CHAPTER 5 || Fangs

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At the end of the school day, I plopped down on my bed and curled up under the silk comforter with my cell phone pressed to my ear. I had the entire dorm to myself seeing as Amelie was off to her violin lessons. A smile spread across my tired face as I sank into the plush mattress, breathing in the clean scent of lilies that was infused into the air thanks to the expensive air freshener bottle my roommate liked to keep by the bathroom door.

I felt like the colour scheme of the room was plain but calming, which made me smile – during my childhood, I'd suffered through countless episodes in which my social anxiety took over. I knew the importance of calming colours, because when I was little, harsh colours such as crimson or neon pink made me feel agitated. And I knew I wasn't the only one – while undergoing the therapy that had changed my life for the better, I'd met other people like me who felt the same way.

I was past my days of anxiety, though. It was amazing how therapy really could be helpful if the patient was willing to accept the help.

Amelie's side of the room wasn't very customized. There were a few personal items on her wall such as paintings from famous artists and an elegant wood carving above her bed with an inspirational quote from William Shakespeare. She did have many photographs, though, but they were all pictures of nature and wild animals, except for a single photograph that caught my eye.

It was a family picture. Amelie stood in the centre, wearing a checkered sundress and looking a few years younger – maybe around twelve or thirteen. A young man had his arm draped around his shoulders, his white teeth exposed in a wide grin. At first glance, I would've thought he was around twenty, but from what I'd learned today in my Magix class, many supernatural creatures such as fairies were immortal and could appear young for an eternity. For all I knew, he could've been Amelie's dad or even her grandfather. Next to the man was a smiling lady with eyes identical to Amelie's.

There was a caption at the bottom of the image.

Melanie, Robert and Amelie Cruz.

On Amelie's nightstand were two vases decorated with elaborate designs. The first one had 'Mom' printed in cursive calligraphy, and the second had 'Dad'.

I knew what they were. My friend, Dariel, had a vase similar to those which contained the ashes of his cremated mother.

I decided to take a break from invading Amelie's privacy and settled on calling my father to tell him about my first day. I waited in anticipation as the phone rang until he picked up the call. "Hey, little dreamer," my father's voice crackled through the speaker – Blackwater didn't exactly have the best cell reception. I felt my heart swell at the use of his old nickname for me – when I was younger, he began calling me 'little dreamer' because I used to have the wildest dreams. "How was school?"

"It was so crazy," I told him. "You were right, Dad – the kids here are like me!"

"I told you," he said playfully, and I could easily imagine his familiar smile as he said those words.

"You should come over here one day, Dad," I said. "It's so... surreal."

He chuckled. "One day, kiddo."

"I have new friends," I said excitedly. "Well, I think they're my friends."

"Tell me about them," he urged.

I grinned before telling him everything. "There's this guy, his name's Luke and he's a vampire – but don't worry, he's not dangerous or anything. He doesn't hurt people. Oh, and then there's Amelie, she's a fairy and she's my roommate. Blake is part fire demon, and he's so funny! Kace is a necromancer and we don't really talk much, but we do have similar taste in music. During lunch, another girl joined us. Her name's Beatrix and she's a werewolf."

"Wow," said my dad, laughing softly. "Interesting friends you've got there."

"Right?" I said. "Whenever I mentioned Lucille, people always became so shocked, and I don't understand why. Those people are just as shocking to me, if not more."

He laughed again, and it suddenly hit me how much I missed my dad, despite the fact that I'd been away for only a day. However, I knew that it would be a long time before I could see him again. "I don't blame them. Your mother was a powerful, beautiful person."

I was surprised when he said this – Dad rarely ever talked about my mother. All I knew was that he loved her and that although he'd moved on, he still owed a part of his heart to her. "Tell me about her," I said, recalling the strange dream I'd had after my volleyball knock-out. "What was she like?"

