ARIA'S POV
The silver knife is cold in my palm.
Professor Crane smiles at me like this is perfectly normal. "We'll start with something simple. A basic blood identification spell."
Twenty vampires watch me from their seats. Their eyes are too focused, too hungry. The scarred boy in the back hasn't moved, his hands still gripping the desk like he's fighting himself.
"I need you to make a small cut," Professor Crane instructs. "Just a drop of blood on this crystal."
My hand freezes over the blade.
Don't bleed. Not even a drop.
Lucian's voice echoes in my head. The raw fear in it. The way he said he didn't trust himself around my blood.
"Miss Blackwood?" Crane prompts.
"I... I don't think I should—"
"It's perfectly safe." His kind eyes meet mine. "I've been teaching blood magic for three centuries. My students know better than to lose control."
But the way every vampire in the room is staring at the knife in my hand tells a different story.
"Professor, maybe we could use someone else's blood?" I suggest desperately. "Another student—"
"Human blood is required for this particular spell." He places a crystal in front of me. "Just one drop, Miss Blackwood. Then you'll be done."
I glance at the door. It's closed. Locked probably.
The scarred vampire in the back is shaking now, his face twisted in pain like he's fighting every instinct he has.
"It's fine," I tell myself quietly. "It's just one drop."
I press the blade against my fingertip—
"STOP!"
The door slams open so hard it cracks against the wall.
Lucian stands in the doorway, and he looks furious. His silver eyes are blazing, his whole body radiating danger and power.
Every vampire in the room immediately looks down, submitting to him.
"Mr. Ashford," Professor Crane says calmly. "You're interrupting my class."
"Class dismissed." Lucian's voice is pure command. "Everyone out. Now."
Students scramble for the exit, moving vampire-fast. Even the scarred boy leaves, though he shoots me one last intense look before disappearing.
In seconds, the room is empty except for me, Lucian, and Professor Crane.
"This is highly irregular," Crane says, but there's something knowing in his expression. "The girl needs to learn blood magic if she's going to survive here."
"Not like this." Lucian moves to stand between me and Crane. "Not in a room full of vampires who can smell she's different."
Different. That word again.
"Different how?" I ask, but they both ignore me.
Crane studies Lucian with ancient eyes. "You felt it. When she was about to bleed. Every vampire in this building felt it."
"I felt it," Lucian says tightly.
"And yet you still ran to save her." Crane smiles slowly. "Interesting. You haven't shown interest in anyone in decades, Lucian. Why this human girl?"
"That's none of your concern."
"Oh, but it is." Crane looks at me now, and his kind expression turns calculating. "Because she's not fully human, is she? You've realized it. That's why you're so protective."
My blood runs cold. "What are you talking about?"
"Nothing," Lucian says quickly, grabbing my arm. His touch is gentle despite his anger. "We're leaving."
He pulls me toward the door, but Crane's voice stops us.
"She'll bleed eventually, Lucian. In training. In combat class. In an accident." He tilts his head. "And when she does, every vampire here will know what she is. You can't protect her from the truth forever."
Lucian's jaw clenches. Without answering, he leads me out of the room and down the empty corridor.
His hand is still on my arm, and even through my fear, I'm aware of his touch—cold but somehow comforting, his fingers firm but careful not to hurt me.
We turn a corner into an abandoned hallway. He finally stops, releasing me.
"What did he mean?" I demand. "Not fully human? What am I?"
"I don't know." Lucian runs a hand through his dark hair, frustrated. "But there's something about your blood. Your scent. It's different from normal humans."
"Different how?"
"Stronger. Richer." His eyes meet mine, and there's hunger there he's not trying to hide anymore. "Every vampire who gets near you wants—"
He cuts himself off, jaw tight.
"Wants what?" I press.
"You." The word comes out rough. "Your blood. Your scent. Everything about you calls to us like nothing I've ever felt."
The way he's looking at me—like I'm tempting him beyond reason—makes my pulse spike.
