Zane sat beside me and every once in a while, I would catch him staring at me. He was cute and definitely hot as a protector, but I couldn’t really think we could be together--could I?
Chapter 9
Opening the heavy door to the theatre building, I felt lighter than I had since I had arrived here.
A few students were standing around on stage, talking with an older man who I assumed was the professor.
The lights were on and shining brightly onto the stage. I made my way down the long aisle, and I could feel the weight of the world lifting off my shoulders.
I spotted a few kids I recognized from my other classes and around school, but a few I hadn’t met before.
“Are you excited?” Zane asked, as he walked along behind me.
The guys had been super quiet since lunch and, at times, I almost forgot they were trailing me.
“Yes. Acting is my true passion and I can’t wait to get started,” I beamed.
“It’s nice to see you smiling,” Zane said, his fingers touching mine. I felt butterflies dance in my stomach at his touch and it made me giddy.
Jordan and Lain sat in the seats to watch but Zane stayed by my side. Zane was starting to really grow on me and I enjoyed his company.
“I can’t wait to see you act,” he said.
Turning to face him, a question popped into my head. “Hey, I know this sounds weird, but how old are you?” I asked.
It had been something I had meant to ask Eden earlier, but I could never find the time that felt right. Asking Zane seemed ok since he was now my guard and we were growing close.
Laughing, Zane let his head fall back and his blonde hair danced along his shoulders. “I have only been a Vampire for around eighty years. In our world, that is very, very young,” Zane stated. “Why do you ask?” he continued.
I felt my cheeks growing pink as I realized he was on to me. “I was just curious. I guess, since I am stuck here, I might as well learn as much as I can,” I finished.
Nodding, Zane just smiled. “You have a lot to learn,” he joked.
Clapping his hands, the professor gained all of our attention. “Students, I need you all to make your way to the front of the auditorium. We are going to begin class today by reviewing everyone’s acting experiences. I know most of you are returning students, but we have a few new and fresh faces,” he added, nodding my way.
I felt embarrassment wash over me. I silently prayed that I wouldn’t experience anything like the wrath Brie had unloaded earlier.
Thankfully, no one seemed to pay me any attention. All of the students sat down and we listened intently as each one began to share their acting history. When it was finally my turn, I stood and glanced around.
“Hi, I’m Audrey. I have been acting since I could talk. My mom…” I stopped for a moment, the emotions that came over me when I thought of my mom caused tears to form in my eyes. “My mom used to own a small acting studio. I loved to perform and now that she is gone, I want to continue her legacy,” I stated.
A few faces seemed to understand while a few didn’t seem moved at all. I sat back down and listened as the rest gave their speeches.
We ended the class with a list of plays we will be performing this semester. Beyond ecstatic, I almost skipped out of the class when it was over.
I heard the guys laughing behind me, but I didn’t’ care. Nothing could ruin my mood.
***
Later that night, I found myself snuggled in bed. Closing my eyes, I welcomed sleep to take over. It had been a busy day and I was beyond exhausted. Eden was watching a movie with the group in the media center, so I was alone. Growing up, I had spent most of my life by myself. For some people, they might feel lonely or wish for company. But for me, I preferred the silence and solitude that came with being by myself. Sighing, I rolled over and allowed my head to sink into the soft, fluffy pillow.
I heard a soft creak, but let the sounds of the old building turn into a lullaby for me. That was another thing that didn’t seem to bother me-- the night sounds of an old house settling. I had even come to enjoy the creaks and groans of an aging house. However, as the sounds grew closer, I realized these were not just creaks from a house, but more like footsteps. I shook off the thoughts as I considered that it was just other students returning to their own rooms.
As I felt sleep starting to take over, a cool wind swept across my neck, tickling my flesh and causing me to place my hand over the sensation. I hadn’t felt the air conditioner come on and there was no other air blowing around me… Weird. Suddenly, I heard a loud rattle that made my eyes shoot open. Glancing around the dark room, I saw a flash of white light race past the foot of my bed. In an instant, I felt a blast of cold air smack me in my face and then my bedroom door opened and slammed shut so fast, my eyes never had time to adjust to what just happened.
Oh no, someone was in my room.
Freaking out, I let out a blood-curdling scream as I jumped on top of my bed and ready to fight whoever or whatever was just in my room.
Without warning, my door flung open and Donovan moved at lightning speed to where I stood on the bed. Eden and the others quickly piled into my room, all looking around for the culprit that had me screaming for my life.
“What happened?” Donovan asked, grabbing my hand and pulling me down.
I sat on the bed, wiping tears away from my cheeks. My lips quivered and words seemed to evade me at the moment.
Eden rushed to my side and wrapped me in a warm hug. “Audrey, tell us what happened. You look pale and scared,” she continued.
“Something was in my room,” I stuttered.
I heard a growl escape from Donovan and Eden looked over at him. Locking eyes, they seemed to be having another silent conversation.
“Tell us what you saw,” Donovan prompted.
