The place where Sierra stared at Duncan was an old changing room made for students who excelled at everything. Because merely, there were two groups of students inside the Astus high school; vampires called the Elite with their own place to relax and their own luxurious classroom and the commoners under the fifth rank. There was also ranking inside the school and because of her rank, Sierra was placed in a classroom fit for the fifth rank.
Everything around her was suggesting how a fierce battle occurred at the place; there were two individuals who tried to get to Duncan but were beaten by him. He didn't show all his power but it was enough to make the Empress take a liking to him.
"So Duncan, it's alright if I call you that," her heart pounded in her chest as she repeated his name. "You will kill me and make my long lost wish come true. To make sure I don't come back on it, even if I scream at you to stop, just finish it. Is this alright?"
"Yes, it's alright," he assured proudly as if killing someone was the most natural thing in the world. He grinned mischievously as he imagined the taste of her blood under the Glaes Dril Tree, the biggest tree in the country and a place he liked visiting since he was young. There was something about the Glaes Dril that made his blood rush and his power awaken as its true form. He also had the gift of blood control.
His mind went further and imagined fattening her up for more blood. He would devour her and because of the aura that vampires release on the preys, she wouldn't feel any pain, she would like it instead and ask for more. Sierra examined his grin and found it so evil; it was so vile that she turned her eyes checking the cracked block of stones broken up by meandering tree roots.
Duncan returned to the scratch she had on her hand. "We should take care of that now," he pointed at the scratch with his finger yet eyed the area around her waist that also had a small injury unattended. He didn't want to show her he smelled it so he kept his thirst in control and promised his mind to savour the delicacy of a human, right after he left her.
It wasn't good for a prey to be bruised. He would work on healing her and fattening her body until she would be big like a cow, because cows gave produced milk and she would produce blood; it was the same thing just for different races.
As he took out a bandage magically from his pocket, she felt the need to run again. His dark eyes pulled her like a void. She felt uneasy for an unknown reason. Her heart tried to reassure her but her mind kept telling her to run, that since she knew that boy, she broke more than one rule. 'But I always break rules!!!' she thought as he fought the urge to lick the blood on her finger that dried.
"I'm famished, you know," he said menacingly, really meaning it with his whole being. His breath started being erratic and his eyes darted to her wound often. Duncan had to use all the strength he had to keep his thirst in check.
'How could it be? How could it be? How could it be? I mustn't be this way. I must be able to control myself and not be enticed by her smell. It's only normal for me to be this way. She will be scared and she will run and I will have to catch her because running preys are the most enticing ones.' He thought as his eyes widened, going quickly between her face and her finger.
Sierra observed his movement and for a moment, she saw his eyes turning redder. She didn't feel any pain but expected it to ensue, nothing happened. She bit her lower lip but she couldn't help but laugh at his suspicious behavior. Her hand jolted back to her stomach and the other one hit her thighs repeatedly. Duncan didn't expect this; he thought he was already showing enough of his true nature and was ready to snap her neck.
"I don't know what's wrong with you but you are a funny one. The last time I saw someone acting like you my father killed him in front of me."
"What did you see exactly?"
"I fainted in the end. I don't know what happened exactly after that... Unexpectedly, I am hungry as well. Unfortunately, my bag is way back at the roof, we have to climb again to have it. Wait, how will we go back?" her head tilted to the side and she furrowed her eyebrows.
"I don't know if I should be relieved because you are stupid or sad because you are naïve. I don't know which one to choose."
"Huh?"
"I am sorry for calling you that. Did I hurt your feelings? I thought you already knew that since you throw your life around like it was nothing."
"Our deal was a completely normal one. I don't need to wait until I am disappointed with life. I woke up before everyone. Keep that in mind. What's the point of experiencing fake feelings when you can just have a one-way ticket to death? Don't understand me wrong. I just find this country so bad that I can't live in it. My mind isn't good for this place. I suffer. I am leaving in a cage and death is my only solution to stop all this."
Her legs decided to move towards the building to check on the rumours when Duncan felt the presence of two vampires approaching. She took a few steps back as she neared the place where the vampires were standing; they were just behind the immense door that took to the burnt ground. She turned around as Duncan grabbed her arm and gulped. Her instinct told her once again to run but this time, they were stronger than any moment.
Strangely, the two vampires didn't notice their presence. They were so immersed in devouring their victim that they didn't smell anyone approaching. As he feared someone would take his prey, he ushered her to the side of the building where an old box of wood lay on the grass, untouched. His hands forced her to sit inside it covered in his coat and wearing a necklace he gave her around her wrist.
"What's happening? Why do I have to hide?" she lowered her voice not knowing that for vampires it was in vain.
"Do you trust me?"
"Unexpectedly for you, I don't. Do you expect me to believe someone who came into my life unwelcomed and asked to follow him to a desolate area only to hide in a box of wood? So no, I don't trust you. You are stronger than me and your hands are firm so I can't fight you. Now, get off me and let me out."
Sierra glared at him almost fuming with anger. How could he try to seal her in a box? They agreed on a peaceful death and he was thinking of torturing her. Her thoughts started being chaotic like always; this time it was about his motive of sealing her in a box. She didn't know it was for her own good. As he pushed her slowly inside, she grabbed his collar trying to pull him as well to make him fall but he was as firm as a block of wood. He was unmovable. She gave up as she saw him closing the cover.
Sierra remembered those times when she hid under her bed escaping her mother's beating. She always hid whenever she was home to escape her fury. She cursed as he moved away but tried to keep silent. Her instinct was telling her to listen to him and hide.
Duncan moved to the building and as he stepped inside, he remembered the reason why the building was caught in flames; he did that. He smirked as he took notice of two elite students, their fangs buried deep in a student from the first rank. They stopped immediately as Duncan glared at them crossing his arms.
"We didn't do anything that broke the rules; we bought her. This product is rightfully ours. We can share her if you want to turn a blind eye to this."
"The rules are perfectly clear. Even if you bought her, you can't make her dry when she didn't even reach her adult age. Don't you know that? Wrap this up quickly, I'll gladly take more heads to the guild. Do you know how much I like vampires who break the rules?"
The two elite students with their white uniform and dark features flinched. They immediately took their prey and moved away. Duncan's reputation was well-known. He would definitely tell the higher-ups about it. He hated his own kind.
He turned back to where he left Sierra and found her holding the head of a serpent after she used the emerald he gave her to slay its head. She was focused inside the box; her body managed to turn around and crouched, the hands holding the creature tightly. Her eyes felt dead. It was the kind of eyes an assassin made to its prey. She was startled when she noticed him. She looked at him with a face full of serpent blood. Her eyes returned to the way they were after she threw the head aside like it was a toy.
"Don't show yourself like that! It makes me want to take you here and now. It's like you are seducing me."
"Are you stupid or what? What do you expect me to do? Let a serpent bite me. I hate serpents; they are venomous and unkind. They don't understand when someone is friendly and bite everyone. I don't have to wait for it to harm me when I can start first."
When she got out of the box and turned back to take the bloody head into her pocket, he knew she was as twisted as he was. He wanted to take her around but it was safe to just return. Nobody knows when a vampire might land from the sky and it would be embarrassing trying to protect a human.
"Shall we head back to eat your lunch? I am famished."