Lorelei's School of Deviltry, Semester One: An Academy for Supernaturals

by SF Benson

  “Nope.”

  That didn’t surprise me. Vamps had a tendency not to recognize those who had a checkered history. “You should really look into a history class. Keleva was a succubus, and Draven was her vampire lover.”

  Milos’s eyes widened but stayed quiet.

  “There was a powerful sorceress named Morcana who was in love with Draven. When he refused her, she cursed the couple.”

  “Wait a second!” Milos’s forehead furrowed. “You mean that’s for real?”

  “Duh! Do vamps think that we just make this stuff up?”

  He shrugged.

  “Shame on you,” I muttered. Seriously, every Lilin knew about the legend. We didn’t play around with it. Any vampire who bit a succubus succumbed to an overwhelming hunger. It was supposedly so bad that the bloodsucker would beg for someone to put an end to him. As far as the succubus was concerned, she’d become barren. Either way the couple would be doomed. He’d be without a head, and her bloodline would end.

  Milos folded his arms over his chest. “How do you know it’s real?”

  “Some things you just don’t risk.”

  He shook his head. “That’s the basis of your argument? That there was this legendary couple?”

  “Yes. The only reason why there’s separation between Lilin and vamps is because of the curse,” I stated.

  “Maybe I should give the opposing view on your argument.”

  “There is no opposing view.”

  “Sure there is.” The cute vampire stood and began pacing the floor. “The Ancestors prove why the species should be separated. If they were meant to be together, nothing Morcana did would have affected Keleva and Draven.”

  “You’re forgetting that Morcana wasn’t a vampire. Her actions were those of a jealous female.”

  “Perhaps. Maybe we should research it?”

  Glancing up at him, I asked, “You’re kidding, right?”

  “We are in a library.” Milos stopped and stared at me before his thin lips lifted. “You’re not afraid to be seen in public with me, are you?”

  “No!” I blurted.

  Well, part of me was. After all, the school had a policy, and I was trying hard not to get into any more trouble.

  “For bat’s sake! We’re doing homework!”

  A little laugh escaped me. Before I knew it, I was gripping my sides and bending over.

  “What’s so funny?”

  Wiping the tears from my face, I answered with, “You said for bat’s sake!”

  Milos’s melodic laughter joined mine. In that moment, I began to like the vampire. He was smart and had a sense of humor. Maybe by the time we finished with our papers, he might realize that my way of thinking wasn’t so bad.

  It took us a moment to calm down and make our way downstairs to the stacks. Thankfully, my new partner-in-crime was familiar with the layout of the library. He led me to the books on vampire history. Amazingly, the section was right beside those on Lilin ancestry.

  I waved my fingers between the two areas. “This isn’t a coincidence, Milos. If Lilin and vamps were supposed to stay separated, our books wouldn’t be here together.”

  His lips quirked up on one side, revealing a fang. “Maybe it’s a cruel joke intended by a sorcerer.”

  “Right.” I turned my attention away from the cute guy and back to the various tomes.

  It took me a few minutes, but I found one entitled, The Legend of the Unfortunate Ancestor. When I read the author’s name—a well-known vampire writer—I knew the contents would be skewed in favor of bloodsuckers.

  “Can I see that?” Milos peered at the name. “My ancestor wrote this.”

  “Seriously?”

  “Yeah. Anton Milovich was a distant relative on my mother’s side of the family. Her maiden name is Milovich.”

  “Oh.”

  Milos leaned his back against the case and flipped through the book. After a few minutes, he said, “Interesting. Of course, the author slanted all the details to make it sound like Draven was a victim.”

  I lifted an eyebrow. “You read that entire book?”

  “Have you forgotten I’m a vampire? We do things quick.”

  “Everything?” I teased. As soon as the word left my mouth, I wanted to take it back. Why, oh why, was I flirting with a vamp?

  Milos gave me a wink and a grin. “Not everything.”

  I glanced over my shoulder. For the most part, we were alone. Moving closer to him, I said, “I don’t believe it.”