"Is that why you're helping me?" The question hurts to ask. "Because you want my blood?"
"No." He steps closer, and my back hits the wall. "Yes. I don't know anymore."
He's right in front of me now, close enough that I can see the war in his silver eyes. Hunger mixed with something else. Something deeper.
"When I first saw you," he says quietly, "I noticed your scent before anything else. It hit me like a drug. Made every instinct I have scream to claim you, taste you, keep you."
My breath catches.
"But then you looked at me." His hand lifts, fingers ghosting near my cheek without quite touching. "And I saw fear. And defiance. And strength in someone who should have been broken by now. And suddenly I didn't just want your blood anymore."
"What did you want?" My voice is barely a whisper.
"Everything." The confession is raw, honest, dangerous. "I wanted to know why you smile like you're not used to being happy. Why you flinch when people move too fast. Why you agreed to come to a vampire school when you're clearly terrified."
His finger traces down my cheek now, the touch feather-light and ice-cold and electrifying.
"I wanted to know who hurt you badly enough that you'd run into the arms of monsters instead of staying where you were," he continues, his voice dropping lower. "I wanted to protect you. And claim you. And make sure nothing ever hurts you again."
I can't breathe. Can't think. His words wrap around me, intimate and possessive and completely overwhelming.
"That's insane," I whisper. "You don't even know me."
"I know you were forced to pack your entire life into one suitcase." His thumb brushes my jaw. "I know you're brave enough to face down the Crown girls despite being terrified. I know you'd rather suffer than let someone innocent get hurt—I saw it when you tried to protect your roommate."
How does he know about my suitcase? About Elena?
"I've been watching you," he admits, reading my expression. "Since the moment you arrived. I couldn't stop myself."
"That should be creepy," I say shakily.
"But it's not." His eyes search mine. "Because you've been watching me too."
He's right. I have been. Noticing the way he moves, how his voice changes when he's concerned, how his eyes soften when he looks at me.
"This is dangerous," I whisper.
"I know."
"You could hurt me."
"I could." His hand cups my face fully now, cold palm against my warm cheek. "I could drain you dry without thinking. Could kill you in seconds. Every part of me that's vampire says you're prey."
"Then why don't you?" My heart pounds against my ribs.
"Because every part of me that's still human says you're mine." His thumb traces my lower lip, and the touch makes my whole body shiver. "Not to feed on. Not to use. Mine to protect. Mine to keep safe. Mine to—"
He stops himself, jaw clenching.
"To what?" I breathe.
His eyes drop to my lips, then back up. The hunger there is so intense it steals my breath.
"To kiss," he finally says, his voice rough. "Until you forget every person who ever made you feel worthless. Until you understand you're extraordinary."
My heart stops.
He wants to kiss me.
A vampire. Who's devastatingly beautiful and dangerous and looking at me like I'm the only thing in the world that matters.
"We shouldn't," I whisper, even as I lean closer.
"I know." But he's leaning in too.
"This is a terrible idea."
"The worst." His lips are inches from mine now, his cold breath mingling with my warm.
"Lucian—"
"Tell me to stop," he murmurs. "Tell me you don't want this. Tell me I'm a monster and you hate me."
"I can't." And it's true. I can't lie about this. "I should. But I can't."
Something breaks in his eyes. "Neither can I."
He kisses me.
His lips are cold against mine, but the kiss is anything but. It's desperate and hungry and careful all at once—like he's been starving for this but terrified of hurting me.
I gasp against his mouth, and he takes advantage, deepening the kiss. His hand tangles in my hair while the other braces against the wall beside my head, caging me in.
I should be terrified. He's a vampire. A predator. His fangs are right there, dangerous and sharp.
But all I feel is heat. Want. Need.
My hands find his chest, and even through his shirt I can feel how cold he is. How solid. How perfectly controlled even while kissing me like he's been waiting decades to do it.
He pulls back slightly, breathing hard despite not needing air. His eyes are darker now, pupils blown wide, and when he speaks his voice is rough and strained.
