Academy of Vampires (Fireblood Academy Book 1)

by Nexus Jones

  I probably shouldn't have told her. First off, it's not her business. But secondly, I just don't like her and don't want to spend more time having to talk to her than I already am.

  But it would bring me such satisfaction to push my frolicking with Paul and his friends in her face.

  "Yeah. We were walking back to the dorm last night. I was hanging out with him."

  She took a deep breath and a look of confusion and rage came across her face. She couldn't fathom what was going on. She couldn't even picture one of those men with someone like me. A person with no vampire lineage.

  "That's impossible." She said, shaking her head in disbelief.

  She then pointed her finger at me. If I could, I would've bitten it off. "Listen here you little dirty-blooded freak, you aren't to go near them."

  I scoffed at her.

  "Or what?" I asked, raising my eyebrows at her, "Are you going to set your little army of minions on me?"

  "You have no idea what I'm capable of."

  "You know, Melinda. Ever since the school year began, everyone has been warning me about everything you're capable of. But I'm not afraid of you. All I see in front of me is a whiny, entitled, spoiled little brat. I'm going to see who I want. And by the way, I'm actually going with all three of them to the Winter Ball!"

  She shuddered and it looked like she saw a ghost. She couldn't believe what she had just heard. All the color left her face.

  "Did you just say-"

  "Yes." I said, cutting her off.

  It took a second for everything to settle in with her, as she realized I wasn't joking. The color came back to her face. And it was red with rage.

  "You will not! You aren't good enough for them! You were a human! And you're poor!" she started to breathe hysterically. Her visions of self-superiority were being challenged. I could tell that she wasn't used to this. She wasn't used to being in a situation where she felt like she wasn't getting her way. That her last name couldn't intimidate or bully someone else into submission.

  "Get used to it. I will be going to the Winter Ball with them, and there's nothing you can do about it." I said with a wicked grin.

  I wanted to drive this dagger even deeper into her heart. I wanted her to feel the pain deeply. I wanted to see it across her face and for her to writhe in it.

  In the end, she just shook her head.

  "You are a stupid, stupid girl. You don't know how to just lay low and try to win the approval of your superiors. If you were to just accept your position in the hierarchy, then maybe I would treat you better. But instead, you go around and make yourself stick out by...disrupting things."

  "I know that you think you are better than me Melinda, but trust me....you are not. If you don't have anything else to say, then I really need to get back to preparing for my exam." I said with a smile on my face.

  "This isn't the end. This isn't the end." She said, pointing at me with a trembling finger.

  She walked away, and I could sense the rage in and around her. She was festering in it. She was like a literal bomb that could explode at any given moment.

  Good.

  I don't care who her family is or how wealthy she is. She's a total bitch that needs to get taken down.

  I stayed in the library studying for a while. But it turns out that either Melinda told others about our interaction or kids overheard it, because it was spreading around school like wildfire.

  Back in the cafeteria, after getting the majority of work done, I sit down at a table with my best friend Isadora. She had been at her clubs and meetings all day, and dinner was generally a good time for us to catch up.

  "What on Earth happened today between you and Melinda? Argument in the library? Everyone's talking about it."

  "Damn. Rumors spread so fast at this place." I said, "At least I put that girl in her place. She seemed so...helpless. I love it."

  "Never underestimate her." Izzy said to me, "But also I'm proud of you for standing up to her. I'm glad that you didn't give in and decide to call off going to the Winter Ball."

  I raised an eyebrow.

  "If there's one thing I'm not afraid of, it's a stupid little girl like that. She's just like the girls from back home. Entitled and prissy. The only difference is that she has a set of fangs."

  I had more than enough blood last night, and I decided to just stick to water. I also avoided the raw meat on the table and just went with a salad, crackers, and tuna instead.

  I heard some footsteps behind me and the physical presence of a body. I took a deep sigh. It's Melinda coming to threaten me again, I'm sure.

  I swing around to see that it's George. He has his hand propped on the seat next to mine, and he has that contagious smirk on his face.

  "Do you mind if I take this empty seat next to you?" he asked.

  "Oh, uh. Sure." I said, as he sat down.

  "How are you, Isadora?" he said to my friend as a polite greeting.

  "I'm fine." Izzy said, barely containing her excitement. She then looked at me and was totally exploding on the inside.

  Getting this formality out of the way, he then turned to me.

  "How are things? I heard about everything with Melinda. Don't worry about that, okay. I don't want you to even get stressed out about it. We are sticking with the plan. Winter Ball."

  "Of course." I said.

  I looked behind me to the table where Melinda and her friends were sitting at. Melinda was staring right at us. I expected her to be in rage.

  But she wasn't. She had the look of cold, calm calculation. She was watching our entire interaction. No emotions on her face. It was definitely unsettling to say the least.

  I turned my attention back to George, who was sitting right next to me.

  "You really don't care what other people think, don't you?" I asked

  "Mira, I practically run this school. No one is going to mess with me." He said with a sexy and smooth confidence.

