Chapter 3: And to prove it…

And then it clicked. The reason his mouth watered... The delicious scent he smelled... ’How could I have forgotten?’ Kevin thought, ’I am— I mean Caius is a Vampire!’ Actually, in the original story, Caius wasn’t a True Vampire, he was a Vampire Spawn which meant he had all of the weaknesses of a True Vampire and none of the strengths. Plus, Caius saw his Vampirism as a disease and made sure never to evolve, shunning what he was and always trying to ’rise above it’. Many times while reading, Kevin had called Caius a dumbass because of it. ’But wait,’ Kevin thought with a pause, ’This is the start of the story and only three people should know what I— what Caius is and none of them should be at the Academy.’ He looked at the Professor still smiling calmly at him and remembered he didn’t even know her name yet, "Who are you?" He asked. "Arlette Louvene," the Professor said. ’Arlette... Arlette..." Kevin thought hard trying to remember the character in the original story and then his eyes went wide when he remembered, ’Hold on...!’ In the original story, Arlette Louvene was a new Professor who joined the Lochxen Academy on behalf of a Criminal Organization she belonged to. She was meant to be the eyes and a way into the inner dealings of the Academy for her Secretive bosses. The reason why Kevin didn’t remember her quickly despite how absolutely sexy she looked was because, although she was described in the original story, she was not as prominent as many other characters. "Come on, Caius," Arlette said with her elbows on her desk and her delicate chin resting on the back of her interlocked fingers, "Sit." There was a lot running through Kevin’s mind but he obeyed and sat in the chair opposite hers while looking into her grey eyes. They really were beautiful. "You can relax, Caius," Arlette said, "Unlike most of those overly righteous do-gooders out there, I don’t think Vampires are inherently bad. It’s a condition most never chose. I certainly don’t think you did..." "I’m not a Vampire," Kevin said immediately. Denial. That was key. Vampires were much too hated in this world and, dream or not, Kevin felt it would suck to get hunted and killed. "Please, Caius. I did the math," Arlette said nodding proudly mostly to herself, "Five years ago you were on track for your first year at Lochxen but then you didn’t attend. Word is, you fell ill. So ill that you were kept in Quarantine. No one knew the details of the illness. Your father never said. Shortly before that Quarantine though, there was news that your home was attacked and again, there are very few details about it. But I thought to myself, who else would attack the home of the famed Vampire Hunter besides a Vampire, and what secretive ’illness’ could result from such an event besides a secret Vampiric transformation? It’s also the only kind of secret your father, with his reputation at stake, would want to keep." Kevin frowned, "Lucian—My father had— has other enemies. And I WAS ill." "Yet, here you are, looking very healthy," Arlette said. "It’s been five years. I got better," Kevin said and managed a small laugh like her logic was so thin and flawed, it was laughable. Arlette wasn’t bothered. She continued, "I’m willing to bet that five years ago if your affinity had been tested, you’d have had some affinity with Light magic. But since Vampires are such ’beings of pure darkness, and no light can survive within them’, that talent was snuffed. That was probably my biggest clue." "You think anyone with no affinity with Light magic is a Vampire?" Kevin said and laughed again at how ridiculous he hoped it sounded. "Well, when you contrast it with your High affinity for Dark magic..." Arlette started. "So my crime is that I’m talented?" Kevin retorted quickly with furrowed brows. "Hmm, I should have expected you to be glib. You won’t be your father’s son if you weren’t," Arlette said and chuckled to herself, "Show me your hands." Kevin placed his right hand on the table. seaʀᴄh thё NôᴠeFire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Arlette rolled her eyes, "Your other hand. The one you still have in your pocket." Kevin clenched his left hand into a fist. He was wearing two rings but he rubbed his thumb across the one on his index finger. It was a ’Moonstone Ring’ and the only reason Caius could walk in the daytime. Otherwise, he’d burn to ashes. According to the original story, it was so specially made and enchanted that it was very difficult for anyone to see it for what it was. They’d just think it was a dash of male fashion or a simple storage ring. And yet, Kevin didn’t want to take out his hand. Suddenly, he felt irritated. "I don’t want to." "You don’t?" Arlette asked and raised a brow. "No." Kevin said in a firm tone. His voice sounded so velvety and assured, it was almost... alluring. Arlette leaned back a bit and blinked. Caius’ eyes and tone just made her suddenly feel unsure. She resisted and cleared her throat to say, "You know I can make you, right?" She sounded so sweet but the venom of the threat was clear. As he was only just starting school, there was no way Caius could compete in strength. But somehow, Kevin found he didn’t care. "I know," he said, "But everyone saw me come with you. If I’m harmed, I think you’d be at the top of the list of suspects." "If I out you as a Vampire, no one will care," Arlette said. "You don’t believe that," Kevin said shaking his head, "I think some will look past it and still take my side." "You mean your father?" Arlette asked with a smirk, "I wonder how quickly the world will turn on Lucian Von Helsing, the great Vampire Hunter when they learn he has spent years hypocritically harboring a Vampire Son." Kevin paused and then shrugged, "Okay, so they turn on him but I bet he kills you before anyone can do anything to him." Arlette frowned. She knew he was right. She couldn’t possibly compare in strength to Lucian Von Helsing. She recovered quickly though, "What good would his revenge do you if you’re already dead?" "Five years in isolation and now exposed so people can turn on me and hate me before I can even start to ’live’ again... I think I’d welcome death..." "Ha, you lie!" Arlette laughed. "Trust me, I don’t," Kevin said so seriously that Arlette paused. For that brief second, he looked so depressed that she believed him. On the other hand, Kevin had no idea where that depressive thought came from but he rolled with it. "So to surmise, I die ’happily’ and my father goes after you and kills you. Your... plans completely fall to the wayside all because you came after me for whatever reason." "Plans? What plans?" Arlette asked taking note of Kevin’s tone when he mentioned it. Kevin clicked his tongue, "Come on, Arlette, I know who you are," he said in a turnaround of what she had said to him earlier. "What?" "’They’ won’t like you jeopardizing their plans just to come after me. I’m damn sure I’m not their target." "I have no idea what you’re talking about," Arlette said. "Am I being too vague?" Kevin asked with a mockingly ’innocent’ smile, "Or you’re not a member of ’Ophiuchus’?" Arlette narrowed her eyes and pressed her lips tightly together. Kevin felt he could tell what she was thinking; Only members should know of ’Ophiuchus’ and there was no way Caius was a member. The very thought seemed ridiculous. She also probably considered killing him or threatening him for what he knew but because of what he said earlier, she didn’t think he feared death and also didn’t want to face the consequences of hurting him. ’Her mind’s probably a mess right now,’ Kevin thought. But then Arlette smiled, "I think you have me all wrong," she said. "How so?" Kevin asked. With a flick of her wrist, Arlette suddenly had a dagger in her hand. She stood from her chair and walked around her desk until she was in front of Kevin who was eyeing the dagger’s glinting blade and wondering if she was thinking ’screw it all’ and was going to plunge it into his heart. "As I said earlier, I’m not like the others in this Academy. I don’t think being a Vampire makes you inherently bad and even if it did, I don’t care. I’m on your side. And to prove it..." Arlette pressed the edge of the dagger against the creamy skin of her arm and sliced. It was a small thin slice and blood began to drip out of it. "This is the most show of trust one can present a Vampire," she said and held out her bleeding arm to say in an almost sensual voice, "Drink my blood."