  Stop it! Take a huge step backward, my tiny voice of reason screamed.

  I ignored her.

  He shut the book and leaned in. “Ah, the succubus wants proof.”

  “You better not bite me,” I warned.

  “Wouldn’t dream of it.” His lips brushed mine.

  Honestly, I was prepared for a chilly kiss. What Milos delivered was so far from it. Sparks passed between us, and I learned that vampires were capable of doing some things slowly. Very, very slowly.

  When I moaned, his tongue slid inside my mouth. Every second I spent kissing Milos, my mind and heart warred with each other. On one level, I knew making out with him in public was so wrong in so many ways. But my heart dared me to test my own theory. Why couldn’t a vampire and succubus simply find joy?

  Because the school forbade it.

  But we were only kissing.

  Kissing could lead to other things.

  We’d never let it get that far.

  Before my heart and brain could come to an agreement, the kiss ended. When I looked up, Milos was staring at my neck with a bloodthirsty gaze. Instinctively, I took a step back.

  “Milos?”

  My voice broke through the trance. “Sorry. I didn’t mean—”

  “It’s okay.” I put my hand on his chest, stopping him from getting close again. His heart beat erratically beneath my palm. Wow. I’d always thought of vamps as being cold and heartless. Milos didn’t fit the stereotype. “We should probably call it a day. It’s getting late.”

  “Yeah, but I wanted to tell you something.” His eyes were fixed on my mouth.

  Distracted, I mumbled, “Yeah?”

  “There’s a vacancy on the Tribunal.” He licked his lips. “You should run for it.”

  “I don’t think so.” Finally, I came to my senses. I took the book from his hands and returned it to the shelf.

  “I thought you wanted to pursue politics. If you win the election, you’ll get a firsthand experience.”

  “Then you should be a candidate,” I stated.

  “Not possible. Kamila’s running. If I run against her—”

  “Understood.” Miss Vamptastic would make his existence a living hell. “I shouldn’t go up against her either.”

  “If you don’t, she runs unopposed. We don’t need her on the Tribunal. The board needs balance. Besides…” Milos ran a finger down my face and then cupped my cheek. “You did a good job of convincing me. You can be very persuasive, Lilith Martin. I have a feeling you’ll be invaluable to the board and the school.”

  He might not be able to blush, but my face was hot enough for the both of us. Glancing down at the floor, I said the words that would doom me, “Sure. I’ll run provided you help me.”

  “I’ll do whatever I can.” He leaned in and claimed my lips again.

  Yes, what we were doing was so wrong, and I was enjoying it much more than I should have. Hey, sometimes you just have to go with how you feel and forget about rules.

  §

  “You did what? With Milos?”

  That was London.

  I had to tell someone, and it couldn’t be my sister. Cyrena was a purist when it came to matters of the heart. She only mixed races when it came to her friends.

  London turned down the Journey tune playing on her boom box. Then she tugged my hand and pulled me over to her bed. We flopped down on it, and the questions began.

  “What made you kiss him? Was it a dare?”

  “It just happened.
We were in the library—”

  “Please tell me that no one saw you,” London pleaded.

  “No. We were alone in the stacks.” I slipped out of my uniform blazer. “Just researching Keleva and Draven…”

  “Oooo! Acting out any scenes?” London waggled her eyebrows.

  I hit her arm. “No! Nothing like that. Milos read an entire book in a matter of minutes. He reminded me that he was a vamp. Then, I made the comment that vampires do everything fast.”

  “No, you didn’t.”

  “Yes, I did! Then we—”

  “Then you what?”

  My head whipped up.

  Sybil was standing in the doorway. “What are we talking about?” She shut the door and plopped down on her bed.

  London spilled the beans.

  “Really?” Sybil sat up with a mischievous grin on her face. “What was it like? I’ve never kissed anything but an incubus.”

  Throughout my short dating history, I’d made it a habit never to share details about my dates and boyfriends. I never wanted to be one of those gossipy girls, but then again, I didn’t have close friends. Most of the girls I knew were too busy distancing themselves from me. I’d been labeled a troublemaker—a rebel with an unworthy cause.

