A great force collides with Boone, sending him flying backward. He lands on the floor with a loud thud and continues to slide down the hallway until he hits the far wall. Lucca is suddenly in front of me but only for a second.
He breaks into a run, not bothering to use his super-speed this time. It’s almost like he wants Boone to see him approach. The other vampire jumps back to his feet and bares his fangs. He tries to catch Lucca with a swipe of his arm, but he twists out of range, jumping at an almost-horizontal angle to land behind Boone. In the next moment, Lucca lashes Boone’s face with his nails, leaving four angry, bloody gashes.
Boone cries out, enraged, turning to retaliate. Lucca is already out of reach but far from done. A shiny blade drops from his sleeve, similar to the daggers we used in class today.
Oh no. Is he going to kill Boone?
As much as I want the other vampire gone, Lucca can’t hurt him. He’ll be punished, and I can’t let him get in trouble on my account, no matter how awful he is.
I hear running footsteps behind me. I hope whoever is coming is not one of Boone’s friends. I look over my shoulder, relieved to see a vampire wearing a jacket with the institute’s emblem. He must work here. The male steps in between Lucca and Boone, but he glares only at Lucca.
“What do you think you’re doing?” he shouts.
“Fuck off. This doesn’t concern you.” Lucca shoves the male to the side, making him stagger.
Shit, I don’t think that vampire can hold his own against Lucca even though he’s also a Blueblood.
Suddenly, Ronan and Saxon are there. The pressure on my chest eases off a fraction. But this is not over yet. Lucca is still watching Boone with murderous intentions.
“Lucca, put the blade down.” Ronan gets in front of him.
“No,” he growls. “He needs to pay for what he’s done.”
“I know. But you can’t do this now. Think about your uncle.”
It seems mentioning Lucca’s relative works. The dagger retracts, disappearing from view. I can’t help but to admire the trick and wish I could do something like that.
The institute employee approaches Boone and asks if he’s okay. The jackass lashes out with a tirade of curses and how Lucca will pay for what he’s done. Saxon flips him off, a gesture the hallway monitor catches and frowns upon.
He turns his disapproving stare to Lucca. “You’re in a heap of trouble, Lucca Della Morte.”
“The attack wasn’t unprovoked. He assaulted Vivienne.” He whirls around and points at my open shirt.
Mortification makes my face hot. I was so consumed by the fight that I forgot my bra was exposed. Hastily, I cover myself and glance down.
“That didn’t warrant the use of a weapon. You should have called for help,” the male retorts.
“Help? Are you fucking kidding me? I don’t need help to deal with Boone.”
“Clearly. But it doesn’t matter. You’re suspended from attending any classes until further notice. Return to your quarters at once.”
“With pleasure,” he sneers.
The hallway monitor walks over. “Did Boone attack you?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Why?” I repeat his question like I’m a moron.
“Yes, why? Did you provoke him?”
My jaw drops to the floor. “You’re joking, right? He attacked me because he’s a perverted psycho.”
Lucca comes over and drapes his arm over my shoulders, sending a shock wave through my body. “Come, Vivi. Don’t waste your time answering these asinine questions. It’s obvious Mr. Ross is under Tatiana’s payroll.”
The male twists his face in anger. “How dare you. I’m a loyal subject of King Raphael.”
“You sure don’t act like it,” Saxon butts in.
“If I’m being extra careful, it’s because I know what’s at stake. Lucca has attacked Boone twice now. This won’t go unchecked.”
“I’m trembling in fear,” Lucca scoffs.
“You should be. Boone has many allies here, even undeclared ones. He almost killed you once; don’t forget that.” The male walks away with squared shoulders and heavy steps.
Meanwhile, my mind is whirling. It’s hard to imagine Boone almost killed Lucca. There’s no doubt Lucca is much stronger and the better fighter. So, what happened?
“Vivienne looks like she’s going to pass out.” Saxon squints at me.
“She hasn’t fed in a while,” Lucca replies.
“Why not?” the cocky blond asks.
