Page 128 of Collared by the Vampire Prince

“That’s really very good,” Clara praises, even though I am terrible at it. “If we just straighten up this fold…”

Thankfully, she is so eager to teach me that she never thinks to ask why I’ve developed a sudden interest in origami. More importantly, she lets me keep everything we make: several small, delicate flowers, a handful of hearts and one large, rather ostentatious swan.

By the time Clara has taught me to fold a passable heart, breakfast is nearly over.

Clara does not seem concerned. She remains cross-legged on her bed, surrounded by scraps of paper, her eyes brighter than I have ever seen them.

“You go ahead,” she says, reaching for another square. “I’m not hungry.”

I leave her sitting amid the scraps, taking the collection of paper creations with me.

Upstairs, I detour through the courtyard gardens and gather several fern fronds.

I arrive in the dining hall just as the breakfast bell rings. Everyone is gone, including Nathaniel, and another bouquet lies abandoned beside Victoria’s empty place. Perfect. I remake the bouquet, this time surrounding the red roses with ferns and tucking the paper hearts and flowers between the blooms. Then I rewrap everything in yesterday’s burgundy paper and bind it with the black ribbon. The swan is the centrepiece.

By the time I finish, I am holding the largest, most ridiculous bouquet the world has ever seen. Ghastly. I hurry to Literature with a grin so wide my cheeks ache.

Victoria is going to hate it.

Heads turn when I walk into Literature. The coat is expensive, fits me nowhere, and is very obviously not part of the uniform.

“Where did you get that?” Becky asks, reaching out to stroke the wool. “Is that…?”

I merely roll my shoulders with a secretive smile, and recognition lights her face.

“It is!” She gives me a mischievous grin. “Go, Kira!”

I let myself smile as she pats my back, though for an entirely different reason; across the classroom, Victoria has gone very still.

Professor Marmala reaches my desk within four seconds of entering the room, her hawkish eyes narrowed.

“Miss Marsh. That is not uniform.”

“I’m sorry, Professor.” I make my voice small and sheepish. “I know it isn’t. But my Master asked me to wear it today.” Then I make a point of turning in my chair.

Victoria is staring at me from across the room, her expression murderous.

Sorry, I mouth, giving her my best apologetic look.

Her lips press together until they nearly disappear.

Professor Marmala wears a similar expression, but, to my surprise, she accepts the excuse.

“Very well. For today only. After that, your Master may come and speak to me himself if he has any more opinions about our uniform.”

I wonder whether she knows Nathaniel is not my Master, or whether she is as much in the dark as everyone else.

I decide it does not matter.

“Yes, Professor.”

I face the front, open my book, and do not read a word. I sit wrapped in Nathaniel’s coat, his scent surrounding me, and count the seconds until Victoria’s head explodes.

In the end, the explosion is merely delayed.

Recess passes without incident. Mostly because I ensure Victoria cannot catch me.

And I make sure she keeps hunting.