Chapter 2

• The manicured lawns and large brick buildings indicated we'd arrived college. Char met up with her boyfriend, Matt. A tall, gangly boy in his early twenties--the same age as us. I could say Matt was the polar opposite of Char. He seemed to be ever anxious, stuttering, or picking imaginary lint off his cashmere sweaters.
• He was the calm to Char's crazy and I thought they complimented each other perfectly.
• He and Char quickly started up the front steps of the building, chattering as they went while I rushed to keep up with them. The hallways were scant, the department buildings near empty. Yet another sign of the Invasion.
• We took our seats on the fourth row. The air had grown so humid a trickle of sweat slid down my back. I took off the jacket I'd thrown on as an afterthought, draping it behind the chair. More students came in, the chattering going up a notch.
• Matt bent forward to smile at me. "Sup, Elle?"
• I smiled back. "I'm g..."
• My reply was lost amidst the sudden increase of voices in the hall. I turned to see what had caused the noise and paled.
• Striding into the room were eight vampire males. On their pale, emotionless faces were looks of boredom and disdain. They took their seats at the back of the class.
• They shouldn't be here. The HVC (Human-Vampire Consul) had assured us, and I quote, 'In areas where education, recreation, and events particular to human development and unity are concerned, the vampires are to abstain from frequenting'.
• But then there was also another clause that stated; 'In the event that they frequent enlisted areas, they are to be welcomed in order to further peace and unity between our factions.'
• The government was a joke.
• Their seal meant nothing but a flimsy--and embarrassing--representation of humankind. A face the vampires merely marked down as an entity existing to carry out their rigid orders.
• Just then a stout man I recognized as our humanities lecturer came in. His blue eyes scanned the apprehensive faces in the hall and briefly settled on the vampires at the back. He swallowed, focusing on us once more. "Buckle up, students. Today we'll be having a very important guest from the Board."
• While the students murmured, he turned and went away.
• Leaning back in my chair, I let the murmuring in the room fade into a buzz at the back of my mind. The tension in the hall was palpable. Cupped whispers and glances stole to the back, to where the vampires sat.
• I turned too and my gaze connected with the ones of a stout vampire. His lips peeled back, revealing lengthening fangs. A shiver skittered down my spine and I turned away.
• Folding my arms, I settled deeper into my seat, looking at the wide expanse of the lecture hall. I didn't want to take up political science, but it was either that or get sent off to one of the 'special schools' owned by the vampires
• When humans turned sixteen, they forcefully got enrolled into those schools--unless they were ready to take up a course that led to a position the vampires deemed important (malleable) enough--which in this case was politics and business administration.
• And if students dared fail, or gave anything second to excellence, they got sent off to those schools. There, people were trained to serve (slave) in their many Houses. But I had decided against that, and here I was, studying to get into the very organization I detested: the HVC.
• The hall went silent, indicating someone had stepped in.
• My eyes found the space in front and I felt my heart pick up.
• A tall vampire walked forward. A disquieting air of restrained danger surrounded him.
• I should've gotten used to the unnatural beauty of the vampires, but it appeared I hadn't, not when I found myself openly staring at the stranger before us.
• He had sharp features. Straight brows slashed over a pair of cold eyes and dark lashes fell over wide cheekbones. His nose was proud, his mouth sensual. The strong set of his jaw brought to mind the word ruthless.
• He was breathtaking.
• His inky black hair was a touch long, and presently it was secured in an elegant queue. Something about his bearing, about him, reminded me of ancient times. I wondered how old he really was.
• Then something instant occurred to me.
• The vampire, he seemed... familiar.
• I couldn't place my finger on it, but there was just... something familiar about him. Or maybe I was being delusional. Not to be debasing, but people like that didn't run in the same circles as I did.
• The deep timbre of his voice carried over the room. "I am Sebastian Tsovich, lord of the Taivan House and Law Guardian to the vampire Board." His voice was lightly accented, cultured. And up until now, I'd never known a voice to sound so... expressionless.
• So he was a law guardian. My eyes spied a protrusion at the side of his immaculate slacks. I swallowed when I made out the shape of a gun.
• He continued, "I cannot stress enough how important your safety is to the board. Which is why, for reasons that cannot yet be disclosed, you are all to obey a curfew set by ten o'clock this evening."
• While murmurs rose, a flare of anger gradually rose in me. The board didn't care a fig about our safety. If they cared, they wouldn't have taken our lives from us, our hope that something good could come out of this world. Now our future was limited to the threat of special schools and people with gleaming fangs who had a penchant to be heartless.
• Once an angry flush warmed my cheeks, I realized I was getting worked up.
• Just then his gaze met mine.
• My heart seized.
• Black, piercing, cold. His eyes seemed to slice through every layer of my being until I felt like every single secret I fought to hide was on full display. My heart beat increasingly fast with each second that flew past--but I couldn't know that. If time was moving or at a standstill.
• I wasn't aware of anything but those obsidian eyes. Once they left mine I felt a breath leave me.
• He continued on with the class as if nothing happened.
• But then, had anything?
• _
• When I got home, it was to see the television was left on to an empty living room. The sound of a shower above told me mum was in. She rarely went out.
• Plopping my bag down on the worn couch, I went over to the television. Sometimes she left it this way on purpose, insisting the house was too silent. But I was home now so I switched it off. But before I did I caught a snippet of the news program that had been running. A curfew had been set tonight.
• Going up to my room, I sank down on the bed and started to kick off my shoes. But I stopped once my phone rang.
• Char's name flashed across the screen. It hadn't been a few hours since we last saw each other.
• Brows furrowing, I took the call. "Hello?"
• Silence.
• "Char?"
• A few seconds ticked by and the hairs on my nape rose. "H--"
• "Eleanor?" The voice on the other end of the line was weak. What she said next sent a wave of shock coursing through me.