Cautiously you began walking down the poorly lit hallway with Avery, but not before his appearance changed once more. His eyes became dark, his hair, lighter, and his uniform not unlike yours. Suddenly Avery was no longer Avery but someone from patrol you knew liked to skip.

"He's never here," Avery vocalized your thoughts. "Shall we?"

Together you made your way around the corridor, the night student eerily close. He walked just an inch ahead but for some reason you never felt like he wasn't watching you.

"I'm sorry about what happened to your roommate," he said out of the blue. "Hopefully things get better soon."

"Oh, yeah," you replied. "I didn't realize the night students knew. It only happened yesterday."

"Word flies fast, I can attest to that." he said. Then his hooded eyes addressed yours. "Especially when a day student is staying the night. Cadere must really like you."

"What do you mean?"

Avery shrugged playfully.

"Well how many other day students do you see
unpacking their bags, looking for a glass of water here? Not even Simone got the offer you did after what happened to her roommate last year."

You felt the hair raise on your arms.

"What happened to her roommate last year?"

"I'm the wrong person to ask," he replied without turning around.

You desperately wanted to know who the right person was to ask, but Avery's confident strides left that conversation neglected and abandoned, not even worth touching.

"Where are we going?" You asked instead, out of both genuine concern and distaste for the silence that'd been created. Avery was usually more talkative- but then again, he wasn't Avery now was he.

"I'd get you water right from the lake if I could," he said with a smirk. "But the kitchen's pretty fresh too."

"Why don't you just... turn into a bird or something?" You asked with amusement.

A stunning window overlooking the water was right there, along with the day dorm silhouetted against the rising moon, lit up by hazy specks of glowing light.

"Wouldn't that be fun?" Avery asked. He leaned against the window's frame, gazing outside, grinning. "Unfortunately that's more up Cadere's alley. I can't do everything, surprisingly."

Your brows furrowed.

"You don't know the story? How delightful," he said. Seeing Avery so clearly through a day student you hardly knew was becoming unsettling. You shook your head, Avery gesturing down the stairs. You followed him down, nearly tripping twice.

"The kitchen water's best," he assured you again, although you were now more interested in Avery's powers and what he just said about Cadere.

"Turning into animals was never really my thing," Avery admitted, cautiously looking around. "No one's in there but if we run into anyone, I'll take care of it."

The kitchen was how you remembered it. Like your room, sorely untouched, a waste of beautiful space- although Avery said the students had spent more time there since you last left.

Pulling a goblet far too embellished for a glass of water from the cupboard, Avery filled it up in the same sink you'd last seen wash away your blood.

"Thank you," you said, taking it carefully. Avery watched you raise it to your lips.

"Any time y/n."

Luckily, Avery seemed to be right. On your way back up the stairs, you didn't run into any night students- though that strange encounter with Julianne lingered in your mind. You half hoped you'd see Eleanor, patrolling. And just once, you'd thought you'd seen a glimmer of only black hair hidden in the shadows of the corridor.

"It's been a while since I've had an audience," said Avery.

"I feel like for you everyone is your audience," you commented.

"You know me well," Avery said, leaning on the balcony. With those words, he returned to himself, infamous night student.

You'd taken your travels back upstairs, a good few hallways and another floor away from your temporary home, onto a balcony overlooking a fraction of the lake, but mostly- garden and forest. The garden could only be seen from this end of the night dorm. The colours were hard to decipher and far too below at this time of night to really see, but it was nice. Quiet. The forest less comforting for reasons you didn't know.

"No one will disturb us here," Avery said, bringing a de ja vu feeling about your mind. As he said it he propped himself up onto the iron railing.

Your eyes immediately widened.

"Be careful!" You loudly chastised, realizing you weren't supposed to be here. "You shouldn't sit up there. That's a crazy drop!"

Avery, sitting comfortably, began to lower his upper body as if in a recliner- his hands comically raised. The only thing keeping him on the balcony were his legs- dangling as if on a set of monkey bars.

"If you think the view's good from up there, you should see it upside down," he said. Although naturally you couldn't see his face, it didn't take much to imagine the smirk.

Suddenly, with acrobatic strength and flexibility, Avery grabbed the railing's thin columns while upside down. He was bent in a way you didn't normally see every day, kicking his legs up and back, supported effortlessly by his grip so that now he was on the dangerous end of those bars, scaring you terribly. You were on opposite ends of a prison, your back to the night dorm, his to the open air, feet dangling above the hell drop below.

"That's... actually pretty good," you said, comforted by his calmness. "How did you learn that?"

Avery released one of his hands from the rail to fix his hair, as if he weren't dangling over a balcony supporting his body with just his left arm.