“Because she’s shy.” He laughs.
Ugh, what an infuriating Blueblood.
I elbow him in the abs—which are rock solid—and step away from his embrace. “I’m fine. You don’t need to escort me.”
Lucca watches me through slits. “I insist. It’s evident you can’t go anywhere alone.”
I shouldn’t be sending him away. The whole point of me coming here was to get close to him and steal his damn necklace. But I’m afraid of what his constant proximity is doing to me. I shouldn’t be craving his touch when I know how bad he can be.
Ignoring his comment, I head to my apartment. I hope Manu is not there. Despite my protest, Lucca and his friends follow me. Great, now I have a whole security detail. The doors lining the hallway open almost at the same time, and vampires begin to pour out. An audience. That’s what we were missing before. I keep my eyes straight ahead, pretending I don’t notice the stares.
But my step falters when I spot a familiar face coming down the corridor in my direction. I can’t believe it. When his eyes connect with mine, I know I’m not seeing things.
“Karl?” I say.
“How do you know Karl?” Saxon asks.
I blink rapidly, trying to understand what’s going on here. Why is Karl at Bloodstone? Did he somehow follow me here? Is he going to expose my secret? I’m so busy freaking out that I don’t notice until a few seconds later that Manu is with him and that he looks just as shocked as I am about this encounter.
“Vivi, uh, what are you doing here?” he asks.
“I could ask you the same question.”
“How do you know my roommate, Karl?” Manu watches us both with suspicion.
“Wait, Vivi is your roommate?” He stares at the vampire with wide eyes.
I’m so confused. Someone had better explain things soon before I say something I shouldn’t.
“How do you know my sister’s familiar, Vivienne?” Lucca steps closer.
Familiar? No, that’s impossible. I thought Karl was human. Oh my God. This is a nightmare.
Now, his words on the night we said good-bye are beginning to make sense. He mentioned he had to go away for a while.
“We have a friend in common,” Karl replies.
All this time, I thought I knew Karl. But it turns out, he was lying all along. He made me believe that he hated vampires as much as I did, but he was a fucking familiar to one. I’ve never felt more betrayed than now.
“Right. That’s how we know each other,” I say. I don’t think anyone is buying this lie, but I don’t care. “I have to go. I don’t feel well.”
I walk around Manu and run as fast as I can, hoping Lucca doesn’t follow me. I’m on the verge of crying again. I hate how this place makes me feel weaker than I already did. When I’m finally in my room, I let the tears fall. It was foolish of me to consider Karl family. I only have one person in this world who’s truly my flesh and blood, and he needs me.
Without any hope that anyone will pick up the phone, I call Rikkon’s number. It rings several times until, finally, Larsson’s gruff voice answers.
“I hope you’re calling me with good news.”
“Not yet. I just want to check on how my brother is doing.”
“He’s fine. Don’t call again unless it’s to tell me you’ve got the necklace.”
“Can I speak to him? Please?”
There’s a pause, and then Larsson replies, “He can’t come to the phone.”
“Can’t you guess? Your brother is a junkie, and he doesn’t have access to his drugs right now.”
Understanding finally dawns on me. Rikkon is going through a forced detox.
“Yeah, I can guess. Thank you.”
“Whatever for?” The dragon seems genuinely surprised.
“For keeping him out of trouble. And don’t worry. I’ll get your necklace.”
19
Lucca
I don’t need to interrogate Karl to know where he knows Vivienne from. They play in the same band, Nocturnal. A simple internet search of her name showed me. It’s amusing that she didn’t know he was a familiar. I don’t follow her, because now Manu is looking at Karl like she wants to destroy him, and I need to run interference.
“What friend do you have in common with that regular, Karl?” Manu is up in his face.
“He’s human; you don’t know him,” he replies calmly.
I’ve never really understood their deal. Karl is not a common familiar. He wasn’t an animal that the Nightingales turned into human and bound to one of us. He was a wolf-shifter, the son of an alpha, and he chose to become Manu’s familiar, turning his back on his pack and family.