There was silence on the other end of the line until he cleared his throat and spoke again. "Lucille was stunning," he started, his voice thick with memories. "She had gorgeous dark hair, and her eyes were this remarkable shade of amber. Her voice was music and her smile was the sun." He sighed, and I could hear the longing in his voice. "She was otherworldly."

"I wish I could meet her," I told him honestly.

"You know that's not possible," he replied. "If it was, then trust me, she would've visited a long time ago." I was quiet after this, and he seemed to sense my disappointment. "Hey, kiddo, don't be so glum. Your mother loves you, and not many demigods experience that."

"Most gods are jerks," I agreed.

He chuckled. "You know, you inherited a lot of your mother's traits. You have her eyes, her hair, and her dazzling smile. You got my freckles, though. Sorry kiddo."

I laughed. "It's fine, Dad – I like my freckles." However, I wouldn't describe my smile as 'dazzling'.

I heard some shuffling in the background. A man's voice called for my father, and I recognized it as the gruff voice of my father's boss. A door opened and closed before silence returned. "I have to return to my meeting now, kid," he sighed, sounding regretful. "Call me soon, alright?"

"'Kay," I said, the dismay in my voice echoing my father's. "Bye, Dad. I love you."

"Bye, dreamer. Have fun with your new friends, okay?" There was a pause before he added, "I love you too, always."

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I was hunched over my desk, my school supplies scattered around me as I buried myself in my homework. Believe it or not, I actually enjoyed completing the homework – the teacher for my Magix class, Professor Zachariah, had handed out textbooks which explained the supernatural world and its magical elements in depth. I was busy taking down notes using my variety of coloured pens and neon highlighters, thinking about everything I'd learnt in today's lesson.

The supernatural world was composed of three main regions: Above, Below and the In-Between. Above was the place where heavenly creatures – such as angels and pegasi – resided. It was another term for 'heaven', except gods and goddesses didn't live there (contrary to popular belief). In fact, no one really knew about the world of the gods – it was still a mystery to us, just like how a huge part of the universe itself was still a mystery to scientists around the globe.

Below was, in shorter terms, Hell. It was the birthplace of demons and hellish creatures, home of the King and his satanic army. Below was reigned over by the King, who provided shelter for other dark monsters such as the Shadows (creatures born literally from darkness), zombies (reanimated soulless corpses), incubi and succubi (evil seducer demons), and hybrids between varieties of demonic creatures.

The In-Between lives up to its name; it is the land between Above and Below, where live creatures who can't be labeled as either good or evil. For example, there are vampires, werewolves, fairies, mermaids, dragons, phoenixes, wizards, and witches.

Occasionally, creatures from Below manage to find their way to the In-Between. Luckily for us, they are usually quickly taken care of by the security system of Above – the angels up there watch over us and keep us safe. Other creatures, like sirens, have made it their home and therefore, it is harder for the angels to get rid of them – sirens are evil but aren't from Below, and they usually keep to themselves (key word: 'usually'). Of course, there's the occasional shipwreck caused by those nasty water women, but that can't really be helped. Besides, disasters take place less often ever since Above came up with a new set of laws to help avoid war among the three regions.

I forgot something. On Earth, there are also other disgusting creatures who live there. These creatures are terrible, soulless monsters who destroy life, kill nature and ruin everything the angels have worked so hard to build. They are ruthless murderers who enjoy causing mass destruction for their own delight, and they do not think twice before killing animals and even people of their own species.

In other terms, humans.

My phone buzzed in my pocket with a notification. I took a break from my work to answer the newest text message from Beatrix (we'd exchanged numbers during the lunch period).

From: Beatrix

3:46 pm

Hey, demigod! Going shopping in half an hour, wanna join? – Beatrix

It wasn't even four yet and the curfew was at eight, so we had plenty of time to spend. Decision made, I typed in a short reply.

From: Elora

3:47 pm

Sounds great! Where do we meet? – Elora

After Beatrix sent me the details on the location and time, I hurried to my closet. When school had ended I'd changed into a comfortable pair of stained leggings and a baggy sweatshirt, so I picked out a new set of clothes and slipped them on. I never wore any makeup, but for the occasion, I decided to apply a single coat of lipgloss. Once finished, I glanced at my reflection in the mirror before stepping out the door – making sure to lock it tight – and walking out of the building, my purse held firmly in my hand.