"I had lots of practice," he purred, gazing at you as he now raised both legs on either side, so his body was flat like the floor of the balcony. These too he lifted, so he was upside down, both hands back on. You were going to ask what he meant but were a little distracted by him switching hands playfully. Show-off. And then just like that, Avery draped his legs over the railing's ledge, flexible like a piece of liquorice, now sitting atop it casually. You couldn't imagine the core strength that must have taken.

He patted the ledge beside him.

"No, no way," you said seriously.

The night student clicked his head, inquiring you to join.

Instead, you walked up to him, hoping that would be good enough. Avery would be fine if he fell, (you assumed), but you probably wouldn't be. Avery pretended to be sad by this but his face lit up when you asked him what he meant about Cadere and the lake.

"I can't turn into animals y/n, but lots of people can," he said. "Stories are fun. I know them all."

"Are you going to tell me?" You asked.

"Of course, but I don't think you'll be able to hear me down there," he joked, even though he was hardly much higher than you on the railing. His smile grew.

"Come sit."

"Can't you just tell me here?" You pleaded.

"Are you scared you'll fall, is that it?" Avery asked, as though the threat of falling wasn't very real.. He raised his left arm, almost around an invisible person. "Just jump up like you normally would, I guarantee you won't be able to move past me.
You won't fall."

Skeptical but eager to trust, you ambled on with your back turned to the ledge, Avery's outdrawn arm like the back of a chair. The back of a chair which took advantage of getting you to sit with it by pulling you closer, hand around your shoulder.

You shot him a look, knowing without his arm you'd be in danger of falling. Avery knew this too.

"This is much better y/n, trust me," he said, almost apologetically. "Now I think I'll give you the short version of Arcadia's famous little fairytale."

You raised your glass to your lips, and listened to what he had to say.

"A long long time ago, there lived a brilliant man who'd been granted gifts that he cleverly used to defeat his enemies. Vampires, werewolves, the scum of the earth- were terrified of him.

He'd been on adventures of all sorts, so many that people rarely believed him until he proved them wrong. A true man of the shadows, it was difficult to find him, and dangerous to do so. One day, he receives a letter, instructing him to meet up with a dark stranger with promises of wealth and enterprise. Attached is a heavy bag of coin, and intrigued, he goes.

The figure tells him that for twice his weight in gold, he'll hire him to retrieve a particular necklace from the king's chambers. The whole castle is so heavily guarded, so arduously protected against enemies that man nor monster could penetrate the walls, high as the sky itself. If he didn't make it out of there alive he wouldn't make it out at all, naturally. Engrossed by the promise of wealth and personal triumph, the hero accepted.

All the odds were against him. He was just a man, after all, against hundreds of guards and unforeseen dangers even they didn't know about. But with a dazzling flourish the following night, he transformed himself into a beautiful raven. He beat his massive wings and gracefully soared past all the guards, traps, and obstacles, without anyone so much as batting an eye. In hardly any time at all he was at the high tower, in the window of the king's chambers. Only it wasn't the king who was sitting inside.

The cloaked figure from before gave a mild wave and explained that he'd successfully passed the test. Now himself, the young man was told that it was the king who wanted to see him: he'd finally found someone strong enough to surpass his castle, someone worthy enough to protect the princess. That was the true task."

On the balcony's railing you sat, the never-ending forest behind you, Avery beside you. You waited for him to continue but he didn't.

"It's getting late," was all he said.

You asked him what came next but he only shrugged.

"Cadere doesn't brag about himself like they say he used to," Avery smirked.

"Can he really do that?" You asked in amazement. "Turn into a raven? Is the story true? I want to know more."

He took a deep breath.

"We all want things my dear."

You glanced at the goblet, at the half fullness of it. Your eyes returned to Avery, and despite all his past advances, something about the silence told you he was serious now.

"I should go back to my room."

"You should do this, should do that. I should do a lot of things I don't," he returned playfully. "Allow me to offer honest advice- you're going to have to play this game carefully. Otherwise you're going to get hurt."

Your eyes widened. Avery's support around your shoulder disappeared as he raised his arm, leaving you to fall backwards for just a split second. You caught yourself before anything could happen, glaring at the boy. Would he have let you fall if you hadn't gripped the railing in time?

"I'm not here to play games Avery," you said sharper than you intended. "It's not just me who has trouble trusting you- can you blame me?"

How quickly things went from a light story to the atmosphere itself thickening. He chuckled softly, regret stirring inside your center.

"Do you not see yourself? You waltz between us boys- but I'm not here to attack. On the contrary."

He swiftly stood up on the rail, pacing across it like a tight rope as he spoke.

