No, as the founder of Rogue Academy, I’m nothing more than gum under a worn down boot.
Despite all that, I can’t help but smile. Our influence, our power, has grown to such towering heights that we’ve nearly wedged our way in with the big leagues. And the best part? Tonight, I didn’t have to kill anyone for spitting on our name.
“Enough!” Benjamin barks and this time it cuts into the protests. “We’ll be voting on it. At the next meeting, we’ll see what the outcome is, but for now, I urge you all to consider it. We’ve been following the same teaching structure for years and it wouldn’t hurt to have someone introduce something new.”
From the chatter that ensues, I know that not many are on our side, but I didn’t come here thinking anything would be said in my favor and so I’ll take my wins as they come.
“Finally,” Benjamin continues, cutting into the chatter once more. “I must address my impending retirement. As you all know, I am nearing one thousand years of age. Hard to believe since I don’t look a day over twenty.”
A few laugh. So do I, actually, because one look at the man and you’d think he already had one foot in the grave.
“I want a few years to myself,” he goes on. “To relax. To destress. And I’ve been spending a long time thinking about who will replace me.”
None of the coven leaders rustle in anticipation because they all know what to expect. It’ll more than likely be Hector.
“Boering Milliyard.”
My brows shoot up in surprise. The other Mid-Grand leader. I could have sworn Hector was going to take the cake. So did he, if the way he’s breathing so heavily is any indication.
“Boering, please step up to the front.”
I hear him stand, hear his footsteps. Boering is the silent companion, the one who usually let’s Hector do most of the talking. It strikes me suddenly that he takes such a backseat with everything, I can’t remember what he looks like.
I come closer, bringing my head close to Reece’s as I peer through the crack in the plants. Boering is tall, with a head of dark hair. The sparks of gold dancing in his eyes make it evident he was born a vampire.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity,” is all he says. Hector is gaping like a fish out of water. Benjamin claps Boering on the back with a hearty grin.
“I’m sure the Council will be in good hands. Come,” he addresses the leaders, “let us welcome our future Grand Master.”
The leaders begin to clap, surprised that it’s Boering and not Hector standing beside Benjamin. Another glance at all their faces and I decide that they’re not as shocked as they should be. And also not as pleased. Here I was thinking anyone besides Hector was a decent enough upgrade.
I shift my gaze to Hector. He is the only one who doesn’t join in on the applause, clearly not caring to hide his disapproval. Unfortunately for him, Benjamin pays him little mind, instead grinning from ear to ear as Boering silently resumes his seat.
The next words spoken by the Grand Master are thanks for attending and statements about getting home safely. One by one, they filter out and Reece and I look at each other, noting our cue to leave.
Thankfully, the chatter starts up again, allowing us to slip out of the room and climb back onto the roof without being noticed. I so badly want to talk about what we just overheard but I know it’s too risky. We can’t have any of them overhearing us, so we make our descent and hurry back to the Academy.
Chapter Three
Rogue Academy is a work in progress. We’ve got the building- a large, stone structure, solid on the outside and in. Our flag – blue and yellow - waves from the top, exuding the kind of pride I know we will all eventually feel. We’ve got the acreage to grow, acreage that is now home to shadowing trees and a decent sized water body.
The Rogue Academy students are known to take full advantage of the woods behind the campus, charging through at full speed, skinny-dipping when the sun has taken its leave. They’ve also built somewhat of a clubhouse on the outskirts. It’s impressive, but not surprising, just how much they’ve made this place their home.
Inside, Rogue Academy has been renovated to suit the needs of both the turned and born vampires. Those who weren’t born with a thirst for blood, don’t have it as easy as those of us who were. In their rooms, shading is provided – thick black blinds that protect them from the sun. There’s also an indoor patio, crowded with greenery to mimic the outside. It helps them to feel a little less locked in when the sun is out.