I took the public bus from Darcey Blackwater High to the nearest mall. The bus ride was mundane but felt refreshing – it was familiar, unlike everything that had already happened to me today, all the new people I met or the new information I'd learnt. It was a part of my former routine, back from a time when I was almost human.

When I stepped off the bus, I began walking towards the shopping centre, clutching my jacket closer to my body as a cool breeze sent a shiver down my spine. It wasn't too dark yet – the sun was still high – yet that didn't stop me from being cautious as I walked the busy streets. You could never know what might happen – whether at night or in plain daylight – from pickpocketing to something worse, like abduction or murder.

Life had taught me that there was a simple rule to follow in order to avoid getting assaulted the streets: be aware of your surroundings and don't let your guard down. However, as I followed this simple rule almost religiously, it occurred to me that maybe it didn't apply to supernatural creatures.

An ice-cold hand wrapped itself around my wrist and yanked me to the side before I could blink. Another hand, a gloved one, pressed down onto my mouth and muffled my screams. I was dragged away from the light and pulled into a dark, shady alleyway, my feet scraping the ground as I tried to fight back. My arms flailed around wildly, smacking my assailant multiple times in the face until another pair of hands held my arms back. I kicked around until I heard a painful yelp, but my satisfaction was cut short when someone pressed me up against the wall, a metallic object dangerously close to my jugular.

"Is this her?" I heard someone ask. It was a man's voice, cold and hard as stone, with a lilting Italian accent. Was I being kidnapped by the Italian mafia?

My muted protests were silenced when a hand reached out and slapped me. The force of impact was so great that my face was thrown to the side, a thin stream of blood trickling down my cheek. The blow was so powerful it had sliced my skin.

"Yes," confirmed another man. I could see them clearly now: two men and one woman, their skin deathly pale, their eyes red and luminous. Dressed in all black, their prominent fangs jutting out from behind their lips, I could easily figure out what they were.

Vampires. They were vampires.

Their gleaming eyes focused on me, sick smiles stretching across their chalky white faces. "Elora Hawksworth," the woman hissed my name. "What will we do with you?"

"He wants her alive," said one of the men, his voice almost painfully sharp.

The Italian one smiled, and the look in his eyes could only be described as cunning and sadistic. "That does not mean we cannot have fun with her." His hawk-like eyes flickered to where the woman was standing, craving in her gaze as she eyed her defenceless prey (me). "Have you ever tasted demigod blood, Charlotte?"

"No," she replied, her tongue darting out from her mouth to lick her lips in hunger. "But I do know it will taste... heavenly."

My eyes widened as big as saucers. I started thrashing wildly against the man who was holding me against the wall. With a final burst of energy, I broke free from his grasp and staggered away from the vampires, my vision cloudy and a metallic taste in my mouth. I turned around and started to run, but to no avail. I heard a curse followed by a growl, and before I could get away from them, I was pulled back with a single harsh tug.

I was no match for vampires.

I squeezed my eyes shut and attempted another teleportation trick. However, since I still had not a clue on how to control my powers, I only managed to reappear a few feet away. I knew now that teleportation wouldn't get me anywhere in this fight – so, knowing that telekinesis was my strength, I succeeded in dropping a nearby trash can onto the female vampire's head. It brought her down with a crash, but it only made the two men angrier and more determined to do catch me.

Now would be a really good time to turn invisible, I thought helplessly. My powers of invisibility were out of control, though, so they were useless.

The vampires launched themselves at me, and the next thing I knew, the Italian one had his fangs pressed against the thin skin of my throat while the other one held me in an iron grip, the cool metal of his blade against my skin sending chills down my back. He exhaled into my face, and I winced when I smelled the scent of blood in his cool breath, reminding me that I was soon going to be dinner for these people.

