Gemstone Academy

Chapter 14

Tuesday afternoon after English I was sitting with Zoey and Blair at lunch enjoying a chicken sandwich. Chris wasn't with us today because he had to go to the library to do last minute homework, while Blair and I were pretending that Professor Charlene didn't just assign us a ridiculous amount of homework.

"Does it hurt?" Zoey asked pointing at my neck. I had been unknowingly picking at the bandage all morning.

"No. It itches though," I said.

"So, it heals just like any other wound?" Zoey asked amazed.

"Well yeah, what did you expect?"

"Can we not talk about it? Someone could hear!" Blair hissed. "And then they'll think we're crazy."

I rolled my eyes at her then picked up a breadstick. I saw Lazarus come into the dining room and he headed for my table.

"How are you ladies today?" Lazarus asked coming to stand behind me.

"I'm good," Blair said sitting up. "How are you?"

"I'm all right."

Zoey covered her mouth to hide her laughter at Blair's obviousness. Blair glared at her when Lazarus looked down at me. His eyes landed on the bandage on my neck. Oh of course he would notice it right away.

"What happened?" He asked lightly touching the bandage.

"I burned myself pretty bad with my straightening iron."

Lazarus flipped a piece of my not so straight hair. "Really?" He asked.

Yeah. Okay, that wasn't the best lie I could come up with, but I couldn't think of anything else right on the spot like that. "I did a half ass job today."

"Right. Can I talk to you in the entrance way?"

"Sure," I said getting up and following him out of the dining hall. He led me over to the entrance to the "Teacher's Hall" and stopped. I leaned against the wall and crossed my arms. "What's up?"

Lazarus stood in front of me really close, so close I could smell him. "Who bit you?" He asked in a quiet voice.

"I'm sorry?" Did he know? How did he know?

"Did Dario bite you?" Lazarus asked his voice shaking.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I said.

"Really?" Lazarus asked.

"Really."

He ripped the bandage off of my neck making me yelp. "Then what are those?" He asked pointing to the bite marks. "Those aren't bug bites, and they sure as hell aren't burn marks from your straightening iron."

"How did you know? Wait, you knew Dario was a vampire? So, that's why you said he was dangerous!"

"Yes, which you clearly didn't listen to me!" Lazarus said angrily. "So, Dario did bite you?"

"It was an accident," I said covering the bite marks with my hand. I didn't like the mark being out in the open.

"How is biting someone an accident?! He hurt you," Lazarus said covering my hand with his own.

"Lazarus, it's fine. It doesn't even hurt," I said removing his hand from mine. "It only itches."

"That doesn't make it okay."

"Hang on a second, how did you know Dario was a vampire? It's not the end of your third year yet. So, even if your country was populated with vampires, you wouldn't have been introduced to them yet. That's what Elridge told me."