“Care for a training session?” Reece asks as we enter the grounds. Despite being the founder of the Academy, I know that learning doesn’t just stop because I’ve ‘made it’. Skills need to be honed and new ones need to be learned and so, when I’m not busy making sure everything is running as smoothly as possible, it’s pretty hard to distinguish me from the students. Similar in age to quite a few of them, and nowhere near as old as the elders, I’m not shy about throwing on my Academy colors and taking a lesson or two. I’ve even dabbled in Chemistry. Nearly blew myself to bits, so that came to a stop almost as quickly as it started.
I shake my head in answer to Reece’s question. “Not that I’m getting comfortable or anything, but I think tonight we can chill out just a little.” He doesn’t seem so convinced, but then again, Reece can be a worrier sometimes.
The gates to the Academy close behind us and we continue through the courtyard, walking on the stone pathway between perfectly manicured lawns.
Being that it’s in the middle of the night, the Academy isn’t crowded and the place isn’t booming with life like it usually is. But that doesn’t mean it’s empty. The fledglings are usually the ones out at this hour, enjoying the fresh air before the sun comes up. The teachers are pretty good about making sure they’re not locked inside the building for the entire day and when the weather permits, they host their lessons outside. Like right now. I can hear a few of the fledglings training under the expertise of one of my oldest members. She barks at them periodically, honing their hand to hand combat.
There are a few vampires lurking outside as we draw closer to the main building. As soon as they see me, they hurry over. I recognize these guys instantly. They’ve been here for at least a year and have been steadily putting themselves on my radar. Certainly hoping that they’ll leave enough of an impression to secure themselves a spot once they’ve graduated.
The first guy to reach me isn’t someone I’m likely to forget. He was turned, and boy did it create a scene. Humans who want to be turned do so at their own risk. The human body isn’t made to withstand the pressures that come with becoming a vampire and the survival rate for the process is at a dour forty percent. He was brought to the Academy by a former student, who pleaded with everything she had for me to permit the change. Physically, he was weak, knocking on death’s door. The moment I took in his hard eyes, I knew that despite his sickness, he was stronger than most. After hearing his story, I told him he could join and allowed the student – a born vampire- that brought him to bite his neck. Only born vampires can turn humans. We have a special enzyme in our fangs that trigger the change. After the bite, it’s up to the human’s body to decide if it wants to accept or reject the enzyme.
We thought he was dead. He convulsed on the floor – broke his limbs, frothed at the mouth – a sure sign that his body was rejecting the enzyme. Jaws dropped, all beating hearts came to a halt, the deadly kind of silence rang through the air and then finally, he laid still.
He was in that state for a full minute before his body jumped again. The rapidness of his movements caused his limbs to snap back into place. I smiled then, because I was right. He was strong and he had just brought himself back from the brink of death.
Since then, I’ve always kept an eye on him.
“What’s going on?” I ask before he gets the chance to say anything.
The look on his face isn’t as jovial as it usually is. “We’ve got trouble,” he says. “Sarah and Jessica snuck out after you left for the m
eeting.”
Reece starts to step forward, his jaw tight with anger. The vampires look at him and I swear, one of them shivers. “How long ago?”
“It can’t be more than an hour.”
“Where the fuck were you guys?” I bark, annoyed. “You’re supposed to be Prefects.” This much is true, but it’s not their job to keep an eye on the fledglings. Arrange meetings within the dorms, turn over any concerns to me, yes. But cuffing Sarah and her friends to a bedpost so that they follow the rules, not so much.
“They…” Despite his obvious failure, his back remains rim-rod straight. “They must have slipped by us.”
“How do you know they’re gone?” Reece asks. I glance over at the urgent tone in his voice. Reece always gets antsy when humans are involved.
“They were supposed to be at training, but Alexa says they didn’t show. I sent Rob out to go look for them, but they’re nowhere to be found.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose, trying to rein in my anger. A group of fledgling vampires out in the city with millions of unaware humans at their mercy is nothing short of a very big problem. The Council will definitely have a field-day with this.
