Chapter 14

STEFANO Second day of school, and I’m already hearing that the girl I sacrificed so much to get into the Society is an alleged murderer. When I heard the news in the hallways, I just knew that I had to find Valeria and clear this out. I didn’t really want to talk to her in light of what happened the night before, but I don’t really have a choice, do I? I have to keep her in check. Also, I heard some news for her last night that I know she would want to hear. With that, I head to the lockers in case she’s there, but the only one I see is Auric Blaise, who I know shares the same classes with her. We don’t really get along because he’s the school jock and the rule-breaker, but I still approach him. He looks up as soon as I get close enough, and I can see him drawing himself to his full height. “Hey there,” he says in his usual easy-going voice, but I can see the dislike in his eyes. “What’s up?” “Have you seen Valeria Marcus?” I ask directly, and he tilts his head in fake confusion. I sigh. “I know that you know about what happened just like everyone, and I know that you share the same classes with her. So, did you see her this morning?” For a moment, it feels like he’s going to tell me to screw myself and leave, but then his gaze wanders to my Head Boy badge and he grits his teeth. “She went outside, probably to the amphitheater.” “Thank you,” I say dismissively, turning around and leaving before he can say anything else. And thank the gods I did, because as soon as I get close to the amphitheater, the first thing I see is Valeria with a crawling, groaning student by her feet while two other students are running away from her. It doesn’t take me a moment to figure out what’s happening, especially when I recognize the other student as Celeste Andrich: she and her friends most likely taunted Valeria, and now she’s fighting back. “Valeria, you have to stop now,” I call out. She looks up, and the one she beat up, Nia Carson, gets up and runs away with her friends. Valeria brushes herself off, glaring at me. “Why don’t you mind your own business?” “Because, unfortunately for both of us, you’re my business. Now can you please come with me?” When she doesn’t move, I take her hand and pull her to the side of the building, which is a silent corner away from everyone. She tries to get away from me, but I hold onto her tight. “Please, it’s already daunting for you to have a record of beating a student into a bloody pulp. Don’t make any more trouble.” That effectively shuts her up. “What do you want?” she asks after a beat. “Are you here to ask me about Mr. Murdock?” “Well, I’m not going to go around blaming you for a teacher’s death, that’s for sure,” I tell her dryly. “I’m here to talk to you about your mother.” She freezes. “What?” I motion her to rest against the wall, biding my time and taking a deep breath before facing her again. “Last night, I received news from my fellow Mages who went back to your house to check. Unfortunately, they didn’t find your mother.” Silence stretches between us. Valeria holds her breath, only letting it go after a while. Her face is pale and I can see her shaking, but she faces me again anyway. “Does that mean she’s gone?” “I honestly have no idea,” I whisper, a rush of sympathy invading my chest as I meet her sad eyes. “Neither did my people. They are doing their best to track her, because she might have been taken somewhere and not…” Not killed, I wanted to say. But I don’t want to voice it out, not when the air between us feels fragile. “She probably got taken into custody,” she says in a rush. “Or in a hospital. Either way, we have to find her. Is there a way to leave this school? I’m sure the principal will allow me to--” I cut her off with a shake of my head. “I’m sorry, Valeria. But as of now, we can’t find her, and no one who gets here can leave. No matter what.” * * * VALERIA “But as of now, we can’t find her, and no one who gets here can leave. No matter what.” These words kept playing in my head throughout my head since Stefano said it. I don’t even remember going about my day, I just remember leaving him there as soon as he told me that, heading to my dorm room and staying there with no care in the world. Eden came to see me a couple of times, reminding me that I have classes, but I didn’t care. How on earth will I give a damn about stupid lessons when I’m not even allowed to find my own mother? I didn’t talk to anyone. I didn’t move. I just stayed in bed curled up and weeping quietly, even now that it’s nighttime. The clock in the corner says that it’s midnight. Eden is already sound asleep in the other bed. My body wants to rest too, but my mind is alive with a plan I’ve been crafting all day. I need to escape this school. I don’t care about what’s out there. I don’t care about the vampires. All I care about is my mother. And once I find her, I will happily move away from this town once and for all. With renewed determination, I get up from bed and take a jacket, heading out into the hallway. It’s surprisingly easy to do so. Eden doesn’t stir, and no one is outside checking on the students, so I make my way out of the dorm building. The night is quiet and cold, and even here there are no guards whatsoever. The fields are empty and the moon is bright. I take both as a promising sign and a go signal, so I pull my hood up and run to the woods. The trees are so thick that they are forming a canopy overhead, blocking the moonlight and leaving me with nothing but my senses. Somehow I manage to swerve in between the trees without stumbling on any of the big roots, but before I can get any further, I hear a distant rustling. I hide behind a big tree, locating the sound to my right. I see a deer rushing through the bushes with fear in its eyes, but it’s not the only one making noise. Something is pursuing it. Something smooth and fast and strong. Or someone, because that shape is unmistakably human. My heart goes up my throat, so I hold my breath so I won’t be heard. I peek out carefully from behind the tree, watching the deer jump around until the forest until the figure pounces and knocks it into the ground. The deer makes a sound, but then the figure twists its neck, killing it instantly. The figure maneuvers the deer’s body, feeling the muscles around its neck as though looking for something, his face slowly looming under the ray of moonlight until I can see his face. But it’s not a he at all. It’s none other than Celeste, taking out a knife from her pocket and driving it into the deer’s neck, drawing blood before leaning into the wound, looking like she’s about to drink.