Page 14 of Plug and Drain

And yet, the one night when she’d been careless enough to leave it out was the same night Headmaster Arken had just so happened to enter her room.

Go figure.

Her heart pounded in fear as she crossed her room and snatched the document from him. Without saying a word, she’d tucked the parchment into a heavy book and tossed it out of reach.

The book landed in the room’s corner with a thud, making her wince as she faced the headmaster.

Would he be furious?

It didn’t seem so, but alarm bells were ringing loudly in her head. She was not a naive first-year anymore, who had mistaken the headmaster’s outward politeness and easy-going manner with empathy.

Now, she was wise enough to have a healthy fear of Arken, and she could hardly focus on his questions as she stood before him, answering him breathlessly.

She’d resolved to say nothing on the subject that could incriminate her further. Not a single word.

Until he spoke a word that took her by surprise.

Interesting—that was the word Arken used.

What you wrote was…interesting.

The compliment was insincere. He was just being polite. He didn’t really mean that he thought what she’d written was interesting. Or thoughtful, or persuasive, or in any way special.

It certainly didn’t mean that he found her interesting.

And it didn’t mean he took her suggestions seriously.

But his simple remark, spoken in a tone that suggested he was impressed, made Susie lift her head hopefully. Arken had given her an encouraging smile that warmed her, and his eyes…they lit up.

Wow.

His irises were a deep, dark brown with black at the edges. But when he smiled, they glowed warmly with a bright caramel radiance.

His eyes, in combination with his fragrance, were a double threat.

Susie knew better than to trust Arken. She had become wiser, more cautious, and even cynical of the motives of others. Even so, Arken’s words had sparked hope in her. Maybe it was the combination of his cologne, of how close they were standing, and the intimidating difference in age, height, and power…

But for the briefest fraction of a second, a foolish dream had flashed before her in brilliant colours: together with Arken’s help, she would transform the academy into a safe and fair place for all its students.

Stupid, stupid, stupid. You can’t trust him.

She’d been here once before, daring to pin her hopes on him, and she wouldn’t do it again.

The rest of her conversation with Arken was a blur. Try as she might, she couldn’t help but cling to the hope that he was serious. That he truly was interested in her policy proposal.

Maybe, she shouldn’t have snatched it from him.

Maybe this had been the opportunity she’d been waiting for: a chance to petition him one-on-one.

No.

It was not worth the risk, not now that she knew how loyal he was to the Vampire King. Had she realised that fact sooner, she would never have dared invite him to the school council meeting in the first place.

But…maybe I’m wrong about him…

Foolish as the hope was, hope was all she had. It had sustained her throughout her time at the academy. Just like it had a few days ago when she’d held Molly’s shaking body while she cried, their clothes torn, and smelling of sweat and semen.

It was the hope that things would get better that kept her going. And right now, it was overriding her reservations.