Veiled: Book 1 in the House of Shadows Series

by Michelle Areaux

  This time, I made sure to pay close attention to where I was going. Doors lined each side of the hall, revealing student rooms just like mine. As we walked, students emerged and joined us in the hall. I was suddenly feeling claustrophobic as I found myself immersed between Vampires of all different ages and levels.

  Leaning into me, Eden began to speak very low, so that only I could hear her. “Most of the students on this floor are third- and fourth-year students. You and two others are new students. The good thing is, the third- and fourth-year students have had enough training to deal with humans. They shouldn’t be a threat to you. As for the others, they will have to spend more time in the human adaptation courses,” Eden stated.

  This was all so absurd to me. To think, this school offered classes on how to live with humans. The thought alone seemed like something out of a fantasy novel.

  We came to the end of the hall and I saw two other halls sprouting out from the right and left sides. Straight ahead was a large staircase that would lead back to the main floor. This place was so big, I felt like I was going to walk miles before we reached our destination.

  Once downstairs, we turned a corner and Eden stopped abruptly. A long line of students stood in front of us. Just ahead of us a large opening leading to the auditorium. A large opening to what I now assumed was the auditorium just ahead of us.

  “You will come sit by me,” Eden stated. “After the meeting, you and I are meeting with my dad to go over some precautions he is putting in place to ensure your safety,” she added.

  I wasn’t sure if that was meant to make me feel better or not, but it gave me a sort of odd sensation.

  We moved slowly inside and I realized this was more like a concert hall than any auditorium I had ever been in before. Even at my previous posh private school, I hadn’t been placed in such fine luxury.

  Red, velvet chairs lined in rows set facing an expansive stage that looked more like something built for Broadway.

  The Dean was standing in front of a black podium and he gazed out over the crowd as students piled into the room.

  Eden and I sat near the back, for my safety I was sure.

  I sat down and ran my fingers along the soft material of the seat. My eyes were wondering around the room when something out of the corner of my eye caught my attention.

  Dark, silver studded eyes were watching me from across the room. He wasn’t looking at me like I was his next meal, but more like he was checking me out.

  He was one of the most beautiful boys I had ever seen before, and I couldn’t steal myself to look away.

  He smiled, his thin lips curving up in a perfect smile that sent butterflies rushing through my stomach.

  Shaking my head, I quickly diverted my gaze and focused now on my trembling hands in my lap. I couldn’t look at one of the guys like that. Sure, he might be irresistibly good-looking, but he was still a blood-thirsty Vampire.

  “That’s Zane,” Eden said.

  “What?” I asked, almost choking out my words.

  With a half-hearted laugh, she nudged my shoulder. “I saw him checking you out. He is cute, but he has a temper. Best steer clear from him,” she warned.

  It was the first time I had heard her sound nervous or even demanding. I wasn’t sure why she felt compelled to tell me this Zane wasn’t someone to be around. I had made a decision to stay away from all of these Vampires and get as far from here as I could.

  “I have no desire to get near any of these Vampires,” I said, and then instantly, I regretted my words.

  I hadn’t meant to insult Eden. She had been nice to me and hadn’t been a threat at all. I opened my mouth to apologize, but she held her hand up and stopped me.

  “It’s ok. I know what you mean. Look, I have lived among humans my entire life. I live in a house half the year with humans as neighbors. I can control my cravings and have learned to live on animal blood,” she said. “As scary as this must be, we are all just a bunch of students who want to get an education like you. We want to live our lives and not be judged-- just like you.”

  I thought over her words as I settled back into my seat. I decided it was best if I just closed my mouth and remained hidden in the shadows of this dark room.

  Once everyone was inside, the large double doors closed and, once again, I was trapped inside.

  “Welcome back to another fantastic year at the House of Shadows. I am grateful to see familiar faces and new ones, all eager to begin a wonderful year of education. This year…” he paused, placing his hands around the podium edges and for a brief moment, he seemed to be reconsidering his next words. “This year, we will house a special student. As you all know, the House of Shadows isn’t just an academic institution. We also serve our Vampire community in preparing those that wish to live in the human world, with the skills and strategies they will need to live among humans without allowing their blood-thirst urges to betray our century-old secret. We have graduated award winning actors, political figures, and many more students who went on to live successful lives in the world of humans. Now, to better prepare you all, we have a human who will be attending the House of Shadows.”

  At his last words, total chaos reigned down around me. Some students smiled and laughed, barring their fangs at the thought of a tasty human in their presence. Some began to look around, desperate for the first glimpse of that special guest; while others stood, throwing their hands up in the air in frustration and anger. Only a few seemed to be interested and nodded their heads in agreement that this would be a great idea.

  I wanted to jump up and run out of there, but Eden grabbed hold of my hand and seemed to force me to remain seated.

  “If you get up now, they will all know that you are the human,” she whispered to me.

  I understood her thinking and sat still, but that didn’t stop my heart from beating so hard against my chest, that I thought it might burst.

  “Calm down now!” the Dean shouted.

  Everyone stopped and sat back down. I had to give it to him, he sure had power around here.