  Sybil crossed her legs. “Was he, like, emotionless?”

  “No,” I admitted.

  “Was it like making out with a corpse? All cold and clammy?” London asked.

  “Definitely not!”

  “Oooo, she said definitely not,” the roommates said in unison.

  “Honestly?”

  They nodded.

  Remembering his lips on mine, I said, “It was thrilling. Milos knows how to kiss. And before you ask, the fangs weren’t a problem.”

  London jumped up and clapped her hands together. “This deserves a party.” She switched out the cassette tape in the boom box. The soulful beat of Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam began playing, and my friend began doing the Cabbage Patch. Sybil hopped off the bed and started performing the Robocop. Their dancing was contagious. Soon, I was on the floor with my version of the Pendulum.

  We were goofing off. Just having a good time. We never heard the door open. It wasn’t until the music abruptly stopped that we realized we weren’t alone.

  “Who forgot to invite the rest of us?” It was the fellows—Alistair, Nico, and Torin.

  Alistair continued, “You can’t party without us.”

  Torin turned up the music and then bopped over to Sybil. Alistair began dancing with London, leaving me to dance with Nico.

  “What are we celebrating anyway?” Nico asked.

  London shouted, “Lilith is running for the Tribunal seat!”

  The music halted again, and all eyes landed on me.

  My dance partner’s face darkened. “Please, tell me you’re kidding.”

  “I’m not. It’s to foster my political future.”

  Nico lowered his head and held his palms out. Slowly, he backed toward the door. “I want no part of this.”

  After he left, I asked, “What’s his damage?”

  Torin volunteered. “Nico ran for office once. It was an ugly campaign.”

  “His opponent made sure that everyone knew of our not-so-auspicious roots,” London clarified.

  Oh. That couldn’t have gone well, especially for London. Having a demon hunter for a parent probably ostracized her from other Lilin. Still… She seemed to recover. It was Nico, however, that had crawled into a shell.

  “I strongly suggest that you reconsider doing this,” Torin added. “If you insist, you’re gonna need a campaign manager who won’t be afraid to get a little dirty.”

  Alistair smiled and folded his arms. “That would be me, dear heart.”

  Chapter Seven

  Honestly, I didn’t know how I felt about Alistair helping me. There was something a little cheesy about him. The incubus reminded me of a used-coffin salesman. Sadly, nobody else had volunteered to help me with my campaign.

  The incubus in question gave me a look that screamed, “Let’s do this!”

  After a few minutes of silence, London vouched for Alistair. “He really does know his politics. Once Kamila learns you’re running against her, things will turn ugly.”

  As if they weren’t already.

  Everyone nodded, so it was decided. Alistair became my campaign manager.

  By eight o’clock the next morning, the whole campus was buzzing with the news. As I descended the steps of the lecture hall, all eyes were on me. One by one, all around the room, students stood and clapped.

  Feeling slightly embarrassed, I rushed to my seat and plopped down beside Milos. “What was that about?”

  “They know you’re running against Kamila,” he said with a sly smile.

  “How?”

  Milos crossed his arms and thrust out his chest. “I told you I’d help.”

  “And I appreciate it, but…” I pointed to myself. “Have you forgotten I’m the enemy? You’re not supposed to help me.”

  He turned in his seat and stroked the back of my hand. “Have you forgotten what happened at the library?”

  How could I? Every time I recalled the kiss, my lips tingled.

  “I said that you convinced me.” Leaning closer, he added, “Plus, I reread the legend. Although I wrote the opposite opinion, I’m contemplating your argument. It’s quite possible that we’ve been told an erroneous tale.”

  Relaxing a little, I removed my notebook from my bag. “What tale were you told, Mr. Petrovich?”

