Papa said nothing but his face hardened and he helped my grandmother inside. I’m so confused. But I’d have to worry about that later. Students and soldiers alike were injured and needed help. I hoped that the vampires didn’t take anyone.
My mother pulled me into a hug. “Sorry it took me so long. I was fighting along the fence where most of them concentrated. They’re so fast and strong and some of them have magic.”
“Don’t be sorry. We know,” I said, relieved that everyone I loved was alive.
Legacy wiped her bloodied face and voice wavering said, “I can’t find Aric. I lost him when the commotion started.”
“He’s inside.” Zyacus didn’t offer further explanation.
Legacy nodded, “I’m going in to see where I can help.”
“I need to heal people,” Mother said and kissed my head. “Zyacus if you have any strength left in your stone, will you help please?”
“Of course.” He squeezed my hand, and they hurried to the first fallen.
My father was still yelling orders while soldiers carried the injured inside. King Enden took a group to chase down the remaining vampires if they hadn’t somehow opened a portal to escape in. I went with Bindy to get the kirune manacle off my wrist.
Hours later we had a headcount. Two students were missing, twelve died, and several had injuries. Mother opened portals sending groups of kids home. There wasn’t a plan on what to do yet but letters were pouring in from concerned parents.
When all of my friends were accounted for, most of the students were gone, and the adults in charge discussed a plan to find the missing, Zyacus, Legacy, and I slipped away. I wasn’t sure how to tell Legacy about what happened to Aric. She broke up with him last time for even suspecting he was a vampire and now he actually was one. A crazed, uncontrollable one at that. The same creatures who attacked our academy and killed our fellow students. I also had no idea what to do with him. He wanted to die, neither Zyacus or myself would grant him that wish.
When we approached the stairs leading up to the Hesstian boys’ dorms, Zyacus halted. We both looked at Legacy nervously. “What aren’t you telling me?” she asked with trepidation in her soft voice. “Is he—dead?”
That was the question wasn’t it? He had died and come back to life as something else.
“Visteal.”
I turned to see Kyan approaching with three others. Brax, another man I didn’t know and a woman, not a teenaged girl. I was both worried and relieved, Senica had called him a “good vampire” but he was still one of them and after seeing what they were capable of tonight, I was on edge. Especially when Zyacus tensed up and went for his sword. I threw out my hand and stopped him from drawing it. “You shouldn’t be here, Kyan.”
“We came to help,” Kyan said and looked up the stairs.
“I saw him fighting the blood drinkers,” Legacy said. “Why are you upset, Zyacus?”
“Because he’s one of them,” he growled.
Legacy took an automatic step back, pulling her dagger.
“There are two types of vampires,” the man, maybe in his thirties, said. “Those of us who kept our humanity and those who only wish to feed on humanity. We will not harm you but the prince will if we can’t train him—teach him control.”
The dagger trembled in Legacy’s hand. “What are they talking about?”
“Prince Aric was turned into one of us against his will. I’m sorry,” Kyan said, giving Legacy a sympathetic gaze. “But he will be fine in time.”
“He wants us to kill him,” Zyacus said, losing the edge, his shoulders even relaxed. “You promise you’ll help him?”
“We’ll teach him control and what he does after that is up to him,” Kyan answered. “But Aric is good. I hope the only thing that will change about him is his diet but it will be a hard adjustment. He is now immortal except for if he’s killed, he won’t age past today although no one will notice for a long time because he is magic-born. He’ll be much faster, stronger, have an aversion to sunlight and a thirst for human blood. It will be nearly impossible for him to be around humans for a while without wanting to feed.”
Tears burst from Legacy’s eyes and she took off running, pushing through the vampires and away from us. I wanted to chase after her but I had to take care of this first.
“What about the missing students,” I said. “Where were they taken?”
“The three, dark coven leaders—evil you could say, found the portal spell and with the combined use of their magic stones were able to open one,” the woman said. Her eyes were an eerie silver color. “They couldn’t open it inside the wards until the magic was down but they’ve taken the students to Collweya.”
“We must go after them,” Zyacus nearly shouted.
“We already have people on it. They’ll be returned by the end of the night. Over the past few months the dark vampires grew their numbers a lot but they lost more here than they created. There are more of us good guys,” Kyan said and smiled. “Unless they want an internal war plus the wrath of King Faustus and his dragons, they’ll turn them over. Besides, two of their three leaders are dead. They’re in disarray right now.”
“Why did they think coming here would be easy blood?” I asked. “This is a warrior academy.”
“Intel tells us that the greater vampires told their lesser vampires it would be easy blood, but the leaders were paid—a lot. We don’t know by who.” The woman spoke this time.
“Someone gave a student here, a boy set on revenge, a scepter and I believe it’s what took the magical barrier down.” I tried to think who could have paid these vampires and had a weapon like that. Someone extremely wealthy and who would either gain from the closing of this academy or was worried about the outcome of it. “We need to know who is behind this.”
“Can you question the student?” the woman asked.
I shook my head. “I killed him. He raised the scepter against me and I was scared of its power.”
“Where is the weapon?” Kyan asked.
“Stupidly,” I said, grinding my teeth. “I left it outside by his body.” Why didn’t I grab it when I had the chance?
“Let’s hope it’s still there or was picked up by someone on our side,” Zyacus said, giving me a small smile. Let’s hope.
“If there’s nothing else, may we go see Aric?” the woman asked.
“Can we say goodbye first?” Zyacus shifted toward the stairs. “At least let me reassure him you’re here to help. He’s restrained.”
“We’ll wait here,” Kyan answered.
Before we went up, I looked at Kyan. “Thank you. For protecting me against Senica with the spell.”
He smiled, his onyx eye pinned to mine. “Of course. I worried he’d try to take you and well if I couldn’t be there to stop him, then at least I could protect your mind. Senica’s ability was mind influence. It worked better if the person was inebriated. He probably drugged Aric.”
“I appreciate your help,” I said. “I wish we could have helped Aric.”
“I had no idea he wanted to use him,” Kyan said, solemnly. “As someone whose been exactly where Aric is, I’ll help him the best I can.”