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SWORN:

A term used for a rare human who is found to be mated to a High Fanged and has a supernatural ability known as Strike. At the age of twelve, sworn blood can be detected in a human.

Archives of History.

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[SILVER RAYNE WILLIAMS]

I STARED blankly at the magazine cover for a lingering moment almost as if entranced. I found it strange how easily I could block out any other sound.

Prince Roman Ace Veridian turned twenty only a month ago. I could practically still see the number of flyers that littered the hallway when that happened.

Per Fang traditions, he was set to ascend the throne after his 21st birthday. It would be the first coronation in Fang history after the Fang war.

Everything seemed to be set in motion, but somehow all this seemed way too smoothly accomplished for my liking.

Something seemed off.

Everything was perfect and Perhaps it was too perfect. Wasn't it strange that the Prince had now officially had all he needed to ascend the throne?

He had even found his mate, the most important requirement needed for ascension.

It is a well-known fact that most Fanged have to search for their mates. That could take days, months, years, and even decades for some after their 18th birthdays.

It was also a well-known fact High Fang were amongst the unluckiest when it came to finding their mates, which is why when they did, it was absolute.

Yes, something seemed off. Like a shark in a river.
I could feel it in my guts.

I shook my head snapping out of it after a few seconds. Either way, it was not my mystery to solve.

I sighed, glancing between the two people in the image before crumbling the paper up.

What a sad way to live.

I never understood the concept of having a mate. It wasn't like the human idea of a soul mate; it wasn't natural and grown.

It was immediate and deadly. I shivered at just the thought of it.

Some human girls marveled over the whole mate-for-life issue, and called it romantic-

I called it hogwash.

After all, if mates were everything- why did they still have brothels?

Grabbing my bag, I slung it over my shoulder closing my locker and almost having a heart attack at the sight of a tall smirking boy leaning against the locker beside me-

"If it isn't little Miss Silver Rayne Williams," Zach smirked, pushing off from his leaning position, and folding his arms.

I frowned at this, pushing my glasses back up my nose, looking him straight in the eye, "I do not have time for you or any of this today," I plainly stated, for what felt like the hundredth time in the last week alone, turning and walking away from him.

That didn't stop him from following me, taking a steady pace beside me, hands in his pocket.

"You still hate my kind huh?" he asked, and I glanced over at him, pushing the rims of my glasses back up yet again, watching his tongue swipe across his two fangs.

I swallowed calmly. Something about sharp things irked me.

Keeping my pace, I glanced back at him.

"I do recall saying I'd prefer wolves, had I no option left of course, and death being the only substitute," I muttered in reply, trying to shake the vampire off, even though I knew my kind of speed walking was a mere walk in the park for him.

At least Werewolves wouldn't suck you dry.

"Awe c'mon Silver," he whined, "but can a wolf do this?" he asked, super speeding in front of me.

I abruptly stopped to avoid crashing into him, looking up at his looming frame, his light cocoa eyes and bushy brown hair stared back at me in amusement.

His pale skin was void of all blemish, making him inhumanely attractive.

My eyes shifted to the side looking at a bunch of girls whispering.

I didn't like being in the spotlight for a long. It was easier to blend when you were a nobody.

Zach Andrews was Mr. Popular around here, even as the son of the principal.

He was the star and captain of the Football team in the Fanged League. Humans never matched against the Fanged, mostly because we would probably get torn into pieces with their kind of force.

He was well sought after by both Fanged and Human girls at Crescent High.

I would not lie and say I was immune to his looks. The Fanged were naturally more eye-pleasing to look at than the average human, but rather, I would prefer saying, unlike other girls-

I simply knew better.

Fanged were either mated to other Fanged or Sworn to humans. I was well past the age to be classified as a Sworn, hence I knew I was neither to him.

All he desired was to get underneath as many skirts as he could before Destiny matched him, hence why—

I knew better-

"You should go out with me sometime, you're pretty for a human," he grinned, flashing his perfect teeth in an attempt to be charming I assumed.

I fought the urge to roll my eyes at the most cliché words known to man, pushing my glasses back, trying to sidestep around him, but he gingerly moved to block each direction with his cursed super speed.

"Sure, you're a little bit weird but that pretty face makes up for it," he nodded as if convincing himself of something, moving closer while I moved back until my back hit the lockers that lined the hallway.

He put one arm over me caging me in, and I clenched my jaw, my hand feeling inside my right jacket feeling out the cylinder mini test tubes I carried everywhere with me, wrapping my hand around them protectively ready for action.

"Your sister turned twelve today, right?" he hummed, gaze shifting between mine, "Maybe I should see if she's sworn to me, she's pretty too," he grinned, whispering lowly over my ear.

My jaw clenched at his perverted words.

"Never," I gritted out, a fierce gaze on my features.

"Never to what? Her being my mate or being Sworn? From what I heard it runs in the family," he grinned, before leaning in, his breath a short whisper against my ear, "Wasn't your mother a Sworn?"

My heart beat rapidly within me, breathing shortening, knowing no one could have found that out. It was so long ago, just after the Fang War.

My fists tightened harshly in my jacket, holding the cylinders close.

"It skipped you; it might be her you know," he hummed playing with my curly locks.

