Royal Academy Diaries II

Curse Of The Desert Sun ⚜ Ch. 9

As the day wore on, his patience wore thin. Olek promised to bring Ivan and that together they'd meet Baltazar.

By the time advanced potions class came around, Aten was barely holding himself together. He was hungry and impatient - a dangerous combination.

Okoye sensed that he was distraught. "What's up with you, Aten?" she said as class began. "You've been acting really strange."

His hand trembled as he picked up his textbook. "Please don't ask me that right now."

She furrowed her brow. "Don't I have a right to know? You're hiding something from me. You can trust me, you know," she encouraged.

He tried to not listen to the sound of her blood being pumped through her veins. "Please, Okoye. I can't hurt you."

Putting a hand on his arm, she whispered as class began, "Don't worry about me. I'm just worried about you."

The curse felt stronger today. It took everything he had not to lunge at the professor and drain them dry. Okoye's nearness didn't help things either.

When class was over, he stayed seated, and she followed his lead.

"So?" she said when the last person walked out. "What's going on?"

Aten couldn't stop the trembling. "If I tell you, you have to believe me. And you have to do as I say, understood?"

Surprised by his solemnity, she nodded. "Whatever you need, ayanfe."

Taking a shaky breath he looked at her with his piercing gold eyes. "I've been changed. Cursed. Since I entered the tomb, I can only... I can only drink blood. The sun burns me. I have no reflection." He bared his fangs, just to drive the point home.

Okoye gasped and tried not to recoil, although he noticed the slight movement. "Aten..."

"Now listen to me. You understand now that you have to stay away? I'm not as strong as I had been. Please, I can't hurt you." His voice broke. "I couldn't live with myself if I did."

She was silent for a long time. Finally she whispered, "What do we do now?"

He looked down. "I'm meeting someone who might be able to help in about twenty minutes. Then I need to go hunt. Hopefully afterwards I'll be less of a danger to you for a few days."

Tentatively, she put a hand on his arm. "I'll stay as close as you'll let me, ife mi. Come on, let's go meet this sorcerer."

Together they went to the biggest oak tree outside the castle, and there they found Olek, Ivan, and two others.

"Prince Aten, there you are. I'm Baltazar," the first year said with a bow. "We were just making introductions. This is Camillio, my boyfriend. And this is Liliya, Ivan's girl."

Biting back a growl, Aten nodded. "And this is Okoye. Now let's get down to business. You have the amulet?"

"Yes," Camillio nodded.

"And do you know the incantation that will activate it?" he pressed.

Baltazar bit his cheek. "We know of one, for werewolves. I don't know if it's different for vampires."

Olek glanced to him nervously. "All we know is that tomorrow is a solar eclipse. All magic is amplified then. So both of you will likely have a rough day..."

"Then we cast the spell tomorrow. Make the potion, whatever. Now tell me once and for all, do you know the incantation that will work or don't you?" Aten insisted, his anger growing from hunger and fear.

Feeling the pressure, Baltazar recoiled. "I'm not Einstein! Give me a minute!" He picked a book out of his bag and flipped to a page. Then he cross referenced it with another book.

He was taking too long. As Aten watched, his vision began to be tinted red. "I have to go. Right now. We'll meet back here tomorrow first thing, alright?" Unable to stay a moment longer, he ran towards the forest, hoping to find an animal before he turned completely into a monster.