"He knows who you are," whispered the foreign vampire. He gently bit down, not yet breaking the skin but causing shivers of pain to erupt around the area of my neck. I shut my eyes and clenched my fists in anticipation of what was to come. Right then and there, I knew that I was done for.

Or so I thought.

Before his fangs sunk into my flesh, the vampire was ripped away from me and thrown into the opposite wall.

My eyes flew open.

A hooded figure grabbed the other man and sent him flying in the same direction as the other vampire, and together they collided with a bang. The dark-clothed man darted towards the woman whom I'd attacked with a trash can before, and he struck her with his fists before she could recover. He moved with graceful, terrifying speed, his movements so quick they often blurred.

"Lucian," the woman said hoarsely. "Lucian, stop this."

"What are you doing here, Charlotte?" He growled, and I instantly recognized the speaker.

The female vampire, Charlotte, was weakening by the second. She managed to squeeze out a small, feeble laugh. "Nothing for you to be concerned about," she said scornfully. "Rogue." Then she passed out.

Luke moved on to the two men who were no longer crumpled against the wall. He attacked them, his impressive force and power overtaking that of the two vampires combined. He hammered them with his fists until they were a bloody mess, and he wasn't holding anything back as he beat them to a pulp. I watched in shock as he sunk his fangs into the throat of one bloodsucker, draining his veins and causing him to fall unconscious. His eyes were a dark, menacing red, his face morphing into a frightening, predatory expression.

When he was finished, the crazed look didn't leave his eyes. He advanced towards me like he couldn't tell the difference between the enemy and me. He gripped my neck and squeezed, abruptly cutting off my air supply. I was clawing at his hands, choking out his name over and over again. "Luke," I rasped. "Luke, it's me. Elora."

His face was slick with blood and sweat, his hair sticking out at odd angles and spattered with grit and grime. I looked into his eyes with despair, but he only squeezed harder.

I closed my eyes as I felt the darkness poking around and trying to swallow me whole. I tried to fight back, but it was hard. It was so incredibly hard.

"Stop. Stop." I couldn't speak anymore. I uttered his name one last time before slumping against the wall in defeat.

His hand left my throat, and I could finally breathe again.

I opened my eyes to find Luke leaning against the wall. I inched closer to him and tried to put my hand on his arm, but he flinched away from my touch like it was toxic. "Luke?" His eyes had returned to normal, but they were avoiding mine. "Thank you. Thank you for saving me."

The minutes ticked by before he spoke again. "Are you okay?"

I laughed softly, trying desperately to lift the mood. "I should be asking that to you." When he didn't answer, I sighed and added, "I'm fine, really."

He took a deep breath before speaking again. "I'm sorry," he said, a sliver of emotion making its appearance in his otherwise cold and steady voice. "I lost control. I'm sorry." At that moment, I wanted to hug him, to comfort him, but I couldn't. Something was holding me back – the knowledge that he wouldn't appreciate it.

"It's okay," I said gently, and I meant it.

The cuts on his knuckles stole my attention. I fiddled with my purse until I found some tissues and handed them to him. I used some myself to clean up my bleeding cheek and to wipe away the wetness around my eyes. Normally I'd have been appalled by the fact that I'd cried, but this was an exception. I think my release of the tear ducts was justifiable – I was terrified and alone in a fight versus three vampires.

"How did you know that woman?" I asked as Luke began walking away. "Charlotte?"

"I knew her from before," he told me. "I used to be in her clan." He met my gaze before averting his eyes. "Where were you headed before?" He asked me monotonously. The lifelessness in his voice made my heart constrict with sympathy.

"The mall," I told him. "I was meeting Beatrix."

He nodded curtly. "Let's go, then."

As we walked away from the scene, I looked back at the unconscious vampires. Since my heart was still thudding violently against my ribcage, and adrenaline was still pumping in my bloodstream, I almost missed an important detail engraved on the back of Charlotte's neck:

It was a tiny black anchor.

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