“Joe,” I point to the miracle vampire. “Right now since rabid vampires are on the loose, I’m gonna need your help.”
Joe nods and squares his shoulders, ready for whatever I throw at him.
“I need you to stay here. Stay guard. Don’t let anyone through.”
Joe’s shoulders slump and I know he thought he was finally going to be able to put his skills to use. “Yes, ma’am,” he says and nods curtly.
I allow a small smile to slip upon my lips. “Who’s Rob?”
A vampire steps forward, a young, born vampire who I guess to be around sixteen. He seems to be in good health, a good sign considering he hasn’t fully matured yet. If he had been sickly and weak, it would mean he was bound to turn into a wraith and he wouldn’t even have been able to join the academy.
Puberty for born vampires is nothing to shake a stick at. Instead of the girls wondering when their breasts will start to swell, the guys worry about if their balls are ever going to drop. Those of us born with death in our blood are stuck wondering if we’re going to make it out a vampire or become a wraith.
“Go to Sarah’s room and grab me something of hers, will you?”
“Are you planning to go look for her on your own?” Rob asks.
“You think I should let her stay out there and possibly kill a mass of humans instead?”
He shuts up instantly. This isn’t the kind of situation where a slap on the wrist or detention once they return will be in order. I know very well that I’m looking at doing some pretty serious damage control. I look at Rob. “Why are you still standing here?”
He nods quickly and takes off in the blink of an eye. He may still be an immature born vampire, but he makes it to her room and back in three seconds tops. He hands me a yellow shirt. “I’ve seen her wear this a few times.”
I take the shirt and sniff it. It still has a very faint scent. It’s the only thing I’ll be able to use to find her in this massive city. I throw the shirt back at Rob. “Don’t let this happen again.”
“Yes, Mariella,” they say in unison and I brush past.
Reece follows at my side. “They can’t have been gone long. Let’s hope they haven’t caused any problems as yet.”
“Fledglings in the heat of the city? There’s no way they haven’t already killed at least three people.” Reece flinches but I continue. “Sarah strikes me as the type who’d want to be in the center of a flock of people. Twenty dollars she went to a club.”
“You shouldn’t be betting on something like this, Mariella.”
I quirk a brow at him, pausing at the door to Reece’s office. “Does that mean you think I’m right?”
He doesn’t even look at me. “Twenty-five says it’s her old high school.”
“We should really get security guards to act as a constant fixture out front,” I say.
Reece laughs a little at that. “Then they’ll just leave through the back.”
He isn’t wrong.
On a sigh, I push my way into his office. The space is simple – like him. Just a desk on the other side of the room, a couch to the left and the rest of the space is taken up by bookshelves crammed with books. They overflow, until they are stacked all around the room with no place to go. If I’d known he would have taken this much with him, I might have skipped out on building the library. It’s happened more than once that a student stumbled inside, book list in their hand, thinking they’re in the library. Or that a book they’re interested in exists here, but not in our actual collection.
I linger at the wall beside the door and wait for Reece to go to his desk and pull something out the drawer. It’s a Glock, loaded with silver bullets, I’m sure.
“You ready?” I ask him.
He looks up at me. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”
I suck in a deep breath. After what we heard in the meeting, it more than just grinds my gears knowing that if we aren’t quick enough, Benjamin will have to shove his foot down his throat and take back whatever he said about us not being dangerous.
Chapter Four
Even in the middle of the night, the city thrums with life. Humans are awake at all hours of the day, so even though it’s perfectly legal for vampires to roam freely at night, we always have to be wary of nosy humans and what they might see us do. It’s quite a bother actually, which is why I don’t leave the campus unless I have to. But I suppose I can understand the lure many vampires have to the city’s nightlife, especially newly turned vamps like Sarah. She grew up here, she thrived her and when her fall from grace happened, it was here, in this city, that she hit rock bottom. Coming back, bolder and stronger, it makes sense and so even though it ticks me the hell off, I do understand it. At least, somewhat.