  As he continued, I tried to ignore the beating of my own heart that seemed to pulsate in my head. Taking deep, calming breaths, I tried to remember the calming techniques I was taught after my mom had died. After her death, I would have panic attacks and terrible nightmares. My dad began taking me to a therapist who helped me cope with those issues. Now, I was actually grateful for that time spent.

  “We will welcome this new member to our school and keep them safe. Their identity is of no concern to you. After all, you walk among humans and live day-to-day lives without them knowing your true identity. We will give them the same respect as you request. With that said, any Vampire who threatens or acts out any harm on this human will be expelled and sentenced to the High Commissioner,” he finished, his voice bellowing throughout the large room.

  “What is the High Commissioner?” I asked Eden.

  “The Vampire Council. The High Commissioner is in charge of the council and has been so for the last four hundred years. If you break any of the laws or rules set forth by the council, you can be sentenced to working as a prisoner for the council or in some cases, death,” she spoke, her voice so low, I had to strain just to hear her.

  For some strange reason, this offered me some much-needed relief.

  The Dean then moved on to discuss the rest of the evenings activities and the usual back to school speeches. While he talked, I couldn’t help but let my mind wonder. I had been so persistent on leaving and finding a way out of here, that now, my mind began to focus on what it might be like if I did decide to stay. Thoughts of remaining here and becoming friends with Eden didn’t seem so scary anymore. If these Vampires could be sentenced to imprisonment or even death if they hurt me, then I was surely bound to be safe.

  I knew my mind must be going crazy, but because right now, I was about to become a House of Shadows student.

  Chapter 6

  Once the assembly was over, Eden took hold of my hand and
led me out of the auditorium. Half of the room had cleared before I had even realized it.

  “The tour will begin tomorrow,” Eden began, as we walked down yet another long hallway. This one, though, had floor to ceiling windows that allowed the evening sunlight to filter in. A ray of golden sunlight stretched across the dark flooring, almost as though it were trying to paint light into the room. “We are meeting my dad now,” she finished, as she stopped in front of a familiar door.

  We were back at the Dean’s office.

  Eden opened the door and walked inside. Not two minutes later, the Dean walked in with three guys behind him. Two I hadn’t seen before and the other one took my breath away.

  It was Zane.

  The three guys stood by the door as the Dean moved to sit at his desk. Eden and I sat in the chairs facing him and I couldn’t help but feel like I was in the principal’s office. My eyes kept trying to betray me and look over at Zane, but I forced myself to keep them on the Dean.

  “Thank you Eden for bringing Audrey in here. You can go if you need to,” he said.

  My stomach dropped and I felt sick. I didn’t want to be left alone in here without her. Sensing my dread, Eden just shook her head, grabbed hold of my hand and squeezed, assuring me she would stay.

  I sent her a smile, thanking her for her gesture.

  “Alright then. Audrey, it was made clear to me that your application was sent with a hefty donation from your father. Truth be told, this allows for most students to be admitted. What baffles us is how he found the website. It is a secure domain that not many humans know about. Anyway, you are here now and as we discussed earlier, you will remain here this year.”

  He stopped, scribbling something down on paper. I had almost laughed when he said ‘discussed.’ There was no discussion, just a demand.

  “So, I have added guards to protect you while you are outside of your room. Eden has agreed to bunk in your room if you would prefer. We will have to discuss what happens after the semester is over,” The Dean said, his eyes locking briefly on Eden’s.

  I felt a moment of bravery as I decided to speak up. “I am aware that I have lived among Vampires my entire life. I am agreeing to remain here this semester and promise you that I won’t disclose this information to anyone,” I said, trying to sound much surer of myself than I really was.

  Nodding, the Dean smiled at me. “I appreciate your support, but I hope you understand we will require a contract of some sort. Just for our protection and liability purposes,” he added.

  “Yes,” I responded.

  I didn’t think to ask any more questions about what a Vampire contract might include-- my thoughts trailing to words that might resemble death if I disclosed this academy.

  Clapping his hands, the Dean stood and motioned for the three guys to step forward. They did and I could feel Zane staring at me.

  “Audrey, please let me introduce you to your guards. They will walk you to and from your classes and escort you to your meals and anywhere else you need to go. They have strict orders to do anything in their powers to keep you safe: Jordan, Lain, and Zane,” he said, pointing to each of them. Jordan was about average height, but he was very muscular and reminded me of a football player. His body was broad and wide and he seemed like a towering tree amongst the rest of us. Lain was over six-foot with almost white, shaggy hair, and had a stern look to him. He was intimidating to look at with his jaw set in a stoic expression that made me want to cringe. If I had run into him on the streets, I would have turned and walked the other way. And Zane… he was beautiful with his blonde hair, silver eyes, and charming smile.

  This may be the wildest thing I had ever done, but I was about to embark on a new journey.

  ***

  I left the Dean’s office an hour later with three bodyguards in tow. It felt strange to have them behind me. If people hadn’t noticed me before, they sure did now. I guess the secret of who the human was, is now out in the open. Placing bodyguards around me also added a spotlight that I didn’t want directed on me.