  “Well, Miss Martin, my parents said that Draven was a weak vampire who allowed himself to be captivated by a succubus. According to our version of the legend, Keleva thought she was setting a trap for Draven. She didn’t know that Morcana was in love with the vampire. Keleva was supposed to turn him over to Morcana in exchange for some trinket or another. When the sorceress saw how Draven looked at Keleva, things went south.”

  “An interesting spin on the truth,” I stated.

  “How do you know that it didn’t happen that way?”

  Any other time I would have argued the point with Milos, but I had it on good authority. If my father had been an incubus instead of a human, I could have easily been a royal.

  As Professor Wu approached the podium, I said, “Suffice it to say that my mother is a descendant of Keleva’s.”

  Milos’s head jerked back. “Seriously?”

  “Yeah,” I said with a knowing grin. I was proud of my heritage, but unlike bloodborne vampires, I didn’t lord it over others.

  §

  Unfortunately, the reception I received in my first class followed me throughout the day. By the time I reached Professor Malachi’s room, it had escalated. Every student wanted me to sit beside them. Offers of help came from complete strangers. It seemed as if everyone either wanted something from me or wanted me to do something for them.

  “Lilith, can you give a statement for the school paper?” It was a wolf shifter with a mullet. As he waved his notepad around, I got a whiff of BO. “What do you think your chances are as a new student on campus?”

  “If you want an interview with the candidate, we’ll set up something later,” said Alistair, suddenly by my side.

  The shifter stalked away from us.

  “Thank you,” I said to Alistair.

  “Just doing my job.” He pointed to a couple of desks on the far side of the room. “From this point on, do not answer anyone’s questions about the election. Oh, and you probably should stop hanging with the vamp.”

  “Milos? Why?” I took my seat and began searching for my assignment.

  “He’s bad for your image, Lilith. Remember, he’s the enemy.”

  “On the contrary,” said the familiar voice. “I’m the one vamp on her side. If Lilith has any chance of winning, she needs my help.” Milos sat at the desk to my left. “I can influence the other vamps. I even have pull with the shifters.”

  Alistair drummed his fingers on the desktop. “I don’t like i
t, but it couldn’t hurt. The three of us should meet later.”

  They continued speaking like I wasn’t even there. When they finished their discussion, I learned we’d meet in a private study room at the library. Alistair had a standing reservation.

  Thankfully, a lanky man with a bad comb-over and a scraggly beard took his place in front of the chalkboard. Professor Malachi perched on the edge of his desk. “In light of recent events, I have a new class project. We’ll be exploring the electoral process and the role of supernaturals in politics. In the human world, politicians are either Democrats or Republicans. You also have a few grassroots parties like Libertarians. These categories drastically change with supernaturals. Anyone know the difference?”

  Kamila, sitting right in front of the teacher, said, “Angels and Demons.”

  “Correct, Miss Tesarova. Within those designations, we have different levels. For the purpose of this class, we will stick to the more widely known Conservatives and Liberals. Conservatives will be those who like to conform to the status quo. At LSD that status centers around a hierarchy with vampires at the top and shifters at the bottom. The Liberals will be those students who would like to do away with the hierarchy.”

  I had a sneaky suspicion that the project was focused on the upcoming election.

  Professor Malachi walked over to the chalkboard and drew a two-column grid with Conservatives on the left and Liberals on the right. “Our candidates, Miss Tesarova and Miss Martin, will you come to the front?”

  Slowly, I rose from my seat. My eyes stayed locked on Kamila, who was eagerly walking toward the teacher. The first beads of sweat inched down my spine.

  He clasped his hands together and turned to me. “Miss Martin, your campaign manager is?”

  “Alistair McKinley.”

  “Excellent choice. Mr. McKinley join us.” As Alistair approached, Professor Malachi added, “Campaigns normally have a vast staff. For our purposes, we will condense to just two individuals. Miss Martin, you are allowed one other student to help.”

  My gaze went to Milos. I was surprised when he nodded. “Milos Petrovich.”

  When he stood, the color returned to Kamila’s pale face. “With all due respect, Professor Malachi, Mr. Petrovich can’t be on her campaign. He’s a vampire.”