“Bullshit,” she replies.
“Can you please stop arguing like an old married couple? People are staring,” Saxon pipes up.
Manu hisses at him, “Fuck them. I don’t care.”
“This is pathetic,” Ronan grumbles. “You sent him away, and now, you’re pissed that he’s sniffing up someone else’s skirt.”
A primal instinct of possession hits me, and I want to rip Karl’s throat open. What the fuck? Was that just because Ronan insinuated a romantic connection between the wolf and the human?
“Shut up, jackass. No one asked your opinion,” Manu retorts.
“Shit. If Manu were human, I’d ask if it was her time of the month,” Saxon jokes.
In the blink of an eye, she shoves Saxon so hard that he flies backward, almost landing on his ass. A less dexterous vampire would have.
“Manu, cut it out,” I say.
Someone clears their throat behind me. I turn, finding Isadora Leal, the High Witch, standing in the hallway, watching us as if she finds our lot abhorrent. Her hands are clasped together, semi-hidden by the wide sleeves of her jacket.
“Can I help you?” I ask.
“Yes. You can follow me.”
“Follow you where?”
“Where do you think, Lucca?” She raises an eyebrow.
Manu steps closer to me. “What’s going on?”
“Lucca got into an altercation with Boone again,” Ronan replies.
“What the hell? Why are you so damn stupid?” she screams in my ear.
“Oh, you’re one to talk.” I glare at her, annoyed that she’s chastising me for doing what’s right.
Isadora pinches the bridge of her nose. “God, it doesn’t really matter how long you live, does it? You’ll never grow up.”
“Nope. Perks of being second-generation.” Saxon smiles like an idiot.
Now, everyone in the hallway is looking at us, which is pissing me off even more.
“Let’s get this over with.” I follow the High Witch to another part of the institute where the decor is darker and more severe. I guess this is an older block of the building that they haven’t gotten around to renovating yet.
Far away from prying eyes and out of earshot, I ask, “Where are we going?”
“To the headmaster’s office.”
“Who is the headmaster now?”
“Same individual as it was a hundred years ago.”
“No shit. Solomon Corvicus still holds that position? I’m shocked.”
“Why? You don’t think he’s qualified?”
As the oldest familiar in the history of familiars and the only one not associated to any vampire, I’d say he’s overqualified to babysit a bunch of insolent Bluebloods. But I keep my thoughts to myself.
“I do. I’m just surprised that hasn’t changed when so many other things have.”
“You’re not happy about those changes. I get that. But you should know, there’s more at stake here than what meets the eye.”
“Right. The fate of our entire race. The king already gave me that speech.”
“You don’t agree with his decision.”
“Nope.”
“That’s why he’s the king and not you.”
I snort. “Like I’ve ever wanted that fucking crown.”
“You are his heir. If he dies, you will wear it.”
The possibility that my uncle might cease to exist makes my chest unbearably heavy. I don’t want to even consider it. I’ve lost too much already. We fight a lot, but I love him. He’s like a father to me.
We stop in front of a heavy wooden door with an intricately carved design. It depicts Maewe, the Nightingale queen, as she blesses my uncle after the great Battle of the Moors. Years later, she cursed us. What a bitch. I can’t help the sneer that unfurls on my lips.
The door opens by itself, meaning by witch’s magic. Isadora walks in first, heading over to the long table set up at the end of the room. There are other people sitting behind that table, and soon, it becomes clear that this is not a simple meeting with the headmaster, it’s an inquisition. Solomon is sitting in between Jacques Tellier, Tatiana’s former advisor, and Morgan Crane, my mother’s best friend. I’d say it’s good to see her, but Jacques’s presence here is enraging.
“I’m here. What do you want?”
“The arrogance of your bloodline doesn’t change, no matter how many years pass,” Jacques replies.
“Fuck off, leech. You might be sitting behind that table, but you’re still vermin to me.”
“Lucca, please. Let’s not lose our temper.” Solomon speaks calmly, watching me with his beady eyes, barely visible under his bushy eyebrows.