Just as he said those words, the Dean and a few professors came running into the room. I recognized Professor Martin, who was the Biology instructor. I had his class in the afternoons and was totally lost from day one. “We heard screams, is someone hurt?” the Dean asked, surveying the room.
Speaking up, Eden continued to hold me; protecting me. “Audrey said someone was in her room,” she stated, giving her dad a pointed look.
“Where are her guards?” the Dean asked, anger spilling from him.
Liam and Jordan stood just outside the door. “We were outside the room as we were instructed. We were both feeding, but heard nothing until she screamed and then the door slammed. Something knocked into us, too, and Jordan went after a light. Dean, I believe it was a Vampire,” Jordan stated.
Liam nodded, confirming the story.
“Are you injured?” the Dean asked, moving further into the room.
“No, it just freaked me out,” I admitted.
Bounding into the room, Zane moved at lightning speed as he came to my side. My hair blew in my face as he pulled me to his side. “I’m so sorry that I wasn’t here. I left to go get food then I heard sounds outside. What happened?” Zane asked, his eyes roaming over me.
I fell into his embrace and Eden let out a frustrated sigh.
“Something came in the room,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
Shaking his head, Zane gritted his teeth and looked around the room. “Do we know who or what it was?” he asked, anger blasting from him.
“Not yet,” Eden said, glaring at Zane.
“Are you alright?” Zane asked, hugging me even tighter.
His protective hold on me made me feel safe and secure, and I could feel my heart skipping as I relished his touch.
“I will call another mandatory meeting in the morning and I am putting the school on lockdown. No students may leave the grounds without my permission. Curfews will be set in place so we don’t have this again,” the Dean stated.
The professors followed him, mumbling their own thoughts to one another.
“Who do you think it was?” Eden asked.
“I don’t know, maybe
Brie?” I asked, unsure myself.
“I should have been in here with you. If I had been, I could have detected another Vampire inside our room. If it were Brie, I swear I am going to kick her…”
Donovan cut in, stopping his sisters rant. “We don’t want to jump to conclusions. We don’t know who or what it was. In the morning, we can all discuss this,” Donovan finished. “Besides, if her guards had been doing her job, this wouldn’t have happened,” he added, turning to face Zane with a death glare.
I could feel the hatred between them and it gave me an eerie sensation.
“What is that supposed to mean?” Zane asked, whirling his attention on Donovan.
Zane shot up, leaving me sitting with only Eden now. Moving faster than my eyes could catch, the two boys almost collided in the center of my bedroom.
“Stop!” Dean Sullivan shouted, causing the room to shake. The power behind his words and force wasn’t lost on me.
Both boys stopped, their faces mere inches from one another.
“Arguing isn’t going to solve anything. I have some investigating to do. For now, boys you all need to leave and calm down. We will discuss this in the morning,” the Dean finished.
“But dad...I mean Dean. Audrey could have been hurt or even killed. She should be watched around the clock,” Eden stated firmly.
“He’s right. You can’t watch me all of the time. I have guards and you deserve to go out and have some fun. But, I appreciate your concern,” I added, feeling a tenderness for Eden.
“That’s what friends do,” Eden said, hugging me again.
Friends. Eden was my friend and I was grateful for her more than she would know.
Everyone agreed and left the room, leaving Donovan and Eden at my side.
Eden got up and made her way to the bathroom. “I am going to change and then we can watch a movie or something. I am sure you can’t sleep now,” she suggested.
She was right, sleep was the last thing I wanted to do right now. My body was filled with adrenaline and I wasn’t sure if I would ever sleep again.
Once Eden was behind the door, Donovan stared at me, seeming lost in thought.
A feeling of guilt washed over me. I knew he didn’t really like me, and here he was rushing to my rescue. It was strange.
“Thank you for coming up here to check on me,” I said, breaking the awkward tension in the room.
Donovan just stared at me for a moment longer; and for a brief second, I thought he might just be ignoring me… Or, had gone mute.
He placed a hand on mine and his ice-cold touch sent sparks of electricity through me. My heart picked up its pace again, but this feeling was scared. No, this was want and something...more.
“You are safe here. I will ensure it,” he said through gritted teeth.
Then, before I could respond, he left in a flash, leaving me stunned and breathless.
***
The next day, I woke up exhausted and groggy. After everyone left, I was unable to fall back to sleep. I stayed up all night, jumping at every tiny sound I heard.
Eden tried not to laugh at me, but even I knew how ridiculous I seemed. I also couldn’t get Donovan’s words out of my head. Seeing him and Zane almost fight and then him telling me he would keep me safe--I wasn’t sure what to make of that.
A soft knock was heard as I pulled my sweater over my head. Eden was still getting ready in the bathroom, so I ran over and slowly opened the door.
Standing in front of me was Zane. He held a steaming cup of coffee and a small bag in his outstretched hand.
“What is this?” I ask, taking the items and smiling.
“Well, I thought you might want some breakfast and I know you need healthy options. I stopped by the cafeteria today and had them bag this up for you. I thought we could go for a walk before classes,” Zane stated, offering me a sweet smile.
