Sandabury Academy

So Hungry

**Valerie's POV**

I look around the witch's hut expecting to see jars full of random body parts lining makeshift shelves and smelly herbs hanging from support beams. Instead, a lavish carpet lines the floor of the circular hut and charcoal runes cover the smooth, windowless, stone walls. No doubt magic was used to make the stone curve in a perfect circle considering the outside of the hut is lined with vertical wooden slabs. The roof has about a three foot opening to allow the smoke to escape from the fire pit in the middle of the room. A throat clears and I am zapped back into reality. Raquel points at my dirt and mud caked boots before I step foot onto the carpet.

"I'd take them off but I don't think it'll do much good." As if to emphasize my current state, I lift my arms up from my sides slightly, allowing her a full view of my torn, dirty, blood stained combat outfit.

Raquel purses her lips as she takes in my appearance. We stand there at an impasse for a good minute before she finally speaks.

"Why aren't you healing?"

"In case you haven't noticed, a Doppelganger thought I was Julius Caesar and pulled a Brutus. Kinda lost a lot of blood in the process of getting here. Speaking of, you wouldn't happen to have had one of your lackeys grab our supplies from the camp now would you? I'm quite famished." I can't help but finish with a smirk, no doubt revealing my sharp fangs.

Raquel hides her reaction well and simply replies, "I can see that. Your eyes are now glowing a rather bright white."

She emphasizes the word 'now' as if to imply that they were a different color earlier. What's with everyone commenting on my eye color? First Terry and now this witch. Raquel seizes the opportunity while I am distracted with my thoughts. She rushes towards me through the air, her feet hovering slightly off the ground like a creepy villain, until she is standing in front of me. My injuries slow my reaction time and I am only able to flinch as Raquel roughly grabs a hold of my chin with her right hand. She jerks it to either side, examining me, before speaking.

"You haven't fully Awakened yet, have you?"

I quickly twist my head out of her grasp. "What the hell are you talking about?"

My question has her eyes narrowing into slits. Right as she opens her mouth to speak, a rather masculine fellow strides through the doorway until he comes to a halt in front of us and bows his hooded head. Raquel nods, giving him permission to speak. The man straightens, however his hood is too low for me to get a good look at his face.

"The male is causing a disturbance. He refuses to receive medical treatment until he knows the whereabouts of... her," he says, no doubt referring to me.

Raquel literally rolls her eyes. "What a child," she mutters under her breath with a click of her tongue. She then turns her attention towards me.
"Very well then, Valerie. Go to your friends."

"How do you know my name?"

"I knew you would come to me. I foresaw it. Now go. We will discuss more later." With a dismissive flick of her hand, she turns around and begins stoking the remaining embers inside the fire pit. If she knew we were coming, why did she want to kill us for trespassing?

The hooded man swiftly turns on his heels and begins walking out of the hut at a brisk pace. It is evident that he doesn't want to be near me for an extended period of time. Who would want to be near a starving vampire anyway? Although, as he passes and I turn to follow behind him, I catch a familiar sent but am unable to place it due to my dulled senses. Shrugging, I follow him to the infirmary.