"I'm a simple man with simple wants and simple needs. I'm no fool to the dangers you face for so much as existing here let alone befriending this onslaught of demons. Furthermore- I don't care if others don't trust me, that's their error."

"But if you want to be safe here, Lucian's liquor won't protect you, Roman's fire won't protect you, and Eleanor's brother won't protect you."

He crouched on the ledge, a ringed finger tilting your chin to meet his gaze. You swiftly turned your head, only for his entire hand to turn it.

"Look at me."

You tried to see past the blueness of his eyes and the fear his words instilled.

"You aren't going to last long here without making some sacrifices. So choose your friends carefully, y/n. I don't have to be nice to you," he said darkly, standing back up. "But I like you. You remind me of myself."

You watched as Avery lazily leapt from the railing back onto the balcony. The relief from his gaze was immense.

"But my companionship and protection require more than simple chats," he continued, facing the dorm. "Nothing is free in this world y/n."

"What do you want?" The words dryly caught in your throat.

"Not much, considering," he said, his voice velvety, soft. "Just a bit of a taste here and there. Imagine having the power to help someone so substantially, benefiting yourself more than the other person to be quite frank, and not doing it."

Don't you want to help Theodore? He's giving you exactly what you need- if only you'd taken one of the pills. Shit.

"I- I understand," was all you could manage to say. You felt cornered.

Avery turned back around, a crooked smile not quite reaching his eyes. Good, he said, reaching out to help you down the ledge.

"You can trust me more than anyone else here y/n, I don't pretend to be anyone I'm not."

How ironic.

"And I'm more than happy to tell you stories even Lucian couldn't dream up. If you do the smart thing and stick with me- maybe I'll even trust you," he continued, hand awaiting yours. Those eyes lingered.

You couldn't bring yourself to take it.

Avery smirked as you hopped down the ledge yourself, but you thought he looked disappointed, angry, and impressed all at the same time.

"Don't be mad at me for having to be straightforward with you my dear," he said, wagging a finger at you the way your aunt often did. "You'll be thanking me soon enough."

"Aren't you afraid of getting in trouble?" You asked. "You don't think that Cadere will find out?"

Avery's grin ceased for a second, but he recovered.

"Cadere can turn into a bird. I can turn into anyone," he said. "And I'll forgive you for not giving me your hand this time. I can wait. But next time, if you want me on your side, I expect to collect."

You tried to mask your trepidation. In truth, you were saddened by how charming and fun Avery was not long before he made himself this transparent. But at the same time, you always knew when it came to him. And it upset you to ends you didn't understand knowing that what Avery wanted was exactly what you were expected to give in order to help Theodore. You'd thought the plan over more times than you could count but when it hit you in the face you were paralyzed. Unprepared. Afraid.

"This was fun, we'll do it again soon," Avery said, already beginning to walk away. On his way out, he stopped.

"What are you-"

But Avery had already drunk the rest of your water. He hummed with satisfaction, licking his lips.

"You deprive me of my drink, I'll deprive you of yours."

And after setting the goblet down, softly laughing at his own antics, he was gone; leaving you alone on the balcony, more aware of your decisions than ever.

Getting back to your room, you half expected Avery to be inside, leaning against the wall, juggling your vials, balancing them one on top of the other, asking why you thought you could ever outsmart him. You imagined him swallowing the pills just like he had your water. "I need something to wash them down with."

But you didn't make it to your room right away.

Instead you found yourself face to face with another night student. Bumping into him was not only embarrassing, but frightening- especially since if anyone were to reprimand you for disobeying the very instructions they'd delivered, well, it was him.

Dimitri apologized even though you were at fault. The jacket of his uniform was amiss leaving just his white blazer, sleeves rolled up; making him appear more youthful than usual in your eyes.

"Y/n, it's almost eleven," he said, cocking an eyebrow and folding his arms.

"I'm sorry," you said, strangely out of breath. You shook the goblet you'd taken with you as if that were an answer. "I was thirsty."

"Oh," he said. You could see him thinking.

"Well, there's a sink in the kitchen... anyway, you should let me come with you, it's a nuisance navigating these halls in the dark."

You quietly agreed, Dimitri's presence somehow lifting the sour flavour of Avery's demands- if only a bit. A part of you wanted to just tell Dimitri what Avery said, that you were afraid of him, that you were afraid of it all. A part of you wanted to tell Dimitri everything.

And yet- another part of you wondered if what Avery said was true. That you weren't safe with any of the boys, that they all wanted the same thing, and Avery should be trusted since he was honest about it.

