Blood Ties

Chapter 6: Vampires

I woke up with James still lying next to me asleep his copper hair falling across his face. I smiled down at his sleeping form before I remembered the events of earlier. I had bitten him like an animal. No, not an animal. A vampire. Looking at his neck I spotted two faint pink marks that stood out slightly raised from his skin, and somehow I knew in my mind they would never heal. He would be stuck with them forever, literally being an immortal. And it was because of me.

I got up quickly and left the room leaning against the wall. I breathed deeply trying to calm myself. My thoughts were a jumbled blur.

How could I have done that? To him. My freind. The only freind I have at the moment in this messed up world. And I did THAT. But he did taste nice, better then nice actually, and I did need the blood. But I basically attacked him...

My thoughts were interuppted as a girl walked by me and stopped in front of me. She was taller than me and a bit bigger but not much. She had long brwon hair tied back in a tight ponytail with a loose side fringe tucked behind her ear. She hada  thin rectanglar pair of pirple galsses perched on her nose which made me notice her eyes; they were a pale blue, well one was, the other had a thin stripe of brown running through it. "Hetrochromia" a small voice in the back of my mind recognised.

"Hey." she said. "Are you ok?" the question was hesitant.

I gave a small nod. "What are you?" I asked feeling a bit rude but still curious.

She raised an eyebrow at me. "Same as you. Kind of." I just looked confused. "I'm a vampire but I'm not the same as you." she said trying to explain.

"How do you mean 'not the same'?" I really was clueless.

She thought for a moment before answering. "I used to be human."

"Oh." I said realising what she meant. "So you were bitten then?"

She nodded. "that and a blood exchange to turn me. Your a born vampire aren't you? A Lamia? The one they were talking about."

"Well, as far as knew until 2 days ago I was human. Then I went to this witch lady and next thing I know I wake up a vampire."

"So you never knew what you were?"

I shook my head. "Nope. I was clueless until the accidents began a few weeks ago."

The girl nodded in understanding. "Not something I've heard of before but fair enough." She held out her hand. "Amelia Haze."

"Ileana Beckett." I shook her hand in return. 

Amelia looked me up and down quickly. "Your not in uniform and assembly starts soon." she stated.

I wasn't. I was in the jeans and t-shirt I'd left home in 2 days ago. I didn't know this place had a uniform, I mean why would it unless...It dawned on me. "This is a school." Amelia nodded. "I didn't know that."

"Seems like you don't know much at the moment." sheb said eyes wide.

"Well, I only woke up here a few hours ago after passing out in some weird cottage."

Amelia started laughing. "Sounds like it's been an eventful few days."

"Tell me about it."

 *** ***

About 20 minutes later I stepped out of the small bathroom conected to the bedroom having found my uniform hanging in a 'dress' bag in the otherwise empty closet at the foot of my bed.

The uniform was different to say the least. This one consisted of a white skirt that stopped about mid-thigh with black socks that came almost to the hem of the skirt and black ankle boots (my own not provided). On the top half was a black blouse that came down to my wrists with a white blazer over the top. I also had a red necktie that I apparently had to wear. The blazer was covered in lines of black piping that accentuated the figure nicely. I pulled my hair back into a harsh ponytail letting my fringe stay loose across my forehead and stepped out.

"Oh wow." Amelia said when she saw me.

"What?" I asked.

"It's white. I've never seen anyone with a white uniform before."

I shrugged. "Oh well. It looks okay." I said checking my refelction quickely in the mirror and smoothing out my skirt. It was quite short compared to any skirts I'd worn before but it was ok, besides I'd get used to it eventually. My skin still looked really pale and almost flawless, it was like I'd never been in the sun at all, but weirdly it looked on now, made my hair look darker and the streaks brighter. I'd dyed my hair like that about a year ago after seeing all the X-men films and loved the look on the character so I copied it and decided to keep it after that. 

I couldn't be bothered with much make-up so I jsut put on a little bit of mascara and was good to go.

I looked over and noticed that James had gone. "He left while you were changing to get ready for assembly." Amelia told me.

I shrugged. "Fair enough."

Amelia lead me to the assembly hall, that was like a huge theatre with rows of layered seats and a full stage across the front, on which stood a male fairy with grey wings by a thin microphone and two other people both impecably dressed in fine rich clothes. They stared out over the crowd unblinking, surveying every student that came in.

Amelia lead me over to a group of students all wearing balck unifroms like her, it was basically the reverse of mine. We sat at the back and I looked down at all the other students in the hall. The hall seemed to be split into four quarters. One quarter held all students in balck, another in burgundy where I saw James sat, his coppery hair distinguishable amongst the crowd, the third was in navy blue and the last in a dark forest green.

"Each species within the school. Seems more organised this way according to the head." Amelia explained  and pointed to the man on stage. I nodded in understanding.

Just then the fairy on stage, who I now knew was the headmaster, stepped up to the microphone and cleared his throat causing the hall to fall silent.

"Welcome students, to another term. Welcome back to Daggerhorn Academy of Immortals. As you all know I am Mr Thorn for any of you first years that have already forgotten." he laughed but no-one else did. His voice was light an dhis laugh slightly musical, I presumed a part of being a fairy. "I'd also like yo introduce one of our biggest school patrons Matthias and Elizabeth, of the Immortal senate. We also have a new student joining us this term in the 6th year which I'd like to introduce you all to students and teachers alike. If you'd like to come down here Miss." He looked directly at me as he spoke so I stood up and made my way cautiously down the steps towards the stage conscious of all the people looking at me. I stepped up on the stage (making sure to hold my skirt down) and stepped up to the microphone. 

"What your name then?" he asked me. It sounded patronising but probably wasn't intended that way.

I steeled my expression letting nothing show. In my head I decided to tell them all my real name, the name of my birth parents, not my adoptive ones. I mean this was a bit of a new start, and maybe  I'd get to meet my parents now I was part of all this. Yeah right, highly unlikely. I stepped in front of the microphone and said, "Ileana Beckett."

Gasps and whispers broke out around the hall. I saw Amelia staring at me wide eyed. I felt eyes on me from behind as well and turned to see the two patrons looking at me as well. The man, Matthias was looking cautious like he was trying to see into my head, and the woman Elizabeth had tears in her eyes. 

I didn't understand. What was up with them, and everyone else for that matter.