it's only getting colder." He said, looking away.
"But what if-"
"There isn't anyone here, no one's looking." He said, his golden eyes off in the distance.
And for some reason, you believed him. You quickly threw off your soaking wet top, wrung it out, and put on Lucian's dry top. You were still going to get him back.
Take his booze, throw a party... convince Eleanor to throw him in the lake... yeah!
When you told Lucian it was alright, he lowered the jacket/towel, you were decent, and he was smiling.
"What's got you so cheery?" You asked.
"Oh nothing," he replied happily.
Lucian threw on his damp jacket and seemed unphased by it. You could hardly tell he wasn't wearing anything underneath.
You wondered about Lucian. He was mysterious, as were all the night students, you thought. And some of the day students too. At least you knew about Eleanor's life, and his goals. He wasn't all that secretive. Simone was an exception.
But then again, you hadn't really told anyone about yourself much either... or why you really came to Arcadia Academy.
"Why did you come here, y/n?" Lucian asked, standing over you but in no way a threat.
You looked at him with a mixture of surprise and trepidation. This boy was full of coincidences.
"I only ask because I'm curious," he said calmly.
"It's a good school," you replied, not sure whether you wanted to face his golden eyes or look away.
It was rather like staring into the sun, a small thing, the sun, which brings warmth and life. It's safe. You want to look at it, but you know looking at it can hurt you, if you get too close.
You met his eyes anyway.
Lucian scoffed to himself but his eyes were light.
"Why are you here?" You asked him in reply.
"It's a good school." Lucian answered. "And if you want to be a good student, you'll get some lunch. It'll be noon in a bit."
"Come with me," you said, beginning to turn around, tugging his sleeve to come along. He remained frozen.
"Don't you want to get something to eat?" You asked.
"I'm not hungry." He said, trying to pull away from your grip. "You go."
You sighed, throwing your damp shirt over your shoulder.
"Alright, well, I guess I'll head that way, then." You told him. "I'm glad I got to see you, Lucian."
And I'll be getting him back, you thought.
Lucian's wide, boyish grin lit up his bright eyes. His hair said winter but his eyes said summer.
"Until next time, y/n," He said, waving half heartedly. "Stay away from creatures of the night."
"I will," you laughed at Lucian's off hand remark. Of course he was referring to the night students. Not like the day kids were much better, you thought to yourself.
You turned to him for a moment before setting off.
"Oh, and Lucian?" You said.
"Hm?"
"I really hope things get better with your family." You told him. "You deserve to be happy, and have people who care, and, well... you do."
You set off jovially towards the plaza, turning around once to see if he was there, but he wasn't.
Your weekend was off to a fun start, you thought. Maybe you'd see Simone at the dining hall and tell her all about Lucian. You don't recall introducing them- you half wondered if she were into booky guys.
As you turned the corner past the fountain on your way to the hall, you were swiftly propelled the other way by an arm around your neck.
"Come on, y/n," Roman said, daring. "I thought we agreed on lunch today?"