You tuned out, still walking with Dimitri. You watched his dark hair sweep his neck with each step and you watched how unlike the other boys, his eyes were not on you, but up ahead. Was it possible that all of the boys were the same? Even Dimitri?

The kitchen was no different from last time, only now you felt the weight of the unspoken promises you'd made to Theodore, turning your blood to stone.

The sound of the water pouring into the goblet brought you back. The pills didn't feel as much a priority right now, since you would be going to bed.

"Mind if I take this to my room?" You said as Dimitri handed it to you.

"No not at all," he replied. Dimitri paused. Then, "How was your day?"

Thoughts of Simone and Eleanor and Theo strobed all over your head. Tangled inside were Maurice and Jack. Cadere.

"It was okay," you said shyly. "Yours?"

Dimitri arched his brows like he always seemed to do when he was thinking. As if he rarely had to answer to the simple question.

"It's good. Was good. I have a lot more to do around here," he replied. "You're lucky you can sleep."

You asked what it was he had to do.

"Well, you know, formalities of being the head of the night students... Cadere will want to touch base with me- he won't like that you're out and about," he said with a lighthearted frown.

"Would Cadere take away my memories if he knew I knew?"

Dimitri was not prepared for this question. You stood still, idly tracing circles around the rim of the goblet with your finger.

"I don't think it would be a good idea to tell him," the boy replied. "Why? You aren't thinking of telling him, are you?"

You quickly shook your head.

"I was just... wondering. I didn't know vampires could do that," you said.

"Roman had a book all about those sorts of things," Dimitri said, planting a pit in your stomach. It lifted when he added that Lucian had it now, as far as he knew. For a second you thought he meant The Creatures Almanac. Theodore did say it was his, although with the nature of him taking it, you didn't know what to believe.

The truth was, you were thinking of one person when you were asking these questions.

"Don't worry y/n, I have a feeling those kinds of powers would have little if any effect on you anyway," he said.

"Why do you say that?" You asked quickly.

Dimitri caught on, answering without hesitation.

"Because although we all have a sense of our powers' strengths, some of us have felt them drop around you. Like Lucian, whose mind reading is generally of his own volition but even he can't help himself some times," Dimitri explained. "None of us have actively used our abilities on you y/n. I've made sure of it."

You were skeptical but this was Dimitri telling you. It lined up with what you knew about the kioku tree and the plums having no effect on you. Why these magical things didn't work right one thing- but what you really wanted to know was if they'd worked on your roommate.

Together you and Dimitri walked back to your room, him insisting. Before you wished him goodnight however, you asked him one more thing, leaning close so no one could eavesdrop.

"Can vampires really turn into animals?" You asked. "Like birds?"

Dimitri's eyes lit up with his white smile. It was like the sun.

"Yes," he said playfully. "Like birds. Who told you?"

"No one," you lied.

"I've been able to since I was young," Dimitri reminisced. "It was one of the only things I could do that my brother couldn't."

You knew you were missing something here- Dimitri thought you were talking about him.

"I didn't know you could turn into a bird!" You said a bit too loudly. The thought thrilled you beyond words. "Can you show me?"

Dimitri's grin persisted. It left him naked, vulnerable, the opposite of the forceful leader others painted him as.

"Not tonight," he said. But you could tell he considered it for a second.

You wished each other a goodnight outside the door, nearly forgetting to ask the most important question just as he was leaving.

"What kind of bird?"

Dimitri glanced behind him, the smile never having left.

"A crow."

And then he was gone.

Lying atop your bed, you swam in thoughts from the tiresome day. It seemed like a lifetime ago you'd been in Petrikov's office talking to her about spending the night here. It felt like two lifetimes ago that you'd found Simone the way you had on her bed. What had Avery said about her last roommate? What happened to Cadere and the fantastic story of him and this princess? Was it even true? What was Julianne warning you about?

You felt sleep slowly sink its jaws into your heart. The more terrifying thoughts began to dissipate, leaving you with memories you'd nearly forgotten you had. Memories of your mom, your dad, your aunt... learning how to ride a bike... the patio you sat outside and messed up with red crayons at the start of your homeschooling, before you moved... the boy at the very end of the street you thought was cute for a whole summer but whose name escaped you now. All of these, more, and somewhere, sewn in with feathers of ebony, the distant crow of a black bird, flapping his wings.

You took a swig of water, and swallowed your first pill.

~
Publishing before 4:00am? Unheard of! Fan here, love you all, hope you're enjoying summer/ whatever season you read this in. As always, let me know your thoughts. And if you haven't already- check out the Crimson amino. It's where the wildest group discussions of all time are lol. Thanks again folks!! Stay tuned
~ Your number one Fan < 3