My heart melted from his gesture. I wasn’t used to people being so kind and thoughtful, I wasn’t sure how to respond.
“Wow, that is incredibly nice,” I gushed.
“I just feel so terrible that I wasn’t here last night to protect you,” Zane said, dropping his head in dismay.
“Hey,” it’s not your fault,” I say, reaching out and taking his hand in mine.
Zane’s eyes shot up and stared at me in wonderment. “You truly do amaze me,” he said.
My head felt light as I struggled to not giggle like a silly schoolgirl. “Me?” I questioned. “I am just a human. You all are what is amazing. Your strength and speed and the fact that you all can control your cravings for human blood...I find that remarkable,” I stated.
Zane took my hand inside his, the icy-cold touch causing a shiver to run down my spine. I was starting to really enjoy his company even though I knew it was wrong for me to be feeling this way. I couldn’t help myself from falling just a little bit for him.
Chapter 10
In times of need, we find ourselves seeking protection. Being in a new place with people who are...anything but human, has caused me to have to find protection in even the most outlandish of places.
Like, for instance, the arms of a hot Vampire.
Since the night that I caught someone in my room, Zane had made sure that I had a guard with me at all times.
He was by my side whenever he could be, and I caught myself more than once wishing he were around more.
The only problem was, Eden and Donovan were always around, too. And the siblings seemed to have their own opinions on Zane-- opinions that were far different than mine.
Their hatred for one another ran deep; and even though neither group had really stated that it was a fact, it was clear to anyone with eyes that these three couldn’t stand one another.
I had been at the school for a full week now, and my classes were in full swing.
I had been given my first monologue to perform in Drama-- which I had chosen the balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet. It was one of my favorites and I knew it by heart.
Today, I found myself walking into gym class with Zane trailing behind me.
I was dressed in our uniform gym clothes which consisted of black shorts and a dark blue shirt with a red collar.
We were inside on the track today and I noticed everyone was lining up to race when I arrived.
“What is going on?” I asked, eyeing everyone stretching and talking amongst themselves.
“Looks like it is physical day,” Zane said, as he attempted to hide his own laughter.
“What?” I asked, spinning on my heels and almost face planting onto the hard ground.
“At the start of each new semester, students always have to do a physical. It helps our gym instructors know what exercises to focus on for our hunting and…” Zane trailed off as he realized what he was referring to didn’t exactly work for a human like me.
As I opened my mouth to speak, someone ran past me at such a high speed, my hair blew around my face and I stumbled backward.
“Whoa, what was that?” I asked, steadying myself.
Zane let out a loud belly laugh and his dark, black hair bounced around his face. “That was a Vampire warming up,” he chuckled.
“Warming up?” I almost shrieked.
At that moment, our instructor decided to begin class and I suddenly wanted to disappear. What was I going to do here?
“Students, please line up at the starting line,” he stated, holding a clipboard in one hand and a whistle in the other.
“Umm, excuse me Mr. Masen, what would you like for Audrey to do?” Zane asked, bringing all eyes on me.
“Oh look, the human probably expects special treatment,” Brie snarled, extending her fangs and hissing at me.
Part of me wanted to recoil from her nasty attitude, while another part of me wanted to grab a wooden stake and see if the whole Vampires versus stakes theory is truly real or a myth.
“Back off, Brie,” I said, turning and giving her sinister smile. “No special treatment needed here.”
Brie just waved me off while a few other students laughed at our exchange. Zane smiled down at me with pride, like he was a proud papa.
However, our instructor didn’t seem the bit fazed by our disruptive banter. “Audrey, you can run at a normal human speed. I will only track the other students speeds as they will need this for their hunting schedules,” he stated, looking down at his clipboard and scribbling something on paper.
“What does he mean, hunting schedules?” I asked Zane in a whisper.
We slowly walked over to the edge of the starting line, making sure to keep me out of the way of the other students.
“We each get to go hunting on the property, but with so many students and staff here, there has to be a schedule. The slower runners go earlier in the evening when animals are not as alert as they would be in the night. The fastest runners go later at night or early in the morning. This is part of our gym class here. Since we only feed on animal blood, it helps us feed plus we can still keep some of our ancient Vampire habits,” Zane stated.
Each day, I swear I learn something new and even more incredible here at this school. And to think this entire other world has existed right under my nose!
As the students began to get into formation to run, I also leaned over and took in a calming breath. At the sound of the whistle, everyone took off. The wind from their movements pushed me back and I almost felt like I was fighting against a tornado as I moved on ahead. By the time I rounded the first bend, almost all of the students were already finished with the race and checking their times. I felt foolish running alone, everyone moving on with the class as I barely made a dent in their scores. I know I am human and at a disadvantage against them, but still it would be nice to fit in and not stick out like a sore thumb.
No wonder so many of the students detested me; not only was I weaker them then, but they couldn’t hunt me down like the weak prey they hunted in the woods.
Well, at least I hope they couldn’t.
Veiled: Book 1 in the House of Shadows Series Page 5