  Eden was still walking with me, which gave me some comfort in this messed up situation.

  “What do I do now?” I asked, glancing at Eden. She seemed at ease walking through the halls with our large entourage.

  “We can give you a tour of the school now. You will start your classes tomorrow, so it will help to know where everything is,” she stated.

  As she talked, I felt my stomach rumble. It must have been loud because Eden suddenly looked down at me and tried to stifle a laugh.

  “I’m sorry,” I said, feeling mortified. “I guess I am hungry.”

  I tried to think back to the last time I had eaten and it was breakfast before my dad drove me to the school.

  Did Vampires eat real food? Would I be subjected to feasting off blood? Oh no, now my stomach churned from something far different than hunger.

  “We can stop by the cafeteria and grab you a quick bite. Dinner will be at seven, so we have about an hour before we need to be there,” Eden stated.

  “Will they have… human food?” I asked, worrying I sounded silly. But to me, it was a legitimate question.

  Eden looped her arm through mine and giggled. “I think I am really going to like you,” she mused. “Yes, in order to fit into the human world, we have had to learn how to adapt to eating human food. Even though it doesn’t provide our bodies with the nourishment we need, we like to eat more for taste. We feed off animal blood, but we still eat food,” she finished, pulling me along toward the exit.

  Again, I felt a sense of relief wash over me. This was all so much information to take in, but with every new piece of knowledge I gained, I realized I could make this new school work.

  We walked outside and headed toward another large, brick building. From the plaque on the wooden doors, I read that this was the athletic center. As soon as Lain opened the doors for us, loud noises hit me in the face.

  Inside, I found a large state of the art gym equipped with treadmills, weightlifting machines, and even a sauna. An Olympic size swimming pool was off to my right and I could smell the chemical water from the hall. Upstairs, was a running track that looked down on the gym area and to my left, I could hear the squeaking sounds of shoes on a basketball court.

  “At the back you will find the tennis courts, football stadium, and soccer field. Everything is indoors as you can imagine,” Eden explained.

  I nodded, because I knew exactly why. Vampires plus sun wasn’t always a great match.

  As I took in the gym, I spotted Donovan sitting on a weight bench. He was in a tight t-shirt and sweatpants. I watched as he lifted an excessive amount of weight. His muscles bulging each time his arms went up and down. It was hypnotizing watching him and all the strength he used.

  “Donovan works out a lot,” Eden whispered, nestling up next to me.

  “Huh?” I asked, desperately trying to act as though I wasn’t just ogling her brother.

  Laughing, Eden let her head fall back and her dark hair swept over her twinkling eyes. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed you checking out my brother,” she said. “Don’t get too attached, he’s not really the dating type,” she added.

  I couldn’t help the sting her words left me with. I wasn’t sure why that idea bothered me so much, but it did.

  “I’m not interested in dating anyone,” I lied.

  I had dated a few guys, but none had ever captured my heart like you see in movies. My goal was to get through high school and hopefully one day make it to Broadway. Until then, I had to keep my mind focused. Boys, especially Vampire boys, were not part of that focus.

  Thankfully, Eden dropped the subject and continued on with the tour.

  “We have had several athletes leave our school and play for professional teams,” she smiled.

  “Wow, that’s incredible. I guess it just blows my mind how I can live in a world and not realize how different it truly is,” I examined, as I looked around at all the Vampires working out and talking.
From an outsider's perspective, they all looked like regular humans. Sure, they were a little pale, but otherwise, I would never be able to tell they were the walking dead.

  We walked down the long hall and out a different exit. This time, we crossed through a covered walkway that led to another large building. Only this time, I felt my heart begin to flutter as I read the Theatre Department.

  We stepped through the heavy wooden doors and everything finally fell into place for me. All of the hours of practice, the worrying if I would get into a prestigious performing arts school-- it all was for this right here.

  Inside, I found a large auditorium lavishly decorated with gold drapes that lined the black walls. Rows and rows of black velvet seats sat before a massive stage. The lights were already on, casting a spotlight to center stage. Already I was envisioning myself up there, playing roles of many before me.

  I released a sigh of relief as I slowly walked deeper into the room.

  As my bodyguards and Eden remained at the front of the room, I made my way down the aisle. I wanted to take in this moment; hopefully, if I could survive this school of Vampires, I would find myself underneath those bright lights and doing exactly what I loved to do-- act.

  Chapter 7

  After we finished our tour, Eden and the guys led me back to the main building of the school and straight to the cafeteria. I could smell something fried floating through the air and my mouth began to water from the aroma.

  We made it in the cafeteria and I found a seat by a large window. As I sat down, Zane quickly placed something inside of my palm.

  My phone!

  Feeling relieved, I smiled at him as I took hold of the device.

  “It took some persuading, but I finally got the Dean to allow you to have it back. They have placed restrictions on it. Just remember, you have guards with you now at all times. Anything you say, will be overheard,” he warned.

  It should have been a shock to hear, but it wasn’t. Plus, he was trying to help me out and I greatly appreciated him for it.