"Nadeline?" someone says my name softly. "Hello Nadeline?" Sera repeats, snapping her fingers in front of me and bringing me out of my haze. I snap my head towards her and lift my eyebrows in confusion.

"What were you saying?" I ask softly. I wasn't paying attention to her and my mind was swirling with thoughts. I've been here for a few days and still haven't heard anything back from my mother. No letter and no phone call. She hasn't bother to ask me how life at the academy is going or if I'm still safe. Maybe she's glad that she doesn't have to see my face when she goes home.

Sera tilts her head, her eyes scanning my face and for a moment it looks like she wants to say something, but decides to brush it off instead. "Did you go to the library yesterday?"

I nod. "Yes, I took a book with me. Aster wasn't lying about the view. It's gorgeous up there."

Aster stands next to the table, stretching his arms, his shirt lifting up a bit and showing his toned stomach. "You thought I was lying?" he raises his eyebrow at me.

"No... that's not." I trail off and look away. He chuckles and sits back down at the table staring at me with a smug look. He was back to his normal self again, the uncomfortable person from last night was long gone. 

"Speaking of the view maybe I should go check it out sometime. When I'm less afraid of heights that is. " Sera groans, falling backwards against the chair.

"You're afraid of heights?" I ask. I didn't know vampires can have a fear for heights. It seems we're not so different from humans after all. Even the dead can still die, or at least exceeds to exist. After all no one knows where vampires go after death. I wonder is there a death place for us or do we go straight to hell?

"My younger brother pushed me out of the balcony and I broke a few bones. Since then I've never been much of a fan of heights." Sera rolls her eyes, resting her chin in her palm. Her hair is tied into two ponytails today, both of them falling over her shoulders.

I gasp glancing towards Aster and back to her. She says it so bluntly like it's not as traumatic as it sounds like. Who pushes someone out of a balcony? That's sadistic. I hope her parents punished him for almost murdering his sister.

"Poor guy. You probably irritated him that day. I can't even blame him for pushing you. I would've done the same thing." Aster says confidently.

Sera looks at him with an open mouth and jumps up. "You mother fucker. Say that again. I dare you." she grabs him by the collar and points a finger at him as a warning. He smirks and holds both hands up in surrender. "Joking." he whispers.

I gently bite down on my lip trying to hide the laughter that wants to escape with the back of my hand. Even if they fight a lot. I can't help but find it entertaining even if I shouldn't in serious moments such as these. To distract myself I pull out the book I picked up from the library floor yesterday. When I saw it, I knew I needed to take it with me. It's the only book out of all the others that immediately grabbed my attention. Either that or maybe I just wanted to learn more the royals, more about him.

Sera releases Aster and sits back down next to me. "Is that the one you took?" she asks, titling the front cover of the book towards her. "The Royal Curse?" she asks.

"Have you read it?" I ask, curious to know if she already knows anything about the so-called curse.

"No. I didn't have to. I already know about the curse." She shrugs then looks at me in confusion. "Wait. Your mother never told you about their curse?" she asks.

"She... didn't have time to teach me." I say, my mood quickly dropping when I think about how lonely my childhood was. The nights I waited at the door for her to come home, to acknowledge me as her daughter and wishing there was someone to talk to.

"You have the book now. It's always better to learn from the original than believing that you were told." Aster says trying to bright up the mood.

I nod, smiling softly. I guess he's right. I open the book on the first page, it's not as thick as the ones I was used to. Judging by the size I'd probably finish it in less than an hour. I didn't even realize it was this small. As Sera and Aster makes small talk with each other I start reading. My eyes roam over the page and I hear Sera complaining in the background about all the homework she gets in a day and Aster complaining about his sore muscles and rude teacher.

This book explains that the first royal was a human, a witch hunter to be exact and that he hated all witches with a passion. The day he tried to kill this one witch she put a spell on him and cursed him for eternity. A curse that will continue to affect him, those in his next generation and all the generations after him. That's if he found someone to build a generation with and to pass on the curse.

The bell rings signaling every student to go to practical class. I look at the page number, making sure to remember it and close the book before standing up. I frown wanting to keep reading and say goodbye to Sera and Aster as we part our ways. So far I've learned that the royals all came from one man. I open the book again, continuing to read where I stopped while walking to class.

What was the curse you ask? Becoming an immortal supernatural deity, a creature of the night. One who kills the same species he once was to survive. Humans. That's only one part of the curse. The real curse is that he had no heart, his rib cage was empty. Not just physically but figuratively. The witch took his heart and all those who come after him.

I stop at the class entrance and close the book, slipping it into my bag. Does that mean royals have no heart? How does that even work? I guess that's why they're immortal and why we're not. Vampires can only be killed with a certain stick through the heart and since they don't have a heart there's no way to kill them.

I shake my head, clearing my thoughts and try to forget about it for the time being. All of my focus has been on other stuff except study, I have to concentrate today. I sit down at my usual desk and focus on the flower in front of me. I want to save it and stop it from dying any further this time. I take a deep breath and imagine healing it in the same way I use my hands when I'm drawing. I move my fingers around, visually imagining drawing it healed and when I feel the same bolt of energy from yesterday I open my eyes. I stare at the flower in disbelief. Some parts of the plant were healed, it wasn't a perfect spell but I manage to save it temporarily.

I smile. I finally created a healing spell, I healed something! I just needed to clear all my thoughts from what was happening and focus on the healing part. I wonder what mom would say if I told her... or if she would even care at all.