He used to be a possum before he was turned into a familiar and became the Nightingales’ emissary. He still looks like one, even in his human form.
“There are some serious allegations against you, son,” Morgan adds. “I’m sure you were told about the Accords?”
“Yes, I’ve heard something about it.” I shrug. “What are the allegations against me?”
“You attacked Tatiana’s son. That’s in complete violation of the Accords. You ought to be put to death.” Jacques hits the desk with a closed fist.
I roll my eyes. “Please. I want to see someone try to kill me. Have you forgotten the carnage of 1879?”
His nostrils flare while his face twists into a fit of rage. I smile broadly, remembering the occasion. Ronan, Saxon, and I alone killed fifty of Tatiana’s highest-ranking officers in one bloody evening, just before Christmas. Fun times.
“Lucca, this is serious,” Morgan replies sternly, erasing my smile. “Boone has filed an official complaint against you, and I hear it’s the second time you’ve attacked him in less than twenty-four hours.”
My vision becomes tinted with red, and my fangs elongate. Of course that weasel would bitch about me.
“I can’t believe you’re wasting my time, reprimanding me, when Boone was the one out of line.”
“How was he out of line?” Jacques scoffs. “Because your girlfriend preferred his company over yours?”
I take a step forward, hissing. “Vivienne did not welcome his advances. I guarantee you that. No female in her right mind would.”
Jacques opens his mouth, but Solomon speaks before he can. “Very well. We’ll speak with Miss Gale about the incident. If her story matches with yours, then you’ll just receive a warning.”
Jacques turns to the headmaster. “That’s preposterous. You saw what that beast did to Boone’s face.”
“What? I thought it was an improvement,” I rebuff.
“Lucca, shut your piehole,” Isadora commands, and then turns to Tatiana’s ass-kisser. “The rules of the Accords apply to everyone, Jacques, includi
ng regulars. If Boone attacked Vivienne first, then he’s in the wrong. What Lucca did was justifiable.”
Finally, someone sides with me. I was beginning to think everyone had lost their fucking minds—or worse, had fallen under some kind of spell.
“Tatiana will hear of this, and she won’t be pleased.”
“If no rules were broken, then no punishment can be awarded,” Solomon replies. “However, I’d suggest you, Lucca, stay clear of Boone and any of his associates for the remainder of your stay here.”
“Fine—as long as he doesn’t cross my path. Are we done here?”
Solomon glances at his companions, and when no one adds anything, he replies, “Yeah, we’re done.”
I switch my attention to Morgan to make sure she knows how angry I am that she didn’t stand up for me. She was my mother’s friend; she knows firsthand about the horrors Tatiana and her army caused us. How can she just sit there and pretend she’s Switzerland?
Not reining in my aggression, I shove the door open. It bangs against the wall, and there’s the distinct sound of wood splintering. Good. That damn carving is also a lie.
I’m about to blow, and the need to break things is immense, but oddly, I don’t seek out Ronan or Saxon for a round in the gym. Instead, I head to Manu’s apartment—to her apartment. I need to see Vivienne—and not to use her as a punching bag to let out my frustration. I just want her.
20
Vivienne
There are still a few hours left in the night before sunrise. I’m hungry, but it’s not so obvious, more like an annoyance in the background. Stress always makes me lose my appetite. I’m also too on edge to go look for food now. I’m afraid to bump into Boone or Therese—two Bluebloods who most likely want my head on a platter.
I lie down and close my eyes. Truth be told, I’m exhausted. My body is still not used to being up all night even though I had some long evenings when I played with the band. Thinking about Nocturnal makes me remember Karl and his betrayal.
Sadness takes over, but it’s not as acute as before. I think speaking to Larsson worked to re-shift my focus to what’s important—Lucca’s necklace. I need to figure out how I’m going to steal it without him finding out. He’d have to be sleeping or something.
Dark Prince: A Vampire Paranormal Romance (Blueblood Vampires Book 1) Page 10
