The Sunwalker- Heirs of the Night

12

When Nadja entered the dining hall the next night, she could tell that something had happened. She sat down beside Ivy and Alisa and was about to ask what was going on when Lars came.

"Hey, catch up with you guys later."

He told Malcolm and his cousins as he took a plate off their table to seat himself with Nadja and the others. It didn't look like he had noticed anything out of the ordinary.

"Hello ladies. What's on your minds today? No don't tell me," Lars put a hand to his temple. "Oh, it's me."

The girls rolled their eyes and Nadja gave him a friendly bump in the side.

"Now, what's up?" Nadja asked.

Ivy opened her mouth, but stopped herself with a glance over at Karen, the Dracas shadow, who stood pouring them red.

"Det går fint, jeg er ikke så sulten. It's fine, I am not that hungry." Lars told her and she left them. "Speaking of which," He turned to Nadja. "You are despicable, you know that?"

Nadja stared at him, offended. "Excuse me?"

"A Dracas that can't speak Norwegian? It's unheard of. Therefore, I have taken it upon myself to teach you."

Nadja sighed in relief, laughing shortly afterwards.

"Guys, stop joking around, this is serious." Ivy whispered.

"Okay, fine, but only if you tell us what's going on." Nadja replied, tired of waiting.

"Tonka has stolen the Arrufat ruby."

The other three looked at each other in shock.

"What? How?" Alisa asked.

"No idea."

"Speaking of rubies," Lars said thoughtfully. "I've been thinking. Alisa, if you can see what Dracula sees and make him cry and all that, would it be possible that you also share his powers?"

Alisa shrugged, but with an excited look on her face.

"No idea."

"Let's go find out, we have time before class if we hurry." Said Ivy.

Nadja had grown quite familiar with the Elisabetha's empty rooms, so it didn't take long for the group to find one.

"Now, what have you seen him do?" Lars asked Alisa.

She began counting off her fingers. It turned out that Dracula had the Arrufat, Vikla, Tova and Upiry rubies in his possession now. If Nadja hadn't gotten away with the Belov ruby, Dracula would have had that too and, by extension, as would Alisa.

"Try to use your shadow." They urged her.

Alisa tried talking to her shadow, and it waved back at her. They sadly didn't have time to check the other powers, for the bell rang.

"Today the Dracas clan will share the skill of their birth ruby, mind reading."

Lars made as if to get up, as did Inger and Fanny, but Malcolm shouted out to him.

"Lars! Be a gentleman, alright? Let your cousins shine for once."

Which made Lars sit back down.

"They don't know that your expertise far outshines theirs when it comes to using your birth ruby." Nadja sent to him with a wink.

"It is our birth ruby, sis." Lars smiled.

"We'll teach you mind reading, mind blocking and a little mind meddling just for fun." Fanny began.