***

I stand inside the academy's entrance and stare at the rain pouring down from the dark clouds. It casts a thin layer of mist in the air, interrupting my vision temporarily. Students throw their jacket over their heads and start running to the dormitory. I pull on my jacket sleeve to protect myself from the rain. It doesn't matter how or what I use to run back to the dormitory. I'll get soaked either way. I guess I'll just wait for the rain to ease.

I stay under the shade and walk towards a table outside, opening my bag and pulling out the book when I spot a figure up the window next to me. It was the same boy from academic class, the same boy who started to rumor about me. He looks down, watching me from out of the window. I have feeling I should stay away from him. Unable to see his expression he disappears from the window and I let out a relief sigh. At least he's gone now.

I open the page and continue reading again.

From the royal's agonizing loneliness, he turned other humans into what he was, a blood sucking creature of the night. That way he wouldn't be suffering alone and they could all experience the curse with him. But later on he realized that that wasn't 100% the case. Yes they were also vampires but the rest of the curse didn't transfer to them. He accepted it because at least now he was a leader. He had power and they had no choice but to obey. 

Many years later and one of the human's he turned into a vampire fell in love with the heartless leader. He couldn't love her back but decided to keep her by his side for security. After their first child, the cursed transferred to her. She lost her heart and shared the same fate as him. Their love forever doomed because without a heart they could never love each other.

Finishing the book, I shut it. It's like a tragic love story between the two of them. She loved him and in the process lost her heart, lost her love for him. The royal family sounds like a sad family. If this really is the curse. Does it mean that neither of them love each other? Or can experience love...

I look up and see the rain has calmed down for a bit. The rain isn't as heavy anymore more but were still falling from the clouds, just not as much as before. I stand up, putting the book away and hold my bag against my chest to protect my stuff from getting soaked by the rain. I start sprinting in the direction of the dormitory. But stop when I spot a black limousine in the distance on the opposite side of the dormitory. A tall figure is standing in front of it, his hands in his pocket, looking down at the mud. Feeling my presence, he looks up and I see who it is. The royal prince. He reaches out a hand telling me to come to him. I looked around anxiously, my clothes getting wetter with every second.

He's ordering me. I can't disobey.

I go towards him, stopping at his feet as I press my bag against my chest. He opens the car door, grabs me and pulls me into the limousine, shutting the door behind us. My back hits the leather seat as he pins me down. He looks troubled and his brows pushes together with that same sadness in his gaze. I think about the curse and how lonely it must be. My fingers twitch and ache to massage his frown lines away and that's exactly what I do, touch his face. He's taken by surprised, but his face instantly hardens at my gesture.

"No touching. I'd might have to punish you if you do that." he warns glancing down at my lips. Both of our clothes were clinging to our skin, soaked by the rain. I can feel some of the water from his pants dropping onto my thighs.

I retreat my fingers and lay my hands down next to me on the seat. Was he waiting for me? The rain, made certain parts of his face pink and flushed, bringing color to his pale skin. He didn't look scary or dangerous in fact he looks the complete opposite. "I want to ask you something."

He doesn't answer but I ask anyway because I was curious to hear what he would say.

"I've read about the royal curse. According to the book royals have no heart. It sounds lonely, not being able to love another person..."

He stares at me blankly, I take a sharp breath and place my hand on top of his chest, where his heart would've been. "Does it feel empty?" I ask, my hand slightly shaking.

"Not anymore." he replies, closing his eyes.

Confused at his words I stare at him for a few seconds. I shiver, feeling cold from the wet clothes I'm wearing. The water dripping from his clothes onto me wasn't helping at all. He opens his eyes and looks at my body then moves away, leaning over the seat grabbing something.

"You need to get out of these clothes. Wrap this around you." He holds up a thick blanket.

"I can't." I whisper.

"Why not?" he asked, anger visible in his tone.

"I'll be in nothing but my undergarments." I say and heat rush to my cheeks causing his eyes darken. I wrap my arms around myself trying to create warmth when I can't stop myself from shaking.

"I won't look." He breathes out, throwing the blanket over me and climbs out of the limousine.

I stare at the door; I can't see him from the inside because the windows are tinted from both ways. Hesitating, I lock the door and remove my school uniform from my clamming skin. I fold it neatly and put it next to me as I wrap the soft blanket around me.

I unlock the car door, cuddling into the blanket as I sit up straight against the seat. I know why I'm here, he wants to feed from me. The car door opens and he gets in, his clothes looking more soaked then before. He sits on the seat opposite me the red curl of his hair hanging over his forehead and I glance at the silver cross earrings dangling from his ear. He looks at me and unbuttons his suit jacket. I look away, feeling uneasy now that it dawns to me that the two of is alone, away from everyone and in closed up space.

I shift the blanket lower, exposing my neck and shoulder to him. I want to go back into my room and take a nap, so the sooner he's done the better. He throws his wet jacket to the side, sliding over to my seat. Sitting next to me he grabs the side of my neck and he sinks his teeth into me. I close my eyes, feeling the familiar feeling again. Being fed on shouldn't be enjoyable and yet pleasure is running through me. I whimper, grabbing the end of the blanket to control myself.

It shouldn't feel this good so why does it?

I gasp feeling the warmth of my own blood dripping down my chest and in between my breasts. Probably thinking I gasped from the pain he tries to relax me by rubbing his thump up and down the side of my neck, his skin was so cold. He moans, cleaning the wound with his tongue and I all of my energy disappears as I fall onto his shoulder.