  George was definitely starting to grow on me. Sure, he was cocky and arrogant. He was definitely the one that it took the longest for me to grow accustomed to. But underneath that, I can see a strong confidence and willingness to not conform to society's basic expectations of him.

  For these reasons, I could see myself feeling more confortable trusting he'd have my back. Because he doesn't care what anyone thinks. He likes me because he thinks I'm cool. He doesn't care if I'm a turned vampire.

  "You're dangerous." I said, looking right into his tempting blue eyes.

  It was like he was casting a spell on me. I could feel myself being drawn towards him like a fly to a venus flytrap.

  "Don't you girls think dangerous guys are sexy?" he said, lifting an eyebrow.

  "Yes. But they can get you killed." I said, taking a sip of water.

  My heart was beating through my chest, and I needed something to calm me down. Literally anything to take my attention off him. Everytime I get around him, I start heating up. The intensity of the magnetism I feel between us blows my mind.

  I take a look at Izzy, and she's giving me winks and nods. She nudges her head in his direction, encouraging me to keep talking to him.

  She was enjoying this shit as her evening entertainment.

  "So you agree then? You think I'm sexy."

  "What?" I said

  "You said that I'm dangerous and then agreed that girls think dangerous guys are sexy. That means you think I'm sexy."

  He was really trying to push my boundaries to see how far he could take me. I'm not sure if he was trying to actually be a total asshole, but he certainly gave off those vibes. Either that, or he's far too confident in himself.

  "I'm pretty sure you know that everyone thinks you're sexy." I said

  "You're goddamn right." He said, sliding his hand on my thigh.

  I swatted it away and gave him an icy glare. Is he seriously doing this in the cafeteria?

  "What?" he asked, reacting to me, "You know you liked it."

  "This is what you do to girls? You t
ry to feel them up in the cafeteria? Obviously, you weren't taught manners." I said "Oh, come on. It makes you more popular when people know that you're an object of my affection." He said

  There was a certain possessive feeling that he gave off. I could tell that he wanted to hold me. To grab me. To possess me. He wanted to make me his.

  And he wasn't interested in waiting untilt the Winter Ball to get the deed done.

  "I'm not like the other girls you've been with, the ones that just let you in their bed after some nice words."

  "Yeah, that's why I know this will be a fun challenge for me." He said, narrowing his eyes.

  He was looking at me like a lion at a gazelle. I was his prey in the African wilderness.

  "I'd probably like you better if you were a little more subtle, like Paul. Or maybe a more distant intellectual like Austin. You put all your cards on the table so quickly. There's no mystery with you." I said

  "Mystery is overrated. I like you. I want you. I will have you. There's no need to beat around the bush." He said, lowering his voice in a husky tone that made me internally swoon.

  My heart skipped a beat and my breathing became more shallow. My mind started wandering back to the naughty places I promised I wouldn't let it go. I started wondering what George would be like in bed. Is he as good of a lay as he talks himself up to be?

  My nipples get harder, and I can feel myself tingle in excitement.

  "If you want me. You're going to have to work for me."

  He bit his lower lip and narrowed his eyes. He looked so incredibly sexy when he did that.

  "I know. That's why this is going to be fun." He said, looking me up and down.

  He then rose up from the table. He gave Isadora a polite nod and wave before turning to me.

  "I just came here to check in on you. I should get back to my friends." He said, before turning away and walking back to the table from which he came

  I hate the way I feel about him.

  I can't stand him, yet I find myself starting to actually fall for him.

  Damn it, Mari. Why am I so ridiculous?

  I actually shouldn't be falling for any of these three, because they're all unhealthy and dangerous. But George has to be the worst of the three.

  He's the type of guy that a girl's parent's would probably hate. He's the kind of guy that you bring home because you want to make your dad mad by dating a bigger asshole than he is.

  I never would've pictured myself with a guy like him. He's certainly attractive, but he's neither soft-spoken, gentle, nor soft like I always pictured my potential future boyfriend would be. I always prefered the more understated guys. And George certainly is not that.

  Looking over back at Izzy, she's on the edge of her seat in excitement. She looks like she just got off a rollercoaster or jut saw the latest blockbuster at the theater.

  "What you two have is special." She said, "Trust me, I can just feel it between you."

  "There's nothing between us." I said, forcefully.

  If I said It strong enough, then maybe I would actually believe it myself.

  "You can deny it all you want, but it's there. You will be making out all night during the Winter Ball. And maybe you two will even go further than that." She said, raising an eyebrow suggestively.

  I blushed.

  "What the hell do you mean by that?" I asked

  "There's never been a girl that George hasn't been able to get in bed on the first date."

  She said.

  Oh buddy, am I expected to sleep with him?

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Eleven

  Everything had become so much more difficult. The beating sun on my face burned my skin, as I sat on that beach for what felt like forever. The smell of the salt in the water filled my nostrils, giving me the only sense of calm that I've had in hours.

  "There has to be a way out." I said

  "There is one." I heard a voice from behind me say.

  I turned around and there's the man in the white hood. His cloak swaying in the breeze.

  "What do you want?" I said, looking into the sand.

  For some reason I felt like I knew him from somewhere. But I couldn't tell from exactly where.

