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I tilt my head slightly to peek out of the gap I’ve made between my arms covering my face, finding the elderly woman smiling down at me. Laughter lines fill her face, and her ocean blue eyes sparkle with happiness. She makes me feel safe, so I unfurl myself from the position I’m in. The elderly woman blows out a breath and a wide-smile spreads across her face.
“But he’s a vampire?” My tone is meek with disbelief that a vampire could be anything other than terrifying.
A chuckle fills the air, quickly joined by another. My eyes dart to Mr Skullmyer and Miss Furnell as they chuckle at my disbelief. I purse my lips and glare at them both, seeing the look on my face the smile drops from his face. He walks across the room, taking a seat in one of the chairs opposite the bed.
“I’m a Dhampir,” he says with a sad look on his face. I purse my lips with confusion and look him over.Why would such a creature feel sadness?Mr. Skullmyer scoffs, shaking his head slightly at what I’m assuming is written all over my face. “I am of Vampire origin, but my father was a full blood and my mother was human.” His tone is harsh as he stares at his hands.
“I’m sorry,” I mumble, not knowing what I’m apologizing for, but also feeling bad that I have made him uncomfortable.
“No need. He was an arse anyway. I may only be half vampire, but as you can see, I still have some of their traits,” he smiles then. “But none of their weaknesses.”
My head tilts to the side, taking him in before I inhale sharply as the sun streams through the huge windows on the other side of the room, bathing him in sunlight. I lean forward to grab him and get him out of the sunlight, the impulse to help is ingrained in me. He laughs, standing to his feet and moving directly in front of the window.
“Don’t worry, Miss Draken, I’m not ready to be barbecued yet,” he says. The woman beside me giggles like mad, and my mouth feels like it’s dropped onto the bed. “I’m joking, Miss Draken. Remember, I’m a half-breed.”
My head drops to the side, my lips pursing as I watch the two adults in the room laugh like a set of nutcases. Every time they both look at me, their laughter grows in volume, and my head begins to spin as I try to work out what is going on here?
“You look confused, sweetie,” the woman says between her chuckles.
I cock a brow at her, and this sends her and the headmaster into another round of laughter. My annoyance begins to grow as the two adults continue to laugh at me. I yank the covers from my legs, turning myself with enough force that it makes me over balance and I nearly fall off of the bed.
“We’re sorry for laughing, but it is refreshing to meet someone who isn’t so wrapped up in the politics of this world,” the headmaster says while trying to smother his own laughter with his hand.
“Says the arsehole who scared the shit out of me the moment I woke up,” I snap without thinking. I slap my hand over my mouth as my brain catches up to what I’ve just said. Oh crap, this isn’t good. I slap myself in the head at my own stupidity, when hands gently wrap around my wrists to stop me from behind. I peek up through my top lashes at the headmaster, whose face is set in a deep scowl, his lips pinched together.
“No need to be rude, Miss Draken,” he says with a terrifying rumble to his voice. “Tell me what happened in the woods.”
My gulp is so loud it echoes around the room, my palms becoming slick as his glower deepens. Suddenly the room feels like it has heated by a couple of hundred degrees. I blow out a breath upwards to try and move the strand of hair out of my face as I prepare myself.
“My aunt had me teleported to the outskirts of the Academy and I didn’t have a coat with me or anything,” I admit, rushing through my words. “Mr. Haims found me but then so did a whole heap of other creatures. He led me back here, but I got seriously cold on the way and I think I passed out because of that,” I say in a meek tone, embarrassed at how they must be disgusted with me at the moment.
“Sweetie, you’re a Draken.” The elderly woman says, surprise layering her voice. “Why didn’t you regulate your body temperature with your magic? Or even keep yourself warm if you’re a shifter?” Heat rushes up my face and my cheeks flame with embarrassment.
“That’s because she can’t, Miss Furnell,” the headmaster says.
“What do you mean?” the old woman croaks in surprise, her head whipping between the headmaster and I.
The redness already flaming my cheeks intensifies to make me feel like I am burning in the fire pits of a dragon’s keep.
“Miss Draken, here, hasn’t got any abilities at the moment. That is the reason she’s now attending the Academy.”
“But she’s a Draken!” Her mouth gapes open in disbelief as she turns to look at me.
I shuffle on the edge of the bed as my anxiety begins to prickle under the surface of my skin. I knew this place would be just as bad as the manor. Everyone always looks at me the same way as she is now.
“That is why we’re going to help her the best we can,” the headmaster says with a curt tone, snapping the woman out of her trance.
“Mr. Skullmyer?” I whisper, battling with myself at saying the words I really want to aloud.
“Yes, Miss Draken?”
“How long has she given me for my powers to manifest?” I ask with a tremble to my voice.
His mouth opens and closes, like he’s taken aback by my words. He turns his back to me and I see his shoulders drop as a huff leaves him.
“I take that asnot long,then? Will I be taken from here to have my memory wiped or will I be going home first?”
“I…” His words break off, and I spot the tear-filled eyes of the woman next to the bed as she looks at me, horrified. I take a deep, calming breath, sliding myself off the bed and stand on shaky legs.
