Crossroads (Crossroads Academy #1)

by J.J. Bonds

  **********

  I’m relieved when Shaye finally returns to Anatomy. I haven’t seen her since the day I forced my way into her room. I was starting to think she’d never come back. I have to remind myself that she’s only missed a handful of classes. Things have been so busy lately between school and the extra training sessions with Nik that I’ve kind of lost track of time.

  I stare out the window and realize that winter has officially arrived. Giant white flakes of snow float past, as they descend to the earth and coat the school grounds. The result is beautiful. Nothing like the dirty, slush-filled roads I remember from my childhood. On campus the snow remains virtually untouched, as we don’t get many visitors and the roads to the school see little traffic. The mountains surrounding the campus glisten in the sun; the trees laden with snow and ice.

  I’ll probably have to wait for spring to even think about riding lessons with Keegan. I don’t know where I’d find the time anyway. I’ve been training obsessively with Nik and using my own free time to practice as well. He’s pleased with my progress and has promised me we’ll start working with weapons soon. It’s something to look forward to.

  “Miss Lescinka.”

  “Huh?” Bloody hell! I’ve been caught day dreaming again. “I’m sorry, Professor. Can you repeat the question?”

  “Anyone else?” Hooke challenges, dismissing me entirely, as though it’s going to hurt my feelings. Actually, I’d prefer he move on to another student, since I don’t have the faintest idea what he was talking about anyway.

  Shaye raises her hand. She’s the only one. Leave to Shaye to come back to class better prepared than the rest of us, I smirk. Good for her. It must mean she’s been feeling well enough to keep up with her assignments.

  “If a vampire chooses to transfigure a human during feeding, toxin is injected from the fangs into the subjects’ bloodstream. The infection spreads rapidly while also creating a state of paralysis. During this process the human DNA is perverted, creating cells that mirror both human and vampire characteristics. Under a microscope it would be easy to see the difference, though.”

  “Correct,” Professor Hooke praises her before moving on. “The cell mutation is not natural, and so a mixed-blood vampire will never be physiologically identical to a pureblood. Close, but not identical.”

  “And that’s why they’ll never rule,” calls out one of my classmates. I think his name is Sean. He’s proud, proud of his heritage and a history that has nearly exterminated the lesser parts of what he believes to be a diluted gene pool. I’m disgusted. I hear the vestiges of an argument as old as time—an argument that has brought war, suffering, and death to all corners of the earth.

  This time I tune out the class discussion intentionally.