In my hand, I hold Sarah’s shirt and resist the urge not to sniff it again. If this night goes down the way I think it will, I’m going to want to blend into the shadows more than ever. The last thing I need is someone spotting a weirdo sniffing a shirt and fixing me in their line of sight for as long as I’m around.
Reece rolls his shoulders and roams his eyes over the crowd another time. We’re on the other side of the street, facing a row of popular clubs exploding with music and the hustle and bustle of eager party-goers. Further down the road there’s a well-lit diner and karaoke bar – both of which we’ve already checked. Both of which have failed to provide us with the fledglings we’re after.
Slightly, I tip my head back and scent the air another time. The scent of Sarah isn’t prominent, but it’s there. Which is good. We’re definitely on the right track. I relax against the wall, gently flexing my hand. It’s been a while since I’ve been in an actual confrontation and there’s a chance I’ll get in one tonight.
“Heads up.” Reece jerks his chin toward the club. Sure enough, there she is. Blond hair shining, laughing without a care in the world. I swallow the fist sized lump that lodges in my throat and bite back my anger as best as I can.
Sarah and her friend stagger past the long line of people waiting to get into the club before whispering something to the bouncer. In no more than a second, the rope is being pulled aside to let them in.
I turn my attention to Reece. “You owe me twenty-five dollars,” I say, but I don’t laugh or smile. I launch myself off the wall, tucking my hands into my leather jacket, as I make my way across the street.
“Hey, don’t you see the line?”
“I don’t have the time to be waiting in a line,” I grunt, looking up at him. Reece stays silent, knowing full well that my feminine assets are more likely to get me past. “Can’t you just let me slip through?”
The bouncer shakes his large head. At the sight of Reece, he stands even taller than he was before. Still, he’s no match for him. Not when it comes to size and sure as shit not when it comes to strength. But the calmness on Reece’s face
coupled with his boyish good looks makes a lot of people underestimate. I have a half a mind to let hm be the one to force us in. “No, can do, missy,” the bouncer says. “Join the line like everyone else.”
“How about if I make it worth your while?” I decide to let him determine whether that’s money or a blowjob. He looks to be mulling it over for a second but then his eyes rove in Reece’s direction and he shakes his head again.
“You’re going to have to be more convincing than that,” he says.
Now, I’m annoyed. “Oh, yeah?” Without pause, I punch him square in the jaw and the large man is down before he even knows what’s hit him. The people standing in line gasp in alarm and I hear the faint sound of phones click click clicking as they all try to capture the moment. Somewhere in the noise, I know there’s Reece’s disapproval. And then, without noticing that he’s gotten as close to me as he has, I hear the words of that disapproval and feel the warmth of it right against my ear. “Real discreet, don’t you think? We’ll have security on our ass in no time.”
I grab at his hand and tear through the crowd in front of the entrance. As long as we find the girls before security finds them then we’re fine. Everything else is a damn walk in the park.
Bursting through the crowd is exactly as annoying as I remember it being. The club is packed with dancing bodies and heady with the smell of sweat, sex and alcohol. I pause for a few seconds, scanning the area in hopes of spotting Sarah, but she’s nowhere to be found. Vanished like a ghost in the night.
I run my hands over my face in frustration, then bite back whatever curse threatens to rip from my throat. “Keep an eye on the dancefloor,” I say to Reece. “I’ll go check by the bar.”
He responds with a nod and heads into the meaty crowd. I keep my hands tucked in my pockets and head over to the bar, my strides faster than humanly possible, but not fast enough to draw too much attention to myself. The counter is sticky with booze and the dust of snow white cocaine. A skinny, tatted male poses as the bartender, phone in his hand, mind far away from the party in front of him.
Rogue Academy: A Reverse Harem Paranormal Academy Romance (Rogue Vampire Academy Book 1) Page 3
