I felt Lilac enter the room. I looked up and there she was, the whole tall, honeyed length of her. I was in her sights, and she was slinking right toward me. I numbed myself, readying for the inevitable barb.
Shuffling his feet under his chair, Yasuo leaned, elbows forward, on his desk. Was he trying to look cool? Did he read the malice in von Slutling’s eyes? Because here was his moment to throw me on the fire.
“Hey, Charity. ” She raked her eyes over Yasuo. “How cute. I see you made a little friend. ”
She’d lobbed him a softball. All he needed to do was sacrifice me and he’d earn the mother lode of popular points. I braced for it.
But Yasuo didn’t say anything. It amazed me. He didn’t smile, didn’t look at her, didn’t acknowledge Lilac in the slightest.
She gave a lilting laugh that made my flesh crawl. “Oh, that’s right. The only way a boy will deal with you is if he doesn’t speak English. ”
Yasuo sneered. “I’m from L. A. , girl. ” He turned to me and said in a stage whisper, “That’s so cool they mainstream the special kids here. ”
I bit my cheek to keep a laugh from exploding out. My shredded faith in humanity was momentarily restored.
Lilac narrowed her eyes. “Whatever. ”
She swung away from us, and I had to duck to avoid getting clipped by her bag. It appeared our Lilac had a thing for wielding her accessories as weapons.
Yasuo and I cut looks over our shoulders, watching as she found a seat. Something had opened up in the back row. Go figure.
Yasuo turned back around, slouching over his desk. “Does she not get that I’m gonna be a vampire?”
I laughed at the joke, but it made me wonder about all the nascent hierarchies. If Watchers answered to vampires, and these boys were training to become them, what did that say about gender relations on our little isle?
“So, what’d you do to get queenie all riled up, anyway?” he asked.
“I was born. ” Our gazes connected. His eyes were twinkly and dark, and I let myself smile.
The door opened, and the difference between regular school and this crazy vampire island became instantly clear. The teacher walked in, and the room fell utterly silent.
I recognized him at once from the headmaster’s talk. He’d been one of the guys who’d helped Ronan clear Mimi’s body from the stones. He was cute in a brown, puppy-eyed sort of way. He didn’t have the same menace as the headmaster, or as the other vampire I’d spotted in the dark. Was he a Tracer, like Ronan?
“I’m Tracer Judge,” he said in an American accent, answering my unspoken question. “And I’m your phenomena teacher. ”
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nbsp; There was a little explosive giggle in the back. Some idiot girl who couldn’t stop herself.
He grew still, pinning her in his sights.
Here we go. I’d seen what happened when these dudes were crossed. I held my breath, waiting for the evisceration.
But Judge surprised me by giving her a kind and knowing smile instead. “I’ll bet you’re wondering what phenomena is. ”
I swore I felt the room give a collective exhale.
“Think of it as a fancy word for science. Vampires may be an ancient race, but they’ve kept alive—they’ve flourished—by keeping abreast of modern technological advancements. Computers, forensics, explosives. We’ll study all these things. ”
I forgot the kids behind me. I forgot Lilac and Yasuo. I even forgot about the whole swimming debacle. Tracer Judge had me at forensics.
I picked up my pen, poised to transcribe his every word, if necessary. Ronan had been right. I might just like my classes after all. This one, at least.
“We also study sciences of the natural world,” he continued, sauntering to the back of the room. He caught students’ eyes as he walked. “Anatomy. Physiology. The vampiric process. ”
It was creepy to consider why prospective vampires needed to study anatomy. But learning the vampiric process? Cool.
“Today we’ll start with the most basic of skills. ” Judge opened a cabinet at the back of the room and retrieved a burlap bag.