  He keeps reappearing in front of me, but I can't ever get enough questions out before he disappears.

  "To show you the truth." He said

  His words resonated with me. He stretched out his hand as he walked towards me. I took his in mine and we began walking from the beach.

  "Where am I?" I asked as we walked through the tropical forest bordering the beach.

  "You're in Eqqus." He said.

  Eqqus? What the hell is that? Before I could follow up with some more questions, he blurted his answers out.

  "It's the place where where all the chosen go."

  I raised an eyebrow.

  "Chosen for what?" I asked

  "You'll see." He said.

  We walked down to a firepit. There was a big bonfire going on in a pit made of stone. There were around several hooded figures standing around in silence.

  The whole thing felt very ritualistic. I felt like I was going to be sacrificed to the Gods.

  "Who are these people?" I asked

  "We don't have time for that. The only one you need to worry about it is that one, right there." He said, pointing to the far end of the circle at a white-cloaked figure wearing a large pentagram necklace.

  I took some cautious steps towards him. My legs were trembling, and I felt my nerves building up. I'm not sure why, but I felt so nervous right now.

  My voice felt dry as I worked up the courage to eek out some words.

  "Hi...sir..." I said, non-confidently.

  He took of his hood, revealing a strong male face with a square jaw, small ears, and purple eyes. Just like mine.

  "It's a pleasure to finally meet you Ms. Parker." He said

  My nerves were working overdrive.

  "How do you know my-"

  "We've been watching you." He said, effectively cutting me off.

  I took a look around. This whole scene was weird. Each of the hooded people were just standing around in silence. They weren't even moving. In fact, there was no sound at all. The whole scene was creepy.

  "Watching me why?" I said.

  There was something going on here that wasn't right. My mind told me to run, but my heart told me to stay.

  "I think you know why." He said, lifting an eyebrow.

  I nodded my head and took a deep breath.

  These people...they have the same eyes as me. They're...just like me.

  "You are...the reason my eyes changed. You chose me...for something. I'm not sure what." I said, shrugging my shoulders.

  He chuckled.

  "No, no no. We didn't choose you. We just gathered you."

  "Gathered me?"

  "Who do you think you are?" he asked

  "Uh...I'm Mira Parker. I'm a high school student, and-"

  "You are the Dracula heir!"

  My heart dropped. I could feel my blood become ice cold. I couldn't believe what I was hearing right now.

  "There's no way. I think you've got the wrong girl."

  "No. We are correct. You are the long lost heir to the Dracula family. You are royalty."

  I still don't believe it. Me? The heir to Dracula?

  I'm nothing. I'm a no one. I'm just a loser.

  Dracula is the most famous vampire in history. And it's well known that he didn't leave many heirs. Especially no direct ones.

  "Even if that were true...what does it matter? Dracula has been gone for hundreds of years now..."

  He grabbed me by the shoulder. Chills ran up my spine. His hand was so large, and his grip was tight. Even if I wanted to, there was no way I would be able to get out of it.

  "Do you realize your destiny?" he asked

  My mouth was trembling. I had a bad feeling lurking over me. I shook my head, and I could feel tears welling up.

  "You are to wake
up your ancestor from his grave of three hundred years to enact a new era of darkness and vampire supremacy on Earth." He said, his voice strong, yet soothing.

  "Vampire supremacy? Wait, no. That's wrong. I have human friends. I was born a human. You've got the wrong girl. The only reason I'm a vampire is because I got bit by accident-"

  "Accident? Oh you sweet, naive child. There was no accidential biting. Your true nature had been hiden from you for your entire childhood. You are a vampire, through and through. And the most important one alive."

  My heart was pounding so hard that I thought it would break. My head was feeling light. My vision became blurry.

  Everything he was saying...it felt right. But I didn't want it to be right.

  So much in my life has changed. So little of it makes sense, and I don't want to continue that. And besides, for the first time in a while I finally heave things going right.

  "I...I don't believe you."

  "Look in your heart, child. You know it to be true." He said, gripping my shoulder even tighter.

  My vision blurred into darkness....

  ***********************

  The smell of the coffee at the breakfast table woke me up, giving me a much-needed jolt of energy after being awake all night long. I was completely tired.

  My eyes were baggy, and I felt like total junk.

  "You've been having those dreams again, haven't you?" Izzy said

  I took a deep breath.

  "Yeah, I have." I said, propping my forehead up against my palm.

  "You can see the school therapist."

  "Absolutely not." I said, cutting her off.

  I hate therapists. When I was younger, one claimed that I had a childhood emotional disorder and recommended that I go on mental health drugs. I'm convinced that I was totally fine, until I started using those drugs. Ever since then, I have been a total emotional trainwreck.

  "Are you at least going to eat anything? It can't be good to do your exams on an empty stomach." She said. "I'm not hungry."

  I had played around with my breakfast with a fork for the last few minutes. I wasn't tired at all. I was distressed.

  I've been trying to bury those dreams into the deep recesses of my memory. But I can't.

  No matter how much I try to convince myself that those dreams didn't matter, I feel like deep down inside they do. They are not coincidences.