"Your heart," he says, pressing his palm over my racing heartbeat. "I can feel it. Hear it. It's driving me insane."
"Is that bad?" I ask breathlessly.
"It's dangerous." His forehead rests against mine. "Because it makes me want to taste more than your lips. Makes me want to know if the rest of you is as warm. As alive. As intoxicating."
Heat floods through me at his words.
"But I won't," he continues, jaw tight. "Because I'm not that monster. And you deserve better than a vampire who can't control himself."
"What if I don't want better?" The words escape before I can stop them. "What if I want you?"
His eyes snap to mine, burning with intensity. "Don't say things like that."
"Why?"
"Because I'm barely holding on as it is." His thumb traces my jaw. "Because if you keep looking at me like that, I'll forget every reason why this is wrong. I'll claim you right here in this hallway and damn the consequences."
The possessive way he says 'claim' makes my stomach flip.
A door opens somewhere down the hall. Voices echo. Students returning to class.
Lucian steps back immediately, putting distance between us. His mask of control slides back into place, but I can see the strain in his eyes.
"We can't do this again," he says, but his voice lacks conviction.
"Okay," I say, even though I'm already wanting him to kiss me again.
"I'm serious, Aria." He adjusts his collar, looking perfect and composed again like we didn't just kiss. "You being here is already dangerous enough. If anyone found out I'm... involved with you, it would paint an even bigger target on your back."
"So what are we supposed to do?"
"Stay away from each other." He says it like it pains him. "Or at least pretend to in public."
My chest aches at the thought. "Is that what you want?"
"No." His honesty is brutal. "But it's what's smart. What's safe."
"I don't care about safe anymore."
"You should." He moves closer again, like he can't help himself. "Because I care about keeping you safe. Even from myself."
His phone buzzes. He pulls it out, and his expression darkens.
"What's wrong?" I ask.
"Your stepmother." He shows me the screen—a news article. "She's filed a missing persons report. Claims you were kidnapped."
My blood runs cold. "She knows where I am."
"Yes." Lucian's jaw tightens. "And she's threatening to bring human authorities to investigate unless you contact her immediately."
"I won't. I won't go back."
"I won't let you." His voice is fierce, protective. "But this complicates things. If human police investigate Thornveil—"
"The vampire secret gets exposed." I finish, understanding. "And it'll be my fault."
"No." He grabs my shoulders. "It's her fault. She sent you here knowing what would happen. This is part of her plan."
"What plan?"
Before he can answer, his phone rings. He glances at it and curses. "The Headmaster is calling an emergency council meeting. About you."
Fear floods through me. "What does that mean?"
"It means they're deciding whether you're worth the risk of keeping here." His silver eyes meet mine, determined. "Don't worry. I won't let them send you away."
"Why are you doing all this for me?" The question bursts out. "You barely know me. I'm just a human who—"
"You're not just anything." He cups my face, making me look at him. "I don't know why yet. Don't know what you are or why your blood calls to every vampire here. But I know you matter. To me. And I protect what's mine."
"I'm not yours," I whisper, but it sounds like a lie even to my own ears.
"Aren't you?" His eyes search mine. "Tell me you don't feel this. This pull between us. Tell me I'm imagining it."
I can't. Because I feel it too—this magnetic, dangerous connection that makes no sense.
"I have to go," he says reluctantly. "But stay in your room tonight. Lock the door. Don't let anyone in except Elena."
"Lucian—"
"Promise me." His voice turns commanding. "After that kiss, after you being in that classroom, every vampire in this building knows I'm interested in you. Some will respect that. Others will see you as a challenge."
"A challenge?"
"To steal you from me." His expression turns dark, possessive. "To prove they're stronger. More worthy. To claim what I want for themselves."
The way he says 'claim' makes heat pool in my stomach again.
"So stay safe," he continues. "Until I can figure out how to protect you properly."
He starts to leave, then stops. Turns back. And before I can react, he's kissing me again—hard and desperate and over too soon.
