Page 13 of Before We Burn

I can’t help but laugh. She’s right, and it’s better than what I could do at the moment. “Tell me about this seer.” Her voice is still low, but now that she is comfortable, I tell her about Bunny.

“I was in her mind during a vision, I saw—I think I saw the humans attacking the school.” Constantine doesn’t flinch at my words. Her posture stays perfect, her face unbothered. She tilts her head to the side, her russet-colored eyes watching me carefully. It’s almost like she doesn’t believe me, or care.

“The future is fickle. What you see today might change tomorrow. Seers are never reliable. You have to push them hard to have accuracy. Train them for years. Your seer is a Bloodling. Her time as a vampire is numbered, especially if she’s having uncontrollable visions.”

I hate the clarity Constantine provides me. She’s most likely right, but something in my gut is telling me it is more—something is coming, and I need to be ready. “But what if the humans do attack the school, Con? What if—” Constantine raises her hand, her face set in stone.

“There are things we can’t always account for, and those things need to stay that way.” She waves Ellie over and orders us more drinks without a beat. “Bring us two aged blood shots please. Warmed, with a touch of cinnamon.” Ellie nods, moving out of sight again to get the drinks.

I look around the room, noting the couples who moved closer together, intimacy filling the air. I know it’s Constantine controlling it—I know she’s using it as a distraction—but it’s a lot. I turn my attention back to Constantine, noticing the slight twitch of her foot and tic in her eye.

She’s worried.

Ellie returns with our drinks then disappears again as Constantine slides my shot to me. Her face is wrong, her normally bright almond-shaped eyes more narrow and dark. Her thick long lashes cast a shadow under her eyes, transforming her usually bright features into something sinister.

“Aged blood shots are unique and quite the splurge.” She brings the shot glass to her nose, moving it gently while taking a deep inhale. Her eyes close and a light sigh escapes. “Vampires have always been superior. No one has ever argued that. We're smarter, faster, and stronger. But humans have something we need—something we will and have killed for. Control over the humans means control over the entire ecosystem. Some vampires believe that superiority is worth owning beings of all nature. Some don’t.”

She leans back, her eyes meeting mine. “Go home, Marzana. Relax. Get laid. Don’t think about the seer, because if you do, the future might just stay the same.”

Constantine stands, taking the shot and moaning at the taste. “Mmm… Aging blood in a barrel with whiskey was the smartest thing we have ever done as a species. And adding the cinnamon? Mmm.” She turns around, looking at the crowd that has grown more sensual during our conversation, their desires now taking over.

I turn to Ellie, handing them a gold coin. They shake their head, refusing my funds while smiling at me. “You brought Constantine to the bar while I was working. Everything is on the house for a week .”

I roll my eyes and grab my purse. Before I reach the door, Connie shouts, “Don’t forget, Marz—relax, let go, and get laid.”

With that, I’m out the door as the moans become so loud I hear them from the garage.

6

PROTECTIVE INSTINCTS

MARZANA

Daydreaming is an activity you would assume belonged to a person who is absent minded. A lot of people feel day dreaming is a sign of laziness or uninterest, but with my abilities, I’ve learned it’s quite the opposite.

Daydreaming is a skill—a place someone can escape to if they’re creative enough. Not many of my students daydream, most of them have nothing to dream about except Bunny—I can’t get into her mind, but I see it on her face.

Today she is elsewhere, eyes out the window, her face set in indifference. I watch her most of the lesson. Alexander's words come up each time I think of a plan to talk to her. It was odd, though. He has never cared what any of the teachers do in our free time. He’s never even around to see students.

I weigh the risks, the possibility of the council becoming involved. I should be wary about it—I should care. But I don’t, and the risk seems worth the benefit.

Bunny lingers again when class ends. She doesn’t speak or make an attempt to move. I watch her from my desk, wondering what she could be thinking—or better yet what she could be seeing.

Constantine's warning plays in my mind. She told me not to worry about the seer—not to worry about the future. It seems silly not to, though. We’re in a time of uncertainty. Every day something changes, and it’s always something drastic. Bunny may have the power to stop the Premier Leader before he moves to the next step in his plans.

If I can help Bunny grow her gift, we could help the witches and ourselves. Maybe even form a new government that won’t be so hell bent on destroying anything they don’t understand.

I’m getting ahead of myself. I need to have a normal conversation with her, get inside her head, and figure out how I can help.

The classroom door is wide open, students flitting through the halls with a light hum of conversation. It’s the perfect time to try, since no one will be looking for her for another twenty minutes or so.

My approach is careful and casual. I stand by her, looking out the window as if I see what she does. I don’t want to interrupt her, so sharing the moment is the next best thing.

The stars seem exceptionally bright tonight. The moon is large and round, but it doesn’t shine as it usually does. Tonight it’s dim, small thin clouds moving past, making the yellow of the moon more apparent.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Bunny asks, gently.

Her remark took me by surprise. She hasn’t turned her head or even acknowledged my presence. I nod, even though she can’t see me. “It is.”