I knew he was messing with me but I was this close to doing something I knew I would probably regret when someone called my name.

"Silver?"

Both Zach and I turned, looking at the girl before us, her twelve-year-old self standing a few feet away, red eyes and a sullen look in her eyes, yet somehow still pulled off the pretty look

Her long straightened-out dark locks fell to her shoulders, a large contrast from my thick curly locks, paired with clear light hazel eyes, looking at the two of us in confusion.

Zach stepped back, scratching the back of his neck, "Hey Vella," he greeted, curtly.

She looked at him unimpressed, her eyebrows furrowing, before turning to me, "C-Can we talk?" she asked, her tone much softer as she pulled at her sleeves.

Zach turned to me for a moment, before glancing back at her, "We will pick this up later beautiful," he hummed, kissing my cheek to which I gagged, whipping his saliva and germs off me. He only chuckled at my reaction, walking away.

I turned back to my sister, her eyes still focused on Zach's retreating frame, a subtle scowl on her face, "I don't like him," she huffed, rubbing her arm.

I pulled my bag strap tighter over my shoulder, noticing the hallways were emptier, "that makes the two of us," I huffed, walking towards her, " C'mon," I hummed, and she turned to pace beside me.

I sighed, glancing down at her as we walked the hallway, "Why aren't you with your friends, Vel?"

"Everybody knows I turned twelve today and vampires keep approaching me," she replied softly, biting her bottom lip.

I stopped in my tracks at the sound of this, looking down at my sister, "you don't have to be afraid, Vella, none of those twats are high Fang," I said softly, pushing her hair off her shoulder, "I know how nerve-racking turning twelve can get, but it's going to get better," I encouraged.

Glancing around the hallway we were currently in, I was able to spot both human and vampire students alike.

I would have much rather preferred wolves though they are known to be more aggressive, however, living in Crescent, a vampire town, wolves were the minority.

I looked back down at my sister watching her take a deep breath in, still maintaining eye contact, "I know, but I'll feel better once I take the Vile," she huffed, her tone softening at the mention of it.

My eyes widened after hearing this, quickly looked around the hallway just in case someone heard.

Vampires could hear quite well even if it was just a whisper. After noting that the hallway still had a few students, I pulled her into a nearby empty classroom, closing the door behind me,

"Vella, what did Dad say about speaking about it in public?!" I whisper yelled, "you cannot ever speak of it," I reprimanded.

Dad created the Vile. Give a mad scientist a problem and he would work night and noon to fix it.

From what I gathered from his hurried intensive explanations, the vile constituted a unique element devised through science and a combination of some unnatural components.

He made it as a surety to ensure he would never have to lose another one of his girls to the Fanged after Mom.

The only catch is, the Vile worked with the blood of the newly turned sworn, on her first night. Which means all Vella had to do was get through the day.

I also took it on the first night of my twelfth birthday.

"I know," she sighed, her face contorting.

I let out a loose breath, placing a hand on her shoulder, "just a few more hours okay? Dad spent all night obsessing about perfecting it so it will be ready," I reassured her.

Her eyes dropped to the fingers she was fumbling, for a second, still quiet.

I sighed, bringing her in for a hug, "it's going to be okay, Vella," I mumbled.

After a few moments, I let go.

"Ready?" I asked raising an eyebrow.

She nodded and I pushed the door open for her.

"C'mon, Aria and Keisha are probably waiting for you," I said as we walked out of the classroom.

Stopping in the middle of the now-empty hallway, indicating that students were now in the cafeteria, I watched Vella walk away in the direction of the school grounds with a soft sigh.

She would be alright. I reassured myself.

Smiling softly to myself, I turned back around, my hands finding their way to my pocket. I stopped in my tracks when my fingers grazed against a piece of paper.

Taking the makeshift card out of my pocket, I turned around, calling out to my sister, "Wait, Vella, I-"

My eyebrows furrowed at the sight of her frozen in place in the middle of the hallway, further down.

Before I could ask why she was just standing there, the ground suddenly shook and I lost balance for a second, tripping sideways, and banging into the line of lockers that lined the hallway.

I grunted in pain, my head wringing as I tried to focus my blurry gaze, struggling to get to my feet as I watched my sister take a few steps back. A sudden smoky dark cloud formed a few feet away from her, misty darkness spilling into the hallway.

"Vella!" I yelled trying to get to my feet, through my dizzy state. Blood trickled down my nose, and to my fingers as I tried to breathe, staring at the stain with wide eyes. I wiped it off with the back of my sleeve, gaze flashing back to my sister.

"S-Silver?" she stuttered back, un-assuredly, still retracing her small steps, her tone little and scared.

I forced myself forward, trying in vain to reach her.

A disfigured humanoid figure formed in the swirling misty cloud, eyes as black as coal, skin glowing a low dark red.

Dear Lord. A Damned.

My heart thudded against its cage barely managing to get to Vella in time, pulling her back toward me, protectively. I watched in horror as the crouched Damned straightened to his full height, a high tower above us.

His head tilted and his ashy lips curved into a sickening smirk, his shadowy hand shaping into a more human-claw-like form.

His voice was a crippled croak.

"S-S-SWORN," HE HISSED.

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Word Count- 2207