"That," he says roughly when he pulls away, "is for motivation. To remind you why staying safe matters."
Then he's gone, moving vampire-fast down the hallway.
I stand against the wall, my lips tingling, my heart racing, my whole world turned upside down.
I came here to escape one nightmare.
And walked straight into another.
But this nightmare has silver eyes and kisses that make me forget why I should be scared.
And I think I'm falling for him.
Which might be the most dangerous thing of all.
My phone buzzes. A text from Elena: GET BACK TO THE ROOM NOW!!!
I run.
When I burst through our door, Elena locks it immediately. Her face is pale.
"What's wrong?" I gasp.
"Look." She shows me her phone.
It's a video. Posted on the school's social media. Someone filmed Lucian and me in the hallway.
Kissing.
My stomach drops. "Oh no."
"Oh YES." Elena's eyes are huge. "Aria, do you have ANY idea what you've done? Lucian Ashford doesn't date. Doesn't show interest in anyone. And you just kissed him. On camera. Where everyone can see."
"It was a mistake—"
"Too late." She scrolls through comments. They're exploding. Hundreds of them. Angry. Jealous. Shocked.
One catches my eye: "Who does this human think she is? Lucian belongs to Seraphine."
Another: "Someone should teach that scholarship nobody her place."
And another: "She won't last a week now. Not after stealing what belongs to the Crown."
My hands shake. "Elena, what have I done?"
"You've made yourself the most famous—and most hated—girl in school." She grabs my shoulders. "But also the most protected. Because if Lucian kissed you publicly, that means he's claiming you. And nobody is stupid enough to go against Lucian Ashford."
"Except Seraphine," I whisper, remembering her rage in the dining hall.
"Except Seraphine," Elena agrees grimly.
A knock on our door makes us both jump.
"Who is it?" Elena calls out.
"Delivery for Miss Blackwood."
Elena cracks open the door. A vampire student hands her a black box tied with red ribbon. He smirks at me before leaving.
"Should we open it?" I ask.
"Probably not." But Elena's already untying the ribbon.
Inside is a beautiful necklace—a silver pendant shaped like a crown. There's a note card.
I read it aloud: "Welcome to the game, little human. Let's see how long you survive. - S.V."
Seraphine Voss.
Under the card is a photo. It's me. Walking to class this morning.
Someone's drawn a red X over my face.
Elena's hands shake as she closes the box. "Aria, this is a threat. A serious one."
"I know."
"You need to tell Lucian—"
"No." I take the box and shove it in my drawer. "He has enough to worry about. I can handle Seraphine."
"Can you?" Elena looks at me seriously. "Because she's vampire royalty. Cruel. Powerful. And she just declared war on you."
I think about Lucian's kiss. His promise to protect me. The way he looked at me like I mattered.
"Then let her come," I say, surprising myself with how steady my voice sounds. "I'm done running from people who want to break me. If Seraphine wants a war, she'll get one."
Elena stares at me. Then slowly, she smiles. "That's the spirit. But Aria?"
"Yeah?"
"Try not to die. Because I'm getting really attached to you."
I laugh despite everything. "I'll try."
That night, I lie in bed thinking about Lucian. About his cold lips and warm words. About the way he called me 'mine' like it was fact.
About how I'm falling for a vampire who could kill me.
Who wants to protect me.
Who kissed me like I'm precious.
My phone buzzes with a text from an unknown number:
That kiss was a mistake. Now everyone wants you. Including me. - K.D.
Before I can process it, another text arrives. Different number:
I've waited three centuries for someone like you. I won't let the others have you. - D.N.
My hands shake. K.D. and D.N. Two more vampires interested in me.
And Lucian, who kissed me and claimed me and promised to protect me.
What have I gotten myself into?
Outside my window, I hear wings fluttering. When I look, a raven sits on the sill, watching me with intelligent eyes.
It taps the glass three times.
Then flies away into the night.
And I know—somehow I just know—that my life at Thornveil Academy is about to get a lot more complicated.
And a lot more dangerous.